Beyond Futures

Keynote: Green Electric Materials Manufacturing (GEMM), Prof Arun Arjunan

Join us for a keynote presentation on the National Centre for Green Electric Materials Manufacturing (GEMM) informed by the Additive Manufacturing and Green Energy (GE) research contributing towards sustainable manufacturing solutions for a circular economy. Our pioneering research in electrical materials and manufacturing has garnered widespread acclaim, attracting attention from local, national, and international industrial and research communities alike. This interest underscores the potential for knowledge transfer, consultancy, collaborative research, and professional development opportunities. 

GEMM aims to fill critical gaps within national centres by focusing on the development of highly conductive materials, additive manufacturing of functional electronic components and semiconductors, thermoelectric and battery manufacturing, as well as cutting-edge practices in recycling, upcycling, and remanufacturing. 

Join us to explore how GEMM is shaping the future of green engineering and contributing to a sustainable future. 

National Workshop on Green Computing & Communications for 6G Wireless Network, Mohammad Patwary

• 10:00 – 10:15   Professor Mohammad Patwary, Welcome and UoW vision, University of Wolverhampton 
• 10:15 - 10:45    Professor Iqbal Gondal, Green Cyber Security for future FinTech, RMIT Australia 
• 10:45 – 11:15   Heather Clark, GIC, City of Wolverhampton Council 
• 11:15 - 11:30    Refreshment Break 
• 11:30 - 12:00    Professor Yunfie Chen, Signal Detection in Ambient Backscattering Communications, Durham University 
• 12:00 - 12:30    Professor Zhong Fan, Living lab and digital twin for smart energy networks, University of Exeter 
• 12:30 - 13:00   Dr Anup Barai, Barriers and opportunities for battery safety diagnosis and prognosis for electric aircraft, University of Warwick  
• 13:00 - 14:00   Lunch Break 
• 14:00 - 14:30   Dr ATM Shafiul Alam, Sustainable Connectivity: The Role of Energy Efficiency in Next-Generation Wireless Networks, Queen Mary University London 
• 14:30 - 15:00   Professor Huan Nguyen, Digital Twin for Future Network, Middlesex University London 
• 15:00 - 15:30   Professor Charalampos Tsimenidis, Coded Physical Layer Network Coding and Cooperative Communications, Nottingham Trent University 
• 15:30 - 15:45   Refreshment Break 
• 15:45 - 16:45   Panel Session 
• 16:45 - 17:00   Closing remarks 

Research Student Session 1 (Chair - Dr Manpreet Singh & Deputy Chair - Naomi Frost)

• 11:20 - Ifeoma Onaja - CSR Practices in Ghanaian Cocoa Industry: An Examination
• 11:40 - Laura Peter-Azeez - Improving SME Resilience Through Sustainability & Digital Transformation
• 12:00 - Kiriakos Iliou - Inclusivity as a Power Narrative in the Cryptocurrency Market
• 12:20 - Sandra Pratt - Getting Visual with Identity: A Learner’s Portrait
• 12:40 - Selina Jaques-King - Knowing me, Knowing you: Inclusivity in Interpreting.

Research Student Session 2 (Chair - Dr Karan Jutlla & Deputy Chair - Zakiyyah Ahmed)

• 11:20 - Sophie Cole - Impact of health inequalities on minority ethnic communities
• 11:40 - Kebede Oda (FEHW) - The Geneology of Social Care 
• 12:00 - Enemona Jacob - Exploring the Self-Care Practices of The Millennial Generation
• 12:20 - Angeliki Stavroulaki - Subject Positions of British South Asian Women with IBD
• 12:40 - Sophie Wilson - Proximity and relevance of lived experience amongst Peer Support Workers

Additive Manufacturing for Healthcare CEIR/FSE, Aaron Vance, Abdul Arafat, Arun Arjunan

Join this keynote talk to learn about the Additive Manufacturing for Healthcare Special Interest Group (SIG) at the University of Wolverhampton. This session will showcase the transformative impact of 3D printing technologies in healthcare, highlighting innovative advancements in medical device development, prosthetics, anatomical models, and personalised medicine. Discover how the SIG’s collaborative efforts with researchers, healthcare professionals, and industry experts are driving forward knowledge creation and translating cutting-edge research into practical applications that enhance patient outcomes and healthcare delivery. Key initiatives include the development of patient-specific load-bearing implants, bi-porous materials for targeted drug delivery and bone growth, infection-resistant implants, and critical size bone defect reconstructions.

Lunch Break and Poster Display

Poster Presentations  Day 1:

• Ariwan Rasool - Exploring machine learning approaches for IoT botnet detection
• Nancy Mpofu - Impact of Precarious Work on UK Hotel Employees' Well-being.
• Dionne Williams - Intersectionality of Black Women and the Impact on Career Progression
• Ambreen Alam - Following inclusivity policy while adhering to ability grouping practices
• Zakiyyah Ahmed -Investigating inclusion opportunities in the Black Country.
• Jordan Turner - Heat pumps for Green innovation: Is the UK being left behind?
• Emily Elwell - Using Scents to Improve Critically Endangered Lemur Breeding
• Naomi Frost - Informing best practice in zoo animal welfare assessment
• Eman Mansour - Additive manufacturing of high strength aluminium alloys for structural applications
• Mugdha Vengurlekar - Mechanisms in evasion of anti-VEGF therapies in Glioblastoma.
• Shalini Kumarasamy - Identifying non-invasive gut inflammatory biomarkers in pregnant women.

Advancing SMEs Digitalisation and Transforming Women in Business Leadership, Dr Samia Mahmood 

The project has the following research objectives: 

The presentation will include the initial findings of two projects. The first project is to determine the prevalence of digital and AI technology adoption among small businesses in the UK, segmented by gender and ethnicity of the business leaders across different geographical regions. The second project is to evaluate the effectiveness of the recommendations for women's participation and success in business leadership roles in the Midlands since the 2022 report, identifying key areas of action, progress, and ongoing challenges. 

THAT’s ME” Project: Stakeholders Perceptions around Doctoral Programmes

• PGR global majority students’ notion on applications, induction and communities of practice by student co-creators – Professor Subashini Suresh, Dr Suresh Renukappa, Wala Abdalla, Hord Arsalan and Haddy Jallow.
• Community and employer’s perceptions on doctoral studies – Dr Opinderjit Takhar

Better social science through community peer research: sharing experiences and learning lessons, James Rees with Newhampton Arts, Cosy Homes (Liverpool), artists, Arts Council, Young Foundation

Co-production and shared approaches to social research is becoming more widespread and the benefits – to academia, service users and communities – is increasingly recognised. At ICRD we tend to call this community peer research and in this session, we have brought together a range of experts to talk about the benefits and challenges, share experiences, and reflect on ways to improve the approach. 

D.I.I.verse, Adam Vasco, NHS, ETF 

A look at the work with partners in areas of professional practice including Combatting Racial Discrimination with NHS England and Developing a Cultural Competence Continuum with partners such as ETF. 

Pockets of Resilience: Session 1 : Stitch Journal, Karina Thompson (FABSS)

Would you like the chance to explore the idea of hand stitch as a meditative tool to promote reflection and relaxation? In this 2-hour workshop we will use Claire Wellesley Smith’s theory of Slow Stitch as a starting point to explore how regular repetitive hand stitch and stitch journals can be used to enhance your own resilience. No experience necessary. All materials provided.  

Digitising the built environment - one (kilo)byte at a time: Research directions in the digital construction research group, David Heesom

This session will present the range of research being undertaken in the Digital Construction Research Group within the School of Architecture and the Built Environment. The construction industry is undergoing somewhat of a digital revolution and the specific areas of the group are helping to support this through our research and impactful work with Industry. In this session, a broad overview of some of the topics will be introduced and highlight how these are impacting the construction sector and the wider built environment. Currently we have a range of focus areas including the application of advanced Building Information Modelling (BIM) techniques, the use of advanced data capture technologies such as LiDAR laser scanning and SLAM, the use of AI in the construction sector and the application of Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) to help during design and construction. Several of the technologies will be available to see during the session to provide attendees with a more interactive event along with the opportunity for a chance to get ‘hands on’ with some of the tools being implemented by the group. 

Social value and stakeholder management in construction projects CFRC/FSE, Ezekiel Chiniyo & Amina Mustapha

Construction projects are commissioned by Clients who often pay for the delivery. However the benefits of projects extend to communities and other diverse stakeholders. The success of a construction project thus assumes a very broad scope wherein the benefits of all stakeholders should be considered and addressed. 

New Frontiers: using AI and ML to support people with epilepsy, Phil Tittensor, RWNHS Trust

Over the last few years, artificial intelligence and machine learning have shown the potential to revolutionise aspects of healthcare. Recently, there have been exciting developments in the use of this technology for people with neurological conditions. This talk will describe some of the techniques in use for people with epilepsy, from diagnosis through to treatment and management. 

Remanufacturing Aerospace Industry - perceptions and practices of Circular Economy Business Models (CEMBs) in Aerospace Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Dr Eun Sun Godwin 

Global aviation currently contributes approximately 2% of greenhouse gas emissions; the projected growth in global aviation will create annual CO2 emissions of 1.8 billion tons by 2050. Consequently, the sector has made a commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Yet, most studies have focussed on the operation of aircraft, such as fuel efficiency and alternatives to fossil fuels, rather than the whole aircraft life cycle including design, manufacture and recovery. This project has sought to support SMEs in the aerospace manufacturing industry by exploring Remanufacturing business models, a form of CEBM, to help them move towards a sustainable future. The research team conducted case studies of SMEs in the industry exploring barriers and enablers of remanufacturing and other CEBMs and offers policy insights according to the findings. 

Gathering Press Workshop, Laura Onions, Senior Lecturer in Fine Art

Join Laura Onions in this practical session for an introduction to Gathering Press, a mobile screen-printing project moving within the West Midlands. Designed to open up temporary messy creative space for making together, since 2022 the project has visited various public spaces (library, canal-side, market to name a few) to explore what might happen when a resource is unhinged from a single location, meeting people where they happen to be.  

Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to produce prints using the press and engage in informal conversation about sites and distribution of learning, the structures of resource and consider where, how and who with education can occur. This workshop may be for you if you have an interest in; co-creation, social and community-oriented practices, critical pedagogical methods, access, equity and hegemonies within sites of learning, place and place-making and environmentally engaged practices. No prior screen-printing experience is required.  

Welcome address: Accelerating a sustainable future through partnerships, Mr D K Shivakumar, Honourable Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka, India.

For more than thirty years, Mr D K Shivakumar has been the member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and held portfolios as Minister of Urban Development; Minister of Energy, Minister of Major Irrigation and Medical Education; and Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. This talk will be based on this journey for accelerating a sustainable future through partnerships. 

Keynote talk: Karnataka's Higher Education Research and Innovation Landscape, Dr M.C. Sudhakhar, Karnataka Education Minister, India.

Higher education in Karnataka is marked by a diverse array of institutions offering programs across various disciplines. The state hosts renowned universities such as Bangalore University, Visvesvaraya Technological University, and Karnataka University, Dharwad, along with 32 state public universities, 29 private universities, 3,254-degree colleges, and 615 technical institutions including polytechnics and junior technical schools. These institutions play a pivotal role in advancing research and development in fields like engineering, medicine, and agriculture. Karnataka's higher education system places a strong emphasis on quality education, supported by initiatives aimed at skill development and fostering industry collaborations to enhance the employability of graduates, which is the focus of this talk. 

Building Brand Bengaluru from Knowledge Partner Perspective, Professor Lingaraja Gandhi, Vice-Chancellor of Bengaluru City University, Karnataka, India.

This talk will focus on the eight categories within the Brand Bengaluru initiative of the Karnataka government along with the role of knowledge partner. The eight categories are Sugama Sanchara (Free movement) - transport infrastructure; Clean Bengaluru – wastewater treatment; Green Bengaluru; Health Bengaluru; Education Bengaluru; Tech Bengaluru; Vibrant Bengaluru; and Water Security. 

Digital Transformation of Indian Healthcare Sector, Professor Jayakara Shetty, Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University, Karnataka, India

Ayushman Bharat is India's flagship health insurance scheme launched in 2018 to provide financial protection to over 50 crore vulnerable individuals against catastrophic health expenditures. It consists of two main components: Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) for primary healthcare services, and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), offering coverage up to ₹5 lakh (£5,000) per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. The scheme aims to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, enhance access to healthcare facilities, and ensure quality medical treatment nationwide. In Karnataka, the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka health scheme has treated 3.5 million women, constituting 55% of the total 6.3 million beneficiaries. This exceeds the national average of 48% for women beneficiaries and represents the highest coverage rate among large states in India. Karnataka was recently honoured with the Gender Equity in Service Delivery award by the National Health Authority in recognition of this achievement. This talk will delve into the details of implementation of this scheme. 

UK-India Research and Innovation Collaboration: Panel Session.

Panel Session consists of:

• Professor Prashant Pillai;
• Professor Lingaraja Gandhi;
• Professor Jayakara Shetty; and
• Dr K. G. Chandrahekar;
• Dr Elizabeth Jasmine Ruben

Facilitated by Professor Subashini Suresh

Health and Our Communities' Conference, Abbie Fordham-Barnes; Andy Lane, Karan Jutlla, Tina Smith, Chris Kite, Ruoling Chen, FEHW

Impactful research is at the heart of the research we carry out in the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing. The conference will promote awareness and discussion around the projects we carry out to address issues around health and healthy lifestyles through local and global outreach.  

Research Student Session 3 (Chair - Dr Tohid Borhani & Deputy Chair - Aaron Vance)

• 11:20 - Salih Osman Hamed - Investigating the adoption of smart cities strategies for competitive advantage: MENA perspective
• 11:40 - Wala Abdalla - Drivers for Managing Knowledge in the Context of Smart Cities: An Empirical Study
• 12:00 - Hord Arsalan - Prompt engineering for Text-2-Image (T2I) tools for heritage architecture applications: A scoping review
• 12:20 - Deinsam Ogan - Formalization: Optimizing its principles for improving Small-scale Gold-Mining
• 12:40 - Ehis Lawrence Onus - Evaluating impacts of climate change on residents/residences

Research Student Session 4 (Chair - Dr Peter Collins & Deputy Chair - Ezekiel Olatunji)

• 11:20 - Yoshitha Lakshmanan - Development of PLGA-encapsulated Disulfiram for Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment.
• 11:40 - Benjamin Small - Investigating Disulfiram Derivatives for Cancer Indications.
• 12:00 - Shambhavi Dilip - Development of PEG-Lipo ZnDDC for Treatment of Multiple Myeloma
• 12:20 - Priyanka Patel - Effect of the Adipokine WISP1 on Insulin Secretion
• 12:40 - Ezra Leander David - Beyond Remodelling: PMCA4's Influence on Apoptosis in PAEC.

Research Student Session 5 (Chair - Dr Niall Galbraith & Deputy Chair - Sophie Cole)

• 11:20 Ashleigh Whitwell - Understanding the needs of older prisoners
• 11:40 Deborah Littley - Craftivism as a voice for mature, first-generation women.
• 12:00 James Reeves - In the Good Old Days When Times Were Bad: Women in poverty in the songs of Dolly Parton
• 12:20 Jasmine Holmes - Breaking Chains: Inclusivity within BDSM communities (Please be aware that during this presentation, themes of adult sexual behaviour and sexual deviance are explored).
• 12:40 Ella Haruna - Reflexive moments, critical incidents of global development professionals

Lunch Break and Poster Display

Day 2 Poster Presentations:

• Kirsty Hargreaves - Blurring the lines- Gender biases in Fashion
• Falah Atshan - Digital Transformation impact on Open innovation adoption
• Precious Igbinigie - Association of egg consumption with dementia: A case-control study
• Oluwadamilola Olarinmoye - The role of the Occupational Health Nurse
• Abdulkadir Gambo - Characterisation and Classification of Soils in a Toposequence of Semi-arid Agroecological Landscape of North-Western Nigeria
• Osman Hamed - Advancing Oil Spill Cleanup: The Evolution of Cutting-Edge Technologies
• Nicole Grimason - Genetic and physical status of Rana temporaria in the UK
• Salha Albehairi - Enhanced Data Augmentation Framework for Gene Expression Data
• Ezekiel Olaoluwa Olatunji - A Participatory Approach Towards Developing a Framework to Quantify Community Flood Resilience
• Mohamed Musa - The influence of leadership and management on the uptake of Artificial Intelligence in the UK healthcare service delivery

Sustainable value creation:     

• Mental Health and Wellbeing: research trends and its implications, Dr Elizabeth Jasmine, Indian Institute of Psychology & Research, India and Dr Suresh Renukappa

  • Positive mental health and wellbeing are about feeling good and functioning well in life. It involves being satisfied with one’s life, having meaningful relationships, and feeling a sense of purpose. Adverse mental health can have a significant impact on individuals, families, and society as a whole. Here are some of the key implications: 

     * Reduced well-being: Mental health conditions can lead to difficulties in relationships, work, and daily life. They can also cause emotional distress and impair a person's ability to cope with stress. 

     * Increased physical health problems: There's a strong link between mental and physical health. People with mental health conditions are more likely to experience chronic health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. 

     * Economic burden: Mental health conditions can lead to lost productivity and increased healthcare costs. 

    Hence Research on mental health and wellbeing is crucial for reasons such as - identifying prevention strategies by understanding the risk factors; Developing effective treatments for adverse mental health conditions; to help policymakers develop effective mental health policies and programs; Increased understanding of mental health can help reduce the stigma associated with adverse mental health issues. 

• Digitalization of Automotive supply chain for climate resilience & competitiveness, Sangamesh Vadagave, Robert Bosch UK and Dr Suresh Renukappa
  • The automotive industry is at a strategic inflection point because resulting from the climate change phenomenon. These effects include (but are not limited) unexpected and often unpredictable weather patterns leading to manufacturing, transport and logistics disruptions, critical vehicle production material related resources unavailability. This presentation explores the innovative business models that can facilitate the effective and successful integration of sustainability practices within the automotive sector to help the industry to achieve resilience towards the unfavourable effects of this strong and imminent phenomenon.  

Presentation from the Centre for Film, Media, Discourse and Culture, Dr Fran Pheasant-Kelly and Dr Benjamin Halligan

How does one research Film, Media, Discourse and Culture in 2024? This series of short presentations, followed by a roundtable discussion, will address the ways in which researchers now grapple with social media, with big data, with the multiplicities of journalistic outputs, and with easier access to archives and interview subjects. How can this hinterland of data be best managed? How does this complicate the ethics around research? And how does a research project gain originality and edge (and REF potential) by capitalising on these sources of information? This presentation will address challenges, offer tips, and will be of interest to all researchers, but particularly PGRs. 

CIDT: Interactive session. Participatory tools for community engagement, Ella Haruna and Daniela Baur

This is an interactive session with the opportunity to experience some participatory tools for engaging with communities. 

English Cafe Taster Session, Judith Hamilton and Paula  Harrison

Come and find out how we support people who are living either permanently or temporarily in Wolverhampton or Telford to improve their English Language skills to enable them to progress into volunteering, onto a university level course or into higher level employment, if possible. We also support community cohesion, combat isolation amongst refugee and asylum seeker communities and signpost to different agencies, services and free cultural activities in Telford & Wrekin and Wolverhampton. 

Pockets of Resilience: Session 2: Pockets for Talisman and Lucky Charms, Karina Thompson, FABSS

Do you have a lucky charm that you often have with you? In this 2-hour session we will look to make a container, pocket, or protective layer for a cherished item. This might be a lucky penny, photograph, worry beads, fidget items or anything that is of personal significance to you. You might want to bring your talisman with you or measure its dimensions if it’s too precious to leave the house. No experience necessary. All materials provided. 

Work with women in the community - 'EmpowerHer', Laura Morin Quintal

Join us for an inspiring and empowering workshop designed specifically for women in the community. "Work with Women in the Community" is a tester session that offers a sneak peek into a series of impactful workshops to show concrete alternatives to help you achieve your professional and personal potential. 

Whether you are looking to advance your career, start a new business, or find a balance that suits your lifestyle, this workshop provides practical strategies and inspiration. Discover how to leverage your skills, embrace opportunities, and make meaningful contributions to your community and beyond. 

AI4Labour, Professors Yong Wang and Sibel Yamak

The AI4Labour project focuses on the impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce. It receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No: 101007961. In particular, AI4Labour aims to estimate the probability that each current occupation disappears, continues, or transforms due to technological disruption, predict new occupations that will appear, and explore gender differences in the process.  

‘Tasker’ Presentation and Tour, Sarah Selby and Rod D

Explore the themes and concepts behind the new prototype ‘Tasker’, an interactive installation by artist-in-residence Sarah Selby and collaborator Rod D. ‘Tasker’ illuminates the often-invisible labour that underpins artificial intelligence. This presentation will delve into the human workforce driving today’s smart technologies, discuss why humans are naturally born cyborgs, and examine how we are increasingly becoming extensions of the technologies we interact with daily. The discussion will be followed by an artist-led tour of the exhibition.  

Sarah Selby is the inaugural Lumen Prize artist-in-residence at the School of Creative Industries through a partnership between the School and the UK based Lumen Prize, an annual prize that celebrates the very best art created with technology and champions the innovative possibilities of technology-driven creativity. Sarah was the recipient of the Interactive/3D Lumen Prize 2023. 

Clinical & Translational Medicine RIHS/FSE, James Cotton, Thillagavathie Pillay,  Mathew Brookes, Hellen Steed, Mark Morris

At the heart of Clinical and Translational Medicine in RIHS are our clinical professors. Here they will provide an overview of key work they are leading. This work Includes national clinical trials with strong collaborative links with laboratory scientists in RIHS to address critical clinical questions. 

This presentation will highlight how the work done by our group is leading to real-world impacts, such as improving patient outcomes and informing clinical policy. 

Biological mechanisms of disease, The Biological Mechanisms of Disease team, RIHS

Laboratory biomedical research is at the heart of the RIHS, driving critical discoveries and impactful outputs. Our research is intricately linked with clinical samples sourced through collaborations with Clinical and Translational Medicine teams and external clinical partners. Our core research themes foster a collaborative environment, bringing together experts from across the University and beyond to advance our understanding of various diseases. 

This presentation will showcase how our laboratory biomedical research deepens our understanding of disease mechanisms, an essential step leading to real-world applications that improve patient outcomes and influence clinical practice. 

Co-production - Co-creation Workshop: Making it work with our communities, Martin Bollard and Jessie Allen Bread4 Life Charity

This interactive workshop will identify how the process of co-creation and principles of co-production can enable successful community-based projects. 

Professor Bollard will be joined by Jessie Allen from a local church-based charity and Anna Butters from the Black Country NHS Integrated Care Board. 

Participants will hear project examples, will have the opportunity to interact and define co-creation for themselves, learning they can take away with them. 

Animal & Plant Biology research group, Dr Stefano Vaglio, School of Life Sciences

This presentation will showcase the research work done by Animal Behaviour & Wildlife Conservation and Plant Biology staff at the University of Wolverhampton. 

Novel Perceptions: towards an inclusive canon, Professor Sebastian Groes, Professor Karina van Dalen-Oskam, Dr Tom Mercer, Dr Demi-May Wilton, Dr Adrian Leguina, Dr Elizabeth Dearnley, Dr Aidan Byrne, Dr Peter Harvey

In this session, the Novel Perceptions team will outline the preliminary result of their interdisciplinary project investigating biases in the British reading audience. The AHRC-funded project asks people to rate the (literary) quality of contemporary fiction to understand why people read the fiction that they do. How does their background (gender, education, age, location etc) shape their literary taste?

Keynote: WMCA Multiply, John Hall

Counting on Community: Multiply test & learn approach to engaging West Midlands Citizens in Numeracy Learning.   

‘Tasker’ Exhibition, Sarah Selby and Rod D

‘Tasker’ is an interactive installation by artist-in-residence Sarah Selby and collaborator Rod D that highlights the hidden human labour behind artificial intelligence. It reimagines the 1997 battle between champion chess master Garry Kasparov and IBM’s chess-playing computer Deep Blue - a pivotal moment in the development and public perception of artificial intelligence. 

PRoject Xpedition Performance, Lexus Dance Collective & Arena Theatre 

Created & performed by the Creative Pioneers of Project Xpedition, ‘Your Time Starts Now!’ is a relevant & empowering piece of Dance Theatre exploring our capacity for growth, resilience & success despite the pressure of life’s relentless challenges as the clock continues to tick… 

Education, Health, Psychology & Sports Showcase - Diana Bannister, Ross Cloak, Karan Jutlla and Niall Galbraith

Our 4 research centres in FEHW undertake numerous projects in Education, Health, Psychology and Sports.  This is a showcase of our projects and the impact they make on society. 

Wolves Virtual Reality Demo Session

Rezzil, a Manchester-based VR software firm, are specialists in the production of sports gaming software for athlete training and game analysis within virtual reality. Rezzil applications are widely used in professional football and by many Premier League clubs. Led by Dr Ross Cloak in The School of Sport, we are working with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Rezzil looking at the impact Virtual reality training can have on elite academy footballers. Callum Taylor PhD student and Sports Scientist at Wolverhampton Wanderers will be demonstrating the system and how he is using it at the club. 

Meet the Editors:

This session features an interactive panel with editors from several international journals who will share their insights based on their extensive research experience. 

The panel includes:

• Professor Scott McCabe, Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Tourism Research, University of Birmingham. 
• Professor Fevzi Okumus, Editor-in-Chief of both the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management and the Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Insights, University of Central Florida. 
• Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Editor-in-Chief of Tourism Review, Bournemouth University. 
• Professor Giampaolo Viglia, Editor-in-Chief of Psychology & Marketing, University of Portsmouth. 
• Professor Levent Altinay, Editor-in-Chief of The Service Industries Journal, Oxford Brookes University. 
• Professor Jan Mosedale will moderate the session, from FHGR University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland. 

The panel will cover emerging research methodologies and trends, cross-disciplinary research opportunities, best practices for publishing in high-impact journals, and strategies for improving research visibility and impact. The goal is to foster meaningful dialogue and partnerships among researchers, providing valuable guidance for advancing their academic careers. 

Research Student Session 6 (Chair - Dr Kiran Gulia & Deputy Chair - Deinsam Ogan)   

• 11:20 - Luke Seabright (FSE) - The Challenge of Socio-Economic and Environmental Impact in the UK Railway Sector 
• 11:40 - Mark Stride - Building a resilient infrastructure - Is this sustainable? 
• 12:00 - Lucy Akaiku (FSE) - Offsite Approach on Brownfields for Sustainable Housing Delivery
• 12:20 - Shaaban Ali (FSE) - Developing a Digital Twin Framework for Manufacturing Optimization in the Future Automotive Smart Factory 
• Andrea Mondokova (FSE) - Institutional culture and career progression of mid-career academics  

Research Student Session 7 (Chair - Prof Panos Georgakis & Deputy Chair - Ariwan Rasool)

• 11:20 - Begonya Ebot - Growth barriers: black women entrepreneurship, West Midlands, UK
• 11:40 - Olubamidele Ogunleye - Leveraging Fintech for Women's Financial Inclusion and Empowerment.
• 12:00 - Oluwajuwonlo Olajide - The Role of Entrepreneurship Education in entrepreneurial Intention in Post- Conflict environment
• 12:20 - Siting Guo - Sustainable carbon-based smart packaging for food and medical applications 
• 12:40 - Chandra Shekhar Subbarao - Assessment of Ayushman Bharath Digital Mission in the adoption of AI" 

Research Student Session 8 (Chair - Dr Tina Smith & Deputy Chair - Ella Haruna)

• 11:20 - Shervin Najafi - Expression of PMCA In Patient-Derived Glioblastoma Cultures
• 11:40 - Hannah Cooke - Bile acids malabsorption: Characterisation and novel diagnostic methods.
• 12:00 - Amisha Budhiraja - Gene mutations - Driver for breast-to-brain metastasis
• 12:20 - Yanan Dang - Analysis of self-reported aetiology of Chinese dance injuries
• 12:40 - Mahyar Behraznia - Ultrasound Elastography to Assess Rigidity in Parkinson’s disease

Keynote Talk: Beyond Automation: AI’s Real-World Impact on Marketing, Businesses, and Communities, Dr Nisreen Ameen and Dr Roya Rahimi

Exploring the significant changes AI is bringing to various sectors and discuss both the opportunities and challenges these advances present.  

Lunch Break and Poster Display

Day 3 Poster presentations:

• Fatma Guzel - They won't understand Autism motherhood and seeking Education
• Amy Fenn - Community-Led Approaches to Violence Prevention
• Anthony Byrne - Conspiracy Beliefs in Adolescents
• Marwa Alghodi - Developing A Privacy Enhancing Technologies Cultural-Aware Conceptual Framework to Improve the Usage of E-Learning Systems in Libyan Universities
• Meisam Ansarpour - LCA of an Ammonia Transportation as Hydrogen Carrier
• Nisreen Zayer - Sustainable Transformation of the United Arab Emirates Oil and Gas Sector
• Amanjeet Singh - Structural Health Monitoring by using AI algorithms
• Adedotun Ojo - Exploring the Applications of Psychology in Construction Practices
• Sagal Rooble - Neuroarchitecture and Emotional Response to Design within the Built Environment and Architecture
• Aisha RM Zetoon - Unveiling the impact of ATG2A and HSPG2 mutation in breast Cancer to Brain Metastasis Pathway
• Sara Elmarghni - CO2 Absorption Process Using MEA and MDEA Solvents

Digital Transformation at the National Health Service (NHS) -  Dr Suresh Renukappa;

• Robotics in surgery: past, present and future, Dr Chandrashekar;
  • The first-generation clinical robotic systems have inspired an ever-increasing number of platforms from both commercial and research organisations, resulting in smaller, safer, and smarter devices that will underpin the future of precision surgery. The surgical robotics sector is currently undergoing a second renaissance, with a measurable increase in surgical robotics uptake by industry.  The UK is in a strong position to ride this wave of innovation, but challenges remain.  This talk presents reasons, use cases and challenges facing UK healthcare sector in adopting robotics surgery. 
• AI applications in critical care and clinical trials with precision medicine, Dr Tonny Vineeth; University and NHS collaboration, Dr Pauline Boyle

Raising aspirations and attainment: working with art teachers, contemporary artists and students to explore race and identity in the art classroom, Arts Connect 

This interactive workshop will share the processes and outcomes of two curriculum innovation programmes run by Arts Connect with the art teacher community in the region and their students. The ‘Contemporary Art in the Classroom’ programme was inspired by The World that Belong to Us exhibition at The New Art Gallery Walsall and our ASPIRE funded CPD and student workshop programme focussing on race and identity and engagement of boys in art. We will situate this work in the profound challenges for arts education in schools and a recent impact report in our work with teachers.  

Compassionate Approaches to managing violence and distress workshop, Jethro and Jo from the School of Nursing

This workshop will identify human aspects of aggression and distress experienced in everyday life. 

Jo and Jethro, the facilitators, will then introduce an innovative approach to compassionately manage aggression and distress. 

This will cover how aggression and distress pathways work across our brains and tips will be given for how to compassionately manage yourself and others in distressing situations.  

Future smart cities and mobility/ CFRC/FSE, Subashini Suresh, Panagiotis Georgakis, Suresh Renukappa

Urbanisation over the past decade has led to increased pressure on cities, where they are struggling to deal with the shear amount of people migrating to already densely populated areas. It is estimated that urbanisation will increase from 54% of the world population to 66% by 2050. This has led to the development of smart cities, which has “been a trigger for the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in cities”. These cities face several challenges from the increasing population such as “economic, social and ethnic stratification, as well as health, safety and security risk”.  For instance, transport in Smart Cities should be safe, environmentally friendly, faster, more accessible and affordable and should help solve problems such as severe congestion, road accidents, inadequate parking and increasing energy cost. This talk presents the outcomes of several large-scale EU (European Union) sponsored research projects.

Learning and good practice in community engagement around the project cycle, Partners of the Centre for International Development and Training (CIDT), Chair Ella Haruna, Richardo Aiken, Teodyl Nkuintchua, Dr Zakarie Abdi Bade

The panel will feature speakers sharing experiences and lessons on community engagement around the project cycle, from the Caribbean, the Congo Basin and Somaliland.  

Bioengineering RIHS/FSE, Ahmed Eissa, Abhishek Gupta,  Dr Brian Johnston, Izabela Radecka, Aaron Vance, Abul Arafat, Mark Morris

The Bioengineering team, a collaborative group of academics from RIHS and the School of engineering, will present an overview of our ongoing and future work. These will include current work on projects developing tissue models using cutting-edge bioprinting techniques, innovating cancer modelling with 3D tumour models, creating scaffolds for bone grafts through 3D printing technology and advancing therapeutic delivery with the development of soft scaffolds and gels for controlled release of therapeutic agents. 

Utilizing state-of-the-art 3D printing and bioprinting methods, our team creates complex tissue scaffolding and microfluidic systems, enabling precise modelling and therapeutic applications. Our collaborative efforts with clinical and translational medicine teams and the school of engineering are geared towards transforming research findings into practical applications.