In the News: 2 – 8 Feb 2018

This week’s round up of University news stories.

Figures out last week showed Northamptonshire has the fastest growing population of over 65s.  Both BBC Look East and Radio spoke to Senior Lecturer Lydia Selby who researches the issue of older workers. She told them – rather than the town becoming the ‘new Bournemouth’ – the rise is likely caused by resident workers not moving away when they reach retirement age, rather than any influx of retirees (starts 2h40m).

Cristina Devecchi, Associate Professor in Education also spoke to BBC Radio this week after it was announced the UN has chosen an idea suggested by staff here in Northampton to include as one of its current Global Challenges. The idea, to create a Blockchain based ‘educational passport’ for Syrian refugee children, is now open for individuals or teams to submit proposals of how to best realise the idea (starts 1h21m).

Monday saw the launch of our new Centre for the Reduction of Gun Crime, Trafficking and Terrorism, attended by representatives from Interpol, the UN, the Metropolitan Police and academia. Just to underline its truly global reach, Russian news agency Sputnik News interviewed Head of the Centre, Dr Helen Poole about how evidence from crime guns could be used to combat firearm smuggling.

The BBC bravely ignored the old adage to never work with children and academics when they came to an event we held to mark world Safer Internet day. CyGen is a European funded project that brings together researchers with teachers, parents, and 120 eight to fourteen year olds from across the continent to develop online safety resources. Thirty of those come from local primary school Preston Hedges, and luckily they were on hand at the conference to demonstrate a new safety web app for both the BBC Look East and BBC Radio crews (starts 2h 51m).

For a short while this week, ‘Lady Doritos’ were almost a thing, after the CEO of the crisp brand’s parent company said women didn’t like to crunch too loudly in public, or have to lick their fingers after eating. Dr Kathleen Mortimer, our advertising guru (whose table manners are impeccable), was moved to write a piece on just how far is too far when it comes to controversial ad campaigns. You can read it in the New Statesmen – which incidentally has no plans to launch a New Stateslady title any time soon.

Waste expert Professor Margaret Bates had once again made the Top 10 in Resource magazine’s Hot 100. The poll is voted for by the public and lists the top 100 influencers in the waste and resources world. Margaret is in pretty good company, with Sir David Attenborough coming in just two places ahead of her.

Also this week, the Chronicle and Echo reported on the visit of former Specials, Libertines and New York Dolls drummer, Gary Powell, to the University, whilst Hold the Front Page carried a story about ITV Sport anchor, Jacqui Oatley, coming to campus for Changing Futures Week.