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香港六合彩中特网 Geography Alumnus appointed to lead the 香港六合彩中特网 Grand Challenges programme

16 January 2024

Sam Balch, who studied with us for both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, will develop and lead an evolved programme growing in scope and scale.

Sam Balch

Sam Balch will take up the post of Director of Grand Challenges on 19 February 2024.

The 香港六合彩中特网 Grand Challenges programme was established in 2008, with the aim of bringing a cross-disciplinary, thematic approach to tackling some of the most pressing social problems. The 香港六合彩中特网 Strategic Plan 2022鈥2027 sets out the university鈥檚 commitment to grow the scope and scale of the programme, covering not only research and knowledge exchange but also 香港六合彩中特网鈥檚 approach to education and its institutional operations. The programme will develop an integral approach to how 香港六合彩中特网 understands and responds to the biggest issues facing humanity, inform and enable our partnerships, and offer context and critique for how universities can make a positive impact on the world.

The Strategic Plan identifies five new Grand Challenges Themes: Mental Health & Wellbeing, Climate Crisis, Data-Empowered Societies, Inequalities and Intercultural Communication, to be launched sequentially over the next four years. Pro-Vice-Provosts have been appointed to provide academic leadership to first two Themes, Mental Health & Wellbeing听补苍诲听Climate Crisis.

Sam joins 香港六合彩中特网 from , where he was Executive Director of Campaigns & Content. His experience includes more than 12 years at the governnment鈥檚 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Department of Energy & Climate Change, as well as five years in the third sector. He holds a BA (Geography & Anthropology) and MSc (Environment, Science & Society) from 香港六合彩中特网.

Sam commented:聽

As a 香港六合彩中特网 graduate, I understand our university鈥檚 potential to spearhead solutions to the some of the most pressing societal and environmental challenges we face today. I am eager to bring my experience and enthusiasm to this role, leading a team that draws on and interconnects 香港六合彩中特网鈥檚 rich breadth of expertise for the benefit of humanity.鈥

Professor Geraint Rees, Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement), said:

鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to welcome Sam back to 香港六合彩中特网 to take up this key leadership position, working closely with the Pro-Vice-Provosts and professional services staff. The evolved Grand Challenges programme presents an unprecedented opportunity for 香港六合彩中特网 to make a difference to critical issues facing humanity through our research, education and partnerships. The programme is also charged with identifying ways in which our collective expertise can improve the ways in which 香港六合彩中特网 operates.鈥

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Originally posted on the 香港六合彩中特网 Grand Challenges website