Worldwide Universities Network

I'm pleased to share this recent interview with Action on Armed Violence AOAV where I describe the importance of data-driven approaches and blast engineering perspectives on the protection of civilians from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (#EWIPA). I first spoke to AOAV in 2022 at a time when 83 states endorsed the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas. Since then, new conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, and ongoing international and non-international conflicts in Syria, Myanmar, Ukraine, amongst others, continue to illustrate the immediate and reverberating impacts of explosive weapons in population centres. As states gathered in Oslo in April 2024 to discuss progress in the implementation and universalisation of the Political Declaration, this article covers analysis of AOAV's data on explosive weapons in populated areas alongside my research in this area, highlighting how combined approaches can strengthen both advocacy and response strategies to strengthen the protection of civilians. In particular, I'm pleased to have shared examples of some of the studies I've worked on with my (excellent) collaborators (Sherlyn Gabriel, Dain Farrimond, Genevieve Langdon, Sam Rigby, Richard Curry, Samar Al-Hajj, Steeve CHUNG KIM YUEN, James Batchelor, Rebecca Glenny-Brown) investigating how explosion effects and the risk of blast injuries are modified in urban settings. Our studies have used a range of interdisciplinary methods spanning experiments, modelling and epidemiology, and have been facilitated by the International Blast Injury Research Network (IBRN), University of Southampton and the Worldwide Universities Network. I agree with AOAV, that in order to implement the Declaration, we need to understand the blast effects of what we are trying to protect people from. It is my hope that continued research in this area will inform protective strategies to reduce harm and generate new evidence to complement ongoing advocacy campaigns.

WUN is delighted to welcome University of Tsukuba to the network. The university brings distinctive strengths, complementing those of existing members, and enlarges opportunities for collaboration on the major global challenges that WUN is well-placed to address. Full story: https://lnkd.in/ep_uvmSq

Today we had a super productive seminar with the AI in Medicine and Surgery (AIMS) group led by my colleague Sharib Ali in the University of Leeds 😉 A continuation of our Worldwide Universities Network (WUN)-funded collaboration in the area of computer-guided surgery 😀 and with lots of ideas to move forward 🤩 I also had the opportunity to present what we have done CV-inside lab since I moved to Tecnológico de Monterrey 🥰 Morover Francisco Lopez-Tiro also had the opportunity to present his research to a new group 😀 Thanks to the Mexican part of then team Pedro Esteban Chavarrias Solano and Gerardo Loza for your warm reception 😊

Self-care is understood to be a critical issue in optimising public health interventions, improving community health, and aiding care access for those living with chronic disease. A WUN research team, led Jon Adams at University of Technology Sydney, held a global summit that identified priorities for self-care research. Participants will launch an International Academy for Self-Care Research (IASCR) to continue the rigorous, practically focused partnership work begun on the project. Read more: https://lnkd.in/em_CkAjx With thanks to the WUN research team: Greg Kawchuk, University of Alberta Suebsarn Ruksakulpiwat, Mahidol University Vincent Chung (鍾志豪), The Chinese University of Hong Kong Felicity Bishop and Emma Teasdale, University of Southampton Jon Adams, Wenbo Peng and Amie Steel, University of Technology Sydney

Richard Friend and Jutamas Kaewsuk's collaborative research on participatory approaches to water quality management in Thailand facilitated debate among river basin stakeholders – policymakers, industry and academia – about how to improve water governance. Supported by WUN, the project showed how citizen engagement can enable agencies to collect better information about the quality of water, increase access to this information, and improve accountability. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5nk4aZJ  With thanks to the WUN Research Team: Su-Mia Akin, Maud Huynen and Pim Martens from Maastricht University Arika Bridhikitti, Jutamas Kaewsuk. Netiya Karaket, Chanida Lertpitakpong, Shatchai Rujakom, Sarunya Sujaritpong, Nitima Sutapin, Achara Ussawarujikulchai, Marc Völker from Mahidol University. James Chong, Kelly Redeker, Jo Rose and Brett Sallach from University of York.

Join us on July 30 for the ARUA Second Annual Distinguished Public Lecture by Prof. Funmi Olonisakin! She'll explore how collaboration in higher education serves society. Register here: https://bit.ly/3LgdtRl #HigherEd #AcademicLeadership

Cynthia Kusin Okoro-Shekwaga from University of Leeds heads up a WUN funded project investigating the production of green biohydrogen from organic waste sources. Their research is working towards enabling Low and Middle-Income Countries to increase access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy. The team has secured further funding from UK Aid Direct/Ayrton Fund, part of Innovate UK’s £40 million Energy Catalyst program. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gSSE3fpe With thanks to: Cynthia Kusin Okoro-Shekwaga University of Leeds Swaib Semiyaga and Vianney Tumwesige  Makerere University Cesar Rossas Mota Filho  Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) Matthew Reilly University of York

Inspiring and very productive visit with colleagues from the University of Cape Town, Bessie Malila, and Nailah Conrad, to continue advancing our collaborative research funded by the Worldwide Universities Network on tele-mental health interventions for underserved and rural communities in South Africa. University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Thanks to fellow Worldwide Universities Network member, the University of Technology Sydney, for hosting President and Vice-Chancellor, Lisa Roberts, and Global Partnerships' Executive Officer, Sarah Newby, at their fabulous city campus where they got to experience first hand the UTS Data Arena, a 360 degree visualisation facility for collaborative experiences that benefit both the University and local community.   We look forward to future collaboration on WUN funding grants!

I'm happy to be a able to share in the Global transformational research vision of the University of Leeds and outputs from the #BioResourceSystemsResearchGroup, #SchoolofCivilEngineering. In 2022/2023 through the Worldwide Universities Network Research Development Fund, we started to build capacity on Biohydrogen research in Uganda through hands-on training and designing experiments by adapting "not-so-fit-for-purpose" research equipments. This however, helped us appreciate the research facilities need in scaling clean energy research in sub-Saharan Africa. And so, the University of Leeds through the Research England ISPF Institutional Support Grant Funding, procured the next generation Automatic Methane/Hydrogen Potential Testing System III (AMPTS III), which was transferred to our partners Makerere University to advance the clean energy research in the region The AMPTS III is the leading analytical tool for anaerobic batch fermentation testing developed by BioProcess Control, Sweden. This equipment will also be supporting our Innovate UK #EnergyCatalyst project (BioCool), which aims to develop models to provide Cooling as a Service in Uganda's dairy sector. I'm very happy and grateful for the opportunities, and research and human impact that this translates into for the region. We've been having hands-on training and experimental setup with the AMPTS III since the past week and now looking forward to the exponential growth in #clean #bioenergy research and real life applications for impact in the region within the next decade. Thanks to all our partners, students and researchers on the various projects who have contributed to the research journey so far. Photo Credit: Vianney Tumwesige #BioResourceSystemsResearchGroup #SchoolofCivilEngineering #universityofleeds #Worldwideuniversitiesnetwork #Cleanenergyforall #ResearchEngland #netzeroemissions