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Margot Finn

@eicathomefinn.bsky.social

16K followers 4.1K following 7.7K posts

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) .. more

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Margot C. Finn is a British historian and academic who specialises in Britain and the British colonial world during the long nineteenth century. She has been Professor of Modern British History at the University College, London (UCL) since 2012. Finn was previously the President of the Royal Historical Society and a trustee of the Victoria & Albert Museum. .. more

Political science 31%

Economics 26%

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Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Paula Simoes @paulasimoes.bsky.social · 7h

A small number of samples can poison LLMs of any size

www.anthropic.com/research/sma...

A small number of samples can poison LLMs of any size

Anthropic research on data-poisoning attacks in large language models

www.anthropic.com

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Reposted by Peter Thorne, Carl T. Bergstrom, Gavin A. Schmidt , and 7 more Peter Thorne, Carl T. Bergstrom, Gavin A. Schmidt, Stacie B. Dusetzina, Margot C. Finn, Zen Faulkes, David Murakami Wood, Wolfgang Huber, Klaus Oschema, Philip Bell

Prof Anna Watts @profannawatts.bsky.social · 8h

Lol the Nobels can't even acknowledge women's contribution to discovery. But sure let's acknowledge The Machines.

Headline from an article in Nature this week that states "Prizes must recognize machine contributions to discovery. The future of science will be written by humans and machines together. Awards should reflect that reality."

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Reposted by Martin McKee, Sari Kovats, Richard Betts , and 8 more Martin McKee, Sari Kovats, Richard Betts, Scott L. Greer, Elizabeth Stokoe, Peter Campbell, Alison Phipps, Ben Worthy, Max Nathan, Margot C. Finn, Graham Dutfield

Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 11h

🧵🚨

The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

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UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation

Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h

Ah yes, that utterly shocking incident, now conveniently stored under the rug. A bit of a trip hazard.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 14h

Or perhaps 'armed bodies'....

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 15h

And the link to the report itself is here: www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/s...

UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation

Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

www.ucl.ac.uk

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn

Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick @mrcwarwick.bsky.social · 16h

In 1968, against the backdrop of the Race Relations Act and Powell's 'Rivers of Blood' speech, local Birmingham groups campaigned against racism and in support of civil rights

The archives of activist Margaret Stanton capture some of the grassroots activities mrc-describe.epexio.com/records/MSP/...

Ticket for the inaugural meeting of the Birmingham Area Civil Rights Campaign.

Photograph from the Birmingham Post, 6 May 1968, captioned 'A grim struggle for the police as they link arms to hold back the large crowd of demonstrators in Victoria Square, Birmingham, yesterday during the Prime Minister's visit'. The most visible placard says 'Would you let your daughter marry Enoch Powell'.

Letter sent to newspaper editors in August 1968 by the Birmingham Committee of the International Year for Human Rights. It deplores "the recent recommendations of the Birmingham City Council that all immigration into the city should be stopped, and we affirm that this policy is both morally wrong, and unworkable in practise. We remind the Council that the prosperity of this great city has been built on a long tradition of welcoming immigrants of all races. ... The proud motto of Birmingham is "Forward". Let the Council abandon its present backward-looking policy, and go forward to lead the nation in creating a society in which all races can work together in harmony."

Circular issued by the Birmingham Area Civil Rights Campaign Steering Group in 1968. It identifies four main fields of activity for the newly formed Birmingham Area Civil Rights Campaign: education, research, community action and political activity.

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Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn

Brodie Waddell @brodiewaddell.bsky.social · 17h

One week to go until Lyndal Roper's talk at @ihr.bsky.social!

Register for the hybrid event here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

And check out our other talks by @emilymayvine.bsky.social and @nailyas.bsky.social here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

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Reposted by Dave O’Brien, Lesley A. Hall

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 17h

Awards of up to £10,000. Deadline Wednesday 5 November 2025, 17:00 (GMT).

Open to researchers in all disciplines and all postdoctoral (or equivalent) career stages.

The call is focused solely on Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness (see below).

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Reposted by Mark D. White, Margot C. Finn

Anna O. Law @unlawfulentries.bsky.social · 17h

I teach in my undergrad class on the history of the US jury system that the institution's roots are in colonial juries serving as a counterweight to abuses of imperial power. The American jury has problems for sure but still can serve that roll. Don't blow off jury service.

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 1d

Jury Refuses To Indict Chicago ICE Protesters In Latest Revolt Against Trump Overreach talkingpointsmemo.com/where-things...

Jury Refuses To Indict Chicago ICE Protesters In Latest Revolt Against Trump Overreach

A grand jury Tuesday night declined to indict two protesters in the...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 18h

It's an excellent point, but also not an entirely unproblematic example, given the greater under-funding of Scottish universities (relative to English) and signal sent by the Dundee crisis.

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 18h

They'll be working for the UK "ICE" forces they are proposing, presumably.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 18h

'Prof Galbraith believes the only way they [University of Portsmouth] can continue having British students is thanks to high fees paid by international students.' 2/2

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 18h

"I'm one of the people that went to university for free and I honestly believe that if the country is to be the country we want it to be then it should be free for British people and we should be finding ways to support our young people". (Prof Graham Galbraith, VC Portsmouth) 1/2

University boss wants 'free' education for British students

The University of Portsmouth vice-chancellor says many students

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn

Sathnam Sanghera @sathnam.bsky.social · 19h

In @thetimes.com letters page today

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 19h

'Students at a university studying for a masters in forensic investigation have been "left in limbo" after being told the course will not be available next year.'

Cranfield University to close forensics department

One student studying forensic investigation says it is no longer the course she signed up for.

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Sathnam Sanghera @sathnam.bsky.social · 19h

The massive downsides of low immigration. Soon this could ve everyone's problem.

Japan has an ‘enshortification’ problem - on.ft.com/46Z0yhg via @FT

Japan has an ‘enshortification’ problem

An ageing workforce is affecting all sorts of professions

on.ft.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

'While 41 per cent of those surveyed [by IOP] felt that generative AI will be positive for peer review, 37 per cent said they were worried about the potential for negative consequences. A lack of guidance from publishers means many researchers are unsure of where to draw the line.'

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 20h

AI in peer review: where to draw the line?

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

AI in peer review: where to draw the line? - Research Professional News

As publishers seek “shared principles”, others warn AI could become “sticking plaster” for structural problems

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

'In tests of 16 large language models (LLMs)...a team of researchers found that some of the most popular of these AIs issued apparently homicidal instructions in a virtual scenario. The AIs took steps that would lead to the death of a fictional executive who had planned to replace them.'

AI models that lie, cheat and plot murder: how dangerous are LLMs really?

Tests of large language models reveal that they can behave in deceptive and potentially harmful ways. What does this mean for the future?

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 20h

AI in peer review: where to draw the line?

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

AI in peer review: where to draw the line? - Research Professional News

As publishers seek “shared principles”, others warn AI could become “sticking plaster” for structural problems

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

'Which again is odd, because...“eighty percent of those who attended university earned more than they would have done otherwise over a lifetime” and that “people who have studied in higher education will earn on average 20 per cent more over their working life than those who did not.”' 2/2

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

Badenoch's 'reductions would be achieved by applying number controls by subject area, with places progressively reduced in subjects that offer the greatest losses for taxpayers and students – based on costings and presumptions based on the 2020 lifetime returns work' by IFS. 1/2

Conservatives have a poor quality higher education policy

It's back.

wonkhe.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

'“Systems leadership and oversight is required to ensure that a variety of institutional types are preserved because this has been key to ensuring sector health and resilience in systems elsewhere around the world”.' (Brooke Storer-Church, chief executive of GuildHE) 2/2

committees.parliament.uk

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

'In a submission to the House of Commons Education Select Committee inquiry...GuildHE warned that while “mergers can deliver benefits”, without “a body with oversight of the whole system, the UK could sleepwalk into a homogenised sector which would not serve our country well”.' 1/2

Universities risk ‘creeping death’ from unsupervised mergers

Specialist institutions could be subsumed without high-level oversight of sector consolidation, MPs warned

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

'The report recommends there should be increased legal and statutory protection of these bodies enshrined in law, limits to ministerial involvement in appointing leadership positions, exploring multi-year funding models to ensure “resilience”, and strengthening their operational autonomy.' 3/3

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

UCL Policy Lab report: 'The organisations, it says, are often dependent on government ministers for their funding, setting of priorities and for the appointment of their leaders, “making them highly exposed to political influence”.' 2/3

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

'Arm’s-length bodies such as the Office for Students (OfS) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are particularly “vulnerable to political interference”, a new report has warned.' 1/3

‘Learn lessons from US’ and stop political interference, UK told

OfS and UKRI seen as particularly vulnerable to meddling from government, with report authors calling for more safeguards to ensure independence

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn

Social History Society @socialhistsoc.bsky.social · 20h

CFP: Gender, Violence and the Early Moderns

🗓️ 22 May 2026
📍 European University Institute, Florence
👩‍🏫 Organiser: Dr Giada Pizzoni
🎤 Keynote: Dr Jonathan Davies (Warwick)

Submit abstracts (≤300 words) by 20 Dec 2025 👉

socialhistory.org.uk/shs_event/ge...

Gender, Violence and the Early Moderns

Call for Papers Gender, Violence and the Early Moderns European University Institute, Florence 22 May 2026 Organiser: Dr Giada Pizzoni Keynote Speaker: Dr Jonathan Davies (Warwick) Violence puts th…

socialhistory.org.uk

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

“We want our international students to continue to feel welcomed for the positive social and cultural and economic contributions they make in Wales, and we're very keen to ensure that that continues so there will not be a levy in Wales.” (Welsh education secretary Lynne Neagle)

Wales rules out levy on international student fees

Education secretary confirms devolved nation will not follow UK government in taking a cut of overseas tuition fee income

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Reposted by Michael H. Whitworth

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20h

'“It’s a strange mixture of feelings,” he said. “Being happy, being stressed, sometimes being overwhelmed. Living in Gaza for 27 years, then getting here and being in London, it’s completely shocking. The very basic things here are luxuries in Gaza.”'

Happy, stressed, overwhelmed: Palestinians evacuated from Gaza start their studies in UK

Abdallah, 27, and Soha, 31, describe adjusting to their new lives after leaving their war-torn home

www.theguardian.com

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