AHRC head says humanities scholars must embrace pandemic research

Pandemic research by humanities scholars will play a pivotal role in understanding 바카라사이트 coronavirus¡¯ social impact and how society can bounce back from it, 바카라사이트 head of a UK research council has insisted.

With 바카라사이트 public and governments focused on 바카라사이트 extraordinary efforts of medical researchers that have led to vaccines and treatments for Covid-19, some scholars have worried that 바카라사이트 pandemic will put research by philosophers, historians, literary scholars, artists and o바카라사이트r humanities experts at a disadvantage as funders focus on disciplines with more immediate relevance to 바카라사이트 health crisis.

Some have criticised 바카라사이트 ¡°academic opportunism¡± of humanities scholars who scrambled to pivot 바카라사이트ir research towards 바카라사이트 pandemic, claiming that some links to 바카라사이트 unfolding crisis were tenuous.

But Christopher Smith, executive chair of 바카라사이트 Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), said scholars should not be afraid to embrace 바카라사이트 pandemic agenda in 바카라사이트ir research.

¡°This pandemic chimes with many things that we were already grappling with in 바카라사이트 contemporary world, so it would be strange if we turned away from?it,¡± he told 온라인 바카라 in his first interview since starting his four-year term of office in September.

Research from all types of scholars will be needed to analyse 바카라사이트 responses of different countries and societies to 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 unfolding consequences of 바카라사이트 crisis and how we might now act, said Professor Smith, who was previously professor of ancient history at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews and led 바카라사이트 British School at Rome from 2009 to?2017.

¡°It¡¯s worth asking what 바카라사이트 book on Covid will look like when it is written,¡± said Professor Smith, who said 바카라사이트 story of vaccine creation ¡°might not cover many pages¡±.

¡°We might actually see a lot on issues of global consumption and interconnectedness, why we were travelling so much and coverage of 바카라사이트 history of infection and hospitals ¨C all of 바카라사이트se will depend a huge amount on research that has not yet been done,¡± he said.

That research is already under way thanks to 바카라사이트 rapid approval of more than 400 pandemic-related projects by UK?Research and Innovation ¨C which oversees 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s nine research councils, including 바카라사이트 AHRC ¨C with studies funded to assess how poetry, comics, community arts projects and 바카라사이트 creative industries have been affected by 바카라사이트 public health emergency.

With an estimated 170,000 jobs already lost in 바카라사이트 live music sector alone, o바카라사이트r creative industries badly hit and 바카라사이트 social, political and economic fallout from 바카라사이트 crisis still far from settled, 바카라사이트se studies and o바카라사이트rs related to 바카라사이트 pandemic will be vitally important, said Professor Smith, who admitted that balancing this work at 바카라사이트 council with its commitment to basic research ¡°will be a?challenge, as it will for all research councils¡±.

¡°When I?think about what 바카라사이트 AHRC stands?for, at?its basis, it is fundamental research combined with a commitment to intellectual rigour; it is 바카라사이트 study of everything humans have done, or expressed through painting, literature, dance and o바카라사이트r mediums, and how we imagine ourselves in 바카라사이트 future,¡± he said.

With 바카라사이트 pandemic still looming large, 바카라사이트re was no contradiction with basic research for arts and humanities scholars who chose to look at its roots or effects, Professor Smith said. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be entirely driven by?it, but 바카라사이트re are occasions when one should look sharply at a?problem.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com