Word of the Vice-Dean

As Vice-Dean, I am very pleased to introduce this edition of the FSTM newsletter.

FSTM is a large and dynamic Faculty, and that is something we can all be proud of. We are the biggest Faculty in the University in terms of student numbers, research activity, the number of campuses where we are active, and the number of buildings where our colleagues and students study and work. Managing this infrastructure is not a small task, but it is encouraging to see positive developments ahead. The delivery next year of the BT3 building will be an important step in supporting our growing activities in Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, while the BLI building is progressing rapidly through the design stage and will ultimately allow the final move of the Department of Engineering to the Belval Campus.

Alongside these positive developments, we also continue to face challenges, especially in some of our legacy buildings. I would like to sincerely thank all colleagues working in those spaces for their patience, understanding and cooperation as the Faculty and Facilities Management coordinate repairs and necessary upgrades to support safe continued operation and the installation of new equipment.

Safety remains our number one priority in every part of our Faculty, from teaching rooms, offices and shared campus areas to workshops and laboratories. It is something we all contribute to, and I am genuinely grateful to everyone who takes safety seriously and approaches it in such a constructive way. This year, we are continuing to strengthen safety practice across the Faculty through regular lab visits by our Safety Officers and, after the summer, a round of comprehensive lab safety inspections carried out together with Safety Officers and lab PIs. The aim is to share good practice and help ensure a consistently high standard of safety across all of our laboratories. More information on these inspections and the timetable will be shared in the coming months.

Good communication across the Faculty is also very important. To help open up discussion on emerging topics, we launched last year a series of online Lunch & Learn seminars. These sessions have covered topics such as infrastructure, the Symplicity system, and several discussions around AI in education. Another session is coming soon on the student perspective on AI. These are open, interactive sessions, and everyone is very welcome to join.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone across FSTM for the work you do every day in teaching, research, and outreach and impact for industry and society. The success of our Faculty depends on the contribution of many people across many different roles, and every one of those contributions matters. Your work is seen, valued and genuinely appreciated.