By Professor Kiran Trehan, Department of Management, University of Birmingham Leadership on International Women’s Day is about reflection, advocacy, and action but it is also about leadership that engages all your senses, not just our minds. I wake up this morning, it’s a lovely spring day, fresh, sunny, with the promise of hope in the … Continue reading “Should I walk in my own shoes or in the shoes of others?”
Putting gender on the agenda in the refugee “crisis”
By Professor Jenny Phillimore Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology, University of Birmingham Violence, insecurity, persecution, and human rights violations have led to the forced displacement of an estimated 68.5 million people (UNHCR, 2018a). Of these, 25.4 million are refugees – the highest number ever recorded (UNHCR, 2018a). As Project Lead of the SEREDA … Continue reading “Putting gender on the agenda in the refugee “crisis””
Is the British economy facing ‘troubled times’?
By Professor Aditya Goenka Department of Economics, University of Birmingham “Troubled times had come to my hometown” (Springsteen, 1986) Since the Brexit vote in June 2016, the British economy has been slowing down, with the growth rate in the last quarter of 2018 at just 0.2%, the slowest since 2012. This should be seen in the … Continue reading “Is the British economy facing ‘troubled times’?”
Is the new teacher retention plan feasible?
By Frances Child and Dr Anita Soni School of Education, University of Birmingham From offering cash incentives to a cut down on paperwork, recent plans by the Department of Education, led by Education Secretary Damian Hinds, have set out to tackle the apparent teacher retention crisis in the UK. This serious attempt to address the teacher … Continue reading “Is the new teacher retention plan feasible?”
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?”