Fourteenth book of 2026 finished. A cracking read and highly relevant to the state of the world today…

@ucl.ac.uk met with the University of Cape Town to discuss strengthening and scaling our strategic partnership, with leadership discussions identifying new opportunities for collaboration #UCLandAfrica #UCLHealth @uct-fhs-research.bsky.social @profgeraintrees.bsky.social @iiabubakar.bsky.social

‘AI-assisted grants: prioritize fairness with excellence.’ Thoughtful editorial in @nature.com sparked by the article @profgeraintrees.bsky.social & I wrote last week, plus ongoing debates at ERC about how to cope with volume/demand spikes www.nature.com/articles/d41... @rorinstitute.bsky.social

In Johannesburg, Prof @profgeraintrees.bsky.social met Prof Brando Okolo, Head of Science, Technology and Innovation at AUDA‑NEPAD. Discussions focused on the African Union’s STISA 2034, including priorities in entrepreneurship, emerging technologies and capacity strengthening. #UCLandAfrica

Thirteenth book of 2026 finished. Absolutely fascinating. And a bit depressing.

Could agentic AI topple grant-funding systems? New article in @nature.com by @profgeraintrees.bsky.social & me, with data from 12 funders showing a 57% increase in grant applications since 2022 (& the launch of LLMs) rdcu.be/ffApn @rorinstitute.bsky.social @magdalenaskipper.bsky.social

Is research funding facing an "agentic" collapse? In @nature.com today, RoRI’s @jameswilsdon.bsky.social & @profgeraintrees.bsky.social warn that AI agents are overwhelming a system built for a pre-AI world. We need AI-native funding, not unenforceable bans. Read the piece: tinyurl.com/mtxpcf7k

“Critics, meanwhile, have said Palantir’s tools are less capable than some existing systems and argue that British companies have for decades brought data together to improve patient care.” An objective independent review of the evidence is needed! giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Delighted to share this piece where I highlight the crucial role of research-intensive universities like UCL in cultivating a culture of entrepreneurship in the UK... Universities are still where British entrepreneurship is born www.lbc.co.uk/article/univ...

Twelfth book of 2026 finished - what a read! The reviews aren’t wrong - it’s a masterpiece

Eleventh book of 2026 finished. A beautiful, lyrical read and a great counterpoint to my recent diet of techno-utopian and science fiction books. There’s more to life than AI…

Tenth book of 2026 finished - a really great read, and I was lucky enough to be there for some of it! Very thought provoking.

Ninth book of 2026 finished - didn’t enjoy this as much as I had hoped…

Eighth book of 2026 finished - a little disappointed given the rave reviews. Strong on diagnosis, weak on policy prescription…

Seventh book of 2026 finished - slowly progressing the series!

Silence is not golden when it comes to science and AI-The stakes are considerable. Science has been humanity’s most reliable engine of long-term prosperity, but its productivity depends on… www.ft.com/content/0c63... @profgeraintrees.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

Sixth book of 2026 finished - gritty crime noir set in the city I’m just departing…

Fifth book of 2026 finished. A little bit long….

Oh joy- mandatory in person interviews for applicants who get through all the (massive) initial hurdles. That's not going to have any EDI implications, is it, though I am sure it will help with demand management 😱 www.ukri.org/news/mrc-cur...

Excellent by @profgeraintrees.bsky.social.

How can universities prepare students for a rapidly changing world? In an interview with India's BW Education, UCL's @profgeraintrees.bsky.social reflects on research led teaching, interdisciplinarity, and how AI-ready curricula will shape the future of education www.bweducation.com/article/univ...

Third book of 2026 finished - a really interesting read about how knowledge diffuses over time and space

Third book of 2026 finished - a really interesting read about how knowledge diffuses over time and space

hard policy choices will only get harder “Like many other countries, the UK confronts insoluble long-term challenges: it has inescapable obligations that impose painful trade-offs” Neither the public nor the politician are prepared to make tough choices! giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Brussels last night: alongside @profgeraintrees.bsky.social, the @ucl.ac.uk delegation reconnected with alumni and took steps towards re-establishing a more formal UCL alumni group in the city. With #UCL200 approaching, it felt like an early celebration of our global community. #UCLEurope

@profgeraintrees.bsky.social met partners at @univparissaclay.bsky.social, with a Letter of Intent signed to deepen doctoral collaboration. Discussions included a PhD co-supervision pathway building on work with @gustaveroussy.fr. #UCLEurope #WorldCancerDay ⬇️

UCL is now #3 in the QS Europe 2026 rankings. As @profgeraintrees.bsky.social noted, this reflects the “enduring value of European collaboration”. Next week, Professor Rees will lead a senior academic delegation to France and Belgium, with alumni engagement in Switzerland. #UCLEurope

Second book of 2026 finished. Think I now need a bit of variety before tackling the rest of the Culture series…

UCL is delighted that the UK will be rejoining the Erasmus scheme. Prof Geraint Rees, Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) said: "For @ucl.ac.uk Erasmus is much more than a mobility scheme - it is a gateway to deep partnerships across Europe." #Erasmus #UCLEurope Read more ⬇️

First book of 2026 completed - time to try and read the entire Culture series!

Congratulations to all of my fabulous @ucl.ac.uk colleagues recognised for their achievements! Their talent and application in research and scholarship continue to make a difference to people across the world.... UCL staff recognised in New Year Honours www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/de...

Thirty-third book of 2025 finished - nice easy read

Thirty-second book of 2025 finished - a melancholy and slightly meandering read

Very proud of the whole community @ucl.ac.uk and @uclenterprise.bsky.social in working to create this breadth and depth of impact and benefit to citizens in the UK and across the world. Looking forward to 2026!

Great to see this impact from our Grand Challenge of Justice and Equality over nearly a decade!

🚀 Just launched! UCL's Grand Challenge of Justice & Equality Impact Report Celebrating the work of researchers & partners from UCL & beyond to address inequality in all its forms, locally, nationally & globally. 🔗 Find out more & read the report: https://bit.ly/3Ma61e9

Ten days left to apply to be a @crick.ac.uk Early Career Group Leader Closing date 27th November www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...

@ucl.ac.uk leaders, including @profgeraintrees.bsky.social, visited Singapore to advance partnerships in health, AI and innovation — meeting A*STAR, NUS, NTU, and SingHealth, announcing the first UCL–NUS fund recipients, and engaging alumni. #UCLSingapore #UCLHealth www.ucl.ac.uk/global/news/...

Novo Nordisk shares slump after drug failure in Alzheimer’s trial www.ft.com/content/ecab... via @ft

Thirty-first book of 2025 finished - last long haul sector of the year for this terrific story and thank you to @johnwilliams.bsky.social for the excellent recommendation!

I'm looking forward to the upcoming "Journal of Adversarial Poetry"

At the Reach Alliance Conference in Singapore, @profgeraintrees.bsky.social took part in the Leaders Roundtable on universities creating impact and announced that UCL will host the Reach Conference in London in November 2026. We also highlighted two UCL student case studies. #UCLSingapore #UCLHealth

@ucl.ac.uk is in India today! Join us as we share updates from the visit and stories of our collaborations. Led by Vice-Provost @profgeraintrees.bsky.social, our team will strengthen ties with key partners. #UCLandIndia Explore UCL’s connections with India: www.ucl.ac.uk/global/regio...

Human biomass movement may be up to 40 times greater than that of all land animals combined, according to research in Nature Ecology & Evolution. A second Nature Communications paper finds that wild mammal biomass has more than halved since 1850. go.nature.com/4oID33i go.nature.com/3LhSD7n 🧪

End of a wonderful week in the Okavango Delta and so thirtieth book of 2025 finished - extraordinary tale of Anna the Norwegian duck woman

More flying (holiday this time) means twenty-ninth book of 2025 finished. More readable than the first in this series, very enjoyable…

@ucl.ac.uk @profgeraintrees.bsky.social met @tsinghuauniversity.bsky.social President Li Luming and Vice President Wang Hongwei to advance health & AI collaboration. Discussions focused on the proposed Joint Centre at Changgung Hospital and expanding research collaboration. #UCLandChina #UCLHealth

At the Beijing Health Forum, @profgeraintrees.bsky.social delivered a keynote highlighting @ucl.ac.uk’s healthcare innovation and international partnerships, aligned with the forum theme: Innovation without Borders, Health for Our Shared Future. #UCLandChina #UCLHealth @uclnews.bsky.social

Long pair of flights today so twenty-eighth book of 2025 also finished!

On my way back from Beijing, twenty-seventh book of 2025 finished. Just terrific - a highly readable reflection on the China (and the America) of today.