CQR’s Ellis-Hill to Keynote in Oz
Category / Public engagement
The Centre for Qualitative Research is pleased to announce that its Deputy Director, Caroline Ellis-Hill, will be keynoting at the 41st ASSBI Annual Brain Impairment Conference in Adelaide, Australia on the 4th -5th May 2018. Ellis-Hill will speak on “Lifeworld-led rehabilitation – a new approach to support psycho-social well-being following brain injury”. Virtual Reality: the implications for open educational resources
OER18 conference ‘Virtual Reality: the implications for open educational resources’ presentation by BU staff. A conference presentation by Liz Falconer and Denyse King explored the meaning of open educational resources (OER) in relation to virtual reality (VR) technologies used for education. They argued that VR has been overlooked in the OER debate to date, and that the growth of educational VR platforms will require consideration of the many of the issues that arise from the more traditional concerns of open resources.
Liz and Denyse discussed Virtual Avebury and Virtual Urinalysis as two case examples that illustrate the issues that might arise, sharing their experiences of creating these learning environments in collaboration with university colleagues, commercial developers, and other interested parties such as Health Education England and patient representatives. The audience enthusiastically received their presentation and there were a number of interesting questions asked. The OER18 conference was also a valuable networking experience for Liz and Denyse, who met in person with delegates who had travelled from many different countries including America, South Africa and Brazil.
Following on from this successful experience they are hoping to be invited to present at the Future Technologies Conference in November 2018 to present Denyse’s virtual reality learning environments (VRLE) doctorate project – the Collaborative Immersive Learning Virtual Reality Series (CILVRS).
Well done!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH
Dr Sascha Dov Bachmann invited to give a keynote speech at the 14th International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security (ICCWS) Stellenbosch RSA
Dr Sascha Dov Bachmann, Associate Professor in International Law (BU) and War Studies (Swedish Defence University – FHS), Research Fellow at CEMIS, Stellenbosch University and Director of BU’s Centre for Conflict,Rule of Law and Society was invited to give a keynote speech at at the 14th International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security (ICCWS) 28 February – 1 March 2019, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
ICCWS uniquely addresses cyber security, cyber warfare and information warfare. Over the years the Conference has been attended by a variety of security and military organisations including Cyber Security Policy Research Institute, more than 10 national defence colleges, NATO, SHAPE etc.
The conference is being organised by Dr Noëlle van der Waag-Cowling, military science professional with 25 years of experience in the Department of Defence, South Africa and 20 years of experience in South African Higher Education at Stellenbosch University. She is also the co-ordinator of the Cyber Project at the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa. Noëlle is associated with the BU’s Centre for Conflict, Rule of Law and Society.
Don’t Delay – Become a British Council Research Programmes Reviewers
Deadline: 27th April 2018
About this opportunity
The British Council would like to invite expressions of interest from established and early career researchers to expand our pool of reviewers for the Newton Fund and potentially other British Council programmes. The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with 18 partner countries to support their economic development and social welfare, and to develop their research and innovation capacity for long-term sustainable growth.
We are looking for early career researchers who would like to broaden their experience of peer review as a career development opportunity, and for established researchers who are willing to share and use their experience to support the review process. Please note that we can only consider researchers based at UK institutions.
We are seeking reviewers for applications to the following five panels:
- Biological and Medical Sciences
- Environment and Agriculture
- Arts and Humanities
- Social Sciences
- Engineering and Physical Sciences
In particular, we would like to hear from researchers with expertise in fields with potential development impact, but this should be interpreted broadly as much of the research we fund approaches development challenges in a highly specialised way or using innovative methods.
We will use the information provided in the form to process and consider your expression of interest. As a result, your name may be added to our pool of potential peer reviewers, and we may approach you in the future to assist us in assessing proposals under British Council research programmes.
How to apply
Click here to apply.
Challenging Hate Crime on Campus: Encouraging student awareness, interaction and debate through Forum Theatre
Hate crime as a hot topic
Hate Crime on university campus has attracted widespread attention in the media of late, with a spate of high profile incidents targeting Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students in particular in the UK. Despite increased awareness of it, it is estimated that hate crime is considerably under-reported by students (Universities UK, 2016; NUS, 2012). BU’s Equality and Diversity Unit, supported by Dr James Palfreman-Kay, was awarded funding by HEFCE in late 2017 as part of their Catalyst Fund to tackle hate crime and online harassment on campus. This is a joint project, working with partners in SUBU, CPS Wessex, Dorset Police, Access Dorset, the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner as well as colleagues and academics at BU and from other agencies associated with Prejudice Free Dorset.
What does the project involve?
The objective of the project was to provide students with the knowledge of what a hate crime is, how to respond to it and where to seek support, both on and off campus. This was achieved through the use of a drama based format called Forum Theatre (FT) which uses actors to share scenes of discrimination and hate crime (Dwyer, 2010; Hamel, 2015). FT has previously been used in promoting social change and critical thinking (Boal, 1974) and the value of this approach was that it would enable students to try out courses of action which could be applicable to their everyday lives and provide a gateway for increasing reporting.
The project is funded for the remainder of 2018, and a pilot was run in March with a cohort of social science Level 4 students. Jane Healy, Lecturer in Sociology & Crime & Deviance, worked with James to embed the Forum Theatre process within a learning session with 85 students from across BA Sociology, BA Sociology & Criminology, and BA Sociology & Anthropology programmes. The students were exploring Hate Crime as one element of their Level 4 Social Exclusion and Discrimination Unit, and the FT company were invited into the Wollstonecraft lecture theatre on the Lansdowne site. Four actors created two scenarios based on a fictitious university campus, involving religious and homophobic hate crimes but also acknowledging other, intersecting elements of identity. The scenarios were drawn from examples of similarly reported crimes provided by CPS Wessex. None had occurred at BU, but were designed to engage students and encourage discussion and debate.
The students were thoroughly engaged in the FT scenarios. As the first scenario was played out, silence descended on the room and students (and staff) held their breath as the ‘student’ characters experienced an unpleasant encounter near their halls of residence. The second involved online hate crime and the impact it had on victims, friends and bystanders. Once the scenes were completed, actors returned to the stage in their ‘roles’ and students were able to ask questions of them. The response was at times rambunctious as members of the audience quizzed and at times challenged ‘bystanders’ about their participation. Ultimately, however, the serious message of hate crime as a corrosive and socially divisive aspect of contemporary society was conveyed in a respectful and thought-provoking manner.
What next?
In order to evaluate the success of the programme, students were asked about their knowledge of hate crime both before and after the FT event and what impact it has had on them, through an evaluation questionnaire. Initial findings suggest an improved awareness of hate crime, although some students unfortunately had previous experience of hate crimes and incidents. Students are also being invited to do a follow up interview.
The FT event provided a unique method of engaging with and debating hate crimes on campus, in a safe and respectful environment. Embedding it within a Unit enabled the project’s exposure to a large cohort. As a result of positive feedback, it will be rolled out across all three sociology programme year groups over the coming months.
Interested in attending the next Forum Theatre?
There are two further forum theatre open events on Campus before the end of term; 23 April in Lansdowne and 17 May on Talbot. Details can be found at the bottom of this post. However, any interested academics and/or teaching staff can contact James to discuss a bespoke session to suit their student cohort.
By raising awareness and increasing reporting, BU is sending a positive message that hate crime, in all its forms, is unacceptable.
Open Event Dates
Everyone is welcome to the following:
23 April 10-12 open Lansdowne campus session:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/responding-to-hate-crime-tickets-44832749962
17 May 10-12 open Talbot campus session:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/responding-to-hate-crime-tickets-44832816160
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Jane Healy has recently completed a PhD in disablist hate crimes and is a Lecturer in Sociology & Crime & Deviance in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences.
HE Policy Update for the w/e 13th April 2018
Knowledge Exchange Framework
After the initial announcement and consultation, things had gone a bit quiet. Louis Coiffat from Wonkhe chaired a conference on it before Easter and wrote about it here. BU’s concern has been that there is likely to be an over-focus on commercialisation and technology transfer so that the result of the KEF is to recognise and distribute investment funds to those institutions already receiving income from commercialisation – rather than to invest in those participating in a broader range of knowledge exchange activities and with potential to develop important – but possibly less financially significant – technology transfer arrangements, e.g. in healthcare or other less remunerative areas (see John Vinney’s blog for Wonkhe from February).
And see the section below on research news – HEIF funding, which is likely to be influenced by the KEF – is increasing.
So the feedback from the conference is interesting:
- “It’s looking like KEF will involve a leadership statement (or concordat) – for institutions to self-evaluate, define, and communicate their own KE strategy. And, of course, some metrics. The latter will probably see institutions clustered and benchmarked. Speakers had good intentions about “proportionate” reporting burdens.
- A one-size-fits-all approach clearly won’t work, as another speaker said, this “isn’t a simple league table with one institution best at knowledge exchange”. Also, real life is messy, how can everything universities do be measured? In reality, much KE activity is already happening, it’s just not being captured, synthesised or described. But, nobody wants every academic completing a timesheet.”
And:
- “There’s also the question about how KEF relates to REF impact case studies. The consensus seems to be that KEF is about an institutions’ overall capabilities, not a peer-reviewed example of a single research impact in time.
- One promise of KEF is that it should support better self-evaluation so that providers can work on their weaknesses honestly without finger-pointing, and crow about their strengths. It should provide institutions with valuable new information they can then tailor to different audiences. However, it should also be formative, open, and flexible – rather than box-ticking. Universities will always need to answer questions about how their impact compares (with other institutions and internationally), and how they can improve. KEF could help with that.”
We look forward to the response to the recent consultation to see where all this ends up.
Student Loan Repayment threshold
The changes to the student loan repayment threshold announced by Theresa May last year have come into effect.
Graduates earning over the new £25,000 threshold are set to benefit too, with lower payments compared to before, for example:
- £25,000 per year repays £0 per month instead of £30
- £27,000 per year repays £15 per month instead of £45
- £30,000 per year repays £37 per month instead of £67
- £33,000 per year repays £60 per month instead of £90
- £35,000 per year repays £75 per month instead of £105
- £40,000 per year repays £112 per month instead of £142The increase in the student repayment threshold marks a key milestone and is another example of the steps the Government is taking to support those in higher education.The increased repayment threshold applies to any student who has taken out a post-2012 undergraduate student loan or Advanced Learner Loan.
Martin Lewis has written about the change in threshold on Money Saving Expert.com. It is also important to note that this change also affects interest dates.
- We are seeing more 18-year-olds than ever before attend university, including the highest ever number from disadvantaged backgrounds and we want to give these students a fair deal both during their studies and afterwards too. Not only will it benefit hundreds of thousands of graduates in the next financial year alone, but millions in the years to come.
Research news
Research England announced a pilot to explore a longitudinal, real-time evaluation approach for the REF 2021. The pilot will be led by research teams at Cardiff University and the University of Sheffield, and will test the feasibility of evaluating the perceptions, experiences and understanding of the REF among academics across career stages, and in a range of departments and universities.
The pilot will launch in the spring with the results available by early 2019.
Executive Chair of Research England, David Sweeney, welcoming the pilot, said:
- “UK universities deliver world-leading research and are recognised globally for the quality of their outputs and diverse impact. National research assessment has been part of our high-performing system for over 30 years and has developed over that period through consultation with the community. This work presents an opportunity to test evaluating REF 2021 in a new way, informing the collection of evaluative data for shaping exercises post 2021.”
Research England has agreed budgets for the academic year 2018-19 and capital budgets for the financial year 2018-19. Allocations for individual institutions will be announced in early May 2018. The letter to all institutions is here.
There is an overall increase of £70m available in 2018-19, enabling higher education institutions (HEIs) in England to deliver on the government’s industrial strategy and tackle global, national and local challenges.
The following budgets are being increased:
- An additional £25m for knowledge exchange through Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF), enabling universities to increase their contributions to deliver commercialisation and working with business to meet Industrial Strategy priorities;
- An additional £20m for the postgraduate research degree supervision element of quality-related research (QR) funding, supporting universities to develop the next generation of researchers and protecting the health of the talent pipeline through postgraduate study and into research and the wider economy;
- An additional £10m for the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) element of QR, supporting investment in cutting-edge research that addresses the challenges of economic development and wellbeing faced by developing countries;
- An additional £6m to contribute to the charity research element of QR, providing additional support for research that universities carry out on behalf of charities.
David Sweeney, Executive Chair of Research England, said:
- “We are delighted to announce funding levels for the coming year. The increased public investment in universities reflects their central role in delivering economic growth and creating social prosperity for the country.
- We see universities as key partners in tackling global challenges, and the increased investment into GCRF reflects that. Our investment into the postgraduate pipeline will enable our higher education sector to continue to grow and attract top talent.
- Achieving the government’s target of 2.4% of GDP investment in R&D by 2027 depends on universities deepening their partnerships with business, charities and other organisations. Through HEIF, and working with the Office for Students, we are committed to investing in the knowledge exchange activities that underpin R&D partnerships.”
And a new funding scheme to build research excellence has been announced- the deadline is noon on 17th July 2018.
- “We are delighted to announce the launch of the Expanding Excellence in England (E3) fund, a first new initiative for Research England. This competitive fund will allocate up to £75m over three years to help grow small but excellent research units and departments in English universities. Bids will be assessed by an expert panel chaired by Professor Sir Ian Diamond, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen.”
“Aims of the Fund
- Strengthen the contribution of English HEIs to our society, pushing the frontiers of human knowledge, delivering economic impact and creating social impact by supporting our society and others to become enriched, healthier, more resilient and sustainable;
- Build the capacity and quality of research in departments and units within English universities where excellence exists but at a small scale with potential for growth;
- Contribute towards the delivery of government strategy, including the Industrial Strategy, the GCRF strategy and local priorities by supporting sustained improvements in research capacity across England while maintaining the principle of funding excellence wherever it is found;
- Enhance the skills base and build talent in areas of research excellence where there is untapped potential;
- Stimulate strategic partnerships between HEIs and other organisations outside of Higher Education.”
As part of the Connecting Capability Fund Research England has invested £67 million in 14 collaborative projects between universities and with other partners to drive forward world-class university commercialisation across the country, including a project to build a creative technology network through a project led by the University of the West of England
HE Review
Reminder: to inform our BU response to the HE Review all staff and students are invited to consider the issues in this (anonymous) short survey. Please take a look at the survey questions as we’d like to hear from as many staff and students as possible. You don’t have to answer all the questions. The major review of HE will shape the HE system, including how universities are funded for years to come. The survey will be available to staff and students until Friday 20th April.
Prevent
The Secretary of State wrote to the Office for Students about its monitoring duty in relation to Prevent:
- As monitoring authority, the OfS’s function will be to collect information from RHEBs to enable it to monitor those bodies’ performance in discharging the ‘Prevent duty’ imposed on them by section 26(1) of the Act.
- I am now looking to the OfS to build on this experience when undertaking their function as the new monitoring authority; and in particular I would like them to build on the valuable work HEFCE has undertaken in sharing good practice and driving continuous improvement, which I know the HE sector values. Their work should include ensuring RHEB’s continue to effectively balance their Prevent and free speech responsibilities .
- I would also like the OfS to take the opportunity to review the existing monitoring framework and consider how it might evolve to align with the values and approach of the Office for Students. In particular, I would like the Office for Students to consider how it might take a more risk-based approach.
Transforming the service economy
The Government Office for Science issued a report on Growth Opportunities for the UK Service Economy.
- Recommendation 1: The Office for National Statistics should work with academia to develop new methods for mapping value chains as well as measuring research and development in the service sector. Opportunities to pilot and test new methods include the SERVCOM survey of service sector outputs and revisions to the Standard Industrial Classification.
- Recommendation 2: Industry and sector councils should raise the level of horizon-scanning to anticipate and monitor emerging opportunities and challenges to their services. In addition, government should undertake detailed studies to better understand how the potential to trade services at a distance is developing, and how this tradability will affect individual services.
- Recommendation 3: BEIS should build on the Bazalgette review of creative industries, the Maier review of industrial digitalisation, the Bell review of the life sciences sector and the Hall and Pesenti review of artificial intelligence to strengthen the service sector through the Industrial Strategy. Government and business should work together on the collected recommendations from these reviews. To support the service economy, this process can exploit sector deals, place-based policy making and support development of education, skills and lifelong learning, and the work of UK Research and Innovation and the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
- Recommendation 4: (1) Government needs to close the skills gap in STEM subjects such as data science, and ensure that our education system cultivates creative, social and critical thinking skills. (2) Industry needs to make a commitment to lifelong learning in the workplace by providing courses that train and reskill existing employees, rather than relying on new employees to fill skills gaps.
- Recommendation 5: Government and industry should jointly conduct a public debate on the impact and regulation of digital disruption, especially with regard to ensuring the protection of casual employees. There should be similar analysis and debate of the market and regulatory status of incumbent businesses and potential disruptors to help produce a level playing field. This could be facilitated through the work of the Alan Turing Institute and the Open Data Institute.
- Recommendation 6: Government, industry and academia should work together to raise productivity, encouraging the adoption and diffusion of innovation across the service sector. Government procurement could be used to incentivise support for SMEs as a key part of the supply chain to government, as is done in the USA. Schemes for place-based support from BEIS, Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and other departments should consider how to incentivise diffusion of best practice, which needs to be in management and leadership as much as in technology.
- Recommendation 7: The Departments for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and BEIS should continue developing a coordinated approach that takes into account business broadband concerns and ensures businesses can benefit equally from digital technology initiatives to help drive productivity and economic growth.
- Recommendation 8: Analysts and policy makers and those who deliver public services should work across government to understand how the government policy levers identified in the Technology and Innovation Futures report 2017 can be applied to greatest effect in the service sector.
- Recommendation 9: Government should consider using outcome-based contracts and avoiding over-prescriptive specifications. This approach to procurement will allow providers of assets to servitise and innovate their business models using digital technologies. It will be important to carefully examine and test outcome-based contracts and regulatory approaches to avoid unintended consequences and to achieve the full set of desired outcomes.
- Recommendation 10: The development of outcome-based contracts offers great opportunities to the UK. Industry, academia and leadership councils should together explore the possibilities for provision of outcome-based contractual services. Horizon-scanning will be essential to anticipate, monitor and assist in the identification of emerging opportunities in this area. Innovators should be encouraged to look across sectors and think more broadly about potential opportunities for servitisation and where the UK could create new comparative advantage.
- Recommendation 11: Government should use sector and city deals to develop and build on existing financial ecosystems across the UK with the aim of reducing regional disparities. This will require mass data collection to measure and evaluate the planning and implementation of these deals.
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BASES Student Conference 2018 – Day 2
The second day of the conference was open by Professor Graeme Close & Mr Michael Naylor with a lecture on “nutritional strategies for competition and performance.”
Follow up with the oral presentations and free communications. I found particular interest in the research of Mr Chynkiamis on the effect of VitaBREATHE on exercise tolerance in COPD patients and in the feasibility study of Miss Thomas on the effect of 10 weeks postural stability exercise on balance in elderly care homes residents. I am glad that I had the chance to discuss with Miss Thomas part of the outcomes and the methods she used for my undergoing research on falls prevention.
Later in the afternoon, I had the opportunity to talk more about inspiratory muscle training (IMT) with Mr Hopkins and Mr Gibb who are looking at the effect of IMT on time trial performance in trained cyclists.
After, the workshop “psychological challenges for physical activity uptake” by Dr Melissa Fothergill intrigued me as I believe it is a crucial matter of discussion, especially if working with frail populations.
The final motivational lecture titled “creating your future” by Dr Steve Ingham closed the 2018 BASES student conference with tips and advice on how to progress in the sport science carriers.
Concluding, it was a great experience as not only I had the chance to improve my network and meet peers with a similar background as mine but most important because in these two days I had increased my awareness and motivations.
A special thanks go to my supervisors Professor Alison McConnell, Dr James Gavin and Professor Tom Wainwright who pointed me at this event.
The conference is now over, and by the time you read this post, I will be already on my way back to Bournemouth.
Thank you for reading,
Francesco.
#TalkBU on Thursday – Coping with stress in changing health behaviours
#TalkBU is a monthly lunchtime seminar on Talbot Campus, open to all students and staff at Bournemouth University and free to attend. Come along to learn, discuss and engage in a 20-30 minute presentation by an academic or guest speaker talking about their research and findings, with a Q&A to finish.
Often our New Year resolutions involve changing unhealthy habits in the coming year. But how many of us have actually managed to change our unhealthy lifestyle and maintained it? Changes can be stressful, but how one manages the change can potentially ease that stress and make the change more achievable, which can potentially impact our physical and psychological well-being.
In this talk, Dr Fiona Ling will discuss her research that centres around physical activity behaviour change, and the extended implications on changing other health habits and public health promotions in order to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
When: Thursday 19 April at 1 – 2pm
Where: Room FG04, Fusion Building
Register here to attend
Click here to find out more about our future and previous #TalkBU events.
RUFUS STONE captured the hearts of a new generation and the next project hopes to understand why
AHRC blog tells how film RUFUS STONE has inspired a project on the next generation.
RUFUS STONE’s Project lead, Kip Jones’ new project – “Rufus Stone … the next Generation’ – hopes to contribute to knowledge on the substantive topic of ‘Post-Millennials’ or ‘Generation Z’ (Gen Z), focusing on their anxieties and ambiguous approaches around gender and sexuality.
Read about the plans for the project on the AHRC blog.
Academics interested in participating in the project can contact Kip Jones for a chat.
#BU OUTDOORS is getting ready
An exciting new research project will be launched this Saturday and the team is getting ready. Last November during the ESRC Festival young people told us what they liked doing outdoors. Next Saturday the research team from across BU will be releasing the top ten favourite things that young people enjoyed outdoors on a rock drop in partnership with Bournemouth Rocks. Young people can find out the results of our research and help develop our study by logging their finds and sharing their use of green space with the research team – Dr Holly Crossen-White, Dr Nathan Farrell and Dr Angela Turner-Wilson. The Rock Drop site will be released on Friday on social media (more…)
Reminder: Wednesday 11th April – Guest Researcher in Ageing, Human Rights, Disability and Inclusion
On the 11th April Dr Andrea Padilla-Munoz from the University of Rosario, Bogota, Colombia will be visiting Bournemouth University. Andrea is a qualified lawyer and academic with an interest in ageing, human rights, disability and inclusion.
During her visit, she is keen to meet with other BU academics to explore potential future collaborations. To support this, I will be hosting a workshop on the 11th April in the Fusion Building, F111 from 11am-1pm, where Andrea will provide an overview of her research. There will also be time to discuss future research ideas with her over tea and coffee.
If you are interested in attending please let me know, so I have an idea of numbers and can book refreshments accordingly. Alternatively, if you are unable to make the workshop but would like to meet with Andrea, let me know and we can arrange something.
Email: bhicks@bournemouth.ac.uk
Pint of Science 2018: Tickets available now!
We’re excited to announce that we are joining forces with Pint of Science again this year to bring science back to the pubs of Bournemouth.
Join us on the 14-16 May 2018 for evenings that’ll quench your thirst for scientific knowledge delivered to you over your favourite pint. This year we are exploring the fascinating topics of Beautiful Mind at The Four Horsemen and Our Body at Chaplin’s Cellar Bar. The full list of evening themes and the complete programme of talks are available to browse now here.
Fancy joining us? Well, you’re in luck! Tickets are available for the bargain price of £4, and are on sale at midday today from the Pint of Science website.
To celebrate the official ticket launch of Bournemouth’s Pint of Science 2018, join us at Chaplin’s Cellar Bar on Wednesday 18th April for the Half-Pint Pub Quiz. Gather yourself a team and come and show off your quizzing capabilities from 6:30pm. You could be in with a chance to nab yourself some amazing Pint of Science goodies!
Cafe Scientifique – We need you!
Have you been doing research that you are itching to share with the public?
Do you want to increase your public engagement and have fun doing it?
We are looking for two academics to fill our Cafe Scientifique spots in June and July. If you would like to get involved please email the Public Engagement team!
Check out the website to find out more about Cafe Scientifique.
Save the Date – Research communication day for BU academics
BU’s PR team (M&C) and Knowledge Exchange & Impact Team (RKEO), are jointly hosting an intensive research communication day on 23rd May 2018. The event is intended to be a one-stop shop for learning how to communicate your research and who you can get help from within BU. Subjects covered will include: planning and promoting your Festival of Learning event, practicing in our radio studio and in front of a camera, writing for the research website and sharing your research via social media.
The day is in development with indicative content including:
- Presentations by high-profile and experienced external media professionals
- Sharing knowledge with BU academics, with an established track-record in media engagement
- Workshops anticipated to cover: social media, using BU’s research website, running a public engagement event and time to practice in BU’s radio and film studios
Places for this event are likely to fill up quickly, so please do book your space now.
Professor Hugh Chignell makes waves with inaugural lecture
Professor Hugh Chignell, Director of the Centre for Media History at BU, spoke to an audience of around 100 members of the public and university staff at the Shelley Theatre in Boscombe, Bournemouth. His talk, ‘Archive warriors: How radio historians research our audio past’, looked at the ways in which radio plays from the post-war period on the BBC’s Third Programme had been lost to archives and not released to the general public.
Professor Chignell’s talk saw him present his lecture amidst a set of period-correct vintage household items from the era, including a late 1940’s radio set, and copy of the Radio Times from 23-29 March 1948.
Speaking about the work of those seeking to bring this archived work to the public, Hugh said: “It’s a great shame that, for example, Michael Bakewell’s brilliant production of ‘Rhinoceros’ or Harold Pinter’s hugely important ‘A slight ache’ are denied to us and that is why the title of my talk was ‘archive warrior’, because sometimes I think it is necessary to break the rules in order to make good things happen.
“We are fortunate at Bournemouth University that we can have some sort of impact on national radio archive policy and the decisions made in organisations like the BBC. The Centre for Media History is 20 years old this October and the university has, in its collection held by the library, some important media archives including the archive of the IBA. We have a thriving BA in History which emphasises the importance of media and cultural history.”
He added: “We have the reputation and we have the experience to make some noise and make something happen and to fight for this neglected part of our cultural heritage.”
The talk, which was introduced by Professor Mike Willmore, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Media and Communication, formed the penultimate lecture of BU’s Inaugural Lecture Series 2018, with a final address, ‘Nutrition – a new view on health, ageing and practice’, from Professor Jane Murphy, Professor of Nutrition at BU, taking place at BU’s Executive Business Centre on Monday 30 April.
A full podcast of Professor Chignell’s lecture is available here. For more information about the Inaugural Lecture Series and to book tickets, visit: https://research.bournemouth.ac.uk/bus-inaugural-lecture-series/
Next inaugural lecture – Nutrition, new view on health, ageing and practice
Our final inaugural lecture for this academic year will take place in the EBC on Monday 30 April and will be given by Professor Jane Murphy from the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences.
Good nutrition helps us to stay healthy and is a fundamental part of living a long, full and rewarding life. Food security, lifestyle and personal choices are some of the key factors that influence our ability to eat well and meet our nutritional needs. To help us navigate through these issues, we need the advice of qualified, experience and skilled nutrition professionals. But with some many conflicting messages about nutrition and health, how do we know what’s best and who to believe? Who should we trust to provide scientifically sound and effective nutritional advice?
Through her inaugural lecture, Professor Murphy will discuss the nutrition landscape in the UK and draw on her research journey to show recommendations around diet changes, particularly those linked to age-related conditions, have been underpinned by scientific evidence. Her lecture will discuss the challenges faced by nutritional professionals when translating knowledge into practice and the solutions she has used when developing new approaches to education and training in the wider health and social care workforce.
Jane Murphy is Professor of Nutrition, a Registered Nutritionist and Dietitian and co-leads the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre at Bournemouth University. Her research is committed to key nutritional problems faced by older people, especially the complex problems faced by people living with dementia and those living with and beyond cancer. At a national level, her ongoing work with Health Education England has provided evidence informed, high quality education and training to improve practice in dementia care across the health and social care workforce. Professor Murphy is committed to advancing the professional practice of nutritionists and is an elected Council member and Trustee for the UK Association for Nutrition and sits on a number of other national advisory boards including the Malnutrition Task Force with Age UK.
You can book your free tickets here.
For futher information on this event please contact research@bournemouth.ac.uk
HE policy update w/e 16th March 2018
#SamOnCampus
BU welcomed Sam Gyimah MP on Thursday as part of his #SamOnCampus tour. Wearing his Science, Research and Innovation hat, we started with a whistle-stop tour of some interesting projects with a focus on technology and priorities for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The Minister was keen to be hands on simulator for knee operations with Dr Tom Wainwright from the Orthopaedic Research Institute, and tried out the eye tracking technology with Dr Sarah Bate from the Centre for Face Processing Disorders. He also discussed virtual reality and wayfinding in care homes with Professor Jan Wiener, the AfterGlow project with Vicky Isley and Paul Smith and discussed technological innovations in learning with Professor Elizabeth Falconer. The Minister then heard about BU from Professor John Vinney and Jim Andrews, and was interviewed by two of our BA Multimedia Journalism students. He then helped to break the ground for our Poole Gateway Building.
The main event was the #SamOnCampus event – billed as a dialogue between Sam and students and staff. The event was hosted by Alex Hancox, SUBU VP education with a welcome from the VC, Professor John Vinney and Daniel Asaya, President of SUBU. The Minster, who has called himself the “Minister for Students” and who started by saying that the HE sector has changed and that it is time for students to have a voice, was keen to discuss a wide range of issues, and as well as questions about higher education and fees and funding, a wide range of issues did indeed come up. It would probably fair to say that the Minister supported the government line on these issues (ie. austerity is not a belief system, it’s a necessity and homelessness is a priority issue that needs to be addressed). NB local MP Conor Burns later issued a call to action on homelessness locally so it will be interesting to see where this goes).
- The Minister responded to a question about the USS dispute (it’s a pensions dispute between some universities and their staff, it’s about a valuation and they need to sort it out – he didn’t mention compensation for students although he has tweeted about that a lot including today. He also said that it was not government policy to ban unpaid internships (because it might prevent legitimate unpaid work experience) but that he and the Conservative party did not agree with unpaid internships and he understood the issues that they caused for graduates, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds..
- On issues closer to home, the Minister agreed that mental health was a priority issue for student support but did not have any particular contribution to make. He also agreed that a wide range of extra-curricular activities were an important aspect of the university experience. When asked about freedom of speech he repeated that “university should be an assault on the senses” and said that students should challenge and be challenged even if that made them uncomfortable- but that did not mean that bullying and harassment should be allowed.
- He also repeated the usual line about there being no limit on the number international students. There was an interesting moment later when Conor Burns MP, thanking the Minister, challenged him to join him in lobbying for students to be removed from migration targets.
- The Minister was asked about support for creative subjects, in schools as well as in HE – and he said that he thought this was very important – although he did not have a response on the specific question about bursaries for those training to be teachers in the creative subjects.
- When asked about subject level TEF and the challenges of explaining a gold institution with a bronze course, for example, the Minister replied that it was important that applicants had access to information, including about salaries on graduation, and how he thought that the difference in graduate outcomes was a relevant fact. However, he quickly went on to say that other things were important to the university experience as well as salaries afterwards.
- And on fees and funding he repeated the explanation that has been given by everyone including the PM and Jo Johnson about how the current system in which graduates contribute to their fees is fair, that the system is essentially a graduate tax with government subsidies built into it. He also said that abolishing fees was unrealistic. When asked about plans for differential fees he said that there were no plans for differential fees but there is an ongoing review. He said that he did not have answers but would take back and look into questions about postgraduate support and support for disabled students, and a number of comments were about living costs, which is also being considered by the review.
The Minister asked the audience several questions, including what their priorities would be if they had his job. He also stayed for some time afterwards chatting to students.
The Minister gave the impression of genuinely wanting to hear what students had to say and was keen to engage and respond, not afraid to give potentially unpopular responses – but he did not have answers to all the questions and did not engage in detail on some of the issues that are important to students – e.g. mental health. It will be interesting to see if there is any follow up on these issues and what the Minister takes away from his tour overall.
Subject level TEF
On Monday last week the Department for Education announced a 10 week consultation on the subject level TEF – see the press release. The Times Higher published an article.
Consultation questions include:
- 2 Do you agree that we should have a longer duration and re-application period in subject-level TEF?
- 3 Should subject-level TEF retain the existing key elements of the provider-level framework (including the TEF criteria, the same suite of metrics, benchmarking, submissions, an independent panel assessment process and the rating system)?
- 8 Do you agree that grade inflation should only apply in the provider-level metrics?
- 11 Do you: a) agree that QAA Subject Benchmark Statements and PSRB accreditation or recognition should remain as a voluntary declaration, and if not, why? b) think that there are any subjects where mandatory declaration should apply?
- 13 On balance, are you in favour of introducing a measure of teaching intensity in the TEF, and what might be the positive impacts or unintended consequences of implementing a measure of teaching intensity?
- 14 What forms of contact and learning (e.g. lectures, seminars, work based learning) should and should not be included in a measure of teaching intensity?
- 15 What method(s)/option(s) do you think are best to measure teaching intensity? Please state if there are any options that you strongly oppose and suggest any alternative options.
We’ll be preparing a response to this so please contact policy@bournemouth.ac.uk if you would like to be involved.
In a related announcement, the Minister will also launch an Open Data competition, the first of its kind in the UK HE sector, which will use selected government data on universities so that tech companies and coders can create apps to help prospective students decide where to apply. This competition will build on the government’s recently published Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset, which gives information on employment and salaries after graduation. By democratising access to information about courses and their outcomes, it will help all applicants, regardless of their background, make better decisions and get better value for money. The Universities Minister added:
- “Our new Open Data Competition will open up Government data on universities for the first time. It will harness the creativity and enterprise of coders and tech businesses to create new tools to help applicants get value for money. And it puts government data to work for students, democratising the information Government holds about universities.”
Mature students
Timely for the HE review, a report from Million Plus on “Forgotten Learners: Building a system that works for Mature students”. Recommendations are that:
The Government should:
- Review student finance to assess whether there is adequate financial support for those with the lowest household incomes.
- Improve the financial support available for mature students so that those who are most disadvantaged are not having to rely on high levels of paid employment to maintain themselves financially, thereby damaging their ability to progress at university.
- Restore maintenance grants for students in England through the Student Loans Company so that mature students are not discouraged from entering higher education due to maintenance costs and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds do not graduate with greater levels of debt.
- Further relax the equivalent and lower qualifications (ELQ) restrictions for some ‘second-chance’ learners.
- Establish a system of tuition fee loan write-off for nursing and midwifery students in England (post-2016) after a minimum period of public service e.g. 5 years. This will help combat problems with both recruitment and retention in these professions.
- Maximise the flexibility of learning options in higher education so that mature students are not discouraged from going to university. Move to a more flexible system that allows students to tailor their study to the pace of their life makes university education feasible for those with existing commitments. This must be replicated on the level of funding, to create a system in which mature students do not have to commit to a full year’s worth of financial and personal commitment.
The OfS should:
- Prioritise mature students as a key target demographic within the widening participation agenda.
- Use its powers as a regulator to secure meaningful, sustained and stretching commitments from universities in their Access & Participation Plans in relation to mature students.
- Encourage and incentivise universities to design effective approaches to mature student recruitment and to expand funding for that recruitment and for financial support.
Universities should:
- Further improve engagement with mature students to acknowledge their diversity and establish places/opportunities on campus for mature students to meet each other, particularly those in similar age brackets.
- Continue to provide flexible routes into higher education.
- Ensure there is adequate support for students with caring responsibilities, so that these do not act as a barrier to entry or completion.
- Avoid any changes to term timetables that may increase childcare costs for mature students.
- Be bold in targets and ambitions outlined in Access and Participation Plans relating to mature students.
- Promote the range of support (financial or otherwise) that is available to mature students.
Brexit
Research Professional had an article on the UK being frozen out from EU agencies and research post Brexit. The EU has apparently said that participation in things such as the European Medicines Agency is “cherry picking” and unacceptable – will they take the same view on Erasmus? There are separate guidelines on research frameworks which say that the UK would be treated as a third country, can only take part if we make a net contribution and give up decision making powers. The UK currently benefits, taking 40% more out than it puts in, so that looks unhelpful too as an approach.
Spring Statement
Please find below initial headlines from today’s Spring Statement, the following links provide a good overview:
- HM Treasury: Spring Statement – what you need to know
- Office for Budget Responsibility: Economic and fiscal outlook – March 2018
- Labour Press: John McDonnell’s full response to the Spring Statement
After reflecting on the growth and public finance projections, the Chancellor said at the Autumn Budget he would set a path for spending from 2020, with a Spending Review taking place in 2019. He indicated that if in the Autumn the public finances continued to reflect improvements, the Treasury would be able to increase public spending.
Other announcements included:
- How £5bn set aside for Brexit planning will be spent
- April 2018 will see Construction Skills Fund open for bids
- Department for Education will release up to £80m to help small firms take on apprentices
- The Office for National Statistics have been asked to work on a better assessment of human capital, so investment can be better directed
- Government are inviting cities to bid for money from a New Transport Fund announced in the Budget 2017.
- There is a new consultation on how to encourage cashless and digital payments whilst ensuring access to cash remains for those who need it
- Government will consult on the whole supply chain for single-use plastics – Hammond indicates will not simply be about raising revenue but about changing behaviour. Suggests £20m will be available for businesses and universities research innovation in this area.
- Government are agreeing deals with local areas who are willing to build lots of houses and confirms one has now been agreed for the West Midlands – says a few other housebuilding schemes – like one with Lloyds Bank – will be boosted.
Widening Participation
The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has published an impact review by Nursaw Associates which has found that “our approach to research and evidence has been successful in helping higher education providers to improve access to and participation in higher education by working in more effective ways”. The document can be found on the OFFA website.
Taking an evidence-led approach to access and participation- “You cannot regulate if you do not understand.” – Academic interviewee In September 2017, we commissioned Nursaw Associates to carry out an impact review of how far the activities of our Evidence and Effective Practice function have successfully met the objective of our Evidence Strategy to support and challenge the sector to continually improve outcomes through the generation of and learning from robust evaluation, research and analysis.
This impact review has demonstrated that:
- our approach to evidence and effective practice has influenced behaviour in universities and colleges and driven change in access and participation
- our dual ‘support and challenge’ approach has enabled us to work effectively with colleagues at every level across the sector and secure much-needed improvements in access and participation work
- the research we have produced and commissioned has been highly valued by the sector, viewed as both credible and
Why did we do this? – Our 2015-2020 Strategic Plan called for universities and colleges to take an increasingly evidence-led approach to improving performance on access and participation across the whole student lifecycle – from entry right through to the transition to work or further study. Alongside this challenge to institutions, we have also been developing a more evidence-led approach to our own policy and practice. This impact review forms part of our commitment to more intelligent regulation, and was intended to:
- demonstrate the key role of evaluation and evidence in effective policy decisions
- provide evidence to inform discussions about the shape of evidence policies in the new Office for Students (OfS).
What did we find?
Support and challenge – In the minds of institutions, there is significant interdependence between OFFA’s evidence and effective practice work and its regulatory function, with 81 per cent of survey respondents considering that OFFA’s role should be to both regulate higher education and support the sector in its efforts to widen participation.
The value of research to institutions – Survey and interview responses highlighted that OFFA’s research and evaluation work is valued by institutions in terms of:
- benchmarking against other institutions
- highlighting where they can improve their approach
- enabling change in the institution
- identifying best practice.
Widening participation staff felt that OFFA enabled them to influence leaders to understand the importance of their work, and would like OFFA to be more visible in the practitioner community, for example via targeted events and direct communications.
Case study: understanding the impact of financial support – Our research to understand the impact of financial support has led to significant change, with over 57 per cent of institutions from the access agreement analysis using the financial support toolkit developed through this work.
Relationship building – 88 per cent of survey respondents described having a close working relationship with OFFA, which was seen as positive and important for effective regulation. Interviewees from further education colleges (FECs) reported feeling more distant from OFFA, explaining that they don’t consider a close relationship with OFFA to be necessary, but would like opportunities to share and discuss best practice with other FECs.
A sea change – Interviewees reported that OFFA has had a positive impact on the sector, with one describing OFFA creating a “sea change”. This is borne out by access agreement analysis which demonstrates a significant increase in evaluative activity within institutions: only 10 per cent of access agreements in 2013-14 mentioned an evaluation framework, which had risen to 57 per cent in 2018-19. However, interviewees widely acknowledged that evidence and evaluation are not yet embedded into the work of the sector and require further support and intervention from the regulator. Many did not believe that the evaluative work would continue at the same level without the commitment and support from OFFA.
Recommendations – The review has provided valuable learning for OFFA as the current fair access regulator, which we hope will be developed by the OfS as the incoming regulator. We encourage the OfS to:
- consider all their communications with the sector to ensure that they are both challenging and supportive
- engage with groups of institutions to work together and share best practice, research and evidence
- ensure that research and evaluation tools are accessible for different types of institution and different staff within an institution (for example, those who do not have a research background)
- continue to commission research and evaluative studies, using their understanding of the sector alongside their work with government to identify areas for research and evaluation.
- ensure they widely publicise the conferences and events they contribute to and organise.
We hope that institutions will:
- celebrate the work they do and work together to keep sharing excellent practice
- continue to engage with widening participation policy makers
- continue to invest in their widening participation staff
- be part of future research
- be their own champions for the importance of widening participation in their own institutions and across the sector.
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Loudspeaker Orchestra concert at BU
On Wednesday 28th February 2018 guest composer Dr Annie Mahtani, University of Birmingham and Birmingham Electroacoustic Sound Theatre (BEAST), joined us for a concert of multi-channel, surround-sound music for Loudspeaker Orchestra in the Allsebrook Lecture Theatre. Organised by Ambrose Seddon (EMERGE; Creative Technology), the varied programme featured works from BEAST and BU composers.
Annie Mahtani presented and diffused three of her own multi-channel compositions (Inversions; Past Links; Aeolian) along with works by fellow BEAST composers James Carpenter (Pent-Up) and Nikki Sheth (Orford Ness). Ambrose Seddon diffused his recent multi-channel electroacoustic work Traces of Play while Panos Amelidis (EMERGE; Creative Technology and pictured sound-checking) diffused two compositions: Bird Train and Cracks.
Student volunteers from our BSc Music & Sound Production Technology provided crucial help rigging the loudspeaker system – they also gained invaluable insights into novel surround-sound loudspeaker configurations.
Thanks to all who attended and persevered despite the cold conditions!
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