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BU at ATLAS annual conference

BU Challenges, conferences

BU had a strong presence at the ATLAS (Association for Tourism apic1nd Leisure Education and Research) annual conference which took place in the historic town of Canterbury, between 13-16 September, on “Tourism, Lifestyles and Locations”.

BU has been a member of the ATLAS network for many years and Dr Lenia Marques was one of the founders of the Special Interest Group on Events back in 2010. The group is very active and has several ongoing projects and collaborations amongst its members.

Several BU academics presented and discussed their research in Canterbury. Dr Hanaa Osman and Dr Lorraine Brown presented a piece of research which touches upon the status of women in tourism and which provoked debate on intercultural issues. Dr Anya Chapman presented her work on piers, which are so important for UK coastal destinations, such as Bournemouth. Dr Jaeyeon Choe presented her research on tourism and quality of life in Macao and we should congratulate her on her first attendance as the ATLAS Asia representative on the board.

Dr Lenia Marques presented her research on events and communities and practice among expats in a panel organised together with the Department of Events and Leisure and the Department of Tourism and Hospitality dedicated to “Lifestyle and communities: sharing in the digital era”. The panel, put together by Dr. Lenia Marques, Juliette Hecquet and Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis, aimed at discussing new trends in the fields of leisure and tourism connected to lifestyle and the sharing economy.

Overall, the discussions at the conference were animated and friendly, raising some of the big issues of our time. Collaborations, projects and further developments will surely continue in the run-up to the next ATLAS annual conference to be held in Viana do Castelo, Portugal (12-16 September 2017) under the theme “Destinations past, present and future”.

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RKE Development Framework – launches today!

dev_frameworkThe RKE Development Framework launches today – 20th September 2016

 

Come along to find out more from 09:00 to 17:00 at:

  • Talbot Campus –  Poole House Atrium
  • Lansdowne Campus – EBC Ground Floor

You will be able to book onto sessions and discuss your future plans! Alternatively, go to the website at www.bournemouth.ac.uk/rke-development-framework to find out more. Please note that this website is only available to BU staff.

Please see previous blog posts about all the Pathways – just search on ‘framework’ or see the related posts.

We look forward to seeing you there and at future RKE Development Framework events.

If you have comments or suggestions, please get in touch via our dedicated email – RKEDevFramework@bournemouth.ac.uk

Horizon 2020 Funding for virtual factory research at BU

Awarded & submitted bids, international

European Union - Horizon 2020Uber, Amazon, AirBnB, Netflix… The Internet has had many impacts to the economy. Not only to the consumer market, but widely across the service sector. There is a large amount of integration and automation to enable things like instant order confirmations. Work in these aspects of business processes is quite well established in the service sector.
Manufacturing is a key part of the economy. To remain competitive or become even more so, automation that supports innovation is also essential for the manufacturing sector. BU will be leading, under direction of Drs L. Xu and P. de Vrieze, an international consortium on a project receiving €1.2 mln in funding to address these challenges.

Advanced ICT supported manufacturing is currently gaining a lot of traction with initiatives such as Industrie 4.0 in Germany, Factory of the Future in Italy and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult the UK. Part of this development is advanced coordination of manufacturing allowing for increased flexibility and reduced costs. A virtual factory ensures exchange of data between smart machines, systems, software and design within the manufacturing chain. Manufacturing processes become more simple through plug-and-play techniques.

To enable this, the “vF Interoperation suppoRting buSiness innovaTion” (FIRST) project provides new technology to describe manufacturing assets and to compose and integrate existing services into collaborative virtual manufacturing processes. The project will see collaboration between internationally recognised academics and industry in Europe and China. As such the consortium will take advantage of it various backgrounds to address the issue from a variety of perspectives.

The FIRST consortium is a competitive consortium with large know-how and expertise in complex software systems and manufacturing automation. The research base of the academic partners will be used as foundation for innovations to contribute to virtual interoperation of smart manufacturing in the area of Factory of the Future/Manufacturing 2.0 to improve the competiveness of our industrial partners and sustainability of the European manufacturing sector. Within this research programme, 6 industrial researcher will get the opportunity to gather knowledge in academia while 22 academic researchers will absorb knowledge in industry. The consortium will provide new knowledge for GK, an enterprise software vendor and KM, a manufacturing software vendor, inform newer training in the area of big data, cloud computing to both GK and KM, and promote innovation, while the academic partners will translate their research to facilitate better understanding virtual factories.

NERC standard grants – internal competition closing soon

Funding opportunities

NERCFurther to the earlier blog post concerning the internal competition for NERC standard grants (January 2017 deadline), please be reminded that the closing date is this Thursday, 21 September. Further details can be found here, but, in outline, the process is as follows:

  • Internal call launched 11 August 2016
  • Internal call deadline 22 September 2016. Academic submits one page expression of interest on research to be carried out, stating aims, objectives, potential impact, and any collaboration – to Dr Jennifer Roddis, RKEO
  • From 22nd September, peer review takes place by DDRPP, BU academics with NERC experience, and external peer reviewers
  • Applicants will be informed of the decision regarding which application is to be taken forward on 3rd October. The successful applicant will then work with Dr Jennifer Roddis to develop, refine and draft their application before peer review in November and submission in January 2017.

 

 

Prestigious undergraduate research conference comes to Bournemouth

Student Engagement, student research

Next spring, Bournemouth University (BU) will be welcoming undergraduates from all over the country to present their research as part of the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR).  The prestigious annual conference is a chance to celebrate the valuable contribution of research from undergraduate students across a vast array of disciplines and subject areas.

Undergraduates from all disciplines will be invited to submit papers, posters, workshops and performances as part of the conference.  Abstracts will be peer-reviewed and those accepted will be invited to attend the conference, which is taking place in Bournemouth 25 – 26 April 2017.

Professor Gail Thomas, Head of BU’s Centre for Excellence of Learning says, “BCUR is an excellent opportunity to highlight the research successes of undergraduates from all over the country.  It gives undergraduates their first taste of an academic conference, as well as giving them the opportunity to develop their communication and presentation skills.  It’s also a great place to network with other researchers.”

“Undergraduates will be invited to present research from any aspect of their course,” continues Professor Thomas, “Many will have had the chance to carry out independent research, whether for a dissertation, an assessment, working with an external company or working with a researcher on a particular topic.  If you’re unsure about whether your work fits, it’s best to talk to your tutor first to find out how you can get involved in BCUR.”

Professor John Fletcher, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at BU comments, “We are delighted to be hosting the next British Conference of Undergraduate Research and look forward to welcoming undergraduates from all over the country to showcase their research.”

“Research is a key driver of economic growth and makes a difference to all aspects of society, so we are keen to celebrate the successes of our next generation of researchers.  Here at BU we really encourage our undergraduates to get involved in research throughout their studies.  Our unique fusion of education, research and professional practice is at the heart of the BU experience, so we hope to see plenty of our students representing BU at BCUR next year.”

The deadline for submitting abstracts is 10 December.  Abstract submission will open in early October.

For more information about the conference, visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/bcur17.

RSA coffee morning – new monthly research related themes

The BU Research Staff Association coffee morning is back for 2016/17. It is still an informal opportunity to get together but will now have a research related theme.

This month’s theme is ethics and we are delighted to welcome guest speakers Sarah Bell (RKEO), Dr Katarzyna Musial-Gabrys (FST), Martin Hind (FHSS), and Dr Carol Bond (FHSS) to share their experiences of obtaining ethics and sitting on the BU ethics panel.

  • Date: 28th September 2016
  • Time: 10-11am
  • Venue: B420, Bournemouth House, Lansdowne campus

Please let us know if you are attending so we can order enough cake mheward@bournemouth.ac.uk

See you there,

Michelle and Marcellus

BU Research Staff Association

Committee inquiries: open calls for evidence

Below is a list of committee inquiries with current open calls for evidence. Please contact Emma Bambury-Whitton if you would like to discuss submitting evidence

Commons Select Committee inquiries

Lords Select Committee inquiries

Joint Committee inquiries

Public Bill Committees

 

Policy Update

Technical education

HEFCE has published a report on employer demand for intermediate technical higher education. The report finds that employers generally recruit graduates from Level 6 for technician roles despite not requiring this level for the job, and this practice is increasing. Recruiting graduates from Level 6 is largely due to prestige of degrees and the ready supply of graduates. You can view the report here.

Safe spaces

Speaking during prime minister’s questions, Theresa May said it was “quite extraordinary” for universities to ban the discussion of certain topics which could cause offence. She warned that stifling free speech could have a negative impact on Britain’s economic and social success. Theresa May hits out at universities ‘safe spaces’ for stifling free speech.  (The Telegraph).  

 TEF panel members

The members of the Teaching Excellence Framework panel have been announced. The panel includes academics, students, employers and widening participation experts. It is said that the The Department for Education will likely make further appointments by the end of September to strengthen employer representation. You can view the list of panel members here.

 Research metrics

A new Forum for Responsible Metrics is being set up as a partnership between HEFCE, Research Councils UK, Wellcome, Universities UK and Jisc. The forum will develop a programme of activities to support the responsible use of research metrics in higher education institutions and across the research community in the UK. New Forum for Responsible Research Metrics launched (HEFCE).

 HEFCE stats

HEFCE has published its Higher education in England 2016: Key facts report. The report finds that approximately three-quarters of all undergraduate students are studying subjects in the arts, humanities and social sciences, while almost one in four postgraduate students is studying a business-related subject. You can view the report here.

 The Department for Education

The Department for Education has published data on initial participation rates for higher education from 2006/07 to 2014/15. The data finds that participation rates rose 1.7% between 2013/14 and 2014/15, with an increase of students across the majority of age groups. The report also estimates that there has been an increase of 1,900 mature students entering higher education between 2013/14 and 2014/5. You can view the report here.

Postgraduate Short Course Opportunities!

PG research, student research, Training

PhD and MSC students! Are you looking to develop additional laboratory skills or about to undertake your own research work? Then now is your chance to get involved in some upcoming short courses at Liverpool Science Park. By working in a laboratory setting, these courses give you a chance to attain or further practical skills. With a high staffing level, this doesn’t just bring a wealth of experience, this also gives you a chance to discuss, interact and ask questions with researchers working both in academia and within the field. Please see below and follow the links for more information on how to book.

24 September- Discovering Practical Microbiology

30 September- Laboratory Skills 

1 October- Introduction to Mammalian Cell Culture 

3 October- Practical Skills in Drug Discovery 

8 October- Genomics and Bioinformatics

5 November- Skills in Analytical Science 

Accommodation? They’ve got you covered with bed and breakfast available for £32-£47 a night at Hatters Hostel

For more information email BioGrad.

Latest Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities

money and cogs

The following is a snap-shot of funding opportunities that have been announced. Please follow the links for more information:

ESRC

New & Emerging Forms of Data – Policy Demonstrator Projects

The ESRC is pleased to invite Expressions of Interest for New and Emerging Forms of Data – Policy Demonstrator Projects under Phase 3 of the Big Data Network.

Maximum Award: £25,,000 Deadline: 14 October 2016

Royal Society of Chemistry

Researcher Mobility Grants

Researcher Mobility Grants support PhD students and early career researchers to undertake short to mid-term scientific visits to overseas or UK organisations.

Maximum Award: £7,500 Deadline: 31 October 2016

NERC

Engaging the UK public with big issues of environmental science

NERC is inviting proposals under this programme for public engagement projects costing up to £20k that must be delivered between January and end of March 2017.

Maximum Award: £220,000 Deadline: 3 November 2016

BBSRC

Brazil partnering awards

Funds can only be used for travel, subsistence and other activities, such as workshops or exchanges. They are not to fund salary costs, consumables, items of equipment or other research costs, nor to link ongoing single collaborative projects

Maximum Award: £50,000 over 4 years Deadline: 17 November 2016

China partnering awards

As above, for China.

Maximum Award: £30,000 over 4 years Deadline: 17 November 2016

European partnering awards

As above, for Europe.

Maximum Award: £20,000 over 12 – 18 months Deadline: 17 November 2016

If you are interested in submitting to any of the above calls you must contact your  RKEO Funding Development Officer with adequate notice before the deadline.

For more funding opportunities that are most relevant to you, you can set up your own personalised alerts on Research Professional. If you need help setting these up, just ask your School’s/Faculty’s Funding Development Officer in  RKEO or view the recent blog post here.

If thinking of applying, why not add notification of your interest on Research Professional’s record of the bid so that BU colleagues can see your intention to bid and contact you to collaborate.

Delegation from Yanshan University China visits Bournemouth University

international

An academic delegation from Yanshan University in China visited Professor Hongnian Yu from the Department of Computing in the Faculty of Science & Technology at Bournemouth University last week. The Chinese delegation met a range of international research exchange partners and participants from Pakistan, Thailand, Bangladesh and their own country, China, as well as a guest partner Professor Qyyum, from Pakistan who as Erasmus Mundus project coordinator has just been on an exchange mobility to BU himself.

The Faculty of Science & Technology is involved in an academic exchange project framework of the EU’s Erasmus Mundus (EM) Initiative (Fusion, c-LINK and RABOT). This collaborative network coordinates reciprocal academic mobility at all levels of higher education and research exchange for a defined range of academic subjects via a network of hosting and sending Universities in South East Asia and the EU.

Over the course of three years, around 250 exchanges have been facilitated through a number of projects.  A number of people are currently studying and researching at continental and UK universities as a result.  Here at BU we are currently hosting 9 Erasmus Mundus grantees completing their postgraduate and PhD studies, while quite a few more have already completed their stay.  Meanwhile, the RABOT project has seen more than 20 people over the last couple of years coming study at BU, mainly from Yanshan University in China.

1.1st Row (from left): Prof Yin Yao, (Yanshan University, China), Prof YU (EM Project Coordinator, BU), Prof Xiangdong Kong (Vice President of Yanshan University, China), Prof Amir Qayyum (Fusion and c-LINK partner, Pakistan), Dr Cang (Rabot and Fusion local host at BU) 2. 2nd row: Assistant Professors and students from the Chinese delegation, BU Erasmus Mundus PhD researchers

1. 1st Row (from left): Prof Yin Yao, (Yanshan University, China), Prof YU (EM Project Coordinator, BU), Prof Xiangdong Kong (Vice President of Yanshan University, China), Prof Amir Qayyum (Fusion and c-LINK partner, Pakistan), Dr Cang (Rabot and Fusion local host at BU)
2. 2nd row: Assistant Professors and students from the Chinese delegation, BU Erasmus Mundus PhD researchers

The visit from the Yanshan delegation has been a productive reflection of this collaborative work between different universities and has been beneficial for the involved academics. Visitors and partners have been exploring further collaboration, exchanging an overview of their research environments and current research topics.

The Bournemouth University team was led by Professor Hongnian Yu, and Dr Shuang Cang. Other participants from the Bournemouth University included the PhD researchers Yan Wang (Fusion, from Yanshan University), Pengcheng Liu (RABOT), Pree Thiengburanathum (PhD BU, Thailand), Sajjad Akbar (c-LINK, Pakistan), Ikram Asghar (c-LINK, Pakistan), Arif Reza Anwary (Fusion, Bangladesh) and XI WU (Fusion, China).

The two teams had a workshop at FB103 (Fusion Building) Bournemouth University on 9th September 2016 from 14:00 to 17:30. The participants from both teams presented their latest research works for exchanging ideas and knowledge, and discussed further collaboration.

The two teams had a workshop at FB103 (Fusion Building) Bournemouth University on 9th September 2016 from 14:00 to 17:30. The participants from both teams presented their latest research works for exchanging ideas and knowledge, and discussed further collaboration.

The workshop environment in the excellent new Fusion Building was received as very friendly and informative. The participants from different countries and cultures shared their ideas, work ethics and expectations. This involved a discussion of the variances and differences of workload expectation, supervisory expectations and the levels of academic roles and functions during the graduation and research process for the respective degrees in each country present at the workshop.

There were also informal discussions amongst the participants regards their personal mobility experiences during the coffee break. The Vice President of Yanshan University invited PhD researchers to pay a visit to their University in China and offered his full support for subsequent visits and research activities.

For more information, contact Karin Ermert.

University of Toyo visits BU to learn more about the UK’s Olympic volunteering legacy

international

Researchers from the University of Toyo in Tokyo have visited Bournemouth University Lecturer, Dr Debbie Sadd, an expert in events management and community involvement in mega sporting events.

Debbie has been heavily involved in developing volunteer programmes including the setting up of Bournemouth’s Festival Maker programme and the Farnborough Flyers for the Farnborough Air Show.

The team from Japan travelled to Bournemouth to find out more about volunteering at London 2012 and how Tokyo can recruit and train its own volunteers in time for the Games in 2020.

“Volunteering was a really key part of London 2012.  Around 70,000 ‘Games Makers’ volunteered during the Olympics and Paralympics, including myself, and were arguably one of the highlights of London 2012 – you only need to read the headlines at the time to see how well received they were,” explains Dr Sadd.

“BU staff and students were involved in volunteering at the medal ceremonies for the sailing events at Weymouth and Portland as well as helping at other venues such as Eton Dorney Rowing Centre and even working as part of the Olympic Broadcasting Network.  Colleagues from BU went to great lengths to support our students to take part in the Games at Weymouth and Portland.  It was a great opportunity for them and inspired us to set up Bournemouth’s Festival Makers Programme.”

“Based on the highly successful Games Makers, the scheme aims to make local people ambassadors for Bournemouth and get them involved in events such as the Air Show and help visitors to get the most out of their trip,” says Dr Sadd, “Our Events Management students are very much involved in the scheme and get to see how an event is run and how we recruit, train and manage volunteers.”

In December 2015, Dr Sadd was invited by the British Council to travel to Tokyo to give a keynote speech at a conference focused on sharing experiences from London 2012.  It was here that Dr Sadd was able to share BU’s experiences with universities from all over Japan and with members of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee.

“This week’s visit is a chance to share our experiences of volunteering as part of London 2012 and beyond and begin to shape a volunteering programme for Tokyo 2020,” says Dr Sadd, “It was great to be involved in the 2012 Olympics and I’m really pleased to be able to use what we learned to help design a volunteering scheme for 2020.”

New sociology book by Prof Ann Brooks

Publishing, Women's Academic Network

Genealogies of Emotions, Intimacies, and Desire: Theories of Changes in Emotional Regimes from Medieval Society to Late Modernity (Hardback) book cover

Congratulations to Prof. Ann Brooks in FHSS on the publication of her latest book Genealogies of Emotions, Intimacies and Desire: Theories of Changes in Emotional Regimes from Medieval Society to Late Modernity. The book has a Foreword by David Konstan (NYU) and it is published by Routledge.