Our History
The Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) was established in 2007 as a crucial component of Vision 2015Link opens in a new window, a strategy aimed at positioning the University of Warwick among the top 50 global universities by its 50th anniversary. This initiative sought to enhance the impact and international reach of Warwick's research and postgraduate training programs.
"Warwick's Institute of Advanced Study is at once a concept, a funding body, a strategy and a cluster of physical locations dedicated to enriching the University's research environment."
The main goals of the Institute included enhancing opportunities for international scholars to engage with Warwick, fostering new collaborative research groups (including international partnerships), promoting interdisciplinary research across all faculties, enriching the research environment for postgraduate students and early career researchers, and increasing public engagement with Warwick's research on both national and international levels.
Since its inception, the IAS has thrived, offering various programmes designed to enhance the postgraduate research environment at Warwick. Our postdoctoral and visiting fellows are part of a vibrant campus-wide community of researchers, whose activities support our mission to advance new research ideas characterized by interdisciplinarity, innovation, and internationalization.
Professor Margot FinnLink opens in a new window
2007 - 2009
Professor Margot Finn was the founding Director of the IAS, alongside being Head of Department in History (2006-2009).
After her tenure as IAS director Margot was Pro-Vice Chancellor of Access, Development & Widening Participation (2011-2012) before joining University College London in July 2012 as Chair in Modern British History, and is an historian of Britain and the British colonial world in the 'very long 19th century', c. 1750-1914.
Margot is currently Principal Investigator on the project 'East India Company at Home, 1757-1857' as well as being a Trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum and a REF History Sub-panel member, and also recently served as Vice-President of the Royal Historical Society.
Margot recently curated an exhibition at Osterley House and Park (a National Trust property in Hounslow) entitled 'The Trappings of Trade: A Domestic Story of the East India Company'.
Professor Hilary MarlandLink opens in a new window
2009 - 2011
Professor Hilary Marland served as IAS director from 2009 to 2011. Currently Hilary is a Principal Investigator on a new Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award (2014-19),
'Prisoners, Medical Care and Entitlement to Health in England and Ireland, 1850-2000.'
Her research interests lie particularly with the mental health of prisoners, the impact of prisons on mental wellbeing, and the health of women prisoners.
Prior to her directorship of IAS Hilary was Director of the Centre for the History of Medicine, a role which she has held for a second time since 2015.
Professor Richard AldrichLink opens in a new window
2011 - 2014
Professor Richard J. Aldrich was the Director of the IAS from 2011 to 2014. Richard is a Professor of International Security at the University of Warwick.
In 2019 he completed a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship to investigate the"nature of secrecy"in a world characterised by increasing technology and transparency. He has recently been involved in the H2020DigiGenproject 'The Impact of Technological Transformations on the Digital Generation' and an EU Erasmus project onCyberdiplomacy.
His main research interests lie in the area of intelligence, security and cyber communities. He has been honoured as a Distinguished Scholar for contributions to the field of Intelligence Studies by the Intelligence Studies Section of the International Studies Association.
Professor Giorgio RielloLink opens in a new window
2014 - 2017
Giorgio Riello was the Director of the Institute of Advanced Study between 2014 and 2017.
He joined the Department of History at Warwick in 2007 and was Professor of Global History and Culture.
His area of expertise lies in the history of globalisation, trade and manufacturing with a particular focus on industrialisation and economic divergence. Giorgio has been in charge of a number of research projects and networks, such as the Leverhulme-funded 'Luxury Network' in collaboration with several museums and universities and the Warwick Business School.
He has been a member of the Global History and Culture Centre since its foundation and co-directed the Centre in 2013 - 14. Since 2010, he has also been the Director of the Pasold Research Fund, a charity established in 1964 for the promotion of research in textiles, dress and fashion.
Professor Peter ScottLink opens in a new window
2017 - 2022
Pete researches in two areas: the discovery of self-assembling molecules as antimicrobials and cancer medicines, and interfacially-active polyolefin materials for recycling and other applications.
He is also founder and director of the Warwick spin-out Interface Polymers Ltd.
He is Academic Director – Innovation at Warwick with a focus on health innovation, and sits on the scientific board of Midlands Mindforge.
He has held several positions including Director of the Institute of Advanced Study, Royal Society Industry Fellowship, chair of Warwick's Business Partnerships Grand Challenge, and Chair of Warwick's Art Collection committee. Educated at Salford and Oxford Universities he was a Royal Society European Research Fellow at Universität Konstanz and Ramsay Memorial Fellow at Sussex University.
Professor Mohan BalasubramanianLink opens in a new window
2022 - 2025
Mohan joined Warwick in October 2013, where he was Professor and Pro-Dean (Research) Warwick Medical School until August 2022.
Mohan is a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator and his research group investigates mechanisms by which molecular scale forces are generated to accomplish cell division.