Reading in the news - Tue 10 Dec

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 色狗导航 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.