Category / BU research

BU-Lush Cosmetics Ltd collaboration to Develop Renewable Zero Carbon Emissions Energy Technology

Awarded & submitted bids, conferences, Industry collaboration, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, PG research, REF Subjects, Student Engagement, student research

This is a landmark collaborative initiative between BU’s NanoCorr, Energy and Modelling (NCEM) Research Group led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan and team members including Dr Adil Saeed, Dr Mayank Anand and Aerk Dimri and Lush Cosmetics Ltd a major stakeholder in the conurbation. “Born in Poole, Lush offers a range of quirky and unique handmade bathing and cosmetic products with signature ‘Lush’ scents. The brand boasts an extremely ethical promise to consumers with all products being cruelty free, vegetarian and ethically sourced.” [Source]. “Lush Limited is a British cosmetics retailer which is headquartered in Poole, England. It was founded in 1995 by trichologist Mark Constantine, his wife Mo Constantine and five other founders.” [Source].

 

“We laid the foundation for capitalising on tidal energy sources and providing clean energy solutions for local and regional domestic and commercial applications through Community Interest Company (CIC) / Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), Poole Tidal Energy Partnership (PTEP), more than a decade ago, said Professor Zulfiqar Khan, one of the founding directors of PTEP.

This work led to UK based energy company collaboration in BU’s energy research: capture, conversion and storage through full funding of two PhDs, two Post Docs, one PhD in-kind support, industrial labs resources and funding patent applications, a three quarter of a million pound sterling research portfolio led by Professor Zulfiqar Khan. This has yielded in commercial patents in the US and GB, covering novel nano fluids, energy systems (capture, conversion and storage).

“This recent collaboration with LUSH is a testament of our full commitments to UNSDGs, UK and EU clean energy directives, initiatives which has led to emergence of BU as a global leader in Clean Energy Systems,” Professor Zulfiqar Khan added.

Dr Saeed said, “we provide opportunities for our UG/PGT courses to benefits from our research collaborations to enhance students learning and teaching experience through research informed educational provisions.” Dr Saeed, the Programme Leader of Mechanical Engineering course, said, we currently have three final year projects in energy systems which have been inspired and are linked to BU-LUSH collaborative project.

LUSH Creative Technologist Jim Woodward said, “We look forward to starting this journey with Professor Khan, his colleagues and students at Bournemouth University, researching the potential tidal energy in our beautiful Poole Harbour. We welcome the newly appointed PGR and wish him good luck in this exciting PhD project with us. What a force – Lush a local Poole company working with a fantastic local University.”

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition

PG research

1 week till applications close for the 3MT competition!

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to develop your presentation skills, share your research and be in with a chance of winning a prize.

We are excited to host the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition at BU for the very first time! Originally developed by the University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® is an internationally renowned research communication challenge. It challenges doctoral researchers to condense their thesis into a compelling three-minute presentation, communicating its originality and significance to a non-specialist audience.

On Wednesday 26 March we will have four parallel sessions, one for each Faculty, to select the 2 finalists to advance to the final round, which will take place in the afternoon. The winner will take part in the national competition run by Vitae.

More information about the history of 3MT® can be found on the Vitae and 3MT® websites.

Eligibility

Active PhD and Professional Doctorate Research candidates who have successfully passed their Probationary Review (including candidates whose thesis is under submission/examination) by the date of their presentation (26 March 2025) are eligible to participate. Graduates are not eligible.
Please Note: MRes/MPhil students and students on interruption are NOT ELIGIBLE to enter the 3MT Competition.

Competition Rules

Make sure you read the international 3MT® rules before applying.

In order to allow all our P/T and remote PGRs to take part, if unable to attend in-person a pre-recorded video will be accepted, in line with the 3MT® rules.

Prizes

  • 1st prize: £150 voucher
  • 2nd prize: £100 voucher
  • 3rd prize: £50 voucher
  • People’s Choice winner: £50 voucher

Key dates

  • Applications close 28 February 2025 (midnight)
  • 3MT Competition: 26 March (10:00-12:00: First round and 13:00-14:30: Final round – timing TBC)

Why should I take part?

  • Develop your presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Networking opportunities.
  • Raise your own researcher profile.
  • Prizes to be won.
  • The winner will represent Bournemouth University at the National Vitae 3MT competition.

Apply here

Further information available on Brightspace.

Registration to attend will open in March.

Please do contact us if you have any questions: pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

Best wishes,

The RDP Team

C.A.I.R.E.E.S. Conference: Harnessing AI for a sustainable future

PG research

C.A.I.R.E.E.S. Conference – Climate action through AI for Resilient Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Sustainability

Harnessing AI for a Sustainable Future: Insights from Global Experts

BU is hosting the C.A.I.R.E.E.S. Conference – Climate action through AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Resilient Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Sustainability – on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March, in-person and online.

Through this conference, you’ll hear from global experts about how to harness AI for a sustainable future. It will explore how AI can support climate action in manufacturing, energy, and environmental sustainability.

This event, supported by the Doctoral College Research Culture and Community Grant, will bring together experts from academia, industry, and policy to discuss AI’s role in key areas, including energy, pharmaceuticals, green technologies, diplomacy, and life sciences.

The conference is open to all, whether you’re an AI researcher, industry professional, student, policymaker, or simply someone curious about how AI is tackling climate challenges.

Where and when

You can attend the conference in-person on Thursday 13 March, from 11am to 5pm in FG06 (Fusion Building). You can also participate online on Friday 14 March, from 1pm to 6pm.

During the event, attendees will have the chance to take part in a hands-on workshop, featuring a deep learning model applied to a real-world wildlife dataset. This is a great opportunity to explore AI applications in conservation and sustainability.

To book your place for either day, please complete this online form.

Keynote speakers and industry experts

The conference features speakers from the UK, US, Mexico, Ecuador, and beyond, reflecting the global nature of AI-driven sustainability efforts:

  • HM Ambassador Chris Campbell: UK Ambassador to Ecuador
  • Professor Scott Wright: Deputy Dean, Bournemouth University
  • Professor Xiaosong Yang: Deputy Head of NCCA, Bournemouth University
  • Dr Szilvia Rusev: Chair of Bournemouth University’s AI Network
  • Professor Federico Galvanin: – Professor of Chemical Engineering, University College London
  • Professor Clarissa Busch: Professor of Philosophy of AI, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
  • Marco Quaglio: Industry expert in the pharmaceutical sector (PolyModels Hub Ltd)
  • Brian Cresswell: Specialist in AI-powered wildlife tracking (Lotek UK Ltd)
  • Additional speakers from universities in Mexico and Ecuador (to be announced)

If you have any questions, please contact Kavisha Jayathunge: kjayathunge@bournemouth.ac.uk or Maria Alexandra Sandoval msandoval2@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Writing for The Conversation interactive workshop – Wednesday 5th March

Training

Would you like to build a media profile and take your research to a global audience by writing for The Conversation?

Join Conversation editor Grace Allen for an in-person workshop at Talbot Campus on Wednesday 5th March to find out more about working with The Conversation and share your article ideas.

The Conversation is a news analysis and opinion website with content written by academics, researchers and PhD candidates working with professional journalists.

Since we first partnered with The Conversation, articles by BU authors have had over 11 million reads and been republished by news outlets across the world.

In this interactive session, you’ll find out more about communicating your research to the public, what The Conversation is looking for, and have the chance to discuss your research and pitch potential story ideas.

It runs from 2pm – 4pm in the Fusion Building on Talbot Campus.

Sign up via Eventbrite

Find out more about our partnership and the benefits of working with The Conversation

Congratulations on new paper by BU PhD graduate

Guidance, PG research, Publishing, Research Ethics, writing

Congratulations to Dr. Karim Khaled on the latest paper from his BU Ph.D. research.  This article ‘Ethical Issues and Challenges Regarding the Use of Mental Health Questionnaires in Public Health Nutrition Research‘ [1] was published earlier this month in the international journal Nutrients. 

Karim is currently based at Birmingham City University, and the paper is co-authored with his  Ph.D. supervisors Dr. Fotini Tsofliou and Prof. Vanora Hundley in BU’s Faculty of Health & Social Sciences.  This paper addresses the potential burden of completing mental health questionnaires on (a) participants and (b) researchers. This examines ethical issues and challenges of using such scales and questionnaires, providing a real-life case study where the Beck’s Depression Inventory-II was used.
The ethical considerations raised by using mental health questionnaires in epidemiological research include incorrectly identifying participants as depressed or non-depressed; inability to identify participants for referral procedures due to the anonymous nature of some research studies; an increased burden on participants through depression and suicidal questions; and the high expectation of participants towards the researcher. Preventative measures to reduce these challenges include choosing appropriate cut-off scores for correctly identifying participants; highlighting whether mental health questionnaires used may elicit negative emotional or psychological reactions related to suicide ideation; specifying the criteria for referral to clinical services; detailing the intended referral processes; including approaches where the researcher directly connects participants with a psychological service provider; and including a passive referral method such as contact details for participants to initiate their own referrals to clinical care.  The authors offer a guide for researchers aiming to collect data on mental health through questionnaires, and they conclude that ethical challenges should be considered and reviewed at all stages of the research project.

Well done!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

 

Reference:

  1. Khaled, K., Tsofliou, F., Hundley, V. (2025). Ethical Issues and Challenges Regarding the Use of Mental Health Questionnaires in Public Health Nutrition Research Nutrients 17 (4): 715. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17040715

 

 

Bournemouth University partner with Mima to work on a Secure by Design Project funded by Dstl

Industry collaboration, Knowledge Exchange

Bournemouth University (BU) and Mima, a human-centred design consultancy, have secured funding from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to collaborate on a Secure by Design (SbD) project. Dstl, the science and technology arm of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), provides critical expertise and solutions for national security.

Professor Huseyin Dogan Dr. Eylem Thron and Dr. Duncan Ki-Aries outside Bournemouth University

L-R: Professor Huseyin Dogan Dr. Eylem Thron and Dr. Duncan Ki-Aries

The project will develop and evaluate a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) demonstrating how safety, security, and human factors analysis can be integrated into SbD requirements practices. This integration aims to improve the development of secure and effective systems for defence applications.

Professor Huseyin Dogan of BU’s Department of Computing and Informatics, a former BAE Systems scientist with eight years of industry experience, said: “Our department has a strong track record of collaborating with Dstl on match-funded PhDs focused on UK defence and security solutions.

“These projects span diverse areas, from automated risk-informed decision-making in electromagnetic interference to cyber resilience and safety analysis. This new project will integrate techniques from safety, security, and human factors to address complex defence challenges through innovative software tool support.”

Dr. Duncan Ki-Aries, Programme Leader for MSc Cyber Security and Human Factors at BU, added: “In today’s complex cyber landscape, understanding the human element and security challenges are crucial. However, in some scenarios, security concerns may also lead to safety concerns. This project allows us to explore how safety, security, and human factors concepts can be effectively integrated into secure design practices, leading to more robust systems and capabilities, and their safe and secure use of them.”

Dr. Eylem Thron, a Chartered Ergonomist and Principal Human Factors Consultant at Mima with experience in human factors and design across various industries, including rail and defence, said: “Mima is excited to bring our human-centred design expertise to this crucial project. By focusing on the needs and capabilities of users, we can help ensure that secure systems are also effective and usable in real-world scenarios.”

Dr. Shamal Faily, a Principal Scientist at Dstl added: “Within MOD, Secure by Design is a key enabler for delivering new capabilities at pace, given the cost and efficiency saving it could afford.  To ensure we can properly ‘shift left’ and address security at the earliest stages of capability acquisition, this project will help us understand how coherence between security, safety, and human factors activities will help us identify security requirements early.”

The BU and Mima team bring expertise in Human Factors, Security, Systems of Systems Engineering, Safety and Risk Assessment, and is dedicated to supporting future defence capabilities through this Secure by Design collaboration.

Find out more about BU’s Computing and Informatics research

Doctoral College PGR Research Culture and Community Grant – 1 week till applications close!

PG research

The Doctoral College has launched the second round of funding for the PGR Research Culture and Community Grant (RCCG), and applications close on Monday 24 February 2025.

This grant is intended to support PGR-led activity across researcher development, research culture and research community building initiatives. It can be used to fund a social event, training activity, analysis workshop, digital skills session, writing session or other activity to enhance the PGR journey experience. In addition to community building, the purpose of the grant is to enable PGRs to gain transferable skills and experience in planning, organising, promoting and implementing such activities.

The Postgraduate Research Society organised the “Winter Holiday Social” during the first round of funding. Read on to explore their learning experiences gained while organising this event, as well as the benefits this social provided to the PGR community:

As Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs), it’s easy to become absorbed in the day-to-day demands of research, often feeling isolated in our work. We spend long hours in libraries or labs, and it’s common to experience the sense that we are navigating our academic journey alone. This is why we decided to create events specifically designed to bring the PGR community together, providing a space where we could connect, share experiences, and, most importantly, feel valued for the work we do.

With the generous support of funding, we were able to organize an event that brought together around 50 PGRs from various disciplines. The goal was to foster a sense of community—an opportunity for researchers from different fields to meet, share insights, and offer support to one another. Through informal discussions attendees had the chance to connect with peers outside their usual academic circles.

What we didn’t anticipate was just how much of an impact the event would have. The feedback from participants highlighted a deep sense of appreciation, not only for the chance to network but also for the opportunity to feel acknowledged and supported. PGRs often work in relative isolation, so the chance to interact with others who understand the unique challenges of research was incredibly valuable. Many attendees shared how much they appreciated the warmth and inclusivity of the event.

In addition to the positive effects on the PGR community, this experience has also been a learning journey for us as organisers. From the initial planning stages to the event itself, we honed our event planning skills—working on everything from logistics to communication and participant engagement. This experience has not only built our confidence but also equipped us with the skills to organize even bigger and more impactful events in the future.

Looking ahead, we are excited to make this event an annual tradition. There is growing demand to continue offering spaces for PGRs to come together, and we plan to expand the event’s capacity in the coming years. We are also exploring the possibility of organizing additional initiatives throughout the year to further enhance the sense of community among PGRs.

Overall, the experience has been both inspiring and rewarding—demonstrating how a well-executed initiative can create lasting, positive change in a community. It has reinforced our belief in the power of connection, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the years to come.

Postgraduate Researcher Society

 

We hope the Winter Holiday Social has sparked some creative ideas for how you could utilise this funding for your own activity.

If you would like to apply, full details can be found on the Doctoral College Brightspace, including the application form.

If you would like to discuss your ideas before submitting your application, please contact:

pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

ZOOM Academic Writing & Publishing Workshop for Bangladesh

international, Publishing, Training, writing

Colleagues are invited to our Bangladesh Midwifery Academic Writing & Publishing Workshop

This online workshop is an introduction to the world of academic writing and publishing.  The workshop organisers, Professors Hundley and van Teijlingen will introduce the basic structure of an academic article, highlight the importance of selecting the most appropriate journal, reading and following the author instructions, understanding the role of the journal editor and that of peer reviewers.  The authors will use the submission requirements of the Journal of Asian Midwives as an example.

The ZOOM event will be held this Tuesday 18 February 14.00-16.00 UK time.  FHSS colleagues who are interested in joining this introductory workshop with midwives and midwifery researchers from Bangladesh can use the following link:

Image preview

 

BU student’s M.Res. paper read 500 times

international, open access, Publishing, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing

Yesterday ResearchGate alerted us that our paper ‘The importance of positionality for qualitative researchers‘ [1] has been read 500 times. This methods paper was only written last year by Bournemouth University M.Res. student Hannah Gurr, her M.Res. supervisors Dr. Orlanda Harvey, Dr. Louise Oliver and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in collaboration with Prof. Madhusudan Subedi from Patan Academy of Health Sciences in Nepal.

In the paper we remind qualitative researchers about the importance of critical reflection, and why they need to explain their positionality to readers of their work. This account can be relatively straightforward, but there are occasions when this process of reflection and outlining one’s positionality is much more complicated. This method-paper explains this process. It outlines, using examples of different occasions and situations, where and why such complications may arise, for example, around values and personal experiences. It concludes with further practical advice on writing the section on positionality for novice social scientists.

Well done Hannah!

Dr. Lou Oliver, Dr. Orlanda Harvey & Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

 

Reference:

  1. Gurr, H., Oliver, L., Harvey, O., Subedi, M., & van Teijlingen, E. (2024). The Importance of Positionality for Qualitative Researchers. Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 18(1): 48–54. https://doi.org/10.3126/dsaj.v18i01.67553

Free Research Event – Wednesday 26th February – A Celebration of Sustainable Consumption Related Research

BU Research Centre CSSRC is celebrating its interdisciplinary and intersectoral research around Sustainable Consumption on Wednesday 26th February 2025, 3.15-5.00pm.

The Centre for Sustainable & Socially Responsible Consumption (CSSRC) invites you to attend its research event on Wednesday 26th February 2025 to celebrate its interdisciplinary and intersectoral research around sustainable consumption. After a welcome refreshment this interesting and informative event will comprise of two topical presentation sessions, each lead by a member of CSSRC, as outlined below. Opportunity for discussions and networking over refreshments after the talks will round off the event.

Session 1: Sustainability, Place Brands and congruence- how important are they in student choice? 

Professor of Societal Marketing, Chris Chapleo will discuss his current research in relation to two core projects: the first of these concerns the role of sustainability in university communications and branding, and whether sustainability league tables really matter to key stakeholders. He is also looking at sustainable city brands and how this links to universities in these cities. This is a joint project between BU and Pannonia, Hungary.  The second, related project is looking at how students choose a university and their ‘congruence’ with city/ university brands. This project is a collaboration between Bournemouth University, University of the West of England, and University of Plymouth.

Session 2: Understanding and encouraging the consumption of pulses

Professor of Psychology Katherine Appleton will present this session and introduce her work in this area. Pulses, including beans, chickpeas and lentils, are healthy, sustainable, low-cost foods, but consumption is low and increased consumption would benefit the health of the population and the planet. I have a programme of work looking at trying to understand why pulse consumption is low, and how we can increase this. I will speak about two studies that were completed last year looking at barriers and facilitators to pulse consumption, with specific foci on the use of recipes, enjoyment and cooking skills in increasing consumption. I will finish by considering our current ongoing study, and where we might be going next.

Provisional Timetable:

3.15-3.30pm – Welcome refreshment

3.30-4.30pm – Presentation sessions

4.30-5.00pm – Discussion, networking and refreshments

This is a free event, but you must register to attend via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-celebration-of-sustainable-consumption-related-research-tickets-1224716332519?aff=oddtdtcreator

About CSSRC

The Centre for Sustainable & Socially Responsible Consumption (CSSRC) aims to promote and advance the understanding of sustainable consumption and socially responsible consumption through developing and delivering internationally renowned research. It provides a hub to explore and address topics that are currently globally relevant, through utilising a strong interdisciplinary focus. Webpage: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/centre-sustainable-socially-responsible-consumption

The impacts of Metaverse on tourist behaviour and marketing implications

NEW METAVERSE PAPER JUST PUBLISHED

Kılıçarslan, Ö., Yozukmaz, N., Albayrak, T., Buhalis, D., 2025, The impacts of Metaverse on tourist behaviour and marketing implications, Current Issues in Tourism, Vol.28(4), pp.622–642 https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2024.2326989

ABSTRACT

Metaverse is expected to deeply affect the travel and tourism industry and requires a dearth of empirical research. In this investigation, two exploratory qualitative research studies were conducted to fill this gap. The first research explored the potential impacts of Metaverse on the travel and tourism industry by interviewing tourism academics. Findings revealed that Metaverse could be used for marketing, CRM, and HRM by hospitality organisations, while it would be useful for marketing and sustainability of destinations. It could also influence tourist behaviour before, during, and after travel experiences. One of the notable findings was related to the close relationship between Gen Z and virtual events. The second research identified the motivations of Gen Z individuals to attend a concert organised in Metaverse. Accordingly, novelty-seeking, escape, fun and excitement, and socialisation were the most significant push factors to use Metaverse. Metaverse-specific characteristics, accessibility, and availability were the important pull factors to attend a Metaverse concert.