By Maureen Smojkis, Lecturer in Mental Health School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham A conversation with Kitty Hart-Moxon OBE, a Polish-Jewish survivor of Auschwitz who lived in Birmingham I interviewed Kitty in her home near London in 2010, as part of my research into the Polish Community who arrived in Birmingham after WWII. The … Continue reading “75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz”
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Speaking Truth to Power: How Extinction Rebellion have lost their way
By Dr Alex Oaten, Department of Political Science and International Studies School of Government, University of Birmingham The recent wave of protests organised by the movement Extinction Rebellion (XR) has succeeded in drawing significant attention to the environmental degradation that has become a feature of the modern world. With the government seemingly unwilling to take … Continue reading “Speaking Truth to Power: How Extinction Rebellion have lost their way”
The 2019 spending review and the implications for the NHS
By Judith Smith, Professor of Health Policy and Management and Director of Health Services Management Centre School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham The announcement today of a 3.1 percent real-terms increase in the resource budget of the Department for Health and Social Care is a helpful confirmation of funding uplifts promised for by former … Continue reading “The 2019 spending review and the implications for the NHS”
The automated face of government
By Professor Peter Hupe, Honorary Senior Research Fellow School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham Information technologies have changed many of the daily encounters between individual citizens and government. Such changes vary from ways in which, in some countries, income tax is collected, to day-to-day operational work processes. Digital tax collection In the Netherlands, for … Continue reading “The automated face of government”
NHS Long Term Plan does not provide enough for LGBTQ young people
By Dr Jason Schaub, Lecturer in Social Work Department of Social Work and Social Care, University of Birmingham The 7th January saw the launch of the new NHS Long Term Plan (NHS, 2018). It was surprising that this Plan included only a single mention of LGBTQ people. It correctly identifies that there are particular concerns about LGBTQ … Continue reading “NHS Long Term Plan does not provide enough for LGBTQ young people”
How can we beat Blue Monday?
By Maureen Smojkis, Lecturer in Mental Health Department of Social Work and Social Care, University of Birmingham A combination of post-Christmas blues, cold dark nights and the arrival of unpaid credit card bills have contributed to the third Monday in January being awarded the title of Blue Monday – so what can we do to tackle the … Continue reading “How can we beat Blue Monday?”
Why there’s a case for giving foreign aid to authoritarian regimes
By Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy and International Development International Development Department, University of Birmingham Should democracies give foreign aid to countries that are not democracies? Democratic aid donors don’t have enough money to do all the things they want to in the world, so they need to find ways to decide how to ration aid. … Continue reading “Why there’s a case for giving foreign aid to authoritarian regimes”
How is Gatwick Airport vulnerable to drones?
By Professor David Dunn, Professor in International Politics Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham The recent events at Gatwick Airport show how vulnerable airport infrastructure is from the fast-evolving and disruptive technology of unmanned drones. This vulnerability carries with it the risk of accident and injury or even loss of life. Over … Continue reading “How is Gatwick Airport vulnerable to drones?”
‘A time for giving’ – what to think about when making a charitable donation at Christmas
By Professor Paul Montgomery, Professor of Social Intervention and Doctoral Researcher, Caroline Greenhalgh School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham At this time of year, many of us will be thinking about giving money to Charity. In fact, donations peak in December and last year 37% of households made donations to charities in the last month … Continue reading “‘A time for giving’ – what to think about when making a charitable donation at Christmas”
VIDEO AND PODCAST: Has consumerism stolen Christmas?
By Professor Isabelle Szmigin and Dr Caroline Moraes Business School, University of Birmingham Christmas is a time of cheer – and shopping. For some, the commercialisation of this festive period – from column inches about Christmas adverts to the appearance of gifts and merchandise on shelves three months before – eats into the spirit of things. … Continue reading “VIDEO AND PODCAST: Has consumerism stolen Christmas?”