Thea Pitman

Maintenance grants only for priority courses ‘deeply concerning’ Using financial incentives to influence student choice risk undermining Labour’s widening access goals, critics fear

“Prioritising a narrow set of disciplines could mean we lose talented arts, humanities and social sciences graduates who help drive innovation and tackle huge societal challenges. Student choice is vital.” bit.ly/3KAReIQ

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

Harmony Labs - Humanities Unbound Mapping public attitudes about the humanities in media culture

"The best way to get audiences to care about the humanities is by making humanities content they like. Early testing shows how engaging with videos that show the practice of the humanities can move some audiences to support the humanities." bit.ly/3KuZ32K

Friends, I'm currently writing up a methodology chapter and would love your help. Are there any recent projects that use AI or large language models (LLMs) as a direct entry point into Latin American literary texts? I'd be delighted to spotlight innovative work I may have missed. Feel free to share!

@stephdennison.bsky.social @slaslatam.bsky.social @juanpabloferrero.bsky.social

Anunciamos o programa “Descolonizando a Publicação Científica com Pesquisadores Afro-Brasileiros e Indígenas”. Uma serie workshops e mentoria para acadêmicos em início de carreira. Em breve, lançaremos uma chamada para participantes! Financiado pela @britishacademy.bsky.social.

'Warriors and Weavers: The Poetics and Politics of Indigenous Appropriations of New Media Technologies in Latin America' by Thea Pitman on a purple background.

'Warriors and Weavers: The Poetics and Politics of Indigenous Appropriations of New Media Technologies in Latin America' by @theapitman.bsky.social is popular this week. Read it #OpenAccess via MLO: bit.ly/Pitman-MLO

Debates in US Latinx DH | Debates in the Digital Humanities Transforming scholarly publications into living digital works

#CFP for Debates in Digital Humanities edited by Gabriela Baeza Ventura, María E. Cotera, Annemarie Perez, and Carolina Villarroel. Deadline for 500-word abstracts, including proposed title and short bio: May 15, 2025. dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/page/debates...
#digitalhumanities #usLdh

Wonderful to see this in print! Congratulations, Lou!

Modern languages departments are neither colonial nor obsolete Advanced linguistic and cultural skills remain essential for deep insight into how people see themselves in the world, say five modern languages academics

A response: www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/mode...

'My university course made me who I am - now it's being cut' Universities are cutting jobs to make financial savings, with students and staff bearing the brunt.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

@extinctionleeds.bsky.social PGR Trina Flesher in action here.

A photograph of Jonathan Roberts (second from left) with his supervisors, enjoying a glass of fizz and a cake.

Congratulations to #Extinction Studies PhD student (now Dr) Jonathan Roberts on successfully defending his thesis yesterday on "Biological and Social aspects of human #hookworm #infection and eradication". Many thanks to @rohandroy.bsky.social for being a thorough and constructive external.

Jonathan's brilliant work has, like the rest of the @extinctionleeds.bsky.social projects, absolutely zero respect for the niceties of disciplinary boundaries. It's a wonderful exploration of the social, cultural and biological aspects of hookworm eradication. History, philosophy, epidemiology.

Thanks for coming @wlukewindsor.bsky.social !

The deep cultural cost of British university job cuts | Letters Letters: Arts and humanities are being hit hardest by cuts in higher education, write Prof Thea Pitman and Prof Emma Cayley, and Dr Ronan McLaverty-Head and another letter writer comment on cuts at Ca...

'The deep cultural cost of British university job cuts" bit.ly/4gnDCuE

An excellent letter, in today's @theguardian.com, by the co-chairs of @artsandhums.bsky.social, a collective of subject specialist organisations representing and advocating for arts & humanities subjects in UK HE. #skystorians

The Arts and Humanities Alliance have written an open letter to Bridget Philippson, Secretary of State for Education, on the recently announced cuts across the sector. We are concerned that these measures disproportionately affect our disciplines and call for an urgent government review.

Quarter of leading UK universities cutting staff due to budget shortfalls Up to 10,000 redundancies or job losses feared as institutes undergo restructuring

Quarter of leading UK universities cutting staff due to budget shortfalls

Up to 10,000 redundancies or job losses feared as institutes undergo restructuring

www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Conference Registration Registration information for Born-Digital Collections, Archives and Memory taking place 2-4 April 2025.

💾 Working with born-digital collections?

💽 Seeking inspiration for ways to collect, preserve, analyse, and curate them?

💾 Want to hear @dorothyjberry.bsky.social's keynote?

Join us online or in person at this fabulous conference www.sas.ac.uk/about-us/ins...

Please help us to save Modern Languages at Cardiff University:

chng.it/Hmtvvdtptg

Job Opportunity at University of Leeds: Digital Development Manager Do you have an interest in promoting the use of digital tools and methodologies for research and partnership working? Do you have a track record of supporting researchers to engage with digital innova...

#DH job! Maternity cover (for me!) until end of 2025 in @dcch-leeds.bsky.social. Based in Faculty of Arts Humanities & Cultures/Library w emph on interdisciplinary & cross-service working, to grow DH research & digital creativity. Deadline 24 Feb @ukiedh.bsky.social
jobs.leeds.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...

Cardiff: University confirms plans to cut 400 jobs Vice-chancellor Wendy Larner says

This is a national scandal. When will the government wake up and realise they are presiding over the rapid implosion of the UK's world-renowned university sector?

A poster for an exhibition. Features an animal skull on rocks with orange lichen.

Come and see some of the work we’ve been doing… SPIRIT: an exhibition of nature photography from the Scottish Small Isles. Parkinson Court, 4-6 Feb.

This episode has been released today! Listen to me with host @k8lister.bsky.social on the history of love letters and erotic letters, primarily in antiquity but looking at modern developments too.

The episode is titled "The Origins of Sexting": listener discretion is advised!

PhD Position in Latin American History connected to the DARKLAX project (271256) | University of Bergen Job title: PhD Position in Latin American History connected to the DARKLAX project (271256), Employer: University of Bergen, Deadline: Sunday, January 12, 2025

www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...

Three Leeds Opportunity Research Scholarships (LORS) @universityofleeds.bsky.social are available to prospective postgraduate researchers from Black, Asian and other minoritised ethnic groups for study in any Faculty in 2025/26. Details here. Please spread the word:

phd.leeds.ac.uk/.../234-leed....

The University of Leeds in the UK is offering scholarships for Palestinians from Gaza who have been displaced and are living in a different country (outside of the UK). www.leeds.ac.uk/undergraduat...

So I've just made this Starter Pack of #electronicliterature and digital narrative peeps: there's more of you out there that need adding, so please don't be shy in letting me know who you are [maybe you have suggestions @eliterature.bsky.social, @samplereality.bsky.social, @elikaortega.bsky.social]?

Hello! I began a starter pack with some folks working on Latina/o/x Studies, it's broadly defined and a work in progress for sure.
Please share and also send more recommendations of folks to include!
go.bsky.app/Rmi3sGW

So here's a starter pack for languages, literatures, cultures and societies, very broadly defined.

If you'd like to be added or removed, comment below or send a message

go.bsky.app/TdEXaP2