Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 18h

Absolutely. Very difficult timing for many organisations I would think. And infuriating that they can overnight make many computers obsolete

Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 23h

Are you worried about the work machine? Feels like a security risk - but I’m no IT expert…

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Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 1d

Anyone in #UKHE still running Windows 10?

Elijah Nelson @sintra4.bsky.social · 1d

Automatic support for Windows 10 is ending on October 14 of this year, or in exactly one week, and over 40% of PCs currently running 10 can't upgrade to 11. This video details the main reasons why this is really bad: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqh_...

Why the end of support for Windows 10 is uniquely troubling

YouTube video by Nathan Proctor

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · Jun 30

soooooooo.... This government can do no planning about ensuring proper capacity for undergraduate students via a Student Number Distribution system, but it can handpick who gets millions in international researchers?

We thought that whole Free Market thing was the be all and end all of #UKHE?

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · Jun 30

'Institutions being offered grants to attract “world-class researchers” to the UK under the government’s £54 million Global Talent Fund were selected before the fund was announced, in a move described as “quite strange”.' 1/3

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · Jun 30

UK’s £54m Global Talent Fund offered to pre-selected institutions.

Move ahead of fund’s announcement raises concern about UKRI money “becoming politicised”.

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

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

Rebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · Jun 30

ResearchPlus - a new collaboration has been formed by 10 UK universities: "there is no collective voice or visibility for research-focused universities outside the Russell Group. Our collaboration seeks to address this & enable us to work better with each other & with existing groups"

ResearchPlus: a manifesto for a new collaborative of universities - HEPI

ResearchPlus unites leading research-focused UK universities to boost innovation, skills, and regional and national prosperity.

www.hepi.ac.uk

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

Jason Byrne @geekwithsoul.bsky.social · 16d

"findings by researchers at leading US & UK universities suggest that medical AI tools powered by LLMs have a tendency to not reflect the severity of symptoms among female patients, while also displaying less “empathy” toward Black and Asian ones"

Another reason LLMs shouldn't be used in medicine.

AI medical tools found to downplay symptoms of women, ethnic minorities

Bias-reflecting LLMs lead to inferior medical advice for female, Black, and Asian patients.

arstechnica.com

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

Jonathan Potter @profjonathanpotter.bsky.social · 15d

#1
Following on from my earlier thread about claims of “bias” in universities (link below 👇), I was struck by James Marriott’s column in today’s Times. It’s full of anecdote & caricature. The real story of UK universities is structural, financial, and political. 🧵
👉 bsky.app/profile/prof...

Jonathan Potter @profjonathanpotter.bsky.social · Apr 28

Listening to Rest is Politics, Rest is Politics US, and reading respected commentators, it's striking how 'left-wing bias' in universities is now taken for granted. That matters, especially in the US, where academia faces political attack. Thoughts from having worked in US/UK universities. 🧵

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

michaelmcqueen.bsky.social @michaelmcqueen.bsky.social · 14d

Oxford has just become the first UK university to roll out ChatGPT Edu to all students and staff. After a year-long trial with 750 users, they’ve signed a five-year partnership with OpenAI. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Oxford University gives students access to AI platform

The rollout is part of a partnership between the institution and OpenAI, which develops ChatGPT.

www.bbc.com

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

Kate Alexander-Shaw @katealexandershaw.bsky.social · 13d

As the new academic year begins, here's an important and bracing read on the crisis in UK universities, by Glen O'Hara for @politicalquarterly.bsky.social

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Where now for Britain's Universities?

Although the financial crisis facing the United Kingdom's universities is by now well known, the detailed reasons behind it have been less prominent in public and political debate. It is true that fr...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 21d

About time…

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 21d

Mini-scoop: After resisting pressure to strip Elon Musk of his fellowship for months, the Royal Society is meeting on 1 October to discuss his removal – following his decision to address Tommy Robinson's far-right rally on Saturday.

www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-r...

Royal Society to debate throwing out Elon Musk

One of the most prestigious scientific bodies in the world is considering expelling Musk after his appearance at Tommy Robinson’s extremist London rally

www.thenewworld.co.uk

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

Dr. Nick Posegay @nposegay.bsky.social · 21d

I'm sorry, worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable permission to my voice and likeness? For what now? In any manner for any purpose???

This is in academia/.edu's new ToS, which you're prompted to agree to on login. Anyway I'll be jumping ship. You can find my stuff at hcommons.org.

By creating an Account with Academia.edu, you grant us a worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable license, permission, and consent for Academia.edu to use your Member Content and your personal information (including, but not limited to, your name, voice, signature, photograph, likeness, city, institutional affiliations, citations, mentions, publications, and areas of interest) in any manner, including for the purpose of advertising, selling, or soliciting the use or purchase of Academia.edu's Services.

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

Kate Wiles @katemond.bsky.social · 21d

I have a friend who's being threatened with an AI product called 'Teachermatic', which aside from anything else is extremely Wallace and Gromit.

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

QM_UCU @qmucu.bsky.social · 21d

“It comes as part of the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, coordinated by the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), which was signed in 2022 by Sorbonne University. This agreement recommends “avoiding the use of rankings of research organisations in research assessment”.”

Sorbonne University decides to withdraw from the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings

As of 2026, Sorbonne University will no longer submit data to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. The decision comes as part of a wider approach to promote open science and ref...

www.sorbonne-universite.fr

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 24d

‘Upload your tutors’ work to a plagiarism machine, they won’t mind’.

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 24d

Vacuous, generic and scattershot advice for incoming 1st years on the use of AI at university. Especially liking 'Chin recommends giving it class notes and asking it to generate practice exam questions.' Surely we can't be the only programme that supplies students with past & practice exams?

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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Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 25d

Great to see @marjonuni.bsky.social at number 9 in this table. Fabulous place to work and study

Interactive Journalism @interactives.bsky.social · 26d

New on The Guardian : “Best UK universities for education – league table”

Best UK universities for education – league table

www.theguardian.com

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Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 25d

Yes I know I know. But presumably what they mean is that we shouldn’t waste our time on it - but that brings us back to the hours that academics work above and beyond…

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

prof-alistair.bsky.social @prof-alistair.bsky.social · 28d

Interested in PhD education? Graduate Research? The Quality in Postgraduate Research conference is the world's oldest (and best :-)) conference on all thing doctoral (est 1994) and the call for papers for the #QPR2026 conference in Adelaide in April is currently open at www.qpr.edu.au Check it out.

QPR – Quality in Postgraduate Research

www.qpr.edu.au

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Reposted by Prof Debby Cotton

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 27d

'Pausing the Research Excellence Framework (REF) amid concerns over its controversial environment section could signal the start of more fundamental shift away from an institutional focus on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, say experts.' 1/x

Could REF pause lead to Trump-style diversity crackdown?

Three-month review of Research Excellence Framework could trigger more radical rethink on institutional priorities and spending, sector figures warn

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 26d

This>>

Bruce Buchan @brucealexb.bsky.social · 26d

All academics are already working far beyond the hours they are paid for (in teaching prep, marking, class contact hours, and for many of us, self-funded research activities). They deserve the same respect any professional is entitled to. Their research is not ‘a hobby’. It’s labour.

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Will Tattersdill @tattersdill.bsky.social · 26d

The last REF found that 98% of UK research was either "internationally recognised", "internationally excellent", or "world-leading". If you think low-quality research is the noteworthy challenge in UK higher ed right now, you are wilfully looking in the wrong direction

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 27d

Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ .

Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”.

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

Ministers ‘want to shift funds away from low-quality research’ - Research Professional News

Universities UK president says institutions cannot afford “unfunded hobbyist research”

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Unofficial Guardian (UK) Bot @guardian-uk-rss.bsky.social · 26d

UK universities cut back on crucial research because of reduced funding

One in five institutions spending less, including in areas such as cancer and heart disease, because of erosion in support from government and charities

www.theguardian.com

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Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 28d

Baboon - which is a sort of monkey. And thank you! I was watching them for ages. So cute!

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Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 28d

A bit quirky but this is one of my favourite pics from a recent trip to Kruger National park.

Sad-faced baby baboon nursing and cuddling mum

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Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 28d

#UKHE

Prof Debby Cotton @profdcotton.bsky.social · 28d

Oh my goodness, this is huge news! I’ve done some work for both unis and will be fascinated to see how this develops. Hope staff in both institutions not feeling too unsettled by this change.

David Kernohan @dkernohan.bsky.social · 29d

wonkhe.com/blogs/the-fi...

Greenwich and Kent come together under one vice chancellor and governance structure.

Massive news.

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