The ‘Great Stink’ and the Russell Group of universities Iain Biggs

[guest001]

"On its official web site The Russell Group claims that its membership of research-intensive universities are world-class institutions that share certain distinguishing characteristics. These include a commitment to: “maintaining the very best research”; something which enables them to have: “huge social, economic and cultural impacts locally, across the UK and around the globe.”

This claim interests me because the Group includes Bristol University which, as I’ve reported before, has been trying to prevent Dr. David Tuller from further exposing the fact that, far from: “maintaining the very best research”, Bristol and other member universities have benefitted financially from protecting ‘research’ that, as Tuller and others have shown, is both bad and socially irresponsible science. In a blog post of 23 Dec., Tuller notes that Bristol has recently tried to use its “close and valued collaborative relationship” with Berkeley, where he has a post, as leverage to get him disciplined. Berkeley, to its credit, has reviewed the matter and confirmed not only that Tuller has done nothing wrong, but that it is his right, as both a public health academic and a journalist, to pursue his current line of enquiry."

http://www.iainbiggs.co.uk/2017/12/the-great-stink-and-the-russell-group-of-universities/

 

[guest001]

Maybe the Student's Union at Bristol should organize a debate around some of Tuller's observations that relate to that august institution? And of course invite Tuller himself. In the interests of being open minded etc

 

[Nancy Blackett]

http://russellgroup.ac.uk/about/our-universities/

 

[Nancy Blackett]

'Russell Group universities and Cambridge Colleges write to government to be 'exempted' from Freedom of Information Act 2000'. December 2015.

http://www.independent.co.uk/studen...-to-be-exempted-from-freedom-of-a6769336.html

 

[Seven]

SO bas one cannot comment is a great article, so how is this group The Russell Group being benefited? was not very clear what the relationship with Pace is. Also is it the association or the group being benefitted? I got confused.

 

[Nancy Blackett]

The Russell Group of universities lobbied the government, via the Independent FOI Commission, to be exempted from Freedom of Information law.. Pace trial researcher Peter White's university, Queen Mary University London, is among the Russell Group of Universities, and, I am sure, that Queen Mary's submission to the FOI Commission was written by Peter White, and extensively cited the FOI submissions to access PACE data as examples of the burdensome problems that FOI Law places upon universities. The transcript of Peter Whites submission is out there in pdf. I will see if I can link it.

 

[Sean]

When you wish to deceive, first hide the evidence from scrutiny.

 

[guest001]

I was provided with this very interesting October 2017 Bristol Cable link earlier... https://thebristolcable.org/2017/10/bristol-uni-named-in-uk-spy-agency-tribunal/

"
A tribunal has been told that UK spy agencies MI5 and MI6 may be breaking the law when they share data with foreign intelligence agencies and industry partners. One of the partners named is the University of Bristol."

 

[Sean]

I would be very surprised if we were not being monitored by security agencies.

Because, you know, we are really dangerous harassers and threats to noble heroic researchers.

[sarcasm alert, just in case the aforementioned agencies have not figured it out]

 

[TiredSam]

There has been a white van parked outside my house for 3 days now. Occasionally someone throws a pizza box out of the front window.

 

[Sean]

Knock on their window and say 'covfefe'. See what happens.

 

[Luther Blissett]

There has been a white van parked outside my house for 3 days now. Occasionally someone throws a pizza box out of the front window.

Does it have Bayerischen Fußball-Verbandes on the side?

(possible terrible pun on the acronym BfV, the domestic secret service)