Interdisciplinary blog

Virtually Reconstructing Musical Numbers: The Modeller’s Perspective

May 29, 2013
by Matthew Harrison via Digital Humanities | Digital Humanities

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to get involved in a unique inter-disciplinary project, one that has taken me outside of my usual research area, as part of the SotonDH small grants. The project is a collaboration with Beth Carroll, who for her film studies PhD thesis is analysing the genre of musicals – specifically the phenomenon of the …

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sotonDH small grants: Virtually Reconstructing Musical Numbers

May 20, 2013
by Elizabeth Carroll via Digital Humanities | Digital Humanities

The musical is an under theorised genre in Film Studies. It is arguably the most complex of all the archetypal genres, reflecting as it does on the nature of the cinema going experience itself. Its reflexive nature is in part a result of its structure which varies from other genres in its focus on simultaneity and comparison rather than causal …

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Changing the Learning Landscape #cll1213

May 16, 2013
by Lisa Harris via Digital Economy USRG

Yesterday Fiona Harvey, Graeme Earl and myself headed for London Town to present at the HEA Changing the Learning Landscape event. This event offered an opportunity for those involved in teaching to find out more about the role that social media can play in enhancing the student and tutor experience. It was therefore a chance […]

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Multidisciplinary Research at the University of Southampton- Driving Discovery and Positive Impact

May 14, 2013
by Guy Poppy

Riding the wave of recent successes Multidisciplinary Research Week and the inaugural University of Southampton TEDx conference, Director of Multidiscplinary Research Professor Guy Poppy (pictured) blogs here to give further insight into his fascinating work


Professor Guy M Poppy's photo

At the University of Southampton we recognise that a range of research competencies are necessary to devise and apply integrative solutions to today’s most pressing societal challenges.

This new holistic approach to research is inspired by the drive to solve complex questions and address the multifaceted nature of high priority issues such as ensuring energy and food supply, biomedical ethics, sustainable resources, population health, and an ageing population.

That is why the University of Southampton has opened up the traditional approach to research with one that transcends research boundaries. We have established a number of multidisciplinary research groups that we call USRGs (University Strategic Research Groups) as well as Institutes which provide a unique, cross-disciplinary research community of over 2000 academics, staff and students working to address key national and international priority research areas, as well as driving forward scholarly understanding within disciplines.

See my latest interview Multidisciplinary Research Week.

Multidisciplinary Research at the University of Southampton acts as a mode of discovery and education. This holistic approach has had a positive impact on the culture of the University of Southampton over the past 6 years through providing a model which supports cross-disciplinary research excellence and links our academics to decision makers and the general public.

Our USRGs and Institutes are working on the frontiers of knowledge in a range of areas that drive academic excellence and positive impact in policy and public debate. It is really exciting to see ones research have influence and impact in many ways beyond those usually reachable in academia. Clearly the funders of research see this as important too as does the REF2014 exercise where impact case studies have been introduced.

One of the extraordinary achievements of the past six years has included the development of our annual Multidisciplinary Research Week. Now in its third year, #MDRWeek has grown into what has become a significant role here in the University of Southampton in showcasing the diverse quality of our cross-disciplinary research and driving effective influence to policy and the broader community.

Our recent Multidisciplinary Research Week 2013 is an excellent example of how cross-disciplinary research can have a positive change here at the university in stimulating debate, innovation and inspiring ‘ideas worth spreading’.

Full details about our #MDRWeek 2013 can be found here.

Multidisciplinary Research has delivered much already and promises more.
I am convinced that developing this unique cross-disciplinary model and building on the foundation of research excellence, the University of Southampton will be even more successful in the future in developing research that benefit humanity and change the world.

Full details about all of our multidisciplinary research initiatives can be found below.

Share your thoughts with me on Twitter @GuyPoppy1

See my latest TEDx talk Global Food Security

 

Multidisciplinary Research at the University of Southampton.
Bringing together adventurous minds to achieve the impossible.

Seminar Series: www.southampton.ac.uk/multidisciplinary/mdrseminar/index.page

Research Week: www.southampton.ac.uk/multidisciplinary/researchweek/index.page

Blog: http://blog.soton.ac.uk/multidisciplinary

Website: www.southampton.ac.uk/multidisciplinary

Email: multidisciplinary@southampton.ac.uk

Follow us on twitter and share your experience with us: @multisoton #MDRweek

Seminar 2:‘Practitioner Perspectives’ – Digital technologies and school-to-work transition

May 10, 2013
by Alison Simmance via Work Thought Blog

Seminar 2 ‘Practitioner Perspectives’ | Digital technologies and school-to-work transition | Tuesday, 28th May, 4 to 6pm | Building 32, Room 2097 We are an interdisciplinary working group at the Work Futures Research Centre at Southampton University. Our aim is to explore the role of digital technology in the formation of learner identities and in […]

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Multidisciplinary Research Week 2013- Success

May 9, 2013
by Alison Simmance via Digital Economy USRG

The University of Southampton sprang to life during the 17-22nd March when over 1050 attendees joined us for the 3rd annual Multidisciplinary Research Week. This year’s week long celebration was built on the best cross-disciplinary science and arts from the University of Southampton’s staff and students with a packed programme of talks, hands-on science demonstrations, […]

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Multidisciplinary Research Week 2013- Success

May 7, 2013
by Alison Simmance

The University of Southampton sprang to life during the 17-22nd March when over 1050 attendees joined us for the 3rd annual Multidisciplinary Research Week.

This year’s week long celebration was built on the best cross-disciplinary science and arts from the University of Southampton’s staff and students with a packed programme of talks, hands-on science demonstrations, exhibitions, debates and a film screening. We were also joined by key external speakers who brought insights into policy applications and cutting edge research in relation to our University Strategic Research Groups.

See the full programme here.  The energy and intellectual alchemy of the week certainly inspired ‘ideas worth spreading’ and far exceeded our expectations. Thank you to all our speakers, demonstrators, supporters, volunteers, digital champions, sponsors and attendees for enabling this annual cross-disciplinary event at the University of Southampton to be a huge success.

The week in numbers– see the statistics from MDR Week 2013 below or in the MDRWeek 2013 Final Statistics Flyer.

Blog posts about all our events at #MDRWeek will be coming shortly! Watch this site for news.

Did you miss MDR week 2013?

See all our multimedia outputs online now!

 

 

 

 

Did you miss TEDxSouthamptonUniversity 2013?

MDR Week 2013 STATISTICS-

  • 23 events (incl. 2 exhibitions and 1 interactive art session) from 17-22nd March 2013.
  • 1057 actual attendees (approx. 10% external).
  • First TEDx at the University of Southampton- tickets sold out; new website; IBM sponsorship; 15 speakers; >1000 hits so far on YouTube.
  • Prof Mohan Munasinghe– Vice Chair of IPPC/Nobel Prize Winner 2007 (BBC Radio Solent Broadcast & future collaborations).
  • First formal celebration of the World Water Day 2013 (150 attendees).
  • >70 people attended the ‘Litmus Project: Science & Poetry Exhibition’.
  • >120 people attended ‘Question Time: The Brain & Society’, (incl. 40 6th Formers)
  • 15 people created an eco-friendly bag from 60th Anniversary campaign banner material at ‘Be a Green Shopper’.
  • Collaborations: UoS Science & Engineering Festival, WSA, WUN, IBM, Google, Marwell Wildlife, three 6th Form Colleges.

First year that social media was used!

 

MDR Week 2014- Your Views

We are now already planning next year’s research week and welcome any suggestions for a possible theme on this. If you have an interesting cross-disciplinary project/initiative or idea and/or wish  to get involved in other ways then please contact us: multidisciplinary@soton.ac.uk

 

Full details available at: www.southampton.ac.uk/multidisciplinary

 

Share your experience with us on Twitter #MDRWeek @Multisoton

 

RSPB Wallasea Island Project- World Environment Day Seminar

May 3, 2013
by Alison Simmance

RSPB Wallasea Island Project: Conservation for the 21st Century

World Environment Day Seminar 2013 by Chris Tyas Wallasea Island Project Manager, RSPB

Wednesday 5 June | 16:00- 18:00pm | Wine & nibbles from 16:00 | The Nuffield Theatre, Building 6, Lecture Theatre A, Highfield Campus

Join us in celebration of World Environment Day with a special afternoon seminar and art exhibition.

All staff, students, local teachers, community groups and the wider public are welcome to attend this free event.

RSVP: www.multidisciplinaryseminars.eventbrite.com

Download and share the event’s poster: RSPB Wallasea Island Project- World Environment Day Poster.

Did you know?

Wallasea Island Wild Coast project is a landmark conservation and engineering scheme for the 21st century, on a scale never before attempted in the UK and the largest of its type in Europe. The project will receive 4.5million tonnes of material excavated during the Crossrail operations in London to help shape Europe’s largest man-made nature reserve. The aim of this project is to combat the threats from climate change and coastal flooding by recreating the ancient wetland landscape of mudflats and saltmarsh, lagoons and pasture.

The landmark project adopts a true multidisciplinary approach which will prove influential in linking Europe’s largest construction project with the continent’s biggest wetland creation scheme.

What’s World Environment Day?

World Environment Day is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebrations is Think.Eat.Save. Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your food print.

Event Information:

The event is part of the University of Southampton’s Multidisciplinary Seminar Series and is jointly organised by the Multidisciplinary Sustainability Science at Southampton (SSS) Group and the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI).

 

RSVP: www.multidisciplinaryseminars.eventbrite.com

Live stream & full details available at: www.southampton.ac.uk/sustainability_science

 

Share your experience with us @SustainScience #WED2013

 

Relevant Links:

RSPB website

Wallasea Island Project Leaflet.

Crossrail website

The Environment Agency

 

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