FIRST METIS AWAY DAY: EDINBURGH 2014
The Stoics spoke of Metis as the embodiment of  “prudence”, “wisdom” or “wise counsel”.

Members of The METIS Collaboration met in Edinburgh on 6th November at the group’s first Away Day. The meeting was supported by Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland which provided the venue at its Edinburgh Offices in Rose Street. 9 of our colleagues from four UK universities and from Macmillan attended. The universities were University of Aberdeen, Birkbeck University of London, University of Lancaster with The Work Foundation and University of Newcastle. Sadly 5 members of the Collaboration had to present their apologies due to previous commitments or for family-related reasons.

The morning session focused on introductions and a discussion of shared research interests which were followed by a presentation on The METIS Collaboration. The presentation covered the principles underpinning the work of the Collaboration, its history and current research projects. The afternoon session, after a buffet lunch, a sandpit was held to elicit and flesh out ideas on research topics that might be pursued by the Collaboration. This led to a discussion of funding strategies. A list of potential projects was agreed with members volunteering to take them forward to the next meeting. The sandpit was followed by a discussion of the ESRC Seminar Series award made to the Centre for Sustainable Working Life, Birkbeck University of London, which was proposed by the then existing members of the Collaboration. It was made clear that the seminar series will involve all members of the Collaboration as appropriate.

It was agreed that the next meeting of the Collaboration would be held in mid to late February 2015 and Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland again offered the use of its Office in Edinburgh. Agenda Notes were circulated after the meeting.

Thanks to all those who were able to attend and special thanks to Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland for its continuing support of The METIS Collaboration.
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