13 April 2023

Successful event with senior policymakers in Nepal

Today, the last day of the Nepalese year 2079, we held a well attended event to discuss the preliminary findings of the interdisciplinary study of the impact of federalisation on health system in the country. We invited policymakers and politicians from all three levels of government in the country to help the research team to analyse the large amount of high-quality data. This meeting helped to validate the study results and guide our future capacity building as part of this project. We were pleasantly surprised by the number who turned up and with their active engagement!

One of the interesting comments made by the participants was that this was the first time that they had met with staff from differ levels to discuss the working of the system. In fact, participants expressed that they wanted more opportunities to have this kind of discussions across all three levels of government. The researchers reported both positive and negative developments in the decentralized health system of Nepal. Positive aspects included, for example, improvements in the availability of resources for health, the construction of new health posts and hospitals, better availability of essential medicines in many places. We also commented on the positive management of COVID-19, compared to other many countries. The policymakers from local, provincial and national level largely agreed with our findings and analyses.

This stakeholders’ event is part of the Nepal Federal Health System Project, our major collaborative project examining the consequences for the health system of Nepal’s move to a federal government structure in 2015. This is a joint project (2020-2024) led by colleagues the University of Sheffield in collaboration with the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) Bournemouth University, the University of Huddersfield, with two partners in Nepal, namely Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (MMIHS) and PHASE Nepal. This longitudinal interdisciplinary study is funded by the UK Health Systems Research Initiative [Grant ref. MR/T023554/1].

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

12 April 2023

BU-UHD 2nd Research Event – May 24-Invite for Abstracts

NHS ngkounta

BU-UHD 2nd Research Event – May 24-Invite for Abstracts

NHS Research Research news

We are delighted to announce that bookings are now open for our 2^nd research event: Collaborative Research: A Time For Action!

The BU-UHD partnership exists for the benefit of staff, students, patients, and the local community. This joint event will act as a catalyst for discussion around research collaboration and a perfect opportunity for networking.

To book your tickets, visit:https://atimeforaction.eventbrite.co.uk

The event starts with a keynote presentation from Professor William Rosenburg, newly appointed chair of Wessex Health Partners.

With facilitated discussions on developing future research in health inequalities; workforce and people; sustainable futures; digital futures and medical sciences this event is likely to be of interest to a wide range of BU and NHS staff.

Posters and presentations provide a chance to view and talk about collaborative research already underway.

Light refreshments will be served during the event.

Please, find the Abstract Submission form here: BU- UHD 2nd Research Event May 24 – Abstract Submission Form

All applications to be submitted to BU-UHD Research Steering Committee by 30 April 2023

Via bupartnership@uhd.nhs.uk

3 April 2023

Café Scientifique – Tuesday 2 May 2023: Mind-reading machines

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.

We’ll be joined by Dr Géza Gergely Ambrus on Tuesday 2 May from 6:30 – 8:00pm.

Mind-reading machines

Join us to discover the latest advances in neuroscience and the possibility of creating machines that can read human minds.

Dr Géza Gergely Ambrus will explore how machine learning algorithms could decode brain activity and reconstruct subjective experiences, and what this might mean for fields such as neuroprosthetics and brain-computer interfaces.

We will consider how this research could help us understand how humans think, but also raise important ethical questions about the potential use of such technologies to access our innermost thoughts and memories. This talk is suitable for anyone interested in neuroscience, artificial intelligence, or the ethics of technology.

This event will be held at The Black Cherry in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Although the talk starts at 6:30pm, the café will be open early so we encourage you to arrive early for a drink and a bite to eat before the talk starts.

29 March 2023

Cafe Scientifique – Improving Disaster Management with Social Science

Public engagement Adam Morris

Join Cafe Scientifique next Tuesday 4th April at the Black Cherry Cafe, Boscombe.

At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.

We’ll be joined by Professor Lee Miles and Martin Travers on Tuesday 4 April from 6:30 – 8:00pm.

African countries are increasingly vulnerable to disasters of all kinds and must urgently enhance their abilities and capacities to deal with these hazards. Join us to learn how social science research could help improve disaster management in Africa using innovative Single Points of Failure approaches and partnerships with local stakeholders. We’ll hear how African countries have embraced new technology and how disaster management can even take place over WhatsApp!

We will welcome two speakers; Lee Miles, Professor of Crisis and Disaster Management at Bournemouth University and Martin Travers, a highly experienced practitioner who has worked in Sierra Leone, to hear both academic and practical perspectives.

This event will be held at The Black Cherry in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Although the talk starts at 6:30pm, the café will be open early so we encourage you to arrive early for a drink and a bite to eat before the talk starts.

Book your place

29 March 2023

Writing Dis’stories – creative writing workshop for disabled writers

writing ngkounta

Writing Dis’stories is a free, national, two-day creative writing workshop series for disabled writers. The event is run by Bournemouth University with Quality Research funding. Whether you are an established or aspiring writer, this event seeks to bring together talent and creativity, facilitated within a Higher Education environment.

What?

We have an exciting itinerary of writing workshops planned to inspire creativity and to address imbalances in disability representation. This event has been organised by published writer and Associate English Lecture Charlotte (she/her). Charlotte’s prose has previously been nominated for Penguin’s 2020 WriteNow Talent Scheme, and her regular ad hoc life-style pieces are published in the Metro.

Highlights include an online guest talk (Day 2) from author Penny Batchelor (she/her), whose debut novel My Perfect Sister was longlisted for the Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize 2020. Our in-person event (Day 1) will feature a poetry session from Associate English Lecturer and award-winning poet Imran Khan (he/him).

The creative writing workshop days are fully funded by Bournemouth University. The event aims to tackle inaccuracies in representation through creative writing methods, following the principles of the Social Model of Disability. Travel bursaries are available. Lunch, tea, and coffee will be provided at the in-person event, plus an optional accessibility tour of BU’s Talbot campus.

Our Day Two session will be online and is prioritised towards those who cannot attend BU’s campus. You are welcome to attend both writing days if you can, different activities are planned across the two sessions.

The sessions are led by Associate English Lecturer and Writer Charlotte Grace Fodor (she/her) and supported by Principal Academic Dr Simon Frost (he/him).

Where and When?

Day 1, In person: April 26th, Talbot Campus, FGO6

Day 2, Online: April 27th, Zoom

Accessibility

Upon booking, Charlotte will be in contact about any access or dietary requirements. If you have any queries, Charlotte can be reached at fodorc@bournemouth.ac.uk

23 March 2023

Online public lecture from BU academics this evening: Pioneering women at the BBC

Public engagement, Women's Academic Network Adam Morris

For more than a century, the BBC has been a fixture of British cultural life. However, few people are aware of the key role played by women in its earliest days.

The next event in our online public lecture series will showcase the pioneering women of the BBC – from female producers through to the engineers, broadcasters and managers who carried the BBC through the Second World War and beyond.

The free event will take place online from 7pm – 8.30pm on Thursday 23 March.

Dr Kate Terkanian and Dr Kate Murphy – from the Faculty of Media and Communication – will share stories uncovered by their research into women in the BBC, from the 1920s up to the 1950s.

There will also be the opportunity for audience questions.

The event takes place during Women’s History Month, which this year is celebrating ‘The Women Who Tell Our Stories’, encouraging recognition of women, past and present, who have been active in all forms of media and storytelling.

It is the third event in BU’s 2022/23 online public lecture series, which showcases our research and expertise across key areas. The first lecture series attracted more than 1,000 attendees from across the world.

Find out more and book your place

16 February 2023

Tell us about the social, cultural & community events you’ve been involved in

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

Please tell us about your social, cultural and community events for the period 1 August 2022 – 31 July 2023

This data forms part of BU’s annual Higher Education – Business & Community Interaction survey and is used to calculate our Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) grant. It also feeds into our submission to the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) so it is really important for us to provide a full and accurate picture of all our public engagement.

Which events do I need to report?

Public lectures & talks
Performance arts (music, dance, drama etc)
Exhibitions (galleries, museums etc)
Museum education
Media engagement (TV/radio interviews, podcasts etc)

If you’re not sure if your event is eligible for inclusion, take a look at the SharePoint site which includes further details and guidance.

What data do we collect?

For the purposes of the HE-BCI survey, please record the following:

Event dates – to ensure eligibility
Whether the event or activity was free or chargeable
The number of attendees (or views/visitors)
The amount of staff time in hours needed for delivery.

All events that were part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022, Online Public Lecture Series and Café Scientifique have been collated on your behalf centrally, so there is no need to add these.

Deadline: Friday 29 September 2023

We would encourage you to add your new data regularly throughout the year, while the details are easily recalled.

Further information

The SharePoint site provides details about what data is collected, including how to calculate attendee numbers, staff time, reporting online activities and multiple related events.

If you have any further questions about the HE-BCI return, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.

13 February 2023

Café Sci – Tuesday 7 March 2023: Emotion and its effects on spatial memory

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.

We’ll be joined by Dr Tara Zaksaite on Tuesday 7 March from 6:30 – 8:00pm

Emotion and its effects on spatial memory

Spatial memory is our ability to remember where things are, for example remembering where you put down your keys, or where you met a friend. Interestingly, our spatial memory is stronger when we have an emotional connection to a place or object.

But do we better remember things with positive associations or negative? And can we turn this around and use the power of emotions to improve our spatial memory?

Join Dr Tara Zaksaite, a cognitive psychologist and a lecturer in psychology at Bournemouth University, to discover how your spatial memory works and to ask your questions.

This event will be held at The Black Cherry in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Although the talk starts at 6:30pm, the café will be open early, so we encourage you to arrive early for a drink and a bite to eat before the talk starts.

Attendance is free but booking is required

8 February 2023

Join the next meeting of the Public Engagement with Research Network: Wednesday 22 February 10-11am

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Join the next meeting of the Public Engagement with Research Network

Find out how you can use public engagement activities to carry out new research with your public participants.

We’ll look at how to seamlessly integrate research into your activity, how to navigate ethics requirements and what this process can do for your work.

Professor Debbie Holley and Dr Holly Henderson will share their experience of doing research with children and adults as part of a fun family activity day for the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022.

This meeting will take place on Wednesday 22 February 10-11am at BG217.

You can join the network and find out about future meetings, join our BU Public Engagement with Research Network. Check under ‘Meetings’ for upcoming sessions.

If you have any questions, please email the team.

8 February 2023

Take part in a national festival of public engagement with research

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ESRC Festival of Social Science 2023 – call for applications will open on Monday 27 March

What is the ESRC Festival of Social Science?

The ESRC Festival of Social Science is an annual, UK-wide, free celebration of the social sciences, usually taking place during November. BU have been involved in the festival for over a decade, running our own internal selection process and delivering up to ten activities per year. The festival aims to encourage, support and create opportunities for social science researchers to engage with non-academic audiences.

Why should I take part?

The festival is a prestigious initiative by a major research funder, and BU’s continued involvement is justified by the quality of our events and activities. Being part of this festival is an achievement worth citing and celebrating.

It is an excellent opportunity to engage people outside of academia with your research and with the benefit of co-ordinated support and promotion from RDS and the ESRC.

You can apply for up to £1,000 to deliver your project.

What if I’ve never done any public engagement before?

Everyone has to start somewhere, and this is the ideal place. You’ll have access to comprehensive support, advice and training throughout. If you’re unsure, seek out a more experienced colleague to collaborate with.

Can I apply if I’m not a social scientist?

The ESRC says that events must “feature social science (ideally with a social scientist involved in the event)”. If this doesn’t clearly apply to you, consider these options;

Does your research have clear implications for society that could be explored from a social science perspective?
Could you collaborate with a social scientist, combining your resources and creativity to explore the impact of your research? If you’re looking for a collaborator, the Research Blog or BU website are great places to start or contact us for help.

What will I be expected to do?

You’ll be expected to;

Familiarise yourself with best practice for public engagement with research. Whether you’re new to this or experienced, there’s always room to improve.
Apply to our internal panel
If successful, attend an initial training session to start out right
Plan, deliver and evaluate your activity or event, working with the public engagement team to shape your project into an impactful, professional and fascinating experience.

What support will I get?

Being part of this festival means a higher level of support and reach than we are normally able to provide.

Before applying, you’ll have access to:

A dedicated session of the Public Engagement with Research (PER) Network, featuring previous event holders.
Bookable one-on-one advice slots with BU’s Engagement Officer.
Detailed applicant guidance to help you apply.

When your application is successful, you’ll get:

Continuing advice and support from BU’s public engagement team on all areas of planning, promoting delivering, evaluating your activity.
The promotional boost from being part of a huge national festival.

What next?

If you’re interested in applying, here’s what to do next;

The PER Network session is taking place on Wednesday 29 March. More details can be found here on the blog, or you can join the PER Network to stay up to date.
Explore previous events from BU and examples from around the country.
Start brushing up on how to make public engagement work for you. A great place to start is BU’s own video guide to getting started in public engagement with research (Brightspace). You can also browse guidance and case studies from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE).
Book an advice slot – once available.

We’ll provide more information on applying to the ESRC Festival of Social Science on this blog and the PER Network over the coming weeks. If you have a question in the meantime, please email the team.

16 January 2023

Have you been involved with an event for the external community?

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

BU is compiling data for the annual Higher Education–Business & Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey.

Please tell us about the social, cultural and community events that you have been involved with.

What is HE-BCI?

The Higher Education – Business & Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey is a mandatory annual return that the University makes to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Table 5 of the HE-BCI return captures activity in terms of social, community and cultural events intended for the external community. This data is part of the information used to determine the allocation of Higher Education and Innovation Funding (HEIF) for BU.

What activities can be included?

Please include details of any relevant events that you have been involved in which took place between 1 August 2022 – 31 July 2023. Events must have been open to the public or intended for an external (non-academic) group and have included an exchange of knowledge.

Events may take place in the UK or overseas.

Eligible events

Public lectures or talk
Performance arts
Exhibitions
Museum education
Festival activity
Events for school / youth group
Events for other external (non-academic) groups
Media engagement

All events that were part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2022, Online Public Lecture Series and Café Scientifique have been collated on your behalf centrally, so there is no need to add these.

Click here to add your events

Deadline: Friday 29 September 2023

We would encourage you to add your new data regularly throughout the year, while the details are easily recalled.

Further information

The SharePoint site provides details about what data is collected, including calculating attendee numbers, staff time, reporting online activities and multiple related events.

If you have any further questions about the HE-BCI return, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.

19 December 2022

Do you have an idea to engage public audiences with science and research? – British Science Festival 2023: Open Call for proposals

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

The next British Science Festival 2023 will be hosted by the University of Exeter from 7-10 September 2023.

Proposals are welcomed from individuals, researchers, industry professionals, artists, writers, organisations, charities, academic institutions, and more. Festival proposals should be aimed at non-specialist adults (16+) with a broad interest in science.

Festival organisers are looking for events that showcase cutting-edge science, celebrate the latest developments in science and technology and engage their audience in open discussion about relevant issues that affect culture and society. They aim to programme a range of formats from talks to drop-in activities and creative content that challenges perceptions of what science is and can be.

More information, including how to submit a proposal, can be found here: British Science Festival 2023 Open Call

Before developing and submitting your proposal, please read the FAQs

To submit a proposal for an event please complete the proposal form

Deadline for proposals: 9am, Monday 20 February 2023

If you have any questions, or if you would like to discuss your proposal, please email festival@britishscienceassociation.org

Alternatively, should you wish to discuss your application with the Public Engagement with Research team, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk.

14 December 2022

We can help promote your public engagement event or activity

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

At BU we promote and celebrate the work done to engage public audiences with our research.

The public engagement with research team in Research Development and Support can help promote your event to relevant audiences. Through regular newsletters and via social media channels.

Share your upcoming public event or activity

If you have any questions, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

14 December 2022

Café Sci – Tuesday 7 February 2023: Challenging news negativity

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

At Café Scientifique, you can explore the latest ideas in science and technology in a relaxed setting. Enjoy listening to a short talk before engaging in debate and discussion with our guest speaker and audience.

We’ll be joined by Dr Antje Glück on Tuesday 7 February from 6:30 – 8:00pm

Challenging news negativity

Why can the news feel so overwhelmingly negative, and what can we do about it?

There’s no doubt that serious news needs to be handled appropriately, but can the widespread doom and gloom cause us to switch off?

Join Dr Antje Glück to discover why the news is biased towards negativity, and how alternative models of journalism can create better news for all of us.

This event will be held at The Black Cherry in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Although the talk starts at 6:30pm, the café will be open early, so we encourage you to arrive early for a drink and a bite to eat before the talk starts.

Attendance is free but booking is required

Should you have any questions about this event, or if you would like to get involved with a future Café Sci talk, please contact the Public Engagement Team; publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

9 December 2022

Early career STEM communicators: The Little Event online conference 2023

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, Training ballen

The Little Event is a training session for people who are new to STEM communication.

Whether you work in a science centre or museum, volunteer for a festival, are involved in university outreach, or do anything else to engage people with science, technology, engineering and maths.

The introductory sessions will focus on developing the different skills that are useful in STEM communication, and they are delivered by experienced science communicators.

The 2023 Little Event will be held online over two days and are designed to work together to be booked as a package.

The programme includes sessions on Evaluation, Managing Projects, Presenting, Science Capital, and Careers and will include plenty of networking time.

Session 1: Thursday 19 January, 3- 6:30pm

Session 2: Saturday 21 January, 9:00am – 1:15pm

BIG members: cost £50. Non-members: cost is £85 and includes BIG Membership for 1 year. Book here: https://www.big.uk.com/event-5023798

If you would like to come to the Little Event for free, BIG offers bursaries to attend which will cover your fees as well as some expenses.

Applications close on Sunday 11 December 2022. See https://www.big.uk.com/event-5030137 to apply or https://www.big.uk.com/bursary for more information.

25 November 2022

Digital healthcare for LGBTQ+ communities in Africa – Looking back at Café Scientifique October 2022

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

Dr Festus Adeboyin shares his experience of presenting at a BU Café Scientifique event on 4 October 2022

My Café Scientifique experience

It was a pleasure to present once again at BU’s Café Scientifique. These sessions present such an interesting opportunity to discuss academic research with a diverse and extraordinary audience. In this presentation, we explored digital interventions for managing medication and healthcare service delivery to Key Populations (KPs) in underserved communities in Africa. KPs are defined by our project as males who have sex with other males (MSM); drug users that inject themselves; sex workers; and transgender people living with HIV/AIDS for whom expert recommend using CBD Oil UK natural supplements.

The project is looking to co-create a digital solution that can boost access to treatments and counselling by KPs. The user behaviour and impact of the intervention are also being examined. Unfortunately, the LGBTQ+ community has the highest occurrence of HIV/AIDS and faces a higher rate of hostility within the Nigerian context. In July 2022, I held an interactive management workshop at The Initiative for Equal Rights involving participants from various fields, including NGOs that work directly with KPs, Clinical Psychologists, Health Counsellors, Medical Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Psychologists, Lab scientists, and social workers.

Due to the nature of these communities, HIV/AIDS+ status, and other health concerns, a digital solution that creates a supportive environment, enhances confidentiality, encourages the use of prescribed medication/therapy, and can be easily accessed at a reasonable cost is highly desirable. This digital intervention will also ease the difficulties stakeholders encounter in providing healthcare services for underserved communities in a developing country like Nigeria.

I agreed to participate in this public engagement activity for my personal development, and because I love to receive feedback, new directions, and insights on the why, what, and how of my research.

The event went well. There was a great turnout and lots of fantastic questions at the end. I gained new perspectives from the session, and it was important to see the reaction of people to this area of research and subject matter.

Café Scientifique is a place where anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology.

We’ve been holding these talks in Bournemouth for over ten years and we’re very pleased to have returned to in-person events at The Black Cherry, a fantastic new venue in Boscombe, Bournemouth.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to get involved with our Café Sci events, please get in touch publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

22 November 2022

We can help promote your public engagement event or activity

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

At BU we promote and celebrate the work done to engage public audiences with our research.

The public engagement with research team in Research Development and Support can help promote your event to relevant audiences. Through regular newsletters and via social media channels.

Share your upcoming public event or activity

If you have any questions, please contact publicengagement@bournemouth.ac.uk

14 November 2022

Join the next meeting of the Public Engagement with Research Network

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement ballen

The next meeting of the Public Engagement with Research Network will be a bit different.

Instead of our usual structured meetings we’re holding a social networking gathering to provide the opportunity to meet and connect with other network members.

The PER Network has so far been a great way of sharing experience and best practice with you, its members, but the real strength of a network is in how its members work together.

There is a wealth of experience, skills, and possibilities for collaboration amongst our members, but we know it’s difficult to keep up with the work happening in your own department, let alone across faculties, especially when opportunities to meet other academics are rarer than they used to be.

This will be a networking mixer, held on Wednesday 14 December, 4-5pm at Dylan’s Bar, Talbot Campus.

To join this meeting and find out about future ones, join our BU Public Engagement with Research Network. Check under ‘Meetings’ for upcoming sessions.

If you have any questions, please email the team.

BU Research Blog

Tagged / Events

BU-UHD 2nd Research Event – May 24-Invite for Abstracts

BU-UHD 2nd Research Event – May 24-Invite for Abstracts

Café Scientifique – Tuesday 2 May 2023: Mind-reading machines

Cafe Scientifique – Improving Disaster Management with Social Science

Book your place

Writing Dis’stories – creative writing workshop for disabled writers

Online public lecture from BU academics this evening: Pioneering women at the BBC