University of Sussex

Large-scale projected artwork of a blue human iris, with radiating fibres around a dark pupil, shown against a dark background.

Sunlight filters through dense green woodland as a large, mossy tree stands next to a winding forest path.

👁️ Did humans descend from a cyclops ancestor?

🌳 Could trees have legal rights in the UK?

Find out in the next Research at Sussex.

📩 Subscribe today: https://ow.ly/11El50UOFZB

Prof Dave Goulson

Sarah Mayfield

Monika Greenhough

Isobel Sexton

Congratulations to Buzz Club, led by Prof Dave Goulson, who are working on a garden at the 2026 Chelsea Flower Show! 🌸🐝
'Hedgerow in the Sky', designed by Sarah Mayfield & Monika Greenhough, will promote pollinator conservation & citizen science: https://ow.ly/YaSo50Yowu2

#WorldWildlifeDay #WWD2026

First Light: The Earliest Galaxies SUSSEX UNIVERSE PUBLIC SCIENCE LECTURES Professor Stephen Wilkins 11th March 2026, 6-7PM Fulton A

𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘅 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 – 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘀
Join Professor Stephen Wilkins to explore how the first stars, black holes, and galaxies formed after the Big Bang — and what the James Webb Space Telescope is revealing.
📅 Wed 11 Mar | 6–7pm | Free & open to all
https://ow.ly/2B2750YnZxq

a person cycles past snowdrops

a purple flower in front of the meeting house

pink blossom

people walk past daffodils

Campus in bloom 🌸✨

From wildflowers to bee hotels, discover our biodiversity projects on campus and how you can get involved: https://ow.ly/gmoS50YnYa0

#SussexUni #Nature #Campus #Flowers

🎉 What an inspiring day at the 2026 Bennett Symposium! This time last week we welcomed leading thinkers, policymakers, and practitioners from across the climate and energy landscape to the… | Bennett ... 🎉 What an inspiring day at the 2026 Bennett Symposium! This time last week we welcomed leading thinkers, policymakers, and practitioners from across the climate and energy landscape to the University ...

This time last week. From bold climate insights to impactful panels & keynotes, our Symposium explored not only the pressing challenges we face, but also the cutting‑edge research & collaborative solutions emerging from our community. Grateful to all who joined and contributed.
tinyurl.com/2sx52zcm

Professor Seb Oliver smiling at the camera, wearing glasses and a dark jacket over a patterned shirt, against a dark, softly blurred background.

Audience seated on stepped seating in a modern atrium watching a talk; a speaker stands beside banners and screens displaying “Artemis Accords” with multiple national flags and a NASA logo nearby.

Audience members seated on tiered steps in a brightly lit atrium, listening attentively during a talk; people of different ages sit close together, some wearing glasses and lanyards.

A brilliant moment for Sussex space science 🌍🚀
Prof Seb Oliver joined a UK Space Agency delegation in the US, including a visit to NASA ’s Johnson Space Center. Seb is PI for 'PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics' (PRIMA), a mission concept exploring how galaxies and solar systems form.

A person under an umbrella in the rain

Why does this winter's rain feel different? ☔️ Dr James Williams examines why the past few weeks have felt different from usual bouts of British rainy winters, noting research from meteorologists as well as the psychological impacts of persistently grey skies.

Read more: https://ow.ly/3NHr50Yl6Nf

Of Mice and Men: How Experience Shapes the Ageing Brain SUSSEX UNIVERSE PUBLIC SCIENCE LECTURES Professor Sarah King 25th February 2026 Fulton A

𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘅 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: 𝗢𝗳 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗻 – 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻

Join Professor Sarah King to explore how experience shapes the brain and may reduce dementia risk.

📅 Wed 25 Feb | 6–7pm | Free & open to all | Book here: https://ow.ly/Xfuj50YkhNr

#SussexUniverse #Lecture #Science

Promotional image for Brighton Festival 60, Festival of Ideas, What we talk about when we talk about magic event. A person in a black sequinned jacket sits in a café holding an open yellow book titled “Inner Secrets of Card Magic” with a mug on the table. Brighton Festival logo and the dates “1–25 May 2026” with “brightonfestival.org” appear in a yellow banner at the bottom.

Promotional image for Brighton Festival 60, Festival of Ideas, AI and the Arts event. A glitchy, pastel-tinted classical stone statue appears on the left, alongside a retro computer paint program window showing pixel art of a sunny landscape. Brighton Festival branding and the dates “1–25 May 2026” with “brightonfestival.org” sit in a yellow banner at the bottom.

Promotional image for Brighton Festival 60, Festival of Ideas, Planting Seeds event. An illustration of a colourful board game with four playing pieces sits in the middle of a field of young green plants. Brighton Festival branding and the dates “1–25 May 2026” with “brightonfestival.org” appear in a yellow banner at the bottom.

Brighton Festival is back (1–25 May) & we’re the official Higher Education Partner once more! Explore our Festival of Ideas events led by Media, Arts and Humanities. Enter a world of magic, ask what AI means for the arts, & queer the archive: https://ow.ly/nAEl50YhxUE

Scrolling is our most frequent pastime — and the least enjoyable According to a study, Britons return to scrolling social media more than any other leisure activity, even though it brings them less pleasure

Scrolling is our most common pastime — and least enjoyable, finds Sussex-led research. Prof Robin Banerjee says being more intentional with leisure choices could improve wellbeing.

Read more: https://ow.ly/ZgCk50Y0KeE

The Times & Sunday Times

Graphic of abstract shapes with text: 'Future Universities, delivering a brighter future'

Universities UK has launched #FutureUniversities, a national conversation about how universities should evolve to meet the changing needs of the nation. Find out more: https://ow.ly/4uGG50Yf2qw

@sussexunibusiness.bsky.social

An amateur historian is using artificial intelligence to bring the South East's past to life - Latest From ITV News Watch the latest from ITV News - Former IT manager Jonathan Bolland is taking century old photos and transforming them into digital treasures that are causing a storm on social media.

Watch elephants on Worthing prom 100 years ago and soldiers marching to war in AI-generated videos by an amateur historian bringing old photos to life. Professor Michael Beverland looks at what this could mean for our connections to the past, and how legislation is lagging behind technology.

A defining Sussex legacy.

Sir Harry Kroto’s discovery of C60 (buckminsterfullerene) shows what blue-skies research can lead to — opening up new directions across chemistry, nanotechnology and materials science.

#SussexUni #Chemistry #NobelPrize

a lecturer speaks to the audience in a lecture theatre

Sussex Universe returns! Join Dr Sam Hile for Much Ado About Quantum Computers, a beginner-friendly talk exploring what quantum computers are, what they might achieve, and how close we really are to a computing revolution: https://ow.ly/ef6M50Y9jAU

See the full programme: https://ow.ly/l0PR50Y9jCM

The Couple Donating Their Bodies to Science to Avoid Funeral Costs | This Morning YouTube video by This Morning

Professor Claire Smith joins Peter and Jane Dick on This Morning, to explain why more people are choosing to donate their bodies to science - and what it means for medical training and research.

Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZEu...

The National Student Survey 2026 is now open. Final-year students, tell the world about your time at Sussex. The NSS is a UK-wide survey that helps improve courses and support services for future students.

Check your email from Ipsos for your personal link.

The subtle signs you're a chronic people pleaser (and how to take back control) | BBC Science Focus Magazine Are you a doormat, or just a nice person, if you constantly make sacrifices for other people and put their needs ahead of your own?

People-pleasing can undermine wellbeing. Sussex researcher Dr Mariko Visserman says in close relationships it’s not just the sacrifice, but the motivation behind it, that matters. Understanding why we “people-please” is key.

Read more: https://ow.ly/IrBC50Y0KZx

@sciencefocus.bsky.social

aerial view of Sussex's campus with the sea in the background

We are delighted to have six subjects ranked in the top 200 globally in the THE 2026 World University Rankings by subject, including two in the top 100. Learn more: www.timeshighereducation.com/world-univer...

#THEWUR

Lifelong diver Eric Smith has received an honorary Doctor of Science from Sussex for his tireless campaign to restore marine life along the Sussex coast. His conservation work led to a ban on trawling on the Sussex coast in 2021, with kelp forests & marine life starting to return.
📹 sussexunderwater

Congratulations to Peter Bennett, who was awarded the Gold Medal for Philanthropy at winter graduation today. His vital work funding new research through ‪@bennett-innovate.bsky.social‬ here at Sussex, is just one of the ways his generosity is helping the world respond to the climate crisis.

two students walk on the sunny campus

Beat #BlueMonday! Research led by Professor Robin Banerjee has found the key to psychological fulfilment lies in being more intentional with our leisure time – highlighting the importance of hobbies that are emotionally rewarding and socially enriching.

Berggruen Institute Ideas for a Changing World.

1/ I am truly honoured and completely delighted to have won the 2025 Berggruen Essay Prize (English), for my submission “The Mythology of Conscious AI” @berggruen.org @noemamag.com berggruen.org/eu/news/2025...

Close-up of the LiquidO radiation detector: a black rectangular module with a small window revealing bundled optical fibres inside, and a grid of green indicator lights on the front.

📡 World-leading precision in radiation detection

💬 Words of the Year – which words will stick?

🧠 Mental health chatbots: better when they feel like a friend?

Find out in the next Research at Sussex.

📩 Subscribe today: https://ow.ly/11El50UOFZB

Stories - The Bennett Institute Announcing the Bennett Institute's 2026 Symposium, register now

The 2026 Bennett Institute Annual Symposium will be held on 19 February at Bramber House.

Staff and students are welcome, and the event is free!

Learn more and Register here: https://bit.ly/4qEZrv8

#BennettSymposium #NetZero #EnergyPolicy #SussexResearch

Close-up of a person sitting on a sofa holding and looking at a smartphone, with the background softly blurred.

Mental health apps work best when you feel emotionally close to your chatbot, University of Sussex study reveals.

As AI wellbeing tools grow, the findings also highlight why safeguards and responsible design matter.

Read more: https://ow.ly/WUPs50XSXXC

#ResponsibleAI

Researchers from the School of Psychology, the School of Education and Social Work, and the Brighton and Sussex Medical School have been awarded funding for four research themes including mental health innovation and implementation and early years and parenting.

Sussex and BSMS secure £4 Million in Mental Health and Social Care funding Starting in April 2026, the award represents a major investment in regional health research

We are delighted to announce we've won a share of a £10.6 million funding award to continue to host an NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) - driving forward applied research that responds directly to the most urgent health and care issues within our communities. ow.ly/XrHi50XTnEu

Professor Anuradha Joshi appointed Director of the Institute of Development Studies - Institute of Development Studies Professor Anuradha Joshi has been appointed as IDS new Director.

We’re excited to announce Professor Anuradha Joshi as the new Director of the Institute of Development Studies (IDS).

Building on her long-standing leadership at IDS, she will lead the institute into its 60th anniversary year.

https://ids.pulse.ly/52bb9mouwl

Dr McFayden stands with a head torch in a tunnel

Physicist Dr Josh McFayden has won a major £800k Royal Society grant to explore some of the Universe’s biggest mysteries. Using data from CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, Dr McFayden will lead work on the ATLAS and FASER experiments, pushing the search for new physics beyond the Standard Model.