Following the publication last week of the REF 2021 results, Professor Dominik Zaum, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation), shares some personal reflections on the REF process.
Environment
How Studio Ghibli films can help us rediscover the childlike wonder of our connection with nature
Films with powerful environmentally centred narratives can transform our thinking and connect us with nature in ways that scientific papers cannot. For example, Studio Ghibli, a renowned Japanese film studio co-founded by animator Hayao…Read More >
How a new GCSE in natural history can help us towards a greener future
The UK’s education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, has announced the launch of a GCSE in natural history, a key part of helping bring back the study of plants and animals into the…Read More >
Solutions to planetary health reside within us
Today, 7 April, is World Health Day, and this year focuses on the theme of ‘our planet, our health’. And not a moment too soon: we face an escalating crisis…Read More >
Getting to net zero will require inclusive landscape decisions
We are all aware of the pressing need to slow climate change and the contribution that ‘net zero’ policies have to make. Here landscape geographer Eirini Saratsi argues that getting…Read More >
Accessible research for all: what UKRI’s new Open Access policy means for us
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a great example of the real-world benefits of Open Access (OA). Researchers and publishers shared information quickly and openly which helped speed up the development…Read More >
How a deluge of lockdown volunteers rescued UK’s hidden weather history
When it rains, it pours. Make hay while the sun shines. Save for a rainy day. Come rain or shine. The English language is overflowing with phrases about the weather,…Read More >
Safeguarding ecosystems: From sustained yield to sustainable forestry
On the UN’s International Day of Forests (21 March), Professor Martin Lukac considers this year’s theme of ‘Forests and sustainable production and consumption’ and the much-needed shift in focus away…Read More >
Nigeria’s fuel crisis: smaller, more flexible refineries aren’t the full answer
Nigeria’s growing population of over 200 million people is facing an ever-growing fuel crisis despite its vast oil reserves. The shortage of refining capacity at existing oil refineries is the main driver of Nigeria’s fuel…Read More >
Breaking the ice: The power of networks
Gone are the days when an awkward chat over a few sandwiches and a cup of tea at a conference was all that networking had to offer. Today, the real…Read More >
