By Kalsoom Akhtar, Lecturer in Primary Education (Mathematics), School of Education,University of Birmingham Rishi Sunak’s recent announcement has sparked a lot of discussion on the importance of studying maths for 16 to 18-year-olds, generating a mixed reaction from different sectors of society. As someone who is passionate about maths education, I see the opportunities this … Continue reading “Do Rishi Sunak’s ‘maths to 18’ plans add up?”
Can the “Big Help Out” reverse the decline in volunteering?
By Professor John Mohan, Director of the Third Sector Research Centre, University of Birmingham On the back of the coronation of King Charles, a number of the UK’s most prominent volunteer-involving charities have launched a national volunteering initiative, the Big Help Out. Simultaneously a celebration of volunteering and an attempt to inspire people to engage … Continue reading “Can the “Big Help Out” reverse the decline in volunteering?”
Working with long Covid, the case for better evidence and knowledge in the workplace
By Rebecca Riley, Associate ProfessorBirmingham Business School A new report from the TUC and the charity Long Covid Support reveals as many as two-thirds of UK workers with long Covid have faced unfair treatment. Based on the work of City REDI and my own personal experience, I reflect on their findings and recommendations. An estimated … Continue reading “Working with long Covid, the case for better evidence and knowledge in the workplace”
Local councils must work harder at enabling women to be councillors
By Jason Lowther, Director of the Institute for Local Government Studies (INLOGOV), University of Birmingham Published on INLOGOV Blog Local councils can and must do more to enable women to be councillors. Haringey’s new cabinet shows that this can be done, but fifty years after all government elected officials across the UK were finally elected … Continue reading “Local councils must work harder at enabling women to be councillors”
Putting it Simply: What is the Good Friday Agreement?
By Professor Joanne Murphy Department of Management The Good Friday or Belfast Agreement of April 10th 1998, is an international Treaty signed by the British and Irish Governments and is generally regarded to have brought about an end to the long-running conflict in Northern Ireland known as ‘the Troubles’. The Agreement was the culmination of … Continue reading “Putting it Simply: What is the Good Friday Agreement?”
Reflections on the 2023 Spring Budget: expert opinions
Nearly two weeks on from the Spring Budget announcement, we’re looking back on the policy changes, responses, and how they will affect you. Support for energy bills “The Chancellor has announced that the energy price guarantee will remain unchanged at £2,500 until June 2023. In the meantime, the household winter discount of £400 on energy … Continue reading “Reflections on the 2023 Spring Budget: expert opinions”
Why SVB’s bankruptcy isn’t surprising
By Dr Huw MacartneyDepartment of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham Edited version of an article originally published on iai We’re asking the wrong kind of questions surrounding the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Five main issues have emerged thus far: business models; stability; moral hazard; regulation; and tightening. But without considering the … Continue reading “Why SVB’s bankruptcy isn’t surprising”
The Energy Price Cap and Price Guarantee: What does it mean for your energy bill?
By Dr Annum RafiqueCity Region Economic and Development Institute, University of Birmingham The energy price cap sets a maximum price that energy suppliers can charge consumers for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy they use. The price cap is for those customers who do not shop around for tariffs and are using default energy tariffs … Continue reading “The Energy Price Cap and Price Guarantee: What does it mean for your energy bill?”
ChatGPT in education: how much work should we outsource to AI?
By Dr Adam MatthewsSchool of Education OpenAI’s ChatGPT uses machine learning to capture swathes of internet texts to create content which is capable of human-like responses to questions and follow-up dialogue. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this form is generative; it can create content such as audio, code, images, text and videos – many of the … Continue reading “ChatGPT in education: how much work should we outsource to AI?”
Closing The Gender Pay Gap: Are we nearly there now in 2023?
By Professor Fiona Carmichael, Professor Scott Taylor and Dr Marco Ercolani, Birmingham Business School Workplace gender inequality is a global phenomenon. The Gender Pay Gap (GPG), measuring the difference between men’s and women’s mean or median [1] wages, is the most evident and direct manifestation of gender inequality. The persistence of such a basic problem … Continue reading “Closing The Gender Pay Gap: Are we nearly there now in 2023?”