The Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Birmingham recently hosted a week of lectures and workshops by Nobel Prize-winning researchers and other pre-eminent academics, as part of an intercontinental programme designed to support collaborative research.
The programme, International Academia Birmingham, was based around the theme of Laws - Rigidity and Dynamics. Highlights of the programme included lectures by Nobel Laureates Professor Jean-Marie Lehn and Professor David Gross, former president of CERN Council Professor Michel Spiro and former Nobel Committee member and string theory pioneer Professor Lars Brink. Selections of video recordings from these guests can be found below.
International Academia Birmingham formed the second half of the third Intercontinental Academia (ICA). It is a collaboration between the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Birmingham and the equivalent centre institute at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. In March 2018, Nanyang Technological University hosted a similar series of events.
The ICA seeks to create a global network of future research leaders by constructing an arena in which the very best early/mid-career scholars will work together on paradigm-shifting cross-disciplinary research, mentored by some of the most eminent researchers from across the globe. This unique experience is expected to transform the scholar's own approach to research, enhance their awareness of the work, relevance and potential impact of other methodologies, and to inspire and facilitate new collaborations between distant disciplines.
Reflecting on the event's impact, Professor Michael Hannon, event co-organiser as Director of The Advanced Studies Institute at the University of Birmingham, said: "Our pre-eminent guests generously shared the insights they have gained through a lifetime of scientific research and hopefully inspired the next generation to collaborate across disciplines.
"In addition to the many well-attended lectures and workshops, International Academia Birmingham provided informal opportunities for scholars from across the world, working in diverse disciplines, to meet in informal settings to exchange knowledge and discuss opportunities for joint working. We will now be supporting colleagues to develop more formal collaborations in diverse disciplines."