Margot Finn
@eicathomefinn.bsky.social
Historian of Britain and colonialism, material culture, the EIC. Also works on equalities, museums, open access & research policy. Download the EIC @ Home open access volume here: https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/88277 (or individual chapters via JSTOR)
Reposted by Margot Finn
Thanks to all the charlatans, quacks and fools who've allowed measles to reach my child's secondary school in London
February 12, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Thanks to all the charlatans, quacks and fools who've allowed measles to reach my child's secondary school in London
The 20th-century globe, as 'colonised by immigrants'.
February 12, 2026 at 12:16 PM
The 20th-century globe, as 'colonised by immigrants'.
Basically the answer still appears to be 'Yes'.
Does ROI add up for the MBA?
Potential students are more closely scrutinising return on investment in a patchy jobs market
www.ft.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:39 AM
Basically the answer still appears to be 'Yes'.
'The party has, however, also pledged to bring in a new law to enshrine a free speech duty on universities in Wales, threatening financial penalties or withdrawing financial support if they do not comply, should it win the next Senedd election.' 2/2
February 12, 2026 at 10:34 AM
'The party has, however, also pledged to bring in a new law to enshrine a free speech duty on universities in Wales, threatening financial penalties or withdrawing financial support if they do not comply, should it win the next Senedd election.' 2/2
'In a BBC Wales debate Francesca O'Brien distanced herself from the party's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, who suggested Bangor University could have its funding stripped because a debating society refused an invitation to hear from a Reform MP.' 1/2
Reform will not defund Bangor university, politician says
Reform politician says party will not strip university of cash in row over free speech.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 12, 2026 at 10:34 AM
'In a BBC Wales debate Francesca O'Brien distanced herself from the party's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, who suggested Bangor University could have its funding stripped because a debating society refused an invitation to hear from a Reform MP.' 1/2
On Thursday 26 March, the Royal Historical Society will be holding an online meeting for Directors of Research / REF Leads to discuss preparations by historians for the REF.
Contact [email protected] to participate.
Contact [email protected] to participate.
February 12, 2026 at 10:21 AM
On Thursday 26 March, the Royal Historical Society will be holding an online meeting for Directors of Research / REF Leads to discuss preparations by historians for the REF.
Contact [email protected] to participate.
Contact [email protected] to participate.
Reposted by Margot Finn
On 16 April, we co-host 'History and Archives in Practice, 2026' with @ihr.bsky.social, The National Archives, and University of Sheffield Library.
For #HAP26 our theme is: ‘Shaping Societies, Improving Lives: the Impact of Archives and Historical Research’ bit.ly/4tvKUnX. Booking now #Skystorians
For #HAP26 our theme is: ‘Shaping Societies, Improving Lives: the Impact of Archives and Historical Research’ bit.ly/4tvKUnX. Booking now #Skystorians
‘Shaping Societies, Improving Lives’: programme and booking for ‘History and Archives in Practice, 2026’ now available - RHS
On Thursday 16 April 2026, the Royal Historical Society joins with The National Archives, Institute ofHistorical Research and University of Sheffield Library to co-host the this year’s History and Arc...
bit.ly
February 12, 2026 at 8:25 AM
On 16 April, we co-host 'History and Archives in Practice, 2026' with @ihr.bsky.social, The National Archives, and University of Sheffield Library.
For #HAP26 our theme is: ‘Shaping Societies, Improving Lives: the Impact of Archives and Historical Research’ bit.ly/4tvKUnX. Booking now #Skystorians
For #HAP26 our theme is: ‘Shaping Societies, Improving Lives: the Impact of Archives and Historical Research’ bit.ly/4tvKUnX. Booking now #Skystorians
'Patterns of genetic diversity on the X and Y chromosomes suggested that European-farmer ancestry seemed to arrive mostly through females.
“We really do think that the bits and pieces of the farming lifestyle that were incorporated by these hunter-gathering groups came in through...women".'
“We really do think that the bits and pieces of the farming lifestyle that were incorporated by these hunter-gathering groups came in through...women".'
Hunter-gatherers took refuge in European 'water world' for millennia
Ancient inhabitants of the Rhine-Meuse river delta resisted population shifts that transformed most of Europe — until they helped catalyse the expansion of ‘Bell Beaker’ culture.
www.nature.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:19 AM
'Patterns of genetic diversity on the X and Y chromosomes suggested that European-farmer ancestry seemed to arrive mostly through females.
“We really do think that the bits and pieces of the farming lifestyle that were incorporated by these hunter-gathering groups came in through...women".'
“We really do think that the bits and pieces of the farming lifestyle that were incorporated by these hunter-gathering groups came in through...women".'
Reposted by Margot Finn
Season Adviser for the Age of Self?,
@tomshakespeare.bsky.social FBA, was interviewed on BBC Radio London yesterday, discussing the upcoming events and the ideas behind the season.
🎧 Listen from 3:12:45 →
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
@tomshakespeare.bsky.social FBA, was interviewed on BBC Radio London yesterday, discussing the upcoming events and the ideas behind the season.
🎧 Listen from 3:12:45 →
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Inspirit with Jumoké Fashola - 08/02/2026 - BBC Sounds
Hammad Nasar from Ibraaz,artist Philippa Found,Sir Tom Shakespeare and John Rwothomack.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Season Adviser for the Age of Self?,
@tomshakespeare.bsky.social FBA, was interviewed on BBC Radio London yesterday, discussing the upcoming events and the ideas behind the season.
🎧 Listen from 3:12:45 →
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
@tomshakespeare.bsky.social FBA, was interviewed on BBC Radio London yesterday, discussing the upcoming events and the ideas behind the season.
🎧 Listen from 3:12:45 →
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Reposted by Margot Finn
The initiative will provide €325 (£283) a week to 2,000 eligible artists based in the Republic of Ireland. This follows a pilot (for which 2,000 artists were randomly selected from 8,000 applicants).
‘The scheme recouped more than its net cost of €72m’
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
‘The scheme recouped more than its net cost of €72m’
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
Ireland’s basic income for the arts scheme becomes permanent
When piloted, initiative that provided €325 a week to eligible artists recouped more than its net cost, study shows
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:05 AM
The initiative will provide €325 (£283) a week to 2,000 eligible artists based in the Republic of Ireland. This follows a pilot (for which 2,000 artists were randomly selected from 8,000 applicants).
‘The scheme recouped more than its net cost of €72m’
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
‘The scheme recouped more than its net cost of €72m’
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
And encouraging your students to read instead of relying on chatbot summaries may have longer-term benefits than you know.
February 12, 2026 at 8:10 AM
And encouraging your students to read instead of relying on chatbot summaries may have longer-term benefits than you know.
'France’s Health Data Hub, which houses medical data for research use, will move from non‑EU servers provided by Microsoft to an EU‑based platform by the end of the year, the government has said.'
France news: Health research data to be moved to EU servers
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
February 12, 2026 at 8:09 AM
'France’s Health Data Hub, which houses medical data for research use, will move from non‑EU servers provided by Microsoft to an EU‑based platform by the end of the year, the government has said.'
'The interaction between the £39,160 lifetime tuition fee cap and previous study is going to generate enormous confusion. And the bit about deducting “today’s equivalent value” if you previously studied without fees is a nightmare waiting to happen'. 2/2
February 12, 2026 at 8:05 AM
'The interaction between the £39,160 lifetime tuition fee cap and previous study is going to generate enormous confusion. And the bit about deducting “today’s equivalent value” if you previously studied without fees is a nightmare waiting to happen'. 2/2
'The credit-based funding model means every student’s entitlement is now a bespoke calculation depending on how many credits they’re studying, what kind of provider they’re at, what TEF rating it has, what type of OfS registration it holds, where in the UK they’re studying....' 1/2
DfE attempts to explain the LLE to applicants. Badly
The Westminster government has published some "student facing" material on loan funding under the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) system.
wonkhe.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:05 AM
'The credit-based funding model means every student’s entitlement is now a bespoke calculation depending on how many credits they’re studying, what kind of provider they’re at, what TEF rating it has, what type of OfS registration it holds, where in the UK they’re studying....' 1/2
It would be interesting to compare Liverpool's approach to REF, as detailed here, with the detailed summaries provided by the Business and Management Studies Sub-panel report, referenced nowhere here, but available open access since 2021: 2021.ref.ac.uk/media/1912/m...
‘Toxic culture’ caused by REF pressure to target top journals
Staff at management school say they feel forced to publish in ‘narrow’ subset of elite journals to boost REF standing, restricting types of research they can pursue
www.timeshighereducation.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:01 AM
It would be interesting to compare Liverpool's approach to REF, as detailed here, with the detailed summaries provided by the Business and Management Studies Sub-panel report, referenced nowhere here, but available open access since 2021: 2021.ref.ac.uk/media/1912/m...
'A limitation was that participants reported details about their early and midlife experiences later in life, so may not have remembered everything accurately. The study also did not prove that lifelong learning reduces the risk of dementia, as it only showed an association.' 2/2
Associations of Lifetime Cognitive Enrichment With Incident Alzheimer Disease Dementia, Cognitive Aging, and Cognitive Resilience | Neurology
Background and ObjectivesThe effects of lifetime cognitive enrichment on later-life cognitive outcomes are
not comprehensively investigated. The aim of this study was to test the association
of lifeti...
www.neurology.org
February 12, 2026 at 7:47 AM
'A limitation was that participants reported details about their early and midlife experiences later in life, so may not have remembered everything accurately. The study also did not prove that lifelong learning reduces the risk of dementia, as it only showed an association.' 2/2
'Reading, writing and learning a language or two can lower your risk of dementia by almost 40%, according to a study that suggests millions of people could prevent or delay the condition.' 1/2
Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40%, study finds
Cognitive health in later life is ‘strongly influenced’ by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:47 AM
'Reading, writing and learning a language or two can lower your risk of dementia by almost 40%, according to a study that suggests millions of people could prevent or delay the condition.' 1/2
Reposted by Margot Finn
Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground
February 11, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground
Reposted by Margot Finn
Reposted by Margot Finn
I can think of one:
bsky.app/profile/anni...
bsky.app/profile/anni...
Sir Jim will decolonise Man United - and all football? 😵💫
February 11, 2026 at 10:54 PM
I can think of one:
bsky.app/profile/anni...
bsky.app/profile/anni...
'Some 50 per cent of complaints this year were deemed not justified and 20 per cent judged as not eligible, with a further 9 per cent of grievances withdrawn or terminated, the report says.' 20% resolved in favour of student complainant.
February 11, 2026 at 10:47 PM
'Some 50 per cent of complaints this year were deemed not justified and 20 per cent judged as not eligible, with a further 9 per cent of grievances withdrawn or terminated, the report says.' 20% resolved in favour of student complainant.
'A total of 4,234 complaints were received by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator during 2025'.
Is this a big number, or a very small number? How many universities, how many students, how many modules and assessments? How many complaints? How does this level compare with comparable services?
Is this a big number, or a very small number? How many universities, how many students, how many modules and assessments? How many complaints? How does this level compare with comparable services?
Financial crisis drives student complaints to record high
Sharp rise in grievances may reflect financial pressures on universities and ‘heightened expectations’ of procedural fairness, says ombudsman
www.timeshighereducation.com
February 11, 2026 at 4:12 PM
'A total of 4,234 complaints were received by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator during 2025'.
Is this a big number, or a very small number? How many universities, how many students, how many modules and assessments? How many complaints? How does this level compare with comparable services?
Is this a big number, or a very small number? How many universities, how many students, how many modules and assessments? How many complaints? How does this level compare with comparable services?
Reposted by Margot Finn
I am thrilled that my book Music and Musicians in Late Mughal India: Histories of the Ephemeral 1748–1858 has now won the 2026 Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy prize (Association for Asian Studies/South Asia Council)! www.asianstudies.org/grants-award...
Honoured to share it with the great Charu Gupta.
Honoured to share it with the great Charu Gupta.
Coomaraswamy Prize - Association for Asian Studies
Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Book Prize The Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Book Prize honors a distinguished work of scholarship in South Asian Studies that promises to define or redefine the understandin...
www.asianstudies.org
February 11, 2026 at 4:06 PM
I am thrilled that my book Music and Musicians in Late Mughal India: Histories of the Ephemeral 1748–1858 has now won the 2026 Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy prize (Association for Asian Studies/South Asia Council)! www.asianstudies.org/grants-award...
Honoured to share it with the great Charu Gupta.
Honoured to share it with the great Charu Gupta.
Reposted by Margot Finn
FRIDAY FEB 13: Jeroen Puttevils on “Back to the Future: What can we Learn about Future Thinking from Late Medieval and Early Modern Merchant Correspondences from the Low Countries.” 5:30 pm London time, IHR Wolfson Rm 2 and online. Register here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Back to the Future: What can we Learn about Future Thinking from Late Medieval and Early Modern Merchant Correspondences from the Low Countries
www.history.ac.uk
February 11, 2026 at 3:21 PM
FRIDAY FEB 13: Jeroen Puttevils on “Back to the Future: What can we Learn about Future Thinking from Late Medieval and Early Modern Merchant Correspondences from the Low Countries.” 5:30 pm London time, IHR Wolfson Rm 2 and online. Register here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
'Cathedral bosses said documents found at the local record office showed sign language was used in a marriage ceremony at St Martin's Church - as it was formerly called - on 6 February 1576.' #Skystorians
Well this is a very touching local news story.
Leicester Cathedral reveals sign language wedding held in 1576
Cathedral bosses believe the signed service could have been one of the first in England.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 11, 2026 at 2:53 PM
'Cathedral bosses said documents found at the local record office showed sign language was used in a marriage ceremony at St Martin's Church - as it was formerly called - on 6 February 1576.' #Skystorians