Category / Featured academics

The Month in Research: November 2023

BU research, Featured, Featured academics, Research communication, Research news

A cartoon image of black and white hands clapping on a yellow background

The Month in Research

The Month in Research is our new monthly round-up sharing research and knowledge exchange successes from across the previous month, showcasing the amazing work taking place across BU.

Your achievements

Thank you to everyone who has used the online form to put forward their achievements, or those of colleagues, this month.

Funding  

Congratulations to all those who have had funding for research and knowledge exchange projects and activities awarded this month. Highlights include

  • Dr Kathryn Collins (Faculty of Health and Social Science) has been awarded c.£186,000 by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) for their project Exploring the feasibility of using neuromuscular electrical stimulation for lower limb weakness after stroke
  • Professor Anna Feigenbaum (Faculty of Media and Communication) has been awarded c.£24,000 by the NHS for their project Co-creating storytelling artefacts on the Secure Data Environments project
  • Dr Alex Fry (Faculty of Health and Social Science) has been awarded c.£30,000 by the Church of England for their project Understanding the Wellbeing of Disabled Clergy

Publications

Congratulations to all those who have had work published across the last month. Below is a selection of publications from throughout November:

Content for The Month in Research has been collected using the research and knowledge exchange database (RED), the Bournemouth University Research Online (BURO) repository and submissions via The Month in Research online form. It is by no means intended to be an exhaustive list. All information is correct as of 27.11.23.

Please use The Month in Research online form to share your highlights and achievements, or those of colleagues, for the next monthly round-up.

Congratulations to BU sociology professors

BU research, Featured academics, international, open access, Publishing, Uncategorized, Women's Academic Network, writing

Congratulations to Professors  Sara Ashencaen Crabtree and Jonathan Parker on the publication  of their book chapter ‘Social work with children and human rights’ in the edited collection Change Agents: An interprofessional book about children with disabilities in Tanzania and Norway [1]. 

The chapter explores human rights in social work with children, based on cases from several countries in the world. Human rights and social justice differ across countries and cultures. This is complicated further in respect of children who are dependent and as a result potentially vulnerable. This chapter discusses the balance between protection of the child versus allowing the child to be exposed to “risky” situations and develops a model for complex human rights social work with children.

The book also has a chapter by former BU staff member Prof. Sarah Hean, who is currently linked with the University of Stavanger in Norway.
Congratulations on this Open Access publication!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Reference:

Parker, J. &  Ashencaen Crabtree, S. (2023)  Social work with children and human rights, In: Change Agents: An interprofessional book about children with disabilities in Tanzania and Norway, Siv E. N. Sæbjørnsen, Mariana J. Makuu, & Atle Ødegård (Editors),  Scandinavian University Press, pp.55-75. 

Social Capital in Crises: Waves in Climate Change, Oil, Economic Shocks and Migrations – Local Economic Development Impacts in Europe

BU research, Events, Featured academics

A talk by BUBS Professor Dr Davide Parrilli, member of BU University Senate and the external editorial board on “European Planning Studies.” Hosted at the Committee Room, Fifth Floor, Poole House, BU Talbot Campus, Fernbarrow, 2-3pm, Wednesday, 22 November, 2023. This important cross-disciplinary seminar welcomes all, being of high relevance to current global news.

“Local Economic Development and the Challenge of Critical Social Transformations”

Abstract
“Local economic/production systems have been a focus of actions and discussion for many years across Europe. Within an evolutionary perspective, these systems change and adapt to respond to new changing scenarios, challenges and demands of the wider social and economic community. It is the case of the challenges raised by climate change and 2016 Paris Agreement or the recent COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, or by exogenous shocks to supply and demand due to present international crises. In this presentation the discussion centres around the evolution of local economic systems and identifies a specific challenge and gap that could and should be addressed soon both theoretically and from a development policy perspective. This is the social capital linked to the important migration waves that have modified the social spectrum of European socio-economies and are producing a strong impact on the way local economic development works. Open discussions and dynamic and comprehensive actions are required to address these important transformations, whilst recognising the “social embeddedness of economic action” and promoting the social capital that ignites the competitive capacity of these local economic systems.”
Best wishes,
Davide

M. Davide Parrilli, PhD (Birmingham), MPhil (Sussex), SFHEA, FeRSA
Professor of Regional Economic Development
BUBS PhD Programme Coordinator
BUBS Output Champion
Professorial Member of University Senate
Bournemouth University Business School
AACSB Accredited; SBC Accredited; EFMD Member
& Associate Editor/Editorial Board of “European Planning Studies”

Posted by Fiona Vidler MBA MSc MLIBF – Note: For any further information or RSVP this Free Event, please do contact direct the esteemed BU Professor Dr Davide Parrilli dparrilli@bournemouth.ac.uk

Challenges and New Directions in Journalism Education

BU research, Featured academics, Fusion, Industry collaboration

“What journalism should we teach?” “How can the academy drive and lead change in practice?” These questions run like a red thread through a new publication produced by a collective of BU academics. Challenges and New Directions in Journalism Education (Routledge) draws on original and innovative contributions from educators, practitioners and students – including BU alumni. Its aim: to inform our understanding of journalism pedagogy in the context of ongoing shifts in journalism practice that often run deeper than merely technological change. Some observers describe journalism as broken – accused of elitism and often branded as too far removed from the reality of people’s lives. Beleaguered by a persistent crisis of trust, journalists and journalism are often portrayed as core to the problem, rather than the solution. Inclusivity remains an urgent issue with news organisations and industry councils, such as the National Council for the Training of Journalists intensifying protocols in a bid to create more diverse newsrooms.

Against this background, Challenges and New Directions in Journalism Education engages with a series of key themes and objectives: These include discussions around safeguarding, sustainability, journalism’s ‘democratic deficit’, integrating media literacy, podcasting and the ‘post-pandemic’ context. Each chapter draws on a research-informed approach: primary data, case studies and examples to describe and unpack the topic, and concludes with practical suggestions for journalism educators. The core tenet is the importance of listening — to the voices of students, the requirements of industry and to each other.

The book is accompanied by a podcast, in which the chapter authors expand on the final section of the book – Reflections. “ Journalists don’t often have time to reflect on their practice” says the book’s editor, Professor Karen Fowler-Watt “their work is tomorrow’s ‘fish and chip wrapper’ – so it was refreshing to have the time and space to discuss with each other the findings of our chapters and our own thoughts about the process of writing this book”. The book concludes with a Manifesto for Change, drawn up by the authors — it is intended to spark a conversation within and between industry and the academy.

The podcast (deftly edited by Jason Hallett) also includes the findings of a ‘call and response’ exercise with final year students of BA (Hons) Multimedia Journalism. Each chapter author devised a question for the students to debate and produce a call to action in response – this exercise was discussed further with journalism.co.uk. Senior reporter Jacob Grainger devoted the latest podcast to an interview with Karen Fowler-Watt, who is a former BBC journalist, about the book project, the students’ responses and ways of growing the next generation of journalists. They also discuss how journalism schools and news organisations can work together towards the shared goal of producing journalists that are ready to hit the ground running in industry. Never has this been more important than now – the conversation is only just beginning!


Challenges and New Directions in Journalism Education is published by Routledge.
Editor: Karen Fowler-Watt
Chapter authors – Members of the Journalism Education Research Group (JERG):
Andrew Bissell; Jaron Murphy; Graham Majin; David Brine; Michael Sunderland; Jo Royle; Max Mauro and Julian McDougall; Fiona Cownie; De-Graft Mensah (BBC Newsround presenter and BU alumnus); Daniel Henry (ITV News reporter).

The 2 part podcast: I Challenges and II New Directions is available under ‘Support Materials’ for the book.
The journalism.co.uk podcast is available here.

The Month in Research: October 2023

BU research, Featured, Featured academics, Post-award, pre-award, Research communication

A cartoon image of black and white hands clapping on a yellow background

The Month in Research is our new monthly round-up sharing research and knowledge exchange successes from across the previous month, showcasing the amazing work taking place across BU.

Your achievements

Thank you to everyone who has used the online form to put forward their achievements, or those of colleagues, this month.

  • Dr Rounaq Nayak, Senior Lecturer in Sustainability, has been awarded the prestigious UKRI (ESRC) Policy Fellowship. They will be hosted by the Wales Centre for Public Policy for 18 months where they will explore the utility of using evidence from people with lived experience in informing public policy. Read more.
  • Dr Jan Lewis, Visiting Fellow in the Faculty of Media and Communication, was awarded the MeCCSA (Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association) Outstanding Achievement Award, Doctoral Research of the Year, for their PhD thesis entitled “Mediating the Past: BBC Radio Archaeology Broadcasting, 1922-1966”
  • Mike Scott, Postgraduate Researcher in the Centre for Excellence in Media Practice (CEMP) presented at the Neurodiversity in Higher Education (NDinHE) conference at Bristol University with a talk about Virtual Communities of Practice. Watch the talk.
  • Professor Darren Lilleker, Professor of Political Communication, participated in a live and streamed debate on the topic: Citizens or Spectators
  • Professor Zulfiqar Khan, Professor of Engineering, has received research exchange funding by Tsinghua University in Beijing, China to collaborate with Professor Yonggang Meng of Tsinghua University to explore the question of how to achieve super low friction in water-based ultralow or super low friction experiments. This has the potential to improve the efficiency of mechanical components and reduce energy consumption in various industries.
  • Professor Dinusha Mendis, Professor of Intellectual Property and Innovation Law, had their research cited as part of a Parliamentary report published by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee around cryptoassets and intellectual property rights. Read more.

Funding

Congratulations to all those who have had funding for research and knowledge exchange projects and activities awarded this month. Highlights include:

  • Dr Hongchuan Yu (Faculty of Media and Communication) has been awarded c.£287,000 by Horizon Europe MSCA for their project Affective Computing Models: from Facial Expression to Mind-Reading
  • Dr Kate Terkanian (Faculty of Media and Communication) has been awarded c.£47,000 by the Heritage Lottery fund for their project Coastal Communities, Coastal Stories
  • Dr Pramod Regmi (Faculty of Health and Social Sciences) has been awarded c.£426,000 by the US Federal Government for their project Modern Slavery and kidney disease in migrant workers in Nepal. Read more.
  • Professor Marcin Budka (Faculty of Science and Technology) has been awarded c.£220,000 by Innovate UK for a Knowledge Exchange Transfer partnership with Bluestar Software Ltd for their project Investigative Assistance Module for Police Forces.
  • Dr Mili Shrivastava (Business School) has been awarded c.£29,000 by Innovate UK for their project Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans (LIDP), Innovate UK Poole Harbour Commissioners
  • Professor Mel Hughes (Faculty of Health and Social Sciences) has been awarded c.£84,000 by the NHS for their project Dorset ICS engaging homeless and vulnerably housed in research
  • Dr Catherine Talbot, Dr Xin Zhao and Dr Tabitha Baker were all awarded seed funding from the British Academy as part of the BA Early Career Researcher Network. Read more

Publications

Congratulations to all those who have had work published across the last month. Below is a selection of publications from throughout October:

 Content for The Month in Research has been collected using the research and knowledge exchange database (RED), the Bournemouth University Research Online (BURO) repository and submissions via The Month in Research online form. It is by no means intended to be an exhaustive list. All information is correct as of 27.10.23.

Please use The Month in Research online form to share your highlights and achievements, or those of colleagues, for the next monthly round-up.

Research by BU academic on NFTs, Blockchain and IP law cited in Parliamentary Report

BU research, Featured academics, Fusion themes, innovation, parliament, policy, REF Subjects, Research news, Uncategorized

A report on ‘NFTs and the Blockchain: the risks to sport and culture’ recently published by the Parliamentary Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMSC) cites research by Bournemouth University’s (BU’s) Professor Dinusha Mendis.

The report follows the consultation that was conducted by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in November 2022 and outlines how Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and blockchains should be tackled in the future, particularly in relation to art and culture; professional sport and advertising.

In relation to intellectual property rights (IPRs), the report cites copyright infringement, limited recourse and redress (for consumers and creators), the scale of infringement, consumer confusion and the inflexibility of transferring IP as the main issues that needs consideration.

In responding to these issues, the report cites the research by Prof. Mendis calling for more protection for consumers and creators as a result of rising IP infringements, scams and frauds. The report also identifies the unique nature of NFTs and blockchains and cites Prof. Mendis’ research in demonstrating how current laws – such as ‘notice and takedown’ or ‘the right to be forgotten’ – which apply in other circumstances relating to piracy and counterfeiting, may not necessarily apply to online marketplaces. As such, the report recommends a code of conduct to be adopted by online platforms dealing with NFTs.

The hype surrounding NFTs was short-lived and in mid-2022, investors saw a collapse in the NFT market. However, as the report states, “cryptoassets such as NFTs continue to have advocates … [and] even if NFTs never again reach the peak they achieved over the last few years, areas of concern [in relation to regulation] remain”.

As such, based on the research presented in this report relating to intellectual property, the CMSC recommends that the “Government engages with NFT marketplaces to address the scale of infringement and enable copyright holders to enforce their rights”. In relation to sports, the report identifies the financial risks and harm which NFTs present to fans and the reputational harm it presents to clubs and recommends that “any measurement of fan engagement in sports, including in the forthcoming regulation of football, should explicitly exclude the use of fan tokens”.

Finally, in relation to advertising, and once again citing the research by Prof. Mendis, the report recommends that the Government respond to misleading and/or fraudulent advertising for NFTs.

For further information and for the full report, please see here: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/41611/documents/205745/default/