Margot C. Finn | Lightnews

Margot Finn

@eicathomefinn.bsky.social

17K followers 4.5K following 9.9K 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%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Mark D. White, Anders Nilsson , and 3 more Anna O. Law, Mark D. White, Anders Nilsson, Margot C. Finn, Magda Teter, David Darmofal

Kevin M. Levin @civilwarmemory.bsky.social · 4h

Not at all surprised to learn that Bad Bunny has a historical adviser. His halftime show was a reminder that our history and culture are deeply intertwined with the rest of the western hemisphere. We should think of his performance as part of #America250. #SuperBowl
news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad...

Pop star Bad Bunny needed a Puerto Rican history scholar. UW–Madison had just the one.

Bad Bunny collaborated with UW–Madison history professor Jorell Meléndez-Badillo on Puerto Rican narratives that accompany the new album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.”

news.wisc.edu

Reposted by Martin Paul Eve, Margot C. Finn

Open Book Collective @openbookcollective.bsky.social · 4h

We’ve been made aware of individuals receiving emails claiming to be from the OBC, requesting fees from authors. To be clear: OBC does not charge individuals, book clubs, or authors for meetings/events. We're a collective funding model that channels library support to OA publishers & infrastructure.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4h

Grindcore: the new misogyny. Discuss, preferably intersectionally.

AI gold rush sees tech firms embracing 72-hour weeks

In the race for AI, tech firms are asking for their staff to work long hours. But there are risks, experts say.

www.bbc.co.uk

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4h

'Once the public are in the arena politicians will do things to try and win their votes. The communication challenge is to inform this debate. Avoiding politics is to remove key context on how decisions are made and why.'

This is smart, important and readable during a very quick coffee break.

Why research communications needs more politics

James Coe unpacks how more attention to political communications can make the whole research funding debate better

wonkhe.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 5h

Prof Miles Ogborn, Queen Mary University of London
Who was Granville? Questions from the archive of the 1831-32 uprising in Jamaica
5-7 PM | SR24 | English Faculty Building, Cambridge University

Faculty of English

www.english.cam.ac.uk

Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Jane @localnotail.bsky.social · 6h

The Stuart Hall Archive Project Readings Seminars provide an opportunity to read and listen to a selection of Stuart Hall’s unpublished lectures, interviews, and letters, discussing his life and work and our own times.
3. Wed 11 February Education: Maximising Difference
buytickets.at/stuarthallar...

Stuart Hall Archive Project - February 2026
The third of our Readings Seminars will be held on Wednesday 11 February: Education: Maximising Difference.

For this seminar, we welcome Dr Ingrid Abrahams, who will introduce us to her doctoral research on the systemic underrepresentation of black senior leaders in schools in England, particularly since the Education Reform Act of 1988. Abrahams will begin with an introduction to a speech, given by Stuart Hall in the early 1980s, on 'Anti-Racist Education'. The recording was made on an audio-cassette labelled 'Prof Stuart Hall, Anti-Racist Education, Hampstead School' (no date given) and has been digitised. Those who register for this seminar will be given access both to the audio and a transcript.

To Register and for details of future Seminars: https://buytickets.at/stuarthallarchiveprojectattheuniversityofbirmingham/2013038

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 6h

Leading to lower volume measure for REF and thus less QR. Vicious circle. Emphasis on vicious.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

That will be going well for them, what with the pause in MRC funding...

Reposted by Lyn Robinson

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

' Ronald Barnett describes the contemporary fascination with skills as a form of ‘bewitchment’ (others have put it more strongly elsewhere)....When individuals are defined in this way, they become more easily interchangeable in the labour market, increasing workers’ vulnerability.'

How did skills take over higher education? One short history - HEPI

Over the weekend HEPI published blogs on the freezing of student loan thresholds, and the Westminster Hall debates on duty of care. This blog was kindly authored by Dr. Josh Patel, Senior Education an...

www.hepi.ac.uk

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

Badly conceived line management by your line managers. The ESRC news is good news, both relative to recent STEM RC news and in absolute terms.

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

'The ground-breaking study from the University of Stirling will examine the educational, economic, social and cultural factors that impact on language learning, analysing the different approaches and outcomes in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.'

University launches major study into languages in schools

Researchers at the University of Stirling have secured funding for a multi-national project exploring the 'cultures of language learning'.

www.heraldscotland.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

'“With some exceptions,” Hegseth added, “the Ivy League as a whole has pervasive institutional bias and a lack of viewpoint diversity, including the coddling of toxic ideologies that undercuts our mission.” Presumably he is referring to a bias toward the rule of law. 2/2

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

'The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said the Pentagon is ending all military training, fellowships and certificate programs with Harvard University, marking the Trump administration’s latest escalation against the Ivy League school.' 1/2

Pentagon to cut ties with Harvard over ‘wokesters’, ending training, programs and fellowships

Move by Pete Hegseth marks latest escalation by Trump administration against the Ivy League school

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Margot C. Finn, Sarah Hall

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 7h

Five years on: Hong Kong migrants to the UK under the HK BN(O) visa scheme.

Findings from our @ukri.org funded survey,led by Tak Wing Chan (UCL), with me, @msumption.bsky.social @benbrindle.bsky.social

Wed, 2pm, at UCL

Register here:

www.eventbrite.com/e/hong-kong-...

Hong Kong BN(O) Migrants Panel Survey Wave 2 Result Seminar

Discover Wave 1 & 2 findings of the BN(O) Panel Survey on 11 Feb 2026. Panels on community and research findings. Join us for insights!

www.eventbrite.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

'Though there are no plans to stop applications to the existing schemes, Westlake said they would be “refreshed” towards the end of 2026 and into 2027..... “we want to keep on supporting people at all stages of their careers”.

Reposted by Dave O’Brien

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

'Westlake highlighted that there will be no hiatus or new submission deadlines in the ESRC’s existing applicant-led schemes: research grants, new investigator grants and secondary data analysis.' 2/2

Reposted by Dave O’Brien

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

'Launching in April and running until October, they will each offer researchers the opportunity of between £50,000 and £100,000 funding.' 1/2

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 8h

ESRC to pilot two new applicant-led calls.

Existing schemes will remain open, says leader of Economic and Social Research Council Stian Westlake.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

ESRC to pilot two new applicant-led calls - Research Professional News

Existing schemes will remain open, says leader of Economic and Social Research Council

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 7h

I did read the article and recognise that he had a stroke in 2023 and had not been in a condition to apologise since that point. That does not affect the period before that and his statements while he was in a condition to make them (including the one I quoted).

Reposted by Dave O’Brien, Margot C. Finn

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 8h

ESRC to pilot two new applicant-led calls.

Existing schemes will remain open, says leader of Economic and Social Research Council Stian Westlake.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

ESRC to pilot two new applicant-led calls - Research Professional News

Existing schemes will remain open, says leader of Economic and Social Research Council

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 8h

'Where authenticity shapes the nature of the task...accountability addresses the nature of the evidence. An accountable assessment focuses on the extent to which students can substantiate, explain, and take responsibility for what they produce, regardless of whether AI tools were involved.'

What does authentic assessment mean in the context of AI?

To weather the AI storm, Charlotte von Essen argues that assessment needs to be both authentic and accountable.

wonkhe.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 8h

'Analysis by Times Higher Education has found that more than a quarter of Universities UK members changed vice-chancellors in 2025 or are set to do so in 2026. This intensifies a trend seen in 2024, when about a fifth of the sector made a change.' 2/2

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 8h

'The high rate of turnover of UK university vice-chancellors has been compared to the “managerial merry-go-round” of top football clubs amid warnings that some leadership positions are becoming increasingly unattractive.' 1/2

Leadership ‘merry-go-round’ at universities as v-c vacancies grow

Quarter of UK universities changing vice-chancellors after several retire and some forced out, with experts predicting continuing challenges mean churn at the top will only continue

www.timeshighereducation.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 8h

'“I’ve watched the horrible way you are being treated in the press and public. It’s painful to say, but I think the best way to proceed is to ignore it,” Chomsky wrote in a message signed “Noam” that Epstein shared in email with an associate.'

That it is his wife apologising says everything.

Noam Chomsky’s wife apologizes for their ‘grave mistake’ in Epstein ties

Valeria Chomsky says Epstein had deceived them and they were ‘careless’ not to thoroughly research his background

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Michael H. Whitworth

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 8h

A rare recognition on the part of DfE that universities are not simply 'big schools' and are instead institutions that combine high-level teaching and research in ways that matter on a global political and scientific stage. With a sharing link for 3 non-subscribers.

UK universities told to step up defences against intimidation by China

Security services to launch advisory scheme for threatened academics in wake of Sheffield Hallam row

giftarticle.ft.com

Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Wonkhe @wonkhe.bsky.social · 8h

NEW on Wonkhe: England’s student loan system died gradually, then suddenly bit.ly/4r3uqSa

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Malcolm MacLean, Margot C. Finn , and 3 more Lesley A. Hall, Malcolm MacLean, Margot C. Finn, Jason Dittmer, Claire Connolly, Katherine Brickell

Finn Arne Jørgensen @finnarne.me · 10h

Some colleagues in my old department in Trondheim are recruiting a PhD candidate in Gender Studies and/or STS on the "Imagining Positive Energy Futures" project. 3 years, fully funded. Norway's a good place to do a PhD and Trondheim's a nice place to live!

PhD candidate within Gender Studies and/or STS: Imagining Positive Energy Futures (294972) | NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Job title: PhD candidate within Gender Studies and/or STS: Imagining Positive Energy Futures (294972), Employer: NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Deadline: Sunday, March 15, 2026

www.jobbnorge.no

Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 1d

Miguel Angel Perez, of the farmers organisation COAG in Andalusia's Cadiz province, told Spanish television TVE on Saturday: "It is raining without stopping. Crops like broccoli, carrots and cauliflowers are under water. Thousands of hectares inundated. We have a real natural catastrophe."

Farmers report 'catastrophic damage to crops as Storm Marta hits Spain and Portugal

Farmers in Spain warned on Saturday that torrential rains and high winds had left fields submerged and caused millions of euros worth of damage to crops, as Spain and Portugal braced for more extreme ...

www.reuters.com

Reposted by Margot C. Finn

Stephen Curry @scurry.bsky.social · 1d

There is so much to savour and appreciate in this fantastic, forensic essay from @williamcb.bsky.social.
open.substack.com/pub/williamc...

AI and the destruction of democracy

Can we, should we, tame the beast?

open.substack.com

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

Join us on Wednesday for Philippa Hellawell (The National Archives), 'The Ship Bedford: Atlantic and Archival Crossings in the Long Eighteenth-Century Slave Trade', at the Institute of Historical Research, London and on Zoom, 11 February, 5:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Booking link below.