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Reposted by Emma Cayley 谷曦

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 3d

‘175 years ago this year, Queen Victoria gave her assent to “an Act for enabling town councils to establish public libraries & museums”, that enabled local authorities… to levy a ha’penny on the rates to establish a free public library.’ @richove.bsky.social
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

Libraries are palaces for the people. Their ramparts need...

The spirit of public improvement that led to the legislation that created free public libraries 175 years go needs to be rekindled

observer.co.uk

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Reposted by Emma Cayley 谷曦

Classics at Leeds @leedsclassics.bsky.social · 4d

Call for Papers! Symposium in honour of our much-missed colleague Prof. Malcolm Heath, Leeds, 21-2 May 2026. Paper proposals of no more than 500 words to be sent by 1 December to Prof. Emma Stafford ([email protected])

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/r...

fb.me/e/3B3AY9ZZZ

Rhetoric, drama and their critics: celebrating the work of Malcolm Heath

ahc.leeds.ac.uk

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 4d

Courses on which admissions are paused include African American Studies, Chemistry (BA), Classics, French, German, Middle Eastern Studies, Modern Jewish Studies, Religion and Statistics (BA).

"spooky sukkot" daniel s. @self.agency · 4d

Syracuse University, which costs $100,000 per year, has opened a school to give degrees in podcasting and social media influencing 🫥

Betting on the Creator Economy, Syracuse University Opens Academic Center for Podcasters and Influencers

The shift in course offerings follows a recent decision to pause admission for 20 undergraduate majors, including fine arts and digital humanities.

www.artnews.com

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Kate Arnold @dulcimerkate.bsky.social · 4d

Huge thanks to all who downloaded 'Count of Anjou' yesterday, shared the link or helped in other ways! The positive response is really encouraging. I will keep the song on the Bandcamp page for a couple more days:
katearnolduk.bandcamp.com/track/count-...

#medieval #music #hammereddulcimer

Count of Anjou ('Research Mix'), by Kate Arnold

track by Kate Arnold

katearnolduk.bandcamp.com

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School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds @lcsleeds.bsky.social · 7d

We are so sorry to announce the death of our long time colleague and friend, Nigel Armstrong. He taught and researched here in French for twenty years and will be deeply missed by colleagues and students alike.

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School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds @lcsleeds.bsky.social · 4d

It’s blowing a gale here in Leeds but it’s warm in our building and full of staff, students and stories! Welcome to our Open Day! 🥳🎉

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Classics at Leeds @leedsclassics.bsky.social · 4d

It may be stormy but the Leeds Open Day is still on! Chat to our staff and students in Michael Sadler LG 10 throughout the day, and check out our Classics and Ancient History talks at 10.00 in Roger Stevens Building Lecture Theatre 22 and 13.00 in Lecture Theatre 19

www.leeds.ac.uk/homepage/137...

Undergraduate Open Days

Explore our campus, talk to staff and students and find out about your subject at our open day. Join us for the day and find out what it means to be Leeds.

www.leeds.ac.uk

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Jenny Richards @jennyrichards.bsky.social · 5d

What a great opportunity 👇

Ben Davies @bendavies.bsky.social · 8d

Pleased to announce @univeng.bsky.social small funding scheme now open to members. UE will fund up to 20 projects up to £250 each to support research/pedagogy/continuing professional development activities in Lit, Lang, Creative Writing. See details here: universityenglish.ac.uk/englishcreat...

University English Funding

universityenglish.ac.uk

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Charles Forsdick @cforsdick.bsky.social · 4d

Disadvantaged students ‘more likely to miss out on GCSE foreign languages’

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Disadvantaged students ‘more likely to miss out on GCSE foreign languages’

In 2004, language learning ceased to be compulsory at Key Stage 4, aged 14 to 16.

www.independent.co.uk

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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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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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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 11d

Tony Harrison was an Honorary Fellow of @britishacademy.bsky.social. I love this which says what was shocking about his poem V wasn’t the swearing but the iambic pentameters
www.bbc.co.uk/culture/arti...

"What was unexpected and possibly shocking about V," Byrne tells the BBC, "was less the dialogue that represented a young football supporter swearing - what a surprise - and more the use of iambic pentameter quatrains, at a time when closely patterned, regular verse was regarded as outmoded, an unfitting vehicle for modern concerns.

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UCFL - University Council For Languages @ucflangs.bsky.social · 13d

21 November ILCS event on thinking strategically about the challenges faced by language educators.
Don't miss it, sign up now!
university-council-for-languages.org/2025/09/24/t...

Thinking Strategically: Challenges Facing Language Educators – ILCS

An online event with the ILCS focussing on issues faced by language educators will take place on 21st November 2025, featuring Megan Bowler (Oxford), Emma Cayley (Leeds and UCFL), and Charles Forsd…

university-council-for-languages.org

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Reposted by Emma Cayley 谷曦

UCFL - University Council For Languages @ucflangs.bsky.social · 12d

It's European Day of Languages today! 😀

"Languages open hearts and minds" - to connect us, inspire new ideas and broaden horizons.

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Emma Cayley 谷曦 @emmacayley.bsky.social · 14d

Please do sign up to join in our online conversation event on 21st November, 12 noon, about the recent report on language education in the UK from the @hepi-news.bsky.social by @meganlbowler.bsky.social, sponsored by #Duolingo Thanks to @ilcs.bsky.social
for hosting ilcs.sas.ac.uk/research-pol...

Thinking Strategically Seminar Series

Bringing together researchers to discuss issues of major concern and to ensure joined-up action for the future development of the study of languages and cultures.

ilcs.sas.ac.uk

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

"Modern Foreign Languages degrees are the most starkly affected, with the number of courses nearly halved since 2011" 👇

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 28d

We've got a chunky @britishacademy.bsky.social report out looking at the emergence of 'cold spots' where you can't study arts, humanities or social science subjects close to home. We call for an urgent review of HE funding & monitoring of at risk subjects
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/univers...

University course closures leave students unable to study many SHAPE subjects close to home - report

A new report shows that students are shut out of SHAPE education in their home regions, as large swathes of the UK are ‘cold spots’ for humanities, social sciences and arts degrees.

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Olivia Glaze @oliviaglaze.bsky.social · 22d

Thrilled that @katharinemurphy.bsky.social and my co-edited Special Issue is now out in the Journal of Romance Studies! 🎉 Huge thanks to our contributors across French, Spanish, Italian & Portuguese studies—showing the value of a multilingual approach to the Medical Humanities: tinyurl.com/mrxmznsm

Contents | Journal of Romance Studies 25, 3

This article was published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk

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Charles Forsdick @cforsdick.bsky.social · 17d

Rethinking language education in the school curriculum in England

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Rethinking language education in the school curriculum in England

This Special Collection comprises contributions to the debate on languages across the school curriculum from leading researchers and practitioners in the field. It aims to support the strengthening...

www.tandfonline.com

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 17d

The government managed to recruit only 43 per cent of its target number of modern foreign language teachers for initial teacher training in 2024-25.
www.thetimes.com/article/df90...

Shortfall
Teachers training compared with target in selected subjects (2024-25)
Physical Education
209%
Biology
119%
English
101%
Mathematics
72%
Modern Foreign
Languages
43%
Computing
37%

Chart: The Times and The Sunday Times • Source: Department for Education

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UCFL - University Council For Languages @ucflangs.bsky.social · 26d

Mapping inequality in SHAPE

British Academy report shows Cold Spots in SHAPE Provision.

An important read, check it out on our website:

university-council-for-languages.org/2025/09/12/b...

British Academy Report Shows Cold Spots In SHAPE Provision

With more students than ever studying at local universities, a recent report published by the British Academy shows growing cuts of humanities, social sciences, and arts degree programmes in rural,…

university-council-for-languages.org

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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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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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UCFL - University Council For Languages @ucflangs.bsky.social · Sep 5

We are delighted that Emma Cayley, Current Chair of UCFL has been appointed to the REF subpanel for 2029.
university-council-for-languages.org/2025/09/05/n...

National appointment to REF subpanel for UCFL Chair

Emma Cayley, Current Chair of UCFL has been appointed to the REF subpanel for 2029. Emma said of her reaction to the news: ‘I am honoured and humbled by this appointment and looking forward v…

university-council-for-languages.org

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Digital Medievalist @digitalmedievalist.bsky.social · Sep 5

📜Call for Papers: Digital Medievalist sponsored sessions International Medieval Congress 2026 (Leeds, UK).

We seek proposals on the following themes:
- 'Large Language Models and Medieval Texts'
- 'Digital Methods and Materiality of Manuscripts'

▶️Full call: tinyurl.com/f82tcrzk
📆21 Sept 2025

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · Sep 4

At a time of pressure on higher education here is one bright spot. Our @britishacademy.bsky.social Early Career Researcher Network now has national coverage and provides a free support network to humanities & social science researchers across the UK!
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/early-c...

Early Career Researcher Network now UK-wide after expanding to South East, East of England and Yorkshire & Humber

The British Academy’s Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN) is now UK-wide with the South East, East of England and Yorkshire & Humber regions added in September 2025.

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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