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UCI expert sources for the Russia/Ukraine Conflict
On Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, UCI’s School of Social Sciences hosted a webinar titled, “Understanding the Russia-Ukraine Crisis.” Several of the experts below offered perspective on key issues surrounding the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine. You can watch or listen to the webinar here: https://www.socsci.uci.edu/newsevents/news/2022/2022-02-25-understanding-the-russia-ukraine-crisis.php UCI faculty members available to comment, and their areas of expertise, are found below. Matthew Beckmann, Associate Professor, Political Science. Professor Beckman studies the organizational structures and operational strategies presidents can use to pick their team, invest their time, focus their attention, channel their effort, discipline their thinking, coordinate their subordinates, and, most importantly, make decisions. Contact: beckmann@uci.edu Jeffrey Kopstein, Professor, Political Science. In his research, Professor Kopstein focuses on interethnic violence, voting patterns of minority groups, and anti-liberal tendencies in civil society, paying special attention to cases within European and Russian Jewish history. As pertains to the Russia/Ukraine conflict, he can speak to politics in Russia and Ukraine, Authoritarianism, NATO and the transatlantic alliance, and European Union policy. Contact: kopstein@uci.edu Erin Lockwood, Assistant Professor, Political Science. Professor Lockwood’s research areas include international political economy and global financial politics. She can speak to questions related to economic sanctions, financial sanctions/financial infrastructure and payments systems more generally (for example, the prospect of cutting off Russian access to the SWIFT financial communications system.) Contact: eklockwo@uci.edu David Meyer, Professor, Sociology, Political Science and Planning, Policy & Design. Professor Meyer’s research examines the relationships between social movements and the political contexts in which they emerge. Topics surrounding the Russia/Ukraine conflict that align with his expertise include sanction strategy; the resistance strategy that might emerge in Ukraine in the face of occupation; the history of the Cold War and its influence today; and the possibility of a powerful peace/isolationist movement emerging in the U.S. Contact: dmeyer@uci.edu Gustavo Oliveira, Assistant Professor, Global & International Studies. Professor Oliveira is a specialist in global political economy and critical geopolitics, focusing on the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and international commodity markets, especially agricultural trade and natural resource governance. He can speak to the basis of the Russia/Ukraine conflict on natural resources, and the repercussions of the conflict for international commodity markets, inflation, and disruptions to global food supply chains. He can also speak about the anti-war movements in Russia, Europe, the United States, and broader political repercussions of the conflict in Brazil, Latin America, and the U.S. Contact: gustavo.oliveira@uci.edu Stergios Skaperdas, Professor, Economics and Director of the Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies. His general area of research is political economy, the interaction of economics and politics. Among other issues, he has studied conflict and wars, the role of the modern state in economic development, and the interaction of globalization and geopolitics. Contact: sskaperd@uci.edu Etel Solingen, Distinguished Professor, Political Science and Thomas T. and Elizabeth C. Tierney Chair in Peace and Conflict Studies. Solingen studies the reciprocal influence between international political economy and international security, globalization and its discontents. She can discuss the crisis in terms of historical precedents (of international crises), the utility of sanctions, bargaining in crisis, Russia’s economic decline and how it bears on the current crisis. Contact: etel.solingen@uci.edu Media Contacts: • Tom Vasich, Communications Officer, UCI | 949-285-6455 | tmvasich@uci.edu • Heather Ashbach, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, School of Social Sciences | 719-651-3224 | hashbach@uci.edu
Despite months of tension, weeks of pleas and diplomatic efforts – a full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces has occurred. The situation is developing by the minute and media are scrambling to explain what has happened, why it happened, and tell stories of how this invasion is impacting people not just in Ukraine, but in America too. It’s why experts like Florida Atlantic University’s Robert Rabil is front and center to explain what’s going on to reporters. According to Robert Rabil, a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University, the crisis between Russia and Ukraine has been building since the 1990s. "This is on the account of two factors. The first factor is the expansion of NATO to the border of Russia, merely, especially to the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia," Rabil said. "The second factor is from a Russian perspective they believe that they treated Russia like a bygone power." Rabil said with increased sanctions underway and formal diplomatic channels not working, the west could be pushing Russia to deepen its ties to other regimes globally. "It might go to Iran and it will support Iran in acquiring or hastening the acquisition of nuclear weapons," he added. "It will deepen its embrace with China." February 23 – WPTV NewsChannel 5 The invasion of Ukraine is historic and could lead to escalations of violence in other parts of Europe and further. And, if you are a reporter looking to cover this ongoing story – then let our experts help. Robert Rabil, Ph.D., is an expert in political Islam, terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, and U.S.-Arab relations. He is available to speak with media about the current situation in Ukraine, simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Confused about your auto insurance? You’re not alone. According to a recent CAA study, over half of Ontarians (53 per cent) found their auto insurance policy difficult to understand. To help consumers navigate the confusion, CAA Insurance Company has launched an Insurance Guidebook that breaks down everything all Ontario drivers need to know about auto insurance and their policy. Consumers can get ‘back to basics’ with CAA’s new Insurance Guidebook and gain the knowledge to feel comfortable having more advanced conversations about their policy with an agent or broker, regardless of their provider. The Guidebook reflects common terms and issues related to Ontario’s auto insurance system and policy and is designed to help educate Ontario drivers regardless of who their insurer or broker is. The purpose? To empower consumers to seek out the best, most cost-effective insurance that adequately meets their coverage needs, and to better understand what is included in their auto insurance policy. “While motorists know that they are required to carry valid auto insurance in Ontario, our research shows they may not fully understand what their policy coverage means. We often see motorists learn about their coverage once they need to make a claim,” said Elliott Silverstein, director, government relations (insurance), CAA Club Group. “It was important for us to create a resource with easy-to-understand wording that informs motorists about the terms in their auto insurance policy and how it affects them so they can get the most out of their coverage.” The Insurance Guidebook was created after the study revealed Ontarians ranked insurance companies the most responsible for educating individuals about the auto insurance industry. CAA Insurance consulted with insurance experts to identify and simplify the most important terms that consumers need to know when it comes to understanding auto insurance. “The launch of the new Insurance Guidebook is just another example of how CAA is dedicated to putting consumers first,” said Silverstein. “We are very proud to be taking the initiative to educate all Ontario motorists so they can navigate their auto insurance policy with confidence.” CAA’s Insurance Guidebook is available online to download at https://www.caainsurancecompany.com/auto or can be picked up at CAA stores across south-central Ontario.
Building Trust with Expertise Marketing
With advancements in technology and a number of new channels, it’s important to remember that at the end of the day, people want to deal with people. Studiesconsistently show that we’re more likely to trust other humans when making decisions. While many organizations leverage brand personas to fulfill that human connection, they often overlook the power of their people to lead and support conversations. If your audiences are looking to connect with people, then it only makes sense to give them our best. Who Is Looking for Expertise? As mentioned in last week’s blog, the ‘About Us’ section of a website is the second most visited area next to the homepage and the reasons for this are simple: people want to see who is behind the scenes. From prospective customers to journalists looking for an expert source, there are a wide range of audiences who want to know who you really are before they engage with your business. Here are just some of the audiences who are taking a close look at your expertise: Customers & Partners: Subject-matter experts are consistently rated as one of the most influential sources of information for buyers (Source: ITSMA), and a whopping 78% of B2B buyers start with a Google search (Source: Demand Gen). Media: Experts who serve as media sources are in high-demand with newspapers, broadcasters and digital outlets – and it’s not just research they want. They often require a plain language explanation of how something works, or insights to help them localize a story for a regional audience. Conference Organizers: Conference organizers and industry associations are constantly looking for experts who can educate their attendees as a panellist, workshop leader or keynote speaker. Alumni & Donors: For institutions, showcasing the relevant work that experts and staff are doing helps alumni better connect to your mission and makes it easier to fundraise and drive larger donations. Government & Foundations: Government bodies and foundations rely heavily on experts to conduct research, develop policy and implement the various programs they fund. They are increasingly focused on reporting the social and economic impact stories of the research they are funding. Better Digital Conversations When we look at audience engagement, your success boils down into three critical stages: Attention, Interaction and Trust. Each of these areas can be addressed by making experts and their content more visible with a sustained, amplified digital presence. Don’t underestimate the value of rich expert profiles; today’s audiences will quickly scroll past a list of names and titles. Expertise marketing is about providing individual credentials and sharing what their collective experience represents for your organization. The richer offering, the more trust you can build. Plus, experts who serve as brand ambassadors are more likely to drive personal, relevant and authentic connections with key audiences. The following framework outlines how you can create an expertise marketing program that empowers your people to better navigate the customer journey: Creating Touchpoints for Expertise Whether it’s a research page on your website or an upcoming speaking engagement, you need to develop touchpoints for key audiences to interact with your experts and their content. This often requires businesses to step back and determine how visible your experts are across your physical and digital environment. As you go through the auditing process, you not only surface gaps in your delivery but in many cases, you’ll also find a wealth of expert content hidden in personal websites, social media and external publications. It surprises many businesses to discover that your experts are already engaging with audiences – just not from within your organization. Make your expertise more coherent by turning a disconnected group of experts into a powerhouse of brand ambassadors. In addition to aggregating their existing content, you’ll need to speak directly with your experts and develop an expertise marketing program that aligns with their professional objectives and incentivizes their continued efforts. This collaborative approach will mutually benefit both your business and your experts while simultaneously generating excitement and buy-in throughout the whole organization. Download The Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing For a comprehensive look at how expertise marketing benefits the entire organization and drives measurable return on investment, follow the link below to download a copy of ExpertFile’s Complete Guide to Expertise Marketing: The Next Wave in Digital Strategy
Widening participation expert joins Aston University as visiting professor
Liz Thomas is a leading researcher in widening participation and closing the achievement gap She has a very strong international and national reputation for using her research to inform policy and practice Professor Thomas will work within the University’s College of Business and Social Sciences. A leading researcher whose work addresses patterns of under-representation in higher education has joined Aston University as a visiting professor. Liz Thomas is an expert in widening participation and closing the achievement gap. She has joined the University’s College of Business and Social Sciences to work largely with Aston Business School on inclusivity and employability. Professor Thomas has previously worked on the Teaching Excellence Framework Main Panel (Widening Participation Expert), been Chair of Advisory Group, Evaluation of pre-16 outreach work, Office for Fair Access (now Office for Students) as well as an International member of the Vice Chancellor’s Quality Review, University of South Wales, Australia. During the next Research Excellence Framework (REF) period her research will focus on higher education student and graduate experiences in the ‘new new normal’. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an emergency pivot by higher education providers worldwide, from predominantly present-in-person teaching, to primarily or exclusively remote and online learning. As the pandemic has progressed, HE providers have adapted to the new normal, providing a range of hybrid learning, engagement and support opportunities. Employers are also seeing the advantages of more flexible and hybrid ways of working, and this suggests that graduates will need demonstrate additional skills and competencies in relation to autonomy and time management, team working, digital skills and effective communication through a wider range of media. Professor Liz Thomas said: “I am very excited to have been appointed visiting professor in the College of Business and Social Sciences at Aston University. “I'm very much looking forward to working with colleagues on equity in higher education and employment. “Belonging will continue to be an important theme within my research, both conceptually and practically, and within higher education and employment, in the post-pandemic world. We need to capitalise on the advantages that have emerged, and ensure inclusion, and equitable outcomes for all.” Professor Helen E Higson, associate dean accreditations at Aston Business School, said: “I am looking forward to welcoming Liz to Aston Business School to share her knowledge on inclusivity and employability. “She will bring further leadership internally in areas which fit very well with Aston University’s values, student demographics and objectives. “She has a very strong international and national reputation for using her research-informing policy. Much current practice and policy in HE in the UK is influenced by her work.”
Podcast: Germany’s caution over Russian aggression ‘disappointing’ NATO
Russia’s threat to Ukraine has highlighted differences between east and west Germans over handling of Russia, and the country’s cautious foreign policy Aston University academic explains why German soldiers shooting at Russian counterparts would be seen as a “tremendous failure” New Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces massive challenges including how to handle Covid-19, “crumbling” infrastructure, and climate change targets. Germany without its stalwart former leader Angela Merkel faces a number of huge challenges – not least the threat of Russia invading Ukraine. While Germany wants to provide leadership within the European Union, its diplomatic stance over Russia is at odds with many other countries within NATO. Those are the views of Dr Ed Turner, a reader in politics at Aston University, who was interviewed in the latest episode of the 'Society matters' podcast series, presented by journalist Steve Dyson. The episode, subtitled 'What Germany's new government means for the UK, Europe and Russia', follows a political shift following the departure of Chancellor Angela Merkel last year after 16 years in charge, after the defeat of her Christian Democratic Party. Dr Turner said the immediate priority for new Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz was “undoubtedly the crisis in Ukraine and the positioning of large numbers of Russian troops on Ukraine’s border, and the real worry that Russia will invade”. He said Germany wants the issue addressed, “but is doing so in a way that is really very cautious and is disappointing to many of Germany’s allies”. Dr Turner, who is also co-director of the Aston Centre for Europe, said Germany’s “very different approach” was reflective of its history with Russia. He explained: “There is a strong sense that Germany owes a significant debt, has a particular responsibility towards Russia for the losses incurred in World War One and, particularly, in World War Two. “The perception is that German troops once again firing at Russian soldiers would be a tremendous failure. Germany also places a strong emphasis on diplomacy as a way of engaging in foreign relations rather than hard military interventions.” There were also “economic angles”, he added, with Germany needing Russian energy at a time when it was committed to phasing out coal and nuclear power. Dr Turner, whose fascination with Germany began when he cycled through the country as a teenager, said a “carrot and stick” balance was dividing the country, with 68 per cent of west Germans but only 34 per cent of east Germans last year supporting EU sanctions against Russia. This reflected “really big disparities” more than 30 years after German reunification, with 60 per cent of east Germans feeling they are treated as second class citizens. Dr Turner said post-Merkel Germany faced big challenges including handling Covid-19, large parts of German infrastructure “really crumbling” with a big backlog of investment needed, and a pledge to move faster towards net zero emissions. But he added that UK-German relations in the wake of Brexit were not on the list of big things. “Good relations between the UK and Germany will depend on the nature of the UK’s relations with the European Union,” he said. “If the UK is at loggerheads with the European Union, in particular if there was a worsening of the situation in relation to the Northern Ireland protocol, then relations with Germany would get worse.” But Dr Turner said there was “huge affection” for the UK in Germany. “Germans are willing to disentangle the UK from Brexit and to say ‘we want to move on and don’t think badly of you’. I really want to see bridge-building between the two countries over the coming years.” Dr Turner said Germany remained “nervous” of the advance of the far right, especially if numbers of refugees coming to Germany were to grow. He said Angela Merkel would be remembered for Germany’s “humane response” to the 2015 refugee crisis, but others were “much more critical” over her policy. This, he added, led to German society becoming divided and the far right gaining ground. But Dr Turner acknowledged Mrs Merkel as a “remarkable leader who really broke the mould” as the first woman Chancellor and first from the east. In contrast, her successor is seen as a “steady hand on the tiller” as he heads a “traffic light coalition” of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals. Episode 6 in series 2 of the ‘Society matters’ podcast and all previous episodes can be found HERE.
The Nesta study looked at innovation as applied to industrial policy and focussed on migrant micro-enterprises in Birmingham Experts found while there is some face-to-face business support in Birmingham, the majority of it is provided online and in English The Community Organising for Inclusive Industrial Policy study was conducted by Citizens UK Birmingham and the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) at Aston Business School. A new report by Aston University and Citizens UK Birmingham has found the UK Government must do more to include micro-enterprises with business support. The Community Organising for Inclusive Industrial Policy study, which was conducted by Citizens UK Birmingham and the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) at Aston Business School for Nesta, concluded micro-enterprises in principle can take advantage of business support that is available in Birmingham, but in practice there are several limitations. Experts found while there is some face-to-face business support in Birmingham, the majority of it is provided online with most of the various government and other websites which provide extensive business support information largely in English, and not directly accessible to those who have inadequate English language skills or lack a good level of digital skills. In Birmingham, the business leaders group successfully bid for a local authority contract to create public health videos in community languages, featuring community members in familiar locations as a way of making the content more relatable to the target audience. Professor Monder Ram, director of Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) at Aston Business School, said: “It is wonderful to see CREME and Citizen UK’s highly impactful initiative on migrant business support receive this recognition from NESTA as an exemplar of ‘grassroots’ social innovation. “Our collaboration demonstrates the value of communities working together to support businesses and tackle common challenges.” You can read the full report HERE.
Aston University linguist awarded prestigious research fellowship
Dr Emmanuelle Labeau is one of three academics to have been appointed Research Fellows by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for the Future of Language Research They will carry out a horizon-scanning exercise which will inform the future of AHRC investment in language research The research team will also engage with language stakeholders from across the UK to inform their work. An Aston University linguist has been appointed to a key language leadership role by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Dr Emmanuelle Labeau, reader in French language and linguistics and director of the Aston Centre for Applied Linguistics (ACAL) at Aston University, has taken up the new post informing the future direction of research funding for languages. Dr Labeau will work to identify existing, new and emerging research themes in language research, as well as relevant policy areas that future language research could address, taking into account the needs and expectations of both academic and non-academic communities, wider stakeholders and government departments. She will work with Professor Nicola McLelland, University of Nottingham and Professor Michelle McLeod, University of Aberdeen, wias part of a research team which brings together a wealth of experience in language research. They will engage with language stakeholders from across the UK to inform their work and help the AHRC decide which areas of language research to support, as well as identifying potential threats, risks, emerging issues and opportunities. In addition, Emmanuelle will be carrying out a survey of the presence of languages in Birmingham. Her project, Birmingham Research for Upholding Multilingualism (BRUM), will focus on languages in education, business, public services and cultures. Dr Labeau said: “I am thrilled to be trusted with such a strategic task for the future of my discipline, while serving the region. I will be bringing to the team my experience of contemporary and relevant language research and teaching that widen participation and serve the needs of the community. I have started contacting stakeholders in Birmingham and I am keen to hear from all of Aston University’s beneficiaries.”
What the Basque Country tells us about 'levelling up' | Aston Angle
What the Basque Country tells us about using local governance to level up By Dr Caroline Gray Lecturer in Politics and International Relations School of Social Science and Humanities January 2022 In a recent interview on his vision of ‘levelling up’, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, cited the Basque Country as one example of where ‘things have been done well’. The Basque Country, an industrial region of northern Spain with a population of just over two million, is widely admired for having undergone a remarkable, industry-focused economic transformation since it was hit by the decline of heavy industry in the 1980s. It is now one of the leading regions in Europe not only in terms of GDP per capita, but also in having a low percentage of population at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Within Spain itself, critics usually attribute this to the way the Basque fiscal autonomy model works, enabling the region to keep more of its own wealth to itself than other similarly prosperous regions in Spain – a form of internal ‘levelling up’ at the expense of other regions. This, however, is not the only contributing factor to the Basque Country’s economic transformation. Effective governance has also played a key role. What takeaways from the Basque experience might be relevant to levelling up in the UK and the devolution framework needed to facilitate it? Through my research on the Basque governance systems, I’ve discovered that some of the most valuable lessons relate to how multi-level governance works within the Basque region itself and how that contributes to economic and social transformation. Devolution does not stop with the powers devolved to regional governments or authorities; the relationship between different stakeholders and layers of governance within a region or locality is equally important. If the UK government wants to learn from what the Basque Country has done well, it should consider the following: 1. Devolution beyond metropolitan areas needs to be flexible and adaptable to place-based specifics In his July 2021 Levelling Up speech, Boris Johnson announced that levelling up would involve extending devolution beyond cities with new deals for the counties. The government must stick to the commitment it made then to shape new devolution deals with local input, avoiding one-size-fits-all approaches. The Basque Country provides valuable evidence for why it’s beneficial to shape governance approaches to the economic geography of an area. As one of Spain’s 17 regions called ‘autonomous communities’, the Basque Country is, in turn, divided into provinces (Araba-Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa) and municipalities. Counties, which don’t have an administrative body, but which do house county development agencies, make up an additional level between the provinces and municipalities. The economic activity of two of the provinces (Araba-Álava and Bizkaia) is typical of metropolitan areas in that it is centred heavily on their capital cities (Vitoria and Bilbao, respectively), where the provincial councils are based. However, in the third, Gipuzkoa, economic activity is more distributed across different hubs in the province. As a result, in Gipuzkoa, the county development agencies, created in the late 1980s, have acquired a particularly important role, as interviewees from the Basque Institute of Competitiveness explained to me. The counties map particularly well onto the different industrial areas in the province, thanks to the fact that they were designed with the bottom-up input of municipal leaders working together with the provincial council. The county development agencies have, in turn, become a key channel via which the provincial council in Gipuzkoa can reach SMEs more easily, as they are closer to the firms. Such local networks are particularly important in non-metropolitan areas where economic activity can be more dispersed. This is why the UK government must make sure any new devolution framework it designs is flexible enough to allow for local input and adaptations to place-based considerations. 2. Bottom-up, collaborative dynamics are essential to the design and implementation of placed-based strategies Basque economic development has undoubtedly benefitted from the fact that the regional government draws upon input from different levels of administration and a range of other public and private stakeholders in the region when designing its industrial policies. Experiments in collaborative governance have become increasingly innovative over the years, not only at regional but also provincial and local level, designed to reach beyond the largest firms and to engage wider society. The county development agencies in Gipuzkoa, for example, used to provide services to SMEs in an essentially one-way direction – for example, advising them on how to apply policy – but have since evolved more into facilitators of networks for cooperation and mutual learning among public and private actors at county level. This not only facilitates more efficient implementation of regional policies, but also channels local feedback upwards into the policy-making process, adding value. Collaboration among different tiers of governance and different areas, rather than competition, has been the goal of such approaches. Therefore, the UK government needs to reconsider the increasingly competitive dimension of current devolution arrangements. Having areas compete against one another for centrally controlled, often short-term pots of money doesn’t facilitate the formation of robust, collaborative partnerships that could ultimately add value and increase efficiency. Finally, institutional stability is important. From the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), which are now under review, there has been frequent chopping and changing in the institutions and policies meant to tackle the UK’s place-based inequalities in recent decades. The Basque Country shows what can be achieved with a more stable, longer-term institutional and policy framework and vision. If it is to have a meaningful impact in tackling inequalities, the Levelling Up White Paper must provide the basis for a longer-term devolution framework that goes well beyond the current government term, with a clear allocation of resources and responsibility.
Aston University bioenergy expert appointed to Department for Transport Science Advisory Council
Professor Thornley is director of the Energy and Bioproducts Institute at Aston University and the national Supergen Bioenergy Hub She is an international leader in assessing the sustainability of energy systems The Science Advisory Council provides independent, strategic advice and challenge to the Department for Transport. Bioenergy expert and director of the Energy and Bioproducts Institute at Aston University, Professor Patricia Thornley, has been appointed to the science advisory council of the Department for Transport (DfT). Professor Thornley is an international leader in assessing the sustainability of energy systems. Her work contributes to the understanding of how to best use low-carbon technologies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change. Her work is particularly influential in advising government on energy policy and supporting engineering deployment of low-carbon energy solutions in the UK and worldwide. The Science Advisory Council is a council of external experts who provide independent, strategic advice and challenge to the DfT on science and technology – speaking directly to decision-makers on some of the most important issues of the day that are relevant to the department’s policy and operations. Speaking on her appointment, Professor Thornley said: “I am delighted to take up this role and further develop the links between Aston University and the Department for Transport. "We already engage closely with departments across Whitehall to ensure policy is sustainable and fit for purpose in a net zero world. I’m excited to work with such esteemed colleagues on the DfT Science Advisory Council and to deepen the important relationship between policy and research.” The council examines how science and innovation can support policy in specific areas, working with officials to frame the policy issue and consulting additional subject-specific experts to bring new thinking and evidence into DfT. As a member of the Science Advisory Council Professor Thornley will support the Chief Scientific Adviser in ensuring departmental activity is informed by the best external expertise and evidence, advising and challenging the nature and quality of the DfT’s use of science and technology and identifying relevant emerging issues and trends. Professor Thornley has been recruited alongside four other new members and a new Chair, joining six continuing members. Department for Transport Chief Scientific Adviser, Sarah Sharples, said: “I’m pleased to welcome the new members appointed to the Science Advisory Council. They bring significant additional expertise in key areas that will support DfT’s effective use of science and engineering. "I look forward to working with them.” Professor Thornley’s appointment is for a four-year term ending in 2025.
