3 The Decade ha Changed he Geliic f Migain and Diveiy Nando Sigona In 2022, we celebaed he enh anniveay f he Univeiy f Biming- ham Inie f Reeach in Sediveiy. Ten yea i a lng ime in  fa-mving academic wld  f UK eade, i i alm w fll REF 1 cycle. I i a lng ime al in he live f he ele wih whm we wk. I i al a lng ime in he wld in which we all eeache and eeached  live, and he bndaie beween hee ging ae fa fm clea c. Wha a decade! In 2012, edπveπy a a em wa nly five yea ld. I wa debaed, cneed, aiaed, efined, and meime ejeced. 2 A gwing nmbe f chla fm a ange f diciline began  ad i and  e i  eflec n wha many aw a a aidly-changing and inceaingly cmlex ciey emming fm lain mvemen iggeed by he end f he cld wa and -cld wa geliical ealignmen. The imh f nelibeal glbalizain wa ch  deemine he end f hiy (Fkyama 1992). Fm he ealy 1990, he wld acceleaed. I changed a a fae ace dcing he henmenn f veheaing (Eiken 2016) and cmlex ci-ecnmic anfmain came wih i, alng wih a eie f yemic cie, inclding wha i i nw niveally ecgnized a eha he geae ne, he climae and envinmenal cii. Mbiliy and migain aked in many lace  f examle in he glbal 1. The REF is a process of expert review carried out on behalf of the four UK research councils by expert panels made up of senior academics, international members, and research users. The evaluation of research outputs affects the allocation of research funding quotas to universities. 2. For a review of the debate, see Vertovec (2019).