Departmental news
Progress update on 1.2 GHz NMR Spectrometer
We are pleased to announce a significant milestone as the UK’s first-ever 1.2 GHz magnet reached full field at the end of March.
Inclusive Education in the Arts 2025 Conference
Inclusive Education in the Arts 2025 Conference – registration open
Dear everyone,
We’re thrilled to share the programme for the Inclusive Education in the Arts 2025 Conference, and to open registrations for the event!
The conference sees representation across the Faculty, with staff and students coming together to discuss inclusive practice in the Arts. It will take place on Tuesday 20 May, 13:00-16:00, in person in FAB5.01 and online – please register on the event pageLink opens in a new window to secure your place!
All the best,
Faculty DSEP Team
Professor Sonia Bhalotra on today's Public Accounts Committee report - Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
Commenting on the recommendations of the Tackling Violence against Women and Girls inquiry, to which she submitted written evidence, Professor Sonia Bhalotra said:
“The recommendations in the report are welcome, but could have gone further.
“I welcome the emphasis on prevention, but this should be extended beyond the focus on working with boys and girls in schools.
“Prevention-focused schemes which I am evaluating include the extension of unemployment benefits to men and women; incentives for employers to hire victims of abuse; community building to improve access to real-life social networks; expansion of IAPT or other access to mental health support; and changes to public opinion, alongside criminal justice reforms.
“The policy framework focuses on women and girls who have been victimized. For prevention we need to understand systematic drivers of VAWG in the full population-- all women are at risk.
“While it is good to see the report calling for the Home Office to ‘identify and share lessons learnt from local initiatives,’ a large research community is working to evaluate the success of VAWG policies in the UK, Europe and further afield. There are creative new strategies around the world which could inform UK policy once rigorously evaluated.
“At the same time, we are trying to understand the home and work environment to identify drivers of VAWG and, in this way, identify new policy interventions.
“This long-neglected issue is gaining policy salience the world over, and I look forward to seeing the Government’s response to the committee’s recommendations.”
NOTES
- The Committee's report is available here: Tackling Violence against Women and Girls
- Professor Bhalotra’s written evidence is available here: committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/138304/html/
- Professor Bhalotra’s research on VAWG includes analysis of domestic violence and workplace sexual harassment. Her research investigates the importance of employment (or financial independence), social isolation, mental health problems, and exposure to misogyny on social media. Among policies she is evaluating are legislation that subsidises employers who hire victims of domestic abuse, and legislation that makes firms liable for workplace sexual harassment. Professor Bhalotra has a large ongoing programme of research on violence against women and girls (VAWG) for which she has been awarded 2.5 million euros by the European Research Council Advanced Grant scheme. The aim of this work is to produce a robust tapestry of evidence to guide policy and further scholarship in this domain.
New funding from Science and Technology Facilities Council
New funding has been awarded to Prof Tony Arber, Dr Keith Bennett, Dr Chris Brady and Dr Erwin Verwichte (University of Warwick) as part of a collaboration with the University of Exeter (lead institution), University of Sheffield, University of Cambridge and University of Glasgow.
Law students take part in National Law Triathlon
First year students Ryan Bingham (3 year LLB) and Simran Bhutada (4 year LLB) took part in the National Law Student Triathlon on Saturday 26 – Sunday 27 April 2025, organised by Kent University. Supported by the Bar Society and funded by Warwick Law School, Ryan and Simran have each blogged about their time at the Triathlon, sharing their experiences with other students looking to attend similar events in the future.
New paper published in Space Weather
New paper published in the AGU journal Space Weather by PhD student Martin Cafolla with colleagues from the Centre for Space Fusion and Astrophysics (CFSA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Best PhD Thesis Prize in Computer Science 2025
Congratulations to Peter Kiss who has been awarded the Best PhD Thesis Prize in Computer Science 2025.
"Keep up your outstanding performance and best wishes for your career!" - Florin
Dean of WMG visits China
Professor Robin ClarkLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, Dean of WMG, visited China recently to strengthen connections and explore new opportunities.
During his trip he attended The University of Warwick’s offer holder event in Beijing, engaging with nearly 300 prospective students and their parents.
He also met with leadership at Beijing City University (BCU)Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window and visited East China University of Science (ECUST) in Shanghai – a long-term partner of WMG. On the research side, Professor Clark spent time strengthening partnerships with Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JIITRI), the National Innovation Centre par Excellence (NICE) and industrial partner Pujing Chemicals.
New educational opportunities were also explored in alignment with the University’s strategy, through collaborations with institutions such as the highly ranked Fudan University.
Dr Samuel Obeng contributes to Nigeria's National Budget Roundtable and Panel Discussion
Dr Samuel Obeng travelled to Covenant University, Nigeria, last month as an invited panellist for the Covenant University Centre for Economic Policy and Development Research (CEPDeR) 2025 National Budget Roundtable Conference.
Dr Obeng was accompanied by Professor Franklyn Lisk, Warwick University Co-Academic Director for Africa. The Warwick Africa Hub co-organised the conference, which is held annually as a forum for stakeholders to discuss the role of national budgeting in socio-economic development.
The 2025 National Budget Roundtable and Panel Discussion addressed the theme of “National Budgeting as a critical tool for reducing poverty and Inequalities in the era of energy transitions.”
Attendees in-person and online included students, faculty, and policymakers within and outside Africa, including Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, who delivered the keynote address.
Professor Lisk and Dr. Obeng both spoke at the conference. In his remarks, Dr Obeng argued that the national budget provided a twin opportunity to deal with poverty and inequality through energy transitions. He suggested that a bottom-up incentive model where States that hit energy or poverty reduction targets receive increased funding should be considered.
During the visit Dr. Obeng was inducted as Senior Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy and Development Research (CEPDeR), Covenant University, Nigeria.
Other highlights of the visit included a meeting with Covenant’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Timothy Anake, and executives of Covenant University to discuss areas of possible collaboration, and a meeting with Professor (Mrs.) Augustina Oluwatotin Matthew, Head of the Department of Economics.
Reflecting on the visit, Dr Obeng said: “It was a truly exciting experience to be part of the policy-making conversations in Nigeria. I was especially encouraged when the Federal Minister highlighted my suggestions as valuable and even noted that some current government actions are already in line with them. I’m really looking forward to more opportunities to collaborate in my new role as Senior Research Fellow at CEPDeR.”
External reports:
· University of Warwick Seeks Deeper Collaboration with Covenant University
· DIaDeRC-ASMN at Covenant Varsity’s CEPDeR NBR 2025 - DIaDerc