Biology Head of School weekly update
A slight delay in the message as it was a University holiday on Monday.
I am delighted to report that on Monday evening David and Marie Paterson and myself were at Edinburgh Airport to welcome our first two Ukrainian PhD students, Julia Ivanchikova and Lera Telizhenko, who will be completing their studies with us in Biology. Once again, I am very proud of the School, because so many colleagues have contributed in so many different ways to help these two students arrive here safely.
Excellent news as Tracey Gloster has been awarded a Royal Society-Leverhulme Senior Fellowship. Congratulations!
There is also the excellent news that Simon Moss has been declared fit to come back to work but on light duties.
Questions for our Staff Council speakers are coming in, so don’t forget to take this opportunity and get your questions to me for Andy Goor (Director of University Finance/Chief Financial Officer) and Steve Watt (Director of IT services/Chief Information Officer), for our in-person staff council meeting on Monday 23rd May in the Booth lecture theatre (Medical and Biological Sciences Building, North Haugh), followed by lunch. Don’t forget to tell Margaret you are coming and about any dietary requirements, and if you can’t come can you please let me know why.
As for me, well talking about taking your opportunities when they’re available, I took one on Friday. I was invited by the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries to attend a Confederation British Industries lunch in Edinburgh with the guest speaker Sir Keir Starmer. In a room of ~ 150 business types (why do they all wear blue suits?), it looked like no one was going to ask him a question, so never fear, cue up the Academic with a quirk for odd shirts and definitely not wearing a blue suit, who asked: “What did he think he could do about the debacle in European Research Council funding and the Northern Ireland: Brexit deal?” Though as you will guess he gave me a politician’s answer, it was noticeable his “people” were noting what I was asking and subsequently I had a number of fellow diners come up, including Innovate UK, thanking me for raising the question. The take home message: Never be afraid to ask a question! So, get in all of your questions for Andy and Steve!
Take care
Frank