Kingston University's pioneering and innovative academic expertise to be celebrated during annual Festival of Research

Posted Wednesday 15 June 2022

The breadth and impact of research carried out across Kingston University – and the contribution it makes to society – will be celebrated during the institution's Festival of Research this month.

Academic staff and students will come together for a series of online events during the annual celebration, with several open to the public as well as members of the University community.

Running from 20 June to 1 July, the festival will focus on supporting and developing research for staff and students, with a spotlight this year on equity in research.

Events will range from small group discussions to workshops and talks by senior academics followed by an opportunity for questions. Alongside celebrating the breadth of research undertaken at Kingston, the festival will promote the exchange of research ideas, support the development of research skills, and help enhance the institution's research culture.

Among the events open to the public are a session on Monday 20 June highlighting the launch of a new journal, Diverse Voices in the Academy, for research and work relating to race and EDI issues in academia and beyond.

On Tuesday 21 June, a Covid research symposium will feature presentations from researchers who have been taking part in a range of pandemic-related studies, from health messaging for ethnic minority communities to end of life care and the psychological impact Covid has had on society.

The launch of a new immersive lab at Kingston School of Art's Design School will be outlined during one of two public events on Wednesday 22 June, with several presentations followed by a session with audience participation encouraged. On the same day an event centred around the research of autism spectrum disorders will take place, featuring three talks by University staff and postgraduate students as well as a wider discussion forum.

The Festival of Research takes place a month after the publication of the Government's 2021 Research Excellence Framework results. Seventy per cent of Kingston University's research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent in the exercise, a 10 per cent increase from the previous assessment, published in 2014. The University's growing strength in the field was demonstrated by its rise in the research power tables, climbing 13 places to 71st in the country.

This year's festival came at an opportune moment for members of the University community and partners across industry and business to look to the future and build on established strengths, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact Professor Simon Wortham said.

"Kingston University's Festival of Research provides a forum to celebrate our research as well as being a chance for our whole community to learn from each other, what we do well and the role our partnership work plays in these successes," he said.

Covering themes ranging from sustainability to research equity, answering contemporary challenges from health to modern design, the festival was also an opportunity to network and collaborate on new ideas, bringing people in to look at what research connections can deliver for society, Professor Wortham added. "We look forward to welcoming members of the local community as well as anyone interested in working with us to join us in our discussions at these events and explore how we can tackle society's challenges together," he said.