Interdisciplinary Research Events

Interdisciplinary Seminar Series, 2020-21

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers at Leeds have endeavoured to connect online with meetings, seminars and workshops to develop dynamic and interdisciplinary responses, not only to the immediate health crisis, but also to the range of global challenges that it has both exposed and reinforced. These have covered: poverty and poor health, intersecting inequalities, inadequate access to clean water and healthy food, the inconsistent availability of quality education, and, of course, global warming and our unsustainable exploitation of the planet’s resources.

We are delighted to announce a new series of cross-campus seminars, building on the series that took place following lockdown. These seminars are run in collaboration with centres, institutes, and research groups across the University, and reflect the efforts of our research and innovation managers to create new interdisciplinary connections.

The dates of several of the seminars are fixed (see below). As subsequent dates are confirmed, they will be updated on this page. To register your interest for any of the events, click on the seminar listed below, and follow the relevant link.

Valuing Water: beyond technocratic, economic and bureaucratic agendas - 19 October 2020

The recent water@leeds confluence showed that interest in social sciences, arts and humanities approaches to water is growing. This seminar is aimed at bringing colleagues working at the University of Leeds, or research collaborators, to share work, stimulate discussion and initiate research connections.

Email water@leeds.ac.uk to request Zoom link

Re-thinking the co-production of knowledge: problem-solving and overcoming practical barriers to co-production - 4 November 2020

This session will provide support for researchers interested in working through challenges of applying co-production in their own field of research and offer peer assistance and a chance to discuss best practice.

Book your place for Wednesday 4 November, 10:00-11:30

Tools and technologies to tackle the grand challenges of health and disease - date tba in late February 2021

This interactive seminar will explore the grand challenges facing health and disease and the tools and technologies, both needed and able, to tackle them. This includes both the novel application and combination of current state-of-the-art tools, and the need for refinement and generation of new tools. Researchers from across disciplines will discuss the key challenges and opportunities for novel approaches in their fields. These talks will set the scene for a panel discussion with Q&A, which will harness the strengths of different fields to address the grand challenges.

Rethinking the co-production of knowledge: Setting priorities for co-production at Leeds - 27 November 2020

This session will provide a chance to identify a shared understanding of priorities for co-produced research in terms of the support and facilitation needed to better enable valuing diverse types of knowledge.

Book your place for Friday 27 November, 14:30-16:30

Delivering on equitable green recovery - 10 December 2020

This seminar will look at how we can respond to the disruption created by COVID-19 to move towards greener and more equitable models of society. It will go beyond our understanding of what might be needed for green recovery and to make a fairer society, to consideration of how we can act to create change.

Speakers: Dr Vera Trappmann (LUBS), Professor Sarah Irwin (School of Sociology and Social Policy), Dr Milena Buchs (School of Earth and Environment) and Dr Caroline Mullen (Institute for Transport Studies)

Chair: Professor Stuart Taberner, Dean for Interdisciplinary Research

Book your place for Thursday 10 December, 15.00-16.30

Quality Education in a digital world – science, access, skills and knowledge for a digitally transformed equitable society - date tbc

This seminar will consider the benefits the university can create through digital opportunities for lifelong learning, participation, and citizen science to support scientific literacy and understanding of research. It will look at how the digital world is transforming education, the upskilling that will be needed for both teachers and learners (in school settings and lifelong learning), and also explore the tensions between the potential to provide wider access to learning opportunities and the risk of digital exclusion.

Postponed - new date to be confirmed

Cultural and Social Life of Data - date tbc in March 2021

This seminar will aim to bring together researchers across the university to explore how data is used, perceived and valued in a range of contexts. It will explore what data is gathered, how that is decided, and what value the outcomes have for communities, especially at a local and regional level.

Rethinking the co-production of knowledge: Co-production and achieving Net Zero - date tbc in April 2021

This seminar will look at how co-production approaches can contribute to achieving a Net Zero society and economy.

Finale: Updates and Knowledge Sharing - June 2021 date tbc

An opportunity for teams who’ve received Interdisciplinary pump priming to provide updates and feedback about their experiences, progress and challenges.

Further information

For further information, please contact Samantha Aspinall, Head of Interdisciplinary Research.