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Susan J. Smith

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Susan Jane Smith is a British geographer and academic. She became President of the British Academy in July 2025. She… more

Susan J. Smith
H-index: 36
Economics 50%
Medicine 9%
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by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
So pleased to see that @girtoncollege.bsky.social protégé Hertha Ayrton made the cut!
royalsociety.org
The Royal Society @royalsociety.org · 1d
Today for #AdaLovelaceDay, which celebrates the achievements of women in STEM, read about the 10 most influential women in British science history, as chosen by leading female scientists: #WomenInSTEM royalsociety.org/about-us/who...
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Reposted by Susan J. Smith

royalsociety.org
Today for #AdaLovelaceDay, which celebrates the achievements of women in STEM, read about the 10 most influential women in British science history, as chosen by leading female scientists: #WomenInSTEM royalsociety.org/about-us/who...
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by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Neat idea. Unlikely to work unless coupled with Council Tax reform (imho, as suggested here: www.economicsobservatory.com/what-future-...)

www.thetimes.com/article/e483...
Scrap stamp duty: there’s a new tax that could make us richer
The tax expert warns that Kemi Badenoch’s plan risks handing a windfall to today’s homeowners without helping tomorrow’s… but there is a better solution
www.thetimes.com
1

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
And entirely energising it is too! Reply to reply just arrived in proof… it’s great to be in the thick of such a thought-provoking conversation.
rogerjburrows.bsky.social
Roger Burrows @rogerjburrows.bsky.social · 4d
www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10....

Reply now online…
Precarity in Common? Algorithmic Risk Profiling and the Politicization of ‘the Edges’ Of owner-Occupation: Housing, Theory and Society: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access
www.tandfonline.com
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by Roger Burrows — Reposted by Susan J. Smith

rogerjburrows.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10....

Reply now online…
Precarity in Common? Algorithmic Risk Profiling and the Politicization of ‘the Edges’ Of owner-Occupation: Housing, Theory and Society: Vol 0, No 0 - Get Access
www.tandfonline.com

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
While we’re on the subject of problematic property taxes and fairer #housing futures, icymi here’s 10p-worth of comment on a £50bn question… www.economicsobservatory.com/what-future-...
What future for residential property taxation in Britain? - Economics Observatory
Council tax is unpopular, unfair and overdue for reform. An alternative would be to fund statutory services through central government, introduce a modest local service charge, and absorb stamp duty a...
www.economicsobservatory.com

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
On the importance of avoiding ‘badly engineered, disconnected, case-by-case consolidation’ (or, as they say, ‘hope is not a plan’) www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...
Universities risk ‘creeping death’ from unsupervised mergers
Specialist institutions could be subsumed without high-level oversight of sector consolidation, MPs warned
www.timeshighereducation.com

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Oh…
timeshighered.bsky.social
Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 8d
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to announce plans to cut the number of UK university places by about 100,000 annually by reintroducing student number controls, reports Patrick Jack #edusky
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/badenochs-number-caps-plan-would-cut-100000-university-places
1 1 3

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Steve Peers, Colin Murray , and 3 more

timeshighered.bsky.social
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to announce plans to cut the number of UK university places by about 100,000 annually by reintroducing student number controls, reports Patrick Jack #edusky
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/badenochs-number-caps-plan-would-cut-100000-university-places
10 8 7

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
All good news (though the Scottish system has had some of this inbuilt for a while). However the biggest brake overall on housing market transactions is stamp duty… also worth an overhaul?
matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social
Matthew Pennycook MP @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social · 9d
The current home buying and selling process in England is slow, costly and stressful.

Today, we announce further measures to make it quicker and cheaper.

www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...
UK ministers aim to speed up homebuying by four weeks
Proposed government overhaul of house purchase process looks at shifting some costs from buyers to sellers
www.theguardian.com
1 2

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Just a reminder that the closing date for this fab 2-year opportunity @britishacademy.bsky.social to develop and lead high-risk, high-reward interdisciplinary research is 5 November (in partnership with CIFAR)

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
British Academy- CIFAR Global Scholars
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social
The current home buying and selling process in England is slow, costly and stressful.

Today, we announce further measures to make it quicker and cheaper.

www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...
UK ministers aim to speed up homebuying by four weeks
Proposed government overhaul of house purchase process looks at shifting some costs from buyers to sellers
www.theguardian.com
3 1 4

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Here’s the problem and a few potential solutions www.economicsobservatory.com/what-future-...
What future for residential property taxation in Britain? - Economics Observatory
Council tax is unpopular, unfair and overdue for reform. An alternative would be to fund statutory services through central government, introduce a modest local service charge, and absorb stamp duty a...
www.economicsobservatory.com

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Oh dear… As well as assuming that Council Tax is fit for purpose, this leaves most under-occupation and the majority of housing wealth untouched. Why not try for something fairer and more effective across the entire #housing stock? www.thenational.scot/news/2550742...
MSPs vote to allow councils to hike tax on second homes – with no limit
MSPS have voted to allow councils to hike council tax on second and empty homes – without any cap.
www.thenational.scot
1 1

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Excellent intervention. Tbh the erosion of social mobility (and John Goldthorpe’s game-changing exposé of it) is usually the first thing I think of when reflecting on long run trends in economic inequality; the second is the brake imposed on labour mobility by the way #housing systems work…
lseinequalities.bsky.social
LSE Inequalities @lseinequalities.bsky.social · 11d
Traditional ways of tracking social mobility – how much people move up or down the income ladder – have several limitations.

Sebastian Königs and Javier Terrero Dávila (@oecdsocial.bsky.social) address these in our latest blog post.

#LSEInequalitiesBlog
Who climbs the income ladder? New evidence from tax records
Using surveys to track short-term social mobility – how much people move up or down the income ladder – has limitations. How can using administrative data help?
buff.ly
3

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

lseinequalities.bsky.social
Traditional ways of tracking social mobility – how much people move up or down the income ladder – have several limitations.

Sebastian Königs and Javier Terrero Dávila (@oecdsocial.bsky.social) address these in our latest blog post.

#LSEInequalitiesBlog
Who climbs the income ladder? New evidence from tax records
Using surveys to track short-term social mobility – how much people move up or down the income ladder – has limitations. How can using administrative data help?
buff.ly
1 3

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Hmm building societies… are there tax implications or does the developer just reduce the price?
theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 11d
‘Sweat equity’: homebuyers turn builders for £10k off their mortgage
‘Sweat equity’: homebuyers turn builders for £10k off their mortgage
In exchange for 500 hours of work, the schemes can provide more than just a route to home ownership
www.theguardian.com

by Susan J. Smith — Reposted by Brett Christophers

sjs1869.bsky.social
Exactly! Large corporates have their eyes on the huge value of ‘last time sales’ - part of a wider shift in the housing economy www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
3 5

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

theguardian.com
‘Sweat equity’: homebuyers turn builders for £10k off their mortgage
‘Sweat equity’: homebuyers turn builders for £10k off their mortgage
In exchange for 500 hours of work, the schemes can provide more than just a route to home ownership
www.theguardian.com
10 5 52

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Important read!
agendapub.bsky.social
Agenda Publishing @agendapub.bsky.social · 12d
“A chilling and eye-opening exposé... gives voice to those living at the sharpest edge of austerity and makes an irrefutable case for change.”

@graceblakeley.substack.com on 'Debt Trap Nation' by
@kbrickell.bsky.social & Mel Nowicki (out next week).

uk.bookshop.org/p/books/debt...

#housing #debt
Photo of a pile of books. The books are 'Debt Trap Nation' by Katherine Brickell and Mel Nowicki. Cover image features a woman and small child in a deep concrete basin or pit with no way of climbing out as the ladder is too short.
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Reposted by Susan J. Smith, John Hogan, Katherine Brickell , and 2 more

agendapub.bsky.social
“A chilling and eye-opening exposé... gives voice to those living at the sharpest edge of austerity and makes an irrefutable case for change.”

@graceblakeley.substack.com on 'Debt Trap Nation' by
@kbrickell.bsky.social & Mel Nowicki (out next week).

uk.bookshop.org/p/books/debt...

#housing #debt
Photo of a pile of books. The books are 'Debt Trap Nation' by Katherine Brickell and Mel Nowicki. Cover image features a woman and small child in a deep concrete basin or pit with no way of climbing out as the ladder is too short.
7 6

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Looking for inspiration? Six projects, four themes, two funders, over forty talented scholars and a bunch of innovative methods = a unique, collaborative, vision for strengthening the social and cultural fabric of our communities www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/buildin...
Building resilience in UK communities – final report from the British Academy and Nuffield Foundation
The British Academy and the Nuffield Foundation have today published the final report from their joint Understanding Communities programme, launched in 2022 to inform policy and practice on how commun...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
1

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
These are really great awards for anyone who needs a break from teaching/administration to finish off a significant piece of research (closing date 12 November)
britishacademy.bsky.social
The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 14d
We invite applications for British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships 2025. The scheme supports established and senior researchers in the humanities and social sciences wishing to complete research through a sustained period of leave for one year. Apply now: https://bit.ly/3VMeTZ9
2

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Don’t miss this! A theatre company with a brilliant knack of engaging with the major political and practical issues of the day.
camunigeography.bsky.social
Cambridge Geography @camunigeography.bsky.social · 14d
If you’re in Cambridge on Oct the 4th/5th, delve into Menagerie Theatre’s public art project on
Democracy – “If You’re Not at the Table, You’re on the Menu” – plays, workshops, art installations, and talks exploring what democracy might mean.
Logo for "The Trials of Democracy: If You're Not at the Table, You're on the Menu." It features a pink and gold shield with two white seahorse-like creatures on either side, all set against a blue background.
2 2

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
October = @britishacademy.bsky.social book prize season… Six of the best on my desk (well, one is in my hand on a train) (thank goodness I’m not a judge!) www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/british-acad...
British Academy Book Prize
The British Academy Book Prize rewards works of non-fiction, based on exceptional research and written for the general reader, that deepen our understanding of people, societies and cultures and their...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
2

Reposted by Susan J. Smith

camunigeography.bsky.social
If you’re in Cambridge on Oct the 4th/5th, delve into Menagerie Theatre’s public art project on
Democracy – “If You’re Not at the Table, You’re on the Menu” – plays, workshops, art installations, and talks exploring what democracy might mean.
Logo for "The Trials of Democracy: If You're Not at the Table, You're on the Menu." It features a pink and gold shield with two white seahorse-like creatures on either side, all set against a blue background.
1 1 3

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Anna Vignoles, Gillian Douglas

britishacademy.bsky.social
We invite applications for British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships 2025. The scheme supports established and senior researchers in the humanities and social sciences wishing to complete research through a sustained period of leave for one year. Apply now: https://bit.ly/3VMeTZ9
7 5

by Susan J. Smith — Reposted by Holger Nehring

sjs1869.bsky.social
The missing link is an urgent review of higher education funding. So much to play for…
britishacademy.bsky.social
The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · 15d
Read our response to the Government’s announcement that university maintenance grants will be reintroduced for certain courses, funded through a levy on international student fees
https://bit.ly/4gPz7uO
British Academy responds to government announcement on university maintenance grants
The British Academy has issued a response to the government's announcement on using a proposed levy on international students to fund maintenance grants.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
3 7

Reposted by Susan J. Smith, Rebecca Sear, Holger Nehring , and 2 more

britishacademy.bsky.social
Read our response to the Government’s announcement that university maintenance grants will be reintroduced for certain courses, funded through a levy on international student fees
https://bit.ly/4gPz7uO
British Academy responds to government announcement on university maintenance grants
The British Academy has issued a response to the government's announcement on using a proposed levy on international students to fund maintenance grants.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
28 41

by Susan J. Smith

sjs1869.bsky.social
Too little demand in the under-invested old industrial North-east where you can still get a flat white for £2.05p?
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