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Michel J. Kaiser

Chief Scientist, Heriot-Watt University
I was appointed chief scientist in June 2019, taking over from Professor John Underhill, who held the inaugural role since 2017. The role of chief scientist is one of the most senior at Heriot-Watt University. The two-year fixed position is key to representing the University in high-level dialogue with government, policy makers and funders – and key to making change happen.

Over the next two years, as a leading expert in fisheries conservation, I will be responsible for championing the University’s expertise in the blue economy as well as leading initiatives that further enhance and amplify our reputation for research excellence. The need to develop the blue economy in a way that is sustainable and that recognises the underpinning value of natural resources is of vital importance to economic growth and livelihoods around the world. I will expand his current portfolio of work with influential stakeholders including at government level to inform on policy development and delivery.

As a professor in fisheries conservation, I am based at The Lyell Centre in Heriot-Watt's Edinburgh campus. Prior to this position, I was the science and standards standards director at the Marine Stewardship Council and a professor of marine conservation ecology at Bangor University for 20 years.

A key part of my role will be to highlight the opportunities presented but also to balance these against the need to preserve the fragile ecosystems within our oceans.

Catch-22: technology can help solve fishing’s environmental issues – but risks swapping one problem for another

Jun 14, 2020 12:29 pm UTC| Nature Technology

Almost a decade ago, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalls Fish Fight campaign galvanised public opinion against the senseless waste of discarding fish. At the time this was the common practice of returning unwanted catches to the...

Economy

What should you do if you can’t pay your rent or mortgage?

The cost of living crisis is making it difficult for many people to pay their bills, including housing costs. Private sector rents have increased by an average 9% over the year to February 2024, and rising interest rates...

Reducing energy demand and improving efficiency will help prevent the next gas crisis

Gas prices have relaxed, Europe has come out of the winter with record gas storage levels and a surfeit of liquefied natural gas is set to reach the shores of Europe over the coming years. Many commentators are hopeful...

Minimum wage for South African farm workers: study shows 2013 hike helped reduce poverty even though compliance was poor

Minimum wage policies are typically aimed at reducing poverty. Yet there is little direct evidence of this effect, especially in developing countries. And none for South Africa. In a recent paper, we consider the...

Gas is good until 2050 and beyond, under Albanese gas strategy

The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel through to 2050 and beyond. In a gas strategy to be released on Thursday, the government envisages the fuels uses would change over...

South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed

The South African governments Just Energy Transition Implementation Plan was launched in November 2023. It is a roadmap guiding the country away from reliance on coal-fired power towards renewable energy alternatives by...

Politics

Donald Trump Allegedly Offers Oil Execs a Deal to Scrap EV Incentives for $1B Donation

Former President Donald Trump reportedly proposed a $1 billion deal to oil executives, offering to end electric vehicle (EV) subsidies in return for campaign funding, according to The Washington Post. This move underscores...

US Supreme Court upended decades of precedent in 2022 by allowing voters to vote with gerrymandered maps instead of fixing the congressional districts first

For the 2022 midterm elections, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Alabama to use congressional districts that violated the law and diluted the voting power of Black citizens. A 5-4 vote by the Supreme Court in February...

Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections

Ahead of the European parliament elections in June, Germany has lowered the age limit on participation to 16. This makes it the largest of just a handful of states in the EU to allow people under the age of 18 to vote....

South Africa will be president of the G20 in 2025: two much-needed reforms it should drive

South Africa will play an important international role in 2025 as president of the G20. The G20 is a group of 19 countries as well as the African Union and the European Union. Between them they represent 85% of global...

What early 2024 polls are revealing about voters of color and the GOP

By the end of winter 2024, the return of Donald Trump to the top of the GOP presidential ticket has revealed a surprising trend in the former presidents base of support: his increasing popularity among Black and Latino...

Science

Why are algorithms called algorithms? A brief history of the Persian polymath you’ve likely never heard of

Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without...

IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects

About a trillion tiny particles called neutrinos pass through you every second. Created during the Big Bang, these relic neutrinos exist throughout the entire universe, but they cant harm you. In fact, only one of them is...

The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup

A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this...

Dark matter: our new experiment aims to turn the ghostly substance into actual light

A ghost is haunting our universe. This has been known in astronomy and cosmology for decades. Observations suggest that about 85% of all the matter in the universe is mysterious and invisible. These two qualities are...

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

Technology

Skechers Sales Surge as Growth Lags for Nike and Adidas; Nike Eyes 2024 Olympics

Skechers reported a significant sales boost last quarter, while Nike and Adidas struggled with growth. Nike aims to leverage the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris to regain momentum and improve market performance. Skechers...

Binance Enhances SHIB, USTC, AGIX Trading and Liquidity for Better Market Dynamics

Binance has announced efforts to enhance liquidity and trading for Shiba Inu (SHIB), USTC, and SingularityNET (AGIX), including tick size adjustments aimed at improving market dynamics and trading experience. Binances...

OpenAI Disbands Team Tackling AI Risks Amid Leadership Changes and GPT-4o Launch

OpenAI has dismantled its Superalignment team, initially formed to address AI risks, following the resignations of key leaders Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike. OpenAI Disbands Superalignment Team Days After Leaders Resign,...

$73M Crypto Scam: Two Foreign Nationals Arrested for 'Pig Butchering'

The Justice Department prosecuted two Chinese nationals on Friday in a cryptocurrency scam that laundered at least $73 million from deceived victims. Defendants Allegedly Used Shell Corporations to Launder Funds Through...

Tether's $1B USDT Mint Boosts Bitcoin, Eyes on $70K Milestone

Bitcoin has switched its former resistance into support, as Tethers market capitalization continues to rise swiftly in 2024. Tether, the worlds largest stablecoin, has issued another $1 billion, raising its market...