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ssamcclark.bsky.social
Dad, philosopher, chronically ill person. https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/ppr/people/sam-clark
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When I worked in UK academia I recall hearing of a Japanese man who was baffled at how Britain had decided to run its universities like firms. “Why? Your universities are excellent and your firms are terrible.”

submitted 8 days ago • 22 comments

This is a humane and thoughtful review of what sounds like an important but frustrating book.

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Philosophy at Lancaster will soon become part of the new School of Global Affairs, and the university is advertising for a head of school: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DLU693/h...

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

Signal enhancement (could cover political theory/philosophy): www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

submitted 21 days ago • 0 comments

I'm running another webinar for anyone interested in studying a fully online PhD in Education and Social Justice within an international cohort @edreslancaster.bsky.social on Monday evening www.lancaster.ac.uk/events/phd-e.... You'll have an opportunity to hear about the PhD and ask questions.

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

Authors, if you see this, it's a sign to post the first line of your book. 'Reasoning with autobiography is a way to self-knowledge.'

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

RIP Robert Paul Wolff (leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2025/01...). I had a sort of love-hate relationship with his In Defence of Anarchism during my PhD work, and later really enjoyed the episodic autobiography he posted on his blog. I wish I'd had the chance to meet him.

submitted 58 days ago • 0 comments

#FestiveBrookeEntryTax

submitted 81 days ago • 0 comments

Signal amplification: potentially includes AI ethics topics.

submitted 83 days ago • 0 comments

6. And, worse, the concentration of a smaller number of studentships in a few large grants and in the favoured universities who get studentships is a huge barrier to access. Arts and humanities PhDs shouldn't be a hobby for people who can independently afford them. 7/7

submitted 94 days ago • 0 comments

5. Is this a good idea? No, I don't think so. Arts and humanities PhDs are typically individual passion projects, not parts of large labs; and that's where we get the next generation of researchers and teachers in our disciplines. 6/?

submitted 94 days ago • 0 comments

Why are the AHRC doing this? My speculation: they're worried about demonstrating 'value for money' to government, and think it'll be easier with big headline projects and collaborations outside HE than with a lot of individual PhDs. 5/?

submitted 94 days ago • 1 comment

b) A few grants for large multi-year projects involving 20-30 PhD students, along the lines of a scientist's lab. c) Some individual studentships distributed to universities to award (0-3 per university per year). 4/?

submitted 94 days ago • 0 comments

3. But all this is about to change. After this year's studentship competition (to start October 2025), there will be much less money for studentships and no consortia. What funding there is will go to: a) More awards for PhDs working with non-higher-ed institutions. 3/?

submitted 94 days ago • 0 comments

2. They currently outsource the decisions about who gets these, and their administration, to groups of universities called consortia. EG Lancaster (where I work) is part of the NWCDTP along with Liverpool, Manchester, Manchester Met, Keele, Salford, and the Royal Northern College of Music. 2/?

submitted 94 days ago • 0 comments

Changes to AHRC funding of UK PhDs in arts and humanities: news seems to be spreading, so here's what I think we know. 1. The AHRC is the major funder of studentships to do a PhD in the arts and humanities in the UK. 1/?

submitted 94 days ago • 1 comment

Praise for my mum Gillian Clark, who is indeed excellent: liverpooluniversitypress.blog/2024/10/15/n...

submitted 106 days ago • 0 comments