Departmental news

New research by Professor Andre Pires da Silva is underway to decipher a fascinating biological puzzle—how some animals can naturally discard more than half of their genetic information during embryonic development. The new study is part of the BBSRC Pioneer Awards, which could revolutionise our understanding of the rules of life. Sixty two researchers across the UK, including Professor Pires da Silva, are to receive a share of £12 million to pursue visionary bioscience research.

Press Release (9 November 2023)

Workshop Report: ‘Approaches to Teaching the #EarlyModernHispanicWorld to 21st-Century Students’

How do we continue to engage students with the early modern and pre-modern Hispanic world in innovative ways? How can we make these texts more accessible to today’s learners whilst also retaining the essential differences of another culture and another era? These are some of the questions that scholars, in collaboration with students, explored during the interdisciplinary workshop ‘Approaches to Teaching the #EarlyModernHispanicWorld to 21st-Century Students’, which took place at Warwick on Friday, 13^th October 2023. The aim of the event was to rethink approaches and pedagogical methods to open up these texts and topics to higher education students and it included short presentations on all aspects of pedagogy and strategies for teaching, learning, and assessment that encourage learners to engage with key works using a variety of means, including visual and digital media. The hybrid format facilitated the attendance of scholars and PG students; overall, we had colleagues joining us in person and online from British, Irish and US institutions.

The first panel, entitled ‘Teaching Early Modern Literature’, included very engaging presentations by Prof. Isabel Torres (Queen’s University Belfast), Dr Anne Holloway (Queen’s University Belfast), and Dr Idoya Puig (Manchester Metropolitan University). They all offered some reflections on their experience facilitating effective engagement with literature from an era which is at a double remove from the twenty-first century student. Professor Torres focused on the rationale for learning and evaluation strategies which followed Egan’s ‘Imaginative Approach to Teaching’ (2005) and recent work on the concept of ‘Salience’ in Shakespearean Studies (Dadabhoy and Mehdizadeh, 2023). She concluded by showing her students’ ‘creative response’ project work for the poetry module and reflections on ‘embodiment activities’ that will be further developed on the theatre course. Similarly, Dr Holloway showed the audience the potential in foregrounding the continuing resonances of the Early Modern within the Modern, and in anchoring literature within more familiar or immediate contexts for students. This was then clearly illustrated in the innovative assessment options that allow students to become editors, curators, or producers of podcasts or documentaries. In the last presentation of this panel, Dr Puig showed how we can make use of new media literacies in the university context to rediscover and renew Spanish Golden Age literary texts. By focusing on Cervantes’s La española inglesa, Puig demonstrated how literature, particularly classic texts, can be embedded in the language classroom in innovative ways.

During our second panel, we learned about the teaching of history of science and medicine in colonial Latin America thanks to Dr Yarí Pérez Marín (Durham University) and Dr Fiona Clark (Queen’s University Belfast). Dr Pérez Marín shared some examples from her teaching practice on how to facilitate student engagement with early modern sources on natural history and medicine at different levels, from ideas best suited for introductory undergraduate modules to more specialised postgraduate contexts. For instance, the opportunities her students have to collaborate and put into practice their knowledge at the Spanish Gallery at Bishop Auckland. Similarly, Dr Clark discussed some approaches to engage students with 18th-century topics by centring assessment in career-related contexts (taking examples from the Gazeta de Literatura de México, treatments for syphilis, art and health, and polemics around uses of chocolate). In addition to developing an understanding of primary sources, the underpinning aim of these modules is to help students develop more advanced writing and communication skills with an awareness of a specific audience and using digital technologies e.g., podcasting, digital editing, and working with interactive images.

The keynote presentation was delivered by Tara Munroe, Creative Director of Opal22 Arts and Edutainment, a historical researcher and museum curator who has been working within a number of museums and community organisations across the Midlands area in England over a number of years. Her work with Arts, Heritage and Cultural projects for the local communities has been nationally acclaimed and is being used as templates across the country. She brings a modern innovative twist to the heritage area and makes it fun for those she targets. Her presentation ‘Casta Paintings through 21st-Century Eyes’ was highly engaging and refreshing, particularly her work with local communities through workshops and events. Tara Munroe talked about her new exhibition, Casta: The Origin of Caste - which we totally recommend!-, which showcases a series of rare, historically important 18^th-century Mexican paintings she discovered in the basement of the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery. The paintings are explored by different experts who brought a range of approaches to reading the images, focusing primarily on issues of race. Her talk led us to consider the legacy, role, and questions around how to decode and decolonise art within the context of issues we confront in the 21^st century.

The last panel brought together different colleagues from Warwick that teach the early modern Hispanic world in three different departments: School of Modern Languages and Cultures, History and Liberal Arts. Prof. Rebecca Earle, based in the department of History and also an expert on Casta painting, explained how the history of food is an effective vehicle for exploring the past, particularly in her own experience of teaching Latin American history through food, and how this experience has in turn shaped her own research trajectory. Dr Liz Chant, based in Liberal Arts, explored how historical maps offer unique insights into the early modern Hispanic world, particularly to engage with issues of environmental history, historical geography and the history of science in the Spanish Empire. And finally, Dr Rich Rabone and Dr Leticia Villamediana González (SMLC) shared some pedagogical reflections on their collaborative teaching of ‘Knowing Women: Gender, Education, and Power’, in which students analyse strategies for engagement with or subversion of prevailing gender norms in the cultural production of two different periods: the Baroque, and the Enlightenment.

The workshop concluded with a roundtable that brought together in conversation scholars from different disciplines as well as some UG and PGR students. Some of the questions discussed were: What first attracted you to the study of early modern culture and literature? Out of the workshop sessions, have you found any new approaches to texts that you can see fitting well with their own work? For those ECRs / PGRs whose work sits between subjects like History and Languages, do they see any particular challenges? What do you see as being the greatest barriers to drawing new students into these subject areas? How important the canon should be when you design a curriculum?

Our main purpose when we first started thinking about this workshop was to initiate interdisciplinary conversations that might help participants to develop their own teaching practice. We think we achieved our goal; we were extremely pleased and impressed by the quality of the presentations, as well as the lively conversations and networking that took place during the coffee and lunch breaks. But just in case we are a bit biased, these are some of the comments of those who attended the event:

‘I was really interested to hear about the use of creative writing in assessment, especially approaches to assessing commentary on the creative piece rather than the piece itself. it was a really useful and fruitful exchange that has given me lots of new ideas for my teaching.’

‘It was wonderful to have an opportunity to be among like-minded colleagues reflecting on teaching. We need to acknowledge that the context in which these texts are received is always shifting and our approaches need to shift accordingly.’

‘Opportunity to share practice underlines the importance of creating a space for reflection on why we do what we do, and how, in our teaching and how we might develop our own practices; very positive and uplifting!’

‘After the presentations I thought on how to guide mi classes towards a more democratised learning, and importantly by establishing an affective connection that would help the co-creation of the curriculum and the educational materials.’

‘I was very interested in the transdisciplinary approach, and the experiences shared certainly gave me clear ideas on how to plan creative assessments in my art historical teaching. I am really happy for having attended to the workshop which generated such rich discussions and collegiality.’

‘It was very helpful to see specific examples of how to engage students with different media to read some texts and produce videos, commentaries, artefacts, etc. with their own interpretations. The concept of salience was very helpful to approach works from early periods of history.’

Finally, we are extremely thankful to those who generously funded the event and made it possible: the Humanities Research Centre at Warwick, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Connecting Cultures Group at Warwick and the University Council for Languages.

Dr Leticia Villamediana González

Associate Professor in Hispanic Studies

School of Modern Languages and Cultures

HRC event report for 29^th and 30^th September 2023: ‘Afterlives of an Essay’ conference

Conference organised by: Dr Caroline Summers (University of Warwick), Dr Ian Ellison (University of Kent, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main), and Dr Arianna Autieri (Goldsmiths, University of London).

HRC money was secured to help cover keynote travel costs. Other funding was received from the ILCS, MHRA, Goldsmiths University of London and Warwick SMLC.

Conference report

The conference took place on 29^th and 30^th September 2023 and was hosted at the University of Warwick .

The main objective of the conference was to invite critical engagement with Benjamin’s seminal essay on ‘The Task of the Translator’ [‘Die Aufgabe des Übersetzers]. Our intention was to invite papers from across a range of disciplinary perspectives, and to engage both younger and more experienced scholars in the discussion of a key text in the discipline of Translation Studies.

Due to UCU industrial action, the original conference programme of papers and panels across 2 days was adjusted to fit all academic papers into the second day of the schedule. The first day therefore presented an opportunity for delegates to engage with the conference theme off-campus through planned activities, as follows:

· A visit to the Migrating Dreams and Nightmares exhibit at Common Ground (Fargo Village, Coventry), including a discussion with curators Nirmal Puwar and Kate Rosslin on the experience of putting together this narrative of the linguistic and physical translation of migrants between spaces;

· A visit and tour of Coventry Cathedral as a space that embodies concepts of afterlife and rebirth, with Nirmal Puwar (BA Fellow at Coventry Cathedral);

· Screening and discussion of Nirmal Puwar’s film Unravelling (2008) in the Chapter House (Coventry Cathedral);

· The opportunity to visit the Herbert Gallery with its various holdings, including more information on the history of Coventry Cathedral and the city itself;

· Conference dinner at Bistrot Pierre in Coventry, attended by almost all delegates.

The academic focus of the conference was on Saturday 30^th September, which is also celebrated as International Translation Day since it is the feast day of St Jerome. The conference programme consisted of 4 standard panels, 2 keynote papers and a dialogue between two established scholars and translators. Delegates commented favourably on the range of papers and the quality of the keynotes. Since panels ran consecutively, the audience for the various papers was not divided: while this made for a long day, it ensured that discussions from the panel sessions could flow naturally into conversations in the scheduled breaks and helped to establish a feeling of continuity throughout the day.

There were 35 official delegates, including PhD researchers, Early Career Academics, established scholars and retired members of the academic community. Participants came from across the UK and Ireland, as well as from mainland Europe, Turkey, the USA and Hong Kong. This diversity was also reflected in the range of presenters.

Traditional keynotes were delivered by Dr Julia Ng (Goldsmiths) and Professor Duncan Large (BCLT, UEA). Their different perspectives on Benjamin, from Philosophy and from Comparative Literature/Translation Studies respectively, initiated some very interesting questions in the subsequent discussion, looking across disciplinary boundaries to explore the impact of the essay. Participants were very engaged by both papers.

The ‘In Conversation’ session with Dr Chantal Wright (ZHAW) and Professor Douglas Robinson (CUHK, Shenzhen) was chaired by Dr Arianna Autieri and ranged from discussion of the text itself to a broader dialogue about the experience of translating Benjamin, or translating in the spirit of Benjamin. This was a very valuable opportunity for delegates to hear two international scholars in Translation Studies sharing their extensive expertise on the conference topic. We are grateful to all four keynote speakers for their willingness to adapt to challenging circumstances, and for their generosity and supportive reflections on papers throughout the conference.

The standard of papers and presentations was very high throughout the conference. Panel sessions centred on the following topics:

· Theoretical readings of Benjamin;

· Contemporary perspectives;

· ‘The task’ as a literary lens;

· Reading ‘the task’ through Benjamin and his translators.

Particular strands that emerged from the panel discussions included the materiality of language and text, translation as a performance, critical engagement with binaries such as un/translatability and the im/possible, and the importance of reading texts and theories in context.

The broad and engaged conversations that continued throughout the day meant that the conference objectives were easily met. Benjamin’s essay was read and reframed from a number of different angles, and the discussions that followed panels and keynotes provided ample opportunity to develop these ideas. There was a relaxed, engaged and supportive atmosphere throughout the day, for all papers. We were delighted to be able to welcome ten students from the Warwick MA in Translation and Cultures to the keynote sessions: these students have had a unique opportunity to be part of a landmark event at the start of their postgraduate careers in Translation Studies, and we were pleased that so many of them chose to attend.

Following prior contact with Routledge, we were able to secure a discount for conference delegates on Douglas Robinson and Chantal Wright’s publications on the Benjamin essay, valid for a month after the conference. We are grateful to Routledge for their generosity in this, and for sending us the sample copies.

Keynotes, presenters and attendees commented positively on their experience, describing it as stimulating, entertaining and enriching. One delegate commented: Congratulations … for putting on such a wonderful event under challenging circumstances and with several contingencies! It was of course a long day but the I felt the format really did encourage conversations, and all the talks were excellent. It was wonderful to have so many great scholars together and to have a chance to discuss. Thank you once again for all your efforts in organising.’

Our intention is to publish proceedings from the conference as a ‘Talking Points’ volume with the Forum for Modern Language Studies. This is a format that invites a dialogic, open format and a narrow focus and would work well as a publication of the ideas and conversations featured at the conference. We are in touch with delegates about this and are in the process of putting together a Call for Papers. In the longer term, the co-organisers also hope to apply for funding to support a future research project exploring literary afterlives and modernism.

The organising committee of the interdisciplinary conference ‘Locations of (Dis)embodied Labour in Theatre and Performance’ are happy to announce that registration is now open.

The conference will be held in the Wolfson Research Exchange on 30 November 2023. Registration is open until Thursday 16 November.

For registration and a preliminary conference programme, please visit https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/scapvc/theatre/staff/yangzizhou/locationsoflabour2023/.

If you have any queries, please contact the conference organisers directly at disembodiedlabour@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

On 6 November, the House of Lords published a report entitled ‘Sowing the seeds: A blooming English horticultural sector’. The report looks at the development of the horticultural sector in England and includes citations from Professor Richard Napier and contributions from Professor Rosemary Collier and Alex Kelly.

Read the report

Researchers at WMG, University of Warwick’s, International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM) have been working with the team at Versarien plc on a new comprehensive portfolio of graphene and related nanomaterial based thermoplastic polymer compounds and masterbatches.

The new PolygreneTM compounds are expected to have potential commercial applications in areas as diverse as sports equipment, construction products, aerospace and automotive components.

Since 2018, Versarien subsidiary 2-DTech Ltd (2DT), Composites UK member, has funded PhD and postdoctoral researchers to understand the use of its Nanene™ graphene powders and other nanomaterials in thermoplastic systems. Dr David Reinoso-Arenas, the first 2DT funded PhD student, with support from the EPSRC Doctoral Training Programme, worked with Versarien’s Nanene™ materials in thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) systems and joined Versarien full-time last year as part of the team at Versarien’s subsidiary Cambridge Graphene Ltd.

Dr David Reinoso-Arenas, explained: “The new PolygreneTM thermoplastics portfolio is a culmination of my PhD research, some of which is due to be published in peer-reviewed journals. Since then we’ve been able to further develop and test these materials using different nanomaterial fillers and process conditions to fully optimise the resulting product performance. My PhD experience at the IINM and WMG was really enjoyable and enabled me to work closely with industry to ensure that the outputs of my research could be validated and have commercial viability.”

David’s PhD was performed under the supervision of Professor Tony McNally, whose team has an established capability in incorporating a wide range of nanomaterials into bulk polymer systems.

Professor Tony McNally, who leads the Nanocomposites Research Group at WMG, University of Warwick, said: “Working with Versarien over the last few years has given the IINM and WMG access to alternative graphene materials that have shown interesting phenomena when blended in these TPE systems. By tuning the nanofiller loading and optimising process conditions, David’s research showed that exceptional gains can be achieved in mechanical properties across the board (tensile strength, modulus, elongation at break, toughness and abrasion resistance) without compromising any properties. The addition of graphene also highlights improvements in polymer processing which may offer lower energy usage and, therefore, improving sustainability.”

Professor McNally continues to work with Versarien by providing a funded PhD position in 2D material based rubber systems, making use of the IINM’s new state of the art rubber processing and testing capabilities With support from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC), WMG has established a world class facility for the study of elastomers.

Dr Stephen Hodge, Versarien’s CEO, added: “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the IINM and WMG in rubber processing and understanding the interactions of our graphene and other 2D materials in these more complex systems, and hope to be able to demonstrate significant benefits that can impact upon real-world applications.”

Find out more and download technical datasheets here: https://versarienproducts.co.uk/thermoplastics

Find out more about WMG’s Nanocomposites research here:https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/materials/nanocomposites/

Professor Siddartha Khastgir, Head of Verification and Validation at WMG, University of Warwick, comments on the Government’s plans to introduce the primary legislation for automated vehicles in the upcoming parliamentary session, as announced in the King’s Speech today (Tuesday 7^th November).

Professor Khastgir said: ‘‘We welcome the Government’s decision to introduce the primary legislation on automated vehicles in the King’s Speech today. Following on from the discussions at the AI Safety Summit last week, this very first legislation on AI-powered technology is an important step for the UK to reach its target of rolling out automated cars in 2025.

“Regulation is the key enabler for the safe introduction of automated vehicles on UK roads. Not only does it provide regulatory certainty for the industry, but it is also key to setting high safety thresholds and gaining the public’s trust. We urge the Government to ensure that the regulatory framework is robust and underpinned by strong research outcomes. International and national self-driving standards should be built upon when creating this legislation.

“We also urge the Government to speed up the secondary legislation on automated vehicles to provide more information on the engineering requirements. The Government needs to ensure public views are incorporated into this legislative journey and take future users’ viewpoints into account. As a result, along with the legislation, a public awareness programme should be introduced to ensure an accurate understanding of the capabilities and limitations of this emerging technology. The Government needs to act quickly to be at the forefront of this technology.

“WMG will continue to fully support the Government and the eco-system to develop research and evidence-based self-driving regulation in the UK.’’

Find out more about WMG’s Verification and Validation research here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/cav/vandv/

Conference Report: PhD & PeerNet Symposium

School of Modern Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts Building  

20-22 September 2023

We are pleased to report that the PhDnet & PeerNet Symposium: European and Literary Studies was a great success. We had 27 participants, including postgraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior and senior researchers from seven different European countries, coming together at this symposium.

The two half- and one full-day conference hosted by the School of Modern Languages brought together for the first time in a combined event the members of the transnational PhD training programme, the PhDnet, and the newly established research network in European cultural and literary studies, the PeerNet. Both networks are based at the partner institutions, the Justus-Liebig University Giessen, the University of Graz, the University of Bergamo, the University of Helsinki, the Catholic University of Lisbon, Stockholm University, and the University of Warwick.* This conference was the kickoff event of this initiative and offered a great opportunity for institutional and cross-national exchange that will continue.

The symposium identified intersections between existing projects and developed common ground for collaborative work across the partner universities. Joint funding applications, specific concepts, theories and methodological approaches were discussed on the basis of papers, chapter drafts and project proposals. Individual projects presented in plenary in 10-minute slots on day one provided the participants with an overview of what is happening across the institutions. The second day was devoted to presenting pre-circulated papers, each of which was then commented on by a pre-selected respondent, followed by an open discussion with all panel participants. Two parallel sections ran on day one and two with balanced numbers of postgraduates, junior and experienced researchers in each section. The third day of the symposium was split into two groups again, this time offering a Masterclass to the PhDnet students on time management and productivity, while members of the PeerNet met to co-ordinate and discuss their collaborative research and current and prospective joint funding applications. It was great to have Sam Cole from Research & Impact Services offering this international audience information on the UK’s deal to associate with Horizon Europe, explaining what the deal implies and how it changes the current funding landscape.

The Masterclass was delivered by Warwick/Giessen Alumna of the PhDnet, Dr Anna Tabouratzidis, who also moderated a second event, the PhD/Postdoc/Alumni exchange, attended by members of the PhDnet and also offered to the SMLC and wider Faculty of Arts PGR and Postdoc community. This was a great opportunity for peer networking amongst postgraduates.

A keynote lecture entitled “Nightmares in the Library. Real and Imaginary Books in J.S. Le Fanu's Carmilla (1872) and C.T. Dreyer's Vampyr (1932)” was given by SMLC colleague Fabio Camilletti in plenary but was also open to the SMLC community.

Since colleagues from our six partner universities were visiting the University of Warwick and the Midlands for the first time, we offered a guided City tour on the morning before the conference started and we took our guests on a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon on the last day, after the conference had ended. This visit included a visit at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in the evening where we watched Macbeth. Participants expressed their excitement about this unique opportunity which further created a sense of community among these researchers, who had worked together intensively for three days.

On the academic side, participants discussed work in progress and reflected on aims, conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches and research foci with their international partners. The symposium fostered cross-cultural communication in European literary and cultural studies, and established new ideas for and standards in project development in this field. 

The intellectual exchange and discussions between peer researchers, but also between junior and senior researchers during the three days of the symposium, created a culture of inclusivity within and across the two networks and proved to be highly productive. PGRs in particular, familiarized themselves with a range of different national academic cultures and traditions while at the same time observing how these manyfold and oftentimes diverse approaches and perspectives complement, speak to and interact with each other, creating a dynamic research culture that implements new ways of thinking and establishes innovative pathways in research. With this outcome, the overall conference’s objective was not only met but exceeded.

The intellectual outcome of this symposium will not be documented in a single volume or any other form of immediate publication, but it has already resulted, and will further materialize, in joint grant applications.

This symposium was one of a series of symposia, workshops, and conferences to follow which will be hosted in alternating order at one of the partner institutions. Two thematic conferences are planned for autumn 2024 and 2026. The outcome of these will be published in the form of conference volumes for which we will consider Warwick’s Series in the Humanities with Routledge as a valuable option.

We would like to thank the Humanities Research Centre and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures for the generous support which made this very successful symposium possible. The event has helped to put research at Warwick on the European map and to foster a vibrant intellectual community and sustainable culture across institutions.

*About the PhDnet and the PeerNet

Members of the PhDnet: European and Literary Studies pursue their doctoral studies at their home institution and one of the six partner institutions, where their projects are jointly supervised. Moreover, they are awarded bi-national degrees. As a complement to the PhDnet postgraduate training programme, the PeerNet offers its members, including researchers at all stages of their career, a platform for innovative forms of research collaboration across cultures, intellectual exchange. Peer-to-peer support is offered in face-to-face interaction in a creative and inclusive atmosphere – as opposed to anonymous peer review or informal exchanges on social media. The mission of the PeerNet is to promote international standards of excellence in the study of literature and culture, to assist its members in developing cutting-edge interdisciplinary research projects, and to foster transnational collaboration among participating individuals and institutions.

As part of the newly established Wheeler History of Travel Writing Programme, the Department of History is inviting applications for up to two PhD studentships, starting in October 2024, in the History of Travel and Travel Writing. The remaining PhD studentships will be available from 2025 onwards.

The programme seeks to attract talented researchers whose projects may focus on any period or region of the world. Candidates who adopt a global historical perspective and have the ability to work with sources in more than one language are particularly encouraged to apply.

Eligibility: Candidates can be of any nationality and must apply for a History PhD at the University of Warwick to begin in Autumn 2024.

Successful applicants will benefit from the wide-ranging expertise represented by Warwick’s Department of History and its Global History and Culture Centre as well as the range of training and development opportunities offered by the Department and Doctoral College. Candidates are encouraged to explain how their proposal fits within the department’s existing research profile.

Please visit The Wheeler History of Travel Writing Programme for full details and eligibility.

For further information, please contact Dr Guido van Meersbergen (Director of the Global History and Culture Centre) or Professor Mark Knights (Postgraduate Research Director).

Course Application Deadline – 23^rd January 2024 at 23:59 (GMT)

Supporting Document Deadline – 5^th February 2024 at 23:59 (GMT)

Read the PhD Scholarships press release.

As the leading AI countries, businesses and AI experts gathered this week for the first AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park to discuss the global future of AI, we take the opportunity to reflect on the Economics Policy Talks event: AI and the Future of Work which we hosted earlier this term to debate the implications of artificial intelligence on the future of work.

Organised jointly by the Department of Economics at Warwick and three student societies - the Warwick Economics Summit, Warwick Economics Society and Warwick Women in Economics Society – the event took place at Warwick Art Centre’s theatre. Nearly 500 undergraduate and postgraduate students, mainly from the Department of Economics and other related disciplines like Politics, Philosophy and Computer Science, attended the fascinating debate.

The Chair, Dave Coplin, opened the event by introducing himself and our panellists:

• Dave Coplin (Chair), former Chief Envisioning Officer at Microsoft and founder of the Envisioners, who advises organisations and governments around the world to help inspire and drive technology-enabled transformations.
• Professor Carl-Benedikt Frey, a distinguished expert in the field of AI and its implications for the workforce, Director of the Future of Work Programme at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
• Dr Abigail Gilbert, a public policy researcher and expert in AI governance within the workplace, Director of Praxis, based at the Institute for the Future of Work.
• Gunisha Aggarwal (BSc Economics, Year 2)
• Joseph Brennan (BSc Economics, Year 2)

To start the debate, Dave Coplin gave a short introduction to the topic by acknowledging the potential that this new technology can bring in all aspects of our lives, and proposed looking into four big changes that AI will drive across our society and across our economy:

• Automation: instead of thinking about humans versus machines, we need to start thinking about what happens when we have humans plus machines and how this can elevate human capability.
• Skills: the skills that we need are not whether we can memorise the knowledge but instead whether we can use the knowledge that exists around us to find out what to do next.
• Big data: data is the fuel of artificial intelligence but the problem with data is that it’s generated by human beings, who carry unconscious biases which in turn prevent the algorithms from doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
• Accountability: our responsibility to add to the algorithm to get the right outcome.

The discussion that followed, which drew on questions submitted by students prior to the event, focused on how AI will transform roles in the current job market and how it will shape the jobs of the future; what ethical considerations and safeguards should be prioritised when developing generative AI systems; what policies would be crucial to ensure a fair and inclusive transition for workers and what skillsets and training would be of importance to prepare for this technological transition.

Here are some key issues and priorities our panellists have highlighted:

Reflecting on the potential benefits of AI, Dr Abby Gilbert said:

“Once we begin to deconstruct what AI is and what it can practically do, that will probably make us also more able to ensure that we’re targeting it towards things that enable better productivity gains and direct it in ways that are more socially purposeful.”

On hopes and fears it creates for current students, Joseph said:

“If an AI can be cheaper than a graduate then they’d go with the AI and that’s a kind of a fear for me, but also we see AI being used as a tool rather than a replacement which is quite hopeful, but it means that I have to become more technical as digital literacy becomes much more helpful, something I wouldn’t have needed 5-10 years ago.”

Asked about an ideal employer of the future, Gunisha said:

“I think my ideal employer would leverage this new technology as a force for good, to drive forward not just productivity but also innovation. So, I’m hoping that as AI permeates different sectors, jobs are going to evolve, and I hope that my employer would focus on human innovation, creativity and intuition while leveraging AI tools and providing me and other employees with training to face this new reality.”

Joseph’s comment on future employers’ plans to introduce more automation mentioned the need for transparency but also inclusivity:

“Companies should be inclusive and friendly about their plans, but also about not using AI in a negative way. There are lots of ways they could use it for surveillance or track your work movements which would create a negative work culture, and not treating me like a robot, but treating me like a human, which is the main thing I’d want from an organisation.”

Answering the question on future skills needed, Prof Frey said:

“In a world where you have a lot of algorithms competing against each other and making us more similar in terms of content we produce, I think in-person communication is something that has the potential to make you stand out and is worthwhile investing in.”

Dr Gilbert added the importance of developing critical thinking as a core skill of the future:

“Critical thinking and identifying the right questions are important, so my recommendation would be to start a reading group with your friends, read philosophy, be critical about what’s happening in politics, debate with each other and that would definitely set you in good stead.”

To find out more about this topical debate, please watch the event recording on our YouTube channel.

Economics Policy Talks - AI and the Future of Work, 10 October 2023Link opens in a new window

Photo: Co-organisers of Economics Policy Talks – AI and the Future of Work (from left to right)

Society executive members 2023/24:

Ananya Jain - Vice President Warwick Women in Economics Society, Charlie Atkins - Warwick Economics Summit Coordinator; Lancelot Wilson - Warwick Economics Summit Coordinator; Henry Milner – Econ Today Coordinator, Warwick Economics Society; Matthew Murray - President, Warwick Economics Society and Freya Sperinck, President of Warwick Women in Economics Society.