Philip Lewis

China’s leaders’ meeting confirms Xi’s authority and shows technological self-reliance is now the priority At the Fourth Plenum of the Communist Party of China’s leadership, President Xi Jinping outlined a bold shift in China’s economic development model under its next Five-Year Plan.

The sheer scale of the reshuffle at the top of the People's Liberation Army once again underscores Xi Jinping’s unchallenged authority at the height of China’s political hierarchy.

Revealed: How the No 10 grid strangles effective communication A government ‘playlist’ of campaigns could cut through more powerfully than an old-style grid of worthy policy nuggets

peterhyman21.substack.com/p/revealed-h...

Napoleon’s assault and retreat is immortalized in the greatest data visualization of all time (h/t Edward Tufte). Minard’s map shows the march on Moscow in brown, and the retreat in black. The width of these lines is the size of the army. They were already decimated before they reached Moscow.

Von der Leyen Says EU Ready to Act on China Rare-Earth Threat European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels is considering all options to react to China’s rare-earth threat.

1/ As Trump goes to Asia, EU leaders threaten to take action on China. Rare earth restrictions may have finally brought the EU out of its slumber. At the same time, Europe pushing for greater free trade agreements with the rest of the world. Will action match words?
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Cities sit at the heart of both the challenges and solutions to climate change.

In our new 10-Minute Talk, Harriet Bulkeley FBA considers how urban climate action can chart a path forward, and the questions of ethics, justice and equity it raises for our collective futures https://bit.ly/3L7toVi

Graphic that reads ‘The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and The British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Symposium’

There is only one week left to apply for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and The British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Symposium 2026. Find out more and apply: https://bit.ly/4nyWsmv

On the edge My week in the NHS

New post just out:

"On the edge"

On my unexpected week in hospital and five things I learnt about the state of the NHS.

(Free to read)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/o...

International student arrivals to the US fall by 19% The US recorded a 20% drop in student visa arrivals this August, though the full picture remains unclear amid contradictory datasets.

New federal data has revealed a 19% year-on-year decline in international students entering the US in August 2025, including a 45% drop from India, America’s largest sending country. thepienews.com/internationa...

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We will be running an ERC Consolidator Grant webinar on 24 November for UK-based researchers in the humanities and social sciences interested in applying for the ERC Consolidator Grants. Find out more and register your interest: https://bit.ly/46RDnVV

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Alongside the @royalsociety.org, @raeng.org.uk, @acmedsci.bsky.social we have opened applications for the latest round of the Horizon Europe Pump Priming Collaboration scheme. Funded by DSIT, the programme supports UK researchers in engaging with Horizon Europe. Learn more: bit.ly/42tplbM

A purple colour block banner with the words 'ERC Consolidator Grant webinar’ written on it.

The British Academy will run a webinar on 24 Nov for UK-based, humanities and social sciences researchers interested in applying for the ERC Consolidator Grants call. Find out more and register your interest: https://bit.ly/46RDnVV

French customs reject British shellfish shipments after UK ‘reset’ deal with EU One of the largest mussel exporters in Britain lose £150,000 after three lorries were prevented from entering EU

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Huge dinosaur trackway uncovered in the UK - BBC News One of the longest sets of dinosaur footprints in the world has been discovered in a limestone quarry

Huge dinosaur trackway found in the UK

www.bbc.co.uk/news/resourc...

Kemi Badenoch wants to end ‘rip-off degrees’ – but I wouldn’t have created Horrid Henry without mine | Francesca Simon I studied Old and Middle English. Although I didn’t know it, I couldn’t have chosen a better subject to train me to become a children’s author, says author Francesca Simon

"Any “soft” arts subject such as history, English, theology, foreign languages, teaches how to think critically, research effectively, and deepens your understanding of the world: vital skills in our time of disinformation, cults and AI."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

‘As Long as it Takes': What does it mean to commit to Ukraine’s security? This post was originally a lecture given in honour of Peter Hennessy at the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London.

It was an honour to give the Hennessy Lecture at the @mileendinstitute.bsky.social on Wednesday. I assessed the commitments Western countries have made to Ukraine’s security and what might happen after a ceasefire. This is the text (and this post is free). samf.substack.com/p/as-long-as...

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The British Academy and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation are inviting applications from early-career researchers in the humanities and social sciences to attend a research collaboration symposium on the broad theme of Truth, Justice and Peace in Germany. https://bit.ly/4nyWsmv

Post a favourite econ paper, I'll go first:

"Trade, Merchants and Lost Cities of the Bronze Age" by Barjamovic & co-authors.

Turns out you can do some pretty incredible stuff with an (almost) four thousand year old dataset!

Link: keremcosar.uvacreate.virginia.edu/publications...

British Academy responds to government announcement on university maintenance grants The British Academy has issued a response to the government's announcement on using a proposed levy on international students to fund maintenance grants.

Read our response to the Government’s announcement that university maintenance grants will be reintroduced for certain courses, funded through a levy on international student fees
https://bit.ly/4gPz7uO

'The symposium aims to incentivise and establish international engagement and collaboration between early career researchers based in Germany and the United Kingdom. This symposium’s theme is "truth, justice and peace".'

Open to early career researchers in Humanities & Social Sciences.

The missing link is an urgent review of higher education funding. So much to play for…

Graphic that reads ‘The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and The British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Symposium’

Applications for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and The British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Symposium 2026 are now open. The application deadline is 29 October. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4nyWsmv

Feel like we should bring back the old twitter follow friday to boost good people on here who maybe didn't get an initial boost from the starter packs.

So follow @psurridge.bsky.social and @profjanegreen.bsky.social - two excellent and thoughtful political scientists.

What we know about the U.S. H-1B visa program Nearly 400,000 H-1B applications were approved in fiscal year 2024, most of which were applications to renew employment.

As the Trump administration is expected to add a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas, here's what we know about H1-B visas
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
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China Green Leap Outward — Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab A new China Low Carbon Technology FDI Database

1/ New report from @bentleyallan.bsky.social's Net Zero Policy Lab: As the US withdraws from green tech industries and pressures allies to follow suit, China is stepping in to power the developing world's energy transition. The scale is staggering.

www.netzeropolicylab.com/china-green-...

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There are only three weeks left to apply for the Global Innovation Fellowships: The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). The scheme aims to address contemporary European foreign policy challenges with creative and innovative solutions. Apply now: buff.ly/fAhi5yw

Applications for CIFAR Global Scholars Programme are now open. This innovative programme, supported by the British Academy, gives UK-based researchers the opportunity to join one of CIFAR’s interdisciplinary research programs. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4m1Byvd

I'm sorry to not be able to join this year, and cannot recommend this important conference enough. #equitablepartnership

If you are interested in equitable international research partnerships you might like to join our conference exploring this theme

The British Academy is still inviting proposals for the next round of International Interdisciplinary Research Projects. Work with international partners to develop genuinely interdisciplinary projects that range across all SHAPE and STEM disciplines. Apply now: buff.ly/a4f8IWc

White banner with an image of a cityscape. The words 'Global Innovation Fellowships: The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) 2025-26' are written on the right-hand side.

We still invite applications from early- to mid-career researchers to Global Innovation Fellowships: The German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) offering an opportunity to collaborate with DGAP on various European policy issues. Apply now: buff.ly/fAhi5yw