Those of us working in the arts and humanities higher education across the UK have become well-used to seeing our subjects devalued through depressingly regular cuts in provision, staff numbers and resources.
But the experiences of researchers during the pandemic offers convincing evidence of the value of investment in arts and humanities research.
The pandemic and beyond
The Pandemic and Beyond is a virtual hub that, since Spring 2021, has been providing a shared space for knowledge exchange between more than 70 Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid-response projects. Projects grappling with difficult questions about decision-making around hot topics such as vaccines, access to healthcare, and human rights were able to share their results with other teams examining people’s experiences of the coronavirus pandemic, and the maelstrom of confusing and contested information that surrounded us.
