BU Research Blog

11 November 2016

1st International Military Law Conference in South Africa – BU Research receives global attention

conferences, international, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement sbachmann

Associate Professor in International Law (BU) and War Studies (FHS) Sascha Dov Bachmann just returned from Johannesburg where he presented on Hybrid War and Lawfare at the 1^st International Military Law Conference in South Africa. A great experience and and from a media point of view as well as from a BU research point of view the conference and its coverage in the regional African and international media were a full success.

The reference below is taken from the official SA Government Media release and was taken up by various media sites inside the African Union and abroad: the UK, US, Ghana,Kenya, Sudan, NZ etc and reads as follows:

“The rest of the first day (under the sub-theme International Military Law) unpacked issues relating to the permissible and legal use of armed force by States, and the legal rules governing soldiers during such armed conflicts. Professor Sascha-Dominik Bachmann of Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom presented a paper setting out the implications of so-called “hybrid war” and the offensive and defensive use of “lawfare” (the use of litigation for political purposes aimed at impacting a State’s military operations). ”

defenceWeb – Africa’s leading defence news portal summarizes the objectives of the conference as:

The conference theme of “contemporary military law” was explored with sub-themes relating to international military law, human rights law, operational law and administration of military justice.

The objectives of the conference – to raise public awareness of the importance of military law in a democracy and to stimulate interest in academic research in this specialised field of public law to strengthen the development of South African military law – were successfully met with a number of international and local academics and military professionals presenting research papers, according to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

The conference was officially opened by SA National Defence Force Chief, General Solly Shoke. In his opening address he welcomed the opportunity provided by the conference for South African military lawyers to benchmark local approaches with that of other armed forces. He also expressed the wish for the conference to provide a basis for evaluating whether any amendments to military and other legislation may be necessary to empower commanders to instil and maintain military discipline.

11 November 2016

Support for developing your event idea – Drop-in session Monday 14 November

Festival of Learning, Public engagement Joanna Pawlik

Don’t miss our drop-in sessions where we can offer you support in planning your event for Festival of Learning 2017.

Our next session is on Monday 14 November and we’ll be there for you from 8:30am-10am at Fusion Building – coffee area.

Come to see us and don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your research and expertise by being a part of the Festival!

We’re hoping to see you there!

10 November 2016

BES Science Slam 2016

Public engagement hjones

Do you have a passion for ecology? The British Ecological Society (BES) is looking for competitors for 2016’s BES Science Slam.

What is a Science Slam?

A Science Slam is a brilliant way to showcase your research to the public, by combining it with entertainment. Scientists take to the stage to present their research in an engaging, entertaining and uncompleted manner. You can great as creative as you like, your act could involve live experiments, audience participation, song, dance, acting or something different altogether. The winners are selected through the loudest audience applause!

BES are looking for scientists from the field of ecological science and theory. You can be a PhD student or even a professor, BES want scientists who can enthuse people. Each scientist will be given 8 minutes to present their research and 2 minutes for questions.

Want to take part? Applications can be found online here. Entries must be in by 9:00 Monday 14 November 2016.

Want some inspiration? Take a look at last year’s Science Slam here.

9 November 2016

Support for developing your event idea – Drop-in session Friday 11 November

Festival of Learning, Public engagement Joanna Pawlik

Don’t miss our drop-in sessions where we can offer you support in planning your event for Festival of Learning 2017.

Our next session is on Friday 11 November and we’ll be there for you from 12:30pm-1:30pm at EB204, Executive Business Centre.

Come to see us and don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your research and expertise by being a part of the Festival!

We’re hoping to see you there!

2 November 2016

BU research presented at the 10th International Conference on Toxic Cyanobacteria (ICTC), Wuhan, China

Fusion, international, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, student research dfranklin

BU academic Dan Franklin and PhD student David Hartnell presented research in Wuhan, China during the 10^th ICTC last week. Attracting about 350 delegates, and sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the conference was concerned with the growing problem of toxic cyanobacteria in freshwater resources and the ways in which ecological and health consequences can be reduced. Toxic cyanobacteria are a particular problem in China, where they have contaminated public drinking water supplies creating a serious public health issue. Dan and Dave gave 4 presentations at the conference on work carried out with BU colleagues Ian Chapman, Su Chern Foo, Eddie McCarthy and Prof. Genoveva Esteban. Dr. Andy Turner from the government biotoxin labs at CEFAS, Weymouth, an important collaborator on the BU work, also presented at the conference. The conference was a great success and enabled meetings with important researchers in the field from around the world. Dan and Dave would like to thank BU for funding some of the expenses of the trip.

Dave Hartnell, Dan Franklin and Andy Turner at conference venue

Dan Franklin with colleague Dr Zhou Yang at Yellow Crane Tower

Giving presentation at ICTC 10

2 November 2016

Increasing Crop Yield through understanding Plant Nutrition – talk from Dr. David Pilbeam

Public engagement Joanna Pawlik

Bournemouth Natural Science Society would like to invite you to talk on ‘Increasing Crop Yield through understanding Plant Nutrition’.

Dr. Pilbeam is a Visiting Fellow and former Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds. He has edited books on the subject of plant nutrition and published widely on the subject. He will discuss how new research may lead to changes to farming practice and how we can use crop breeding to respond to climate change.

When: Saturday 19th November at 2.30pm

Where: Bournemouth Natural Science Society
39 Christchurch Road BH1 3NS

For more information please click here

1 November 2016

My Voice, My Story: hearing students’ stories

Public engagement, Student Engagement hjones

Date: Monday 7 November

Time: 10am-1pm

Location: F105, Fusion, Talbot Campus

Register Here

What does it mean to be a student in the 21^st century? As part of ESRC’s Festival of Social Science BU researchers Dr Vanessa Heaslip, Dr Clive Hunt, Dr Maggie Hutchings and Dr Alex Wardrop will be leading a workshop to present the real-life stories of non-traditional students. The students’ stories will immerse the audience through a mix of multi-media methods made up of images, films and talks.

Bournemouth University is leading a pioneering collaborative programme of research exploring ways to make higher education more accessible and more equitable than it sometimes is. This research contributes to new, more participatory, ways of doing, thinking and learning about widening participation which is a core tenet to BU’s Fair Access Research project.

Over the past few weeks BU researchers have been working with a diverse group of non-traditional students from across the university, as they take images that tell their stories of university life. This enables the students to become the researchers of their own lives, using the photovoice methodology to share their stories.

During the research process BU researchers asked students to tell their stories to each other as a gift to help uncover insights into their experiences by talking through the images and hearing their stories retold by another. Some themes that have been emerging through the stories included the concept of homeliness, both in its history and recreation as a student.

Unsurprisingly, the students identified that the images shared by the final year students appeared more positive compared with the anxieties of first year students.

The workshop will allow you to listen to the non-traditional students’ voices, learn from the students’ stories, gain insights into different research methods and work together to develop practical responses to what we see and hear.

You will gain insights into the power of arts-based social participatory research methods for eliciting deep stories and re-represented for social action. Having engaged with storytelling, participants will discuss ways in which the students’ lived experiences could shape policy changes and interventions to better enable students to feel like they belong.

For more information about this project or BU’s innovative Fair Access Research, please email the Principal Investigators Dr Vanessa Heaslip and Dr Clive Hunt.

The 14th annual Festival of Social Science takes place from 5-12 November 2016 with more
than 250 free events nationwide. Run by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Festival provides an opportunity for anyone to meet with some of the country’s leading social scientists and discover, discuss and debate the role that research plays in everyday life. With a whole range of creative and engaging events there’s something for everyone including businesses, charities, schools and government agencies. A full programme is available at www.esrc.ac.uk/festival You can also join the discussion on Twitter using #esrcfestival.

To hear more about ESRC Festival of Social Science at Bournemouth University, then please get in touch.

31 October 2016

Festival of Learning 2017 – What could you do?

Fusion, Public engagement Joanna Pawlik

If you are still searching for some inspiration for Festival of Learning 2017, you can find our previous blog post here with some suggestions for engaging events. But most importantly, make sure you come along to one of our drop-in ‘Support for developing your idea sessions’ and talk to us! Additionally, we’re also offering a bookable training session for you to find out more about ‘Developing a public engagement event’. Please book your place via OD.

You may have already planned your event and now looking for ways of making it more appealing to members of the public. Regardless of the stage of event planning that you are at, we have a few extra ideas to give your event a boost!

The forefront of gene therapy

This event was a presentation from two experts Michael Linden and Nick Clarke, exploring how viruses can be used as tools to replace or repair faulty genes. To boost the interest of the audience and get them more engaged, the academics used an interactive voting system. Through the presentation they had some fun questions for the audience, related to genetics in general but not necessarily to the actual research. Examples of questions that captured audience’s attention were:

What percentage of genes do we share with a cabbage?

What percentage of genes do we share with bananas?

You may be surprised to know that humans share 50% of genes with bananas and 45% with cabbage.

Antarctic ice shelves

During this presentation Bernd Kulessa and Suzanne Bevan shared their tales from ten years of working in Antarctica. To give the audience a better idea of what life in the frozen wilderness looks like, the academics used not only photographs, but also 3D google maps. The maps show all of the stops they made on the journey to Antarctica, which not only added different dimension to the talk but also made it more personal.

The secret life of animals

How do you track whales diving deep underwater or birds flying high above us? Rory Wilson has developed pioneering electronic tags that allow researchers to monitor movement, behaviour, energy exposure, temperature and feeding patterns of hard-to-observe animals. Sounds interesting, but how do you translate these readings in simplified language to ensure your audience stays engaged? You simply organise for someone in penguin costume to copy the movement readings of actual penguin, while planking on a chair!

These events took place as part of the British Science Festival in Swansea, 2016.

26 October 2016

BU’s Dr.Sascha Dov Bachmann to speak at conference convened by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)

conferences, Fusion, international, Public engagement sbachmann

Dr Sascha Dov Bachmann, Associate Professor in International Law and Extraordinary Associate Professor in War Studies (Swedish Defence University) will present his work on Hybrid War and law fare in the 21st Century at SANDF’s First International Conference on Military Law, in Pretoria from 1 to 3 November.

The objective of the conference is to expose and bring awareness to the South African public in general and academia in particular on the importance of Military Law within a country’s legal system.

South Africa is among the leading countries in contributing military personnel and major equipment for peace missions in pursuance of its policy to promote peace and stability in the continent. The country’s important role in mediation to end conflicts, has earned it a good standing, reputation and respect among the community of nations.

As an active participant in international structures, South Africa raises the interests of the African continent and other developing countries. Since it plays a meaningful role for the success of the region and the continent, it is incumbent that it stays afloat in every spectrum possible including the development and application of Military Law.

Furthermore here at home, the community at large; to some extent the Military community; academia and jurors alike seem not to be aware of the relevance, extent and application of Military Law.

The Conference will be opened by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans the Honourable Minister N.N. Mapisa-Nqakula. The Key Note Speaker will be our former Chief Justice, Justice Sandile Ngcobo.

Dr Sascha Dov Bachmann will present the findings on an ongoing project on Hybrid War and lawfare and how it impacts on AU states and their operational capacities and abilities.

26 October 2016

Cheltenham Science Festival – Public Engagement Opportunity!

Public engagement Joanna Pawlik

With the Call for Ideas now being open for next year’s Cheltenham Science Festival, we would like to encourage you to take part in this opportunity. There are many benefits of taking part in public engagement events so make sure to apply before the deadline on Monday 21st November

You can find out more about the call and submit your ideas here http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/science/science-in-the-square/call-for-ideas-2017

Cheltenham Science Festival is a 6-day celebration of science with a programme of vibrant and thoughtful discussions, hot debates, mind-blowing performances, participative workshops and hands-on exhibitions.

The Festival is original and lively, and welcomes the audience to join scientists, engineers, comedians, writers, mathematicians and performers to explore science in new ways.

Each year we look for fresh new ideas to create a broad and stimulating programme. We are keen to trial new formats and inventive ways of talking about science, and to attract people who would not normally consider attending a Science Festival.

The themes for 2017 are:

Music and Sound,

Mysteries of the Mind

and Our Future World.

Whether you are a researcher in a lab looking for a place to talk about cutting edge research, a freelance science communicator with a fabulous science show, or an audience member with an idea that you think we should explore at the festival, we would love to hear from you.

Submit your idea: http://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/science/science-in-the-square/call-for-ideas-2017

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with Hana Ayoob hana.ayoob@cheltenhamfestivals.com

Don’t forget to submit your proposal for next year’s Festival of Learning! Find out how to apply here

25 October 2016

ESRC’s Festival of Social Science- What is the Internet Hiding from you?

Public engagement hjones

Date: Tuesday 8 November 2016

Time: 2:30pm-5pm

Location: Executive Business Centre (EBC), Bournemouth University, 89 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8EB

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science, BU’s Dr Nava Tintarev and Dr Paolo Palmieri will host an information session and focus group to talk about their research into digital privacy and discuss people’s opinions on the use of their personal data

As many of us may be aware our personal data is used to filter our Facebook timeline and that Amazon personalises our suggestions. With an exponential growth of information, many online systems filter and adapt what information we are exposed to. However as users, we have not always agreed to this personalisation and we’re often left unaware whether our personal data is being used to benefit us. There is also a risk that if personalisation gets ‘too good’; this can narrow down our exposure to new things. We’re left to wonder how our personal information is being used.

Imagine a tourist visiting a city and looking for new places to explore. A recommender system would suggest several places to visit and a certain sequence to visit them in. To give good recommendations, the system needs to consider the relationship between suggested items. For example, the tourist may not want to visit more than two museums in a day, and they would not want to go from one museum straight to another one, so there should be something else to visit in-between.

Working together with adults of different backgrounds and degrees of technological experience Dr Nava Tintarev hopes to understand what factors influence a good explanation for these sequences, through the focus group and better understand how people feel about this personalisation.

One scenario is when there is no best option and the sequences have taken into account trade-offs. For example, someone travelling in a group may not see their top preference within the sequence, because the system took into account the preference of others in the group.

The second scenario in which explanations can really help is when the recommendations contain unexpected, but risky items. Often recommender systems suggest safe items, for example suggesting the latest Star Wars movie to a Star Wars fan, or inferring from a user’s consumption habits that they are similar to users that like the newly released Jurassic World movie. The problem is that even though these systems suggest novel items, these recommendations are predictable. They miss out on what potentially could be the greatest strength of recommender systems: helping users discover new items and new interests they didn’t realise they had.

It is vital to understand people’s concerns. Dr Nava Tintarev’s research looks specifically at the use of explanations to help users make good decisions about recommendations of sequences of items. It is important that they are confident that they can trust these systems. Through her research, she hopes to help users gain a better sense of how their personal data is being used. This event will help you gather a better understanding of how big data companies use personal data and the challenges they face.

The 14th annual Festival of Social Science takes place from 5-12 November 2016 with more than 250 free events nationwide. Run by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Festival provides an opportunity for anyone to meet with some of the country’s leading social scientists and discover, discuss and debate the role that research plays in everyday life. With a whole range of creative and engaging events there’s something for everyone including businesses, charities, schools and government agencies. A full programme is available at www.esrc.ac.uk/festival You can also join the discussion on Twitter using #esrcfestival.

This event is running twice on Tuesday 8 November to allow as many people as possible to attend. I if you would like to attend the 14:30-17:00 session please book your free place here. If you would prefer to attend in the evening there is a session running 18:00-20:30 for which you can book your free place here.

To find out more about the ESRC Festival of Social Science and all the events taking place please visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/esrc-fss you can also email Joanna Pawlik or Naomi Kay to find out more.

25 October 2016

The past is not what it used to be: archaeological science in the 21st century

Public engagement Rachel Bowen

8053-int-comms-inaugural-lecture-kate-welham-digital-screen-v3-0

BU’s inaugural lecture series returns this autumn, with a taste of the past. Advances in technology are making a difference to all areas of our lives – even to how we understand our history. The use of technology in archaeology has been revolutionary, not just in the kinds of equipment that can be used, but also that so much can now be used in the field, giving almost instant analysis.

Bournemouth University’s Professor Kate Welham is an expert in archaeological sciences, with a particular focus on remote sensing techniques. Her work has taken her to sites all over the world – from Tanzania and Spain to Easter Island and closer to home – Glastonbury Abbey. Over the course of her career, she has seen the field of archaeology change and grow immeasurably.

Kate’s lecture will share stories of her fieldwork experiences across the world, the way technology has revolutionised the way archaeologists work and how she has involved BU students in her research. There will also be an opportunity before and after the lecture to meet some of BU’s current archaeology students and see some of the equipment used by BU’s archaeologists out in the field.

Bournemouth University’s Inaugural Lecture Series aims to celebrate new professorial appointments and the depth and breadth of research produced by the university. For further information on the Inaugural Lecture Series please visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/public-lecture-series

About the event

To book your free ticket, click here.

Venue: The Fusion Building on Talbot Campus.

Date: Tuesday 1 November.

Time: 6:30pm for a 7:30pm lecture start.

Please do arrive early as there will be an opportunity to see and handle some of the equipment used by the Department of Archaeology, Anthropology & Forensic Science.

Refreshments will be provided at the event.

Parking is available for free on campus.

For more information about the event, please contact Rachel Bowen at rbowen@bournemouth.ac.uk.

25 October 2016

Support for developing your event idea – Drop-in session Thursday 27 October

Festival of Learning, Public engagement Joanna Pawlik

Don’t miss our drop-in sessions where we can offer you support in planning your event for Festival of Learning 2017.

Our next session is on Thursday 27 October and we’ll be there for you from 11am – 12pm at Naked Coffee Shop (next to RLH, Lansdowne).

Come to see us and don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your research and expertise by being a part of the Festival!

We’re hoping to see you there!

24 October 2016

ESRC’s Festival of Social Science- Innovations in Hospitality and Travel

Public engagement hjones

Date: Thursday 10 November 2016

Time: 10am-1pm

Location: Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB

Register Here

The International Centre of Tourism and Hospitality Research will be running an event as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science. Tourism plays a major part in Bournemouth’s economy, attracting millions of visitors to the seaside town every year. In 2011 alone, the town saw 5.6 million visitors, who spent £460 million between them. BU’s Dr Giampaolo Viglia will be presenting to the audience the innovations that have been introduced to the travel and hospitality industry, via cutting edge social science research.

The workshops aim to provide some evidence on the actual behaviour of operators in the hotel and aviation industry and to ask: How much do they use dynamic pricing strategies? When is the best time to book? How should they react to the seller’s pricing strategies? What are the main drivers behind the price trend structure? What additional profit can the revenue management techniques in the hospitality industry offer? Is delegating the price decision to the consumers in restaurants appropriate?

BU’s Dr Giampaolo Viglia will be joined by Professor Claudio Piga, from Keele University and the staff from HOTS Business game to discuss dynamic pricing, the best time to book and new pricing mechanisms. This will be followed by a tea/coffee break, to recharge your batteries. We will then hear from BU researchers Dr Viachaslau Filimonau, Professor Adele Ladkin, Professor Heather Hartwell and Dr Sean Beer who will discuss innovations in food, technology and menu labeling. The event has been designed to engage professionals and consumers in discussion and to showcase the growing research agenda on the impact of innovation on the travel and hospitality industry.

Innovations are influencing the travel and hospitality industries offering more flexibility on the supply side and driving informed decisions on the consumer side. The rapid growth of online bookings has had a massive impact on the industry. The internet encourages greater price scrutiny since the relevant information is both easier to obtain and transparent, given that any party can compare the prices of several alternatives with very little effort. This is bound to have an impact on how operators set prices since they too can easily obtain this information and rapidly respond accordingly. There will also be an opportunity for debate between professionals and consumers.

The 14th annual Festival of Social Science takes place from 5-12 November 2016 with more than 250 free events nationwide. Run by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Festival provides an opportunity for anyone to meet with some of the country’s leading social scientist and discover, discuss and debate the role that research plays in everyday life. With a whole range of creative and engaging events there’s something for everyone including businesses, charities, schools and government agencies. A full programme is available at www.esrc.ac.uk/festival. You can also join the discussion on Twitter using #esrcfestival.

To find out more about the ESRC Festival of Social Science and all the events taking place please visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/esrc-fss you can also email Joanna Pawlik or Naomi Kay to find out more.

24 October 2016

Developing a public engagement event – Workshop

Festival of Learning, international, Public engagement Joanna Pawlik

Don’t forget to book your place on our Developing a public engagement event, which is going to focus specifically on developing a public engagement event.

The workshop is going to take place on Monday 31st October, from 1pm-4pm at Student Hall, Talbot House, Talbot campus

The workshop will explore:

How public engagement can provide an opportunity to share your research with the public
Event design for public engagement events
How to engage the audience you want to target
How best to evaluate your events
What makes a good Festival of Learning event, with examples of effective past events

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your research and expertise by being a part of the Festival! Find out more and book your place via Organisation Development here.

We’re hoping to see you there!

20 October 2016

Still time to book for RUFUS STONE gala at Shelley Theatre 7 Nov.

Public engagement Kip Jones

If you haven’t yet booked to attend the screening and gala reception (wine and nibbles!) at the historic Shelley Theatre in Boscombe with a screening of the award-winning short film, RUFUS STONE, do it today!

FREE but you must register here!

BREAKING NEWS! Actor Lin Blakley, who played “Abigail” in RUFUS STONE, will be attending the gala! Lin is known for her recuring role in EastEnders as Pam Coker.

Shelley Theatre in Boscombe (map on Eventbrite where you register)

3:00 Film screening

3:30 Q & A with audience members

4-5 pm Drinks Reception

Register now!

An ESRC Festival of Social Science event.

–

19 October 2016

The Shelley Frankenstein Legacy: Social Science in History and Today

Public engagement hjones

Date: Monday 7 November 2016

Time: 9am-4:30pm

Location: Executive Business Centre (EBC), Bournemouth University, 89 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8EB

Register here

The Shelley Frankenstein Festival (BSFF) and BU’s Women’s Academic Network are joining forces to run an event exploring the Shelley Frankenstein Legacy as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science. It’s nearly 200 years since the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the festival in her honour, is an opportunity to celebrate her legacy.

The joint event offers us the chance to focus on feminism and the sociology of the text from historical and contemporary perspectives. BU social scientists will argue and debate in two ‘Question Time’ style panels that will encourage wide participation and expression of views from the general public. There will also be an opportunity to watch Kenneth Branagh’s film ‘Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein’.

Many locals are unaware of the great ties Bournemouth has to the writer and her family. Interestingly, Bournemouth is the final resting place for Mary Shelley, despite never having lived or visited Bournemouth. Mary also wished to be buried with her parents, in spite of the fact that they were already buried in St Pancras, London at the time. Mary’s son, Percy Florence Shelley, subsequently had his grandparents moved to be with Mary. Mary, her parents and her husband’s heart are all currently entombed together in St Peter’s Church, Bournemouth. This event will be a great opportunity to honour both Mary and her family, especially her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, an early feminist writer.

Panel discussions:

Wollstonecraft’s legacy: feminism for then and now! With an introduction to Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Chair: Dr Heather Savigny, Associate Professor Faculty of Media and Communication

Panellists are:

Dr Charlotte Gordon (author of Romantic Outlaws),

Professor Candida Yates (author of The Play of Political Culture, Emotion and Identity),

Roberta Wedge (from Mary-on-the-Green campaign http://www.maryonthegreen.org)

Christine Aziz (local author of the play ‘Mary Shelley Goes to Hollywood’)

‘Question Time’ debate – Ethics, prosthetics and cosmeticisation: Troubling Dr Frankenstein in the 21st Century.

Panellists will take questions from the audience concerning cosmetic, prosthetic, genetic, and life-enhancing surgery/medicine.

Chair: Professor Jonathan Parker, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

Panellists are:

Dr Peri Bradley (editor of Food, Media and Contemporary Culture The Edible Image,

Professor Iain McRury (author of The Inner World of Doctor Who: psychoanalytic reflections in time and space),

Revd Dr Ian Terry (Team Rector of St Peter’s Town Parish Church),

Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree (co-convenor of the BU Women’s Academic Network, author of Death of the Dragon God Lake: Voices from Tasik Chini).

To find out more about ESRC’s Festival of Social Science at BU, please visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/esrc-fss or email esrcfestivalofsocialscience@bournemouth.ac.uk

17 October 2016

The social sciences at BU

BU Challenges, Fusion Investment Fund, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, Student Engagement brichards

Earlier this year a Fusion-funded series of public events at BU was organised by Professors Ann Brooks (FHSS), Candida Yates (FMC) and Barry Richards (FMC). For these ‘Dialogues in the Social Sciences’, leading social scientists were invited to speak at BU, along with other figures from outside and inside academia, on topics of current concern. The aim was to offer to BU students and staff, and to members of the local public, opportunities to hear and take part in authoritative and informed discussion of social and political issues.

The first was entitled ‘Increasing inequality? Widening opportunity? Debating higher education reform’ Two leading educationists from the University of London Institute of Education discussed the Higher Education Green Paper. Professor Sir Peter Scott (former editor of THE, and former V-C of Kingston University) and Professor Ann Phoenix, eminent psychosocial researcher, outlined their analysis of the prospects for the sector. BU’s Dr. Mastoureh Fathi (FHSS) and Ellie Mayo-Ward (SUBU V-P) were respondents. Chaired by Professor Iain MacRury of FMC, this event explored some of the risks to the sector in the current proposals.

In the second event (‘Our scandalised society’), criminologist Professor Chris Greer (City University) and Lord Blair (Sir Ian Blair, former Commissioner of the Met) discussed key issues regarding how the British state is responding to scandal proliferation, the implications of scandal for crime control and institutional regulation in the digital age, and the risk of scapegoating as a substitute for understanding and solving, particularly in a 24/7 news environment. Professor Ann Brooks was in the chair for an intriguing examination of the roles of both media and police in this complex intersection of social changes.

Professor Matthew Feldman of Teesside University is an expert on the Far Right; he was joined for the third and final event by Emman el-Badawy of the University of Exeter and the Centre on Religion and Geopolitics, and Dr Usama Hasan of the counter-radicalisation organisation the Quilliam Foundation, both experts on violent jihadism. Under the title of ‘Radicalisation: what is it and what threat does it pose?’, Professor Barry Richards chaired a wide-ranging discussion which both put the current threat of Islamist terror in broader historical contexts and looked closely at some of the debates around the Prevent counter-terrorism programme.

Each one of these events demonstrated that with excellent speakers and a thoughtful audience, a good discussion is guaranteed. All of them involved both students and members of the public, though the challenge of drawing in large numbers for early evening extra-curricular events was also in evidence. As well as their value to participants, these events flagged up internally and externally that BU has a growing base of social-scientific expertise, networked with internationally leading experts and pursuing a clear public engagement mission.

Category / Public engagement

1st International Military Law Conference in South Africa – BU Research receives global attention

Support for developing your event idea – Drop-in session Monday 14 November

BES Science Slam 2016

What is a Science Slam?

Support for developing your event idea – Drop-in session Friday 11 November

BU research presented at the 10th International Conference on Toxic Cyanobacteria (ICTC), Wuhan, China

Increasing Crop Yield through understanding Plant Nutrition – talk from Dr. David Pilbeam

Festival of Learning 2017 – What could you do?

BU’s Dr.Sascha Dov Bachmann to speak at conference convened by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)

Cheltenham Science Festival – Public Engagement Opportunity!

The past is not what it used to be: archaeological science in the 21st century

Support for developing your event idea – Drop-in session Thursday 27 October

Developing a public engagement event – Workshop

Don’t forget to book your place on our Developing a public engagement event, which is going to focus specifically on developing a public engagement event.

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Category / Public engagement

What is a Science Slam?

Don’t forget to book your place on our Developing a public engagement event, which is going to focus specifically on developing a public engagement event.

If you haven’t yet booked to attend the screening and gala reception (wine and nibbles!) at the historic Shelley Theatre in Boscombe with a screening of the award-winning short film, RUFUS STONE, do it today!

BREAKING NEWS! Actor Lin Blakley, who played “Abigail” in RUFUS STONE, will be attending the gala! Lin is known for her recuring role in EastEnders as Pam Coker.

Shelley Theatre in Boscombe (map on Eventbrite where you register)

3:00 Film screening

3:30 Q & A with audience members

4-5 pm Drinks Reception

An ESRC Festival of Social Science event.

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