Viral Stories
COVID-19, lockdown, global pandemic. Our newsfeeds were (and are still) packed with stories about how coronavirus is impacting the world.
Some, frankly terrifying, others hopeful and full of promise. Then we started to notice something: UK universities were often at the heart of many of the positive and inspiring stories we were reading.
Be it modelling the potential impact of the virus and advising government and businesses on how to respond. Or undertaking the research and innovation to produce a vaccine, and beginning human vaccine trials.
But not just that, also the way the sector provided 1000s of medical students to help the NHS, lending vital equipment and even turning teaching labs into factories for hand sanitiser and 3D printing medical visors.
Hundreds of people and institutions within the higher education sector; students, academics, and staff have responded to the crisis with offers of help, support, and expertise.
Universities won’t just be the source of a vaccine and medical solutions, they will also be vital in tackling the psychological, economic, and educational fall out from the pandemic. They are already providing support across all three areas.
We wanted somewhere that would gather all of these stories together in one place. To create a hub that collates the expertise, that shows the human responses, and the innovation of the higher education sector.
So with the willing help of some friends and experts we created Viral Stories, a website that would do just that. Over time we hope the site becomes less news-feed and more archive as the world get to grips with the pandemic. In the meantime you can find stories listed by institution if you want to find out what a specific university has been doing.
ViralStories.co.uk is a work in progress and will develop in time as we add more content. If you have a story to share, an idea for the site, or some feedback please get in touch here, or via twitter.
Our aim is to champion the work of the higher education sector and to share with as wide an audience as possible. As well as becoming a long-term resource and archive.
James & Trina.
