Institute of Advanced Study (Durham)

Coordinates: 54°46′28″N 1°34′30″W / 54.77444°N 1.57500°W / 54.77444; -1.57500

The Institute of Advanced Study is located in Bishop Cosin's Hall

The Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) is an interdisciplinary research centre of Durham University. The IAS - set up to mark Durham's 175th anniversary^[1] - is intended to attract scholars and public figures from across the world to collaborate on 'agenda-setting research'.^[2] It is housed in the Grade I listed Bishop Cosins Hall on Palace Green, Durham, within the Durham UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Institute accepted its first fellows in January 2006 and was formally inaugurated into the university in October that year.^[3]

Mission

The goal of the IAS, in the university's own words, is to 'gather the world's finest scholars and non-academics' to 'address themes of global significance'.^[4] Fellows selected by the university advance their own research, engage with academic departments, deliver public lectures and seminars, and contribute to studying the research theme selected for that year.^[5]

The activity of the IAS is based around research themes across the Sciences, Social Sciences and Humanities. These themes, chosen to provide a broad interdisciplinary appeal, are designed to be complex and potentially controversial.^[6] Each theme of the IAS's research is published a year in advance.^[7] For the inaugural theme in 2006-2007 the university selected the "Legacy of Darwin" as a way of exploring the impact of Darwinian thought on multiple academic subjects.^[8] The theme for the 2017/18 fellowships is the concept of 'Structure'.^[9]

Fellowships

The IAS offers fellowships to UK and international scholars. The Fellowships each last three months, with two cohorts of 10 participants joining in January and October.^[15] Applicants may be from any academic discipline or professional background, though preference is given to those applying from overseas.^[16]

Each fellow becomes a member of one of the university's colleges.^[17] As well as accommodation, college membership also entails inclusion with the Senior Common Room and access to formal dinners and events.^[18] Every IAS Fellow, regardless of college affiliation, also receives honorary membership of the University College Senior Common Room and the right to take occasional meals at the college.^[19]

Apart from the fellowships offered by the IAS, fellowships of approximately a term are offered by some of the colleges, with the potential to become an IAS affiliate:^[20]

• Collingwood College - Collingwood College Fellowships
• Grey College - Sidney Holgate Research Fellowship, Alan Richards Mathematics Fellowships, and the Winifred Jean Stubbs Fellowship for Oriental Studies and theology^[21]
• Hatfield College - Visiting Research Fellowship
• St Aidan's College - St Aidan's College Fellowship
• St Chad's College - The Traidcraft Fellowship, Senior Research Fellowships, Durham Cathedral Artist in Residence and the Alan Richardson Fellowship^[22]
• St John’s College - St John's College Visiting Fellowship^[23] and the Ruth Etchells Fellowship^[24]
• St Mary’s College
• Trevelyan College - The Trevelyan Fellowship^[25] and the Sir William Luce Fellowship in Middle Eastern Studies.^[26]
• University College - Leonard Slater Fellowship and the Pemberton Fellowship^[27]
• Van Mildert College - Arthur Prowse Fellowship & the Arnold Bradshaw Fellowship^[28]

Directorate

The IAS is run by four directors nominally appointed by the Vice-Chancellor of the university.^[29] The directors are responsible for the academic calendar and research events of the IAS. Three of the directors are responsible for maintaining links with the IAS and are thus named after the relevant faculty.^[30] The present directors are:

• Professor Robert A Barton - Acting Executive Director
• Professor Nicholas Saul - Director for the Arts and Humanities
• Dr Sam Hillyard - Director for the Social Sciences
• Professor Chris Greenwell - Director for the Sciences

Advisory Council

The advisory council works alongside the directors. It meets once a year to develop the academic calendar of the IAS and aid in its promotion through members acting as ambassadors to the IAS and advising on new research themes.^[31] Present members of the council from the university are the following:

• Professor Stuart Corbridge
• Professor Claire Warwick (Durham University)
• Sir Thomas Allen (Chancellor)
• Professor Chris Higgins (Vice-Chancellor)

In addition, the council retains a number of academic and public figures representing outside institutions^[32]

• Professor Stuart Elden (University of Warwick)
• Professor Brad Epps (University of Cambridge)
• Professor Penny Harvey (University of Manchester)
• Professor Claire Langhamer (University of Sussex)
• Professor James Stirling (Imperial College London)
• Mr Jonathon Porritt (Forum for the Future)
• Professor Colin Blakemore (University of London)
• Professor Hans Petter Graver (University of Oslo)
• Professor Peter Coveney (University College London)
• Professor Terence Cave (University of Oxford)

See also

• Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
• Institute for Advanced Study
• Some Institutes for Advanced Study
• Institute for Advanced Study, Berlin

References

External links

• IAS homepage
• Industry Review Article
• THS Article on IAS