Research on display at the Celebration of Sussex Neuroscience event

On Monday 13 June, Interim Vice-Chancellor David Maguire wrote to all staff. You can view the message below:

Dear colleague,

The 21st century has seen many changes in academia, and the changes underway in libraries are amongst the most profound. Not that long ago, libraries were physical structures that people visited to consult repositories of books and journals and converse with library staff. A university without a physical library was unimaginable. Our Library, which the Queen opened in 1964, is one of our campus gems and I’m sure will always play a central role to our preservation of knowledge and research. As we move into the middle part of this century, learning and research are changing, and already that change is perceptible. The future is digital, and Sussex needs to transform to keep pace with staff and student needs. This idea is at the heart of the new approved Library Strategy.

Of course, there will long be a need for great buildings to house specialist collections, provide study space for all types of scholars and as places to converse with the experts that curate knowledge. This is why, in addition to investments in digital infrastructure and resources, the main Library will be refurbished in parallel with the design and construction of a new Library Pavilion, which is part of the University’s West Slope development. These are very exciting developments for the University and for all users of our learning resources for generations to come.

Following on from the great results of our Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) submission, I was delighted to hear more about our research community’s exciting new and ongoing activity when I attended the Research with Impact Day last week. The event included panel discussions with a number of our most impactful researchers, who shared their experiences of pursuing real-world change. There were also opportunities to find out more about how to reach and engage with those who might use or benefit from their research – and to learn about the support our Professional Services teams can offer them. The day culminated in nine awards being presented to researchers at various stages of their impact journeys, to those who have given them professional support, and to the winner of the best research showcase stall at the event

I also had a great time at the School of Media Arts and Humanities’ Undergraduate Showcase, which was held in Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts (ACCA) last week. It is so inspiring to see how our students tackle topical and often controversial subjects – from the cost-of-living crisis to what it is really like to be an internet personality – in such inventive, creative and collaborative ways. It certainly opened my eyes to new ways of looking at our world. If you did not get a chance to see the showcase at ACCA last week, you can view many of the projects here.

A Celebration of Sussex Neuroscience, which was a public event for adults and children alike last week, was another inspiring event for me. Sussex Neuroscience is one of our finest interdisciplinary research initiatives. It was wonderful to see so many hands-on displays of the research projects being carried out by our scientists into memory, consciousness, learning, behaviour and sensory perception – among others. Sussex Neuroscience was launched in 2013 as a strategic investment in pioneering research, bringing together groups of scientists from Schools of Life Sciences, Informatics, Psychology and the Brighton and Sussex Medical School. This event demonstrated again how that interdisciplinarity leads to ground-breaking and novel research.

Last week I was really pleased to tell you about the agreement with UCU to end all industrial action under the current UCU mandate (to 7 October 2022), including the planned marking and assessment boycott and the threat of strike action. This is a very important agreement in its own right, which will deliver a significant payment to the majority of staff, and calls for work across a wide range of remuneration and work conditions. It is my sincere hope that it will mark a turning point in campus relations and will encourage us all to focus on things we can agree on and ways we can work together for the betterment of the wider University. Only by focusing our energy in this way can the University maximise its potential. I thank everyone involved in helping to reach the agreement for both their diligence and spirit of contribution.

Warm regards,

David Maguire
Interim Vice-Chancellor