Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · 17d

thanks so much for suggesting this, Michael!

Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · 26d

This👇 and teaching materials are subject to intellectual property rights, not to be given to the chat bot billionaires for free

Dr Sarah J Young @sarahjyoung.bsky.social · 26d

“You can have a verbal conversation like you would with a professor and you can interact with it.”
Alternatively, you can have a verbal conversation with your actual professor, who has office hours for this precise purpose.
www.theguardian.com/education/20...

How to use ChatGPT at university without cheating: ‘Now it’s more like a study partner’

The ubiquitous AI tool has a divisive effect on educators with some seeing it a boon and others a menace. So what should you know about where to draw the line between check and cheat?

www.theguardian.com

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Aug 12

Take away our language and we will forget who we are: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and the language of conquest www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

Take away our language and we will forget who we are: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and the language of conquest

The long read: The late Kenyan novelist and activist believed erasing language was the most lasting weapon of oppression. Here, Aminatta Forna recalls the man and introduces his essay on decolonisatio...

www.theguardian.com

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Jul 30

@kingscollegelondon.bsky.social @llc-rhul.bsky.social @ilcs.bsky.social @uclssees.bsky.social @uclselcs.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk @qmul.bsky.social

Bluesky

ul.bsky.social

Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Jul 30

Tomorrow is the *final opportunity to apply for our MA in Languages, Cultures and Societies* - co-delivered with RHUL, UCL, QMUL, ULIP and KCL Language Centre! www.sas.ac.uk/postgraduate...

MA in Languages and Cultures Across Borders

This interdisciplinary MA brings together teaching and resources from several University of London federation members, offering a unique breadth of expertise.

www.sas.ac.uk

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Jul 8

The humanities are not a luxury—they are where a society’s ethical and imaginative life takes shape. They won’t give us all the answers, but they keep us asking the right questions—and without that, no future worth having can be built.

wonkhe.com/blogs/our-fu...

Our future may depend on the humanities

For Peter Sutoris, the humanities hold the key to understanding and responding to the many civilisational crises we face

wonkhe.com

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Jun 10

Ce soir: ies.sas.ac.uk/events/what-...

What are we doing here? Seminar rooms as spaces for radical delight

ies.sas.ac.uk

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

Jolyon Maugham KC @goodlawproject.org · Jun 8

The EHRC Guidance is a wicked exercise in removing rights from trans people - and is bad too for employers and service providers, those outside gender norms, people with disabilities and the economy.

We've created a tool to make it easy to respond. Please use and share. goodlaw.social/9e59e9

How to respond to the EHRC consultation

Good Law Project has taken advice from a leading public law King’s Counsel on how to respond to the EHRC’s consultation. What follows is a form which, after you complete it, will automatically be sent...

goodlaw.social

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

Lillian Fontaine @lillianfontaine.bsky.social · Jun 5

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
So excited to release the programme for our upcoming conference on the Maghreb - June 19-21!! 🤗 We’ve made the event hybrid so make sure to register for the Zoom link (or to attend in person of course)! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/postcoloni... À bientôt! !أتطلع للقائكم 🇩🇿 🇲🇦 🇹🇳 🇱🇾

Postcolonial Temporalities: Space, Time and Identity in the Maghreb

A three-day hybrid conference aims to interrogate the ongoing challenges involved in the decolonial process of the Maghreb.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · May 26

I agree with Elton

Scott Butler @begreenuk.bsky.social · May 26

In the 2010 UK TV general election debates everyone was rushing over themselves to agree with Nick.

Is anyone agreeing with Nick now?

www.theverge.com/news/674366/...

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

www.theverge.com

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

Languages, Society and Policy @lspjournal.bsky.social · May 6

🎉 We’re delighted to present our new LSP series: Languages in UK Education, guest-edited by @cforsdick.bsky.social and Wendy Ayres-Bennett.

The series explores how the UK can better support linguistic diversity and respond to the languages crisis. 🌍📘

📖 Read more: lspjournal.com

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · May 2

anti-protest regulations unlawful www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/libert...

Liberty defeats Government appeal as Court rules anti-protest laws are unlawful - Liberty

www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

Emma Cayley 谷曦 @emmacayley.bsky.social · Apr 30

I am so delighted to announce that we are #hiring! A two year full-time teaching and research post in French 🇫🇷 Come and join our big and beautiful School of Languages, Cultures and Societies in leafy Leeds! Please post to your networks. jobs.leeds.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx... @lcsleeds.bsky.social

Job Opportunity at University of Leeds: Lecturer in French & Francophone Studies (Teaching and Research)

Are you an academic with proven abilities to carry out cutting-edge teaching and research in French and Francophone Studies? Could you deliver quality teaching in French and Francophone Studies in the...

jobs.leeds.ac.uk

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

Louise, Prof/Dr @louiselocock.bsky.social · Apr 11

Very true. And it's a sector with high economic benefits. Universities UK report an economic impact of £158bn, or £265bn including the impact of international students. Every £1 of public money invested into UK universities generates £14 of economic benefit. www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/latest/news/...

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

Oli Mould @olimould.bsky.social · Apr 9

The UK car industry contributes £22bn to the economy and employs c 35k people.

Universities contribute £265bn and employ nearly 400k, over 10x as much.

Yet he seems ok to let that sector implode.

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · Apr 7

"My choice in these volatile times is backing British brilliance," says Keir Starmer, who promises to deliver "British cars for British workers"

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Mar 28

Multilinguals could hold the key to Britain’s social and economic future www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Swahili? Mandarin? The UK is increasingly multilingual – yet our politicians won’t talk about it | Laura Spinney

Even the census ignores them, but multilinguals could hold the key to Britain’s social and economic future, says science journalist Laura Spinney

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

The Society of Authors @societyofauthors.bsky.social · Mar 21

We are disappointed but not surprised that Meta has used millions of pirated books to develop its AI systems.

As a matter of urgency, Meta needs to compensate the rightsholders of all the works it has been exploiting.

But what can authors do? Read here:
societyofauthors.org/2025/03/21/t...

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

Lillian Fontaine @lillianfontaine.bsky.social · Mar 17

Excited to announce the CfP for an interdisciplinary conference on the Maghreb in Edinburgh in June (19-20th)! @iashedinburgh.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social 🤗 @abdelbaqi.bsky.social & I cannot wait to receive your paper proposals! More info & full CFP here: maghrebtemporalities.wordpress.com

Postcolonial Temporalities

Visit the post for more.

maghrebtemporalities.wordpress.com

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Mar 17

And information on our MA, inc. *further funding ops*, here: www.sas.ac.uk/postgraduate...

MA in Languages and Cultures Across Borders

This interdisciplinary MA brings together teaching and resources from several University of London federation members, offering a unique breadth of expertise.

www.sas.ac.uk

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Mar 17

*Final week* to apply for School of Advanced Study bursaries available for Masters degrees across the School, inc. our new MA in Languages Across Borders - check out the Master's funding page here: www.sas.ac.uk/postgraduate... - @ilcs.bsky.social

Master's Funding

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that you don't need to pay back and are awarded based on personal circumstances or academic achievement.

www.sas.ac.uk

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Feb 20

New cross University of London MA in Languages and Cultures Across Borders - Open Days on 5th March (in person) and 10th March (online) 👇check out our website for more info and funding opportunities: www.sas.ac.uk/postgraduate...

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · Feb 18

📢OPEN DAY! MA in Languages and Cultures Across Borders!

Come along to one of our open days to meet the course convenors and learn more about this unique MA, taught at ILCS by academic staff across the University.

📅 5 March in person at Senate House, London
📅 10 March online

Register here 👇

Open Day: University of London MA programme, Languages and Cultures Across Borders

ilcs.sas.ac.uk

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

W.E.D.em Boyz @leftistwonk.bsky.social · Feb 16

Black scholars argued this incessantly after the war. Britain killed 10’s of millions of Indians, Belgium enslaved and genocided the Congo, France slaughtered its Algerian subjects. Nazi Germany was the logical extension of US and European colonialism, not an aberration.

Liam Hogan @liamhogan.bsky.social · Feb 9

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It benefits the far-right
if Nazi Germany is viewed
as an anomalous outlier
rather than an
ethno-nationalist model
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#HistorianSignBunny

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Feb 10

AI makes you stupid

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Reposted by Joseph Ford

Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies @ilcs.bsky.social · Jan 28

📢 "Working with schools: '1000 Words for Belonging'"

Read this great public engagement case study from @drjoeford.bsky.social! In partnership with Gearies Primary School & Neela Doležalová, the project explored the language of emotion with school students through a range of creative activities

Working with schools: '1000 Words for Belonging'

Find out more about a project exploring the language of emotion with school pupils in East London

www.sas.ac.uk

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Joseph Ford @drjoeford.bsky.social · Jan 27

'Linguistic justice: a summer school for teachers' - workshop for teachers in/around Manchester. Looks amazing with @iancushing.bsky.social, fyi @ilcs.bsky.social @ucflangs.bsky.social @nalalanguages.bsky.social: ahead.mmu.ac.uk/2025/01/16/l...

Linguistic justice: a summer school for teachers - AHEAD (Arts and Humanities Engagement and Dialogue)

Linguistic justice builds critical knowledge about language in order to challenge deficit thinking in schools and contribute to social justice

ahead.mmu.ac.uk

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