Catherine Lai
@catlai.bsky.social
Lecturer in speech and language technology, CSTR, University of Edinburgh.
https://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/clai/
https://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/clai/
Reposted by Catherine Lai
Words matter. Language matters. Languages matter.
@spencerhazel.bsky.social on how universities cut their language degrees, AND stress the importance of language, AND use language poorly and offensively in communicating their decisions ("marketing-infused slop").
#AcademicSky #Universities
@spencerhazel.bsky.social on how universities cut their language degrees, AND stress the importance of language, AND use language poorly and offensively in communicating their decisions ("marketing-infused slop").
#AcademicSky #Universities
December 2, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Words matter. Language matters. Languages matter.
@spencerhazel.bsky.social on how universities cut their language degrees, AND stress the importance of language, AND use language poorly and offensively in communicating their decisions ("marketing-infused slop").
#AcademicSky #Universities
@spencerhazel.bsky.social on how universities cut their language degrees, AND stress the importance of language, AND use language poorly and offensively in communicating their decisions ("marketing-infused slop").
#AcademicSky #Universities
Reposted by Catherine Lai
Auckland Uni has responded to my OIA request re consultancy spending in 2024-2025
$600k to PWC and $500k to Nous Group for "strategic design, organisational change, transformation
services" etc
This is roughly what our whole faculty of science spent on internally funded postdocs in the same years
$600k to PWC and $500k to Nous Group for "strategic design, organisational change, transformation
services" etc
This is roughly what our whole faculty of science spent on internally funded postdocs in the same years
What consulting companies is Auckland Uni working with and how much are the companies being paid? - a Official Information Act request to University of Auckland
Could you please provide a list of contracts the University entered into, in 2024 and 2025, with external consulting firms; the topic of the work undertaken (e.g., strategic planning); and the total c...
fyi.org.nz
December 2, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Auckland Uni has responded to my OIA request re consultancy spending in 2024-2025
$600k to PWC and $500k to Nous Group for "strategic design, organisational change, transformation
services" etc
This is roughly what our whole faculty of science spent on internally funded postdocs in the same years
$600k to PWC and $500k to Nous Group for "strategic design, organisational change, transformation
services" etc
This is roughly what our whole faculty of science spent on internally funded postdocs in the same years
Reposted by Catherine Lai
No matter how tough you say times are, there’s always enough money in the banana stand to pay an external consultant to scope ‘academic efficiency opportunities’ www.theferret.scot/consultancy-...
‘Nousferatu’: the notorious consultancy advising Edinburgh uni amid 'huge' cuts
Scotland’s largest university has turned to Nous Group at the same time as it is making savings that could lead to nearly 2,000 job losses. Staff say they were misled about the extent of its work.
www.theferret.scot
November 30, 2025 at 9:44 AM
No matter how tough you say times are, there’s always enough money in the banana stand to pay an external consultant to scope ‘academic efficiency opportunities’ www.theferret.scot/consultancy-...
Reposted by Catherine Lai
🔴 NEW: The University of Edinburgh has quietly paid more than £750,000 to a controversial consulting firm amid job cuts - staff say bosses ignored "repeated" questions about its role.
Read more about 'Nousferatu' 👉 www.theferret.scot/p...
Read more about 'Nousferatu' 👉 www.theferret.scot/p...
November 30, 2025 at 8:30 AM
🔴 NEW: The University of Edinburgh has quietly paid more than £750,000 to a controversial consulting firm amid job cuts - staff say bosses ignored "repeated" questions about its role.
Read more about 'Nousferatu' 👉 www.theferret.scot/p...
Read more about 'Nousferatu' 👉 www.theferret.scot/p...
Reposted by Catherine Lai
Dismal framing. Every aspect of most asylum seekers’ lives is controlled & paid for by the Home Office. They can’t work, are told where to live & have no autonomy or dignity. So they aren’t *choosing* to use taxis & don’t need to be “banned” from doing so. The HO just needs to get its act in order.
Government to ban asylum seekers from using taxis
The ban is set to come in February and any exemptions will have to be signed off by the Home Office.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Dismal framing. Every aspect of most asylum seekers’ lives is controlled & paid for by the Home Office. They can’t work, are told where to live & have no autonomy or dignity. So they aren’t *choosing* to use taxis & don’t need to be “banned” from doing so. The HO just needs to get its act in order.
Reposted by Catherine Lai
Speech technology researchers are working to improve text-to-speech with the goal of accessible communication. However, TTS models are also being used to produce misinformation, deepfake pornography & more…
Read our latest blog post from @alice-ross.bsky.social, CTMF PhD Fellow ▶️ edin.ac/4re6En4
Read our latest blog post from @alice-ross.bsky.social, CTMF PhD Fellow ▶️ edin.ac/4re6En4
November 27, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Speech technology researchers are working to improve text-to-speech with the goal of accessible communication. However, TTS models are also being used to produce misinformation, deepfake pornography & more…
Read our latest blog post from @alice-ross.bsky.social, CTMF PhD Fellow ▶️ edin.ac/4re6En4
Read our latest blog post from @alice-ross.bsky.social, CTMF PhD Fellow ▶️ edin.ac/4re6En4
Reposted by Catherine Lai
Reposted by Catherine Lai
this is how you lose the dish war
November 22, 2025 at 4:22 PM
this is how you lose the dish war
Reposted by Catherine Lai
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries IMLS
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
librarytechnology.org/pr/31973
Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries
Press Release: Court permanently blocks Trump's executive order to dismantle federal agency for America's libraries. The U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island struck down the Trump Adm...
librarytechnology.org
November 22, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I used to handle interlibrary loans for a public library. ILL is a magnificent expression of the idea that readers deserve books, and books deserve readers. It’s libraries everywhere pooling their resources for the benefit of everyone.
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Killing IMLS could have killed ILL.
This is great news. 📚
Reposted by Catherine Lai
For those of you in the UK, especially if you are a UK citizen, can you please take part in the consultation on changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain (Settlement) that were just proposed by the UK government. We need as many people as possible to reject these proposals. www.gov.uk/government/c...
Earned settlement
The government is consulting on how the current settlement system should be reformed and how those reforms should be implemented.
www.gov.uk
November 21, 2025 at 11:13 AM
For those of you in the UK, especially if you are a UK citizen, can you please take part in the consultation on changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain (Settlement) that were just proposed by the UK government. We need as many people as possible to reject these proposals. www.gov.uk/government/c...
Reposted by Catherine Lai
Back on the @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social picket line, standing with colleagues against senseless cu ts.
Cover in The National by Lucy Garcia with quotation from @drjogrady.bsky.social pictured, and in The Herald, www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562598...
#UCU #StopTheCuts
Cover in The National by Lucy Garcia with quotation from @drjogrady.bsky.social pictured, and in The Herald, www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562598...
#UCU #StopTheCuts
November 17, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Back on the @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social picket line, standing with colleagues against senseless cu ts.
Cover in The National by Lucy Garcia with quotation from @drjogrady.bsky.social pictured, and in The Herald, www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562598...
#UCU #StopTheCuts
Cover in The National by Lucy Garcia with quotation from @drjogrady.bsky.social pictured, and in The Herald, www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562598...
#UCU #StopTheCuts
Reposted by Catherine Lai
Just to say, I am a supervisor here:
UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing
www.responsiblenlp.org/2026-student...
If you are reading things like this and planning PhD project, do reach out:
www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing
www.responsiblenlp.org/2026-student...
If you are reading things like this and planning PhD project, do reach out:
www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
2026 Studentships
www.responsiblenlp.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Just to say, I am a supervisor here:
UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing
www.responsiblenlp.org/2026-student...
If you are reading things like this and planning PhD project, do reach out:
www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing
www.responsiblenlp.org/2026-student...
If you are reading things like this and planning PhD project, do reach out:
www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
Reposted by Catherine Lai
🔔new paper alert🔔
I argue that language technologies are usefully understood as a type of language management (i.e., ways of changing how people use and think about language) -- especially in the workplace -- connecting critical work on AI with language policy
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I argue that language technologies are usefully understood as a type of language management (i.e., ways of changing how people use and think about language) -- especially in the workplace -- connecting critical work on AI with language policy
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Defining language and managing its use: Language technology as language management
Language technologies such as voice user interfaces, large language models and machine translation tools are embedded in an ever-growing range of digi…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:36 PM
🔔new paper alert🔔
I argue that language technologies are usefully understood as a type of language management (i.e., ways of changing how people use and think about language) -- especially in the workplace -- connecting critical work on AI with language policy
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I argue that language technologies are usefully understood as a type of language management (i.e., ways of changing how people use and think about language) -- especially in the workplace -- connecting critical work on AI with language policy
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Catherine Lai
"it is striking how many of the key players we have looked into — the people who have gone out of their way to put up hundreds of flags — seem anything but ordinary."
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
The men who raised the flags
Nigel Farage says this summer’s movement was led by ‘ordinary people’ expressing their patriotism. That’s not what we found
manchestermill.co.uk
November 2, 2025 at 8:18 AM
"it is striking how many of the key players we have looked into — the people who have gone out of their way to put up hundreds of flags — seem anything but ordinary."
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-men-who-...
Reposted by Catherine Lai
University of Edinburgh cutting its Institute for Academic Development which offers crucuial training and support for students, lecturers and researchers. I woked at the UNSW learning centre and know what a huge difference these services make. #AcademicSky
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
Excl: Edinburgh University begins compulsory layoffs with department set to be axed
Seven staff in the Instute for Academic Development are set to lose their jobs when the department closes
thetab.com
November 1, 2025 at 8:12 AM
University of Edinburgh cutting its Institute for Academic Development which offers crucuial training and support for students, lecturers and researchers. I woked at the UNSW learning centre and know what a huge difference these services make. #AcademicSky
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
thetab.com/2025/10/31/e...
Reposted by Catherine Lai
I'm unreasonably upset at this flattening of Garak into Fashion Lizard,he was the Enigmatic Fashion Lizard and this cannot be erased
October 25, 2025 at 3:58 AM
I'm unreasonably upset at this flattening of Garak into Fashion Lizard,he was the Enigmatic Fashion Lizard and this cannot be erased
Reposted by Catherine Lai
You can't cut thousands of jobs through a chaotic and miserable process without affecting students. They see what is happening very clearly (and have already experienced course closures...)
thetab.com/2025/10/24/u...
thetab.com/2025/10/24/u...
UCU slams Edinburgh University claims that cuts won't impact student experience
A university email sent to students claimed the cuts will not diminish the student experience
thetab.com
October 25, 2025 at 9:19 AM
You can't cut thousands of jobs through a chaotic and miserable process without affecting students. They see what is happening very clearly (and have already experienced course closures...)
thetab.com/2025/10/24/u...
thetab.com/2025/10/24/u...
Reposted by Catherine Lai
The is particularly true of current ukgov funded research on AI that starts from the premise “Yay! AI is Brilliant! Amazing! Woohooo!!!”
Research should inform policy but that’s tricky if it is almost entirely driven by policy. The independence of research is key to change because if you fund only research that responds to policy (even good policy) you’re less innovative, creative & responsive to the open options of the future.
October 24, 2025 at 7:31 AM
The is particularly true of current ukgov funded research on AI that starts from the premise “Yay! AI is Brilliant! Amazing! Woohooo!!!”
Reposted by Catherine Lai
seems pretty obvious that only having ‘policy-driven’ research is a bad idea (looking at both UKRI and Horizon)
Research should inform policy but that’s tricky if it is almost entirely driven by policy. The independence of research is key to change because if you fund only research that responds to policy (even good policy) you’re less innovative, creative & responsive to the open options of the future.
October 24, 2025 at 8:22 AM
seems pretty obvious that only having ‘policy-driven’ research is a bad idea (looking at both UKRI and Horizon)
Reposted by Catherine Lai
so many things happen in a single teaching day. trying to teach new perspectives & critical thinking while also juggling intense one on one interactions, managing entire classrooms with all kinds of personalities, people opening up about things, some students excelling, others silently struggling
October 24, 2025 at 4:44 AM
so many things happen in a single teaching day. trying to teach new perspectives & critical thinking while also juggling intense one on one interactions, managing entire classrooms with all kinds of personalities, people opening up about things, some students excelling, others silently struggling
Reposted by Catherine Lai
ONLY migrants though, no one else is to study English because it's a rip off and a waste of time, am I getting this right.
October 14, 2025 at 2:16 PM
ONLY migrants though, no one else is to study English because it's a rip off and a waste of time, am I getting this right.
Reposted by Catherine Lai
LAVLANG! IN! EDINBURGH! 2026! 💜🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🪻🦩💬✨
HI. It's me.
WE'RE READY TO LAUNCH. 2-4 Sept 2026. LavLang23.
Keynote Speakers
• Dr. Nikki Lane (Duke University)
• Dr. Kevin Guyan (UoE, School of Business)
• Prof. Erez Levon (Universität Bern)
• Dr. Stamatina Katsiveli (American College of Greece)
• Eddie Ungless (UoE, School of Informatics)
WE'RE READY TO LAUNCH. 2-4 Sept 2026. LavLang23.
Keynote Speakers
• Dr. Nikki Lane (Duke University)
• Dr. Kevin Guyan (UoE, School of Business)
• Prof. Erez Levon (Universität Bern)
• Dr. Stamatina Katsiveli (American College of Greece)
• Eddie Ungless (UoE, School of Informatics)
October 8, 2025 at 3:42 PM
LAVLANG! IN! EDINBURGH! 2026! 💜🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🪻🦩💬✨
Reposted by Catherine Lai
So many Australian colleagues put through a year of worries and uncertainty. All because Nous Consultancy only thrives on a scarcity narrative?
Bit if a reminder that those cuts can never be justified in pedagogical or academic term, whatever the spin.
Bit if a reminder that those cuts can never be justified in pedagogical or academic term, whatever the spin.
New analysis by The Australia Institute finds the Australian National University has a $90 million surplus, not a $142 million deficit!
The ANU’s hidden $90m budget surplus
New analysis by The Australia Institute reveals there is no financial crisis at the Australian National University.
australiainstitute.org.au
October 7, 2025 at 7:36 AM
So many Australian colleagues put through a year of worries and uncertainty. All because Nous Consultancy only thrives on a scarcity narrative?
Bit if a reminder that those cuts can never be justified in pedagogical or academic term, whatever the spin.
Bit if a reminder that those cuts can never be justified in pedagogical or academic term, whatever the spin.
Reposted by Catherine Lai
@zackpolanski.bsky.social nails it: "Britain is not broken because of migration. Britain is broken because of inequality. Because of an economy that allows billionaires to hoard wealth while millions struggle to get by. Because of a political class that has lost its nerve and forgotten its purpose."
"I'm here to talk about what others won’t. To tell the truth about what makes our country great and what makes it not so great. While others thrive on creating scapegoats, I am here to tell you a different story."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Migration is Britain’s superpower. Our future depends on embracing that truth, not denying it | Zack Polanski
Labour has lost its nerve. At our party conference this weekend, we’re gathering to set things right, says Green party leader Zack Polanski
www.theguardian.com
October 3, 2025 at 9:02 AM
@zackpolanski.bsky.social nails it: "Britain is not broken because of migration. Britain is broken because of inequality. Because of an economy that allows billionaires to hoard wealth while millions struggle to get by. Because of a political class that has lost its nerve and forgotten its purpose."