Liesbeth Corens
@onslies.bsky.social
Historian: mobility & recordkeeping of #earlymodern Catholic minorities. Book: confessional mobility and English Catholics in Early Modern Europe. Also grumpy about the state of UK Higher Education so likely to talk about how it is being failed...(She/Her)
Pinned
Liesbeth Corens
@onslies.bsky.social
· Nov 10
About me: I'm really interested in how (Catholic) minorities persevere.
Confessional Mobility: oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093...
Archives & Information: britishacademy.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5871...
Social History: academic.oup.com/past/issue/2...
Confessional Mobility: oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093...
Archives & Information: britishacademy.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.5871...
Social History: academic.oup.com/past/issue/2...
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
With respect, I would like to know what such students would have had universities do instead, under that very specific set of unprecedented circumstances. Something that abided by the law, protected the vulnerable, and also fulfilled their consumer expectations. I’m listening.
This is emblematic of the consumer culture that fees have engendered.
What the hell did the students expect? It was a ONCE IN A CENTURY PANDEMIC. There were LAWS against congregating in public. Staff worked themselves to the bone to get online delivery working.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What the hell did the students expect? It was a ONCE IN A CENTURY PANDEMIC. There were LAWS against congregating in public. Staff worked themselves to the bone to get online delivery working.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Students begin Covid compensation claim against 36 more universities
It comes after University College London settled a claim from students there over lost learning in the pandemic.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 17, 2026 at 5:46 PM
With respect, I would like to know what such students would have had universities do instead, under that very specific set of unprecedented circumstances. Something that abided by the law, protected the vulnerable, and also fulfilled their consumer expectations. I’m listening.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Anglosphere brain... 🙄
I asked Jacqui Smith last year what other models she was looking at to avoid getting stuck in thinking the US and Australia are the only ways of running a higher education sector.
Her response?
That she didn't have time for that...
The deliberate ignorance is going to kill us all.
Her response?
That she didn't have time for that...
The deliberate ignorance is going to kill us all.
Something a little bizarre with a UK debate over a failing funding model with higher education whose primary benchmark of comparison is a high fees US model rather than much nearer EU member state models that manage to put university teaching together with low or no tuition fees.
February 17, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Anglosphere brain... 🙄
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
I hope you've got your roasting spit ready for the joust!
February 17, 2026 at 5:22 PM
I hope you've got your roasting spit ready for the joust!
I *did* break myself during the Lockdown, trying to keep students sane, learn entirely new skills, change courses to enable online learning, provide so much pastoral care, etc. etc.
This entitled consumer behaviour is deeply insulting to all the work staff were made to do, and those lawfirms are 🤬
This entitled consumer behaviour is deeply insulting to all the work staff were made to do, and those lawfirms are 🤬
I feel so miserable about this. Nearly broke myself working 16, 18 hour days during the pandemic. We did everything we possibly could, then doubled it, tripled it. HE is still struggling to get back off the floor, years later. Now another financial punch in the face.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Students begin Covid compensation claim against 36 more universities
It comes after University College London settled a claim from students there over lost learning in the pandemic.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 17, 2026 at 5:51 PM
I *did* break myself during the Lockdown, trying to keep students sane, learn entirely new skills, change courses to enable online learning, provide so much pastoral care, etc. etc.
This entitled consumer behaviour is deeply insulting to all the work staff were made to do, and those lawfirms are 🤬
This entitled consumer behaviour is deeply insulting to all the work staff were made to do, and those lawfirms are 🤬
I asked Jacqui Smith last year what other models she was looking at to avoid getting stuck in thinking the US and Australia are the only ways of running a higher education sector.
Her response?
That she didn't have time for that...
The deliberate ignorance is going to kill us all.
Her response?
That she didn't have time for that...
The deliberate ignorance is going to kill us all.
Something a little bizarre with a UK debate over a failing funding model with higher education whose primary benchmark of comparison is a high fees US model rather than much nearer EU member state models that manage to put university teaching together with low or no tuition fees.
February 17, 2026 at 4:59 PM
I asked Jacqui Smith last year what other models she was looking at to avoid getting stuck in thinking the US and Australia are the only ways of running a higher education sector.
Her response?
That she didn't have time for that...
The deliberate ignorance is going to kill us all.
Her response?
That she didn't have time for that...
The deliberate ignorance is going to kill us all.
OMG CAN YOU IMAGINE A SENIOR/MIDDLE MANAGER ACTUALLY LISTENING TO DISAGREEMENT AND NOT PUNISHING THOSE WHO DARE TO SAY SOMETHING NOT EXACTLY IN LINE WITH THEIR CONSULTANCY BRIEFING?
Turns out you don't *have* to make the people who try to engage the focus of your ire and fear for their jobs.
Turns out you don't *have* to make the people who try to engage the focus of your ire and fear for their jobs.
'in my first six months as vice chancellor at Keele University, I’m taking what is perhaps a slightly unusual step of actively trying to get people to disagree with me as much as possible.'
A refreshing approach in a field of play suffering from systemic stalemates. 1/3.
A refreshing approach in a field of play suffering from systemic stalemates. 1/3.
As a head of institution I need people to tell me when they think I'm wrong
Keele University vice chancellor Kevin Shakesheff launches the Keele Debates, in the hopes of fostering constructive disagreement over complex HE challenges
wonkhe.com
February 17, 2026 at 4:43 PM
OMG CAN YOU IMAGINE A SENIOR/MIDDLE MANAGER ACTUALLY LISTENING TO DISAGREEMENT AND NOT PUNISHING THOSE WHO DARE TO SAY SOMETHING NOT EXACTLY IN LINE WITH THEIR CONSULTANCY BRIEFING?
Turns out you don't *have* to make the people who try to engage the focus of your ire and fear for their jobs.
Turns out you don't *have* to make the people who try to engage the focus of your ire and fear for their jobs.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
'in my first six months as vice chancellor at Keele University, I’m taking what is perhaps a slightly unusual step of actively trying to get people to disagree with me as much as possible.'
A refreshing approach in a field of play suffering from systemic stalemates. 1/3.
A refreshing approach in a field of play suffering from systemic stalemates. 1/3.
As a head of institution I need people to tell me when they think I'm wrong
Keele University vice chancellor Kevin Shakesheff launches the Keele Debates, in the hopes of fostering constructive disagreement over complex HE challenges
wonkhe.com
February 17, 2026 at 4:37 PM
'in my first six months as vice chancellor at Keele University, I’m taking what is perhaps a slightly unusual step of actively trying to get people to disagree with me as much as possible.'
A refreshing approach in a field of play suffering from systemic stalemates. 1/3.
A refreshing approach in a field of play suffering from systemic stalemates. 1/3.
Did I use the excuse that students read Richelieu's Political Testament to have him and his kittens on a slide? Maybe.
Did I also take the opportunity to tell them to watch The Musketeers? Is the Pope Catholic?
Did I also take the opportunity to tell them to watch The Musketeers? Is the Pope Catholic?
February 17, 2026 at 4:29 PM
Did I use the excuse that students read Richelieu's Political Testament to have him and his kittens on a slide? Maybe.
Did I also take the opportunity to tell them to watch The Musketeers? Is the Pope Catholic?
Did I also take the opportunity to tell them to watch The Musketeers? Is the Pope Catholic?
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
All together now!
February 17, 2026 at 1:36 PM
All together now!
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Happy Year of the Horse
February 17, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Happy Year of the Horse
It's FAT TUESDAY! I forgot it was Fat Tuesday. I'm going to need waffles. And oliebollen...
I'm also going to need some mild treason.
I'm also going to need some mild treason.
Happy Shrove Tuesday!
Just be careful if you decide to join the traditional bawdy house riots, because it might be construed as high treason.
#EarlyModern problems. 🗃️
www.jstor.org/stable/2639047
Just be careful if you decide to join the traditional bawdy house riots, because it might be construed as high treason.
#EarlyModern problems. 🗃️
www.jstor.org/stable/2639047
February 17, 2026 at 3:54 PM
It's FAT TUESDAY! I forgot it was Fat Tuesday. I'm going to need waffles. And oliebollen...
I'm also going to need some mild treason.
I'm also going to need some mild treason.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
What's with all the ducks?
February 17, 2026 at 1:03 PM
What's with all the ducks?
This is *exactly* how I like to get my history, and I didn't even know it until this account took over our timelines and hearts.
February 17, 2026 at 3:51 PM
This is *exactly* how I like to get my history, and I didn't even know it until this account took over our timelines and hearts.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Have the zoom link! Can still smuggle you in! #EarlyModern #SkyStorians
AMENDED PROGRAMME! But with good news: we'd love to welcome you to *four* sessions this term, not three!
Join us @ihr.bsky.social on Mondays at 17:30, or on zoom (sign up for the link here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...) #EarlyModern #SkyStorians
Join us @ihr.bsky.social on Mondays at 17:30, or on zoom (sign up for the link here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...) #EarlyModern #SkyStorians
February 16, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Have the zoom link! Can still smuggle you in! #EarlyModern #SkyStorians
I love it when the scientists reinvent the humanities for the 14th time in a decade.
'Scientists and researchers who study public understanding should reckon with their own role in this cultural disconnect. In particular, they need to reimagine the ways in which scientific literacy and trust have long been conceptualized and measured.' 1/2
Why we don’t really know what the public thinks about science
Measuring trust isn’t enough. Furthering knowledge about the institutions and norms of science is the best way to build credibility.
www.nature.com
February 16, 2026 at 12:16 PM
I love it when the scientists reinvent the humanities for the 14th time in a decade.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
TONIGHT! Join us in Bloomsbury or share a cool early modern titbit to get the zoom link clandestinely...
AMENDED PROGRAMME! But with good news: we'd love to welcome you to *four* sessions this term, not three!
Join us @ihr.bsky.social on Mondays at 17:30, or on zoom (sign up for the link here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...) #EarlyModern #SkyStorians
Join us @ihr.bsky.social on Mondays at 17:30, or on zoom (sign up for the link here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...) #EarlyModern #SkyStorians
February 16, 2026 at 11:06 AM
TONIGHT! Join us in Bloomsbury or share a cool early modern titbit to get the zoom link clandestinely...
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
I propose to make universal the old policy of the Blackfriars conference at the American Shakespeare Center:
If you do not end your paper on time, you will be forced to exit, pursued by a bear. Literally, a bear will come take your paper from you.
If you do not end your paper on time, you will be forced to exit, pursued by a bear. Literally, a bear will come take your paper from you.
February 16, 2026 at 1:14 AM
I propose to make universal the old policy of the Blackfriars conference at the American Shakespeare Center:
If you do not end your paper on time, you will be forced to exit, pursued by a bear. Literally, a bear will come take your paper from you.
If you do not end your paper on time, you will be forced to exit, pursued by a bear. Literally, a bear will come take your paper from you.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Now I’m worried IKEA have found a source of sapient pearwood…
The answer to "Do I need an IKEA-made Mimic ottoman in my house?" is an unwavering OF COURSE. www.ikea.com/us/en/p/grej...
GREJSIMOJS pouffe with storage, yellow
GREJSIMOJS pouffe with storage, yellow A pouffe with storage that suits both children's rooms and living rooms. When not gobbling up toys, children can sit on it or adults can use it as a footstool. T...
www.ikea.com
February 15, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Now I’m worried IKEA have found a source of sapient pearwood…
oh! hayyyyy! Spa in the news!
May I offer some further academic writing on this topic? My 2022 @pastpresentsoc.bsky.social article: academic.oup.com/past/article... -- fascinating town which bracketed out the tensions of the rest of the world for the season to enable healthcare.
May I offer some further academic writing on this topic? My 2022 @pastpresentsoc.bsky.social article: academic.oup.com/past/article... -- fascinating town which bracketed out the tensions of the rest of the world for the season to enable healthcare.
The town that launched a global self-care industry
Long before wellness became a global industry, a small town in eastern Belgium shaped how Europeans thought about health, leisure and water.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 15, 2026 at 8:08 PM
oh! hayyyyy! Spa in the news!
May I offer some further academic writing on this topic? My 2022 @pastpresentsoc.bsky.social article: academic.oup.com/past/article... -- fascinating town which bracketed out the tensions of the rest of the world for the season to enable healthcare.
May I offer some further academic writing on this topic? My 2022 @pastpresentsoc.bsky.social article: academic.oup.com/past/article... -- fascinating town which bracketed out the tensions of the rest of the world for the season to enable healthcare.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Also, by reducing professorship to just the teaching, that makes it much easier to replace with contingent labor. After which it's that much easier to tell them what to teach.
What I need people to understand is when legislators argue that professors should teach more and research less, it's not because they think our research is actually worthless. It's because they don't want anyone to be able to develop or disseminate expertise that goes against their party line.
February 15, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Also, by reducing professorship to just the teaching, that makes it much easier to replace with contingent labor. After which it's that much easier to tell them what to teach.
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
A couple of years ago someone got sight of senior managers' appraisal at renumeration committee which showed that they were being rewarded for their cutting, and how those cuts were part of the job expectations.
Was it Aberdeen?
Was it Aberdeen?
February 15, 2026 at 12:15 PM
A couple of years ago someone got sight of senior managers' appraisal at renumeration committee which showed that they were being rewarded for their cutting, and how those cuts were part of the job expectations.
Was it Aberdeen?
Was it Aberdeen?
Reposted by Liesbeth Corens
Students continue to be brilliant: confirmed.
Someone please obtain or leak (1) which agency led the search for the new VC at Essex, (2) what their criteria were, (3) what expectations of the new VC coming in to ruthlessly was already part of the negotiation last Spring.
#SaveHE #UKHE
Someone please obtain or leak (1) which agency led the search for the new VC at Essex, (2) what their criteria were, (3) what expectations of the new VC coming in to ruthlessly was already part of the negotiation last Spring.
#SaveHE #UKHE
Our incredible students have written a letter of support to the VC and are asking students to co-sign their petition - a few extracts from their Instagram post here, and links below! ✊
February 15, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Oh, Frances has lost this fight already.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE CAMPUS CAT IS IN SOLIDARITY WITH @ucuessex.bsky.social.
If you chose destructive marketisation, you disappoint Pebbles. And you don't want to do that. #CatsAgainstCasualisation
If you chose destructive marketisation, you disappoint Pebbles. And you don't want to do that. #CatsAgainstCasualisation
February 15, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Oh, Frances has lost this fight already.
Does anyone remember which university this was? It was such a clear way of cutting through the 'our poor hands are tied' narrative that senior managers are spinning: they accepted the job in the full knowledge of slashing jobs/departments, and make good money off of it.
A couple of years ago someone got sight of senior managers' appraisal at renumeration committee which showed that they were being rewarded for their cutting, and how those cuts were part of the job expectations.
Was it Aberdeen?
Was it Aberdeen?
February 15, 2026 at 12:53 PM
Does anyone remember which university this was? It was such a clear way of cutting through the 'our poor hands are tied' narrative that senior managers are spinning: they accepted the job in the full knowledge of slashing jobs/departments, and make good money off of it.
We’re OFF! I can still sneak you in!
Very excited to hear all about future thinking!
Very excited to hear all about future thinking!
Come & learn all things #LowCountries @ihr.bsky.social this term! We've got lace! We've got the future! We've got disability history! We've got divergence! We've got museums! Everything happens in the #LowCountries!
Fridays, 17:30, in person & on zoom: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/... #SkyStorians
Fridays, 17:30, in person & on zoom: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/... #SkyStorians
February 13, 2026 at 5:35 PM
We’re OFF! I can still sneak you in!
Very excited to hear all about future thinking!
Very excited to hear all about future thinking!