WMG News - Latest news from WMG

Congratulations to Ton Peijs, Professor of Polymer Engineering and Head of the Centre for Polymers and Composites (CPC) at WMG, University of Warwick, who has won this year’s esteemed Leslie Holliday PrizeLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.

Awarded by the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3)Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, the prize recognises significant or technological contributions to composite materials and is one of the most illustrious prizes in the field.

Professor Siddartha Khastgir, Head of Safe Autonomy at WMG at The University of Warwick, has been appointed as a member of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV)Expert Advisory Panel (EAP).

Along with another 11 panel members, Professor Khastgir will advise and inform on the implementation programme and policies within the UK's Automated Vehicles (AV) Act.

Two WMG researchers, Mert GülçürLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window and Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new windowDerya Kaya Özdemir have received MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships from Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie ActionsLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window. MSCALink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window are the EU’s flagship funding programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training, supporting career development, whilst fostering excellence in research.

A student from WMG at the University of Warwick was honoured to represent the UK at the inaugural Kunoichi Cyber GamesLink opens in a new window at the CODE BLUE cyber security conference in Tokyo recently.

Team UK joined competitors from Japan, the USA, and Europe, to compete in the world first, in-person, under 30, female international CTF competition.

Team UK was made up of young women who have been part of the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst Bursary programme, and were sponsored by Amiosec, BT, Interrupt Labs, Immersive Labs, TryHackMe, and Microsoft.

The Kunoichi Cyber Games in November 2024 aimed to champion women in cyber security and inspire young women to pursue careers in cyber. On the first day of the games the teams showcased their technical skills, and on day two they took part in forums on various topics based on the competition’s themes.

On 14 January 2025, WMG at The University of Warwick hosted the inaugural lecture of award-winning designer and WMG Industrial Professor, Sebastian Conran.

The lecture was held in the Design Showroom in the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), with an audience of design and engineering partners, staff and students.

The evening was opened by Professor Robin ClarkLink opens in a new window, Dean of WMG, who spoke about the future of the manufacturing industry and the need for designers and engineers to work together seamlessly to meet society’s challenges. Professor Clark highlighted Sebastian Conran’s work in the design engineering space, and his role in the development of WMG’s new Master’s in Engineering Design ManagementLink opens in a new window.

Sebastian’s lecture, titled ‘Engineering Emotional Experiences’ - Lessons in Collaborative Implementation of Innovation, took the audience on a journey from his early years growing up and wanting to be an inventor, to his teenage years stacking shelves at Habitat, his time at art school studying industrial design engineering, and his career where he’s seen thousands of products through from concept to consumer.

Congratulations to Dr Xingyu ZhaoLink opens in a new window, from WMG at the University of Warwick’s Safe Autonomy research group, who has been awarded the EPSRC’s prestigious New Investigator AwardLink opens in a new window (NIA).

The purpose of the NIA scheme is to address a gap identified in the funding landscape and support researchers to develop their own research vision.

Dr Xingyu ZhaoLink opens in a new window, Assistant Professor in Safety-Critical Systems, was praised for his project entitled: "Harnessing Synthetic Data Fidelity for Assured Perception of Autonomous Vehicles."

The project focused on scenario-based virtual testing for Autonomous Vehicle (AV) safety, developing a rigorous framework to define and quantify synthetic data fidelity, and explore how this impacts public confidence.

By advancing synthetic data and AV safety research, Dr Zhao’s research supports industry innovation, shapes safety standards, and ultimately enables the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles.

A PhD student from WMG at the University of Warwick, has been honoured at the International Rubber Conference Organisation (IRCO) RubberCon 2024.

The IRCO RubberCon, an annual event organised by a careful selection of rubber societies, gathers industry leaders and experts for insightful discussions. This year’s conference, held in Kerala, India, focused on the theme, “Sustainable Development in the Rubber Industry: Challenges and Opportunities.”

Ajitha Achuthanunni, who is based in WMG’s International Institute of Nanocomposite Manufacturing (IINM), received the Best Presentation Award for her groundbreaking research on composites of 2D materials and rubber blends.

Congratulations to WMG’s Dr Harjinder Lallie, Director of the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE), who has joined two other members of the Cyber Security team, Dr Hany Atlam, Assistant Professor and Professor Carsten Maple, Director of the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACE-CSR), in the Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% Scientists listing.

Professor Robin Clark, Dean of WMG, comments on the passing of Ratan Tata

“Ratan Tata was a titan of business who will be remembered at WMG for his inspirational passion for engineering and design, and for his personal kindness, humility, and deep insight.

“A close friend of our founder, Lord Bhattacharyya, Mr Tata visited WMG, at the University of Warwick, many times.

“Whether opening the WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Coventry, meeting our researchers on materials and intelligent vehicles, laying the foundation stone for the National Automotive Innovation Centre, or meeting local engineering businesses to understand their capabilities, Mr Tata was always fascinated by the ways innovation and technology could improve lives and create opportunity, and always willing to give his time to speak to our students, researchers and industry partners about their work.

“WMG and Mr Tata’s partnership began during the development of the Tata Indica, India’s first domestically designed vehicle, with WMG researchers supporting the design and manufacturing of the groundbreaking car. This led to the opening of the Tata Motors European Technical Centre at Warwick and to many research and education partnerships across a wide range of industries, many of which continue to this day on our campus, including at the National Automotive Innovation Centre, helping to create jobs, develop technologies and strengthen communities.

“Mr Tata’s vision and leadership leaves an enormous legacy for Warwick, our region, the UK and the world.

We are greatly saddened by his passing, and our deepest condolences go to his family, friends and the entire Tata community.”