"GuildHE represents many of what Research England refers to as “less research-intensive and smaller specialist institutions”, so our interest was especially piqued by proposals to explore differentiated tracks and lighter-touch assessments for these providers. There is good intention here." 1/3

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

Arts and humanities cold spots ‘depriving whole areas of courses’. Shape subjects are a “bellwether” for financial pressures on higher education, British Academy warns. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Major university merger announced. The start of a wave?

'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.'

The names of panel members for the criteria-setting phase of REF 2029 have now been announced on our panels pages. 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/expert-...

The four UK higher education funding bodies confirm the pause in the criteria setting and publication of final guidance for REF 2029 for a short period, as announced by the UK Science Minister Lord Vallance today at the Universities UK conference. 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/pause-t...

The REF has been paused for 3 months as policymakers scratch their heads to figure out how to resolve various tensions. This prescient piece by @annamgrey.bsky.social lays out those complexities www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

In a busy semester this passed me by - but delighted to see some of my @artsandhums.bsky.social research with @aberuni.bsky.social colleagues cited in the House of Lords report on interpreting and language services in courtrooms lordslibrary.parliament.uk/interpreting....

‘What is the missing noun to which English refers: literature, language or both? Is its primary concern with literature in English or with the culture of Englishness?’ Colin Kidd on English studies: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

📣Applications still open for the Senate House Library Visiting Fellowships 📣 In 2025-6 up to two awards of £1500 will be allocated to support a fellowship of up to two weeks. Deadline: 15 September 2025 More info 👇 https://tinyurl.com/ykudv9tn

Bit more on the Guardian liveblog here www.theguardian.com/education/li...

NEW on Wonkhe: All the numbers and all the action from JCQ results day in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland buff.ly/5CKDVt8

Wow. The University of Chicago, a world-class institution whose humanities faculty in the past has included Homi Bhabha & Lauren Berlant & Ralph Ellison & Hannah freaking Arendt, is getting rid of basically every graduate department involving the acknowledgment that other cultures & languages exist.

Congratulations on all receiving A-level English Language, Lang & Lit, Literature results! 💫 And to all their teachers ! We commend the fantastic opportunities that study of these subjects offer 🥳. Find out what English studies brings ! englishassociation.ac.uk/case-studies/

The Royal Historical Society welcomes Fellowship applications from historians working in higher education and many other sectors, as well as independent researchers. Fellows make original contributions to historical understanding via research, public history and heritage bit.ly/4iOu51g #Skystorians

'Leicester’s UCU branch, meanwhile, has announced that it will open a strike ballot after it said the institution failed to rule out compulsory redundancies. Staff in chemistry, history, geography, film studies and modern languages have been informed they may face redundancy'. 3/3

'At Lancaster, the union won a consultative ballot in favour of strike action after the university announced plans to cut 400 full-time equivalent positions by July 2026 in a bid to save £30 million.' 2/3

'At Liverpool Hope, UCU objected to previously announced plans to make 39 compulsory redundancies across three of its faculties; education and social sciences; creative arts and humanities; and human and digital sciences.' Figure now reduced to 11, but 30 more remain at risk of redundancy. 1/3

The first fee increase since 2017. Compare this to water bills...

Gutting humanities and social sciences means, “The erosion of intellectual diversity, the neglect of vulnerable students who find their voices and futures within these fields, and the abandonment of the university’s commitment to a more just and inclusive society.” www.crikey.com.au/2025/07/31/a...

@ucflangs.bsky.social The University Council For Languages (UCFL) responds to welcome a new @hepi-news.bsky.social report and joins them in calling for urgent action on revitalising language learning university-council-for-languages.org/2025/07/31/n...

Read UCFL's reaction to the new HEPI report on languages: university-council-for-languages.org/2025/07/31/n... The recommendations for HE are particularly welcome, as are those around equality of access and social justice. @emmacayley.bsky.social @cforsdick.bsky.social

The Creative Industries has a huge economic value on a global scale 🙌 Thanks to our partners @creativepec.bsky.social for the latest study on the value of international collaboration 🌍

“These redundancies will not just deprive staff of their livelihoods, but also restrict what students can study.” ANU student Finnian Colwell said “We are demanding that the cuts stop, that Bell resign and that the government commit to full funding for universities” region.com.au/social-scien...

@englishassociation.bsky.social @artsandhums.bsky.social @ies-sas.bsky.social

It's been almost a month since the National Endowment for the Humanities laid off nearly two-thirds of its staff. Will our loss even be felt? How is this being felt throughout the federal system? What will happen to the #humanities without these dedicated civil servants? #NEH @slate.com

Australia can’t withstand further cuts to the humanities. Civil society depends on it. humanities.org.au/news/austral...

Job klaxon! We are advertising for a permanent lecturer in German (Teaching and Research). Come and join our team here at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies. Deadline 9th July. @lcsleeds.bsky.social jobs.leeds.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

NEW on Wonkhe: Anton Muscatelli, Maria Delgado and Miles Padgett consider the latest REF guidance, and warn of possible unintended consequences in how removing restrictions on output numbers will play out buff.ly/xBrgPzm

NEW on Wonkhe: The government wants higher education to do more to widen access. For Paul Blagburn and Gino Graziano, we need to start by recognising where there is still work to do buff.ly/1edTbJ7

“study of English teaches core skills…incl. communication, collaboration,critical thinking & problem-solving…We are advocating for reform to the English GCSEs in the hope that more young people will be inspired to continue their study of English & go from there to rewarding further study & careers.”

Curriculum and Assessment Review: ILCS, ALL and UCFL issue a statement. 'The development of a sustainable model for language provision across the whole of the educational sector is of the highest concern to all members of the subject community' Read the statement: ilcs.sas.ac.uk/research-pol...

‘Even academics with secure jobs don’t feel secure. Meanwhile, those of us on fixed-term contracts sit and wait for our funding to run out.’ Ed Kiely on precarity in higher education: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Last week on Wonkhe: Peter Scott asks what we should learn from the popular perception of the university sector

Please take a moment to sign this petition to prevent the closure of the University of Nottingham's Language Centre which also includes its provision of Biblical Hebrew and Greek: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

REF 2029 policy release: We’re pleased to share the guidance for the Contributions to Knowledge and Understanding element and the updated Code of Practice guidance. 2029.ref.ac.uk/news/cku-cop... #REF2029

Head of REF Policy, Jonathan Piotrowski, explores one of the most discussed topics in REF 2029 in a new blog: Navigating the complex landscape of portability for REF 2029 2029.ref.ac.uk/resources/na... #REF2029

'The University and College Union (UCU) has called the action in response to plans to cut more than 100 academic jobs, as part of efforts to save £20 million....It follows a vote by the union in favour of strikes, with 75 per cent voting yes on a turnout of 78 per cent.' 1/2

The @britishlibrary.bsky.social is recruiting a Head of Culture Programmes to oversee their events and exhibitions - looks like a good role. £52k. Closing deadline 30 June ce0752li.webitrent.com/ce0752li_web...

OK so we've just published a whole bunch of papers on how the UK should be thinking about economic strategy. The main argument is that we should think about our deep assets and invest in those comparative advantages. Here's a synthesis paper www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...

Important to note that, despite positive press, modern languages at Cardiff University are far from saved. Ancient History and Religion lose their named degrees, but at least there is some commitment (for now) to teach those topics as part of other degrees.

Panels will look at - Developments in the Modern Languages Curriculum in HE - Sustainability and Entrepreneurship in Modern Languages - Diversification of languages and levels offered For full details of the programme: university-council-for-languages.org/2025/06/06/u... @ilcs.bsky.social

Stop cuts to Modern Languages at Bangor University 👉Sign the petition: chng.it/K2zRY6Jqqt 👉Share the petition with family/friends/networks. 👉Send emails outlining your objections. For details and templates visit the website: www.stopcutsinmlatbangor.uk/home/

FT reports that industrial strategy delayed again - to last week of June - instead of being published with spending review. That's because so much of it hinges, not surprisingly, on the spending review. www.ft.com/content/8751...

WONKHE's new initiative re HE policy for England is 'The Post-18 Project': post18.co.uk/tooling-up/ Hoping that it does not reduce HE to its economic effects, narrowly defined.

University of Chicago and London Business School among the possible hosts.

Reading through adaptations : Creative ways of delivering A Christmas Carol through tv & stage adaptations. Introducing the Educational Recording Agency’s new materials for A Christmas Carol reading text through tv & stage adaptations of the novella. ⬇️ englishassociation.ac.uk/reading-thro...

Another day, another short-sighted attempt by a UK university to cut Modern Languages. This time it's Bangor, planning to discontinue German and Chinese and reduce staffing in French and Spanish. Please sign: www.change.org/p/stop-cuts-...