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Ron Johnston

Professor of Geography, University of Bristol

RON JOHNSTON joined the School in 1995, having previously worked in the Departments of Geography at Monash University (1964-1966) and the Universities of Canterbury (1967-1974) and Sheffield (1972-1992) and as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex (1992-1995).

Ron’s academic work has focused on political geography (especially electoral studies), urban geography - much of the work in those two fields involving innovative use of multivariate statistical methods - and the history of human geography.

He has honorary degrees from the University of Essex (DU, 1996), Monash University (LLD, 1999), the University of Sheffield (DLitt, 2002) and the University of Bath (DLItt, 2005). He has twice been honoured by the Royal Geographical Society for his research achievements (Murchison Award, 1985; Victoria Medal, 1990), and the Association of American Geographers (Research Honours, 1991; Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010); he received the Political Studies Association’s Political Communicator of the Year Award in 2011. In 1999 he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy and a Foundation Academician of the Academy of the Learned Societies in the Social Sciences, and was awarded the Prix Vautrin Lud by the Festival Internationale de Géographie. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2011 for services to scholarship.

He was Secretary of the Institute of British Geographers between 1982 and 1985 and its President in 1991. He was a co-editor of two major journals – Progress in Human Geography and Environment and Planning A – between 1979 and 2006 (having previously edited the New Zealand Geographer, 1969-1974) and has edited the British Academy’s annual volume of Biographical Memoirs of Fellows since 2008.

UK election 2019: hundreds of thousands of people could be in the wrong place when it's time to vote

Nov 11, 2019 09:25 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

The UK general election called for December 12 2019 raises important issues regarding who is entitled to vote, who will be able to vote and where they will vote. The electoral roll, which lists everyone eligible to...

It's sophisticated, but can you believe YouGov's startling election prediction?

Jun 02, 2017 11:28 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Polling organisation YouGov has caused a stir with its latest findings, which appear to defy practically everyone elses 2017 general election forecasts. Analysis of its survey data suggested Theresa Mays Conservative...

How UKIP’s decline could provide a major boost for Theresa May

May 22, 2017 12:55 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy Politics

The British prime minister Theresa May called a snap general election in the expectation that it will deliver her a substantially increased parliamentary majority. This in turn would give her the strong and stable...

Economy

India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out

India and the United States have taken a significant step toward strengthening bilateral trade ties with the release of an interim trade framework that includes major tariff reductions on high-end American automobiles and...

Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality

Donald Trump has positioned himself as the Republican Partys chief voice on the cost of living during a pivotal election year, but a Reuters review of his recent speeches shows a growing disconnect between his rhetoric and...

South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom

South Africa is keen to make use of potential new European Central Bank (ECB) repo liquidity lines, according to central bank governor Lesetja Kganyago, as the country continues to navigate easing inflation and a gradual...

Russian Stocks End Mixed as MOEX Index Closes Flat Amid Commodity Strength

Russian stocks finished the latest trading session on a mixed note, with the MOEX Russia Index closing flat as gains in select blue-chip shares were offset by losses in others. At the close of trading in Moscow, the...

China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices

Chinas central bank has continued to strengthen its gold reserves, extending its buying streak to a 15th consecutive month in January, according to the latest data released by the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC). The move...

Politics

Jack Lang Resigns as Head of Arab World Institute Amid Epstein Controversy

Jack Lang, a prominent French political figure and former culture minister under President François Mitterrand, has stepped down from his role as president of the Arab World Institute in Paris following mounting...

US Pushes Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Before Summer Amid Escalating Attacks

The United States is pressing Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement to end the war before the start of summer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said following two days of U.S.-brokered talks held in Abu Dhabi....

Netanyahu to Meet Trump in Washington as Iran Nuclear Talks Intensify

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday, with Irans nuclear program and regional security topping the agenda. The meeting comes amid renewed...

Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape

U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed a proposed merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna, signaling renewed political attention on the future of local television broadcasting. In a post shared Saturday on...

Japan Election 2026: Sanae Takaichi Poised for Landslide Win Despite Record Snowfall

Japanese voters headed to the polls on Sunday in a rare winter election that could deliver Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi a commanding mandate, even as record snowfall threatened to suppress turnout in parts of the country....

Science

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

Technology

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang reaffirmed his bullish stance on artificial intelligence, calling the massive capital expenditure flowing into AI infrastructure both appropriate and necessary as the industry...

Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) delivered a mixed but closely watched earnings report, beating Wall Street expectations on revenue while unveiling a massive long-term investment plan that unsettled investors. The e-commerce and...

Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch

Major PC manufacturers including HP, Dell, Acer, and Asus are reportedly exploring the option of sourcing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor companies for the first time, as a prolonged global supply crunch continues...

OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering

OpenAI is significantly accelerating its enterprise AI strategy by hiring hundreds of new employees for its technical consulting division, according to a report by The Information, citing a person familiar with the...

SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) shares tumbled sharply on Thursday, tracking a steep decline in Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) after the UK-based chip designer reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the December quarter....