Waste from agricultural industry converted into renewable energy
Discover more on page 9
World-leading research in space, computing, energy and health
Find out more on pages 15-23
Olympic and Paralympic alumni represent their countries in Paris
Read all about it on page 34-35
Northumbria University has once again been recognised as one of the top universities in the UK after being awarded the title of Modern University of the Year 2025 by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide.
The announcement marks an impressive and sustained run of national recognition for Northumbria University in recent years.
In 2022 Northumbria was crowned Times Higher Education’s University of the Year, the most prestigious accolade in the UK higher education sector, in recognition of its transformation over more
than a decade into a researchintensive university with a clear social mobility mission to unlock potential and change lives. Earlier that year, Northumbria had recorded the biggest rise in research power of any UK university for the second time in a row in the national assessment of research excellence in universities, known as the Research Excellence
Framework. A ranking of 23rd in the UK for research power – a measure of the quality and scale of research – confirmed Northumbria’s status as a research-intensive university.
In 2023 the Daily Mail awarded Northumbria the titles of both Research University of the Year and Modern University of the Year in its first ever university guide in recognition of its
research performance and its deep-seated all-round excellence. This most recent accolade from The Times and Sunday Times has been awarded following analysis of Northumbria’s performance in their research quality index and increasing student satisfaction. The University’s leading work to improve social mobility and create opportunities in the North
East, as well as Northumbria’s overall rise in the table after climbing six places to rank 43rd overall, also contributed to Northumbria’s award.
Continues on page 2.
Banana waste to be converted to green textiles and energy, Page 9
NHS future workforce: how a university is helping tackle the shortage of nurses, Page 20
How to police the use of AI in law enforcement, Page 25
New report proposes common sense solutions to societal problems, Page 26
Researchers investigate the long-term impact of widowhood during Covid-19, Page 29
Using AI to build greener construction, Page 32
Celebrating 10 years of the Business Clinic, Page 33
Continued from Pg. 1
The Good University Guide noted that Northumbria is “a leading light among the UK’s modern universities” saying that “Northumbria continues to drive social mobility and provide a higher education bedrock to the northeast’s talent pipeline.” They also noted recent advances in the University’s research capacity, including the £9 million award to create a centre for doctoral training in citizen-centred artificial intelligence, £11.5 million to extend the ReNU centre for renewable energy research and the £50 million North East Space Skills and Technology centre, known as NESST. Northumbria’s Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Andy Long said: “Northumbria’s achievements in recent years have been truly remarkable and this award marks another exciting chapter in our success story.
“Our aim is to attract students from all backgrounds with the ability and potential to succeed, and currently almost 40% of our students come from areas with low rates of participation in higher education. This is the highest percentage of any research-intensive university, so we know we are distinctive, and we know we are making a real difference. Our vision for the future is to take this University even further and make an even greater contribution to economic growth and social transformation both regionally and nationally.”
He added: “It is the achievements of our staff, students, graduates and partners that make Northumbria the distinctive university it is today, and I know they will share in my pride at being recognised as one of the best in the country yet again. I hope they all recognise the important part they have played in making it happen.”
“NORTHUMBRIA’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN RECENT YEARS HAVE BEEN TRULY REMARKABLE AND THIS AWARD MARKS ANOTHER EXCITING CHAPTER IN OUR SUCCESS STORY.”
PROFESSOR ANDY LONG, VICECHANCELLOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Two research projects – one looking to improve how we monitor and test for lead poisoning in children, and the other exploring how to communicate data through sound –have been awarded a total of £1.1 million between them through a new funding scheme.
Northumbria is the only university in the north of England to have had two projects selected in a new pilot scheme, funded through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and designed to stimulate exciting new interdisciplinary research across a wide variety of academic subject areas. The two studies will be led by Professors Jane Entwistle and Paul Vickers, both from the University’s Faculty of Engineering and Environment, who will work with colleagues from all over the UK, using new research approaches and methods.
Jane Entwistle, a Professor of Environmental Geochemistry and Health, is leading a study investigating elevated levels of toxic lead in children, with the aim of creating a new screening protocol to assess lead levels in blood. Due to its past widespread use in paint, petrol and plumbing, lead pollution is common in our environment, being found in soil, water, dust, food and the air. Lead poisoning can be hard to detect but symptoms can include developmental delay and learning difficulties, with children most at risk from its harmful effects. The team intend to develop and test a new approach to screening using an at-home finger prick test to make it easier and faster to collect blood samples.
ALTHOUGH NOW BANNED IN THE UK, LEAD PAINT IS STILL FOUND IN OLDER BUILDINGS
At the same time, the researchers will ask families to provide samples of house dust and garden soil for testing. This will enable them to assess current levels of lead exposure that will inform and guide UK public and environmental health policies.
Professor Entwistle explained:
“Exposure to legacy lead is a hidden burden worldwide and the toxic effects of lead are overwhelmingly observed in children because of their growing and developing brains. In the UK, detection in children relies on results of blood tests ordered by physicians only when there is a high clinical suspicion of lead poisoning. As such, most cases of elevated lead are missed in children with no obvious symptoms. This funding will allow the development of a novel protocol to enable widespread monitoring of the amount of lead in blood.”
Paul Vickers, Professor of Computer Science and Sonification, will lead the second funded project which aims to create a new hub for sonification innovation. Sonification is a way of communicating information through sound. While human vision can only focus on one thing at a time, we can track multiple sound sources at once, from any direction, and we can understand and feel different things through sound.
On the basis of this theory, Professor Vickers transformed the activity of a computer network into sound, choosing a nature soundscape to represent the network traffic. This meant that by listening to this soundscape, any unusual activity outside the normal traffic was far more easily identifiable. This led to Professor Vickers discovering a new method of cyber-attack that had penetrated the network’s defences. His study
PROFESSOR JANE ENTWISTLE
“EXPOSURE TO LEGACY LEAD IS A HIDDEN BURDEN WORLDWIDE AND THE TOXIC EFFECTS OF LEAD ARE OVERWHELMINGLY OBSERVED IN CHILDREN BECAUSE OF THEIR GROWING AND DEVELOPING BRAINS.”
will bring together experts across a wide range of academic disciplines, including spatial audio, music, astronomy, culture, materials science and mathematics to discover new ways of understanding through sound, making the North East a world-leading hub in sonification research.
Reflecting on his research, Professor Vickers explained: “Listening is not limited to the ear – it is inter-sensory. We can perceive non-sonic attributes, feel noise in our bodies and we can infer information about intangible things we cannot see by the noises they make, for example, unusual sounds made by a car’s brakes tell us a mechanic is needed. Sonification lets
us select data that we wish to explore or monitor and attach sounds to it, thus bringing the intangible such as distant galaxies, computer network traffic or the earth’s magnetosphere into our audible experience.”
Almost 900 applications were made for the UKRI cross research council responsive mode pilot scheme, with only 36 selected to receive a share of £32.4 million in funding.
Click the QR code to find out more about the groundbreaking research taking place at Northumbria.
With an ambition to ignite aspiration, remove barriers and provide routes for people from all backgrounds to succeed, Northumbria University was proud to provide a range of exciting activities for almost 100 pupils this summer.
The Holiday Activities and Food programme, known as HAF, gives children and young people who receive meanstested, free school meals across England with opportunities to get involved in physical and cultural activities and provides healthy foods during holiday periods.
Northumbria University played a crucial part in the national roll-out of the HAF programme after research from its Healthy Living Lab evidenced the need for children to be better supported with a range of activities during school holidays. Their findings contributed to the Department for Education investing over £200 million per year into holiday provision. Further research however revealed that teenagers weren’t engaging with the HAF programme as much as had been expected. As a result the Lab team worked with 13–18-year-olds to develop a variation of the programme, known as HAF Plus, which better met their needs and interests.
and access to higher education, Northumbria worked with partners from the commercial and private sectors, including Chartwells and Big River Bakery, and local authorities in Gateshead, Newcastle and Northumberland, to deliver a schedule of free activities for almost 100 North East teenagers during the summer holidays. They took part in a host of activities on campus where they developed essential life skills through cooking classes, sports activities, team building activities and support to develop their careers.
Northumbria University plays a leading role in economic growth and social transformation, connecting its students, graduates, staff, wider communities, businesses and civic partners to create new opportunities in the North East and beyond. With the Secretary of State for Education calling on universities to do more to widen participation
Northumbria’s Pro ViceChancellor (Education), Professor Graham Wynn explained: “HAF Plus is based on cutting edge research that’s come out of our Healthy Living Lab. We want to apply this research to make a real and tangible difference. This is an example of how universities can work together with local communities across the country to close
“HAF PLUS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW WE CAN REMOVE BARRIERS, UNLOCK POTENTIAL AND TRANSFORM LIVES”
PROFESSOR ANDY LONG, VICE-CHANCELLOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
educational inequalities and make a better future for everyone.”
The HAF Plus scheme has provided a host of opportunities not only for those taking part, but also for their families and communities too. Joshua and Lucas both
attended HAF clubs when they were younger and agreed to work with the team in the Healthy Living Lab to develop the new HAF Plus programme. They are now ambassadors for the scheme and say it has transformed their lives. Lucas, 16, who first got involved with
HAF Plus when he was 14 said: “It’s opened up a world of different things to me. I’ve been able to visit London twice which has been brilliant, and I’ve ended up meeting so many new people through the project. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities
I’ve been given. Young kids can find themselves on the streets, some getting in trouble because they don’t have enough engaging and stimulating things to get involved in. It’s important that these activities are made available for kids to feel in a group and accepted.”
Joshua, 18, said the impact of being involved in the scheme was transformative for him.
“I’ve already gained so many opportunities to develop myself,” he said. “I used to be quite a shy and reserved person and would just stay in my room but getting outside and experiencing different things has developed me as a character a lot more.” Joshua has applied to study at Northumbria and said that coming onto campus for the HAF Plus events was a great way to experience the University before beginning his studies. “It’s been perfect for me. I’ve applied here, it’s my first choice, so it’s given me a tour of the site as well as meeting new people.”
Councillor Guy Renner Thompson, Cabinet Member for Inspiring Young People at Northumberland County Council, said that the holiday activities programme was so important for his county.
“I speak to families across Northumberland who wouldn’t know what to do in the summer holidays without it,” he said. “Northumbria University has done fantastic work, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with them.”
The development of HAF Plus was led by Professor Greta Defeyter, Director of the Healthy Living Lab. Her research in this area initially focused on school breakfast clubs and free school meals before looking at holiday programmes. She hopes that the government will see the successes of the programme and will encourage further investment in HAF to ensure the sustainability and growth of the programme to help break
Northumbria students had the chance to meet and quiz the former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Vince Cable, as part of the University’s commitment to provide opportunities to gain real-world knowledge from hands-on learning experiences.
down barriers to opportunity.
“The impact of HAF is outstanding,” she said. “It provides young people with access to opportunities and experiences during the school holidays that they otherwise might never be exposed to.”
“Northumbria University has a clear social mobility mission and works hard to enable individuals with ability and potential from all backgrounds to succeed,” said Professor Andy Long, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive. “HAF Plus is a great example of how we can remove barriers, unlock potential and transform lives. We are incredibly proud to support the HAF Plus programmes and to lead the way for higher education to make a real and lasting impact on as many people as possible.”
Having been a Member of Parliament for over 20 years, including serving as Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills, Sir Vince shared his valuable experience with the students during his visit. Students asked him questions on subjects including the relationship between the media and politics, and governance within the public and private sectors. Reflecting on the event, he said: “I was very impressed with the curiosity of the students –they asked some very wellinformed questions.”
invaluable insight for the students he met today.”
As part of the visit, Sir Vince met with Professor Andy Long, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Tom Lawson to discuss the University’s leading role within the region in promoting social mobility and regional economic growth.
Talking about Sir Vince’s visit, Northumbria University Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Andy Long said: “We aim to embed experiential learning into all our programmes – connecting the theory and knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations. With his knowledge of politics, business, and higher education, Sir Vince provided
Around 40 per cent of Northumbria’s students come from areas with low participation rates in higher education, and its graduates fill almost a quarter of highly skilled jobs in the North East, providing a pipeline of highly skilled graduates into the region’s economy.
Click the QR code to find out more about Business and Workforce development events and opportunities taking place at Northumbria University.
SOLAR ORBITER (PHOTO CREDIT: EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY)
Scientists have come a step closer to identifying the mysterious origins of the ‘slow’ solar wind, using data collected during the Solar Orbiter spacecraft’s first journey close to the Sun.
Solar wind describes the continuous outflow of charged plasma particles from the Sun into space – with wind travelling at over 500km per second known as ‘fast’ and under 500km per second described as ‘slow’. When this wind hits the Earth’s atmosphere it can result in the stunning aurora we know as the Northern Lights. But when larger quantities of plasma are released, it can also be hazardous, causing significant damage to satellites and communications systems.
Despite decades of observations, it is still not fully understood how solar wind is released from the Sun and transported into space – particularly the slow solar wind. In 2020 the European Space Agency (ESA), with support from NASA, launched the Solar Orbiter mission. As well as capturing the closest and most detailed images of the Sun ever taken, one of the mission’s main aims is to measure the solar wind and determine from where on the Sun’s surface it originates.
Described as the most complex scientific laboratory ever to have been sent to the Sun, Solar Orbiter contains ten different scientific instruments–some designed to collect and analyse samples of the solar wind as it passes the spacecraft, and others to capture high quality images of activity at the Sun’s surface.
By combining photographic and instrumental data, scientists have for the first time been able to identify more clearly where the slow solar wind originates.
The research, which has been published in Nature Astronomy, was led by Dr Steph Yardley of Northumbria University. She explained: “The variability of solar wind streams measured in situ at a spacecraft close to the Sun provide us with a lot of information on their sources, and although past studies have traced the origins of the solar wind, this was done much closer to Earth, by which time this variability is lost.
“Because Solar Orbiter travels so close to the Sun, we can capture the complex nature of the solar wind to get a much clearer picture of its origins and how this complexity is driven by the changes in different source regions.”
The difference between the speed of the fast and slow solar wind is thought to be due to the different areas of the Sun’s corona - the outermost layer of its atmosphere - that they originate from. The open corona refers to regions where magnetic field lines anchor to the Sun at only one end and stretch out
into space on the other, creating a highway for solar material to escape into space. These areas are cooler and believed to be the source of the fast solar wind. Meanwhile the closed corona refers to regions of the Sun where its magnetic field lines are closed - meaning they are connected to the solar surface at both ends. Occasionally these closed magnetic loops will break, providing a brief opportunity for solar material to escape, in the same way it does through open magnetic field lines, before reconnecting and forming a closed loop once again. This generally takes place in areas where the open and closed corona meet. One of the aims of Solar Orbiter is to test a theory that the slow solar wind originates from the closed corona and is able to escape into space through this process of magnetic field lines breaking and reconnecting.
One way the scientific team were able to test this theory was by measuring the ‘composition’ or make up of solar wind streams.
The combination of heavy ions contained in solar material differs depending on where it has where it originated. Using the instruments onboard Solar Orbiter, the team were able to analyse the activity taking place on the surface of the Sun and then match this with the solar wind streams collected by the spacecraft. Using the images of the Sun’s surface captured by Solar Orbiter they were able to pinpoint that the slow wind streams had come from an area where the open and closed corona met, proving their theory was correct.
As Dr Yardley, of Northumbria University’s Solar and Space Physics research group, explained: “The changes in composition of the heavy ions along with the electrons provide strong evidence that not only is the variability driven by the different source regions, but it is also due to reconnection processes occurring between the closed and open loops in the corona.”
The ESA Solar Orbiter mission is an international collaboration, with scientists and institutions from around the world working together, contributing specialist skills and equipment.
Click the QR code to find out more about the Solar Orbiter mission.
JUPITER’S GREAT RED SPOT
(PHOTO CREDIT: NASA/JPL)
It is Jupiter’s most recognisable feature – a Great Red Spot, caused by a high-pressure storm that has been raging for hundreds of years. However, up until now little has been known about how the Spot’s activity affects the area directly above it.
Professor John Woodward has been named the North East’s top business person of the year for his work to develop the new £50 million North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) at Northumbria University.
“We were therefore surprised to see that the images from the James Webb Space Telescope showed there were some really interesting and unexpected smallscale structures such as arcs, bands and spots in the ionosphere in the region directly above the Spot.
“We believe the gravity waves produced by the huge storm beneath this area are actually shaping the density of the structure of the ionosphere when they reach the upper atmosphere and release their energy.”
Until now our understanding of the upper atmosphere of Jupiter
Thanks to images taken using the world’s largest deep-space telescope – the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) – scientists have now been able to reveal fascinating new details about the effect the Spot has on Jupiter’s upper atmosphere – a region known as the ionosphere. By analysing these new images, scientists have discovered that the region directly above the Spot features intricate structures and never-before-seen activity. Their findings, published in Nature Astronomy, theorise that the storm surrounding the Spot creates gravity waves, which move upwards until they reach Jupiter’s ionosphere, where they break like waves on a beach. This releases energy, shaping the structure of the ionosphere in this area. The findings came as a surprise to the international team of scientists analysing the images, as research lead Dr Henrik Melin, who joined Northumbria from the University of Leicester in August, explained: “The ionosphere is generally a pretty boring region – there is some auroral activity around Jupiter’s poles, but the equatorial region where the Great Red Spot is located was expected to be very smooth.
– the largest planet in our solar system – has mostly come from images of the planet captured from Earth. However, in recent years access to NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has allowed scientists to take new images in unprecedented detail. Launched in 2021, JWST uses infrared radiation to look deep into space, meaning it can observe the first stars and even the formation of the first galaxies. The power of the telescope means when it is directed at planets closer to home, we can uncover incredible, never before seen detail, allowing us to gain better understanding of our solar system.
Click the QR code to discover more about how Northumbria University is powering the next generation of space innovation.
Professor Woodward, Pro-ViceChancellor (International), has worked with local and national government; regional, national and international industry leaders and colleagues across the University to drive the development of the centre, which is being delivered in partnership with the UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin UK Space. He was awarded the Business Person of the Year title at the North East Business Awards held in October, which celebrate the best in innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and creativity and shine a light on the people and businesses making a difference in the region.
Described as a “gamechanger” for the UK space economy, NESST will put the UK at the forefront of research and innovation in areas including optical satellite communications, space weather and space-based energy. The centre is expected to directly support the creation of over 350 jobs and inject over £260 million into the North East economy over the next 30 years.
Professor Woodward said: “NESST is a huge collaborative effort which will play an essential role in launching the UK as a space superpower, reaping huge benefits for the North East on every level. I am delighted that NESST has been so well received by the region’s business community, and I am equally delighted to accept the award on behalf of everyone involved.”
Inspirational figures from the worlds of business, health, social impact, literature and politics were honoured by Northumbria during the University’s summer graduation ceremonies.
Each year, honorary degrees are awarded to individuals who have obtained the very highest standards of scholarship, outstanding achievement, or distinction worthy of national or international recognition in their academic or professional field.
Scan the QR codes to find out more about each honorary graduate.
Business leader John Mark Williams, who graduated with an MBA from Northumbria in 2005, returned to the University to receive an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law. John is respected globally as Chief Executive of the Institute of Leadership, a professional membership body for leaders and managers. He has held several senior positions, including working as International Trade Director for UK Trade and Investment in the North East and Chief Executive of the Agile Business Consortium. Since graduation, John has retained a close relationship with the University, using the connections and partnerships he has developed throughout his career to support the institution.
An inspirational champion of entrepreneurship in the North East, Caroline Theobald received an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law for her work to support and grow business in the region. She co-founded the dedicated business network group
The Bridge Club to connect members with funding, management advice and new markets and to stimulate enterprise thinking in schools, colleges and universities. She is also a founding director of the North East Initiative on Business Ethics, a notfor-profit organisation that aims to make the North East a good place to do business.
Caroline is a visiting professor at Northumbria and was Chair of the University’s Newcastle Business School Advisory Board for five years from 2018 to 2023.
Dr Henry Kippin is CEO of the newly created North East Combined Authority (NECA) – having previously managed the North of Tyne Combined Authority. He was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law for his unwavering commitment to driving the profile and success of the North East on the national stage. Born in London and raised in Gateshead, ensuring communities have a say on what happens in their region has been an essential principle for Dr Kippin throughout his career. During his tenure, he has navigated the region through the pandemic and through recovery, developed the biggest devolution deal in the country, and helped create 10,000 jobs underpinned by newly devolved skills budgets and ambitious housing and transport plans.
Michael Brodie was awarded a CBE for services to health in Her Majesty the Queen’s final birthday honours list and has now added an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law from Northumbria to his list of accolades. Michael achieved a degree in Accountancy at Northumbria in 1990 and has gained extensive experience in a number of senior roles across the public services. During the global fight against coronavirus, Ashington-born Michael led NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) while also taking on the role of Interim Chief Executive at Public Health England (PHE). Both the NHSBSA and PHE played pivotal roles in the pandemic, with the NHSBSA standing up around 50 new services to support the national effort and PHE leading on many aspects of the national response including public safety.
Robin Ferris received an honorary degree of Civil Law for his commitment to improving society and determination to help tackle food poverty. Robin, who studied Marketing Management at Northumbria between 1999 and 2003 is founder of Bankuet, the UK’s first zero waste food donation platform and the number one supplier of food for many large food banks across the UK. Set up in 2019, Bankuet has already raised £3 million to buy the essential items that food banks need and now partners with nearly 300 food banks across the UK in 70 towns and cities. Founded to achieve social impact rather than profit, Bankuet was born with the single aim of tackling food poverty, and a simple vision: that no one in the UK will go hungry.
Award-winning crime author, Cally Taylor, was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters. Cally studied Psychology at Northumbria and graduated in 1995. With a current back catalogue that includes ten thrilling psychological novels, two romantic comedy novels, two young adult novels and numerous short stories, Cally believes her experience at the University helped her achieve her dream of becoming an author. Her psychological thriller The Lie sat in the Sunday Times Best Seller Charts for five weeks and topped the Amazon charts for three months. Cally’s subsequent novels have gone on to be Sunday Times best-selling thrillers, selling over two million copies in the UK alone, and reaching the number one slot on several online platforms.
Off-grid communities in parts of rural Pakistan could soon have access to a reliable source of electricity for the first time, thanks to a new project which aims to convert waste from the bananagrowing industry into energy.
Millions of tonnes of agricultural waste is generated in Pakistan every year from growing bananas and other foods. Researchers from Northumbria University have now teamed up with partners in the UK and Pakistan to find a novel use for this waste product which will also benefit local people. Together the project partners are developing an innovative two-part system – the first will use new technology to convert the banana waste into textile fibres, while the second part will use the waste generated from that process to produce a type of gas that can provide renewable power and heat. This will not only reduce the environmental impact of Pakistan’s textile industry, but also bring clean electricity to people living in rural areas of the country, half of whom live off-grid and currently rely on fossil fuels for energy. The process has the potential to be applied to almost any form of agricultural waste, meaning it could be used all over the world, benefitting communities and the environment through the supply of renewable textiles and clean energy.
The project, entitled Improving access to sustainable energy in rural Pakistan using food and fibre agrowaste as a renewable fuel (SAFER),
has been awarded around £300,000 by Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, through its Energy Catalyst scheme. The scheme is designed to support UK and overseas businesses and organisations to develop highly innovative, market-focused energy technologies that enable energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa and south or south-east Asia.
The project will be led by Dr Jibran Khaliq of Northumbria University, with academics working in partnership with waste-to-energy company Eco Research Ltd, based in Dudley; as well as the National Textile University, and biogas specialists Prime Eurotech, both situated in Pakistan.
Dr Khaliq, a material scientist who researches converting
waste energy, said: “Pakistan’s textile sector is responsible for significant environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and microplastics.
“Our partners at the National Textile University in Faisalabad have developed a technology to convert banana agro-waste into textile fibres, but the lack of electricity in rural Sindh, where the majority of the bananas are grown, has prevented this innovation from being scaledup until now.
“Over the next year we will be working to develop a new waste-to-energy technology which will convert agro-waste into clean and affordable energy.
“This solution will benefit the textile industry, and local communities, as well as
improving soil fertility and food production through the generation of biofertilizers.” It is estimated that the bananagrowing industry in Pakistan produces around 80 million tonnes of agricultural waste every year. This could result in the production of over 57 million cubic meters of syngas, or synthesis gas as it is known, as well as 30 million tonnes of nitrogen-enriched biofertilizers. Syngas is a manmade gas which is created through chemical processes using waste products. It has
a wide range of uses and is recognised as a greener way to generate electricity.
Click the QR code to find out more about the SAFER project and Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst scheme.
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At Northumbria, our academics have been working with The Conversation to produce independent, quality current affairs journalism on some of the latest topics to hit the news.
Human culture is changing too fast for evolution to catch up – here’s how it may affect you
Research is showing that many of our contemporary problems are emerging from rapid technological advancement and modernisation. Assistant Professor, Dr Jose Yong from the Department of Psychology explains why we’re adapting poorly to the modern world, despite the benefits it brings.
Why are organisational cover-ups so common?
The Post Office saga joins a long list of cover-ups and scandals that, over time, have come to be expected rather than exceptional. Professor Anthony Montgomery from the Department of Psychology believes the corporate drive to hide the truth is not random, but inevitable. So why does it happen and why is it likely to keep happening?
Dr
and Professor
If you have a great idea for an article, please email media.communications@northumbria.ac.uk
Green belts need modernising - a more ‘multifunctional’ approach can benefit people and planet
Green belt policy has remained largely unchanged for almost 70 years and hasn’t adapted to the changing needs of society. PhD Researcher Matt Kirby from the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences investigates how the green belt concept can be modernised to provide the benefits society needs.
How AI can dramatically reduce the time it takes to make VAR offside calls in Premier League football matches
VAR was introduced to the English Premier League in an attempt to reduce the number of incorrect refereeing decisions, but its use is still much criticised. Assistant Professor, Dr Mark Middling from the Business School discusses how AI could improve the accuracy and speed of football reviews.
The UK and Ireland’s climate was tropical 26 million years ago – here’s why that matters now
By reading layers of rocks, we can travel back in time. And by studying the fossils they contain, we can reconstruct past climates. Associate Professor Matthew Pound and PhD candidate Jessica McCoy, from the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, discuss what the warmer winters of the past could mean for our future.
SARAH GLENDINNING DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS AT NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY
Northumbria University News speaks to Sarah Glendinning, the University’s new lead for business partnerships, who shares what attracted her to Northumbria and discusses the ways she believes the University can work with business to address the challenges they face, and develop opportunities within the region and beyond.
Tell us a bit about your background and what brought you to Northumbria.
The North-East is home, but I moved away to go to university. I chose Aston in Birmingham in part because it offered a placement as part of my business management course which I felt would give me valuable experience when I started work. After ten years I moved back to the region and took a role in recruitment. The beauty of working in executive search was building relationships with some amazing senior leaders in the region and I was able to really get under the skin of the business scene here and what makes it tick. Ten years ago, an opportunity to join the CBI emerged and I
What is the biggest challenge facing businesses in the region and beyond?
Recent years have been so complex and challenging for the business community with austerity, Brexit, COVID, changes due to devolution, the energy crisis and recent global conflicts, all making it tough just to stay afloat, let alone grow a business. It’s inspirational when you see how some businesses have been able to thrive despite all of that, many working together to overcome those difficulties.
I think the priority now for business is clarity, consistency and long-term strategic thinking. As a region, and in fact as a country, we need to enable organisations to focus on achieving their potential without the added complexity of having to firefight all the time. Through partnerships that include research, innovation, knowledge exchange and Continuing Professional Development, the University is in a brilliant position to help businesses try things out, to explore ideas and evaluate the impact of those ideas, to think bigger and to have the space to thrive.
University-Business collaborations are invaluable for us as a university. Our students already benefit from outstanding teaching and learning, but through our partnerships they also have the opportunity to work with experts in their field and gain experience of what the world of work is really like.
became North East Regional Director. I had the privilege of working very closely with many local, national and international businesses spanning all sizes and sectors, including the higher education sector with Northumbria University as a CBI member. I was impressed by Northumbria’s focus on experiential learning which, having benefited from it myself, I genuinely believe in. I was also inspired by the importance the University attributed to social mobility and widening participation.
So, the fact that Northumbria’s vision is about providing the best for its students and puts such stock around ensuring all students can access real-world learning, really resonates with me personally.
So, what sets Northumbria University apart as a business partner?
It’s definitely Northumbria’s personality and attitude! Everyone I’ve met has a real willingness to say, “Why not?” when presented with a new challenge. I’ve not heard anyone say, “We don’t do that.” It’s that positive attitude that reflects the culture of the University and the ambition that we have for our partners, our students and our graduates.
Maya Angelou said: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I live by this quote, and I think the way in which we want to try new things, say “why not?” and work together is really powerful in making our partners feel empowered to explore innovative ideas, and find new and better solutions.
How can Northumbria’s collaboration with partners unlock potential for the North East and beyond?
Partnership working is not new to Northumbria University. There is a web of strong connections throughout the University from an academic and professional perspective. Through our partnerships with regional, national and international businesses and stakeholders, our academics are already making a difference all over the world, as well as representing the North East, talking about who we are and what we do well.
Businesses also benefit from engaging with academics with a wide range of specialisms and different perspectives. On a recent tour of our engineering faculty for example, I heard how cross departmental and disciplinary conversations within the university led to a simple solution to a thorny problem engineers had been grappling with. That openness and willingness to work across disciplines to reach the best solution for the partner was incredibly inspiring and I know is of great value to business partners. By bringing together different thinking, from different perspectives, with different experiences around a challenging problem, we can produce a better, more creative solution. The teams here at Northumbria are certainly doing that day in day out!
What would you say to any businesses considering working with Northumbria?
Come and talk to us! Despite working with the sector for many years, I realise now that I hadn’t appreciated the potential breadth and depth of business - academic collaboration until I started working at the University. We work with businesses in so many different ways, the possibilities are almost endless.
Our researchers are constantly working on developing and testing new products and ways of working. Our equipment, facilities and venues are available for hire. We deliver a host of CPD and leadership and management programmes to keep our region’s employees’ skills relevant as industry and legislation changes. And of course, we can provide interns for placements and highly skilled, highly sought after graduates.
So, my advice would be that whether you know exactly what you need, or you know you need ‘something,’ but you aren’t sure what, or you would just like to find out more about what we could offer then please get in touch. We’d be delighted to explore with you.
It’s also important to say that it is not just about businesses in the North East - it’s also about how we attract businesses who have the ambition to grow and who work within specialisms we have as a region and as a university.
The North East Space Skills and Technology (NESST) partnership with the UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin – which will create a world-leading space skills, research and technology centre in the North East - is a fantastic example of that potential, but there are lots of other collaborations going on which will have a significant positive impact on society.
We shouldn’t feel geographically constrained. My role is to help catalyse and ignite more business opportunities for Northumbria and to help the University become an ambassador for the region within the business community helping the North East to grow and attract people to come to live, work and invest here.
“THE UNIVERSITY IS IN A BRILLIANT POSITION TO HELP BUSINESSES TRY THINGS OUT, TO EXPLORE IDEAS AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF THOSE IDEAS, TO THINK BIGGER AND TO HAVE THE SPACE TO THRIVE.”
Scan the QR code to discover more about research at Northumbria.
“WE ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN THEIR CAREERS AND I WOULD CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE ALL TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE BRILLIANT OPPORTUNITIES AND NETWORKS THAT THE UNIVERSITY MAKES AVAILABLE.”
PROFESSOR GRAHAM WYNN
A group of ambitious final-year students and recent graduates attended Northumbria’s annual Careers Fest, where they were introduced to some of the region’s most influential professionals and top employers — including Michael Brodie CBE, Chief Executive Officer of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) which is headquartered in Newcastle.
Northumbria’s employability festival is designed to give students and recent graduates the skills they need to confidently seek and approach opportunities in the professional world. A series of interactive workshops opened important conversations with employers, alumni and industry experts, and gave the opportunity for students to hear about the career support available through the University.
Attendees were welcomed by Michael Brodie who shared his experience of working across the public sector, particularly for organisations that were vital throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, including Public Health England and the NHSBSA. In his keynote speech, Michael explained the importance of authenticity and encouraged all
students and graduates to ‘be the you-est version of you that you can be’. The University awarded Michael an honorary degree during its summer congregation ceremonies for the vital role he played in the Covid-19 pandemic as leader of the NHS Business Services Authority (turn to page eight to find out more).
He continued: “I’m happy to have the opportunity and proud to pass on the learnings from my career so far with students and fellow alumni. My greatest advice for the future workforce is to be yourself and always understand the importance of showing kindness, decency and respect to others. You also have to be passionate about why you want to do the career you step into. From a young age, I knew I wanted to work in the public
sector because I recognised the potential for public service to make a difference.
So, I worked to find the right career from that passion.
“I graduated from Northumbria with a degree in accountancy in 1990 and I was supported by the University to follow a career in public service. I would encourage all students and graduates to seek the career support they need and seize the day to get the best possible start to their working lives.”
RED Engineering Design and First Psychology, as well as Northumbria University alumni. They covered CV masterclasses, making an impact with employers through personal branding, discovering different career paths, and exploring job opportunities in the North East. Students and graduates could also be part of live Q&A sessions with alumni and employers,
discussing the STEM, creative, health, and public sector industries.
Sessions throughout the day were co-hosted by organisations including Northumbrian Water,
Professor Graham Wynn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education at Northumbria University said: “It was fantastic to see so
many students and graduates get involved in this year’s Careers Fest. We are committed to supporting our students to succeed in their careers and I would continue to encourage all to make the most of the brilliant opportunities and networks that the University makes available.
“We were delighted to welcome back one of our most inspirational graduates, Michael Brodie, who shared helpful insights on how to become successful and follow the career path best suited to you. It is great for our students and graduates to hear from those who have excelled to the top of their career, and I look forward to seeing the impact of Michael’s learnings.” Northumbria University is in the top 30 for the number of full-time UK graduates who go into skilled jobs and has regularly placed in the top 10 for graduate start-ups based on turnover.
Click the QR code to find out more about careers support at Northumbria.
Northumbria University has announced partnerships with two of the North East’s largest cultural organisations in a move that will cement the region’s reputation for excellence in the cultural and creative industries.
After working together informally for many years, the University has now agreed official partnerships with both Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM) and Live Theatre to support new research which addresses some of the key challenges of our times; linking culture and creativity to health and wellbeing, and exploring the benefits of participation in the arts by young people from more diverse backgrounds.
Northumbria already has successful partnership agreements in place with New Writing North, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the British Film Institute (BFI) and formalising the existing collaborative working taking place with TWAM and Live Theatre will further strengthen the region’s cultural prominence. The partnerships are expected to open up new real-world learning opportunities for students in subjects ranging from creative writing and theatre, through to occupational therapy and early years education.
Neil Percival, Director of Cultural Partnerships at Northumbria, said the new agreements grew naturally out of the University’s established commitment to partnered working. He said: “These partnerships bring particular opportunities to explore the ways in which culture and heritage play a
part in supporting health, wellbeing and social care; and to understand how young people from all backgrounds can be drawn into creative activity, such as theatre and performance, to boost their aspirations and broaden their choices.
“We are also developing plans with all our partners to collaborate on outreach activities – looking for new ways to tell the region’s stories and bring creative opportunities to more young people from all ages and backgrounds.
“Through these new partnerships, and our existing work with cultural organisations in the region, we want to boost the region’s future creative strength by identifying and nurturing the next generation of talented young artists, writers, curators and creatives.”
The partnerships will also support new teaching and research. Academics from Northumbria will work with TWAM colleagues across a variety of areas, including social care and wellbeing, digital collections management, history and heritage, social mobility, and creative and cultural sector resilience. Students will also benefit from placement opportunities and projects in venues operated by TWAM across the region. These include the Discovery Museum, Laing Art Gallery and Shipley Art Gallery.
Speaking about the partnership, Keith Merrin, Director of TWAM, said: “We welcome the resource and capacity this partnership will bring to help us demonstrate the power of the collections we hold, and the stories they tell,
“WE WANT TO BOOST THE REGION’S FUTURE CREATIVE STRENGTH BY IDENTIFYING AND NURTURING THE NEXT GENERATION OF TALENTED YOUNG ARTISTS, WRITERS, CURATORS AND CREATIVES.”
to make a positive difference to people’s lives.”
The partnership with Live Theatre will involve engagement with students on Northumbria’s Theatre and Performance and Creative Writing degree programmes, including workshops, classroom teaching, and work experience, as well as the unique opportunity for students to observe rehearsals for Live Theatre productions.
Collaborative research bids with Live’s highly regarded Youth Theatre are also in development and will focus on the opportunities and benefits provided for young people from all backgrounds.
Executive Director and Joint CEO of Live Theatre Jacqui Kell said: “Live Theatre, has had a
relationship with Northumbria University for some time, but we are thrilled this has been formally recognised.
“We share a commitment that everyone should have access to the best possible creative opportunities whether as a career, to build skills and confidence or enhance quality of life.
“We look forward to working with the university on research opportunities as well as being involved in teaching and learning and broadening student’s perspectives.”
Click the QR code to find out more about Northumbria University’s cultural partnerships.
One of Northumbria’s Early Career Researchers has been recognised by the Royal Geographical Society with one of its prestigious awards, presented to outstanding people and organisations for their notable contributions to geography.
Dr Ana Laura Zavala Guillen from the University’s Centre for Global Development research group was honoured with the Area Prize, which is awarded to a new researcher who has authored the best article in the Society’s academic journal.
Dr Zavala Guillen’s article Feeling/thinking the archive: Participatory mapping Marronage proposes a decolonial method to map the geographies of Maroon communities – fugitives from slavery and their descendants – to help accurately record their territorial history and heritage in Latin America. Since colonial times, the presence of Afro-descendant and indigenous people and their legacies has been eroded from many territories.
Working with members of the San Basilio de Palenque village in Colombia, Dr Zavala Guillen analysed records and the oral history of the community on the development of their territories, uprooting and resistance, to create maps reflecting historical and present-day perspectives.
Speaking about her award Dr Zavala Guillen said: “I am honoured to receive this award as an Early Career Researcher devoted to furthering decolonial debates in historical geography.
“A big thank you to the British Academy for making my research and related fieldwork possible. I dedicate this award to the community of Palenque for trusting me with their ancestral knowledge and histories of land resistance, and Colombian historian Professor María Cristina NavarretePeláez, whom I had the privilege to call my friend.”
The Royal Geographical Society awards medals and prizes, including two Royal Medals approved by His Majesty the King, to recognise excellence in geographical research and fieldwork, teaching, public engagement, policy and professional practice. They are presented annually to individuals who have made outstanding achievements.
Click the QR code to discover more about Northumbria’s Centre for Global Development.
An academic from Northumbria University is one of only 30 nurses in the UK to have been honoured by the American Academy of Nurses for his work to reform health equity and policy in the UK.
Professor John Unsworth OBE, Professor of Nursing and Deputy Faculty Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education in Northumbria’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, was formally inducted as a Fellow of the Academy at a ceremony in Washington D.C. in November.
The American Academy of Nursing works to advance health policy and practice and promote healthcare through social justice, address racism, tackle inequalities and promote innovation and access to services. Being awarded Fellowship of the Academy is a significant acknowledgment of the substantial, sustained and outstanding impact an individual has made on health and healthcare.
Reflecting on this recognition, Professor Unsworth, who is also Chair of the Queen’s Nursing Institute, said:
“I am delighted to be recognised by the American Academy of Nursing. The Academy is the leading health and nursing policy body influencing policymakers in the US and globally through its work on evidence synthesis and dissemination. I look forward to contributing to this work alongside the Academy’s existing Fellows.”
In 2022 Professor Unsworth was awarded an OBE for services to community nursing and community nurse education. He has more than 36 years’ experience as a community practitioner, manager and leader, he has worked extensively to develop
international practice and higher education teaching across the world, and continues to carry out research relating to patient safety and competence across the workforce. Through the University’s new Centre for Health and Social Equity (CHASE), researchers like Professor Unsworth will be delivering world-leading health and social equity research and creating innovative, evidence-based policies and data-driven solutions to bring impactful change across the region, the UK and globally.
Click the QR code to find out more about CHASE.
Experts at Northumbria University are winning millions in funding to find new ways to tackle the climate crisis, including using solar power to create water, and to train the next generation of carbon champions.
Emma Sheppard
An estimated 1.8 billion people around the world live in homes without a water supply, according to research by Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO). Collecting water is a daily task that falls to women and girls in 70% of those households, and often involves long, dangerous journeys that take them away from education, work and leisure. It’s an issue that’s exacerbated by climate change and war. Experts warn that efforts to tackle water scarcity need to accelerate significantly if the UN’s sixth sustainable development goal – universal access to water – is to be achieved by 2030.
But what if there was a way to harness the energy of the sun to create clean, safe drinking water from thin air? It sounds like a magic trick but that’s precisely what Dr Muhammad Wakil Shahzad, associate professor in Northumbria University’s department of mechanical and construction engineering, has devised with his team. Their portable Solar2Water system uses solar energy to extract moisture from the air and turn it into water – up to 500 litres a day, depending on the size of the unit. It is being seen as a game changer for displaced communities in refugee camps, disaster zones and other remote locations, primarily because it can produce a constant amount of water independently of the humidity in the air.
Northumbria University is highly rated for its strength in engineering research,
and is part of a thriving ecosystem of research into energy materials and systems in north-east England. Through collaborations such as the Northern Accelerator programme, commercial potential is recognised and innovations such as Solar2Water are turned into private spinout businesses.
Shahzad’s team received funding from the university to develop a prototype in the lab and was introduced to Northern Accelerator and ICURe, a specialist Innovate UK programme, to develop a proof-of-concept product and explore its commercialisation potential. Solar2Water is already attracting interest, winning energy technology and social impact awards and receiving orders from Mexico, Cameroon and South Africa.
Having previously developed large-scale solar-powered desalination technologies –removing salt from sea water to produce safe drinking water – in Singapore and Saudi Arabia, Shahzad says: “There was always something in my mind to help the remote communities. Northumbria University was really supportive from the start. They understood the concept and could see it was a very good thing we’re trying to do.”
The world faces an unprecedented challenge getting to net zero by 2050. But innovations such as Shahzad’s are helping to demonstrate what is possible when renewables are put to work. It is estimated that the
amount of sunlight the Earth receives in one hour is enough to meet the electricity demands of the world for one year, meaning there’s vast potential in solar power alone. “The UK has done an excellent job in decarbonising its energy supply over the last 10 years,” Prof Neil Beattie, professor of energy innovation at Northumbria University, says. “But it’s important we don’t rest on our laurels. There are lots of areas to work on in terms of research, and Northumbria is at the forefront of that.”
Beattie’s own research also revolves around finding new ways to utilise solar power. He is part of a team awarded more than £1m to discover how photovoltaic materials could be integrated into different products in the built environment, such as windows and balconies, but there are other potential applications too. One option could be to embed the technology within the roof of a car to allow it to harness its own solar energy throughout the day. “Our work is not designed to compete
with traditional solar panels,” he says. “But if we can achieve a more aesthetic integration and deploy it on a wider range of surfaces it will add muchneeded capacity in areas where we’re not generating electricity already. This could be a transformative solution for locally generated electricity that meets increasing demand and provides more energy security.”
As well as developing new opportunities for renewable energy, Beattie has a key role in developing the next
generation of talent. He’s the director of Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (ReNU), a partnership set up between Northumbria, Durham and Newcastle universities, after they received £5.2m from the EPSRC. “We recognised that there was a big benefit in drawing all the research excellence that we have in energy materials and systems together to create a pipeline of industry-ready doctoral level graduates,” Beattie says. “Working together we are creating highly skilled
ONE SYSTEM DEVISED AT NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY USES SOLAR ENERGY TO EXTRACT MOISTURE FROM THE AIR AND TURN IT INTO WATER. PHOTO CREDIT:
leaders who will develop and commercialise the next generation of renewable energy and sustainable distributed energy technologies.”
On top of a traditional PhD programme, ReNU students receive innovation training, take part in a mini-MBA, and attend industry site visits. This includes taking a group to the nearby Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, which tests wind turbine blades over 100 metres long. “This additional training gives the students a big picture for renewable energy,”
he says. “It helps them think really broadly about energy beyond an individual technology like a battery cathode, a new electrolyte or a new type of material for a solar panel.”
One of the industry partners working with ReNU is Johnson Matthey, a chemical and sustainable technologies provider. Dr Martin Hayes is the global technology manager for life science technologies at the firm and sits on the advisory board of ReNU. The company sponsors a current ReNU PhD student who is developing a living bionic leaf to produce solar fuels and chemicals from carbon dioxide and water, by harvesting sunlight. “When we saw this project, we thought, wow, this is really interesting,” says Hayes.
“If we manage to come up with a process that can upgrade CO2 to fuels using just sunlight, that will be a fantastic result. And if not, we will have supported the training of a very expert PhD graduate who has many of the skills needed in this industry.”
The research conducted by universities such as Northumbria is invaluable to industry partners such as Johnson Matthey, he explains. Not only does it help develop a diverse future talent pool for the sector, but it also de-risks a lot of early-stage projects around step-change technologies. “If they’re successful, we can work with the university to commercialise
the technology. Working with partners such as ReNU allows industry to explore cutting edge technologies in a manner that is both attractive and viable for our stakeholders.”
The success of ReNU has led to further funding of £11m to expand the programme and widen access to doctoral level training to those with non-traditional educational backgrounds and other underrepresented groups, such as those who are unemployed or disabled, carers, and military veterans. The universities will also work with partners across local government, industry and charities to run taster sessions to help people engage with renewable energy and offer short modules within the training programme to those not enrolled on the course itself.
“If you’re an industrialist and you want to know about carbon accounting, you could come on to our training programme for a week for your own professional development,” Beattie says.
“If we want to get to net zero, we need to include everybody. We need all the perspectives and talent we can find to make this happen.
This is a huge challenge and responsibility. It’s all hands on deck.”
At Northumbria University’s centre for AI innovation, researchers have a focus on the reality of people’s lives and what technology can do to improve wellbeing.
Helena Pozniak
Most people with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa never seek help, says Dr Dawn BranleyBell, a cyberpsychologist at Northumbria University. “But what is shocking is that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental health conditions.”
If more sufferers could be encouraged to seek support, might this change? It’s a question Branley-Bell hopes to answer through her research into how technology can improve health and wellbeing, and is part of a wider focus at Northumbria University examining the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform healthcare.
The university’s new Centre for Doctoral Training in Citizen-Centred Artificial Intelligence, which has received £9m in government funding through UK Research and Innovation, will enable doctoral students to specialise in areas such as AI for digital healthcare, robotics, decision making and sustainability. The centre brings together academics from across the university and will focus on the inclusion of citizens in the design and evaluation of AI.
Branley-Bell has been looking at whether AI could be used, in some cases, as a first port of call for people searching for medical information online.
AI-powered chatbots, for instance, could help individuals seek medical help sooner for conditions that they feel too embarrassed to see a doctor about, her research has found. So while, in general, most people would rather speak face
to face with a professional, in some instances chatbot technology, and the anonymity it offers, would prompt people who might not otherwise look for it to seek support. “You’ve got that first step through the door. A chatbot can reassure you that you’re not alone and direct you towards help,” says Branley-Bell, who adds that this technology may be useful for helping people who have an eating disorder.
AI chatbots are no replacement for doctors and medics, she says. They need to be constantly monitored and evaluated, and should never be used to cut costs. “But they have a role – for people who can’t get to a doctor’s during the working day or who have caring responsibilities, or who can’t travel.” And the reality of lengthy waiting lists means that people can be supported while they wait for treatment and services.
The new centre, one of 12 for doctoral training in artificial intelligence across the UK, will grapple with the ethical considerations of using the technology across a range of areas, including health and wellbeing.
The potential of AI in health scenarios is exciting but fraught with challenges, says Dr Kyle Montague, an expert in human-computer interaction at Northumbria University, who wants to see digital health tools co-designed by the people who will ultimately use them.
With the advent of ChatGPT and other tools, people now have easier access to once-elite
technology. “By default, you get a more diverse segment of the population using the technology,” he says. This is both liberating and alarming – individuals risk unwittingly sharing sensitive health and personal information via unregulated apps and generative AI. “All of a sudden you’ve given really powerful tools to people who maybe don’t understand the nuts and bolts behind them.”
Ethical design and transparency are critical, researchers agree. “AI must be explainable,” says BranleyBell.
Typically, she says, complex algorithms have drawn results through opaque processes. Privacy and data security are also obviously key concerns.
The centre is taking an interdisciplinary approach, recruiting its initial tranche of 60 researchers across fields such as nursing, law and social services. “It’s so important to have people from all disciplines who can design AI products, systems and services that are fair, just and responsible,” says Montague. “We want people with lived experience and a good understanding of societal and health problems.”
Likewise, his research projects are careful to recruit
participants from a wide social and ethnic pool. This is critical, he says – typically those who have the time and resources to take part in research tend to be white and middle class – and this data bias can skew and entrench unfairness if used to train AI tools. With a wider spread of participants, he says, the kinds of AI tools emerging from the centre will be better designed and more responsible, and better serve the people they are designed for.
A good example of this is the work he co-led to develop a smartwatch-style device that vibrates to prompt people with Parkinson’s disease to
swallow. As the condition affects automatic swallowing, about 80% of people with Parkinson’s find they drool, which can make them reluctant to socialise. Montague had asked support groups to dream up solutions to problems that would make their lives better – and they came up with the wearable device.
After lab tests, the technology – a watch connected to an app – is being tested in daily life by hundreds of people with Parkinson’s. This trial is just the beginning, more existing technologies can be personalised if individuals can explain their own health needs.
AI can also be used in preventive ways, by helping clinicians to get a better idea of what help vulnerable people need, says Dr Thomas Salisbury, an ophthalmology registrar, at Sunderland Eye Infirmary. He is one of NHS England’s Topol digital fellows, a team of health and social care professionals leading digital health transformations and innovations in their organisations. Working with Dr Alan Godfrey and Jason Moore from Northumbria University’s Digital Health and Wellbeing group, Salisbury is looking at how elderly people with
diminished sight navigate their homes. Their work uses ethical AI tools to highlight risks by analysing footage from headcams and data from accelerometers worn by individuals to monitor movement.
In the recent past, this detailed analysis would only have been done in an artificial environment or would have had to be manually reviewed by researchers, but technology can now speed up this process. The study ultimately will help medics and therapists advise the elderly how to move more safely about their homes, with a view to preventing falls. “An
AI algorithm can generate insights and spot patterns that people can’t necessarily find,” Salisbury explains.
With AI having the ability to detect diseases at an earlier stage and provide solutions that could reduce the burden on healthcare professionals, it offers enormous potential –and striking a balance between its potential benefits and the challenges that come with those is at the forefront of thinking at Northumbria.
By offering a range of routes into nursing, including a short course for more experienced applicants, Northumbria University is pulling out all the stops to attract people into vital healthcare roles.
Tess Reidy
Northumbria University has a long history of training generations of nurses – in fact, it’s not uncommon for the children of former nursing students to follow in their footsteps. “Mothers or fathers have had really good experiences and then the child comes through, and they qualify as a nurse. My daughter’s just graduated too,” says Prof Alison Machin, a former student who is now head of the university’s department of nursing, midwifery and health and chair of the national Council of Deans of Health. “One of the special things about Northumbria is the legacy it has left in the region.”
For a trained nurse, there is a broad spectrum of jobs available, from working in the community to being in intensive care units or making the switch to healthcare management. But in recent years, the demand for nurses and midwives has increased faster than the number being trained in the UK. Over the next 15 years, the population of England is projected to increase by 4.2%, but the number of people aged over 85, who typically need more care, will grow by 55%. The pandemic has also seen more nurses
leave the profession. “There’s a perfect storm going on at the moment and there are real challenges,” says Machin.
According to Prof Mark Radford, national director for delivery of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and deputy chief nursing officer at NHS England, expanding capacity in universities is vital. With more than 100,000 vacancies in the NHS as a whole, of which 38,000 are in nursing, there is a clear need to act fast.
Universities are a key partner in delivering the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which includes the aim of significantly increasing education and training provision. The plan sets out ambitions to better support those already working in the health sector and to modernise how people work and train, through the creation of new roles and the use of new technologies.
Northumbria is working in partnership with local NHS employers to make sure there are as many routes as possible into the nursing profession. The university was quick to offer the nursing degree apprenticeship and has shortened the route to registration for people who have the entry requirements.
Machin says: “People who are very experienced working in a relevant healthcare setting and have the right academic entry requirements can finish within 18 months. We were the first university in the country to do that.”
The apprenticeship programme works especially well for people who are not in the financial position to do the traditional degree course.
Dr Gill Findley, deputy chief executive and chief nurse of the Gateshead Health NHS foundation trust, says the university has been “brilliant” at promoting the apprenticeship route. “People can earn on the job, which I think is a massive incentive.”
Another way in which the university sector is helping to improve training, says Radford, is by developing the curriculum and delivering “innovation such as blended learning and simulation”. Northumbria uses virtual reality headsets and 360-degree videos that have been developed by its academic staff, and which complement other teaching methods. These are particularly successful in teaching anatomy and physiology as they help students to visualise the body.
“We have top-of-the-range kit and several of our academics are experts in this field,” says Machin. “The students love it, and it gives them a chance to practise things in the virtual world before they go on placement.” Findley agrees, saying “students can get the
best out of their placements because they’re more confident about their capabilities.”
The university is home to one of just five national competence testing centres, which all overseas nurses, midwives and nursing associates must pass before they can be registered
to practise in the UK. The centre recently doubled in size to meet growing demand and can now offer thousands of exam places each year.
Northumbria also works in partnership with other universities, including medical students from over the road at Newcastle University, to create a simulated clinical interprofessional working environment. This allows students to, for example, act as different professionals to practise making decisions together as a team, as they would when they qualify.
Reaching out to young people directly to attract them on to programmes is another initiative that is proving successful. Northumbria has partnered with a local academy sixth form to support their development of a T-level course to encourage more young people to consider the vast range of health-related careers available. The university has supported the school team with the development of teaching materials which give pupils a taste of what it’s like to work in a healthcare setting.
Two years post-qualification is the peak time for nurses to leave the profession, so universities such as Northumbria are working hard to preempt this by making students aware of the range of opportunities across the NHS and the varied career paths available to them.
In the next 10-15 years it is estimated that almost 15% of the adult working age population in England will be working in the health and social care sector, says Radford. “Retaining people is critical. Trained colleagues have a huge amount of experience delivering services in innovative ways, and they’re also providing essential supervision, support, advice and guidance for those in the early stages of their career.”
Continuing professional development programmes can help people find routes into new areas of interest or newly emerging roles, with Northumbria offering courses in areas such as non-medical prescribing, immunisation, or general practice nursing, while others may choose to follow leadership or management routes.
As someone who has been in the profession since 1985, Findley feels fortunate to have progressed in her career and to have had many different jobs throughout, thanks to her ongoing commitment to develop her skills in new areas. “There are so many different routes open to you when you work in the health sector,” she says.
“Universities are able to help people navigate their way through that career path and show them the options.”
Academics at Northumbria University are confident that a new £50m space research centre will benefit not just those operating beyond the stratosphere, but life on Earth too.
Abby Young-Powell
Many of us grow up fascinated by space and the universe. The question of whether there’s intelligent life out there is a continuing preoccupation among scientists and citizens alike.
But research into space goes far beyond the hunt for extraterrestrial life – there are many different areas that students and researchers are investigating, from space weather and space law, to astronaut health and satellite communication.
At Northumbria University, Newcastle – which is developing NESST, a new £50m North East Space Skills and Technology Centre – academics are working across a range of projects that could transform our understanding of space.
For many people, their
only experience of space weather is seeing the stunning phenomenon of the aurora borealis, more commonly known as the northern lights.
“The northern lights are part of space weather,” says Clare Watt, professor of space plasma physics. “When there’s a significant storm or disturbance in space, the aurora lights up.”
Space weather forecasts can help experts to predict when and where the northern lights will be particularly bright, so tourists who have travelled, say, to Iceland or northern Norway don’t miss out. Recently, of course, the northern lights were visible over the UK and many other parts of Europe, causing much excitement.
What is less well known is that space weather – such as solar flares or storms – can have a massive impact on our technological infrastructure and even our health and wellbeing. It can cause damage to satellites or increase radiation that is harmful to aircrew and astronauts. Watt, one of Northumbria’s lead researchers in this area, has worked closely with organisations such as the Met Office to examine the impact of space weather on Earth.
“Before I studied space I thought there was nothing there,” says Watt. “But what little material there is, is so energetic that it’s a danger to satellites and anything with electronics. So space weather involves trying to analyse conditions in space to be able to forecast them and give a heads up to satellite operators.”
With our reliance on satellites for banking, navigation, entertainment and more, the prospect of a storm in space knocking out our communications systems is a real cause for concern.
By doing research to create better weather forecasts in space, the team can help satellite operators
to make more accurate predictions about where and when to move satellites, and so help prevent damage to them and other communications systems.
In addition to improving space weather forecasts, Northumbria researchers are also looking for new ways to allow satellites to transmit data. UK Space Agency funding is supporting the development of a new system that allows satellites to communicate with each other via lasers rather than radio frequencies. This will allow them to transmit data much faster and much more securely.
Northumbria researchers are working towards launching the UK’s first university-led multi-satellite space mission to test their system next year, and hope to make it commercially available soon after.
Another area that experts at Northumbria University are pursuing is research into technologies that can improve astronaut health. “We are directly involved in supporting astronauts,” says Nick Caplan, professor of aerospace medicine and rehabilitation at Northumbria University. “The main thing that happens to them in space is that, in the absence of gravity, they’re not having to use the muscles in their legs as they do on Earth to stand and move,” he says.
“This means they lose muscle and bone mineral, which can affect them long after they return to Earth. So the question we’re interested in is: how do astronauts exercise in space to prevent these changes?”
The team has been developing exercise devices, including a variable gravity suspension system.
And, after winning the 2023 Humans in Space Challenge, is now exploring blood flow restriction training for potential use by astronauts during spaceflight. Using a specialist technique, the team is working on ways to restrict blood flow to the exercising muscles to improve exercise effectiveness, with the aim of maintaining astronauts’ strength while in space.
Importantly, the team’s research can also be used to improve the lives of people here on Earth, Caplan says. “For example, the postural muscles tend to become dysfunctional in astronauts in a similar way that we see in people with lower back pain,” he says. “So if we can find something that works for astronauts, it might work for people with lower back pain on Earth as well.”
Another field of research at the university is space law, which regulates what can be sent into space. “You can’t just
AMONG THE PROJECTS BEING WORKED ON BY NORTHUMBRIA RESEARCHERS IS A SYSTEM ALLOWING SATELLITES TO COMMUNICATE VIA LASERS RATHER THAN RADIO FREQUENCIES
launch anything,” says Caroline Harper, head of space science at the UK Space Agency. “There are regulations in place that are flexible enough to support emerging technologies and new markets, while keeping safety at the forefront. We do need to preserve space for future generations and the UK is a leading voice on this – we want to encourage positive behaviours, like satellites that de-orbit automatically once their mission is over.”
The university is involved in assessing whether additional regulations are needed. “There are laws which the space industry must follow, but we have to ask whether those laws are still relevant when the ways we use space are changing so dramatically,” Watt says. “We have a team here in Northumbria Law School looking at the way in which space is governed to determine whether space regulation needs vital updates.”
Northumbria University is working in partnership with the UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin UK Space on its new NESST centre, which will bring together industry and academia to collaborate on technological developments and space research. It is expected to support the creation of more than 350 jobs and aims to help train the next generation of space scientists.
All of this research into space has a wide relevance. “We’re seeking to understand more about the universe, starting with our own solar system and our nearest neighbour, the moon, and then all the other planets in our solar system,” Harper says. “We’re always innovating… What you end up with is technology that you can spin out into numerous applications on Earth.”
Two Northumbria Professors have been elected to the Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences in recognition of decades of research excellence and their contributions to social science for public benefit.
Professor Daniel Nettle, a world leading social and behavioural scientist, and Professor Simon Winlow, who is one of Britain’s foremost criminologists, are among 45 leading social scientists who were recognised by the Academy in September. They join an international community of 1,600 individuals from academia, the public, private and third sectors, who have been selected via an independent peer review process.
Working within the Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing at Northumbria University, Professor Nettle is driving the case for public policy reform to reduce poverty and inequality. As a leading
“THE AWARD OF FELLOW OF THE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES IS A MARK OF DISTINCTION,
CELEBRATING
THE FUNDAMENTAL AND SUSTAINED CONTRIBUTION DANIEL AND SIMON HAVE MADE TO THE FIELDS OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES, AND CRIMINOLOGY.”
PROFESSOR LOUISE BRACKEN
member of the Common Sense Policy Group, and the associated Basic Income Health project, Professor Nettle is part of a multidisciplinary team working to understand how welfare systems can affect health. The research also looks at whether the introduction of a universal payment for all, or Basic Income, could address some of the problems within existing systems of social security. His work underpinned the book Act Now, recently written by members of the Common Sense Policy Group as a manifesto for policy change. Professor Nettle also led the pioneering Changing Cost of Living study that proved increases in financial insecurity had immediate impacts on
anxiety and depression.
Reflecting on his election, Professor Nettle, who is also a researcher at Institut Jean Nicod in Paris, said: “I am very proud to be elected as a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. This recognises my efforts over many years to bring psychology into the social sciences and the social sciences into psychology. In particular, it complements and reflects the work I am doing with colleagues at Northumbria on community and individual wellbeing, in the context of political and economic forces.”
In Northumbria’s Department of Social Sciences, Professor Winlow works as a critical criminologist with research expertise in both sociology
and criminology. He has written about social class, identity, leisure, masculinity, and consumption, and is perhaps best known as an ethnographer, immersing himself in communities to study their customs, behaviours and interactions. Professor Winlow has published widely on violence, criminal markets and cultures, as well as social, political and economic change. His tenth research-informed book, The Politics of Nostalgia, will be published later this year and explores the common desire to take refuge in the past and how this shapes the political future we face. This is also the subject of his current Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship – awarded to
distinguished researchers to complete original research.
Speaking about his Fellowship, Professor Winlow said: “The Academy of Social Sciences champions the vital role social sciences play in education, government and business, and I will be a determined advocate for the social sciences in my ongoing work with policymakers, politicians, stakeholders and the community at large. It’s a huge honour to have my contribution to the social sciences recognised in this way.”
Will Hutton FAcSS, President of the Academy, said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome these leading social scientists to the Academy’s Fellowship. We look forward to working with them to further promote the important role the social sciences play in our daily lives.”
Professor Louise Bracken, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange) at Northumbria, said: “The award of Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences is a mark of distinction, celebrating the fundamental and sustained contribution Daniel and Simon have made to the fields of social and behavioural sciences, and criminology. This is a well-deserved honour and I am thrilled for them both. The awards underline the quality of researchers that we have at Northumbria.”
Click the QR code to discover more about research by Professor Nettle and Professor Winlow.
“OUR RESEARCH WILL AIM TO IMPROVE DATA QUALITY AND HELP ENSURE THAT WE AVOID MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE.”
A Northumbria University-led research team has been awarded £3.4 million of funding to investigate how AI can be used safely in law enforcement.
There is no doubt that, when used responsibly, artificial intelligence or AI has the potential to improve many areas of our lives, including policing and the criminal justice system. But with AI advancements having a significant and far-reaching impact, it is essential that we properly understand how this technology could and should be used in the future.
With this in mind, a group of academic experts, led by Northumbria Law School’s Professor Marion Oswald MBE, have received major funding from Responsible AI UK (RAI UK) to investigate the future use of probabilistic AI in law enforcement.
Probabilistic AI makes decisions based on probabilities or likelihoods, with the results having real-world effects which could potentially change the lives of criminals and victims of crime, particularly regarding bringing cases to court and
sentencing. The new project, entitled PROBabLE Futures, or Probabilistic AI Systems in Law Enforcement Futures, is a four-year interdisciplinary research project and one of only three RAI UK Keystone projects selected to receive funding. It was announced at the recent CogX Festival in Los Angeles – a flagship event bringing together tech industry global leaders, changemakers and policy makers.
Explaining the background to the research project and its impact,
Professor Oswald said: “AI-based technologies can deliver measurable benefits for police, courts and law enforcement bodies, helping to tackle digital data overload, identify previously unknown risks, and increase operational efficiencies.
“But a key problem for responsible AI is that the uncertain nature of outputs is often obscured or misinterpreted.
“AI tools take inputs from one part of the law enforcement system, and their outputs have real-world, possibly life changing, effects in another part.
“Our research will aim to improve data quality and help ensure that we avoid miscarriages of justice.”
Professor Gopal Ramchurn, Chief Executive Officer of RAi UK, said: “The concerns around AI are not just for governments and industry to deal with. It is important that AI experts engage with researchers from other disciplines as well as policy makers to ensure that we can better anticipate the issues that will be caused by AI.
“Our keystone projects will do exactly that and work with the rest of the AI ecosystem to bring others to our cause and amplify the impact of the research to maximise the benefit of AI to everyone in society.”
Professor Oswald will lead the project in collaboration with co-
investigators from Northumbria, Glasgow, Northampton, Leicester, Cambridge, and Aberdeen universities, as well as a number of law enforcement, commercial technology, third-sector and academic partners.
Professor Louise Bracken, Pro ViceChancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange) at Northumbria, said:
“AI is developing at a rapid pace and its impact on society is significant and far reaching, so this is a hugely important research project.
“To be the institutional lead, and to be collaborating with other leading universities underscores Northumbria’s global position at the forefront of research in responsible AI.”
Click the QR code to find out more about the PROBabLE Futures project.
Researchers from Northumbria University have led the creation of a blueprint for policy reform which aims to bring an end to poverty and inequality in Britain.
Ahead of the General Election in July, a researchinformed report outlining fully-costed methods of transforming welfare provision, health and social care, education, housing and transport services, was prepared by Professor Matthew Johnson and his public policy research team.
Just as the work by social economist Sir William Beveridge in the 1940s provided a recovery plan for postwar Britain, the team involved believe the reforms proposed in their report are capable of bringing an end to the current era of austerity and cost of living crisis. Their focus is on developing and influencing redistributive policy which is fair, equal and inclusive.
Together they have joined forces with the Northumbria team and others to become the Common Sense Policy Group.
They argue only radical change will bring benefits for all, including proposals to introduce a basic income or unconditional regular payment for all citizens, which research has shown could reduce pressure on health care services. Other policies put forward include introducing the nationalisation of energy and water services; a programme of wealth, carbon and corporation taxes; and building to navigate the housing crisis while removing the transfer of wealth to private landlords.
An Assistant Professor in Architecture at Northumbria University led the design of a ground-breaking wartime exhibition staged at The National Archives in London this summer.
Endorsed in a foreword by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the report led by Professor Johnson called Act Now:
A vision for a better future and a new social contract was published as a book by Manchester University Press. It features the input of subject experts including Danny Dorling, Professor of Human Geography from the University of Oxford; Kate Pickett, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of York; and Jennifer Nadel, Co-Director of the UK think tank Compassion in Politics.
Professor Johnson, Chair of the Common Sense Policy Group, said: “The findings of our research are just as compelling as those of the Beveridge Report 80 years ago – we can solve our structural crises through evidence-based policies that are highly popular and can create a better, wealthier future, quickly.”
Click the QR code to discover more about the research behind Act Now and the work of the Common Sense Policy Group.
Peter Dixon worked collaboratively with Sheffieldbased creative design studio, Field Design, to bring to life iconic and under-told stories of prisoners of war and civilian internees detained during the Second World War. The stories became part of the international public exhibition named Great Escapes: Remarkable Second World War Captives.
Drawing on The National Archives’ vast collections of wartime documents and photographs the exhibition, which ran until July, featured never previously displayed records from British Intelligence. Wellknown escape attempts were also examined as part of the showcase, including the story of the allied prisoners of war who plotted an escape from a German camp now known as ‘the Great Escape’, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of
the events in March 2024.
The exhibition consisted of five areas, taking visitors through a combination of traditional artefacts, museum interpretation, and immersive audio-visual elements as well as bespoke exhibition furniture and display systems.
Peter took the lead on the threedimensional and interpretation design while creatively producing the audio-visual and immersive elements.
Peter’s drawings and vision for the exhibition, developed collaboratively with Field Design, were selected by The National Archives following a competitive international tender process and the team were formally appointed in December 2022.
“It took six months to design the exhibition working closely with The National Archives Curatorial and
Exhibition Teams and three months to build the exhibition off-site before a two-week installation,” Peter explained. The exhibition space was left to settle for two to three weeks after installation before the objects and artefacts were brought in.
As well as drawing from The National Archives, items on display came from other collections including the Eden Camp Modern History Museum and The Imperial War Museum. Further to providing design solutions for The National Archives, the project is now the subject of a year-long reflective study into museum and exhibition interpretation design which Peter is pursuing through his work as a member of The Design Research Group at Northumbria.
Click the QR code to find out more about the work of The Design Research Group.
A painting – hidden for hundreds of years under another work of art – has been given a new lease of life after being used on the cover of former MGMT guitarist Hank Sullivant’s new album, The Color of Heaven.
The painting, which is owned by The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, depicts a nativity scene, including a baby in a manger, a wise man or Magi, and the outline of a stable building, and was discovered in 2019 by art conservators from Northumbria University. It had been hidden for around 400 years after being painted over with an image depicting the beheading of John the Baptist and was only discovered by accident when an x-ray was taken by Northumbria
academics to determine possible damage to the painting’s wooden frame.
The exciting discovery received international media coverage and American musician and singer Hank Sullivant came across the story while researching potential images for his current band Kuroma’s latest album. He was searching for images of x-rayed paintings, having become fascinated with this form of imagery after first discovering the practice several years earlier. Having begun his career as a rock musician, Hank’s musical direction changed in recent years after he developed an interest in religious choral music, particularly 19th and 20th century Anglican hymns. He taught himself to play the church organ and this new sound and musical inspiration is reflected in his latest album. His interest in x-ray images of paintings, combined with The Color of Heaven’s religious links, meant he felt an instant
“I THINK IT’S WONDERFUL THAT THIS PAINTING, WHICH HAS BEEN COVERED UP AND HIDDEN FOR ALL THESE YEARS, IS NOW BEING SEEN BY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH HANK’S MUSIC.”
connection to the nativity scene, and he contacted Senior Lecturer in Conservation of Fine Art Nicky Grimaldi to find out how he could go about using the image on his album cover.
As Hank explains: “I first came across x-rays of paintings about 10 years ago and aesthetically they really appealed to me. They have a haunted quality and so much texture and form.
“When I finished my latest album and began looking for an image for the front cover, I started searching for x-ray images and came across the nativity scene discovered by Nicky.
“It immediately appealed to me – the section with the crib was very luminous and seemed to reflect the sound we had been seeking to create through our music.”
The painting of John the Baptist was collected by The Bowes Museum’s founders Joséphine and John Bowes in the 19th century. It is painted in a late medieval style and probably formed part of a larger altar piece. As was typical of the era it was painted onto a piece of canvas spread over a large panel made from planks of wood. However, in the years between the work
being painted and The Bowes Museum taking ownership, this wooden structure had begun to deteriorate, so museum curators worked in collaboration with experts from Northumbria’s renowned Conservation of Fine Art MA course to assess the damage.
Assistant Professor Nicky Grimaldi led the investigations and discovered the nativity scene. She said: “I think it’s wonderful that this painting, which has been covered up and hidden for all these years, is now being seen by people around the world through Hank’s music.
“It really shows the power of art – how an image can be interpreted in different ways and how people can feel this incredible connection to an image despite it having been painted hundreds of years ago.
“We know nothing about the artist who painted the nativity scene, and only have this ghostly x-ray image to go by – but it still gives us a tantalising glimpse of what the original painting would have looked like.”
Click the QR code to find out more about studying Conservation of Fine Art at Northumbria University.
Patients and residents in social care settings are set to benefit after Northumbria University became the UK’s first higher education provider to have a new specialist qualification approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Adult social care nurses provide care for people with some of the most complex clinical, emotional and care needs, including chronic and long-term health conditions. In a bid to support more nurses into this vital area of community nursing, Northumbria has created a new Community Specialist Practice Qualification in adult social care nursing for registered nurses working in, or closely with, teams and patients in a social care setting. This includes residential care homes, hospices and nursing care homes.
Professor Alison Machin, Head of the University’s Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, said: “With an ageing population, the role of adult social care nurses is only going to grow. This new course goes a long way to recognising and raising the profile of the level of skill required to fulfil the role.”
The programme has been flexibly designed and is available on a full-time, part-time and apprenticeship basis to ensure it is accessible to as many nurses as possible.
Leanne Hume from the Royal College of Nursing said the launch of Northumbria’s new qualification gives recognition to the unique demands and complexities of this vital nursing field. “By offering tailored education and career progression opportunities, it elevates the skills and profile of adult social care nurses whilst addressing the growing needs of our population,” she said.
Scan the QR code for more information about the new SPQ in adult social care.
Northumbria University has been named UK Nursing Apprenticeship Provider of the Year by the Student Nursing Times.
Northumbria developed its innovative Nursing and Midwifery Councilapproved apprenticeship course in 2018 to give healthcare staff with previous clinical experience the opportunity to graduate as registered nurses within a compressed time frame.
The University works in partnership with NHS Trusts across the North of England including Newcastle, Northumbria, Gateshead, Lancashire and South Tees, to deliver the course, which is successfully opening up nursing careers to a wider range of people. More than 100 students have completed the 18-month course to date and are now working on the NHS frontline.
Student Nursing Times judges praised Northumbria for these excellent partnerships, saying that Northumbria offered “an innovative and future focused curriculum” noting the leaders of the course were research active and building a strong evidence base to ensure the further development of nursing apprenticeships.
faces at the moment. Northumbria University is dedicated to developing the healthcare workforce of the future and supporting the NHS to reach the targets outlined in the Long-Term Workforce Plan. Creating additional routes into the career will make a real difference and we’re delighted at the success we’ve seen so far.”
Northumbria University provides a variety of nursing courses, at undergraduate, postgraduate, higher and degree apprenticeship levels, as well as CPD provision for those already working in the field.
Professor Alison Machin, Head of the University’s department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, said: “Workforce shortages are one the biggest challenges the sector
Click the QR code for more information on higher and degree apprenticeships and CPD programmes in nursing at Northumbria University.
The death of a spouse or partner is ranked as one of the most stressful life events many people will experience, and coping with the transition can be a lengthy process, sometimes spanning many years. Researchers at Northumbria University are exploring the impact the pandemic had on the health and wellbeing of those navigating widowhood, during a time when restrictions were imposed, such as visiting loved ones and attending funerals.
The research team, who are based within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria, began investigating the longterm impact of widowhood during Covid-19. It involved studying individual widowhood experiences both during and following the pandemic including the challenges faced and support mechanisms available. The aim of the research is to develop a set of recommendations which can influence future policy while informing practice and the development of support services.
The team have worked alongside key organisations
including Cruse Bereavement Support, Widowed and Young, and Age UK who helped to arrange focus groups with individuals willing to share their personal experiences as part of the research. “Previous research indicates that social support, extending activities, and group memberships provide stability and facilitate adjustment during widowhood,” explained Dr Tracey Collins, who has a clinical background in occupational therapy.
“This is critical during the ‘transition phase’ of widowhood, which is one to three years after the passing of a loved one, where the
surviving spouse re-establishes social roles and relationships. This time is often about them finding a new identity and purpose.”
While many support services moved to an online delivery model during the pandemic to make them more accessible, inevitably there were many sections of society without the necessary technologies, such as the internet, which were unable to participate. Consequently, lockdowns and social distancing amplified the negative consequences of widowhood during Covid-19.
“We all know that the pandemic brought about many new ways of living
and working, but we want to understand the aftermath of that in terms of support during the grieving process,” explained Senior Research Assistant, Shannon Allen who went on to say that many participants in the focus groups have found sharing their stories and coping mechanisms with others a cathartic experience.
A series of preliminary recommendations from the data collected during the research are already being developed. These include having clear procedures to support safe hospital visits during end-of-life care for the benefit of patient wellbeing,
as well as their spouse. Other emerging themes include new guidance on talking more openly about death and dying, as well as the language used when discussing experiences of widowhood.
The research team presented their findings at the 2024 British Sociological Association (BSA) Medical Sociology Conference.
Discover more about research at Northumbria and how we are making a difference to individuals and to society.
From fashion to film and art to architecture, final year students from across Northumbria’s creative courses concluded their university journey in style this summer – showcasing their work to the world and picking up prestigious awards along the way.
Every year, Northumbria hosts a series of events highlighting the work of graduating students from the University’s Music, Fine Arts, Theatre and Performance, Film, Fashion, 3D and Product Design, Architecture, Animation, Graphic Design, Interior Design, and Computer and Information Sciences programmes. The climax of these is the annual REVEAL showcase, which includes in-person events, as well as an online exhibition, providing students with an opportunity to share their work with friends, family, industry representatives and the public. This year, History and Creative Writing students also took part in the event for the first time, broadening the variety of work on offer even further.
Over the summer months a series of events took place on campus as part of REVEAL, including a theatre performance in the Students’ Union, a catwalk show in the School of Design, and exhibitions in Northumbria’s Gallery North. Additional events took place across Newcastle and Gateshead, including music recitals at St James’ Church, an art show at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and a film screening at Cineworld in The Gate leisure complex.
An online exhibition of the students’ work is still available to view through the REVEAL webpages.
Click the QR code to find out more.
Students from Northumbria’s Fashion programmes travelled to London for the 33rd annual Graduate Fashion Week, where an impressive 14 of them were shortlisted for awards. Organised by the Graduate Fashion Foundation (GFF) and held at the iconic Truman Brewery in London, the event featured collections from final year fashion students from universities across the UK. Several Northumbria students returned with top awards, including Fashion Design and Marketing student Katarina Chovancova, who was named winner of the SNAG Inclusive Fashion Award for her sensoryfriendly fashion brand, NEW ESCAPE. Fellow Fashion Design and Marketing student Abbie-Louise Inwood, who was recently crowned winner of the GFF x Next Design & Trend Competition, was also selected as the winner of the Creative Pattern Cutting Award. Fashion student Olivia Eplett was awarded the Highly Commended title and had her garments featured on the Best of Show catwalk show, which closed Graduate Fashion Week. The show included work by students Taima Castor and Ocean Murray, who also won the UNTAGGED x Graduate Fashion Week competition. Meanwhile, Fashion Design and Marketing student Jessica Colegrove impressed industry figures with her innovative designs and vivid prints and was invited to interview by Debenhams, the official Graduate Fashion Week sponsor for 2024. Programme Leader for Fashion Design and Marketing Assistant Professor Sarah Walton, said: “We are so proud of all of our Class of 2024 Northumbria Fashion Students. Across Fashion, Fashion Communication and Fashion Design and Marketing we had 14 shortlisted at the GFW awards this year. We continue to be so impressed by the talent, perseverance, and creativity of our students.”
Two Northumbria graduates were commended for their work after making the shortlist at the prestigious RSA Student Design Awards. The RSA - the royal society for the encouragement of arts, manufactures and commerce – was established in 1754 and its Student Design Awards was set up in 1924, before being incorporated in the RSA Design for Life awards this year.
Abbie Smith and Frankie Harrison’s collaborative submission It all starts on paper was shortlisted and commended in the category of Centenary Celebrations, a special category to highlight the 100 years of the
RSA Student Design Awards. They celebrated their achievements at a glittering public awards ceremony in the summer.
Abbie explained: “Just finding out we were shortlisted was brilliant and the commendation also felt unreal. Working together to make something that we were proud of was great and the commendation is a real acknowledgement of our animation. It has been a great experience throughout.”
Frankie added: “Going down to London to attend the SDA event was so exciting. Afterwards we had time to network and get to know the other people who entered and people in the industry. For us it feels like the first real step into a professional world.”
There was also success for BA Architecture graduate Euan Fisher, who was recognised at the sports’ ARCHIVE’s inaugural Student Design Award, an annual competition celebrating architecture students who focus on sports or performance themed projects. Euan was named winner of the Best BA Architecture Student project category for his design of the Westgate Community Climbing Centre. Situated on the site of a former pub in Newcastle, Euan’s designs for the Centre include climbing facilities of various types and of different heights, across multiple and singular floors. The design also aims to encourage cycling, with a dedicated ramp entrance for cyclists and a bike workshop in the building’s basement providing tools and education on bike maintenance.
Northumbria Design for Industry students enjoyed a successful week at the New Designers show in London after being shortlisted or highly commended in 12 categories and winning four.
Amelia Cook, Cosima Fawcett, James Paulson, and Megan McArdle were all named winners of their categories after designing innovative products for use in the food and health sectors.
Amelia Cook won the PriestmanGoode New Designers Award for her product ‘Savour’ – a food dehydrating system aimed at outdoor enthusiasts, enabling them to prepare gourmet meals at home and then transport and enjoy them in the wilderness.
Cosima Fawcett was named winner of the Kenwood Appliances New Designers Award for her product ‘Sourpro’, which teaches beginner home bakers how to make sourdough bread with the help of an app and specially designed baking appliances and accessories.
In the field of health, James Paulson won the Design Innovation in Plastics New Designers Award for his product
‘Bu’ – a playful, educational kit for children aged three to six with type 1 diabetes which aims to help them manage the disease. The kit includes interactive products and characters, including a book, a hoodie with a badge to track injection sites and concealed zip pockets for discreet insulin injections, and a frogthemed pot with a stamper pen and sand timer to help alternate pricking fingers and learn insulin timing.
Megan McArdle won the Creative Impact New Designers Award for her product ‘Laplock’, which is designed to combat the gender disparity of safety in the automobile industry. When clipped to a seatbelt, Laplock prevents the belt slipping up off women’s hips and across their stomachs, where it could damage vital organs in the event of a crash.
Ian Hewitt, Assistant Professor and Programme Leader for Product Design, said: “We take immense pride in the outstanding accomplishments of our students this year. Their projects encompass a diverse array of service, product, system and digital design.
“Their work addresses exciting and captivating challenges such as innovations in healthcare products and systems, alongside explorations into novel materials poised to reshape and redefine product experiences.”
Academics from Northumbria University and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia are investigating how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can make the construction industry greener.
Experts in AI modelling for sustainability, Dr Pablo Martinez Rodriguez from Northumbria and Dr Osama Mohsen from KFUPM, have received funding from the British Council’s UK Saudi Challenge Fund to undertake a yearlong research project into creating a more sustainable construction industry.
Annually, the UK construction industry uses up to 40 per cent of the UK’s raw materials such as sand and cement - with up to a fifth of these materials ending up as waste in landfill. Saudi Arabia faces similar challenges, with annual waste generated by the construction industry estimated at 130 million tonnes, of which less than 1 per cent is recycled.
Dr Martinez Rodriguez and Dr Mohsen aim to develop AI models that can identify and quantify waste from a range of building materials that could be recycled. Their joint research will also help create a comparative analysis between waste management and sustainability practices in the UK and Saudi Arabia. There is currently no accurate waste measurement system in either country.
Dr Martinez Rodriguez said: “Most construction sites analyse waste through modelling techniques, rather than measuring what is actually being thrown away. We need a flexible way of processing the data more quickly, and by using AI we can install visual sensor systems that monitor skips at construction sites and derive accurately how much waste is actually being produced. This would give a value to the waste being generated at construction sites and help us better understand the capabilities of a circular economy so that the building industry can become more sustainable.”
Click the QR code to find out more about research at Northumbria.
PET IS A
“WE HAVE SHOWN WITH THIS COATING HOW ONE SUCH ‘WASTE STREAM’ CAN CREATE VALUE FOR ANOTHER INDUSTRY, A KEY STEP TOWARDS A CLOSED LOOP ECONOMY WHERE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS WASTE.”
Northumbria is partnering with businesses to help turn industrial waste streams into profitable products, as part of a multi-million-pound research consortium.
In 2021, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) allocated £4.7 million to work with universities, research organisations and industry to assist with technology development and transfer, and new business growth to help to achieve the UK’s ambition of being net zero by 2050. The three-year research consortium saw the launch of the Transforming Foundation Industries Research and Innovation (TransFIRe) hub, which concentrates on UK manufacturing sectors, including chemicals, cement, glass, metals, and paper.
As part of the consortium, Professor Justin Perry and Professor Matt Unthank, from Northumbria’s Department of Applied Sciences, led research focussed on the bulk chemicals sector. Their research has demonstrated that it is not
only possible but, also potentially profitable, to take zero-value waste from one industry and turn it into valuable components for another.
A successful collaboration between Northumbria, coatings specialist AkzoNobel, and plastic recycler Jayplas, has demonstrated just how successful this approach can be.
The team optimised plastic bottle recycling technology, transforming previously unrecyclable PET plastic – used in single-use drinks bottles – into a novel, high-performance protective coating for industrial use, using only sustainable feedstocks derived from plants.
Professor Unthank said the project demonstrates how businesses can leverage research and collaboration to drive both sustainability and profitability through science-led,
solution-based, projects.
“The UK government is pushing to enable the manufacturing sector to become more sustainable and investment in research is key,” he explained.
“We are keen to help businesses of all sizes develop their R&D to take advantage of sustainability as a driver of profitability. We have shown with this coating how one such ‘waste stream’ can create value for another industry, a key step towards a closed loop economy where there is no such thing as waste.”
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The Business Clinic at Northumbria celebrates its tenth anniversary, having delivered 780 consultancy projects involving over 3,000 students across all business disciplines since its launch in 2014.
Part of Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University, the Business Clinic offers pro-bono consultancy support to SMEs, multinational organisations, charitable organisations, educational trusts and social enterprises across a wide range of sectors in the North East of England, as well as across the UK and overseas. Northumbria students work at the Business Clinic in their final year of study, offering clients a full consultancy experience covering finance, HR, marketing, business analytics, logistics and supply chain management. The aim of each project is to undertake research and make recommendations that will benefit organisations in the short and long term.
The Business Clinic recently won the Outstanding Commitment to Encouraging Student Enterprise and Entrepreneurship category at the prestigious 2024 Small Business Charter Excellence Awards. It was recognised by the judges for fostering a culture of student enterprise and entrepreneurship, using experiential learning through live consultancy.
Founder of the Business Clinic, Nigel Coates explained: “The Business Clinic is a trailblazing initiative for experiential learning. It has led the way in the sector and been widely replicated in
“THE BUSINESS CLINIC IS A TRAILBLAZING INITIATIVE FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. IT HAS LED THE WAY IN THE SECTOR AND BEEN WIDELY REPLICATED IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.”
NIGEL COATES
other areas of the country. Over the last decade we’ve provided more than 3,000 students with opportunities to apply their knowledge, skills and entrepreneurial talent to create solutions to real-world problems and add value to organisations in a variety of ways. Collectively, this is helping to power an inclusive economy and enabling people, many of whom are from under-represented backgrounds, to get on in life and progress their careers.”
Earlier this year, Northumbria also renewed its partnership
with Santander Universities in a move designed to offer even greater life-changing opportunities for students from all backgrounds. The new agreement runs to 2028 and represents a ten-year-long partnership with Santander with financial support totalling more than £1.3 million. This includes the funding of more than 300 internships with regional businesses, 60 mobility scholarships to help disadvantaged students, enterprise weekends for entrepreneurial students, overseas study, and a range of
other scholarships. Santander also donated £100,000 to Northumbria’s Incubator Hub which opened in 2019 to help graduate start-ups establish and build their businesses.
Professor Andy Long, ViceChancellor and Chief Executive of Northumbria, said: “We are delighted and proud to extend our agreement with Santander Universities UK and further strengthen a decade-long partnership which enhances the learning experience and life chances for so many of our students – especially those from less advantaged
backgrounds. Having a clear social mobility mission is a key part of Northumbria’s strategy, sitting alongside a focus on quality research and playing a major role in the success of the regional economy. Santander’s ongoing support contributes enormously to these aims and I look forward to developing the relationship even further in the years to come.”
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The eyes of the world turned to Paris this summer as athletes from more than 180 countries gathered to compete in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Among the thousands of elite sportspeople who qualified to represent their countries were a number of Northumbria alumni, competing in boxing, archery, swimming and triathlon events.
After graduating from Northumbria last summer with a degree in Sports Science, boxer Adam Olaore returned to the University earlier this year to undertake specialist training in preparation for the Olympics. Born in Nigeria, Adam’s family moved to the UK when he was six, and his talent in the ring soon became apparent when he joined a boxing club in Newcastle aged 14.
After Adam was selected to represent Nigeria in the Men’s Heavyweight Boxing, his coach Richie Stoneham worked with Sport Science lecturer Dr Paul Ansdell to devise a series of physiological tests designed to measure Adam’s endurance, power and fatigue resistance. Having previously undertaken their PhDs together at Northumbria – Paul’s in Exercise Physiology and Richie’s in Applied Biomechanics – the pair were perfectly placed to provide tailored preparation for
Adam’s Olympic training. It has been a successful couple of years for Adam. After winning the senior English National Amateur Championships and GB Three Nations Championships last year, he then won gold at the All-Africa Heavyweight Boxing Championships in Senegal. This led to him automatically qualifying for the final 16 at the Olympics, where he competed against Aibek Oralbay of Kazakhstan.
Speaking about Adam’s return to Northumbria for training, Dr Paul Ansdell said: “We’re all massively proud of what Adam has achieved since he graduated from the University and were really pleased to play a part in his preparation for the Olympics through the use of our facilities and support of our staff. We follow the progress of all our alumni with interest and pride and will continue to support Adam in whatever way we can as he progresses in his boxing career.”
There was also a strong presence from Northumbria alumni in both the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Archery
categories. Alex Wise, who graduated with a degree in Sports Development in 2022, competed in the Men’s individual event, achieving a 6-4 win over China’s Li Zongyuan before being beaten by France’s Baptiste Addis. He was also part of the GB Men’s team, who sadly lost to Chinese Taipei.
Bryony Pitman, who graduated with a degree in History in
2020, was selected for the Women’s individual Archery event, beating Mexico’s Angela Ruiz 6-2 in the Women’s Individual category before losing to China’s Li Jiaman. She was also part of the three-strong GB Women’s Archery team who were beaten by a strong German team. This was Bryony’s second Olympic appearance having also represented Great Britain at Tokyo in 2021, where she
finished top 40 in the individual rankings.
Northumbria alumni and Paralympic swimmer Taka Suzuki had a lot to live up to in this year’s Paralympics after winning an incredible five medals in his home country of Japan during the Tokyo games in 2021. This included gold in the Men’s 100m Freestyle, where he set a new Paralympic world record. Taka, who
graduated from Northumbria with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management in 2020 and a Masters in the same subject in 2021, competed in five events during the Paris Paralympics, winning four medals – gold in the 50m Breaststroke, silver in both the 100m Freestyle and 50m Freestyle, and bronze in the 200m Freestyle.
There was also success for Team GB’s paratriathletes, with Dave Ellis, who is visually impaired, and his guide Luke Pollard winning a gold medal in the men’s PTVI triathlon event. Former Leadership and Management student Dave finished one minute and 26 seconds ahead of the other competitors, adding Paralympic gold to his world, European and Commonwealth
Recent graduate and international Taekwondo champion, Simone Abley, took silver in her final European Universities Games (EUG) in Hungary, this summer – the largest European multisport student event.
Simone scooped the silver medal in the Kyorugi women’s tournament –Kyorugi is a discipline of taekwondo, known as sparring. Her silver medal success added to her existing medal collection of gold, silver, and bronze picked up at EUSA competitions since 2019.
Talking of her latest achievement, Simone said: “Winning a silver was an amazing way to finish my final EUG. This year’s category was very strong, so I’m pleased I managed to secure second place.”
titles. Claire Cashmore, who graduated with a Masters degree in Leadership and Management in 2019, won silver in the women’s PTS5 (para triathlon standing) event.
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Simone’s EUG success adds to her already impressive medal winning success in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships including Gold at both the BUCS Autumn and Spring Championships in the 2023/24 academic year. Simone graduated from the University in July with a BA
in Business Management. As well as competing internationally, she coaches taekwondo in her hometown of Spennymoor in County Durham, as well as at Northumbria. Taekwondo became a new sport offer at the University in September with Simone as its Head Coach.
Simone added: “I’m really excited to continue to be involved in Northumbria Sport but this time as a coach rather than student. I’m looking forward to sharing my passion with new and current Northumbria students and helping them learn something new.”
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A Northumbria academic was the lead performance nutritionist for the Turkish national team competing at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
Dr Ozcan Esen, an Assistant Professor in Sport and Exercise Nutrition, is the first and only internationally accredited Turkish sports nutritionist and has worked with several of Türkiye’s top medal contenders, including gymnasts, modern pentathletes, and boxers. He consulted with these elite athletes to help them develop optimal eating habits to enhance their performance, as well as designing day-by-day and meal-by-meal nutrition plans, recommending vitamins and supplements, and providing nutritional advice.
Dr Esen’s research, which focusses on the effect of nutritional interventions and dietary supplements on muscle function, human performance, recovery and health, plays a pivotal role in the work he carries out with athletes, before, during and after major sports championships. “I have led research into the benefits of beetroot juice supplementation
and caffeine, both in athletes’ performance and recovery,” said Dr Esen. “As a result, nearly all the athletes I look after in the Turkish Olympic team use these supplements. Concentrated beetroot juice is rich in nitrate. It facilitates nitric oxide production in the body and is important for several processes that influence exercise performance, including increased blood flow and muscle contractility.”
As well as working as an academic and practitioner, Dr Esen has been a Turkish national athlete in swimming and under water sports for 15 years and competed in both European and World championships. In 2015, he won a silver medal in the ‘Finswimming’ category at the first Mediterranean Beach Games - equivalent to the Commonwealth Games. Additionally, he has worked as a head coach of the Turkish Junior National Team at the Turkish
Underwater Sports Federation in both the 2014 European and World Junior Championships in 2015.
“I have competed as an athlete at five world championships, and I have been a national team coach for many years, so I have a very strong sense of what these athletes are going through at major competitions, not just physically but mentally as well,” added Dr Esen. “For me, as a sports nutritionist, having this evidence-based approach to my research is crucial. Not only is the work I’m carrying out backed by science, but it is further enhanced by my wealth of experience in the field. It’s never a one-size-fitsall approach when it comes to working with elite athletes and their nutritional needs - that is why we need more than just a science-based approach. It’s about examining and regularly talking to each athlete and their support team on a case-by-case basis and adapting how, when
and what they consume, so that they can perform at the highest level. This ‘personalisation’ and ‘periodisation’ approach, where you tailor your work to the individual athletes and their sport, is what I teach our students who are studying exercise and sports nutrition here at the University.”
According to the Turkish Olympic Committee, Dr Esen’s research at Northumbria has significantly enriched the team’s training and competition strategies. Nese Gundogan, Secretary General of the Turkish Olympic Committee, said: “Dr Esen’s contributions have been invaluable to the Turkish Olympic Committee, significantly enhancing the nutritional strategies and overall performance of our athletes. His dedication, expertise and evidence-based approach have established him as a vital asset to our team and a key factor in our ongoing success.”
“DR ESEN’S CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE TO THE TURKISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCING THE NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES AND OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF OUR ATHLETES.”
NESE GUNDOGAN, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE TURKISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE.
Thanks in part to Dr Esen’s guidance, the Turkish team scooped eight medals in this year’s Olympics, incuding three in boxing.
Hatice Akbaş and Buse Naz Çakıroğlu both won Silver, in the Women’s 54kg and Women’s 50kg categories respectively. Teammate Esra Yıldız also won Bronze in the Women’s 57kg competition. There was also a Silver medal for Shooting, two Bronze medals in Wrestling, one Bronze in Archery and another in Taekwondo.
the OSP.