Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 16h

Ist doch auch mal schön.

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Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 16h

I'm sorry to hear that.

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Dr Dave Hitchcock @davehitchcock.bsky.social · 16h

You cannot force 'history' to like you. Most world leaders learn this late in their careers, or never.

If Trump had won the prize, the main effect would have been to diminish the honour and value of it. The committee which awards the peace prize understands that better than most.

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Josh Moody @byjoshmoody.bsky.social · 16h

MIT rejects "compact" proposed by the Trump administration.
MIT prez wrote: it "would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution" and "is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone."
orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...

Regarding the Compact | MIT Organization Chart

orgchart.mit.edu

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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 17h

University leaders aren’t offering any compromises so our strike continues. If you want help/show solidarity you can contribute to our fighting fund (we’re each going to lose 3-5 weeks pay & being threatened with 50% pay deduction for action short of strike): www.uculeicester.org.uk/leicester-uc...

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Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 18h

Two Nobel-winning economists are moving to Europe from an elite US university, becoming the latest academics to leave the country during Donald Trump’s second term

#AcademicSky #highered

Married Nobel prize-winning economists move from US to Europe

Other recent departures from Trump’s America include expert on antifascism who fled to Spain after receiving death threats

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 18h

'As many as 40 academics have been dismissed in recent weeks, according to the American Association of University Professors. Many were targeted by rightwing campaigners, who seized on remarks they wrote or shared, and pressured their employers to take action.'

US professors facing threats, firings and harassment over Charlie Kirk posts

As many as 40 academics have been dismissed in aftermath of shooting, allegedly without due process

www.theguardian.com

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Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 18h

Over 15,000 university job cuts made in the last year, UCU claims.

“This analysis exposes a UK-wide crisis in higher education,” said Jo Grady, the union’s general secretary.

Free to read: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Over 15,000 university job cuts made in the last year, UCU claims - Research Professional News

Union urges government to “stop looking the other way”, ahead of ballot for nationwide strikes

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 18h

"During periods of crisis ... outside pressures for purging the universities of their supposedly disloyal elements increased ... Professors and administrators responded by revising the ... definition of academic freedom to exclude ... the types of behavior the rest of the community did not like."

Book cover of No Ivory Tower by Ellen W. Schrecker.

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Dana R. Fisher (aka the Apocalyptic Optimist) @fisherdanar.bsky.social · 19h

When a collaborator is targeted because her scientific findings that attribute extreme weather to human-caused climate change is being used (effectively) in climate lawsuits against oil companies, you know times are dark indeed.

ICYMI @davidho.bsky.social

www.eenews.net/articles/cli...

Climate critics try to discredit IPCC author for linking disasters to global warming

Roger Pielke Jr. and oil industry supporters are attacking climate scientist Friederike Otto, whose work has been used in lawsuits against polluters.

www.eenews.net

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 2d

Calling English a 'rip-off degree' is one of the most blatant exhibitions of personal barbarism I've ever seen. You've demonstrated nothing but the poverty of your own mind.

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Grumpy Philosopher @stevecooke.org · 20h

Big turnout of staff and students for day ten of our strike. We've forced management to negotiate for the first time since July.

A crowd of staff and students holding 'Stop the Cuts' banners.

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Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 1d

The advice I give young people on choice of degree programme. Choose something you love. You’ve got the rest of your life to be frustrated and miserable.

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

'Universities have collectively announced more than 12,000 job cuts in the last year, new analysis from the University and College Union (UCU) suggests.'

Thousands more university jobs cut as financial crisis deepens

University workers will vote on national strike action this month over a 1.4% pay offer made in the summer.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 1d

🧵🚨

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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Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 1d

"‘Can’t you see that we admitted that student from his deeply impoverished background? If he can do it, anyone can’. And thus the university absolves itself of any proper social responsibility for a world of massive structural inequality, preferring instead .. a logic of aggressive competitiveness".

Book cover of Universities at War by Thomas Docherty.

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 3d

ICE will reportedly hire contractors to surveil social media platforms 24/7 to target people for deportations.

The information would then be funneled into an existing ICE database built by Palantir (founded by Trump ally Peter Thiel).

"The party of small government,” folks.

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Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 1d

In that case, I'm pretty sure they will highlight their bold and ambitious approach to transforming complex institutions in line with the latest government announcement in their application.

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Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 1d

Spoke with cnn while sitting on the floor of my hotel room hallway bc my family were asleep in the other room.

6a E Mark.mp4 - 6a E Mark - Frame.io

next.frame.io

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Samuel Moore @samuelmoore.org · 1d

“These rankings, built on selected quantitative indicators amalgamated into a single score, are not designed to evaluate research nor reflect the breadth and depth of the missions of research and higher education institutions.”

Why Sorbonne pulled out of university ranking

France’s Sorbonne University plans to leave the Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings, adding its name to a growing number of universities rejecting lists that play one institution off against another...

sciencebusiness.net

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Liz Morrish @lizmorrish.bsky.social · 1d

Utterly horrifying. Rutgers professor, harassed for teaching history of fascism prevented from leaving the country - after check in, baggage check and security.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

US anti-fascism expert blocked from flying to Spain at airport

Rutgers University professor who published book on antifa was informed at boarding gate that his trip was cancelled A Rutgers University professor who taught a course on anti-fascism was blocked from leaving the US for Spain on Wednesday night, according to media reports, hours after Donald Trump hosted a White House roundtable highlighting the impact of antifa – or “anti-fascist” – far-left activists. Mark Bray, an historian who published the 2017 book Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, and has taught courses on anti-fascism at the New Jersey university, was attempting to board a plane at Newark airport bound for Europe when he was informed at the boarding gate that the reservations for him and his family had been cancelled. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Ronald Hartz @ronaldhartz.bsky.social · 1d

For reasons, I was reminded that my former bosses in the UK didn't like my handbook chapter about postmodernism, because such output 'displays the profound questioning of the authority and relevance of mainstream management thinking and practice'.

#AcademicFreedom

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Dr Ian McCormick @wokestudies.bsky.social · 1d

Rutgers University professor who published book on antifa was informed at boarding gate that his trip was * cancelled *
#antifa #HigherEd #fascism #research
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

US anti-fascism expert blocked from flying to Spain at airport

Rutgers University professor who published book on antifa was informed at boarding gate that his trip was cancelled

www.theguardian.com

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Inside Higher Ed @insidehighered.com · 1d

Western Accreditor Officially Drops DEI Standards https://bit.ly/3IB1EaT

A photo illustration with a strike through of the words "diversity, equity and inclusion."

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Jana Bacevic @unsocialtheory.bsky.social · 1d

Universities: we teach critical thinking, we are so passionate about challenging orthodoxies

Also universities: here is our entirely uncritical adoption of AI-bleat that turns platitudes (about both the nature of academic labour and 'the digital') into "policy"

What gives, mates

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