Building on the legacy of Expo 2015 A great deal of attention was focused on the Italian city of Milan during Expo 2015, as it hosted debates and discussions on many of the most pressing issues we face, including food sustainability.
One of the key legacies from the event was the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, an agreement signed by the mayors of 130 cities across the world. The pact is based on the principles of sustainability and social justice, with the wider aim of developing more sustainable food systems. With more than half of the global population currently living in cities, and the proportion set to rise further as the process of urbanisation gathers pace, food sustainability is a major global challenge.
Brexit ripples hit UK universities It’s only three months since the UK narrowly voted to leave the European Union, but the effects are already being felt, particularly in the research sector. Many UK universities have reported that European academics are turning down research posts, while the continuing uncertainty is likely to affect the number of undergraduate applications. This comes at a time when UK research has been riding high. Britain has four universities in the top 40 of the CWUR world university rankings, more than any other European country, while the 2016 Nobel Prize for physics was jointly awarded to three British-born physicists for their work in theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter. There is a caveat here however, and it may point towards future problems in retaining research talent in the UK. While the three Nobel laureates – David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz – were all born and educated in the UK, they all now work in the US; the government’s approach to science funding in the early ‘80s was a major factor in Haldane’s decision to migrate. “There was a depressing atmosphere in British science at the time because of stupid government ideas that one should do something ‘useful’” he recalled. Many other British scientists followed the path abroad in the early ‘80s, and there are concerns that Brexit could have a similar impact over thirty years on, leading to a ‘brain drain’ of research talent.
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The pact makes a number of recommendations with respect to this agenda, while at the same time acknowledging the different cultural and economic circumstances affecting individual cities. Milan for example has a very different socio-economic profile to Johannesburg, Dubai and Rio de Janerio, all cities which have signed up to the pact. There has to be scope for local authorities to respond to specific concerns, and Milan itself has wasted little time in acting. The city has set out a food policy, bringing together the environment, trade, transport, agriculture and waste management departments, which is complemented by grass-roots initiatives such as Recup, a local scheme which collects and shares unsold market produce.
Nike shoes go back to the future It’s over 27 years since Michael J Fox pulled on a pair of self-lacing shoes in Back to the Future, and now the trainer industry has caught up with science fiction. Nike is offering 89 pairs of limited-edition Nike Mags, which are equipped with lights and can be auto-tightened using power laces. The ‘adaptive fit’ system means the shoe can be modified to the contours of the wearers foot, giving a comfortable fit. The self-lacing mechanism is initiated by pressure on the sole, so no more fiddling around with your laces. The shoes will be sold in an auction in a collaboration between Nike and the Michael J Fox foundation, which was established by the actor after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Nike CEO Mark Parker said this was a powerful source of motivation in developing the shoes. “Though it initially shared only a few seconds of screen time with Michael, the idea behind the Nike mag unlocked something much biiger at Nike. It sent us down an uncharted path of innovation, but it also opened our eyes to our ability to fight some of the world’s biggest challenges.” One of the 89 pairs will be sold via a raffle, costing $10 to enter, with the others sold at auction, with all the proceeds going to the Michael J Fox foundation.
EU Research