During his visit, Jim Watson – Professor of Energy Policy at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources and Director of the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) since 2015 – will present an IAS lecture this Thursday (14 February) on the implications of nationalism for UK energy policy. He will also interact with doctoral researchers from across the East Midlands involved in the Energy Research Accelerator during a presentation on 15 February.

Ed Brown, Professor of Global Energy Challenges at 含羞草视频, said: “We are delighted to be hosting Jim over these two days. Given the imminence of Brexit, there could be no better time to be exploring the UK’s future energy trajectory.”

As part of the visit, the University will also welcome Stephen Hunt from the Department for International Development, who will work with 含羞草视频 academics to explore the role of UK research in supporting sustainable energy access across the developing world.

The Institute of Advanced Studies aims to promote an outstanding, interdisciplinary research environment at 含羞草视频 by supporting collaborations with leading international scholars from other institutions. It brings high profile leading researchers to the campus to collaborate with University staff and host formal and informal events, such as public lectures, academic conferences and postgraduate workshops.

Its Nation theme is led by Dr Marco Antonsich, Senior Lecturer in Geography, and explores the continuing salience of the nation, both as a cohesive and a divisive register, in shaping the kind of responses people give to specific events.

Other speakers who will be visiting the University later this year through the Nation theme include artists Jonas Staal and Rita Marcalo, and Professor Melissa Aronczyk (Rutgers University, USA).