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Geography lecturers team up with South Pacific colleagues to explore energy use
Dr Sarah Hemstock, Programme Leader for Geography, and Dr Mark Charlesworth, Associate Tutor in Geography, from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have teamed up with Ranjila Devi Singh, from the University of the South Pacific, to publish a new paper on Household energy use and public health. The paper outlines the use of traditional bioenergy in direct correlation to indoor air pollution and health. Dr Hemstock, Charlesworth and Devi Singh explain how current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, are currently not being met. The use of bioenergy and its impacts on indoor air pollution and health are in direct contradiction to SDG3: Good Health and Wellbeing which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. The paper recommends ways in which SDG3 can be reached, with recommendations at a country wide level that will help to ensure a healthy life for all those who live there. Dr Hemstock’s previous works have also focused on bioenergy and sustainable development. Household Energy Usage, Indoor Air Pollution, and Health is a section in the Good Health and Well-being volume of the Encyclopaedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. You can find the publication here. You can find more information on our Geography courses on our website, by contacting our Enquiries Team or by coming along to one of our Open Days. -
Learn about the real 'Gentleman Jack' in BGU Lecturer's latest article
If you’ve been enjoying ‘Gentleman Jack’, the BBC drama exploring the diaries of industrialist Anne Lister, then the latest article by Dr Cassie Ulph, lecturer in English Literature at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), will be for you. Dr Ulph’s article looks at Lister's membership of the Halifax Literary and Philosophical Society, of which she was the first female member, and her ambitions to make a lasting mark on her home town. It is well known that Anne Lister was the first female member of the Halifax Literary and Philosophical Society, but what is less well known is how involved she really was with that society, and how common female membership of such a society was. This article explores how the idea of female membership was debated in the wave of Literary and Philosophical Societies that flourished in the early 19th century, and uses Lister’s diaries and letters to explore her civic ambitions for her hometown of Halifax and her dynastic ambitions for the Lister name. While Lister was a member of the Lit. and Phil. on paper, evidence of her attendance and participation is scarce; however, her donations to the founding of a new Halifax museum (one of the aims of the society) were significant, particularly given her usually careful spending. What we find from her diaries and letters is a desire to ‘make something…by mind or money’ in spite of barriers to women’s participation in such clubs and societies. This article thus demonstrates how common aims brought together the men of the Literary and Philosophical Society with this ambitious and unusual woman, but it also questions the extent to which women in this period, even one as unconventional as Lister, could ever truly access or influence this associational world, and the alternative means they found to participate in intellectual culture. Staff and students at BGU can access the full article here (login required). If you are interested in finding out more about studying English at BGU, visit our website, contact our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. Image source -
Exploring the treatment of problematic sexual interests across different countries
Helen Elliott, lecturer in Counselling at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), has collaborated in a new publication exploring the "Psychological treatment of problematic sexual interests: cross-country comparison". The paper, published in the International Review of Psychiatry journal, reviews the use of psychotherapeutic approaches to treat individuals who have committed sexual crimes and/or have problematic sexual interests (PSI); including types of psychotherapy used, descriptions of preventive and reintegration programmes, and highlighting specific theoretical controversies. It also features contributions by experts from Canada, the Czech Republic, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, who participated in an International Consensus Meeting held in Prague (2017), summarizing treatment programmes in their countries. Discussing the findings of the publication, Helen highlighted the potential benefits and difficulties of international comparisons: “The comparison revealed some general findings: each country has variability between its own programmes; most countries have different programmes for people who are in custody and who are in the community; the state-directed treatment programmes are primarily focused on criminal individuals, while non-criminal individuals are treated in preventive programmes and/or in special clinics or are untreated; the presence of PSI in patients is acknowledged in most programmes, although specific programmes exclusively for individuals with PSI rarely exist. Studies on effectiveness are difficult to compare due to methodologic, political, and cultural differences. Further communication between more countries to share knowledge about successful treatments and preventive approaches is needed, especially enhanced international collaboration between researchers and clinicians to verify the effectiveness of current clinical and experimental program.” You can find more information on our BA Psychology and Counselling degree course by visiting our website, contacting our Enquiries Team or by joining us on one of our Open Days. Klapilová, K., Demidova, L., Elliott, H., Flinton, C., Weiss, P., & Fedoroff, P., (2019), Psychological treatment of problematic sexual interests: cross-country comparison, International Review of Psychiatry. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2019.1591353 -
Experiences of Lincolnshire Female Third Sector Leaders to be Explored in Scoping Event
Staff from the Psychology department at Bishop Grosseteste University are working in partnership with Involving Lincs and the Community Fund to facilitate a scoping event relating to resilience in leadership, specifically focusing on women in the Third Sector in Lincolnshire. They would like to hear from sector leaders to establish opportunities, aspirations, successes, barriers and needs. This feedback will then help them inform potential collaborative networking, project work and research. The initial meeting will take place at BGU on Tuesday 25th June from 10am until 12pm. This is a fantastic opportunity to not only share your experiences with like-minded peers, but also to have a hand in shaping relationships across the county. In addition to sector leaders there are also opportunities for students to be involved both in the running of the day and with follow up work in project and research development. For more information contact Thomasin Nicholds, Lecturer in Psychology at BGU. If you are interested in finding out more about studying Psychology at BGU, visit our website, contact our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. -
Academics Explore Research Partnerships with International Visitors
Academics from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) welcomed Kerem and Meral Coşkun from Artvin Çoruh University in Turkey to explore and discuss potential collaborative research opportunities. Their planned research is based on the social, emotional and moral development of young children and has developed from a collaborative article ‘Is it possible to teach values without social psychology?’ (International Journal of Progressive Education, 14 (6). pp. 38-50. ISSN 1554-5210) written by BGU’s Dr Pat Beckley and academics from Artvin Çoruh. Dr Beckley discussed the new research and how it would build on the existing work carried out by the collaborative group: “The research builds on previous comparative studies the group have undertaken and focuses on differences and similarities between perceptions of social, emotional and moral development in selected primary school sites in England and Turkey. It is proposed to broaden those participating in the studies in both countries. It is an exciting opportunity for BGU as it creates a dynamic collaboration between two similar sized universities which have teacher training as a fundamental element of their work.” If you’re interested in a future in Early Years provision or Teaching there are few institutions that can provide a better experience than BGU. You can find information on our range of education based courses on our website, or by contacting our Enquiries Team. -
BG Futures Provide Carrington Communications with the “Perfect Stepping Stone” to Success
In January 2018 digital PR agency Carrington Communications began their journey as a tenant of the BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre. After a highly successful year, and with expansion and new premises on the horizon, Carrington’s Founder, Rob Tomkinson, shares his start-up story and explains how the support of the BG Futures team has helped the company reach its goals. Since graduating from university Rob has always worked in PR. After moving to Lincolnshire he observed a gap in the market for an energised digital PR agency, thus sparking the inspiration for launching Carrington Communications: “No one in Lincolnshire was doing digital PR, even though the city, and region, was growing fast and there was a big need for it. I decided to build an agency that would be known for the quality of its work and the impact it had on its customers, above anything else.” Although Rob’s PR expertise had been refined over the years, owning his own business proved challenging in its own way, he used the examples of others’ success to try to determine his own: “I looked at other business owners around me who I respected - what sets them apart, in my view, is being brave enough to take the bold decisions - that’s what I’ve tried, and keep trying, to do; if the figures stack up, then we can make it work.” However, Rob is not one to become too comfortable in terms of measuring success: “I hope I never think I’ve become a successful ‘entrepreneur’ - there’s a danger and complacency in that which I want to avoid at all costs!” When asked about top tips for aspiring entrepreneurs, Rob placed significant importance on getting the “‘boring’ backroom bits right from the start”, building new relationships with other business people who share your values, and finally: “Delegate! That’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way a couple of times. I thought I was holding on to my early clients out of loyalty to give them the best service, but in reality they got a better service once I brought in the team here in to work alongside me.” Alongside these lessons, finding the right environment to thrive in has also been key for Carrington and in BG Futures they feel they found the perfect place for any start-up: “It’s been so good for us. Even though it was exciting when we took on our first office, it was pretty daunting too. The team at BG Futures gave us everything we needed. It’s a perfect stepping stone for new businesses looking for their first office. The location’s great, the offices are peaceful, the internet’s good and the on-site coffee shops are perfect for client or team meetings. Working around other start-ups has been really beneficial, as have the workshops that they run here - we even hosted our own for other tenants on doing PR on a budget. We’re pleased to be growing but sad to be leaving too - I’d recommend BG Futures to anyone.” Becky Goodman, Enterprise Development Manager at BG Futures, expressed her team’s pride at being a part of Carrington’s growth: “It is great to see how Rob has developed Carrington from a one person business in a small unit, to one with a team expanding to one of our largest units within just 18 months, and although we will miss the team being with us within BG Futures, it is great that we have been able to give them the initial support and foundations upon which they will continue to build their business. And as with any of the businesses that start their journey with us in BG Futures, they never really leave us, just relocate” If you have got a vision for your own business but aren’t sure where to begin then the BG Futures team are the perfect place to start. With facilities and expert support available in their incubation centre, they’ll be able to get you on the road to success. Visit our website or contact them today to see how you can start your own adventure. -
General Practice Nursing Trainees Enjoy Unique Sessions and Guest Speakers
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) welcomed Gill Beardmore this week as she delivered a talk to our General Practice Nurse (GPN) trainees about their funded programme and the motivations behind developing a career as a GPN. Gill is RN & Queens Nurse and works for Health Education England as Primary Care Nurse Workforce Lead in the East Midlands. She was also involved in the development of the NHS 10 point plan to look at novel ways to better train General Practice nurses, of which BGU’s new Post Graduate Certificate in General Practice Nursing (PG Cert in GPN) is a part, and the overall proof of concept for the new GPN trainees. Joining our trainees, who are now a third of the way through their programme, Gill discussed the importance of their course and its potential impact on healthcare training across the UK. The PG Cert in GPN is a completely new model of training for General Practice Nursing covering wider skills and practices designed to futureproof the profession. While the BGU course is currently one of only two on offer across the UK, if it is successful the model will be rolled out nationwide. Following Gill’s presentation the trainees took part in a session exploring blood test interpretation. Led by Dr Graham Basten, Head of the School of Social Sciences at BGU, blood test interpretation is one of the new skills being covered by the course. General Practice nurses would not normally be trained in this area and its inclusion, in addition to being part of the evolution of the General Practice nursing role, is completely unique to BGU. The PG Cert In General Practice Nursing is a fantastic opportunity for health care professionals to up skill and provides a pathway into the developing course portfolio within the School of Social Science at BGU which reflects current and future needs of the health and social care sector. Other current courses include Master's in Health & Social Care Leadership and Primary & Community Care. To find out how these courses can help develop your healthcare skills visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team. -
War injuries and Skinheads take the stage as BGU students share their prize winning research at history conference
Connie Wragg and Lewis Bird, third year History students at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), presented their research and engaged in discussions at the regional Undergraduate Dissertation Showcase. Run by the East Midlands Centre for History Learning and Teaching (EMC), the Showcase drew speakers from across the East Midlands and encouraged discussions on a very diverse range of historical topics, including the cultural history of milk, female poisoners, and the Black Panther Movement. Both Lewis’ and Connie’s presentations focused on their dissertation specialisms. Lewis examined the politicisation of the Skinhead movement, explaining the group’s multicultural origins before discussing the reasons for their later far right associations, with a particular focus on the role of the media. Connie meanwhile provided an overview of her research on perceptions of maxillofacial injury during the First World War, and the impact that losing their face had on these soldiers’ self-identity. Both presentations were well received, with Connie’s sharing the prize for best presentation of the day with Anya Maude (University of Nottingham) and Kieran Blake (University of Lincoln). Dr Hazel Kent, BGU’s steering group representative for the EMC, accompanied Lewis and Connie to the event and praised the pair for their hard work: “This was a truly inspiring event which demonstrated the depth and range of historical research being done at undergraduate level. Lewis and Connie were superb ambassadors for History at BGU and I am so pleased they took this opportunity to communicate their original and intriguing research to a wider audience. The standard of the presentations was extremely high and I am delighted that Connie’s was judged to be one of the best”. If you would be interested in joining these discussions visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team for more information on our wide range courses including a selection of joint honours BA History degrees, our MA in Social & Cultural History and our new BA (Hons) in Military History. -
Lecturer leads on behavioural diversity at European business event
Chris Jackson, Senior Lecturer and Team Coach in the Business and Enterprise Department at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), represented the University at the recent Academic Adventures event at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) in Finland. Traveling as Part of the Erasmus+ programme, Chris delivered two sessions on the importance of behavioural diversity in learning teams and took part in sessions that discussed how BGU use the Team Academy model of 'learning by doing' in our own BA(Hons) Team Entrepreneurship programme. The event was attended by delegates from across Europe who were keen to explore how self-determined or 'project-based' learning can be used in disciplines other than business, including HR, Physiotherapy and Teacher Education. This is in response to some academic institutions moving away from subject-specific delivery and embracing different models of learning. Returning from the Academic Adventures event Chris commented: "The response from delegates was very positive. This was largely due to the fact that delegates were able to hear first-hand from students and team coaches as to how the methodology is implemented and then acted upon. Just as at BGU, the process of the business course learning is that students have to design and run their own business projects - they're expected to earn as they learn!" "However, Team Academy methods aren't restricted to learning about business within higher education. Other disciplines may well want to explore business or enterprise elements, but then it's possibly more about adding value and difference than making money. "The way that this process works in academia is that projects are designed and executed by students in ways that address a particular issue. As the process evolves, they identify gaps in their knowledge - they discover what they don't know. The thing is, this differs from project to project and student to student, making the individual learning very relevant. As projects progress, learners are encouraged to underpin their experience with relevant academic theory - their experienced combined with their academic learning provides observable and assessable criteria." Finland are world-leaders in education and BGU have been using methodology closely aligned to the Tiimiakatemia model of business learning for four years. If you’re interested in a future in international business or in starting your own company, our business courses are the perfect path to take. You can find more information on them on our website or by contacting our Enquiries Team. -
Academics complete international project exploring personalised learning
Academics from the School of Teacher Development at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have completed work on an Erasmus+ project this month, attending the final meeting in The Netherlands to showcase their output. The Erasmus+ project, on Personalised Learning in Primary and Secondary education phases, included research teams from The Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Finland and the BGU UK team. The academics involved from the School of Teacher Development were; Dr. Emma Clarke, Kevin McLaughlin, Shaun Thompson, Dr. Jonathan Wainwright and Aimee Quickfall. The BGU team joined the project in January this year, taking over from a school partner in Lincoln, and quickly became part of a strong research group across Europe during visits to The Netherlands and Sweden in the spring. Their output is the 'teacher profile' - a tool for teachers across Europe to assess their own level of personalised learning practice, with advice and targets if they wish to increase their level of skill in this area as Dr Clarke explained: “The toolkit is deliberately non-judgemental, for teachers to use individually or with peers. It avoids suggesting that some teaching approaches are better than others - but will support practitioners who wish to develop key personalised learning skills.” As part of the final project meeting, the Erasmus+ team presented to teachers and leaders in The Netherlands. Returning from the meeting Aimee commented: “It has been a pleasure to be involved in this European project, with researchers who have different backgrounds, settings and perspectives, but who share a passion for improving education and professional development for teachers. We have built relationships with our partner teams and hope we can continue to develop our links and projects.” The completed project will 'go live' in the autumn of 2019. If you’re interested in a future in education, our BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (3 year undergraduate degree), BA (Hons) Primary Teaching Studies with QTS (15 month top up degree), and PGCE courses are the perfect ways to begin or continue your adventure on the path to becoming a fantastic teacher! If you have any questions, our Enquiries Team are ready to help. Contact them today or visit our website to find out how to take your next steps.
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