Public engagement is usually understood as the efforts by scientists to come down from their ivory tower and engage with non-academic audiences. In other words, you explain, usually in plain in a simple language, what you do and why this is important for society. However, after years of training during which you have been domesticated […] … learn more→

Universities and their academic members benefit from significant sums of money from the UK taxpayer. It seems only right then, that academics should engage the public in what they do. It’s fair to say though that this hasn’t always been the main priority for researchers, which has led to the idea for some that public […] … learn more→

Recently, I was fortunate to enjoy a short break away on holiday. I judiciously delegated key tasks, disabled my work email, resisted the temptation to keep an eye on social media and actually managed a few days in blissful isolation, away from the daily challenges and complications of life in university leadership. But of course, […] … learn more→

Many researchers don’t want to do public engagement. Few consider it part of their core mission, many consider it a waste of their time. As for higher education institutions, they send out a mixed message: yes, please do it, but do it in your own time. The problem is that public engagement is perceived as […] … learn more→

Despite what some people might think, academics are not all humourless boffins out of touch with the real world. They can also be funny, and some are turning to humour to help get their messages across. Last November, the Times Higher Education reported that zooarchaeologists from the University of Nottingham had hired a stand-up comedian […] … learn more→