4 January 2007

Discovery Days 2007

Leading thinkers in fields as varied as the world’s water and energy crises, medical imaging technology, `telehealth’, witness protection schemes, international whaling law, and designing against crime come together next week for one of the most dynamic events on the academic calendar - Discovery Days 2007 at the University of Dundee.

The pioneering Discovery Days format established at the University of Dundee will this year see 23 new chairs - including two new Heads of College - discuss their leading-edge research. Each speaker is given 15 minutes to provide insights into their work, making for fast flowing information across some of the key issues of our times.

This year’s sessions will be chaired by the widely respected journalist Magnus Linklater, and Professor Anne Glover, Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland.

Since they were first staged in 2004, the Discovery Days have proved a huge hit with academics, students and public alike and have brought the excitement of leading research direct to the audience.

"It is now three years since our first Discovery Days presentation in 2004 by one of the world’s leading developmental biologists, Cheryll Tickle, who described for us in fascinating detail how to make a limb," said Sir Alan Langlands, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University.

"By the end of this 2007 programme, almost 100 academics will have brought the excitement of their work to a wider audience through this compelling journey."

"With our professors as guides we have covered a wild landscape of knowledge along the way, and the variety of subjects has been astonishing. This year we will extend the trail into European philosophy, witness protection, whaling, creative writing, crime and design, anatomy, healthcare, the world’s water crisis and more."

"As Discovery Days continues to show, the expertise represented at the University is truly our greatest strength. We hope as many people as possible come along to share in it at Discovery Days 2007."

The format of Discovery Days provides a unique test for the professors, who are asked to condense often complex and wide-ranging work into their 15 minutes, but it is a challenge they have constantly risen to. The Discovery Days have also helped develop links across the University community.

The days will be accompanied by a stunning exhibition of posters.

Discovery Days 2007 take place in the D’Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre at the University of Dundee on Thursday January 11th and Friday January 12th. The full programme, with details of each speaker and their subject, is available at www.dundee.ac.uk/principalsoffice/discoverydays2007.html

The Discovery Days sessions are free and open to the public. Tickets and the printed programme are available from reception at the University Tower Building, Nethergate, Dundee.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Advance texts on each presentation are available to the media from the University press office.

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk