- The Research Centre for the Humanities (REACH) will formally launch with an event and the first lecture in an ongoing series
- It aims to make innovative, interdisciplinary connections across the College and University
- The launch event will take place in the University’s Wright Lecture Theatre on 22 September.
Aston University is launching a new research centre which aims to make innovative, interdisciplinary connections across its College of Business and Social Sciences, and wider University, as well as enabling smaller groups to come together to plan and develop research goals.
The Research Centre for the Humanities (REACH) will formally launch on 22 September with an event and the first lecture in an ongoing series.
REACH's work will be applied and sensitive to the needs of the wider community, committed to providing high-quality research as a way of solving real-world problems.
The lecture series is dedicated to fostering connections with other universities, centres, institutions, or business, while showcasing the ground-breaking humanities research at Aston University with a particular interested in applied, interdisciplinary research.
The first lecture series topic will be ‘The Gothic Humanities in the Biosciences’. The speakers for the first in that series will be Dr Ann B Vernallis (senior lecturer in cell biology, College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University): ‘Frankenstein and Biosciences’ and Dr David Shuker (senior lecturer in behavioural ecology, School of Biology, University of St Andrews): ‘Evolutionary Gothic’.
Dr Abigail Boucher, director of REACH, said:
“We are delighted that Aston University is investing in its humanities provision and recognises the applied, interdisciplinary, real-world value that humanities subjects hold.
“The centre will highlight the world-leading humanities research already being undertaken across all three University Colleges.
“Some subjects of our upcoming lecture talks include ‘history, accountancy, and empire’, ‘business ethics taught through film’, ‘substance abuse and addiction in science and popular culture’ and ‘menopause and ageing in medicine and fiction’.
“I am looking forward to seeing academics and enthusiasts alike at our launch event on 22 September.”
To register for a place at the event, click here, by 5pm on Monday 19 September.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr Abigail Boucher.
- Notes to Editors
Founded in 1895 and a university since 1966, Aston is a long established university led by its three main beneficiary groups – students, business and the professions, and the West Midlands region and wider society. Located in Birmingham at the heart of a vibrant city, the campus houses all the University’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our students. Professor Aleks Subic is the Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive.
In 2022 Aston University was ranked in the top 25 of the Guardian University Guide, based on measures including entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality and graduate prospects. The Aston Business School MBA programme was ranked in the top 100 in the world in the Economist MBA 2021 ranking.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Sam Cook, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44)7446 910063 or email: s.cook2@aston.ac.uk
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