The Unified Administrative Service (UAS) at Cambridge is the central body responsible for the university’s core professional and administrative functions. It brings together a wide range of divisions — including human resources, finance, estates, research services, admissions, and governance — under the leadership of the Registrary. Its role is to Read more…
The Figure illustrates the growth of the 21 Group blog, showing the number of unique user sessions recorded each month since it was launched. It now attracts around 13,000 sessions per month — an impressive figure given the blog’s specialised subject matter. At this level of traffic, we are advised Read more…
An Employment Tribunal from 1-28 June at Bury St Edmunds is now listed on the public website courtserve. The case number is 3307960/2023. This case is listed as PIDA. In other words, the Claimant — Prof Neil Wyn Evans — is alleging that he suffered detriments by acting as a Read more…
The 21 Group predicted that 2026 would be the Year of Scandals for Cambridge University. Those scandals are now arriving thick and fast. The Simon Goldhill Affair involved a distinguished classicist at King’s College, Cambridge. Allegations of sexual misconduct against him were upheld by the University. His “touchy-feely” behaviour had Read more…
From top left, clockwise: Karen Cox, Shearer West, Paul Greatrix, Margaret Monckton This week saw the horrible news that Nottingham University has sent letters to 2,700 staff putting them at risk of redundancy. The university is targeting subjects and departments with low staff-to-student ratios, specifically including physics, medicine, health sciences, modern languages, history and music. Read more…
It’s a now-familiar pattern. A junior researcher discovers work and ideas have been incorporated into a senior colleague’s publication without proper credit. The researcher raises the issue internally. The process is slow, procedural and opaque. They are reminded — sometimes subtly, sometimes directly — of the importance of collegiality, references Read more…
What does it take for Cambridge University to expel a student? (a) making threats to kill a fellow student? (b) raping a fellow student? (c) setting fire to a fellow student? (d) sending emails? We thank Dr Nuno Oliveira for his testimony below. I know the answer — because it Read more…
The 21 Group pursue policies consistent with freedom of speech and open justice. From 1–28 June 2026, an Employment Tribunal will sit at Bury St Edmunds. The claimant is Professor Neil Wyn Evans. The respondents are the University of Cambridge (legally styled as the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the Read more…
We provide further testimony regarding Simon Goldhill. We thank our contributor for her honesty in recounting difficult details. Unfortunately, ‘sharking’ remains commonplace in many UK universities, as the Warwick University rapechat scandal demonstrated in 2019. It’s still a problem in Cambridge undergraduate life, from colleges to sports clubs to societies, Read more…
The death of Dr Jane Ying Wu, covered in Nature Careers (2026), is a profound tragedy. Following an administrative investigation at Northwestern University that resulted in the loss of her laboratory and funding, she was left without the work to which she had devoted her life. She killed herself on Read more…