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EnglishWhere Is the Harrison Institute Located Now?
Updated
The Harrison Institute is now based at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall, UK. It was previously based in Sevenoaks, Kent, where it had been for 96 years before making the move. If you are looking for the Institute today, Penryn — not Sevenoaks — is the current location.
The move, in short
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Previous base | Sevenoaks, Kent (for 96 years) |
| Current base | University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall |
| Reason for the move | New opportunities for research collaboration, student mentoring and biodiversity conservation |
| What continues | Long-standing international partnerships and scientific collections |
Why the location matters
The Harrison Institute works with local students, scientists and communities to discover, describe and conserve biodiversity in Asia and Africa, with a particular focus on small mammals — especially bats from the Palaeotropics — and, more recently, birds in the Himalayas.
Its model depends on collaboration and long-term mentoring rather than on a single building. Moving to a university campus places the Institute alongside academic researchers and students, which supports the same goals it has pursued for almost a century: strengthening scientific expertise and turning research into practical conservation.
An example of that model in practice: Aicha Gomeh-Djame, a PhD student from Cameroon mentored through the Harrison Institute, led the discovery of two bat species new to science — work that highlights both Central African forest biodiversity and the importance of developing the next generation of conservation scientists.
If you are trying to reach or reference the Institute
- Use the current affiliation — University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall — for correspondence, visits or citations about where the Institute is based today.
- Expect Sevenoaks references in older material. Publications, records and institutional history spanning the past 96 years may still list Sevenoaks, Kent. That reflects the former base, not the current one.
- Check the Institute's own site for contact specifics. The location is confirmed by the Institute's announcement of its new chapter at Penryn; day-to-day contact details and visiting arrangements are best taken from its current pages rather than from older listings.
Common points of confusion
"Is the Harrison Institute still in Sevenoaks?" No. After 96 years there, it has relocated to Cornwall.
"Did the move change what it does?" The stated purpose is to open opportunities for research collaboration, student mentoring and biodiversity conservation, while strengthening existing international partnerships and scientific collections — an expansion of its work, not a change of mission.
"Is it part of the University of Exeter?" The Institute has begun a new chapter at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus. The move is described in terms of collaboration and shared facilities rather than a merger, so treat the campus as its location and the University as its host and partner.