Increasingly feel that reducing the issues around the return of uk students to universities to a media ‘debate’ between two positions indicates we‘ve already how far the sector has already lost something vital. #highered #Covid19UK

Where is analysis of different epidemiological models? Where are plans for data transparency? Where are the processes for weighing different risks around physical, mental and economic well-being? Where is the uni leadership which amplifies this expertise on campus/ in the media?

Instead we have a proliferation of personal position pieces, woefully evidenced group letters, and policy documents that emphasis closed loops of decision making between experts. The expertise to do far better is spread through universities but it is largely absent from public

Please do prove me wrong in replies, but after spending c25 yrs working on the interfaces between science, society, decision-making & media, this feels like a particularly low moment that is disempowering the people - staff students communities - most affected by these decisions

Whilst I am here I guess I should publicly apologise to every student who I made read extracts of the 2000 report from the Phillips Inquiry into the government handling of BSE as a key document about the problems of complacency, secrecy & Whitehall in-fighting for risk management

I should have suggested they just skimmed a few websites from policy advisors, online contrarians, and agile consultants