Yearly Archives / 2016

SKIMA 2016

The 10th International Conference on Software, Knowledge, Information Management and Application (SKIMA 2016) was held from 15 to 17 December 2016 in Chengdu, China. The Conference was organised by the EU Erasmus Mundus FUSION project consortium and was hosted by Chengdu University of Informatics Technology, supported by Chengdu University, Zhongyuan University of Technology and Bourmouth University. The SKIMA organisation committee members, Prof Hongnian Yu (General Chair), Prof Jiliu Zhou (General Co-chair, President of Chengdu University of Informatics Technology), Prof Dongyun Wang (General Co-chair, Vice President of Huanghuai University), Dr Shuang Cang (Programme Chair), Prof Keshav Dahal (UK), Prof Alamgir Hossain (UK), Prof Yun Li (UK), Prof Yacine Ouzrout (France), Prof Rameshwar Rijal (Nepal), Prof Yuson Ou (China), Prof He Jia (China), Prof Luigi Vladareanu (Romania), Dr Shengjun Wen (China), Prof John Mo (Australia), Dr Zoltán Szabó (Hungary), Dr Aihui Wang (China), Dr. Ingrid Rügge (Germany), Dr Leo Chen (China), Prof Teresa Goncalves (Portugal), and about 200 scholars from 14 countries participated the conference.

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The conference general chair, Prof Hongnian Yu thanked the local team from Chengdu University of Informatics Technology for their great efforts and supports in making this conference successful. He expressed his sincere appreciate for the support from the EU Erasmus Mundus Programme, IEEE Chengdu Section, Chengdu University, Zhongyuan University of Technology, and Bournemouth University. Prof Yu also introduced the SKIMA 10 years history and wished the SKIMA enhancing the collaboration and exchange between EU and Asia.

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The SKIMA 2016 General Co-chair, President of Chengdu University of Informatics Technology, Prof Jiliu Zhou made the welcome speech. Prof Zhou welcomed all the participants to Chengdu, introduced the audiences the developing history of Chengdu University of Informatics Technology, and congratulated the conference achievements.
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The SKIMA series was started in an international collaboration context between research professionals in Western and Asian countries in Chiang Mai, Thailand 2006. Subsequently, the next SKIMA conferences were organized in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2008; Fez, Morocco in 2009; Paro, Bhutan in 2010; Benevento, Italy in 2011, Chengdu, China in 2012, Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2013, Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2014, Kathmandu, Nepal 2015. With the technical co-sponsorship of IEEE  Chengdu Section, all the accepted conference papers will be submitted for acceptance into IEEE Xplore so EI indexed.

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Interreg Visit BU

interreg

On Tuesday the 21st February 2017 Interreg will be visiting BU 10.30-16.00 at the EBC.

Interreg is an economic development programme that funds innovation, low carbon, climate change and resource efficiency projects which take place across EU countries and regions. These projects aim to find common solutions to common problems which exist in multiple countries. BU has been awarded and is involved in projects from the Channel, 2 Seas and Atlantic schemes.

This event is aimed at people in the Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and Isle of Wight areas and nearby cities that are new to the Interreg programme, who are confused about which programme is which, or who are just beginning to develop a project idea.

For people who are drafting an application, or who want feedback on an application they have submitted, the programmes offer other workshops. For example the 2Seas cross border programme will run a Step 1 applicants’ workshop on 27th January 2017 in Bristol, and a step 2 applicants’ workshop on 13th February, also in Bristol. These are open to all applicants in the eligible area. See www.interreg2seas.eu for further information.

Our event will be split into two parts.

The first part will include;

  • An introduction to Interreg: The Interreg programmes, how they are different from each other and from other EU funds. This will also cover the types of project that are funded.
  • Tips on how to develop a good Interreg project: Lessons from the selection process by Sallyann Stephen from The Department for Communities and Local Government, based on her experience on the Interreg project selection panel.
  • How to apply: the two stage process going through the selection criteria and the key documents involved.

The second part will have a more informal set up with interactive exercises to get you thinking, collaborating and developing project ideas.

Throughout the afternoon there will also be one to one appointments on specific project ideas with one of the Interreg facilitators. This is an excellent opportunity to develop a project and get feedback from the experts. If you would like to book a one to one session you will need to email Dianne Goodman at dgoodman@bournemouth.ac.uk. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis, if you have specific preferences on the time we recommend you contact Dianne as soon as possible so your request can be accommodated.

Please note that to attend the one to one session you are required to send a 1 page project summary to Paula MacLachlan, 2 Seas Territorial Facilitator p.maclachlan@interreg2seas.eu no later than 14th February. Apologies, without this ahead of time they will be unable to prepare adequately for your personal one to one session.

The presentation is open also to the regional university network, known as the M3 group, which includes: AUB, Bournemouth, Brighton, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Southampton Solent, Surrey, Sussex and Winchester. All academics and research offices are welcome to attend. BU will host a networking lunch for all attendees. This is a great opportunity to learn about Interreg and how you can strengthen your applications for funding. If you would like to attend, then please book through Eventbrite.

For further information on this event please contact: RKEDevFramework@bournemouth.ac.uk

*Please note as Interreg programmes operate in set geographical areas you must check the programme websites to ensure eligibility.

CFP RGS-IBG Annual Conference 2017: Migrant Leisure Spaces and Community Wellbeing

RGS-IBG Annual Conference 2017: Decolonising geographical knowledges: opening geography out to the world

London, 29th August -1st September 2017

Session sponsor: Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group (GLTRG)

Call For Papers: Migrant Leisure Spaces and Community Wellbeing

Session Convenor(s):

Jaeyeon Choe (Bournemouth University, UK)

Janet Dickinson (Bournemouth University, UK)

Leisure spaces provide migrants opportunities for developing, expressing and negotiating their personal, social and cultural preferences safely whilst gaining recognition and a sense of belonging. This is especially important as they may confront issues relating to belongingness, societal membership, social status, self-perception and cultural confusion. Leisure can be instrumental to (re)establishing connections and networks with locals as well as other migrants and refugees, and provide spaces for problem solving. Migrants’ ‘going out’ and socialising not only acts as a refuge from the conditions of social isolation and boredom in which they often find themselves, but can also encourage cultural expression. Leisure opportunities and spaces support the development of cultural capital that allows new migrants to feel safe to contemplate building a productive life. Thus, leisure spaces can play an important role in place-making and integration. The role of leisure in integration also reflects the receiving community feeling unthreatened by migration. Thus, it will be fruitful to investigate how leisure spaces (private, public and digital) help develop migrants’ personal and social inclusion and enhance their wellbeing.

We welcome papers related to theoretical and/or empirical aspects of migrant and refugee leisure spaces, community wellbeing, leisure constraints and negotiation strategies, especially problematising (im)mobilities, ethics, morals and (in)justice. Abstracts may focus on (but are not limited to) the following themes:

– Private, public and digital leisure spaces
– Migrant community wellbeing
– Leisure spaces as cultural expression
– Space for social inclusion and/or integration
– Construction of communitas through leisure
– Law/legal geographies and leisure
– Migration, ‘illegality’ and rights
– Tourism mobilities and border crossings
– (Im)mobilities, ethics, morals and (in)justice
– Human security, transnationalization and citizenship
– Leisure and citizenship formation
– Art, aesthetics, border struggles
– Leisure opportunities and migrant communities
– Assimilation and leisure constraints
– Influence of religion on migrant leisure
– Borders, spatial socialization and subjectification
– Social networks, borders and the allure of territory

Mata-Codesal, D., Peperkamp, E., & Tiesler, N. C. (2015). Migration, migrants and leisure: meaningful leisure? Leisure Studies, 34(1), 1 – 4.
Spracklen, K., Long, J., & Hylton, K. (2015). Leisure opportunities and new migrant communities: challenging the contribution of sport. Leisure Studies, 34(1), 114-129.
Stack, J., & Iwasaki, Y. (2009). The role of leisure pursuits in adaptation processes among Afghan refugees who have immigrated to Winnipeg, Canada. Leisure Studies, 28(3), 239-259.

Please submit abstracts to Jaeyeon Choe (jchoe@bournemouth.ac.uk) by 30th January 2017.
Abstracts should be no more than 250 words and include your contact details.

Please see the following link for more details on the conference and registration details.
http://www.rgs.org/WhatsOn/ConferencesAndSeminars/Annual+International+Conference/Annual+international+conference.htm

Season’s Greetings from the Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team (KEIT)

Knowledge Exchange

KEIT Christmas 1216Through the dark nights of December, we have been reflecting on our highlights from another action packed year for KEIT.

In February, Charlene joined as our first Student Project Bank Co-ordinator followed by Joanna and Hannah in August as Events Organiser and Student Engagement Coordinator for their placement year.

The summer also saw Becca re-join the team following her maternity leave and Genna move into an Engagement and Impact Facilitator role.

Our evolving team has supported another busy year of events including the KTP South Coast meeting, Interdisciplinary Research Week, Impact Week, the Service Excellence conference, monthly Café Scientifique events, the ESRC Festival of Social Science, the Festival of Learning, the Festival of Enterprise, the RKE Development Framework, Festival of Learning On Tour events, the Research Photography Competition, 14:Live events, the new inaugural lecture series, the SURE conference and public lectures day for the U3A amongst others.

Project activity remains abundant with support for the institution’s KTPs, Student Research Assistantship scheme, Student Project Bank (which went live in October), our programme of activities to engage student engagement with research, support for 25 HEIF projects, impact case studies for all units of assessment, support for innovation and IP amongst the myriad other KE and impact initiatives.

Publications have included the Bournemouth Research Chronicle, research content for the annual review and a series of fusion case studies to illustrate our concept of fusing research, professional practice and education.

With all this activity, we just wanted to say many thanks to those of you who have collaborated with us over the past year to make all these activities possible and we look forward to working with you in 2017.

 

Wishing you a fantastic festive season and an impactful New Year.

Becca, Charlene, Genna, Hannah, Jayne, Joanna, Naomi, Rachel B and Rachel C

Submit to 2017’s Research Photography Competition

Student Engagement

Now the Christmas holidays are upon us why not use the time to think about what you might like to submit to 2017’s Research Photography Competition. You can be as creative as you like and submit an image from any area of your research. The competition is an excellent opportunity for both our staff and students to showcase their research across the university. Now in its third year we’re looking for you to convey the impact your research can have or will have through a single image.  Not sure where to start? Here are some photos from last years competition for some inspiration.

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‘Parallels of Self’

Laurie Byrne
Faculty of Health and Social Science

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‘Bullseye! Psychomotor Performance under Pressure’

Emma Mosely
Faculty of Science and Technology
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‘Louise’

Lizzie Sykes
Faculty of Media and Communication

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‘The Care of Kin’

Jill Davey
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

Have something in mind? You can find out more information here. Or simply send over your photo with a 100-200 word blurb to research@bournemouth.ac.uk. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Friday 27 January 2017.

If you have any questions then get in touch with Hannah Jones.

Please have a read through the terms and conditions here.

The 2nd China‐EU Industry 4.0 Forum on Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship

 

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The 2nd China‐EU Industry 4.0 Forum on Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship was held at Chengdu University, China on 14 December 2016. The forum was organised by the EU Erasmus Mundus FUSION project consortium and was hosted and sponsored by Chengdu University. Over 30 research scholars from China, France, German, Hungry, Portugal and United Kingdom participated the forum. Prof Hongnian Yu, the FUSION project coordinator, chaired the forum and gave a talk on New Industry Revolution and Innovation.

Prof Qingyuan Wang, the president of Chengdu University, delivered the welcome speech, thanked the FUSION project consortium and pointed out that the forum would strengthen the research exchange in industry 4.0 innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship between the China and EU scholars. Prof Yun Li from Glasgow University, Dr.-Ing. Ingrid Rügge from Bremen University, Dr Zoltán Szabó from Corvinus University of Budapest, Prof Teresa Gonçalves from the University of Évora, Dr Néjib Moalla from Lyon 2 University, Prof Zengguang Hou from Chinese Academy of Science, Dr Shuang Cang from Bournemouth University, Prof Dongyun Wang from Zhongyuan University of Technology, and Prof Yahaya Yusuf from Central Lancashire University delivered the talks on their work related with the forum.

The forum is strengthening and enhancing academic and research collaboration between Chinese and European researchers to lead the global race in Industry 4.0 Innovation, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, helping complete the entire Industry 4.0 value chain for smart manufacturing and smart products through life.

New blog on Open Access publishing

international, open access, PG research, Publishing, student research, writing

authoraid-2016Some months ago Andy Nobes asked my colleague Prof. Padam Simkhada and I if we could write a blog about why we had so many papers in freely available online journals in Nepal.  Andy is the Programme Officer, Research Development & Support at INASP, which is an international development charity based in Oxford working with a global network of partners in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

We had a whole range of immediate answers to Andy’s question, including ones like: we both love Nepal; we are on the editorial board of a few journals that are part of the NepJOL group; and editors invite us to submit articles and/or editorials. Moreover, we feel reasons for Open Access publishing are very similar to our key reasons for working in a low-income country like Nepal. These principles are (a) conducting applied academic research in low-income countries for the greater good; (b) helping to build research-capacity; and (c) telling the world about our research through quality academic publications.  This week saw the publication of our blog ‘Publishing in journals of the NepJOL family’ on the AuthorAid website, click here to read the post.

Edwin van Teijlingen, Professor of Reproductive Health Research at Bournemouth University and Padam Simkhada, Professor of International Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University and BU Visiting Faculty.

Immerse UK – connecting the worlds of virtual reality, augmented reality and immersive technologies

Business Engagement, Funding opportunities, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer

Flying planes in a computer game

This is a new Knowledge Transfer Network that was launched in November 2016.  The network now has just under 400 members. Around 70% are  business, 20% are from universities and research centres, 5% from government or public sector backgrounds, and a further 5% from not-for-profit and cultural organisations.

Over 100 people from across those groups came to the  first members’ meeting on December 7th at the Digital Catapult. Following presentations from some of Immerse UK’s founding partners as well as two of the key platform providers (HTC and Holovis), there was a series of roundtable conversations about the priorities.

The key topics identified as ones where Immerse UK can make a difference are:
– access to finance, funding and investment
– content, production and user experience
– connecting industry and universities (skills and research)
– industrial applications
– mapping activity in the UK

Access to Finance and Funding
Immerse UK will work with investors and funders in the UK and other countries to make them aware of the opportunities and needs of SMEs building businesses on the applications of VR/AR and other immersive technologies across a range of markets. As well as advising public sector agencies such as Innovate UK and Horizon 2020, where we’ve already had significant success, we’ll work to connect members with angels, VCs, and commissioners.

An event is being planned  with VCs for the first quarter of 2017 in collaboration with PwC; we’ll send out more information about this early in the New Year. Immerse UK are also working with a European network, the NEM Initiative, to explore the feasibility of establishing a pan-European network of financiers focussing on VR/AR.

Mapping Immersive activities in the UK
One of the objectives of ImmerseUK is to map current expertise and activities related to VR/AR technologies. This map will support understanding of current UK expertise and facilities, to help companies gain access to the support they need, and also to link members.

Immerse UK would ideally like to create a web-based map to show the following information for each member: academia/industry; VR/AR facilities; application areas; expertise; sector; etc. and also to provide a search facility. The map must be: 1. easy to update/populate; 2. accessible; 3. visually attractive; and 4. easy to understand and use. If anyone has such expertise, or has experience of creating/using a suitable off-the-shelf software, please contact glyn.lawson@nottingham.ac.uk.

Content, Production and User Experience
Two main themes were raised in the members’ discussion around content: standards and “how can AV/VR be explored to the boundaries of its potential experience, rather than using the grammar and content of games, web or 2D content”. What are the specific affordances of AR and VR that are more than the sum of the parts from TV, Film, Games and internet?

In the conversation around production, issues raised included the reduction of costs, and the need to educate and engage content providers working in other media.

The working group in this area is also being co-ordinated by the Digital Catapult and KTN. If you are interested in being involved in the development of this please contact  Frank Boyd at the KTN 07964 563152
@frnboy

Connecting industry and academia (skills and research)
Universities were well represented at the meeting and Immerse UK continues to attract members from across academia. Glyn Lawson from Nottingham, who has submitted a bid to the EPSRC to fund networking across the academic community and between universities and business, is also leading the working group for this activity. If you would like to be involved in this aspect of the  programme, please contact him: glyn.lawson@nottingham.ac.uk.

Industrial Applications – co-ordinated by IET and High Value Manufacturing Catapult
The discussion on industrial applications of vr and related technologies was hosted by Ahmed Kotb who co-ordinates the IET’s Applied Visualisation Community. The IET will be working with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult to lead much of Immerse UK’s activity in this area.

Immerse UK are currently collaborating on an Applied Visualisation Forum which will be held at the British Motor Museum on January 26th. The forum will encourage those working in the field of visualisation and virtual reality (VR) to share their expertise, good practice, hardware and software advances and application in VR, Augmented Reality (AR) and Data Capture and Visualisation.

Immerse UK are also in the early stages of planning an event focused on the construction industry which is likely to be held in April or May 2017.

Communications
We’ve now completed the first iteration of the Immerse UK website, established groups on LinkedIn, a Facebook page, and a presence on Twitter. Please do join these groups and contribute to the conversations in them.

If you have news about activity or events that you’d like to share with the Immerse UK community, please send it to Frank Boyd or to fiona.kilkelly@ktn-uk.org.

Innovate UK funding
Innovate UK is launching two new competitions for funding in the New Year which may be relevant to Immerse UK members.
 
1. Design Foundations 
This new competition aims to support businesses in identifying high-value innovation opportunities and generate propositions for new products, services and business models. It is open to any UK company, regardless of size or sector and will provide up to £70,000 of project funding to help you address key business challenges.This programme runs for the whole of 2017. If it sounds of interest, do register for the launch event which is on 17 January 2017. You’ll get further insight into how to apply and you can also network to find the right collaborators, if you don’t already have someone in mind. There are further rounds in May and August so these may be appropriate if you need more development time.

Further details on the programme are on KTN’s website.

2. Transforming products and services
Innovate UK has up to £15 million to support the best business-led and innovative ideas for new products, processes and services. This competition is the second of 2 annual Innovate UK open competitions that support good ideas with market potential from any technology area.Projects that are likely to lead to a sustainable growth in productivity or access to new overseas markets will be given priority.

More information  can be found here.

Events:
Immerse UK members are organising a number of events over the next few weeks.

The newly opened Realities Centre is launching a programme of conferences including:
EdTech Conference, Jan 19th – London
EdTech Hackathon – Jan 21/22nd – London

You may also be interested in:
VR Connects London conference, 16th-17th January 2017
More information can be found at here.