Dr Kinga Morsanyi becomes founding member of the UK-wide Young Academy

Loughborough University is delighted to announce that four academics are among the first members of the new UK Young Academy – a network of early career researchers and professionals established to help tackle local and global issues and promote meaningful change.

It makes Loughborough University the home to more UK Young Academy members than any other UK university. Amongst the first cohort of 67 members is Dr Kinga Morsanyi, Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Cognition within the School of Science.

Along with their fellow members from across academia, charity organisations and the private sector, the four Loughborough academics will have the chance to inform local and global policy discussions, galvanising their skills, knowledge, and experience to find innovative solutions to the challenges facing societies now and in the future.

The UK Young Academy has been established as an interdisciplinary collaboration with the following prestigious national academies: the Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy, the Learned Society of Wales, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Irish Academy, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and the Royal Society. It joins the global initiative of Young Academies, with the UK Young Academy becoming the 50th to join the Young Academy movement.

The successful applicants officially took up their posts on 1 January 2023, and their membership runs for five years.

As a Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Cognition at Loughborough, Dr Morsanyi’s research is centred around mathematics learning, but her expertise also encompasses reasoning and decision-making, educational approaches to improving thinking skills, as well as motivational and emotional aspects of learning.

Kinga has authored and co-authored more than 60 publications and edits several scientific journals. Furthermore, she has secured 17 research grants over the last 15 years. 

Prior to Loughborough, Dr Morsanyi worked at the University of Cambridge, Queen’s University Belfast, and the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to join the UK Young Academy, and the potential to be part of an organisation that promises to be a driving force of positive societal change at a time when it is most needed. What makes this organisation really special is that it cuts across disciplines and sectors, bringing together inspiring people from a wide range of backgrounds, and (through its connections with Young Academies worldwide) from a large number of countries.

“I am hoping to make good contributions to the work of the UK Young Academy, especially in the areas of improved communication of scientific findings, promoting equity in access to knowledge and education, tacking low levels of numeracy within the UK and worldwide, and providing help, support and opportunities for people with learning disabilities.”

Find out more at https://ukyoungacademy.org/