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Up to four scholarships are being offered to students who have sought refuge in the UK The donor, Matthew Crummack, is CEO of Domestic & General, former CEO of GoCompare and lastminute.com and an alumnus of Aston University The Scholarships are named after the donor’s grandfather, Ernest Edward, who left school at 12 to work in a coal mine. Aston University is launching a new sanctuary scholarship scheme for students who have sought refuge in the UK. Up to four sanctuary scholarships are on offer, due to a generous donation by prominent businessperson Matthew Crummack, currently chief executive of Domestic & General. They will be known as The Ernest Edward Scholarships in memory of the donor’s grandfather, Ernest Edward Crummack, who left school aged 12 to work in a coal mine. Matthew graduated with a BSc in International Business and French at Aston University in 1993. His career to date has taken him into well-known companies such as GoCompare, lastminute.com, Expedia, Nestlé and Procter & Gamble. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Aston University in 2016, in recognition of his professional achievements and service to the University. Ernest Edward Scholars will receive a full tuition fee waiver and up to £25,000 throughout their course to help with living costs. Language assistance will also be offered if required, as well as support from Aston University Students’ Union and professional mentoring support. To be eligible for an Ernest Edward Scholarship, applicants must be an asylum seeker, the partner or dependant of an asylum seeker or an asylum seeker/refugee/partner/dependant who has been granted Discretionary Leave to Remain (DLR) or some other form of temporary status. Applicants need to apply for an eligible Aston University course - any three-year undergraduate or one-year postgraduate programme - before applying for a scholarship. Applications will close on 12 June for the 2022 round. Speaking about his motivation for funding the scholarships, Matthew said: “My grandfather, whom I sadly never met, had little choice but to leave school at 12 to work in a coal mine. “100 years on, so many young people and especially young refugees, still find themselves challenged to grow and fulfil their potential. I hope that these scholarships will create that opportunity and pave the way for some of tomorrow’s leaders. “I strongly value my Aston University education and believe that business and individuals can take a leadership role in giving back to those facing challenge.” Saskia Loer Hansen, Interim Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, said: “Young people seeking asylum in the UK are likely to have experienced trauma and will have lost much which cannot be replaced. The Ernest Edward Scholarship can contribute to a brighter future, made possible by education. It offers hope and an opportunity for respite. “On behalf of Aston University, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Matthew for his generous and compassionate support in helping to make Aston University a safe haven. It is an act of kindness which will have a profound effect on those young lives.” More information about The Ernest Edward Scholarships is available here.
Aston University cyber expert to appear at FinTech event in Birmingham
'FinTech Secured – Next Generation' will showcase the work of leading stakeholders in the research and development of financial technology (FinTech) and security Professor Vladlena Benson will offer insight on illicit money flows and trends in Financial Security Registrations are now open for the event on 7 June 2022 at The Compound, Birmingham. The director of the Cyber Security Innovation (CSI) Centre at Aston University is set to appear at a networking event around financial technology (FinTech). Following the success of their first flagship event of 2022 ‘Secure by Design, Advanced Manufacturing’, Midlands Cyber will launch 'FinTech Secured – Next Generation' on the 7 June 2022. The event will be the first face to face event after the pandemic in Birmingham, bringing together thought leaders and service applications specialists for an evening of industry networking. Professor Vladlena Benson, who also serves on the EU’s Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) task force defining the Cybersecurity Skills Framework at the European level, will be joined by contacts from within the cryptocurrency sector and offer insight on illicit money flows and trends in financial security. The event will also showcase the work of leading stakeholders in the research and development of FinTech and financial security. FinTech’s academic innovators, CEOs and company founders, entrepreneurs, contractors, investors and policymakers are encouraged to register now to discuss, participate, network and put their questions to our panel of industry experts. Professor Vladlena Benson, an industry-recognised expert in cybersecurity risk management and director of CSI Centre at Aston Business School, said: “Financial services are core to the UK economy and continue to be a common target for cyber criminals. Challenges to the insurance sector and cyber crime prosecution when crypto assets are involved are emerging and at the CSI we are working to provide forensic and data integrity solutions which help secure the FinTech sector.” User of contactless Europay, Mastercard, and Visa (EMV) may be interested in the insights of Tom Chothia, reader in cyber security at the University of Birmingham, on how the vulnerabilities of Apple Pay and Visa could enable hackers to ’Take £1000 from a locked iPhone’. Registrations are now open to join the cluster at 18:00 hrs on the 7 June 2022 at The Compound, Birmingham.
Aston University Pathway to Healthcare programmes shortlisted in Student Social Mobility Awards
Pathway to Healthcare programmes shortlisted for University Access Initiative in the 2022 Student Social Mobility Awards University Access Initiative of the Year Award judged by student vote and panel Aston University Pathway to Healthcare programmes were shortlisted from more than 250 nominations. The Aston University Pathway to Healthcare programmes have been shortlisted for the University Access Initiative of the Year Award in the 2022 Student Social Mobility Awards. The Pathway to Healthcare programmes which launched in 2016 are designed to raise students’ aspirations, support their attainment, improve progression and provide experiences to enhance UCAS applications when applying for medical and other healthcare courses. During the 18-month programme, students are given the opportunity to take part in healthcare subject taster days, work experience in various healthcare settings and A level revision boot camps. Following the success of the first pathway programme for Year 12/13, the Keith Bradshaw Introduction to Healthcare programme was launched in 2019 to work with key stage three to key stage four students across the West Midlands. The University Access Initiative of the Year Award will be decided by a combination of the Judging Panel’s scores (50%) and the Student Vote (50%). The Aston University Pathway to Healthcare programmes were shortlisted from more than 250 nominations. Sarah Fullwood, pathways manager at Aston University, said: “We are delighted we have been shortlisted for this prestigious award. “Our pathway programmes are going from strength to strength, despite a sector-wide dip in engagement for widening participation programmes during the pandemic, which is why we were so thrilled to experience an increase in attendance at our pathway events.” “By breaking down barriers for access for disadvantaged students, the programmes play a vital role in building a future workforce that is representative of the community it serves.” The Student Social Mobility Awards are organised by upReach to showcase the achievements of undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds from across the UK. The awards seek to recognise students who have excelled in their studies and beyond and shown great potential to excel as they launch their careers. The focus of the awards is on students who have demonstrated great resilience, determination or initiative, or boosted their employability in innovative ways. They are also a chance to showcase up-and-coming talent and identify rising stars. Award winners and nominees overcome significant socioeconomic barriers and mitigating circumstances, serving as inspiring role models for those from similar backgrounds. The ceremony is due to take place on 21 July at the House of Lords, where the winners will be announced. For more information about the Pathway to Healthcare programmes at Aston University please visit our webpages.
The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) has partnered with NatWest for the Time to Change report It sets out ten evidence-based recommendations for advancing the growth potential of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) including increasing their GVA contribution from the current £25 billion a year to £100 billion The report is being launched at a special event on 10 May at NatWest Conference Centre in London with keynote speaker Sir Trevor Philips OBE. A new report from Aston University has set out a plan for advancing the growth potential of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in the UK. The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) has partnered with NatWest for the Time to Change report which sets out ten evidence-based recommendations to promote greater success and inclusion of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in finance and business support in the UK. Experts say the implementation of the recommendations could help tackle the multiple barriers faced by EMBs, particularly in accessing finance, markets and quality business support, and could increase their GVA contribution from the current £25 billion a year to £100 billion, highlighting the significant potential of EMBs to the UK economy. The report says that to combat racial inequality, there should be a UK-wide support for ethnic led businesses should be a standard feature of all future plans. This includes integrating them into broader policy agendas of inclusive growth, productivity and innovation. A more inclusive approach to enterprise is key to tackling wider social structural barriers such as unequal access to employment opportunities and product markets, and gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Concerted action is needed to support the growth ambitions of EMBs, particularly in light of damaging consequences of the pandemic for ethnic minority communities. The report calls for a strong action to eliminate the longstanding challenge of discouragement of ethnic minority entrepreneurs from seeking finance and business support. It found EMBs have been particularly hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic due to the sectors in which they tend to operate and recommends recovery support is focussed on the businesses that need it most. The report also highlights the need for greater accountability of organisations across public, private and third sectors, including business support agencies, finance providers and large purchasing organisations, for their business engagement with EMBs. Professor Monder Ram, director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship at Aston Business School, said: “This major report sets out an ambitious yet practical agenda to realise the potential of UK’s ethnic minority businesses. “The entrepreneurial ambition of ethnic minorities can play a crucial role in the UK Government’s vision of ‘Levelling Up’ prosperity across regions, promoting trade opportunities of ‘Global Britain’ and creating a more cohesive society. “Drawing on the latest research and examples of international best practice, the report presents a comprehensive approach to tackling the barriers faced by firms owned by ethnic minority communities. “We pinpoint key challenges and present recommendations – informed by extensive consultation with business support practitioners and entrepreneurs – that invite policy-makers, corporations and entrepreneurs to collaborate in a new partnership to advance entrepreneurial activities and the UK’s diverse communities.” The report calls for central government and local decision makers to develop clear objectives for inclusive entrepreneurship, informed by evidence, and ensure that EMBs can access quality business support that helps them grow. Dr Eva Kašperová, a research fellow at CREME, said: “To address the barriers faced by EMBs and help them realise their entrepreneurial potential will require commitment and leadership from the government as well as local business support ecosystem actors. “The current lack of an explicit UK-wide policy on inclusive entrepreneurship could mean that some parts of the country are left behind in terms of tackling structural inequalities and enabling entrepreneurs from ethnic minority communities and other under-represented or disadvantaged groups to access finance, wider markets and quality business support. “If past experience is a guide, ensuring commitment from key stakeholders may be the biggest challenge.” Andrew Harrison, head of Business Banking at NatWest Group, said: “As the UK’s biggest bank for business, we’re committed to championing small businesses and supporting growth, but we know that there are barriers which disproportionately affect Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs). “This is why we aim for at least 20% of the places on our 13 nationwide accelerator hubs to be for ethnic minority entrepreneurs. In 2021, 26% of businesses in our hubs were EMBs. “Only close collaboration can deliver meaningful change to ensure EMBs get the support they need to reach their full potential. Now is the time to accelerate action, and at NatWest we commit to playing an integral role in the change that is required.” The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) will share this report, inviting policy-makers, corporations and entrepreneurs to come together in a collaborative and strategic partnership to champion enterprise and advance entrepreneurial activities and the UKs diverse communities, further building an inclusive entrepreneurial eco-system supporting businesses to thrive at a launch event at NatWest Conference Centre in London on 10 May.
How should we measure faculty expertise? This week the UK provides its answer to this question via its highly significant and formal (government-directed) assessment of academic research - which grades academic teams on a scale of 1* to 4* for their ability to deliver, share and create impact globally outstanding research. This process is known as the REF (the Research Excellence Framework) - and the results will be publicly released this Thursday (12th May) with universities themselves finding out how they’ve performed in advance today (Monday 9th May). The process was last carried out 8 years ago and has been delayed by a year due to the pandemic. Why is the Research Excellence Framework (REF) Significant? The Research Excellence Framework steers the level of UK public funds - allocated via research councils - that will be invested in research for each academic department (or so-called “Unit of Assessment”) for the next few years. It is also a way of comparing performance against other universities that are offering similar research expertise, and of strengthening (or weakening) global research reputations. During the next three days, UK universities will be digging into the detail of their REF gradings and the accompanying feedback. There will be some very nervous university leaders and research heads delving into why this peer-assessed review of their research has not gone as well as they expected and why their percentages in each of the four grade areas have dropped - or even been given the “unclassified” career-damaging stamp. How are the REF Scores for Universities Determined? The measurement process is based on three aspects: Quality of outputs (such as: publications, performances, and exhibitions), Impact beyond academia The environment that supports research The preparation, participation, and assessment process takes a massive amount of time, attention and energy. Last time (2014) there were 1,911 submissions to review. Research teams, designated REF leaders and senior staff will have spent long hours across many months preparing their submissions and making sure they are presenting hard evidence and the best case possible to meet the above criteria at the highest possible level. There are 34 subject areas that are covered in the latest REF - and three tiers of expert panels (some with about 20 or more senior academics, international subject leaders, and research users) will have reviewed each submission and compared notes to come to decisions. How do these Key Categories within the REF Contribute to the Rating for a University? The Research Excellence Framework is actually an intensive and highly important approach to expert assessment. These are the key factors and their definitions (with the assigned weighting of each of the criteria in steering final grades): Outputs (60%): the quality of submitted research outputs in terms of their ‘originality, significance and rigour’, with reference to international research quality standards. This element will carry a weighting of 60 per cent in the overall outcome awarded to each submission. Impact (25%): the ‘reach and significance’ of impacts on the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life that were underpinned by excellent research conducted in the submitted unit. This element carries a weighting of 25 per cent. Environment (15%): the research environment in terms of its ‘vitality and sustainability’, including the approach to enabling impact from its research, and its contribution to the vitality and sustainability of the wider discipline or research base. This element accounts for 15 per cent. Taking a Closer Look at the Categories - Are We Focusing Enough on Research Impact? In 2014 a formal review was carried out in order to improve and evolve the REF process which made a number of recommendations. Most notably the weighting for “impact” was increased by five percent, with “outputs” being reduced by the same percentage. This is certainly a recognition that the external contribution difference that research makes is more important - but is it enough? Should there be greater emphasis on the return on investment from a beneficiaries and user experience perspective? Many argue that academic research should retain a strong element of ‘”blue sky” experimentation - where outright evidence of impact may take several years (even decades) and so can’t demonstrate such immediate value. A particularly notable benefit of the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of this in REF deadlines has allowed the extended assessment period for ‘proof of impact’ from 1 August 2013 to 31 December 2020. This is an extension from the previous end date of 31 July 2020. The extension has been put in place to enable case studies affected by, or focusing on the response to, COVID-19 to be assessed in REF 2021. Going back to the original question: how should we measure faculty expertise? It will be interesting to monitor the views and responses of university leaders and faculty members at the end of this week as to whether they feel that - standing back from it all - this UK-centric method of measurement is the best that can be done, a neat compromise or isn’t really what we really need. For more information on the Research Excellence Framework visit www.ref.ac.uk/ Justin Shaw Justin is UK and Ireland Development Director for ExpertFile and Chief Higher Education Consultant at Communications Management. An authority on University strategy and communications, he has worked in and with leadership teams at UK universities for over 30 years. In his role he has advised universities on how to promote their expertise and on communications strategies related to the REF.
Aston University offers emergency interpreter training for Ukrainian speakers to support refugees
Dr Emmanuelle Labeau and Dr Yvonne Fowler are running Emergency Interpreting Training for Ukrainian Speakers to introduce them to the basics of interpreting The 10-hour training (10 x one hour) will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings online for five weeks It is part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) project with support from Aston University’s College of Business and Social Sciences. Aston University has kicked off a five-week introduction to interpreting course for Ukrainian speakers to enable emergency interpreters to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK. It is part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) project called BRUM (Birmingham Research for Upholding Multilingualism) with support from Aston University’s College of Business and Social Sciences. Dr Emmanuelle Labeau (AHRC fellow for the Future of Language Research) and Dr Yvonne Fowler are running Emergency Interpreting Training for Ukrainian Speakers. The 10-hour training scheme (10 one-hour sessions) started on 28 April 2022 and will take place every Tuesday and Thursday evening online for five weeks. It has been devised to enable emergency interpreters to deliver a better service to traumatised Ukrainian refugees whose English is limited and who may require interpreting help in every aspect of their lives to access housing, physical and mental healthcare, educational facilities and welfare benefits. Dr Emmanuelle Labeau, co-director of Aston Centre for Applied Linguistics (ACAL) at Aston University, said: “Ukrainian refugees are arriving in the UK and there are few trained qualified Ukrainian interpreters to support those refugees with limited or no English in their dealings with public services. “We have had a fantastic response to our offer of free emergency training in interpreting for Ukrainian speakers in the West Midlands, as part of the AHRC-funded BRUM project. “I am thrilled that we have been able to pull this together and I am really pleased with how the first session went. We have people of all walks of life such as social services, healthcare, education and even a refugee who are so committed to help in any way they can, and it is lovely to empower them to do so!” Dr Yvonne Fowler said: “I am really proud to see this project get off the ground and help people in need. “I have been a public service interpreter trainer for the last 25 years. “My work has mostly involved preparing interpreters for the Diploma In Public Service, Interpreting Law and Healthcare options. “But during this period, I delivered emergency interpreter training to support various waves of refugees who have come to Birmingham over the last 20 years: the Vietnamese boat refugees, the Bosnian refugees in the aftermath of the Bosnian war, and a month in Kosovo after the war there to train Albanian and Serbian interpreters at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.”
Leo Quinn says transport, defence and energy projects are set to benefit from potential government-funded boom The UK Government has committed £4.8bn for infrastructure investment in towns across the country Balfour Beatty is working on a number of projects including Hinkley Point C and HS2. A decade of UK ‘infrastructure growth’ has been predicted by Balfour Beatty CEO and Aston University visiting professor, Leo Quinn, as the construction industry gets ready for a potential boom following financial commitments from the Government. £4.8bn has been promised for infrastructure investment in towns across the country and £26bn for public capital investment to hit emissions targets as part of the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda to raise living standards in regions outside of London. Leo Quinn said: “If you start to look at infrastructure and you look at either HS2, you look at nuclear - in terms of defence nuclear or civil nuclear - you look at the green agenda . . . we are entering into an era of 10 years of infrastructure growth. “I think the future looks very optimistic.” Balfour Beatty, the UK’s largest construction group, is working on a number of projects, including Hinkley Point C, the first new nuclear power station built in the UK in more than 20 years, and HS2, the high-speed rail link between London and the north of England. Overall, the UK group and French construction company Vinci have secured about £6bn in HS2 projects as part of a joint venture. This includes a £5bn civil engineering contract for the stretch of HS2 between Warwickshire and Staffordshire and a £1bn construction management deal for Old Oak Common station in north London, alongside engineering group Systra. The group was also awarded a £52m contract to deliver ‘environmental works’ across the HS2 route from the West Midlands to Crewe, creating new habitats along this 64km section of track.
Tyre Extinguishers: Activists are deflating SUV tyres in the latest pop up climate movement
A new direct action group calling itself the Tyre Extinguishers recently sabotaged hundreds of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in various wealthy parts of London and other British cities. Under cover of darkness, activists unscrewed the valve caps on tyres, placed a bean or other pulse on the valve and then returned the cap. The tyres gently deflated. Why activists are targeting SUVs now can tell us as much about the failures of climate policy in the UK and elsewhere as it can about the shape of environmental protest in the wake of Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain. Graeme Hayes talks about the activism that's been going on since the mid 00s.
Aston University launches community project to promote healthy lives in East Birmingham
The Knowledge Exchange project is led by Aston University with Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Citizens UK It aims to identify local barriers that lead to poor health outcomes A total of £6,390 has been awarded to five projects to support local residents. Aston University and Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Citizens UK, have launched a community project to identify local barriers that lead to poor health outcomes. Dr Céline Benoit (Sociology and Policy), Dr Alexis Paton (Sociology and Policy), Dr Angela Jeffery (RKE) and Aisha Masood (RKE) have been leading on the Knowledge Exchange project in East Birmingham to help improve health and wellbeing. On 17 March, the team hosted the first community sandpit at Aston University, where a number of community-led organisations and charities came together to identify small-scale projects to support local residents and promote healthy lives. A total of £6,390 was awarded to five projects which will submit a report by 31 July 2022 and meet again in the autumn to share their journeys with each other as well as representatives from the NHS and Birmingham City Council. Dr Céline Benoit, associate dean for public engagement for the College of Business and Social Sciences at Aston University, said: “It was such a privilege to host a community sandpit at Aston University and have the NHS and local organisations talk to one another and come up with joint projects to help promote health and wellbeing in East Birmingham. “It was truly inspiring to see how many brilliant projects were put forward. “It not only helped us get a better understanding of the challenges local residents face when it comes to health and accessing healthcare services, but it was also a great reminder of how much we can achieve when we work collaboratively”.
Aston University experts to co-chair The Spring Servitization Conference 2022
The Conference is dedicated to understanding how organisations can develop and adapt their business models through servitization and advances services The theme is Achieving Net-Zero through Servitization and it will be held in Florence, Italy on 9 and 10 May Professor Tim Baines and Dr Ali Z. Bigdeli, from the Advanced Services Group at Aston University, will be co-chairs. Two Aston University experts are set to co-chair a major conference around servitization in Italy in May. Professor Tim Baines and Dr Ali Z. Bigdeli, from the Advanced Services Group (ASG) at Aston University, will be co-chairs alongside Professor Mario Rapaccini (University of Florence), Professor Nicola Saccani and Dr Federico Adrodegari (both University of Brescia) while Jill Forrest (also ASG) will be conference administrator. The Spring Servitization Conference (SSC) was first launched more than 10 years ago at Aston University in Birmingham. It was created to build and formalise a research community around the topic of servitization, and to understand how organisations can develop and adapt their business models through servitization and advances services. Servitization is a term used to describe the process through which a business transitions from selling products alone to selling a combination of product and service, and ultimately outcomes. The theme of the 2022 edition of the conference will be Achieving Net-Zero through Servitization and will be held at Istituto degli Innocenti in Florence on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 May. The event will bring together the world’s leading researchers, practitioners and doctoral students to debate and engage with the theory and practice of servitization. Professor Tim Baines, executive director of The Advanced Services Group at Aston University and co-chair The Spring Servitization Conference 2022, said: “Servitization has already helped to transform the fortunes of many UK manufacturing businesses and I am looking forward to showcasing what it can do for businesses abroad too. “SSC2022 will follow the now established format of a single stream where all contributors have an opportunity to present to the whole conference audience and engage in both structured and semi-structured panel sessions to discuss their work. “The programme is designed to encourage extensive debate and bridge research theory and industrial practice. “We have some fantastic keynote speeches from senior executives at leading manufacturing businesses including Tim Foreman, European R&D manager, OMRON Europe and Paolo Mauri, Electrolux Professional.” You can find out more about The Spring Servitization Conference 2022 here.
