Plymouth Exploration and Discovery Research Unit (PEDRU)

A collaboration looking at inspiring endeavours and how they can benefit society and the planet

What inspires individuals to undertake remarkable endeavours?

What can we learn from their experiences and accomplishments?

Can their passions and resilience be applied to benefit society and the planet?

These are just some of the questions to be addressed by Plymouth Exploration and Discovery Research Unit (PEDRU).

Through a programme of interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange initiatives, PEDRU will develop an enhanced understanding of the exceptional attributes of those working on the frontline of exploration and discovery, unpicking what motivates and enables ordinary individuals to achieve extraordinary feats.

It will contribute insights, innovation and training that span fields including psychology, science, sustainability, health and leadership and management.

Through PEDRU, we are forging a deeper understanding of people, attributes, limitations and possibilities, and using it to continuously develop and improve evidence-based preparation and training. The University has an unrivalled breadth of expertise which can be applied to the field, and we can now apply it to re-explore and learn lessons from the past, while challenging perceptions and redefining what exploration means for the future.

Mark Warne FRGS
Collaborating Partner

PEDRU unites a critical mass of expertise from academics who are:

carrying out research in many of the planet’s most remote and pristine environments
working with elite athletes who have performed at the Olympic Games
engaging with indigenous communities to co-create sustainable solutions in response to global challenges
inspiring leaders and innovators closer to home and across the world.

PEDRU will create a tailor-made programme of research, teaching and engagement that complements these existing activities, and develop products and guidance that can be used directly by those in the field to enhance personal and planetary resilience.

In fostering links with some of the foremost contemporary figures in exploration and adventure, PEDRU provides the next chapter in Plymouth's pursuit of discovery and endeavour.

Shipment of the Atlantic telegraph cable on board the Niagara and Agamemnon in Keyham Basin, Plymouth

Furthering Plymouth’s links to exploration and discovery

As the staging post for voyages by The Mayflower, Sir Francis Drake and Captain Cook – and the 20^th century endeavours of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton and Sir Francis Chichester – the city of Plymouth has played a major role in Britain's historic exploration, and colonialisation, of the planet.

PEDRU will enable a critical reflection on how these endeavours continue to interact with a range of cultural, historical, and scientific factors. It will re-evaluate Plymouth's past role in exploration, alongside the broader ideologies and activities of the British Empire, particularly in terms of interactions with indigenous peoples.

Additionally, it will consider the impact of the global slave trade and its connection to these voyages, fostering a more comprehensive awareness and understanding of these interconnected historical narratives.

Pushing the boundaries of research, teaching and learning

Health

Exploring individuals' motivations can contribute to the understanding of mental health and well-being in challenging environments, offering practical applications for resilience and coping mechanisms

Science and Engineering

Understanding and conserving extreme environments while enabling the development and design of technologies and equipment that enhance safety, performance and efficiency in extreme conditions

Arts, Humanities and Business

Developing stories that enrich cultural understanding and historical perspectives, as well as the underlying leadership and other factors that drive individuals to achieve extraordinary feats