Two new appointments: Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Docent at Åbo Akademi University

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Hazel Hall

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) brings together distinguished individuals from the arts, business, science and technology and academia worlds to advance learning and knowledge in Scottish public life. The breadth of the Fellowship – which includes over 1600 individuals from the UK and abroad – enables the RSE to provide a wide range of leadership and expertise.

Each year the RSE undertakes a rigorous five-stage nomination and election process to appoint around 60 new Fellows. I was delighted to learn last week that I am one of those elected in 2017. Also elected in 2017 are Val McDermid, James Naughtie, Professor Iain Stewart and Kirsty Wark. HRH The Duke of Cambridge also joins the cohort as a Royal Honorary Fellow. Continue reading →

Soapbox Science returns to Edinburgh: apply to take part by 24th February 2017

Posted on February 18, 2017 by Hazel Hall

The grassroots public outreach programme Soapbox Science is returning to Edinburgh this summer. This free public event, which takes place on the Mound on July 22nd 2017, is one of several throughout the UK designed to promote the visibility of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). It is sponsored by Edinburgh Napier University.

If you are female STEM researcher based in Scotland and keen to share your science with the people of Edinburgh on July 22nd, please complete the application form by next Friday 24th February.

For further information please see the Soapbox Science web site or contact the Soapbox Science Edinburgh team by email at SoapboxScienceEdinburgh@gmail.com.

Inclusivity in the delivery of teaching: from agendas to actions #TFConf17

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Hazel Hall

The theme of Edinburgh Napier University’s 2017 Teaching Fellows Conference, (#TFConf17) is innovations in teaching and supporting student learning. I am participating in the event today as the opening keynote speaker. My presentation slides entitled Inclusivity in the delivery of teaching: from agendas to actions are available on SlideShare and below. Continue reading →

What does it mean to be a dangerous woman? The case of the young widow

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Hazel Hall

Over the past ten months or so I have followed with interest the Dangerous Women Project. This is one-year initiative of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, led by Professor Jo Shaw. It was launched on International Women’s Day 2016 and will end on International Women’s Day 2017 on Wednesday 8th March with a closing event (free, ticketed) at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Continue reading →

Applications invited for ESRC Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership studentship competition 2017

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Hazel Hall

The Science, Technology, Innovation, Information and Communication Studies pathway of the ESRC Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (SGSSS-DTP) is currently inviting applications for this year’s studentship competition.

Academic staff at each of the pathway member institutions – including those within my group at Edinburgh Napier University – would be pleased to hear from eligible candidates who would like to apply for a PhD place under this scheme. Continue reading →

How long does it take to write a PhD thesis?

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Hazel Hall

My short answer is 68 days, but please read the detail below…

Bold resolutions: “Piled Higher and Deeper” by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com

As a PhD supervisor I have often been asked ‘How long do you think it will take me to write up my thesis?’ My answer always begins ‘It depends…’ We then continue the conversation with an audit of material already drafted that may contribute (in edited format) to the final thesis. These include the initial literature review from the first year transfer report, and posters, conference papers and journal articles presented and/or published from the on-going work. Continue reading →

Florian Cech of the Vienna University of Technology visits the Centre for Social Informatics

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Hazel Hall

Staff within the Faculty of Informatics at the Vienna University of Technology in Austria plan to establish a Centre for Informatics and Society (CIS) as part of the University’s Institute of Design and Assessment of Technology. They are currently engaged in identifying the scope and potential activities of this new unit. The early part of the work has focused on auditing the field and collecting information about other research institutions with a similar remit to that of the proposed Centre. Continue reading →

ASIST Annual Lecture 2016: resources now available #asist_al16

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Hazel Hall

On 30th November 2016 Edinburgh Napier University hosted the 2016 Annual Lecture of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIST). Continue reading →

Congratulations Iris Buunk: awarded a John Campbell Trust travel bursary

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Hazel Hall

Iris Buunk

Many congratulations to Centre for Social Informatics PhD student Iris Buunk on the award of a John Campbell Trust travel bursary.

Iris will use the bursary to support participation at the 18th European Conference on Knowledge Management (ECKM). This conference takes place at Universitat, Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), in Barcelona, Spain from 7th to 8th September 2017.

While she is in Spain Iris also plans to attend the ECKM pre-conference workshop. In addition she will arrange to meet other researchers who share her interests in Knowledge Management at the Institute for Innovation and Knowledge Management (ESADE), and in Library and Information Science at the Faculty of Library and Information Science at the Univesitat de Barcelona. Continue reading →

FameLab 2017: Edinburgh heat #FameLab

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Hazel Hall

FameLab is a science communication competition in which scientists, mathematicians and engineers have three minutes to convey a scientific concept of their choice. The next international grand final takes place at the Cheltenham Science Festival in June 2017.

Yesterday Heriot-Watt University hosted the Edinburgh FameLab heat to select four presenters to put forward to the Scottish final at the National Museum of Scotland on Saturday 7th January 2017. I was delighted to be invited to serve on the judging panel this afternoon alongside four fellow judges: Continue reading →