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Sarah Otner

@sarahotner.bsky.social
1.2K followers 230 following 480 posts

Professor of Org. Theory & Innovation. Lapsed swimmer and diver, resumed dancer, jogger-in-training. Data wonk, travel geek, foodie. Studies #fragrance, #architecture, #books, #metascience. Loves dogs & crime fiction. orcid.org/0000-0002-2743-8462

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Reposted by Sarah Otner
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12h
'We have replaced the danger of mouth-pipetting with the danger of a generation of scientists spending their most productive years writing grants that will not be funded. This is its own form of danger, just slower and less honest than the phenol.'
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 21h
Universities cannot expect researchers to take risks if they are repeatedly at risk of redundancy while losing professional services support, grappling with the gratuitous vagaries of home and international student number swings and both teaching and assessing in an age of unregulated AI.
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UK Research and Innovation @ukri.org · 18h
Nine new technologies will be tested in the NHS as part of efforts to speed up dementia diagnosis. The Dementia Challenge is accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies and practices that will support earlier and more accurate dementia diagnosis.
ukri.org
£80m challenge for faster, better dementia diagnosis launched
The Dementia Challenge is accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies and practices that will diagnose and predict how the disease will progress.
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
bit.ly/TFF-ERIC-2024 Pleased at this discussion [www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr2kwlw…] of work experience & what I termed "work exposure". Echoes my report on what 14-16s want out of work and life. Can you help get Slides 9, 22, & 24-29 in front of decision-makers?
bit.ly
Careers Report - The Fragrance Foundation UK
New research finds that 14–16-year-olds are dissatisfied with the support they receive during their career preparation and that simple interventions can deliver significant turnarounds. Commissioned by The Fragrance Foundation UK, funded by The British Academy, and conducted by Kingston University Senior Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour, Dr. Sarah Otner, alongside the careers platform ERIC, this report identifies 1) young job seekers’ perceived features of a “good job”; 2) the elements of their ideal industry engagement; and 3) the advantages of highlighting occupational variety alongside industry features.
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Ben Johnson @ersatzben.com · 30/09/2026
London AI × Science Hackathon 👾 Science Works × Inherent Labs • Oct 16-18 Lots of scientific software is outdated, hard to use, and isn't interoperable – let alone making use of (or ready to interface with) AI. Or it's expensive. Join us to build better for the community
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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Happy to be proved wrong (if, that is, I am proved wrong).
tortoisemedia.com
I know why social care isn’t being fixed
Finding £17,000 a month towards the care of my parents forced me to reflect on the collective delusions and political cowardice that conspire to prevent us confronting – once and for all – this huge s...
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This is not a method of allocation/policy 🤦‍♀️ www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athlet...
bbc.co.uk
London Marathon 2027: Sabastian Sawe and Catherine Debrunner play rock, paper, scissors to decide race days
A game of rock, paper, scissors is used to determine when the elite female and male races will take place at next year's two-day London Marathon.
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"Backpack, who was described by one supporter as having both the "chonk and the badonk"..." well, of course he does! 😍 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... [@weedenkim.bsky.social did you vote?]
bbc.co.uk
'Backpack' declared Alaska's Fat Bear Week winner
"Backpack" defeated a bear known only as "910" in the final round of the annual competition.
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
'A Department for Education spokesperson said' a tiny word salad of vapid things that did not address the higher education crisis are frankly not worth quoting.
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I have just done a 4-factor authentication (password -> Fingerprint step up -> E-mail OTP -> App approval), for a transaction to the value of £0. Why?! Is the fraud risk shared by all 4 data processors, or just passed around so "last one loses"?
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Fiona Tribe @fionatribe.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Laying blame for what are clearly structural issues at the feet of individuals is a particularly cruel form of societal control.
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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 24/09/2026
Please excuse me while I scream into a cushion at the thought of ALL the articles I had to write on the "UK productivity puzzle" in the 2010s www.ft.com/content/c819...
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Dan Hirschman @asociologist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Another win for the Cornell Chronicle’s email subject line policy of “jam the top two headlines together and hit send.”
Email screen cap from the official Cornell newsletter with the subject line: “Future of the American University | Keeping manure out of water”
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Although I am still enjoying Ludwig (S2), the puzzles are not as difficult as last year's - and I am so fed up with this story arc!
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Gina Neff @ginasue.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
There is something off about this NYT photo on AI development that I can't quite put my finger on.
A screenshot, all dudes.
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Hugh Jones @hbsj.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"Dear Lizzie, I expect you will think it very unkind of me for not answering your letter but this last four weeks I have been rather upset, as I expect you know that Fred's ship is returned to Devonport, and poor Fred is left behind" @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social #HigherEducationPostcard
An old colour picture postcard showing ornate brick buildings in a rococo style. Printed at the foot of the card is London, Imperial Institute; handwritten is Hoping this will find you and yours quite well
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Brennan Kahan @brennankahan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
***JOB ALERT*** We are seeking to appoint 3 Statistical Methodologists to work on methods related to the statistical analysis of clinical trials, or innovative design methodology. The posts will be based within the UCL Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology. www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...
ucl.ac.uk
UCL – University College London
UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).
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Carolin Ioramashvili @ioramashvili.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
We have fully funded PhD studentships @sussexunibusiness.bsky.social. If you’re interested in a PhD at the intersection of in innovation, technological change and geography, please get in touch! There are routes for applicants with and without an MSc too www.findaphd.com/phds/program...
findaphd.com
FindAPhD : The South East Doctoral Training Arc (SEDarc) at Royal Holloway, University of London
Apply for a PhD: The South East Doctoral Training Arc (SEDarc) at Royal Holloway, University of London
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
To the man (of course) who has taken up an entire 4-person train work table only so he can watch sport on his phone: I wish you... a DAY. 🙄 To the gentleman across from me who, as a consequence, has been forced to eke out a Pomodoro session squished meerkat-like in a single seat: Solidarity, Sir!
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Per Engzell @pengzell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
4-year postdoc(s) at Copenhagen Business School on project The Business of Corruption: Why Business Elites Collude or Combat Political Corruption, led by @mkjustesen.bsky.social. Start: summer 2027, deadline 18 September. www.cbs.dk/en/about-cbs...
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Tim Harford @timharford.ft.com · 13/09/2026
I've been checking the source of quotes for my forthcoming book, and the performance of Gemini is extraordinary. I paste the quote into Google, and Gemini will barge in with the wrong answer over and over again. It's not an occasional thing - it's reliably wrong. Very odd.
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Tobias Wilson-Bates @phdhurtbrain.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I would not like an AI summary, I would not like it on a boat, I would not like the email bloat, I do not like it on a chair, I would not like it anywhere! I do not like them on a phone, I do not like them in my home, I do not want them on a search, I do not like them in a church
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I don't usually post personal projects on here, but I'm encouraged to share as it's really all about visibility for the charity: I'm ziplining across Twickenham to support Potential Plus UK, now part of Coram: www.justgiving.com/page/sarah-z...
justgiving.com
Sarah Flies High for Our High-Flying Children
Help Sarah Otner raise money to support Coram
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
It’s time to scrap the triple lock - giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... It was a temporary special measure, 15 years ago. There's no excuse for it now! One up-rating, for everyone (train tickets, mobile phone contracts, state pensions, the lot).
giftarticle.ft.com
It’s time to scrap the triple lock
The Budget needs to tip the balance back to Britain’s younger generations, who are priced out of a bright future
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Carolin Ioramashvili @ioramashvili.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
With stripped back professional services in universities, updating Canvas course pages feels as lawless as phone theft in London. 'Please only edit the text in yellow and don't change the template' - or else what?! I learned a bit of HTML 10 years ago and I'm not afraid to use it 😏
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
'Every undergraduate would also be entitled to access artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the roadmap states, while every course should have a lecturer who is an “AI trailblazer” so that “graduates have the skills to be AI pioneers in the workplace”.' AI trailblazers. UUK at its very finest.
A woman, seen from the back and wearing a black coat, holds a sign that says "We won't drink the Kool-Aid".
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Administrative Science Quarterly @asqjournal.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
📢 We’re heading to HKUST for a PDW on #organizations amid social, political, and technological #changes 📍 Hong Kong 📅 Jan. 15, 2027 👥 With Beth Bechky, Adam Kleinbaum, Amanda Sharkey, Christina Ahmadjian, Chris Yenkey, Danqing Wang & Pavel Zhelyazkov Submit by Oct. 15 to asqpdw@ust.hk
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 09/09/2026
RNLI volunteers put themselves in harm’s way to save lives. They should never face abuse or threats for doing so. That includes the crews based on the Thames, who respond to hundreds of incidents every year. They deserve to be thanked, not attacked.
bbc.co.uk
Abuse of RNLI volunteers 'wholly unacceptable', chief says
Peter Sparkes says there has been "deliberate misinformation" spread about the charity.
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Innovation is the answer to Britain’s elusive growth problem - giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Decent essay, little with which to disagree. As always, Comments section more instructive.
giftarticle.ft.com
Innovation is the answer to Britain’s elusive growth problem
We need to support the next generation of start-ups to become internationally competitive
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Prof Dave O'Brien @drdaveobrien.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
How do government departments use academic research and evidence? New report from me for @dcmsgovuk.bsky.social focused on creative industries policy as a case study www.gov.uk/government/p...
gov.uk
Knowledge, evidence and the use of research in creative industries policy: DCMS Skills and Diverse Workforce Policy Fellowship Report
The final product from Professor Dave O’Brien’s Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Skills and Diverse Workforce Fellowship.
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David Kernohan @dkernohan.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
John Healey just announced a cut in the green book discount rate, from 3.5 per cent to 3.0 per cent. This slants the cost/benefits matrix more towards future benefits. Here's why that's a big deal for HE: wonkhe.com/blogs/discou...
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Kim Weeden @weedenkim.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Every story I read about rising food prices ends w/ tips that boil down to, "women should do more unpaid labor." - shop coupons & flyers - scrutinize per unit prices - buy produce from local farms - buy in bulk and preserve - eat at home - plan meals carefully to reduce waste @jessicacalarco.com
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Asheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 06/09/2026
We keep discussing ”strategies” for teaching in the age of AI to avoid talking about resources. It’s so boring!! The strategy is invest $ to hire people, lower class size, support research-engaged learning & stop measuring the worth of disciplines in relation to # of enrollments and majors.
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University of Sussex Business School @sussexunibusiness.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Prof. Chirantan Chatterjee, Indrajit Adhikari, and Prof. Benjamin Sovacool from the Bennett Institute for Innovation and Policy Acceleration argue in an article that #HealthcareSystems must be placed at the centre of Europe's climate adaptation plans as extreme heat intensifies tinyurl.com/bdzkbhjk
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Corinne Low @corinnelow.com · 03/09/2026
#EconSky if you know of anyone awesome who does experimental work on gender who was on the job market in the last couple years and underplaced or needs to change, we're looking at creating a fellowship in this area that would be a great reset--please have them email me corlow@wharton.upenn.edu.
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The Institute for Analytical Sociology @iasliu.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
✨ We’re excited to announce the Fall 2026 IAS Seminar Series, featuring a stellar lineup of speakers and thought-provoking talks. Seminars take place every Thursday and are open to all! #AcademicSky #CSS #socsky #sociology
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Thames Water should go into administration, says senior Tory MP - giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Finally speaking sense! 🤞
giftarticle.ft.com
Thames Water should go into administration, says senior Tory MP
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown wants government to protect customers from ‘predatory’ hedge funds seeking control over UK’s largest water utility
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Rachel Rees @rachel-rees.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
As honoured as I am to see that The Times has picked up my Chagos article practically *word for word*, including my hard-gotten quotes, I’d prefer some credit — or for everyone to read my original FT piece! free link to read the evidently enviable article below (cheaper than a Times sub!) 🌴
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
If you needed yet another reason never to do business with any company named in this article! (Accenture comes off OK.) - giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
Junior consultants called back to office as AI increases need for human skills
Artificial intelligence has made interpersonal skills more valuable, executives say
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
For the love of chocolate, when you draft your out-of-office auto-reply, please check that your designee is not ALSO on leave! File under workforce planning that permits two people with the same job function/capabilities/clearances to be off at the same time. ARGH. #Rant
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Philip N Cohen @philipncohen.com · 23/08/2026
Wtf I just noticed this. No more search strings in gmail
<
"terms of service"
» The New York Times
Jul 30
Not to be missed. The Summer S...
Discover the pleasures of a Spelling... *
» The New York Times
Jul 28
Not to be missed. The Summer S...
Discover the pleasures of a Spelling... *
» The New York Times
Jul 26
Not to be missed. The Summer S...
Discover the pleasures of a Spelling... *
» The New York Times
Jul 24
Not to be missed. The Summer S...
Discover the pleasures of a Spelling... *
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
We have reached whatever the opposite of The Singularity is: Website Bot tells me that it can't help and to call the office; office telephone will only allow you to talk to the Bot! I am about to spend a lot of money with this organization, and now I dearly wish I weren't.😡
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Adam Golberg @cash4questions.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I am (simultaneously) trying to extract a fee (and significant expenses) from one university for work I've done for them, and at the same time trying to persuade the adminisphere at my own university to pay fees to external speakers for work they've done at my behest. Why, why, why is this so hard?
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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
The maths are (roughly): Student borrows £9250 per year from the government. University takes 20-25% as profit. Franchisee takes 25% as profit. Agent takes 10-15% as profit Leaving about £4000-4500 per year to spend on buildings, teaching staff, materials, student support and everything else.
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James Dyke @jamesgdyke.info · 13/08/2026
So much for this redundancy process being a "consultation" with no decisions yet to be made... These were successful programmes, consistently good recruitment, fantastic student satisfaction and outcomes, passionate, engaged and capable teaching staff. All unceremoniously put in the bin. 2/5
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Upol Ehsan | hiring PhDs for Fall'27 @upolehsan.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
[Pls repost + break the filter bubble] Are there economists who are looking at the cost of long-term deskilling amongst knowledge workers caused by AI-enabled workflows? If yes, and you're interested to work on a frontier project that has tremendous funding potential, get in touch!
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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Heartened to see that my university is ending its contract with Turnitin before the next academic year, because Turnitin is going to use student submissions to train AI models. Institutions can and should resist this stuff!
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National Trust @nationaltrust.org.uk · 12/08/2026
ANNOUNCEMENT: All our sundials will be out of order this evening between about 6pm and 8pm, we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Normal service will resume tomorrow. In unrelated news, enjoy the eclipse later... Photos: Mike Selby, Annapurna Mellor, Chris Davies, John Millar
A wall-mounted sundial inside a walled garden. Text on the sundial reads: "fear god, obey ye king"A traditional sundial on a plinth, formal gardens surround itThe sun beams down on a traditional sundial, with heather visible in the backgroundA shot of a sundial from above. It's mounted on a stone plinth. Text on the side reads "KEW BRIDGE"
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
We are preparing to watch the eclipse, and my household is playing Mambo No. 5 on repeat. What else do I need to make the time machine go back to 1999?
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Sarah Otner @sarahotner.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Re-posting in hope many of you are back from your holidays and ready to book your Autumn Term diaries. Please suggest terrific trainers. [@kirstygrainger.bsky.social or @annamgrey.bsky.social, do you know someone?]
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