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Catch up with University updates, ground-breaking research, and news from Bristol

Illustrations: Naomi Wilkinson

Incoming Vice-Chancellor and President: Professor Evelyn Welch to lead Bristol

Professor Evelyn Welch, an accomplished university leader and historian, will become Bristol’s next Vice-Chancellor and President on 1 September 2022. She joins Bristol from King’s College London, and will succeed Professor Hugh Brady, who has led the University of Bristol since 2015.

‘Professor Welch will be a fantastic asset to the University and is perfectly placed to help our community progress its academic and civic mission,’ said Sir Paul Nurse, Chancellor of the University of Bristol.

Harbour Festival and Balloon Fiesta return

If it’s been too long since you picnicked on the Downs, cycled through Ashton Court, or people-watched at Wapping Wharf, then this summer might be the moment to return to Bristol. The 50th Bristol Harbour Festival takes place from 15 – 17 July, with live music, dancing, street theatre and poetry, while the International Balloon Fiesta returns from 11 August, when over 100 hot air balloons will take to the sky over the city.

Power in partnership: Pioneering Africa–Bristol projects announced

An exploration of educational leadership in Botswana during the COVID-19 pandemic is among the first Africa–Bristol research projects to be funded by the Perivoli Africa Research Centre (PARC). Professor Bolelang Pheko of the University of Botswana and Dr Rafael Mitchell of Bristol’s School of Education will develop a leadership model for times of crisis to inform policy and practice in Botswana schools.