Annual Review 23 May 2012 - 22 May 2013 To celebrate, recognise, preserve, protect and encourage excellence in all of the scholarly disciplines, and in the “ professions, industry and commerce, the arts and public service; To promote the advancement of learning and scholarship and the dissemination and application of the results of Mission academic enquiry and research; To act as a source of independent and expert scholarly advice and comment on “ matters affecting the wellbeing of Wales and its people and to advance public discussion and interaction on matters of national and international importance. Cover images (clockwise from bottom right): Professor Paola Borri FLSW; Audience at the Dillwyn Symposium; Professor Damian Bailey (right); Sir Vaughan Jones Frontiers Lecture PAGE 1 President’s Foreword WALES OF SOCIETY LEARNED Our Annual General Meeting in May 2013 marked the third birthday of the Learned Society of Wales, the country’s 2012 REVIEW ANNUAL first national scholarly academy. Which raises questions: What have we achieved in our first three years? Have we made a difference? Of course, the Society will reach full - 13 maturity only over many years and the range of its activities will necessarily be built up gradually over time. But my personal view is that the Society has already achieved much more than I thought possible at the beginning. Before we came into being, our best researchers and scholars could look only to other national academies for recognition, with loss of visibility of Welsh genesis, Welsh connection or It is also a network reaching far Welsh influence. And – crucially – the beyond that previously available to We have also been consulted by Welsh previous lack of a Wales presence in the Government and now it is there to be and UK bodies on a range of matters, international community of national used. It makes clearly visible the showing that we have become an academies had a negative effect. It impressive research record and organisation whose opinion and advice meant that the UK, the European Union potential of the nation. are valued in official circles. and international grant giving bodies had no independent body of stature in The Society’s existence as the first and That we have been able to make such Wales to turn to for soundings or only pan Wales independent national progress owes much to generous formal contact when formulating academy of recognised substance is financial and other support from the policies which had effects on Wales. now adding value to the voice of Wales University of Wales, which led directly Thus, the interests of Wales were nationally and internationally in a to the foundation of the Society. Other overlooked through lack of visibility. number of important ways. For universities have also provided valuable example, during 2012/13, we have in-kind support. I am glad now to be As the pages that follow show, this is continued to: able to acknowledge the commitment now no longer so. of significant financial support from the develop an impressive and exciting Universities of Cardiff and Swansea. programme of lectures and other The election, during 2012/13, of a This is a very important milestone on events; further sixty-nine Fellows means that the road to financial security which is engage in public policy debate, for we now have a Fellowship of more than essential for the future of the Society. example, in the areas of the Welsh 300. This is a body of scholars and Government’s policy on higher researchers remarkable for spanning education and Welsh and UK almost all disciplines from Welsh Government research funding history to anti-matter physics, from policy, as well as in matters relating economics to electronics. It is the first to the cultural heritage of Wales; time that such a resource has been and created in Wales. The Fellowship is a build relationships with key network not constrained by stakeholders in Welsh academia, Sir John Cadogan institutional or political barriers – and the Welsh Government and Civil CBE DSc FRSE FRSC MAE PLSW FRS one that may be mobilised under one Service and beyond. President canopy for national and international impact. Celebrating Scholarship and Serving the Nation 13 - Programme of Events As part of its initial programme the Society has begun to develop a number of lecture series and some special themes that support the world of learning. The Lecture series are: Frontiers; and Anniversaries. Current Themes are: Invention, Innovation and Change; The History of Science and Technology; The Universities; and Energy. Further Themes will be developed, including ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 REVIEW ANNUAL Patronage and Welsh Civil Society. The following lectures and events have been held during the period between the Annual General Meetings in May 2012 and May 2013: LEARNED SOCIETY OF WALES WALES OF SOCIETY LEARNED 2 PAGE 24 – 26 May 2012, Chapter Arts Centre, 11 June 2012, Swansea University 22 June 2012, the National Waterfront Cardiff Information Visualization for Knowledge Museum, Swansea Poetry under Pressure Discovery Dillwyn Day: Science, Culture, Society A discussion of cultural policy, poetry An Invention, Innovation and Change A History of Science and Technology and censorship, and poetry translation, lecture by Professor Ben Shneiderman, symposium celebrating the legacy and together with readings by two German Professor for Computer Science at the contribution of the Dillwyn family to poets, Uwe Kolbe and Richard Pietraß; University of Maryland; organised in culture, science and society; organised organised by Professor Gerrit-Jan association with the Department of in association with the Centre for Berendse FLSW and the German section Computer Science, Swansea University, Research into the English Literature and of the School of European Languages, as part of the series, Swansea Language of Wales (CREW), Swansea Translation and Politics (EUROP), Cardiff Distinguished Lectures in Computer University University, and supported by the Society Science (Dr Kirsti Bohata of CREW, pictured above) 31 May 2012, Cardiff University 15 June 2012, Cardiff University Language Based Area Studies: A Celebration of Organic Chemistry Challenges and Perspectives A symposium, showcasing the very best The launch of the Wales Doctoral in Organic Chemistry and featuring Training Centre’s Pathway in Language lectures by two Nobel Laureates and a Based Area Studies; organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Prize School of European Languages, Winner; organised in association with Translation and Politics (EUROP), Cardiff the RSC and hosted by Professor Keith University, and the Department of Smith FLSW of the School of Chemistry, Politics and Cultural Studies, Swansea Cardiff University University, and supported by the Society PAGE 28 June 2012, Cardiff University 30 August 2012, Swansea University 23 October 2012, Swansea University 3 Mapping the Miracle: Gerard Manley From Newton to Turing: Physics and the The Changing Face of Higher Education WALES OF SOCIETY LEARNED Hopkins and the Psychocartography of Computational Constraint Institutions: Some International Welsh Space A lecture by Professor S Barry Cooper, Reflections A Frontiers Lecture by Professor Damian University of Leeds; organised in A Universities lecture by Professor John Walford Davies of Aberystwyth association with the Department of Davies, Anglia Ruskin University and the University, organised in association with Computer Science, Swansea University International Centre for Higher the University of Wales Press and the as part of the series, Swansea Education Management School of English, Communication and Distinguished Lectures in Computer Philosophy, Cardiff University Science 7 November 2012, Swansea University 2012 REVIEW ANNUAL Black Skin, Blue Books: the case for comparing Wales and African America 8 August 2012, the National Eisteddfod, 12 – 13 October 2012, Sketty Hall, A lecture by Dr Daniel Williams, Centre Vale of Glamorgan Swansea for Research into the English Literature Dylunio Bloodhound SSC Medievalism in Wales and Language of Wales (CREW), - (Designing Bloodhound SSC), a Welsh- A conference, organised by the Swansea University; organised in 13 medium lecture (the Inaugural Learned Department of History and Classics at association with CREW and the Society of Wales National Eisteddfod Swansea University, in association with University of Wales Press Lecture), with simultaneous translation the Society, the Institute of Medieval into English, on the Bloodhound and Early Modern Studies, et al; 21 November 2012, the National supersonic car, by Professor Kenneth speakers included Professor Jane Aaron Library of Wales, Aberystwyth Morgan FREng FLSW, of the College of FLSW, Professor Sioned Davies FLSW, Cymru a’r Chwyldro Ffrengig: Rhy Engineering, Swansea University Professor Dafydd Johnston FLSW, Gynnar i Ddweud? Professor Huw Pryce FLSW and (Wales and the French Revolution: Too Professor Ceri Davies (elected FLSW in Early to Tell?), a Welsh-medium lecture 2013) by Dr Mary Ann Constantine FLSW, University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies 13 - 14 February 2013, Swansea University Drug Testing and the Olympics A lecture by Professor David Cowan, Director of the Drug Control Centre, 5 March 2013, Swansea University King’s College, London and Leader of Modelling the evolution of cities and the Drug Testing Programme for the regions: past and present ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 REVIEW ANNUAL London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic A lecture by Professor Sir Alan Wilson