From outer space to Barbie dolls – Leicester delegation touches down in LA
From left: Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Consul General Paul Rennie and Professor Nishan Canagarajah at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, and Dame Maggie with her Barbie doll and Mattel's Kathryn Herron
Barbie dolls, outer space and education partnerships were just some of the areas a University of Leicester delegation explored on a trip to Los Angeles.
Leicester’s team, which was headed up by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, and Chancellor, Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, went Stateside for a series of meetings with partners and to catch up with the University’s West Coast-based alumni.
Dame Maggie met with LA toy manufacturer Mattel to discuss the Barbie Dream Gap Project which is a global mission dedicated to tackling gender inequality. The space scientist and educator is involved with the project and has had a Barbie doll created of her to inspire young girls to achieve their dreams.
The US schedule, which took place between Monday 28 and Wednesday 30 October, also saw Dame Maggie lead a visit to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, one of the world’s leading centres for space exploration.
Leicester is partnering with NASA on a number of space projects and missions including the Habitable Worlds Observatory. The JUICE mission to Jupiter, which has Professor Emma Bunce as European co-chair, meanwhile, is exploring collaborations with NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, which is also heading to the planet at the same time.
The trip also saw the delegation link up with the British Government’s Consul General, Paul Rennie OBE, for talks with the University of Los Angeles California (UCLA) about UK higher education partnerships in the USA.
The Leicester delegation with the senior UCLA team.
The Vice-Chancellor and Consul General held dialogue with UCLA around creating global higher education that is world-leading, diverse and inclusive. They met with UCLA Interim Chancellor, Professor Darnell Hunt, a race expert and equality and inclusion champion, to discuss both institutions’ shared strategies for inclusive higher education.
During the visit the Consul General, Chancellor, and Vice-Chancellor also took the opportunity to hold a reception at the Consul General’s residence to update University of Leicester alumni living and working in LA.
One of the guests was Dr Duncan Wood, who has recently been appointed as President and CEO of the Pacific Council on International Policy. Dr Wood is set to work with the University’s newly established Institute for Policy to explore partnerships that can shape global policy through research.
Professor Canagarajah said: “This has been an intensive trip which has seen us explore partnerships with NASA, UCLA and, of course, Dame Maggie’s talks with Mattel to tackle gender inequality worldwide.
“Linking in with the Consul General was a tremendous opportunity for the University to explore further partnerships Stateside, while the chance to meet so many inspirational Leicester graduations was truly humbling.”
The second leg of the trip will see the delegation travel to Canada for more meetings with partners and alumni – follow the University’s news pages for an update in early November.