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UCL in the media
Are travel bans counterproductive to the policing of Covid variants?
“The punitive measure of border closure should be counterbalanced by positive incentives,” such as support for a country’s genomic surveillance programmes and generous help with healthcare challenges, says Professor Francois Balloux (UCL Genetics Institute).
Breaking strike with recorded lectures ‘may be against the law’
If a lecturer had given consent for their work to be reused for the purposes of pandemic-era teaching, they would still need to give specific permission for it to be used in a different context – such as a strike, says Sir Robin Jacob (UCL Laws).
Will there be a Christmas lockdown?
A growing number of cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in the UK and Professor Susan Michie (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) says we must go further with restrictions to prevent a situation “where you can’t visit people” over Christmas.
Health experts sift Omicron clues
“The world is watching South Africa” as scientists search for more information on the heavily mutated Covid variant spreading across the globe, says Professor Deenan Pillay (UCL Infection & Immunity).
Business schools focus on health as Covid highlights challenges
Professor Nora Colton (UCL Institute of Global Health) speaks about UCL’s Global Business School for Health and its aim to educate the healthcare leaders of the future and address challenges highlighted by the pandemic.
Will people follow the new Covid measures?
As more than 80% of people are in favour of the return of masks there is hope that most will adhere to the new Covid restrictions, says Professor Susan Michie (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences).
Why was Boris Johnson’s CBI speech received so badly?
Dai George (UCL English Language & Literature) said that usually Johnson’s analogies were well received thanks to their “imagistic flair or a cognitive spark of surprise, the Peppa Pig story he told to the CBI failed as it resembled a “boorish anecdote from a best man speech".
Which is better: Optimism or pessimism?
“Optimism is a tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive events happening in our life and underestimate the likelihood of negative,” explains Professor Tali Sharot (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences).
Listen: BBC World Service Radio’s ‘CrowdScience’ (from 4 mins 52 secs)
Omicron collaboration shows need for pathogen sharing deal
Reform of Nagoya Protocol is essential to fighting the next pandemic but “finding a compromise will be long and drawn-out,” says Professor Michael Heinrich (UCL School of Pharmacy).
Fraud could suck £10bn a year from Tory infrastructure drive
Corruption in the construction industry depends on “how well regulated the industry is by the government and regulators, the governance of the firm and the pressure of different stakeholders to be clean,” says Dr Armando Castro (UCL Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction).
