Global Environmental Challenges Seminar and Masterclass series 2026
During the first half of 2026 the UoR-NHM Partnership will be running a second series of events intended to highlight and support collaborative, interdisciplinary research on global environmental challenges.
Four cross-institutional keynote seminars aiming to raise the profile of interdisciplinary research in areas of sustainability, biodiversity, and environmental challenges will be presented, led by researchers from UoR and NHM who have successfully designed proposals for large, interdisciplinary projects, including Prof Joy Singarayer and Prof Nick Branch, Dr Anne Jungblut and Dr Ana Santos, Prof Julie Hawkins, and Dr Adrian Glover.
These seminars will be delivered in hybrid mode, and are open to all staff and postdocs from both institutions. Seminars will not be recorded.
The seminars will be paired with a concurrent set of masterclasses led by the seminar presenters. The masterclasses aims to support professional development by focusing on what it takes to lead complex cross-disciplinary, multi-institutional projects. They are especially targeted at mid-career research-active staff who might be starting to develop proposals to lead research activity on a larger and/or more complex scale.
Seminar Programme
|
Wed 28 Jan, 1-2pm at NHM |
Prof Joy Singarayer and Prof Nicholas Branch, and Prof Kevin Lane (University of Buenos Aires) |
ACCESS to CROPPs: water and food security for smallholders in the rural Peruvian Andes |
|
Wed 25 Feb, 1-2pm at UoR |
Dr Anne Jungblut and Dr Ana Santos |
People, Nature and Mining: a multidisciplinary approach to legacy mine rehabilitation |
|
Wed 22 Apr, 1-2pm at NHM |
Prof Julie Hawkins |
How I became an ethnobotanist (or did I?) |
|
Wed 20 May, 1-2pm at UoR |
Dr Adrian Glover |
Balancing the need for economic growth and environmental regulation: a case study from the deep sea |
Registration is now open for the second seminar and masterclass, booking for subsequent sessions will start in February so please save the dates if you are keen to attend.
Seminar #2 Wednesday 25 February, 1-2pm
Dr Anne Junglbut and Dr Ana Santos, NHM
Seminar (hybrid, at Whiteknights Campus, Reading, and online):
People, Nature and Mining: A multidisciplinary approach to legacy mine rehabilitation
There is a growing demand for critical metals for modern society and energy transitions, which can cause significant environmental destruction and social scars. Effective rehabilitation of former mine sites is crucial to mitigate these negative impacts, which must incorporate social dimensions such as community perceptions, local and traditional knowledge, and equitable approaches.
Dr Anne Jungblut and Dr Ana Santos discuss the Bio+Mine project, which is addressing this global issue by developing a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to rehabilitate abandoned mine sites. This approach integrates expertise from geology, engineering, data sciences, biotechnology and social sciences to ensure sustainable interventions that could be co-created with local communities. The project is focused on Sto. Niño abundant copper and gold mine in Tublay, Benguet, Philippines, abandoned in1982, where Indigenous People now live and farm with minimal formal rehabilitation.
The project findings have improved understanding of the impact of mining on nature and local communities and have underpinned the co-development of potential intervention in the area. The project has also highlighted opportunities for bridging ecological, engineering and social dimensions which may enable the development of a toolbox of interventions for other former or active mine sites facing similar environmental and social challenges.
Masterclass #2 Wednesday 25 February, 2-4pm
Masterclass (in person ONLY, at Whiteknights Campus, Reading):
Strategic Public Engagement: Developing High-Impact Outreach Events and Stakeholder Meetings
Please register to attend the seminar and/or the masterclass using this form by Wednesday 18 February. Joining instructions for both in-person and online attendance will be sent to all those who have registered a week before the event.
Please note that in order to provide opportunities for in-depth conversations and focused learning, masterclass attendance will be limited to c. 20 members of staff. The Partnership is committed to building capacity for distributed, institutional leadership in research-active staff at both UoR and NHM, and this series of masterclasses aims to support professional development by focusing on what it takes to lead complex cross-disciplinary, multi-institutional projects. Should we receive more than 20 requests to attend the masterclass, we will need to allocate places by considering career stage and perceived potential for developmental benefit.