Tag: Research

Uncovering unheard stories and amplifying voices that haven’t been heard in the mainstream

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

Professor Shawn Sobers, Cultural Interdisciplinary Practice   

I’m an anthropologist, so for me there’s no separation between the personal and the practice. That’s why I call my research heart work. Because it’s directly connected to me, myself, my cultural identity.   

Through my work, I want to tell stories that need to be told.  Some call them untold stories, but I prefer to call them unheard stories rather than untold, because often I’m not the first person ever to tell them, but I bring the stories to light in different ways. They’ve already been told in the oral tradition, so they’ve been heard, but not by everyone. Often communities don’t have the mechanisms to share these stories, tin the mainstream, in the media, or other formats. To get the stories out there for more people to hear. I’m keen to help them do just that.   

The Emperor’s best friend   

An example: a big part of my research work has been around a space in Bath called Fairfield House. It’s where Emperor Haile Selassie lived for four years when he came to England to campaign for allied support to liberate his country from Mussolini’s invasion. The Emperor left his former home Fairfield House to the city of Bath for aged citizens. My own parents spent much time there too at the day centre, when they were alive.   

Back in 2016, I was at Fairfield House for an Ethiopian cultural day. I got talking to a lady around my mum’s age. Her name was Emeyou Teklamariam. She mentioned how her great grandfather used to live at Fairfield House. She told me his name: Blattenguetta Herouy. I knew about him because I made a documentary film in 1999 called Footsteps of the Emperor for ITV West, which featured his grave in Bath and the speech the Emperor gave at the graveside.   

He was the emperor’s closest friend, his foreign minister, his trusted advisor. And at a time when the emperor was at one of his lowest points in his life following the invasion of his country , his friend Blattenguetta Herouy died. He was buried about 10 minutes down the road from where we were in Fairfield House. But when I mentioned it, Emeyou didn’t believe me. Nor did everyone else! She told me his body was now in Ethiopia, not Bath. And she was right, his body was exuhmed by the Emperor in 1947, butut his elaborate grave, which contains beautiful Ethiopian writing, is still there. To prove it, about half an hour after meeting Emeyou, I took her and her family and friends  down to the graveyard, and they were shocked to see it there.   

Restoring, re-telling   

While there was no longer a body in the grave, and it needed repair, as the large cross and surroundings had all toppled over. Blattenguetta Herouy was a much-loved and respected man, so this was sad to see. So, after talking to the community, I secured some research funding for a project around Ethiopian culture and its connection to the city of Bath. I used some of this funding, as well as additional money raised, to restore Blattenguetta Herouy’s grave.   
  
When the restoration work was finished, we organised an unveiling, with Haile Selassie’s grandson leading the ceremony. It was a very personal, significant moment for Blattenguetta Herouy’s family, many generations of which were present, and the wider Ethiopian community in the country.    
  
Then, as a very generous thank you, the family invited me out to Ethiopia for a memorial service for Blattenguetta Herouy, and for his official reburial. I was also asked to say a few words. This was in 2023,  seven years after I first met Emeyou, and 24 years after I first found the grave myself and featured in my film for ITV in 1999, (which was the first time the Emperor’s stay in Bath, and also anything about Blattenguetta Herouy, had featured on British television It is these forms of slow unravelling, moments of serendipity, and relationship building, that I find fascinating in research, and that I build into my work. Sometimes research projects can be quite fast, but even then, I look for the longer threads than can evolve and become something quite unknown in the future. For me that is where the beauty in research resides. As it lives and breathes and takes on a life of its own. Taken ownership by people and communities themselves, rather than me the researcher. 

Little moments and small anthropology  

Hopefully that  shows you what really inspires and motivates me: sharing these unheard stories and helping to connect the dots between different generations. I call my work  small anthropology. My way of seeing these little moments in history, these small details in life, and connecting them to now, to current and future generations.   

And I’m much more interested in these small aspects of culture, because they still speak to bigger themes. For example, how central the radiogram was to life in my childhood home, and for many other Black British and working-class families. Or the souvenirs my mum collected, and what they meant to her – and their relevance to me, to our community, today. These everyday objects can tell us so much about our culture, heritage and value systems.   

Our never-ending stories  

I want to keep shining a light on these stories. To connect the dots from then, to now, to next generations.  It’s so important that communities can tell and share their own stories. Because if they can’t, who will?  

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Understanding the impact of microplastics on both human and ecosystem health

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

“We’re both really passionate about participatory research. To do something about microplastics, you must have the conversation with people who can force change through. Change is the goal. It’s the only goal. ”  

Dr Ben Williams, Senior Research Fellow, Air Quality Management Resource Centre & Dr Stephanie Sargeant, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science, School of Applied Sciences     

We co-lead the Biospheric Microplastics Research Cluster (BMRC). In short, the BMRC brings together expertise from multiple disciplines to understand the impact of microplastics on both human and ecosystem health.   

The BMRC came about in a, well, roundabout kind of way. We both love trying to understand how our natural environment works, how everything’s connected and fits together. And we’re both committed to protecting environmental health and human health. The two being inextricably linked.   

Everything is connected   

This mutual passion led to a conversation about microplastic pollution in the air and water. And we quickly realised that we can do more, have a greater impact, if we worked together. So, we did. We do.   

Our first university-wide research project looked at the impact of microplastics from inhalation and drinking water. Now, our mutual interest in microplastics is really about trying to understand what kind of impact and effect they’re having on the natural environment and then trying to do something about it.   

Knowing what we don’t know   

We’re looking at microplastic pollution in different environments, in the air, in the water. We’re exploring various methodologies to capture microplastics, quantify them, and assess polymer types.   

There’s a lot of work out there – in studies and the media – that’s focused on just quantifying plastics in the environment. While we now have a pretty good idea of where microplastics are, we still don’t know much about the impact they’re having.   

The power of citizen science    

One of our goals is to better understand and, importantly, quantify the impact they’re having on plants, vertebrates and microbial communities. This way, bodies like the Environment Agency can set clear, definitive limits. Because currently, there aren’t any. While we have limits for things like nitrates and phosphates, and the water framework directive stipulates what those maximum limits are, we don’t have that for microplastics. And we want the same for drinking water as we do for our rivers.   

We’ve done a lot of what we call citizen science projects, to measure, co-create, display and share the information and evidence we’ve captured. To help everyone see where microplastics are coming from, where they’re going, and what the impact is – or will be. Because if you don’t understand or you don’t know what’s going on, you can’t do anything about it. You can’t engage the people who can force through the necessary change.   

Always looking ahead   

There’s already been a lot of progress in terms of plastic pollution over the last five, ten years. There are certain organisations who are really pushing the boundaries of microfibre reduction, people like The Microfibre Consortium. They’re working with the textile industry and fashion brands to reduce microfibre release to protect our environment.   

So yes, we’re positive, excited. Excited where the research will take us next. We’re going to be working with schoolchildren to help them understand microplastics and microfibres, how they’re generated and where they go. We’re also interested in understanding the chemicals  associated with plastics and how they leach off into different environments. There are still questions around how far these chemicals actually disperse.  We’ve found microplastics in the clouds and the Mariana Trench but, are they even further out?  Where else are they?   

For the good of human and environmental health   

And we haven’t even talked about microrubbers yet… That’s the next big conversation. Because as we answer one question, another one presents itself. It’s up to us to find the answers, for the good of human health and environmental health.   

 Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Making technology and its tools work for the greater good of everyone, everywhere

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

Dr Zaheer Khan, Professor of Computer Science  

As a team here at UWE Bristol, we’re co-creating, co-designing and developing IT tools for public authorities, health providers and citizens.   

Right now, I’m leading the Horizon Europe project GREENGAGE to develop citizen observatories in Bristol, Copenhagen, Gerace, Turano and North-Brabant. For this €4.9 million project, with 17 partners involved, we’re reimagining smart data-driven information intelligence for better decision making for the benefit of citizens.   

Better data, better decisions, better outcomes   

The big idea is that we, as a consortium, introduce a certain set of technology and social science-based tools that enable local authorities to better engage with people and collect data.  Because if they can collect more data, better data, richer data, they can make better decisions for those citizens.   

For example, we’re using sensors to collect data. Sensors that measure, say, the air quality at street level or the effectiveness of street lighting. We’re looking at everything that affects the environment that people live in. By capturing this data we can provide some kind of index, like an urban living index, which can help public authorities to make more evidence-based decisions and improve the quality of the environment.   

On-the-ground, not up-in-the-air   

Ultimately, we can use technology and data to get to the ground truth, the real picture. Another example of what I mean by that. Local authorities often run their own surveys to collect data. They also run their own workshops. But the problem with these surveys and workshops is that they’re not diverse or representative. People with the time to get involved, get involved. So, they don’t really tell local authorities what people from every community and walk of life really want or need.   

So, the whole idea is we can broaden the tools available – to local authorities and their citizens. We’re giving them new ways to capture the on-the-ground picture and people’s opinions.   

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Improving the health and wellbeing of marginalised and underserved communities

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

Ifeoma Elizabeth Dan-Ogosi, Senior Lecturer in Public Health, Student Success and Inclusivity Champion & Disability Access Champion 

My worldview is compassion. Naturally, I like making people feel happy and well. My personal and professional philosophy is based on critical pedagogy, where you try to reduce the oppression of underrepresented and underserved groups of people. In many ways, this is my life’s work and my great passion: I want to improve outcomes for people who are less privileged and have little say in decisions that directly affect them.   

Right now, I’m teaching on the public health leadership module at UWE Bristol. We’re developing future public health leaders who better reflect and understand underserved groups of people and communities.  

I’m teaching my students what public health leadership means, the impact that positive leadership can have. I’m also working on a proposal to co-create public health leadership modules with my students. I am very keen to enable them to better reflect on what they’ve done and what they’re going to do in the future. To help them to use their knowledge and training to create positive, effective action as public health leaders. Leaders who can deliver real change for these communities.  

I have also done a lot of research into bottom-up decision-making and participatory budgeting. These two ideas are about putting power – and decisions and funding – into the hands of people who are underserved. People who don’t have a voice.  

Through appreciative inquiry, we can listen to communities. We hear their voices. We get them around a table to really understand their needs. By listening and by helping them to make decisions about their own communities, we can improve outcomes.  

So, for instance, in my PhD, I had four case studies. Three of these came out of the participatory budgeting project. We used participatory budgeting as a democratic tool, to enable and allow citizens to make the decisions about money that will be used for their community.  

In doing so, the communities choose only the projects that are most beneficial to them. For example, a project that helps women from abusive relationships, or a project around healthy eating. It’s all about what’s right and best for that community at that time.  

In my PhD, I evaluated the evolution and impacts of participatory budgeting for health and wellbeing. We trained local communities on how to bid for grant funding and then how to use the grants within their community. Putting fast, effective decision-making in their hands. They don’t have to wait two, three weeks for people behind a closed door to make a decision that affects their community. They make the decisions. They have power and agency. That can be life changing.  
 
Because communities know what is best for their community. This is true democracy. It allows local citizens to make decisions about their own health and wellbeing. We make them the owners. This means that they can see and see and feel a direct, positive impact on their everyday lives.  

Concepts like bottom-up decision-making and participatory budgeting create a real buzz in communities. I’m very excited about what’s to come – for myself and for my students, and, importantly, for the underserved communities we are committed to helping.  

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Boosting resilience in our creative and cultural industries

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

Dr Tarek Virani, Associate Professor, Creative Industries  

I study the creative and cultural industries. I started here at UWE Bristol in 2020. My first day here was also day one of the first lockdown: 23 March 2020. Some day.  

Right off the bat, and with my academic/research head on, I noticed that the creative and cultural sector was being decimated by the pandemic. Pre pandemic, many of these businesses were already often dancing between autonomy and precarity. Then the pandemic hits.  

Testing our resilience  

So, we decided to do a project to look at how the COVID pandemic was affecting creative and cultural organisations of all sizes here in the south west of England. 

It was initially a small study, about a year long. Through it, we saw that around 70% of creative and cultural businesses in the region suffered terribly in the pandemic. But some 18-22% of these businesses did really well. But why? How?  

We secured some more funding to carry out a study for the entire country. Through this project, we started to develop the idea of resilience. How these creative and cultural businesses can resist external shocks like the pandemic; how they can continue to thrive and grow and play the important part they have to play.    

Fitter for the future  

 
For example, we looked at the practical, financial assistance available to these businesses. Things like VAT referral, business rates and tax relief. Now, if you know about them, they can really help. But if you don’t, you can’t access them. So, we co-designed and developed a resilience toolkit for micro businesses. It’s a toolkit where you can go online and register your business. It asks you a bunch of questions and then gives you a score of how resilient your business is – and what you can do to beef up your resilience.  

We’re now looking to scale this, to create a suite of business improvement tools for strengthening our creative and cultural businesses. I guess that’s what really drives me: I care about securing the health – the future – of these vital businesses.  

The Blue Planet Effect  

I want to help create a healthy, vibrant ecosystem for these businesses that will keep them alive, buoyant and thriving. Simply because they are so valuable. For example, we know that one in five new university applicants wants to work in media and communication.  We also know that the creative industry in this country is huge. I think it outperforms most sectors of the economy. Also, if you look at the impact of TV and film, music and performing arts, this country punches way above its weight. There’s soft power in our creative and cultural industries too. They have influence.  

So yes, there are lots of reasons why the creative industries are vitally important. Cultural currency. Messaging is another reason. The idea of cultural messaging outside of propaganda. A perfect example is what we call the Blue Planet Effect. When Blue Planet first came out, the climate crisis suddenly became a lot more central in people’s minds.  
 
We must protect our creative economy. We have to love it and nurture it. And that’s my passion. That’s why I do the research work I do.  

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Case study: Helping more people to be more sustainable, by making complex research familiar and easy to access

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

Dr Verity Jones, Associate Professor in Education  

  

I’m Dr Verity Jones. My focus is on social and environmental justice, working on issues that matter to people who don’t usually get their voices heard.   

 I work as part of a research group, who develop educational, engaging and empowering ways of getting people involved in doing and thinking sustainably. Art and creative practice is one way we do that. . The work I’m involved in with Sparks Bristol is a great example.   

 Sparking something sustainable   

 Sparks Bristol is a department store with a real difference. It’s a lively hub of sustainability, creativity and education. In the first six months of it being open, we had 250,000 visitors through the doors. And more than 1,200 children have already taken part in the research informed sustainability workshops. Through a creative approach we are having a big impact, engaging people in important topics, like climate change and the ecological emergency, food scarcity and migration.  

 We’ve just got our lease for Sparks extended  into  2025 – and we have more exciting, creative projects planned with partners from across the city and beyond.    

 Shared stories   

 A lot of the work myself and my teams do explores novel ways of working with and communicating research to groups that might not usually have access to those kinds of findings.  

 For example, we’ve created a range of picture books for children. For example, we’ve taken high level, complex research findings about drought and water usage across the UK and communicated this in a way which is both familiar in form and easy to access – either by children themselves, or with their parents and teachers.   

As well as  extreme weather conditions, the teams I work with have supported children explore their lived experience of racism  how it happens and what we can do to challenge and tackle it. . Our children’s book ‘If Racism Vanished for the Day’ is informed by this work and illustrated by some of the children who took part in the research – it’s being used by teachers, social workers and other groups that support young people across the UK.  

 We’re working with all sorts of people, including   architects, artists, crafters and musicians to explore how  their skills and knowledge can inform sustainable education ; I’m really excited about what we can do – what we must do.  

  

Home

Free e-books for children: 

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Case study: Ensuring that new immersive technologies act in the interests of human rights

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

“Now is the time to ensure that new immersive technologies, the metaverse and the next evolution of the internet, are designed in the interests of human rights, human dignity and democracy. ”  

  Verity McIntosh, Associate Professor of Virtual and Extended Realities  

  As Director of the City Campus VR Lab and an active member of UWE Bristol’s Digital Cultures Research Centre, I work with creative companies, charities, communities and policymakers to explore ideas about virtual and extended realities. And yes, this definitely includes artificial intelligence and the ‘metaverse’.  

  What I’m finding really vitalising at the moment is that because these tools and technologies are still emerging, people aren’t quite sure what to make of them. Some are incredibly excited. Others are quite concerned. Concerned about the uncritical way that they’re being deployed and that they are not being thought about enough in terms of equity, inclusion and accessibility.   

Evidence over exaggeration    

We’re in this wonderful kind of early moment, where nothing’s terribly resolved. There’s lots of hype and hyperbole. Lots of opinions. Lots of  opportunity and, yes, risk too. Which makes now a really good time to find research-based evidence to support those that are making those crucial decisions.  

 Over the last couple of years, policymakers, those with the power to make change, have been more open and receptive to listening.  They want to hear more and know more. They want evidence.   

 The right intentions, the best interests    

 I think policymakers were caught napping a bit with the social media revolution. There are lots of things that with hindsight, we wish had emerged differently. In terms of citizen protection, inclusive practice and accessibility. We now have to grasp these moments to make sure that, with these new immersive technologies, with the metaverse and the next evolution of the internet, we’re acting in the interests of human rights, human dignity and democracy. In other words, that we’re not just serving corporate interests.   

 It’s refreshing that people like me are able to kind of bend the ear of policymakers at quite a high level. We’re able to say this is what we know, this is how we might do it differently, these are our recommendations. Rather than shouting from the edges, we’re now shouting from the middle.   

  

Playing to our strengths     

Let me give you an example. I was talking recently at an event run by Meta and Tech UK. One of the big questions there was what should the UK focus on. What do we want to be known for, celebrated for. Never one to hold back, I happily shared my thoughts with anyone who’d listen. While there’s lots of talk about STEM, about the UK being a centre for excellence in science and technology, I think there’s something else. What the UK has, has always had, is the capacity to have a strong creative arts and humanities sector – one that complements and works in tandem with our technology sector.   

  

Full STEAM ahead   

 The UK is actually pretty good at what we might call STEAM: STEM with A for Arts in the middle. There’s genuine uniqueness to the way that the UK has managed to powerfully combine the two. At UWE Bristol our College of Arts, Technology and Environment is a fantastic example of this approach in action. So yes, I’m working to show government the importance of this sweet spot of tech, arts and humanities.   

Through STEAM, we can create whole new modes of storytelling and expression for creative practitioners. We should invest in STEAM, focus our energies into it. We can unlock even more creativity through crtical engagement with technology and make a positive impact on the world around us.   

  

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Case Study: Delivering a healthy and sustainable food system

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

“We have to work together to create and deliver a healthy and sustainable food system that’s accessible to all.”  

Professor Angelina Sanderson Bellamy, Professor of Food Systems    

 Yes, I spend a lot of my time thinking about how to make our food system healthy, sustainable and accessible.  

For example, one of the big, big questions of the moment is how we get our food system to net zero. 2050 isn’t very far away and, right now, our food system accounts for approximately 30% of our emissions here in the UK. This is the size challenge we all face. It’s huge, especially when you think about the land management side of it.   

Food for thought   

13% of all UK emissions come from our land management, which is essential farming and farmers. And we’re asking a lot of our farmers at the moment. As well as our zero emissions target, we have the continued cost of living crisis. We’re also asking them to help us restore biodiversity and to help secure our food supplies. And, all the while, subsidies to farmers are being cut. It’s a perfect storm. And we need a response.   

So, I do a lot of collaborative work with stakeholders across the food system. I have some strong partnerships on the ground, and we’re all seeing the day-to-day challenges. Wearing my research hat,   

I’m thinking about what we can do collectively to address this perfect storm. What are the funding opportunities that could be brought to bear here? How do we go about creating those changes that we want to see?   

Applied research, real change   

So, my work is all about applied research to deliver real change. The change we need. Traditionally, I think research has happened in a kind of vacuum. You went off, wrote your publication, only for it to sit on a dusty shelf or be read by a handful of people. That’s not good enough anymore.   

The sort of grand challenges we’re facing today, the megatrends we need to respond to, they require active collaboration between researchers and practitioners and communities. This is the only way that we can really understand the changes on the ground and work together to try and figure out what’s the best pathway forward.  

Transforming food policy   

One of my biggest passions is how we can make food sustainable and healthy and available to everyone. To low income households, because everybody has a right to eat healthy, sustainably produced food. And if we’re going to hit those net zero targets, everybody needs to be eating it. But how?   

Some of the change needs to happen at policy level. I’m part of the board for the Food Policy Alliance Cymru. We’re a coalition of organisations and stakeholders working together to build and promote a collective vision for the Welsh food system. It’s a fantastic group. We like each other, we trust each other, we believe in each other and what we’re doing. We bring very different skills to the group too. I’m the academic, I bring the research, the evidence. And while the information I bring is neutral, impartial, I definitely have an agenda. I want to create transformation.    

Our window for change is now   

I think that we’re in a moment of change. There are windows of opportunities created by many different things, all colliding at the same time. Coming out of Brexit, COVID, the Ukraine conflict, the cost of living crisis. Suddenly, we need to develop our own agricultural policies, our own food strategy.   

We have many challenges. But I’m optimistic that we can solve these challenges. We have to. I’m inspired by all the amazing things that people are doing on the ground, in their communities. There’s incredible innovation and energy there. We now need to figure out how to replicate that at scale.   

Contribution to the UN 2030 sustainable development goals

UWE Bristol is proud to align our research to the UN sustainable development goals. The above research aligns with the following goals:

Motivating change through Natural History Documentaries

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

UWE Bristol PhD research exploring how we can engage audiences in climate action

Guest blog by Jelena Krivosic, PhD Research Student – Natural History Documentaries and Climate Communication

Two years into my PhD at UWE, I sometimes joke that I have learnt more about myself than I have my research topic. I have learnt so much from my research so far, but what continues to surprise me is how much I have been able to learn from the opportunities I have had at UWE, as part of the School of Arts at CATE and involved in the Screen Research Group, DCRC and the Science Communication Unit.

My PhD project explores how Natural History Documentaries communicate climate change, ecological crises and social justice. I have spent my first two years developing understanding of the Bristol-based natural history filmmaking industry, also known as ‘Green Hollywood’, attending conferences and interviewing filmmakers. This has helped me build upon my own experiences, as someone who used to work in the production of science and wildlife documentary series and learn more about the rise in sustainable filmmaking practices.

Participating in an Impact Production workshop at Wildscreen Festival 2024

A key focus of my research focuses on how these documentaries (and David Attenborough!) engage audiences with these global crises and motivate them to participate in climate action. To support this and to develop my skills in facilitating group discussions and working with different audience groups, in my first year I decided to set up an environmental film club at UWE with the support of The Green Team in the SU. Yes, this has been a challenge, but wow has it been humbling! I have learnt so much from the community of students and staff who join monthly and share their emotions and responses to the films.

So far this year I have screened a brilliant variety of films that capture stories related to activism, climate solutions and consumerism. Films such as 2040 and Buy Now! prompted a fantastic response with audiences sharing their own personal experiences and their desires to change their behaviours and engage in wider community climate initiatives. This helped to focus discussions on exploring “what can we do next”, encouraging everyone to act with the information they have gained and the support of the film club community.

Illustrations from flim club activity titled “what does your 2040 look like?”

Last month, the film club worked together with the other groups in UWE to run events as part of the Future Citizen Sustainable Fashion week as part of the Future Citizens Project. I decided to screen ‘Fashion ReImagined’, an inspiring  film that follows the journey of Amy Powney, on her mission to challenge the exploitative, wasteful and extractive practices of the fashion industry.

Just like in most of the film club, the discussions afterwards helped provide a safe space for us to talk about difficult emotions such as guilt, grief and anxiety. In doing so, it created an opportunity to share tips, initiatives and events we can all get involved in to help us make more ethical decisions. More so, it allowed us to question how we can engage beyond our everyday individual decisions, in contributing to a larger systems change.

The next environmental film club will be a special one. We will be hosting One Kai in screening their documentary “Fighting for the Underdog” that raises awareness about the spurdog shark and the practices of the fishing industries on British coasts. Together with some of the filmmakers we will be discussing the issues at the core of the film and the films impactful mission in the Q&A and workshop after the screening. We would love for you to join us on Monday 24th March from 5:30-8pm in 2D007 on Frenchay Campus. For more information, please visit the UWE SU website events page.

Poster for upcoming film club screening “Fighting for the Underdog”

I have learnt so much from hosting this film club and have really enjoyed doing it. It has shaped my research and having the extended film club community has shaped my relationship with the wider global crises. To follow my work and find out more about the film club and my research please take a look at my blog. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions – jelena2.krivosic@live.uwe.ac.uk.

UWE Bristol academic awarded Rai UK Enterprise Fellowship to realise a new cloud-based software-as-a-service

Author Anna Jones | Posted on

Professor Lars Kunze, Professor in Safety for Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory at UWE Bristol, has been awarded an Enterprise Fellowship by Responsible Ai UK (RAi UK).

The funding will accelerate the transformation of cutting-edge research into real-world solutions that embed responsibility and trustworthiness in AI deployment. This initiative is a key component of RAi UK’s mission to maximize the impact of responsible AI research across the economy, society, culture, policy, health, the environment, and quality of life.

Lars’ project, PACER (ProActive Causal ExplaineR), aims to realise a new cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS), which will leverage and analyse recorded event-data logs to anticipate safety issues, provide causal explanations, improve safety, and enhance the understanding and trust of developers, operators, and/or other stakeholders.

Lars commented:

“Unlocking the full potential of AI-enabled systems in society requires more than just data and compute. PACER will make these systems explainable, accountable, and safe – and it will do this at scale.”

With a £35 million UKRI investment, RAi UK is a program dedicated to delivering interdisciplinary research and fostering an international ecosystem for Responsible AI research and innovation. Through extensive consultations across the UK, RAi UK has identified emerging challenges in responsible AI and has deployed over £17 million into projects aimed at accelerating the adoption of responsible AI practices and technologies. RAi UK brings research-based expertise that is connective, adaptive, and world-leading through field-building, and engagement with communities, publics, industries, and governments. RAi UK is led from the University of Southampton and backed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund and EPSRC. 

Professor Gopal Ramchurn, RAi UK CEO, Professor of Artificial Intelligence from the University of Southampton said:

“The RAi UK Enterprise Fellowships represent our commitment to transforming groundbreaking research into tangible solutions that address real-world challenges while demonstrating a responsible approach to deploying AI. Researchers are rarely encouraged to become entrepreneurs, and this is our first step in changing that mindset.

By supporting these visionary researchers, we’re not just funding projects, but fostering an AI ecosystem that prioritizes ethics, accountability, and societal impact. We are extremely grateful to the Royal Academy of Engineering for supporting this initiative.”

Learn about the other Enterprise Fellows:

Responsible Ai UK Awards over £300,000 to Enterprise Fellows to Advance Responsible AI Innovation – Responsible AI

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