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As reported first in the Times Higher Education , a letter is circulating in Cambridge University suggesting that academics use their single transferable vote judiciously to prevent the election of Lord Browne of Madingley as the new Chancellor. There is now also press coverage of this campaign in The Times Read more…
On 30 June 2025, the Times Higher Education published an opinion piece from Professor Wyn Evans entitled “Ending bullying and precarity should be the Cambridge chancellor’s focus“. “In over 800 years, only once has a non-university candidate ever won the chancellorship of Cambridge. In 1847, the German-born Prince Consort, Albert Read more…
Scottish politicians brutally exposed what has been happening at Dundee University. You can see the carnage here, as former Vice Chancellor Iain Gillespie appeared before the Select Committee at Holyrood. It’s like watching a tubby, slow-moving sloth trapped in a cage with a pack of wolverines. Under Gillespie’s leadership, Dundee Read more…
This is a wonderful book from Prof Robert Foley, Emeritus Professor of Human Evolution at the University of Cambridge. The author punctures the managerialism that has overwhelmed UK universities with gentle wit. It’s cut from the same mine as many of the 21 Group blog postings, but it’s been polished Read more…
The candidates for the Chancellorship of Cambridge University were sent a series of questions on academic freedom and freedom of speech by Alumni for Freedom of Speech. A summary of some of my answers is below. Are there problems with Freedom Speech in UK Universities? In the UK today, it Read more…
We publish a request sent to fellow candidates on the creation of a University Ombudsman by Prof Wyn Evans. Any responses received before 5th July will be published without emendation. I’m honoured to stand alongside such a distinguished group of candidates for the Chancellorship of the University of Cambridge, and Read more…
Cambridge University raised £150 million in 2022-2023 from gifts and donations. Such money must be used to support our core mission of teaching and research, as described in the pledges below. Many parts (~80 %) of the University work well, but some parts (~20%) do not. The latter are the Read more…
This is a guest post from Dr Chris Smith of the Naked Scientists. Many of us doing scientific research at Cambridge University have appeared on his podcasts and radio shows. Now he needs our help … The first time I set foot in Cambridge, I was 8 years old. I’d Read more…
The Telegraph reports on the grim events at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge here “In his independent report into Prof Evans’ whistleblowing claims, the external barrister appointed by Cambridge University said he regretted the length of time that the investigation took and “the effect this will undoubtedly have had on Read more…
News broke yesterday that Cardiff University has been reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) by the University and College Union (UCU), as reported here. HSE is the national regulator for workplace health, safety and welfare. It operates as an independent public body, sponsored by the Department for Work Read more…