BRIDGING RESEARCH, POLICY, INDUSTRY AND SOCIETY
Academic Times Research Hour is a research-focused television programme by The Academic Times Journal, designed to bridge the gap between researchers, research experts, industry players, policymakers and the general public.
Broadcast on JoyNews, the programme brings impactful research beyond the traditional boundaries of theses, dissertations, journals and academic institutions and into a wider public conversation. It provides a platform where researchers can explain their work, engage experienced experts and explore the relevance of their findings to society.
BEYOND “WHAT DID THE RESEARCHER FIND?”
The Research Hour goes beyond the question, “What did the researcher find?” It explores the bigger questions: Why does the research matter? Who does it affect? How serious is the problem? What has already been tried? What was discovered or developed? What does it mean for society? What can be done with the findings, and who should act?
The programme’s format is designed to examine research from academic, practical, policy and industry perspectives, moving the conversation from research findings towards their broader significance and potential impact.
FROM RESEARCH TO IMPACT
Academic Times Research Hour believes that research should not end with the submission of a thesis, defence of a dissertation or publication of a paper. Valuable research should have the opportunity to be understood, interrogated, connected and explored for its potential contribution to society.
Each featured research project becomes a starting point for a deeper conversation involving the researcher, supervisor, research experts and a relevant industry or policy expert. This creates an environment where academic knowledge can meet professional experience and practical realities.
MAKING RESEARCH ACCESSIBLE
The programme is committed to making research understandable and engaging without compromising its academic value. Researchers are encouraged to communicate their problems, methodologies and findings clearly and to use relevant charts, graphs, infographics, photographs, videos and real-life examples to make their work more relatable.
Through this approach, audiences can understand not only what researchers discovered, but also the problems they investigated, how they arrived at their findings and why those findings matter.
THE RESEARCH ROOM
At the heart of the programme is The Research Room, where research moves beyond the thesis or dissertation into a multidisciplinary conversation about meaning, significance and impact.
The discussion explores the research problem, affected populations, existing approaches, discoveries, practical relevance, policy and industry implications, remaining gaps and opportunities for future research.
The programme also creates space for an independent intellectual discussion in which experts examine the research’s theoretical contribution, practical relevance, policy implications, industry implications, scalability, sustainability and areas requiring further investigation.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
A central question of Academic Times Research Hour is “What happens next?”
Depending on the nature of the research, the programme explores possible pathways towards implementation, further research, industry partnership, policy engagement, sponsorship or commercialization, particularly where promising prototypes or innovations are involved.
The objective is to help move the conversation from “This is what we discovered” to “This is what could happen next.”
A PLATFORM FOR RESEARCH THAT MATTERS
Academic Times Research Hour seeks to contribute to a stronger culture of research visibility, communication and impact by giving researchers an opportunity to connect their work with audiences beyond academia.
It is a space where research meets expertise, evidence meets experience, academia meets industry, and discovery meets opportunity.
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