Reading in the news - Thu 25 Mar

#UniForReading: fulfilling our role as a civic university

• The Reading Chronicle (print) reports on plans for the first temporary stages in the Shinfield Studios scheme at Thames Valley Science Park. The scheme won approval from Wokingham Borough Council planning committee last night.
• Reading Borough Council announces it will work with the University and others to help plan the Council's next three-year strategic plan for Reading.
• Living Reading reports on a survey of arts and culture organisations in Reading carried out by Reading Place of Culture (including the University) about impacts of the pandemic. 

COVID-19: expert comment on the pandemic

• Dr Simon Clarke (Biological Sciences) comments in the New York Times about AstraZeneca vaccine are used on the front page of the International edition. He is quoted in Aftenposten (Norway) about UK vaccine rollout. Bloomberg quotes him on Germany's cancelled plan for a five-day lockdown over Easter, and the Daily Mail, Albawaba (Jordan) and others quote him countering bogus internet claims about vaccines. His comments are used in the Daily Mail, The Sun, about claims of a new coronavirus mutation in India. MSN News quote him on the potential for summer holidays this year. He was interviewed on the TalkRadio breakfast show on Wednesday morning.
• Fortune China features Professor Uma Kambuhampati's (Economics) work on female leadership through the pandemic.

UK wildfire danger: The Daily Telegraph (print), Guardian, Independent, Environmental News Network (US), Science Daily, Euronews (France) and others report the study by Professor Nigel Arnell (Meteorology) on increased risks of wildfires in the UK due to climate change. Read our news story.

Other coverage

• Forbes highlights changes to transatlantic flight routes, after work by Professor Paul Williams (Meteorology) showed how they could cut emissions.
• Northern Times and others report that Professor Kate Williams (History) has been announced in the line-up for the XpoNorth creative festival in June - this year held entirely online.
• Computing highlights risks of ransomware attacks on universities - including one that affected a University database provider last year.