BU Research Blog

April 15, 2021

Congratulations to PhD student Raksha Thapa

international, PG research, Publishing, Student Engagement, Women's Academic Network, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

This week BU PhD student Raksha Thapa heard from the editor of the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health that her manuscript “Caste Exclusion and Health Discrimination in South Asia: A Systematic Review” has been accepted for publication [1]. Raksha is supervised in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences by Dr. Pramod Regmi, Dr. Vanessa Heaslip and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen. The paper is a systematic review and the protocol for it was published in PROSPERO early on at the start of her PhD studies [2].

Well done!

References

Thapa, R., van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P., Heaslip, V. (2021) Caste Exclusion and Health Discrimination in South Asia: A Systematic Review, Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (accepted).
Thapa, R., van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P., Heaslip, V. (2018) Caste exclusion and health discrimination. Prospero CRD42018110431crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?ID=CRD42018110431

April 12, 2021

‘Doing Diversity Better: Interrogating ethnic and gender equality among BAME academics in HE’ April 22 14.00-16.00

Fusion, Women's Academic Network Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

The Women’s Academic Network (WAN) at BU are delighted to host this powerful and timely public engagement, open-to-all, Q&A Panel Discussion on one of the most important and urgent issues facing Higher Education (HE) in the UK today.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor John Vinney, will formally open the event which brings together four hugely eminent women academics of-colour, as well as a representative from the Bournemouth University Student Union (SUBU), who are all working within the broad areas of racialisation/ethnicisation and social inequalities. Each panellist will bring their own particular research expertise together with intellectual and experiential understandings to a grounded, candid and in-depth discussion of diversity in contemporary HE.

For more details and registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womens-academic-network-bournemouth-university-doing-diversity-better-tickets-146743055429

The panel context

UK HE is characterised by a homogeneity that fails to reflect social diversity, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender and social class. These issues need to be located within a complex terrain of interwoven, intersectional experiences. The handy portmanteau term: ‘BAME’ (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) can also unhelpfully work to subsume entire groups who are otherwise subject to different levels of discrimination that may thereby remain less visible and therefore neglected. For example, a UCU 2019 report recorded that of a total number of professors in the UK, those self-identifying as ‘Black’ numbered just 85 individuals, and of these a mere 25 were women (Rollock 2019). While recent HESA (2020) data confirms that less than 1% of UK professors self-identify as Black. Unsurprisingly, Mizra (2019, p. 39) refers with horror to the overwhelming ‘hideous’ whiteness of academia. This alarming lack of representation among minority ethnic groups in HE not only exemplifies a dereliction of social justice but is demonstrably counterproductive to the academy across every area of scholarly endeavour, including inclusive pedagogy. The Race Equality Charter under AdvanceHE offers a valuable tool towards remedial action, but without direct debate, will towards and strategies for root-and-branch sector change, such charters are unlikely to create the necessary traction.

Our Panellists:

Professor Kalwant Bhopal is Professor of Education and Social Justice Professor of Education and Social Justice Director of the Centre for Research on Race and Education, University of Birmingham

Professor Ann Phoenix is Professor of Psychosocial Studies, at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education

Dr Samantha Iwowo is the Programme Leader of MA Directing, Film and TV at BU.

Professor Gargi Bhattacharyya is Professor of Sociology at the Centre for Migration, Refugees and Belonging, University of East London

Ms Chiko Bwalya is the Education Vice President of SUBU.

We in WAN look forward to welcoming you.

Colleagues – please share among your networks. Students welcome

March 29, 2021

‘Doing Diversity Better: Interrogating ethnic and gender equality among BAME academics in HE’ April 22 14.00-16.00

Fusion, Public engagement, Women's Academic Network Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

The Women’s Academic Network (WAN) at BU are delighted to host this powerful and timely public engagement, open-to-all, Q&A Panel Discussion on one of the most important and urgent issues facing Higher Education (HE) in the UK today.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor John Vinney, will formally open the event which brings together four hugely eminent women academics of-colour, as well as a representative from the Bournemouth University Student Union (SUBU), who are all working within the broad areas of racialisation/ethnicisation and social inequalities. Each panellist will bring their own particular research expertise together with intellectual and experiential understandings to a grounded, candid and in-depth discussion of diversity in contemporary HE.

For more details and registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womens-academic-network-bournemouth-university-doing-diversity-better-tickets-146743055429

The panel context

UK HE is characterised by a homogeneity that fails to reflect social diversity, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender and social class. These issues need to be located within a complex terrain of interwoven, intersectional experiences. The handy portmanteau term: ‘BAME’ (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) can also unhelpfully work to subsume entire groups who are otherwise subject to different levels of discrimination that may thereby remain less visible and therefore neglected. For example, a UCU 2019 report recorded that of a total number of professors in the UK, those self-identifying as ‘Black’ numbered just 85 individuals, and of these a mere 25 were women (Rollock 2019). While recent HESA (2020) data confirms that less than 1% of UK professors self-identify as Black. Unsurprisingly, Mizra (2019, p. 39) refers with horror to the overwhelming ‘hideous’ whiteness of academia. This alarming lack of representation among minority ethnic groups in HE not only exemplifies a dereliction of social justice but is demonstrably counterproductive to the academy across every area of scholarly endeavour, including inclusive pedagogy. The Race Equality Charter under AdvanceHE offers a valuable tool towards remedial action, but without direct debate, will towards and strategies for root-and-branch sector change, such charters are unlikely to create the necessary traction.

Our Panellists:

Professor Kalwant Bhopal is Professor of Education and Social Justice Professor of Education and Social Justice Director of the Centre for Research on Race and Education, University of Birmingham

Professor Ann Phoenix is Professor of Psychosocial Studies, at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of Education

Dr Samantha Iwowo is the Programme Leader of MA Directing, Film and TV at BU.

Professor Gargi Bhattacharyya is Professor of Sociology at the Centre for Migration, Refugees and Belonging, University of East London

Ms Chiko Bwalya is the Education Vice President of SUBU.

We in WAN look forward to welcoming you.

Colleagues – please share among your networks. Students welcome

March 1, 2021

Black Political Women and the 2020 US Presidential Election, IWD Webinar Speaker Event

Fusion, Women's Academic Network Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

The theme of this year’s Women’s International Day (IWD) is ‘Choose to Challenge’.

So, why is International Women’s Day important?

While IWD is about women it is not just for women. It focuses our collective minds on not only women’s achievements but, crucially, on what further big steps are needed to achieve genuine intersectional equality in social, civic and political spaces. While in some parts of the world women activists are subject to terrible oppression simply for championing the right to drive a car, elsewhere we have seen how women-of-colour are breaking down institutional barriers in the US Presidential elections.

If you would like to learn more about this extraordinary historical moment please join us at our International Webinar Speaker Event on March 8, 10.00-11.00 on ‘Black Political Women and the 2020 US Presidential Election: Lessons, Questions, & the Pursuit Lessons’

Abstract

Professor Nikol G. Alexander Floyd discusses the rise of Black political women in the US and the historic election of vice-president Kamala Harris, the first female and first Black and South Asian vice-president. She will also discuss how the policy needs of Black women and their communities might be addressed under the Biden administration and weighing competing definitions of progress in the current political moment.

Speaker Information:

Nikol G. Alexander-Floyd is Associate Professor Political Science at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. A lawyer and political scientist, she is the co-founder of the Association for the Study of Black Women in Politics. Author of Gender, Race, and Nationalism in Contemporary Black Politics (Palgrave Macmillan 2007) and of the forthcoming Re-Imagining Black Women: A Critique of Post-Feminist and Post-Racial Melodrama in Culture and Politics (forthcoming NYU Press, April 2020) (https://www.amazon.com/Re-Imagining-Black-Women-Post-Feminist-Post-Racial/dp/1479850896/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=nikol+alexander-floyd&qid=1605716932&sr=8-1). Her articles have appeared in leading journals such as Feminist Formations; Frontiers: A Journal of Women’s Studies; The National Political Science Review; Politics & Gender; and Signs, and she is a past program co-chair of the Annual Meeting of the National Women’s Studies Association.

Chair: Professor Candida Yates, FMC

Event Organiser: Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree, Women’s Academic Network; FHSS

For more details about this Women’s Academic Network IWD event and registration go to Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/3jIKdUJ

February 15, 2021

Embedding UN SDGs in Teaching Entrepreneurship at BU

BU Challenges, Business Engagement, Centre for Excellence in Learning, Festival of Learning, Fusion, Fusion themes, Industry collaboration, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, Women's Academic Network Sukanya Ayatakshi

A few days ago I noticed a post on the BU Staff Intranet about the Fourth Annual Global Goals Teach In, where, as educators, we can pledge to embed the UN Sustainable Development Goals in our teaching practice for 2 weeks between 22 February and 5 March 2021. It made my heart skip a beat thinking now is the time to make education more holistic! To not just arm our students with the best possible degree for their future careers but to empower them to be change makers.

Education is fundamental to shifting attitudes and make us feel we can be the change we want to see. The term ‘university entrepreneurship‘ is strongly in favour of the school of thought that enterprise development or entrepreneurial action is nurtured within the academic environment, allowing latent entrepreneurial ambitions to flourish! For the last few years I have been privileged to lead the Entrepreneurship and Business Ventures module in the final year at Bournemouth University Business School. Within the constraints of the time, curriculum and resources, we aim to run this module as a mini in-class incubation hub through ideation support; mentoring support through industry connections; guest speakers; networking events and many more. Each year, based on a personal commitment to sustainable collective action for the planet and humanity and spurred on by the encouraging global trends towards start-ups that espouse the triple bottom line (Economic, Social and Environmental), we designed a curriculum to support student entrepreneurship focusing on the economic viability centred around social/environmental sustainability. Because sustainability makes business sense, it is not merely altruism, it leads to competitive advantage, earning newer market segments and creates longevity and legacy for a business.

The UN SDGs make the task of embedding a sustainability agenda in the curriculum easier to do and also easier to understand the trajectory in which our small steps can add to the solutions of the grand problems. Often the discussions on sustainability, from a small business perspective, sounds like a costly goal to achieve and in this difficult economic times, sounds like an absurd suggestion when businesses cannot even survive the external forces. But this is where embedding sustainability within the core values of the business can actually help it weather the proverbial storm better. Sustainability, not as an appendage, but in the core of the business, within its business vision, mission, model, supply chain can ensure longevity. and once we become conscious of the power of responsible, conscious capitalism, the change we hope to see begins to take shape!

What would you do, if faced with a choice of buying a box of chocolates from one that is reliant on a supply chain riddled with historical and existing cocoa plantation slave labour (that you are aware of), and others (priced at a point higher than the former) trying to make that very difficult shift from the norm? As educators we have a huge responsibility of empowering the next generation start-up founders to open their eyes to the strength of action taken in favour of sustainability and the UN SDGs provide us with a toolkit to translate that message more effectively. For me, this journey started in the year 2014-15 with the first Social Enterprise Event day at Bournemouth University which was a networking and opportunity seeking platform for our students on this module to connect with socially focused entrepreneurs. I was not aware of the upcoming UN SDGs then and once I did, the whole action became that much more easy to plan and deliver including student-led projects, 4 Global Entrepreneurship Week events across two academic years- 2019/20 and 2020/21 (focussing on student experience and learning at BU) ; the creation of BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum and many more.

Sure, there are many other excellent frameworks we refer to and discuss including the B-Corps redefining success ( a personal favourite), Circular Economy underpinned by a transition to renewable energy ( a must have) Social Enterprises (another personal favourite), the CSR model and more but none that draw our attention so starkly to the global challenges as the UN SDGs. And recognising, that each incremental step we take, through our education practice and assessment, can add to the solutions to those grand challenges, is in itself a very sobering and empowering feeling.

And this is what I am privileged to witness in my classroom of 100+ students. Last year 2019-20 we worked with business organisations, with a core commitment to sustainable action, designing and developing business plan/business model solutions for them and this year and last, students, individually, worked on developing an original idea for a start-up underpinned by commitment to one or more UN SDGs.

How I wish I could share some of the posters, the pitches they did live/offline and the background research without infringing Intellectual Property! These ideas are needed! They are are time relevant, robustly underpinned by market research, with a clear focus on economic viability and sustainable actions and some of them, disruption of the existing industries they are entering. Some of them, whether they be an app to support Goal 5 Gender Equality; making fashion circular; empowering body image positivity through tech based solutions (Goal 3, Goal 5); sustainable home improvements; reducing food waste (Goals 1 and 2.); ideas stemming from personally recognised unmet needs yet so powerful for a global audience- the pride I feel in my students is not something I can express! Many of them have received prizes in the form of free business consultations with international entrepreneurs who were on the panel of judges listening to the business pitches, so it is only a matter of time before we see some of those ideas turning into registered businesses.

Globally, there is an increasing number of sustainable startups often attributed to the power of the millennials in demanding a change in the marketplace with the strength of future focus, technology, and digital platforms. And perhaps this is what we are seeing at a smaller scale within BU Entrepreneurship and Business Ventures, a group of bright young minds who are capable to assimilating new knowledge and adopting that as a way of life to make the world less individualistic and focus on what is truly important. For, capitalism is not the problem, it is the lack of true social responsibility that older, more archaic capitalistic institutions have shown, which has led to a world of huge chasms between the haves and the have-nots. And I am humbled by what the future will bring, and it seems that with the pandemic, social/environmental sustainability and impact of business on the society has been accelerated manifold…. every grey cloud has a silver lining? With that we say adieu to another grand semester 1 (whilst continuing supporting the ideas into real businesses through consultation) of Entrepreneurship and Business Ventures and look forward to the next cohort in September 2021. And I continue my journey, as an Enterprise Educator at BU, supporting the UN SDGs and supporting colleagues to find ways in which to embed this framework within their disciplines and student-focused initiatives. Thank you.

February 6, 2021

Congratulations to Prof. Ashencaen-Crabtree on publication of new book

international, Publishing, Women's Academic Network, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Prof. Sara Ashencaen Crabtree on the publication of her new Routledge research monograph, Women of Faith and the Quest for Spiritual Authenticity [1]. This new book is based on 59 interviews with women in Malaysia and the UK concerning their experiences, beliefs and practices across the faiths of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and diverse Pagan pathways. These accounts are often very personal and detailed in referring to both the micro (individual) and the macro (social) in terms of how faith and gender are negotiated in multicultural societies that struggle with the politics of diversity.

This is an ecumenical and entertaining ethnography where women’s narratives and life stories ground faith as embodied, personal, painful, vibrant, diverse, illuminating and shared. This book will of interest not only to academics and students of the sociology of religion, feminist and gender studies, politics, political science, ethnicity and Southeast Asian studies, but is equally accessible to the general reader broadly interested in faith and feminism. Sara says that she road-tested some of these Sociology of Religion ideas in the classroom at Bournemouth University and she found that social science students really related to it in their discussions.

I have taken the liberty to reproduce one of the reviews written for the publisher’s website by Prof. Crisp from Deakin University in Australia.

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Reference:

Ashencaen Crabtree S (2021) Women of Faith and the Quest for Spiritual Authenticity: Comparative Perspectives from Malaysia and Britain, London: Routledge.

February 4, 2021

Faith Matters? New Book on Women and the Quest for Spiritual Authenticity

Fusion Investment Fund, Women's Academic Network Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

The quest for women’s authentic experience of spirituality and faith is a topic of broad and profound social significance. Since the first published, scholarly and excoriating critiques by women theologians in the nineteenth century we have had to rely on men’s accounts of what women should and do believe about mortal existence, its meaning and relevance, if any, to the unfathomable cosmos and the mysteries of creation (however the latter is understood). Women’s voices on questions of faith continue to be largely unheard across all faith communities, even though, as we know, organised religions, and other faith groups, rely so heavily upon women’s support and sheer hard work.

My new Routledge research monograph, Women of Faith and the Quest for Spiritual Authenticity makes its own special contribution to our understanding of these questions, as derived from 59 selected interviews with women in Malaysia and the UK concerning their experiences, beliefs and practices across the faiths of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and diverse Pagan pathways. The accounts are often very personal and detailed in referring to both the micro (individual) and the macro (social) in terms of how faith and gender are negotiated in multicultural societies that struggle with the politics of diversity.

The gestation of this unfunded research monograph in terms of data gathering has felt longer than gestation for a whole family of reproducing female elephants, although time moved from protraction to contraction and acceleration. The Women’s Academic Network provided much needed ‘space’ for me to concentrate on the book proposal, which was accepted in record time owing to enthusiastic reviews. Thereafter, words flew onto the page and the book was completed in less than a year from start to finish, including time off recuperating with Covid-19.

This academic year I road-tested some of these Sociology of Religion ideas in the classroom and found that social science students really enjoyed and related to the discussions. So much for secular, materialistic youth! Furthermore, braced for some pain at the cruel hands of reviewers, given the innovative cross-faith, cross-cultural approach I took, I was astonished and thrilled at the wonderful reviews garnered from eminent scholars in the field, even before the book hit the shelves (later this month).

So, given little in the way of funding and a rather off-piste topic, what led me on? The book seriously began back in 2014 on my precious and hectic study leave in Malaysia busily engaged in a round of international teaching, training and public speaking engagements around Southeast Asia; plus busily gathering data with my co-researcher, for our condensed ethnography on Indigenous communities under ecological threat; plus gathering data for this book as well. It was a wonderful and unforgettable time, crazy of course but incredibly productive and happy.

Back in the UK I was helped by the generosity of so many people of both sexes, across different faith communities locally who introduced me to their circles where I found many women willing to talk to me, teach me and sometimes pray for me too (who says I don’t need it?!). This was a very personal journey in all ways and I have many to thank, not forgetting those BU colleagues managing the former Fusion Investment Fund for making my study leave possible!

I am now delighted to see that following the departure of our good friend, Reverend Dr. Bill Merrington, we now have a new woman chaplain, Reverend Ruth Wells. I feel that Ruth’s arrival at BU heralds new opportunities to reach out to women across diverse faiths and spiritualties and in so doing we are already planning collaboration to develop a series of public engagement, interfaith seminars. I look forward to working closely with Ruth on a continuing big issue of our time: feminism, faith, diversity and inclusion.

January 28, 2021

Student Entrepreneurship at Bournemouth University

Business Engagement, Centre for Excellence in Learning, Festival of Learning, Fusion, Public engagement, Student Engagement, Women's Academic Network Sukanya Ayatakshi

The nature versus nurture debate has long dominated entrepreneurship discussions in academia. But, globally, across universities and business schools, there is increased recognition of the role of university education as a springboard for entrepreneurial action. This may be in sharp contrast to many entrepreneurs’ stories of dropping out of colleges to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions but, the role of higher education in shaping entrepreneurship cannot be discounted. Enterprise education, as a tool, can prepare students for coping with changing environments and increase their self-efficacy.

At Bournemouth University Business School, I am privileged to lead the final year Entrepreneurship and Business Ventures, a module in the Entrepreneurship Pathway, which brings in students from 7 programmes on to this pathway- Many of whom join this as they have a latent entrepreneurial ambition; some merely for the curiosity of the subject and some naturally meander into it and find their passion. The strength of this module is in shaping the entrepreneurial dreams of many through in-class incubation support and bringing in expertise from entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts.

The highlight of this year’s culmination of this module was the Annual Entrepreneurship Elevator Pitch competition where students had to present, as individuals, a well researched, well thought out, original business idea, underpinned by the UN SDGs, all in 3 minutes to a panel of external judges. Normally, this is a grand event on campus but this year was no less exciting online. Entrepreneurship is not what you know, it is more ‘Who’ you know. The role of social capital in enterprise development cannot be overstated. lack of financial capital is often cited as a key entrepreneurial barrier but to some extent, developing social capital through engaging with mentors, peers, friends can remove some of those barriers. Supported by Mark Painter, Business Development Manager at BUBS who said, “this event provides an invaluable opportunity for students to learn from a ‘live’ business audience and gain access to their contacts and networks“.

It is also imperative that we encourage entrepreneurship to be more socially and environmentally sustainable, not just focus on the single bottom line. And this is not mere altruism, this makes business sense, it leads to increased competitive advantage. And guess who is leading the way? Our millennials! It’s change in motion through power of collaboration and information sharing by a generation remarkably conscious of their wider environment. Never before has it been more important to think of collective action, as the pandemic and the climate change crises are showing. UN SDGs, as part of the core ethos of start-ups, are becoming the norm in this rapidly changing world which makes me very excited for the future.

A couple of weeks ago, in front of a live online panel of entrepreneurs, our final year Entrepreneurship Pathway students demonstrated their commitment to creating an equitable world, through the power of responsible capitalism and enterprise building, underpinned by actions to achieve the UN SDGs. This year we had Anthony Woodhouse, Executive Chairman of Hall & Woodhouse Pub and Brewery; Olly Whittle CEO of Swarm Social; Jon Thor Sigurleifsson, Content Marketer; and Kevin Whitehouse , Founder of Prime Entry Accountants.

Anthony Woodhouse, Executive Chairman Hall& Woodhouse said, “Really enjoyed the day – many inspirational ideas and great fun. I and the team at H&W look forward to working with the winners on their free day of consultancy provided by us trying to help them on their journey of turning their ideas into reality.” The participation of the panel of judges is the continuation of ‘Meet the Entrepreneurs’ series that we run through the course of this module to allow our aspiring student entrepreneurs to build meaningful networks and relationships. It is also an opportunity to “spot future business ideas“, as Olly Whittle notes.

Each year, we have huge amounts of support from entrepreneurs, business organisations and individuals in helping our students fulfil their entrepreneurial dreams and it is with great sadness we bid final adieu to our mentor, friend, a true example of a global entrepreneur, Damien Lee, who has worked with us closely over a number of years supporting student entrepreneurship at BU. Each year our students have learned greatly from his success story, a story of entrepreneurial resilience, perseverance in the face of adversity and indomitable spirit and who can forget him turning up at our 2019-20 Elevator Pitch event armed with boxes and boxes of Mr. Lee’s Noodles for all our students and guests!

Damien Lee, Founder of Mr. Lees Noodles.

We continue our success story of encouraging student entrepreneurship at Bournemouth University, recognising it as a part of the great reset post Covid, and this is aptly captured in the words of our panelist Jon Thor Sigurleifsson, ”

“Having been part of BU’s pitch event a couple of times now I’ve gotta say there must be something in the water over there! I always walk away feeling inspired and hopeful for the future when I see all the great ideas that come up from the students.

Another reason why I love taking part in this exercise is that I know how valuable it is to get real life insights into the world of startups and entrepreneurship from those who have experienced it themselves. Some of the most common pieces of feedback given are things that, if applied, can change the course of these students’ journeys forever without having to learn them the hard way. There are enough challenges out there without having to go in completely blind.

So huge shout out to everyone responsible for this at BU, you’re going above and beyond in order to give your students the best possible chance at success.I can’t wait to speak to some of this year’s students and offer up my advice and mentorship in order to help them dive into their respective ventures.”

I wish all the Entrepreneurship Pathway students success in their future endeavours and huge congratulations to all the winners.

January 27, 2021

Missing out? The Early Career Researcher Network

Research Integritiy, Training, Women's Academic Network Edwin van Teijlingen

I recently realised I had been missing out! Although I have worked at BU for 18 months there is so much about university life I still don’t understand. I find it hard to ask/disturb busy people and the temptation is to muddle through. Not being on campus – especially since the pandemic, makes it hard to get to know other researchers, potential collaborators, and share ideas or tips. Help is at hand though…

I have just discovered the Early Career Researcher Network. It is a relaxed, informal, safe place to ask questions and meet other researchers from across the university. (There are no demands!) Meetings are held once a month and run by two experienced academics Prof. Ann Hemingway and Dr. Sam Goodman who answer questions, discuss pertinent topics such as building your research profile, promotion and pay progression, networking, partnership and collaboration. You attend as you are able. There are no obligations, but a wealth of wisdom and support is on offer.

Dr. Rachel Arnold

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH)

January 22, 2021

New publication Dr. Orlanda Harvey

PG research, Publishing, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Social Work Lecturer Dr. Orlanda Harvey on the acceptance of a paper by the journal Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy. This latest academic paper ‘Libido as a motivator for starting and restarting non-prescribed anabolic androgenic steroid use among men: a mixed-methods study’ [1] is based on her Ph.D. research. Previous papers associated with her thesis covered aspects of non-prescribed anabolic androgenic steroid use [2-3] as well as her wider Ph.D. journey [4].

References:

1. Harvey, O., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E, Trenoweth, S. (2021) Libido as a reason to use non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids, Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy (accepted).
2. Harvey, O., Keen, S., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E. (2019) Support for people who use Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: A Systematic Literature Review into what they want and what they access. BMC Public Health 19: 1024 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7288-x https://rdcu.be/bMFon
3. Harvey, O., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E., Trenoweth, S. (2020) Support for non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids users: A qualitative exploration of their needs Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 27:5, 377-386. doi 10.1080/09687637.2019.1705763
4. Spacey, A., Harvey, O., Casey, C. (2020) Postgraduate researchers’ experiences of accessing participants via gatekeepers: ‘wading through treacle!’ Journal of Further and Higher Education 2: 1-18.

November 25, 2020

Women Entrepreneurs and Covid-19- Celebrating BU Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020

BU Challenges, Business Engagement, Centre for Excellence in Learning, conferences, Delicious links, Festival of Learning, Funding opportunities, Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund, Fusion themes, international, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, staff profile pages, Student Engagement, Women's Academic Network Sukanya Ayatakshi

Women’s representation in entrepreneurship, the barriers women face in entrepreneurship is all well documented and well researched with robust evidence from around the world. From seeking access to external finance, to engaging in those critical business networks, managing the work-family interface- We have all heard and read about the many challenges women entrepreneurs have to navigate .

Women’s entrepreneurship in developing countries is particularly at risk, as women’s anticipated vulnerability is likely to be exacerbated due to the pandemic. Not only are women-led businesses amongst the hardest hit but more than 93% of women report having struggled with finding ways to support their businesses whilst managing their work and family commitments. Even before the pandemic women were already vulnerable spending five times more in childcare and over three times more in household chores than their male counterparts, experiencing an unemployment rate twice that of men (SME Finance Forum, 2020). There is a fear that this pandemic will turn back the clocks on women’s entrepreneurship because women bear the burden of unpaid caregiving including childcare, household responsibilities and elderly care .

With a staggering number of small businesses shutting down, there are disproportionate impacts on women business owners with a 25% drop in small business activity between February to Mid-April 2020 and a 16% drop in number of business ownership for active male and women business owners (Fairlie, 2020). And there is global attention to this as well which is very encouraging.

Hosted by BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum and supported by BU Women’s Academic Network on the 17th of November we led an international event with women entrepreneurs from Brazil, The UK, Oman and Iraq to share their experiences of leading and running a business in the midst of a global pandemic.

We heard from women entrepreneurs and their struggles and pathways to resolution in the face of having to manage the work and family commitments; we discussed issues around how external support in the form of women-centric funding bodies, incubation hubs, accelerators programmes can support more representation and increased success of women in entrepreneurship. What came out, very strongly, from the conversations, was the immense collective force of empowered women who are not just trailblazers but change makers and who, relentlessly, try to empower other women to take charge of their business interests and decisions!

With three parallel discussions in the event on women entrepreneurs and the care-giving role, we heard from the founder of The Mumpreneur Collective, Erin Thomas Wong, who discussed how motherhood was a springboard for her entrepreneurial actions and ambitions and in recognition of the multiple challenges and expectations that motherhood bestows on women she set up this organisation to provide support, mentoring opportunities and peer learning for mothers wanting to fulfil their entrepreneurial ambitions.Other women entrepreneurs, namely, Sarah Ali Choudhury, Forbes’s Curry Queen ; Aira Nascimento, Founder of Josephinas Colab, a social business of female entrepreneurs from the periphery and cultural space that rescues Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous culture in Campo Grande, Brazil; Maryam Al Amri, Founder of Youth Vision, Oman and Gabriela Anastacia, CEO of Gamarc Communications and Founder of (after motherhood) the social impact movement, Papo de Empreendedora [Female Entrepreneur Chat] discussed democratising access to entrepreneurship education for women and the support needed by mother entrepreneurs in the context of the pandemic.

Ranya Bakr, Iraq; Ludmila Hastenreiter, Founder and CEO of Empoderamente Contabil, Brazil and Bia Santos, Founder of Barkus Educational, Brazil led the discussions on access to finance and impediment that creates for women entrepreneurs particularly now in the context of the pandemic and prior to it. Emphasising the importance of financial education to create a fair and just society Bia Santos also highlighted the racial inequality that affects businesses like hers in the context of Brazil.

The issues around incubation hub and accelerator support focused on the needs of women entrepreneurs were discussed in the light of the pandemic with expert entrepreneurs including Adrienne Saunders, Founder of Yes You Can Training, UK; Shaima Murtadha Al- Lawati, Oman; Beatriz Carvalho, Founder of Mulheres de Frentes (Women in Front) and Dayse Valencia, an ASHOKA Social Entrepreneur Fellow and coordinator of projects at Rio based NGO, ASPLANDE, Brazil.

It was a particularly proud moment to celebrate two BUBS students, Ranya Bakr from Iraq, a Chevening Scholar, UNDP project lead, Founder of Storey an architectural firm and her work in Iraq developing incubation hubs for women. We also had the pleasure of listening to Maryam Al Amri from Oman, another BUBS student and Founder of Youth Vision supporting youth employment issues in the Arab world through her exemplary work.

This event was co-hosted with Jiselle Steele who supports women and micro entrepreneurs through her work in enterprise development across Brazil, UK and Sri Lanka and is a Senior Project Lead at _SocialStarters, a social enterprise started by Andrea Gamson, a BU Alumna and Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise who supports enterprise development and business consultation across many countries including the UK, Brazil, Kenya and Sri Lanka.

Ranya Bakr, BU Alumna from Iraq and Founder of Storey, an architectural firm.

Bia Santos, Founder of Barkus Education, Brazil

Maryam Al Amri, BU Student and Founder of Youth Vision, Oman

Erin Thomas Wong, Founder of Mumpreneur Collective, UK

So what is the value of showcase events? Academia affords us the opportunity to create impact through education, research and external engagement. Events such as these raise the profile of the organisation, bring together international audience ( this event welcomed guests from Singapore to Latin America), become part of a global resolution of a huge challenges, support UN SDGs, further BU2025 ambitions and most definitely, lead to research outputs and enhance the student experience. So showcase events may be hard work to put together but absolutely worth every second!

It is a proud moment for us at BUSEF to be celebrating our second BU GEW 2020. Watch the space for more things to come.

November 25, 2020

Refugee Entrepreneurship And Covid-19- BU Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020

BU Challenges, Business Engagement, Centre for Excellence in Learning, conferences, Festival of Learning, Funding opportunities, Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund, Fusion themes, Knowledge Exchange, Women's Academic Network Sukanya Ayatakshi

Melanie Montinard, Mawon, Brazil

Camila Pinto, Migraflix, Brazil

Esther Yanya, South Sudanese Refugee Entrepreneur from Uganda

Noel Lilija, Microfinance Officer, CRESS UK, Arua, Uganda

Abdoulaye Fall, Self Funded Communities ACAF, Barcelona, Spain

Talal Al-Tinawi, Syrian Refugee Entrepreneur in Brazil

Debora Gonzaga Brassau Brazil

Sayma Ahmad, Co-Founder and Honorary Chair, Unity in Vision, Dorset UK

Globally, there are 65 million people forcibly displaced from their homes (WHO, 2019). Achieving legitimacy and acceptance and integration into the host community remains a challenge in most host countries with an increased inflow of displaced populations. What do refugees hope for? Safety, security, an ability to carve out a future for themselves and their loves ones and retaining the dignity of being a human being.

We recently concluded a study in Uganda,Brazil and Spain exploring how displaced populations seek and achieve legitimacy through the routes of entrepreneurship in collaboration with co-host Jiselle Steele. This study allowed us the opportunity to engage with displaced communities and individuals whose resilience, perseverance the the zeal to thrive, not just survive, showcases the true essence of the human spirit. Not only that, with the entrepreneurial offerings they created they are making huge community impacts to support others in the same circumstances as them- an empowerment pathway through entrepreneurship.

With the rapid developments in the pandemic sweeping our world, all the policy discussions around economic recovery has managed to not take into consideration the plight of the displaced populations engaged in business activities, mostly in the informal sectors.

This year, as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020, BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum (BUSEF), organised an event to celebrate the work of refugee entrepreneurs and support organisations that empower the displaced populations in integration and their entrepreneurial ambitions.

On the 18th of November, 2020, BUSEF brought together refugee entrepreneurs and support organisations from Uganda, Brazil, Spain and the UK. Esther Yanya, a 27- year old South Sudanese refugee, living in a displacement camp in Arua, Northern Uganda shared with us her harrowing story of walking across hundreds of miles with two very young children and arriving to no support, no food and so shelter. The work of Cress UK-led by Caroline Lamb (Founder and Chair or Trustees) and Noel Lilija, Project Lead at CRESS Arua, an aid organisation working to support refugees in medical care, education, agricultural training and microentrepreneurship- was the turning point in Esther Yanya’s life and now she not only leads a savings group based business in tailoring (She was wearing the most stunning dress similar to these Peaches Boutique white dresses for prom she crafted herself) but is also empowering other women in the displacement camp to achieve financial independence and a future for themselves.

Talal Al-Tinawi joined us from Brazil where he is a Syrian refugee and a gastronomy business owner. Having had to leave his mechanical engineering business in Damascus, Talal shared with us the role that society plays in integrating refugees like himself. The institutional barriers not withstanding, the role of social inclusion in allowing emotional security to refugees is something that is not well researched or discussed. Supported by Migraflix, Talal set up his gastronomy business, in the absence of being able to get employment.

What is quite extraordinary about both Talal and Esther is that, not withstanding their personal circumstances, they think of the community around them and how to support, how to empower. Talal has been working tirelessly to provide food to those vulnerable during this pandemic.

In addition to the refugee entrepreneurs, the event brought together Migraflix, Mawon, Brassau from Brazil and Cress UK with team from UK and Uganda, Self Funded Communities ACAF from Spain and Unity in Vision, Dorset, UK.

So what was the potential impact of an event such this? The obvious answer is of course, raising awareness and building the momentum in this conversation but also and critically, gaining increased visibility for the individuals who identify themselves and refugee entrepreneurs and the critical work that the support organisations do independent of and with very little state/institutional support.

November 2, 2020

Bournemouth University Social Entrepreneurs Forum Celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020

Business Engagement, Centre for Excellence in Learning, conferences, Fusion, international, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, staff profile pages, Women's Academic Network Sukanya Ayatakshi

BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum BUSEF is proud to present Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020 with not one but two stellar events!

Last year we celebrated the very first Global Entrepreneurship Week at BU with two mega events on campus and although this year the world is different but what’s stopping us from celebrating and raising the bar even higher?

It is a proud moment for us to introduce this year’s events- Women Entrepreneurs in The Times of Covid-19 supported by the Women’s Academic Network at BU on the 17th of November 1400-1600 GMT (online) and Refugee Entrepreneurs and Covid-19 18 November 1400-1600 Online.

These events are aligned with the purpose of BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum in supporting the BU2025 commitment to UN SDGs and creating Fusion-led activities supporting research and student learning and experience.

BUSEF, created in partnership with the Association of Sustainability Practitioners, Dorset and The Rotary Club at Poole Bay is a collaborative, inclusive forum to support the knowledge exchange between academia and the developing landscape of socially focused businesses in the region. In the past one year BUSEF has facilitated a number of student-led projects across BU, organised a number of free skills-based workshops, showcased GEW 2019 and is continuing to support local businesses through online workshops and events.

September 29, 2020

BU Social Entrepreneurs Supporting Business in the Times of Covid-19

Business Engagement, Centre for Excellence in Learning, Fusion, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, Public engagement, Student Engagement, Women's Academic Network Sukanya Ayatakshi

Covid-19 has created tremendous uncertainty, to state the obvious mildly, particularly for small social businesses and social entrepreneurs where there is not much focused and specific support to go around.

A year ago we embarked on a journey, via the BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum (BUSEF), formed in collaboration with the Association of Sustainability Practitioners and the Poole Bay Rotary Club to develop the landscape of socially focused businesses in the community, to encourage knowledge transfer projects between BU and socially focused businesses and to provide a collaborative, inclusive forum to support business transition to socially sustainable yet economically viable models.

BUSEF is now offering free, focused, workshops online on the theme of ‘Coping with Covid-19’. Our very successful and well received session in August was on legal structures of social businesses and sources of funding with experts from YTKO , Jonathan Dixon, Head of Grants Programme and NatWest Community Business Funding support officers John Murray and Mairead Taylor .

Now, we have our next workshop on the 09th of October (online) where The Operations Director of Dorset Growth Hub, Nick Gregory; Director at Association of Sustainability Practitioners and lifelong environmentalist, Linda Farrow and Economic Development Officer at BCP Council, Claire Main will speak about the various types of direct support available, share experiences of business during Covid-19. And if that was not enough, we are also launching our BUSEF Clinic sessions! From this event onwards, we invite expressions of interest from local social SMEs and social entrepreneurs (via email to Sukanya at sayatakshi@bournemouth.ac.uk) to have their own particular case discussed live with an expert panel to seek a collective resolution and personalised support.

BUSEF is now in the final phases of developing its own website, in partnership with Worksity a social business founded by an ex-BU student Amin Pasandideh. Watch the space for our next exciting steps!

Register here at link

September 28, 2020

New book on tourism and gender-based violence

Women's Academic Network lvizcainosuarez

Tourism and Gender-based Violence, Challenging Inequalities. Edited by Paola Vizcaino, Heather Jeffrey, Claudia Eger

A new book edited by Dr Paola Vizcaino (Department of Sport & Events Management, Bournemouth University), Dr Heather Jeffrey (Middlesex University, Dubai) and Dr Claudia Eger (Copenhaguen Business School) has been published by CABI. Link here

First of its kind, the book focuses on the multiple and interconnected manifestations of violence that women and girls encounter in tourism consumption and production, such as physical, sexual, emotional or socio-economic abuse. It brings together work by scholars who are engaging with the concept of gender-based violence (GBV) in a wide range of tourism settings and practices. Includes profiles of organisations and initiatives that are attempting to tackle GBV in tourism, hospitality and beyond.

Join the editors, chapter contributors and grassroots organisations in a virtual introduction to the book this Wednesday 30th September 2020, from 4-6 pm (UK time). All welcome. Please register to see the full agenda and get the Zoom link and passcode: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tourism-and-gender-based-violence-virtual-book-launch-tickets-122680415425

September 10, 2020

FHSS PhD student’s poster at prestigious GLOW conference

conferences, international, PG research, Publishing, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Today and tomorrow Sulochana Dhakal-Rai will have her poster ‘Factors contributing to rising Caesarean Section rates in South Asia: a systematic review’ online at this year’s GLOW Conference [Global Women’s Research Society Conference]. This year for the first time, this international conference is held completely online. Sulochana’s PhD project is supervised by Dr. Pramod Regmi, P., Dr. Juliet Wood and Prof Edwin van Teijlingen at BU with Prof. Ganesh Dangal [Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Kathmandu Model Hospital] who acts as local supervisor in Nepal. Sulochana has already published two papers from her on-going thesis research [1-2].

References

Dhakal-Rai, S., Regmi, PR, van Teijlingen, E, Wood, J., Dangal G, Dhakal, KB. (2018) Rising Rate of Caesarean Section in Urban Nepal, Journal of Nepal Health Research Council 16(41): 479-80.
Dhakal Rai, S., Poobalan, A., Jan, R., Bogren, M., Wood, J., Dangal, G., Regmi, P., van Teijlingen, E., Dhakal, K.B., Badar, S.J., Shahid, F. (2019) Caesarean Section rates in South Asian cities: Can midwifery help stem the rise? Journal of Asian Midwives, 6(2):4–22.

September 10, 2020

Welcome Dr. Lyle Skains, SL in Health and Science Communication

Women's Academic Network afeigenbaum

I am delighted to announce that as of this week Dr. Lyle Skains joins us in FMC, Department of Communication & Journalism, as a Senior Lecturer in Health & Science Communication. Lyle researches and teaches Creative Digital Writing and Science Communication, conducting practice-based research into writing, reading/playing, publishing digital and transmedia narratives, and how these can be used for health and science communication. Her recent digital fiction includes No World 4 Tomorrow for the You & CO₂ project, and Only, Always, Never for the Infectious Storytelling project; both works were designed to effect social change. She is the founder of Wonderbox Publishing, which publishes speculative digital fiction, aiming to explore innovations in digital and online publishing and creativity. Her digital fiction can be found at lyleskains.com; articles in Convergence, Digital Creativity, and Computers and Composition; and books with Cambridge UP (Digital Authorship), forthcoming Emerald (interdisciplinary scicomm) and Bloomsbury (convergent evolution of mainstream digital fiction).

Dr. Skains was appointed under the BU Academic Targeted Research Scheme and will be collaborating with colleagues in the department, faculty, university and beyond to support the further development of our innovative and world-leading scholarship in the areas of Health and Science Communication. You can drop her a line to set up a virtual coffee lskains@bournemouth.ac.uk.

August 18, 2020

BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum offers FREE workshop on legal structures and funding for social businesses

Business Engagement, Centre for Excellence in Learning, conferences, Fusion, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, Women's Academic Network Sukanya Ayatakshi

More than a year ago ( in June 2019) BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum BUSEF was formed in partnership with Association of Sustainability Practitioners and Poole Bay Rotary Club.

Its overarching ambition is to support the development of the landscape of social businesses in the region.The forum’s objectives are underpinned by its commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

In one year we have come a long way.We celebrated the first Bournemouth University Global Entrepreneurship Week in November and worked with local social entrepreneurs on student-led projects on business planning and model innovation and digital and social media marketing.

Sukanya says in the Dorset Biz News “We paused briefly, in solidarity with the rest of the world, during Covid-19 lockdown in the UK to reflect on how best to support our local community of existing and aspiring social entrepreneurs.

“Now, and celebrating our first year virtually, BUSEF is offering the first of many free workshops and interactive sessions.

“The first virtual session, on Wednesday August 19, from 2.30pm to 3.30pm, is on ‘Legal Structures and Sources of Finance’.

“We will be joined by Jonathan Dixon, Head of Grants Programme at YTKO and Mairead Taylor, Director, Commercial and Business Banking at NatWest.”

Register for FREE using this link and for more information please contact Sukanya at sayatakshi@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Category / Women’s Academic Network

‘Doing Diversity Better: Interrogating ethnic and gender equality among BAME academics in HE’ April 22 14.00-16.00

Embedding UN SDGs in Teaching Entrepreneurship at BU

Student Entrepreneurship at Bournemouth University

Missing out? The Early Career Researcher Network

Refugee Entrepreneurship And Covid-19- BU Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020

Bournemouth University Social Entrepreneurs Forum Celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020

BU Social Entrepreneurs Supporting Business in the Times of Covid-19

New book on tourism and gender-based violence

Welcome Dr. Lyle Skains, SL in Health and Science Communication

BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum offers FREE workshop on legal structures and funding for social businesses

Other services

Don’t miss a post!

Recent posts

Search by Category

Research Information Network

UKRI

Category / Women’s Academic Network

Other services

Don’t miss a post!

Recent posts

Search by Category

Search by popular post topics