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Darren Lilleker on TUC conference to BBC Radio Solent

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Darren Lilleker, a senior lecturer in Politics and Media at BU, spoke to BBC Radio Solent to give his thoughts on Ed Miliband’s speech at the TUC conference.

Speaking to Steve Harris on Solent’s Drivetime show, Darren gave his thoughts on Miliband’s comments, on Labour’s changing relationship with trade unions and what the decision, and indeed Miliband’s speech, will have on the future of the Labour Party.

Darren said of the speech, “It was cautious, it appealed to the unions’ anti-Conservatism.”

The conversation then progressed to look at Labour’s membership, and whether they were leaving themselves financially short by making this step. Darren continued, “What Labour has to do is reach out to a broader swathe of people and not rely on the trade unions as a supplier of membership and think about how it is going to get people to join the Party and, obviously, to donate to the Party. That is the big issue for the Party, losing the money that it relies on for its campaigns. But how do you get people to join political Parties and to engage with them?”

But where should the Party turn, again Darren explained how difficult it can be for Parties to find funding, “The whole party funding issue is very complex. How do you make sure that Parties are not being funded through businesses with vested interest? That is a huge debate that needs to be had!”

Darren was then asked how much damage could be done by Labour in making this decision, “I’m not sure how big an issue it is for the average voter. I don’t think the average man in the street is concerned about the relationships with [Labour and] the trade unions. For most it is an automatic association they make in their heads – Labour has always had a trade union link.”

Bryce Dyer wins Isambard Kingdom Brunel award at British Science Festival

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Bryce Dyer gave the prestigious Isambard Kingdom Brunel award lecture to a full house at this year’s British Science Festival.

The lecture, entitled ‘Prosthesis, Disability and the role of Technology in Elite Sport’, gave an illuminating account of the work that Bryce Dyer has been conducting at Bournemouth University.

The lecture went into detail about the use of prosthetics in sport, more specifically Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, the types of prostesis available, and the advantages and disadvantages of using such technology.

Mr Dyer joins the ranks of previous award lecturers such as Professor Brian Cox, Professor Richard Wiseman, and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

After the lecture, Dyer, a senior lecturer in Product Design at BU, was awarded a certificate by the British Science Association to mark the occasion.

After the lecture Bryce Dyer said, “The feeling is one of immense satisfaction, to take what we have been working on for a few years and transfer that knowledge to an enthusiastic audience.”

Bryce continued, “You only have to look at the names  of people who have won this award before to know that it has real credibility and, as an academic, it gives me an immense sense of self-satisfaction. I don’t think in my wildest dreams I dreamt of giving the award lecture at an event like this. To be involved in a Festival of such history is a great experience.”

Bryce also appeared at the chat-show style cafe ‘The Exchange’ where he gave an overview of the subject area to the listening diners.

Bryce was not the only Bournemouth University staff member to make an appearance at the Festival, with BU’s Outreach and Liaison team also running daily workshops with local children to teach them about some of the work taking place at Bournemouth University.

The following blog post has more information about Bryce Dyer’s Award Lecture or you could read the story on the British Science Association website.

Strong response for Bangkok conference

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Planning for the 1st International Corporate and Marketing Communication in Asia Conference to be held in Bangkok on November 18-19 is progressing well, reports Prof Tom Watson of Bournemouth University.

He has recently returned from meeting his co-organisers Assoc Prof Jirayudh Sinthuphan and Assoc Prof Saravudh Anantachart of Chulalongkorn University.

The conference, organised in collaboration by the Thai university’s Faculty of Communication Arts and BU’s Media School, has attracted interest from across Asia and the Middle East.

The international review panel has chosen 30 abstracts from ten countries with a broad range of topics and approaches.

“At our meeting in Bangkok, the conference schedule was finalised and other arrangements confirmed. The facilities at Chula are very good and enable us to run two parallel streams of papers on both days”, said Prof Watson. “We are really pleased with the response which is far more positive than expected. Already almost all speakers are confirmed to attend and registered.”

The audience will also include Thai and regional academics and representatives of the national advertising, marketing communications and public relations sectors. The conference schedule will be published shortly at http://cuprimcconference.net/

BU commended for the quality of student learning opportunities by QAA

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Bournemouth University has achieved a “commended” judgement for the quality of student learning opportunities from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). This is the first time the judgement of commended for this category, the highest award possible, has been given to any university.

The term ‘learning opportunities’ describes the different mechanisms and facilities that a university provides in order to enable a student to succeed. For this category, the QAA look at many areas of how an institution supports students, including the quality of teaching students receive, academic support, the resources available to students including the library and IT facilities, and the general support they receive.

Professor John Vinney, Vice–Chancellor of Bournemouth University, said: “I am extremely proud that Bournemouth University is the first university to be commended for the quality of students’ learning opportunities. We work really hard to provide a unique top–quality academic experience that combines excellent education, research and professional practice with personalised student support.

The commendation is both a testament to the hard work of the staff and Students’ Union at Bournemouth University (SUBU), and a reflection of the continuing investment in our facilities. Everything that we do is focused on quality, and we will build on this success to ensure that we continue to give our students the opportunity to succeed throughout their career – wherever it may take them”.

The review identified a number of examples of good practice which led to the award. These include the many constructive measures BU takes to engage and involve all members of staff in its mission, values and strategic priorities, including those articulated in its Strategic Plan.

The review also highlighted the way that the University engages students individually, and collectively through the Students’ Union, in its development of academic strategy and policy.

The team of QAA reviewers who visited Bournemouth University also judged that the University’s academic standards, the quality of student learning opportunities‚, and the quality of information about learning opportunities all meet UK expectations.

The QAA review team made no recommendations on any issues for further improvement.

The review team included Professor Richard de Friend (previously of the College of Law), Dr Andrew Eadie (Hazeldene Educational Consultants Ltd), Dr Wendy Gill (the University of St Mark & St John), Ms Elizabeth Dobson-McKittrick (student reviewer from the University of Essex), and Ms Jessica Greenlees (review secretary).

  • The review carried out at Bournemouth University was an Institutional Review (England and Northern Ireland) (IRENI). More information on IRENI is available at www.qaa.ac.uk/institutionreports/types-of-review/ireni/pages/default.aspx.
  • The report on Bournemouth University is published on 6 September 2013. It is available at www.qaa.ac.uk/InstitutionReports/Reports/Pages/IRENI-Bournemouth-13.aspx.
  • QAA safeguards the public interest in the quality and standards of UK higher education. The QAA checks how UK universities and colleges maintain their academic standards and quality. They review and report on how they meet their responsibilities, identify good practice and make recommendations for improvement. The QAA publishes guidelines to help UK universities and colleges develop effective systems to ensure students have the best learning experience. Further information is available at: www.qaa.ac.uk.

BU graduate is World Champion Duathlete

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A former BU student has raced to victory with a gold medal display at the Duathlon World Championships.

James Coleman, 28, landed the gold medal for Team GB’s 25-29 year-old category in Ottawa, Canada having only taken up running in 2007 when his internship required him to sprint to the post box to deliver mail.

James studied BA Public Relations at Bournemouth University, graduating in 2007, and partly credits the success to finding his running legs at University through ‘daily runs on the beach’.

His degree has also been well used; when James is not competing or practicing he heads up the sales team at National News PR Specialists 72 Point.

On winning his gold medal, James said, “To win a medal is amazing. I was thinking if I made the top ten I would have been happy.  I am over the moon. Everything came together at the right time.”

A duathlon is a race that includes two disciplines, typically running and cycling, and James explained how he was keen to take his competing one step further, “Now I may take up swimming and see what I can do in the triathlon event.”

The former BU student was also on hand to offer advice to budding BU students who may be want to consider following in his (running) shoes, “It’s amazing what you can do if you find something you’re good at and fine tune it to then become the best in the world. With a support team, encouragement, training, dedication and sheer determination and belief, then most goals are achievable!”

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award lecture date for BU prosthetics expert

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The prestigious Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award lecture is to be delivered by Bournemouth University’s Bryce Dyer for his research and work with prosthetics at the British Science Festival 2013.

Mr Dyer joins the ranks of previous award lecturers such as Professor Brian Cox, Professor Richard Wiseman, and Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock.

Each year, five academics from across the UK are selected to take part in the Award Lecture series, with each lecture encompassing a different area of science.

The Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award focuses on the fields of engineering, technology and industry. Mr Dyer will present “Prosthesis, disability and the role of technology in elite sport”.

The lecture will reveal the colourful history of limb prostheses, and progress into how they have been engineered to not only complete, but also to compete in physical challenges today.

Mr Dyer will examine the controversy surrounding the use of such technology in competitive sport, following the debates off the back the London 2012 Games, and look at what could be done to address such problems in the future.

The British Science Festival takes place in Newcastle from 7-12 September 2013 and is one of Europe’s largest celebrations of science, engineering and technology, with over 250 events, activities, exhibitions and trips taking place over a week in September, in a different location every year.

Mr Dyer said, “I am delighted to have this opportunity, and am looking forward to presenting this research. The British Science Festival is a unique opportunity to share scientific findings with the public, and it is an honour to be selected to give the Award Lecture.”

Dr David McQueen on the current conflicts in Cairo

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Bournemouth University’s lecturer in Politics and Media, and expert in global conflict, Dr David McQueen featured on Steve Harris’ Drivetime show on BBC Radio Solent giving his opinion on the current conflict and civil unrest in Egypt.

“I think that this is a tragic short lived experiment of democracy, I don’t think it had to turn out this way and there were many missed opportunities for resolution within the brotherhood and the government” Dr McQueen explained.

The discussion continued with Barrack Obama condemning on the violence; “I think the US government could’ve played a part by saying if there was any army coo they could help the Egyptian army out”.

“The US Army fund the Egyptian army One Billion Dollars a year”

Dr McQueen relates the public reaction of what is happening now in Egypt to the 1972 Bloody Sunday reactions.

“When we look at thousands of deaths of armed protestors, I just see very dark days ahead for Egypt”.

Dean Eastmond

Dean is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth, who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. He joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from his college with essential work experience for four weeks over the summer.

Professor Jane Reid’s report featured on The Conversation UK

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Bournemouth University’s Visiting Professor of Nursing, Jane Reid, had her article featured on news website ‘The Conversation UK’, talking about surgical “never events” and what they are.

The Conversation UK is a new and quirky website that presents and delivers the news using academic opinion and expertise.

Surgical “never events” are extremely serious incidents that should never happen because “they’re entirely preventable”.

Most never events prove devastating, such as having the wrong testicle removed, retained foreign objects post operation and severe scalding of patients. However many are fatal, preventable events: Suicide using collapsible rails, maternal death due to post-partum haemorrhage after elective caesarean sections, wrongly prepared high-risk injectable medication and maladministration of Insulin.

“Unfortunately, too many health professionals, managers and boards continue to tolerate unacceptable practices that are ultimately endured by patients.” Jane Reid said in the article.

See the full article here.

Dean Eastmond

Dean is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth, who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. He joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from his college with essential work experience for four weeks over the summer.

Professor John Fletcher on Gibraltar’s Economy

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Bournemouth University’s Professor in Tourism and Director of the ICTHR (International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research), Professor John Fletcher added comment to a report written on Yahoo news about Gibraltar’s booming economy and the trouble the British-owned Island faces.

Recent studies show that the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the island expanded by 7.9 per cent last year to 1.4 billion pounds.

Compared to Britain’s “sluggish” 0.2 per cent GDP increase and Spain’s 1.4 per cent decrease, Gibraltar’s economy can only be described as “booming”.

“I have studied the Gibraltar economy for the past 35 years and I have seen it grow from an economy that provided support to Britain’s Ministry of Defence and was very much a blue collar economy into an economy with a high proportion of well qualified professionals.” Professor John Fletcher said.

Britain has sharply reduced its military presence in Gibraltar only accounting for 6.0 per cent of the local economy in contrast to 60 per cent in the 1960’s.

Dean Eastmond

Dean is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth, who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. He joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from his college with essential work experience for four weeks over the summer.

Bournemouth University’s media success with this year’s Clearing campaign

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This year’s Clearing campaign has been a huge success with a number of media appearances.

Bournemouth University was mentioned in the following media outlets:

  • Two Mentions on the Telegraph online
  • Coverage on the Guardian online
  • Five Mentions in the Guardian
  • Coverage in the Independent
  • Two mentions in the i paper
  • Two reports on BBC Radio Solent
  • A report on Wave FM
  • A report on Fire
  • TES coverage

Second year Law student Diana Dimofte explained her clearing experience and coming to Bournemouth University through the clearing system in the Telegraph online video that really showed off Bournemouth University and the local area.

“University Clearing was the best thing that happened to me,” said Diana Dimofte.

Team leader for askBU enquiry service, Helen Elsey, gave advice on what to say on the phone during clearing on the Guardian online website, adding; “We [the clearing team or person taking the clearing phone call] will look at your grades and talk about the subject you enjoyed and the career you have in mind.”

TES  shared multi-media journalism undergraduate, Emily Reason’s clearing experience.

“After almost having a breakdown, I noticed that Bournemouth University were advertising opportunities to get in through clearing. I rang the clearing helpline and was put through to a woman who was very helpful.” Emily added. “I went from crying my eyes out to screaming with joy, all because of clearing.”

Mark Ridolfo, Associate Dean of student experience at Bournemouth University, added comment to an article in The Guardian about balancing time. “Students have to balance work time, study time, social time and time for eating and sleeping; which is difficult.” He added, “Sometimes they [university students] sacrifice the sleeping and eating, and sometimes they sacrifice their studies”.

Matt Usher, student recruitment officer at BU, explained student funding in The Guardian during the clearing period; “The most important thing to say is that there’s lots of support available and students don’t have to pay anything up front”.

“Regardless of how much you’ve borrowed, your repayment is based on your graduate income. You’ll be charged 9% of all income over £21,000 – so if you get a £25k job, you’ll expect to be repaying around £30 a month”

Patricia Obawole, a law student at Bournemouth University and David Stock, manager of Bournemouth University’s Student Union advice service featured in both The Independent and the i Paper, adding comment about the essential skill of budgeting and finance. “We do all get a bit excited when the first loan instalment is in your bank account”, she added.

“For the typical 18-year-old fresher, it’s the largest amount of money they’ve ever had, and they’ve never had to think about setting a budget,” Stock tells the papers. The report claimed that he has encountered the odd student who’s blown several hundred pounds at a casino in their first night and students in £25,000 debt. “Even then there are some things we can do at that stage. It’s never too late to get help”.

Anastasia Stankovsky also featured in The Independent explaining her adjustment experience after adjusting her course to a BA (Hons) in Television Production at Bournemouth University.

“My predicted grades were not good, I really wanted to go to Bournemouth University because it is one of the best in the country for TV production, and was so upset when I found out my grades weren’t going to be good enough”, Stankovsky explained. “Opening the results was a strange feeling, because I had got such good grades, but I was going to a university I really didn’t want to go to. But on my results it actually said I was eligible for adjustment and then I was so excited.”

“I checked my points and called Bournemouth University and said my grades were higher than predicted. They checked my UCAS profile and then I had a ten minute interview on the phone with the TV production department. It was nerve-racking, but it was really much easier for me than for people who had actually had to go and attend interviews. It was all over surprisingly quickly. I thought I was going to be living at home and going to Middlesex University, but within a few days of getting my results I was on my dream course and getting ready to move to Bournemouth”.

Many thanks to everyone who featured in the papers and on the radio during clearing week.

By Dean Eastmond

Dean is a student at Budmouth College in Weymouth, who is working at Bournemouth University in the Press and PR Department. He joined BU on a Sir Samuel Mico Scholarship, which provides 10 students from his college with essential work experience for four weeks over the summer.