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)
Big difference then, very big.
February 10, 2026 at 10:00 PM
Big difference then, very big.
So was it not used to distribute core research funding? That would be a big difference with uk.
February 10, 2026 at 9:46 PM
So was it not used to distribute core research funding? That would be a big difference with uk.
Reposted by Margot Finn
The Real Cost of the UK’s ‘Free AI Training for All’ is Democracy
via @elinorcarmi.bsky.social and co. Thank you for writing this.
www.techpolicy.press/the-real-cos...
via @elinorcarmi.bsky.social and co. Thank you for writing this.
www.techpolicy.press/the-real-cos...
The Real Cost of the UK’s ‘Free AI Training for All’ is Democracy
Researchers argue the UK's 'AI Skills Hub' should be re-thought with input from civil society groups and public interest organizations.
www.techpolicy.press
February 10, 2026 at 6:55 PM
The Real Cost of the UK’s ‘Free AI Training for All’ is Democracy
via @elinorcarmi.bsky.social and co. Thank you for writing this.
www.techpolicy.press/the-real-cos...
via @elinorcarmi.bsky.social and co. Thank you for writing this.
www.techpolicy.press/the-real-cos...
'Which is probably why Reform is apparently considering the perfectly normal alternate approach of defunding the university in revenge if it ever has the power to. Which would put it in breach of section 18 (institutional autonomy) of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022.'
Hat2 2/2
Hat2 2/2
February 10, 2026 at 4:28 PM
'Which is probably why Reform is apparently considering the perfectly normal alternate approach of defunding the university in revenge if it ever has the power to. Which would put it in breach of section 18 (institutional autonomy) of the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022.'
Hat2 2/2
Hat2 2/2
'All of which rather assumes that Bangor University is in England, and is regulated by the Office for Students. And I have bad news for Reform on that front too. None of the parts of the Act I have mentioned actually apply in Wales.'
Chapeau no. 1 1/2
Chapeau no. 1 1/2
Was there a freedom of speech breach at Bangor?
A proper 2022-style freedom of speech on campus panic plays out
wonkhe.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:28 PM
'All of which rather assumes that Bangor University is in England, and is regulated by the Office for Students. And I have bad news for Reform on that front too. None of the parts of the Act I have mentioned actually apply in Wales.'
Chapeau no. 1 1/2
Chapeau no. 1 1/2
Alternatively, reduce the number and value of senior investigator awards to invest more directly in the research aspirations rising generation. 2/2
February 10, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Alternatively, reduce the number and value of senior investigator awards to invest more directly in the research aspirations rising generation. 2/2
'In the 2024 call for applications, the commission awarded €417 million to 10,360 researchers, which amounted to a success rate of 16.6 per cent. In the previous year, 15.8 per cent of the 8,039 applicants were selected for funding.'
At under 10%, I'd be considering partial randomisation. q/2
At under 10%, I'd be considering partial randomisation. q/2
‘Brutal’ success rate for European postdoctoral fellowships
Only 9.6 per cent of applicants awarded coveted Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellowships, with many postdoctoral researchers saying the programme has become too competitive
www.timeshighereducation.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:22 PM
'In the 2024 call for applications, the commission awarded €417 million to 10,360 researchers, which amounted to a success rate of 16.6 per cent. In the previous year, 15.8 per cent of the 8,039 applicants were selected for funding.'
At under 10%, I'd be considering partial randomisation. q/2
At under 10%, I'd be considering partial randomisation. q/2
One for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (SHAPE) researchers interested in open science, and hot off the press (as well as, naturally, open access).
Openness in the arts, humanities and social sciences: Documenting open research practices beyond STEM (A MORPHSS Project Report)
Conceptual frameworks of 'Open Science' and their implementation by funders, journals, institutions and other organisations have been criticised on the grounds that they are tailored primarily to quan...
works.hcommons.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:23 PM
One for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (SHAPE) researchers interested in open science, and hot off the press (as well as, naturally, open access).
Reposted by Margot Finn
UNC is close to finalizing its policy which outlines permissible circumstances to *SECRETLY RECORD FACULTY IN THE CLASSROOM.*
UNC-Chapel Hill Preps Policy on Recording Professors
The school aims to clarify guidelines after a secret recording controversy and growing fear of surveillance.
www.theassemblync.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:58 PM
UNC is close to finalizing its policy which outlines permissible circumstances to *SECRETLY RECORD FACULTY IN THE CLASSROOM.*
'The REF team said that, from April, Hackett would return to provide “overall strategic leadership to the programme going forward”. Research Professional News understands a recruitment process to appoint a successor is now underway.'
Breaking: Research Excellence Framework director to step down in April.
Former director Kim Hackett returning to oversee strategy while successor to Rebecca Fairbairn is found.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Former director Kim Hackett returning to oversee strategy while successor to Rebecca Fairbairn is found.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Research Excellence Framework director to step down in April - Research Professional News
Former director Kim Hackett returning to oversee strategy while successor to Rebecca Fairbairn is found
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:05 PM
'The REF team said that, from April, Hackett would return to provide “overall strategic leadership to the programme going forward”. Research Professional News understands a recruitment process to appoint a successor is now underway.'
Statement from Steven Hill on REF leadership transition – REF 2029
2029.ref.ac.uk
February 10, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Interesting. What impact did the revocation have on allocation of research funding?
February 10, 2026 at 12:50 PM
Interesting. What impact did the revocation have on allocation of research funding?
A situation replicated across many HEIs. We should be places of active, co-produced experimentation. But this is not what's on offer. Such a missed opportunity married to an own goal.
February 10, 2026 at 11:59 AM
A situation replicated across many HEIs. We should be places of active, co-produced experimentation. But this is not what's on offer. Such a missed opportunity married to an own goal.
Reposted by Margot Finn
Reform UK’s head of policy Zia Yusuf launched a culture war in Wales by threatening to withhold funding from Bangor University after its student debating society refused to host two leading figures from his party ✍️Martin Shipton
Uproar as Reform policy chief threatens to defund Welsh university
Martin Shipton Reform UK’s head of policy Zia Yusuf launched a culture war in Wales by threatening to withhold funding from Bangor University after its student debating society refused to host two lea...
nation.cymru
February 10, 2026 at 8:14 AM
Reform UK’s head of policy Zia Yusuf launched a culture war in Wales by threatening to withhold funding from Bangor University after its student debating society refused to host two leading figures from his party ✍️Martin Shipton
Reposted by Margot Finn
Threatening to defund the Welsh university widely perceived to be a bastion of the Welsh language - it has one of the highest proportions of Welsh speaking students - isn’t a great look for a party looking to sweep the Senedd in May
I guess we can thank Bangor’s Debating & Political Society for prompting Reform to reveal that they intend to govern in the same Trumpian, thin-skinned way that would cause them to tank the economy of a small city because some students were mean to them.
Reform is threatening Bangor University over a student society’s decision. The society isn’t Bangor University—but this is a neat preview of how a Reform government would work: public money for supporters only. Trump-style politics, UK edition.
Authoritarian reflex is already working just fine.👇
Authoritarian reflex is already working just fine.👇
February 10, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Threatening to defund the Welsh university widely perceived to be a bastion of the Welsh language - it has one of the highest proportions of Welsh speaking students - isn’t a great look for a party looking to sweep the Senedd in May
Reposted by Margot Finn
#jobfairy this is an intriguing one - 18 month research fellowship for an object-focused historian, museums studies person or similar at Chatsworth House! £48k + £11k travel, outreach etc #skystorians
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQK358/d...
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQK358/d...
Devonshire Collections Research Fellow at Chatsworth House Trust
Searching for an academic job? Explore this Devonshire Collections Research Fellow opening on jobs.ac.uk! Click to view more details and browse other academic jobs.
www.jobs.ac.uk
February 10, 2026 at 11:08 AM
#jobfairy this is an intriguing one - 18 month research fellowship for an object-focused historian, museums studies person or similar at Chatsworth House! £48k + £11k travel, outreach etc #skystorians
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQK358/d...
www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQK358/d...
'Scepticism about such ventures is healthy. Higher education has seen alliances launch with broad declarations and fade with little to show.' (Noah Pickus)
Will it work? Who knows? But it's a much more interesting model than the current UK HE off-shoring in vogue ('sandbox' notwithstanding). 2/2
Will it work? Who knows? But it's a much more interesting model than the current UK HE off-shoring in vogue ('sandbox' notwithstanding). 2/2
Future Universities Alliance | Office of the Provost
About the Alliance Image The Future Universities Alliance is a global platform connecting start-up, emerging, and established universities to reimagine what higher educat
provost.duke.edu
February 10, 2026 at 11:14 AM
'Scepticism about such ventures is healthy. Higher education has seen alliances launch with broad declarations and fade with little to show.' (Noah Pickus)
Will it work? Who knows? But it's a much more interesting model than the current UK HE off-shoring in vogue ('sandbox' notwithstanding). 2/2
Will it work? Who knows? But it's a much more interesting model than the current UK HE off-shoring in vogue ('sandbox' notwithstanding). 2/2
'Our approach rests not on borderless cosmopolitanism but on what I call rooted globalism. The idea is that institutions stay grounded in their histories and communities while learning across differences and allowing those lessons to reshape how they serve their own students.' (Noah Pickus) 1/2
Our open, global institutional design engine is not just another consortium
Higher education has seen alliances launch with broad declarations and fade with little to show. But we are structuring this one differently, says Noah Pickus
www.timeshighereducation.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:14 AM
'Our approach rests not on borderless cosmopolitanism but on what I call rooted globalism. The idea is that institutions stay grounded in their histories and communities while learning across differences and allowing those lessons to reshape how they serve their own students.' (Noah Pickus) 1/2
I’m up for change, when a viable alternative is offered.
February 10, 2026 at 11:09 AM
I’m up for change, when a viable alternative is offered.
The Microsoft announcement was 'interesting'. At what point did universities suspend their function of rendering critical judgement? Did I miss a memo? Is 'science' no longer what we're about?
February 10, 2026 at 10:55 AM
The Microsoft announcement was 'interesting'. At what point did universities suspend their function of rendering critical judgement? Did I miss a memo? Is 'science' no longer what we're about?
'One potential option to streamline the REF process could lie in the adoption of artificial intelligence tools.'
Mai oui! The answer is of course AI. Because we have no evidence to base its use on in this context, and when we do test it, will use datasets for a small number of STEM disciplines. 2/2
Mai oui! The answer is of course AI. Because we have no evidence to base its use on in this context, and when we do test it, will use datasets for a small number of STEM disciplines. 2/2
February 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM
'One potential option to streamline the REF process could lie in the adoption of artificial intelligence tools.'
Mai oui! The answer is of course AI. Because we have no evidence to base its use on in this context, and when we do test it, will use datasets for a small number of STEM disciplines. 2/2
Mai oui! The answer is of course AI. Because we have no evidence to base its use on in this context, and when we do test it, will use datasets for a small number of STEM disciplines. 2/2
“I have serious questions about the…usefulness of the REF,” Ivison also said, pointing to the fact that Australia scrapped its equivalent programme after a 2020 review'.
Such a role model for UK HE, Australian HE. So very flourishing. 1/2
Such a role model for UK HE, Australian HE. So very flourishing. 1/2
Scrapping REF should be “serious’ option”, says Manchester VC.
Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Scrapping REF should be ‘serious’ option, says Manchester VC - Research Professional News
Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM
“I have serious questions about the…usefulness of the REF,” Ivison also said, pointing to the fact that Australia scrapped its equivalent programme after a 2020 review'.
Such a role model for UK HE, Australian HE. So very flourishing. 1/2
Such a role model for UK HE, Australian HE. So very flourishing. 1/2
'Cutting off funding for culture and knowledge has social and political consequences. If you want a healthy and harmonious civil society, invest in the humanities and the arts, for they foster understanding, knowledge and empathy.'
Jules Verne’s dystopia was a world without humanities. Do...
When arts education is dismissed as a waste of time it damages us as a society. The focus of learning is not just to enrich our economy but also to enrich our souls
observer.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 9:52 AM
'Cutting off funding for culture and knowledge has social and political consequences. If you want a healthy and harmonious civil society, invest in the humanities and the arts, for they foster understanding, knowledge and empathy.'
Ah now that IS a question!
February 10, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Ah now that IS a question!
British Academy does it for the SHAPE disciplines, in part though SHAPE Observatory and deep dive discipline reports. www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...
SHAPE Observatory
Interactive dashboards and reports that provide insight into emerging SHAPE trends for HE professionals, subject specialists, academics and policymakers.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
February 10, 2026 at 8:50 AM
British Academy does it for the SHAPE disciplines, in part though SHAPE Observatory and deep dive discipline reports. www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...