After the furore surrounding my last blog, I thought I’d continue the discussion with a HE case study featured in my forthcoming book Advertising: A Practitioner Perspective.
Continue readingCategory Archives: Research
Why are universities so bad at marketing?
It’s Welcome Week at my university. Also known as ‘Freshers’ Week’ in some parts of the world, this is the week in which we welcome new students onto campus, to register for their course and take part in events that introduce them to university life.
As I arrive on campus ready to start a day of teaching, I expect to find walls plastered with posters for student societies and events for our new students. After all, this is Welcome Week – the most exciting and vibrant time of the year.
But instead of posters for our students, instead I find campus overflowing with advertisements for… a postgraduate open day.
Continue readingWhat science fiction tells us about the future of war
Science fiction has a lot to say about war. From the advanced fighting suits of Starship Troopers and The Forever War, through to the remote warfare of Ender’s Game and the bioform soldiers of Dogs of War, science fiction authors have long written about warfare and the question of where war might go next.
Continue readingWhat can we learn from sci-fi movies about futures research?
By Dr Nicole Bulawa and Dr Mike Ryder
While science fiction is known for its warnings about the future, it can teach us other lessons too. Indeed, there is a whole field of study known as ‘futures research’ where scientists try and make sense of our world and make plans for what the future might bring.
This goes far beyond merely trying to predict the future. Rather, it is a way to help us come up with ideas to help us deal with potential challenges and build a better society.
Here’s how just a few of our favourite sci-fi films help us do this…
Continue readingPutting a price on research
Research is far more expensive than many people may think. The reason for this is the huge overheads universities charge to cover the cost of their buildings and pay the wages of the many managers and admin staff that they employ.
Continue reading