Congrats Hanna Rauf @svdjagt.bsky.social & @hcsmith.bsky.social & co-authors on their report w #GlobalDisasterPreparednessCenter Exploring community-based stewardship of nature-based solutions (NbS) in upgraded informal settlements: the case of Bangkok, Thailand preparecenter.org/wp-content/u...

Fantastic piece in @theguardian.com by @sbearne.bsky.social about grassroots #ClimateAction and #RiskManagement in Medellín, Colombia - including quotes from our very own @hcsmith.bsky.social whose collaborative research in Comuna 8 spans a decade www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Check out the Heriot Watt University video on what difference research makes to social inclusion and equality featuring work by RCUS professor @hcsmith.bsky.social and our colleagues at @i-sphere.bsky.social youtu.be/FD0lu3IZW64?...

🌍 In 2025, a record 117 million people were displaced, placing immense strain on housing, services, and livelihoods in cities across the globe. With 60% of displaced individuals seeking refuge in urban areas, the need for solutions is vital now more than ever.

#ToRead new #OpenAccess paper by @hcsmith.bsky.social & co-authors: From protesting to proposing: the evolution of community organizations’ involvement in co-managing disaster risk management in Comuna 8, Medellín, Colombia journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

"Education is not a market, it is a key function of the state and part of the bedrock of our society. " www.ft.com/content/5032...

Just saw Everybody to Kenmure Street, magic film. Catch it if you can.

After 9 days of striking, solidarity, flamingos, and bees, we are heading back to work today. However, until compulsory redundancy is ruled out, we remain in dispute: Action Short of a Strike is still on. The race to save Scholar and LINCS staff is still on.

My (thankfully) short speech from today's rally @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social @hwucu.bsky.social @ucuscotland.bsky.social #SaveScholar #SaveLincs

New blog: "When I asked, via a Freedom of Information request, for this report to be published, the Government response was that they had no record of it." And yet, here it is. Read more 👇 rupertread.net/blog/2026/it...

WATT !? Coming to Bristo Square tomorrow, Wednesday, at noon. Heriot-Watt UCU and UCU Edinburgh @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social JOINT RALLY RESISTING COMPULSORY REDUNDANCY Bristo Square 12 noon Wednesday 1st April

Day 6 in our fight to protect staff from compulsory redundancy to #saveScholarStaff and #loveLanguages protect LINCS. We stand together. An injury to one is an injury to all.

Some of our lovely creative signs in support of LINCS, languages & cultural studies, opposing cuts and highlighting that the number of management staff paid over £100,000 has increased, again. #loveLINCS

Our picket chicken is clucking annoyed by the lack of movement from our employer. 🐔😡🦱 No CR. #Heriot-Watt #ucu #saveScholarStaff #loveLINCS

We are very disappointed with Heriot-Watt's response to our proposal to settle the dispute. They have not moved one inch and remain determined to threaten staff with compulsory redundancy Therefore we have no option but to return to strike action, Wed to Fri this week and Mon-Wed next week. #ucu

A visit from our own Prof. Scott Arthur MP. @drscottarthurmp.bsky.social Thanks to Scott for visiting and for highlighting our cause with his Early Day Motion. A doubler #profsOnPickets #politiciansOnPickets #ucu

Day 3 of striking Thank you to all members who came along and to whose who struck from home (they also strike who simply do no work) Thank you to visitors: @drscottarthurmp.bsky.social @katenevens.bsky.social Unite, other branches, dogs, dinos and ❤️students❤️ for bringing joy & Solidarity🔥

This is what solidarity looks like.✊️✊️ Amazing support from @nusscotland.bsky.social supporting striking staff at @ucuaberdeen.bsky.social @ducuuo.bsky.social @hwucu.bsky.social & Strathclyde. They know without job security for workers students won't thrive #StopTheCuts #SaveHE

Staff at four Scottish universities to go on strike amid job cuts dispute #SaveHE #StopTheCuts www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottis...

Another absolutely incredible showing on @hwucu.bsky.social's picket line today! We fell one short of yesterday's 60 people in our daily photo but 59 people + 1 dinosaur is perhaps even better! 🦖

Joining the Heriot-Watt UCU picket line earlier today, where staff of the Languages and Intercultural Studies department and the team at Scholar are under threat of compulsory redundancies. Redundancies would be tantamount to dismantling these incredibly important programme. @hwucu.bsky.social

HW UCU out in numbers to tell our employer @heriotwattuni.bsky.social that we will not accept being put under threat of compulsory redundancy We stand together, alongside @ducuuo.bsky.social Dundee UCU, UCU at @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social and UCU at @unistrathclyde.bsky.social NO CR #SOLIDARITY

What I always hear: “We can’t afford to pay our workers more than $15 an hour.” What I never hear: “We can’t afford to pay our CEO millions of dollars a year.” Funny how that works.

Also new to the #ToRead list by D.Menezes, S.Hasan and G.Netto: #Migration, Access to #SocialHousing and Reflexivity: Migrant Engagement with Choice-Based Lettings Systems in the UK www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/15...

New publication co-authored by RCUS Prof Ryan Woolrych Global environments of ageing: towards co-designing climate resilient environments and communities for ageing well available #OpenAccess in the book #HealthyAgeing edited by J. Phillips and E. Douglas www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...

Drawing on evidence from I-SPHERE’s three-and-a-half-year programme on Race, Ethnicity and Homelessness in the UK, Dr Nadia Ayed has contributed to Scottish Housing News podcast on systemic racism and race discrimination within our housing systems: www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/cal...

Join the next PES Seminar on Weds 11th Feb: Geography, Governance and Contested Spaces: Edinburgh since 2010 Speaker: Professor Cliff Hague Time: 12:00 (UK time) Format: Online. To access the Teams link, please contact: [email protected]

Where are the trees? We have A LOT of this landscape and less than 4% native woodland. This should be a rich mosaic of habitats, moor, bog, woodland, montane scrub…We force it to remain in this artificial state. We don’t need to give every inch of our uplands over to sheep, grouse and deer stalking.

#NatureBasedSolutions (NbS) have a lot to offer sub-Saharan Africa, like: ☀️Reduced extreme heat 💧Improved water security 🌱New green jobs A report from WRI shows where NbS has already taken root, and what's needed to scale: lnkd.in/eXrBpCiX

Africa’s cities are growing fast — but housing isn’t keeping up. 900M more urban residents by 2050, but only 21% of needed homes are being built. Without urgent action, slums will swell, risks will rise, and resilience will remain out of reach. Housing can’t wait.

If you're in Edinburgh, go check out the Jar in Action exhibit at Summerhall from 29Sept-19Oct The jars represent different takes on the question "What does sustainability mean to you?" and includes work by HWU's Geography undergrad students www.summerhallarts.co.uk/event/jar-in...

Urban resilience isn’t about walls or tech fixes, it’s about people. Include communities, strengthen local governance, and blend nature with durable infrastructure. Ignore equity or informal settlements, and you build fragility.

Check out our fully-funded PhD Scholarship (one spot) to study the intersection between Climate Action and Climate (In)Justice at Heriot Watt, Edinburgh campus. Open to home and overseas students. Due 26 Sept #ClimateJustice #HumanGeography www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Early access to new article in #LancetRegionalHealth on the benefits and risks of #ArtificialIntelligence for #migrant #health (co-authored by Gina Netto, RCUS) #AI @hcsmith.bsky.social www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

New paper by Koorosh Ahghabozorgi (w @svdjagt.bsky.social @hcsmith.bsky.social) shows the importance and benefits of blue/green spaces for students' #MentalHealth #UrbanForestry #UrbanGreening #Landscapes www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

In Brasilia now, in UK soon, Mae Mekea Project team present their 3D model of the #AmazonRainforest exploring how the forest is changing & lived experiences of #IndigenousPeoples on frontlines of #ClimateChange @adriportella.bsky.social @hcsmith.bsky.social maemekea.site.hw.ac.uk/the-amazon-i...

New paper in Habitat International co-authored by RCUS Prof. Colin Jones shows nonlinear & spatial heterogeneity effects on #Housing prices in Beijing. Proximity to the central #BusinessDistrict, housing age, & size show significant spatially variable impacts. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

The report has been deemed a ‘wake-up call’ for ministers over struggles faced by BME carers by STV News news.stv.tv/scotland/new...

Good to see a legal right to breaks for unpaid carers being enshrined in law, something our friends MECOPP called for in their recent report which exposed the hardship and exhaustion experienced by BME unpaid carers in Scotland. More on their calls: www.mecopp.org.uk/where-are-we... #CarersWeek

For more information on Mae Mekea: Amazon Indigenous Wisdom - Shaping Climate Solutions in Brazil follow them on Instagram (@maemekea) or visit their website maemekea.site.hw.ac.uk

New research from our Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research shows stark #ethnic disparities in West Midlands #homelessness. But innovative #prevention practices are beginning to work across the region. More here: tinyurl.com/32brjpy2 #HeriotWattUni #SocialPolicy

Congrats to our PhD student, Mireya Gómez-Nava, & team for winning a funding competition for their project: “From Knowledge to Action: Mexican Indigenous Women Harvesting Water for the Future” with support from University of Birmingham, British Council, & Tecnológico de Monterrey - Guadalajara.

After engaging with the self-built neighbourhoods of Medellin through action-research for over 10 years, they are now helping me rediscover my long dormant enjoyment of drawing.

Congrats to our doctoral student, Jess Bowden, for passing her PhD viva! #openacces publications from her thesis, Exploring Links Between #Heritage, #Memory and #SenseofPlace in Order to Understand How #OlderAdults Interact with Their Local #HistoricEnvironment, are linked in the thread below

Congrats to our @hwu-rcus.bsky.social colleagues, Dr Sacha Hasan, & Dr Deborah Menezes for their important research on housing barriers for people with complex needs in Scotland

RCUS in the News: S.Hasan & D.Menezes found systemic barriers prevent people with learning disabilities & complex needs from accessing appropriate #housing in #Scotland “The reality is a postcode lottery which is unsustainable & damaging for our most vulnerable residents" news.stv.tv/east-central...

Congratulations to our PGR student Koorosh Aghabozorgi who yesterday passed his viva AND heard news of publishing his latest article on the same day! Read the preprint on the role of our @heriotwattuni.bsky.social campus #landscape in supporting student #MentalHealth here: doi.org/10.1016/j.uf....

Inspiring community work in self-built neighbourhoods in Medellin, collaborating with community organisations (JAC & Huerta Escuela El Faro, Mesa de Vivienda y Hábitat C8), NGOs (Madre Tierra Permacultura), and researchers at @hwu-rcus.bsky.social and @uoe-cahss.bsky.social. youtu.be/LEucGbeBBA4?...

Really delighted to announce THIRTY bursaries for study on a postgraduate planning degree in Scotland in 2025/26. The pipeline of future planners is being well supported by the Scottish Government. Details 👇 www.rtpi.org.uk/plannerbursary