(a policy decision with enormous impact upon the aspirations and dreams of young women in particular who want to study and change their lives, and the lives of their countries)

It is truly heart-breaking to hear about all these academic journeys cut short by the Home Office blocking new study visas for applicants from Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar and Cameroon

‘The UK is saying the same thing as the Taliban’: the women banned from studying in Britain The Home Office has blocked new study visas for applicants from Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar and Cameroon. It means many women will miss out on life-changing opportunities – as five female academics ex...

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Public health researchers, scientists, and medical practitioners rely heavily on government datasets for research and clinical practice so changes that have not been communicated, reported or lack of updates compromises the validity of the data, and the work of researchers

Data Revisions:
Research found that 114 (49%) of the 232 included datasets were substantially altered. The vast majority (106 datasets [93%]) had the word gender switched to sex. Only 15 (13%) of the 114 altered datasets logged or otherwise indicated that the change had occurred: lnkd.in/ebngcWQN

Of the 38 paused databases, 33 (87%) were vaccination-related topics compared with none of the 44 current databases. Of the 5 paused databases on other topics, 4 addressed respiratory diseases. Full paper here: lnkd.in/eEtaVDyF

Why should we be very worried about the US government messing with health databases?
What do we know so far:
Pausing of data
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) databases seemed to have “unexplained pauses” and ceased or delayed updates - 38 (46% of datasets) were paused.

The UK Home Secretary #shabanamahmood is never shy of a photo opportunity. Here she is posing in a martial Greg Bovino–style coat at a removal centre in #Copenhagen; just a few days later we find her again on the front pages announcing a #visa ban for countries that “abuse our generosity”.
#asylum

Could not agree more - further work is needed to understand how national moves and economic opportunities change anti-immigrant sentiment. This is a brilliant paper! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

To attend, register: lnkd.in/e6YT3TSm

The readings and conversation take place online on Saturday, 7 March 2026, from 6pm till 7.30pm (UK time).

Poets from Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya will read and discuss their work in conversation with those contributing to the Africa Migration Report Poetry Anthology Series. The poets will also take part in a Q&A session.

My research indicates that in a increasingly politically polarised online and real-life environments, urban food growing projects have the potential to bridge divides. They can help integrate newcomers to the neighbourhood, providing opportunities for volunteers to talk across spheres of life. 👇

Community gardens: solving the problem of food security Food insecurity, poor quality diet, stress and lack of green spaces: all are linked to the obesity epidemic. Here's one holistic solution

Nourishing the neighbourhood: Urban food projects create a "sense of place", boosting mental health while donating fresh organic produce to local food banks.

A thought-provoking piece by Prof Neli Demireva ⤵️

@eastangliabylines.co.uk @demirevaneli.bsky.social

lnkd.in/eRR-DV2j

Ken excelled at "making sense from a disarray of narratives" and embraced it not just as a writing tool but as a mode of living. I hope other writers, students, colleagues will find this book useful and inspiring.

New book has arrived! 🎉🎉🎉

I am delighted about the publication of "Stories, Imaginations and Sociology; Essays in Honour of Ken Plummer", Routledge. It was a real privilege to edit the book with my co-editors and with plethora of interesting contributors. I cherished every moment.

Please support University of Essex staff. Please, sign the petition below.

lnkd.in/eY4BJEPm

This exhibition will appeal to all apple lovers. The foyer area contains the taste cards of more than 200 hundred different variety of apples. Much as with wine, apparently, apples’ tasting notes can vary between “brisk”, “intense”, “aromatic” as for example with the Lord Lennox variety

Into the Orchard - Firstsite Take a walk through the seasons at Crapes Fruit Farm in Essex in this immersive audio-visual exhibition by artists Hana Loftus and Maddie Persent.

A brilliant exhibition on food production! Closing this Sunday! firstsite.uk/event/into-t...
crapes.wordpress.com

A brilliant piece by Carlos Vargas-Silva on migration, the PL, and Jim Ratcliffe's remarks that the UK has been "colonised by migrants".

Grande, Carlos! 👏 👏 👏

Instead they face years of being burdened by debt. As income from labour declines, disadvantage becomes entrenched. That's why the focus should be on equality and redistribution.

A further dimension that should be considered is socio-economic disadvantage. First in their family graduates and graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds might not have the social connections that guarantee a high salary post graduation.

www.compas.ox.ac.uk/article/a-co...

"The Premier League provides a revealing case study in the economics of migration. Its massive financial success is closely tied to the mobility of players, managers, and staff across borders."

"Take Ratcliffe’s own club, Manchester United, as an example. Of the 22 players listed as active in the men’s team, only five were born in the UK. "

"The Premier League, the most commercially successful football league in the world and a competition that injects billions of pounds into the UK economy, depends on migration. Not incidentally, but structurally."

Take Ratcliffe’s own club, Manchester United, as an example. As shown in the table below, of the 22 players listed as active in the men’s team, only five were born in the UK.

The Premier League, the most commercially successful football league in the world and a competition that injects billions of pounds into the UK economy, depends on migration. Not incidentally, but structurally.