News from Prosperity and Resilience: Global Development

The first edition of the Prosperity and Resilience theme’s newsletter was recently sent out. It showcases the research of our newest Research Division, Global Development, which brings together researchers from four of the University’s Schools – Agriculture and Policy Development; Archaeology, Geography, and Environmental Sciences; Law; and Politics, Economics and International Relations – with a common interest in issues of global development.

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Sacred Heritage explored at prestigious archaeology lectures – now available to watch online

By Dr Gemma Watson, Post-Doctoral Research Assistant in the Department of Archaeology

Back in May 2017, Roberta Gilchrist, Professor of Archaeology and Research Dean at the University of Reading, presented the prestigious Rhind Lectures, the oldest and biggest archaeology lecture series in the world, hosted by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

Professor Gilchrist presented on the theme of ‘Sacred Heritage: Archaeology, Identity and Medieval Beliefs’, exploring over six lectures the value of sacred medieval heritage today and in the past. The lectures outline a new research agenda for the archaeological study of later medieval monasticism with a strong emphasis on the archaeology of medieval Scotland and tying in with the Scottish Government’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017. The lectures are now available to watch online.

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Volunteers required for research on extracellular vesicles

By Dr Plinio Ferreira, Post-Doctoral Researcher in Platelet Biology in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences

We are carrying out research to better characterise blood and platelet extracellular vesicles, which are released by cells and play an important role in both health and disease.

If you are a healthy adult (age range 18-65) with no diagnosed disease, no illnesses requiring long-term medication and are willing to donate blood, we need you.

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Dog food study

By Sensory Dimensions

We are launching a Dog Food study on wet Dog Food for men and women aged 18 to 70.

The study is taking place on Monday 16 October. It lasts 75 minutes, paying £15. To take part you must be screened over telephone. Exclusion: You cannot participate if you have taken part in any market research in food or drink in the last 6 weeks.

Times available: 15:00, 16:30, 18:00 or 19:30

If you are interested and would like a call: please email ahill@sensorydimensions.com. If you know of anyone that might want to take part, pass along our email so we can invite and pay as many people as possible.

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Why are languages missing from the Sustainable Development Goals?

By Dr Wine Tesseur, Post Doctoral Research Assistant in Modern Languages and European Studies

This blog has been translated to over 15 languages with the support of ‘The Language Industry’. See the translated versions.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to put the most vulnerable populations first and to leave no one behind. This implies communicating in a multiplicity of languages, yet the SDGs are silent on language issues.

Although proponents see the realisation of the SDGs as emerging from dialogue with vulnerable populations, it is unclear how sustainable, two-way democratic communication will be ensured.

The absence of any mention of language in the SDGs was the topic of a United Nations Symposium titled ‘Language, the Sustainable Development Goals and Vulnerable Populations’, held in New York on 11-12 May 2017. It was the second event organised by a Study Group on Language and the United Nations, an independent group of scholars and practitioners.

As a researcher on the project ‘The Listening Zones of NGOs: Languages and Cultural Knowledge in Development Programmes’, jointly organised by INTRAC (the International NGO Training and Research Centre), the University of Reading and the University of Portsmouth, I participated in the symposium and contributed a paper on the role of languages in the development work of international UK-based NGOs. I was curious to find out more about the work of other researchers as well as practitioners working on the role of languages in development. In this blog, I share some thoughts and insights on the discussions and debates that took place over these two stimulating days.

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News from Prosperity & Resilience: Mike Goodman

Mike Goodman

Mike Goodman

Professor Mike Goodman (SAGES) ran a workshop on ‘Everyday Climate Cultures’. Bringing together scholars from media and cultural studies, communications, human and physical geographies and earth sciences, the workshop explored ways of understanding and critically evaluating the everyday practices of climate change cultures, and the media representations that both inform, and are informed by, the everyday.

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News from Prosperity & Resilience: Dr Stefania Lovo

Dr Stefania Lovo

Dr Stefania Lovo

Dr Stefania Lovo (SPEIR) has continued to work closely with the World Bank, providing research and expertise on development economics to (i) the International Trade Unit, regarding ‘Trade competitiveness in Armenia’; (ii) the Poverty Global Practise unit, regarding ‘Are we confusing poverty with preferences?’; and (iii) the International Trade Unit, regarding ‘Trade in services in Ghana’. One of her co-authored World Bank blogs may be found here.

News from Prosperity & Resilience: Dr Avril Maddrell

Avril Maddrell

Avril Maddrell

Dr Avril Maddrell (SAGES) is running an AHRC-ESRC project on Deathscapes and Diversity. Against the backdrop of increasing ethnic and religious diversity in the UK, many challenges have been raised practically and politically about living together in difference within in Britain. While attention has focused upon Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) patterns of housing, education, employment and leisure, what is less well understood is migrant and established minority needs relating to cemetery, crematoria and sites of ritual and remembrance (‘deathscapes’).

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