Event held on : 20th May 2021 

This webinar brings together research on understanding local economic shocks and institutional and policy responses and shares ideas for strategies for economic recovery and resilience in a post-Brexit and post-pandemic world.

Speakers include: Andrea Henderson, Head of Engagement at Newcastle University; Professor Andy Pike, Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS), Newcastle University; Associate Professor Sally Weller, University of South Australia; Dr Marianne Sensier, Alliance Manchester Business School; and Richard Baker, Strategy and Policy Director at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership.

CURDS is based in the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology at Newcastle University and it is comprised of a diverse group of researchers who work on the theoretical, empirical and policy dimension of urban and regional development in an international context. To find out more about CURDS research please visit their website here.

 

Documents 

Presentation 1: Professor Andy Pike 

Presentation 2: Associate Professor Sally Weller 

Presentation 3: Dr Marianne Sensier 

Presentation 4: Richard Baker 

 

Video

Session Recording : NU-KESS Extended: Local Responses to Economic Shocks 

Event held on: 18th November 2020 

Presented by: Professor Savvas Papagiannidis and Officers from the North of Tyne Combined Authority 

Professor Savvas Papagiannidis discusses his recent research on an alternative analytical method that uses big-data and data science to identify industrial clusters using information directly taken from corporate websites. He explores the challenges presented by the methodology as well as demonstrating in action a potential way of visualising the findings from analysis conducted on the North East. 

Officers from North of Tyne Combined Authority give thier thoughts on the research findings and the potential of the approach to inform policy. 

Documents 

Policy Brief: Identifying industrial clusters with a novel big-data methodology: are SIC codes (not) fit for purpose in the Internet age?

Presentation 1: Professor Savvas Papagiannidis 

Presentation 2: North of Tyne Combined Authority 

 

Video 

Session Video : NU-KESS on Mapping economic clusters using big data analytics 

Event held on : 22nd October 2020

Presented by: Dr Heather Brown and Dr Viviana Albani, Newcastle University and Officers from Newcastle City Council.

Dr Heather Brown and Dr Viviana Albani from Newcastle University discuss thier recent research using a large dataset from the UK,The Understanding Society Survey, to identify what types of people are more likely to suffer from food insecurity after the start of lockdown. Next, they outline how changes in work, school, and benefits may have mitigated or accentuated the likelihood of suffering from food insecurity.

Officers from Newcastle City Council present insights from a Practitioner perspective in dealing with Food Insecurity. 

Documents 

Briefing paper: NU-KESS on Food Security Policy Brief 

Presentation 1 : Dr Heather Brown and Dr Viviana Albani

Presentation 2 : Newcastle City Council 

 

Video 

Session Video : NU-KESS on Food Security

Event held on: 10 June 2020

Presented by: Professor Alison Stenning, Newcastle University

Reporting an ongoing research from local authorities across the country, and a focused case study in North Tyneside. This presentation explores the potential for the 'playing out' model, which facilitates temporary residential road closures for play, to support the development of community, a stronger sense of place, and associated health and well-being benefits, for both children and adults. This is in the context of cuts to other community spaces.

More than 80 UK local authorities (including Newcastle and North Tyneside) support playing out and more than 1000 streets have participated since 2009. In July 2019, the Department for Transport wrote to all local authorities and MPs to encourage them to support the practice, recognising the many benefits for children, families and wider communities.

While the presentation will focus on themes of community, belonging and place attachment, there will be links to ideas around active travel, air quality, wellbeing and green space.

Documents

Briefing paper: Playing Out: Promoting Community and Belonging through Play (PDF: 162KB)

Presentation: Playing Out: Promoting Community and Belonging Through Play (Powerpoint: 2.4MB)

Video

Session video (YouTube): Professor Alison Stenning - Playing Out: Promoting Community and Belonging Through Play

Event held on: 3 June 2020

Presented by: Professor David Leat, Newcastle University

There is growing global critique of educational policies typified by an exam driven system with resultant collateral damage (eg lack of engagement, widening inequalities, poor preparation for FE, employment and citizenship).

Here we present our local research on Project Based Learning and Community Curriculum Making which demonstrates a powerful alternative. Other linked local responses include the LEP’s Careers in the Curriculum project, City of Dreams, and educational efforts of many voluntary organisations. This presentation argues for a ‘Learning City’ approach, providing more joined-up, visible and coherent learning opportunities.

We present the case for an educational policy summit which aims to:

• improve educational networking and lay the groundwork for a ‘Learning City’ approach
• develop a learning manifesto for all learners in the region, especially the young and disadvantaged
• investigate a learning accreditation framework and technology which encourages the take up and recording of all significant learning opportunities

Documents

Briefing paper: Tyneside: A Learning City? (PDF: 408KB)

Presentation: Tyneside: A Learning City? (Powerpoint: 2.6MB)

Video

Session video (YouTube): Professor David Leat - Tyneside: A Learning City

Event held on: 20 May 2020

Presented by: Gemma Mitchelson, Newcastle University

While most primary and secondary schools have banned mobile phones, tablets are consistently seen as an exemplary tool for learning. In tertiary education, all types of mobile devices are omnipresent in lectures and seminars, but the question remains as to whether they are being used effectively and are genuinely and demonstrably enhancing the learning experience.

This secondary research will demonstrate the conflicting messages that students are receiving regarding mobile devices, as well as the difficulties they face when using a personal device for educational purposes.

With a blurring of the boundaries between public and private life in a virtual realm, Use Your Own Device (UYOD) and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) activities risk creating a cognitive overload for our students as external life factors encroach upon their educational progress. This presentation explores preliminary options for facilitating a better approach to embedding mobile devices in an educational environment.

Documents

Briefing paper: Mobile learning and virtual spaces: blurred lines of private and public space (PDF: 124KB)

Presentation: Mobile learning and virtual spaces: blurred lines of private and public space (Powerpoint: 6.7MB)

Video

Session video (YouTube): Gemma Mitchelson - Mobile learning and virtual spaces: blurred lines of private and public space

Event held on: 6 May 2020

Presented by: Dr Vikki Houlden, Newcastle University

With over half the world's population now living in cities, people may be cut off from the natural environments in which humans evolved, and are best adapted to.

Mental illness, which is more common in urban areas, is estimated to cost 94bn, over 4%, of GDP in the UK. However, spending time with nature can make us feel more relaxed, able to concentrate, and satisfied with our lives. So how can we use urban greenspaces to bring nature into the city and help people feel happier and healthier?

Documents

Briefing paper: 'WellGreen’: Improving Urban Greenspace for Mental Wellbeing (PDF: 102KB)

Presentation: 'WellGreen': Improving Urban Greenspace for Mental Wellbeing (Powerpoint: 79MB)

Video

Session video (YouTube): Dr Vikki Houlden - WellGreen: Improving Urban Greenspace for Mental Wellbeing

Event held on: 5 February 2020

Presented by: Heather Brown, Newcastle University

Social mobility is high on the policy agenda. We use two large datasets (Understanding Society and BHPS) to explore how wage and health correlations within families has been evolving over time. We also explore how this may be related to policy and structural level factors such as the provision of social security, design of the health care system, and access to education.

We investigate geographical inequalities to understand how the North of England compares to the rest of England. The results show that the health and wage correlation in the North of England is stronger than the rest of England. This means that there is less mobility in the North of England. These results can be used by policy makers as part of the evidence base to make a case for additional funding and resources in the North to level the playing field with the rest of the country.

Documents

Briefing paper: The Intergenerational Persistence of the North/South Divide in Health and Wages (PDF:118KB)

Presentation: The Intergenerational Persistence of the North/South Divide in Health and Wages (Powerpoint: 10MB)

Event held on: Wednesday 8 May 2019 14:00 – 16:00

This event was presented by Newcastle University’s Professor of Sociology Janice McLaughlin, Professor of Environmental Political Theory Derek Bell, and Research Associates Mary Hull and Libby Morrison

Poor provision of accessible public toilets is leaves disabled people with nowhere to go and excludes them from society. Research carried out with disabled people and carers highlights that social attitudes are a major problem. Particularly the failure to recognise ‘hidden’ disabilities.

Event held on: Wednesday 6 March 2019 at Bewicks B, Ground floor, Gateshead Civic Centre

This event was presented by Dr Mandy Cheetham and Dr Suzanne Moffatt.

Following the roll-out of Universal Credit in Gateshead and Newcastle in 2017, research has highlighted the system’s profound negative impact on claimants’ mental and physical health, their social and financial resilience, and employment prospects.

Teesside University’s Dr Mandy Cheetham (embedded researcher with Gateshead Council) and Dr Suzanne Moffatt (Newcastle University) examined the findings from a qualitative study carried out in partnership with the council’s public health team, within the context of continued austerity, the value of embedded research and the role of the media in disseminating research findings.

Documents

Presentation: 'Insidious Brutality' Universal Credit in North East England (PDF: 2.8MB)

Briefing paper: The impact of Universal Credit in North East England on health and wellbeing: findings from a qualitative study in Gateshead and Newcastle (PDF: 289KB)

 

 

Event held on: Wednesday 28th November 2018 at the Laing Art Gallery, Newbridge Street, Newcastle

This event was presented by Professor of Social Geography and University Dean of Social Justice Peter Hopkins, Dr Robin Finlay and Dr Raksha Pande in collaboration with Prof Anoop Nayak and Drs Matthew Benwell and Michael Richardson.

This seminar shared findings from social research about young people, multiculturalism and community cohesion, set against the political context of the Brexit referendum and concerns about terrorism.

Focusing on ethnic and religious minority young people, their everyday encounters with difference and their experiences of family, relationships and community, Prof Peter Hopkins, Dr Robin Finlay and Dr Raksha Pande drew upon a range of research projects by Newcastle-based scholars to explore community cohesion, multicultural belonging, young people’s relationship practices, religious and racist hate crime.

Documents

Presentation: Young people, multiculturalism and community cohesion (PowerPoint: 11.18MB)

Briefing paper: Young people, multiculturalism and community cohesion (PDF: 471KB)