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Germaine Greer gives public talk at Bournemouth University

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Leading feminist Germaine Greer was at Bournemouth University (BU) to give a public lecture.

Germaine, an Australian academic and journalist, spoke about state and nature of contemporary feminism during the talk, as well as reflecting on her own role in the movement – some 40 years after the publication of her book The Female Eunuch, which made her a household name.

“Our current situation is worse than it was 40 years ago, but I don’t want to tell you a tale of grief and woe,” said Germaine.

“We have got to find a way to acquire authority – we have got to begin to understand power.

“We are babes in the wood and have no idea. We have been learning how the system works. Now we have got to work out how to change the system and develop leverage.”

Her talk, to a packed lecture theatre at BU’s Talbot Campus, was followed by a question and answer session – which covered topics including feminism and young people, the current situation in India, and maternity care.

Germaine said that recent developments– such as the Everyday Sexism project – were taking feminism away from the “academic discipline” it had become.

She said: “It is harking back to 60s feminism which is liberation feminism – what women are actually looking for, and have looked for all along, is freedom.”

The talk was organised and chaired by Senior Lecturer in Politics Heather Savigny, on behalf of the Women’s Academic Network at Bournemouth University.

Professor Gail Thomas, Dean of the School of Health and Social Care at BU, introduced Germaine.

“She has really been an inspiration to me and thousands of other women,” said Gail.

“Germaine shows that, although women have gone a long way over the last 30 years, clearly there is work that still needs to be done.

“It is important not to be complacent and to carry on with the message.”

BU Midwifery Students receive funding for placements in Kenya

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Third year BSc (Hons) Midwifery students Amanda Gill (Portsmouth) and Emma Barton (Bournemouth) have received funding from both the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust and the Global Horizons Fund to visit Kenya as part of their elective placements.

The Iolanthe Midwifery Trust is a charity which awards funding to pre-registration students for their electives to enhance their coursework.

The application process involved writing a funding application detailing their reasons for choosing Kenya, their plans while there and what they hope to achieve not only for themselves, but also for their education and the profession.

As well as Iolanthe, Amanda and Emma also applied to Global Horizons Fund, a scheme run by BU.

They each received £1,000 from each fund to cover travel, accommodation, subsistence and associated costs of the visit. They will be presented their awards at the annual Iolanthe Midwifery Trust award ceremony in Edinburgh in September.

Their three week visit will take place in July 2014, where they will be joining a small team from the UK to visit maternity services in central Kenya – Nanyuki District Hospital and the surrounding rural communities and health facilities of Lewa.

The initial project was established by three former BU students, aiming to provide training and sharing of skills and knowledge to midwives in Kenya to improve the lives of mothers and babies.

The project supports the development and provision of a range of education resources for use in the hospital and community clinic settings. Amanda and Emma were chosen to accompany these midwives and a paediatrician following interviews.

The elective experience will include observational placement of midwifery and obstetric services, visits to rural health facilities and participation in training and skills sharing sessions.

Amanda and Emma will have the opportunity to witness pregnancy and child-birth from different cultural perspectives, in both a district hospital and rural community settings.

Amanda and Emma are also raising money for training equipment and resources for the Kenya project.

Directly after the elective, Amanda will be partaking in a trip that includes climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and, amongst other activities, Emma will be completing the Bournemouth half-marathon in October.

Should anyone wish to contribute to their fundraising efforts, they can do so on their JustGiving page.

BU Accounting Professor receives Lifetime Achievement Award

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A Professor from Bournemouth University (BU) has received a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for the contribution she has made to the accounting and finance industry.

Stella Fearnley, a Professor in Accounting in BU’s Business School, received the award from the British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA).

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to individuals who have made a substantial or direct contribution to the UK accounting and finance industry through teaching, research or public service.

Stella, who has worked at BU since 2007, has published over 100 journals, books and articles – as well as speaking as part of various government committees looking at accounting and standards.

She said: “The award did come as a complete surprise for me because I don’t fit the stereotype role for an academic.

“As there are getting on for 300,000 accountants in this country, my passion has always been to do research which will be of value to practitioners and public policy, not just to other academics.

“I am paid mainly out of taxpayers’ money so society deserves to benefit from academic work. Besides which I have had a lot of fun.”

The award was given to Stella at the BAFA Annual Conference in London, but was also celebrated with an event at BU, attended by colleagues and industry representatives.

A tribute to Stella was given by Professor Jens Holscher, Head of the Accounting, Finance and Economics Department at BU.

He said: “What is unique about Stella is her close engagement with industry practice and regulation.

“This is a great achievement for not just the department or the Business School but for the whole institution.”

There was also a Question and Answer session with Stella, who spoke about her experiences and achievements, and gave her thoughts on the accounting and finance industries.

She said: “I have had a lot of fun interviewing people – I’ve worked very hard at chatting up the people at the top of the organisations, and making professional contacts to get access. They won’t do it unless they trust you.

“If you engage with businesses, you inevitably have fun. You engage with so many people that you come away having enjoyed it.”

Stella, who has become known for her quick wit and controversial comments about leading industry figures and bodies, added: “If you are going to be really rude about something, make them laugh. You can get away with it without insulting them too much, which is very important.”

This is the second major industry prize that she has won – in 2007, Stella was given the Wildman Medal Award by Deloitte and the American Accounting Association, which recognises leading edge research and innovative teaching methods.

BA Business Studies launches alumni panel of successful graduates

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BU’s Business School has launched an alumni panel of highly successful BA (Hons) Business Studies graduates.

The aim of the panel is to develop and strengthen the Business Studies course by sharing industry experience and trends with students and academic staff.

The panel consists of eleven alumni who graduated between 1989 and 2013.

They recently joined current second year students at their Pre Placement Seminar to share their experience of the world of work, and give advice to students about how to make the most out of their placements.

After the seminar, the panel met with academic staff to talk about industry trends and the skills graduates need to be successful in the workplace.

One of the Alumni panel, Holly Bathurst from Siemens, said: “I thought it was a great start to something extremely positive for the Business School and it will be interesting to see how it shapes both the students learning and their engagement with the working world!”

Gbola Gbadamosi, the Framework leader for the Business Studies course, added: “This panel and the event is a refreshingly alternative that represents a win for all stakeholders.

“For students, it provides a rare opportunity to engage with both recent and long standing alumni. For staff, to rekindle their industry engagement, reconnect with industry trends and catch up with the progress of their former students.

“For the alumni, they were able to reconnect with their peers, older and younger alumni and give back to their university.”

Comedian Phill Jupitus shares tips & advice with BU media students

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Comedian Phill Jupitus was at Bournemouth University to share his experiences of the media industry and give advice to students.

Phill – a comedian, presenter, actor and poet – is well known for his work on TV panel shows like Never Mind the Buzzcocks and QI and as a breakfast DJ on BBC 6 Music.  where he worked with Jo Tyler, who is now a Lecturer in Radio Production at BU.

Phill spoke during an interactive event, where students from across BU’s Media School asked questions via email and social media, as well as in person – covering everything from his career ambitions and achievements to how technology is changing the industry.

Phill said: “The fact that you can get yourself out there and have control over what you put out there is positive.

“Anyone can get stuff out there now, people can make shows and build their careers off posting You Tube clips.

“I think podcasting is amazing. It’s a fantastic way – especially if you want to go into radio – of playing around with ideas and learning how to put things together.

He added, however, that: “the negative is that it’s a time of immense confusion…It’s an ever-changing world and I don’t envy you for having to deal with that.”

His advice for students wanting to go into the industry included remaining passionate about their area of interest, making good connections with commissioners and developing a thick skin.

“There’s an awful lot of luck involved but you do need to have a thick skin and immense determination,” he said.

“I think a lot of it is about developing relationships with the commissioners – just watch TV and have a look at what they want in terms of content.”

He added: “Keep on top of the industry – if you want to be in it, you have got to know it. You have to be a bit of a nerd about whatever it is you’re going into.

“The people that you work for can see how much you genuinely care about an idea.”

Jo Tyler, a Lecturer in Radio Production at BU, has worked with Phill on a number of projects, and used to produce his breakfast show on BBC 6 Music.

She said: “Having worked with Phill over some parts of his broad career, it is a pleasure to have him in person to speak directly to students about cross platform working and the future of a career in media.

“We used a more interactive Q & A format to allow students to lead the event. Phill has in many ways become a media mentor for BU, providing professional advice linked to producing, childrens’ TV, music, radio and poetry.”

BIRST – the online radio station run by BU’s MA Radio Production students – will feature a programme about the Q & A with an exclusive interview with Phill and recordings of his performance as a special guest at the Freeway Poets event at The Winchester Pub.

To find out more, visit the BIRST website.

 

Social work students to undertake placement in Columbia

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Five BU social work students have successfully been awarded Global Horizons Funding to undertake a four week placement visit to Medellin, Colombia.

As part of the BU International Taskforce, Social Work Framework Leader, Jill Davey, visited EAFIT University, Colombia, and established a link with the Social Work Department to secure reciprocal placement exchanges between social work programmes delivered by BU and EAFIT University.

BU BA (Hons) Social Work students Karen Sampson, Gemma Chiverton, Georgia Foy, Cassie Dando and Michelle Lillywhite secured funding from the Global Horizons Fund, and will each receive £1,500 to go towards flights and accommodation.

Whilst there, the students will be taught by academics from the Social Work Department at the university, and will undertake work placements.

The type of placements students can undertake include visiting housing projects (half way up the Andes!), forest projects, drug and alcohol rehabilitation projects and projects which work towards getting women off the streets.

Michelle Lillywhite said “At BU we are taught to understand and appreciate the complexities of the lives of vulnerable people that we aim to be working with.

“This opportunity allows us a unique perspective to engage with a different culture where poverty has different implications in everyday life. As an experience it will be equally valuable and exciting!”

Cyber Crime – It won’t happen to me!

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Bournemouth University’s Cyber Security Unit (BUCSU) is holding a number of free events to help businesses protect themselves against cyber crime.

The dedicated unit, established at Bournemouth University, is developing its conference and events programme – building on a successful event, which ran earlier in the year, delivered to police and crime prevention officers across the South West region.

Free events with guest speakers are running throughout May, and there will be a whole day event as part of the university’s Festival of Learning on Thursday 12 June about protecting assets against cyber attacks.

Bournemouth University continues to work alongside SMEs, entrepreneurs and early stage start-ups who see value in protecting and growing their online business by having effective cyber security. This is in addition to larger organisations such as the police and practitioners involved in the investigation of cyber-crime.

There are a number of ways businesses large and small can tap into the expertise Bournemouth University has on this topic including funding initiatives, such as cyber security innovation vouchers.

To find out more about the BU Cyber Security Unit and what it offers please contact Lucy Rossiter at lrossiter@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Visit the BU Cyber Security Unit website.

Festival of Learning shortlisted for national award

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Only in its second year, BU’s Festival of Learning has already attracted national attention – having been shortlisted for a UK-wide award within the Business/Community Engagement Category at the Heist Awards.

Projects or campaigns that engage with the local community and/or businesses are the key criteria for this particular award.

Established for over 20 years, The Heist Awards have become the premier awards programme for marketing in the sector and exist to recognise and celebrate professionalism and innovation in education marketing.

The awards event will take place in July in Manchester.

This good news could not come at a better time as the festival team is launching the Festival of Learning on Tour on Saturday 17 May in Bournemouth Town Centre.

The centrepiece to the event this weekend is a Bubble Artist from Berlin, who will be hosting some interactive bubble making classes for everyone to try their hand at.

An  Activity Gazebo will also be home to many hands-on activities and stands for visitors to come and get involved in  – including hands-on soap making sessions and some famous psychology experiments run by researcher Ashley Mitchell, including the video test ‘Did you spot the Gorilla’ – a must try for adults and children alike.

The activities will be running on Bournemouth Square, in the town centre, from 11am to 5pm.

The Festival of Learning 2014 takes place between 9-15 June with over 150 free events on offer.

To find out more and to register for events, log on to the Festival of Learning website.

BU student team wins European-wide advertising competition

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A team from Bournemouth University (BU) has won a student advertising competition that received entries from across Europe.

The team – made up of four BU final year Advertising students – won Ad Venture, an annual competition organised by the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA) for students across Europe.

The competition aims to give students a taste of life working for an advertising agency and the BU team, called Fellow, won for their campaign called Change The Story, based on a brief about European opportunities to target youth unemployment.

The team – made up of Laura Merchan McAulay, Florence Evans, Cameron Black and Marta Cownburn Cuesta – won the Ad Venture competition after presenting their campaign idea to leading comms professionals from across Europe at the edcom conference in Barcelona.

Two teams from BU made the three competition finalists – out of more than 90 entries from across Europe – and the winning team from Fellow has now won an all-expenses paid week at the Cannes Lions Festival.

Cameron Black, who was the Creative for Fellow, said: “We were extremely surprised and still can’t believe we’ve just won the Ad Venture competition.

“It felt incredible to be one of two teams representing Bournemouth on a European stage and to give our lecturers and the university the recognition it deserves.

“We can’t wait to go to Cannes and fully embrace an amazing opportunity for starting our careers after our incredible time at Bournemouth.”

This year was the first time that two teams from the same university have been named as finalists in the competition.

The competition made up an integral part of the final year Campaign Planning unit, and the other BU team, Daffadowndilly – made up of Rachel Banks, Darrell Pont, Georgina Robb and Joel Blackie – presented a campaign called Map Your Future.

It’s not the first time students from the Corporate Marketing Communications department at BU have had success in Ad Venture, with BU students winning the competition in 2011-12 and a number of finalist spots over the years.

Melanie Gray, Lecturer in Advertising and Marketing at BU, said: “Once again, stand out achievements like this show that the BU Advertising degree produces some of the best quality student work in the country.

“This is a fantastic reward for the extra time and effort that has gone into this final year unit – I am so pleased that all the additional elements which were put in place to really give the students a great experience on Campaign Planning have resulted in this.

“Of course the students are rightly over the moon and are now looking forward to their prize – a fully-expensed trip to the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.”