Bleddyn Bowen
@bleddb.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Astropolitics | Space warfare | Own views
Books: Original Sin http://bit.ly/3JYbcIe ; War in Space http://bit.ly/34Stplv 🏴🏳️🌈 🚀🛰
Web: https://tinyurl.com/p9pt8n9n
“He doesn’t see the stars - just the vast dark spaces in between.”
Books: Original Sin http://bit.ly/3JYbcIe ; War in Space http://bit.ly/34Stplv 🏴🏳️🌈 🚀🛰
Web: https://tinyurl.com/p9pt8n9n
“He doesn’t see the stars - just the vast dark spaces in between.”
Pinned
Bleddyn Bowen
@bleddb.bsky.social
· Oct 11
Coming in 2026 in paperback - Original Sin: Power, Technology and War in Outer Space! With @hurstpublishers.bsky.social
@sgiadurham.bsky.social
Get all your international political space history and strategy at even greater value!
www.hurstpublishers.com/catalogues/s...
@sgiadurham.bsky.social
Get all your international political space history and strategy at even greater value!
www.hurstpublishers.com/catalogues/s...
And then concern is about students and “research”. No mention of the staff needed to do both.
November 25, 2025 at 12:09 PM
And then concern is about students and “research”. No mention of the staff needed to do both.
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
What would the government do if an HEI became insolvent? JS: We would not intervene solely in the interests of the provider, but would potentially intervene on behalf of students and research. [It's a good thing then that HEIs don't have any staff]. 3/n
November 25, 2025 at 10:38 AM
What would the government do if an HEI became insolvent? JS: We would not intervene solely in the interests of the provider, but would potentially intervene on behalf of students and research. [It's a good thing then that HEIs don't have any staff]. 3/n
I should have put a bet on whether the REF pause would be more than just a few months of the REF management rethinking some metrics…
Smith says it was Pat Vallance that put a "pause" on the REF. Is that new information or did we know it was his idea? All the scholarly societies are getting zero answers and zero clarity on all things REF at the moment.
November 25, 2025 at 11:34 AM
I should have put a bet on whether the REF pause would be more than just a few months of the REF management rethinking some metrics…
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
7 large institutions with less than 12 months solvency provable.
November 25, 2025 at 10:52 AM
7 large institutions with less than 12 months solvency provable.
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
I will say the committee's questions give me hope, these MPs at least do see the huge gaps and remarkable complacency here, and they are asking repeated questions which show exactly this. The OfS is currently having to admit they literally do not have the ability to help most if a lg uni goes.
November 25, 2025 at 10:28 AM
I will say the committee's questions give me hope, these MPs at least do see the huge gaps and remarkable complacency here, and they are asking repeated questions which show exactly this. The OfS is currently having to admit they literally do not have the ability to help most if a lg uni goes.
Well that Commons Committee session is going as badly as I’d expected.
"A system built on specialisation, efficiency", that right there is the death knell for the current university system in the UK, if (big if) government pushes it through. They actively don't want HE to grow, they will intervene, apparently, to help it shrink.
per this morning's education committee.
per this morning's education committee.
November 25, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Well that Commons Committee session is going as badly as I’d expected.
‘Vestager [rebuked Dublin] in 2022, saying Ireland “has a responsibility as does everyone else. No one can be a weak link in our chain of protection”. One former UK military official was even blunter: “This [infrastructure] is Ireland’s cash cow. And it’s taking the piss.”’
How Ireland became the weak spot in Europe’s defences
With few ships and limited intelligence-sharing, some say the country cannot hope to protect itself or its infrastructure
on.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:49 AM
‘Vestager [rebuked Dublin] in 2022, saying Ireland “has a responsibility as does everyone else. No one can be a weak link in our chain of protection”. One former UK military official was even blunter: “This [infrastructure] is Ireland’s cash cow. And it’s taking the piss.”’
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
Great to read this table, the week after my institution announces a voluntary severance programme, to see the government introducing a policy that will cost us an extra *£13 million*
These are HEPI estimates of the 20 institutions affected: I think this illustrates the impact if the tariff is absorbed in full by institutions.
What share of the 6% tariff different universities may try to pass on to fees - or the impact might be on demand if they did - is not publicly known.
What share of the 6% tariff different universities may try to pass on to fees - or the impact might be on demand if they did - is not publicly known.
November 24, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Great to read this table, the week after my institution announces a voluntary severance programme, to see the government introducing a policy that will cost us an extra *£13 million*
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
It's not going away
November 24, 2025 at 7:30 AM
It's not going away
An export tax then…
'Despite these concerns, little positive news is expected for universities in the upcoming budget....the focus will...be on the proposed international student levy, which would result in universities being taxed on their income from overseas students.' 2/3
Universities receiving £6.4bn a year less for teaching students compared to a decade ago
New analysis from Universities UK (UUK) shows the scale of underfunding English universities face in teaching today’s home students, compared to ten years ago.
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk
November 24, 2025 at 7:50 AM
An export tax then…
Oh yes, it’s all an approximation…
November 23, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Oh yes, it’s all an approximation…
Post a movie where you are from
November 23, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Post a movie where you are from
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
It would have been the easiest thing for the Russians to say nothing and let Trump try to pressure Ukraine into accepting. Fortunately, they absolutely cannot help themselves.
November 22, 2025 at 8:15 PM
It would have been the easiest thing for the Russians to say nothing and let Trump try to pressure Ukraine into accepting. Fortunately, they absolutely cannot help themselves.
Why use blanket when you can pet cat
November 22, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Why use blanket when you can pet cat
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
Fighter jet purchases depend on confidence in future reliability. They need parts, maintenance, ongoing communication, trust that no measure will ever be electronically disabled, etc.
Telling Canada buy US jets or we’ll hurt your economy more is effectively communicating it’d be dumb to buy US jets.
Telling Canada buy US jets or we’ll hurt your economy more is effectively communicating it’d be dumb to buy US jets.
Hoekstra continues to be utterly terrible at his job as *checks notes* an ambassador of the United States.
Or, flipside: continues to be the living embodiment of why there is nation-wide contempt towards the US.
www.thestar.com/politics/fed...
Or, flipside: continues to be the living embodiment of why there is nation-wide contempt towards the US.
www.thestar.com/politics/fed...
Future of trade talks depends on Canada’s purchase of American fighter jets, U.S. ambassador says
Pete Hoekstra said it will not be easy to restart the now-stalled trade talks, and urged Canada to "harmonize" as much as possible with the U.S. on a range of
www.thestar.com
November 22, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Fighter jet purchases depend on confidence in future reliability. They need parts, maintenance, ongoing communication, trust that no measure will ever be electronically disabled, etc.
Telling Canada buy US jets or we’ll hurt your economy more is effectively communicating it’d be dumb to buy US jets.
Telling Canada buy US jets or we’ll hurt your economy more is effectively communicating it’d be dumb to buy US jets.
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
Shadow wants to go shopping with you!
November 22, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Shadow wants to go shopping with you!
29th Anniversary of Toy Story 2?
November 22, 2025 at 9:14 AM
29th Anniversary of Toy Story 2?
First that Panorama show, now this…
November 22, 2025 at 9:04 AM
First that Panorama show, now this…
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
I'm not a big fan of the Munich analogy, but this is real Munich stuff -- probably worse.
www.ft.com/content/f411...
www.ft.com/content/f411...
November 22, 2025 at 7:18 AM
I'm not a big fan of the Munich analogy, but this is real Munich stuff -- probably worse.
www.ft.com/content/f411...
www.ft.com/content/f411...
"Russia is expected not to invade neighboring countries" is my favourite one. Like... just look at the state of Europe and the Caucasus to see how stupid such an expectation is!
November 21, 2025 at 3:10 PM
"Russia is expected not to invade neighboring countries" is my favourite one. Like... just look at the state of Europe and the Caucasus to see how stupid such an expectation is!
You knew some good stuff was coming when this got wheeled out!
November 21, 2025 at 10:26 AM
You knew some good stuff was coming when this got wheeled out!
Reposted by Bleddyn Bowen
🎙️In this episode, @omarhgallego.bsky.social discusses public opinion and perceptions of migration, the recent migration policies of UK parties, and the politics behind them.
open.spotify.com/episode/4NwR...
open.spotify.com/episode/4NwR...
UK Migration Policies 2025: Public Opinion, Politics, and Policy Alternatives
open.spotify.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:41 AM
🎙️In this episode, @omarhgallego.bsky.social discusses public opinion and perceptions of migration, the recent migration policies of UK parties, and the politics behind them.
open.spotify.com/episode/4NwR...
open.spotify.com/episode/4NwR...