A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legally binding contract that establishes a confidential relationship between two or more parties. The purpose of an NDA is to prevent the disclosure of information to third parties. Universities are gluttons for NDAs. The Guardian reported in 2019 that UK universities paid out £90m on Read more…
This is Whistleblowing Awareness Week. Universities say that they encourage an open and honest reporting culture. The websites of their Human Resources departments extol the importance of speaking out if you see abuse or bullying or discrimination. Some universities even have compulsory webinars (bought from expensive external consultancies, naturally) that Read more…
Compared to some other areas of science, cancer research is well-funded. Institutes are supported by large grants of public money, derived from charities such as Cancer Research UK or the Wellcome Trust, or from government bodies such as the Medical Research Council. A successful researcher can control many big grants Read more…
Green-washing is the pretence of concern about the environment, whilst pursuing policies that are unsustainable or destructive. Cynical marketing ploys, PR stunts, false claims, insincere mission statements are all part of the corporate game. It creates a perception of a responsible and public-spirited company that is untrue. As some buyers are Read more…
The story of plagiarism at UK Universities is a familiar one. Senior scholars are protected, regardless of the consequences for junior scholars whose work is stolen. This is not a victimless crime. Real and lasting harm can be done to the careers of young researchers. Dr William O’Reilly is Associate Read more…
The administrator to faculty ratio speaks volumes about the priorities of modern academia. Since 2000, bureaucratic growth has outpaced academic growth in all UK universities. In particular, the last two decades have seen very rapid expansion of Human Resources (HR) departments. Even as the number of academic jobs has stagnated Read more…
Learned societies (such as the British Academy or the Royal Society) seem to face difficulties when one of their distinguished members is found guilty of bullying or unethical behaviour, though it is hard to see why. Eradicating harassment in academia surely requires attention and action by everyone, especially those at Read more…
Total number of complaints (left) and complaints normalised by staff size (right) made to the Information Commissioner’s Office between 01/2020 to 09/2023. (St Mary’s has been omitted from rightmost plot as it is off the scale!) The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act gives anyone the right to request information Read more…
The main difficulty faced in reforming Universities is the culture of silence around bullying and harassment. Universities are abuser-centred. The abusers are usually senior academics, Heads of Department, Heads of School and Directors. They are routinely protected by University Human Resources (HR). Remember HR does not exist to protect you. Read more…
Over the last 2 years, two Professors have been dismissed at Leiden University because of serious bullying or coercive behaviour. They are Prof Tim de Zeeuw (astronomy) and Prof Corinne Hofman (archaeology) In the case of Prof Hofman, Leiden University itself broke the news that ‘a professor and their partner had engaged Read more…