Podcasts about programme leader

In this episode of the Leading Voices in Food podcast, Norbert Wilson of Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy speaks with researchers Jean Adams from the University of Cambridge and Mike Essman from Duke's World Food Policy Center. They discuss the mandatory calorie labeling policy introduced in England in April 2022 for large food-away-from-home outlets. The conversation covers the study recently published in the British Medical Journal, exploring its results, strengths, limitations, and implications within the broader context of food labeling and public health policies. Key findings include a slight overall reduction in calorie content offered by food outlets, driven by the removal of higher-calorie items rather than reformulation. The discussion also touches on the potential impacts on different consumer groups, the challenges of policy enforcement, and how such policies could be improved to more effectively support public health goals. Interview Summary Now everyone knows eating out is just part of life. For many, it's a place to make connections, can be a guilty pleasure, and sometimes it's just an outright necessity for busy folks. But it is also linked to poor dietary quality, weight gain, and even obesity. For policymakers, the challenge is identifying what policy changes can help improve population health. Jean, let's begin with you. Can you tell our listeners about the UK's menu labeling intervention and what change did you hope to see? Jean - Yes, so this was a policy that was actually a really long time in coming and came in and out of favor with a number of different governments. So maybe over the last 10 years we've had various different suggestions to have voluntary and/or mandatory calorie labeling in the out-of-home sector. Eventually in April, 2022, we did have new mandatory regulations that came into a force that required large businesses just in England - so not across the whole of the UK, just in England - if they sold food and non-alcoholic drinks and they had to display the calories per portion of every item that they were selling. And then have alongside that somewhere on their menu, a statement that said that adults need around 2000 calories per day. The policy applied just to large businesses, and the definition of that was that those businesses have 250 or more employees, but the employees didn't all have to be involved in serving food and drinks. This might apply also to a large hotel chain who just have some bars or something in their hotels. And the food and drinks covered were things that were available for immediate consumption. Not prepackaged. And then there was also this proviso to allow high-end restaurants to be changing their menus regularly. So, it was only for things that were on the menu for at least 30 days. You mentioned that this policy or a menu labeling might have at least two potential modes of impacts. There's first this idea that providing calories or any sort of labeling on food can somehow provide information for consumers to make what we might hope would be better choices. Might help them choose lower calorie options or healthier options. And then the second potential impact is that businesses might also use the information to change what sort of foods they're serving. It might be that they didn't realize how many calories were in the foods and they're suddenly embarrassed about it. Or as soon as their customers realize, they start to put a little bit of pressure on, you know, we want something a little bit lower calorie. So, there's this potential mechanism that operates at the demand side of how consumers might make choices. And another one at the supply side of what might be available to consumers. And we knew from previous evaluations of these sorts of interventions that there was some evidence that both could occur. Generally, it seems to be that findings from other places and countries are maybe null to small. So, we were thinking that maybe we might see something similar in England. Thank you for sharing that background. I do have a question about the length of time it took to get this menu labeling law in place. Before we get into the results, do you have a sense of why did it take so long? Was it industry pushback? Was it just change of governments? Do you have a sense of that? Jean - Yes, so I think it's probably a bit of both. To begin with, it was first proposed as a voluntary measure actually by industry. So, we had this kind of big public-private partnership. What can industry do to support health? And that was one of the things they proposed. And then they didn't really do it very well. So, there was this idea that everybody would do it. And in fact, we found maybe only about 20% of outlets did it. And then definitely we have had government churn in the UK over the last five years or so. So, every new prime minister really came in and wanted to have their own obesity policy threw out the last one started over. And every policy needs consulted on with the public and then with industry. And that whole process just kind of got derailed over and over again. Thank you. That is really helpful to understand that development of the policy and why it took time. Industry regulated policy can be a tricky one to actually see the results that we would hope. You've already given us a sort of insight into what you thought the results may be from previous studies - null to relatively small. So, Mike, I want to turn to you. Can you tell us what came out of the data? Mike - Thank you, yes. So, we found a small overall drop in average calories offered per item. That amounts to a total of nine calories per item reduction in our post policy period relative to pre policy. And this is about a 2% reduction. It was statistically significant and we do in public health talk about how small effects can still have big impacts. So, I do want to sort of put that out there, but also recognize that it was a small overall drop in calories. And then what we did is we looked at how different food groups changed, and also how calories changed at different types of restaurants, whether it was fast food, restaurants, sit downs that we call pubs, bars, and inns. And then also other different types of takeaways like cafes and things like that where you might get a coffee or a cappuccino or something like that. What we found was driving the overall reduction in calories was a reduction in higher calorie items. So, as Jean mentioned at the outset, one of the things we were trying to identify in this analysis was whether we saw any evidence of reformulation. And we defined reformulation as whether specific products were reduced in their calories so that the same products were lower calories in the post period. We define that as reformulation. And that would be different from, say, a change in menu offering where you might identify a high calorie item and take it off the menu so that then the overall calories offered goes down on average. We found more evidence for the latter. Higher calorie items were removed. We separated into categories of removed items, items that were present in both periods, and new items added in the post period. There were higher calorie items in the removed group. The items that were present in both periods did not change. The new items were lower calorie items. What this says overall is this average reduction is driven by taking off high calorie items, adding some slightly lower calorie items. But we did not find evidence for reformulation, which is a crucial finding as well. We saw that the largest reductions occurred in burgers, beverages and a rather large mixed group called Mains. So, burgers reduced by 103 calories per item. That's pretty substantial. One of the reasons that's so large is that burgers, particularly if they're offered at a pub and might even come with fries or chips, as they say in the UK. And because they have such a high baseline calorie level, there's more opportunity to reduce. So, whether it's making it slightly smaller patty or reducing the cheese or something like that, that's where we saw larger reductions among the burgers. With beverages, typically, this involved the addition of lower calorie options, which is important if it gives an opportunity for lower calorie selections. And that was the main driver of reduction there. And then also we saw in Mains a reduction of 30 calories per item. A couple of the other things we wanted to identify is whether there was a change in the number of items that were considered over England's recommended calories per meal. The recommended calories per meal is 600 calories or less for lunch and dinner. And we saw no statistical change in that group. So overall, we do see a slight reduction in average calories. But this study did not examine changes in consumer behavior. I do want to just briefly touch on that because this was part of a larger evaluation. Another study that was published using customer surveys that was published in Nature Human Behavior found no change in the average calories purchased or consumed after the policy. This evaluation was looking at both the supply and the demand side changes as a result of this policy. Thanks, Mike and I've got lots of questions to follow up, but I'll try to control myself. The first one I'm interested to understand is you talk about the importance of the really calorie-heavy items being removed and the introduction of newer, lower calorie items. And you said that this is not a study of the demand, but I'm interested to know, do you have a sense that the higher calorie items may not have been high or top sellers. It could be easy for a restaurant to get rid of those. Do you have any sense of, you know, the types of items that were removed and of the consumer demand for those items? Mike - Yes. So, as I mentioned, given that the largest changes were occurring among burgers, we're sort of doing this triangulation attempt to examine all of the different potential impacts we can with the study tools we have. We did not see those changes reflected in consumer purchases. So, I think sticking with the evidence, the best thing we could say is that the most frequently purchased items were not the ones that were being pulled off of menus. I think that would be the closest to the evidence. Now, no study is perfect and we did in that customer survey examine the purchases and consumption of about 3000 individuals before and after the policy. It's relatively large, but certainly not fully comprehensive. But based on what we were able to find, it would seem that those reductions in large calorie items, it's probably fair to say, were sort of marginal choices. So, we see some reduction in calories at the margins. That's why the overall is down, but we don't see at the most commonly sold. I should also mention in response to that, a lot of times when we think about eating out of home, we often think about fast food. We did not see reductions in fast food chains at all, essentially. And so really the largest reductions we found were in what would be considered more sit-down dining establishment. For example, sit-down restaurants or even pubs, bars and ends was one of our other categories. We did see average reductions in those chains. The areas you kind of think about for people grabbing food quickly on the go, we did not see reductions there. And we think some of this is a function of the data itself, which is pubs, bars and inns, because they offer larger plates, there's a little bit more space for them to reduce. And so those are where we saw the reductions. But in what we might typically think is sort of the grab and go type of food, we did not see reductions in those items. And so when we did our customer surveys, we saw that those did not lead to reductions in calories consumed. Ahh, I see this and thank you for this. It sounds like the portfolio adjusted: getting rid of those heavy calorie items, adding more of the lower calorie items that may not have actually changed what consumers actually eat. Because the ones that they typically eat didn't change at all. And I would imagine from what you've said that large global brands may not have made many changes, but more local brands have more flexibility is my assumption of that. So that, that's really helpful to see. As you all looked at the literature, you had the knowledge that previous studies have found relatively small changes. Could you tell us about what this work looks like globally? There are other countries that have tried policy similar to this. What did you learn from those other countries about menu labeling? Jean - Well, I mean, I'm tempted to say that we maybe should have learned that this wasn't the sort of policy that we could expect to make a big change. To me one of the really attractive features of a labeling policy is it kind of reflects back those two mechanisms we've talked about - information and reformulation or changing menus. Because we can talk about it in those two different ways of changing the environment and also helping consumers make better choices, then it can be very attractive across the political landscape. And I suspect that that is one of the things that the UK or England learned. And that's reflected in the fact that it took a little while to get it over the line, but that lots of different governments came back to it. That it's attractive to people thinking about food and thinking about how we can support people to eat better in kind of a range of different ways. I think what we learned, like putting the literature all together, is this sort of policy might have some small effects. It's not going to be the thing that kind of changes the dial on diet related diseases. But that it might well be part of an integrated strategy of many different tools together. I think we can also learn from the literature on labeling in the grocery sector where there's been much more exploration of different types of labeling. Whether colors work, whether black stop signs are more effective. And that leads us to conclusions that these more interpretive labels can lead to bigger impacts and consumer choices than just a number, right? A number is quite difficult to make some sense of. And I think that there are some ways that we could think about optimizing the policy in England before kind of writing it off as not effective. Thank you. I think what you're saying is it worked, but it works maybe in the context of other policies, is that a fair assessment? Jean - Well, I mean, the summary of our findings, Mike's touched on quite a lot of it. We found that there was an increase in outlets adhering to the policy. That went from about 20% offered any labeling to about 80%. So, there were still some places that were not doing what they were expected to do. But there was big changes in actual labeling practice. People also told us that they noticed the labels more and they said that they used them much more than they were previously. Like there was some labeling before. We had some big increases in noticing and using. But it's... we found this no change in calories purchased or calories consumed. Which leads to kind of interesting questions. Okay, so what were they doing with it when they were using it? And maybe some people were using it to help them make lower calorie choices, but other people were trying to optimize calories for money spent? We saw these very small changes in the mean calorie of items available that Mike's described in lots of detail. And then we also did some work kind of exploring with restaurants, people who worked in the restaurant chains and also people responsible for enforcement, kind of exploring their experiences with the policy. And one of the big conclusions from that was that local government were tasked with enforcement, but they weren't provided with any additional resources to make that happen. And for various reasons, it essentially didn't happen. And we've seen that with a number of different policies in the food space in the UK. That there's this kind of presumption of compliance. Most people are doing it all right. We're not doing it a hundred percent and that's probably because it's not being checked and there's no sanction for not following the letter of the law. One of the reasons that local authorities are not doing enforcement, apart from that they don't have resources or additional resources for it, is that they have lots of other things to do in the food space, and they see those things as like higher risk. And so more important to do. One of those things is inspecting for hygiene, making sure that the going out is not poisonous or adulterated or anything like that. And you can absolutely understand that. These things that might cause acute sickness, or even death in the case of allergies, are much more important for them to be keeping an eye on than labeling. One of the other things that emerged through the process of implementation, and during our evaluation, was a big concern from communities with experience of eating disorders around kind of a greater focus on calorie counting. And lots of people recounting their experience that they just find that very difficult to be facing in a space where they're maybe not trying to think about their eating disorder or health. And then they're suddenly confronted with it. And when we've gone back and looked at the literature, there's just not very much literature on the impact of calorie labeling on people with eating disorders. And so we're a little bit uncertain still about whether that is a problem, but it's certainly perceived to be a problem. And lots of people find the policy difficult for that reason because they know someone in their family or one of their friends with an eating disorder. And they're very alert to that potential harm. I think this is a really important point to raise that the law, the menu labeling, could have differential effects on different consumers. I'm not versed in this literature on the triggering effects of seeing menu labeling for people with disordered eating. But then I'm also thinking about a different group of consumers. Consumers who are already struggling with obesity, and whether or not this policy is more effective for those individuals versus folks who are not. In the work that you all did, did you have any sense of are there heterogeneous effects of the labeling? Did different consumers respond differentially to seeing the menu label? Not just, for example, individuals maybe with disordered eating? Mike - In this work, we mostly focused on compliance, customer responses in terms of consumption and purchases, changes in menus, and customers reporting whether or not they increase noticing and using. When we looked at the heterogeneous effects, some of these questions are what led us to propose a new project where we interviewed people and tried to understand their responses to calorie labeling. And there we get a lot of heterogenous groups. In those studies, and this work has not actually been published, but should be in the new year, we found that there's a wide range of different types of responses to the policy. For example, there may be some people who recently started going to the gym and maybe they're trying to actually bulk up. And so, they'll actually choose higher calorie items. Conversely, there may be people who have a fitness routine or a dieting lifestyle that involves calorie tracking. And they might be using an app in order to enter the calories into that. And those people who are interested in calorie counting, they really loved the policy. They really wanted the policy. And it gave them a sense of control over their diet. And they felt comfortable and were really worried that if there was evidence that it wouldn't work, that would be taken away. Then you have a whole different group of people who are living with eating disorders who don't want to interact with those numbers when they are eating out of home. They would rather eat socially and not have to think about those challenges. There's really vast diversity in terms of the responses to the policy. And that does present a challenge. And I think what it also does is cause us just to question what is the intended mechanism of action of this policy? Because when the policy was implemented, there's an idea of a relatively narrow set of effects. If customers don't understand the number of calories that are in their items, you just provide them with the calories that are in those items, they will then make better choices as rational actors. But we know that eating out of home is far more complex. It's social. There are issues related to value for money. So maybe people want to make sure they're purchasing food that hasn't been so reduced in portions that now they don't get the value for money when they eat out. There are all sorts of body image related challenges when people may eat out. We didn't find a lot of evidence of this in our particular sample, but also in some of our consultation with the public in developing the interview, there's concern about judgment from peers when eating out. So, it's a very sensitive topic. Some of the implications of that are we do probably need more communication strategies that can come alongside these policies and sort of explain the intended mechanism impact to the public. We can't expect to simply add numbers to items and then expect that people are going to make the exact choices that are sort of in the best interest of public health. And that sort of brings us on to some potential alternative mechanisms of impact and other modes of labeling, and those sorts of things. Mike, this has been really helpful because you've also hinted at some of the ways that this policy as implemented, could have been improved. And I wonder, do you have any other thoughts to add to how to make a policy like this have a bigger impact. Mike - Absolutely. One of the things that was really helpful when Jean laid out her framing of the policy was there's multiple potential mechanisms of action. One of those is the potential reformulation in menu change. We talked about those results. Another intended mechanism of action is through consumer choice. So, if items have fewer calories on average, then that could reduce ultimately calories consumed. Or if people make choices of lower calorie items, that could also be a way to reduce the overall calories consumed. And I would say this calorie labeling policy, it is a step because the calories were not previously available. People did not know what they were eating. And if you provide that, that fulfills the duty of transparency by businesses. When we spoke to people who worked in enforcement, they did support the policy simply on the basis of transparency because it's important for people to understand what they're consuming. And so that's sort of a generally acceptable principle. However, if we want to actually have stronger population health impact, then we do need to have stronger mechanisms of action. One of the ways that can reduce calories consumed by the consumers, so the sort of demand side, would be some of the interpretive labels. Jean mentioned them earlier. There's now a growing body of evidence of across, particularly in Latin America. I would say some of the strongest evidence began in Chile, but also in Mexico and in other Latin American countries where they've put warning labels on items in order to reduce their consumption. These are typically related to packaged foods is where most of the work has been done. But in order to reduce consumer demand, what it does is rather than expecting people to be sort of doing math problems on the fly, as they go around and make their choices, you're actually just letting them know, well, by the way, this is an item that's very high in calories or saturated fat, or sodium or sugars. Or some combination of those. What that does is you've already helped make that decision for the consumers. You've at least let them know this item has a high level of nutrients of concern. And you can take that away. Conversely, if you have an item that's 487 calories, do you really know what you're going to do with that information? So that's one way to have stronger impact. The other way that that type of policy can have stronger impact is it sets clear thresholds for those warnings. And so, when you have clear thresholds for warnings, you can have a stronger mechanism for reformulation. And what companies may want to do is they may not want to display those warning labels, maybe because it's embarrassing. It makes their candy or whatever the unhealthy food look bad. Sort of an eyesore, which is the point. And what they'll do is they can reformulate those nutrients to lower levels so that they no longer qualify for that regulation. And so there are ways to essentially strengthen both of those mechanisms of action. Whereas when it's simply on the basis of transparency, then what that does is leave all of the decision making and work on the consumer. Mike, this is great because I've worked with colleagues like Gabby Fretes and Sean Cash and others on some menu labeling out of Chile. And we're currently doing some work within the center on food nutrition labels to see how different consumers are responding. There's a lot more work to be done in this space. And, of course, our colleagues at UNC (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) have also been doing this work. So, this work is really important because it tells us how it can help consumers make different choices, and how it can affect how companies behave. My final question to the two of you is simply, what would you like policymakers to learn from this study? Or maybe not just this study alone, but this body of work. What should they take away? Jean - Well, I think there's lots of information out there on how to do food labeling well, and we can certainly learn from that. And Mike talks about the work from South America particularly where they're helping people identify the least healthy products. And they're also providing messaging around what you should do with that - like choose a product with fewer of these black symbols. But I think even if labeling is optimized, it's not really going to solve our problem of dietary related diseases. And I think I always want policymakers to know, and I think many of them do understand this, that there is no one magic solution and we need to be thinking about labeling as part of a strategy that addresses marketing in its entirety, right? Companies are using all sorts of strategies to encourage us to buy products. We need to be thinking of all sorts of strategies to support people to buy different products and to eat better. And I think that focuses on things like rebalancing price, supporting people to afford healthier food, focusing advertising and price promotions on healthier products. And I also think we need to be looking even further upstream though, right? That we need to be thinking about the incentives that are driving companies to make and sell less healthy products. Because I don't think that they particularly want to be selling less healthy products or causing lots of illness. It's those products are helping them achieve their aims of creating profit and growth for their shareholders. And I think we need to find creative ways to support companies to experiment with healthier products that either help them simultaneously achieve those demands of profit or growth. Or somehow allow them to step away from those demands either for a short period or for a longer period. I think that that requires us to kind of relook at how we do business in economics in our countries. Mike? Yes, I think that was a really thorough answer by Jean. So, I'll just add a couple points. I think most fundamentally what we need to think about when we're doing policy making to improve diet is we need to always think about are we helping to make the healthier choice the easier choice? And what that means is we're not implementing policies that merely provide information that then require individuals to do the rest of the work. We need to have a food environment that includes healthier options that are easily accessible, but also affordable. That's one thing that's come through in quite a lot of the work we've done. There are a lot of concerns about the high cost of food. If people feel like the healthier choices are also affordable choices, that's one of many ways to support the easier choice. And I really just want to reiterate what Jean said in terms of the economics of unhealthy food. In many ways, these large multinational corporations are from their perspective, doing right by their shareholders by producing a profitable product. Now there are debates on whether or not that's a good thing, of course. There's quite a lot of evidence for the negative health impacts of ultra-processed (UPF) products, and those are getting a lot more attention these days and that's a good thing. What we do need to think about is why is it that UPFs are so widely consumed. In many ways they are optimized to be over consumed. They're optimized to be highly profitable. Because the ingredients that are involved in their production means that they can add a lot of salt, sugar, and fat. And what that does is lead to overconsumption. We need to think about that there's something fundamentally broken about this incentive structure. That is incentivizing businesses to sell unhealthy food products with these food additives that lead to over consumption, obesity, and the associated comorbidities. And if we can start to make a little progress and think creatively about how could we incentivize a different incentive structure. One where actually it would be in a food business's best interest to be much more innovative and bolder and produce healthier products for everyone. That's something that I think we will have to contend with because if we are thinking that we are only going to be able to restrict our way out of this, then that's very difficult. Because people still need to have healthy alternatives, and so we can't merely think about restricting. We also have to think about how do we promote access to healthier foods. This is great insight. I appreciate the phrasing of making the healthy choice the easy choice, and I also heard a version of this making the healthy choice the affordable choice. But it also seems like we need to find ways to make the healthy choice the profitable choice as well. Bios: Jean Adams is a Professor of Dietary Public Health and leads the Population Health Interventions Programme at the University of Cambridge MRC Epidemiology Unit. Adams trained in medicine before completing a PhD on socio-economic inequalities in health. This was followed by an MRC Health of the Population fellowship and an NIHR Career Development Fellowship both exploring influences on health behaviours and socio-economic inequalities in these. During these fellowships Jean was appointed Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer, in Public Health at Newcastle University. Jean moved to Cambridge University to join the MRC Epidemiology Unit and CEDAR in 2014 where she helped establish the Dietary Public Health group. She became Programme Leader in the newly formed Population Health Interventions programme in 2020, and was appointed Professor of Dietary Public Health in 2022. Mike Essman is a Research Scientist at Duke University's World Food Policy Center. His background is in evaluating nutrition and food policies aimed at improving diets and preventing cardiometabolic diseases. His work employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore drivers of dietary behavior, particularly ultra-processed food consumption, across diverse environments and countries. Mike earned his PhD in Nutrition Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where his research focused on evaluating the impacts of a sugary beverage tax in South Africa. He completed MSc degrees in Medical Anthropology and Global Health Science at the University of Oxford through a fellowship. Prior to joining Duke, he conducted research at the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge, where he evaluated the impacts of calorie labeling policies in England and led a study examining public perceptions of ultra-processed foods.  

Paul Kenny, Programme Leader at the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland, former Pensions Ombudsman

In this episode, we hear from Charlotte Hatherley who was projected onto the world stage with the band Ash at the age of 18 and toured with them for 8 years. Since then, she's released 4 studio albums as well as numerous collaborations - as well as touring with Bat For Lashes, Bryan Ferry, KT Tunstell, Birdy and more. She was also in the Synth-Pop band NZCA Lines with Michael Lovett (Metronomy) and Sarah Jones (Harry Styles/Hot Chip).  Charlotte has worked on an extensive selection of soundtracks, most notably ‘The Last Man' with Gavin Rothery in which she also starred, along with many other shows and performances. She's shot music videos with Edgar Wright, Gavin Rothery and Joe Cornish - and is currently the Programme Leader at the ICMP, where she teaches the next generation of musicians and performers. https://www.charlottehatherley.com/ Recommended Episode: David Viens of Plogue - midierror meets Series 1 Episode 28   BONUS: Get 15% off ANY device in midierror's Max4Live store using the code MIDIERRORSONICSTATE15 This is series 2, episode 9 and there are 50 previous episodes available now featuring Fatboy Slim, CJ Bolland, Andrew Huang, Tim Exile, High Contrast, Mylar Melodies, Infected Mushroom, DJ Rap, John Grant and many more. Available on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.  See the full list of episodes at: sonicstate.com/midierrormeets

Paul Kenny, Programme Leader at the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland

Presenter: Mike SpeightGuests: Dr James Ritson, Cecilia Pesce, Jordan TurnerJingles by: Matthew Smith, Programme Leader BSc Real Estate ManagementTraditional brickmaking produces over 1.3 billion tonnes of CO₂ each year — more than the entire aviation industry. So should we cling to the comforting warmth of brick, or finally face up to the environmental cost of our most familiar building material?In this episode of the University of the Built Environment's BE Sustainable podcast, presenter Mike Speight explores one of the built environment's most provocative questions: Should we bin the brick?Mike is joined by:Dr James Ritson, Programme Leader for MSc Innovation in Sustainable Built Environments at the University of the Built Environment — who argues the problem isn't how we make bricks, but whether we should use them at all.Cecilia Pesce, Principal Research Engineer at earth4Earth — pioneers of a carbon-storing brick designed to turn waste soil into a climate-positive material.Jordan Turner, Senior Lecturer at the University of the Built Environment, whose PhD examined sustainability in the housing sector and the policy barriers preventing greener construction.Together, they tackle some of the key questions at the heart of the low-carbon construction debate:Can innovation make bricks part of a net-zero future, or are we stuck with a carbon-heavy habit?Why are sustainable alternatives like hempcrete still treated as niche?Are regulations, costs and cultural attachment to the 'look' of brick holding us back from genuine progress?Hear Jordan Turner describe the M&S Cheshire Oaks project built with hempcrete and why developers struggle to use similar materials today. Listen as Dr James Ritson challenges the very necessity of brick, while Cecilia Pesce reveals how her team's carbon-storing bricks transform waste into a building block for a circular economy.From carbon emissions and cultural identity to policy, price and perception, this lively debate delves into the future of how we build - and what it will take for sustainable materials to move from pilot projects to mainstream adoption.Click play to hear the full discussion and decide for yourself: Should we bin the traditional brick?

In this episode of Global Voices the conversation centres on the Master of Public Health (MPH) programme and the experiences of international students at Glasgow Caledonian University. Gordon Hill is joined by Martin Murchie, Programme Leader for the MPH, and Chinaenyenwa Ugo, an MPH graduate and current Vice President for the School of Health and Life Sciences within the Students' Association. Together, they explore what makes GCU's MPH distinctive, from its focus on global health challenges and community impact to its supportive learning environment. Martin discusses the structure and aims of the programme, highlighting how it equips students with the skills needed to address complex public health issues across diverse contexts. Chinaenyenwa shares her journey as an international student—from applying and adjusting to life in Glasgow, to developing her academic confidence and leadership skills through the programme. The discussion offers valuable insights for prospective international applicants, illustrating how GCU fosters both professional growth and personal development. Listeners gain a sense of the university's inclusive community, its commitment to real-world health impact, and the opportunities awaiting students who choose to pursue their public health studies at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Professor John Duncan is among the pioneers of modern cognitive neuroscience. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2008 and a Fellow of the British Academy in 2009. In 2012, he was awarded the Heineken Prize for Cognitive Science by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. After completing his education at the University of Oxford in 1976, Duncan worked for two years with Michael Posner at the University of Oregon, and then worked at the Medical Research Council (MRC). As of 2018, he is Programme Leader at the MRC's Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge; he is also a Professorial Research Fellow in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of St John's College, Oxford. His latest book, The Animal and the Thinker: Instinct, Reason and the Dance of Our Divided Selves, is out now.Professor John Duncan is our guest in episode 534 of My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things he'd like to put in a time capsule; four he'd like to preserve and one he'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Buy John ducat's latest book, The Animal and the Thinker, here - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/461766/the-animal-and-the-thinker-by-duncan-john/9780753560921.Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter/X & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter/X: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people .To support this podcast, get all episodes ad-free and a bonus episode every Wednesday of "My Time Capsule The Debrief', please sign up here - https://mytimecapsule.supercast.com. All money goes straight into the making of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could 'smart' clothing monitor our health?Greg Foot, host of the BBC Radio 4 show 'Sliced Bread', now brings you 'Dough'.Each episode explores future wonder products that might rise to success and redefine our lives.Experts and entrepreneurs discuss the trends shaping what today's everyday technology may look like tomorrow, before a leading futurist offers their predictions on what life might be like within five, ten and fifty years.This episode examines the future of our clothing.How can manufacturers dye clothes without using water? Could 'smart' fabrics monitor weather conditions and provide extra warmth or cooling when we need it? Will our body movements, instead of bulky batteries, provide the power for clothing to monitor our health? Will synthetic material be completely replaced by natural fibres and those made from waste products? Greg is joined by the futurist, Tracey Follows, and expert guests Dr Marie O'Mahony, programme leader for E-textiles and Wearable Technologies at the Winchester School of Art at the University of Southampton and Jenny Prendergast, Programme Leader for Fashion and Design Technology at Loughborough University.This episode was produced by Jay Unger.Dough is a BBC Audio North Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Could 'smart' clothing monitor our health?Greg Foot, host of the BBC Radio 4 show 'Sliced Bread', now brings you 'Dough'.Each episode explores future wonder products that might rise to success and redefine our lives.Experts and entrepreneurs discuss the trends shaping what today's everyday technology may look like tomorrow, before a leading futurist offers their predictions on what life might be like within five, ten and fifty years.This episode examines the future of our clothing.How can manufacturers dye clothes without using water? Could 'smart' fabrics monitor weather conditions and provide extra warmth or cooling when we need it? Will our body movements, instead of bulky batteries, provide the power for clothing to monitor our health? Will synthetic material be completely replaced by natural fibres and those made from waste products? Greg is joined by the futurist, Tracey Follows, and expert guests Dr Marie O'Mahony, programme leader for E-textiles and Wearable Technologies at the Winchester School of Art at the University of Southampton and Jenny Prendergast, Programme Leader for Fashion and Design Technology at Loughborough University.This episode was produced by Jay Unger.Dough is a BBC Audio North Production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

The new Pension Automatic Enrolment (AE), which is now called the ‘My Future Fund', is due to arrive in January 2026. So, what's the criteria for it, and will it actually benefit workers?Paul Kenny, former Pensions Ombudsman and Programme Leader of the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland, joined Ian Guider on The Last Word to answer your questions.Hit the ‘Play' button on this page to hear the chat.

Two lecturers from the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) have been highly commended for their exceptional contributions to teaching at the prestigious Regional Teaching Excellence Awards. The awards, which took place at the Millenium theatre on the grounds of the TUS Moylish campus in Limerick last week, celebrated seven finalists from across the region, representing TUS, Mary Immaculate College (MIC) and University of Limerick (UL). Among the seven shortlisted candidates which included the winner, three lecturers received high commendations - two of them hailing from TUS's Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD): Damien O'Connell, Programme Coordinator for Critical and Contextual Studies, and Clare-based Gianna Tomasso, Programme Leader for the MA in Instructional and Learning Design. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Programme Leader for the MA in Instructional and Learning Design and is an Assistant Lecturer at Limerick School of Art and Design, Gianna Tomass. Photo(C): Clare FM

Tessa Watson is a music therapist and trainer. She is Associate Professor and Programme Leader for the MA Music Therapy at University of Roehampton and works in that setting with colleagues across the Arts and Play Therapies and other HCPC registered professions. She has extensive clinical experience in mental health and learning disability work and her current music therapy work is with the children and families who use Alexander Devine Hospice. Tessa has an interest in co-production and is one of the founders of HENCoP (The Health Education Network for Co-Production). Tessa has published and spoken widely about her music therapy work to support adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities, the experience of women in secure psychiatric settings, multi-disciplinary work and learning and teaching music therapy. She has contributed to the development of the profession in the UK (BAMT) and internationally (EMTC) and in 2020 led the BAMT online conference which attracted over 570 delegates. Tessa is an HCPC partner, working on CPD and FTP schemes. She plays cello and sings in local amateur musical groups. Tessa's most recent book, written with Cathy Warner is Contemporary Issues in Music Therapy Training, A Resource for Trainees, Trainers and Practitioners (Routledge 2024). Some other notable publications are ‘Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities - a view from the United Kingdom' in The Handbook of Music Therapy (2024), ‘Supporting the Unplanned Journey' in Collaboration and Assistance in Music Therapy Practice (2017), ‘The World is Alive! Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities' in the Oxford Handbook of Music Therapy, OUP (2016), Integrated Team Working: Music Therapy as Part of Transdisciplinary and Collaborative Approaches, London; Jessica Kingsley Publishers (2008) with Karen Twyford, and Music Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities, London; Routledge (2007). Links: https://www.routledge.com/Contemporary-Issues-in-Music-Therapy-Training-A-Resource-for-Trainees-Trainers-and-Practitioners/Watson-Warner/p/book/9781032853963?srsltid=AfmBOoqv92gfeHbBxe_zmiemr1pyCC769xqTMPqxlu1E7Hfqo-imlCXw https://alexanderdevine.org/ https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught-courses/music-therapy/  

If you encounter apathy when sharing the gospel, it could stem from a worldview that sees faith as irrelevant in a world ruled and explained by science. Research in the area of intelligent design can be a great tool in breaking down those barriers within a scientific mindset. On PEP Talk today, Steve and Gavin learn more about how we as Christians can connect with those who think this way. For an introduction to Intelligent Design, check out this video from Stephen Meyer or Cosmic Chemistry by John Lennox.Alistair McKitterick is Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader of the MA in Practical Theology and Ministry at the London School of Theology. He has a particular interest in the science and faith debate, with his doctoral research on the effectiveness of teaching science to Evangelical theology students. Before lecturing in theology, Alistair studied physics and taught mathematics and science in Zimbabwe in an Elim Pentecostal mission. He is married to Emily and has four grown up children.

In Season 2 episode 3 of Alternative Convos, Charles talks to Dr. George Vandyck, a Maritime expert and a Programme Leader and Lecturer in Business Strategy and Operations at Plymouth Business School about the Blue Economy in Africa and Opportunities for Civil Society Engagement. Alternative Convos Podcast is a dynamic and engaging talk show that aims to foster unity and drive positive transformation in Africa. It provides a platform for passionate activists, skilled practitioners, and creative thinkers to share their insights on important issues that shape Africa's progress. This podcast is a unique space where diverse perspectives are welcomed and valued, creating a safe environment for alternative viewpoints. Hosted by Charles Kojo Vandyck, Alternative Convos Podcast is your go-to source for thought-provoking conversations that inspire change.Disclaimer: “The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the guest's own and do not necessarily represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the host. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only”.Contact: George via https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-vandyck-89685725/

Seven years on from the Grenfell Tower Fire that claimed 72 lives on 14 June 2017, the disappointing blame game that has arisen in the built environment has delivered one sobering home truth – the lack of accountability, leadership and responsibility in the sector. This latest, two-part feature of the BE Sustainable follows on from our previous conversation with UCEM's Vice Chancellor Ashley Wheaton on the purpose of the built environment. This month, Mike Speight is joined by Dame Judith Hackitt and Marc Fleming, and together they dive deeper into how this lack of uniform identity is playing out in the industry today. This episode explores the challenge the sector faces in balancing the demands of clients, the requirements of regulation and the needs of end users, and how the latter should be at the forefront of all construction and build environment professionals' minds. The topics discussed in this episode include:- Does the built environment understand its purpose and its responsibility? And if not, what is this purpose?- How do we balance the demands of the client with the needs of society, all whilst conforming with regulation?- How can we encourage the sector to think more about the end user?- Is it possible to bring about broad, holistic change in the sector?Listen to the podcast via: - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ucem/id1524980861- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Czk2mZlZmknjUZfwLmLTa - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/universitycollegeofestatemanagement Guests:Dame Judith HackittDame Judith is a chemical engineer by training. Spent her early career working in the chemicals industry, both in manufacturing and as an advocate for the industry at national and international levels. She's a former President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Throughout her career, she has championed the importance of engineering and delivering solutions which provide benefits to society, and has been a role model, particularly for young women wanting to enter the profession. From 2007 to 2016, she was chair of the UK's Health and Safety Executive, and in 2017 conducted an independent review for the UK government into building regulations and fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Since publishing her final report in 2018, she's continued to press for regulatory change and for industry culture change, and a recommendation for radical reform of the regulatory system received royal assent in the Building Safety Act 2022.Marc FlemingMarc is Programme Leader for the BSc (Hons) Architectural Design Technology programme at UCEM and a Chartered Architectural Technologist. He has extensive experience in industry, secondary, further and higher education, teaching and management, as well as running his own consultancy practice. Additionally, he's a member of the Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange. He's actively involved in a range of working groups and networks, all of them supporting the transformation of industry and skills and training opportunities.

Seven years on from the Grenfell Tower Fire that claimed 72 lives on 14 June 2017, the disappointing blame game that has arisen in the built environment has delivered one sobering home truth – the lack of accountability, leadership and responsibility in the sector. This latest, two-part feature of the BE Sustainable follows on from our previous conversation with UCEM's Vice Chancellor Ashley Wheaton on the purpose of the built environment. This month, Mike Speight is joined by Dame Judith Hackitt and Marc Fleming, and together they dive deeper into how this lack of uniform identity is playing out in the industry today. This episode explores the challenge the sector faces in balancing the demands of clients, the requirements of regulation and the needs of end users, and how the latter should be at the forefront of all construction and build environment professionals' minds. The topics discussed in this episode include:- Does the built environment understand its purpose and its responsibility? And if not, what is this purpose?- How do we balance the demands of the client with the needs of society, all whilst conforming with regulation?- How can we encourage the sector to think more about the end user?- Is it possible to bring about broad, holistic change in the sector?Listen to the podcast via: - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ucem/id1524980861- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Czk2mZlZmknjUZfwLmLTa - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/universitycollegeofestatemanagement Guests:Dame Judith HackittDame Judith is a chemical engineer by training. Spent her early career working in the chemicals industry, both in manufacturing and as an advocate for the industry at national and international levels. She's a former President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Throughout her career, she has championed the importance of engineering and delivering solutions which provide benefits to society, and has been a role model, particularly for young women wanting to enter the profession. From 2007 to 2016, she was chair of the UK's Health and Safety Executive, and in 2017 conducted an independent review for the UK government into building regulations and fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Since publishing her final report in 2018, she's continued to press for regulatory change and for industry culture change, and a recommendation for radical reform of the regulatory system received royal assent in the Building Safety Act 2022.Marc FlemingMarc is Programme Leader for the BSc (Hons) Architectural Design Technology programme at UCEM and a Chartered Architectural Technologist. He has extensive experience in industry, secondary, further and higher education, teaching and management, as well as running his own consultancy practice. Additionally, he's a member of the Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange. He's actively involved in a range of working groups and networks, all of them supporting the transformation of industry and skills and training opportunities.

Join us in conversation with Yannick Jacob as he we explore his practice as an existential coach, his journey through the business of coaching and his experience of being the Animas podcast host since 2021! Yannick leaves the podcast in this episode and we use the opportunity to celebrate the work he has done for it. About Yannick Jacob Yannick Jacob is an Existential Coach (MA), Positive Psychologist (MSc), Coach Trainer & Supervisor (DIP) and Mediator (SPCP Dispute Resolution). He's the Course Director of the Accredited Certificate in Integrative Coaching at the School of Positive Transformation, for which he's gathered many of the world's most influential coaches, and he's the former Programme Leader of the MSc Coaching Psychology at the University of East London. Yannick is part of the teaching faculties at Cambridge University and the International Centre for Coaching Supervision, and he presents at conferences internationally. Every 1st Tuesday of the month Yannick hosts a Coaching Lab that gives novice and seasoned coaches the chance to be a fly on the wall for a live coaching session, and he is the host of Animas Center for Coaching's popular Coaching Uncaged podcast, as well as his own podcasts Talking about Coaching and Talking about Coaching and Psychedelics. His book, An Introduction to Existential Coaching, was published by Routledge. Learn more about Yannick and his work at www.existential.coach and www.RocketSupervision.com.

The launch of Girls in SciTech in Luxembourg last week is a movement aimed at empowering girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths. The Girls in SciTech campagin, coordinated by Professor Serge Haan, brought together high school students, university alumni, industry professionals, and political leaders, all united to tackle the gender imbalance in STEM fields. How can we encourage more young female minds to take up the ‘hard' sciences rather than just the ‘soft' sciences (life sciences, medicine, biological sciences etc.)? Indeed one can even question the words attributed to the sciences here.  The State of Women in STEM: A Statistical Snapshot Despite incremental progress, women remain underrepresented in STEM, particularly in senior roles. According to Eurostat, 41% of all scientists and engineers in the European Union were women in 2022. The figures are consistently lower for maths, physics, computer science and engineering, varying from country to country.  Philippe Hiligsmann, Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Luxembourg, underscored the importance of the campaign: “This is more than an event; it is a movement to change things by motivating and inspiring girls to pursue a career in science.”  A Powerful Group of Role Models The event featured a panel of inspiring women from diverse STEM backgrounds, who shared their own personal journeys and ideas: - Hania Tayara, Programme Leader at Native Scientists - Marie-Alix Dalle, Environmental Engineer at ArcelorMittal - Prof. Serge Haan, Full Professor in Biological Chemistry, University of Luxembourg - Laurence Lampecco, Analyst Developer at POST Luxembourg - Prof. Skerdilajda Zanaj, Full Professor in Economics, University of Luxembourg - Marie-Louise Uwizeye, Chargée d'études at Administration de la gestion de l'eau - Monika Zlopasa, Investment Fund Risk Manager at UBS Luxembourg Stéphanie Obertin, Minister for Research and Higher Education in Luxembourg, captured the essence of the event's message when she said, “It's about transforming our society by empowering women in STEM fields. The unique perspectives and ideas they bring to the field enhance problem-solving and spark innovation.” The Challenges: What's Holding Girls Back? The panelists identified several key barriers that contribute to the gender gap: Stereotypes and Gender Roles:  From an early age, girls are exposed to stereotypes that suggest STEM is not for them. Many girls are told, either overtly or subtly, that they are not as good at math or science as boys. These messages, often reinforced by parents, peers, and teachers, can impact their self-confidence and limit their aspirations. As Prof. Skerdilajda Zanaj pointed out, “It's not that girls don't like science, it's that they are taught to believe it's not for them.” Lack of Role Models:  The absence of female role models in STEM fields further discourages girls from pursuing these paths. Research shows that girls are more likely to enter STEM fields if they see women succeeding in them. “For every 10 Google queries asking, ‘Is my daughter gifted?' there are 25 asking, ‘Is my son gifted?'” said Marie-Alix Dalle, an alumna of the University of Luxembourg and an Environmental Engineer at ArcelorMittal. The lack of female role models in leadership positions can make it harder for girls to imagine themselves succeeding in science. Parental Biases:  Parents often unconsciously reinforce gendered expectations. Research has shown that girls are less likely to be encouraged to pursue STEM subjects, particularly in math and technology. This parental influence can have long-term effects on girls' academic choices and self-perception. Workplace and Family Balance:  Women in STEM often face the additional challenge of balancing their careers with family life. Marie-Louise Uwizeye, an engineer and mother of three, shared her experience of working in engineering while raising children: “If you really want to do it, you can. I am a mother of three children, I have a PhD, and I am working full-time. Don't excuse yourself—this is your right.” Despite the challenges, she emphasized that women can thrive in STEM, even as mothers. Breaking the Barriers: Solutions and Strategies To address these barriers, the panelists discussed various strategies that can help increase the number of girls in STEM, especially in leadership positions: Increased Representation of Women in Senior Roles:  One of the critical points raised during the discussion was the importance of seeing women in senior positions within STEM fields. Not only do these role models inspire the next generation, but they also demonstrate that leadership in STEM is achievable for women. “We need to increase the representation of women in science at senior levels to show young girls that it's possible to rise to the top,” said Hania Tayara. Studies show that having female mentors or professors increases the likelihood that girls will continue to pursue STEM studies and careers. Changing Course Content:  Many panelists emphasized the importance of making STEM content more relevant to girls. As Marie-Alix Dalle put it, “Enough talk about cars!” In order to engage more girls, science education must reflect a broader range of interests and real-world applications. “Science should resonate with girls as well,” she added, advocating for curricula that connect STEM to real-world issues like climate change, healthcare, and technology. Mentorship and Support Networks:  Several initiatives are already in place in Luxembourg to support girls in STEM. For example, mentorship programs, such as those offered by Native Scientists and the University of Luxembourg, help guide girls through the uncertainties they may face when applying to university or entering STEM fields. Laurence Lampecco, an analyst developer at POST Luxembourg, shared her personal experience of mentorship and the crucial role it played in her journey: “Having someone who believes in you makes all the difference.” Challenging Societal Norms:  Finally, the discussion underscored the importance of challenging the societal norms that dictate what careers are “appropriate” for men and women. By showcasing the success stories of women in STEM, through media and other platforms, we can shift perceptions and inspire young girls to see these fields as viable career paths. As Monika Zlopasa, a Risk Manager at UBS Luxembourg, pointed out, “We miss out on complementary skills and points of view when we don't have women in STEM. It's not just about representation—it's about making work better, more innovative, and more inclusive.” Moving Forward: A Collective Effort The Girls in SciTech event marked an important milestone in the effort to close the gender gap in STEM. But as the panelists emphasized, real change requires a collective effort from all sectors of society. From parents and teachers to industry leaders and policymakers, everyone has a role to play in creating a more inclusive environment for girls in STEM. Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, stated, “When young girls see women excelling in STEM fields, it serves as an inspiration. It shows them that they too can achieve success in these areas.” By continuing to promote mentorship, support networks, and initiatives like Girls in SciTech, we can ensure that the next generation of STEM leaders includes a balanced representation of both women and men. In the end, the journey towards gender equality in STEM is just beginning. With sustained commitment, collaboration, and advocacy, we can create a world where girls in science are not the exception—but the norm.

The launch of ‘Girls in SciTech' in Luxembourg last week is a movement aimed at empowering girls to pursue careers in Science, Tech, Engineering & Maths The Girls in SciTech campagin, coordinated by Professor Serge Haan, brought together high school students, university alumni, industry professionals, and political leaders, all united to tackle the gender imbalance in STEM fields. How can we encourage more young female minds to take up the ‘hard' sciences rather than just the ‘soft' sciences (life sciences, medicine, biological sciences etc.)? Indeed one can even question the words attributed to the sciences here.  The State of Women in STEM: A Statistical Snapshot Despite incremental progress, women remain underrepresented in STEM, particularly in senior roles. According to Eurostat, 41% of all scientists and engineers in the European Union were women in 2022. The figures are consistently lower for maths, physics, computer science and engineering, varying from country to country.  Philippe Hiligsmann, Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Luxembourg, underscored the importance of the campaign: “This is more than an event; it is a movement to change things by motivating and inspiring girls to pursue a career in science.”  A Powerful Group of Role Models The event featured a panel of inspiring women from diverse STEM backgrounds, who shared their own personal journeys and ideas: - Hania Tayara, Programme Leader at Native Scientists - Marie-Alix Dalle, Environmental Engineer at ArcelorMittal - Prof. Serge Haan, Full Professor in Biological Chemistry, University of Luxembourg - Laurence Lampecco, Analyst Developer at POST Luxembourg - Prof. Skerdilajda Zanaj, Full Professor in Economics, University of Luxembourg - Marie-Louise Uwizeye, Chargée d'études at Administration de la gestion de l'eau - Monika Zlopasa, Investment Fund Risk Manager at UBS Luxembourg - Frank Eyschen, Director Lycée des Garçons Stéphanie Obertin, Minister for Research and Higher Education in Luxembourg, captured the essence of the event's message when she said, “It's about transforming our society by empowering women in STEM fields. The unique perspectives and ideas they bring to the field enhance problem-solving and spark innovation.” The Challenges: What's Holding Girls Back? The panelists identified several key barriers that contribute to the gender gap: Stereotypes and Gender Roles:  From an early age, girls are exposed to stereotypes that suggest STEM is not for them. Many girls are told, either overtly or subtly, that they are not as good at math or science as boys. These messages, often reinforced by parents, peers, and teachers, can impact their self-confidence and limit their aspirations. As Prof. Skerdilajda Zanaj pointed out, “It's not that girls don't like science, it's that they are taught to believe it's not for them.” Lack of Role Models:  The absence of female role models in STEM fields further discourages girls from pursuing these paths. Research shows that girls are more likely to enter STEM fields if they see women succeeding in them. “For every 10 Google queries asking, ‘Is my daughter gifted?' there are 25 asking, ‘Is my son gifted?'” said Marie-Alix Dalle, an alumna of the University of Luxembourg and an Environmental Engineer at ArcelorMittal. The lack of female role models in leadership positions can make it harder for girls to imagine themselves succeeding in science. Parental Biases:  Parents often unconsciously reinforce gendered expectations. Research has shown that girls are less likely to be encouraged to pursue STEM subjects, particularly in math and technology. This parental influence can have long-term effects on girls' academic choices and self-perception. Workplace and Family Balance:  Women in STEM often face the additional challenge of balancing their careers with family life. Marie-Louise Uwizeye, an engineer and mother of three, shared her experience of working in engineering while raising children: “If you really want to do it, you can. I am a mother of three children, I have a PhD, and I am working full-time. Don't excuse yourself—this is your right.” Despite the challenges, she emphasized that women can thrive in STEM, even as mothers. Breaking the Barriers: Solutions and Strategies To address these barriers, the panelists discussed various strategies that can help increase the number of girls in STEM, especially in leadership positions: Increased Representation of Women in Senior Roles:  One of the critical points raised during the discussion was the importance of seeing women in senior positions within STEM fields. Not only do these role models inspire the next generation, but they also demonstrate that leadership in STEM is achievable for women. “We need to increase the representation of women in science at senior levels to show young girls that it's possible to rise to the top,” said Hania Tayara. Studies show that having female mentors or professors increases the likelihood that girls will continue to pursue STEM studies and careers. Changing Course Content:  Many panelists emphasized the importance of making STEM content more relevant to girls. As Marie-Alix Dalle put it, “Enough talk about cars!” In order to engage more girls, science education must reflect a broader range of interests and real-world applications. “Science should resonate with girls as well,” she added, advocating for curricula that connect STEM to real-world issues like climate change, healthcare, and technology. Mentorship and Support Networks:  Several initiatives are already in place in Luxembourg to support girls in STEM. For example, mentorship programs, such as those offered by Native Scientists and the University of Luxembourg, help guide girls through the uncertainties they may face when applying to university or entering STEM fields. Laurence Lampecco, an analyst developer at POST Luxembourg, shared her personal experience of mentorship and the crucial role it played in her journey: “Having someone who believes in you makes all the difference.” Challenging Societal Norms:  Finally, the discussion underscored the importance of challenging the societal norms that dictate what careers are “appropriate” for men and women. By showcasing the success stories of women in STEM, through media and other platforms, we can shift perceptions and inspire young girls to see these fields as viable career paths. As Monika Zlopasa, a Risk Manager at UBS Luxembourg, pointed out, “We miss out on complementary skills and points of view when we don't have women in STEM. It's not just about representation—it's about making work better, more innovative, and more inclusive.” Moving Forward: A Collective Effort The Girls in SciTech event marked an important milestone in the effort to close the gender gap in STEM. But as the panelists emphasized, real change requires a collective effort from all sectors of society. From parents and teachers to industry leaders and policymakers, everyone has a role to play in creating a more inclusive environment for girls in STEM. Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, stated, “When young girls see women excelling in STEM fields, it serves as an inspiration. It shows them that they too can achieve success in these areas.” By continuing to promote mentorship, support networks, and initiatives like Girls in SciTech, we can ensure that the next generation of STEM leaders includes a balanced representation of both women and men. In the end, the journey towards gender equality in STEM is just beginning. With sustained commitment, collaboration, and advocacy, we can create a world where girls in science are not the exception—but the norm.

LUNEX legends undertake the Laponie Trophy to raise money for the Red Cross's programme to support families with trauma in nature. Imagine the drudgery of a one hour commute each way to work: France to Luxembourg and back again, to do an office job for the Red Cross Luxembourg. This was Sonia Barjonnet a few years ago. She wanted to do more for her employer, the Luxembourg Red Cross, rather than ‘just' an office job. Sonia wanted a challenge, and with a random google search for ‘Adventure Travel' she happened upon the Laponie Trophy. Her reasons: “Because I don't like the cold, I've never been to Lapland; because I'm not sporty, I've never run a marathon; for all of these reasons, I signed up, a bit by chance, for the Laponie Trophy in 2024 in aid of the LRC.” This three day event in January, with temperatures hovering around -30 degrees Celsius, takes place in Lapland and requires proper preparation. The first day is a walk / run with rackets for about 10-15km; the second day is an orientation race; the final day involves a Nordic ski 4 x 800m relay race and then an obstacle course. It's not for the faint of heart. On top of hard training, Sonia had to start using social media to communicate and ask for sponsorship.  LUNEX LEGENDS Dr. Kim Buchholtz, born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, is Assistant Professor in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, chair of the exam board and programme leader for the Bachelor in Physiotherapy here at LUNEX in Luxembourg.  “The hill that I am willing to die on is that we should (almost) all be doing more physical activity than we do for our mental and physical health… it's more powerful than medication in preventing disease.” Her motto is ‘Lift as you rise' - use one's privilege and opportunity to provide spaces and mentoring for those less experienced, less privileged and less supported than us to have the same or better opportunities in life than we have had. Kim believes that young adults should be able to see themselves in their role models, and therefore wants to show her current and former students, and patients, that “even a  geriatric millennial with low cold tolerance can trek through the snow at -30 degrees for a good cause!”.  Dr. Buchholtz was recognised in 2018 as one of the Mail and Guardian's 200 Young South Africans in the Health category. https://200youngsouthafricans.co.za/kim-buchholtz-2018/ Dr Johanna Johannsson Ingvarsdottir is a senior lecturer and research fellow in the Department of Health at LUNEX. Similar to Sonia, Johanna had a bucket list of activities she wanted to pursue. One was to visit Lapland, another was to complete a sports challenge. The Laponie Trophy combines both.  Johanna believes “It doesn't matter how slow you go, so long as you don't stop!” Jessie Tembo is the LUNEX Legends Social Media Manager & student.  Sophia Harith is a Research Fellow at LUNEX, lecturer and Programme Leader for Bachelor in International Sports Management, plus a reserve on the team. They would all like to you follow them and their training on social media, but more importantly sponsor them on their GoFundMe page: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/lunexlegends/collectes/lunexlegends-lapony-trophy https://gofund.me/bef3798b Or here: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/lunexlegends/collectes/lunexlegends-lapony-trophy Instagram: @lunex.legends LUNEX www.lunex.lu Croix Rouge Luxembourg Kim and Johanna have also decided to support the Luxembourg Red Cross, but more specifically their Service d'Accompagnement et de Transition (SAT) who organise outdoor activities for children or families at risk of social isolation, or who have just moved here as immigrants. This is led by Melodie Neves. As of today, there are approximately 89 children ranging from 4 to 12 years in age, coming from Turkey, Chile, Colombia, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela, Kosovo, Angola, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, Peru, Eritrea, Gabon and Oman.  Melodie's team built the ‘First welcome' centre for those arriving in Luxembourg fleeing war zones. It is the first point of social contact for these children and their families, when they land in a strange country, entirely aligned with the mission of the Luxembourg Red Cross: to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people. SAT helps children with trauma slowly and gently integrate, learn Luxembourg's languages and culture through building trusting relationships. “Komm mat an d'Natur” was created to offer children and families with trauma the chance to reintegrate with educational activities in nature that strengthen their well-being and develop their social skills. The aim is to combat social isolation and build self-confidence. https://www.raid-feminin.com/sahara-trophy/laponie-trophy-raid/ Croix-Rouge luxembourgeoise (@croixrougelu) https://www.croix-rouge.lu/fr/service/structures-daccueil-et-deducation-integree/ https://www.croix-rouge.lu/en/

LUNEX legends undertake the Laponie Trophy to raise money for the Red Cross's programme to support families with trauma through nature activities. Imagine the drudgery of a one hour commute each way to work: France to Luxembourg and back again, to do an office job for the Red Cross Luxembourg. This was Sonia Barjonnet a few years ago. She wanted to do more for her employer, the Luxembourg Red Cross, rather than ‘just' an office job. Sonia wanted a challenge, and with a random google search for ‘Adventure Travel' she happened upon the Laponie Trophy. Her reasons: “Because I don't like the cold, I've never been to Lapland; because I'm not sporty, I've never run a marathon; for all of these reasons, I signed up, a bit by chance, for the Laponie Trophy in 2024 in aid of the LRC.” This three day event in January, with temperatures hovering around -30 degrees Celsius, takes place in Lapland and requires proper preparation. The first day is a walk / run with rackets for about 10-15km; the second day is an orientation race; the final day involves a Nordic ski 4 x 800m relay race and then an obstacle course. It's not for the faint of heart. On top of hard training, Sonia had to start using social media to communicate and ask for sponsorship.  LUNEX LEGENDS Dr. Kim Buchholtz, born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, is Assistant Professor in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, chair of the exam board and programme leader for the Bachelor in Physiotherapy here at LUNEX in Luxembourg.  “The hill that I am willing to die on is that we should (almost) all be doing more physical activity than we do for our mental and physical health… it's more powerful than medication in preventing disease.” Her motto is ‘Lift as you rise' - use one's privilege and opportunity to provide spaces and mentoring for those less experienced, less privileged and less supported than us to have the same or better opportunities in life than we have had. Kim believes that young adults should be able to see themselves in their role models, and therefore wants to show her current and former students, and patients, that “even a  geriatric millennial with low cold tolerance can trek through the snow at -30 degrees for a good cause!”.  Dr. Buchholtz was recognised in 2018 as one of the Mail and Guardian's 200 Young South Africans in the Health category. https://200youngsouthafricans.co.za/kim-buchholtz-2018/ Dr Johanna Johannsson Ingvarsdottir is a senior lecturer and research fellow in the Department of Health at LUNEX. Similar to Sonia, Johanna had a bucket list of activities she wanted to pursue. One was to visit Lapland, another was to complete a sports challenge. The Laponie Trophy combines both.  Johanna believes “It doesn't matter how slow you go, so long as you don't stop!” Jessie Tembo is the LUNEX Legends Social Media Manager & student.  Sophia Harith is a Research Fellow at LUNEX, lecturer and Programme Leader for Bachelor in International Sports Management, plus a reserve on the team. They would all like to you follow them and their training on social media, but more importantly sponsor them on their GoFundMe page: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/lunexlegends/collectes/lunexlegends-lapony-trophy https://gofund.me/bef3798b Or here: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/lunexlegends/collectes/lunexlegends-lapony-trophy Instagram: @lunex.legends LUNEX www.lunex.lu Croix Rouge Luxembourg Kim and Johanna have also decided to support the Luxembourg Red Cross, but more specifically their Service d'Accompagnement et de Transition (SAT) who organise outdoor activities for children or families at risk of social isolation, or who have just moved here as immigrants. This is led by Melodie Neves. As of today, there are approximately 89 children ranging from 4 to 12 years in age, coming from Turkey, Chile, Colombia, Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela, Kosovo, Angola, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, Peru, Eritrea, Gabon and Oman.  Melodie's team built the ‘First welcome' centre for those arriving in Luxembourg fleeing war zones. It is the first point of social contact for these children and their families, when they land in a strange country, entirely aligned with the mission of the Luxembourg Red Cross: to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people. SAT helps children with trauma slowly and gently integrate, learn Luxembourg's languages and culture through building trusting relationships. “Komm mat an d'Natur” was created to offer children and families with trauma the chance to reintegrate with educational activities in nature that strengthen their well-being and develop their social skills. The aim is to combat social isolation and build self-confidence. https://www.raid-feminin.com/sahara-trophy/laponie-trophy-raid/ Croix-Rouge luxembourgeoise (@croixrougelu) https://www.croix-rouge.lu/fr/service/structures-daccueil-et-deducation-integree/ https://www.croix-rouge.lu/en/

If there's one thing that Covid-19 has unveiled to us, its the shortage of manpower in critical healthcare roles in Singapore, such as radiographers and pharmacists. Adding to this crisis is the growing issue of ageing population, new technology and the expansion of healthcare infrastructure. With that in mind, what role do educational institutions here play in addressing this shortage of manpower? And how are they adapting to the ever changing needs of students? Join Dan Koh on this episode of Money and Me as he speaks to Joshua Yeo, Student at PSB Academy's Bachelor of Science (Honours) Diagnostic Radiography and Imaging and Ms. Candy Luo, Programme Leader at PSB Academy BSc(Hons) Diagnostic Radiography and Imaging to find out more about the future of an increasingly saturated healthcare industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textDr. Camilla Nord leads the Mental Health Neuroscience Lab at the University of Cambridge, where she holds dual positions as Programme Leader at the  Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and Assistant Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Department of Psychiatry. She also holds a Wellcome Career Development Award fellowship, and co-leads an international team of researchers via a Wellcome Mental Health Award. Dr Nord has a longstanding interest in science communication, including many public lectures and a popular science book, The Balanced Brain (Penguin, 2023), a Financial Times, Sunday Times, and Prospect 'Book of the Year'.This episode was made possible by the Royal College of Psychiatrists Academic Faculty and the Margaret Slack Travelling Fellowship.  Interviewed by Dr. Anya Borissova - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com Follow us here: Twitter @thinkingmindpod Instagram @thinkingmindpodcastIf you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.comJoin Our Mailing List! - https://thinkingmindpod.aidaform.com/mailinglistsignupSUPPORT: buymeacoffee.com/thinkingmind

This months episode covers a hot topic in the world of management as Prof. David Spicer hosts Dr Kamran Mahroof and Mark Dolby to discuss Responsible AI. Both Kamran and Mark bring their expertise to the table to explore AI with focus on what it means for businesses. Throughout the episode they explore the uses of AI and how it can be used for creativity along with the risks that come with this. Mark Dolby is a Director and Producer at Story Film and Photography where he leads on photography. Story provide content for businesses including photography, film, animation and print with the aim of bringing clients stories to life. Mark and Story have been involved with the Responsible Management podcast from its launch as they edit and produce the podcast for release. Dr Kamran Mahroof is a returning contributor on the Responsible Management podcast having been a guest on episode 2 focusing on Responsible Supply Chains. Kamran is an Associate Professor here at the University of Bradford and Programme Leader for the MSc in Applied Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics. He holds research interests in supply chain management, circular economy, AI and the societal impact of emerging technologies.

Introduction to Dr. Alice Hunter's Role and Responsibilities- 1:16Dr. Alice Hunter, a Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching at Bournemouth University, shares insights into her responsibilities, including teaching, research, administrative tasks as the Programme Leader, and providing one-to-one support for students. She emphasizes the fusion of teaching, research, and professional practice in her role, linking her academic work to her professional practice hours and her position as the National Teams Officer for British Softball.Challenges in Understanding Research and Academic Concepts- 13:13Michael Wright discusses the challenges of comprehending academic concepts, citing an example of struggling to grasp the research-based content of a podcast on ecological dynamics. He seeks insights on effectively fusing research, teaching, and practical implementation. Alice shares her experience of pursuing a doctorate in sport coaching, emphasizing the practical application of complex theories in coaching practice.Integrating Research into Teaching and Coaching - 16:52Alice emphasizes the need to make research more accessible to coaches and students, drawing from her experience in teaching and coaching. She discusses the value of teaching topics she actively researches and using real-life examples to engage students in discussions and debates, making the content more relevant and relatable.Challenges in Academic Writing- 20:34Alice shares her personal experience as an academic, expressing the difficulties in transitioning from unpaid writing to being paid for research. She emphasizes the tendency to overcomplicate writing in an effort to sound important and be taken seriously by journals. Alice also points out the lack of understanding by readers due to the complexity of academic writing.Coaching Courses and Soft Skills- 22:55Alice shares her efforts in redesigning coaching courses for the British Softball Federation, emphasizing the incorporation of theory without overt labeling. She also highlights the potential for utilizing social media platforms for outreach. Michael Wright expresses curiosity about the shift towards soft skills in coaching courses and discusses the cultural influences on coaching approaches.Phenomenology and Explicitation Methods in Decision Making - 27:57Alice delves into the concept of phenomenology and explicitation methods, emphasizing the need to understand subconscious knowledge in decision making. She discusses the application of these methods in professional rugby and the challenges of implementing them in coaching, highlighting the importance of feedback and the difficulty of avoiding judgmental language during the questioning process.Teaching Through Game Dynamics-40:33Alice explains how the game dynamics of the sport teach the teams important skills like scanning, awareness of teammates, and communication. She highlights the value of learning through fun and chaotic situations, and how it helps in developing dynamic thinking and movement. Alice also discusses the use of call and response techniques to teach the importance of recognizing cues and being dynamic in their approach.Individual vs Team Decision Making-42:06Alice emphasizes the importance of individual questioning and the lived experience of individuals in decision making. Michael explores the idea of bringing individual decision making into a team aspect and discusses the challenges of blending individual and team aspects together.Encouraging and Rewarding Behavior-49:55Alice highlights the significance of encouraging and rewarding desired behavior in coaching sessions, using examples from sports to illustrate her points. She emphasizes the importance of reinforcing learning and understanding, and discusses the use of conditioning in a realistic manner to improve performance and decision-making. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yannick Jacob is an Existential Life and Leadership Coach (MA), a Positive Psychologist (MSc), a Coach Trainer & Supervisor (DIP) and a Mediator (SPCP Dispute Resolution). He's the Program Director of the Accredited Certificate in Integrative Coaching (ACIC) at the School of Positive Transformation (for which he's gathered many of the world's most influential coaches and pioneers) and he was the Programme Leader of the MSc Coaching Psychology at the University of East London (2015-18). Yannick is part of the teaching faculties at The School of Life, Animas Centre for Coaching and the International Centre for Coaching Supervision. His love for coaching, positive existential philosophy and personal development is contagious and he loves to challenge people to think, learn & grow, to explore the BIG questions and to appreciate the whole spectrum of what life has to offer.As a coach Yannick partners with his clients to help them lead and navigate their lives and careers, to make big decisions and, ultimately, find ways to be happy. His long-term vision is to inspire the world to embrace their human condition in all its beautiful and challenging facets and to create a more meaningful human experience. Yannick presents at conferences internationally and his semonal book An Introduction to Existential Coaching was published by Routledge, the world's leading academic publisher.

We live in times that challenge hope. Climate change, pandemic, racism, war and injustice: in the face of these, where we find hope is an urgent question. Susanna Snyder says hope is not just optimism that things will turn out alright, if not in this world then in the next, but is something much more present, supple and resilient. She will explore what hope is and isn't, its surprising relationship with anger, courage, imagination and action, and how we can cultivate and sustain it in our own lives. The Revd Dr Susanna Synder is Programme Leader for Short Courses, Director of Research, and Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at Sarum College in Salisbury.

In this conversation with Yannick Jacob we explore positive psychology and existentialism, prioritizing presence over process, phenomenological inquiry in coaching, integrating an existential approach and the limits and boundaries of coaching. Yannick Jacob is an Existential Coach (MA), Positive Psychologist (MSc), Coach Trainer & Supervisor (DIP) and Mediator (SPCP Dispute Resolution). He is the Program Director of the Accredited Certificate in Integrative Coaching at the School of Positive Transformation and he's the former Programme Leader of the MSc Coaching Psychology at the University of East London. Yannick is part of the teaching faculty at the School of Life, the Animas Centre for Coaching and the International Centre for Coaching Supervision. He also presents at conferences internationally and is the author of An Introduction to Existential Coaching. Visit coachesrising.com to see our acclaimed online coach trainings and other offerings.

This episode features a new book series 'Monarchy, History and Culture' at AUP. The series seeks to publish studies on monarchy, both individual and comparative, from the ancient world to the French Revolution. In this episode, we interview two of the series editors to discuss what kind of work they are hoping to feature and tips for authors who would like to publish their work in the new series.Guest Bios:Erika Gaffney is an acquisitions editor for the AUP. She is also the Founder of the Art Herstory project, to recover the lives and works of historic women artists. Follow Erika on Twitter,  Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky and/or Academia.edu.Aidan Norrie is Lecturer in History and Literature and the Programme Leader of the BA (Hons) English and History Studies degree at the University Campus North Lincolnshire. They are the Managing Editor of The London Journal, the author of Elizabeth I and the Old Testament: Biblical Analogies and Providential Rule (2023), and the co-editor of the English Consorts collection (2022) and Women on the Edge in Early Modern Europe (2019).

This episode of the Trombone Corner is brought to you by The Brass Ark and by Bob Reeves Brass. Join hosts Noah Gladstone and John Snell as they talk with trombonist Dr. Brett Baker. Brett Baker is viewed internationally as a leading performer and educator. He is passionate about encouraging composers to write pioneering new repertoire and is one of the most recorded brass soloists.  Previously Brett was Programme Leader of the Musical Arts Degree at the University of Salford, and is now Marketing Lead for Denis Wick Products, and continues as an Ambassador for Michael Rath Brass Instruments, as well as long serving soloist and Principal Trombone of the Black Dyke Band.  He is a Past Chair and Past President of the British Trombone Society and increasingly works as a conductor and adjudicator in festivals and competitions.  Brett has commissioned many trombone solos with both wind and brass band accompaniment. In 2020 he won the ITA Presidents Award for services to the International Trombone Association were he has featured regularly as a soloist.

A miserable child and a summer festival are at the heart of the short work of philosophical fiction first published by Ursula Le Guin in 1973. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas was sparked by "forgetting Dostoyevsky and reading road signs backwards" was the answer given by the author when asked where she got the idea from. Matthew Sweet is joined by guests including the authors Una McCormack, Naomi Alderman, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson and Kevan Manwaring, and political philosopher Sophie Scott-Brown. They discuss Le Guin's thought experiments and writing career and also the short story called The Ones Who Stayed and Fought which NK Jemisin wrote in response to Le Guin's vision of Omelas. Producer: Luke Mulhall Naomi Alderman's latest novel The Future is out now Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson publishes The Principle of Moments in January 2024 Dr Sophie Scott-Brown is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of East Anglia and is the author of The Histories of Raphael Samuel - A Portrait of A People's Historian Dr Kevan Manwaring is Programme Leader for MA Creative Writing (online) and Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Arts University Bournemouth Dr Una McCormack's books include Star Trek: Picard novel The Last Best Hope You can find many other discussions about science fiction and imagining the future in collections on the Free Thinking programme website including episodes about Philip K Dick, John Rawls, Octavia Butler, Afro-futurism, AI and creativity

Academic Dr Brian Hall talks about his research into the development of communications in the American Expeditionary Force during the Great War. Brian is the Programme Leader, BA (Hons) Contemporary Military & International History, University of Salford.

In the first NHS hospital to be opened in 1948 by then Minister of Health Aneurin Bevan, a prize winning poet and academic has been sitting in the restaurant which serves as the canteen, persuading hospital workers to share their stories and take time to involve themselves in writing. Dr Kim Moore is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her time as NHS75 writer in residence at Trafford General Hospital has led to an anthology being published Untold Stories of the NHS Kim Moore talks to Jade Munslow Ong alongside Kim Wiltshire, who works with the Lime Arts charity to roll out projects like this in healthcare settings and who has created a poetic collage about working in the NHS. Dr Kim Wiltshire is Programme Leader for the BA Creative Writing at Edge Hill university in Lancashire and she has collaborated with Lime Arts as an artist and project manager over 20 years https://www.limeart.org/ Kim Moore's project Untold Stories of the NHS is a partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), MFT's arts for health organisation Lime Arts, Health Education England, and Manchester UNESCO City of Literature and includes a display at Trafford General, and an exhibition in the Manchester Poetry Library running over the Summer. Dr Jade Munslow Ong teaches literature at the University of Salford and is a BBC/AHRC New Generation Thinker Producer: Nancy Bennie This New Thinking conversation is a part of a series of 5 episodes of the Arts and Ideas podcast marking the 75th anniversary of the NHS focusing on new research in UK universities which explores links between the arts and health. It is made in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council, part of UKRI. You can find out more on their website https://www.ukri.org/councils/ahrc/ and if you want to hear more there is a collection called New Research on the website of BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking programme https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0144txn or sign up for the Arts and Ideas podcast on BBC Sounds

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. We hear about Althea McNish, the Trinidadian artist who designed fabric for Queen Elizabeth II. Former Vogue editor Suzy Menkes on the success of the fashion celebration, the Met Gala. The Guatemalan Bishop, Juan Gerardi, killed in his home, after presenting the conclusions of a major investigation into abuses committed during the country's civil war. We remember Harry Belafonte, with a look back at his historic duet with Petula Clark. Plus the fight by the BBC to televise Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. Contributors: Rose Sinclair, Lecturer in textile design at Goldsmiths, University of London. Gavin Douglas, Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer in fashion design at Manchester Metropolitan University. Suzy Menkes, former Vogue International Editor. Ronalth Ochaeta, former head of the Catholic Church's human rights office in Guatemala. Steve Binder, TV producer. Lady Jane Rayne Lacey, a lady in waiting at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. (Photo: Althea McNish Credit: Getty Images)

Eukaryotic cells manage to pull off a number of remarkable feats. One is packing quite a long DNA molecule, with potentially billions of base pairs, into a tiny central nucleus. A key role is played by histones, proteins that provide scaffolding for DNA to wrap around. Histones also appear in archaea (one of the other domains of life), but until recently there wasn't evidence for them in bacteria (the final of the three domains). Todays guest, Tobias Warnecke, is an author on a recent paper that claims to provide such evidence. We discuss this new result, as well as background questions of how cells evolved and what their current structure can teach us about their histories.Support Mindscape on Patreon.Tobias Warnecke received his Ph.D. in biology from the University of Bath. He is currently a Programme Leader and MRC Investigator at the London Institute of Medical Sciences. He is a co-author on A. Hochner et al. (2023), "Histone-Organized Chromatin in Bacteria."Web pageLab web siteGoogle Scholar publicationsTwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was a night to remember when Dame Ellen MacArthur launched 'Bigger Impact, Brighter Futures - Our Ambitions for 2023-2025' at the start of March. These Ambitions detail how we plan to reach, inspire, and support more young people than ever before over the next three years.In this episode you will hear from people who were there that evening and who couldn't be more excited about what the future of the Trust looks like. Head to https://www.ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org/ to read more about our Ambitions and discover the impact dashboard talked about in this episode. Featuring:- Founder and patron Dame Ellen MacArthur- Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust CEO Frank Fletcher- Bhav, Isla and Emily, who recently became volunteers for the Trust having previously been supported by us- Rachel Kirby-Rider and Kate Collins, CEOs of Young Lives vs Cancer and Teenage Cancer Trust respectively- Chair of our Board of Trustees and paediatric oncologist at Birmingham Children's Hospital Dr Dave Hobin- Founder and Programme Leader at New Ways Letetia Gibson

An in-depth look at all elements of Performance in the UAEs first Performing Arts Academy right here in Sharjah. Our 4th Episode is an exciting chat with Paul Spicer who is Programme Leader - Musical Theatre at the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy For more info on SPAA, check out their website: spaa.ae/ Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on your radio (95.00 FM) or online on our website: www.pulse95radio.com ************************ Follow us on Social. www.instagram/com/pulse95radio www.facebook.com/pulse95radio www.twitter.com/pulse95radio www.instagram.com/pulse95radio

An in-depth look at all elements of Performance in the UAEs first Performing Arts Academy right here in Sharjah. On our 3rd Episode, we chat with Candeta Bishop who is the Associate Programme Leader – Production Arts at the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy. For more info on SPAA, check out their website: spaa.ae/ Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on your radio (95.00 FM) or online on our website: www.pulse95radio.com ************************ Follow us on Social. www.instagram/com/pulse95radio www.facebook.com/pulse95radio www.twitter.com/pulse95radio www.instagram.com/pulse95radio

An in-depth look at all elements of Performance in the UAEs first Performing Arts Academy right here in Sharjah. Our First Episode was an interview Matt Ball who is the Associate Programme Leader - Fundamentals at the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy. For more info on SPAA, check out their website: https://spaa.ae/ Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on your radio (95.00 FM) or online on our website: www.pulse95radio.com ************************ Follow us on Social. www.instagram/com/pulse95radio www.facebook.com/pulse95radio www.twitter.com/pulse95radio www.instagram.com/pulse95radio

In this special three part podcast, Ellie Woodacre discusses the English Consorts series with members of the editorial team. This is the third episode, featuring as a conversation with the editors of volumes 2 & 3, Dr Joanna Laynesmith and Dr Aidan Norrie, who is also the lead editor of the entire four-volume series. If you haven't already listened to our first episode on the English Consorts series, where we talked with the whole team, you may want to give it a listen to get the context of the wider four-volume project.  In addition, check out the second episode with the editors of volumes 1 & 4, Dr Danna Messer and Dr Carolyn Harris (respectively). The English Consorts collection, published in Palgrave Macmillan's Queenship and Power  series, reveals the changing nature of English consortship from the Norman Conquest to the present day, through four volumes of innovative and authoritative biographies.Aidan Norrie is Lecturer in History and Programme Leader at the University Campus North Lincolnshire, UK, and the Managing Editor of The London Journal.Carolyn Harris is Instructor in History at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, Canada, and a regular royal commentator in Canadian media.J.L. Laynesmith is Visiting Research Fellow in Medieval Studies at the University of Reading, UK.Danna R. Messer is Senior Acquisitions Editor at Arc Humanities Press, and the Executive Editor of The Encyclopedia of the Global Middle Ages.Elena Woodacre is Reader in Renaissance History at the University of Winchester, UK, Editor-in-Chief of the Royal Studies Journal, and the founder of the Royal Studies Network.

In this special three part podcast, Ellie Woodacre discusses the English Consorts series with members of the editorial team. This is the second episode, featuring a discussion with the editors of volumes 1 & 4, Dr Danna Messer and Dr Carolyn Harris (respectively). If you haven't already listened to our first episode on the English Consorts series, where we talked with the whole team, you may want to give it a listen to get the context of the wider four-volume project.  Our next episode features a conversation with the editors of volumes 2 & 3, Dr Joanna Laynesmith and Dr Aidan Norrie, who is also the lead editor of the entire four-volume series.The English Consorts collection, published in Palgrave Macmillan's Queenship and Power  series, reveals the changing nature of English consortship from the Norman Conquest to the present day, through four volumes of innovative and authoritative biographies.Aidan Norrie is Lecturer in History and Programme Leader at the University Campus North Lincolnshire, UK, and the Managing Editor of The London Journal.Carolyn Harris is Instructor in History at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, Canada, and a regular royal commentator in Canadian media.J.L. Laynesmith is Visiting Research Fellow in Medieval Studies at the University of Reading, UK.Danna R. Messer is Senior Acquisitions Editor at Arc Humanities Press, and the Executive Editor of The Encyclopedia of the Global Middle Ages.Elena Woodacre is Reader in Renaissance History at the University of Winchester, UK, Editor-in-Chief of the Royal Studies Journal, and the founder of the Royal Studies Network.

Aaron Schuman is an American photographer, writer, curator and educator based in the UK. He received a BFA in Photography and History of Art from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1999, and an MA in Humanities and Cultural Studies from the University of London: London Consortium at Birkbeck College in 2003.Aaron is the author of several critically-acclaimed monographs: Sonata, published by Mack in the summer of 2022; Slant, published by Mack, which was cited as one of 2019's "Best Photobooks" by numerous photographers, critics and publications, and Folk, published by NB Books, which also was cited as one of 2016's "Best Photobooks" by numerous people, and was long-listed for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2017. His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in many public and private collections.In addition to to his own photographic work, Aaron has contributed essays, interviews, texts and photographs to many other books and monographs. He has also written and photographed for a wide variety of journals, magazines and publications, such as Aperture, Foam, ArtReview, Frieze, Magnum Online, Hotshoe, The British Journal of Photography and more.Aaron has curated several major international festivals and exhibitions, was the founder and editor of the online photography journal, SeeSaw Magazine (2004-2014) and is Associate Professor in Photography and Visual Culture, and the founder and Programme Leader of the MA/Masters in Photography programme, at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol).On episode 195, Aaron discusses, among other things:SeeSaw MagazineHow he fell into curating……And then teachingEarly interest in documentary photographyWriting to Richard AvedonTakeaways from working for Annie LeibowitzImpact of Wolgang Tilmans Turner Prize show……And the experience of printing for himHow his writing had an important influence on his photographyGetting the balance backFirst book, FolkSlantSonata - trying to see the world through clear, fresh eyes Referenced:Richard AvedonAnnie LeibowitzWolgang TilmansCartier BressonBruce Davidson“I'm not interested in necessarily making explicitly autobiographical work in a kind of diaristic sense, but I am interested in infusing what I do with something that's coming from me. It's a question I ask my students all the time, you know, ‘this is a really good idea for a project but why are you the person to make this project? What do you have to bring to this?' Because, yes, the subject matter itself might be compelling but if you're just doing it in the way that I did with the Tibetan monks, that it's been done a million times before, it's not addding anything to the culture - we already have those pictures.”

Today's episode features Templeton World Charity Foundation President Dr. Andrew Serazin and John Templeton Foundation President Heather Templeton Dill, as they discuss Sir John Templeton's legacy while considering human flourishing at TWCF's first-annual Global Scientific Conference on Human Flourishing. We also hear from conference participants Maritza Trejo, Regional Director for Education Programs for Glasswing International in Central America, and Dr. Duncan Astle, a Programme Leader at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge. Read the transcript of this episode Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

Recent podcast guest Dr Noel Brown (Senior Lecturer in Film and Programme Leader for Film and Visual Culture, Liverpool Hope University) returns for this Footnote episode on Dual Address, and the ways in which children's fiction (and cultural products more broadly) might engage multiple registers and include simultaneous meaning for both child and adult audiences. Listen as Chris, Alex, and Noel discuss its emergence within the field of children's literature and status as a ‘hypothetical' category; relationships to ‘single' address and questions of subtext; the role of humour, literacy, and intertextual referencing; hierarchies of knowledge and taste; and how Dual Address function as a strategy to think through industry, audience appeal, and even the rise of replay home video culture. **Fantasy/Animation theme tune composed by Francisca Araujo** Suggested Readings

Episode 106 marks Chris and Alex's first foray into the filmmaking career of Steven Spielberg as they take on the director's 1982 science-fiction fantasy E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. To help explore the film's status as a landmark of popular U.S. cinema is special guest Dr Noel Brown, who is Senior Lecturer in Film and Programme Leader for Film and Visual Culture at Liverpool Hope University. Noel has published extensively in the areas of children's cinema, family films, and animation, including the recent monograph Contemporary Hollywood Animation: Style, Storytelling, Culture and Ideology Since the 1990s (2020) and edited collection The Oxford Handbook of Children's Film (2022). Listen as the trio discuss the origins of the ‘family film' as a prestige category within histories of Hollywood cinema; the contributions of Spielberg, George Lucas, and E.T. to the reinvention of cinema as family entertainment; emotion and strategies of ‘relatability'; dual address, disposability, and the darkness of Spielberg's stories; outsiderdom and alienation in relation to the realities of American childhood in the 1980s; puppetry, animatronics and the materiality of VFX; traditions of gender performance and radical renditions of masculinity/femininity in animation; and how E.T. navigates the experience of loss and the ability to feel again. **Fantasy/Animation theme tune composed by Francisca Araujo**

To start off season 3 of PhotoWork with Sasha Wolf, Sasha and photographer, writer, curator and educator, Aaron Schuman discuss Aaron's monographs including, SLANT and his latest, SONATA, both published by MACK. Aaron reveals how he was approached to create a Masters program at the University of the West of England and how the idea of research is more than just a singular conscious effort to pursue an idea but a lifelong endeavor that permeates your work. https://www.aaronschuman.com/index.html AARON SCHUMAN is an American photographer, writer, curator and educator based in the United Kingdom. He received a BFA in Photography and History of Art from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1999, and an MA in Humanities and Cultural Studies from the University of London: London Consortium at Birkbeck College in 2003. Schuman is the author of several critically-acclaimed monographs: SONATA, published by MACK in the summer of 2022; SLANT, published by MACK, which was cited as one of 2019's "Best Photobooks" by numerous photographers, critics and publications, including The Guardian, Internazionale, American Suburb X, Photoeye (Jason Fulford / Rebecca Norris Webb), Photobookstore (Vanessa Winship / Mark Power / Robin Titchener), and Deadbeat Club Press (Raymond Meeks / Brad Feuerhelm); and FOLK, published by NB Books, which was cited as one of 2016's "Best Photobooks" by Alec Soth (Photoeye), Sean O'Hagan (The Guardian), and Jason Fulford (TIME), and was long-listed for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2017. His work has been exhibited internationally - at institutions such as Tate Modern, Hauser & Wirth, Christie's London, Christie's New York, the Institute of Contemporary Arts London, the Ethnographic Museum Krakow, Format Festival and elsewhere - and is held in many public and private collections, including the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, The British Library, the National Art Library, and the Museum of Modern Art Library. In addition to to his own photographic work, Schuman has contributed essays, interviews, texts and photographs to many other books and monographs, including Matteo Giovanni: I Had to Shed My Skin (Artphilein, 2022), OK No Response (Twin Palms, 2021), Keeper of the Hearth: Picturing Roland Barthes' Unseen Photograph (Schilt, 2021), Photo No-Nos: Meditations on What Not to Shoot (Aperture, 2021), Amak Mahmoodian: Zanjir (RRB, 2019), Aperture Conversations: 1985 to the Present (Aperture, 2018), Another Kind of Life: Photography on the Margins (Prestel / Barbican, 2018), George Rodger: Nuba & Latuka, The Colour Photographs: The Color Photographs (Prestel, 2017), Alec Soth: Gathered Leaves (MACK, 2015), Visions Anew: The Lens and Screen Arts (University of California Press, 2015), Storyteller: The Photographs of Duane Michals (Prestel / Carnegie Museum, 2014) and The Photographer's Playbook (Aperture, 2014), amongst many others. He has also written and photographed for a wide variety of journals, magazines and publications, such as Aperture, Foam, ArtReview, Frieze, Magnum Online, Hotshoe, The British Journal of Photography and more. Schuman has curated several major international festivals and exhibitions, including: In Progress: Laia Abril, Hoda Afshar, Widline Cadet, Adama Jalloh, Alba Zari (Royal Photographic Society, 2021), Indivisible: New American Documents (FOMU Antwerp, 2016), In Appropriation (Houston Center of Photography, 2012), Other I: Alec Soth, WassinkLundgren, Viviane Sassen (Hotshoe London, 2011), and Whatever Was Splendid: New American Photographs (FotoFest, 2010). In 2018, he served as co-Curator of JaipurPhoto Festival 2018. In 2014, he served as Guest Curator of Krakow Photomonth 2014 - entitled Re:Search, the main programme featured solo exhibitions by Taryn Simon, Trevor Paglen, David Campany / Walker Evans, Clare Strand, Forensic Architecture, Jason Fulford and more. Schuman was the founder and editor of the online photography journal, SeeSaw Magazine (2004-2014). He is Associate Professor in Photography and Visual Culture, and the founder and Programme Leader of the MA/Masters in Photography programme, at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). Find out more at https://photowork.pinecast.co

Episode 97 of the podcast takes on the intergalactic conflicts and rebel alliances of Rogue One (Gareth Edwards, 2016), an anthology feature film and prequel to Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) that tells the origin story of the ‘Rogue One' starfighter squadron and the creation of the Death Star. Special guest for this episode is Dr Jonathan Wroot, who is Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Film Studies at the University of Greenwich. Jonathan has published research on home media formats and Asian cinema distribution, including the co-edited collection entitled New Blood: Framing 21st Century Horror (2021) and his recent monograph on the Zatoichi film and TV franchise. He has also contributed to the podcast series Beyond Japan and Second Features, as well as the 2022 Japan Touring Film Programme. Listen as Chris, Alex, and Jonathan discuss Jedis, the Jidaigeki (時代劇) period film, and longstanding East Asian influences upon the Star Wars saga; the relationship between Zatoichi the blind swordsman and Rogue One's own blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe; hope, alliance, and the religious structures of Gareth Edwards' spin-off story; the generic implications of ‘the Force' upon science-fiction/fantasy distinctions via questions of rationality; digital de-aging technologies and the virtual recreation of youth; and the challenges of Rogue One to expand the Star Wars brand by taking spectators back into the fictional world of Hollywood's most famous space fantasy. **Fantasy/Animation theme tune composed by Francisca Araujo** **This episode was produced and edited by Leon Waldo**

What's the episode about? In this episode, hear Dr Kate Woodthorpe discuss funeral practice and policy, state funeral support, death and loss as relational, public dying and working in academia. Who is Kate?  Kate Woodthorpe became CDAS (the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath, UK) Co-Director in 2021, having joined CDAS in January 2010, and acting as Programme Leader for the Foundation Degree in Funeral Services until 2012. Kate has had articles and book chapters published on funeral costs, state support for funerals, mortuary practice, professional development, cemetery usage, the experience of researching in this area, and public dying. She is on the editorial board for Death Studies, Bereavement Care, Sociology, and Mortality, which she co-edited until 2019. She has advised the UK Government on funeral policy over many years, including in 2016 as a Special Adviser to the Government's Work and Pensions Select Committee Inquiry on Bereavement Benefits, and provided evidence in 2019 to the Competition and Market's Authority Funeral Sector Investigation. She is keen to support the next generation of academics and has published a book for PhD students and early career colleagues entitled 'Survive and Thrive in Academia: the new academic's pocket mentor' (2018, Routledge). How do I cite the episode in my research and reading lists? To cite this episode, you can use the following citation: Woodthorpe, K. (2022) Interview on The Death Studies Podcast hosted by Michael-Fox, B. and Visser, R. Published 1 February 2022. Available at: www.thedeathstudiespodcast.com, DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.19102700 What next? Check out more episodes or find out more about the hosts! Got a question? Get in touch. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thedeathstudiespodcast/message

Chris is a Chartered Ergonomics and Human Factors specialist (think Chartered Accountant, but for understanding design and the human body/ mind) He is also Programme Leader for Loughborough University's MSc in UX Design He shares his experience with dyslexia and how he overcame that to become a Chartered Ergonomics and Human Factors specialist   website : The UX Usability Podcast (podbean.com) Google Scholar :@‪Christopher J. Parker‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬ Linked in @Christopher J. Parker | LinkedIn You Tube @:Design eLearning Tutorials - YouTube Twitter @: Dr Chris Parker (@ChrisUXD) / Twitter