I joined BU in June, shortly after my viva at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, and since my arrival I have understood that Bournemouth may be the ideal place where to refine my research and teaching, thanks to its stimulating and friendly environment.

From 1994 to 2010 I worked at the Italian creative industry, mainly TV, moving up the career ladder from Intern to TV Format Writer and Head of the TV Writers. I also wrote board games, short stories, commercials, comics, plays and word-game books. At the same time, I taught and did research at three Italian universities on television and format writing, semiotics, adaptation and other topics linked to my professional activity. Actually, I was applying Fusion without having visited Bournemouth…

In 2010 I decided to pursue a PhD, in order to devote more time to academia. My research focuses on how food habits reinforce or challenge ideologies and cultural perspectives in social and mediated contexts, and sometimes my studies exceed the boundaries of the media to ‘invade’ history and anthropology. In 2012 I was awarded the Santander Grant Fund for a study on Nazi propaganda and meat, and I’m a member and co-founder of FoodKom, a European research group on the mediatisation of food and the meal experience, based at the University of Orebrö.

In my teaching, I strive not to make the frequent mistake of teaching creativity uncreatively. In lectures and workshops, I always stimulate students’ imagination and facilitate learning through storytelling, creative writing and, why not, acrostics and limericks, as I’m a follower of game-based learning. By the way, find below a quiz on how creativity has been defined and send your answer to my email… No money for the winners, I’m afraid, only fame and glory!

Best wishes,

Francesco

Creativity is

A    b e _ _      i n       a         s _ _ a _ _ _ _          r _ _ _

For those of you who don’t know, FIF is the Fusion Investment Fund. Staff can apply to the fund for up to £75k in support of projects which will move BU towards its fusion goals. In the recent round, 30 projects have been approved, across all four faculties, utlising £280k of funding.

Congratulations to all successful applicants and we look forward to seeing your progress over the comming months!

Want to know more about the fund – click here!

The MADRIGAL research project  funded by FIF (Fusion Investment Fund) was successfully concluded on the 31^st of July. The project was led by Dr Marcella Favale, a Research Fellow from the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management (CIPPM), and Co investigated by Dr Christos Gatzidis, Principal Academic BSc Games Technology and Dr Shamal Faily, Lecturer in Systems Security Engineering, .

As an interdisciplinary research project, MADRIGAL aimed at understanding how game developers make sense of Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology when developing video games, and explored the complex perspectives of content producers, users and legislators. Copyright self-enforcement through the widespread use of DRM technology is one of the hottest issue of the digital age, expecially because DRM is found on most digital products, from computer games to coffee machines. The  difficult issues – both legal and technological -raised by the use of digital locks are not sufficiently explored.

The project recruited Neil McDonald, a mature undergraduate law student with a background in IT consultancy and network engineering on a work placement in the BU Cyber Security Unit. Neil carried out a critical analysis of the scholarly and practitioner literature in copyright law, rights management and game protection technologies. In April Neil attended the Centre for Digital Entertainment Celebration 2015 event hosted at the Assembly Rooms in Bath and networked with games industry professionals who agreed to participate in the interview stage of the project.

An interim working paper was produced after the first phase of the project. This was submitted and accepted for the 9th International Symposium on Human Aspects of Information Security & Assurance in Lesvos Greece and was presented by the Dr Shamal Faily on the 3^rd July. The paper was well received with the audience and has subsequently been published in the conference proceedings.

Within MADRIGAL, a number of UK-based game developers were interviewed on the subject of DRM deployment across a variety of gaming platforms. The interviews yielded some interesting and unexpected results. This data has led to the ongoing development of a qualitative model which will clarify the different factors that influence how video games developers appropriate content and rights protection.

Through the fusion of research, education and professional practice combining the fields of law, game technology and cyber security, MADRIGAL has given BU and the research centres involved an important track record in interdisciplinary research in content protection and human values, in line with the BU 2018 strategic plan. The data from the MADRIGAL project will also advance the development of a project proposal currently being drafted; this will target a Horizon 2020 Creative Industries call in late 2015.

The working paper is available here

Monday

Immigration

Theresa May has signalled that she would lead a cross-Whitehall crackdown this autumn to stop foreign students staying in the UK at the end of their courses, unless they have graduate-level jobs to go into. May demands ban on jobless EU migrants. (The Sunday Times).

Tuesday

Outreach

A survey has revealed that universities’ efforts to improve access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds are being weakened by over-reliance on data about where applicants live, rather than their individual circumstances. Focus on poor areas for outreach ‘may miss individuals’ (THE).

Wednesday

Drop-out rate

University drop-out rates fell sharply after tuition fees were increased, according to a report from Lancaster University Management School. It examined the impact of the 2006 round of fee increases, when they rose to about £3,000, indicating that drop-out rates had fallen by 16% with the biggest reduction in Russell Group universities. Higher fees ‘cut drop-out rate’ (BBC News).

Thursday

HEPI

A new report by HEPI that compares the UK and Germany’s higher education systems concludes that that the abolition of tuition fees in Germany cannot be a model for the UK because the two countries’ higher education systems are so different. German abolition of tuition fees ‘cannot be model for UK universities’ (THE).

NUS

The National Union of Students is calling for a boycott of the government’s counter-radicalisation strategy to monitor students. The NUS has launched a national tour (Students Not Suspects) in five cities to oppose it. NUS fights back against government’s ‘chilling’ counter-radicalisation strategy (The Guardian).

Friday

International Students

Max Conze, CEO of Dyson has said that the company would like more skilled foreign graduates who are educated at British universities, to be allowed to stay in the UK. Rugs to riches: Dyson announces record profits of £367m (The Guardian).

Monday

SNP

Scotland’s universities have warned that tens of millions of pounds of their funding is being put at risk by SNP plans giving ministers unprecedented political control over how they are run. SNP political control over universities ‘could cost millions’. (Telegraph).

Tuesday

Mature Students

Since the introduction of the higher tuition fees, the number of mature students has reduced in the UK. This article discusses the need for clearer communication around financial support for mature students as well as the importance of flexible learning spaces. ‘I was worried I wouldn’t fit in’ – how can universities support mature students? (The Guardian Higher Education Network).

Wednesday

University Advertising

A recent survey found that prospective students are most likely to trust information about universities that they perceive to be impartial. The survey also revealed that they place only limited weight on advertising and social media from universities themselves. Applicants put little trust in university advertising (THE).

Thursday

Graduate Unemployment

According to a HESA study, long-term graduate unemployment has returned to pre-recession levels, but more university leavers are working part-time or engaging in further study. Graduate unemployment back to pre-recession levels (THE).

USS Pensions

The prospect of further cuts to the sector’s largest pension scheme has been raised after its deficit rose sharply despite savings from the closure of final salary pensions. USS deficit rises despite savings from end of final salary pensions (THE).

Friday

HEA

The new chair of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), has announced that the HEA should become the professional body for university teaching in a shift that could lead to the introduction of individual subscription fees. New HEA chair: paying members could enshrine it as professional body (THE).

I’m delighted to have received funding from the fusion fund (staff mobility and networking) to set up a placement opportunity for our paramedic students. Through links with a level 1 trauma centre and university in Cape Town I will use the funding to travel to Cape Town to meet with academics and hospital managers to finalise the details of this exciting placement. It is hoped that paramedic students will be able to undertake a 3-4 week placement in a mixture of clinical settings: ambulances, A and E, and community in order to widen their experience and gain a better understanding of international healthcare systems. In time, it is hoped that this will lead to international knowledge exchange and collaborative research. I look forward to updating on progress early next year.

Peter Phillips

Fusion Investment Funds have been awarded under the Staff Mobility and Networking Strand to develop an interdisciplinary, cross-Faculty series of public/civic engagement ‘dialogues’ in the social sciences, drawing on national and international figures in the relevant fields. It will bring together leading academics and practitioners in a number of fields in the social sciences, building on areas already taught and researched at BU. It will be of contemporary relevance for the public and for students. Its contribution will be in the bringing together of non-academic experts, students, and members of the public, all in dialogue with academic experts.

The project team consists of a cross–Faculty team including Profs Ann Brooks (HSS) and Candida Yates (FMC), together with Professor Barry Richards (FMC). The team have already collaborated in bringing together a set of Research Degrees in the Social Sciences (MRes) and are committed to a broad based and civically engaged vision of social science at BU which gives prominence and visibility to student experience and public engagement. The title of the project is Distinguished Social Scientists Public Lecture Series – Dialogues in the Contemporary Social Sciences and builds on events held during Festival of Learning week at BU in July 2015, when two eminent UK social scientists shared their insights on how their research has contributed to an understanding of the social world.

The ‘Dialogues’ will cover the following areas:

• Crime and Criminology – Representation and Reality
• Education –Diversity and Opportunity
• Evaluating Emotional Well-Being
• Politics and the Media 

The project is about public/civic engagement and will have an immediate regional appeal in being the only high–profile series to be offered and well publicised in the region, one which combines experts from academia with senior figures from professional fields discussing issues of major public interest. The ‘dialogues’ will be filmed by BU students, and can have a national impact by being disseminated through both scholarly and professional websites, as well as attracting national media attention. The participation of internationally-known academics discussing issues which are debated across the world will give them some international reach and influence.

The series will involve students from HSS and FMC in the organisation, promotion and dissemination of the series and its ideas. The series will enable students to gain skills in event organisation, including liaising with speakers and delegates from different cultural groups. Alongside developing their social skills in that context, they will also contribute to the staging of the events as they happen and to the recording of the events through film and podcast. Students will also contribute to the actual content of the seminars as audience participants and hopefully in some cases be inspired to become researchers themselves.

The events will be organised in the period September 2015 to July 2016.

Posted by Profs Ann Brooks, Candida Yates and Barry Richards

Monday

Apprenticeships

A blog in the Guardian HE network proposes better careers advice and improving links between institutions and industry as mechanisms to change perceptions held by young people, parents and educators concerning apprenticeships. The blog suggests that apprenticeships are seen as a second-rate option compared to going to university, which is preventing young people from considering other options. Why are Brits so obsessed with getting a university degree? (Guardian HE Network).

Sector Bodies

A piece in the Guardian HE Network looks at the future of three HE bodies (HEFCE, OFFA and QAA) in light of departmental budget cuts. What’s next for the quangos of higher education? (Guardian HE Network).

Tuesday

Research

A draft concordat has been developed under the auspices of the UK Open Research Data Forum. The concordat aims to help to ensure that the research data gathered and generated by members of the UK research community is made openly available for use by others wherever possible, in a manner consistent with relevant legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks. Draft Concordat on Open Research Data. (Research Councils UK).

Gender Inequality

After this year’s A-Level results, UCAS revealed that 57,000 more women than men have gained university places. The figures reveal that the number of women gaining places at university is rising twice as quickly as that for men. Women further ahead in university places. (BBC News).

Wednesday

Graduate Employment

In a new report, The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has said that the growth in the number of university leavers is “significantly outstripping” the growth in the provision of high-skilled jobs. Drawing on data from the European Social Survey, the report claims that 58.8 per cent of UK graduates are in non-graduate jobs. Too many graduates in non-professional jobs, HR body says. (THE).

REF

According to a HEFCE study, Black and Asian UK academics were significantly less likely to be included in the 2014 REF than their white peers. The study reveals that just 35 per cent of black UK staff were selected for inclusion, a much lower proportion than peers who are white (56 per cent), Asian (56 per cent) or Chinese (68 per cent). Black and Asian scholars ‘less likely’ to have been submitted to the REF (THE).

Thursday

EU Recruitment

UCAS data has revealed that the number of European Union applicants being accepted by English universities has risen dramatically following the lifting of number controls, prompting warnings about pressure on the student finance system. The data reveals that this year, higher education providers in England have placed 20,430 EU learners from outside the UK, 14 per cent more than at the same point last year. EU recruitment boom prompts student finance warning. (THE).

Friday

Graduate Employment

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England has critiqued the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s report from earlier in the week. He argues that the report appears short-sighted in its assumptions, as graduate employment opportunities are in fact improving.  It’s foolish to argue that we don’t need so many graduates in the UK (Guardian HE Network).

As one Festival of Learning ends, another one arises. The call for expressions of interest for FOL 2016 is now open – this is just the idea stage and is your opportunity to say that you’d like to be considered for next year.

Over the past few years the Festival of Learning has had circa 5,000 visits. To further this success in 2016, we need you to host lectures, workshops and debates (or whatever type of engaging activity you can think of) showcasing our fantastic knowledge base at BU.

Why get involved?

• It is a great opportunity to celebrate life at BU and share your passion with a different audience.
• It can add fresh perspective to your research. Read this article about how public engagement can help you think about your research from a fresh perspective.
• It can change people’s lives. Here in the Festival office we have been moved by members of the public telling us about how the Festival has helped reignite a passion for learning, helped support the growth of the charity and even helped people to walk barefoot on a beach for the first time in years.
• It is a great networking opportunity. Colleagues involved in the Festival in previous years have developed partnerships which have, for example, led to collaborative PhD studentships.
• It is fantastic for skills development. Especially for early career researchers, the Festival offers an unprecedented opportunity to develop communication techniques which engage members of the public and builds confidence in communicating complex ideas (essential for a future lecturing career!)
• It helps to meet the expectation of funders and policy makers. The European Commission, HEFCE and our Research Councils (amongst others) expect researchers to demonstrate to the public the value of their research. The Festival provides of a great vehicle to do this as you will receive central support (e.g. for marketing) rather than going it alone.
• It can support student recruitment. And not just undergraduates, but those looking for postgraduate courses and short courses who have never before considered BU as a potential place to study.

Stuck for Ideas?

We had some fantastic events at this year’s festival. Why not have a look at the website to see the kinds of things that went on. Listed below are some of the favourite events from 2015 that demonstrated some innovative and tactful ways to engage the public with research.

• Zombie Science was a series of fun and interactive sessions looking into the causes of disease and infection control.
• Jurassica was an event for children to learn about the incredible Jurassic Coast on our doorstep and an opportunity for them to create their own individual work of art to take home.
• Improve your teamwork was an event that was ideal for individuals and businesses wanting to learn more about how individuals operate in teams, develop an understanding of team roles and ultimately, improve performance.
• The cyber security awareness workshop gave attendees a chance to learn about the latest cyber threats, learn how secure their password is, and how people may be watching them with interactive demonstrations.
• Radio drama involved the public in producing, developing and recording short form radio dramas for birst.co.uk and broadcasting them live at the end of the day, supported by actors, staff and students in the Media School. This gave the public a chance to see the radio studio at work behind the scenes.
• Mindful over mindless was a talk that explained to the public how and why they should incorporate mindfulness into their daily lives to improve their wellbeing and explored the close relationship between the mind and body by drawing on the effects that modern living can have on our physiology.

What hasn’t been done before?

Well a lot certainly has been done but if you can think outside the box a bit, there are tonnes of new ways to engage the audience. We love what Science Ceilidh do. They run workshops of your favourite dances rejigged with a twist of science. From simulating your immune system with the Dashing White Blood Cell to swinging your partner DNA base-pairs in the Orcadian-Strip-the-Helix -They’re pulling all the stops out to make science enjoyable and understandable to everyone in an innovative way.

You don’t have to run a long event. Many members of the public actually prefer to attend an event which only lasts an hour or so, rather than for a whole day.

Fill out the expressions of interest application here to get involved. We’re completely open to ideas and we’d love to hear from you! Contact Naomi Kay for any queries.

I am glad to receive the Fusion Investment Fund to visit and establish the cooperation with the world famous Simulation & Electronic Animation Lab (SEALAB), the University of Utah, USA.

“Almost every influential person in the modern computer graphics community either passed through the University of Utah or came into contact with it in some way ”- From The Algorithmic Image: Graphic Visions of the Computer Age, by Robert Rivlin.

The University of Utah has one of the earliest and world leading computer graphics research groups, who developed the first display of computer animation in 1976. The University of Utah Medical Centre is one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America. As the key member, Prof. Ladislav is a recipient of an NSF (National Science Foundation) CAREER award which is the NSF’s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty. In the last ten years, Prof. Ladislav published many top-level papers on SIGGRAPH (ACM Transaction on Graphics), and the total number of citation of his work amounts to more than 900.​

The link between NCCA and SEALAB was firstly established by my PhD student Kun Qian. He has contacted Prof. Ladislav (one of the key members of SEALAB) long time ago to discuss various research questions on deformation. Due to the similarity of research interest, we were constantly in touch to discuss the solution of some challenging problems. Prof. Ladislav’s research focuses on geometry based shape deformations which is an essential technique in real-time medical simulation. Our research group has developed many advanced techniques of collision detection, haptic feedback and realistic rendering for real-time medical simulation. We will pay a visit to the University of Utah, combining the expertise and professional knowledge from both partners to perfect our system for the surgery training.

Xiaosong Yang