Oscars with an ‘F’

Two families I know each have dogs called Oscar. Whenever anyone talks about ‘the Oscars’, I first instinctively think about the two dogs, both of whom are rather charming and intelligent. On the other hand, whenever I watch the ‘Academy Awards’ I don’t always come away with that impression. Too much formula, too much playing [...]

Education and social exclusion

One key change in the way in which we view higher education has been thrown into relief by the funding crisis in most western countries. As resources have dried up, university representatives (including me) have warned that poorly resourced institutions cannot compete globally and will not be recognised as being at the cutting edge of [...]

Photograph: time flies

One of the few joys of passing through Dublin airport is that sometimes – depending on which gate you are using – you get to see the original airport building, completed in art deco style in 1941. Still in use for some airport operations, it is a particularly good example of the best architecture of [...]

New day for Ireland?

I am about to go to bed for tonight, and as I do so the current seat count in the Irish general election is Fine Gael 46, Labour 26, Sinn Féin 11, Fianna Fáil 12, Independents and small parties 12. There are still 61 seats to be filled, and right now the predictions made across [...]

Exit strategy

Next Tuesday, I shall be embarking upon my last month (at least for the time being) as a full-time resident in Ireland. In a few weeks I shall be taking up my post as Principal of the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. I shall maintain a base in Ireland and will visit regularly, but inevitable [...]

Resourcing excellence

Today we shall probably get a better idea of who will form the next government in Ireland. Once the new administration takes office it will have a number of priority issues on its agenda. It may be tempted to think that higher education is not one of them, or worse still, that any issues regarding [...]

At the heart of the campus?

Right now a controversy is raging in the United Kingdom, as many readers will know, about the future of public libraries. Libraries, under threat from funding cuts being experienced by local authorities, have become a kind of icon in the struggle to find a new kind of society that maintains decent values and is yet [...]

Critical carnage

What kind of meaning do we need to derive from good, or even acceptable, theatre? What should it tell us about human nature and morality? And what about all this if the drama is comedy? These are all issues that have been taken through the arts and letters pages of the Irish Times recently. The [...]

Academic plagiarism and the wider world

Academics are used to discussions about the nature and implications of plagiarism, both on the part of students and occasionally by staff. But just occasionally plagiarism that had its origins in academic exercises creates waves in the wider world. This week has provided a major example. The German Defence Minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, has had to [...]

Academic employment uncontrolled

Regular readers of this blog will already be familiar with an Irish government programme applying to higher education called the ‘Employment Control Framework’. A new chapter may be about to open with regard to this particular idiocy,  and so I feel I should say just a few more words about it. First, a short summary [...]