Departmental news

New research from WMG has found that the carbon footprint of collecting and refurbishing abandoned trolleys adds up to the equivalent of flying from London to New York and back twice!

“Thousands of shopping trolleys are reported as abandoned in the UK every year. When you multiply the carbon impact of retrieving each one, it becomes both significant and concerning,” explains Neill Raath, Assistant Professor at WMG, University of Warwick, who led the research.

Despite supermarkets introducing a range of methods to stop shopping trolleys leaving their premises, including coin slots and wheel-locking mechanisms, over 520,000 are still reported as abandoned in the UKLink opens in a new window each year, according to global trolley and retail equipment manufacturer, Wanzl.

Supermarkets rely on commercial collection services, typically using diesel vans to survey suburban areas, to collect and return the trolleys. Researchers at WMG assessed the environmental impact in order to tally the true cost of abandoning a trolley.

Writing Wrongs is a writing programme for local Year 12 and 13 students which supports young writers from widening participation backgrounds to explore issues related to social justice and to improve their storytelling and writing skills. The deadline for applications is Saturday 22 November 2025. For more information see the Writing Wrongs webpage.

Thank you to everyone who completed this year’s National Student Survey (NSS). We are delighted to share the results and, most importantly, how we are acting on your feedback.

It’s been a busy and exciting time for Warwick Racing and Warwick Submarine, two undergraduate student-led project teams from the University of Warwick, who recently showcased their engineering talent in international competitions both at home and abroad. Read all about the teams' success at Formula Student, Silverstone, and the International Submarine Races, USA.

The Outreach team at WMG has been busy bringing science to life in London as part of the Royal Institution (Ri)’s holiday workshop programme. Designed for ages nine to 14, the workshops provide young people with hands-on experience of STEM topics, helping expand their learning beyond the classroom.

This is the fourth consecutive year that WMG has delivered sessions in partnership with the Ri, expertly led by Professor Margaret Low, Director of Outreach and Widening Participation, and Dr Phil Jemmett, Widening Participation Coordinator and Faculty Public Engagement Lead (Science, Engineering and Medicine).

We’re delighted to share that the Department of Economics has achieved an outstanding overall satisfaction score of 95% in the 2025 Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) - our highest result in recent years.

The PTES invited feedback from MSc and second-year MRes students on their experiences of teaching and learning at Warwick. With a response rate of 54%, exceeding the University average of 47%, our students have shown a strong commitment to sharing their experiences and helping us enhance postgraduate education.

Our top-performing areas include:

• Learning Resources – 96%
• Dissertation Supervision – 91%
• Teaching and Learning – 90%
• Organisation and Management – 90%

We’re particularly proud to have scored above the institutional average across all key themes, reaffirming our position as one of Warwick’s leading departments for postgraduate student experience.

At the question level, students highlighted that:

• The course is intellectually stimulating - 95%
• Teaching staff are good at explaining things – 93%
• They have appropriate access to subject specific resources – 97%
• They were given appropriate guidance and support throughout their course – 91%
• Dissertation supervisors have the skills and knowledge to support dissertations – 94%
• They would recommend the Department to others – 97%

While the overall results are highly positive, we recognise that opportunities for interaction among postgraduate taught students scored lower. We’re actively exploring ways to strengthen peer engagement and build a more connected postgraduate community.

Professor Jeremy Smith Head of Department, commented:

“These results highlight the strength of our postgraduate programmes and the dedication of our teaching and professional services staff. We’re proud of the experience we offer to our students and remain committed to enhancing student satisfaction, with a particular emphasis on building meaningful connections and engagement across our student community. We’re grateful to everyone who contributed to this success - and to our students for their thoughtful feedback”

Professor Stefan Bon has been honoured by McMaster University with the prestigious Les Shemilt Lectureship for his achievements in chemical engineering.

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson has been appointed as the new Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The EHRC is Britain's independent equality and human rights regulator. It is a United Nations accredited ‘A status’ National Human Rights Institution (NHRI).

Its role is to make the country a fairer place by enforcing and upholding the laws that safeguard everyone’s right to fairness, dignity and respect.

The University of Warwick has proudly presented the inaugural Ashton Award to an extraordinary group of alumni who studied at Warwick between 1979 and 1989, in recognition of their collective achievements in shaping the transformation of Namibia. The Ashton Award, named after Baroness Catherine Ashton, the University’s first female Chancellor and a global advocate for diplomacy and justice, celebrates the power of collective alumni action to bring about meaningful change.