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BGU attends SI-UK International Student Recruitment Fair
On Saturday 2nd June 2018, Clare Davey, International Administrator at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), travelled to London to attend the UK University Fair for EU and International Students run by SI-UK. The UK University Fair is the largest UK university fair designed only for international students applying to UK universities. Taking place in London at regular intervals throughout the year, SI-UK provide a unique platform for international and EU students to meet and gain information on living and studying in the UK from a range of universities, colleges and language schools all in one location. With over 90 UK universities at the event and a total of 1,400 students coming through the doors it was a busy day for all involved. Clare spoke to many students with a particular interest in the Early Childhood Studies, Psychology and Business Courses at BGU and will be following up the exciting student leads this week. You can find out more on the work of our International Team on our news page. -
SENI course offers students the chance to present their research at international education conference
Richard D' Amelio, Psychology and Special Educational Needs & Inclusion (SENI) student at BGU, recently had the opportunity to present his research alongside fellow SENI student Sara Gorman at the International Conference in Education. Titled ‘Emotional and Behavioural problems in primary students: The importance of early diagnosis and assessment’, the research was well received and, following their presentation, they were able to build research connections and craft interesting ideas on future projects with colleagues at universities from Japan, the UAE and Egypt. For Richard, this was an unforgettable experience and he explained how his time at BGU had prepared him for both it, and the next steps he plans to take after graduating: “Three years ago, as I sat contemplating what university life may be like, expectations and aspirations always returned to the same theme; ‘I want my degree to be the gateway to special educational needs and inclusion research in the international arena.’ I believed, and still do, that obstacles and concerns facing special education are a global issue, and equally, a global response is required to address these issues through the exploration of the diverse cultural responses to SEN and dissemination of best practice. I am both pleased and proud to report that the opportunity to engage with a BG research internship culminating in an international conference involving this very theme, surpassed many of my dreams and I need to thank my SENI tutor for this. Most memorable was the opportunity to connect with international colleagues from Germany, the UAE and China, and the exciting experience of working alongside other presenters making last-minute improvements to their work in the hotel lobby with twenty minutes to go. The presentation itself? Yes, all those hours of preparation and practice in front of the mirror, and occasionally the dog, poor thing, appeared to pay off, and despite the natural anxiety involved in a debut presentation to international academics, our research was so well received, that the smile of accomplishment lasted for days. Ultimately, it was a privilege to represent BGU within the international research community. Throughout this experience, I often reflected upon the six BGU graduate attributes and was keen to demonstrate these attributes through my conduct and contributions. However, one attribute was especially relevant, one which is dear to my heart, through engaging with the project and conference, I became a fully-fledged Bishop Grosseteste University Global Citizen.” If you are interested in finding out what adventures BGU can offer you, visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team to see our full portfolio of courses. -
BGU Courses celebrate graduation of their first cohorts
Graduation is always a special time at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), offering an opportunity to celebrate the hard-earned achievements of students and staff. -
BGU Lecturer Continues to Combat Climate Change
Dr Sarah Hemstock, Programme Leader for Geography at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), has been involved in a new publication focused on improving communication on the subject of climate change. -
Mentoring changes mindset of young people in Lincolnshire
Fifty years 10 and year 12 students across 10 Lincolnshire secondary schools took part in an online mentoring scheme this year organised by LiNCHigher in partnership with Brightside mentoring. -
BGU Community aiming to increase their creativity and confidence with improv event
Staff and students at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) will have the opportunity to experience the positive power of Improv comedy this November. The ‘Hoopla’ event, taking place on 14 November at 1pm, is an afternoon of improvisation facilitated by a professional comedian. -
BGU Academic Leads on Sexual Crime Prevention at International Conference
Helen Elliott, Lecturer in Psychology & Counselling at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), presented her research at the International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders (IATSO) in Vilnius, Lithuania last month. The premise of Helen’s research is to support initiatives to inform possible prevention of sexual crime by individuals in the community who have a sexual attraction to children. Carried out in partnership with Rebecca Lievesley from Nottingham Trent University the project is also designed to promote a public-health approach to working with this group, who are stigmatised and ostracised, and suffering psychologically because of this. Whilst preventative efforts to stop the sexual abuse of children are on the rise, along with more individuals are actively seeking treatment before they offend, much of the information that goes into these measures is informed from individuals who have already been convicted. Helen’s research aimed to address this gap in knowledge by exploring the experiences of those living in the community, with a sexual attraction to children, who do not want to offend. Offering them a chance to tell their story in an open environment to better inform the support measures available to them and thus prevent potential sexual crimes. The project’s findings highlighted core themes regarding isolation and fear, particularly in relation to the huge stigma associated with this attraction, and how highly prevalent shame-based narratives during formative teenage years led to the living of a "double life" for those attracted to children. Presenting the research at IATSO on 29 August, Helen made a number of important recommendations including: Therapies should be more accessible for adolescents who are beginning to feel different from their peers and confused about their feelings towards children. This attraction needs to be acknowledged within educational contexts and by those working with children, creating a more informed and comfortable dialogue around sexual health. Delivering sexual health education from a ‘pragmatic’ and ‘sex positive’ standpoint (as is common in the Netherlands) as opposed to a ‘sexual abstinence’ stance. Importance of clear reporting rules to enhance engagement in support services. Education to reduce stigma among professionals. Consider friends and family within prevention services – support for individual’s support network = indirect support for individual. Issues around wellbeing and the health needs of this group are being missed and require full focus – anxiety, depression, shame, and stigma. The conclusion reached by Helen and her colleagues was that whilst the conflation of a minor-attracted person and an adult child molester continues, so do the subsequent harmful consequences. This includes hindering disclosure, which could manifest into poor mental health outcomes, or risk becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, with individuals believing that the only path in life is giving into one’s sexual desires. With one-third of child sexual abuse being committed by those under 18, we need to question whether some young people could be finding themselves with this attraction and unaware of its implications or how to manage it. If you’re interested in researching human behaviour and mental wellbeing, then our Psychology and Counselling courses could be the perfect place to start. Visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team today for more information. -
BGU Doctoral Research Conference a Resounding Success
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) hosted 170 doctoral students from nine universities for a lively and forward-thinking for East Midlands Doctoral (EMDoc) network research conference last month. EMDoc is a network of nine universities from across the East Midlands created to recognise and support doctoral research. The EMDoc Conference is held annually, to give doctoral students the opportunity to meet together and to showcase their progress, in a supportive environment. Keynote presentations were delivered by Professor Wasyl Cajkler, University of Leicester, and Professor Niro Siriwardena, University of Lincoln, who each emphasised the importance of planning for and encouraging a positive impact from research, both within and beyond traditional academic settings. They were joined by a number of the attendees who delivered presentations of their research, either in a traditional oral presentation format, as a research poster or in a snappy “three minute thesis” (3MT) format, emphasising the impact of their work. Dr Caroline Horton, Reader in Psychology at BGU, who co-organised and hosted the conference with Dr Phil Wood, Reader in Education, described how the diverse conversation created at the event made the hard work that went into it worthwhile: “Organising and hosting a conference is no mean feat. But the experience was made possible, and much more enjoyable, with the support of BGU’s PhD students. The conference rooms were full of lively discussions about interdisciplinary issues, ranging from mechanical engineering to music education. "Many delegates commented on how enjoyable the event was. We hope the event built some collaborative networks, and highlighted the importance of research impact from the outset of a research career.” In addition to hosting this year’s conference BGU are excited that Dr Wood will chair the network’s meetings in 2019-20 as BGU’s representative. You can find more information on the fascinating events and conferences taking place across the University on our events page. -
BG Futures Tenant Case Study - Reflective Therapies Ltd.
By Cassie Rainey, BG Futures Administrator BG Futures is Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) is Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) purpose built business incubation centre. The centre provides office space, facilities and business expertise to people wishing to start up their own businesses. This month we sat down with one of our tenants, James O’Shea, a UKCP registered psychoanalytic psychotherapist, and talked to him about his business Reflective Therapies Ltd. as well as his experiences as an entrepreneur. James worked in the NHS for 30 years and for the last 11 as a Senior Adult Psychotherapist at the Lincoln Dynamic Psychotherapy Centre. After he was made redundant from this role in 2016, James took the exciting (and frightening) leap to becoming a business owner. He now operates through Reflective Therapies Ltd. offering individual, couples and group Psychotherapy to adults. Additionally, James had the opportunity to teach 3rd year Psychology undergraduates as an Associate Lecturer at The University of Lincoln for two years; expanding his skill set into academia. At first James found it difficult to assimilate to self-employed life, particularly when trying to understand jargon business terms and fully adapting a business owner mind-set. He did however refine his knowledge through great support in the business community, as well as that offered by BG Futures. Although he had met with adversity, the benefits of being self-employed were clear to James; receiving word-of-mouth recommendations from clients gave him the opportunity to build a strong client base, as well as providing a needed boost to the start of his self-employed journey that continues through to today. Looking back on his experiences over the last two years James’ advice was budding entrepreneurs to take the plunge: “I would encourage anybody to not be scared to try starting their own business. Reflective Therapies Ltd. has been given the chance to grow and thrive thanks to the platform BG Futures has given the business; through great opportunities and helpful staff, passionate about business growth.” For Becky Goodman, Enterprise Development Manager at BG Futures, following James’ journey has been incredibly rewarding: “It’s great to see businesses such as James’ flourish during their time with us at BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre. James’ work is vital in assisting individuals to move forward in life and we are pleased to have been able to offer him an environment in which has supported his success." If you’d like to know more about James and Reflective Therapies Ltd. you can visit his website or if you’re keen to follow in his footsteps and begin your own business contact the BG Futures team today. -
Students Experience the Positive Power of Singing
Second Year Psychology students at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) worked with Liz McIntosh from 'Sing it Loud' (www.singitloud.org) to experience the positive power of community singing. The practical workshop formed part of the ‘Psychology in the Arts and Communities’ module from the single honours Psychology degree course and applied the theoretical elements of the course into first-hand experience. The students were able to explore participant feedback and the experiences of groups Liz works with around Lincolnshire, discussing topics such as relieving rural isolation, loneliness, supporting carers, providing people with a routine and enabling people to withdraw from day to day worries and immerse themselves in a positive activity with others. Thomasin Nicholds, one of the Psychology lecturers at BGU, described the positive impact that these practical sessions could have on the students’ learning: “The session gave students the chance to work together in a small group on something new and outside of their usual learning experience giving them a chance to understand more about themselves and each other. "The experience was then related back to theory and research related to individual and community wellbeing, with students testing their understanding of engagement, inclusion and benefits of participation.” In the build up to the session the students also listened to a local radio interview where Liz was representing a community singing group that is made up of people with dementia and their carers, enabling them to come together and share in music, which can be a trigger for positive memories and give people something to share when their lives are radically changing due to the onset of dementia. For more information on our Psychology courses and how you can join in with the innovative research taking place at BGU visit our website, contact our Enquiries Team or attend one of our Open Days to experience the University first hand.
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