Category / Research themes

BU student Jib Acharya presents poster in Ethiopia

BU research, PG research, Research news, Uncategorized

HSC Ph.D. student Mr. Jib Acharya presented a poster in Ethiopia on his thesis research.  His poster accepted by the scientific committee of the Micronutrient Forum Global Conference in Addis Adeba, the capital of Ethiopia.

 

Jib Acharya reported on his Ph.D. research which involves a mixed-methods study of to assess knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about nutritious food amongst rural and urban mothers in one district of Nepal.  The poster highlighted that both knowledge of and attitudes towards nutritious food of rural and urban mothers are still poor in both rural and urban populations.

Jib’s supervisors in the School of Health & Social Care are: Dr. Jane Murphy, Dr. Martin Hind and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen.

 

Reference:

Acharya, J., van Teijlingen E., Murphy, J., Hind, M. (2014) A Comparative Study on Nutritional Problems in Preschool Aged Children of Nepal, poster presented at the Micronutrient Forum Global Conference in Addis Adeba, Ethiopia, June 2014.

 

 

Well done!

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, CMMPH

Ferndown & Uddens Business Improvement District collaborates with a multi-disciplinary team from BU

BU research, Uncategorized

The Business Improvement District (BID) yesterday hosted their first breakfast meeting on business continuity and information assurance.

Staff from the Business School, The Disaster Management Centre and the Cyber Security Unit presented a knowledgeable insight to identify collective responsibilities of businesses within the district, giving examples where one business problem may affect other enterprises across the estate. The Dorset Fire & Rescue Service and Dorset Police further supported BU’s representations concerning crisis management; business resilience; disaster recovery and cybercrime. In addition, A&T Insurance Group provided a comprehensive study on insuring business resilience.

BUCSU introduced the availability of TSB Innovation Vouchers to meet the recently published ‘Cyber Essentials’ issued by the Information Commissioners Office.

Strong CMMPH presence at ICM conference in Prague!

BU research, Featured academics, PG research, Publishing, Research news, Training, Uncategorized

Dr. Carol Wilkins

In the first week of June members of the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health presented BU’s midwifery research and education at the 30th ICM (International Confederation of Midwives) Congress in Prague (Czech Republic).

There were four oral presentations in total, one workshop and three poster presentations.  The oral presentations comprised:

  1. Dr. Carol Wilkins (see picture) presented from her Ph.D. work ‘Emotional processing in childbirth study: exploration of the relationship between maternal emotions in pregnancy and risk of postnatal depression’.
  2. HSC Professor Vanora Hundley presented her international work on clean birth kits.
  3. Senior Lecturer in Midwifery Alison Taylor gave a paper under the title ‘Letting off steam! Video diaries to share breastfeeding experiences.  Her Ph.D. thesis research uses a novel approach of giving hand-held cameras to make home video diaries about their ‘realities’ of breastfeeding.
  4. HSC student Sheetal Sharma presented her Ph.D. research ‘Getting women to care: mixed–methods evaluation of maternity care intervention in rural Nepal’.

Dr Susan Way led a workshop on escalating concerns in relation to poor clinical practice and disrespectful care.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furthermore, three HSC posters were displayed as part of a special session on Midwifery in South Asia, all three related to different CMMPH maternity care studies conducted in Nepal.

  1. Sharma, S.  Sicuri, E., Belizan, JM., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Stephens J.,  Hundley, V., Angell, C.,  Getting women to care in Nepal: A Difference in Difference analysis of a health promotion intervention
  2. Milne, L, Hundley, V, van Teijlingen, E, Ireland, J, Simkhada, P, Staff perspectives of barriers to women accessing birthing services in Nepal: A qualitative study,
  3. Sharma, S., van Teijlingen, E., Hundley, V. Simkhada, P., Angell, C. Pregnant & Dirty?

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Making a Difference with Music

BU research, Festival of Learning, Fusion

I have to admit I was not having the best of weeks but being part of the BUDI Orchestra’s penultimate rehearsal yesterday was, as one of the participants said to me at the end the session, ‘better than therapy’. 

Some of the highlights for me of this week’s session were a couple celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary by bringing chocolates and biscuits to share with their orchestra friends and telling me this session was the ideal way to celebrate this pretty remarkable period of marriage; another couple who had told me they have been having difficulties communicating reaching out simultaneously for one another’s hands when Moon River was playing; and having people with dementia and their carers tell me that attending this group is the highlight of their week, indeed that they need no persuasion to get out of bed knowing they have their music group to come along to; and to hear that they consider the members of the group their friends. This all demonstrates the true achievement of the BSO musicians, BU students and my team members in rising to the deceptively simple challenge I set for this project: to create an atmosphere that was welcoming, fun, promoted equality between everyone, and where having dementia was not to be the guiding factor, rather for everyone to be part of a ‘normal’ group where people would learn and work together. And they have achieved this in spades!

Seeing for myself the progress and development in those with dementia who have participated over a 9 week period makes this project worthwhile. For example a man, who on week one who was having trouble remembering how to play his double bass (even though he didn’t need much encouragement to teach me some basic notes), now jamming with the professional musicians; how another man, who brought his mouth organ to the first session and began to recall how to play, now plays all the pieces by ear and is smiling from ear to ear after the session ends. Seeing the relaxation and concentration on participants’ faces who had been anxious about first week, but who are completely in the moment and whose verbal communication skills have, to me, taken an absolute upturn, and who now chat easily and at length during the break and at the session end. For example, one participant invited me to their previous home if I was ever passing, it doesn’t matter that they live in Dorset now and were talking about their old address, the important thing is they have increased their sense of social confidence and are reaching out and connecting with others, something that is, all too often, sadly lost by others failing to accommodate the communication needs of those with dementia.

 Have a look yourself at one of the items that will be performed by the BSO and BUDI Orchestra at the Winton life centre on Saturday 14 June, 11am, as part of the BU Festival of Learning programme. I’ve already shown this  to whomever I met yesterday afternoon, and the surprise on colleagues’ faces when they understood that this was a group of people with dementia who had only been rehearsing for 9 weeks and the majority of whom had never played an instrument before was fun to see! Moving from playing, to singing to body percussion in one piece is challenging and demonstrates the development in learning the musicians have enabled over the sessions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oscti3517ww

 To me, this project is a way to challenge the misconceptions and myths people hold about people with dementia not being able to learn and participate to a high level. I wish I could bottle the benefits that I observed in our participants, and, actually, the benefits that I have gained from being a small part of a truly special group that has created an amazing sense of community with acceptance, fun and friendship at its core.

 The group are already feeling the loss of these sessions as they know they only have one more rehearsal and then the performance and then our FIF funding stops. Yet this is what I would say is true impact: yes, we have the papers and other academic impact values, and we will seek to publish after the sessions end and the follow up period data is collected, but to see the development in how the professional musicians work with those with dementia, most who in the main had not worked with people with dementia before and their absolute engagement and commitment to creating a positive experience for the group; to see how our students have grown in confidence, and the relationships they have built with individuals with dementia is fantastic and demonstrates the impact of learning together. But most of all, to hear about, and see first-hand, the pleasure and benefits for those living with dementia and their carers makes this the best project I’ve ever had the pleasure of being part of, and if anyone has ideas about finding ways to fund this project beyond its research parameters as an on-going community engagement project, please do let me know!

Learning the Italian way

Last week we were on a study visit to Italy and were lucky enough to visit and meet Italian colleagues from four regions who are doing some pretty innovative work in their respective work places. Of particular interest to us was a museum project in Rome (given our visit to MOMA last year and the workshops they delivered last month for staff and students and also museum and heritage workers from across the UK), and two music projects, one a music therapy project in the North of Italy run, and another violin group in Rome (as we have our ongoing BSO/BUDI orchestra project) but what I ended up being surprised and really excited about was the work of a colleague, Dr Andrea Fabbo, a geriatrician who is responsible for dementia services for the Local Health Trust in Modena, an area devastated by an earthquake a few years ago but with the silver lining of many new dementia projects being funded as a result. The images included in this post are great examples to ‘myth bust’ the risk aversion that is often shown to those living with dementia. Those who attend the services in Modena are encouraged to cook, to garden and to swim, normal activities that are too often denied to those living with dementia who may lose some of their abilities to undertake such tasks and rather than assist them to retain their skills with the changes in their cognitive abilities too often these tasks are performed by others in well meaning attempts to provide the support people with dementia need. We were lucky to meet innovative academics and practitioners on our trip, but our Italian colleagues were clear that these type of project are highly unusual in Italy where a traditional clinical approach is taken based on a biomedical understanding of dementia, but as you can see from the images here Andrea and his team have created a fantastic example of psycho-social support for those living with dementia that promote social inclusion and fun for those with dementia.

Delivering healthcare in prisons

BU research

Last week Jane Senior from University of Manchester and Research Project Manager of the Offender Health Research Network (OHRN) visited Bournemouth University. She came to BU to share her recent research findings with students, staff and professionals working with prisoners and ex-offenders.

Jane is a clinician-researcher who is a qualified mental health nurse with over 20 years post qualification experience of working in prisons and secure mental health settings. During the session Jane presented findings from three recent research projects:

  • Liaison and diversion services in England
  • Mental health in-reach service
  • Critical Time Intervention

These large-scale studies have been undertaken in collaboration with a number of UK Universities and also Columbia University, New York.

Those who attended particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to discuss with Jane the implications for her findings for professional practice now and in the future. One attendee said the session ‘was excellent – very interesting and engaging’ and another ‘ I really enjoyed the format of the session – so informative’. The critical Time Intervention is on-going research project and several of the professionals attending  the session felt was a great opportunity to learn more about this new pilot initiative.  The session was made possible through funding from the Society and Social Welfare Community.

Erasmus+ partner universities e-workshops

BU research

 3rd Sustainable e-Tourism Research and Applications

Virtual Workshop

25 June 2014
Participating Erasmus Mundus partner Universities:

Bournemouth University (UK), University Lyon2,
Staffordshire University (UK), Universite Joseph Fourier Grenoble 1
and Universita degli Studi del Sannio (Italy)

Aims & Subjects

Workshop Aims

The workshop is organized under the Erasmus-Mundus Action 2 “Sustainable e-tourism program”.

This third edition of the workshop aims to promote knowledge exchanges, discussion, and dialogue on innovative management issues in e-tourism, effective and more efficient approaches to the Sustainable e-Tourism programs our partner universities.

The workshop series mainly involves PhD students of the program. The first and second edition of the workshop took place at June 2012 and May 2013.

Master, PhD as well as Post-Doc members of the program were involved.

The overall objectives of these workshops under the Erasmus Mundus Action 2, Sustainable e-tourism are:

To enhance the capacity for international cooperation between universities in Asia and universities in EU countries by facilitating mobility of people, transfer of know-how and best practices by training the researchers and academic staff of the next generation.

To develop new co-operative teaching and research links in the tourism sector and to enhance knowledge and skills of teaching staff, students and researchers in promoting a sustainable e-Tourism philosophy.

To transfer the technology and knowledge in the following fields: business and strategy in the tourism industry, knowledge management, advanced ICT, cross-cultural analysis among the research patterns.

To set up innovative management policies based on the use of ICT, which enhance sustainable development in the tourism sector in Europe and Asia and help to create and spear knowledge in both directions.

Workshop topics

Knowledge management and related topics for e-tourism   –  Mobile technology for e-tourism   –   The reputation and trust model in social network  –   Product lifecycle management  –  Product data management and Eco-product lifecycle management   –   Multi agent system for dynamic web service composition   -Customer relation management for e-tourism -e-Commerce   –   e-Business for e-tourism   –   e-Learning and human capital for e-tourism   –  Sustainable Management for e-tourism   –  Sustainable Supply chain   –  Tourism Destination Images   –  Tourist behaviour and e-tourism marketing   –   Semantic Web/Web services/ontology   –   Information retrieval / Service recommendation   –
Web search personalization / customization   –   User profile management / context management   –   Social networks / collaborative filtering   –  User privacy protection – Natural language processing – Classification / clustering algorithms – Location based services –  Robotics and Applications

Workshop Committee:

General Co-Chair:

Xi YU, University of Lyon 2, France

Program Co-Chair:

Fei YUAN , Staffordshire University, UK
Lei MU, Universite Joseph Fourier Grenoble 1
Trung Hien NGUYEN International School Vietnam National University, Italy
Vivek Chacko, Bournemouth University, UK
Xi YU , University of Lyon 2, France

Scientific Committee:

Prof.Abdelaziz Bouras, University of Lyon 2, France
Prof.Hongnian Yu, Bournemouth University, UK
Prof. Lbath Ahmed, Universite Joseph Fourier Grenoble 1, France
Prof. Yacine Ouzrout, University of Lyon 2, France
Prof. Matteo Mario Savino ,Universita degli Studi del Sannio, BIOGEM, Italy
Prof. Paul Jean-Jacques, Royal University of Law and Economics ,Cambodia
MA. Do Thu Huong,International School – Vietnam National University,Vietnam
Dr. Garidkhuu Ariuntuul,Health Sciences University of Mongolia, Mongolia
Dr. Nouansavanh Khamlusa,National University of Laos, Laos
Mr Ou Yusong, Chengdu University, China
Dr.Nopasit Chackpitak, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
Dr. Aurélie Charles, University of Lyon 2, France
Dr. Néjib Moalla, University of Lyon 2, France
Dr. Antoine Nongaillard, University of Lyon 2, France
Dr. Vincent Renner, University of Lyon 2, France
Dr. Aicha Sekhari, University of Lyon 2, France
Dr. Wided Batat, University of Lyon 2, France

Contacts at BU: Prof. Hongnian Yu and Vivek Chacko

Data as Utility and Analytics as a Service

BU research, Uncategorized

We are currently experiencing an incredible, explosive growth in digital content and information. According to IDC, there currently exists over 2.7 zetabytes of data. It is estimated that the digital universe in 2020 will be 50 times as big as in 2010 and that from now until 2020 it will double every two years. Research in traditionally qualitative disciplines is fundamentally changing due to the availability of such vast amounts of data. In fact, data-intensive computing has been named as the fourth paradigm of scientific discovery and is expected to be key in unifying the theoretical, experimental and simulation based approaches to science. The commercial world has also been transformed by a focus on BIG DATA with companies competing on analytics. Data has become a commodity and in recent years has been referred to as the ‘new oil’. We are entering a new era of predictive analytics and data intensive computingwhich has been recognised worldwide with various high profile reports highlighting the challenges and attempting to quantify its huge potential benefits.

In addition to our previously advertised Data Science workshop suitable for a broader audience (Data Scientist: The sexiest job of the 21st century?), this much more focused EPSRC IT as a Utility Network+ (http://www.itutility.ac.uk/) and EU INFER (http://www.infer.eu/) co-sponsored event organised as part of the Bournemouth University’s Festival of Learning will explore the value of very quickly growing data and feasibility of providing data and predictive analytics as services in various industries, public sector and academic disciplines.

The workshop will feature five invited 30 minutes talks to set up the scene for:

i) looking at the growing value of data and treating it as a utility; and

ii) feasibility of providing data and predictive analytics as a service on a large scale and across many industries and disciplines.

The talks will be followed by breakout interactive/discussion sessions in mixed groups with potential linking of partners for various follow on activities (grant applications, proof of concept projects etc.).

The attendance is free and if you are interested to join us please register following this link: http://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/festival-of-learning/events/data-as-a-utility-and-analytics-as-a-service/.

Confirmed invited speakers:

Prof. Nello Cristianini, Prof. of Artificial Intelligence, University of Bristol, UK

Prof. Detlef Nauck, Chief Research Scientist, BT’s Research and Innovation Division, UK

Tom Quay, Director, We Are Base Ltd, UK

Prof. Trevor Martin, Prof. of Artificial Intelligence, University of Bristol, UK

Dr. Dymitr Ruta, Chief Researcher, EBTIC, Khalifa University, UAE

 

Date: 9 June 2014: 12pm – 6pm.

Location: 3rd Floor, Executive Business Centre, 89 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8EB

Workshop programme:

12.00 – 12.45 – Registration and buffet lunch.

12.45 – 13.00 – Welcome and introduction (Bogdan Gabrys, Bournemouth University, UK)

13.00 – 13.30 – Prof. Detlef Nauck (BT, UK)

13.30 – 14.00 –Prof. Nello Cristianini (Bristol University, UK)

14.00 – 14.30 – Tom Quay (We Are Base Ltd, UK)

14.30 – 15.00 – Coffee break

15.00 – 15.30 – Prof. Trevor Martin (Bristol University/BT, UK)

15.30 – 16.00 – Dr Dymitr Ruta (EBTIC, Khalifa University, UAE)

16.00 – 16.15 – Break

16.15 – 17.15 – Breakout discussion sessions: i) data as a utility; ii) analytics as a service.

17.15 – 18.00 – Summary, recommendations and follow on actions.

 

Please contact the workshop chair, Prof. Bogdan Gabrys (bgabrys@bournemouth.ac.uk), if you require any further information.

BU Nepal health research at international midwifery conference

BU research, PG research, Research news, Uncategorized

Yesterday HSC Ph.D. student Sheetal Sharma presented her key research findings under the title ‘Getting women to care: mixed–methods evaluation of maternity care intervention in rural Nepal’ at the 30th congress of the ICM (International Confederation of Midwives) in Prague.   Sheetal’s Ph.D. evaluates the effectiveness of a health promotion intervention aiming antenatal care attendance in rural Nepal.  Her evaluation suggests that practice should be socio-culturally appropriate and inclusive not only of women but also their families.

This afternoon three HSC posters were displayed as part of a special session on Midwifery in South Asia.  All three posters featured aspects of maternity care research conducted in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health in Nepal.

Poster 1:        Staff perspectives of barriers to women accessing birthing services in Nepal: A qualitative study

Milne, L, Hundley, V, van Teijlingen, E, Ireland, J, Simkhada, P,

Poster 2:        Pregnant & Dirty?

Sharma, S., van Teijlingen, E., Hundley, V. Simkhada, P., Angell, C.

Poster 3:        Getting women to care in Nepal: A Difference in Difference analysis of a health promotion intervention

Sharma, S.  Sicuri, E., Belizan, JM., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Stephens J., Hundley, V., Angell, C.

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

MoMA lead the way – what does this mean for the UK?

BU research, Fusion, Training

BUDI were delighted to welcome colleagues from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York to Bournemouth University from 20-23rd May 2014, thanks to Fusion Investment Fund Mobility Strand Funding. Our local partnership working was put into practice to host international workshop leaders attended by participants near and far. MoMA’s specially trained Museum Educators ran two workshops in which they shared their successful model and established approach for making their services dementia-friendly (validated via evaluation from New York University). These workshops showcased their innovative style of education delivery, and provided attendees with an opportunity to hear the success of their approach and view a practical demonstration in a gallery or museum space.

 On 21st May 2014, 15 members of BU Staff and PhD Students took part in a free workshop at Talbot Campus and in the Atrium Art Gallery. This was followed on the 22nd May 2014 with a second workshop at Poole Museum which was attended by 40 participants currently working in museums, art galleries and the wider heritage sector, from as near as Poole and as far as Paris. During this workshop participants learnt how they could implement these approaches within their individual organisations. Participant’s fed back how useful they found the workshop:

  • It was a really good insight into what it’s like to provide for people with dementia. It was great to spend time looking at the paintings in the museum in a new way.
  • I will adopt my art gallery sessions to follow many of MoMA’s techniques.
  • I found the workshop both enjoyable and constructive and hope BUDI will run others on related topics.
  • Very well facilitated, clear well structured presentations. Very useful for my professional work.

We look forward to seeing how the participant’s learning translates into their future practice, and the wider impact of this approach within museums, art galleries and the heritage sector in the UK. We would also like to thank Poole Museum for kindly providing the venue and refreshments for the second workshop.

Michelle Heward

Data scientist: The sexiest job of the 21st century?

BU research, Festival of Learning

UK Government has identified Data Science as the ‘transforming and growth driving force across all sectors of economy’ and named Big Data as one of the ‘eight great technologies’. With an unprecedented growth in digital content and data, as the digital universe in 2020 is estimated to be 50 times as big as in 2010, we have entered a new era of predictive analytics and data intensive computing. Data scientists are expected to play a key role in this data revolution and their job has even been referred to as “the sexiest job of the 21st century”. This EU INFER sponsored one-day open workshop will combine talks by eminent speakers, a panel-audience discussion, exhibition of projects, hands-on experience session with a number of digital devices and provide a chance to meet data science experts from academia and industry.

Please register at: (http://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/festival-of-learning/events/data-scientist-the-sexiest-job-of-the-21st-century/) and join us during this exciting event.

Date: 10 June 2014: 9am – 6pm.

Location: 3rd Floor, Executive Business Centre, 89 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8EB

Workshop chair: Prof. Bogdan Gabrys, Data Science Institute, Bournemouth University

Detailed program of the workshop:

9.00 – 9.15 – Welcome and introduction

9.15 – 10.15 – Prof. Nello Cristianini (Bristol University, UK), ThinkBIG : The Impact of Big Data on Science and Society

10.15 – 10.30 – Break

10.30 – 11.30 – Prof. David van Dyk (Imperial College London, UK), Big Data and Complex Modeling Challenges in Astronomy and Solar Physics

11.30 – 14.30 – Lunch combined with networking, exhibitions, poster session and hands on experimenting.

14.30 – 15.45 – Panel discussion: Is Data Science “the transforming and growth driving force across all sectors of economy”? Is a Data Scientist the “sexiest job of the 21st century”? (Panelists to include the keynote speakers and a number of users and experts from academia as well as public and private sectors)

15.45 – 16.00 – Break

16.00 – 17.00 – Prof. Detlef Nauck (BT, UK), Predictive Analytics and Big Data

17.00 – 17.15 – Break

17.15 – 18.00 – Prof. Bogdan Gabrys (Bournemouth University, UK), Data Science at BU

 

Information about invited keynote talks and speakers:

Talk 1: ThinkBIG: The Impact of Big Data on Science and Society by Prof. Nello Cristianini, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Bristol University

Abstract: Computers can now do things that their programmers cannot explain or understand: today’s Artificial Intelligence has found a way to bypass the need for understanding a phenomenon before we can replicate it in a computer. The technology that made this possible is called machine learning: a method to program computers by showing them examples of the desired behaviour. And the fuel that powers it all is DATA. Lots of it.

For this reason, data has been called the new oil: a new natural resource, that businesses and scientists alike can leverage, by feeding it to massive learning computers to do things that we do not understand well enough to implement them with a traditional program. This new way of working is all about predicting, not explaining. It is about knowing what a new drug will do to a patient, not why. But: was not science meant to help us make sense of the world? Or is it just meant to deliver good predictions? And let us remember that the fuel that powers this revolution is very often our own personal data, and that we still do not have a clear cultural framework to think about this.

Short Bio Note: Nello Cristianini is a Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Bristol. His current research covers the large scale analysis of media content (news and social media), using various AI methods, and the implications of Big Data.

Cristianini is the co-author of two widely known books in machine learning, “An Introduction to Support Vector Machines” and “Kernel Methods for Pattern Analysis” and of a book in bioinformatics “Introduction to Computational Genomics”. He is also a former recipient of the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award and a current holder of a European Research Council Advanced Grant.

Talk 2: Big Data and Complex Modeling Challenges in Astronomy and Solar Physics by Prof. David van Dyk, Professor of Statistics, Imperial College London

Abstract: In recent years, technological advances have dramatically increased the quality and quantity of data available to astronomers.  Newly launched or soon-to-be launched space-based telescopes are tailored to data-collection challenges associated with specific scientific goals. These instruments provide massive new surveys resulting in new catalogs containing terabytes of data, high resolution spectrography and imaging across the electromagnetic spectrum, and incredibly detailed movies of dynamic and explosive processes in the solar atmosphere. These new data streams are helping scientists make impressive strides in our understanding of the physical universe, but at the same time generating massive data-analytic and data-mining challenges for scientists who study the resulting data. This talk will give an overview of a number of statistical challenges that arise form big data and complex models in astronomy and solar physics.

Short Bio Note: David van Dyk is a Professor in the Statistics Section of the Department of Mathematics at Imperial College London. After obtaining his PhD from the University of Chicago, he held faculty positions at Harvard University and the University of California, Irvine before relocating to London in 2011. Professor van Dyk was elected Fellow in the American Statistical Association in 2006, elected Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics in 2010, received a Wolfson Merit Award in 2011, and was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Statistical Association (2015-17). His scholarly work focuses on methodological and computational issues involved with Bayesian analysis of highly structured statistical models and emphasizes serious interdisciplinary research, especially in astronomy. He founded and coordinates the CHASC International Astrostatistics Center and is particularly interested in improving the efficiency of computationally intensive methods involving data augmentation, such as EM-type algorithms and various Markov chain Monte Carlo methods.

Talk 3: Predictive Analytics and Big Data by Prof Dr Detlef Nauck, Chief Research Scientist, BT

Abstract: Detlef’s research focuses on exploiting large operational data sources to improve BT’s systems, networks and processes. The ultimate goal is the introduction of autonomic systems into operations that can learn from historic data to self- improve, self-configure and self-heal. In his presentation, Detlef will discuss how the application of predictive analytics to operational data has led to a number of solutions in BT’s operations that predict performance of networks, systems and processes, and forecast expected demand. Detlef will also discuss some current research topics at BT, which range from automatic discovery of patterns, to autonomic behaviour in processes and systems, to the challenges of exploiting Big Data.

Short Bio Note: Detlef Nauck is a Chief Research Scientist with BT’s Research and Innovation Division located at Adastral Park, Ipswich, UK. He is leading a group of international scientists working on Intelligent Data Analysis and Autonomic Systems. He is a Visiting Professor at Bournemouth University and a Private Docent at the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany. Detlef holds an MSc (1990) and a PhD (1994) in Computer Science both from the University of Braunschweig, Germany. He also holds a Habilitation (post-doctoral degree) in Computer Science from the Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Germany (2000). Detlef has published over 120 papers, holds 4 patents and 20 active patent applications.

New tourism texts by Professor Stephen Page

BU research, Research news

Fourth editions have been published of two popular textbooks by Professor Stephen Page from BU’s School of Tourism.

Tourism: A Modern Synthesis

 

This is a leading international full colour publication used as an introductory course text with a significant web learning resource supporting student learning.  It is co-written with Dr Joanne Connell from Exeter Business School. The new edition provides many new perspectives on the fast changing nature of global tourism.

 

 

The Geography of Tourism and Recreation: Environment, Place and Space

This written with Professor Michael Hall at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and published by Routledge.  First published in 1999, this soon became established as the leading text used by Geographers (and many non-Geographers) as a scholarly introduction to the nature of tourism and recreation as a spatial phenomenon including its impacts in different environments.  A key feature of the book is its almost encyclopaedic coverage of the literature, acting both as a reference source and roadmap to the way geography has embraced the study of tourism, leisure and recreation over the last 100 years.

 

This new edition has been very well received and positively reviewed:

“They just keep getting better and better. This new edition of The Geography of Tourism and Recreation is an outstanding example of contemporary and cutting-edge thinking in the dynamic subfield of tourism geographies. It exemplifies a heterogeneous approach to understanding the spatial implications of tourism, the industry and its functions in diverse settings and ecosystems, and its impacts on human and natural environments. For an innovative examination of current trends in tourism, this book is essential reading for anyone who studies, teaches, or practices the business, art and science of tourism.”

Professor Timothy J Dallen, School of Community Resources and Development, Arizona State University, USA.

“In the often nebulous and many-sided world of tourism geographies, where space and place are simultaneously attraction and constraint, product and site, destination and experience, there are no more knowledgeable, versatile or sure footed guides than C.Michael Hall and Stephen Page. They have led a generation of students and researchers and in this fourth edition they continue the intellectual journey into the emerging social, economic and political realities of the 21st century.”

Professor G.J.Ashworth, Department of Planning, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, Netherlands.

3rd edition of ‘Evaluating Public Relations’ published

BU research, Publishing, Research news

The third edition of the enduring public relations text, Evaluating Public Relations, has been published by Kogan Page. Much revised by authors Professor Tom Watson (Media School) and former lecturer Paul Noble, the book has greater emphasis on the measurement of social media and concepts of value created by that communication.

“When the first edition of Evaluating Public Relations came out in 2005, it mostly dealt with the measurement of media relations activity”, Professor Watson said. “In it, we included a chapter on how to measure PR-influenced coverage on a no- or low-cost basis. An updated version is included in the latest edition.

“But the world of PR practice has moved on and so the book includes the measurement and evaluation of social media, more focus on outcomes rather than outputs, and advice to meet increasing demands that PR/communication delivers value to the organisation.”

Professor Watson said that the new edition calls for PR/communication practitioners to take “a big step forward in the planning and strategy-setting processes.”

“Not only should communication objectives align with organisational objectives, but practitioners must ensure that communication is part of the organisation or client’s own objectives.”

The third edition includes new and revised chapters based on Professor Watson’s research into the history of PR measurement and his work, with Professor Ansgar Zerfass of Leipzig University, on methods of performance management in PR/communications.