BU Research Blog

Category / Student Engagement

May 22, 2017

HE policy update w/e 19th May 2017

Global engagement, innovation, international, policy, Research news, Student Engagement jforster

This week we have a focus on the manifestos but some other interesting things first:

Data protection within data analytics – The Information Commissioner has opened a formal investigation to assess the potential risk to data protection when using data analytics for political purposes. It will consider the practices deployed during the UK’s EU Referendum campaign and potentially also in other campaigns. As the data is transnational the investigation will explore how companies operating internationally deploy such practices with impact or handling of data in the UK. The priority is to uphold the rights of individuals and ensure that political campaigners and companies providing services to political parties operate within UK law. The timing of the investigation alongside the election campaigning is coincidental.

Have you submitted evidence to a select committee? – Parliament is currently reaching out to researchers who have submitted evidence to any select committee in the past. They aim to understand more about researchers needs to redesign the parliamentary website making it easier to use. They are investigating:

Individual’s interest in UK Parliament select committees
Individual’s experience of submitting evidence to UK Parliament select committees
What’s difficult or confusing in relation to UK Parliament select committees

If you have submitted select committee evidence and wish to provide feedback you can schedule a discussion regarding your experience by emailing outreach@parliament.uk or calling 020 7219 1650.

General Election 2017 – You can read our summary of each manifesto’s commitments to HE, Apprenticeships/Technical Education, Schools Policy, Industrial Strategy and Migration here.

On migration in particular, Politics Home reports on the Frontbench rebellion – every senior minister in Theresa May’s Cabinet is said to be opposed to her aim of reducing net migration. George Osborne calls the policy “economically illiterate”. Also covered by The Telegraph.

On the conservative manifesto and HE, HEPI have a blog by Nick Hillman “Forward, together or more of the same”, with a link to this Education Policy Institute paper by Professor Alison Wolf (2016) “Remaking Tertiary Education”.

Labour:

Will reintroduce maintenance grants for university students.
Will abolish university tuition fees.
Health training:
- Will re-introduce bursaries and funding for health-related degrees.
- Will continue to support all training routes for social workers, including initial social work training provided within or accredited by a higher education institution.
- Will invest in the training, education and development of doctors, throughout their careers.
Will seek to remain part of Horizon 2020
Will immediately guarantee existing rights for all EU nationals living in Britain and secure reciprocal rights for UK citizens living in EU countrie Guaranteeing the rights of EU staff working in health and care services gets a specific mention.
Will end freedom of movement when the UK leaves the European Union
Will introduce a new migration system based on economic needs, balancing controls and existing entitlements. This may include employer sponsorship, work permits, visa regulations or a tailored mix. International students will not be included in immigration statistics.
Will create an innovation nation – ODEC target of 3% of GDP spent on research and development by 2030. Also a separate commitment to grow business by “commuting extra research investment”
Will identify strategic industries and establish councils to oversee the security and growth of each sector
Will appoint a Digital Ambassador to work with industry to encourage investment in technology firms, and provide support for start-ups to scale up
Will improve diversity in the film industry
Will introduce a £1 billion Cultural Capital Fund to upgrade existing cultural and creative infrastructure to be ready for the digital age.
Commits to supporting tourism and will reinstate the cross-Whitehall ministerial group on tourism.
Ban unpaid internships.

Conservative:

The manifesto tackles the ‘five giant challenges’ which are:

a strong economy (the industrial strategy working for everyone),
Brexit,
social mobility/enduring inequality of opportunity,
an ageing society, and
fast changing technology.

Universities to sponsor local schools and open opportunities to local people – it will be a condition for universities hoping to charge maximum tuition fees to become involved in academy sponsorship or the founding of free schools
Launch a major review of funding across the whole of tertiary education (college, university and vocational courses)
Encourage clusters of public services, private businesses and, where appropriate, universities supported by moving civil/public servants (including the senior posts) out of the south-east to other UK cities.
University investment funds – universities will lead the expansion of Research & Development capacity. The Conservatives plan to help universities make a success of their discoveries through larger, aggregated investment funds – replicating the success of similar university funds in the US. “We want universities to enjoy the commercial fruits of their research, through funds that are large enough to list, thereby giving British investors a chance to share in their success.”
Encourage the world to visit, study and do business in the UK through the GREAT Britain campaign and Visit Britain.
Deliver autumn statement promises for investment in research and development, and further growth to meet the current OECD average for investment in R&D (2.4% of GDP) within ten years, with a longer-term goal of 3%.
Increase the number of scientists working in the UK and enable leading scientists from around the world to work here.
Bursaries for prospective teachers to attract top graduates into teaching
For new teachers ‘offer forgiveness’ on student loan repayments while actively teaching
Toughen the visa requirements for students – and include overseas students in the immigration statistics
Take recommendation from Migration Advisory Committee on aligning the visa system with the industrial strategy. Potentially reserving significant numbers of visas for significant sectors, e.g. digital technology, without increasing net migration overall
Immediately redress economic skills shortage needs, ensuring the immigration system works for these sections, positioned within a longer term skills development policy for the future
Double the Immigration Skills Charge levied on companies employing migrant workers to £2,000 a year by end of next parliament – reinvesting the revenue generated for higher level skills training for UK workers
Reduce annual net migration to the tens of thousands
Introduce the right to lifelong learning in digital skills (akin to the literacy & numeracy programme).
Make further use of the creative industries tax credits scheme, in order to promote and grow the online media industry

Plus many things already proposed by the last government in various recent green/white papers and consultations on education and schools, technical education and the industrial strategy– e.g. T-levels, institutes of technology, apprenticeships, grammar schools, maths schools, R&D focus through industrial strategy funding,.

Liberal Democrats:

The Lib Dems have already confirmed they will not form part of a coalition if June’s election results in a hung parliament.

Commitment to a second Europe referendum, with an option to stay in the EU.
Reinstate university maintenance grants for the poorest students, including student nurse bursaries
Establish a review of higher education finance in the next parliament, with an eye to reform based on consideration of access, participation and quality impact evidence.
No more retrospective raising of repayment rates, or selling-off of student loans to private companies.
Ensure that all universities work to widen participation across the sector, prioritising work with students in schools and colleges. Requirement for transparency of admissions selection criteria.
Establish a system for credit transfer and recognition of prior learning and qualifications
Reinstate quality assurance for universities applying for degree awarding powers. (p31)
Create individual learning accounts for funding mature adult and part-time learning and training (likely to be primarily within FE sector).
Fast-track exceptional graduates into children’s social work and mental health social work
Press for the UK to unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU nationals in the UK. Simplify registration process for EU nationals to obtain permanent residence and UK citizenship. Obtain the same rights for UK citizens living in European Union countries
A manifesto commitment to retain access to Horizon 2020 and Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions fund. Guarantee to underwrite funding for EU-funded projects (e.g. Horizon 2020) where income is cancelled through Brexit. Campaign against reduction in investment in UK universities and for their right to apply for EU funds on equal terms (Brexit).
Protect the science budget, including the recent £2bn increase, by raising it at least in line with inflation. Double innovation and research spending across the economy in the long term.
Scrap the planned expansion of grammar schools, opposing any new selective schools and passing democratic control and funding for admissions and new schools back to local authorities.
Establish a new online Family University (collaboration with BBC and Open University).
Devolve power to ensure local autonomy “with real financial muscle” to tackle the regional divide, including devolving decision-making for the key economic development levers of transport, housing and skills.
Develop a new retail and business strategy and national skills strategy for key sectors
Create more ‘catapult’ innovation and technology centres..

May 17, 2017

Biodiversity on Talbot Campus

Knowledge Exchange, Student Engagement efranklin

The NUS Green impact Bee Friendly event was held in the fusion building on the 16th May showcasing what BU is researching and implementing for biodiversity on Talbot campus. The event had a strong emphasis on pollinators and as a community we have realised 17 new bee hotels and over 100m2 of wild flowers to improve our homes and campus for a wider diversity of bees.

Top James Appleby and Dr Liz Franklin – Emma and Isatu Placement students from Poole college not in shot Bottom the edible herbs in planters on campus (see Campus Biodiversity Map)

The event showcased the work of the Co-creative Student Environment Research Teams (SERTS) for biodiversity on Talbot campus including: James Appleby that is leading the Bee Zoopla SERT for making better bee homes and raising awareness of solitary bees and the Campus Bulbs SERT planting and monitoring the success of bulbs on campus. For more information see the hyperlinks within.

Top James and bottom the Campus Bulbs team Dr Anita Diaz, Alessandra, Amy, James, Ellie, Cara, Jake, Leon and Damian Evans

During the event there was a great deal of knowledge exchange about campus biodiversity with the University community being made aware of the bird boxes, bat boxes, bee hotels, wildflowers, bulb planting, edible herbs and fruit trees on campus. The handy link below takes you to a PDF of the campus biodiversity map if you missed the event.

Campus Biodiversity Map

May 15, 2017

HE policy update w/e 12th May 2017

EU, Global engagement, Knowledge Exchange, policy, Research assessment, Research news, Research Training, Student Engagement jforster

Higher Education and Research Act 2017 – the final text has now been published online and in a pdf version. The next step will be implementation of the many changes in the Act, which cannot move on substantially until after the election – and of course in the unlikely event of a Labour victory, implementation might look rather different, as well as their much publicised promises on fees and loans (see below) – although.

The TEF is in place (being run by HEFCE until the OfS takes over). It will be reviewed later this summer after the year 2 results are announced on 14^th June. We are also looking forward to announcements on subject level TEF. There have been hints that there will be a structure for this that works alongside REF UoAs.
Research structures – It was announced that David Sweeney (currently Director of Research, Education and Knowledge Exchange at HEFCE) will be the Executive Chair of Research England in April 2018 when UKRI is established.
As a reminder, the new research structure (from the White Paper) is set out below. Research England will: “oversee the England-only functions in relation to research and knowledge exchange, including:
- providing grant funding to English universities for research and knowledge exchange activities,
- developing and implementing the Research Excellence Framework in partnership with the UK Higher Education (HE) funding bodies,
- oversight of sustainability of the HE research base in England and
- overseeing the £900 million UK Research Partnership Investment Fund”.

This appointment follows two more:
- Sir Mark Walport, UKRI Chief Executive Designate
- Sir John Kingman as Chair of UKRI

Implementation of the OfS – one appointment was made earlier this year, Sir Michael Barber – Chair of the Office for Students (Education committee scrutiny here). The Chief Executive of the OfS has not been announced yet. There is a vacancy open until 14^th June 2017 for the Director of Fair Access and Participation, OfS. There will be a consultation on the OfS regulatory framework later in 2017 and the new bodies will be established in Spring 2018 (source: HEFCE, Feb 2017).
Regulatory structure and alternative providers – HEFCE have already published the first iteration of the new register of providers – part of the White Paper changes. It includes alternative providers.

General Election – GE2017

Have you registered to vote – and do you know where you will be on 8^th June? There is a renewed push for voter registration –especially as many students may not be at their usual address for this election. It is easy to register (with your National Insurance number), check or register for a postal vote if you will not be at home or wherever you usually vote.

Labour’s leaked manifesto includes a pledge to abolish tuition fees, as well as reintroduce maintenance grants (as noted last week). This has been covered widely as part of a wider story about affordability of the manifesto commitments. Apart from cost, concerns have been raised that this policy, although it might increase participation amongst lower income families, would in the end mainly help high and middle-income families and those students who go on to earn higher wages (and repay their loans).

Wonkhe have an article on the costs of this by Dr Gavan Conlon of London Economics
HEPI blog here that highlights the risks of the Labour policy
Here is a BBC story and a link to their Reality Check
Guardian coverage here
With this week’s focus on fees, a blog on Wonkhe by the President of the SU of the University of Central Lancashire emphasises the non-financial benefits of a university education

ITV News have the whole draft manifesto as leaked – there is a lot about schools and further and adult education but the fees and grants pledge is the only reference to HE.

There is a paragraph about Industrial strategy too – but it doesn’t say much that is specific apart from a change to business rates for plant and machinery, superfast broadband, Wi-Fi and mobile coverage and appointing a Digital Ambassador.
In the Brexit section it talks about rights for EU nationals in the UK, seeking to stay in Horizon 2020, Euratom, Erasmus etc.

For more general coverage on the election, the BBC have a “pledge tracker”.

HEPI published a speech by Nick Hillman at an event this week which mentions outward mobility (see next item) and makes a number of calls for change:

better information for students on where their fees go;
renewed support for university-based teacher training to tackle the recruitment crisis in our schools;
a tougher regime for recouping student loans from those abroad;
better support for students’ mental health, which is less good than among the population as a whole and young people in general; and
a focus on the underachievement of young men, who are less likely to enter higher education, more likely to drop out and less likely to get a First or 2:i.

Sarah was at the event and noted that Jo Johnson repeated that there is no cap on international student numbers, referred to an ongoing focus on social mobility if the Conservatives win the election. The speech has not been published yet. Meanwhile it seems that the conservative Manifesto will include a repeat of the target for immigration in the 10s of 1000s (see the FT for some of the coverage). There is an interesting article from the Institute for Government on how this might have to work in practice – it does seem likely that there will need to be a work permit or visa arrangement for all, including (new) EU citizens if this is to be achieved. And there will be lots of lobbying from all the sectors who want their needs to be prioritised. Bloomberg have a story about a “brickie visa” reporting comments from Migration Watch UK.

The Herald Scotland report Tim Farron pledging the return of post study work visas if the Lib Dems are elected.

Student Mobility – UUK published their UK Strategy for Outward Student Mobility for 2017-2020. This calls for more students to have an international experience and sets out a number of strategic objectives:

Promote the benefits of study and work abroad
Monitor trends in student mobility
Build capacity in UK higher education to facilitate outward mobility
Share best practice in UK higher education
Provide a collective voice for UK higher education
Influence government for UK higher education

Most of these are about communication, information and lobbying. The third, on building capacity, is the most hard-edged, and the strategy proposes that UUK will work with the sector and others to do a range of things, including:

Secure major investment to support outward mobility, including mobility grants.
Secure new mobility opportunities for the UK sector, either directly or through strategic partnerships.
Work with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and university representative bodies including the Association for UK Higher Education European Officers (HEURO) and British Universities Transatlantic Exchange Association (BUTEX) to provide guidance on interpreting and applying quality assurance frameworks related to student placements overseas.

Brexit – Peter Mason, policy manager for UUKi, has written a blog for Wonkhe on the Swiss experiences with EU research and mobility programmes following their own referendum. The Swiss example – they were suspended from H2020 and Erasmus following their own vote on freedom of movement – was widely cited in the referendum campaigns as a warning that leaving the EU would mean the UK would not be able to stay in those programmes. The Swiss are still not in Erasmus, and they are back into H2020 following a compromise on freedom of movement. The most interesting lesson is that the Swiss tried to replace H202 with their own scheme “it lacked prestige and was not seen as a sustainable long-term substitute. Moreover, the damaging impact of the uncertainty created through the process was clear, with a significant drop-off in the number of Swiss participations in Horizon 2020 compared to the previous framework programme, particularly in collaborative projects.”

May 9, 2017

Royal Society Summer Exhibition – Volunteering opportunity

BU research, Events, Impact, Public engagement, Student Engagement mbudka

Dinosaurs to Forensics is coming to the Royal Society Summer Exhibition in July 2017. We are looking for talented and charismatic research students to help out. You will get first-hand experience of a large public engagement event and you will receive training. The Royal Society Summer Exhibition (3-9 July 2017) is the country’s most prestigious public engagement event and is held in London each year (https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2017/summer-science-exhibition/ ). The exhibit team is led by Matthew Bennett and Marcin Budka from the Faculty of Science and Technology here at BU.

Public engagement is an important aspect of every scientific discipline and this is a great way to learn and gain experience.

Each student will spend a day at the Royal Society interacting with the public and supporting the core exhibit team. Training will be provided and all travel and food expenses will be covered. Please note that this is not a paid opportunity.

GET INVOLVED
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
HAVE an AMAZING NEW EXPERIENCE
MEET NEW PEOPLE
BOOST YOUR EMPLOYMENT PROSPECT

Expressions of interest via email to dbudka@bmth.ac.uk before the 26 May 2017 please. We are looking for help specifically on the 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 July and additional dates may be required that week. Please state clearly which days you are available for and give brief details of your course of study and experience. In the case of multiple expressions of interest a brief selection process will be run the week commencing the 5 June 2017.

May 8, 2017

HE Policy update w/e 5th May 2017

EU, Global engagement, international, policy, Research news, Student Engagement jforster

GE2017: The Prime Minister, Theresa May, used her dissolution speech to focus on the challenge of Brexit in the face of hard lining from Brussels.

The release dates of the parties’ manifestos have not been officially announced, however they are expected:

Conservatives – during week commencing 8 May
Labour – Monday 15 May
Lib Dems – “within a fortnight” (so by 18 May)
Green Party – unconfirmed
UKIP – end of May

Conservatives: The Conservatives have closed ranks during the manifesto preparation period with Theresa May directly overseeing manifesto policy whilst on the campaign trail. There has been little in the way of leaked policy and the Conservatives campaigning to date has barely featured the HE agenda (unsurprising given that the Bill has passed and there has been so much discussion in recent months).

Conservative manifesto pledges that are already announced focus on foreign aid, an energy price cap, a promise to help ‘ordinary working families’ and leading Britain successfully through Brexit.
Also expected are commitments on grammar schools, encouraging a selective stream within comprehensive schools, addressing the social care funding crisis, and Britain’s industrial innovation and competitiveness.
It is expected that the manifesto will support apprenticeships aiming to create 3 million apprenticeships funded by benefit cuts and enforce that NEETS (young people out of work, education or training for six months) will have to do unpaid community work to get benefits (this is c.50,000 18 to 21-year-olds).

Jo Johnson has been active and continues to reiterate the key policies from the last Parliament.

While the Conservatives continue to include students within net migration figures Johnson informed THE that vice-chancellors should concentrate their attention elsewhere: “I think the sector should focus on selling the positive message, which is that…there is no better country in the world in which to study than the UK… [Otherwise] we risk creating exactly the situation which we’re trying to avoid, which is deterring students from coming to study here – by endlessly saying that we’re closed for business. We’re not. We’re open for business, and there’s no limit on the number who can come and study here.”
The THE article also sees Jo Johnson nod to the debate about students as consumers. He states the Office for Students will put “the student interest and the interests of the taxpayer underwriting the system and the interests of employers getting graduates at the other end of it really at the heart of everything that it does… In that sense, we’re moving towards a system in which we have a classic regulated market… since tuition fees replaced direct public funding as the primary source of higher education funding …students are effectively taking on the liabilities as consumers”

Jo Johnson’s response to two parliamentary questions reiterates the already known research commitment:

“The Government is fully committed to maintaining the UK’s world-leading science, research and higher education base” (parliamentary question)
“The Autumn Statement 2016 announcement of an extra £2 billion a year in research and development by 2020-21 underlines the place of science and innovation at the heart of this Government’s industrial strategy” (parliamentary question)

Labour: Labour have shared more of their forthcoming manifesto than the Conservatives, and education, across all ages, is a central tenet of Labour’s campaigning.

Labour has committed to restore university maintenance grants and the FE Educational Maintenance Allowance. However, they have sidestepped recent questions on HE fees prior to their manifesto release.
Previously both Corbyn and John McDonnell stated they wished to abolish tuition fees. Interestingly, a recent HEPI poll highlighted only 35% of students believe Labour would follow through on fee abolition and reintroduction of grants if they gained power.
Labour have also stated they will refuse to grant business rate relief to independent schools unless they can show a “meaningful impact” on state schools through a new School Partnership Standard, for example by lending teaching staff or assisting in university admissions procedures.
Corbyn also focuses on the mental health of young people, social care funding and the NHS.
On immigration the BBC report Labour plan ‘smarter targets to reduce low-skilled migration but ensure university students and high-skilled workers are not deterred’. Regarding apprenticeships Labour aim to equal the numbers of young people on apprenticeships as currently go to university, by 2025.

Jeremy Corbyn in a speech to the National Association of Head Teachers:

“Labour is making our children’s education one of the cornerstones of our General Election campaign… Labour will introduce a National Education Service, ensuring excellent learning opportunities for all from early years to adult education …we set out in no uncertain terms our opposition to the expansion of grammar schools in this country…The task is clear: we must build an education system that suits the needs of our children and the opportunities they will have in the jobs market of tomorrow…. We are also committed to restoring maintenance grants for university students so that no one is held back from realising their ambitions and so that every schoolchild knows that the options of further and higher Education are available to them. We must not be ashamed to value education, for education’s own sake.”

Lib Dems: The Lib Dems are committed to and push for national debate on the key issues, yet seem to feature less in media coverage. While they have currently not declared their position on students and immigration status they do state: “We reject the isolationist and intolerant policies of the Tory Brexit government, and will fight to make Britain a more open and tolerant player on the global stage.” On apprenticeships they plan to create a million more jobs, with higher pay for the lowest paid apprentices.

UKIP: UKIP policy aims to scrap tuition fees for students from poorer backgrounds who take degree courses in the sciences, technology, maths or engineering. It places greater emphasis on vocational education through a new Apprenticeship Qualification Option. Lastly, they would permit universities to charge same amount for EU students as non-EU students

Green Party: The Green party is expected to campaign for free education, a higher universal living wage and increased investment in mental health services. So far they have declared a student-friendly set of policies including abolishing tuition fees and bringing back maintenance grants.

Brexit: Brexit is the key topic for GE2017. Last week’s Education Select Committee report into Brexit and HE highlights the pivotal issues for HE as:

Regional Growth Fund negotiations
Horizon 2020 and research frameworks
Erasmus+ programme
EU staff residency rights and an easier non-Tier 2 route for academics from around the world
EU student visa free access

Student voting: In the news this week is HEPI’s poll of 1,000 full time undergraduate students on their voting preferences.

The poll demonstrates considerable support for the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn, yet, of those planning to vote, a majority will consider voting tactically
93% of students say they are registered to vote. Most students expect to vote at home rather than at university
the most important issues to students are the EU and the NHS
students have not forgiven the Liberal Democrats for breaking their promise on tuition fees (in the past Lib Dems were the most popular party for students)
students are distrustful of the Labour leadership’s support for abolishing tuition fees and bringing back maintenance grants

“Labour, Coalition and Conservative Governments have all backed tuition fees in recent times. The challenge for Labour is whether to include the end of fees and the return of grants in their manifesto when half of students regard such pledges as worthless.” (Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI)

Universities UK have published their priorities for the general election. They ask all political parties to continue to support universities by adopting policies to facilitate and enhance their economic, social and cultural benefits alongside their global competitiveness and post-Brexit impact.

The five priorities are:

Securing an effective post-Brexit settlement for universities
1. Confirm rights to reside and work for EU national currently within the sector; minimal barriers for EU staff and students in post-Brexit immigration
2. Horizon 2020 continued participation
3. Influence and access to 9^th Framework Programme
4. Continued access to Erasmus+ and other mobility programmes
Supporting universities in their role as anchors for growth in local economies
1. Increase Higher Education Innovation Fund investment to min £250 million pa
2. Develop collaborative institutes (local collaboration between universities, FE and schools particularly focusing on high-level technical education skills)
3. Replace the European Structural Investment Funds
4. Sustainable funding for growing higher-level apprenticeships demand
5. Improved careers support for young people
Increasing funding for science, research and innovation to match our competitors
1. Real terms increase in research funding (aim – 3% of GDP), ring fenced.
2. Enhance support and funding for international research collaboration through a cross-government strategy
3. Maintain 0.7% commitment for research, innovation and capacity building projects for developing countries
Supporting world-leading teaching, student experience, and improving outcomes
1. Students access good quality information, including TEF
2. Maintain real terms funding for high-cost subjects, e.g. STEM
3. Social mobility supported through data coherence between schools and universities
4. Funding to improve student mental health
An effective immigration system
1. Simplified and improved visa regimes
2. Robust, reliable, published data on the number of international students and overstaying
3. Reclassify so international students are not considered long-term migrants
4. Invest in an international student growth strategy supporting international marketing, mobility and partnerships
5. Enhance opportunities for qualified international graduates to stay in the UK
6. Consistently communicate a welcoming message to international students and staff

Other policy news

The Lords Science and Technology Committee wrote to Greg Clark to urge for clarity within a strong Industrial Strategy rather than the current green paper, which “resembles a portfolio of tactics rather than a coherent strategy”. The letter frequently references the role of universities in the delivery of a good industrial strategy.

“The strategy should set out pathways of practical steps to a more productive, environmentally sustainable, regionally disperse economy in the UK, building on existing research excellence at every opportunity. The Green Paper provides some long term aspirations but lacks detail on how to reach them and on how success will be measured.”
The letter continues:
“The Committee was particularly surprised to see little emphasis, and no coherent approach, to tax and regulation for industry and science. These dimensions, together with the availability of “patient” finance and appropriate skills, are key elements of the relationship between government, businesses and universities. … The government must create a new partnership with industry and universities in order for the industrial strategy to be effective. This cannot be a partnership with only the usual suspects from industry. This partnership must also include new and emerging sectors.”
It also calls on government to address the VAT disincentive which, when universities and business co-locate, leaves the university with a large tax bill.

The Sutton Trust have published their 2017 Mobility Manifesto

Finally, on 27 April the Lords rejected the motion to regret the change to student loans from NHS bursaries for nursing, midwifery and allied health profession students. The motion was disagreed by 38 votes. (Content: 121; Not Content 159)

May 7, 2017

Vianna Renaud, CEMP doctoral student and FMC Placement Development Advisor, presents at the HEA What Works – Student Retention and Success Conference

conferences, Student Engagement vrenaud

It was with great pleasure that I presented at the recent Higher Education Academy ‘What Works – Student Retention and Success’ Conference in London. Discussing successful interventions from across the sector , it was a wonderful time to discuss and explore current initiatives. With key notes given by leading specialists Prof Patricia Broadfoot , Prof Liz Thomas, and Prof Les Ebdon, I found the day to be invaluable in discussing the future of HE particularly against a backdrop of upcoming challenges and increasing pressure to improve retention rates.

My presentation was on the BU Placement PAL programme and how this was our first year in full implementation across the Faculties of Management, Media and Communication, and Science and Technology. Discussing the lessons learned and aims in taking the scheme further, the session was well attended by approximately 50 delegates. From the Q&A session, it was clear that we are one of the first UK institutions to offer such a scheme and as a result, I have had numerous inquiries.

As I am looking at peer to peer coaching and mentoring regarding employability in my doctoral research, one of my highlights of the day was when Professor Patricia Broadfoot attended my session and voiced her support, given that in today’s climate, UK HEIs will need to be creative in how to best support students.

Conference programme:

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/downloads/what_works_conference_programme_final_v.5.pdf

For the final What Works report:

https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/individuals/student-success/retention/what-works

May 1, 2017

ESRC Festival of Social Science 2017 – Apply now!

BU research, Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research communication, Student Engagement, student research, Uncategorized Joanna Pawlik

We’re waiting for your applications for ESRC Festival of Social Science until 5 pm on Friday 5th May.

To apply, please complete the application form which can be downloaded from the staff intranet and send it to FestivalofSocialScience@bournemouth.ac.uk

Please contact Joanna Pawlik (jpawlik@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Genna West (gwest@bournemouth.ac.uk) if you would like to discuss your event idea or for further information.

We look forward to hearing from you

April 23, 2017

British Conference of Undergraduate Research 2017 takes place in Bournemouth

BU research, Research communication, Student Engagement, student research Rachel Bowen

This week Bournemouth University will be welcoming hundreds of undergraduate students from over 60 universities to present their research as part of the 2017 British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR).

The annual conference is an opportunity to celebrate student research from across many different disciplines. Since 2011, BCUR has been hosted by a different British university, with this year’s event taking place in Bournemouth.

BCUR gives students an insight into an academic conference and an opportunity to network with other student researchers, post graduates and practicing academics. It also helps them to develop their confidence and presentation skills alongside honing academic strengths, all of which can help to boost their employability.

“We’re delighted to be hosting BCUR at Bournemouth University,” says Dr Mary Beth Gouthro, conference co-chair and BCUR Steering Committee member, “We’ve been supporting BU students to attend BCUR since its start at UCLAN in 2011 and the feedback we’ve received has shown how much they value and benefit from the experience. Over 100 BU students submitted an abstracts to take part in BCUR this year, which is wonderful to see.”

“It’s really important to be able to share and celebrate the research being undertaken by our undergraduates,” explains Dr Luciana Esteves, conference co-chair, “Taking part in research, whether as part of a dissertation, alongside a business or as part of a placement, is a great way to develop skills which can be applied to many different careers.

“It can also help students to tackle real-world problems and develop contacts that may help them once they have graduated. During the course of the conference, we’ll be hearing from students who have worked on fascinating projects with charities, government organisations and businesses as part of their research.”

BCUR will take place in the Fusion building on 25 & 26 April. To find out more details about the conference visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/bcur17

You can find out more about some of the research BU’s students will be presenting here.

April 17, 2017

Social Science Researcher? – ESRC Social Science Festival needs you!

Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research communication, Student Engagement, Uncategorized Joanna Pawlik

The ESRC Festival of Social Science will be back again this November (4^th-11th), and we need researchers of Social Sciences to come and get involved in running lectures, workshops, exhibitions or other engagement platforms to share your research with the wider public.

Through engaging with the wider public, they develop a range of transferable skills, for instance in leadership, communication, listening, partnership working and project management.

The call is officially open for proposals, so if you’d like to be involved, we’d love to hear from you. Funding is available to support these activities.

To apply, you will need to complete an application form, available on the staff intranet, stating details of the type of event you’d like to run. Please contact event organiser Joanna Pawlik (jpawlik@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Engagement and Impact facilitator Genna West (gwest@bournemouth.ac.uk) to make an application or for further information.

April 10, 2017

ESRC Festival of Social Science 2017 – Get involved!

Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research communication, Student Engagement, Uncategorized Joanna Pawlik

Why get involved in the ESRC Festival of Social Science this year?

Benefits: Fantastic for your academic profile

Activities can range from engaging people with social science concepts through staging debates to involving key stakeholders in shaping research priorities and directions. Done well, public engagement can build trust and understanding between the social science research community and a wide range of groups, from policymakers through to school children.

Public engagement can help you strengthen your research questions or improve the response rate to data collection methods. It can also build on and support the wider activities of your strategy. One of the most profound joys of public engagement is its unpredictability: fresh perspectives, challenging questions, lateral insights – all can help to sharpen thinking, release precious energy and creativity and unlock new collaborations and resources.

To apply, you will need to complete an application form, available on the staff intranet, stating details of the type of event you’d like to run. The application can be accessed via staff intranet

Please contact Joanna Pawlik (jpawlik@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Genna West (gwest@bournemouth.ac.uk) if you would like to discuss your event idea or for further information.

March 31, 2017

ESRC Festival of Social Science 2017 – Call for proposals!

Events, Impact, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Public engagement, Research communication, Student Engagement, Uncategorized Joanna Pawlik

The call for event proposals for the ESRC Festival of Social Science is now open! This is a fantastic national festival will take place from 4^th to 11^th of November 2017. It celebrates the best of social science and engages a wide public audience with the key issues that social scientists are currently addressing. We are keen to see as many of our social scientists at BU to take part in this exciting public engagement initiative as possible.

Please contact us if you’d like to get involved – we’re open to ideas; public debates, conferences, workshops, interactive seminars, film screenings, virtual exhibitions and more. 2017 will be the fifteenth year that the ESRC will hold the Festival of Social Science and we are welcoming event proposals targeting a non-academic audience including young people, third sector, the public, business or government.

To apply, you will need to complete an application form stating details of the type of event you’d like to run. If you would like to make an application to run an event as part of the Festival or for further information, please do not hesitate to contact Genna West (gwest@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Joanna Pawlik (jpawlik@bournemouth.ac.uk) from the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office.

The application form is available to download from the staff intranet.

Deadline: Friday 5th May, 5 pm

Funding is available to support your event.

For more information about the Festival, visit www.esrcfestival.ac.uk

March 24, 2017

What is FoMO and how do you deal with it?

BU research, Events, Research communication, Student Engagement, student research hjones

Students and staff attended 14:Live in the Student Centre, on Tuesday afternoon to hear from Dr Miguel Moital about FoMO.

FoMO is a fairly new area of research which looks into the psychology behind the ‘Fear of Missing Out’.

With the upcoming festival season, the session looked at FoMO in relation to festivals and marketing tactics used to convince consumers to attend.

Much of the research has been conducted by events management undergraduate students Ellie Taylor and Helena Jarman who previously worked on the topic as part of their dissertation.

Ellie was the pioneer conducting the first dissertation on the topic, whilst Helena worked with Dr Miguel Moital during June-July 2016 as a Student Research Assistant. Helena collated and organised material around FoMO in events leading up to the organisation of a workshop for local event professionals. The students created and provided a large amount of material for 14:Live.

The fear of missing out is a psychological fear that comes from a heightened sensation that everyone but us appears to be having more fun. Social media can often make us feel as though we’re missing out on socially driven events and experiences, because of posts from friends, family or even strangers.

FoMO appeals are often used by marketers to sell an event or product to consumers. Marketers often use specific communication tactics which play on someone’s emotions. This can include using ‘highlights videos’ and using techniques such as ‘75%’ sold out. This then encourages you to book early or attend at the risk of ‘missing out’ on the event.

Dr Moital commented “We looked at the types of emotions felt when experiencing FoMO, what it is people miss out on, how people may behave when they feel FOMO, the types of communication tactics that can be used when designing FoMO event marketing appeals, and what strategies can individuals reduce the levels of FOMO,”

“The session was very interactive and it was great to see a mix of colleagues from faculties and professional services, as well as a number of very engaged students.”

If you’d like to hear more about FoMO please contact Dr Miguel Moital.

14:Live is monthly lunchtime session, that discusses the different areas of research being undertaken here at BU. If you’d like to hear more about 14:Live please contact Hannah Jones.

March 20, 2017

Come along to 14:Live on Tuesday 21 March

BU research, PG research, Student Engagement hjones

14:Live- Festival Fear of Missing Out (FoMO): What is it and how can you manage it?

Come along on 21 March at 2-3pm on Floor 5, Student Centre, Talbot Campus for the March edition of 14:Live.

Spring is fast approaching and festival season is just around the corner. Over the next few months you will be subjected to intense marketing campaigns from festival promoters, such as Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, who will be telling you not to miss out on this year’s music festivals.

Many of your friends will be sharing their excitement about going to these festivals on social media. Social media has heightened the sensation that everyone but us appears to be having fun and many people have become more sensitive to FoMO appeals.

In this 14:Live, Dr Miguel Moital will discuss the psychology of ‘Fear of Missing Out’. What emotions come with FoMO? What marketing tricks are used to heighten FoMO? How can these emotions be managed?

With drinks and snacks provided, this will be a session you won’t want to miss!

All staff and students are welcome!

March 20, 2017

BU alumni supporting innovation projects at BU

BU research, Business Engagement, HEIF, Impact, innovation, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Student Engagement, student research jcodling

Dominika Budka is currently working on an innovation funded (HEIF) project called: “Dinosaurs to Forensic Science: Digital, Tracks and Traces”. She graduated last year (2016) having completed an MSc Forensic and Neuropsychological Perspectives in Face-Processing

Forensic technology and tools are advancing across the board, with the analysis of digital trace evidence being an exception. The techniques and tools used to capture and analyse footwear evidence have not changed in over a hundred years. This project is already changing the status quo by translating academic research on human and dinosaur tracks into tools for forensic practitioners to use. The product that has been developed, DigTrace, is an integrated software solution for the capture and analysis of 3D data whether in a forensic context (footwear evidence) or in the study of vertebrate tracks and footprints. One of the recent successes is the exhibit the project team are organising at the very prestigious Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, to be held in London in July.

The project team were looking for a dissemination officer to help spread the word about the software and engage user groups both within the UK and overseas. Dominika’s role involves working with external stakeholder groups, organising dissemination events, developing training materials and events for academics, crime agencies, forensic specialists, and UK police forces.

About working on the project, Dominika comented, “I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to the project, which is not only well-aligned with my interests, but has also a huge potential for impact in terms of improving societal security. I’m working with a unique product set which can enhance global security by improving forensic practice, as well as criminal intelligence gathering and ultimately prosecution. The forensic context of the project is what I find most interesting as it links directly to my MSc”

To find out more about the project – click on the link: Dinosaurs to Forensic Science: Digital, Tracks and Traces

March 14, 2017

14:Live Presents- Festival Fear of Missing Out (FoMO): What is it and how can you manage it?

BU research, Events, PG research, Research communication, Research news, Student Engagement hjones

Come along on Tuesday 21 March at 2-3pm on Floor 5, Student Centre on Talbot Campus for the March edition of 14:Live.

With drinks and snacks provided, this will be a session you won’t want to miss!

All staff and students are welcome!

March 13, 2017

HE policy update w/e 10th March 2017

EU, Global engagement, policy, Research news, Research Training, RKE development framework, Student Engagement jforster

Budget: There was very little about HE in the budget this time, as expected, apart from the announcement of the outcomes of the consultations on PG doctoral loans and part-time maintenance loans (see below). The announcement of a £300m fund for brightest and best research talent, including for 1,000 new PhD places and fellowships focused on STEM subjects has been widely welcomed across the sector. There were lots of announcements about technical education

T-levels will be introduced, with 15 clear routes into employment
There will be an increase of over 50 per cent in number of hours training for 16-19 technical students including a high quality three month work placement, this will result in a £500m a year investment in 16-19 year olds
Maintenance loans for those who undertake higher level technical qualifications at the new institutes for technology and national colleges
Up to £40m investment in pilots to test the effectiveness of different approaches to lifelong learning
Up to £40m investment in pilots to test the effectiveness of different approaches to lifelong learning

Postgraduate doctoral loans: the government response has been published to the consultation which took place earlier in the year. BU responded to this consultation.

The new doctoral loan will provide a contribution of up to £25,000 to the costs of study rather than covering the full fees and living costs of a student. It will be paid directly to the student rather than to the student’s institution.
The proposal to cap the number of people who could receive loans at each institution was not supported and so this has been dropped – it will be available to all eligible students for all eligible programmes – including all Level 8 programmes, up to 8 years long. Students receiving other government funding, such as through the NHS or a Research Council grant, will not be eligible.
Repayment arrangements will be the same as for the existing masters loan.

Part time maintenance loans: The government has issued their response to the consultation earlier this year. BU responded to this consultation.

Part-time students will be eligible for maintenance loans from the academic year 2018/19
Students undertaking distance learning courses and Level 4 and 5 HE qualifications are likely to be eligible from academic year 2019/20 (this is subject to the passing of the HE and Research Bill – it will only happen when the Office for Students has been established and has put in place the new regulatory framework for providers)
The new loan arrangements will be reviewed after five years
Loan amounts each year will be based on the intensity of study. We had some concerns about this because it may make it harder for students to stretch the funding over the whole course
Maintenance loans for students undertaking distance learning courses will come in later as the Government needs to ensure a robust system of controls is in place
Part-time maintenance loans will be means tested
Repayment terms will mirror the process for part-time fee loans and the full-time undergraduate student finance system

Non-continuation: HESA have issued a summary of the 2015/16 non-continuation rates. OFFA have responded to the indicators expressing disappointment at the higher non-continuation rates for young students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds and earmarking this for attention in the Fair Access Agreements due for submission in April.

Higher Education and Research Bill and the TEF: the House of Lords have used the third reading of the TEF to make a number of amendments to the HE and Research Bill against the government. The Vice-Chancellor has blogged on the BU Research blog about what this means for the TEF. It is not at all clear what will happen next – if the amendments are not reversed, then TEF will go back to the drawing board in terms of what the OfS would do with it– but that would not affect the HEFCE- run year 2 process that has already started. Other amendments include one that requires universities to ensure that students are registered to vote as part of student registration. The debates in the Lords on the bill continue next week – more amendments are to come including more on migration and loans (including Sharia compliant finance), cheating, Prevent and UKRI.

New DLHE: HESA have responded to the enormous consultation on the DLHE last summer (over 130 questions) with a second one, which sets out their proposals for the new version of DLHE and asks for responses by 7^th April – this one is much shorter (only 6 questions plus a space for more comments). We’ll be preparing an institutional response. Data will not be available until 2020.

DLHE will be centralised. The survey will be delivered both online and through telephone interviews, in order to achieve an overall response rate of at least 70% per provider
Survey at 15 months – replacing the 6 month and the longitudinal one (that was not used in league tables or the TEF)
It will also ask about previous and planned activity (to get away from problems associated with a “snapshot”
Linked to HMRC data on earnings and self-employment and other HESA study information including placements (from 19/20)
New question on entrepreneurship and three new ‘graduate voice’ measures of outcomes from the perspective of the respondent. These will measure the extent to which the graduate’s current activity reflects on three distinct areas of development:
- Utilisation of what has been learned
- Orientation toward their future goals
- A sense of meaningfulness or importance.
Optional question banks including research student experiences, subjective wellbeing, Net promoter score, graduate choice, impact of HE. HE providers will be able to add their own questions to the end of the survey.

Brexit

Caroline Lucas MP asked a question in Parliament this week: Whether it is his policy to seek for the UK to remain a member of the Bologna Process after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU; and whether he plans that UK university degrees will be considered compatible with degrees in EU member states under the Bologna Process following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. [66647]

Jo Johnson MP replied “The Bologna Process, which created the European Higher Education Area in 2010, is an intergovernmental agreement among 28 countries in the European region. It is not an EU body and therefore UK membership will not be affected by the UK’s departure from the EU.”

March 10, 2017

Congratulations to your winners of the 2017 Research Photography Competition!

BU research, Events, PG research, Research communication, Research news, Student Engagement, student research hjones

Bournemouth University researchers have given us a glimpse into some of their fantastic research, for the Research Photography Competition. The competition which ran in its third year challenged BU academics and students to capture the impact of their research in a single image. Researchers from across BU and all its faculties entered the competition.

Entries to the competition demonstrated some of the research taking place both here at BU and across the globe from forensic investigation, midwifery in Nepal, meeting the identity needs of older people and looked at repairing trust in the service sector.

The competition saw an overwhelming response with close to 1000 votes from BU staff, BU students and the wider BU community.

Vice Chancellor John Vinney congratulated the winners on 9 March in the Atrium Art Gallery.

“It’s been brilliant to be able to announce the winners. There’s a great diversity of winners that really encapsulate the range and impact of research here at BU,” commented Vice Chancellor John Vinney.

Below are your winners:

1^st Place- “This is Me. I am Ron” by Chantel Cox

Chantel Cox, PhD Student, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

Chantel is a PhD student from the Faculty of Health and Social Science. She is looking at the cultural processes that underpin healthcare professionals meeting the identity needs of frail older people.

On winning first prize Chantel commented,

“It’s very exciting to win. It’s really good to get your research known about and out there in a different format. I’d like to use photography somehow in my research, so it’s really inspired me.”

**2^nd Place- The Compound Eye of Calliphora Vomitoria (Bluebottle fly) by Christopher Dwen**

Christopher Dwen, Forensic Research Assistant, Faculty of Science & Technology

Christopher is a Forensic Research Assistant from the Faculty of Science & Technology. He’s been looking at the blood feeding activities of flies at crime scenes, as these can often be confounding. These patterns can help in instances of violent assaults.

3^rd Place- A Concerted Effort to Repair Trust by Samreen Ashraf

Samreen Ashraf, Lecturer in Marketing, Faculty of Management

Samreen is a Lecturer in Marketing from the Faculty of Management.

Samreen is a Lecturer in Marketing from the Faculty of Management. Samreen has been looking at the service sector and examining trust repair endeavours from various stakeholders’ perspective related to three different contexts: mis-selling financial services (e.g. PPI); HR issues in the retail sector (e.g. Sports Direct) and safety issues within the leisure sector (e.g. Alton Towers).

All entries from this year’s Research Photography Competition are currently being exhibited in the Atrium Art Gallery until 22 March.

March 9, 2017

Research Photography Competition- Your winners announced today!

BU research, Events, Research communication, Research news, Student Engagement hjones

Find out who you voted to be your winner of 2017’s Research Photography Competition.

Come along today at 2-3pm, in the Atrium Art Gallery, where Vice Chancellor John Vinney will be announcing the three winners.

The Competition is in its third year and saw 26 entries from across all faculties. The images give us just a small glimpse into some of the fantastic work our researchers are doing both here at BU and across the globe. These images will be displayed in the gallery and the researchers will be on hand to to talk about their research and the inspiration behind their photographs.

If you would like to come along to congratulate the winners please register here.

Staff and students are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided!

Category / Student Engagement

Biodiversity on Talbot Campus

HE policy update w/e 12th May 2017

Royal Society Summer Exhibition – Volunteering opportunity

Vianna Renaud, CEMP doctoral student and FMC Placement Development Advisor, presents at the HEA What Works – Student Retention and Success Conference

British Conference of Undergraduate Research 2017 takes place in Bournemouth

What is FoMO and how do you deal with it?

Come along to 14:Live on Tuesday 21 March

BU alumni supporting innovation projects at BU

14:Live Presents- Festival Fear of Missing Out (FoMO): What is it and how can you manage it?

HE policy update w/e 10th March 2017

Congratulations to your winners of the 2017 Research Photography Competition!

1^st Place- “This is Me. I am Ron” by Chantel Cox

**2^nd Place- The Compound Eye of Calliphora Vomitoria (Bluebottle fly) by Christopher Dwen**

3^rd Place- A Concerted Effort to Repair Trust by Samreen Ashraf

Research Photography Competition- Your winners announced today!

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1st Place- “This is Me. I am Ron” by Chantel Cox

2nd Place- The Compound Eye of Calliphora Vomitoria (Bluebottle fly) by Christopher Dwen

3rd Place- A Concerted Effort to Repair Trust by Samreen Ashraf

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1^st Place- “This is Me. I am Ron” by Chantel Cox

**2^nd Place- The Compound Eye of Calliphora Vomitoria (Bluebottle fly) by Christopher Dwen**

3^rd Place- A Concerted Effort to Repair Trust by Samreen Ashraf