Tagged / research conference

BU Research Conference 2024: Powerful partnerships

The third annual BU research conference event took place on Wednesday. This year’s theme centred around partnership and collaboration in research, exploring some of the opportunities and challenges around working with others.

As well as attendees from across BU, we also greeted guests from other local universities and partner organisations.

Isabella Pereira from the Institute for Community Studies

Isabella Pereira from the Institute for Community Studies

Following the official opening by Professor Sarah Bate, we welcomed keynote speaker Isabella Pereira, Head of the Institute for Community Studies (ICS).

Isabella talked through several case studies of research undertaken by the ICS – from supporting an NHS Trust’s suicide bereavement service to student engagement with marginalised communities and reaching residents as part of a regeneration project.

She also shared her advice on working effectively with communities, including meeting people ‘where they are’ and considering the impact of potential power imbalances and differing values and expectations.

This was followed by a lively panel discussion. Chaired by Professor Lee Miles, the panel (Professor Carol Clark, Professor Sam Goodman, Professor Zoheir Sabeur and Dr Mili Shrivastava) shared their experiences of building and maintaining partnerships and took audience questions on topics including dealing with ‘gatekeepers’ and factoring networking opportunities into workloads.

Key themes emerged around the need to build and develop trust as part of any partnership, building a strong profile to help facilitate opportunities and build networks, and managing different stakeholder interests.

The Building Partnerships Panel Discussion

The Building Partnerships Panel Discussion

A range of workshops offered the opportunity to hear more about the work being undertaken at BU and gain practical tips and strategies for working with different partners.

Topics covered included co-creating research with under-served communities, working with community and voluntary organisations, international research collaboration, working with business, and collaborating for research knowledge exchange in the Ukraine and Sierra Leone.

Following some closing reflections from Andy Scott, Head of RDS, the day concluded with a conference lunch, offering an opportunity to network and continue conversations.

The Research Conference is an annual event organised by the Research Excellence Team in RDS to bring BU’s academic and research community together to learn, share, network and discuss key topics from the world of research.

A big thank you to everyone who supported or attended this year’s conference. If you have any feedback or suggestions of topics for future years, please get in touch at research@bournemouth.ac.uk

BU Research Conference: Powerful Partnerships – Wednesday 26 June

A lightbulb created by interlocking pieces of stringThere’s still time to book your place for the BU Research Conference, which takes place on Wednesday (26 June) in the Fusion Building.

The theme for this year’s conference is powerful partnerships, exploring how working with others can enhance your research.

Speakers include Isabella Pereira, Head of the Institute for Community Studies, and a panel of BU academics sharing their experiences of working with partners regionally, nationally and internationally.

You’ll also have chance to take part in practical workshops covering topics including building international partnerships, co-creating research, and working with business.

The conference runs from 9.30am – 1pm and will be followed by a networking lunch to spark further conversations and collaborations.

We’re hoping it will be an inspiring and informative day, and we’d love to see you there.

Find out more and book your place via Eventbrite

BU Research Conference 2024: Powerful Partnerships – practical workshops

A lightbulb created by interlocking pieces of stringThe BU Research Conference returns on Wednesday 26th June, where we’ll be exploring the power of partnerships and how collaboration can enhance your research.

As well as a keynote talk from Isabella Pereira, Head of the Institute for Community Studies, and a panel discussion around building partnerships, we also have a range of practical workshops to help with developing effective research collaborations and finding partners.

Each workshop will last 45 minutes and attendees will have the opportunity to attend two workshops on the day – click on the links below to book your place.

This workshop will provide practical strategies for engaging with underserved communities and how to build on social capital and lived experience of communities to develop and implement impactful research.

This workshop will be facilitated by Dr Sophia Amenyah, Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

International collaboration can increase the quality, reach and impact of research, as well as provide access to datasets, facilities, and teams of talented researchers. This workshop will feature a lively discussion about the benefits of international research collaboration, opportunities to get involved in BU strategic partnerships overseas, and to meet some of our international partners in person.

This workshop will be facilitated by Dr Gloria Khamkar, Principal Academic in Journalism, Dr Alastair Morrison, Head of International Partnerships, and colleagues from our partners at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada and the Brest National School of Engineering (ENIB), France

This workshop will be an opportunity to hear and discuss opportunities for collaborating with VCSOs to maximise the relevance, quality and impact of our research. Sharing evidence and examples of best practice, the facilitators will share their insights and experiences from both academic and community perspectives, outlining where to start and how to create opportunities where all involved can work together as equal partners for equal benefit.

This workshop will be facilitated by Professor Mel Hughes and Dr Kate Jupp from the BU PIER partnership

Professor Marcin Budka will talk about his experience of working with several businesses on Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), a government-funded initiative that brings universities and businesses together to drive innovation.

He will share his insights into the process – from application to completion – and the long-term strategic impact that can arise from a successful KTP collaboration.

This workshop will be facilitated by Professor Marcin Budka, Professor of Data Science

This workshop offers an opportunity to be inspired by hearing about how to bring research into knowledge exchange collaborations creatively, with impact, and in a funding limited environment. Hear from two of our BU professors about the collaborative work they have been doing in the Ukraine and in Sierra Leone, which has had a significant positive impact on the lives of individuals, and on policy makers, in two socio-politically instable countries.

This workshop will be facilitated by Dr Wendelin Morrison, Knowledge Exchange Manager, Professor Mark Brisbane (the Ukraine Pechersk-Lavra Project) and Professor Lee Miles, Professor of Crisis and Disaster Management

There will also be the chance to find out more about a Smart Leisure and Active Ageing project, led by a team from BU Business School and the Ageing and Dementia Research Centre working in partnership with local tourism and leisure partners to support inclusion and accessibility.

The BU Research Conference takes place on Wednesday 26th June in the Fusion Building. To find out more and book your place, visit Eventbrite.

BU Research Conference 2024: Powerful partnerships – book your place

Collaboration is at the heart of excellent research – whether it’s building relationships with international partners, co-creating research with communities, or working across disciplines to find fresh perspectives.

The BU Research Conference is back for 2024 and this year’s event will explore the power of partnerships, showcasing how working with others can enhance your research.

It will take place in the Fusion Building (Talbot Campus) on Wednesday 26th June, with a mix of speakers, panel sessions, and practical workshops.

The conference will run from 9.30am to 1.15pm, with refreshments included. It will be followed by a networking lunch to help start conversations and build new connections.

The keynote speaker for the conference will be Isabella Pereira, Head of the Institute for Community Studies – a research institute with people at its heart. Engaging with people across the UK, they work to influence societal change, bridging the gap between communities, evidence, and policymaking.

Following this will be the Building partnerships panel, with academics from across BU talking about their experiences of working with partners regionally, nationally, and internationally – as well as across different sectors and disciplines – and sharing their insights and advice on effective research collaboration.

We’ll also have a range of practical workshops, covering topics including working with business, building international partnerships, and public involvement in research.

The conference is open to all researchers and those involved in research across BU and other universities in Dorset.

Book your place via Eventbrite

BU Research Conference 2023: Embracing failure (and eating cake…)

The 2023 Research Conference took place on one of the hottest days of the year so far.

Dr Jan Peters MBE gives the keynote speech at the BU Research Conference 2023

Dr Jan Peters MBE gives the keynote speech at the BU Research Conference 2023

The theme of this year’s conference was also a hot topic: failure, and how to deal with obstacles and setbacks throughout the research journey.

Opening the conference, Professor Einar Thorsen, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Media and Communication, set the tone for the event – speaking openly and honestly about times when his research hasn’t gone to plan.

Keynote speaker Dr Jan Peters MBE shared stories from her time working in both academia and industry and the lessons she’d learnt – from embracing your strengths to avoiding comparing yourself to others.

Professor Ann Hemingway and Professor Sam Goodman share their insights for overcoming academic rejection

Professor Ann Hemingway and Professor Sam Goodman share their insights for overcoming academic rejection

In a joint keynote, Professor Ann Hemingway and Professor Sam Goodman, shared their advice and insights into experiencing and overcoming academic rejection. As well as presenting some choice comments they’d received from reviewers in the past, they also shared their tips for ‘failing better’, including the 3 Rs – resubmit, repurpose or restart.

Over lunch, attendees had the chance to decorate ‘failure cakes’ with the team from the Centre for Health, Science and Communication Research, icing cupcakes with positive messages for those who might have experienced failure.

Three people decorating cupcakes

Failure cake decorating as part of the BU Research Conference 2023

In the afternoon, workshops offered the opportunity to learn practical tips and strategies for dealing with difficulties. Topics covered included building resilience, articulating your strengths, repurposing grant applications and improving writing approaches.

The conference was closed by Robert Seaborne from Inside Academia, who spoke about the dichotomy between the core values of research (learning through failure to discover something new or unknown) and the success metrics which pervade academic culture.

A close-up image of Robert Seaborne presenting at the BU Research Conference

Robert Seaborne closing the BU Research Conference

Discussing his own experience of burnout during his PhD and the scale of mental health issues seen within academia, Robert also shared the advice he’d give to his younger self – which include the need to rest and recover and maintain the activities outside of academia that help you stay happy and healthy.

The Research Conference is an annual event organised by the Research Excellence Team in RDS to bring BU’s academic and research community together to learn, share, network and discuss key topics from the world of research.

A big thank you to everyone who supported or attended this year’s conference. If you have any feedback or suggestions of topics for future years, please get in touch at research@bournemouth.ac.uk

BU Research Conference: Embracing Failure, Building Success – practical workshops

The BU Research Conference returns on Wednesday 14 June, where we’ll be exploring the F word – failure: what we can learn from it, and how we can overcome it.

As well as inspiring speakers – including BU Honorary Doctorate recipient Dr Jan Peters MBE, Robert Seaborne from Inside Academia, and Professors Ann Hemingway and Sam Goodman – we also have a range of practical workshops planned to help with developing strategies and techniques to deal with setbacks and overcome obstacles.

Each workshop will last one hour and attendees will have the opportunity to attend two of the below workshops on the day:

Bounce back to your future   

Some knockbacks hurt more than others, leaving our confidence dented and our energy drained. This interactive session provides space to explore who you are and create a personal vocabulary to return to in moments of doubt. You will leave with a personalised paragraph to confidently introduce yourself to collaborators and co-workers.

This workshop will be delivered by Helen Shipton of Katalytik, a confidence coach who is passionate about helping people be their best through their authentic voice. 

Building Resilience

This workshop will help you explore and identify strategies to build your personal resilience capabilities. You’ll explore what is meant by resilience and why it’s so important and discuss strategies and approaches to build resilience and develop a positive mindset. 

This workshop will be delivered by Rachel Curry from Organisational Development.

Improving writing practices

Professor Matthew Bennett has published more than a dozen books and 170 papers over almost 30 years in academia. In this workshop, he will share some of his personal journey with academic writing and the hard-learnt lessons along the way – covering the trials of striving for elite journals, dealing with rejection, and practical tips for better writing.

This workshop will be delivered by Professor Matthew Bennett, Professor of Environmental and Geological Sciences.

Repurposing your unsuccessful grant applications

This workshop will cover best practice for repurposing unsuccessful applications for external funding. You’ll discuss what makes a successful application, the value of feedback from funders and peers, and how to develop a revised bid.

This workshop will be delivered by Eva Papadopoulou, Research Facilitator in RDS.

The BU Research Conference takes place on Wednesday 14 June in the Fusion Building. To find out more and book your place, visit: https://researchconference23.eventbrite.co.uk

 

BU Research Conference 2022: Building Impact – sign up now

The first annual BU research conference will take place on Tuesday 7 June.

This year’s theme is building impact, celebrating our REF 2021 submission and exploring practical ways to create impact and share your research.

The half-day conference will take place in the Fusion Building on Talbot Campus from 1pm – 5pm on Tuesday 7 June, with internal and external speakers and workshops. Light refreshments will be provided.

The conference is open to all BU staff and postgraduate research students.

It will be followed by a drinks reception from 5pm to celebrate BU’s REF submission.

We’ll be sharing more details around the schedule, sessions and speakers shortly.

To register your interest and receive further updates, book your place via Eventbrite.

Impact of sport training on healthy behaviour in a group of 108 adolescents

In the past months, I have been collaborating with the University of Naples Parthenope, and in particular with pedagogy Professor Maria Luisa Iavarone and PhD candidate Ferdinando Ivano Ambra.

We have been working on a conference paper that covers the recent results of the S.M.A.R.T. questionnaire. A questionnaire developed in Italy to look at different aspects of human behaviour (including eating habits, sleeping patterns, relationships, and use of technologies) in the young population.

The abstract was successfully accepted and presented at the 2nd Conference on Well-being in Education Systems. I have asked Ivano to tell us a little bit about the journey he had.

From the 12th to the 15th of November I was in Locarno (Switzerland) to present the results of the research titled “The impact of sport training on healthy behaviour in a group of 108 adolescents: a pilot study using the S.M.A.R.T. questionnaire” at the “2nd Conference on Well-being in Education Systems”.

The University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Italian Switzerland (SUPSI) organised a very informative conference, giving to all the attenders enough information and materials to follow all three days of presentations.

The aim of the conference was innovation in education and psychology fields. I found of particular interest the work about emotional intelligence and creativity presented by Professor Brandao de Souza and Professor Pasini. I also found very stimulating the symposium of Professor Noto from the University of Padova who discussed the education systems and how it applies to the work-environment in an inclusive way.

The posters session as well offered food for thought, such as the research of Professor Iorio and Professor Ambrosetti on students perception of teachers’ burnout.

During the social event I had the chance to meet the other lecturers part of the scientific panel of the conference: Prof. Castelli, Prof. Marcionetti, Prof. Plata, Dr Ambrosetti and the director of the Center of innovation and Research on Education System (CIRSE) Prof. Egloff.

I am grateful to have had the chance to participate in the conference. It was an occasion of professional growth and personal improvement.

 

If you want to read the paper submitted, it is now fully available on ResearchGate

If you want to discuss the findings with Ivano or the other members of the project, follow the links below

Ferdinando Ivano Ambra

PhD candidate Ferdinando I. Ambra

ivano.ambra@uniparthenope.it

Maria Luisa Iavarone

Professor Maria L. Iavarone

marialuisa.iavarone@uniparthenope.it

Edit photo

Dr Francesco V. Ferraro

fferraro@bournemouth.ac.uk

 

Thank you for your attention,

Dr Ferraro

fferraro@bournemouth.ac.uk

www.ferrarotrainer.com