Category / Sports, Leisure & Tourism

Students Reflect on Internationalisation Experience

In September, four sport students engaged in intensive extra-curricula internationalisation activities in order to enhance their study, professional and personal intercultural experience. This BU blog article combines their personal reflections.

Sport management and sport development students Luke Frary, John Bryson, Oliver Johnson and Stefan Ferencz significantly contributed to the Student Seminar and the main conference of the European Association for Sport Management (EASM) in Turkey from 7 to 14 September (http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2013/09/19/bu-sport-students-and-academic-succeed-at-european-association-for-sport-management-conference-in-istanbul).

 

The students’ key reflections and conclusions in short:

  • Oliver Johnson: “Upon first hearing about the opportunity to participate in the reputable European Association of Sports Management conference and Master Student Seminar in Istanbul, I was instantly attracted and impressed that my university was able to offer this to me. (…) Looking back, what I achieved over the course of the week has been astonishing, as I honestly believe that the experiences that I have gathered shall put me in a great stead for the future. I would recommend such an experience to anyone, it really is an opportunity not to be missed.”
  • Luke Frary: “Over the next few days we got to know the various individuals from all over Europe as we engaged in the Masters Student Seminar. The topics covered where not entirely different to those I had covered at Bournemouth, but through adding an international perspective, the approach becomes refreshingly different. (…) Later in the week we were divided into groups to work on a management game. I was grouped with students from Germany, Finland and Holland. Once again it was insightful to work with the addition of an international dimension. It became clear that when studying in just one country, it is easy to adopt a narrow approach to your studies.”
  • John Bryson: “I thoroughly enjoyed this international experience and the chance to stay in a foreign city and work collaboratively with people from such diverse backgrounds and cultures. This is an experience that I have gained many new skills form and will benefit me greatly going forward.”
  • Stefan Ferencz: “The main conference enabled me to learn about current issues and trends in the field of sports management, thus providing me with useful information that I will utilise in my final year. Having observed how speakers structure their presentations, I now feel more confident about speaking at the presentations required for some of my units during level H. (…) I would recommend any sports management student to attend an EASM conference as it will definitely have a positive impact on skills, knowledge and future career. Overall, I feel proud to have successfully represented Bournemouth University at an international stage.”

 

Please read about their reflections in more length below the pictures.

 

Part of the international student group during venue visit and on-site lecturing in Istanbul.

John Bryson (second from left) during team work.

Luke Frary in discussion with the NBA Europe Business Development Manager

International students mingling during coffee break. In the middle, BU students talking to retired UNICEF Partnership Director.

Stefan Ferencz (third from right) with his team, awarded for winning their case competition.

 

John Bryson

“I travelled to Istanbul along with three other Bournemouth University students to attend the European Association of Sports Management (EASM) Masters Student Seminar and EASM Conference. The seminar and conference provided me with some excellent experiences including presenting my dissertation research, working in a team with other international students in a sports management game, gaining an insight into cutting edge sports management research and issues and also making many professional and personal contacts.

With help and guidance from Dr Tim Breitbarth I was able to present my dissertation research at the corporate social responsibility workshop during the EASM Conference alongside many of the authors that I had referenced in my own work. This was a rewarding experience as I was able to make a contribution to the conference while showing off my dissertation that I had worked on throughout the previous academic year.

During the student seminar I also worked on a sports management game. I found this particularly interesting as it allowed me to work on a real life scenario to devise and implement solutions. During the management game I was required to work in a team with students from The Netherlands, Finland, Germany and Turkey. I really enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside other students from different countries and cultures and the challenge of combining many different ideas and perspectives into a successful end product. In the end our hard work paid off as we won our case competition and were able to work on the project further and present it our final solution at the main conference.

The seminar and conference also provided me with the opportunity to make many professional and personal contacts that will be very useful going forward in my career. The management game was especially useful for networking as we were devising solutions for industry professionals and it was a useful task to showcase your imagination, creativity and problem solving skills.

I thoroughly enjoyed this international experience and the chance to stay in a foreign city and work collaboratively with people from such diverse backgrounds and cultures. This is an experience that I have gained many new skills form and will benefit me greatly going forward.“

 

Luke Frary

“Upon leaving the arrivals lounge of Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport it was highly satisfying to be instantly reminded that we were visiting new territories when our non-English-speaking taxi driver some how managed to gesture that there would be a suspicious extra charge for our ‘over sized luggage.’

After a short ride we arrived with a warm welcome at the reception of our hotel (which clearly was going to exceed all expectations of accommodation at a student conference). Here we were informed that we would be separated and would be sharing rooms with students from other European Universities as a way of encouraging the ‘multicultural atmosphere’ that the conference programme alluded to. In hindsight, we were extremely naïve as we approached this with scepticism – one of the many valuable lessons we learnt during the conference.

After a short while we were escorted to the Sports campus of Mamara University for the opening of the Masters Student Seminar. Once again the scepticism set in when we heard the words ‘ice-breaker’ bellowed above the closed conversations taking place in small clusters of previously familiar friends.  We then proceeded to play a number of games that finished with holding hands and dancing around in a circle to a Turkish song. Little did we know that this song would become a regular during the conference and a very memorable part of the trip.

Over the next few days we got to know the various individuals from all over Europe as we engaged in the Masters Student Seminar. The days started with Key Note speeches on some highly engaging topics. The topics covered where not entirely different to those I had covered at Bournemouth, but through adding an international perspective, the approach becomes refreshingly different.

Later in the week we were divided into groups to work on a management game. I was grouped with students from Germany, Finland and Holland. Once again it was insightful to work with the addition of an international dimension. It became clear that when studying in just one country, it is easy to adopt a narrow approach to your studies.

In between the keynote speakers and the management game, we were able to select from a number of sports activities. For me the highlight was kayaking along the Bosphorus and mooring alongside a Turkish restaurant to sample a local snack.

The following week welcomed the main conference. There were some very interesting presentations and there were many great opportunities to generate ideas and inspirations to take into one’s own studies. In the evenings the hospitality the Turkish had arranged was phenomenal. It was great to share these moments with the large group of new friends we had made.

The conference came to its finale with a cruise around the Bosphorus in a yacht big enough to accommodate the entirety of the conference delegate list. As the   boat returned at the end of the evening and it was time to say goodbye to our new friends, it became clear how enriching the whole experience had been and how our expectations had been greatly exceeded in all areas.”

 

Stefan Ferencz

“The EASM 2013 conference in Istanbul has been a unique experience that has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge in the field of sports management and also to create a network of sports management students from around Europe.

The adventure began with the Student Seminar held at one of the campuses of Marmara University. Presentations delivered by academics and professionals were soon followed by the Management Game. The Management Game focuses on a very engaging and challenging group activity which gave me the opportunity to work with students from different countries, to develop communication and decision making skills and to work effectively under time pressure. I feel that I have benefited from all the challenges that arose during group work, from the research required to deliver the presentation as well as from the reward of producing the best case study for the allocated subtheme.

The main conference enabled me to learn about current issues and trends in the field of sports management, thus providing me with useful information that I will utilise in my final year. Having observed how speakers structure their presentations, I now feel more confident about speaking at the presentations required for some of my units during level H. The conference has been an amazing source of information provided by well-known academics and professionals and has generated many ideas for my future dissertation. Along with great social and sporting activities organized by staff, the conference has ended in style, with a superb boat trip on the Bosporus.

I would recommend any sports management student to attend an EASM conference, as it will definitely have a positive impact on skills, knowledge and future career. Overall, I feel proud to have successfully represented Bournemouth University at an international stage and I would very much like to get involved in future EASM projects.”

 

Oliver Johnson

“Upon first hearing about the opportunity to participate in the reputable European Association of Sports Management conference and Master Student Seminar in Istanbul, I was instantly attracted and impressed that my university was able to offer this to me.  I applied in order to further my working experience, looking to participate in activities outside my comfort zone and within a foreign environment.  I believe this is crucial to any student’s development, as not only does such an activity like appealing on a CV to employers, it helps to develop key characteristics such as communication, team work and working under pressure within a foreign environment.

A factor that enabled me to participate in the conference was the backing of the Global Horizons Fund, as they seek to provide financial assistance to students, like myself, who are enthusiastic and eager to learn or participate in competitions abroad to further their education.  Organisations such as Global Horizons make such an opportunity all the more attainable, as there are often financial restrictions associated with learning abroad which often dissuade students from participating.

My week in Istanbul was split into two halves: the first half, as part of the Master Student Seminar, was based at Marmara University and the other half, in the heart of Istanbul, at the Istanbul Convention and Exhibition centre for the main conference. The structure of the Master Student Seminar was organised excellently, as there was balanced daily routine of informative, interesting speakers and leisure activities.

The main focus of the seminar was the Master Student Seminar competition, where students were randomly assigned to multi-national working groups. The aim was to put together a presentation and report on an assigned topic. I was assigned to the topic of Corporate Social Responsibility, whereby our group had to propose an idea, on behalf of a local company, in order to promote physical activity amongst the community. Initially, I did find the task challenging, as the groups were comprised of foreign students, it was occasionally difficult to communicate effectively. However, I believe that our group gelled remarkably and were able to collate a strong argument for our case. This was proven as we were selected as the winners of our topic, where we would progress to present at the main conference in front of a jury of astute professionals and conference attendees, competing against other student groups’ topics. Personally, I have very little experience in presenting in front of a large audience; therefore I initially felt the prospect of doing so very daunting. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic experience to showcase our hard work at such an esteemed event.  My group was eventually announced as winners of the overall competition, an achievement that I am extremely proud of.

Although the work involved was demanding, there was allocated time to see the sights of wonderful sights of Istanbul and to have fun. My personal highlight of the trip was kayaking up the river Bosporus and under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, a spectacular sight. As mentioned previously, the organisation of the trip was excellent, with the assistance of several Marmara University students, who would often act as tour guides always willing to recommend places for us to visit and making sure everyone was looked after.

Looking back, what I achieved over the course of the week has been astonishing as I honestly believe that the experiences that I have gathered shall put me in a great stead for the future. I would recommend such an experience to anyone, it really is an opportunity not to be missed.”

 

Fusion: Sports Academic Group and School of Tourism to Advance Partnerships with US East Coast Universities

Awarded & submitted bids, Fusion, REF Subjects, Research themes

As part of the overall internationalisation dynamics spreading through the School of Tourism – especially concerned with creating opportunities for students – Dr Tim Breitbarth, Senior Lecturer in Sports Management, will travel to South Carolina and Florida end of October.

The project is funded through the BU Fusion Investment Fund, based on the trips’ three impact-focused objectives of, firstly and mainly, advancing partnership development for the sports academic group as well as the School of Tourism and potentially other Schools as well; secondly, Tim will collect further sets of empirical data for an established and awarded international collaborative research project on CSR and sport; and thirdly, develop and foster industry and research contacts aiming towards strengthening BU’s golf/sport management programmes and editing a first book on global golf business.

Main contacts and places to go are the University of South Carolina, which has the largest undergraduate sports and entertainment management programme of its kind in the USA, with more than 1000 majors and minors (recently been listed in the Top25 in the 2013 SportBusiness Global Postgraduate Ranking), and the University of Central Florida, where a university partnership agreement covering many subject areas is already well underway.

“My experience with the Fusion fund and the way it is managed is that coherent applications focusing on wider impact and multiple outcomes are very welcome,” says Tim, who already was successful with staff mobility and networking applications in the past. Please feel free to contact Tim (tbreitbarth@bournemouth.ac.uk) if you like to learn more about his upcoming trip.

Bournemouth University represented at the Launch of International Sport Coaching Framework in Durban, South Africa

REF Subjects, Research themes

Lecturer in Sport Psychology and Coaching Sciences, Emma Kavanagh was recently present at the launch of the International Sport Coaching Framework at the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) 9th global coaching conference in Durban, South Africa.  This marked a worldwide initiative to launch the ICCE global coaching strategy and standardise the practice of sports coaching across the world.

 

Whilst attending the conference as a delegate, Emma also presented a research paper in collaboration with Dr Abbe Brady from the University of Gloucestershire entitled “Humanization in High Performance Sport: Introducing a Value-based Framework for Coaches and Practitioners”.  This paper provided a vocabulary for articulating one of the foundations of the international coaching framework; creating an athlete centred coaching environment.

 

The paper was well received by both national and international delegates including some of the world’s leading experts in the field of sport and coaching sciences.  The paper was described as an area of fruitful and exciting opportunity for future research in coaching and performance. This has further enhanced Bournemouth Universities reputation as an emerging centre of innovative research in sport and coaching sciences.  In addition the conference has provided opportunity for further external collaborations with a number of national and international partners.

BU Sport Students and Academic Succeed at European Association for Sport Management Conference in Istanbul

REF Subjects, Research themes

As part of its internationalisation activities the Sports group within the School of Tourism had four students and a scholar significantly contributing at the Student Seminar and the main conference of the European Association for Sport Management (EASM) in Turkey from 7 to 14 September.

The 4.5-full-day Student Seminar saw 60 students from 13 countries working in mixed international groups along management cases. Keynotes on those topics of current special interest were given by the NBA Europe Marketing Director, a recently retired UNICEF Programme Director, Professor March Krotee from North Carolina State University and Dr Tim Breitbarth, Senior Lecturer at Bournemouth University.

BU students John Bryson, Stefan Ferencz and Oliver Johnson won their case competitions with their respective teams, and therefor had the chance to present at the 21st EASM conference. After the four winning groups’ presentations in front of a large audience, the jury decided on Oliver Johnson and his team as the overall winner of the management game. They were awarded during the conference’s closing banquet, which took place during a nightlong boot trip on the Bosporus.

Students present dissertation research to academic community

Beyond all four students’ great work as BU ambassadors during the Student Seminar, Luke Frary and John Bryson presented their dissertation research to the interested academic community, guided by Tim and Dr Andrew Adams, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management. Before his presentation, Luke had the chance to personally discuss his work on leadership over breakfast with 86-year old Professor Packianathan Chelladurai, arguably the most globally renown sport management and leadership scholar. John was asked by NBA Europe Marketing Director Naci Cansun to send his research results on the impact of CSR in professional sport and thoughts on managerial implications.

All students had to go through a very competitive application process and a good proportion of the overall trip was funded because of the students’ very strong applications to the BU Global Horizon Fund and the School of Tourism internal funding scheme. Besides their successes related to the conference, all students generally benefitted from the process of actively engaging and working with the large intercultural sports and business community.

Dr Tim Breitbarth workshop Lead Convenor at EASM conference

Despite its small presence at the world’s largest sport management conference, the BU Sports group made a big impact also due to Tim’s role as Lead Convenor of a very well-attended 1.5-day workshop on social responsibility management in professional sport, which for the first time brought most of the key researchers on the topic from North America, Australia and Europe together. In addition, experienced practitioners from Euroleague Basketball and German Society for International Cooperation were invited as keynote speakers and added to the discussion.

The workshop is part of the process which will lead to a special issue on the topic in Corporate Governance – The International Journal of Business in Society, with Tim leading a the guest editor team, which also features three colleagues from England, Germany and The Netherlands (www.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/call_for_papers.htm?id=4564).

Luke Frary with Andrés Guerrero, International Development Cooperation Expert and recently retired UNICEF Programme Director
Oliver Johnson (third from left) with his team from Finland, Germany and The Netherlands, which won the EASM 2013 Student Management Game.

Stefan Ferencz during group work

John Bryson with two of his team members from Germany and The Netherlands

Dr Tim Breitbarth, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, with Professor Birol Cotuk, Dean Marmara University School of PE and Sport and Chair of the 21st EASM Conference, Istanbul/Turkey

PHENOMENOLOGY INTEREST GROUP: Sport and Well-being

 

 

 

 

You are warmly invited to the fourth meeting of the Phenomenology Interest Group which will be held on Wednesday 3 July between 12.00—1.30. Venue: R201, Royal London House

We are fortunate to have Dr Joanne Mayoh and Dr Ian Jones from the School of Tourism who will demonstrate an example of cross-disciplinary thinking and the translation of theory into practice:

Title: Using the Dwelling Mobility theory to explore how sport can make wellbeing an experiential possibility

Abstract:

The positive relationship between sport and wellbeing has been widely documented in both policy documents and the academic literature. Whilst it is widely acknowledged that this relationship exists, little is known regarding how and why sport can contribute to positive wellbeing for individuals.  Subsequently, there is a need for research that takes a bottom-up approach in order to adequately explore the nature of this relationship in order to contribute to wider knowledge regarding sport and wellbeing, and effectively inform future policy and practice. In mirroring this approach our research draws upon phenomenological philosophers such as Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty to provide a view of the individual that sees them having a sense of agency and existential freedom. This philosophical standpoint will provide the human-centred emphasis for research that is required to fully understand how sport and wellbeing may be connected.  Specifically, this paper draws upon the existing work of Todres & Galvin with regards to Dwelling- Mobility Theory in order to consider how lifeworld philosophy could become more central in leading sport research. In line with this theory, our work considers how sport can provide a sense of dwelling, mobility, and dwelling-mobility within each of six lifeworld dimensions: temporarily; spatiality; embodiment; inter-subjectivity; identity and mood. We conclude that sport is one of the few single activities that can provide the potential for feelings of dwelling, mobility and dwelling-mobility within these dimensions simultaneously.

Dr Joanne Mayoh is a Lecturer in Sport, Physical Activity and Health at Bournemouth University. Her main research interests include the Conceptualisation of Wellbeing, and Active Ageing. She has published journal articles on Phenomenology and research methodology.

Dr Ian Jones is the Associate Dean for Sport at Bournemouth University- His research interests include Sport and Identity, Sport Fandom, and Spectators. He is author of Research Methods for Sport Studies and Qualitative Research in Sport and Physical Activity.

BU Research Blog Exclusive: Design & Look of eBU leaked

PG research, Publishing, Research themes

The first screenshot of the eBU interface has been exclusively leaked to the BU Research Blog, and is expected to go viral across the BU community over the next week.

eBU will provide both an internal and external forum for the development of research papers by undergraduate to Professor around the eight BU research themes:

–          Creative & Digital Economies

–          Culture & Society

–          Entrepreneurship & Economic Growth

–          Environmental Change & Biodiversity

–          Green Economy & Sustainability  

–          Health, Wellbeing & Ageing 

–          Leisure & Recreation

–          Technology & Design

Submissions will be open to immediate publication (in a safe internal environment) and open peer review by 2 appropriate BU academics. Authors will be encouraged to act upon these reviews by either reworking papers for submission to an external journal or by opting for publication on the external eBU site.

For BU academics this is a great opportunity to get critical appraisal on your research papers or ideas from colleagues. For academics it also an opportunity to encourage the submission of high quality student output, and possibly to facilitate the co-creation and co-production of publishable material to an external journal or to publish externally with eBU. For students, this is a fantastic opportunity to turn high quality essays or dissertations into scholarly outputs, which will be attractive to employers across many sectors and industries.

If you have any questions or would like to become involved in this exciting venture, please get in touch with me via email aharding@bournemouth.ac.uk or by telephone 01202 963025.

RDU Small Grant Fund Winner- Update

Post-award, Publishing

In November 2011 I (Joanne Mayoh) was the recipient of one of the first BU Research Development Fund (RDF) Small Grant Scheme prizes. This award gave me the opportunity to travel to Champaign (Illinois) in May 2012 to present a paper at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. The budget covered my travel to Illinois, hotel accommodation, conference fees for the five day event, and sustenance costs during this time. As an early career researcher, who has only started publishing within the last few years, this was an excellent chance for me to receive support to present internationally, and engage in essential networking and profile building.

In addition to the conference paper, this opportunity resulted in targeting networking with a number of influential methodologists, and the submission of two journal articles, and a further (accepted) conference abstract in collaboration with a newly formed contact. This new associate is one of the most experienced mixed methodologists currently publishing within my target journals, and is therefore an invaluable connection for at this stage in my career.

The process of applying for RDF funding was extremely simple and one that I would recommend my colleagues engaging with if they have any need for a small grant. I would definitely apply to this fund in the future to support conference attendance, research support or general networking.  Overall it was a wonderful experience, and I am very grateful for the support from BU and the Research Development Unit.

Qualitative Research in Sport and Physical Activity

A new research methods textbook in sport and physical activity, authored by three academics at Bournemouth University, is published this month. Published by Sage, “Qualitative Research in Sport and Physical Activity” has been written by Ian Jones, Lorraine Brown and Immy Holloway. The text builds on growing interest in qualitative methods within the discipline, and uses a growing body of literature based on qualitative research in Sport and Physical Activity . This is the second sport-related research methods textbook to emerge from Bournemouth University, following Research Methods for Sport Studies, also co-authored by Ian Jones. Published by Routledge, that text recently sold its 20,000th copy worldwide.

Designed especially for students in sport and physical activity, this book provides a detailed guide to planning, undertaking, and writing up qualitative research. Opening with a discussion of the main traits of qualitative inquiry and its use in Sport and Physical Activity, the text provides an accessible overview of qualitative research, using numerous examples to bring the text alive. The book is designed to be essential reading for undergraduate and Masters students carrying out a qualitative research project in sport and physical activity and for PhD students looking to refresh their knowledge.

Bournemouth University’s School of Tourism host International Week with new Erasmus partner universities:

Bournemouth University’s School of Tourism has recently signed three Erasmus agreements with three Universities in Europe to enhance international links to high quality international research and teaching institutions, especially in the area of sport business and events management.

To celebrate this recent agreement Dr Tim Breitbarth (Senior Lecturer in Sport Management) organised various guest lectures, presentations to staff and students as well as informal opportunities to meet and mingle as part of an International Week in Sport and Events Management.

Professor Dr Sebastian Kaiser, a professor in sport and events at the SRH Hochschule Heidelberg; Dr Stefan Walzel a senior lecturer at the German Sport University Cologne, Institute of Sport Economics and Sport Management; and Gerco Van Dalfsen, a program coordinator sport management at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen and Secretary General of the European Association of Sport Management all took part in international week and also represented their university.

On Wednesday Sebastian, Stefan and Gerco hosted a presentation as part of the School of Tourism Staff Development. A substantial number of colleagues from across School of Tourism, research students and university managers concerned with international development attended the session.

Dr Richard Shipway (Associate Dean International Engagement) framed the presentations by mentioning relevant aspects of BU’s strategy to create more and higher quality international opportunities for staff and students.

 

Gerco, Stefan, Sebastian each presented their respective universities and provided an overview of their study programmes. In particular, they showed how they integrate international student exchange, international competitions and workshops into their programs in order to enhance student abilities and networking. School of Tourism staff were, for example, impressed by the vast and modern sport and scientific infrastructure of the German Sport University Cologne, and the strong international and multidisciplinary focus of sport, events and health programmes at Hanze University. The presentations and opportunities to cooperate led to lively conversations and concrete projects/ideas to follow-up.

The second part of the Lecture on Wednesday saw Stefan and Sebastian present some of their high quality research. :

Stefan provided insights into the discussions around relevance and impacts of the Youth Olympics and the organisation of the first summer and winter Youth Olympics. The particular focus of his empirical investigation was on the use of ambush marketing despite clean venues and no commercial sponsorship allowed at the games. German Sport University Cologne also very successfully integrated student visits and volunteering at the games with both international teaching and study opportunities.

 

Sebastian outlined similarities and peculiarities of events management in sports and culture from socioeconomic theory. In his empirical study he explores the impact of the economic sectors by utilising regression analysis of a dataset from surveys amongst managers within the industry. His major conclusion was that events management may benefit not only from a dialogue between science and practice but particularly from an interdisciplinary perspective integrating theories and approaches from sports and culture management.

 

On Friday, Sebastian and Stefan helped kick off the weekly Research Seminar Series for, mainly, sport science and sport management students. Around 100 students attended and Dr Ian Jones (Associate Dean Sport) pointed out that those regular seminars are to widen student’s horizon and an opportunity to engage with relevant topics that may be beyond their core areas of interest.

The presentations from the international visitors provided the students with a glimpse of how/what their peers in other countries are taught;  an important experience since those universities no longer educate their students for national markets but acknowledge that they have to compete on an international labour market after graduation.

Stefan’s presentation introduced the students to the link between psychological, behavioural and economic dimensions behind corporate hospitality activities at sport events. Whereas the main conclusion from Sebastian’s presentation was that there are different ways to calculate the possible impacts of events based on the same numbers.

 

Students were invited to mingle with the presenters and amongst each other afterwards in Dylan’s Bar and a few students used this opportunity to discuss particular aspects of the respective topics in special and the international sport management in general.

Students that attended the Lectures and Seminars were given the opportunity to win quality merchandise from the new partner universities.

All three of the visiting Lecturers were in Bournemouth for 5 days and were very impressed with the Bournemouth University campus and its facilities, especially our eLearning opportunities / environment.

For further information about the International Week or our new Erasmus partner universities please contact Dr Tim Breitbarth on tbreitbarth@bournemouth.ac.uk or 01202 965113.

 

Dementia

News from the PVC

Most of us know someone touched by dementia – a friend, relative or loved one.  As the average age of our population grows ever older, the chances are some of us will be affected.

As such dementia is emerging as a new strategic priority for BU, with investment from our HEIF funds to create the Bournemouth University Dementia Institute, or BUDI as the team like to call it.  The team is growing rapidly working on a range of funded dementia projects with more in the pipeline. Working with the Director of BUDI Anthea Innes, Lee-Ann Fenge, Sue Barker, Vanessa Healsip, Michele Board have recently completed a review of Higher Education Dementia Curriculums on behalf of the Higher Education Dementia Network.  Work that reflects Anthea’s previous experience leading masters and undergraduate programmes in Dementia Studies and the dementia focus of social work and nursing colleagues within the School of Health and Social Care.  A number of research and knowledge exchange projects are underway including:

  • An ongoing programme of work funded by Bournemouth Borough Council involves the BUDI team delivering a range of activities via two different programmes; a ‘cupcake club’ and a technology group.  The evaluation report isn’t due until February 2013 so a lot is happening over the autumn months.
  • A BU Research Development Grant enabled an early collaboration between the Schools of Tourism and Health and Social Care.  This project led by Anthea Innes (HSC) and Stephen Page (Tourism) is currently being written up for publication and dissemination.  It is the first study to conceptualise ‘Dementia Friendly Tourism’ as an area worth investigation to try and improve the leisure opportunities for those with dementia and their families; but the project will also produce recommendations to  help advise tourism and leisure providers to enhance their provision to promote inclusion of those with dementia.
  • An international study GRIID (Gateway Rural International Initiatives in Dementia), involving partners from Australia, Canada, India, Sweden and the UK is also in the writing up stages following a policy synthesis and survey of Alzheimer Disease International (www.adi.co.uk) members.
  • European work is on-going too, focused on Malta where Anthea has long established links working on improving the quality of care offered in Maltese hospital wards
  • A multi-site NIHR project has just commenced exploring site loss and dementia for people who continue to live at home.  This is a collaboration between the Universities of York, BU, Cambridge, Worcester and consumer organisations; the Housing and Dementia Research Consortium (HDRC); Pocklington Trust supported by the Alzheimer Society and the Macular Disease Society

But this is just the start with money being committed by many of large funding agencies this is a societal theme of the moment.  BU is part of a large FP7 grant application currently first reserve for funding, and BU is coordinating a multimillion ESRC grant application with 12 other institution due for submission this autumn.  Working locally is also very much on the agenda.  Staff in BUDI are working for example in partnership with commissioners and clinicians across Dorset to secure funding via the NHS South of England Dementia Challenge fund with BU as the evaluator for a number of innovative local projects proposed by those delivering dementia care every day.

BUDI launched 16 May 2012 just three months ago and the progress is impressive, but there is also a long way to go to achieve its objectives of making a real contribution to improving the lives of those with dementia and those who provide support whether they be family or paid clinicians and carers.  This is not just an initiative launched from HSC but a cross BU one and I am delighted to announce the secondment of Samuel Nyman (Psychology, DEC) to BUDI to strengthen its work force and continue his existing collaboration with Anthea which includes a match funded BU PhD Studentship with Anthea Innes and Marilyn Cash which is looking at the role of gaming technology to support older men with dementia in rural areas.  BUDI is looking for staff who wish to engage from across BU and is truly multidisciplinary in its approach and reach.  There may be other who are interested in similar secondments and I would encourage them to get in touch with Anthea.  DEC and Tourism are already involved with BUDI contributing staff and time but there is huge scope for others to get involved for example in the Media School.  Why not drop Anthea a line and get in touch?

Also starting in September is Patricia McParland as BUDI Project Manager or Engagement Consultant, a post-doc appointment is pending, PhD student Ben Hicks will start soon and we will be advertising for an Associate Director for BUDI soon.  BUDI has the full support of UET and is receiving strategic investment to make things happen quickly; dementia is of the moment as illustrated by the Prime Minister Dementia Challenge launched earlier this year and it’s for BU to cease this moment.  BUDI offers the opportunity to have a real impact, to make a difference in our society, to develop practice and research and to do it quickly.  Please get involved and get in touch with Anthea or myself directly.

 

Launch of the National Coastal Tourism Academy

On Tuesday 13 August Eric Pickles, MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced the allocation of a Coastal Communities Fund grant to the National Coastal Tourism Academy. The grant of £2 million will create the world’s only specialist coastal tourism academy, with the aim to turn local expertise into knowledge to share with towns across the country and internationally.

Bournemouth was chosen due to its unique position in the tourism industry. Eric Pickles said: “We want Bournemouth to be a catalyst in development. The town already has the infrastructure and resources like Bournemouth University specialising in tourism for this to be a success and to be able to communicate to struggling towns.”

Under the Bournemouth and Poole Joint Tourism Management Board, the Academy will be a combined project involving Bournemouth University, Bournemouth Borough Council and members of the Poole and Bournemouth Tourism industry. In addition to the economic benefits, Dr Keith Wilkes, Dean of the School of Tourism at Bournemouth University has been celebrating the opportunities the project will bring: “Bournemouth will be host to the first specialist Coastal Tourism Academy anywhere in the world – reflecting Bournemouth’s status as a major coastal tourism destination and the School of Tourism’s national and international reputation as a centre of research excellence and major provider of tourism, hospitality and event management undergraduate and postgraduate education”.

The National Coastal Tourism Academy is a ground breaking knowledge transfer institution, designed to accelerate tourism growth. The project shall be split into three growth initiatives: a Coastal Activity Park, a resort wide visitor experience programme and coastal tourism product research and development programme. Within the next few years, the National Coastal Tourism Academy will provide world-class educational and professional training to coastal tourism businesses, as well as producing a central sharing database and communications link for teams and individuals looking to expand their knowledge or businesses.

Dr Bruce Grant-Braham, member of the Dorset Local Economic Partnership (LEP) and Senior Lecturer in the School of Tourism, said that tourism is the backbone of Bournemouth’s economy, and that there is plenty of potential for development across Britain that coincides with the surge of ‘staycations’ and interest in the UK tourism industry, so now is the right time to be investing in expanding and creating sustainable coastal tourism opportunities with real local significance.

Bournemouth is a lively and modern coastal resort, but the introduction of this unique and innovative academy could raise its status to one of global significance. “Like all good ideas” concluded Eric Pickles, “I’m astonished it hadn’t been thought of before.”

Read the article on the Guardian website here: Bournemouth wins £2m to set up first coastal tourism academy in Europe

DEFRA call – Value of the impact of marine protected areas on recreation and tourism services

Funding opportunities

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs invites applications for its value of the impact of marine protected areas on recreation and tourism services. The aim is to undertake a review of the value of tourism and recreation services provided by marine protected areas and marine conservation zones and to scope priorities for future research in this area.

The objectives of this project are:

•to conduct a literature review of existing evidence on the impacts of MPAs on recreation and tourism;

•for contractors to apply this evidence to assess the impact of UK marine conservation zones on the recreation and tourism value;

•suggest a methodology for a more detailed valuation of recreation and tourism benefits for an MPA site. The contract will be expected to start in late August with a duration of five to six months. ERG 1204.

Closing date: 4pm, 27 July 12

Contact: cathal.linnane@defra.gsi.gov.uk

 The RKE Operations team can help you with your application.

 

Innovative post graduate research in the School of Tourism

Yesterday saw an opportunity for PhD students from the School of Tourism to update colleagues on the progress of their research through a day conference based on a series of interactive poster sessions.  18 students presented their work on a wide range of subjects (see below) and then submitted themselves to questioning and interrogation from the audience.  This built on the presentations that student had done at the recent Post Graduate Tourism Conference at Exeter University and really highlighted the breadth and depth of research in this area within the University.

The Posters that were presented are listed below and some pictures of the day can be found on Dr Miguel Moital’s blog at, http://miguelmoital.blogspot.co.uk/

  • Zornitza YOVCHEVA – Information system design of Smartphone augmented reality for tourism
  • Ivana RIHOVA – Consumers as producers: customer-to-customer co-creation in the context of festival experiences
  • Nicolas GREGORI Y RIBES- Technology and social media enabled service development and design
  • Barbara NEUHOFER – Technology enhanced tourist experience 
  • John FOTIS – The impact of social media on consumer behaviour; focus on holiday travel
  • Gayathri KANAGASAPATHY – The heritage experience, a visitor perspective: a comparative study of heritage destinations in Malaysia
  • Gde Indr BHASKARA – The local community as a stakeholder group and its participation in UNESCO’s World Heritage Nomination process: Jatiluwih Rice Fields, Bali, Indonesia
  • Emma KAVANAGH – A narrative enquiry into the experience of maltreatment in high performance sport
  • Sean BEER – Human perceptions of the authenticity of food
  • Andrew HARES – Tourist understanding of and engagement with the climate change impacts of holiday
  • Julia HIBBERT – Tourism travel and identity
  • Jan HUTCHINGS – ‘In the Swim‘ – an ethnography on Masters swimming
  • Stephen CALVER – The influence of mass media on countryside leisure visit behaviour compared
  • Gregory KAPUSCINSKI – Tourism, terrorism, political instability and the media
  • Joanna HAWKES – ‘My Bones Won’t Break Me’: an auto-ethnographical exploration of premenopausal osteoporosis in a physically active female‘
  • Pamela WATSON – Grab Your Fork’: a netnography of a foodie blog and its community
  • Stacy WALL – Synergies in public health and tourism; an organisational ethnography
  • Amanda WILDING – The diffusion and adoption of sport psychology by track and field coaches

A new text linking tourism and retail

Progress in Retail and Tourism Research: The psychogeography of liminal consumption is a new text published by Routledge that links the areas of Tourism and Retailing.

This book offers new perspectives on the intersection between tourism and retail research that is liminal to both fields yet central to the tourist experience, standing as an important and illuminating realm of consumer behaviour.

The Book was edited by Charles McIntyre (School of Tourism) and amongst the contributing authors in addition to Charles were BU Lecturers Christine Harris (Retailing within towns and city centres as a tourist retail attraction), Corinna Budnarowska (Fashion retail formats as tourist retail destinations and attractions) and Sean Beer (Co-author Food and farmers’ markets.)

All credit must go to Charles who as an editor was tireless and dogged in his determination.  Sometimes it just doesn’t only take time, it takes a lot more besides.

Tourism: a catalyst for existential authenticity

Over the last 2 terms the School of Tourism has been hosting a series of seminars on various aspects of research and philosophy.  The first was on reality, the second on post modernism and the latest will be on existential authenticity.

Dr Lorraine Brown has recently done some work which is helping recontextualize our ideas of existential authenticity in the area of Tourism.  All welcome.  Be prepared for some lively discussion and Lemon Drizzle cake!

Wednesday 7 March 1.30-3.00

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Lorraine Brown

Subject: Tourism: a catalyst for existential authenticity.  .