BU Research Blog

Well, the sun certainly shone for day two of the Festival of Learning, and what a day it has been! The hustle and bustle on Talbot Campus and in the EBC has been tremendous, with fantastic feedback continuing to pour in. Congratulations to all involved for making the Festival happen and giving members of the public such a big BU welcome.

But what does Wednesday bring? Another day of exciting events, that’s for sure! What could you come along to? As ever, take a look at where the event is taking place on the website and our welcome desk can direct you further.

• Research degrees @ BU
• Rufus Stone the movie: Community screening and feedback
• Let’s take pride in engineering
• Don’t eat poo and die, eat poo and live: An investigation into the things that we eat and the things that we don’t
•  A living wage – what it is and what it does
• Games can be fun for everybody
• Science and the media: Issues, debates and controversies
• The Mental Capacity Act 2005: What’s in it for me? What’s in it for them?

What about some events that have already happened? Some of my fantastic colleagues in the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office have some reflections on how it has gone:

Mehran Koohgilani – ‘Designing our Future’ by Dianne Goodman

“This highly absorbing event was meant to run from 7-8pm however the audience were so captivated we ran on until around 9pm, Mehran’s presentation style was captivating and stimulated many questions at the end. Mehran started his presentation asking us to consider the products we have purchased and use every day – do we take for granted they are safe? Using the plastics and toxic dyes in children’s toys and computers as designed products that most of us use every day. Mehran asked us to consider for one moment that a computer often contains more than a thousand different kinds of materials including toxic gases, toxic metals (such as cadmium, lead and mercury acids, chlorinated and brominated substances and other additives) However even though we are aware that this may be the case we often choose to ignore this fact and designers often seem to keep our consciences at bay. Reflecting what we need to be aware of for ‘Designing for the Future’ as well as the actual components of the products we also need to consider how we are being brainwashed and directed into continually needing the latest and most up to date gadgets. How can designers be more ethical when the consumer is happy to discard their existing products for the most up to date. Considering cost, infrastructure factors and recycling issues. He wanted us at the end of his presentation to go out with more questions than answers and we certainly did.”

Philippa Hudson – A Fridge Safari

Avoiding future projectile vomit and explosive diarrhea incidents by embarking on a Fridge Safari. Philippa Hudson took the audience on a tour of what we should do to avoid very sore tummies and more serious illnesses associated with our food preparation. This lively session uncovered the mysteries of fridges and food preparation and why we sometimes get a dicky tummy after stuffing our faces. We learned why animals should be hosed down before slaughter, why street food may be better for us than supermarket meat, why we shouldn’t eat food after the use by date and why we should wash melons before chopping it. There was also an autopsy of several audience members fridges which had a variety of commonly found no-nos. Dr Corrina Dickson, Research Development Manager said “it was fantastic to see everyone finally having answers to questions they had wondered for years–drinking tap water in foreign countries, keeping salad in the bottom drawer of the fridge, reheating rice. A fantastic and informative event”.

Well, the first day of the Festival of Learning is very nearly done and dusted (the last events finish at 9pm) and what a day it has been! I would love to hear your reflections on the day, please do email me with your thoughts. Like any day of any event there have been highs and lows, but it has been fantastic to see so many members of the public raving about BU events.

Below, you can learn a bit more about what happened on Festival of Learning day one. But before you read about has has been, why don’t you come along to something to an event on Tuesday? Pop along to the welcome desk in either Poole House (for Talbot Campus events) or the EBC (for Lansdowne Campus events) and we can advise you on where to go.

Events on Tuesday include:

• The myths and facts behind the sustainability agenda
• Café Scientifique: So you think you are what you eat?
• Putting pen to paper
• Cutting through the paperwork to deliver brilliant events
• The campus permaculture project
• An introduction to the Raspberry Pi
• Oh, for a good night’s sleep!
• Ageing well: An interactive and creative event
• It’s good to walk: Have you checked your blood vessels?
• Marketing for SMEs workshop
• Faith-based health promotion: Opportunities and barriers

Also, do come along to our exhibition that is taking place in Poole House Atrium and Kimmeridge House Foyer.

But what happened on Monday? Here are just a few reflections from my colleagues in the Research and Knowledge Exchange office:

Living with a long term condition: Reflections from Paul Lynch:

“For this event, our event organisers were Dr Carol S Bond and Jenny Roddis. In the morning they were joined by co-presenter Dr Jaqui Hewitt-Taylor and in the afternoon Chris Pitt. The morning session was attended by a diverse range of people, with an interesting mix of healthcare professionals and service users (and other folks too!).  The participants joined in a vibrant and informative discussion of the practical application of a theory of well-being and long term conditions.  This was followed by a lively and highly entertaining discussion of information services and their utility.  The afternoon session was a practical workshop demonstrating and implementing techniques for successful internet searching of health related information.  Both sessions offered opportunities for exchanging experiences and information in a positive and supportive atmosphere that was widely appreciated by all of the participants”.

Start local, aim global: Reflections from Emily Cieciura:

“Huiping Xian and invited speakers, Roger Colmar and Peter James gave a detailed and highly practical review of how best to do business with government bodies and companies in China and Japan, summarised as build friendship, build trust, ensure win-win. The UKTI is a key source of information. The cultural differences and similarities were considered with emphasis given to the importance of developing relationships leading to trust, tips for etiquette (including personal space through to giving gifts), awareness of regional differences, and taking time to be comfortable with the country and its people. Regarding legal contracts, Chinese partners favour good faith rather than complex legal relationships. Peter stressed the fast pace of change in China with opportunities such as the ‘green’ agenda, improvements to health and safety, a move away from a ‘saving’ to a ‘spending’ culture and increased entrepreneurship.  The event concluded with a lively discussion with speakers and guests airing their personal experiences of working with Asian business people”.

Nicola King, reflecting on Social Media for the Terrified:

“This 3-hour event was attended by nearly 50 individuals who were all keen to find out more about social media and social networking. Attendees learnt about the main social networks, what social media can actually enable us to do, and that social networks are the latest form of marketing for individuals and businesses alike. LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and others were all discussed, but attendees were also made aware of the potential dangers of social media if not used correctly. After an interesting talk by Debbie Sadd,  who led the event, attendees were then invited to discuss their particular areas of interest with others in small teams. One team focused on Facebook, another on Twitter, and they used their own devices (phones, tablets, laptops) to explore their area of interest, asking any questions of the experts on hand as they went. In summary this was a very interesting discussion focussing on a topical and, judging by the turn-out, popular subject”.

Testing capacity in people with dementia, reflections by Emily Cieciura:

“Prof. Simon Thompson outlined the features of the many forms of dementia, including those relating to head injuries, drug use and exposure to chemicals earlier in life. The legal issues arising from ascertaining mental capacity especially when the person diagnosed with dementia is drawing up a will or when a will is contested after death were aired. Early conversations are needed, soon after diagnosis, along with consulting a solicitor. The GP is normally the starting point for accessing help from social agencies. In planning ahead, a power of attorney, with forms available from The Office of the public guardian or an advanced directive, with advice available from Compassion in Dying may be of help. The Alzheimer’s Society  was highly recommended as a source of information and support. BU’s BUDI website gives information about our research and activities”.

Monday is a very exciting day or BU with the Festival of Learning finally commencing! Don’t forget, the Festival is not only for public, as members of staff you are very welcome to come and attend events. This is a great opportunity for members to learn more about what we do across BU. So what could you go to today? We still have some places for some events on a first come, first served basis so do come and stop by to support your colleagues.

On Talbot Campus today:

• A Fridge Safari, 10.30am-12.30pm in K103. Do you know what’s lurking in your fridge? This session will examine the current position regarding food poisoning in the UK and explain how new pathogens such as E coli O157 and Campylobacter have become such a problem and why organisms such as Listeria monocytogenes poses potentially greater risks for the elderly. Using digital photos of the inside of participants’ kitchens and the insides of their fridges, Philippa Hudson will illustrate the key issues and easy solutions to prevent food poisoning.
• Test capacity in people with dementia: protecting vulnerable people. 10am in KG03. This talk aims to present the difficulties faced when a person with dementia wants to make a will and leave their estate to beneficiaries. There will be an opportunity to share opinion and to discuss this topic. It is hoped that legal representation will be involved in discussions as well as a Consultant in Clinical Neuropsychology and other health professionals.
• Social media for the terrified! (Very limited availability). 10am-1pm in K101.  This interactive workshop is aimed at anyone who wants to find out more about how to use social media. The half-day activity will comprise demonstrations, workshops and tutorials on different platforms of social media as well as the chance to ask any questions you have, in addition to developing personalised plans for using social media. You are encouraged to bring mobiles, tablets or laptops with you to develop their social media usage, although we will have computers and other mobile devices available on the day.
• The ‘I don’t get finance’ introduction to finance (3 part course). 6-9pm: K103. Finance affects everyone’s life and, despite the fact that we all deal with money on a daily basis, many people imagine that it is complicated and laden with maths. This is a ‘painless’ opportunity to discover that understanding business finance is only a very small step from what you already do with your own money. This three-part course provides a user-friendly introduction to finance in for-profit and not-for-profit organisations for complete beginners, dealing with areas such as cash flow, the relationships between profit and worth and why end of year accounts are laid out the way they are.

Also, in the Atrium of Poole House, you will find some interactive exhibition stands. Go and take a look! These include:

• Are you a super recogniser? Our ability to recognise faces resides on a continuum. Some are very poor at this skill (and may have ‘face blindness’), while others are exceptionally good at remembering faces they have only encountered once before. See where you lie on the spectrum by taking part in our ‘live experiment’. In just a…
• Finding your way through complex spaces: Getting lost wastes time and money and often causes stress and anxiety. Our Wayfinding Lab has used knowledge from research into navigation and icon processing to provide consultancy to a diverse range of private and public sector organisations responsible for major facilities (NHS hospital; international airport; multi-national offices; World Heritage Site). We’ve created a systematic, scalable way to improve signage systems in complex, unfamiliar buildings, thus improving organisational productivity and reducing personal inconvenience, anxiety and risk.
• Keeping Upright: How we perceive vertical is an important part of how we function in our environment. It involves the interaction of information we receive from our eyes, inner ears and sensors throughout our body. Come along to this interactive exhibition to find out more about this process and take part in a live experiment that will test your perception of vertical.

In the foyer of Kimmeridge, you will find:

• (Don’t) mention dementia? A public engagement project between Bournemouth University Dementia Institute and Derek Eland, a multi-media artist whose work is primarily focused on engaging with people about what it is like to ‘be human’ in stressful and difficult situations.Eland is interested in the use of the written word, particularly in a digital age, to access real emotions and thoughts. Much of his work is created on location, particularly through the use of ‘Diary Rooms’, and then re-contextualised in a gallery setting. In 2011, he worked as an official war artist embedded with the British Army in Helmand, Afghanistan. The work from the time he spent on the front line has been described in the international press as ‘groundbreaking’. Using similar techniques Eland has worked with BU staff and students to capture the views of the general public about dementia, and also the views of those living with dementia about their experiences.

If today you are on Lansdowne Campus, how about:

• Living with a long term condition: the role of information and decision making. EB202, 9.30am-1.30pm. This event, targeted at health professionals and those with long-term conditions, will consist of two short presentations about living with a longterm condition. It will look at how information and decision-making may contribute to wellbeing and the information needs of those with long-term conditions. Each presentation will be followed by a discussion between healthcare professionals and people with long-term conditions. Be prepared to contribute your ideas!
• Start local aim global: How to do work with Asian business people. 2-5pm, EB302. It is well recognised that expanding to international markets creates new opportunities and is crucial for SMEs’ survival and development. However, entrepreneurs and managers are often confronted with knowledge gaps and cultural barriers when dealing with foreign business partners. This event consists of a three-hour workshop which will be a combination of presentations, discussions and interactive group activities that aim to stimulate thinking and enhance cross-cultural awareness. We will focus on business cultures and practices in China and Japan.
• Ethical decision making in business – theoretical insights and practical applications. 2pm-3.30pm: EB302. Businesses are increasingly interested in exploring the ethicality of their actions. The event will explore frameworks for understanding ethical decision making in layman’s terms and consider how an understanding of ethics can be valuable in the workplace. Come along for the opportunity to learn more about the field of business ethics, and equip yourself with the tools to help make sense of ethical dilemmas in the workplace.
• Waiting for the monsoon: 3-8pm in EB303. Nepal through my lens, a photo and storytelling exhibition: This interactive event will feature photographs, artefacts and storytelling of life in rural Nepal – a fieldwork diary of a PhD student during the summer monsoon! The camera as a research tool is well documented in disciplines such as anthropology and sociology, and the process of photography often leads to uncovering misconceptions. These photographs tell a story of the reality of fieldwork among holy cows, sacrificial goats and cultural practices. Nepal is an ideal setting due to its riot of colour, where the ancient world thrives in the modern one. Photos are available for sale, with proceeds being used to support Green Tara Trust Nepal’s work. This is an exhibition that people can drop in on, if you want to hear Sheetal talk about the exhibition they need to arrive at one of the talk times at 3pm, 5pm or 7pm.
• Designing our future. 7-8pm: EB306. What is design? What makes it good or bad, and is it just poor design leading to poor quality products? In an age where most of our products are produced in Asia, what is the future for the Chinese and Indian economies compared to that of the UK and Europe? This talk will explore these key issues.

Tuesday 4th June sees out next Cafe Scientifique, and a Festival special at that! Prof Holger Schutkowski (Deputy Dean of the School of Applied Sciences and Professor of Bioarchaelogy) will be giving a talk on:

So you think you are what you eat?

We all need our five a day, our carbs and meats to survive. But why are we so obsessed with food? Because humans eat a diet. We eat what we choose to eat. This is at the heart of something distinctively human: cuisine, food as cultural meaning – not only good to eat, but always also good to think. It is a reflection of our attitudes, lifestyles, preferences, biases, peer pressures and status. You will be taken on a mouth-watering journey through space and time, from the arctic to the tropics, from Neanderthal diet to modern fast food. Indulge yourself!

Unlike the majority of our Festival of Learning events you won’t need to register for this one, just come along and enjoy yourself!  If you want to find out more about the Festival of Learning then head to www.bournemouth.ac.uk/fol where you can see the full range of activities.

As ever, this event will take place in the wonderful Cafe Boscanova, with doors opening at 6.30pm and the talk starting at 7.30pm. Drink, light snacks and a couple of  hot meal options will be on sale. Get there early to guarantee a seat!

With the Festival of Learning just over a week away, many colleagues from across BU have been working flat out to spread the word about all the fantastic events that will be taking place between 3-14 June.  On Wednesday, I was asked to talk about the Festival of Learning on Radio Solent’s Katie Martin show – which was featuring life long learning. If you want to listen, the show is available on iPlayer until Tuesday 28th May, you can fast forward to 2hours 35 minutes in if you don’t want to listen to the whole show.

…Not to mention fitness innovations (not just for the young), an ice castle and a giant jigsaw!

This weekend, the dedicated Festival of Learning team were in Bournemouth Square, spreading the word about the fantastic programme of events during the 3-14 June. Over Saturday and Sunday, colleagues spoke to hundreds of to spread the word about the Festival of Learning. You can see some pictures below of the taster activities that took place. Many thanks to all those that were involved making this event work so well!

We are running a number of activities ahead of the Festival of Learning to spread the word about all the brilliant activities that BU will be running during 3-14 June. If you would like to get involved, please do not hesitate to contact Rebecca Edwards.

It has been an exciting few weeks in the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office, as we have been finalising the programme for the Festival of Learning, ready for our colleagues in M&C to transform the details into a fantastic looking brochure. Can I take the opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone that has responded to our requests for information – and of course, providing the final confirmation that you will be running your event.

It is very exciting to see the 100 odd activities come together in one document, and I think as an institution can we be extremely proud of what we will be offering during the Festival of Learning. Some colleagues have queried why we have had to get everything confirmed so far in advance, but this is quite simply because it is a mammoth task to ensure that the document that produced to a high standard and can go into distribution in good time ahead of the Festival.

There are lots of very exciting marketing plans which will ensure the Festival of Learning will be widely known across the conurbation. Look out for future updates!

Over the coming weeks and months the Festival Team will be emailing event organisers about next steps, so keep your eyes peeled. Of course, the in the meantime, please do contact myself or our extremely dedicated Event Co-ordinator, Naomi Kay (nkay@bournemouth.ac.uk) – and we will do our best to assist you.

Although the events have now been finalised, there are still lots of ways to get involved in the Festival of Learning – it you would be interested in getting involved, please contact me on redwards@bournemouth.ac.uk or 01202 961206.

We could also be very grateful if you could spread the word of the Festival amongst your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues – do encourage them to sign-up to the Festival of Learning mailing list on www.bournemouth.ac.uk/fol.

 Many thanks to all those of you that submitted a proposal to run an activity during the Festival of Learning.  I am delighted to report that we have received over 100 proposals for inclusion at the Festival. This indicates fantastic support from colleagues across all schools, which I believe will really help us showcase the best of BU next summer.

Given the volume of proposals that we have received, we are still in the process of reviewing and allocating funding for all these events. In some cases, this will mean developing the proposals directly with you in-order to ensure accurate costings and marketing. An internal steering group has been convened in-order to help us do this and regular updates on progress will be made available.

There is considerable work going on behind the scenes, and I am delighted to announce that Naomi Kay has now joined us a dedicated Events Co-ordinator for the Festival. I will be back in touch in the next few weeks to discuss the next steps relating to your event. After we have agreed how to progress with you, Naomi will contact you directly with regards to your availability and space requirements. However, if you require further information sooner, please do feel free to contact Becca directly on 01202 961206.

The deadline for proposals for the Festival of Learning is Tuesday 31st July. We want to be able to showcase the best of what we do here at BU, which means we are looking for proposals from as many colleagues as possible. If you have not submitted a proposal as yet, there is still time – just! The Festival of Learning Proposal Form is relatively brief, but it is crucial that we are aware of your ideas now so we can incorporate your activity into the planning of the Festival.

If you are looking for some sources of inspiration, a good place to start can be the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement website, which has a useful how to do it section featuring many case studies. You may also find it useful to consider the outputs from some of  the Beacons for Public Engagement, including UCL, the Beacon for Wales and Beacon North East.

It could also be useful to reflect on your short courses that you have run in the past or training that could be adapted to be part of the Festival.

If have any further queries or would like to talk through your proposal, please do not hesitate to contact Becca on 61206 / 01202 961206.

The deadline for Festival of Learning  proposals is Tuesday 31st July, leaving just a few more days to develop your proposals. You may be thinking, why do I have to put something in so early for an event that takes place between 3rd-14th June, 2013? This deadline has been set in order that we can ensure we can make the Festival of Learning the best possible showcase of activity at BU which means planning space, marketing and engaging the appropriate audiences now, rather than in 6 months time!

If you would like to be part of the Festival of Learning, but find yourself stuck for ideas or would like some further help with your proposal, please do call Becca on 61206/01202 961206 to talk it through.

The Festival of Learning Proposal Form is relatively brief, but we do need these details to ensure that your activity is captured in the planning for the event.

When I talk about public engagement to colleagues, one of the first activities that often springs to mind is to give a public lecture, which can be a fantastic way of engaging a large number of people and promoting a lively debate. However, I am sure that we have all experienced (or endured?) public talks that have left us feeling a little deflated. So what can we do to avoid the latter scenario?

Writing this post feels slightly patronising; after all as HE professionals the chances are that a significant proportion of your working life is spent giving lectures and talks of some sort. However, devising a lecture that appeals to an often unknown public can present particular challenges, which several colleagues have asked me to provide advice so, so here goes:

The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement has developed a handy guide, which can be found here. The guidance, I am sure, will not be of great surprise to many readers of this blog, but could be a useful reminder when preparing a public lecture.

I’ve reviewed some of the other sources of information about the ingredients of a great public lecture, which you may find help to consider to preparing your proposal for the Festival of Learning:

• Remember that most people’s optimum concentration span is about 20 minutes, so ensure that you bear this in-mind when planning your event.
• Interactive props can be a great way of ensuring that your audience stays engaged, especially those which stimulate different senses. This could include short sound or video clips, food tasting or interjections from, for example, a beneficiary of your research.
• Ensure that you have plenty of time for lively discussion
• To maximise the discussion, this carefully about who will chair the event and the techniques they will use to facilitate discussion.
• Keep the topic broader than you might if you were giving a presentation at an academic conference.
• Look to use tools such as twitter to add an extra dimension to your event, and give participants that are not confident at speaking in-front of the whole audience an opportunity to get involved in discussion.

Just a couple of examples of public lectures can be found here and here – there are many more, so please contact me if you would like some more examples.

There are lots of other areas of guidance on how to develop a great public lecture which are more topic specific, so please do not hesitate to contact Becca on redwards@bournemouth.ac.uk or 01202 961206.

Regular readers of this blog may have already been alerted to the ESRC Seven Days of Social Science, but in case you have missed it, I would recommend having a look at the videos and accompanying documents

The reason that I am highlighting these resources is to demonstrate the value of research and how it can be made accessible to a much wider audience. Conversations that I have had with colleagues over the past week or so (mainly ECRs, but not exclusively so!) have reminded me that sometimes it is hard to believe that your research will be of interest beyond your own academic peers. I recall some of my own research, for example, on New Labour’s public space policy – which on the surface sounds like a fairly dry topic (and I can assure you that the associated policy documents are classic examples of New Labour rhetoric, and fairly turgid reading) – however, this research has relevance to any of us wondering why our traditional high street has been placed by a shopping mall, why you can no longer sleep on a park bench or why trees are disappearing from London’s parks. It is, after all, hard to get through a day without encountering some kind of public space.

One of the best parts of my job, is learning about all the fantastic research that is going on across BU, which at times is nothing short of awe-inspiring. This makes me very excited to be helping develop the Festival of Learning and ensuring we engage a far wider public with the value of what we do.

The ESRC Seven Days of Social Science series is a great reminder of why research in the social sciences is fundamental in understanding and shaping the world in which we live, and inherently fascinating. It also is a reminder that if you have received public funding to conduct research, that we have a shared responsibility of engaging the public with the value of that research.

If you are interested in developing a proposal for the Festival of Learning and would like some helping in brainstorming ideas or support completing the proposal form, please do not hesitate to contact Becca on redwards@bournemouth.ac.uk or 01202 961206.

Do you remember when museums were full of dusty exhibits that you were not allowed to touch, or am I just showing my age? Fortunately those days are long gone and now as a nation we are blessed with many interactive museums that facilitate all generations to get involved to learn more about the fascinating world in which we live. Examples include Techniquest, the Natural History Museum or the National Museum Wales (amongst many, many others).

As a University, the creation of exhibits is not our primary purpose, however pop-up interactive exhibitions are a great way to get a much wider public really excited about the research areas we live and breathe each day. One example, local to Bournemouth, is University of Southampton’s (award wining) Science and Engineering Day which showcases a fantastic array of activities. Don’t just take my word for it, have a look here to get a feel for this.

This example is focused around STEM subjects, but I believe there is huge potential to develop this sort of activity around all subject areas. Are there objects that you collect that are related to your research? Have you got audio or visual clips that are integral to your research? Have you taken photographs that give an insight into what you do? If you would like to brainstorm some ideas about how you could create and interactive exhibit around your research, please contact Becca on redwards@bournemouth.ac.uk / 01202 961206.

Don’t forget, the deadline for proposals for the Festival of Learning is the 31st July. You can find out some more information and download the proposal form here.

Next up in my series of public engagement activities that you could include in the Festival of Learning is the humble cafe – otherwise known as a Science Cafe, Cafe Scientifique or a Philosophy Cafe.

The basic premise of this activity is for academics to give a short talk on their subject area (in a way that is both accessible, but also sometimes provocative) before informal discussion takes place amongst participants.

Key to this (the clue is in the name) is to encourage convivial discussion in an non-academic environment, typically a cafe or bar, to allow people to relax and contribute to discussion. Crucial to making this format work is to ensure that the initial talk is thought provoking, provides a starting point for discussion and encourages the audience to contribute to the debate. To do this, it can be fruitful to move away from the traditional lecture format – which normally means no powerpoint, stages or lecterns!

For more details, it is worth looking at the Cafe Scientifique and the Philosophy Cafe websites.

If you would like to talk more about ideas that you have for the Festival of Learning, please contact Becca on redwards@bournemouth.ac.uk or 01202 961206.