I have been honoured this week to take up a new position (alongside my existing job as Chief Executive of Ukie!) as Honorary Professor of Digital Culture at the University of Glasgow. This is an amazing honour which I owe entirely to my friend and erstwhile colleague Dr David McMenemy, Reader in Information Studies at the University’s School of Humanities.

The full title of the role is ‘Honorary Professor of Digital Culture’, attached to the School of Humanities, where I’ll be supporting teaching and learning through a combination of lectures and research.

This is, I have to say, a dream come true for me. I believe passionately in the power of research and evidence to advance our common interests, address the great challenges of our age and to contribute to social advancement. To become part of such a high-profile research-led institution is an opportunity to contribute to an agenda that has motivated and inspired me throughout my career.

I’ll be exploring how our shared stories are expressed through culture and how digital technologies offer the opportunity for mass-democratisation and representation, while also creating new risks of exclusion and marginalisation. In so doing, I want to build a bridge between academic research and exploration and the industries that I have been fortunate to be part of – heritage, libraries and now video games and interactive entertainment.

I will be giving a public lecture to expand on my initial thesis later this year, to be followed by a regular schedule of lectures, talks and workshops. I will post about the process on this blog, and I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!