PROF GUY MIDGLEY
Photo: Stefan Els
What is your field of specialty, and could you please give a brief explanation of it?
Understanding the changing relationships between climate, biosphere and human society – Modern human society exists because the global climate state has remained within a relatively narrow dynamic range for about 9 000 years. Such stability of climate and atmospheric CO2 has permitted our species to develop an increasingly complex and interconnected socio-economic system that was simply impossible under the variable and unproductive climate and CO2 conditions of the ice age. My field of work explores the ecological and biodiversity aspects relating to past, current and future climatic and CO2 conditions, and the bi-directional links with our societal development.
How would you say does your research contribute to the concept of “research for impact”?
The work I do, in collaboration with many colleagues, has helped to identify and elucidate some critical areas of resilience and vulnerability in the nexus between climate, biosphere and human society. These insights have supported some critical southern African and southern hemisphere perspectives that allow us to develop responses to the threat of climate change independently of knowledge and information that may not be well suited to our region.
What does attaining an A-rating mean to you professionally, and personally?
Attaining an A rating is not an automatic passport to peer-recognition in South Africa, for good reason, and the rating is not well recognised outside of South Africa. Nonetheless, the process required to achieve an A-rating is robust despite some quirks in the process, and achieving it is undoubtedly a big moment. Sadly, the enhanced annual funding that accompanied an A rating has been discontinued by the NRF, and this has been one of the biggest disappointments to me, because that funding provided some useful freedom to explore more risky ideas and support struggling students.
What do you enjoy most about your job and what are the aspects that you find challenging?
Creative exploration, together with students at all levels, finding things out, and producing new outputs, is a heady combination that makes this job extremely exciting and rewarding. Navigating administrative processes is less exciting.
What is the biggest piece of advice that you would give early-career researchers and those who are aspiring to become leaders in their respective research fields?
Read, read more, and talk about what you are reading and where you see gaps and opportunities, develop core skills and practise them – this will make you attractive to any research group.
What do you do for fun (apart from research!)?
Listen to music and podcasts, play chess (badly), holiday breaks near the ocean, talk about new ideas to anyone who will listen.