Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Wonkhe @wonkhe.bsky.social · 8d

NEW on Wonkhe: Have universities got the capacity and cash to respond to the government’s agenda? buff.ly/PaSmspS

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The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 7d

This #InternationalPodcastDay tune into ‘Confessions of an Early Career Researcher’ – a new guide to the world of academia post-PhD.

The first three episodes of the podcast are available now. Subscribe for our next episodes, live on 15 October: https://bit.ly/4pNaTp1

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The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 7d

Read our response to the Government’s announcement that university maintenance grants will be reintroduced for certain courses, funded through a levy on international student fees
https://bit.ly/4gPz7uO

British Academy responds to government announcement on university maintenance grants

The British Academy has issued a response to the government's announcement on using a proposed levy on international students to fund maintenance grants.

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 7d

Universities ‘must not forget EDI obligations’ amid REF 2029 pause.

University of Oxford’s chief diversity officer says most Britons “believe EDI is a good thing”. #Lab25

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

Universities ‘must not forget EDI obligations’ amid REF pause - Research Professional News

Labour 2025: Oxford’s chief diversity officer says most Britons “believe EDI is a good thing”

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Arts and Humanities Alliance @artsandhums.bsky.social · 7d

We are now also on LinkedIn! Join us over there for updates and news 🗞️ www.linkedin.com/company/arts...

Arts and Humanities Alliance | LinkedIn

Arts and Humanities Alliance | 72 followers on LinkedIn. An association of learned societies working together to promote the arts and humanities in UK higher education | The Arts and Humanities Allian...

www.linkedin.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 20d

"GuildHE represents many of what Research England refers to as “less research-intensive and smaller specialist institutions”, so our interest was especially piqued by proposals to explore differentiated tracks and lighter-touch assessments for these providers. There is good intention here." 1/3

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 21d

A two-tier REF would open a can of worms.

Baking in inequity benefits neither institutions nor the UK, say Rachel Persad and Emile Bojesen.

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

A two-tier REF would open a can of worms - Research Professional News

Baking in inequity benefits neither institutions nor the UK, say Rachel Persad and Emile Bojesen

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 28d

Hot off the press, the British Academy's Cold Spots: Mapping Inequality in SHAPE Provision in UK Higher Education report. Read it if you care about universities or access to the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for the rising generation. 1/5

Cold spots: Mapping inequality in SHAPE provision in UK higher education

This British Academy report reveals that many parts of the UK are becoming subject cold spots – areas with no provision in a subject within a commutable distance. These are often in rural, coastal or ...

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 28d

Arts and humanities cold spots ‘depriving whole areas of courses’.

Shape subjects are a “bellwether” for financial pressures on higher education, British Academy warns.

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

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 28d

Major university merger announced. The start of a wave?

Shock university ‘merger’ announced

The Universities of Kent and Greenwich are set to ‘merge’ in a shock move affecting thousands of staff and students.

www.kentonline.co.uk

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 28d

'The Office for Students (OfS), England's higher education regulator, welcomed the move and suggested more universities may explore similar options as they battle economic challenges, with 40% of English universities now believed to be in financial deficit.'

Greenwich and Kent announce merger to form 'super-university'

Universities are facing ongoing financial worries, with the regulator saying other mergers could follow.

www.bbc.co.uk

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ref2029.bsky.social @ref2029.bsky.social · Sep 4

The names of panel members for the criteria-setting phase of REF 2029 have now been announced on our panels pages. 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/expert-...

Expert panels appointed for REF 2029 – REF 2029

2029.ref.ac.uk

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ref2029.bsky.social @ref2029.bsky.social · Sep 4

The four UK higher education funding bodies confirm the pause in the criteria setting and publication of final guidance for REF 2029 for a short period, as announced by the UK Science Minister Lord Vallance today at the Universities UK conference. 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/pause-t...

Pause to REF 2029 criteria setting and publication of final guidance – REF 2029

2029.ref.ac.uk

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · Sep 4

The REF has been paused for 3 months as policymakers scratch their heads to figure out how to resolve various tensions. This prescient piece by @annamgrey.bsky.social lays out those complexities
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

University crisis is forcing the REF to lower its expectations - Research Professional News

When dauntingly complex plans meet cash-strapped institutions, something’s got to give, says Anna Grey

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Dr Róisín Á Costello BL @racostello.bsky.social · Aug 28

In a busy semester this passed me by - but delighted to see some of my @artsandhums.bsky.social research with @aberuni.bsky.social colleagues cited in the House of Lords report on interpreting and language services in courtrooms lordslibrary.parliament.uk/interpreting....

Interpreting and language services in the courts: Public Services Committee report

The House of Lords Public Services Committee’s March 2025 report highlighted perceived issues affecting court interpreting services, including the remuneration and support for interpreters, court tech...

lordslibrary.parliament.uk

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London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · Aug 22

‘What is the missing noun to which English refers: literature, language or both? Is its primary concern with literature in English or with the culture of Englishness?’

Colin Kidd on English studies: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Colin Kidd · Lumps of Cram: University English

What is the missing noun to which English refers: literature, language or both? If both, does English belong with the...

www.lrb.co.uk

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Institute of English Studies @ies-sas.bsky.social · Aug 12

📣Applications still open for the Senate House Library Visiting Fellowships 📣

In 2025-6 up to two awards of £1500 will be allocated to support a fellowship of up to two weeks.

Deadline: 15 September 2025

More info 👇
https://tinyurl.com/ykudv9tn

Senate House Library announces relaunch of Visiting Research Fellowship

Senate House Library and the Friends of Senate House Library are delighted to report that the Visiting Research Fellowships programme has been relaunched.

tinyurl.com

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · Aug 21

Bit more on the Guardian liveblog here
www.theguardian.com/education/li...

Spanish surpasses French in popularity among students in historic first for language studies, according to the British Academy.
New GCSE data shows that Spanish has overtaken French for the first time as the most popular language choice among students, following a sustained rise in entries of nearly 25% since 2020.
Spanish entries increased from around 109,594 in 2020 to 136,871 in 2025, while French uptake remained steady - climbing slightly from 132,036 in 2020 to 134,651 in 2024 before dipping to 132,808 this year.
The data is released today by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and has been analysed by the British Academy, the national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It reveals wider trends in student choice across the curriculum.
SHAPE subjects (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy) continue to make up more than half of all entries (54%) - a figure that has remained consistent since 2019.

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Wonkhe @wonkhe.bsky.social · Aug 14

NEW on Wonkhe: All the numbers and all the action from JCQ results day in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland buff.ly/5CKDVt8

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Damnèd Screamvens @thehighsign.bsky.social · Aug 13

Wow. The University of Chicago, a world-class institution whose humanities faculty in the past has included Homi Bhabha & Lauren Berlant & Ralph Ellison & Hannah freaking Arendt, is getting rid of basically every graduate department involving the acknowledgment that other cultures & languages exist.

Quote from a story on changes at the U of Chicago that notes they are "pausing" doctoral eduction in Classics, Comp Lit, Germanic studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Romance languages and literatures, and South Asian Studies.

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The English Association @englishassociation.bsky.social · Aug 14

Congratulations on all receiving A-level English Language, Lang & Lit, Literature results! 💫 And to all their teachers ! We commend the fantastic opportunities that study of these subjects offer 🥳. Find out what English studies brings ! englishassociation.ac.uk/case-studies/

Case studies | The English Association

We support the teaching, learning, and enjoyment of English at all levels of education, from early years to further and higher education and beyond.

englishassociation.ac.uk

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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · Jul 30

The Royal Historical Society welcomes Fellowship applications from historians working in higher education and many other sectors, as well as independent researchers.

Fellows make original contributions to historical understanding via research, public history and heritage bit.ly/4iOu51g #Skystorians

Image of badges 'Trust Me I'm a Historian' with the caption: Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society

We warmly welcome applications to join the Fellowship

Fellowship recognizes the scholarly contribution of historians
working in all sectors of professional history
or as independent scholars.

Next closing dates: 11 August and 13 October 2025

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · Aug 1

'Leicester’s UCU branch, meanwhile, has announced that it will open a strike ballot after it said the institution failed to rule out compulsory redundancies.

Staff in chemistry, history, geography, film studies and modern languages have been informed they may face redundancy'. 3/3

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · Aug 1

'At Lancaster, the union won a consultative ballot in favour of strike action after the university announced plans to cut 400 full-time equivalent positions by July 2026 in a bid to save £30 million.' 2/3

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · Aug 1

'At Liverpool Hope, UCU objected to previously announced plans to make 39 compulsory redundancies across three of its faculties; education and social sciences; creative arts and humanities; and human and digital sciences.' Figure now reduced to 11, but 30 more remain at risk of redundancy. 1/3

Three more English universities face strikes over job cuts

Staff at Liverpool Hope announce 10 days of action at start of academic year, while union members at Lancaster and Leicester vote on taking action

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · Aug 1

The first fee increase since 2017. Compare this to water bills...

Tuition fees in England and Wales rise to £9,535

Maintenance loans have also gone up, meaning students can borrow more to help with living costs.

www.bbc.co.uk

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