FOREWORD

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the first issue of Exchanges: the Warwick Research Journal. The key objective of this journal arises from Warwick’s ambition to provide an intellectual gateway for research engagement at a regional, national and international level. Interdisciplinary research is an increasingly important part of our academic future and this publication seeks to provide a spot-light for non-traditional collaborations and those keen to push the barriers of their disciplinary activity.

The publication is jointly managed by the Institute of Advanced Study and Warwick Library as a compliment to Warwick’s highly successful undergraduate journal, Reinvention, and other departmental and field-specific publications. Since it’s inauguration in 2007, the Institute of Advanced Study has been instrumental in supporting researchers actively working across disciplinary boundaries and currently hosts over 40 fellows. Accordingly, a distinctive element of the new journal will be a series of conversations between early career research fellows and eminent academics. I am especially delighted to announce that the first issue features an exchange between Oliver Sacks, M.D., physician, neurologist, and author, and Dr Julie Walsh, one of the Institute’s fifteen recently appointed five-year Global Research Fellows.

Warwick prides itself on being part of a global academic network and future issues of the journal will maintain a strong international perspective. There is a growing body of work under the University’s Global Research Priorities as well as many other collaborative initiatives between departments and faculties. It is natural, therefore, that we should extend this to include publishing opportunities. By delivering open journal content online, we can achieve a greater and broader impact as part of the University’s Vision 2015. Warwick is keen to encourage the uptake of its new online publishing platform as a means to increase the visibility of the diverse and dynamic research activity taking place across campus and further afield.

Finally, would like to thank the authors, editorial team, peer reviewers, and other staff who have made this first issue possible.