In our latest blog PhD research student Ian Merrell is enthusiastic about his first experience of the Transatlantic Rural Research Network’s annual get-together, hosted this year by Queen’s University Belfast.  Academics from Aberystwyth University (Wales), Cornell University (USA), the James Hutton Institute (Scotland), Penn State (USA) and the University of Aberdeen (Scotland) came together in the city, along with seven representatives from CRE came together for two days of discussion and debate.