Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Old” and “new” universities are often euphemisms for “good” and “bad,” respectively. Students matriculated at, and faculty employed in, new universities are often looked down upon as less worthy than those studying or working in older, more established institutions. It is no coincidence that the “best” universities in the world are also the oldest ones.Continue reading ““Old” vs. “New” Universities: Which is Better?”

I reviewed a paper this morning and it took me only 45 minutes to read the entire manuscript and write out my comments to the authors. When I was an early career researcher (ECR), I used to spend a minimum of three hours per review, and sometimes I would take days. Occasionally, as an ECR,Continue reading “Are Early Career Researchers More Likely to Reject Your Paper than Full Professors?”

I am often surprised by how poorly job applicants perform during academic job interviews. The questions asked by the interview panel are mostly predictable, so there’s really no excuse for failing to prepare a set of good responses in advance. The key is to anticipate the questions so that your replies are mature and profoundContinue reading “How to Nail Common Academic Job Interview Questions”

Academics are quick to accuse each other of failing to recognize their own privilege. The irony, of course, is that academics are among the most privileged people on earth, generally speaking. I must qualify this statement (“generally speaking”) by pointing out, of course, that some academics are more privileged (e.g., tenured professors) than others (adjunctContinue reading “The Problem with Privilege”

The culture of a university is intimately linked to the culture of the society within which it operates and is embedded. Universities are shaped heavily by the norms and values most salient to the host country. Thus, if a nation values freedom and openness, its universities similarly tend to be free and open. Where aContinue reading “The Best Country to Work in Academia is . . .”

We often blame university managements for imposing ever more unattainable research KPIs on us, year on year. Although it is undeniable that publication standards and the amount of grant money that we are expected to bring in have risen—nay, skyrocketed—over the years, I’m not convinced that nefarious academic administrators are always to blame. If youContinue reading “Who’s Responsible for Rising Research KPIs in Academia? We All Are.”

I am shocked by the growing number of academics, among them many of my friends, perfectly willing to burn books. They don’t even try to hide it anymore because support for censorship these days attracts a chorus of applause from fellow book burners. “THOSE ARE THE WRONG IDEAS,” they scream. “THEY ARE BEYOND DISCUSSION,” theyContinue reading “Academia Has a Free Speech Problem”

Academics with no research funding desperately want to have research funding. Academics with research funding desperately want to have more research funding. The amount of grant money that scientists bring in is slowly overtaking peer reviewed output as the most important research KPI, at least in the world’s top universities. If funding dries up, careers,Continue reading “Perverse Research Incentives and the Wuhan “Lab Leak” Theory”

Editorial Note: The author of this submission to Dire Ed wishes to remain anonymous. The article was sent to me anonymously and so I am unable to independently verify its contents. I believe the author’s narrative to be genuine and so am publishing it as is. –Andrew R. Timming, Editor-in-Chief I was a victim ofContinue reading “A Story of Academic Mobbing”

I find little more loathsome in life and work than hypocrisy. Unfortunately, the bitter cup of academia runneth over with it, perhaps more so than in any other sector or industry. This is one of the reasons I am such a strong advocate of free speech on campus. Freedom of expression allows me to cross-checkContinue reading “Hypocrisy in Academia”