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BU Professor chairs international conference into technology and tourism

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Technology and social media are becoming critically important tools for successful international tourism.

This has been recognised by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the Minister of Tourism in Costa Rica, who organised a Technical Seminar on Tourism and New Technologies.

Delegates came from 22 countries – including Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and the Bahamas – and the conference discussed how tourism has been influenced by the latest technological breakthroughs, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead.

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Director of the e-Tourism Lab at Bournemouth University (BU), chaired the seminar, which took place in Costa Rica.

A tourism marketing expert who specialises in e-tourism and technology, he chaired panels looking at the internet, social media and mobile marketing in relation to tourism.

He also trained delegates – who included 12 tourism ministers – on how to use technology and social media to increase the competitiveness of their tourism industry.

Professor Buhalis said: “It is gratifying that increasingly the international tourism industry and governments from around the world, as well as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, recognise how technology can support the competitiveness of the tourism destinations and organisations.

“Cutting edge research and solutions we develop at Bournemouth University provide technological tools such as social media, augmented reality and gaming to enable organisations to dynamically engage with consumers and facilitate co-creation of products and value in the marketplace.”

Professor Buhalis added that social media is reversing tourism marketing strategies, with consumers becoming advocates and ambassadors for products around the world.

He believes that mobile technologies can make interaction between organisations and consumers dynamic and agile – revolutionising engagement and economic benefits.

“Only those organisations that are able and willing to use these tools in an agile way will be able to develop their competitiveness in the future and generate prosperity for their stakeholders,” he said.

“I am glad that Latin American countries are committed to develop their knowledge through our expertise, and innovate in order to maximise their benefits.”

Other speakers at the seminar included executives from Google, Trip Advisor and Expedia Latin America.

The seminar took place in San Jose, Costa Rica on May 14 and 15.

Professor David Osselton on Bloody Tales documentary

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Professor David Osselton, Director of the Centre for Forensic Science at BU, featured in a documentary on the National Geographic TV channel exploring the truth behind history’s most famous tyrants.

Professor Osselton, who specialises in toxicology, helped investigate whether the Roman Emperor Nero poisoned his stepbrother as part of the Bloody Tales: Tyrants documentary.

Nero’s stepbrother Britannicus was a rival to the throne, and collapsed and died after drinking with Nero.

Journalist Joe Crowley visited BU’s labs and worked with Professor Osselton to see whether it would have been possible for Nero to poison his stepbrother, or whether his death could have been the result of an epileptic fit, as Nero suggested.

Professor Osselton said: “In the case of Nero, it has been suggested in some of the literature that it might have been cyanide.

“They were quite aware that the kernels of many fruit contain a chemical that will release cyanide into solution.”

He added that, within minutes of drinking the solution, symptoms would resemble an epileptic fit, but that it would cause the lips and tips of the fingers to turn blue.

As there were no reports of this happening to Britannicus, Professor Osselton thought that cyanide should be discounted.

He said that one of the poisons which was very widely used in Greek and Roman times was hemlock – a plant that grows alongside river banks and would produce the symptoms described.

“One thing that hemlock does produce is blodges on the skin,” he told Joe.

“Certainly, the majority of the population are unlikely to know all the signs and symptoms of poisoning.”

Bloody Tales: Tyrants was broadcast on the National Geographic channel at 8pm on Monday 22 April.

Find out more about the Bloody Tales series

BU’s new Student Centre given go–ahead

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The centre will provide significant additional social learning space and will be a new home for SUBU (the Students’ Union at BU) and some student services.

SUBU President, Louise Bryant said: “This is fantastic news for all students who will come to study here. SUBU offers advice, representation, and a whole range of extracurricular activities for students including clubs and societies and volunteering. This new centre will not only make it easier for students to access all of these services but it will also provide them with more space to learn, study and socialise.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor John Vinney, said: “Bournemouth University is committed to providing world-class facilities and this building will provide just that. Students expect modern, fit-for-purpose facilities that promote learning and generate a rich experience and this fantastic new building will meet their aspirations.”

The low-carbon building will include learning and leisure facilities, social learning spaces, radio and media studios, a student advice centre, meeting space, accessible open-plan areas for student-focused services and a café. A glazed walkway on the third floor will provide access to the library.

Maritime Archaeology comes to Guys Marsh Prison

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A maritime archaeology day, designed to make archaeology more accessible, took place at Guys Marsh Prison.

Experts from Bournemouth University visited the prison to share findings from their excavation of the Swash Channel Wreck, a 17th Century ship that lies on the bed of Poole Harbour.

Prison inmates were shown slides of artefacts found and were told about the history of the wreckage. After the presentations, inmates were invited to attend group sessions to talk about maritime archaeology and give their views on the project.

The activity day took place as a part of the MAD About the Wreck project, created by Paola Palma, Lecturer in Marine Archaeology at Bournemouth University, which invites people to join the adventure of maritime archaeology through a series of Maritime Archaeology Days (MAD). The project was also created in collaboration with Poole Museum.

Paola said, “It has always been a passion of mine to make sure that whatever my colleagues and I find underwater becomes enjoyable to all. I would like archaeology to be inclusive of all, with no limits to gender, age, skills, geographical location etc. I love to create a partnership with those who are learning and those who wish to learn or just listen to something new. The participation of prisons, care homes and groups of minorities in this is fundamental, challenging and mutually rewarding.”

One prisoner, Richard, said, “I found it very informative and I was looking forward to [the day] because I am very interested in the topic. I’d love to encourage other people to come along and enjoy what we have enjoyed today.”

Another of the prisoners, Chris, wrote a piece of Baroque–style music and played it to the audience as a tribute to the music of the time. Chris said of the day, “Today was fantastic, it was heart–warming to see people passionate about a subject talk about it.”

The prisoners taking part in the day were part of the RECOOP group at Guys Marsh. RECOOP are a charity that look after resettlement and care of older prisoners and works with prisoners for rehabilitation.

Bournemouth University is collaborating with Borough of Poole’s Museum Service for the project, using Poole’s Swash Channel Wreck as the source of inspiration.

There are a number of Maritime Archaeology Days planned and you can find more information on the MAD About the Wreck Facebook page.

BU mass grave work features in the Echo

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Simulated mass grave excavation work carried out by BU students has been featured in the Bournemouth Echo.

The week–long practical was set up for Forensic Osteology and Archaeology students to learn first–hand what it is like to excavate a mass grave. They were tasked with digging into the simulated World War I grave cataloguing the items the discovered as they went.

Martin Smith, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology at BU, said to the Echo, “It’s a really nice exercise that pulls together everything the students have been doing through the year.

“The anthropologists have learnt lots of theory about the anatomy of the body and how we can interpret types of trauma and disease, who we can tell age and sex and so on. The archaeologists have done all sorts of work on how we can find buried remains and how we can excavate them in a controlled and scientific manner.”

Martin continued, “This allows us to get them to work together as a team, pull together everything they have done and put it into practice.”

The work all took place on the estate of Giles Sturdy, Pro–Chancellor of Bournemouth University.

Hotel manager encourages others to employ BU students part-time

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A hotel manager is encouraging other businesses to think about taking on Bournemouth University students part-time.

Tim Seward, general manager of the Hinton Firs Hotel, took on three Bournemouth University students after having a stall at a Part-time Jobs Fair on BU’s Talbot Campus in September.

Students Emily Lloyd, James Levy and Anthony Murray now work in a variety of roles at the 52-bed hotel on Manor Road – including waiting tables in the hotel restaurant, working as a bar porter, on reception and helping out with the hotel entertainment.

Mr Seward said it was the first time he had taken on BU students, and he had been impressed by their dedication and work ethic.

“The three of them are brilliant at what they do. They are an asset to the university, to the hotel and to themselves,” he said.

“They have just really excelled themselves. They are mature, they have got something about them and they want to have a job and do well.”

He added: “My advice to other hotels and businesses would be to go for it.

“When I went to the Jobs Fair on campus, I was absolutely swamped by students.

“I would definitely do it again, because it’s an easy way of finding staff. You can pay so much money to jobs sites, when you don’t need to – there are potential staff out there.”

The students fit in shifts at the hotel around their studies, and feel they have gained in skills and confidence since taking on the job.

James, who is in his first year of a BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree course at BU has been working as a waiter at the hotel since January.

He said: “The hotel is really good and will give you time off to see your family and before exams to revise.

“I feel like I can now speak to anyone and my social skills and communication have improved.”

First year BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation student Anthony Murray found the job within two weeks of arriving at BU from his home in Ireland.

While working as a barman and waiter, he has made the most of networking opportunities at the hotel and made key contacts for his future career.

“I’ve grown in confidence since working here – I can network with people and communicate effectively, which will help me in the future when I have to do things like giving evidence in court,” said Anthony, 25, who also helps out on the hotel’s reception and with entertainment.

“I have already met people who could help with my future career, and they have been very willing to help me with questions about my assignments and finding placements.”

He added: “Everybody is lovely and everyone is so interested to talk about your life and what you’re doing.”

Emily, a second year BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance student added that she enjoys the social aspect of the job as well.

“It’s been great to meet people and I have made some good friends working here. My social life in the first year wasn’t that good, but now working here, we go out with everyone and get on really well.

“I found the Jobs Fair really useful – I had searched for jobs and had jobs with agencies, but I saw Tim in The Atrium and said ‘Can I have a job please?'”

As well as attending events on campus, employers can post job vacancies and opportunities online.

Find out more about the events and employment opportunities available to students and local businesses

You can also call BU’s Placement and Careers Service on 01202 961663.

BU students excavate simulated mass war graves in rural Dorset

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BU Master’s students have been out in rural Dorset locating and excavating simulated mass World War I graves.

Around 30 students from the MSc Forensic Osteology and MSc Forensic Archaeology courses at BU spent a week on the Trigon Estate, near Wareham.

http://youtu.be/Zh54LTe3Fd0

The practical exercise involved students working together to locate and excavate simulated mass graves from World War I, using the latest technology and techniques.

Inside the graves were artificial skeletons, complete with artefacts which would have survived in real WW1 mass graves, such as weapons, coins, buttons and personal effects – including photos preserved inside cigarette tins.

Dr Martin Smith, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, helped to coordinate the simulation.

He said: “It’s really nice exercise that we do that pulls together everything that the students have been doing through the year.

“The anthropologists have learnt lots of theory about the anatomy of the body and how we can interpret types of trauma and disease, how we can tell age and sex and so on.

“The archaeologists have done all sorts of work on how we can find buried remains and how we can excavate them in a controlled and scientific manner.

“This allows us to get them to work together as a team, pull together everything that they have done and put it into practice.”

He added: “Although it’s a very artificial exercise, what we really want them to get out of it is about the process and doing these things in a planned and a controlled manner.”

As well as putting the theory and skills that they have learnt into practice, students also got a taste of how it is to work alongside each other in the field.

Paul Cheetham, Programme Coordinator for the MSc in Forensic Archaeology, said: “It pulls it all together – not only their specialist skills but also working alongside their natural colleagues that they would work with in the field in a professional capacity.

“It really does bring together this idea of working as a team, and bringing different skills together to solve problems.”

The work will now continue back in the labs – the artificial skeletons will be replaced with real ones, and students will have to use the evidence they have found through excavating the graves to write a report, trying to identify the soldiers and how they died.

They will then have to the chance to practice presenting their findings in court, at a mock war graves commission.

Students involved in the simulation said that they felt they had already learnt a lot.

MSc Forensic Archaeology student Elizabeth Knox, who had come from Sydney, Australia to study at BU, said: “It’s very realistic and it is preparing us well.

“We all have to be extremely professional, use all the skills that we’ve come across and work closely with the forensic osteologists.”

MSc Forensic Osteology student Sarah Clark added: “I’ve really enjoyed it, and I’ve learnt the importance of working with different disciplines to get results.

“We’ve all been working together and we know more about bones, and they know more about digging, so it’s been brilliant to be able to talk to them whenever we’ve not been sure of something.”

Find out more about studying MSc Forensic Archaeology and MSc Forensic Osteology at BU

BU placement students key to football club’s success

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Two Bournemouth University placement students have been praised for their effort in the running of a lower league football club.

Chris Sherwood and Andy O’Reilly are currently on placement at Dagenham and Redbridge FC from Bournemouth University and ‘Daggers’ Managing Director Steve Thompson has been full of praise for the BU duo.

Steve Thompson said, “[the placements have] allowed us to bring in bright, young, enthusiastic students who bring fresh ideas and who have a level of skill that perhaps we wouldn’t get if we were to employ somebody on that wage. They tend to be more computer literate and social media savvy.”

The two students have taken on different roles at the football club; Chris has taken responsibility for the club’s website and match day programme while Andy looks after the ticket office and club shop.

Again, Steve Thompson said, “Chris looks after our website and writes articles for the website and does interviews on the players section of the website. He films interviews with players and management staff three or four times a week. He is also responsible for a lot of the content on the match day programme.”

The students are always encouraged to come up with new ideas, as Steve explains, “Andy O’Reilly, who is in the ticket office and club shop, has come up with new products for the shop, which he has sourced and we have designed and they are on sale in the club shop.”

This is not the first time that Dagenham and Redbridge FC have taken placement students from BU either, and the football club has a great track record on providing students with the skills they need to go into employment. Steve continued, “We are pleased with the record that everyone who has come on placement with us has got a job straight after leaving university.

“The first year in the Football League we had a student who still works with us part time on a match day in the hospitality department. The third year, when we were in League One, we had a student who, when he graduated, we took on full time and he is now our Commercial Manager. The fourth year we had two lads who graduated last summer; one of them, through our connections, has got a job in the media department at Millwall FC and the other lad got a job as in analysis for the Bank of England.”

Chris and Andy were also praised when Steve Thompson was interviewed by the BBC a few months ago on the subject of finances at Dagenham and Redbridge – for more information you can read the BBC Story.

Dr Kate Murphy on Woman’s Hour special

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Dr Kate Murphy joined a panel of experts for a special edition of Woman’s Hour.

Woman’s Hour presenter Jane Garvey hosted the Bank Holiday special programme about women in the 1920’s though it was Kate, a Senior Lecturer in Radio Production at BU, who came up with the idea for the 45 minute special.

Kate was joined on the panel by Baroness Shirley Williams, social historian Juliet Gardiner and author Virginia Nicholson as they discussed topics such as equal voting, increasing freedom with careers and even women who worked for the BBC in its early days.

Talking on the show about women in the early years of the BBC (on which she researches), Kate said, “It was a prestigious place to work, the BBC. The BBC was a very modern organisation; if you were a salaried woman you actually got equal pay and equal salary opportunities.”

You can listen to the Woman’s Hour special again, including Kate’s thoughts on women in the 1920s on the BBC Website.