BU Research Blog

27 March 2018

CMMPH PhD student published in BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth

international, open access, PG research, Publishing, Student Engagement, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Today BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth published the latest paper by a PhD student at Bournemouth University. Our congratulations go to Alice Ladur in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH), who published `Whose Shoes?’ Testing an educational board game with men of African descent living in the United Kingdom [1]. This paper is based on her PhD research and co-authored with her supervisors.

The paper addresses issues around men’s involvement in programmes or interventions aimed at the improvement of maternal health. One such innovative intervention is an educational board game which offers a unique approach to present health information where learning is reinforced through group discussions supporting peer-to-peer interactions. The authors would like to thank Gill Phillips for permission to use the Whose Shoes? board game and all participants for their participation in the PhD study.

Alice PhD is focused on Uganda and this particular paper reports a qualitative study with men from Uganda who live in the UK on their views of an educational board game. This pilot study explored perceptions on whether a board game was relevant as a health promotional tool in maternal health prior to implementation in Uganda.

Reference:

Ladur, A.N., van Teijlingen, E., Hundley, V. (2018) `Whose Shoes?’ Testing an educational board game with men of African descent living in the United Kingdom, BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth 18:81. http://rdcu.be/JXs0

26 March 2018

New CMMPH paper accepted in Nurse Education Today

international, PG research, Publishing, student research, Training, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Mrs. Preeti Mahato on the acceptance of her paper ‘Qualitative evaluation of mental health training of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives in rural Nepal’ by Nurse Education Today, an academic journal published by Elsevier. Preeti is currently registered as PhD student in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH). The paper is co-authored by CMMPH’s Catherine Angell and Edwin van Teijlingen as well as BU Visiting Faculty Padam Simkhada and Jillian Ireland. The paper is a result of the evaluation part of the ‘Mental Health Training for Community-based Maternity Providers in Nepal’ project and written on behalf of this THET team.

Our THET project in Nepal is a collaboration between the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH), Tribhuvan University (Nepal’s oldest university) and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). The project receives funding from DFID, and is managed through THET and supported locally in Nepal by a charity Green Tara Nepal.

THET team:

Edwin van Teijlingen, Padam Simkhada, Shyam K Maharjan Preeti Mahato, Bhimsen Devkota, Padmadharini Fanning, Jillian Ireland, Bibha Simkhada, Lokendra Sherchan, Ram Chandra Silwal, Shyam K Maharjan, Ram K Maharjan, Catherine Angell, Flora Douglas.

19 March 2018

The Conversation article reproduced by Indian media

Centre for Excellence in Learning, international, Knowledge Exchange, open access, Publishing, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Last week Sacha Gardener reported on this BU Research Blog on the publication of our most recent article ‘Why suicide rates among pregnant women in Nepal are rising’ in The Conversation. Since then we have been informed that this piece was reproduced in two Indian independent online newspapers, last week in The Wire and today in Scroll.in (India’s leading independent source of news, analysis and culture). Scroll.in used the heading ‘A project is training midwives in Nepal to stem rising suicides of pregnant women’, whilst The Wire used the title ‘Why Suicide Rates Among Pregnant Women in Nepal Are on the Rise’. Suicide in pregnant women and soon after birth is an important issue in both Nepal and India. Just for completeness the original article, written by BU’s Visiting Faculty Dr. Bibha Simkhada and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen based in BU’s Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal health (CMMPH), can be found here!

19 March 2018

Preparing for Brexit – join in the discussion

international Emily Cieciura

It is just over a year until the official Brexit date.

You are invited to attend an informal discussion group on Wednesday, 28th March 2018, to explore what is known about the impact on research and share ideas to mitigate this impact at BU.

During this session, we will consider the latest government updates, keeping up with announcements from UKRO and actions that can be taken now to plan for research activity in this changing environment.

Reserve your place now!

This session will be jointly hosted by Jane Forster (the Vice-Chancellor’s Policy Adviser) and Emily Cieciura (Research Facilitator)

16 March 2018

BU hosts international conference on the state of the world, fifty years after it was turned inside out (circa 1967) and upside down (circa 1968)

Fusion themes, innovation, international, Knowledge Exchange cyates

Association for Psychosocial Studies Biennial Conference

Bournemouth University, 5th-7th April 2018

‘Psychosocial Reflections on a Half Century of Cultural Revolution’

http://aps2018.bournemouth.ac.uk

A half century after the hippie counterculture of 1967 (‘the summer of love’) and the political turbulence of 1968 (‘May 68’), one aim of this conference is to stage a psychosocial examination of the ways in which today’s world is shaped by the forces symbolised by those two moments. It will explore the continuing influence of the deep social, cultural and political changes in the West, which crystallised in the events of these two years. The cultural forces and the political movements of that time aimed to change the world, and did so, though not in the ways that many of their participants expected. Their complex, multivalent legacy of ‘liberation’ is still developing and profoundly shapes the globalising world today, in the contests between what is called neo-liberalism, resurgent fundamentalisms, environmentalism, individualism, nationalisms, and the proliferation of identity politics.

A counter-cultural and identity-based ethos now dominates much of consumer culture, and is reflected in the recent development of some populist and protest politics. A libertarian critique of politics, once at the far margins, now informs popular attitudes towards many aspects of democratic governance; revolutionary critiques have become mainstream clichés. Hedonic themes suffuse everyday life, while self-reflection and emotional literacy have also become prominent values, linked to more positive orientations towards human diversity and the international community.

The programme is now available on the conference website:

http://aps2018.bournemouth.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Provisional-Programme.pdf

There are five keynotes and eighty papers, with presenters from all continents, as well as a number of experiential workshops. As well as examining the main theme of societal change, there is an open stream of papers on a wide range of topics. Methods of psychosocial inquiry are applicable to most topics. As an academic community, the psychosocial is a broad church defined only by a commitment to exploring and linking the internal and external worlds – the deeply personal and the equally deeply societal as sources of experience and action.

BU colleagues can attend the whole conference at the hugely discounted rate of £40, or £25 per day.

14 March 2018

An Audience with Sam Gyimah MP

Fusion themes, innovation, international, Knowledge Exchange carters

On Thursday BU will host Sam Gyimah, the Minister for Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, for a question and answer event. This is an amazing opportunity for students and staff to directly question the Minister on HE and wider political matters.

This event forms part of Sam’s tour to a handful of universities. Entry to the event is by (free) ticket only. At the time of blogging approximately 50 tickets were still available.

Click here to book your ticket and for more details go to.

The event is being held in KG01 on the Talbot Campus on Thursday 15 March from 17:45-19:30.

Nibbles and refreshments will be available at the end of the event.

Tweeting and sharing on social media is encouraged!

#SamOnCampus

13 March 2018

‘Timely Reminder’ for our upcoming RKEDF Researcher Workshops

Funding opportunities, innovation, international, Knowledge Exchange, Post-award, Public engagement Emily Cieciura

Your ‘Timely Reminder’

Every year, the Research & Knowledge Exchange Office, along with internal and external delivery partners, runs over 150 events to support researcher development through the Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Framework (RKEDF).

Responding to your feedback and by popular request, below are the main events coming up over the next two months – please click on the event titles that are of interest to find out more and reserve your place as soon as possible:

MARCH 2018

Wednesday 14th March – Sharing your research with the media

Thursday 15th March – UOA 2/3 – (Public Health) – What makes a REF 2*, 3* or 4* output?

Thursday 15th March – Bid Writing Retreat – British Academy Small Grants

19th to 23rd March – Interdisciplinary Research Week

Wednesday 21st March – Applying for an NIHR Fellowship Event (N.B. This event welcomes non-BU attendees)

Thursday 22nd March – NVivo Part One – Building your database (limited spaces)

APRIL 2018

Wednesday 4th April – BRIAN, Open Access and the Impact Module

Wednesday 4th April – International Funding – Working with Countries in South Asia

Thursday 5th April – The BU Protocol of Academics Engaging with Business

Tuesday 10th April – Grants Workshop & Follow-up Bid Writing Retr eat Day 1 of 2

Wednesday 11th April – STEAMlab 3: Industrial Challenges (N.B. This event welcomes non-BU attendees)

11th, 12th & 13th April – Writing Academy

Tuesday 17th April – Research Ethics @ BU

Wednesday 18th April – Open data and the need for research data management plans, Getting started on applying for research funding, Pre-award finances, BU processes for applying for funding and Quality approvals at BU

Thursday 19th April – International Funding – Working with ASEAN countries

23rd & 24th April – An Introduction to Statistic Anaylsis with SPSS (Intermediate Session)

25th & 26th April – MSCA IF bid writing retreat – 2 days

MAY 2018

Wednesday 2nd May – Introduction to the Royal Academy of Engineering – Visit

Wednesday 2nd May – EU funding outside Horizon 2020

Tuesday 8th May – Grants Workshop & Follow-up Bid Writing Retreat Day 2 of 2

Wednesday 9th May – Wellcome Trust- Visit

Wednesday 9th May – KTPs – an introduction

Monday 14th May – Fellowship Interview Training – Royal Academy of Engineering

Wednesday 16th May – Applying for funding from NIHR – an Overview of the Schemes Available (N.B. This event welcomes non-BU attendees)

Wednesday 16th May – Introducing and Evidencing Research Impact: the Basics

Thursday 17th May – Engaging with policy makers

Friday 18th May – Preparing impact case studies for the Research Excellence Framework: a workshop

Tuesday 22nd May – Writing Academy – Writing Day

Wednesday 23rd May – What is the Research Excellence Framework?

To see all the events within the RKEDF and the wider Organisational Development offering, please refer to the handy Calendar of Events.

11 March 2018

Brexit and European Court of Justice

BRIAN, international, Knowledge Exchange jholscher

Professor Jens Holscher gave another interview to the Express on Brexit and the European Court of Justice:

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/929549/brexit-news-theresa-may-eu-regulation-uk-european-court-of-justice-trade-deal-tusk

8 March 2018

US Funding – spaces still available on 9th March

Funding opportunities, Fusion, international Emily Cieciura

Following on from the two US Funding seminars on 8th March, limited spaces are still available for the two sessions on Friday, 9th March:

Grants in the Humanities & Social Sciences – 09:00 – 12:00

Building the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant Proposal – 13:30 – 16:30

Both sessions will also be useful for those who do not consider themselves within these disciplines.

BU academic staff and PGRs can book to attend or turn up in time for the starting times of 09:00 and 13:30, but you will not be able to partake in the refreshments or networking lunch as the numbers for this have already been finalised. The event is taking place in FG04 with priority being given to those who have already registered.

5 March 2018

Last chance to book: US Funding Event

international Emily Cieciura

The Research and Knowledge Exchange Office is delighted to announce that US funding expert, Robert Porter, PhD, of Grant-Winners Seminars, will be delivering four US Funding sessions this week on 8th and 9th March.

Limited spaces are still available – please reserve your place now for as many sessions as you can attend:

Thursday, 8th March:

US funding opportunities for international researchers – This session will focus on the eligibility requirements, funding levels, proposal development guides and submission deadlines for key US funders.

Strategies for success in sponsored research – In addition to developing their writing skills, grant seekers must focus on the relational issues that are key to success. This session will address these contextual challenges

Friday, 9th March:

Grants in the Humanities & Social Sciences

Building the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant Proposal

Find out more about each session and book.

There is a networking lunch between the morning and afternoon sessions. When booking, please advise if you will require lunch and any dietary requirements

If you want to develop your international research portfolio, please contact your faculty Research Facilitator.

1 March 2018

BU signs agreement with MMIHS in Nepal

Centre for Excellence in Learning, conferences, international, Publishing, student research, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

This weekend Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (MMIHS) in Kathmandu, Nepal signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Bournemouth University (BU). The ceremonial signing took place on the final day (24th Feb.) of the International Conference on Quality Education in Federal Nepal. Prof. Stephen Tee, who also spoke at the conference, represented our university.

The UoA formalises a long-standing collaboration between the two institutions. MMIHS and BU academics have jointly applied for research grants, conducted collaborative research and published together. Several BU staff [1-3] and students [4] in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences have published in the Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, an Open Access journal. Moreover, Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health has been a Visiting Professor at MMIHS for nearly a decade and has given several guest lectures over the years to staff and students at MMIHS.

References:

van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Luce, A., Hundley, V. (2016) Media, Health & Health Promotion in Nepal, Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences 2(1): 70-75. http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JMMIHS/article/view/15799/12744
Regmi, P., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P, Kurmi, O, Pant, P. (2017) What can we learn from the Nepal Health Facility Survey 2015? Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences 3(1): 1-5.
van Teijlingen, E., Marahatta, S.B., Simkhada, P., McIver, M., Sharma, J.P. (2017) Developing an international higher education partnerships between high & low-income countries: two case studies Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, 3(1): 94-100.
Vickery, M. van Teijlingen, E., (2017) Female infanticide in India and its relevance to Nepal Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (JMMIHS) 3(1): 79-85.

28 February 2018

BU professor invited to speak at British embassy in Kathmandu

Centre for Excellence in Learning, international, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement Edwin van Teijlingen

The British Ambassador to Nepal Richard Morris hosted the launch of a report of a market study of Nepal’s education sector today (28th February) in his Kathmandu Residence. The report was commissioned to help support UK service providers who are looking for education opportunities in Nepal. The Ambassador invited Bournemouth University’s Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen to highlight the UK’s expertise in research, as well as to share his own experience in UK-Nepal partnerships/ collaborations in education.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen is Visiting Professor at colleges in Nepal: (1) Nobel College, affiliated with Pokhara University; and (2) Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, affiliated with Tribhuvan University.

28 February 2018

Migration research dissemination in Kathmandu

international, Knowledge Transfer, Public engagement Edwin van Teijlingen

Yesterday (Monday 26^th February) we disseminated the preliminary findings of our study on ‘Health vulnerabilities of cross border migrants from Nepal.’ The study was funded by IOM (International Organisation for Migration) in Kathmandu. The main findings were outlined one of the researchers from Green Tara Nepal.

The study was conducted in Nepal by Nepali researchers Drs. Pratik Adhikary, Nirmal Aryal and Raja Ram Dhungana, with methodological support from Prof. Padam Simkhada (Liverpool John Moores University) and BU’s Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen. The mixed-methods study included a cross-sectional study of 752 Nepali migrant workers who had returned from working in India as well as focus groups and interviews with a sub-sample of returnees and interviews with two key informants. The research team also highlighted some key issues raised in two recent migration and health papers co-authored by some of the contributors to the dissemination event [1-2].

The project has strong link with Bournemouth University, Prof. Simkhada is Visiting Professor in BU’s Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS), Dr. Pratik Adhikary is a BU Ph.D. graduate and Dr. Nirmal Aryal has just been appointed in FHSS as a Post-Doctoral Researcher in preparation for REF 2021.

References:

Simkhada, P.P., Regmi, P.R., van Teijlingen, E., Aryal, N. (2017) Identifying the gaps in Nepalese migrant workers’ health and well-being: A review of the literature, Journal of Travel Medicine 24 (4): 1-9.
Simkhada, P.P., van Teijlingen, E.R., Gurung, M., Wasti, S. (2018) A survey of health problems of Nepalese female migrants workers in the Middle-East and Malaysia, BMC International Health & Human Rights 18(4): 1-7. http://rdcu.be/E3Ro

26 February 2018

Health-related community engagement in Nepal

international, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, Public engagement Edwin van Teijlingen

This morning we disseminated the findings of an evidence synthesis on ‘Effectiveness of community engagement and participation approaches in low and middle income countries’ in the Himalayan Hotel in Kathmandu. The study was designed to identify, analyse and summarise the findings of existing systematic reviews that have examined the effectiveness of community engagement/participation approaches in improving health, service delivery and sustainability outcomes. Therefore the overarching research question was: “How effective are community engagement/participation approaches for delivering better health outcomes, improving service delivery and sustaining benefits?”

Systematic Review of Reviews included 31 systematic reviews which examined community engagement/participation approaches in improving health (maternal and child health, infectious or communicable diseases, ‘other’ disease areas), service delivery and sustainability outcomes. There was wide variation in the aims and objectives, and methods of analysis across the included systematic reviews. In part this reflected a lack of a standard definition or terminology in how community engagement and participation approaches were described or characterised. The overall strength of the systematic review-level evidence has been categorised as of limited or moderate, however many systematic reviews reported consistent findings.

Community engagement and participation approaches continue to be viewed as important, particularly in LMICs. The general trend in the evidence identified suggests that community engagement and participation approaches have played a role in successful intervention delivery across health system domains and areas of health. However the extent to which community ownership and empowerment is achieved greatly impacts on the sustainability of these approaches and our evidence draws out some key factors for consideration in the delivery of successful community engagement and participation.

The study was led by Prof. Padam Simkhada from Liverpool John Moores University with support from staff based at the University of Liverpool, Bournemouth University and Green Tara Nepal. The study was commissioned and funded by the Research and Evidence Division in the Department for International Development. The forthcoming report has been funded by UK aid from the UK Government.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

25 February 2018

Bournemouth University: media coverage in Nepal

Centre for Excellence in Learning, conferences, innovation, international, Knowledge Exchange Edwin van Teijlingen

Both the Saturday and the Sunday edition of The Kathmandu Post carried articles on the International Conference on Education in a Federal Nepal. The coverage of this two-day conference (which ran on Friday and yesterday) included Prof. Stephen Tee’s keynote speech and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen reporting on research findings of an education study amongst health educators in Nepal, as well as FHSS’s Visiting Faculty, Prof. Padam Simkhada (based at Liverpool John Moores University). The conference organised by HISSAN and supported by 16 education partners including Bournemouth University, Liverpool John Moores University and The University of Utah (USA) was attended by some 400 delegates.

As the key note speaker of the second day, Prof. Tee emphasised the need for technology-enhanced teaching/ learning processes. He added that a globalised world requires educational institutions to “recognise students as consumers.” He highlighted a number of common (and not so common) approaches to technology-enhanced teaching in the UK. His key note speech was very well received by colleagues academics and educationalists in Nepal. On the first day of the conference Prof. Tee was welcomed by the Prime Minister of Nepal K.P. Oli.

23 February 2018

Interdisciplinary Research Week 2018

international, Training apekalski

The third Interdisciplinary Research Week (IRW) is being held from 19th to 23^rd March 2018. Join us to celebrate the breadth and excellence of Bournemouth University’s interdisciplinary research, and stimulate new collaborations and ideas amongst the University’s diverse research community.

The week-long event includes a programme of lectures, workshops, and discussions, aimed at promoting interdisciplinary workings; to provide an understanding of how to get involved in Interdisciplinary Research.

Programme

Inspirational Speaker – Professor Celia Lury

British Academy Visit – Interdisciplinary Research

Collaborating with Others: Becoming a Better Team worker

Networking: Making the Most of an Upcoming Event

New research realities and interdisciplinarity

Interdisciplinary research with industry

Speed Collaborations event

Lighting Talks: What can and should be achieved in Interdisciplinary Research

23 February 2018

Opening Ceremony Education Conference in Kathmandu

Centre for Excellence in Learning, conferences, Fusion themes, international, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, Public engagement Edwin van Teijlingen

The two-day International Conference on Quality Education in Federal Nepal has just started in Kathmandu. Prof. Stephen Tee, executive dean of FMC and FMSS is one of the invited guests giving a short opening address. He spoke after the organisers had shown Prof. John Vinney’s recorded supporting message from Bournemouth University. Steve was part of the plenary session with the theme ‘Quality in Higher Education’.

This international conference has already attracted national media attention as the pre-conference press conference was reported in The Kathmandu Post today (click here to read news story).

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

22 February 2018

BU-led Kosovo-strand of AHRC-project ‘Changing the Story’ commenced with Dorset artist residency in February, 2018

Awarded & submitted bids, BRIAN, BU Challenges, innovation, international, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, Public engagement, Research assessment sssievers

Bo urnemouth University leads the Kosovo-strand of a major four-year AHRC ‘Global Challenges’ project titled ‘Changing the Story‘. This project aims at supporting the building of inclusive civil societies (CSOs) with, and for, young people in five post-conflict countries. It asks how the arts, heritage, and human rights education can support youth-centred approaches to civil society building in Cambodia, Colombia, Kosovo, Rwanda and South Africa. The Kosovo strand benefits from an established track record of collaboration with University of Prishtina (Co-I) and Stacion: Centre for Contemporary Arts in Prishtina as well as several arts-based civil society organisations in the country. The BU-led strand focuses on formal and informal civic education through the arts in Kosovo, to be explored locally by a Postgraduate Research Assistant, attached to University of Prishtina, through a critical review and proof of concept exercise during the first year. In support, BU is contributing a fully-funded PhD scholarship under the title ‘Imagining New Futures: Engaging Young People Through Participatory Arts in Post-Conflict Kosovo‘, which is currently being advertised.

International collaborative activities commenced last week in collaboration with an internationally-acclaimed CSO partner in Dorset, devoted to developing global youth citizenship through culture and the arts. The award-winning Complete Freedom of Truth project (TCFT), with which BU collaborated already previously, kindly offered a one-week residency to Albert Heta, Director of Stacion: Centre for Contemporary Arts in Prishtina. This residency brought together a group of artists, workshop leaders and young people from across the UK between February 12 and 16 in Bridport. Albert’s visit from Kosovo was funded by the AHRC and facilitated by BU’s new Research Centre ‘Seldom Heard-Voices: Marginalisation and Society Integration’ of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences (FHSS). Together with Albert, some of the Centre’s members also participates in the events organised by TCFT, exchanged experiences and discussed best practice of working with young people of various background through the arts towards social justice. TCFT has a long history of working with young people, internationally, starting in post-conflict Srebrenica in 2008. Based on our observations during one week in Dorset, including of the issues selected as important by the young UK-participants during this period, we are currently reflecting on the extent to, and ways in, which arts-based interventions with a given set of young people in one specific socio-cultural context and its underpinning conceptualisations (such as of empowerment or vulnerability of, and pressures on, young people) can or cannot be transferred to another, such as that in which young people in Kosovo negotiate their aspirations.

Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers

sssievers@bournemouth.ac.uk

Photo credit below: Robert Golden

Kosovo strand activities begin via a global youth citizenship project

Category / international

CMMPH PhD student published in BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth

Preparing for Brexit – join in the discussion

It is just over a year until the official Brexit date.

An Audience with Sam Gyimah MP

‘Timely Reminder’ for our upcoming RKEDF Researcher Workshops