Mark Pendleton
@markpendleton.bsky.social
Historian (mostly of Japan) and trade unionist (mostly in UCU). Also into queer stuff. Uk-wide elected HE rep - UCU NEC. He/him
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
This is so problematic. Creating big-money grants (7m EUR!) is such a travesty. Instead of funding 1 researcher, why not fund 25 with smaller grants? It would create more ideas, secure more careers, and create so much more innovative knowledge. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
ERC’s new €7m Plus Grants open to researchers at any career stage - Research Professional News
European Research Council president describes scheme as part attempt to lure US talent
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:29 PM
This is so problematic. Creating big-money grants (7m EUR!) is such a travesty. Instead of funding 1 researcher, why not fund 25 with smaller grants? It would create more ideas, secure more careers, and create so much more innovative knowledge. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
How have Sheffield University management contrived to turn an easily resolvable dispute into something approaching MAB-like levels of crisis? From a pre-strike offer that could have been patched up into something that worked, to threatening a lockout from 5 January. I despair.
November 28, 2025 at 2:44 PM
How have Sheffield University management contrived to turn an easily resolvable dispute into something approaching MAB-like levels of crisis? From a pre-strike offer that could have been patched up into something that worked, to threatening a lockout from 5 January. I despair.
The “Labour” party. Lol.
Labour retreats on ‘day one’ rights for workers on.ft.com/48B0g1U
Labour retreats on ‘day one’ rights for workers
Government has softened its package of measures to boost employment rights
on.ft.com
November 27, 2025 at 5:32 PM
The “Labour” party. Lol.
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Tuesday my union offered to call off 2 weeks of strikes, in return for postponing the redudnacy of, maybe, 5 people for three months. Yesterday the uni wrote to all staff saying "not interested", unless we completely caved. Today we toured picket lines across campus:
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
November 27, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Tuesday my union offered to call off 2 weeks of strikes, in return for postponing the redudnacy of, maybe, 5 people for three months. Yesterday the uni wrote to all staff saying "not interested", unless we completely caved. Today we toured picket lines across campus:
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
@sheffielducu.bsky.social
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Some of our furrier members have been enjoying our strong turnout over the past couple of weeks. Lots of comrades to cuddle
#picketpups
#picketpups
November 27, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Some of our furrier members have been enjoying our strong turnout over the past couple of weeks. Lots of comrades to cuddle
#picketpups
#picketpups
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Some excellent signage today at the @sheffielducu.bsky.social pickets fighting staff cuts and restructuring.
November 26, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Some excellent signage today at the @sheffielducu.bsky.social pickets fighting staff cuts and restructuring.
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Our committee members come to the pickets come hell or high water (or broken down trains)
This is my “left home at 7am to get to @sheffielducu.bsky.social pickets only to be stuck over 90 minutes later in a stationary train a few miles from home” face. I also did not bring coffee.
November 27, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Our committee members come to the pickets come hell or high water (or broken down trains)
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:
November 27, 2025 at 8:28 AM
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
'Universities are communities of people and those within Scotland’s universities play a critical role in shaping our regions, our nation and our international reach and impact.'
Devolution dividend: staff matter too. A huge contrast to DfE/Jacqui Smith approach in Tuesday's testimony. 3/3
Devolution dividend: staff matter too. A huge contrast to DfE/Jacqui Smith approach in Tuesday's testimony. 3/3
November 27, 2025 at 8:00 AM
'Universities are communities of people and those within Scotland’s universities play a critical role in shaping our regions, our nation and our international reach and impact.'
Devolution dividend: staff matter too. A huge contrast to DfE/Jacqui Smith approach in Tuesday's testimony. 3/3
Devolution dividend: staff matter too. A huge contrast to DfE/Jacqui Smith approach in Tuesday's testimony. 3/3
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Partly an effect of the business speak (and approach) applied to universities. “Providers” “exit markets” all the time. It’s how The market works! Collective institutions of public good…now those are different things.
7 x 3000+ students + 17 smaller institutions must mean 30,000+ affected students. That’s about the same size as Sheffield uni, which employs 8000ish staff. Why is the government tolerating the impending collapse of up to 24 related employers and 8000+ more lost jobs? Where is the sense of crisis?
Chief exec of OfS 'said the OfS believes there are 24 institutions at risk of exiting the market in the next 12 months, seven of which are large providers with more than 3,000 students. There are another 25 or so institutions of various sizes at risk over a two- to three-year period, she added.'
November 26, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Partly an effect of the business speak (and approach) applied to universities. “Providers” “exit markets” all the time. It’s how The market works! Collective institutions of public good…now those are different things.
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
🚨 Day 2 of 4: Staff strike at Imperial.
UCU & Unite are on the picket lines Tues–Fri, followed by two weeks of UCU teaching-targeted action until the end of term.
What began as a pay dispute has become a serious governance crisis.
🧵(1/)
UCU & Unite are on the picket lines Tues–Fri, followed by two weeks of UCU teaching-targeted action until the end of term.
What began as a pay dispute has become a serious governance crisis.
🧵(1/)
November 26, 2025 at 8:12 AM
🚨 Day 2 of 4: Staff strike at Imperial.
UCU & Unite are on the picket lines Tues–Fri, followed by two weeks of UCU teaching-targeted action until the end of term.
What began as a pay dispute has become a serious governance crisis.
🧵(1/)
UCU & Unite are on the picket lines Tues–Fri, followed by two weeks of UCU teaching-targeted action until the end of term.
What began as a pay dispute has become a serious governance crisis.
🧵(1/)
7 x 3000+ students + 17 smaller institutions must mean 30,000+ affected students. That’s about the same size as Sheffield uni, which employs 8000ish staff. Why is the government tolerating the impending collapse of up to 24 related employers and 8000+ more lost jobs? Where is the sense of crisis?
Chief exec of OfS 'said the OfS believes there are 24 institutions at risk of exiting the market in the next 12 months, seven of which are large providers with more than 3,000 students. There are another 25 or so institutions of various sizes at risk over a two- to three-year period, she added.'
Seven ‘large providers’ at risk of going under in the next year
Skills minister says no higher education institutions are at imminent risk of collapse this year but OfS confirms more than 20 providers are being closely monitored
www.timeshighereducation.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:57 AM
7 x 3000+ students + 17 smaller institutions must mean 30,000+ affected students. That’s about the same size as Sheffield uni, which employs 8000ish staff. Why is the government tolerating the impending collapse of up to 24 related employers and 8000+ more lost jobs? Where is the sense of crisis?
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Dave watched this government Education Committee meeting so you didn’t have to. But you do have to read his summary (if you have any interest in the future of HE)
"A system built on specialisation, efficiency", that right there is the death knell for the current university system in the UK, if (big if) government pushes it through. They actively don't want HE to grow, they will intervene, apparently, to help it shrink.
per this morning's education committee.
per this morning's education committee.
November 25, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Dave watched this government Education Committee meeting so you didn’t have to. But you do have to read his summary (if you have any interest in the future of HE)
This is my “left home at 7am to get to @sheffielducu.bsky.social pickets only to be stuck over 90 minutes later in a stationary train a few miles from home” face. I also did not bring coffee.
November 26, 2025 at 8:38 AM
This is my “left home at 7am to get to @sheffielducu.bsky.social pickets only to be stuck over 90 minutes later in a stationary train a few miles from home” face. I also did not bring coffee.
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Council is hiding behind locked doors with security guards blocking corridors but they can't escape from the anger of over 200 staff and students condemning management's incompetence and protesting course closures and redundancies.
Who is the university? We are!!
@uonucu.bsky.social
Who is the university? We are!!
@uonucu.bsky.social
November 25, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Council is hiding behind locked doors with security guards blocking corridors but they can't escape from the anger of over 200 staff and students condemning management's incompetence and protesting course closures and redundancies.
Who is the university? We are!!
@uonucu.bsky.social
Who is the university? We are!!
@uonucu.bsky.social
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
"A system built on specialisation, efficiency", that right there is the death knell for the current university system in the UK, if (big if) government pushes it through. They actively don't want HE to grow, they will intervene, apparently, to help it shrink.
per this morning's education committee.
per this morning's education committee.
November 25, 2025 at 10:06 AM
"A system built on specialisation, efficiency", that right there is the death knell for the current university system in the UK, if (big if) government pushes it through. They actively don't want HE to grow, they will intervene, apparently, to help it shrink.
per this morning's education committee.
per this morning's education committee.
Day six going strong at the Jessop West picke, joined by today’s running picket! Sun’s out too so at least we’re not tooooo cold @sheffielducu.bsky.social
November 25, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Day six going strong at the Jessop West picke, joined by today’s running picket! Sun’s out too so at least we’re not tooooo cold @sheffielducu.bsky.social
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Staff are united against course closures.
Students are united against course closures.
Community members are united against course closures.
When will this university listen?
Students are united against course closures.
Community members are united against course closures.
When will this university listen?
Nottinghamshire MPs have written to @uniofnottingham.bsky.social, urging the university to reconsider proposed course suspensions and potential closures, which would significantly impact staff, students, and our wider city and county.
November 25, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Staff are united against course closures.
Students are united against course closures.
Community members are united against course closures.
When will this university listen?
Students are united against course closures.
Community members are united against course closures.
When will this university listen?
The framing here is limited; language literacy provides many useful functions, including to help reduce conflict. But the diagnosis is not wrong. We are becoming a sad, little isolated island, with ever less meaningful ways of engaging with the world. To reverse this we need investment, not cuts.
Opinion: “More than ever before, we need British diplomats, spies and soldiers to speak the language of our adversaries. We need universities like Nottingham to be pumping out Russian and Mandarin graduates each year, to work across Whitehall.”
🖊️ Ian Proud
https://ow.ly/N6yw50XwM3X
🖊️ Ian Proud
https://ow.ly/N6yw50XwM3X
November 25, 2025 at 8:18 AM
The framing here is limited; language literacy provides many useful functions, including to help reduce conflict. But the diagnosis is not wrong. We are becoming a sad, little isolated island, with ever less meaningful ways of engaging with the world. To reverse this we need investment, not cuts.
I would have more faith in Lord Vallance’s words if his government wasn’t presiding over the sustained destruction of the humanities and social sciences across the UK through a mixture of overtly damaging policy and cluelessness.
‘We need to think about the value of arts, humanities & social sciences. Look at any of the successful companies & they are full of people with a mix of disciplines.’ Great to hear Lord Vallance the Science Minister talking about the importance of the full range of research for future UK prosperity
November 24, 2025 at 2:58 PM
I would have more faith in Lord Vallance’s words if his government wasn’t presiding over the sustained destruction of the humanities and social sciences across the UK through a mixture of overtly damaging policy and cluelessness.
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Feels like a good time to remind people: pensions are deferred wages. Moving someone forcibly to a worse pension is wage theft. Always unjustifiable, but particularly appalling in the context of years and years of real-terms pay cuts. Why do they NEVER have any solution other than paying us less?
Please sign and share: www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/no...
November 24, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Feels like a good time to remind people: pensions are deferred wages. Moving someone forcibly to a worse pension is wage theft. Always unjustifiable, but particularly appalling in the context of years and years of real-terms pay cuts. Why do they NEVER have any solution other than paying us less?
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
At an event in Nottingham. Nottingham Trent @jennywustenberg.bsky.social reminds us that as well as our sector as a whole, languages in particular are under attack. So important to remember this while attempting to conduct business as usual in academia.
November 24, 2025 at 9:24 AM
At an event in Nottingham. Nottingham Trent @jennywustenberg.bsky.social reminds us that as well as our sector as a whole, languages in particular are under attack. So important to remember this while attempting to conduct business as usual in academia.
Into week 2 of our strike action @sheffielducu.bsky.social as we fight for no compulsory redundancies and a pause to the programme of unjustified reviews and restructure. Donations from branches/orgs/individuals very welcome as we financially support members to stay out: tinyurl.com/yxrz3p5d
Donate to the Sheffield UCU Industrial Action Solidarity Fund
What is the Sheffield UCU Industrial Action Solidarity Fund, and how to contribute.
tinyurl.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Into week 2 of our strike action @sheffielducu.bsky.social as we fight for no compulsory redundancies and a pause to the programme of unjustified reviews and restructure. Donations from branches/orgs/individuals very welcome as we financially support members to stay out: tinyurl.com/yxrz3p5d
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
This cause is close to my heart - please sign: www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/no...
Northumbria Pay and Pension Petition: Stop the Steal!
If Northumbria does this, other universities will too.
These cuts will harm thousands of people, their students, families, and their local communities now and into the future.
www.megaphone.org.uk
November 20, 2025 at 12:11 PM
This cause is close to my heart - please sign: www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/no...
Reposted by Mark Pendleton
Kathleen Stock has written an article against "abortion permissiveness". She claims abortion requires "justification" saying the state should limit "unacceptable decision-making" by women about their own bodies.
This is who anti-trans activists proclaim as the feminist thought leaders of our time.
This is who anti-trans activists proclaim as the feminist thought leaders of our time.
November 21, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Kathleen Stock has written an article against "abortion permissiveness". She claims abortion requires "justification" saying the state should limit "unacceptable decision-making" by women about their own bodies.
This is who anti-trans activists proclaim as the feminist thought leaders of our time.
This is who anti-trans activists proclaim as the feminist thought leaders of our time.