Latest news with #OxfordUniversityPress
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Countdown's Susie Dent is coming to Wrexham - here's when
She is bringing her new tour 'Word Perfect' to Wrexham's William Aston Hall on August 23. For someone whose life revolves around a true love of the English language and who is razor-sharp at deciphering the whimsies of our mother tongue, Susie Dent doesn't seem like the sort of person to be tripped up by the simple things. But she admits she has been stumped, albeit on the rare occasion. Countdown co-presenter and Queen of Dictionary Corner for more than 30 years, Susie – who will hit the road with her all-new second 26-date tour Word Perfect this summer – has many fond memories of her time on the show and recalls one particularly amusing moment. She said: 'I was doing some work on the tour the other day, and I was reminiscing about Richard Whiteley, when one of my most embarrassing moments came back to me. 'The letters had been selected, the clock had ticked down, and a contestant offered their five-letter word. I didn't quite catch what they said, so I asked them to spell it, which they duly did: D. O. I. N. G. In my head this translated to 'doi-ng' to rhyme with 'boing', so I proceeded to look it up. Until Richard saved my bacon by chipping in with 'It's do-ing Susie'.' Susie turned down the offer to join the team of Oxford University Press lexicographers who took turns in Dictionary Corner three times, but a persistent boss wouldn't let it lie. She said: 'It wasn't on my bucket list to be on TV; I'm happiest when I'm below the radar! But now I'm so grateful my audition was successful. As for my first appearance, I said as little as possible! There is a clip online of that first show, when I sat next to Rula Lenska and looked utterly frozen. 'I will be forever amazed, and grateful, that they kept me on. After about 10 years, Richard and Carol wanted a full-time lexicographer within the team, and happily I ended up alongside them as a permanent fixture.' But for someone who had no inclination to appear on TV, Susie has a very clear place in her heart for the Channel 4 tea-time words and numbers quiz and its Friday-night naughtier sibling 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. She said: '8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown has reminded many of those people who grew up with the show of the joy of the game, and of course it's brought in the laughs to go with it. TOP STORIES TODAY 'The real beauty of Countdown is its format. Anybody who watches it can understand the rules of the game within minutes and then join in to play along – no matter what their age or ability. Even with the comedy version, people do still love to play the game. 'Many of our contestants watched the show with their parents and grandparents, and so it has that real connection with family, too. 'After 33 years I still feel the adrenaline as the clock starts to tick down. It really is one of the biggest joys of my life. My feet will stay under the table in Dictionary Corner for as long as viewers will have me!' In her new tour Word Perfect, she is looking forward to taking audiences on a 'romp through some of the joys of the English language', looking at specific words and their stories, as well as many of the quirks which make our mother tongue so brilliantly unpredictable as well as magical. Speaking about her new tour, Susie said: 'The English language will never stop surprising and delighting me: It is as wayward as it is majestic, while the dictionary is as full of magic, drama and adventure as you will find anywhere. 'I can't wait to walk down some more of its secret alleyways with the Word Perfect audiences, and to hear their own questions about our curious mother tongue! We're going to have a lot of fun. Susie's tour, which will run from August 19 through until January 24, will coincide with the launch of her next two books, Words For Life and her children's book Roots We Share: 100 Words That Bring Us Together.
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Oxford University Press To Discontinue Publication Of China-Sponsored Journal
Last Updated: The research conducted through FSR has been regularly featured by OUP since 2023. Oxford University Press (OUP) has decided to discontinue the publication of an academic journal sponsored by China's Ministry of Justice after 2025. Forensic Sciences Research (FSR), in an official statement, revealed that the move came considering concerns regarding unethical DNA collection practices cited in some of its published papers. OUP has confirmed that it will no longer publish the quarterly journal on its platform. The research conducted through FSR has been regularly featured by OUP since 2023. The FSR works under China's Academy of Forensic Science, which describes it as 'the only English quarterly journal in the field of forensic science in China that focuses on forensic medicine." According to reports, serious questions have been raised about how several papers published in FSR collected data from Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China. Critics suggest that it is highly likely the genetic data was obtained without proper consent from the individuals involved. Moreover, it is suspected that this data may have been gathered to enhance state surveillance of minority populations in the country. An official statement by FSR confirmed the development, stating, 'Forensic Sciences Research will no longer be published by Oxford University Press (OUP) after the 2025 volume. The last issue published by OUP will be Volume 10, Issue 4." Going forward, the journal will be published by KeAi, Elsevier's co-publishing partner in China. Meanwhile, OUP has declined to provide a specific explanation for the termination of its contract with FSR. So far, OUP has already withdrawn at least two papers involving the study of DNA samples from Chinese minority groups. According to The Guardian, one of the studies, published in 2020, collected DNA samples from 264 Uyghur individuals. Although the paper claims the data was collected with participants' consent, critics have challenged this assertion. Notably, the lead author of the study is affiliated with China's state security apparatus. While OUP issued an 'expression of concern" regarding the article in 2024, it did not retract it. The Chinese government is already under global scrutiny for its treatment of Uyghurs and other ethnic minority communities. Concerns include allegations of human rights abuses, mass incarceration, forced labour, sexual assault, and intense state surveillance. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Oxford University Press scraps China-sponsored journal after longstanding protests
Oxford University Press will cease publishing the Chinese government-sponsored journal, Forensic Sciences Research, after 2025. The decision follows years of controversy regarding the journal's alleged ethical breaches over DNA collection from Uyghur and other ethnic minority groups in China. Critics highlighted concerns that studies published in the journal used DNA samples from minorities without their consent. OUP had previously retracted at least two papers and issued an "expression of concern" for another due to these ethical issues. Forensic Sciences Research will be published by KeAi in China from next year.
India Today
7 days ago
- Science
- India Today
Oxford University Press to end publication of China-sponsored journal
Oxford University Press (OUP) has announced it will stop publishing a China-sponsored scientific journal after growing tensions over the ethics of studies involving DNA samples from ethnic minorities. The journal, Forensic Sciences Research (FSR), is linked to China's Ministry of Justice through the Academy of Forensic a statement on the FSR website, it was revealed that OUP will end its partnership with the journal after 2025. "Forensic Sciences Research will no longer be published by Oxford University Press (OUP) after the 2025 volume. The last issue published by OUP will be Volume 10, Issue 4," the statement focusses on forensic medicine and is the only English-language journal of its kind in China. It has been under scrutiny due to several research papers that used genetic data from Uyghurs and other minority communities in China. Human rights activists and researchers raised concerns that the DNA used in the studies may have been collected without proper consent, since many of the studies were carried out by Chinese police agencies or institutions tied to the STUDIES ON UYGHURS SPARK TENSIONSOne study from 2020 used blood samples from 264 Uyghur individuals in rmqi, the capital of China's Xinjiang region. The study claimed that participants gave consent and their data was anonymised. However, the lead author was linked to the Xinjiang Police College. In 2024, OUP added an "expression of concern" to the article but did not retract has already retracted two other FSR papers that were based on DNA data collected by Chinese authorities, citing ethical concerns. In China, much of the forensic science work is done under police supervision. OUP started publishing FSR in 2023. According to a publishing agreement, OUP had rights to sell advertising space and collect revenues from the journal. Despite ending the relationship, OUP has not explained in detail why it made the FSR editorial team described the end of their partnership with OUP as part of a 'moment of transformation' and said the journal's future remains bright. The journal will now be published by KeAi, a joint venture between Dutch publisher Elsevier and a Chinese company.- EndsTrending Reel
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Oxford University Press to stop publishing China-sponsored science journal
Oxford University Press (OUP) will no longer publish a controversial academic journal sponsored by China's Ministry of Justice after years of concerns that several papers in the publication did not meet ethical standards about DNA collection. A statement published on the website of Forensic Sciences Research (FSR) states that OUP will stop publishing the quarterly journal after this year. FSR is a journal that comes from China's Academy of Forensic Science, an agency that sits under the Ministry of Justice. The academy describes FSR as 'the only English quarterly journal in the field of forensic science in China that focuses on forensic medicine'. It has been published by OUP since 2023. Several papers published in FSR have attracted criticism because they study genetic data from Uyghurs and other heavily surveilled ethnic minorities in China. Critics say subjects in the studies may not have freely consented to their DNA samples being used in the research and that the studies could help to enhance the mass surveillance of those populations. One study, published in 2020, analysed blood samples from 264 Uyghurs in Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region in north-west China. The paper states that the people giving the samples consented to the research and that their data was anonymised. The lead author on the study is affiliated with China's state security apparatus via the Xinjiang Police College, which provided a research grant. In 2024, OUP published an 'expression of concern' about the article, responding to questions about whether or not Uyghurs in Xinjiang could freely refuse to participate in a study conducted by representatives of China's state security. The paper has not been retracted. Two other papers published in FSR based on DNA samples from Chinese populations have been retracted by OUP since 2023 because of ethical concerns. In both cases, several of the researchers came from Chinese police authorities. Forensic science research is often carried out under the auspices of police authorities, but in China, where there the state security apparatus is not subject to checks and balances, there is concern this kind of research may not meet international ethical standards. Uyghurs in Xinjiang are subject to intense surveillance by state authorities and between 2016 and 2018 about a million of them are estimated to have been detained in what China calls 'vocational training centres'. The UN said China's policies in Xinjiang could constitute crimes against humanity. There are also reports of Xinjiang authorities collecting DNA samples from millions of Uyghurs under the guise of health checks, but which Uyghurs and human rights groups have said are compulsory and designed to enhance surveillance. Yves Moreau, a professor of engineering at the University of Leuven in Belgium who focuses on DNA analysis, first raised concerns about OUP's relationship with FSR and about several studies. He said he was grateful for OUP's decision but that the brief public statement on the matter 'fails to address the important issues at stake'. A statement published on FSR's website, which is hosted by OUP, said: 'Forensic Sciences Research will no longer be published by Oxford University Press (OUP) after the 2025 volume. The last issue published by OUP will be Volume 10, Issue 4.' OUP acquired the journal in 2023. Under the terms of the publishing agreement between OUP and the Academy of Forensic Sciences, a copy of which was seen by the Guardian, the deal gave OUP the right to solicit paid advertisers in the pages of the journal. The agreement also gives OUP the right to collect any revenues received by the Academy of Forensic Sciences related to the journal. OUP declined to elaborate on why it was ending the relationship with FSR. In recent years there has been increasing scrutiny about the ethical standards of genetic research papers from China. Last year, a genetics journal from a leading scientific publisher retracted 18 papers from China due to concerns about human rights. The concerns centre on whether or not vulnerable populations in China can freely refuse to participate, especially when researchers come from organisations, such as the police, affiliated with state security. There are also concerns that this kind of forensic DNA sampling could produce research that enhances the mass surveillance of those populations. Moreau said: 'Forensic genetics is an area where specific caution is needed because this is the research that powers police DNA identification and databases. While DNA identification is a valuable technique to help solve crimes, it can raise privacy and ethical issues.' He added that the mass surveillance of minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet made China a particularly challenging country to enforce international norms about ethical research and human rights. FSR's launch in 2016 was accompanied by an editorial that stated it is sponsored by an affiliate of China's Ministry of Justice. Duarte Nuno Vieira, the co-editor-in-chief of FSR, has previously denied financial support from China's Ministry of Justice had any impact on the journal's editorial policies. Nuno Vieira did not respond to a request for comment. But in an article published on Tuesday, the FSR editors wrote that the journal was at 'a moment of transformation, firmly rooted in its past successes, and yet reaching with confident hands towards an even more luminous future'. The publication of the journal will be taken over by KeAi, a China-based joint venture run by the Dutch scientific publisher Elsevier and a Chinese partner. China's Ministry of Justice and the Academy of Forensic Sciences did not respond to a request for comment.
