Anna Jackman

What technology takes from us – and how to take it back | Rebecca Solnit The long read: Decisions outsourced, chatbots for friends, the natural world an afterthought: Silicon Valley is giving us life void of connection. There is a way out – but it’s going to take collectiv...

Really good piece:
“in education, the ultimate product is not your term paper or essay or grade point average; it’s your self. You are supposed to emerge more informed, more capable of critical thinking, more competent.”
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

"States of Precarity in UK Higher Education Geography" -- read the report co-funded by the Antipode Foundation and @rgsibg.bsky.social

States of precarity in UK Higher Education geography Findings from a discipline-focused research project exploring the lived realities of precarious academic work within UK Higher Education geography.

Fixed-term contracts, restructuring, and redundancies are reshaping academic careers.

The States of Precarity Report offers critical insights into both the immediate and long-term impacts on academic geographers.

Read the key findings and download the report 👉https://ow.ly/3uTh50XJvOV

Fixed-term academic contracts discourage ‘radical’ research The rise of fixed-term academic contracts means researchers are likely to play it safe in their choice of research topics, eschewing the kind of ambitious, radical discovery European policymakers…

Fixed-term academic contracts may be holding back bold science.
A new UK survey finds job insecurity pushes researchers towards safer topics — limiting risk-taking, creativity and long-term discovery.

🔗

Fixed-term academic contracts discourage ‘radical’ research The rise of fixed-term academic contracts means researchers are likely to play it safe in their choice of research topics, eschewing the kind of ambitious, radical discovery European policymakers want...

💡Our @statesofprecarity.bsky.social project has been covered in
@sciencebusiness.net. 'Fixed-term academic contracts discourage ‘radical’ research' sciencebusiness.net/news/r-d-fun... Thank you @davidmjourno.bsky.social for reaching out to the team

Funded PhD opportunities - Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life

The @leverhulmecal.bsky.social PhD studentships are now live here leverhulmecal.webspace.durham.ac.uk/leverhulme-c... Are you looking for a PhD programme that supports interdisciplinary approaches to algorithmic life? Closing date 26 February

Thanks @julietterowsell.bsky.social for covering the @statesofprecarity.bsky.social report launch event this week!

The @statesofprecarity.bsky.social project has been covered in @timeshighered.bsky.social. The piece draws attention to the team's work to better understand the short and longer term impacts of academic precarity in UK HE Geography, and to intervene and act in response. www.rgs.org/research/hig...

Use of fixed-term posts ‘stifling more critical research’ Scholars with short contracts seen as more likely to favour doing ‘safer’ work, with ‘serious ramifications’ for their disciplines

“Embedded precarity” in HE is diminishing research quality as staff on short-term contracts favour “safer” work to secure future employment, according to the author of a new report

#AcademicSky #highered

Great to see our project, @statesofprecarity.bsky.social , being covered in Times Higher Education

Thank you @profgillian.bsky.social for
sharing your thoughtful reflections about the report, action plans and sector more broadly at the @statesofprecarity.bsky.social
launch event. This kind of work needs buy in from senior academics and leadership - we are grateful for your ongoing support ⭐️

this was a hugely impactful event, centring on the multiple costs of chronic and endemic precarity in UK HE. the full report and some highly practical action plans are here: www.rgs.org/research/hig...

#AcademicSky #AcademicChatter #HigherEd

@rgs-ibghe.bsky.social @britishacademy.bsky.social

Thank you @matildaf.bsky.social for sharing your thoughtful reflections on the report and action plans, and for the kind words about the @statesofprecarity.bsky.social launch event ⭐️

This was an excellent launch event today. I'm hugely grateful for the invite to contribute as a discussant, and to be in such great company among the respondents. Huge thanks to the research team for the report, for organising the event, and for creating such a supportive space.

States of precarity in UK Higher Education geography Findings from a discipline-focused research project exploring the lived realities of precarious academic work within UK Higher Education geography.

Today we launch States of Precarity in UK HE Geography.

Thank you to the 364 colleagues whose experiences shaped this work.

Download the report, share widely, and join us in advocating for change.

Launch event (1:00-2:30GMT):
www.rgs.org/events/upcom...

Read report:
www.rgs.org/research/hig...

Looking forward to speaking at this!

States of precarity in UK geography report launch We're invitomh all geographers to the launch of the States of Precarity in UK Higher Education Geography report.

Reminder that tomorrow (14 Jan) the @statesofprecarity.bsky.social Report Launch and Discussion will be held online, 1:00-2:30PM GMT.

Guest speakers: @matildaf.bsky.social, @jaytoddgla.bsky.social, Lekan Adekola, @profgillian.bsky.social.

Register here: www.rgs.org/events/upcom...

States of precarity in UK geography report launch We're invitomh all geographers to the launch of the States of Precarity in UK Higher Education Geography report.

Cuts, mergers, and redundancies risk hollowing out the discipline and eroding its interdisciplinary core. Geography’s future depends on confronting precarity head-on. Join us for our launch event on Wednesday!

www.rgs.org/events/upcom...

Precarity isn’t just contractual. It’s about whether academic work allows people to live fulfilling, stable lives. Join us for our report launch event on Wednesday.

Speakers: Gillian Rose, Lekan Adekola, Matilda Fitzmaurice, Jay Todd

Register👇
www.rgs.org/events/upcom...

States of precarity in UK geography report launch We're invitomh all geographers to the launch of the States of Precarity in UK Higher Education Geography report.

Join us for our report launch event next Wednesday, 1pm-2.30pm [Online]

Guest speakers:
Prof. Gillian Rose, Lekan Adekola, Matilda Fitzmaurice, Jay Todd

Register 👇
www.rgs.org/events/upcom...

Register:
www.rgs.org/events/upcom...

States of precarity in UK geography report launch We're invitomh all geographers to the launch of the States of Precarity in UK Higher Education Geography report.

Happy New Year everyone - we have one week to go until the launch event for States of Precarity in UK HE Geography!

Join us to discuss the findings, their implications, and routes for action. Register: www.rgs.org/events/upcom...

The image shows a profile of the DGRG Treasurer, Anna Jackman. On the left is a photo of Anna in a stripey top, smiling at the camera. The heading on the right reads, "Introducing... ANNA JACKMAN Associate Professor in Human Geography - University of Reading, UK". Below this is a beige text box reading, "I’m currently PI on a British Academy project (with Co-I Dr Paul Cureton, Lancaster University), 'Future drone skies: Planning in volume' which brings together academics in geography and design to explore the implications of drones in UK airspace for the UK built environment. I’m also part of the RGS and Antipode-funded States of Precarity research project, exploring the long and short term effects of precarity in UK HEI Geography. We’ve created a project report, action plans and wider resources, designed to support more equitable working cultures." A final black text box at the bottom reads, "Research interests: Feminist political geographer interested in robotic and digital technologies in everyday, urban and military life and space.". The background is made up of several interlocking shapes to highlight the photo and text.

✨ Hello 2026... and welcome back!

We're starting the new year with our next committee intro. Please welcome Anna Jackman (she/her), our Treasurer and a great person to have on the team.

Happy New Year @ahjackman.bsky.social! 👇

#DGRGCommittee

A Drone Strike Has Broken Chernobyl's Containment Dome The New Safe Confinement dome protects the surrounding environment from leaking radiation, but a recent drone strike on the structure has impaired that protection.

‘The current structure…survived the month-long occupation by Russian forces in early 2022. But earlier this year, a drone strike blew a hole in the multi-layered structure…A new report.. states that the structure has lost its “primary safety functions”’
www.popularmechanics.com/science/a696...

States of precarity in UK Higher Education geography Findings from a discipline-focused research project exploring the lived realities of precarious academic work within UK Higher Education geography.

Departments can make a difference to experiences of academic #precarity.

Transparency in contract use, clear mentoring structures, workload mapping, and inclusion of FTC staff in decision-making are key first steps.

Download our Action Plans to reduce precarity here:
www.rgs.org/research/hig...

A Licence to Kill: Necroeconomic Suffocation by Stealth and the Fight for Life Three decades of austerity in the UK have seen the deterioration of the elemental infrastructures, those that provided a basic level of security for the population. In this article, we analyse the ca...

This is one of the most depressing, but important papers I've read in recent times. It's focus is Awaab Ishak, the 2 year old who died because of squalid housing, but brilliantly links this wider necropolitics enacted by neoliberalism. Please read.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

"GIS, Policing and Us" -- a brilliant resource (partly funded by the Antipode Foundation) for investigating the entanglement of Geographic Information Systems and urban policing in North America gispolicingandus.com

We'll be joined by amazing respondents from different career stages who'll be offering critical reflections on the report its findings. Fruther details soon but please do save the date and register if you can.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the @statesofprecarity.bsky.social project, @profgillian.bsky.social.

Project report & action plans: www.rgs.org/research/hig...
Project launch event, online (14 Jan): www.rgs.org/events/upcom...
Project blog post: blog.geographydirections.com/2025/11/21/s...

The image is a profile introducing the Committee chair, Tess Osborne. On the left hand side of the image, there is a professional photo of Tess with blonde hair, looking off to the side, seated at a table with a water bottle and a microphone pack. To the right of the image, the text reads: "Introducing... TESS OSBORNE Lecturer in Human Geography @ University of Leicester & Honorary Research Fellow @ University of Birmingham." Below this is a text box section titled "Two of my recent projects include:" listing "Biosocial Walking: exploring how movement and emotion shape migrant belonging in cities," and "AI Images: investigating how AI understands and misrepresents place." A quote follows: "For me, digital geographies shows how tech quietly choreographs our lives, sometimes helping, sometimes getting in the way." A final text box at the bottom states: "Research interests: how digital tech shapes movement, bodies and health and wellbeing: from migrant journeys to later-life mobility." The background is a mix of white and intersecting grey and black geometric shapes to highlight the quoted information.

🎉 Meet the DGRG Committee!

Over the coming days, we’ll be spotlighting the brilliant humans who keep the DGRG running, including a mix of familiar faces and new members.

First up (because someone has to go first)… our Chair, Tess Osborne (she/her/hers)! 👇 @tessosborne.bsky.social

#DGRGCommittee