Dr Stephen Hurt

📢📖 New publication: 'The Globalization Project of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS)’ in U Engel, J Herpolsheimer and F Mattheis (eds) Globalization Projects of Regional Organizations @degruyterbrill.bsky.social Available here: www.vr-elibrary.de/doi/pdf/10.1...

Dying for gold: who killed the miners of Buffelsfontein? South Africa’s government blockaded hundreds underground. The results were deadly

“They were desperate to reach the surface.”

Last year hundreds of illegal gold-miners were blockaded underground by the South African police. Two of the survivors told 1843 magazine about their ordeal

Excellent article that highlights the consequences of the Supreme Court's decision on freedom of information and the UK's #post-Brexit trade negotiations. Despite a change in government there appears to be no change in approach and #tradedemocracy is still needed.

Been working 10-11 hour days since Sunday to meet a deadline for marking student coursework. To help calm the stress levels people keep emailing me every few hours to remind me of the impending deadline 🤦‍♂️ #academiclife

Thoroughly enjoyable workshop today. Thanks so much to @mybisa.bsky.social and @africaprog.bsky.social for organising.

The future of UK-Africa relations- Africa and International Studies | BISA - Africa and International Studies Working Group

🌟Africa and International Studies WG and @chathamhouse.org event 🌟
The workshops focus is sharing experience and knowledge-based perspectives on the future of the UK-Africa relationships!
Inc/ @drstephenhurt.bsky.social @ruthbookbinder.bsky.social and more
16 May 👉https://buff.ly/YaxT5Lw

US-UK trade deal: the long, secretive back story British government has spent £227,000 fighting transparency on details of Trump trade deals

A good day to remind ourselves how little power Parliament and the public has over trade deals. The govt has spent over £225,000 trying to stop us finding out very basic information about previous trade talks, as I write here 👇

This can’t continue.

democracyforsale.substack.com/p/us-uk-trad...

Huge thanks to everyone who voted for me in Headington & Quarry in the County Council election (4th) and Headington Hill & Northway in the City Council by-election (3rd). Congratulations to the winning candidates. Great results for the @greenparty.org.uk across Oxon with 7 councillors now elected 🎉💚

LOCAL ELECTIONS 2025 For Real Hope and Real Change POLLING DAY CHECKLIST Polling stations are open from 7am - 10pm today Bring your accepted photo ID Vote at your assigned polling station You don't need your polling card to vote Vote Green on all ballot papers Tag us when you have voted! Green Party Promoted by Chris Williams on behalf of The Green Party, both at PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ

🚨 Don’t forget your photo ID (and suncream! ☀️) when going to vote today.

Lovely weather for an election. If you have a vote in the local elections today please use it and if you want to support candidates who are committed to a fairer and greener future then vote @greenparty.org.uk.

Labour Delays Repeal of Anti-Trade Union Law Ahead of Austerity 2.0 | Novara Media The government is backsliding over reforms to Tory anti-strike laws. Perhaps it has something to do with the fresh round of cuts they have planned. Polly Smythe reports.

Just double-checking the name of the party that is currently in power in the UK. It does say 'Labour' right i.e. workers? novaramedia.com/2025/03/27/l...

Image of Jane Fonda with the quote 'I'm a big believer in unions. They have our backs, they bring us into community, and they give us power. Community means power'.

Worried about workload? Take action and support UCU Oxford Brookes.

We have an open meeting (hybrid) on Thursday 3 April, 12pm in JHB204. Featuring updates on our concerns with workload planning, finances, research, and the Portfolio Review/Strategic Transformation. In the words of Jane Fonda 'unions bring us into community' so please bring a friend! #BeMoreLikeJane

Higher Education is in crisis, which if you work in HE you already knew. Up to 10,000 jobs across the sector are threatened. To our local members and wider stakeholders UCU's new campaign needs support. Step 1 is to sign the petition here: stopthecutspetition.org.uk Thanks! #StoptheCUTS

Plea to HEC to defend jobs and reform UK HE: call off ballot for Industrial Action We, the undersigned members of UCU working in Higher Education, call on HEC to vote FOR the following motion at the emergency meeting on 19 February 2025. Your signature and institution will be added...

🚨Attention UCU members in HE: we have started an open letter for you to sign in support of a motion we're bringing to the meeting on Weds 19th which calls for a focus on defending jobs, reforming HE, & calling off a national ballot.

docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/...

The Guardian view on campus cuts: academics pay a high price for Westminster’s mistakes | Editorial Editorial: The government should not stand aloof as a crisis unfolds in our universities. A new settlement is needed

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Remove Coventry University vice-chancellor from government role Coventry University is facing an unprecedented jobs and debt crisis under the leadership of vice-chancellor John Latham. The institution is threatening to sack 300 staff and rehire some of them in its...

We stand in solidarity with @ucu.org.uk members at Coventry University. Please support the petition calling for their VC to be removed from a government role. speakout.web.ucu.org.uk/remove-coven...

Keir Starmer previously congratulated climate campaigners after Heathrow expansion was ruled illegal, saying "there is no more important challenge than the climate emergency"

Now his government says expansion is "badly needed"

Durham and Cardiff universities to cut hundreds of jobs The Russell Group universities, which also plan to cut courses such as nursing and music, are struggling with a funding shortfall

You can almost hear most journos going 'not the university *I* went to! Not universities *I've* heard of! That can't be right! Something must be done!' This will now get some attention because, well, Britain ain't a meritocracy, and it ain't gonna be one. www.thetimes.com/uk/education...

Oxford's Botley Road: Greens push for legal action over closure Councillors have submitted a motion to be considered at a full council meeting taking place later.

Greens push for legal action over Botley Road closure

#Oxon #Oxfordshire

🔗: https://www.bbc.com/news/arti...

The academic journal 'International Negotiation' @intlnegjournal.bsky.social is celebrating 30 years. It has made all articles freely available until 28 February. Just use the Access Token INER2025. My co-authored piece from 2013 on #EU - #Africa EPAs is available here: brill.com/view/journal...

Devex Newswire: Trump wastes no time on foreign aid, climate, and health U.S. President Donald Trump has put a hold on all foreign development assistance funding and is withdrawing the U.S. from WHO. We have the details. Plus, we have the inside scoop on who might be setti...

I think it is safe to say that overseas #aid programmes have always been aligned with the wider foreign policy interests of donors. However, #Trump has turned the dial on the need for this link to be very explicit. www.devex.com/news/devex-n...

Politics and international relations has grown over the last decade – but unevenly Connor McKenzie presents British Academy research showing how the field of politics and international relations is navigating expansion Connor McKenzie presents British Academy research showing how th...

#Politics and #InternationalRelations has grown over the last decade in UK universities – but VERY unevenly as this report produced by @britishacademy.bsky.social highlights. wonkhe.com/blogs/politi...

The Guardian view on development’s paradox: the rich benefit more than the poor | Editorial Editorial: The global south needs a fairer deal than this one, in which it funds the lifestyle and wealth of the global north

A much needed focus on global structures in this analysis of the obstacles to development faced by countries in the Global South: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

‘It’s largely thanks to him that the British comic novel remains in good health’: David Lodge remembered by Jonathan Coe The author always had a warmth and wry wisdom to his characterisations and his eye for the absurd ensured he was one of the most truthful of postwar novelists

RIP David Lodge. When I started work at Birmingham Uni (Rummidge) I spent many a happy hour on the commute to New Street Station reading his campus novels. Often trying not to laugh out loud in front of the other passengers! www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

Have to say I tend to agree with this statement. If we only get 27% turnout on a simple e-ballot the prospects for a successful full-scale industrial action ballot appear slim.

Bird review – Andrea Arnold’s wild, joyous coming-of-age drama Arnold’s feral, fantastical drama set in the rundown Kent of her childhood stars remarkable newcomer Nykiya Adams as a marginalised child who makes a strange new friend

I went to see the movie Bird at the UPP in Oxford last night. Latest film by Andrea Arnold. Such a powerful and emotional journey, I was exhausted by the end but with magical and uplifting qualities at its heart. Thoroughly recommended. www.theguardian.com/film/2024/no...

A screenshot of slides drawn from 7 slide decks, showing the range of topics addressed on the webpage

Calling univ profs & lecturers! If you want to bring concepts from Doughnut Economics into your teaching, we've just launched a webpage bursting with resources for you: 7 slide decks, reading lists, videos & activities - all open access. Dive in & pls reshare! doughnuteconomics.org/university-c...

Great double-bluff putting the field back for a short ball and then going full and straight.

Today Guardian and Observer journalists are on strike over plans to sell the Observer to a loss-making digital start up and put its journalism behind a paywall. 🧵

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Solidarity with members of South Korean trade unions.