Peter Whitewood

For all the time the Sunday Times is spending rehashing its story about ‘secret’ routes for international students, you’d think they would realise by now a) that international students fund UK places and b) how Foundation Years actually work (i.e., these are open to all)

Still getting it backwards - international students fund more domestic places at universities.

Certain to work as intended....

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Just out - The Gulag: A Very Short Introduction by Alan Barenberg

www.amazon.co.uk/Gulag-Short-...

In other words ‘You can finally a buy a house, at age 60.’

Grifters and true believers

‘Wow, Margaret Thatcher is back’ 🙃

This apocalyptic thinking must be exhausting.

This apocalyptic thinking must be exhausting.

A good piece on Europe’s Russia problem.

www.ft.com/content/9828...

Presumably a degree in Literature from KCL and then a MA in journalism from City did set this person up for a career…in journalism. Or at the very least, the chances of entry into journalism was higher for having relevant qualifications.

The things that come to the work email.

Can't say I understand this weird niche Buckingham are carving out for themselves.

Working extra jobs and sacrificing holidays - like the far bigger number struggling to put a roof over their heads and feed their kids.

Not sure what to make of the art from pre-school today. Unlikely to make the fridge.

Christopher Read on the Eurasian Knot podcast talking about Lenin and the centenary of his death

www.patreon.com/posts/centur...

A Century Without Lenin | The Eurasian Knot

Get more from The Eurasian Knot on Patreon

www.patreon.com

More good analysis of the consequences of underfunded universities from @jdportes.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Both offensive and inaccurate.

An accurate diagnosis of the problems in British HE from @gsoh31.bsky.social More difficult times ahead for certain.

www.nacbs.org/post/a-perfe...

A Perfect Storm is Hitting the Humanities in British Higher Education

Britain’s Higher Education system is in a total mess, but the causes are particular as well as general. It is sometimes easy to gesture at broad trends as explaining everything, for instance governm...

www.nacbs.org

A response from Wonkhe to the absurd Times ‘investigation’ about international students

wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...

The Sunday Times on international foundation years | Wonkhe

What are the facts behind this morning's splash?

wonkhe.com

Things totally normal at the Telegraph

This is a good write up of recent data below. It’s true that financial pressure has lowered entry for international students in some unis, but FYs themselves are not ‘easy’ or require no work, as The Times claims, based on comments from recruitment agents.

wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...

There is published data available, on progression/continuation for Foundation Years, which doesn’t show a meaningful difference in outcomes when compared to standard routes. And internal quality processes for FYs are the same as UG.

That’s true for all unis, esp at the moment. Without international students, some places will go bust. But a lot of confected outrage about it.

The recruitment agents say that sure, but they aren’t part of the institutions. And they have strong financial incentives to convert applications. For me, it doesn’t ring true.

A Times investigation is outraged about international students enrolling on foundation years with lower tariffs….but they still have to pass the FY to progress to first year UG!

The Telegraph’s travel section delivers in its own way.

The Lenin takes on the centenary of his death next week have begun.

Sheila Fitzpatrick in the LRB on the Allied intervention in the Russian civil war

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Sheila Fitzpatrick · Bertie Wooster in Murmansk

Apart from getting rid of the Bolsheviks, the aims of the Western intervention were remarkably ill-defined. Sometimes it...

www.lrb.co.uk

My favourite thing on Facebook marketplace at the moment is this sad looking 7ft resin leopard.

With the centenary of Lenin’s death coming up, this will be one of the better books. Out today.

global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Robert Service talking about Stalin on the History Extra podcast

podcastaddict.com/history-extr...

Very much dislike this pompous stuff. If only we could be as cultured as Owolade!

Rare in the Telegraph, but sometimes the comments are good.

Private Eye

New book by Lisa Kirschenbaum looks great!

www.amazon.co.uk/Soviet-Adven...

Early fame

Surprise, surprise…

The dog takes his job of making ‘reindeer bite marks’ in a carrot seriously.

Certain to age well.

Tricky question!

On the Rwanda plan

Exactly right

Ha, he played Farage in Brexit: The Uncivil War.

Keep seeing Nigel Farage whenever ‘Gramps’ appears in Waffle the Wonder Dog.