Richard III's discovery showcased UK academia, says Michael Braddick. But as student demand for certain subjects falls, should we have grave concerns for our future knowledge base?
Finding Richard III (on the premises of Leicester social services no less) is testament to the ingenuity of archaeologists. Weaving together findings from historical analysis of texts with scientific analysis of the skeleton and the site, they have made an overwhelming case that these are the remains of the king. As a historian, I spend a lot of time trying to listen to the dead. Every now and then a curtain seems to be pulled aside and we hear them directly, and the feeling is very powerful. The way that the wounds to the skull match with one of the historical accounts of Richard's death did that for me: I was taken to Richard's final moments, as his helmet was lost and his attackers closed in, his horse gone or stuck in the mud, the moments in other words when he knew he had lost his kingdom and his life. That human connection is precious, and rare. This ingenious work has recovered an important part of our heritage and will no doubt have direct economic benefits. "The King under the Car Park", as Channel 4 had it, will no doubt stimulate our creative and heritage industries. Leicester University's archaeology department will, I hope, thrive on the publicity. Read more...

By Gervas Huxley. Are tuition fees paid by arts students being used to fund university science? If so it shows a striking lack of accountability, says Gervas Huxley.
In my last blog, I explained that arts and humanities are the only subjects to have benefited from the fee changes introduced by the coalition government, as they have seen an increase in funding per student. But many readers were quick to point out that the connection between the revenue that tuition fees attract and expenditure on tuition is tenuous to say the least. This is true. There is no guarantee that increased revenues from fees, especially for students studying arts, humanities and social sciences, will be spent on their own education. University finances permit multiple kinds of cross-subsidy: both between research and teaching, and between different disciplines. Precisely how the surplus generated by fees is spent will in practice depend on the outcome of a complex process of bargaining between competing parties. Read more...