📢 Excited to join colleagues from Aston University and University of Warwick to celebrate a new report from the Academy of Social Sciences & Midlands universities showcasing the power of social science in driving regional impact. 🌍 🔗 Register: ow.ly/PTgu50X1oux 📘 Read the report: ow.ly/P9hx50X1ouw

25-09-1995 CANADA: Unions supporting the Liverpool Dockers Solidarity Campaign participate in national actions using the internet. This is believed to be the first time the net was used to organize an international labour solidarity action. www.labournet.net/docks2/9708/...

Regular readers know how much I like to celebrate amazing science. This is amazing science. With brilkiant outcomes www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

NEW✨ To mark a new exhibition @lselibrary.bsky.social, Combining Efforts: 200 Years of Trade Unions, co-curator Chelsea Collison picks out and reflects on seven fascinating items on display that illuminate the history of Britain's unions. @londonmetuni.bsky.social @tuc.org.uk

🏡 New WSC blog: Housing Many seasonal farm workers live in cold, unsafe caravans without legal protections. Last night Cab Sec for Housing, @mairimcallan.bsky.social confirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to closing this gap. Read our response! workersupportcentre.org.uk/resources/on...

Good advice for new students. But also faculty in new cities/towns too. I know how tempting it is to delay.

Surely we’ve all baked in that there will be tax rises? Yet… here we are…

The Leverhulme Trust has teamed up with @britishacademy.bsky.social to produce Confessions of an Early Career Researcher, a new podcast by ECRs for ECRs. Tune in now: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/audio-video/... Read more about this collaboration: www.leverhulme.ac.uk/news/confess...

For all the “Goodness - not Christmas products!” I remember the times I had to budget SO hard from September. There are only 3 pay days. I won’t judge. Christmas songs, tho? Get in the fkn sea.

I left Scotland for 2 days and we have a ministerial resignation over Douglas Ross, seagulls and (maybe) punches. Stay classy Scotland.

The WSC is an amazing campaigning and organising experience. Interested?

Woah!!! I always worked on the basis that the time one hour after 11am is 12am. Noon is 12am. But after receiving two emails this week that referred to noon as 12pm, I have googled it. And apparently it’s lawless. There are no rules. Mind exploded.

We're looking to appoint a new administrator for our Social Sciences Impact Acceleration Account. This would be a great role for a graduate with good administrative skills who wants to learn a lot more about the non-academic impact of research www.stir.ac.uk/about/work-a...

Oh yes - what Cath said. The more “doing” (rather than thinking) the better.

In London, hate will never win.

Events in Nepal have today taught me what One Piece is.

Today’s gendered learning. My current haircut includes a #2 clipper on the sides. I was talking with my hairdresser about whether to take it to a #1. But I think that’s too short. She then told me that there is a #1.5. Who knew?!

Afterwords by @melaniesimms.bsky.social and Mélanie Laroche and Gregor Murray of @crimt.bsky.social

To make sure AI serves workers—not just tech monopolies—we need bold action: corporate regulation, worker voice, and sectoral bargaining. Read more from @elizabethwwilkins.bsky.social on the scale of #AI concentration in a new blog w/ @eop.aspeninstitute.org ⤵️ www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/w...

🚨 Vacancies alert! We're currently hiring for three new roles. Applications for all three will close on September 19th. See details and how to apply here 👉 buff.ly/EjyZen5

Today finds me shouting at the screen - again - at people who forget that devolution affects UK higher education. We aren't all English. *Breathes deeply*.

I am delighted to announce that we are recruiting to three new roles in the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk’s senior team. Take a look if you want to help us grow our impact & develop our brilliant research (details of the Academy Director role will be up next week) 👇 micro.green-park.co.uk/ifg/

I will never be jaded enough not to celebrate article submission day. Nor will I ever publish so much that they are anything other than rare days!

IT'S OUT! @ukandeu.bsky.social brand new survey of the policy challenges confronting the UK, done in partnership with the wonderful @resfoundation.bsky.social ukandeu.ac.uk/reports/poli... 1/???

NEW: John Swinney is set to outline actions the Scottish Government will take to 'support the people of Gaza'

Before we get AI in all our software apps, could Microsoft pls focus on getting Teams to synch what are actually new posts and which are ones you’ve just read on a different device? Please and thank you.

The first day of dusting off the slipper boots. Autumn has descended. Very much a new term vibe.

The words of the prophets were written on the subway walls Tenement halls

Lunch is certainly a proper meal. I eat proper lunch every day. But then, I’m a Francophile.

10 things we can do in Scotland to stop anti-refugee sentiment www.thenational.scot/politics/254... @sabirzazai.bsky.social

Research briefing launch event: "Successfully engaging paid care workers in organising: Challenges, opportunities, and what works". 12pm to 1pm, 18th September 2025 via Zoom w/ Duncan Fisher( @duncfsh.bsky.social) and Liam Foster, Uni of Sheffield. Info ▶️ social-policy.org.uk/events/resea...

Guarantee you will not guess. (Hint: they don't identify the major disabling virus that has been circulating for 5 years where a known associated adult disability is 'brain fog').

J. Mijin Cha and Hunter Moskowitz's new article doi.org/10.1177/0022... explains how recent union support for green policies is defined by intra-labor coalitions, i.e. alliances focused on securing good jobs and labor standards in the renewable energy sector. #ClimateJobs #Unions

Students returning to my city? Hello sore throat!

Edinburgh City Council consultation is now open: A Fair Work Charter for Edinburgh: consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/fair-wor...

Science is awesome. (The business side seems pretty cool too.)

Looking to buy a small city car. I live in a high density urban area dominated by flats (apartments). Street parking. Nowhere to charge an electric car. No facility to install a charger. A lot of companies have discontinued their small city cars in favour of EVs. This is an urban (planning) problem.

Still learning how to “do” the Fringe 8 years after moving to Scotland. A fun day! And very much “end of the season” vibes.

📣 We're hiring for a Principal Economist 👀 This is a unique opportunity for an individual who can conduct economic and policy analysis independently at an advanced level. Full details here ⤵️ buff.ly/5pBKLDx

Please read and submit your answers - we need to hear from as many of you as possible - I’m on leave myself right now (at Frightfest) but you can DM me #UCU #CampusTradeUnions #AcademicSky

Solidarity is a lived experience.

MIT’s NANDA initiative found that 95% of generative AI deployments fail after interviewing 150 execs, surveying 350 workers, and analyzing 300 projects. The real “productivity gains” seem to come from layoffs and squeezing more work from fewer people not AI.

Since when did RSVP mean “tell us only if you are coming” rather than “tell us whether or not you are coming”? Is this an electronic systems thing?

And TikTok is also epic. Please HE and FE folks - just take a day to see the joy. It’s a credit to what you do.

One of the joys of living in Scotland is that I get to see all the celebratory, joyous posts about A-levels AND Highers. (They happen about 2-3 weeks apart). There’s not much joy in HE right now. So it’s important to remember how excited the new cohort (and their families) are.

Sometimes in tumultuous times, bearing witness can be an important, loving and radical act. Yes ‘doing’ is often important. But sometimes we can’t. For many, very legitimate reasons. If we are fortunate enough to have various forms of privilege, bearing witness can be incredibly powerful.

If you're going to #WigtownBookFest, check out events with four of our academics! Alice Mah, Jim Phillips and Dominic Hinde @uofgsps.bsky.social and Fabrice Renaud @uofgdumfries.bsky.social will read from their books and discuss what inspired them. www.wigtownbookfestival.com/uploads/file...

I’m sitting behind a man on the bus who looks very like Terry Pratchett. Obviously it isn’t. But if anyone were to return to the earthly realm, Mr P would surely be a candidate. And sitting quietly on a Glasgow bus would surely be his method!

I could live with my city being totally disrupted for weeks to pander to Hollywood but two provisos: 1) you pay us some money and 2) you release the bloody movie. (Yes - they don’t. And yes - last time, they canned it).