Plymouth professor champions arts and humanities research

Professor Katharine Willis joins national advisory board
Jaideep Gupte and Professor Katharine Willis
The UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has announced the appointment of 11 new advisory board members, including the University of Plymouth’s Professor Katharine Willis.
As Professor of Smart Cities and Communities and Associate Head of School (Research) for Art, Design and Architecture, Professor Willis joins a team chosen for its wealth of experience, drawn from higher education, the creative industries, cultural institutions, and beyond.

In a changing world, the AHRC is at the centre of addressing some of the most important challenges of our times and its impact is not just on the creative and cultural economy, but on communities and people across all sectors of society.

This open, innovative and people-centred approach to research is reflected in our work at the University of Plymouth and I hope to contribute to the work of the AHRC Advisory board over the next three years in championing the impact of arts and humanities research.

Katharine WillisProfessor Katharine Willis
Professor of Smart Cities and Communities

With representation from all four nations of the UK, the AHRC board incorporates diverse regional perspectives and responds to the multifaceted needs of communities.
Board members’ backgrounds encompass critical arenas, such as AI, health, environmental stewardship, and key government missions, helping to ensure the AHRC is well placed to address contemporary challenges.
And their proven track record of impactful collaboration – spanning creative production, interdisciplinary research, community outreach, and international advocacy – will be critical as the research council seeks to amplify the value of the arts and humanities.
Announcing the new recruits, the AHRC’s Director of Research, Strategy, Innovation, Jaideep Gupte added:
Their collective dedication to fostering knowledge and championing the arts and humanities will help us to flourish in an ever-evolving cultural and research landscape.

Each of them has demonstrated a deep commitment to inclusion and transformative innovation, underpinned by robust leadership in research. By uniting academic insight with real-world acumen, they will help us forge stronger partnerships, shape our diverse portfolio of our academic programmes, and open up new avenues for engagement.

Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Plymouth

Katharine Willis inaugural professorial lecture header

Smart cities and communities: the future of connected neighbourhoods – Professor Katharine Willis

Four Tet performs in the midst of a Squidsoup light installation in 2019 (all performance images on this page used courtesy of Rikard Österlund/Squidsoup)

Research in the School of Art, Design and Architecture

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