Barbara Bombi

"We’ve made it about individuals, because the academic research system is very focused on the individual level, and that’s something we really need to break,” she said.

Yes, break the focus on individuals. After all, the system is doing its best to break individuals altogether at this time. 1/3

Society visit to historians at the University of Suffolk and to Suffolk Archives, 22 October - RHS On 22 October, members of the Society’s Council visited historians at the University of Suffolk: to learn more about the department, and historical studies across the institution; to discuss shared pr...

Many thanks to all at the University of Suffolk and @suffolkarchives.bsky.social who hosted yesterday's visit by the Society to meet with historians, archivists and curators from Ipswich and the region bit.ly/3Jsoi5v

Our discussions focused on 'collaborative working with heritage partners' 1/2

So, mRNA jabs are dangerous. To cancers.

Introduction to Latin Palaeography

Back by popular demand, Introduction to Latin Palaeography will run online in February 2026 #MedievalSky 👇

ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

Turn on the caps? 100% yes, for the benefit of everyone at every level of UK higher education’s system

Today's visit closes with an RHS guest lecture by Professor Tim Grady (University of Chester) to which all are very welcome bit.ly/4pWzBDu.

Tim's lecture begins at 5.30pm at The Hold, Suffolk Archives, Ipswich, and is preceded by a reception from 5pm #Skystorians

The white paper kept quiet on market exit Despite previous indications that movement was afoot, the post-16 education and skills white paper had nothing to say about institutional closure. Michael Salmon tries to work out what’s changed Despi...

'The white paper in fact steers wholly clear of policy thinking around what would happen in the (ever more likely) event that a large English higher education provider finds itself in severe financial distress threatening its very viability.' 1/2

'This omission is even more stark even against a background where we know that this risk has been scored “critical” and “very likely” on the DfE risk register'. 2/2

How Vladimir Putin’s history rant in Alaska nudged Donald Trump closer to Ukraine Fraught summit in Anchorage marked a nadir that reshaped how the presidents approach each other

History matters, even (sometimes especially) when it's a ridiculous cobbled together mythic history.

Great. Now 'individual' grants are under attack, alongside staff doing too much research. Meanwhile research finances are described with no reference at all to student finances. And our VCs are all at fault for encouraging us to apply for grants that don't pay 100% FEC.

What are universities for?

What the graduate unemployment story gets wrong People with a degree are faring better, not worse than their non-graduate counterparts

In western Europe, 'young workers without a degree have seen an uptick in joblessness rate of 2.4 percentage points on average compared with 1.4 for recent graduates'.

Thousands more university jobs cut as financial crisis deepens University workers will vote on national strike action this month over a 1.4% pay offer made in the summer.

'Universities have collectively announced more than 12,000 job cuts in the last year, new analysis from the University and College Union (UCU) suggests.'

‘Learn lessons from US’ and stop political interference, UK told OfS and UKRI seen as particularly vulnerable to meddling from government, with report authors calling for more safeguards to ensure independence

‘Arm’s-length bodies such as the Office for Students (OfS) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) are particularly “vulnerable to political interference”, a new report has warned.’ www.timeshighereducation.com/news/learn-l... @timeshighered.bsky.social

Where now for Britain’s Universities? UK higher education now faces a very bleak future, retreating in the face of little public sympathy and limited political interest.

Estimated 10,000 or more university redundancies in the academic year 2024-25.
"the original sin was to sell higher education to policy makers as ‘skills training’ or ‘investment’ "
#HigherEd #teaching #research #edchat #students
politicalquarterly.org.uk/blog/where-n...

Fantastic celebration of @gawainsmum.bsky.social festschrift. Lovely to see so many colleagues and students current and past, which speaks to Helen's contribution as a scholar, colleague, and friend. @webstermedieval.bsky.social

All I think about when reading this is how many jobs the money spent on that pile of brick and glass could have saved in smaller humanities departments - my own colleagues. It’s like building a monument of gold in a landscape of wrack and ruin.

Delighted to be giving a Bede's World / Durham World Heritage Site lecture in @durham.ac.uk on 18 October.

Five UK universities tell staff they can’t afford pay rises Negotiations over whether to honour 1.4 per cent increase ongoing at several other institutions amid financial crunch

'Staff at some institutions will not get even get the small rise due to them because of a clause in the negotiations that allows for a delay for up to 11 months if a university is facing financial difficulties.' So far, Dundee, Kent, Brunel, Coventry, Swansea.

Society elects 248 new Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and Postgraduate Members - RHS At its latest meeting on 12 September 2025, the RHS Council elected 73 Fellows, 62 Associate Fellows, 50 Members and 63 Postgraduate Members, a total of 248 people newly associated with the Society, f...

This week we welcomed 248 new Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and Postgraduate members to the Royal Historical Society following a meeting of the RHS Council bit.ly/4o0xhJV

Applications to join the Society are invited at any time: next closing dates 13 Oct & 15 Dec bit.ly/3VQTFcF

#Skystorians

Opening section and abstract of RHS blog post: 'The value and provision of history and the humanities: it’s time for a political response': "This week the government’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need. While we welcome recognition of the financial pressures and impediments many student face, it’s clear that this is a policy with nothing for the arts and humanities, including history. However, as Lucy Noakes, President of the Royal Historical Society, explains here, these pressures are equally acute for students in the arts and humanities. Moreover, as a new British Academy report on ‘Cold Spots’ shows, choice—in subjects including history—is being further eroded for many as the provision of higher education contorts to the financial crisis facing UK higher education. If the government is serious about choice, social mobility and access to education it needs to appreciate that provision of many degree subjects is now at considerable risk in a growing number of regions across the UK. For students to have greater choice and access we need the environments in which choices are made to be fair, balanced and accurate. For this we require political leadership to help us address structural failings and false narratives."

This week the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, announced the return of maintenance grants for students in greatest need.

In a new blog post, RHS President Lucy Noakes considers the state of access to history and the humanities in UK HE bit.ly/3KP5WMe #Skystorians

@artsandhums.bsky.social

Image of urban map with text: 'Join the Royal Historical Society. Closing dates for next application rounds: Mondays 13 October and 15 December 2025. The Royal Historical Society represents the interests of historical researchers in universities, libraries, archives, museums, heritage and broadcasting, as well as those engaged in public, community and family history research.'

If you would like to become a Fellow or Member of the Society, we have several membership categories for historians of different backgrounds and career stages: bit.ly/4gXhsBw

Applications are welcome at any time, with the next closing dates on Mondays 13 October and 15 December 2025 2/2

exactly. And it's harming people, and wasting so much time and energy of those people it cannot in the slightest be in line with the 'efficiency' drive...

It's why we need urgent structural change to the funding and governance model in Higher Education.

Society elects 248 new Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and Postgraduate Members - RHS At its latest meeting on 12 September 2025, the RHS Council elected 73 Fellows, 62 Associate Fellows, 50 Members and 63 Postgraduate Members, a total of 248 people newly associated with the Society, f...

We are very pleased to announce the election of 248 new Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and Postgraduate members to the Royal Historical Society following the latest meeting of the RHS Council bit.ly/4o0xhJV

We warmly welcome all those joining @royalhistsoc.org from today #Skystorians 1/2

Really chuffed for Rob and whoever gets this fab looking job!

Very much this. The IHR really is open to everyone and this includes our common room and our library as well as our wonderful seminars. All free, all welcome!

Sort out the funding & governance system, government. To have your knowledge economy rely on what's cheapest to run classes in & which grabs most fees is an absurd dereliction of duty.

Images of theSociety's recent visit to Aberdeen with the text: On 17-18 September, members of the Society’s Council visited historians at the University of Aberdeen: to learn more about the department, and historical studies across the institution; to discuss shared priorities and concerns; and to consider how the Society can best support the work of historians within, with and beyond higher education.

This week we visited historians at the University of Aberdeen to discuss their work and how this is best supported by the RHS. The visit included an excellent public lecture by Prof Matthew Smith (UCL).

Thanks to everyone who attended & to all at the university for their welcome bit.ly/3IyYbJJ 1/2

Together with Lucy Noakes, Philip Carter, Olwen Purdue, and Matthew Smith's stellar participation, we discussed the role of the RHS in ‘fostering a positive research culture in the Humanities in troubled times’.

'Unlike the struggling institutions that sought private sector rescue or the professional training providers that already operated in quasi-commercial spaces, in theory the sale of Buckingham would represent the commodification of the university ideal itself.' 2/2

Roll up roll up for the great higher education fire sale From covert mergers to regulatory complacency, Jim Dickinson reveals how market logic is reshaping UK higher education – and why the fate of Buckingham could set a troubling precedent From covert merg...

'But the potential Buckingham sale arguably represents a qualitatively different proposition from previous transactions....Buckingham is the UK’s flagship independent university, purpose-built to demonstrate that alternatives to state higher education could thrive.' 1/2