Dive Brief:
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Cambridge University in England is searching for a new professor to join its ranks and focus on the role of play in education, development, and learning.
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Daily Mail reports LEGO donated £2.5 million to endow the new faculty position and another £1.5 million to establish a research center with the same focus, which the faculty member will lead.
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The university is seeking a professor whose work falls under the general field of learning and development to start this coming fall.
Dive Insight:
Benefactors regularly endow faculty positions at universities, funding the hire of scholars without restriction or those specializing in certain fields. While this new position at the University of Cambridge sounds flippant, the study of play in education is an increasingly popular field. In the United States, specifically, where standardized test preparation has motivated schools to cut recess and add extra minutes to math and language classes, there is a growing concern that early childhood education has moved too far away from play. Studies of childhood development show play offers important opportunities for children to foster social emotional skills as they learn to interact with other children, create rules to new games, and practice communication. The LEGO professorship will certainly expand on this research.