Trump could learn a lesson or two from Bush on “Fake News”

By Christopher Featherstone, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Political Science and International Studies School of Government, University of Birmingham Fake news, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, can be “false stories that appear to be news, spread on the internet or using other media, usually created to influence political views or as a joke.” The accusations … Continue reading “Trump could learn a lesson or two from Bush on “Fake News””

New Refugee Integration Indicators for the UK and Beyond

By Professor Jenny Phillimore, Department of Social Policy, Sociology & Criminology  School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham 2017 saw the highest number of displaced people ever at 68.5m (UNHCR 2018) – therefore it is no surprise that interest in refugee integration continues to increase. The arrival of refugees in Europe in 2015 generated much … Continue reading “New Refugee Integration Indicators for the UK and Beyond”

What is developmental leadership?

Kyle Smith, DLP and Professor David Hudson, International Development School of Government, University of Birmingham Development and change take more than a leader: it takes organisation, politics, a network and a voice. Political will alone is not enough. Follow Teuila’s journey in creating change. By working with a diverse group of individuals and organisations from … Continue reading “What is developmental leadership?”

Why compulsory voting alone can’t fix a broken political system

Dr Susan Dodsworth, International Development Department School of Government, University of Birmingham This Saturday, Australians – myself among them – will vote in a federal election. As in previous elections, voter turnout is expected to exceed 90%, in part because Australia is one of a handful of countries to enforce compulsory voting. Whenever Australia’s high … Continue reading “Why compulsory voting alone can’t fix a broken political system”

A marathon, not a sprint: Supporting the carers of people with dementia

Professor Jon Glasby, Professor of Health & Social Care and Head of Social Policy and Siân Thomas, Lecturer, Social Work and Social Care School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham In 2019, the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK joined forces as the London Marathon ‘charity of the year’ and to launch a ‘dementia revolution’ … Continue reading “A marathon, not a sprint: Supporting the carers of people with dementia”

Teachers and Knife Crime

Professor Colin Diamond CBE, Professor of Educational Leadership School of Education, University of Birmingham When government ministers are looking for a soft target to test out their latest ideas or deflect blame for the failure of their policies, you can guarantee that they will turn to schools. In recent years secretaries of state have pronounced … Continue reading “Teachers and Knife Crime”

Should dogs be introduced to the classroom?

By Alison Broad, Director of Primary Education School of Education, University of Birmingham Dogs have traditionally assisted humans and their supportive roles continue to evolve and diversify. There are now courtroom facility dogs (Kaiser 2015) and even funeral therapy dogs, offering ‘love and support to the bereaved’ (Snead, 2018). More than half of Canadian universities … Continue reading “Should dogs be introduced to the classroom?”

Asking artists to take a look at the ‘man in the mirror’

By Aidan Thompson, Director of Strategic Initiatives The Jubilee Centre for Character & Virtues, University of Birmingham Can an artist produce ‘good’ art and not be a ‘good’ person? Does it matter whether they are ‘good’ or not? Are the definitions of ‘good’ even comparable? And who gets to determine what ‘good’ means? Definitions of … Continue reading “Asking artists to take a look at the ‘man in the mirror’”

How can we tackle the decline of modern languages?

By Dr Adam Cooke, Lecturer in Language Education School of Education, University of Birmingham The idea that languages may be struggling as a curriculum area is hardly new. The legendary Eric Hawkins first discussed a crisis in language learning way back in 1976. The issues so prevalent then: limited take up during the later secondary … Continue reading “How can we tackle the decline of modern languages?”

Advancing Equality in Higher Education

By Professor Kalwant Bhopal, Professor of Education and Social Justice Centre for Research in Race and Education, University of Birmingham An exploratory study of the Athena Swan and Race Equality Charters On Wednesday 13th March, Professor Kalwant Bhopal and Dr Holly Henderson participated in a dissemination event held at the University of Birmingham to discuss … Continue reading “Advancing Equality in Higher Education”