Reading in the news - Tue 10 Dec
10 December 2024

Syria: Professor Harmonie Toros (Politics and International Relations) describes the challenges facing Syria for and Deutsche Welle. From our comment: Syria: “International community must not alienate moderates" ; while and spoke to Reading student Haddy Nuri about the historic change.
Family tribute: The family of student Fintan Feltham pay tribute after he died in Oxford. Reported by , , , , , , , , , and .
Health and wellbeing:
- Professor Sakthi Vaiyapuri (Pharmacy) jointly organised India’s first conference on clinical toxicology, reports and .
- Dr Aidan Taylor (Biomedical Sciences) tells and that E. coli contamination on salad crops comes from animals, showing the need for better safety measures.
- Research from the University highlighted by and shows that time in solitude can be a good thing.
- spoke to Dr Francesco Tamagnini and Dr Mark Dallas (Pharmacy) on the brain impacts of heading footballs.
- and reported that Dr Luis Antunes and Dr Ricardo Grau-Crespo (Chemistry) likened predicting crystal structures to solving a complex, multidimensional puzzle. From our story: AI learns language of atom arrangements in solids.
Business and society:
- Dr Rachel Roberts (Institute of Education) spoke to about the value in studying English Literature at college and university.
- Professor Jo Phoenix (Law) is co-signatory of a letter from academics to expressing concern about government plans to ‘water down’ aspects of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act.
- reports on a study looking at AI in university exams. From our story: AI generated exam answers undetected in real world test.
- in a review of 2024 highlights Reading’s decision to keep its chemistry department open, in contrast to closures at other universities.
- , and interviewed Professor Steve Musson (Geography) on some of the reasons behind a drop in in retail sales figures.
#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment
- Dr Jess Neumann (Geography and Environmental Science) spoke to about the increase in sewage spills in the River Mole and across the Thames Water region.
- Professor Liz Stephens (Meteorology) is quoted in on the dangers caused by floods round the Mediterranean.
- Research by the Å·ÃÀ¾ÞÈé and RHS, highlighted by , found ivy helps regulate house temperatures year-round.
- reports that student Ramandeep Nijjar won a national award from BBC’s Countryfile. The nomination episode was repeated on . From our story: Zoology student named Countryfile Young Countryside Champion.
#UniForReading: our role as a civic university
- Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Van de Noort highlights the value of charitable giving in the run-up to Christmas in his column for .
- In his column for and Cllr Stephen Conway, leader of Wokingham Borough Council, highlighted the council’s collaboration with the University as part its successes of 2024.
- features the first look at High Copse sports pavilion in Shinfield, built by the University for local community sport.
- and other local media reported on the memorial event at the University’s Great Hall run by Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent hospice.
Alumni:
- featured Gcobisa Ntshona, African Bank's Chief People Officer, who holds an MBA from Henley Business School.
- reported that Heike Riel, a Henley MBA graduate from 2010, has been elected President of the German Physical Society.