Reading in the news - Fri 15 Nov

#UniForReading: our role as a civic university  

• Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Van de Noort writes for  and Wokingham Today on the value of providing space for debate, as the University continues its public lecture series.
•  reports Reading Borough’s carbon emissions are dropping, with the University’s position  as Sustainable University of the Year highlighted in Reading Borough Council’s annual report.
• Laura Purser (Primary Education) presents a new online course to help Wokingham schools adopt trauma-informed practices, reports .
•  features Dr Zhibo Qiu (International Business and Strategy) verifying reports about Dai Yongge's financial crisis and involvement in multiple Chinese court cases. Republished by .
• The University has reopened Swallows Meadow, with MPs Yuan Yang and Clive Jones champions the project as Wokingham Borough featured by .

Heritage and culture:

•  features Dr Alanna Cant (Archaeology) discussing the ethical implications of the sale of human remains at auction houses.
• Voice of Islam Radio interviews Professor David Oderberg (Philosophy) discussing how others' perceptions influence actions.

Food and farming:

• . , , and  report on a healthy diet survey commissioned by Yakult, with Professor Glenn Gibson (Food and Nutritional Sciences) commenting on the variation in diets and daily habits across the UK.
• , , and  (South Africa) highlight Reading research linking healthy diet and happiness.

Business and society:

•  features comments by legal experts, including Dr Saeed Bagheri (Law) who argues that Israel’s actions in Gaza may constitute a breach of the Rome Statute.
•  reports that a Henley Business School study found that 64% of companies implementing a four-day week saw productivity improve.
•  highlights an expert opinion by Professor Benjamin Laker (Leadership, Organisations, Behaviour and Reputation) on how Industry 5.0 is reshaping leadership by emphasizing ethics, sustainability, and purpose.
•  and   highlights the opening of the ESSEC Rabat Welcomes ABBS event with Jon Foster-Pedley, President of AABS and Dean of Henley Business School Africa.

#PlanetPartners: working with global partners to protect the environment 

•  reports on more flash floods in Spain, with Dr Jess Neumann (Geography and Environmental Sciences) providing excerpt comment. Republished by , , ,  and . From our expert comment: Malaga floods: ‘Prompt evacuations likely saved lives’.
• The University is leading the CROCUS project, reports , collaborating with leading organizations to train the next generation of environmental science leaders. From our news story: New PhD centres support environmental sustainability studies
• ,  and  report on a study co-authored by Professor Nicolas Bellouin (Meteorology). From our story: Factories trigger local snowfall by freezing clouds
•  and  highlights Reading research on reducing emissions from AI use in healthcare. From our story: Limit hospital emissions by using short AI prompts
• Dr Patrick McGuire (Meteorology) highlighted the alarming rise in global fossil CO2 emissions in 2024 featured on .
•  (Poland) highlights PhD researcher Marta O’Brien (Geography and Environmental Science) emphasising the importance of educating younger generations about air pollution.