Edinburgh Futures Institute is delighted to announce that Professor Marion Thain has taken up the position of Director from January 2025.
Professor Marion Thain comes to us from her role as Professor of Culture and Technology at King’s College London, where she has been Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities for the past 6 years. While at King’s she founded and led the Digital Futures Institute, which grew out of her Centre for Attention Studies.
Professor Thain succeeds Interim Director Professor Kevin Dhaliwal, who led the Futures Institute from November 2023.
Professor Thain began her career as a Junior Research Fellow at Cambridge University, and worked in English departments at Russell Group universities before moving to New York University as a professor of Arts and Literature (in English and the school of the interdisciplinary global liberal arts) and Director of Digital Humanities. She returned to the UK in 2018.
Professor Thain is interested in the relationship between culture and technology (considering ‘technology’ in the broadest sense), and in formations of disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity.
Professor Thain said:
“I am delighted to be joining the University of Edinburgh as Professor of Culture and Technology and Director of the Edinburgh Futures Institute. The Futures Institute offers a unique opportunity to develop new infrastructures of knowledge that connect, by design, both across the disciplines and with external partners to make a step-change in our response to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. In taking up this role I join a fantastic team and a great group of colleagues – I look forward to meeting you all in person soon.”
Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University said:
“Edinburgh Futures Institute stands as a truly exceptional hub, bringing together staff, students, researchers, industry and civic society across many disciplines to solve some of the major challenges facing our planet today. We very much look forward to welcoming Professor Thain, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will support the University’s mission to address society’s most pressing needs.”
Professor Sarah Prescott, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, welcomed the new Director:
“I would like to extend a warm welcome to Professor Thain whose appointment as Director of the Edinburgh Futures Institute brings exciting new perspectives and opportunities across education, research and innovation, civic engagement, and partnership building. I extend my gratitude and thanks to Professor Dhaliwal for his significant contribution as Interim Director and for the key role he played in successfully leading the opening of the building to staff, students, and partners from across the University of Edinburgh and more widely in 2024.”
