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AHRC Chief Executive Visits Dundee

Professor Rick Rylance, the new Chief Executive of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, visited the University on Thursday 11th February.

Professor Rylance spent an intensive day with colleagues in Art and Design (CASE) and Humanities (CASS), meeting research officers, project holders and arts and humanities staff generally before being entertained as the University's guest at an event hosted by Vice Principal for Research, Professor Irene Leigh.

Professor Rylance also delivered a presentation on 'The Challenges for Arts and Humanities Research'. In an extremely well-received talk to a large audience of arts and humanities staff, he spoke about the importance of arts and humanities research and the imperative that the sector makes a strong case to government for the importance of what its researchers accomplish and achieve and how this translates into public benefit. Professor Rylance stressed the vital importance to the UK economy of arts and humanities overseas postgraduate recruitment and the crucial role of the creative and cultural sector stressing the financial return on investment in arts and humanities research as well as its crucial role in improving the quality of life generally.

Professor Rylance met key staff involved in the exciting Dundee Victoria and Albert project as well as Vice Principal and Head of CASS, Chris Whatley, and Dr Andrew Roberts of English, both of whom have had recent substantial successes in the flagship AHRC Beyond Text Award Programme.

Professor Peter Kitson who organised the event with John Gardner (RIS) on behalf of the two Colleges comments that, "Dundee is the first University in Scotland to be visited by the new Chief Executive of our research funding council and Professor Rylance was extremely impressed by the energy and creativity of arts and humanities researchers across the board here. I know that our staff are fully committed to investigating the new areas of interdisciplinary research that have been given high priority by UK research councils. I think the Chief Executive left with a very positive impression of Dundee and the work we do here.".


Posted: 17 February 2010