Tagged / event

European Migration Research and Impact – Invitation to a Roundtable Discussion

Date: Wednesday, 7th May, 10am-12pm

Venue: K101 Talbot Campus

Ticket booking: European Migration Research & Impact – Invitation to Roundtable Discussion Tickets, Wed 7 May 2025 at 10:00 | Eventbrite

As part of our recently awarded, British Council-funded “Springboard” project, titled ‘Between vulnerability and resilience: gendering anti-migrant nationalism and migrant responses’, we would like to invite colleagues and PGRs from across BU and AUB with related research interest to a Roundtable discussion on European Migration Research & Impact on 7th May, from 10am to 12pm.

The panel will feature European and BU colleagues actively involved in researching migration across the continent and in the UK, bringing together both internal and international, cross-disciplinary expertise and experience of how to build impact into their projects from scratch. It will also benefit from specialised RDS/REF insights on building research impact. We plan to critically explore different types of potential impact, how to develop impactful research, and discuss both opportunities as well as limitations in achieving meaningful impact through migration research. We hope this panel will aid, inform, and inspire both early and advanced academics interested in migration research, including and beyond Europe, and we welcome lively contributions and discussions. The event will also provide an opportunity for academics across disciplines, working on or interested in related topics, to network with colleagues within and beyond the university.

The Springboard grant awarded by the British Council aims at deepening, specifically, German-UK academic collaborations and developing research projects together. The project is led by Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers (PI), Dilvin Dilara Usta and Anna Wimbledon (Co-Is), all of BU’s Centre for Seldom Heard Voices (CSHV). Beyond British Council funding, project development has kindly been supported by BU’s Global Engagement, RDS, and the FHSS faculty teams as well as the CSHV. Our current international partners include (international lead team only) Carolin Leutloff-Grandits from the B/Orders in Motion research centre at the European University Viadrina (EUV), Frankfurt (Oder), Germany; our long-term partner Linda Gusia of the Sociology Institute and Gender Studies Programme of the University of Prishtina, Kosovo; and Emma Shercliff of the Arts University Bournemouth.

This international team, including further senior researchers, ECRs and PGRs from all the involved partners, is coming together in early May for a dedicated workshop to develop its collaborations, links, and future project plans. (To avoid confusion: the Springboard project and workshop is both complementary to and separate from, Dilvin’s and Anna’s current British Academy-funded project on Crimmigration, which runs in parallel and aims at building collaborative networks, specifically, amongst UK-ECRs and with local non-academic partners; see recent announcement for this associated event, taking place on 16th May).

International Springboard team members Carolin Leutloff-Grandits, co-editor of Migrating Borders and Moving Times (2017) and author of Translocal Care Across Kosovo’s Borders; and Dr Marija Grujić, currently co-leading a project on Gendering asylum infrastructures in Germany and the UK, both of the B/Orders in Motion research centre at EUV, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, have kindly agreed to speak on the European Migration Research & Impact roundtable. Furthermore, we are delighted to welcome Dr Ingrida Kerusauskaite-Palmer of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (Institute of Law), Vilnius, on the panel, who recently completed policy-relevant research on the local, societal impact of Ukrainian migration to Central Europe, and who also is a Visiting Fellow at FHSS. Finally, we are particularly pleased to confirm attendance of BU academics and migration experts, Alina Dolea (who has studied and advised on Romanian migrations) and Nicola De Martini Ugolotti (who has worked with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Italy and the UK), as well as of RDS impact manager, Amanda Edwards, as panellists. Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers will chair the panel discussion who, herself, has a long history in studying, specifically, Albanian migrations and societal responses.

An Audience with… Bob Wilson

Last Monday, the BU Business School and the Sport & Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC) were delighted to welcome Mr Bob Wilson, OBE, for a special session. 

Launching the annual ‘SPARC Audience with ….’ Series, this inaugural event explored the multiple careers of Bob Wilson: a former Arsenal and Scotland goalkeeper, a presenter and broadcaster, the first ever specialist goalkeeper coach, and founder of the national charity, The Willow Foundation.

Professor Mike Silk in conversation with Bob Wilson OBE

Professor Mike Silk in conversation with Bob Wilson OBE

During An Audience with Bob Wilson, Bob touched on a multitude of topics that are germane to the BU community, covering topics that included the sport media, the life of a professional athlete, (national) identity politics in sport, the development of the women’s game, football as ‘work’, injury, the commercial spectacle of the modern game, and some of the broadcast personalities with whom he has worked.

Bob regaled the audience with stories from his early playing days explaining how his Father refused to let him join Manchester United, insisting instead he completed teacher training at Loughborough College so he could hold down a ‘proper job’. We celebrated some of Bob’s accomplishments, including being an ever present in the 1970/71 double winning season, with Bob sharing his winning medals from both the League and FA Cup final and his international caps. He spoke about the ways in which he was treated by the Scottish press when—as an Englishman—he was picked to represent the Scottish national team. He spoke of losing his older brothers in the second World War and how his family reacted to Bob idolising the playing style of ex-German soldier and Manchester City Goalkeeper, Bert Trautman.

In addition to appreciating his football career, we spoke about how he transitioned to a career in the media—going on to present programmes such as Grandstand, Match of the Day, BBC Breakfast and Sportsnight on the BBC as well as League Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and World Cup coverage on ITV. Bob gave fascinating insights into the creation of his own programme, Football Focus, as well as his unique ‘running’ reporting style from coverage of the London Marathon. We heard insights into the tensions and dynamics of live television when Bob told us how he and the production team dealt with being live on air on the Saturday afternoon of the 15th April, 1989 as he fronted Grandstand and bought the country to a standstill with coverage of the unfolding Hillsbrorough disaster.

Bob provided a unique lens into the development of the game of football. He was the first ever goalkeeper coach, staying on at Arsenal after his playing days—juggling coaching with his media career—providing coaching for the likes of Pat Jennings, John Lukic and David Seaman. This was a role he did for free until the arrival of Arsene Wenger as Arsenal Manager who insisted he be paid for his duties. Bob was, in many ways, the pioneer for the plethora of specialist coaches that exist today in the modern game.

Finally, we spoke of the incredible achievements of the Willow foundation, the charity he and his wife, Megs, set up in 1999 in memory of his daughter Anna who died from cancer at 31 years of age. The Willow Foundation—so named after his own football nickname, Willow—provides psychological and emotional support for seriously ill 16-40 year olds through the provision of special day experiences. Bob explained how, to date, the Willow Foundation has in 25 years supported over 22,000 families.

With some great questions from the audience, hilarious stories and insightful discussion, An Audience with Bob Wilson saw staff and students from across the institution engage with a sporting and broadcasting legend.

NCCA Research: Ensuring the Quality of Autonomous Intelligent Systems through the Guide to Ethical Assessment of the Product

IEEE CertifAIEd Four Phases

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So far, I successfully complete IEEE Standards Association | IEEE SA training program 🎓, dedicated to guide Ethical Assessment and Product Improvement using the CertifAIEd framework.

The following Wednessday 26th of March 2025, as a part of NCCA Research Seminars, I am looking forward to briefly demostrate the potentials of earned skills in the following talk:

Title: Ensuring the Quality of Autonomous Intelligent Systems: A Guide to Ethical Assessment and Product Improvement using the IEEE CertifAIEd framework. 

Description: Many products employ Autonomous Intelligent Systems (AIS) including: transportation (self-driving cars), manufacturing, retail / customer service, healthcare, finance, education (AI learning platforms). The use of a quality framework to manage the risks of AIS is crucial to protect users and grow product adoption. The standards association IEEE offers the ability to evaluate the quality of any AIS using an evaluation framework – CertifAIEd. Having recently completed the first stage of IEEE CertifAIEd training, I will present an overview of the potentials of CertifAIEd and the route to become an authorized assessor.

Dr. Nicolay Rusnachenko
Research Fellow at Centre For Applied Creative Technologies PLUS (CFACT+)
Bournemouth University

C.A.I.R.E.E.S. Conference: Harnessing AI for a sustainable future

PG research

C.A.I.R.E.E.S. Conference – Climate action through AI for Resilient Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Sustainability

Harnessing AI for a Sustainable Future: Insights from Global Experts

BU is hosting the C.A.I.R.E.E.S. Conference – Climate action through AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Resilient Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Sustainability – on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March, in-person and online.

Through this conference, you’ll hear from global experts about how to harness AI for a sustainable future. It will explore how AI can support climate action in manufacturing, energy, and environmental sustainability.

This event, supported by the Doctoral College Research Culture and Community Grant, will bring together experts from academia, industry, and policy to discuss AI’s role in key areas, including energy, pharmaceuticals, green technologies, diplomacy, and life sciences.

The conference is open to all, whether you’re an AI researcher, industry professional, student, policymaker, or simply someone curious about how AI is tackling climate challenges.

Where and when

You can attend the conference in-person on Thursday 13 March, from 11am to 5pm in FG06 (Fusion Building). You can also participate online on Friday 14 March, from 1pm to 6pm.

During the event, attendees will have the chance to take part in a hands-on workshop, featuring a deep learning model applied to a real-world wildlife dataset. This is a great opportunity to explore AI applications in conservation and sustainability.

To book your place for either day, please complete this online form.

Keynote speakers and industry experts

The conference features speakers from the UK, US, Mexico, Ecuador, and beyond, reflecting the global nature of AI-driven sustainability efforts:

  • HM Ambassador Chris Campbell: UK Ambassador to Ecuador
  • Professor Scott Wright: Deputy Dean, Bournemouth University
  • Professor Xiaosong Yang: Deputy Head of NCCA, Bournemouth University
  • Dr Szilvia Rusev: Chair of Bournemouth University’s AI Network
  • Professor Federico Galvanin: – Professor of Chemical Engineering, University College London
  • Professor Clarissa Busch: Professor of Philosophy of AI, Illinois Institute of Technology, USA
  • Marco Quaglio: Industry expert in the pharmaceutical sector (PolyModels Hub Ltd)
  • Brian Cresswell: Specialist in AI-powered wildlife tracking (Lotek UK Ltd)
  • Additional speakers from universities in Mexico and Ecuador (to be announced)

If you have any questions, please contact Kavisha Jayathunge: kjayathunge@bournemouth.ac.uk or Maria Alexandra Sandoval msandoval2@bournemouth.ac.uk.