Stats matter. Contrary to perceptions, London is now one of the safest cities in the world. In 2025, the Metropolitan police recorded 97 homicides in London, down from 153 in 2019, and down from 109 in 2024.

Storm Goretti is about to hit the UK and it really is cold out there. Do consider supporting a Big issue vendor: shop.bigissue.dsb-fly.net/the-big-issu...

The study found that lower-income countries, particularly those in Africa, Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, were persistently under-represented in the literature. 49% of African countries and 40% of Asian countries were under-represented. www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/article/lowe...

These ten lessons are delightful and at the heart of all learning! Stay curious, seek inspiration outside your head/house, don't be disheartened by mistakes, don't procrastinate, if you can help it :) www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

This is wonderful news! UK will rejoin EU's Erasmus student exchange programme in 2027! A much needed, important symbolic 'yes' to the crucial exchange of research ideas, learning, teaching practices, and cultural understanding across Europe! 👏 👏 👏 www.bbc.com/news/live/c4...

This important study shows that: 1. Most respondents significantly overestimated the share of irregular migrants within the UK’s foreign-born population. Current estimates are 10–13% of the foreign-born, yet more than half of respondents placed the figure far higher.

So lovely for the Minories to host a Colchester against racism community supper!! Wonderful for our community: university and local organisations to come together! A signal of hope!

Much need to embrace morality and integrity again as our core values. The 2025 Reith lectures are here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Super interesting!

My new book, The Division of Rationalized Labor, is now shipping! A brief summary of the argument to follow…

The new Ken Burns documentary, the American revolution is just so good. What an example of how to weave and craft complex story: www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

It is great to see my local public library well stocked on classics.

If you care about academic freedom, Professor Laura Murphy urges the British government to "heed the University and College Union’s call to restore public funding to higher education." In the Economist: lnkd.in/e7BjvXTi

November Essex sky

Spooky Essex!

Countering negativity and stereotypes about the U.S.-Mexico border one recipe at a time with curiosity and determination - La Frontera with Pati Jinich on PBS is excellent!! lnkd.in/eDdQXhXG Past episodes are available on youtube as well. 👏 👏 👏

Let's Protect Good Data! The PAA is convening this letter rejecting USDA's decision to halt data collection and release of food security reports, and to support restoring funding for the Food Security Supplement in the Current Population Survey. The deadline is Wednesday 22 October.

How do we square Resilience, Resistance and Community? Today I discussed these important intersections with students and colleagues at the Sorbonne and feel very nurtured by the depth and breadth of our conversations.

Announcing a new book series from @emeraldpublishing.bsky.social 🎉 'Emerald Studies in Migration Research, Policy and Practice' Co-founded by series editors @demirevaneli.bsky.social and @migratorymel.bsky.social 👏 Read more here: lnkd.in/edU9gwEJ

Job Opportunity (come and work with our team): We are looking to hire a Research Associate for 30 months to assist in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the University of Essex and Girlguiding. vacancies.essex.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...

I am delighted to be giving a keynote this morning at the annual Approaches to Migration, Language, and Identity conference (AMLI 2025) at Liverpool Hope University. Many thanks to Dr. Manel Herat for inviting me. I look forward to discussing with colleagues: “Language as power".

New study shows that, for refugees, "the ease of finding a job according to one’s qualifications is the most important individual-specific variable in the choice of destination country": www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10....

An illuminating episode of the Migration Oxford Podcast on who the anti-migration agenda is serving: open.spotify.com/episode/5ql4...

Women's earnings simply never really recover after having children: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature... If policy makers and academics need a major discussion point when they consider the demographic decline.

I am delighted to announce a new role - as a founding Series Editor, together with my colleague Dr. Melissa Phillips, of The Emerald Studies in Migration Research, Policy and Practice Emerald Publishing. Many thanks to @katymathers.bsky.social Mathers, the Senior Commissioning Editor.

The policy context matters greatly for the economic integration of different migrant groups. New paper focusing on European countries with @wzwysen.bsky.social just out in IOM Research and you can read more about this work here publications.iom.int/books/migrat...

‘England’s higher education system risks long-term decline unless ministers overhaul their “confused, if not incoherent” approach to universities’ FT interview with outgoing @britishacademy.bsky.social President Julia Black where she pulls no punches! www.ft.com/content/3162...

And on the topic of onslaught to data and good social science data: The American Time Use Survey is under review for renewal. If you want to know more how you can support these valuable data sources, you can register to this webinar happening later on today: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

There are plans to axe the Health Survey for England. There is an important consultation and you can participate: : studies.ons.gov.uk/s/Future_HSE/ [studies.ons.gov.uk]

There are some awesome titles on the long list of The Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing. So far, I have only read, The Possibility of Tenderness: A Jamaican memoir of plants and dreams and looking forward to exploring the other books: wainwrightprize.com/wainwright-p...

Adam Curtis has a new documentary, ‘Shifty’ on the origin of misinformation and conspiracy theories and I cannot recommend highly enough- it is pretty brilliant! www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

It is a real honour to lead the academic side of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between Girlguiding and the University of Essex. Understanding the full impact of girl guiding in the lives of girls and young women in the UK is a dream research project!

Please see below details of next week’s IOM UK training session which will take place online. IOM UK Syria Information Session This session’s content will focus primarily on experiences that Syrian communities may face in conflict. iom-int.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

CMS is participating together with HRC in the following event as part of Refugee week on Friday, the 20th of June. Readings in Solidarity with Refugees and Migrants as part of Refugee Week 2025 Time: 11am – 12noon Outside, Square 4 (next to the Cat Statute) Do join us!

The Race & Ethnicity Study Group of the British Sociological Association needs new co-convenors! To apply, send a statement of up to 500 words to [email protected]. You can learn more about previous activities and see their latest Annual Report here: lnkd.in/ee4CyDXR. deadline: 30th of June.

I am chairing tomorrow "The Future of Migration: Challenges and Opportunities" panel. Speakers include: Professor Faten Ghosn (Government Department); Elaine Brown (Director of Inclusion); Professor Alita Nandi (ISER)& Professor Thomas Cornelissen (Economics). Do join us (10.30 start, STEM 3.1)!

This is a brilliant podcast on the birth of nations: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand...

If you listened to drivers, you'd think all cycle infrastructure is a waste of money. But, according to a new study published in Nature, if you make it safe for people to ride their bikes by building protected bike lanes, a lot more people start riding their bikes.  www.jalopnik.com/1876079/maki...

A brilliant episode of the BBC’s World book club- the four times Hugo award winner, N.K.Jemisin talks about her book ‘The City We Became’. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The Centre for Migration Studies had an amazing Away Day yesterday at the Hackney Museum and Dalston Eastern Curve Garden - a fantastic opportunity to learn more about migration journeys (ours including) and share our passion for research in the area. Many thanks to Sarah Kunz for leading on this!

If approved by Congress, the White House's just issued memorandum would remove $770 million intended for the direct support of local, independent non-commercial public media stations, and cause the loss of nation-wide public broadcasting. NPR has issued a statement: www.npr.org/2025/06/03/g...

This very interesting paper shows that the relative college premium received by lower-income Americans has halved since 1960! www.nber.org/papers/w3379...

This very interesting paper shows that the relative college premium received by lower-income Americans has halved since 1960! www.nber.org/papers/w3379...

Are you an early career scholar in #work-family? Applications are open for @wfrn.bsky.social Early Career Fellowship. Join an amazing cohort of junior scholars in Montreal (June 2026) and beyond. Organized by @yanghu.co.uk & Nicole Denier. App is easy! Happy to answer Qs wfrn.org/early-career...

Very interesting presentation by Kenza Elass on "Generative AI & Labor Market Discrimination" showing that GenAI penalizes female candidates during CV screening in male-dominated occupations. Moreover, GenAI generates gender-stereotyped CVs and recommends lower earnings for female job seekers!!!

Colleagues at UEA are organizing a very interesting workshop - the 5th Discrimination and Diversity Workshop that will take place via Zoom on 2 and 3 June 2025. The diversity and AI session looks very relevant. You can register here: exe.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Perhaps all you want to do is forget that the pandemic ever happened. This Storyville documentary, "The covid queue at Pavilion 6" captures all those odd but also incredibly humane moments of talking to strangers, of trying to be hopeful for the sake of others. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

This is incredibly concerning! www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Really impressed by the statements, the grit and the commitment to science, but also to learning and knowledge of the students applying to my placements as part of the Research Placements and Experiences programme of STEM Learning (www.stem.org.uk). Wish I was that determined at 17!

We're proud that our researchers played a role in giving scientific advice for ‘Ocean’, the new film/book by Sir David Attenborough. Here's some of the team at the film's premiere last night! Huge congratulations to all involved. Read more in our press release - news.exeter.ac.uk/top-stories/... 🦑🌊🧪