NRI’s Prof Maruthi Gowda appointed President of the International Society for Tropical Root Crops
Natural Resources Institute’s (NRI) Professor Maruthi Gowda has been appointed to the prestigious role of President of the International Society for Tropical Root Crops (ISTRC), a global scientific society dedicated to advancing research and innovation in tropical root and tuber crops. Established in 1967, ISTRC is a global network of over 300 members from more than 60 countries.
The appointment was announced during the International Symposium on Tropical Root & Tuber Crops for Nutrition, Agrifood Systems, Resilience, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability (ISTRTC 4 NARES), held in Kerala, India, from 17–21 November 2025.
Professor Gowda will lead ISTRC from November 21, 2025, for a six year term, with the position set to be renewed at the 2031 ISTRC international symposium.
International workshop empowers Early Career Researchers to advance climate-resilient agriculture
NRI, in collaboration with the Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga (KSNAUHS), successfully delivered an international workshop dedicated to empowering early career researchers (ECRs) working on climate-resilient agriculture. Held in Shivamogga, Karnataka, India, from 5–9 January, the workshop brought together emerging researchers from India and the UK for an intensive week of training, exchange and collaboration.
The workshop was part of a project funded by the British Council ISPF, on Empowering Early Career Researchers in Advancing Climate-Resilient Agriculture Research and Collaboration (CRARC), launched in April 2025 and co-led by NRI and KSNUAHS. The project aims to strengthen ECR capacity through hands-on skills development, knowledge sharing and the establishment of long-term international research partnerships.
From Seeds to Growth: Dr Esther Mensah shares research journey at the British Academy
Dr Esther Mensah of the Executive Business Centre, Greenwich Business School, served as a panel member at the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network event, The Research Garden: From Seeds to Growth, held on 15 January 2026 at The British Academy in London
The event brought together British Academy award holders to reflect on research development, interdisciplinary pathways, and the future trajectories of early career scholars. Dr Mensah participated in the panel titled “Unexpected Pathways and Challenges,” where she joined 3 fellow researchers in sharing candid reflections on navigating academic careers, building research identity, and translating scholarship into impact. This event was chaired by Alex Lewis, Director of Research at the British Academy.
How our Year 8 STEM project took flight
Our STEM project has proven to be a wonderful addition to the Outreach Team's offer, successfully bringing the University of Greenwich to the attention of a younger audience.
We saw incredible success as we brought the magic of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths directly to younger students across Kent and Medway. Our first full programme ran in five dedicated schools across Kent and Medway for the 2024/25 academic year. We worked with small, focused groups of 20 students in each school, guiding them through a journey of discovery over 6 in-school sessions. These sessions were designed to be interactive, covering everything from Myth-busting and Data Visualisation to a thrilling simulation called 'Race to the South Pole,' all culminating in exploring exciting Careers in STEM.
The project ended on a high note with a fantastic Celebration Event held at our Medway Campus on June 10th. We welcomed a huge group of 89 enthusiastic students along with 10 school staff members. The day was packed with hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths workshops, giving the students a true taste of university life and showcasing where their passion for STEM could take them.
Another celebration event was held on 27 January 2026.
Thanks to this initial success, we are thrilled to announce that the programme is already growing. We are currently running the project in 7 schools with even more in the pipeline and have extended the offer to Schools in London as well. We look forward to reaching even more young minds and continuing to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.
Greenwich in the media:
- Professor Steve Belmain was pictured and quoted in Canada Broadcasting Corporation on nonhormonal contraceptive control in rats to reduce their population
- Dr David Luke was quoted in the Standard on psychedelic floats. It was republished in two other publications
- UoG was listed as the sponsor of the Outstanding Young Innovator award at the Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards in New Shopper. It was republished in seven other publications
- Professor Steve Belmain was interviewed by Alan Davis on the BBC podcast Life Without, about rats. The episode was chosen as one of the podcasts of the week by the Independent
- Dr Martha Newson was interviewed on the social benefits of sauna. It was published on 7 different platforms including Yahoo
- Professor Steve Belmain's interview with Canada Broadcasting Corporation on nonhormonal contraceptive control in rats to reduce their population was republished in Atin Ito News
- Professor David Luke was mentioned on the Spirit Gym podcast for his work on lucid dreaming. Listen here from 00:10:06
- International Fire and Safety Journal wrote about the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers (NAHFO) taking place in June and the programme of events for it which includes a session on hospital evacuation strategies by Professor Aoife Hunt and Professor Steve Gwynne
- Kent Online noted that UoG was the sponsor for the Street Food/Pop Up of the Year award at the Kent and Medway Food and Drink Awards 2026
