Enjoy listening to a short talk from our guest speaker before engaging in debate and discussion around that topic
We’ll be joined by Dr Tim Slattery from theFaculty of Science & Technologyon Tuesday 3 September from 7:30pm until 9pm (doors open at 6:30pm) No need to register, make sure you get there early though as seats fill up fast!
Eye tracking as a window to the mind
The movements of your eyes can reveal a lot about what you’re thinking. Join us to discover how researchers at Bournemouth University are studying eye moment, in order to understand the mental processes behind everyday tasks, like reading and navigation. Alongside a talk, we’ll have interactive demonstrations to show what state of the art eye tracking technology is capable of. We’ll discuss how eye tracking is already being used and what the future may hold when eye tracking becomes more widespread, even embedded in our personal devices.
Have you been doing research that you are itching to share with the public?
Do you want to increase your public engagement and have fun doing it?
We are looking for two academics to fill our Cafe Scientifique spots in June and July. If you would like to get involved please email the Public Engagement team!
We are ready and rearing to go for the first Café Scientifique of 2018!
We will be joined by Dr. Phillipa Gillingham, who will be discussing whether managing protected areas is a wise way of spending conservation resources.
Recent climate change has caused many species to change their distributions to try and track suitable conditions. However, borders of the areas that we are managing and protecting do not move, potentially being a waste of time and money.
What’s your opinion? Come on down to Café Boscanova on Tuesday 6th February to join the discussion. Find out more on our website.
Dr. Gillingham is currently working on the likely impacts of climate change on protected areas in the UK.
Few weeks after Café Scientific (details here: http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/?p=64189), I received an email from Devon Biddle and Sacha Gardener regarding the opportunity to be interviewed on the importance of public engagement activities and how my projects had benefited from them, not only during the recruiting process but also in expanding my research horizon and raising awareness on what I am doing (details here: http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/?p=53295 )
Therefore, in just a couple of days, thanks to the staff of the Orthopedic Research Institute who provided the location, we started shooting, and here is part of the interview:
I would like to thank Davon, Sacha and all the BU staff for this interview, it was great, and I really hope that helps to have more people involved in public engagement activities.
Following the full script of the interview.
Could you tell us a little bit of your self
My name is Francesco Ferraro, and I am a PhD Student here at Bournemouth University. Currently, I am working on a project which aims to understand the effects of inspiratory muscles training on balance and functional mobility for healthy older adults. The goal is to develop an innovative and effective training for falls prevention.
Before arriving here at BU, I obtained a Bachelor Degree in sports science from University of Rome Foro Italico while in the meantime I was working as a football coach and after I moved to Naples for complete my Master Degree in sports science prevention and wellness. There I worked on motion analysis in young adults, while in the meantime I was a trainer of the Italian Federation of Weightlifting.
Could you tell us your favourite public engagement opportunity at BU?
It is hard to tell, I have enjoyed all the events in which I took part including Pint of Science, Café Scientific, The Festival of Learning, lecturing at University of Third Age and others.I gained something from each of them, and I gave something at each of them. But if I have to pick one, and only one I would say the Festival of Learning. Among all the events FOL is the one who gives you the opportunity to meet all kind of people.
You have the opportunity to explain your research to a very young audience, as well as people with excellent knowledge in your field, while surrounded by members of the BU Staff, BU students and colleagues that are there to help you and motived you.
Why do you find public engagement a good asset to both your research and the community?
My study aims to understand the effect of inspiratory muscle training on balance and functional mobility. My final purpose is to develop a strategy to prevent falls accidents in people over 65.
Therefore it is a research for the community as any other research, especially in health and social science, is done for the people. Hence what would be the point to work for the community and do not explain to them what you are doing? As researchers we have the opportunity to share with others much more than a picture on Twitter, or Instagram, we have the opportunity to share knowledge, ideas and instead of likes, we will have more questions, more curiosity and the chance to give to the audience our ideas.
At Café Scientifique, the public was really engaging in the fact your research was trying to better the wellbeing of the older generation. Why do you think people are so engaged in your research?
At Café Scientifique I was able to give to them my idea. Instead of explaining right away what my research does I told them the idea behind it and why is important to research on it. The reason why we had a great respond must be sought in my past years of work in the public engagement.
Any research is fascinating in is way, but is crucial to share it with others, not only peers and experts but also with the people for which the research is done.
You use your public engagement to advertise the need for participants in your current research, is this an effective way of getting the participants you need?
Yes, it is. But it is not the reason why I do public engagement. I have been introduced to public engagement by my supervisors: Alison McConnell, James Gavin and Thomas Wainwright with the aim to share what learned and discuss it with others.
If you were to advice new researchers about public engagement, what would you say to them?
Do it if you want to do it.
Public engagement is not easy especially if you do it because you “have to”. Do it if you want to share your research if you want to challenge yourself, if you want to meet the community then you will make a great event. You must have the right motivation if you do it just to “hunting” participants it won’t be neither correct or fun, and people will understand, with the result that you and your research will lose trust.
What do you gain most from public engagement?
Motivation – to work more for the community, to help people to learn and understand what we are doing here at the BU and how it helps their wellbeing.
Confidence – have the opportunity to talk to 50, 100 or even 200 people at each event, has grown my confidence inside and outside the University.
Knowledge – I do believe that everyone has a story to tell and you can learn a lot from it. I am always surprised at the questions that I receive.
People curiosity drives my curiosity as well and helps me to think and re-think at my research.
What are you going to do next?
I do have a couple of projects going on, but I will take part in the next Festival of Learning (third year in a row), and I will see what other opportunities the public engagement team will give to us.
We are looking for researchers to come and speak at our Cafe Scientifique events in 2018…
Researching something interesting? Want to share it with the public? We have a brilliant platform for you to do just that on the first Tuesday of every month at Cafe Boscanova!
We have vacancies for:
Tuesday 6th February
Tuesday 3rd April
Tuesday 1st May
Tuesday 5th June
If you would like to learn more about Cafe Scientifique or want to get involved on one of these dates, check out the website or get in touch via email. We would love for anyone who is excited about sharing their research with the community to come along and discuss – especially when there is coffee and the occasional cake involved!
Check out our website to find out about even more Public Engagement opportunities we have at RKEO
Café scientific was one of the best public engagement activities that I have done in the past years, and I do recommend going there and deliver your talk to the public.
In all my past experiences (including pint of science, the festival of learning, U3A, the Air Show and others) I have always met great people who were interested to know and learn more about what we are doing here at BU, and at Café Scientific, it was no different.
I arrived there 1h before the talk, the café (vintage/steampunk style), was already set up for the event, thanks to the great work of the Public Engagement Team. So I had all the time to calm down and get ready.
At about 19:30 the place was packed, and few people had to listen to the talk standing up.
A sample of the presentation is available on Youtube:
Even if the room was fully booked, the audience was very quiet and focused on listening to the 40 minutes presentation.
However, the best part was at the end, and I am not referring to the delicious brownie cake that Boscanova Café made for celebrating the 5th birthday of Café Scientific, but for the questions.
I was happily surprised to have so many interesting questions, which made me think again about my projects.
There were questions about: the effect of singing and yoga exercises on balance; why not make a POWERbreathe that instead of a mouthpiece has a nosepiece; how much the improvement in balance was due to the strength of the muscles trained and not just the ability to breathe deeper; why not test the effects of meditation, and others very intelligent questions.
Finally, it was challenging and I hope that all the audience received the right message: research can be fascinating and fun, especially if you can share it with others.
If you are interested in know more about how to breathe your way into balance, contact me at fferraro@bournemouth.ac.uk
We are looking forward to our October Cafe Scientifique next week! Francesco Ferraro will be talking to us about how inspiratory muscle training helps to improve balance.
Join us at Cafe Boscanova on Tuesday 3 October – our 5th Birthday!
In the run up to our next Café Scientifique event, we wanted to remind you of some of the brilliant speakers we have had in the past. Check out the video below to watch the fantastic Dr John McAlaney explaining our addiction to anything digital.
Our next event has Professor Jessica Teeling from the University of Southampton, sharing the impact of age on the immune system and how this damages tissue in our retinas, consequently making us lose our sight. It is an interactive Café Scientifique that definitely shouldn’t be missed!
We look forward to seeing you at Café Boscanova on the 5th September.
We have a brilliant Café Scientifique coming to Café Boscanova on September 5th. Professor Jessica Teeling will be joining us from the University of Southampton to help shed some light on our vision, helping to understand why we lose our sight when we get older.
As a professor of Neuroimmunology, as well as a founding member of Genmab NL – a company that produces therapeutic antibodies for cancer and inflammatory diseases – Professor Teeling is certainly someone to listen to when it comes to the central nervous system and the ageing process.
This interactive Café Scientifique will help you understand all there is about the eye, whilst explaining the role of the immune system in tissue damage to the ageing retina. It’s certainly not something to miss if you are interested in the ageing process of the body, or a fan of Neuroimmunology!
If you are free on the 5th September around 7:30, there’s no better place than Café Boscanova. We will see you there for a relaxed atmosphere of education and discussion with others hungry to enrich their learning experience.
We’re currently looking for speakers forCafe Scientifique and you can choose which month suits you best!
Cafe Scientifique is a popular and relaxed event that runs on the first Tuesday of the month at cosy Cafe Boscanova. Speakers give a short presentation around a chosen topic/area of research (roughly 30 minutes) before opening up to the audience for questions.
To find out more about Cafe Scientifique please visit our website here.
Unfortunately our planned event for April’s Cafe Scientifique has not been able to go ahead. This means we have an open slot for April and we’re looking for a speaker who could step in for us – if you think you’d be interested please drop me an email for further information. This is a great opportunity to speak at Cafe Scientifique as our next available slot to give a talk is quite a few months down the line.
In case you’re not familiar with Cafe Scientifique, it’s a place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology. Speakers give a short presentation around a topic (roughly 30 minutes), before engaging in debate and discussion with the audience to really explore the issues. It takes place at Cafe Boscanova in Boscombe on the first Tuesday of every month from 7:30-9pm and we usually have around 20-30 people in attendance. Previous talks and more information about Cafe Sci can be found on our website.
….”Please can you keep me up to date with what’s happening in the area of knowledge exchange, impact, student research and research communications, and public engagement”….
To keep you up to date with what we are up to and how we are working ‘to bag a bargain’ read on to find out more. (Your diary or calendar is an essential item when reading this blog post to make sure you don’t miss out on key dates and deadlines.)
These include the next inaugural lecture on 25th January in the EBC. This gives newly appointed professors the opportunity to share an insight into their field of work, research interests and achievements to date. Professor Lee Miles of BU’s Disaster Management Centre will be speaking on entrepreneurial resilience and disaster management.
“What will Marty McFly need in 25 years?” will take place on 26th and 27th January. We we are looking to prompt great debate in order to generate potential ideas for future projects as part of this sandpit event involving local businesses and BU staff and students. This will be facilitated by RKEO staff.
This year’s Bournemouth Research Chronicle is progressing well and will be published in the spring. It features a host of fascinating examples of interdisciplinary research from across the university. A publication not to be missed !
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships celebrated 40 years in 2015 and this national scheme continues to thrive as a great way to develop and engage business and university partnerships. The third cohort of training (at BU) started at the end of 2015 and will continue in 2016 with a number of academics across the university involved. To find out more about KTPs at BU contact Rachel Clarke.
Love is in the air with the 14th and 29th February being key dates for those cupids out there ! If romance is in the air make sure you have the next Cafe Sci in your calendar – Tuesday 2nd February. Martin Graff will be speaking on the function of nonverbal behaviour in Human Courtship.
We’ve been working hard, reviewing the case studies submitted to the light touch impact review and have been meeting with UoA leaders and impact champions to go over feedback. There are some very promising cases under development and we are looking forward to sharing these in the future.
The area of student engagement moves into its third year having been established as part of the KEIT’s remit in 2014. Events to support this area of research include the research photo competition. Voting is now open ! Don’t miss out on your say. Click here to view all the entries on the research website and cast your vote or check out the Facebook page. All of the entries will be displayed in the Atrium Art Gallery during February and an awards ceremony will be held on the 4th February to announce the winners of the competition.
We received an overwhelming response to the Undergraduate Research Assistantship Programme (URA). Busy with recruitment there are a total of 46 vacancies across 36 projects to be filled. The first student induction has already taken place with many students starting on the programme this week. The next round of URA funding applications is due to open in February 2016 for summer research assistants.
The media are often blamed for influencing society’s attitudes and views. In this month’s Café Scientific we will debate the impact of the mass media on women’s views of childbirth. The motion is: “Fear in childbirth: is the media responsible?”
Café Scientific is being hosted at Café Boscanova in Bournemouth on November 3rd at 19.30. The debate is open to the general public. It will be chaired by Prof. Vanora Hundley, Professor of Midwifery and the two proponents on either side of the debate are Dr. Ann Luce and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen. Ann Luce is a well recognised media researcher and a Senior Lecturer in Journalism and Communication. Edwin van Teijlingen is a medical sociologist and Professor of Reproductive Health Research.
The debate will touch upon social perceptions and beliefs about childbirth can increase women’s requests for interventions, such as caesarean section, with long-term health implications for mothers and babies. This month’s Café Scientific will explore the role of the mass media in shaping these beliefs and identify whether media portrayals are responsible for rising rates of intervention.
Join us for an interactive debate on the impact of the mass media on women’s views of childbirth. The audience will be given the opportunity to vote on the motion before and after the debate.
These academics have written a paper on the topic of debate, a copy of which can be found here!
Is Reproduction in the Sea Lunacy? – Professor Matt Bentley
Lunacy, a term no longer in common usage, was used to describe brief periods of insanity related to phases of the moon. In the marine environment many marine organisms reproduce by shedding their eggs and sperm into the water column where a sperm then needs to find an egg for fertilisation to take place. Many species show reproduction that involves highly synchronised spawning to bring eggs together in time and space. Often these reproductive crises are associated with a particular phase of the moon, so represent what could be regarded as a type of lunacy. This Café Scientifique will explore the influence of the moon and other environmental cues in coordinating reproduction in marine animals.
We look forward to catching up with all of you at Cafe Boscanova. Doors @6:30pm and the talk will start at 7:30pm until 9pm
As we look ahead to the start of the Christmas season, our Cafe Scientifique next Tuesday is surely one you can’t miss.
The much anticipated Christmas edition of Café Sci will see Bournemouth University’s forensic society set us a mission to find out ‘Who stole Christmas?’
Are you a budding Sherlock or more a Horatio Caine? You’ll have an Opportunity to learn more about techniques used by Crime Scene investigators by analysing fingerprints, shoe prints, fibres and other evidence found at the scenes of these serial burglaries.
Be sure to mark the 2nd December in your diary and we look forward to seeing you for doors at 6:30 in Cafe Boscanova.
Get your Christmas jumpers out of the attic and advent calendars at the ready.
October has flown by and before we knew it November has arrived.. what does this mean? Cafe Scientifique is back. Tonight Jeff Bagust will be discussing Optical Illusions at Cafe Boscanova.
The evening will commence at 7:30, although you may consider joining us for doors at 6:30 for a drink and to sample some of Cafe Boscanova’s finest food selection.
A FOL event guidance stand will be in the atrium on Wednesday morning
We’re available on Talbot campus between 9:00am-1:00pm on Wednesday this week if you wish to find out more about submitting an event for the FOL. This is a great chance to meet the team and find out how we can turn your idea into a reality. You may also consider visiting the Festival of Learning website here for more information as this can be very useful. In addition, you can also email Naomi Kay (nkay@bourenmouth.ac.uk) for more information about how to set up an event.
We’re currently looking for speakers for
New sociology book published late November
Deadline Extended!! Social Work and Social Policy Academics – REF roles
BFX 2023 – Remarks and Sneak Peaks
The Fog of Streaming Wars: Prof. John Oliver delivers keynote speech at Digital Agenda Summit in Cyprus
Conversation article: The Legend of Zelda film – past adaptations have gotten Link’s character wrong
MSCA Staff Exchanges 2023 Call Info Session
Congratulations to Xin Zhao, Catherine Talbot and Tabitha Baker for winning BA seed funding!
Time for Something New?
Horizon Europe News – November 2023
BU Marketing Researcher Awarded COMFOCUS Research Fellowship: Embarking on Food Neuroscience Marketing Research Journey in Slovakia
More Information on Horizon Europe Association