Essays and Journalism
On this page, you can read some of my occasional pieces. Many of these are journalism pieces, usually attending to some central or occasional issues concerning the academy, the University, and cultural policy.
This piece argues that the real work of the University has been forced into a clandestine existence, hidden beneath the 'official' view of our institutions.
: or, how the logic of competition distorts and malforms academic activity.
On academic freedom under threat: The attack on knowledge: Index on Censorship: : This piece, from the fortieth anniversary issue of Index on Censorship is a reflection on how financial cuts over forty years have contributed to a major threat to basic principles of academic freedom.
: a piece arguing that A.C.Grayling's 'New College for the Humanities' constitutes a betrayal of the University sector in the UK.
: The Guardian picking up on the Index on Censorship item.
: Times Higher Education report on my Index essay.
: Paul Bowman interviewed me on the topic of 'Cultural Studies' as a University discipline.
: an informal and personal essay about my love of cycling and of the Tour de France.
: or, how language-learning should become more central in all University degrees.
:The Guardian reporting on my book, The English Question and its critique of QAA.
: a 'thought-piece' written for the London Graduate School, where I have a position as a Distinguished International Professor.
: arguing that the logic of fees and its quantification into contact hours works against basic principles of university pedagogy
: the title says what it means.
:text of a letter co-signed by a significant number of academics, arguing against Coalition policy on Universities
: arguing for their more widespread distribution
: a YouTube video of a keynote lecture I gave at the World Universities Network conference in Bristol, 2012
: or, how the logic of VfM is of dubious ethical standing
: as it says, WP - but in relation to the fees regime
: and how their use distorts and misrepresents the value of research, and even damages the fundamental research-activity itself
: as a convenient mechanism that has allowed Government to seize control of the academy's broad research agenda
: and on some of its vacuous activities
Globalisation and its discontents is here: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=422371&c=1
Here is a piece about speed and its supposed 'efficiency':
A piece on academic freedom under threat by managerialist fundamentalism:
and a nice review of my Universities at War book: