Katherine Stiles
@katherinestiles.org
Current issues in Higher Education · Digital Education · AI in Higher Education · Biomedical Science · Neuroscience · Research · Graduate Careers · Culture ·
👁️ katherinestiles.org 👁️ @katherinestiles.bsky.social 👁️𝕏𓅫 https://x.com/_K_Stiles
👁️ katherinestiles.org 👁️ @katherinestiles.bsky.social 👁️𝕏𓅫 https://x.com/_K_Stiles
Pinned
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
Highly recommend this piece from @lizziegadd.bsky.social and @bedforms.bsky.social on the new report on #GenerativeAI and #REF2029
wonkhe.com/blogs/before...
"The challenge, now, is to ensure that its integration reflects sector values, not just technological possibility."
wonkhe.com/blogs/before...
"The challenge, now, is to ensure that its integration reflects sector values, not just technological possibility."
Before we automate REF there are three issues we need to talk about
Lizzie Gadd and Dan Parsons argue that if AI is to be embedded into REF it should reflect sector values not just technological possibility
wonkhe.com
December 9, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Highly recommend this piece from @lizziegadd.bsky.social and @bedforms.bsky.social on the new report on #GenerativeAI and #REF2029
wonkhe.com/blogs/before...
"The challenge, now, is to ensure that its integration reflects sector values, not just technological possibility."
wonkhe.com/blogs/before...
"The challenge, now, is to ensure that its integration reflects sector values, not just technological possibility."
“Why memorize facts, write code, research anything—when a model can do it in seconds? The future won’t reward effort. It’ll reward leverage. So start cheating. Because when everyone does, no one is.”
"Critical pedagogy is out; productivity hacks are in. What’s sold as innovation is really surrender. [...] The future of education has already arrived, as a liquidation sale of everything that once made it matter."
#HigherEd
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
#HigherEd
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself
Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.
www.currentaffairs.org
December 9, 2025 at 4:11 PM
“Why memorize facts, write code, research anything—when a model can do it in seconds? The future won’t reward effort. It’ll reward leverage. So start cheating. Because when everyone does, no one is.”
EU launches antitrust probe into Google's data use for AI
EU launches antitrust probe into Google's data use for AI
The EU announced Tuesday it had opened a probe to assess whether Google breached antitrust rules by using content put online by media and other publishers to train and provide AI services without appr...
techxplore.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:08 PM
EU launches antitrust probe into Google's data use for AI
· MedSky ·
University of Oxford launches world’s first Phase II Nipah virus vaccine trial
University of Oxford launches world’s first Phase II Nipah virus vaccine trial
University of Oxford launches world’s first Phase II Nipah virus vaccine trial
CEPI-funded Phase II trial launches in Bangladesh
cepi.net
December 9, 2025 at 2:51 PM
· MedSky ·
University of Oxford launches world’s first Phase II Nipah virus vaccine trial
University of Oxford launches world’s first Phase II Nipah virus vaccine trial
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
· #AcademicSky ·
Ulster University (UU) has made the "difficult" decision to freeze promotions for academic staff due to "unprecedented financial challenges".
Ulster University (UU) has made the "difficult" decision to freeze promotions for academic staff due to "unprecedented financial challenges".
Ulster University: Staff promotions frozen over 'financial challenges'
Ulster University employs about 2,700 staff across its four campuses in Northern Ireland.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 4:48 PM
· #AcademicSky ·
Ulster University (UU) has made the "difficult" decision to freeze promotions for academic staff due to "unprecedented financial challenges".
Ulster University (UU) has made the "difficult" decision to freeze promotions for academic staff due to "unprecedented financial challenges".
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
Faculty of Social Sciences scores strong PRES results!
96% positive in Supervision and 92% in Research Skills Development – big gains since the last survey.
We’re committed to building on this success and creating an environment where PGRs can thrive.
tinyurl.com/bjv2ymda
#PRES #SocialSciences
96% positive in Supervision and 92% in Research Skills Development – big gains since the last survey.
We’re committed to building on this success and creating an environment where PGRs can thrive.
tinyurl.com/bjv2ymda
#PRES #SocialSciences
December 9, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Faculty of Social Sciences scores strong PRES results!
96% positive in Supervision and 92% in Research Skills Development – big gains since the last survey.
We’re committed to building on this success and creating an environment where PGRs can thrive.
tinyurl.com/bjv2ymda
#PRES #SocialSciences
96% positive in Supervision and 92% in Research Skills Development – big gains since the last survey.
We’re committed to building on this success and creating an environment where PGRs can thrive.
tinyurl.com/bjv2ymda
#PRES #SocialSciences
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
Grabbed a (very) quick interview with skills minister Jacqui Smith in Oxford last week. Longer version in the 8am Playbook this morning. Link in second post. 1/2
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Jacqui Smith: ‘legitimate’ to link student grants with growth - Research Professional News
Skills minister highlights industrial strategy context for maintenance funding, while hinting at future expansion
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Grabbed a (very) quick interview with skills minister Jacqui Smith in Oxford last week. Longer version in the 8am Playbook this morning. Link in second post. 1/2
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
· #AcademicSky ·
More than 60 staff at a University of Cambridge research unit are facing redundancy following changes to the Medical Research Council’s funding model, which the university said had left it “in a very difficult position”,🖊️ @fionamcintyre.bsky.social ➣ @resprofnews.bsky.social.
More than 60 staff at a University of Cambridge research unit are facing redundancy following changes to the Medical Research Council’s funding model, which the university said had left it “in a very difficult position”,🖊️ @fionamcintyre.bsky.social ➣ @resprofnews.bsky.social.
Job losses loom at University of Cambridge’s MRC research unit - Research Professional News
Unions allege consultation shortcomings, while university says funding council’s changes led to “difficult position”
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:04 PM
· #AcademicSky ·
More than 60 staff at a University of Cambridge research unit are facing redundancy following changes to the Medical Research Council’s funding model, which the university said had left it “in a very difficult position”,🖊️ @fionamcintyre.bsky.social ➣ @resprofnews.bsky.social.
More than 60 staff at a University of Cambridge research unit are facing redundancy following changes to the Medical Research Council’s funding model, which the university said had left it “in a very difficult position”,🖊️ @fionamcintyre.bsky.social ➣ @resprofnews.bsky.social.
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
UK tops ‘competitive’ ERC Consolidator Grant round.
ERC president reiterates call for more EU investment, as applications to scheme rise steeply.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
ERC president reiterates call for more EU investment, as applications to scheme rise steeply.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
UK tops ‘competitive’ ERC Consolidator Grant round - Research Professional News
ERC president reiterates call for more EU investment, as applications to scheme rise steeply
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
December 9, 2025 at 12:29 PM
UK tops ‘competitive’ ERC Consolidator Grant round.
ERC president reiterates call for more EU investment, as applications to scheme rise steeply.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
ERC president reiterates call for more EU investment, as applications to scheme rise steeply.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
In the dim waters off the Japanese coast, scientists have stumbled upon something that shouldn’t exist. Or at least not by the rules we thought biology followed. It’s a single-celled organism with nearly everything essential for life missing. [Keep reading ⮛]
The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life
A newly discovered archaeon blurs the boundary between cells and viruses.
www.zmescience.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:39 PM
In the dim waters off the Japanese coast, scientists have stumbled upon something that shouldn’t exist. Or at least not by the rules we thought biology followed. It’s a single-celled organism with nearly everything essential for life missing. [Keep reading ⮛]
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
Chinese science’s meteoric rise has long prompted questions about whether it will eclipse the US. Many now see that as inevitable, as Trump wreaks havoc on US science. But might wariness about collaboration hold China back? Tash Mosheim talks to Shaw Prize laureates
https://ow.ly/ViGo50XFzct
https://ow.ly/ViGo50XFzct
December 9, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Chinese science’s meteoric rise has long prompted questions about whether it will eclipse the US. Many now see that as inevitable, as Trump wreaks havoc on US science. But might wariness about collaboration hold China back? Tash Mosheim talks to Shaw Prize laureates
https://ow.ly/ViGo50XFzct
https://ow.ly/ViGo50XFzct
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
"Critical pedagogy is out; productivity hacks are in. What’s sold as innovation is really surrender. [...] The future of education has already arrived, as a liquidation sale of everything that once made it matter."
#HigherEd
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
#HigherEd
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself
Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.
www.currentaffairs.org
December 8, 2025 at 5:02 PM
"Critical pedagogy is out; productivity hacks are in. What’s sold as innovation is really surrender. [...] The future of education has already arrived, as a liquidation sale of everything that once made it matter."
#HigherEd
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
#HigherEd
www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
This New Yorker article addresses some of the questions that SQI researchers are thinking about, and many friends and colleagues are interviewed.
Could A.I. surpass us not only in knowledge but also in judgment, ingenuity, cunning—and, as a result, power? James Somers reports. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/10/the-case-that-ai-is-thinking
The Case That A.I. Is Thinking
ChatGPT does not have an inner life. Yet it seems to know what it’s talking about.
www.newyorker.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:21 PM
This New Yorker article addresses some of the questions that SQI researchers are thinking about, and many friends and colleagues are interviewed.
Why Is Ice Slippery? A New Hypothesis Slides Into the Chat.
A newly proposed explanation for the slipperiness of ice has revived a centuries-long debate. www.quantamagazine.org/why-is-ice-s... #scisky
A newly proposed explanation for the slipperiness of ice has revived a centuries-long debate. www.quantamagazine.org/why-is-ice-s... #scisky
December 8, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Why Is Ice Slippery? A New Hypothesis Slides Into the Chat.
A newly proposed explanation for the slipperiness of ice has revived a centuries-long debate. www.quantamagazine.org/why-is-ice-s... #scisky
A newly proposed explanation for the slipperiness of ice has revived a centuries-long debate. www.quantamagazine.org/why-is-ice-s... #scisky
· #AcademicSky ·
Ulster University (UU) has made the "difficult" decision to freeze promotions for academic staff due to "unprecedented financial challenges".
Ulster University (UU) has made the "difficult" decision to freeze promotions for academic staff due to "unprecedented financial challenges".
Ulster University: Staff promotions frozen over 'financial challenges'
Ulster University employs about 2,700 staff across its four campuses in Northern Ireland.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 4:48 PM
· #AcademicSky ·
Ulster University (UU) has made the "difficult" decision to freeze promotions for academic staff due to "unprecedented financial challenges".
Ulster University (UU) has made the "difficult" decision to freeze promotions for academic staff due to "unprecedented financial challenges".
In the dim waters off the Japanese coast, scientists have stumbled upon something that shouldn’t exist. Or at least not by the rules we thought biology followed. It’s a single-celled organism with nearly everything essential for life missing. [Keep reading ⮛]
The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life
A newly discovered archaeon blurs the boundary between cells and viruses.
www.zmescience.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:39 PM
In the dim waters off the Japanese coast, scientists have stumbled upon something that shouldn’t exist. Or at least not by the rules we thought biology followed. It’s a single-celled organism with nearly everything essential for life missing. [Keep reading ⮛]
· #AcademicSky ·
More than 60 staff at a University of Cambridge research unit are facing redundancy following changes to the Medical Research Council’s funding model, which the university said had left it “in a very difficult position”,🖊️ @fionamcintyre.bsky.social ➣ @resprofnews.bsky.social.
More than 60 staff at a University of Cambridge research unit are facing redundancy following changes to the Medical Research Council’s funding model, which the university said had left it “in a very difficult position”,🖊️ @fionamcintyre.bsky.social ➣ @resprofnews.bsky.social.
Job losses loom at University of Cambridge’s MRC research unit - Research Professional News
Unions allege consultation shortcomings, while university says funding council’s changes led to “difficult position”
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:04 PM
· #AcademicSky ·
More than 60 staff at a University of Cambridge research unit are facing redundancy following changes to the Medical Research Council’s funding model, which the university said had left it “in a very difficult position”,🖊️ @fionamcintyre.bsky.social ➣ @resprofnews.bsky.social.
More than 60 staff at a University of Cambridge research unit are facing redundancy following changes to the Medical Research Council’s funding model, which the university said had left it “in a very difficult position”,🖊️ @fionamcintyre.bsky.social ➣ @resprofnews.bsky.social.
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
“If evaluations start valuing more than publications, researchers will stop publishing.”
Researchers don’t publish only because they have to. Most publish because they want to share their findings. 📖
🎄 lnkd.in/dKzeUFCn
🍫 lnkd.in/d2vfPS_u
Researchers don’t publish only because they have to. Most publish because they want to share their findings. 📖
🎄 lnkd.in/dKzeUFCn
🍫 lnkd.in/d2vfPS_u
December 8, 2025 at 9:40 AM
“If evaluations start valuing more than publications, researchers will stop publishing.”
Researchers don’t publish only because they have to. Most publish because they want to share their findings. 📖
🎄 lnkd.in/dKzeUFCn
🍫 lnkd.in/d2vfPS_u
Researchers don’t publish only because they have to. Most publish because they want to share their findings. 📖
🎄 lnkd.in/dKzeUFCn
🍫 lnkd.in/d2vfPS_u
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
As a publisher of bilingual texts (like SHAMANS) we know that the translation & publication of Indigenous languages is a fraught endeavor, yet nonetheless incredibly worthwhile.
Hats off to all the translators out there doing this difficult and valuable work!
Hats off to all the translators out there doing this difficult and valuable work!
December 8, 2025 at 2:14 PM
As a publisher of bilingual texts (like SHAMANS) we know that the translation & publication of Indigenous languages is a fraught endeavor, yet nonetheless incredibly worthwhile.
Hats off to all the translators out there doing this difficult and valuable work!
Hats off to all the translators out there doing this difficult and valuable work!
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
What is an author? Who gets to be an author, and who gets left out of the scholarly authorial process? One of our newest #writingstudies #teamrhetoric titles explores the process of co-authoring with undergraduates to reengage these questions for a more equitable future.
December 5, 2025 at 4:49 PM
What is an author? Who gets to be an author, and who gets left out of the scholarly authorial process? One of our newest #writingstudies #teamrhetoric titles explores the process of co-authoring with undergraduates to reengage these questions for a more equitable future.
Last week, the European Commission fined X €120m for breaching transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Just days later, the Elon Musk-owned social media platform axed the EU’s ad account.
X deactivates EU’s ad account after €120m DSA fine
X’s head of product Nikita Bier has accused the EU of taking advantage of an exploit in the social media platform's ad composer.
www.siliconrepublic.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Last week, the European Commission fined X €120m for breaching transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Just days later, the Elon Musk-owned social media platform axed the EU’s ad account.
· #AcademicSky ·
Impossible translations: Why we struggle to translate words when we don't experience the concept
Impossible translations: Why we struggle to translate words when we don't experience the concept
Impossible translations: Why we struggle to translate words when we don't experience the concept
If you are fluent in any language other than English, you have probably noticed that some things are impossible to translate exactly.
phys.org
December 8, 2025 at 1:18 PM
· #AcademicSky ·
Impossible translations: Why we struggle to translate words when we don't experience the concept
Impossible translations: Why we struggle to translate words when we don't experience the concept
The cognitive neuroscientist @evfedorenko.bsky.social has identified a “language network” in the brain that stores the mappings between words and their meanings.
December 7, 2025 at 11:18 AM
The cognitive neuroscientist @evfedorenko.bsky.social has identified a “language network” in the brain that stores the mappings between words and their meanings.
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
Cash-strapped universities may not be able to radically revamp their infrastructure, but they could improve the learning environment with one small change, according to researchers – improving their signage. Patrick Jack reports
https://ow.ly/waaO50XCICW
https://ow.ly/waaO50XCICW
December 7, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Cash-strapped universities may not be able to radically revamp their infrastructure, but they could improve the learning environment with one small change, according to researchers – improving their signage. Patrick Jack reports
https://ow.ly/waaO50XCICW
https://ow.ly/waaO50XCICW
Reposted by Katherine Stiles
“Students need rankings to choose where to study.”
If that was true, no one could have gone to university before rankings were invented.
Students don’t need rankings. They need good, honest information, and the space to decide what matters most to them.
🎄 lnkd.in/dKzeUFCn
🍫 lnkd.in/d2vfPS_u
If that was true, no one could have gone to university before rankings were invented.
Students don’t need rankings. They need good, honest information, and the space to decide what matters most to them.
🎄 lnkd.in/dKzeUFCn
🍫 lnkd.in/d2vfPS_u
December 7, 2025 at 8:36 AM
“Students need rankings to choose where to study.”
If that was true, no one could have gone to university before rankings were invented.
Students don’t need rankings. They need good, honest information, and the space to decide what matters most to them.
🎄 lnkd.in/dKzeUFCn
🍫 lnkd.in/d2vfPS_u
If that was true, no one could have gone to university before rankings were invented.
Students don’t need rankings. They need good, honest information, and the space to decide what matters most to them.
🎄 lnkd.in/dKzeUFCn
🍫 lnkd.in/d2vfPS_u