A Russian report describes widespread self-censorship among university staff and institutional rules that limit public comment by academics.

The Russian document also reports that state grants and government procurement have become mechanisms that increase dependence and can be used as tools of pressure on researchers and universities.

The Office for Students (OfS) in England is implementing a free speech complaints scheme and has published draft guidance to help higher education providers meet new legal duties on lawful free speech.

The OfS guidance explicitly warns that arrangements, such as scholarships tied to a foreign government’s principles, may undermine free speech and might need to be changed or terminated.

An opinion essay on academic culture discusses self-censorship, political caution, and performative discourse in higher education but does not address government language policy or anti-borrowing laws.

Across the provided documents there is no mention of laws, official programs, or state measures specifically aimed at preventing lexical borrowings into a state language or regulating borrowings from English.

Conclusion: The provided documents do not contain information about governmental laws or policies specifically preventing borrowings into state languages or restricting borrowings from English.

A Russian report describes widespread self-censorship among university staff and institutional rules that limit public comment by academics.

Title:

Content: OD "Russian version"
Science between prison and suma
Employees of Russian universities are rapidly turning into a precariat, completely dependent on the employer and state funding.
The fear of losing their jobs keeps scientists quiet and prevents them from protesting even when it would seem impossible to tolerate it any longer.
Anna Rara-Avis
7 December 2021, 4.58
In an attempt to improve the life of Russian universities, the government of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education and Science are creating more and more new projects, programs, orders are issued, additional rules are introduced, grant financing is organized.
It seems that two or three more orders, and we will find ourselves at the goal: domestic universities and science will break into the international space, bypass competitors in various ratings, attract leading professors of the world and solvent students to their walls.
But something's going wrong.
Experts usually consider underfunding of science and education as a key problem.
Indeed, in Russia, as noted in the UNESCO report, the share of spending on science in recent years has been declining: in 2014, spending amounted to 1.07% of Russian GDP, and in 2018 – 0.99%.
"Even in the conditions of the target parameters of the national project" Science ", spending will increase to 1.2% of GDP by 2024.
Despite the fact that the largest scientific and technical countries spend more than 3% of GDP for these purposes, ” said Galina Izotova, Deputy Chairman of the Accounts Chamber.
But there is another problem that seriously hinders Russian science.
Russian researchers and university staff work in a situation of lack of freedom of speech, in permanent fear, rapidly turning from the elite into precariums – completely dependent on the will of employers, not provided with social guarantees, politically disorganized social class.
Public Silence
Mass polls to answer the question of whether people are afraid to express their opinion are not conducted as often.
The last resonant study on this topic was published in 2016 by the Levada Center: 26% of respondents (6% of them are definitely afraid to express their opinion about the state of affairs in the state in conversations with sociologists, 23% - in conversations with colleagues, 17% - with relatives and friends.
The majority of respondents (56%) explained the cautious attitude to the study of public opinion with fear of negative consequences for themselves.
What is the dynamics to date – it is difficult to say for sure, there was no re-study.
However, according to political scientist Margarita Zavadskaya, "now the norm of social behavior in society is caution."
This so-called "syndrome of public mute" applies not only to conditional average citizens, but also to universities, faculty.
Even those who, it would seem, should communicate directly and openly with their audience (for example, pro-rectors for work with students), prefer (or have no other choice) to minimize public discussions and not express their opinions.
Teachers are silent not only in classrooms, but also in meetings, councils, during surveys conducted by senior management, and even in social networks.
Publicly it is appropriate to share information about successes and achievements, but it is unacceptable to talk about problems, criticize management decisions.
In many ways, such public mute is the result of university regulations on the principles of corporate behavior.
As a rule, they concern public comments of employees (including statements in social networks) on socially significant and political topics.
Universities can position such regulations in different ways, the main argument is that the university should be about science and outside of politics.
Valery Fadeev, the head of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, believes that the prohibition of students and employees of the Higher School of Economics to make public statements, including the signing of open letters, is not a restriction on freedom of speech.
According to Fadeev, this is only "an attempt to minimize politicization and attacks on the HSE."
However, regulations are not always prohibitive.
Often, university employees engage in self-censorship.
In November 2021, I interviewed members of a Facebook group devoted to higher education (almost 10,000 people), asking an open question (open questions cannot be answered “yes ” or“ no ”, they assume that the options will be formulated by the respondents themselves), similar to the one that was asked to the Russians by the Levada Center in 2016: “In your opinion, your colleagues in the field of science education are afraid to publicly express themselves. What is your opinion on the current situation in the country? ”
The most "liked" answer (punctuation and spelling saved):
"Definitely yes.
You always look back when you write an opinion on a particular issue.
It's not even discussed.
It ’ s really scary to write, and you can ’ t write the whole truth anymore.
This is due to the overall political situation in the country.
No one wants to go to prison because of the approval of someone ’ s opinion or because of the statement of his own.
And also with a lack of understanding of the rules of the game, what can be said and what can not be said.
I ’ m scared to write that. ”
There were also such statements:
“I think it was easier before the transition.
The rules of the game were much clearer.
The power to criticize in public was simply forbidden.
And now it is not clear, sometimes you read this - well, for sure, a person will sit down, and nothing like he wrote.
And sometimes there is information that a person likes some nonsense put an article on him. "
"Yes, after the collapse of the judicial system in January-February of this year, I stopped expressing my opinion publicly, since you can go to jail even for reposting an anecdote."
“We don ’ t see the opposition at all.
But there is the opposite.
There are some professors (obviously cuddling ducks) who discuss with students how good it was in the Soviet Union or how bad America was.
It is very aggressive propaganda.
Students sometimes complain about it. ”
Careful people
Such extreme caution in discussions is a stopper for the development of society.
Views, ideas and opinions that could be expressed by educated intellectuals and communicated to the general public do not find their audience.
Those who used to be called the "white bone", who formed public opinion, are now forced to remain silent.
If you look at the truth, today ’ s university staff are actually in a precarious employment situation.
First, their social situation is precarious: a short-term contract may simply not be extended.
The grounds in this case, as a rule, are tied to formal indicators, but in fact it is a convenient tool for putting pressure on employees who allow themselves excessive freedom of speech and participate in acts of political solidarity.
Second, precarious employment is characterized by poor social security.
The loss of a job in most Russian universities threatens a long-term loss of employment in general: when there is only one university in the city, it is almost impossible to change a job – except to change the career trajectory by getting a cashier in a trading network.
The consequence of such insecurity is the willingness of university staff to meet any unreasonable demands, without making the slightest attempt to defend their rights – for example, in everything that concerns the super-requirements for publication activity.
For example, in some universities, along with the requirements for writing articles, citation requirements were introduced: at the beginning of the year, employees must declare how many times the article will be mentioned in other publications by the end of the year.
Often, university employees are required to attribute the name of the rector to all their scientific publications.
The teaching staff massively and submissively, without resisting, simulates scientific publications, scientific citation, science in general - they do not risk expressing their opinion, fearing negative consequences.
For precarious employment is characterized by the lack of many social guarantees.
The income of university staff is unstable: the grounds for the payment of allowances at most universities are extremely variable and not always feasible.
A quote from the survey illustrates this situation well:
“It ’ s very dangerous to say what you think, how things really are.
External universal approval in the universities does not mean anything.
People are just really afraid.
The first thesis is also approved, the opposite thesis is also approved.
The main thing is that it comes from the boss.
To lose a job now in some cities, especially small and medium-sized ones, is almost equivalent to physical death.
Social security is hard on us.
The level of approval of all nonsense is now almost as under Stalin.
And in the vows, too.
Only under Stalin the delusions were less and there was a general logic.
And now the logic is ragged, all clip and contradictory.
It will not end well. ”
The lack of freedom of expression also makes it impossible to express professional solidarity.
A recent story about the arrest of Shaninka ’ s rector, Sergei Zuev, showed that public support turned out to be a matter of brave and protected people – not just all decent people.
The teaching staff of universities cannot afford to express solidarity not only because of external restrictions and self-censorship: they are in a vulnerable position, where the only real task is to keep their jobs.
Those who call for change see the evil: suddenly their prayers will be selected and the small that is.
Prudence is becoming a “staple ” of higher education
Managers in the field of education to such subordinates sincerely rejoice: no whining, no criticism (by the way, the favorite argument of managers when assessing the effectiveness of their work - everyone is happy, no one criticizes), one continuous "approves" and, if you do not go into the essence, but judge by the reports, there is an appearance of activity.
This is how the management cycle is formed: cautious people are recruited into the subordination of cautious people, and prudence becomes the “fastener ” of higher education.
Public procurement, grants and other vulnerabilities
One way to reduce the precariousness of scientific work is through reliable and transparent funding – from a variety of sources.
However, many foreign funds were forced to leave Russia, and cooperation with the remaining carries risks - today you can get financing, and tomorrow you will be a foreign agent.
The system of public procurement and grants only increases the dependence of university employees on the Russian authorities – instead of becoming a good tool for scientists to calculate their planning horizon and feel more confident.
Separately, it is worth highlighting public procurement for works, the results of which are not the supply of tangible goods or standard services, but all kinds of research (research work), research and development (R & D) and analytical reports, for which it is difficult to establish clear criteria for assessing results.
So, in the end, it all comes down to an examination, where the word of one expert can be put against the word of another.
This situation makes such contracts very "corruption-intensive".
Which of the experts to consider conscientious, and which – not, usually decides the investigation, based on their ideas about the examination.
Thus, the head of the Russian branch of Transparency International sees the problem in the fact that an important role in the case of Sergei Zuev is played by the expertise of the Russian Academy of Education, which challenged the quality of Shaninka ’ s performance of state contracts.
It was the examination conducted by the Academy, which is headed by ex-Minister of Education Olga Vasilyeva, "helped" the Ministry of Internal Affairs to identify the fact of embezzlement of funds.
"For a long time, there were no claims to the works performed [Shaninka], and only after a few years they appeared, - Ilya Shumanov, General Director of Transparency International (Russia), is perplexed. - Moreover, these claims are not considered in the course of a civil process, as it should be, but a criminal case is immediately initiated...".
And adds: "... a large number of criminal cases against the rectors, which I know, were completely justified.
There were embezzlement and confirmed information on illicit enrichment. "
The situation with Shaninka is complicated by the fact that the contracts were concluded under the procedure of public procurement, and, as can be seen from the website of public procurement, both contracts were subsequently terminated at the initiative of the customer (a specific state body with which public procurement took place).
Obviously, for this reason, claims to Zuev are not expressed for the full amount of contracts (a total of about 50 million rubles), but only for the part that, apparently, was actually paid - about 21 million rubles.
We do not know all the details and details of the relationship between Shaninka and the state customer - it is quite possible that this amount of work was provided.
Moreover, the fact that law enforcement officers rely on the examination of the results of the work, suggests that some results were still provided.
In ordinary business, such a situation is a dispute of economic entities, which would be resolved in a civil court, and criminal prosecution could appear only after the identification of undeniable evidence of fraud, along with evasion of compensation for damage.
However, in the case of public procurement, proceedings based on the results of work under contracts terminated on terms agreed by both parties begin immediately with criminal prosecution, arrest and detention.
In my opinion, such situations were meant when the phrase "enough nightmare business" was first sounded.
Legitimate and Illegal Violations
At the same time, if you look at the grants of the RSF through the optics of Dissernet, it turns out that among the scientists who regularly receive large grants, there are many leaders of the so-called “factories of fake dissertations ”.
A significant part of the articles required for grant reports contains unscrupulous borrowings; it is expected that the texts will be checked for plagiarism by scientific journals, but they, as the experience of the Council for the Ethics of Scientific Publications shows, do not always have the resources for this (both financial and intellectual).
This is neither a specific nor unique situation.
When data fabrication is paid extra, it ’ s dishonesty in Cuba.
Unfortunately, universities, in pursuit of the number of publications, rather than their quality, regularly give their employees allowances for almost any violation of ethics: for plagiarism, garbage articles, written and purchased authorship.
There are also cases of public procurement in so-called predator journals, where articles are published without a review procedure, and the very reason for the existence of these journals is to help unscrupulous authors report on grants.
The researcher can simulate publication activity in a variety of ways, and in most cases this practice will be supported, since universities report publications to ministries.
When they pay extra for data fabrication, it ’ s dishonesty in Cuba.
It is suddenly discovered that there are legitimate and illegitimate violations.
Legitimate - plagiarism, forgery and the purchase of authorship.
Illegitimate are embedded in the system of grants and public procurement so that it was impossible to guess in advance that the grantee violated something.
This is largely due to the lack of qualification of those who formulate the terms of reference on behalf of the customer: it does not allow them to formulate the requirements qualitatively.
This is superimposed by an extremely asymmetrical schedule for the publication of competitions, a large proportion of which is announced at the end of the third and fourth quarters - with deadlines until the end of the year, which is simply impossible for a conscientious participant.
Therefore, ordinary businesses that are not affiliated with the state or law enforcement agencies often consider the money received through public procurement to be toxic due to high risks.
Grants stand out, which, on the one hand, are not so strictly regulated by law, but, on the other hand, require strict compliance with targeted spending of funds.
Given the long term of such grants - in several years - the fulfillment of these conditions is almost impossible.
And then the leader of the team is faced with a dilemma.
On the one hand, it may formally comply with all conditions at the expense of actual results, which may subsequently be regarded as "lack of intention to do the work".
On the other hand, he can "score" on the formalities and achieve results in fact - risking being accused of "misuse of funds."
At the same time, the range of situations is quite wide - from banal changes in prices in the market to changes in the socio-political situation.
In the Facebook group mentioned above, I asked a question about the attitude towards grants and public procurement at universities.
I wanted to understand how university employees themselves treat them: how transparent and understandable are the conditions for interaction with the state, whether this interaction helps to move forward - or whether it has such pitfalls that it is better not to get involved once again.
“I ’ m talking about public procurement.
We need food samples at the RTA for our classes.
It all comes through public procurement.
It's just a nightmare, how many papers you need to buy only in a certain store, when all the documents are signed.
For example, I have a class tomorrow on salted fish or boiled sausage.
I have to buy something fresh today and bring it to class tomorrow.
But no, buy on a certain day a month before classes (or even more or later), put in the freezer and a month later you need to identify.
But in the ROC issued a certain amount of money to the laboratory and, as a rule, all samples were purchased at the right time.
Then the report. ”
Are there any foreign grants?
We used to have INTAS and CRDF grants, but that all stopped a long time ago. ”
"I know about the real case when the professor went to a rally, and the ministry decided to stop funding the grant for which he worked (and note - not one, but as part of a team of scientists).
To make others unhappy... "
"You are engaged in socio-political research, for example, you receive funding from a foreign fund and fall under the law (on foreign agents)."
It seems that we have come to a situation where grants and public procurement are gradually becoming a lever of pressure.
Not only can they be given or not given, but they can also initiate a criminal case based on the results of the implementation of projects.
Scientific work is now organized in such a way that foreign grants can not be taken, and state grants and public procurement - it is possible, but taking them, you are a hostage.
Although it is obvious that the objectives were initially different, the very desire for transparency and clarity in the system of budget allocation was not aimed at such consequences.
One way or another, the dependent position of employees and heads of universities is aggravated – although, logically, grants and the opportunity to participate in public procurement should provide additional opportunities, rather than select them.
Is there a chance for change for the better?
Of course.
We will only have to start with the decriminalization of controversial situations in the case of public procurement and grants for universities, with a tolerant attitude to freedom of speech, with an increase in the status of scientists in our country, their social protection.
And this, paradoxically, requires not only political will, courage and courage, a willingness to look not only at the reports, but also at the facts.
While scientists are afraid and trying to silence them, Russian science will not break out.
For its development, it is important that not only those who can adapt and survive, but also intelligent people who have their own opinion and self-esteem (and this is by no means a silent majority) remain and come into this sphere.
It is they who can bring science and education to the leading positions in the world, and not the voiceless precarians and drummers of mental labor, who spend their potential on the formation of unnecessary reports, on a profitable and safe simulation of scientific activity.
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The Russian document also reports that state grants and government procurement have become mechanisms that increase dependence and can be used as tools of pressure on researchers and universities.

The Office for Students (OfS) in England is implementing a free speech complaints scheme and has published draft guidance to help higher education providers meet new legal duties on lawful free speech.

Title:

Content: Comment

Free speech will return to our great universities

A high quality university experience depends upon it, and the OfS’s work will seek to ensure it

One in seven students does not feel free to express their views on campus. Studies have shown more than 30 per cent of academics self-censoring – about twice the rate of most European countries. And the UK has slipped to about sixtieth place in the global Academic Freedom Index. We know there is a problem with free speech in English higher education.

Changes are coming to how it is protected. Following new legislation, the Office for Students (OfS) – the independent regulator of higher education in England – will launch a new complaints scheme.

The scheme will be free to use for students, staff at universities and visiting speakers who believe that their free speech rights have been constrained. Only lawful free speech is protected. So speech which incites violence, or racial hatred, or is otherwise illegal, is not protected. But there is no protection in law from feeling offended. Indeed, an effective higher education includes exposure to views which are unpopular and difficult.

This week the OfS has published draft guidance to help universities, colleges and students’ unions to navigate their responsibilities under the new legislation. It includes hypothetical examples to show these organisations both where free speech might have been constrained, and what they may have to do to secure it.

The examples cover various issues – from global politics, to gender, to relationships with overseas regimes that may undermine free speech in English higher education.

We outline, in particular, an example where a university accepts international students on visiting scholarships funded by a foreign government. The scholars must accept the principles of that government and receive direction from it via consular staff. Such an arrangement may undermine free speech and academic freedom at the university. We will consider each case on its facts, but if there is suppression of free speech or academic freedom within the law, the university would likely be required to change or terminate this scholarship agreement.

This example is fundamentally important. Any international arrangement that undermines free speech or academic freedom risks higher education providers breaching their new duties. Free speech at our universities is not for sale to any foreign government or agency. Universities and colleges should make sure, now, that all their teaching and research activities uphold the relevant free speech requirements.

Of course international students contribute enormously to the academic and cultural life of our universities, and they bring wider economic benefits too. It is entirely understandable that universities want to attract students from around the world. They help to preserve and enhance the (much deserved) global reputation of higher education in England.

It is also true that the higher education sector faces a number of financial challenges. Last year, we warned that one of these was an overreliance on fees from international students. We wrote to 23 institutions seeking assurance that they had contingency plans in place in case recruitment patterns change.

But while a warm welcome to international students should persist, universities and colleges must not permit any situation where academics bite their tongues and students look over their shoulders in fear of authoritarian regimes that seek to undermine their freedoms. Universities are alive to the risk of overreliance on international students. That risk cannot, and will not, excuse any organisation from meeting its legal free speech duties.

I am confident that many universities, colleges and students’ unions are already upholding free speech and academic freedom within the law. They rightly see this as an essential part of their work, and something which is crucial for students from all backgrounds to flourish. A high quality university experience depends upon it, and the OfS’s work will seek to ensure it.

Arif Ahmed is director for freedom of speech and academic freedom at the Office for Students

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The OfS guidance explicitly warns that arrangements, such as scholarships tied to a foreign government’s principles, may undermine free speech and might need to be changed or terminated.

An opinion essay on academic culture discusses self-censorship, political caution, and performative discourse in higher education but does not address government language policy or anti-borrowing laws.

Title:

Content: Maybe I’m an anti-intellectual

by Anna Black | June 22, 2024

A year ago, a friend from home visiting Oxford took a deep breath after my new friends left the room. She said “you all speak really fast.” That “I’m on the last thing, and you’re onto the next. It’s all going over my head.” I was embarrassed. I realised only later that the art, here, is not only quick-wittedness, but also in not saying what you mean. In a parallel preoccupation with finding depth where it lacks, intellectualising the mundane. A disciplined showmanship of self-awareness; a banter that avoids earnestly confronting the notion that we might just be ridiculous. It’s not about who you know but what you know, what you react to, where in a conversation you subtly weave in a reference to being a Londoner, an inside joke the Oxford Union secretariat share, or what Purcell’s magnum opus was. What comes of it is a kind of quiet, passive exclusion, a social stratification between Oxford and somewhere normal.

It is of course, one thing to have the (forgivable) privilege to interrogate the world whilst others are given only their direct and undeniable experiences to work with. It is another, to have that privilege and use it only for discourse –self-contained, exclusionary, virtue-signalling, backhanded, ironic, exclusively drunken. Don’t think too far back, you can remember that high of a quality conversation, the serotonin of two people relating to a third coyly flagged thing. Quietly weaving a web of succinct ad libs about Greek myth, the banality of religion, or how power is discourse and is reinforced daily through imitations of a class-based nature (guilty). You learn to roll your own cigarettes, you wait to be introduced to the exactly right people, you pick up only mannerisms that signal disaffection. You wonder your friends from home would recognise you.

Like all things, this quickly becomes political. This week I spoke to a tutor who said that in tutorials, she wondered whether her students would “ever put their bodies on the line.” A day earlier, a friend went on a date with a Politics student who said they “didn’t know enough about Gaza” to decide. These anecdotes are disturbing because it is Oxford students who have access to the resources to understand the political world, who study it, and study in a place soaked to the bone in it. To study around politics is what I am interested in. It is not about ignorance: triggered often by misinformation, necessity, or political alienation. It is rather the ability to ritually forget that we are all obligated to do things. The word ‘apolitical’ has often been applied to mean people who say they have no interest in politics. In Oxford I think it more applies to people who are interested, but without being vested, which I see as the core of politics.)

Too many times in Oxford I have the displeasure of speaking with an Oxford species who can banter, defend, critique, sober, unveil, play and play and play the devil’s advocate (unto climax), but who cannot for the life of them deviate from a brand of hesitance. This person aptly will cringe at the suggestion they are apolitical (perhaps they are not) and is consistently an expert at infantilising and scorning the extreme. He is vigilant day and night about real concerns like bias, subjectivity, exaggeration and inaccuracy. He was, after all, encouraged to develop a distaste for these things, in his interview. (Now, life is just one big tutorial.) This person is not unwittingly or apologetically apolitical, but informed and apolitical. The irony is that this is deeply felt by the person to be some mission towards realness. But this is perverted, because his behaviour is the direct outcome of a scarcity of realness, a scarcity that results in an inability to identify the real.  This-is-probably-not-as-bad-as-you-think, he would say to the real, if it slapped him in the face. You feel his back, and something is missing.

The indecisive feign humility and the humility masks fear: of ostracism, of impoliteness, of being wrong in the end. What is the end? Who will dictate when something stops being a joke and starts being real? Which authority that proclaims ‘genocide, for sure’ will you believe? When will it be imminent that you should believe in anything at all?

There is, after all, something truly gratuitous about the search for objectivity – it does not require any experience. Apparently, in “Oxford,” anyone can be an intellectual. All it requires is the insatiable desire to consume, and an allergy to anything brash. All it requires is a neat ability to take the Self out of the equation. You should relate to me, and not the flip way round – god forbid I have to roll around in the swine of difference, subjectivity, and worst of all, the un-aestheticisable. The bird’s eye is a convenient vantage point for those already at the top.

There are related thoughts I don’t want to have, like: can going to private school be forgiven by a preoccupation with literary politics? Maybe this is a problem academia also has to reckon with, at least when it is also responsible for social norms. Alas, the aesthetic is rarely outside the mating region: missing at a poorly attended protest, or a local organisers’ meeting with no young people. Young people wake up in droves for May Day choirs, to beat tradition like a dead horse, and protests on the same day are sparsely populated by young people, now fast asleep. What results from hedonistic lack of conviction that the adolescent intelligentsia possess, is immeasurable. It involves tumble weeding into Consulting, anxieties about finding Oxford-adjacent friends after uni, a distaste for vandalised art and direct action… But maybe that’s too harsh, and the overlap with politics exists.

In the Just Stop Oil laptop sticker? “ACAB” scrawled on ski lifts? In an increasingly androgenous closet, or the decision to cut off the problematic male friend? Those who do talk about politics place so many degrees of separation between them and their subject that it could be the weather. We accessorise politics not only when we re-share a post, but also when we decide to self-censor, afraid that bringing the news up might bring the mood down. One might wonder what the crime is. Surely our habits are taught, curated by a limited exposure, a British middle class, or even being gatekept from other types of coolness in a GCSE classroom?

I also fear conflating reference-culture with some distinct phenomenon of Britishness – the stiff upper lip, perhaps. The thought that my Indian expatriate parents, despite English being their first language, could for the life of them not relate to my friends’ parents. But perhaps I don’t relate to my own parents anymore. This makes me hesitant to think it is just Britishness I take issue with. It is something learned, maybe whatever people mean when they say, “that’s so Oxford,” not realising what was and is Oxford diffuses everywhere. Higher education was seen by 18th century British aristocrats as valuable for imparting social graces (civility, polish), and imperial conduct. And those knowledges needed to engage in such graces, or furnish a Grand Tour of Europe, explain why someone without the spare time or sensibility (money and privilege) to read for pleasure and conversation, went to other universities. Sometimes I think we ought to be a more embarrassed of going here, in ways that exceed not wearing your Oxford puffer back home.

And there is a material legacy to this obsession with civility, its false equation with rationality. Balliol man Alfred Milner, justifying concentration camps in Boer, South Africa, with a righteous conviction that they would bring the natives to a “higher plane of civilisation.” He recruited and trained future administrators almost exclusively from Oxford and expressed that the group of graduates composing of “Milner’s Kindergarten,” would feature “a regular rumpus and a lot of talk about boys and Oxford and jobs and all that.” What else do we talk about? How much have our interests, and ways of speaking, changed? Hyde, the Earl of Clarendon, was University Chancellor. History professor Fletcher wrote history books (circulated by the University Press) calling African slaves “incapable of any serious improvement.” Such justifications for colonialism link explicitly to the ability to achieve what many in Oxford saw as a higher plane of consciousness – not simply the absence of “savagery” but the manicured self-conduct they emulated, glorified. More perpetrators of global violence have shared the costume of sub fusc than any other dress, a fact that a faculty member recently noted. It’s all gone and done, you might say. Yet we strive, subconsciously, to a class above. Yet, Sunak more than anything, in his distance from real people, emulates Oxford. And yet, still, we decide whether to be in solidarity, based on how “reasonable” protesters are. How many degrees of translation will it take for true coherency?

What can be helped is how jaded the Oxford-goer chooses to make each conversation, who they desire to relate to, and whether knowing and engaging can ever be the same as being in solidarity with.

I want to imagine a situation where an Oxford graduate must have a conversation about politics with someone who isn’t from Oxford, who that politics pertains to. I imagine the conversation as unsuccessful, the Oxford student operating at some different, dislodged tier of understanding, at a cognitive dissonance from the non-Oxford person. Interacting with awkwardness, aesthetic, (political) correctness, citations–anything but eye contact. Patricia Hill Collins puts, about “educated fools,” that “knowledge without wisdom is adequate for the powerful, but wisdom is essential to the survival of the subordinate.” The problem as it stands is not just that the privileged curate a vocabulary and convention only, they are privy to, but that the oppressed have different ways of knowing. The feminine ‘intuition’, the ‘crazy hunch’, are all examples of testimonial injustice: where things don’t count as knowledge because they don’t conform to hegemonic standards of what knowledge is. This is important to Oxford because of its insulation, its tendency to forget that it not only portrays reality but creates it. We assume that intuition isn’t a way of knowing things, that we cannot connect with people who have not interpreted the world like us. And ‘us’ might be student Tories, but it more often might be ‘anti-Union white queers’, and groups of friends composed entirely of English students.

Is it called bourgeois socialism? Isn’t the framing of a discourse, the obsession with impenetrable theory, the identical magazine subscriptions, itself the neat ordering that constructs a social class? I think Foucault says much about this, and this piece is an example of the very thing it opposes, in the very publication that platforms things it opposes. Perhaps my only justified appeal is that we begin reacting in ways not dissimilar to a friend recently catching me out at the end of some glib, trite remark architectured as something else: “what could you possibly mean by that?”

Words by Anna Black (Psuedonym). Image courtesy of Cameron Samuel Keys.

Across the provided documents there is no mention of laws, official programs, or state measures specifically aimed at preventing lexical borrowings into a state language or regulating borrowings from English.

Title:

Content: Alan Riquelmy: Don’t tell the nuns | TheUnion.com
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Alan Riquelmy: Don’t tell the nuns

The third grade English workbook was a breeze.

It was teaching us how to use commas. With a No. 2 pencil, students were to place commas in the sentences provided. Thankfully, the designers of the workbook had included large spaces in between words where they should go.

How easy is school, I thought. Come on, give me a challenge.

Little did I know algebra was a few short years away. Then algebra II. It all gets a bit recursive, like the comma. I, just, don’t, know, how, to, stop.

People in my industry have a weird relationship with the punctuation. You thought right versus left was bad. The pro and anti-Oxford comma folks are worse, because the stakes are that much lower. They form cabals and call each other out on social media. They seethe at what is considered improper usage. Strangers will insult you all while making themselves feel better about themselves.

It’s too much, all too much and there’s no reason for it.

We were taught you can’t start a sentence with a conjunction. But why? Capitalize the first word of each sentence. e e cummings never did. Don’t see why I should.

And two spaces when starting a new sentence? A paragraph can’t be just one word?

Whatever.

I’ve told reporters that English is like “The Matrix” — some rules can be bent. Others can be broken.

What, like some dark-suited agent is going to come for me for misusing a comma? I was taught by nuns. You don’t scare me.

But I get it. Language is a building block of our culture and culture must have its rules. Sure, there’s music and fashion, but those are easily appropriated by various subcultures. What’s in vogue for one group is trash for another. By the way, your music is terrible.

The English language, though, spoken or written, is used by a lot of people. I guess we could switch to Esperanto, but it’s been tried and no one liked it. So, we augment the language we’ve got and make our own rules. Then we complain when the newest generation starts doing it wrong. It’s the American way.

Funny thing, I was always taught that English is a living language. It changes shape to suit our needs. Latin is used by lawyers and doctors because it’s dead. It’s not going to change. In vino veritas? Sure, I’ll have a glass. Just don’t get too buzzed, hammered, wasted or twisted, three sheets to the wind and you’ll be pushing up daisies and pining for the fjords.

What are these guttural sounds emanating from vocal chords? I don’t know. Put them in a certain order, assign meaning to them and call it a day. Better yet, codify it in written form and pass it down through the ages until some dumb kid is scribbling in a workbook with a No. 2 pencil.

Better than doing algebra problems, I guess.

I think our petty disagreements and peccadilloes over English, in fact, bring us closer together instead of pushing us apart. We speak it and argue over it, and get an odd sense of satisfaction just to have that disagreement.

It’s our language, dirty and tatty though it might be. We mold it like dough, shape it into perfection and then eat it whole just to do it all again.

Disruptive and magic, words spark emotion, wars and marriages. They turn some into politicians and put others behind bars, depending on how they’re used.

Just don’t tell the nuns about that last one.

Really.

I

mean

it.

Alan Riquelmy is the managing editor of The Union. He can be reached at ariquelmy@theunion.com or 530-477-4249

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Content: Nigeria risks losing assets to China over $3.48bn loan, experts warn FG

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Economic and financial experts have warned the Federal Government that Nigeria risks losing key national assets to China in the event that it defaults in paying back loans obtained from China which is currently put at $3.48bn.

They spoke against the backdrop of the possible takeover of Uganda’s only international airport and other key assets over the East African country’s inability to repay a $207m loan obtained on November 17, 2015 from the Export-Import Bank of China.

The loan has a maturity period of 20 years including a seven-year grace period. According to the deal signed with the Chinese lenders, Uganda will have to surrender its only international airport.

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority said some provisions of the financing agreement with China exposed the Entebbe International Airport and other Ugandan assets which might be taken over by Chinese lenders upon arbitration in Beijing.

China has reportedly rejected recent pleas by Uganda to renegotiate the toxic clauses of the 2015 loan.

This came as Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, in August 2020 hinted about the possibility of Nigeria forfeiting its assets to China in the event of loan default.

Amaechi reportedly said Nigeria had waived immunity on a loan, which means China could take the country to arbitration in the event of a default.

The minister, however, added that there would be no need for China to claim any infrastructure once Nigeria repaid its loans to the Asian country.

 “We must learn to pay our debts and we are paying, and once you are paying, nobody will come and take any of your assets,” Amaechi said.

However, financial analysts hinted about the possibility of Nigeria forfeiting key national assets to China if the country defaulted on its $3.48bn loans.

They also advised the Federal Government to properly review the loan agreements with China to save the country from facing a situation similar to that of Uganda.

The Chief Executive Officer of SD&D Capital Management, Idakolo Gbolade, said Nigeria might forfeit certain assets in the event of a loan default.

Asked if Nigeria faced any risks on its China loans, Gbolade said, “Yes, it is very possible. If you remember about a year ago, there was serious concern in the National Assembly on the loans given by the Chinese Exim Bank to us, and I am sure the loan clause also includes forfeiture of national assets.”

The expert, however, expressed confidence that Nigeria was capable of paying back its debt.

An economist and professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Uyo, Akpan Ekpo, said the development in Uganda was worrisome and exemplified some of the dangers of borrowing from external sources.

He, therefore, advised the government to ensure that loan agreements with China were properly appraised.

Ekpo said, “It is an issue of concern; that is why in any loan agreement with China, we have to read in between the lines. We have to make sure we really understand their agreements.

“We should make sure that Nigerians are involved in the loan negotiation process. Experts should be carried along so that they can properly understand both the agreement in English and in Chinese.

“If the loans have clauses that may cost us our assets or even our sovereignty – as the debate was earlier in the year – that would be disastrous.

“So they should take experts with them when they go to negotiate the loans they collect from China, not just people from foreign affairs.”

A professor of Economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Sheriffdeen Tella, equally expressed a similar view, stressing that all loan agreements between Nigeria and external sources should be properly studied by experts.

He said, “It could happen to any African country because they are all thinking of borrowing. But I think that since people have kept the conversation alive now, the government will be very careful with loans collected from China.

“There is, however, the need for an assessment of government external debt from different sources now. We have to start looking at it and there is a need to study the documents that contain the agreements of some of these loans to prevent a similar occurrence.

“We need to start asking ‘what are the contents or the conditions of the loans?’ There is also a need for the government to create a means for offsetting such debts.”

The Managing Director of Cowry Asset Management Limited, Johnson Chukwu, said the country should not have a problem paying back the loan if the economy thrived sufficiently.

He said, “An interest of 2.5 per cent is not high. The key challenge is that did we invest the money in productive assets, and are we getting the value for the money? Was the project cost-optimal?

“It is important to note that investment in infrastructure should lead to an expansion in the country’s ability to generate revenue. If the economy thrives, paying back the loan should not be a problem.

“However, if certain reasonable conditions are not met, it may have a catalytic effect on the economy with the country finding it difficult to pay back the loan.”

Although the Federal Government has been mostly secretive about the terms of the agreement of its China loans, the Debt Management Office has made some statements on them in recent times.

In a statement in June, 2020, the DMO said, “The total borrowings from China of $3.121bn as at March 31, 2020, are concessional loans with interest rates of 2.5 per cent per annum, tenor of 20 years and grace period (moratorium) of seven years.”

According to the DMO, the terms are compliant with the provisions of Section 41 (1a) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

In addition, the low interest rate reduces the interest cost to government while the long tenor enables the repayment of the principal sum of the loans over many years.

Eleven projects, ranging from water supply, power generation, railways, airport terminals, communication to agricultural processing are funded by the loans acquired.

The Director-General, DMO, Patience Oniha, had in February said, “So far, let’s be very clear that there has not been any default, whether of local or international debt.”

The earliest of the funding agreements between Nigeria and China was signed in 2010 with an interest rate of 2.5 per cent yearly, a repayment period of about 20 years and a grace period of seven years.

If Nigeria is unable to pay its first debt by 2038, the country may have to lease out any of the Chinese-funded projects in Nigeria to China.

The first loan project was for the Nigerian national public security communication system project with $399.50m agreed on December 20, 2010 and disbursed.

The second loan was for the Nigerian railway modernisation project (Wu- Kaduna section) with $500m agreed on December 20, 2010 and disbursed.

While the third loan was for the Abuja light rail project with $500m agreed on November 7, 2012 and disbursed, the fourth loan was targeted at Nigerian ICT infrastructure backbone project with $100m agreed on January 5, 2013 and disbursed.

The fifth loan was meant for the Nigerian four airport terminals’ expansion project (Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Port Harcourt) with $500m agreed on July 10, 2013 but $455.28m was disbursed, which is 91.06 per cent of the agreed amount.

The sixth loan was for the Nigerian Zungeru hydroelectric power project with $984.32m agreed on September 28, 2013 but only $518.24m was disbursed, which is 52.65 per cent of the agreed amount.

The seventh loan was for the Nigerian 40 parboiled rice processing plants project (Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), with $325.67m agreed on April 26, 2016, but nothing was disbursed.

The eighth loan was for the Nigerian railway modernisation project (Lagos – Ibadan section), with $1.27bn agreed on August 18, 2017 but only $759.84m was disbursed, which is 17.50 per cent of the agreed amount.

The ninth loan was targeted at the rehabilitation and upgrading of Abuja-Keffi-Markurdi road project with $460.82m agreed on August 18, 2017 but only $80.64m was disbursed, which is 59.96 per cent of the amount agreed.

The 10th loan was meant for the Nigeria supply of rolling stocks and depot equipment for the Abuja light rail project with $157m agreed on May 29, 2018, but nothing was disbursed.

Lastly, the 11th loan was for the Nigeria greater Abuja water supply project with $381.09m agreed on May 29, 2018, but nothing was disbursed.

In terms of repayments, Nigeria paid $102.68m to China in the first six month of 2021, while it still owes about $3.48bn

Nigeria also paid a total of $102.68m to the Exim Bank of China in the first half of this year.

Nigeria paid an interest fee of $42.54m, which is 73.76 per cent of the principal fee of $57.67m as debt service to the Exim Bank of China in the first three months of 2021

Alongside commitment charges of $1.98m, Nigeria paid a total of $102.20m.

In the second quarter of 2021, Nigeria paid an interest fee of $306,050, without paying the principal fee, as debt service to the Exim Bank of China in the second three months of 2021

Alongside commitment charges of $170,680, Nigeria paid a total of $476,730 in Q2 2021.

The PUNCH had reported that Nigeria spent $591.11m in five years on servicing the debts owed to the Exim Bank of China.

Nevertheless, Nigeria still owes China $3.48bn as of the end of June 2021.

Copyright PUNCH.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

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Content: Recommend a hero
WE matter who is close to us and our families.
We strive to make sure that there are reliable people around us who can be trusted.
When recommending people, pay attention to our values and guidelines.
Our people WE:
• Our Man strives to create something that improves people ’ s lives
• Our Man in communication with the environment is honest and fair, decent and faithful
• You trust him and are confident in his sincerity
• Our Man lives a full life: a beloved family, a worthy environment, a favorite business, an interesting hobby
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Teenagers about why they want to study in Europe, the United States and South Korea and what opportunities there are for this
504
24.09.2021
Teenagers about why they want to study in Europe, the United States and South Korea and what opportunities there are for this
Erke Szazynda, 15 years old, @ mydadcallsmeyerke
About me
I am studying in the 10th grade of the Abay school for gifted children in the city of Kyzylorda.
I plan to get an education in the field of IT.
I have been studying English since I was a child and now I am at B2 level.
Plus, I study French and Arabic in order to be able to communicate with different people abroad.
There are plans to choose a university in European countries, such as Switzerland, Denmark or Norway.
I am also thinking about entering the United States, namely San Francisco.
The IT sector is well developed in this region.
Youth and study abroad
Today, learning foreign languages and studying abroad is a popular topic among young people.
Everyone wants to study abroad and those who are not lazy make great efforts to learn the language.
In my opinion, the methodology of training in universities in Kazakhstan has not changed since Soviet times, and it is very outdated.
And abroad, there are no teachers who raise their voice to students.
They treat students as friends.
And the teaching method itself is developed and technological.
Currently, there are many opportunities to go abroad.
At present, there are many opportunities to go abroad.
If you have a high GPA and test scores, a good motivational essay, then you will be accepted to some universities in the United States and the United Kingdom for full funding, they will give a scholarship.
In South Korea and in many European countries, there are also programs that work on the same principle.
About opportunities
I think studying in foreign universities is effective.
And, upon returning back to Kazakhstan, young professionals have the opportunity to get a job in the best companies in the country or build their own business.
And if you do not want to return, you can find a job in any country.
After all, people with high-quality higher education are valued everywhere.
Miras Seilhan, 17 years old, @ mirasbil
About me
I am the president of Shymkent BIL school, the founder of BIL PRESS for Generation Z and the organizer of volunteer projects in Shymkent.
At the moment, I am actively studying Turkish, in plans to reach the level of C1 – advanced.
After Turkish, I plan to learn Spanish.
After graduation, I would like to study in the United States, namely at one of the Ivy League universities.
I am also preparing for the IELTS test.
Youth and study abroad
Today, the study of foreign languages is popular among young people.
I believe that this is a 21st century trend that offers a number of advantages.
First, knowledge of languages increases your chances of getting an education in the best universities in the world.
And secondly, you will be able to find a good job in the future or build a career abroad.
Today, among young people popular learning foreign languages
At the moment, almost all students want to study abroad.
Many believe that it is in the top universities that they will be able to get high-quality knowledge.
About opportunities
For me, studying abroad is a tool for realizing my dreams.
Something that will open new doors for you in life.
But it all depends on the person and his willingness to make great efforts.
Erasyl Raimkhan, 16 years old, @ eraimxan
About me
I'm in 10th grade at Murager High.
I am currently studying English.
In the future, I plan to take IELTS and enter a foreign university.
I would like to study in South Korea, and I am actively preparing for admission.
I think that Korean education is one of the best in the world.
In addition, I am attracted to Korea as a country.
But if I can ’ t get into a Korean university, I ’ ll choose Germany.
Youth and study abroad
Young people are interested in learning languages, especially English.
But the topic of studying abroad, in my opinion, is not so popular.
Many teenagers simply do not know about this possibility or believe that it is paid and expensive.
Young people are interested in learning languages, especially English
However, there are many grants for training.
One of them is KGSP, which allows you to study at a Korean university absolutely free of charge and also gives a scholarship.
In some European countries, education is also free.
About opportunities
Studying in foreign universities opens up many prospects.
You have the opportunity to expand your horizons, meet new and interesting people.
In addition, it will be easier to stay there and get a job in the future.
I think the most important value is meeting other ambitious people from all over the world.
It inspires us to strive to achieve our dreams.
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We write about what helps you navigate the new world and choose what you need.

Conclusion: The provided documents do not contain information about governmental laws or policies specifically preventing borrowings into state languages or restricting borrowings from English.


Korean skin care emphasizes prevention, hydration, and achieving a luminous "glass skin" appearance.

Routines commonly recommend multiple steps such as cleansing, toning, treating with serums or essences, moisturising, and sun protection.

Formulations tend to be gentle, focusing on hydration and soothing rather than aggressive, high-percentage actives.

Popular Korean ingredients include ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, centella (cica), PHAs, snail mucin, ginseng, rice extract, bee propolis, and allantoin.

Korean brands often use traditional 'hanbang' herbal ingredients alongside modern actives.

Many Korean brands offer large product diversity tailored to specific skin types and concerns at multiple price points.

Affordability and perceived value have helped spread K-beauty, with many core products retailing under about $25.

Government support and export initiatives have aided international expansion, and Korea operates K-beauty experience centers to showcase products.

Global popularization has been fueled by social media, influencers, viral hashtags, and the wider Hallyu cultural influence.

Marketing strategies include influencer seeding, experiential retail spaces, eye-catching packaging, and highlighting science or traditional ingredient stories.

Some reporting notes that K-beauty exports rank among the world's top cosmetics exporters and that the industry is a significant national export sector.

Conclusion: Based on the provided context, K-beauty's global popularity appears driven by its prevention-and-hydration philosophy, distinctive ingredients and formulations, government and trade support, affordability, and intensive social-media and experiential marketing — not solely by clever marketing.

Korean skin care emphasizes prevention, hydration, and achieving a luminous "glass skin" appearance.

Title:

Content: What's Hot

The Best Korean Skin Care Product Brands For 2024

K-beauty products have slowly risen to trend, becoming bestsellers on almost all e-commerce platforms. So what is all the hype about? Let us break it down for you along with the best Korean skin care brands below.

Best Skin Care Product Brands Photo: Amazon

Korean people are renowned for their sought-after "glass skin" appearance. With a growing emphasis on skin health, many consumers are turning to the best Korean skincare products for its use of natural ingredients such as ginseng and rice water, along with reliable staples like retinol, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and ceramides. From cleansers and moisturisers to face masks and serums, Korean skincare brands provide options for every budget and skin type.

Be it if you have oily, dry, sensitive, or combination skin, Korean brands offer a diverse range of products tailored to address specific issues like acne, aging, hyperpigmentation, and hydration. This versatility has made Korean skincare a favourite among beauty enthusiasts seeking effective solutions at various price points.

To simplify your search for the ideal skincare regimen, we've curated a list of some of the best Korean skincare products and brands below.

Whether you prioritise gentle formulations, anti-aging benefits, or hydration, these recommendations will help you discover a brand that aligns perfectly with your skincare needs and goals. Explore the world of Korean skincare and achieve radiant, healthy-looking skin with products trusted by millions worldwide.

How to choose the best Korean skincare products

  • Identify Your Skin Type: Determine whether your skin is oily, dry, combination, sensitive, or acne-prone. Korean skincare offers targeted products for each type.

  • Understand Your Skin Concerns: Whether it's acne, aging signs, hyperpigmentation, or dehydration, prioritise products designed to address your specific concerns.

  • Read Ingredient Lists: Look for key ingredients like hyaluronic acid for hydration, niacinamide for brightening, and tea tree oil for acne-prone skin. Avoid products with potentially irritating ingredients if you have sensitive skin.

  • Consider Product Texture: Choose textures that suit your preferences and needs—whether lightweight gels for oily skin or rich creams for dry skin.

  • Check for Certifications: Look for certifications like K-Beauty or EWG Verified, ensuring products meet certain safety and quality standards.

  • Trial Sizes and Patch Tests: Start with trial sizes or samples when possible to test compatibility with your skin. Conduct patch tests to avoid adverse reactions.

  • Create a Routine: Build a comprehensive skincare routine that includes cleansing, toning, treating (with serums or essences), moisturising, and sun protection, tailored to your skin's needs and concerns.

How we chose these brands for you

  • Effectiveness: Each brand was evaluated for the efficacy of its products in addressing various skin concerns such as acne, aging, hydration, and sensitivity.

  • Customer Reviews: Insights from real users helped gauge overall satisfaction, product performance, and consistency in delivering promised results.

  • Brand Reputation: We considered the reputation and trustworthiness of each brand within the skincare community, focusing on their commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction.

  • Value for Money: We assessed the pricing relative to the quality and benefits offered by each brand, ensuring you get the best value for your investment.

  • Ethical Standards: Brands that uphold ethical standards in sourcing ingredients, manufacturing processes, and sustainability practices were given preference.

Below is a comprehensive list of best Korean skin care brands

  1. Glow Recipe

Glow Recipe Photo: Amazon

Glow Recipe is a beloved Korean skincare brand known for its innovative and fruit-forward products. If you're wondering whether it's a good fit for your skin type, you're in luck—Glow Recipe caters to a variety of skin types, from dry and sensitive to oily and combination.

Their product range is extensive, featuring everything from cleansers and toners to serums, moisturisers, and masks. Popular items include the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask and the Banana Soufflé Moisture Cream. These products are formulated with gentle yet effective ingredients like watermelon, avocado, and hyaluronic acid, which are designed to nourish and hydrate the skin without irritation.

This brand has carved out a strong position in the market, often praised for its fun, colourful packaging and effective formulations. The brand enjoys a solid reputation, frequently highlighted in beauty magazines and loved by influencers.

Products from Glow Recipe worth the hype

2, ILLIYOON

ILLIYOON Photo: Amazon

ILLIYOON is a rising star in the Korean skincare scene, known for its focus on gentle yet effective formulations suitable for sensitive skin types. Their product range spans from basic skincare essentials to targeted treatments, making it a go-to brand for those seeking simplicity and effectiveness.

The brand emphasises natural ingredients known for their soothing and moisturising properties, such as ceramides, panthenol (provitamin B5), and madecassoside (derived from centella asiatica). These ingredients help strengthen the skin barrier, hydrate deeply, and calm irritation—ideal for sensitive and dry skin types.

While perhaps not as widely recognized as some major Korean beauty brands, ILLIYOON is dermatologically tested, ensuring safety and efficacy for various skin types, reflecting its commitment to quality and skin-friendly formulations. Feedback from users often highlights the brand’s ability to soothe sensitive skin, reduce redness, and provide long-lasting hydration.

Some of the best products from ILLIYOON range

3. COSRX

COSRX Photo: Amazon

Established in 2014, COSRX has quickly gained a strong reputation among skincare enthusiasts and professionals alike. Their products are often clinically evaluated and tested, ensuring safety and efficacy. They're particularly beneficial for acne-prone, oily, combination, and sensitive skin types, thanks to their gentle yet effective formulations.

They prioritise using minimal ingredients and focus on scientifically-backed actives that deliver results without unnecessary additives.

Their range includes essentials like cleansers, toners, exfoliants (like the popular BHA Blackhead Power Liquid), serums (such as the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence), moisturisers, and acne treatments. COSRX products are formulated with key ingredients like snail mucin, Centella Asiatica, AHA/BHA acids, and propolis, targeting issues such as acne, aging, and uneven skin tone.

The brand's straightforward approach and affordable pricing make it a favourite among those looking for reliable skincare solutions backed by science.

Popular product from this fast forward rising brand

4. LANEIGE

LANEIGE Photo: Amazon

Users have continually praised LANEIGE for its ability to deliver noticeable improvements in skin hydration and texture. Since its inception it has built a solid reputation for combining scientific research with effective skincare solutions.

Their products feature ingredients like Water Science™ technology, which includes mineral water, hyaluronic acid, and proprietary blends like the Advanced Water Science™ technology found in their Water Bank line. Popular items include the Water Sleeping Mask, Lip Sleeping Mask, and the Cream Skin Refiner, all designed to provide intense hydration and nourishment.

Many appreciate the luxurious feel and effective results of their products, especially the overnight masks which leave skin feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

LANEIGE's commitment to hydration and skincare innovation continues to resonate with customers worldwide, making it a trusted name in the world of Korean beauty.

Their prominent product lineup include

5. belif

belif Photo: Amazon

Belif is a Korean skincare brand that’s revered for its effective solutions, especially for hydration and maintaining a healthy skin barrier. If you're dealing with dryness, dullness, or sensitivity, this brand offers promising remedies.

They cater  to a wide range of skin types, particularly benefiting those with dry, combination, and sensitive skin. Their formulations are free from parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, appealing to users seeking clean skincare options.

Their lineup includes moisturisers (like the True Cream Aqua Bomb and Moisturizing Bomb), cleansers, serums, masks, and toners. Key ingredients such as comfrey leaf, oats, and calendula help soothe and nourish the skin, while maintaining a gentle approach suitable for sensitive skin types.

The brand continues to be praised for its innovative approach to skincare, making it a favourite among skincare enthusiasts looking for gentle yet powerful solutions.

Standout products include that are under $40

6, innisfree

innisfree Photo: Amazon

Innisfree has cemented its place as a staple in many skincare routines, known for its extensive range of products and dedicated retail outlets worldwide. They offer a diverse array of skincare items including cleansers, toners, essences, serums (such as the Green Tea Seed Serum), moisturizers, masks, and sunscreens.

Their products are formulated with natural ingredients sourced from Korea's pristine Jeju Island, like green tea, volcanic clay, and orchid extracts, catering to a wide spectrum of skin types. The brand is particularly favoured for its commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly practices, earning a positive reputation among environmentally conscious consumers.

Founded in 2000, Innisfree has grown into a globally recognized name in skincare, praised for its effective formulations rooted in natural ingredients. Reviews highlight Innisfree's ability to deliver noticeable results, from improved skin texture to enhanced hydration and a healthy glow.

Some staples you should include in your skincare routine

7. AESTURA

AESTURA Photo: Amazon

AESTURA has made a name for itself by focusing on products designed for sensitive and compromised skin. Their offerings cater to individuals who need gentle, soothing care, often including those with conditions like eczema or rosacea. The brand boasts a comprehensive range of products, including cleansers, toners, moisturisers, and specialised treatments.

This brand's products are formulated with dermatologically tested ingredients such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and Centella Asiatica, which help to strengthen the skin barrier, provide deep hydration, and soothe irritation.

Their key products, like the Atobarrier 365 Cream and the Theracne 365 Clear Deep Cleansing Foam, are highly regarded for their effectiveness and gentleness.

Feedback highlights the noticeable improvement in skin hydration and overall health, with many appreciating the brand's commitment to gentle yet effective skincare. If you're seeking reliable, dermatologist-approved skincare, AESTURA is definitely worth considering.

Products that may help you achieve that glass skin

AESTURA A-CICA365 Soft Calming Mask Pad

AESTURA A-CICA 365 Calming Cream with Blemish Calming Serum

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What makes Korean skincare different from Western skincare?

  • Korean skincare emphasises prevention, hydration, and achieving a luminous complexion through consistent and gentle care. It often incorporates innovative ingredients and practices rooted in traditional Korean beauty rituals.

How should I incorporate Korean skincare products into my routine?

  • Start with a basic routine of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing, then gradually introduce additional products like serums or masks based on your skin concerns. Consistency and patience are important as your skin adjusts to new products.

Are Korean skincare products suitable for men?

  • Yes, Korean skincare brands often offer gender-neutral or specifically formulated products for men. These products focus on hydration, anti-aging, and soothing properties, catering to the unique needs of male skin.

How long does it take to see results from Korean skincare products?

  • Results from Korean skincare products can vary depending on individual skin types and concerns. Generally, users may notice improvements in hydration and skin texture within a few weeks of consistent use.

What does one mean when they say Korean glass skin?

  • Korean glass skin refers to a skincare trend aimed at achieving a smooth, flawless complexion with a reflective, dewy finish. It involves meticulous hydration, exfoliation, and use of lightweight, hydrating products to enhance skin radiance.

Wrapping up

Korean skincare brands offer a pathway to discovering effective and innovative skincare solutions. With a focus on quality ingredients, gentle formulations, and a rich heritage of skincare wisdom, these brands cater to diverse skin types and concerns. By choosing from our carefully curated list of recommendations, you can tap into a world of skincare known for its commitment to hydration, radiance, and overall skin health. Whether you're seeking to address specific skincare issues or enhance your daily routine, Korean skincare offers a holistic approach that blends tradition with modern science, promising visible results and a renewed sense of confidence in your skin.

Disclaimer: The above content is non-editorial and produced by a third party partner. Outlook India does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of the content*.

*The product prices mentioned in the article are subject to change

Title:

Content: Is Korean Skin Care Really Superior? An Investigation

Photographed by Hayleigh Longman
With its shelfie-worthy packaging and a focus on intriguing ingredients like snail mucin and fermented rice water, Korean skincare has been the subject of Western fascination for years. Brands like CosRx, Innisfree, and Laneige have assumed viral social-media status, while Glow Recipe and Dr. Jart+ are now practically household names, thanks to TikTok.
Besides whipping up curiosity, Korean skin care has established a name for itself as one of the most effective and trustworthy categories in beauty. And ahead of winter, it's seeing a serious revival. In the past few weeks, searches for 'Korean skin-care routine', '10-step Korean skin care', and 'best Korean skin-care products' have made up Google's skin-care trends. While on TikTok, the hashtag #koreanskincare has seen a handful of new videos, each raking in millions of views.
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In October, a tweet and TikTok video posted by skin-care blogger @Mul_OVO went viral for showcasing the benefits of switching to Korean skin care. But is Korean skin care really better? Or have we simply got caught up in the hype?
Cosmetic Chemist and Licensed Aesthetician Esther Olu believes our obsession with K-skincare started with 'glass skin' — skin so dewy, it's almost reflective. Olu says that glass skin was the ideal and promoted "healthy-looking" and "luminous" skin standards. "Everyone wanted to have healthy skin," says Olu, "and Korean [skin care] has played a critical role in this mindset."

The Korean approach to skin care is a lot gentler and there is a distinct difference in ingredients lists compared to Western products, which can be harsh.

You could argue that the main intent of skin care everywhere is to promote healthy, happy skin. But there are some key differences. Many Western skin-care trends (such as skin cycling, peels, and rediscovering skin toners) tend to home in on ingredients such as retinol and exfoliating acids, for example glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acid. These are great when used properly and sensibly under the guidance of an expert but they can be notoriously irritating when overdone, as many of us tend to do.
Ask any dermatologist to pinpoint common skin gripes they regularly spot in clinic and they'll almost always reel off perioral dermatitis (a red rash that circles your mouth), burns, irritation, dryness, and a compromised skin barrier (redness, tightness, breakouts, rashes) — all a result of overdoing it on harsh ingredients.
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Of course, Korean skin care does feature the aforementioned ingredients. They do work, after all. But the Korean approach seems to be a lot gentler and there is a distinct difference in ingredients lists, too, says Olu. PHAs (polyhydroxy acids) are a lot more popular in Korean skin care, for example. Take Dr. Jart+'s recently launched Pore Remedy range, in which PHAs are the star ingredient. Much like glycolic and salicylic acids, PHAs exfoliate the skin effectively, but what sets them apart from other exfoliators is their large molecule size. They exfoliate at surface level without going too deep and aggravating skin as other acids might. Glow Recipe and CosRx are just a few Korean brands championing them and subsequently promoting a kinder approach to the controversial exfoliation trend.
In fact, Korean skin care has been something of a savior for our irritated skin barriers of late. Much of Korean skin care shines a light on reducing inflammation rather than drying out skin. "Promoting hydration as well as soothing ingredients is a primary focus in Korean skin care," confirms Cosmetic Chemist Ramón Pagán. "This is a contrast to the products we tend to see in the west, which can be more astringent or irritating to the skin with higher percentages of active ingredients."
Pagán explains that thanks to skin-care marketing in the early '00s, the Western approach to skin care has been hooked on stripping skin: getting rid of the 'bad' stuff like excess oil and clogged pores. Conversely, Korean skin care is about nourishing the skin. Reddit's skin-care obsessives concur that Western skin care can be disagreeable, particularly for those with dry, sensitive, or acne-prone skin.
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@hkjennylee #greenscreen and not to mention the dupe has bifida as the FIRST ingredient while the original has it as the SECOND… tea 🙈 #koreanskincare #kbeautyblogger #kbeauty #koreanskincareproducts #kbeautyskincare ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys - Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
Olu seconds this. "Western skin-care products tend to take a corrective approach," she tells R29. "Specifically, the formulas are dedicated to solving a skin-care concern, whether it is retinol, azelaic acid, or BHAs and AHAs," which are different kinds of exfoliating acids. "[Western skin care] is meant to help with anti-aging and things like redness," explains Olu, "while Korean skin care focuses more on maintenance and skin barrier health."
It's why you'll find excellent ingredients, like ceramides (very moisturizing and hold the skin barrier together), centella asiatica aka cica (a herb that decreases inflammation, redness, puffiness, and swelling) and niacinamide (vitamin B3, which keeps the skin barrier intact and reduces excess oil) in most Korean skin care. The color-correcting cream that recently went viral on TikTok? It includes cica — and of course it's Korean.

A reason why Korean skin care is so popular — and so good — is because the Korean government is said to have actively invested in its beauty brands to better develop cosmetics.

Redditors also point out that Korean skin care includes 'special ingredients' and technologies that Western products don't. Snail mucin (excreted from snails) is a popular moisturizing ingredient among Korean brands, with influencers and experts extolling the virtues of products like CosRx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence Gel. "This is a great barrier-protecting ingredient," Dr. Kemi Fabusiwa told R29 recently, "but it also gives your skin a great shine."
Then there's allantoin, popular in Korean skin care for locking moisture into the skin, as well as rice extract (said to increase hydration, making skin plump), and bee propolis, a natural substance produced by honey bees that has been proven to smooth skin and protect it from environmental factors, such as pollution.
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Beyond the more skin-friendly and interesting approach to ingredients, it has been reported that Korean beauty and skin care is one of the country's biggest businesses and exports. As the world's third largest cosmetics exporter, South Korea's cosmetics exports outperformed home appliances, pharmaceuticals, and smartphones in 2020. Data also suggests that South Korea's skin-care market will reach $11.4 billion in value by 2026. Interestingly, one of the reasons why Korean skin care is so popular — and so good — is because the Korean government is said to have actively invested in its beauty brands in order to better develop cosmetics.
"When K-beauty was introduced to the Western market through popular channels and social media, a phenomenon was awakened, creating demand and opportunity for business," says Nina Vargas, a global business strategist for beauty, fashion, and wellness brands. "This allowed Korean cosmetics companies to obtain help from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA)." KITA is a nonprofit organization that helps small and medium enterprises enter markets abroad.
What's more, Dr. Jenelle Kim, Founder and Formulator of JBK Wellness Labs, says that Korean skin care uses the latest science to understand exactly what our skin needs. "It utilizes ingredients in new ways, while remaining committed to formulating with centuries-proven ingredients and, for some brands [like Erborian, Sulwhasoo, and Beauty of Joseon], the powers of herbal medicine." Ginseng and green tea are super popular, for example.
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Dr. Kim adds that our skin's needs change with the climate or environmental factors, like air quality, makeup trends, and hormones. Korean skin care has consistently switched things up in an effort to help us stay in balance. Pagán agrees that heritage surrounds Korean skin care. "Lots of brands use 'hanbang' ingredients, which are based around traditional Korean medicine," he says. "These are often herbal and naturally derived." Post-pandemic, when we're more interested than ever in keeping healthy, highlighting medicinal skin care makes Korean products appear trustworthy and effective, elevating them above others.
In short, skin care is an inherent part of Korean culture. Head to TikTok and you'll see that Koreans view beauty not as a luxury but as a necessity. Countless videos suggest that from a young age, people are taught to take care of their skin and to look at skin care as a preventative measure. Year-round sun protection is also a big trend among Korean skin-care lovers, with a high factor, broad spectrum sunscreen said to be one of the most important products in a routine.
Another reason Korean skin care is regarded so highly is because the majority of it is affordable. Head to Reddit and you'll spot skin-care lovers swapping reviews of Innisfree, Tonymoly, and Etude House. The promise of soothed, hydrated skin is their main pull, but so are the relatively low prices, with most cleansers, serums, and creams coming in under $25.
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Amid a cost of living crisis, it makes sense that we want to spend as little as possible on beauty products. When it comes to Korean skin care, though, tightening your purse strings doesn't mean compromising on quality. All the proven skin-care ingredients are there, from retinol to acids, just in gentler concentrations and sophisticated formulas. Some TikTokers even point out that Korean skincare often dupes brands and products that charge hundreds for very similar ingredients and results. "It doesn't matter if you spend $1 or $100. If it's K-Beauty, chances are it's great," thinks Vargas.
Over time, the 10-product routine has given way to routines with fewer steps. Excessive layering doesn't work for everyone, particularly if you have a strict budget or your skin is sensitive, reactive, or acne-prone. But Korean skin care is ever evolving and always adapting to consumer needs. Because of this, three- or four-step routines are now trending among Korean influencers. TikTokers are sharing their easy skin-care rituals, which always start with a gentle, hydrating cleanser followed by a serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. This is a quick and effective routine that dermatologists and skin-care experts often recommend for skin types across the board.
Pagán believes that Korean skin care stays fun and inventive. "It's simple but impactful and you get luxury experiences at affordable prices. You don't see Western brands readily introducing staple Korean concepts, like fermented ingredients or snail secretion." Add to that the serious investment and spotlight on nourishing the skin (rather than getting rid of the 'nasty' stuff) and it's clear to see why Korean skin care is regarded so highly. But is it better? Essentially, the very best skin care is the skin care that works for you. If it happens to be Korean, that's great. But if it's something else entirely, why switch it up?
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This story was originally published on Refinery29UK.
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Routines commonly recommend multiple steps such as cleansing, toning, treating with serums or essences, moisturising, and sun protection.

Formulations tend to be gentle, focusing on hydration and soothing rather than aggressive, high-percentage actives.

Popular Korean ingredients include ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, centella (cica), PHAs, snail mucin, ginseng, rice extract, bee propolis, and allantoin.

Korean brands often use traditional 'hanbang' herbal ingredients alongside modern actives.

Many Korean brands offer large product diversity tailored to specific skin types and concerns at multiple price points.

Affordability and perceived value have helped spread K-beauty, with many core products retailing under about $25.

Government support and export initiatives have aided international expansion, and Korea operates K-beauty experience centers to showcase products.

Title:

Content: Go to the menu Go to the original
Go Top
Korea Cosmetics Experience Center
# Korea Vientiane l 2021-10-01
Vientiane, South Korea
Director （ PD ） ： Jin Bo
Moderator (MC): Minami Mori (Professor, Hirasawa University)
Guest: Sung Joon-soo (Head of Education and Publicity Group, Korea Cosmetics Industry Research Institute)
The heart of beauty is for everyone.
Speaking of Korea, most women will think of Korean cosmetics.
During the epidemic, the first Korean cosmetics publicity center opened in Myeongdong, Seoul.
This program has asked the person in charge of Song Zhenxiu to introduce the relevant situation for everyone.
Nan: Hello! Would you please say hello to our listeners?
Song: Hello everyone.
I am Song Jung-soo of the Korean Cosmetics Industry Research Institute, and I am mainly responsible for publicity and training work.
Now my main business is running the first K-beauty experience hall in Korea.
We are delighted to have the opportunity to introduce our Cosmetics Experience Hall on KBS Radio Korea International.
Nan: Your Chinese is so good, how did you end up with China?
Song: When I was very young, a friend made me a Chinese food in Northeast China. As a result, I suddenly became fascinated with the magic of Chinese food, so I began to learn Chinese, and completed a master's degree in Chinese universities.
Nan: Congratulations on the grand opening of Korea Cosmetics Experience Hall, please tell us what kind of experience hall this is?
Song: Our K-beauty Cosmetics Experience Hall is the first Korean cosmetics publicity hall jointly operated by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Cosmetics Industry Research Institute.
Domestic foreigners and ordinary consumers can freely use and experience the excellent cosmetics of Korean SMEs here for free.
Nan: What is the background to opening such an experience hall?
Song: The market share of the Korean cosmetics industry currently occupies the eighth place in the world, and exports account for the fourth place, but cosmetics exports are mainly played by large enterprises, in fact, among the cosmetics of Korean small and medium-sized enterprises, there are also very many excellent products.
It is just that the public is not very familiar with them, so we planned such a project, hoping that Korean small and medium-sized cosmetics can also go to the world.
Nan: How did consumers react to the experience?
Song: Our experience hall is located in Myeongdong, in the center of Seoul, and you can see not only the famous Myeongdong church, but also the landmark Namsan of Seoul.
Because the background is very beautiful, many people can not help but pull out their mobile phones to constantly take photos.
Therefore, our experience hall can be said to be a collection of experience and leisure in one place, every day at noon and after work will be visited by many office workers.
Nan: Korean cosmetics are popular all over the world, especially in Asia. Why do you think this is?
Song: The reasons are very diverse. First of all, Koreans pay special attention to skin protection, starting from infancy to use skin care products suitable for their skin care, and then they must use sunscreen every day in adolescence to prevent UV damage to the skin.
In addition, Korean cosmetics production attaches great importance to raw materials, try to use natural affinity of raw materials, reduce the stimulation of the skin, so it is generally considered that Korean cosmetics are very safe.
Third, it should be the impact of the Korean wave craze, such as Korean opera and Korean singers and other entertainers should be said to be not small. (Photo from the guest)
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Global popularization has been fueled by social media, influencers, viral hashtags, and the wider Hallyu cultural influence.

Marketing strategies include influencer seeding, experiential retail spaces, eye-catching packaging, and highlighting science or traditional ingredient stories.

Title:

Content: Partners news
Why do women love Korean cosmetics so much?
30 March 2022 14: 37 [24]
Korean cosmetics https: / / aumishop.ru is known all over the world.
Its popularity is easy to explain.
The fact is that they are made from natural ingredients.
Koreans take a responsible approach to the production process.
There are no harmful substances in cosmetics.
No parabens or silicones can not be found, because, according to manufacturers, these substances have a negative effect on the condition of the skin.
The main advantages of Korean cosmetics
Korean cosmetics pay attention to the fair sex of different ages.
They buy Korean cosmetics all over the world.
Let ’ s try to figure out why Korean cosmetics are so popular.
The main advantages of cosmetics produced in Korea include:
1.
100% naturalness
And it really is.
It is made from natural components.
Manufacturers abandoned synthetic substitutes and proved to the world that natural cosmetics can work wonders.
All products contain only useful substances that in no way can harm the skin.
2.
Manufacturers focus on maintaining the health of their customers
Koreans are sensitive to their health.
They pay great attention to the skin.
Perhaps we all paid attention to the skin of the Koreans.
They have no flaws and the skin is radiant, fresh and glowing with health.
According to the manufacturers of Korean cosmetics, the skin is a decoration of the fair sex.
And if the skin is healthy, then there will be no need for any decorative means.
That is why in the line from the Korean manufacturer so many moisturizing components that help to cope with various skin problems.
With the help of properly selected means, you can get rid of acne, pigmentation and even reduce age-related changes.
3.
Multi-stage care system
Korean cosmetics has become a breakthrough in the field of cosmetology.
Thanks to innovative approaches in the production process, it was possible to achieve the right skin care.
Women have learned to take good care of themselves.
The multi-stage care system allows not only to completely clean the face, but also to tone it, as well as moisturize it.
If the skin is saturated, and it will be taken care of, then it will remain young and healthy for a long time.
4.
Cool design
Many people love cosmetics not only for the benefit, but also for the unusual design.
On sale you can find a huge number of unusual things that will become a real decoration of the bathroom.
Unusual and beautiful jars will be a great gift not only to yourself, but also to relatives.
* This article and images have been prepared and provided for posting by the organization.
Independent news agency "Nizhny Novgorod" is not responsible for the content of the article, financial, legal and other consequences of its publication.
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Some reporting notes that K-beauty exports rank among the world's top cosmetics exporters and that the industry is a significant national export sector.

Conclusion: Based on the provided context, K-beauty's global popularity appears driven by its prevention-and-hydration philosophy, distinctive ingredients and formulations, government and trade support, affordability, and intensive social-media and experiential marketing — not solely by clever marketing.