This is Future Learning
Find out how our This is Future Learning campaign aims to transform access to education …
Home / Study Skills / Developing Your Research Project / University researchers talk about what inspires them
University researchers talk about what inspires them
Watch this video montage of university researchers talking about what inspires them to do research.
JON COPLEY: I study life at the bottom of the ocean - the very deep ocean.
DRAGANA MLADENOVIC: I’m a Roman archaeologist, so I look at how Romans interacted with peoples they conquered.
FILIPPO FAZI: Well, I work on sound, and I try to understand how sound is generated– how it propagates in an environment.
LIZ CLUETT: I research women’s experience of birth.
WILL JENNINGS: Looking at how voters - how the public evaluate the competence of political parties.
RUTH BARTLETT: I’ve researched mainly the lives of people who have dementia.
DAVID READ: So my aim is to get involved in education research - to find ways to collect evidence, to find out what works and what doesn’t work.
FILIPPO FAZI: What inspires me to undertake research?
RUTH BARTLETT: It was about trying to make a difference.
DRAGANA MLADENOVIC: Well, I’ve always been curious.
JON COPLEY: I’ve always been fascinated by the unknown.
LIZ CLUETT: I was a practicing midwife, and I care for women.
FILIPPO FAZI: It was curiosity. Isn’t it fascinating to try and understand what is the physical underpinnings of this phenomena?
DAVID READ: So educators can make informed decisions about what to do in the classroom.
DRAGANA MLADENOVIC: And research is one of the ways of finding things out.
WILL JENNINGS: Influence the views they hold about the world.
FILIPPO FAZI: Using all this knowledge in a creative manner to create devices and new things and advance the technology.
DAVID READ: So we can publish this and share it with the wider community.
DRAGANA MLADENOVIC: And the pleasure of finally cracking it is quite unique.
What are your thoughts after watching the video?
Share your response in the comments area. Have a look at other learners’ comments. If you can relate to a comment someone else has made, why not ‘Like’ it or leave a reply?You can filter comments by ‘Following’, ‘Most liked’ and ‘My comments’.
What’s inspiring you? What’s triggering your curiosity?
Share your response in the comments area. Have a look at other learners’ comments. If you can relate to a comment someone else has made, why not ‘Like’ it or leave a reply?You can filter comments by ‘Following’, ‘Most liked’ and ‘My comments’.
What is machine learning? – A beginner’s guide
What is machine learning, and why is it so useful? We take a detailed look …
How to reduce your carbon footprint – 20 top tips
If you’re wondering what a carbon footprint is and why it’s so important, we’ve got …
Explore: the data industry in detail
We take a look at what the state of play is in the data industry. …
Our purpose is to transform access to education.
We offer a diverse selection of courses from leading universities and cultural institutions from around the world. These are delivered one step at a time, and are accessible on mobile, tablet and desktop, so you can fit learning around your life.
We believe learning should be an enjoyable, social experience, so our courses offer the opportunity to discuss what you’re learning with others as you go, helping you make fresh discoveries and form new ideas.
You can unlock new opportunities with unlimited access to hundreds of online short courses for a year by subscribing to our Unlimited package. Build your knowledge with top universities and organisations.
Learn more about how FutureLearn is transforming access to education
