Stuart Shields

Manchester Piccadilly Gardens fenced off for 18-month revamp Some residents say the area in Manchester city centre has

Can't wait until they find out why the original sunken gardens were redesigned in the first place 🙄 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

😂 you need to charge a premium fee to see your post (just like the MEN)

Why The Mill will be republishing ‘MEN Premium journalism’ How a publicly-funded scheme is being misused

I didn't think I could like the @manchestermill.bsky.social any more than I already do. Is it possible to be petty and important simultaneously? If you live or work in and around Manchester you should be reading the Mill manchestermill.co.uk/why-the-mill...

Stuart's 25 from 25

Stuart's 25 from 25 open.spotify.com/playlist/2y7...

Man believes own publicity 🤯

My local team at it again

UK university degree no longer ‘passport to social mobility’, says King’s vice-chancellor Prof Shitij Kapur says there are too many graduates and degree is now just a ‘visa’ to enter professional world

I think he means the UK economy is no longer a passport to social mobility ... www.theguardian.com/education/20...

a man with glasses and a mustache is covering his mouth ALT: a man with glasses and a mustache is covering his mouth

Ministers set to lay out details for ‘Northern Powerhouse’ rail scheme in new year www.ft.com/content/d62f...

Regulator ‘asleep at the wheel’ over University of Greater Manchester investigation, MP says Office for Students accused of ‘glacial’ response to allegations of fraud, bullying and mismanagement

Can't imagine what inspired them to change the name

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

A photograph of a Welsh springer spaniel

Given the state of the world, here’s a picture of the dog to cheer you all up

The great UKRI budget shake-up The next four years of research funding will be organised in a very different way. Michael Salmon and James Coe explore how The next four years of research funding will be organised in a very differen...

'Until now, research funding has been the story of nudges toward the things government wants through bodies it influences but does not control, and through setting the legal and reporting guardrails for...QR. This is now going to significantly change.'

StRaTeGiC pLaNnInG

Another day, another set of institutional refreshments …

Manchester are advertising a number of political economy (broadly conceived) fully funded 3 year Hallsworth & Simon post-docs www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/research/fun... closing date - Jan 16 2026

Higher property taxes for landlords and wealthy homeowners Rachel Reeves increases levy and introduces ‘mansion tax’ on expensive homes

If you’re interested in a little schadenfreude this evening check out the btl comments at the FT: Higher property taxes for landlords and wealthy homeowners. Otherwise known as the bonfire of the rentiers. on.ft.com/3XEcfWt

and none of these indicators look to have bottomed out yet

Fifty higher education providers at risk of exiting market in England, MPs told Regulator says 24 are at more immediate risk and may have to stop degree courses within next 12 months

Susan Lapworth, the chief executive of the OfS, sought to allay fears, reassuring MPs that it did not mean the regulator was expecting any of the institutions to exit “in a disorderly way”.

well that's OK then www.theguardian.com/education/20...

"A system built on specialisation, efficiency", that right there is the death knell for the current university system in the UK, if (big if) government pushes it through. They actively don't want HE to grow, they will intervene, apparently, to help it shrink.

per this morning's education committee.

the thing that scares me about Labour HE policy is that because I work in the sector I can see how absolutely insane it is, which makes me wonder just how terrible their policies are in all the other sectors I’m in less of a position to engage with critically out of lack of knowledge.

If anyone wants to know how I've been spending my Monday this describes it pretty well. Too right there's an issue, that O2 are totally bloody useless

LSE is hiring an Assistant Professor (Education track) in International Political Economy:

Primary responsibility is education; we are looking for a track record in teaching, student mentoring, and pastoral care.

Annual salary: £68,087+

Deadline: 30 November 2025.

jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...

www.mixcloud.com/do_you_radio...

Find a Way

open.spotify.com/album/4t2KGl...

British music stars urge Starmer to tackle ‘pernicious’ ticket tout websites Radiohead, Dua Lipa and Coldplay among dozens of artists calling for cap on resale prices to stop exploitation of fans

Wait till they discover ticketmaster et al 🙄 www.theguardian.com/money/2025/n...

No, delete me!

We Can Make an Impact. Stop the removal of Modern Languages courses at the University of Nottingham!

Grim news from the University of Nottingham c.org/XBRJP4j4ZF

Joe Sheldon kicking off Methods North West workshop on Exploring Method(ologies) in Global Political Economy discussing walking interviews at the University of Liverpool

3 years on and I'm finally getting used to outlook email moving the mark as unread, flag, pin & delete buttons to the right of the inbox and what does Microsoft do? Moves them back to the left 🤯

🚨New PGR social media/digital culture methods network if you're in the north west 🚨