20 December 2013
2014 Discovery Days to celebrate research and teaching
The University of Dundee's breadth of expertise will be highlighted in the new year when newly appointed Professors
share their research into subjects as varied as cancer, corporate regulation, urban regeneration and the links between
Scottish weather and emigration.
Academic and teaching achievements will be celebrated at the 2014 Discovery Days event on Thursday, 9th and Friday,
10th January. Eighteen Professors and three winners of teaching awards will each talk for 15 minutes about their area
of work in order to provide an insight into the cutting-edge research and teaching that the University is engaged in.
The event, taking place at the University's Dalhousie Building in Old Hawkhill, is divided into seven sessions, and
the audience can attend as many or as few of these as they wish. There will be an opportunity to ask the speakers' questions
about their work.
Professor Karl Leydecker, Vice-Principal of Learning and Teaching, will open this year's Discovery Days by outlining how
outstanding teaching and an exceptional student experience are vital if Dundee is to achieve its goal of becoming Scotland's
leading University.
'This is the tenth anniversary of the Discovery Days event and, in that time, it has provided almost 200 new professors
and exceptional teachers the opportunity to bring their work to the attention of a wide, non-specialist audience,' said Professor
Pete Downes, Principal of the University.
'This year's speakers will be presenting possibly the most diverse range of subjects to date, giving an understanding of
how discoveries are made and the impact they make across a breathtaking array of topics and issues. This allows us
to bring the University community closer together whilst engaging with the general public and demonstrating the
transformative power of world-leading research at this University.
'In order to achieve our ambitious target of becoming Scotland's leading university, both our research and teaching needs
to be acknowledged as the best across the board. As such, it is only right that we also celebrate the work of some of our
leading learning and teaching practitioners, who will be sharing the new and innovative teaching approaches and technologies
they have employed.'
The Stephen Fry Award for Excellence in Public Engagement with Research will also be presented, while the student
team who earlier this year won the European Jamboree of the prestigious International Genetically Engineered Machine
competition and represented the University at the World Final in Boston, will be talking about their 'Toxi-Mop' project which
uses synthetic biology to clean up water that has become contaminated with toxic algal blooms.
The short Discovery Day lectures challenge each presenter to captivate, inform and entertain their audience
in just 15 minutes. They have a reputation for providing an entertaining and accessible glimpse into a range of
challenging and often complex subjects. Their format has become a model for the sector, imitated by a number of
other universities in the UK.
The 2014 Discovery Days lectures take place at the Dalhousie Building's Main Lecture Theatre from 10.45am - 4.20pm on
Thursday, 9th January and 9.30am-4.30pm on Friday, 10th January. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.
Visitors can attend as many, or as few, lectures, as they wish. Overflow theatres may be in use.
A full programme is available from www.dundee.ac.uk/discoverydays
Free tickets for this lecture are available from www.dundee.ac.uk/tickets,
or by phone on 01382 386660. Coffee will be served prior to the first session and breaks throughout the day. A wine reception
will follow the conclusion of 2014 Discovery Days.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277 |
