Reflections on the King’s Speech

King Charles has opened parliament for the first time as monarch in the first King’s Speech in more than 70 years. Academics from across the College of Social Science reflect on the government’s key priorities set out by the king. Crime & Justice Proposals for tougher sentences raise concerns about exacerbating the strain on an … Continue reading “Reflections on the King’s Speech”

Who gets a say in the future direction of AI?

By Dr Adam Matthews Senior Research Fellow, School of Education, University of Birmingham This week’s AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park hosted politicians, big tech and academics to come together to forge a shared understanding of AI to create national and international frameworks which ensure frontier AI safety through collaboration in research, evaluation and governance, … Continue reading “Who gets a say in the future direction of AI?”

Leading for fairness in Black History Month

By Steve Gulati Associate Professor, Director of Healthcare Leadership, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham October is Black History Month. It’s also the month assertions have been made at the Conservative Party Conference that the UK is the ‘best country in the world in which to be black’. This provided a sharp contrast to … Continue reading “Leading for fairness in Black History Month”

Black History Month: Saluting Our Sisters in the health service

By Steve Gulati, Director of Healthcare Leadership at HSMC and Diane Phipps, Senior Learning & Development Business Partner at Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust This Black History Month, Steve Gulati invites Diane Phipps from Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust to share her experiences and reflections of her work in … Continue reading “Black History Month: Saluting Our Sisters in the health service”

Saluting Our Sisters: Voices from across the College of Social Sciences

October is an important opportunity to share and celebrate black history. This year’s theme is ‘Saluting Our Sisters’, highlighting the crucial role that black women play in shaping history, inspiring change, and building communities. As a College we have much to contribute and celebrate, be that the groundbreaking research of academics, student success stories, or … Continue reading “Saluting Our Sisters: Voices from across the College of Social Sciences”

Putting it Simply: What is decolonisation?

By Anita Lateano Research Fellow, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham First, we must look at why colonialism is still an issue in today’s universities. Universities are rooted in colonialism. At the height of the British empire, over a quarter of the world’s land mass was covered by British rule. Much of what was taught … Continue reading “Putting it Simply: What is decolonisation?”

Empowering children and young people with vision impairment through PE and sport

By Hester Richardson Department of Disability Inclusion and Special Needs (DISN), School of Education, University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham is currently hosting the IBSA (International Blind Sports Federation) World Games. The IBSA World Games raise awareness of accessibility in sport and celebrate the skills and abilities of athletes with vision impairment. Vision impairment … Continue reading “Empowering children and young people with vision impairment through PE and sport”

Breaking down barriers: Include people with vision impairment in decision-making about their lives

By Dr Ifigeneia Manitsa, Research Fellow in Youth Mental Health, Institute for Mental Health School of Psychology, University of Birmingham People with vision impairment, as well as their families, strive for their inclusion in school, work, and society in general. What is being done to achieve this and how far have we come? Research findings … Continue reading “Breaking down barriers: Include people with vision impairment in decision-making about their lives”

Could borrowing for healthcare be good for financial wellbeing?

By Professor Adele Atkinson, Professor of Practice in Financial Literacy and Wellbeing (CHASM) Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology, University of Birmingham Recent reports of people turning to buy now, pay later (BNPL) solutions to pay for private healthcare raise some interesting issues from the perspective of financial wellbeing. The Money and Pensions Service … Continue reading “Could borrowing for healthcare be good for financial wellbeing?”

Are you a Barbie girl, living in a Barbie world?

By Dr Sameera KhalfeyLecturer in International Relations, Department of Political Science and International Studies No – and I would like to say thankfully not. Life in plastic is not fantastic. Whilst the Barbie franchise has expanded its representation the doll remains a clear representation of societal expectations and norms. The new Barbie movie, directed by … Continue reading “Are you a Barbie girl, living in a Barbie world?”