Senior Lecturer Dr Amanda McCordkindale spoke with careers guidance podcast Future You about life and study at HCRI, reflecting on the benefits and challenges of studying difficult global issues.

The latest Future You podcast delves into the history of the University’s and looks at the day-to-day life of students on our courses.

Listen to on Spotify.

In this podcast, Dr Amanda Mccorkindale describes the rationale behind HCRI’s foundation – to apply critical refection to the real-world practices of humanitarian response and improve the outcomes of those affected by natural and man-made disasters and emergencies.

Since its founding in 2008, HCRI has moved from being a strictly research-focused institute to providing a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD courses, for those working as or aspiring to become humanitarian practitioners. This includes our unique Leadership Education Academic Partnership (LEAP) online course, which provides critical and theoretically-informed education to those working for humanitarian NGOs.

In the , Dr Mccorkindale discusses the mental health challenges of studying heavy topics, such as conflict, genocide and disasters, but also the measures HCRI takes to support its students, including trigger warnings, peer mentoring programmes, reflection on ethical positionality, and access to a wide variety of support services at University of Swagֱ��.

The podcast also covers the wide range of career outcomes for those studying at HCRI and the multidisciplinary nature of our courses and student cohorts.

The Future You podcast is published by Prospects, an organisation that supports graduates in finding employment and educational opportunities. You can find out more information on the website.

Scholarships for the postgraduate certificate in Global Health.

For September 2024, a scholarship is available to help fund the first year of study in MSc Global Health by distance learning.

The purpose of the scholarship is to equip those who want to make an impact in Global Health and to support international humanitarian work. 

The scholarship is available to support those pursuing a career in Global Health, from or working in low/middle-income countries who might not otherwise have the means to study for a postgraduate qualification.

Amount:

• UK students (per annum): £4,500 p.a. (one year)
• International, including EU, students (per annum): £9,000 p.a. (one year)

The closing date for applications is Friday, 28 June 2024 at 11.59pm (GMT). The course will commence in September 2024.

Criteria

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

• professional experience related to Global Health;
• a clear idea of how the MSc in Global Health and studying at HCRI will benefit their career;
• a clear passion around the subject of global health;
• applicants are encouraged from the Global South and particularly Low- or Middle-Income Country (LMIC);
• applicants are encouraged from the those working in LMIC contexts.

Eligibility

• Applicants who already have a masters level qualification are ineligible to apply.
• Students who have already accepted full scholarships or bursaries for September 2024 entry are ineligible to apply.

How to apply

To apply for the scholarship, you will need to complete the following by Friday, 28 June 2024 at 11.59pm (GMT):

• submit the University of Swagֱ�� postgraduate admissions form, providing all necessary supporting material (including transcript and two references); and
• submit a 500-word case for support of how you meet the bursary criteria by email to hcri@manchester.ac.uk. Please include your full name and application ID number.

Conditions of any Scholarship Award

Scholarship Award Holders have a commitment to:

• provide blog entries throughout their study;
• engage with requests for video testimonials if possible during their course;
• write a testimonial at the end of their course.

On Wednesday, 8 May 2024, OBE spoke to Radio 4’s ‘Life Changing’ programme, describing his early years in the NHS and the extreme challenges of international and UK medical deployments in the late 1980s.

Prof Redmond is a specialist in emergency medicine and has been involved in international humanitarian assistance for almost 25 years, organising medical support to natural disasters, major incidents and complex emergencies throughout the world.

Speaking to Dr Sian Williams, he told Radio 4 that his early experiences, including leading a team of eight Swagֱ�� clinicians responding to a major earthquake in Armenia, led to a life-long mission to improve standards and outcomes for international medical deployments.

This work included:

• Co-founding the Swagֱ��-based charity UK-Med, a WHO-verified Emergency Medical Team supporting the UK government’s frontline health response to disasters overseas.
• Co-founding the University’s Humanitarian & Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), which brings together scholars from the humanities and medicine to study best practice in conflict response, global health, disaster management, and peacebuilding.
• Co-founding the Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, incorporating the lessons of international emergency response into formal medical training.

To listen to this inspiring interview, visit the .

Prof Redmond will also be speaking on Sunday, 9 June, at an event organised by HCRI as part of the Universally Swagֱ�� Festival. 

• Book your tickets on

This month, staff from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) enrolled on the programme participated in a series of online workshops and guest lectures with a focus on the historical contexts of humanitarian response. This week-long series was organised and delivered by HCRI’s , , Panagiotis Karagkounis and Niamh Hanrahan.

Guest lecturers included , who talked about her research on forced relocation in the British Empire; , who explored the politics and memory of the Gukurahundi massacres in Zimbabwe; and who presented on HCRI’s Wellcome Trust-fund project on led by .

In November 2023, the same MSF cohort visited Swagֱ�� and Liverpool for a series of intensive classes and networking sessions, delivered by HCRI and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

By bringing together medical and humanitarian workers with social scientists, historians and global health scholars, the LEAP programme stimulates critical reflection on humanitarian work and the wider humanitarian agenda. Student testimonials can be found on the .

For more on MSF and its life-saving work, visit .

Scholarships for the postgraduate certificate in Global Health (PGCert).

For September 2024, a scholarship is available to help fund the first year of study in MSc Global Health by distance learning, where you can exit with a Postgraduate Certificate, potentially leading to a Postgraduate Diploma or Masters in Global Health.

The purpose of the scholarship is to equip those who want to make an impact on Global Health and to support international humanitarian work. 

The scholarship is available to support those pursuing a career in Global Health, from or working in low/middle-income countries who might not otherwise have the means to study for a postgraduate qualification.
 

Fees:

• UK students (per annum): £4,500 p.a. (one year)
• International, including EU, students (per annum): £9,000 p.a. (one year)
   

Entry Criteria

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

• professional experience related to Global Health;
• a clear idea of how the MSc in Global Health and studying at HCRI will benefit their career;
• a clear passion around the subject of global health;
• applicants are encouraged from the Global South and particularly Low- or Middle-Income Country (LMIC);
• applicants are encouraged from the those working in LMIC contexts.
   

Eligibility

• Applicants who already have a masters level qualification are ineligible to apply.
• Students who have already accepted full scholarships or bursaries for September 2024 entry are ineligible to apply.
   

Conditions of any PGCert Scholarship Award

Scholarship Award Holders have a commitment to:

• provide blog entries throughout their study;
• engage with requests for video testimonials if possible during their course;
• write a testimonial at the end of their course.
   

How to apply

To apply for the scholarship, you will need to complete the following by Friday, 24 May 2024 11.59 pm (GMT):

• submit the University of Swagֱ�� postgraduate admissions form, providing all necessary supporting material (including transcript and two references); and
• submit a 500-word case for support of how you meet the bursary criteria by email to hcri@manchester.ac.uk. Please include your full name and application ID number.
   

The closing date for applications is Friday, 24 May 2024 11.59 pm (GMT). 

The course will commence in September 2024.
 

In January, students at the Humanitarian & Conflict Response Institute (HCRI) flew to Mumbai and took part in various educational sessions, field visits and walking tours. 

The meticulously planned 12-day schedule also had space for the participants to wind down and enjoy their trip.

Hosted by HCRI’s partners at TISS, a multi-campus public university in Mumbai, the Winter School included visits to:

• The mangroves in Airoli, to watch flamingos and understand the delicate ecosystems crisscrossing Mumbai.
• The M-Ward area to understand the role of policy advocacy about migration, vulnerability and disaster risk reduction.
• The 26/11 Mumbai Attacks sites to gain perspective on violence and conflict in the region.
   

Speaking about the Winter School, student Lizzie Beach said:
 

The HCRI-TISS Winter School was organised as part of the undergraduate module Practical Approaches to Researching Disasters and Conflict.

For more information about the HCRI’s courses, visit our .

The hybrid, cross-disciplinary event is on Wednesday 13 – Thursday 14 March 2024, with the deadline for proposals being Friday, 19 January 2024.

The workshop is for PhD candidates and early career scholars.

Throughout the last quarter of the twentieth century, many scholars have shed light on the puzzling concept of the ‘Archive’, expanding its horizons from a side-lined feature of historiography to a deeply philosophical and political matter.

This two-day workshop, held at the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, calls for a continued and cross discipline engagement with archives, and their sources. It aims to bring together PhD and Early Career Researchers in both history and social sciences, to engage in meaningful discussions on the ways in which archives have been constructed, maintained, and transformed in the 20th century.
 

The workshop has three themes at the centre of its approach (but remains open to related topics):
 

1. Archival power structures
   
   Who has the authority to determine the ‘good archival’ practices and methods (historians, archivists, or policymakers and the state)? How do these developments shape power relations between state and citizens? How do you create an archive? How do you end one? Who decides this?
    
2. Humanitarianism, migration studies and the archive
   
   What approaches are necessary to consider records surrounding people in transit? How can we bring together both the theoretical concerns of the ‘archival turn’ and methodological insights of the ‘global turn’? How do we consider - and can we connect - vastly different archive constructions: from highly bureaucratic institutions such as the Red Cross, to local organisations like the Huddersfield Famine Relief Committee, to collections created and curated on the move by individual refugees?
    
3. Archives and the digital era
   
   What does an increase in the belief in ‘fake news’, and in the use of artificial intelligence mean for online archives attempting to claim truth? What does the digitisation of archival material and the digitisation of bureaucratic services mean for the future of historiography? What kind of epistemological concerns does digitisation reveal (or: Is truth still relevant in a post-truth era of politics)? What kind of archives will be produced in the future?

Abstracts and format

To allow for a wide range of researchers to take part in this discussion, the workshop will take place in a hybrid format, in Swagֱ�� and online. Please indicate whether you would like to speak in person or online in your application. We have a small number of travel and accommodation bursaries available for participants to attend in person.

Please send an abstract of 300 words to archivaltransformations@gmail.com by 5pm UK time on Friday, 19 January 2024.

Please also include your name, a short biography (max. 100 words), the title of your paper, and your contact details. The outcome will be announced by Monday, 5 February 2024. Short pre-circulated papers will be due two weeks before the workshop.
 

Workshop organisers:

• Niamh Hanrahan (PhD candidate, Humanitarianism and Conflict Response, University of Swagֱ��)
• Panagiotis Karagkounis (PhD candidate, Humanitarianism and Conflict Response, University of Swagֱ��)
• Flora Chatt (Archivist, Humanitarian Archive at John Rylands Research Institute and Library)

The workshop is sponsored by the John Rylands Research Event Grant.

Event partners are: School of Arts, Languages and Cultures; The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in the Arts and Languages; Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute - all at the University of Swagֱ��.

Humanitarian organisations in our region benefited the lives of 7 million people in 58 countries last year, it was revealed at an event this week.

The Global Swagֱ�� reception at HOME Swagֱ�� saw the university’s Humanitarian & Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), UK-Med, Action for Humanity, Hope for Justice, In Place of War, and the Omega Research Foundation showcase their work to MPs, councillors, media, consuls, and NGO partners. 

It was hosted by the international landmine clearance charity, Mines Advisory Group, also headquartered in Swagֱ��.

The keynote address was given by Sir Graham Brady (MP for Altrincham and Sale West), who noted the diversity and outsized impact of international charities based in our city and region.

HCRI was represented by its Executive Director, Professor Larissa Fast.

To find out more about HCRI’s global and local partnerships with humanitarian aid and disaster relief organisations, visit the .

We invite academics, practitioners, policymakers, and research students to submit papers for presentation and discussion.

This one-day conference aims to explore the crossroads in the fields of medical humanitarianism and global health, highlighting the critical issues and emerging trends that shape the present and future of healthcare delivery in humanitarian and global settings. It will also mark the start of our on Historicising Humanitarian Medicine.

Submissions of 250-word abstracts on original research papers and case studies are welcome under the following thematic areas:

1. Humanitarian Healthcare and Technical Innovation:

• The role of digital health technologies in humanitarian settings
• Innovations in medical devices and equipment for humanitarian response
• Data-driven approaches to improving healthcare outcomes in humanitarian settings

2. Strengthening Global Healthcare Systems:

• Health system strengthening in low- and middle-income countries
• Capacity building and workforce development in global health
• Innovative models of healthcare delivery in underserved or disaster-prone populations
• Addressing health inequities and social determinants of health on a global scale
• Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian emergencies

3. Ethical Decision Making in Humanitarian Healthcare and Refugee Health:

• Ethical dilemmas and challenges in healthcare provision during humanitarian crises
• Protection of vulnerable populations and the rights of refugees
• Ethical considerations in conducting research in humanitarian health contexts
• Intersectionality and equity in healthcare decision-making

Timeline:

• Abstract Submission Deadline: Friday, 21 July 2023
• Notification of Acceptance: Friday, 28 July 2023
• Registration (£30 academic/£20 PGR or those on precarious contracts). Deadline: Friday, 1 September 2023
• Conference Date: Monday, 11 September (all day), University of Swagֱ��

Join us at Navigating Crossroads to engage in stimulating discussions, share innovative research findings, and foster collaboration in an interdisciplinary setting.

For submissions or enquiries, please contact the conference organising committee via hcri@manchester.ac.uk.

The winners of the MDC Excellence Awards 2023 were announced in June. These awards are given in recognition of the outstanding achievements of postgraduate researchers and supervisors.

The awards invite supervisors, PGR students and colleagues from all faculties to nominate individuals based on excellence in their research or their successes and contributions outside of their studies.

HCRI PhD Candidate Rohi Jehan won one of the awards for ‘Best Contribution to Internationalisation’.

The MDC noted:
 

This is the tenth year of the awards, recognising contributions to research, the University and the wider community.

For more information about the MDC awards, check out the .

The project seeks to generate significant shifts in understanding its scientific and organisational specificity and role in developing clinical norms, debating ‘rights-based’ approach to health access and leading campaigns for access to drugs while deploying bespoke biotechnological tools.

This history will inform humanitarian practice and contribute to ongoing debates on how humanitarian medical providers engage with pharmaceutical and biotech industries to disseminate, repurpose, and research drugs and diagnostic tools. 

The project will develop four work packages building up from patient-centred clinical norms and concerns on care to experimental initiatives in humanitarian setting and state-led norm-setting diplomacy through emergency medical teams (EMTs) initiatives.

The project will place historical records, their use and preservation, at the heart of humanitarian practices and transform the way that researchers and practitioners deploy evidence from the very recent past. The project will draw from archives (existing NGO archives, public records, personal papers collected in the Humanitarian Archive at the University of Swagֱ�� John Rylands Research Institute and Library) and will create new archives through oral history and project field work.

The project is titled ‘Developing Humanitarian Medicine: from Alma Ata to Bio-Tech, a history of norms, knowledge production and care (1978-2020)’ and will have a duration of of five years.

A full project website will be launched soon and links to job adverts for associated research and archival posts will be posted here. The project is funded by the Wellcome Trust ().

Project Team/Contact:

• PI:
• Project manager: Dr Stephanie Rinaldi

For more information, visit the .

A new book by Stephanie Sodero of the HCRI explores the intersection between fossil fuel-powered mobility and climate change and how communities and mobility need to be revolutionised in Sodero’s homeland of Canada and beyond  in the context of climate change. 

 by the Lecturer in Climate Change and Health is published by McGill-Queen’s University Press and comes out on 15 November 2022.

"My home was hit by Hurricane Fiona just a few weeks ago, causing much disruption and devastation,” said Sodero. “I hope the book will shape conversations about climate action and community resilience on the ground with policy makers, transport managers, climate advocates, and many more.

“While writing was a long road, the book and its ideas are only increasing in relevance as communities near and far are confronted with climate impacts on their doorsteps."

, administered through LSTM, aims to research ways to identify multimorbidity (such as high blood pressure, diabetes and HIV) by improving diagnostic tests in emergency departments in hospitals in Malawi and Tanzania. The overall aim is to improve early disease treatment, ensure better follow up (prevent complications, disability and hospital readmission), thus improving health related quality of life and survival rates.

As part of this programme of work, the Multilink consortium have funded four multidisciplinary PhDs, who will lead the main research areas in the disciplines of clinical medicine; health economics; health systems; and social science. Multilink co-investigator , from the University of Swagֱ�� through HCRI, is providing project expertise and PhD co-supervision in rapid diagnosis in emergency care and advising on evidence and policy for resilient health systems.

Through collaborative partnerships in Malawi and Tanzania, the team will define how multimorbidity differs from high-income countries so that the intervention is locally relevant, and then test it in a clinical trial across both countries. The leadership team includes Charity Salima, a community group leader in Malawi, ensuring that patients’ voices are driving the research agenda.

After mapping how the health system works, they will work with policymakers and patients to find the most efficient and preferred approach to testing and clinical management pathways.

• Contact at multilinkNIHR@lstmed.ac.uk and paul.m.dark@manchester.ac.uk

This research was funded by the NIHR (project reference NIHR201708) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK government.

• Professional experience related to Global Health
• A clear idea of how the MSc in Global Health and studying at HCRI will benefit their career
• A clear passion around the subject of global health
• Conditions of the scholarship include the providing blog entries throughout their study and writing a testimonial at the end of their course.

Applicants may be of any nationality, and will need to complete their application by the closing date of Wednesday, 31 August 2022 11.59pm (BST):

• Submit the University of Swagֱ�� postgraduate admissions form, providing all necessary supporting material (including transcript and two references); and
• Submit a 500-word case for support of how you meet the bursary criteria by email to hcri@manchester.ac.uk. Please include your full name and application ID number.

 is available to support talented applicants from or working in low/middle-income countries and HCRI is looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

·       Professional experience related to Global Health

·       A clear idea of how the MSc in Global Health and studying at HCRI will benefit their career

·       A clear passion around the subject of global health

·       Conditions of the scholarship include the providing blog entries throughout their study and writing a testimonial at the end of their course.

Applicants may be of any nationality, and will need to complete their application by the closing date of Friday 29 July 2022 11.59pm (BST):

·       Submit the University of Swagֱ�� postgraduate admissions form, providing all necessary supporting material (including transcript and two references); and

·       Submit a 500-word case for support of how you meet the bursary criteria by email to hcri@manchester.ac.uk. Please include your full name and application ID number.

The Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute has announced the winners, runners up and commended entries of their , in partnership with and .

The competition asked secondary students from years 9-13 across the UK to write a letter or speech addressed to the UN, on the climate emergency. HCRI received over 100 entries, judged by from Save the Children UK, HCRI’s own Lecturer in Responses to Climate Crises, and Sophie Grattidge from UK-Med.

School students were also offered the opportunity to be part of the competition’s creative writing workshops led by Chad Campbell who  is the author of two collections of poetry, Laws & Locks (Signal, 2015) and Nectarine (Signal, 2021). He is one of the poetry editors at The Swagֱ�� Review and teaches creative writing at the University of Swagֱ��'s Centre for New Writing.

A prize-giving event will be held on the 15 July for the winning entries and guests on the university campus, which will celebrate their hard work. The winning entries will also be displayed at as part of the HCRI stall in partnership with UK-Med, alongside the graphic novella called about disasters both caused and made worse by the climate emergency.

You can

is a leading global centre for the study of humanitarianism and conflict response, global health, international disaster management and peacebuilding.

The deadline to enter the ’s “Words For Your World” school writing competition is now closed and winners will be notified by the 27^th May. The competition received over 100 entries, from across the country, and will culminate in an event on 15^th of July for the winners, runners up and commended entries.

The competition asked school students from years 9 to 13, to write a speech or letter addressed to the UN, about their hopes and fears about the climate emergency as well as specific policy recommendations. Launched to coincide with the closing of COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, these are letters and speeches helping to identify what the youth today think are the most pressing aspects and of the climate emergency.

The judging panel includes Dr Stephanie Sodero (Lecturer in Responses to Climate Crises at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute), Gareth Owen OBE (Humanitarian Director at Save the Children UK) and David Wightwick (CEO of UK-Med).

UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.

2022 is the fifth year that Swagֱ�� has celebrated International Mother Language Day. The events taking place this year involve libraries, cultural venues, community groups, universities, schools, poets and writers, collaborating and presenting language-focused events for communities across the city.

Civic Engagement is one of the University’s key strategic themes and our creativity-championing research platform is delighted to be coordinating a number of online events with colleagues from HCRI and the Linguistic Diversity Collective, including:

• 22 February 2-4pm:
  Staff and student fieldworkers will present video recordings and photos from their field sites; followed by a discussion of the sociolinguistic setting in which children learn to speak their mother language(s). 
   
• 22 February 7-8.30pm:
  A virtual roundtable discussion on the challenges and opportunities of (heritage) language learning during a global pandemic.
   
• 23 February 3.30-5pm:
  Join us for Kathputli Utsav - A Festival of Traditional Indian Arts. Celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity with the Kathputli Colony, a colony of street performers in Delhi, India.
   
• 24 February 4pm:
  This online activity will actively involve speakers of different ages and proficiencies of languages spoken in Swagֱ�� - the intended audience are teachers and students at supplementary schools, those attending community centres, and anybody interested in exploring their own language. 

Find out more about International Mother Language Day 2022, including the full programme of events:

We are delighted to announce that Larissa Fast, Professor of Humanitarian and Conflict Studies, has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the University of Swagֱ��’s Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI).

Professor Bertrand Taithe, co-founder of HCRI and Executive Director for the past 13 years, will step down on September 1 to focus on his research on the cultural history of humanitarian aid and humanitarian medicine.

He said: "This is a very exciting time for HCRI and our work in the humanitarian sector.

"We have built an exciting research institute and a great community of learning around humanitarianism, global health, disaster response, and peace studies.

"I look forward to seeing HCRI expand and develop under Larissa’s leadership. Larissa’s expertise and insight across the humanitarian sector, including academia and policy, makes her perfectly placed to take HCRI forward through its next chapter.”

Larissa joined Swagֱ�� in 2016 as a Fulbright-Schuman Research Scholar, having spent time on faculty at the Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame (USA), and at Conrad Grebel University College (University of Waterloo, Canada).

Outside of academia Larissa also has extensive policy and practice experience, including positions at ODI’s Humanitarian Policy Group and as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the US Agency for International Development.

On her new appointment, Larissa said: “I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the role of HCRI Executive Director in September.

"Having spent the last three years as part of HCRI’s senior leadership, I have seen first-hand the impact HCRI’s work and partnerships have had on the wider humanitarian sector.

"I am proud to lead such a forward-thinking and collaborative institute and look forward to working closely with staff, students, and our many external partners.”

HCRI is a leading global centre for the study of humanitarianism and conflict response, global health, international disaster management, and peacebuilding at the University of Swagֱ��. Bringing together disciplines from medicine to the humanities, it explores questions and issues related to what the United Nations calls the ‘triple nexus’ – humanitarian response, development, and peace. Its work is driven by a desire to inform and support policy and decision-makers, to optimise collaborations between partner organisations, and to foster increased understanding and debate.

Alongside her role as Executive Director, Larissa will continue her research endeavours, focused on the uses of and as Principal Investigator on the project.

You can find out more about the work of HCRI via .

The latter, Piccadilly Gardens, is the location of a monumental participatory artwork entitled . Covered in 20,000 copies of books that have shaped British politics, this colossal 42m replica of Big Ben will inspire new conversations about what we value, drawing from Swagֱ��’s unique and independent spirit. Our students have been involved in the project at an operational level, helping with the finishing touches of the structure. They’ve also been researching the political and activist books connected with the project, alongside academics and researchers from the team.

The University is also involved with unique and innovative public artwork designed by Christine Sun Kim. All across the city of Swagֱ��, playful, political and powerful captions have been installed on streets and buildings. The University’s Crawford House building, home to the , is one of many iconic locations across the city displaying captions throughout the festival.

The University is also involved in the launch event for – a moment of reflection and hope created with refugee communities in the city. An epic cultural journey across Europe transcending borders, politics and language, The Walk is centred on Little Amal, a 3.5-metre puppet of a nine-year-old refugee girl who is setting out from the Syria-Turkey border in July on an 8,000-kilometre odyssey to Swagֱ�� in search of her mother. Little Amal represents displaced children around the world, many separated from their families and all more vulnerable during the pandemic. The University will host a suite of offshoot events surrounding this launch, including a thought leadership panel event with academics, city leaders and the Creative Producer of The Walk.

More details about these offshoot events will be announced soon. In the meantime, head over to to explore the full programme for this year’s Festival.

Marta Minujín approached several Swagֱ�� and Salford-based organisations including HCRI, to put together a list of 160 book titles that have shaped British politics, including forgotten histories, neglected voices and books that will influence the future of Britain or point to the diverse political and social issues in today’s Britain.

Greater Swagֱ�� has a unique history in British politics, from the Peterloo Massacre to the formation of the Guardian newspaper. This campaigning spirit is still alive and kicking across the region today, which is the reason Marta Minujín chose to bring the UK’s most iconic political symbol to Swagֱ�� to be reimagined as a new temporary national monument with knowledge curated in the North.

The collection of books is therefore a contemporary portrait of Britain’s politics, democracy, and political history, informed by a northern perspective. HCRI’s contribution, led by , Lecturer in Humanitarianism, Peace & Conflict Studies, includes titles on Britain and British people as humanitarian and peacebuilding actors as well as books that critically engage with contemporary domestic responses to social change. Other HCRI colleagues and affiliates also provided suggestions.

On being involved in the installation, Birte said:

The installation features several publications by HCRI academics:

- Sarah Roddy, Julie-Marie Strange, Bertrand Taithe

This book breaks new ground in humanitarian history. It builds on a vast range of archives to bring into sharp relief the history of philanthropy and fundraising in late Victorian and Edwardian Britain. The book makes a strong case for the importance of understanding charities as having one foot in the world of business and entrepreneurship.

– Billy Tusker Haworth

This policy brief reminds us how contemporary government crisis communication and responses often fails to recognise and include viewpoints that reflect Britain’s diverse social makeup.

– Roger Mac Ginty, Roddy Brett and Birte Vogel

This is an edited collection that looks at what it means to a British/Western academic and conduct research in countries affected by violence and war. It is critical reflection on how we produce knowledge about “others”, the power dynamics within this process, and whose voices we ultimately represent in (British) academia as a result.

Other titles submitted for inclusion by HCRI include:

• Oxfam: A cause for our times - Maggie Black
• Das Kapital - Karl Marx
• Welfare of Children in Hospital: Committee Report of the Central Health Services - Council Stationery Office Books
• The Unsung Sixties: Memoirs of Social Innovation - Helene Curtis and Mimi Sanderson
• Prejudice and Tolerance in Ulster: A Study of Neighbours and" strangers" in a Border Community - Rosemary Harris
• My Name is Why - Lemn Sissay
• Black Flamingo - Dan Atta
• Saving the Children: Humanitarianism, Internationalism and Empire - Emily Baughan
• A is for Activist - Innosanta Nagara
• The Beekeeper of Aleppo -
• Girl, Women, Other - Bernardine Evarist,
• Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity - Judith Butler

The incredible artwork can be viewed around the clock for free in Piccadilly Gardens until 18 July or visitors can book a to explore inside, including a film and soundtrack by Marta Minujín.

On 16, 17 and 18 July a three-day Book Redistribution Ceremony will take place, when Big Ben will be taken apart and visitors can take home one of the 20,000 books for free.

More information about the installation and a full reading list can be found on the website.

Photo credits: Fabio De Paola and Ezequiel Velazquez

Thomas returns to Swagֱ��, where he spent five years as Professor of Musicology and Head of the Division of Art History, Drama and Music. He has also held posts at Bangor University, the University of Frankfurt and the University of Huddersfield.

The role formally began on 1 July and is dedicated to developing and driving strategic decision-making across the School.

Professor Keith Brown, Vice-President and Dean of Humanities has said on the appointment: “I look forward to working with Thomas as he returns to Swagֱ�� in this new role. I am confident he will build on Alessandro’s many achievements and will lead the School from strength to strength." 

Prior to joining the University for his appointment as Head of School, Schmidt was Visiting Professor at the University of Frankfurt, before moving to the UK in 2005 as Professor and Chair of Music at Bangor University. From 2012, he was Professor of Music at The University of Swagֱ�� (later also leading the Division of Art History, Drama and Music), and from 2017 he was Dean of Music, Humanities and Media at the University of Huddersfield.

Thomas studied at the University of Heidelberg and as a Fulbright Scholar in Chapel Hill. His key research interests are in music of the 15th/16th and the 18th/19th centuries.

On his appointment, Professor Schmidt said: "I am delighted to have been appointed as Vice-Dean and Head of School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. I enormously look forward to returning to the institution where I previously spent some of the most fulfilling years of my career; I am honoured and excited to be working with a dedicated team of staff in one of the leading Arts and Humanities schools in the UK, and with the outstanding students it recruits.”

During her PhD, Margot studied the history of United Nations peacekeeping missions during the Cold War period and the colonial legacies perpetuated by the missions. Her thesis 'Blue Helmet Bureaucrats: UN Peacekeeping Missions and the Formation of the Post-Colonial International Order, 1956-1971' was supervised by Drs Róisín Read, Laure Humbert, Eleanor Davey, and Steven Pierce. Margot explained where her idea for her thesis began: "I was originally motivated to research this topic following the controversial French 'Operation Sangaris' mission in CAR from 2013-2016. Press about this mission prompted me to ask questions about the use of force, humanitarianism, and colonial legacies in the context of international 'peacekeeping' missions in the Global South.

“My PhD project evolved out of conversations with Eleanor and other academic friends about examining these questions historically. My PhD was a history of United Nations peacekeeping missions during the height of decolonisation (1956-1971). It adopted a comparative approach to the first four armed UN missions: UNEF (Sinai and Gaza), ONUC (Congo), UNTEA (West Papua), and UNFICYP (Cyprus)."

Margot was also nominated for Postgraduate Researcher of the Year in the President’s Distinguished Achievement Awards. Supervisors, Dr Róisín Read, Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies at HCRI and Dr Laure Humbert Lecturer in Modern History, who nominated her for this award said:

"Margot has produced an exciting, ambitious and theoretically impressive thesis, which uncovers how mid-level peacekeepers deployed in Egypt, Congo, Papua and Cyprus perpetuated colonial structures and took inspiration from imperial administrations.

“Her PhD examiners were especially impressed by her imaginative use of sources and the breadth of secondary literature engaged with. Her hugely ambitious thesis covered multiple contexts and required research in a variety of archives in the UK and the US, as well as detailed historiography on all four of her case study contexts and the United Nations. That she was able to encompass such breadth and depth in her research is impressive. Furthermore, completing her studies in under three years while also producing two articles published with leading global history journals and building a research reputation for herself through presenting at conferences, summer schools, and invited talks is truly exceptional. The research itself spans global History, decolonisation, and international relations and makes important contributions to all three fields.

“Margot has been a vital and enthusiastic member of the research community at HCRI and beyond in the University. Alongside her research activities, she has also been a valued teaching colleague in HCRI and the History department. She has translated her skills in interdisciplinary research into a valuable teaching tool and has taught across a range of subjects, with excellent student and staff feedback. It has been a pleasure to help guide Margot through her PhD, and we cannot think of anyone more deserving of recognition for her contributions."

Margot currently works as Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Exeter’s Leverhulme-funded project 'Warnings from the Archive: A Century of British Intervention in the Middle East', alongside colleagues Dr Owen Thomas and Professor Catriona Pennell. The project compares the Mesopotamia Commission (1917) and the Iraq 'Chilcot' Inquiry (2009-2016), examining how these two inquiries were conducted and the political culture of learning lessons.

She said: “My team and I are deconstructing how inquiries received and produced knowledge, therefore influencing how contemporaries narrativised or remembered the intervention. Rather than focusing on why the interventions failed, we want to centre how particular lessons came to be foregrounded and promoted by these inquiries.”

Find out more about and her .

Margot was also recently awarded the , by the British International Studies Association (BISA).

Since launching in April 2020, the Swagֱ�� Briefing has been an invaluable source of information for stakeholders in local government, communities, NGOs, and those on the frontlines of disaster management. The breadth of skills and combined insight from a multidisciplinary team of academics at HCRI and AMBS have been pivotal to this.

In a with a panel of emergency managers, Professor Duncan Shaw showcased the achievements of the Swagֱ�� Briefing over the past year, and plans for the University-wide team on COVID-19 recovery, renewal, and resilience going forward.

Achievements to date 

• Published over 32 bi-weekly briefings.
• Created a growing mailing list of over 52,000 people. 
• Worked with international collaborators, sharing work from organisations such as the International Emergency Managers Society (TIEMS), The Royal College of Nursing, and the British Standards Institution (BSI) to find the best lessons from over 93 countries. 
•   to support research into the long-term recovery of local communities from the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Contributed to the creation of a new British Standards Institute (BSI)  on recovery and renewal for resilience. The ISO connects lessons on recovery and renewal to give guidance to communities.

Key learnings from the past year

Prof. Shaw emphasised that the impacts highlighted through the work of Essex LRF allow us to understand which areas require commissioning and support.

1. The group has worked in close partnership with the Essex Local Resilience Forum (LRF) who found that the impacts of COVID-19 can be felt across all aspects of society in the following areas:

• The mental health of the population
• Educational outcomes
• Children and young people
• Vulnerable adults
• Levels of mortality and excess deaths
• The physical health of the population
• Health and social care services
• Volunteering, voluntary sector and civil society
• The Essex economy
• Public transport
• The environment and climate change
• Crime and community safety

Prof. Shaw emphasised that the impacts highlighted through the work of Essex LRF allow us to understand which areas require commissioning and support.

2. COVID-19 is distinct from other crises due to the unique factors of scale, disconnect, fragilities and change. Prof Shaw outlined each in the recent webinar:

Opportunities for the future

There are unique opportunities for change and to build resilience in the recovery and renewal from COVID-19. Prof. Shaw explained what this means and what is required to implement these changes:

Looking ahead to next year

The Swagֱ�� Briefing will continue to work with stakeholders and external partners to share international lessons. It will explore the themes identified with the Essex Local Resilience Forum to see what can be done from understanding where the impacts of COVID-19 have been and what activities or commission tools are needed.

The team will analyse a number of areas of recovery, including: microbusinesses, refugees, heritage cities, tourist economies, community resilience, recovery where there has been recovery before, and frameworks.

Researchers will be working with national and international partners (below) to better understand what is being done at a local level in recovery and renewal to build resilience.

 Partners in England and Scotland:

• Essex resilience, Avon and Somerset resilience, Greater Swagֱ�� resilience, Thames Valley resilience, Clydesdale COVID Cooperation Group.

International partners:

• Talcahuano Municipality, Chile; City of Vancouver, Canada; Ramallah Municipality, Palestine; National Ministry, Argentina; Miami, USA.

View the  or listen to the to hear from the other panellists to learn more.

The full panel of speakers include:

Duncan Shaw – Professor of Operational Research and Critical Systems, Alliance Swagֱ�� Business School

Piero Pelizzaro - Chief Resilience Officer, Milan, Italy

Luis Carvalho - Civil Protection, Municipal Service, Amadora, Portugal

Katia Tynan - Manager, Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction, City of Vancouver, Canada

Chair: Harald Dragar, President of The International Emergency Managers Society (TIEMS), Norway

describes her initial vision for the project: "The main character is a drop of donated blood. The reader follows the blood drop journey, from testing to processing through to a car crash and the point of transfusion. I knew I wanted to focus on the blood drop, and the illustrator brought the story to life."

Illustrator, , designed the scroll to depict the journey of a single drop of blood to showcase how Dr Sodero used the ‘follow the thing' method.

Based on Dr Sodero's publication '', the fictional journey uses creative storytelling to outline the complex mobilities involved in the blood supply chain, from the point of donation to the point of care. Further, as shown in the illustration, Dr Sodero highlights connections to climate change. Namely that the blood donor system relies on fossil-fuelled transport, like trucks and planes, that contribute to climate change, and in turn, severe weather events disrupt the medical supply chains upon which society relies. 

As part of the Methods for Change project, the scroll can be accessed via an online platform that showcases the value of social sciences methods to researchers outside of academia. In today's interconnected world, where global supply chains both contribute to and are impacted by climate change, 'follow the thing' is a valuable research tool. It can be applied to a range of goods, from tea to smartphones, exposing unjust working conditions and environmental harms, encouraging more ethical consumer and corporate behaviour.

Dr Sodero adds: "By following the drop of blood, you get a sense of just how complex the blood donation journey is in terms of time, space, and pace, and given this, how such a journey is vulnerable to disruption from severe weather events like flooding and snowstorms. For example, in 2012, the  in Europe (located near Bristol) flooded, resulting in a two-week closure."

"My research centres on how medical supply chains – blood, saline, oxygen – are impacted by a changing climate. I co-lead a  working group where we discuss a range of goods, from abortion pills to PrEP, used to prevent HIV transmission. In terms of creative methods, we maintain a  of outside-the-box projects that explore mobile medical materials."

The 'follow the thing' method is useful for organisations, such as businesses, charities, activist organisations, government departments interested in thinking through unseen dynamics in provisioning, the environmental impacts of everyday products, and how these processes link to social and material inequalities. It may be used in research that proves vital for disaster management, fair trade, waste management, and more. An on how to use the method in more detail is also available.

To learn more about the Methods for Change project, visit their .

To learn more about Dr Stephanie Sodero's research, visit her .

PhD student and alumna of the International Disaster Management MSc at HCRI, Nicola Jones, discusses stigma narratives in HIV public health policies, her work with the Terrence Higgins Trust, and researching HIV health services and disaster relief aid in Malawi.

How did your research interest in stigma develop? 

My master’s dissertation examined how chronic health conditions are managed alongside more acute health needs during disasters. In 2015, I conducted research in Mocuba, Mozambique, in the aftermath of a flood disaster. Focusing on HIV, I found that whilst outreach teams provided HIV testing and treatment, stigma prevented many people from accessing those services. This sparked my interest in researching stigma, specifically how it is shaped by the surrounding context and its implications for healthcare access. 

My PhD aims to develop a novel theory of stigma, which can be applied to public health and healthcare access. Specifically, I am interested in how social processes of power, identity, and space shape stigma in different contexts. Applying a stigma lens to HIV public health policies has revealed that stigma is produced through sexual health campaigns, which focus heavily on individual responsibility by mobilising narratives of risk and blame. Examining these narratives in a disaster context highlighted that one’s identity and surrounding environment shapes how stigma narratives are interpreted, expressed, and experienced. 

Can you tell us about your experience of field research in Lilongwe, Malawi?

Conducting fieldwork in Lilongwe was an eye-opening experience, and it completely changed how I saw my research and my understanding of public health. I spent six months conducting 116 interviews with a diverse group of participants, including people living with HIV, HIV-negative people, sex workers, men who have sex with men, trans women, and healthcare providers. I wanted to gain an insight into stigma from many different perspectives to understand how it impacted people’s lives differently. Some stories were harrowing and upsetting, whilst others were told through humour or a commitment to activism and stigma reduction. The most important thing I learned from this experience is that stigma is deeply personal, and it cannot be eradicated without hearing the voices of those it affects most. 

Overall, fieldwork was an exciting but challenging opportunity and one I’ll never forget. I met many inspirational people who made me feel so welcome. Malawi certainly lives up to its reputation as the “warm heart of Africa”. Malawi is also a beautiful country, and I made sure I took time out of my research schedule to go hiking in the mountains and fully appreciate my surroundings. A personal highlight for me was summiting Sapitwa Peak on Mount Mulanje.

How does your work at the Terrence Higgins Trust intersect with your PhD research?

In summer 2019, I changed my PhD to part-time and began working with the Terrence Higgins Trust as a Health Promotion Specialist in Oxfordshire. My responsibilities include designing and delivering sexual health outreach interventions to engage with populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV and sexual health issues or those who face barriers in accessing services. Specifically, I work with young people and black African and Caribbean communities. 

The understanding of stigma I have gained during my PhD has significantly influenced how I approach health promotion. I am acutely aware of the language I use when talking about sexual health. Many campaigns and policies position sexual health within a risk narrative, fuelling a stigma of risk-taking and ‘irresponsibility’, with little consideration for the competing priorities in a person’s life, which may prevent them from following public health guidance. 

The Terrence Higgins Trust is at the forefront of challenging HIV-related stigma. For example, the “Can’t Pass It On” campaign informs the public that effective HIV treatment now means people living with HIV cannot transmit the virus to others. My role within this organisation has provided me with excellent opportunities to disseminate my research and influence public health approaches to HIV. For World AIDS Day 2020, I hosted a public Zoom talk about my research findings and, more recently, delivered a presentation on stigma to clinical staff based in Oxfordshire’s sexual health services. 

What impact has your research had on those affected by HIV and the wider community?

I am currently drafting a report summarising my findings for the Ministry of Health in Malawi. This is part of my agreement with Malawi’s research ethics board. The report includes key recommendations for addressing stigma and improving access to HIV health services and disaster relief aid.

A little closer to home, I have used my research to propose an alternative approach to sexual health promotion among black African and Caribbean women in Oxfordshire. Public health approaches in the UK largely focus on behavioural change campaigns, delivered through a top-down approach, which positions those implementing the programmes as ‘experts’ and those whom they intend to reach as the ‘audience’. Furthermore, behavioural-focused campaigns overlook structural barriers to sexual health services and place the responsibility for HIV prevention and improved sexual health directly onto the individual whilst simultaneously erasing their voices in defining their own needs. Alternatively, I proposed a collaborative project with African Families in the UK, which focuses on uncovering and responding to the structural barriers that prevent black African and Caribbean women from accessing sexual health services. Oxfordshire County Council has awarded us funding to implement the project. Our goal is to develop culturally appropriate, multilingual health promotion videos that have been created from the bottom up, recognising that black African and Caribbean women are the experts in their own lives. 

What are your future research plans?

I plan to continue my research on stigma in the context of public health. In particular, I intend to apply my proposed stigma theory to a UK context and draw attention to how stigma is embedded within social processes of power, identity, and space. Additionally, a prominent research gap that emerged in my data from Lilongwe was the dearth of knowledge of how stigma affects heterosexual men and their capacity to access healthcare. In Malawi, although HIV prevalence rates are higher among women and sexual and gender minorities, heterosexual men are less likely to access HIV services and more likely to be diagnosed at a late stage of HIV infection. Yet, their specific needs and experiences have largely been overlooked in both research and policy. 

You can find out more about Nicola’s research on

Many students from HCRI’s  go onto varying careers in humanitarianism. It can be difficult to get paid experience in the sector as a student, and volunteering is highly valued by employers, showing dedication and initiative, as well as insight into the challenges faced by organisations working to help others.

HCRI spoke to their current students to find out what kind of volunteering they’re involved with while completing their studies, how they’ve adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what they’ve gained from offering their time to various causes.

Filipa Correia de Almeida Serranito, 1st year BSc International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response, with a minor in French

‘I volunteer for , translating pieces of research and other informative documents of several subjects. Since I have a good knowledge of languages, I decided that contributing to this project would be a great way to dedicate my time. Through this work, I was able to gain more knowledge about humanitarianism and new organizations of relevance to my areas of interest. Translating documents about the complexity of the humanitarian field has also shown me that I am in the right course and has made me love it even more. Apart from this, I was also able to improve my language skills and received some great insights from other translators in the project.’

Freya Stanton, 3rd year BSc International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response

‘I have been volunteering with for over a year. I normally volunteer in their charity shop but currently myself and another volunteer are looking to start a Depop account to cover the shop's temporary closure. Throughout the pandemic, they have been providing invaluable support to people experiencing homelessness, by helping them into accommodation and providing three meals a day. Volunteering with Reach Out to the Community has really opened my eyes to homelessness, and being a local charity means that volunteering in the shop isn't just sorting through donations and working at the till, but also having a cup of tea and a casual chat with clients and really seeing first-hand the difference being made.’

Holly Vipond, 3rd year BSc International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response

‘In 2nd year, I volunteered twice a week doing a breakfast shift at , a homeless organisation in Gay Village. The shifts included preparing breakfast and getting to know those who used the service. It was a really great experience which was sadly cut short due to covid, but definitely something I would do again in the future! Recently, I’ve become a social media coordinator for , who provide funding to a wide range of grassroots projects in Tanzania with focus on topics such as FGM/female sexual health, clean water, business empowerment and education. I work with a small team to control social media channels (mainly Instagram) in which we aim to provide greater awareness for the work TDT do.'

Kiya Hornby, 3rd year BSc International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response

‘I started volunteering for 2018 as a Researcher. My role was to find organisations/activities that could be added to the signposting information that is used to help direct clients to other support networks. I chose to volunteer to learn new skills that my degree possibly could not teach me. Volunteering has given me the opportunity to network, meet new people and potentially further my future career. When the UK went into its first lockdown, Strive had to change the way they worked and moved to an entirely virtual operation. During this, they gave me the opportunity to begin a new position as a Virtual Visitor and provided me with the training needed to be able to interact with clients over the telephone or Zoom. This means I am now one of the people who is suggesting some of my previous signposting research to clients!'

Emily Parsons, 3rd year BSc International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response

‘This semester I have been volunteering with the organisation Migrant Support. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that I have been unable to complete any in-person volunteering, I have been involved in Zoom sessions which have been focused on helping refugees with their conversational English skills. I have really valued this experience and have enjoyed interacting with both the refugees and the other volunteers. During uncertain times it has felt nice to feel like I can do something productive and help others.’

Beth Amos, MA Humanitarianism and Conflict Response

‘The has been a rewarding and fun project that has allowed me to connect with a variety of people as they practise their conversational English and settle into life in Swagֱ��. Covering requested topics such as cultural traditions, Black Friday (and even cycling proficiency!), I have personally found it really interesting to hear stories from around the world in one room in Debdale (or on one computer screen)! I would encourage students to use their English to support learners and join the society.

Antonio Yao, MSc International Disaster Management

‘Since October, I've been part of a team of who’ve gone to a homeless shelter in Stockport weekly and cooked a hot meal for the people there. Every week we cook something different and serve it up to whoever's hungry. Unfortunately, it’s been on pause due to Covid but after lockdown, we’ve planned to go twice as often! I’ve met some lovely people with a similar passion for helping the community. Cooking with them has been fun and my cooking skills have improved as a bonus! But the greatest benefit from the experience has been meeting the people at the shelter. I have been fortunate in my life so far that I have never been close to the reality of being homeless. Meeting and talking to these people has widened my view and made me appreciate more what I have in my life.'

HCRI Postgraduate Bursary (Volunteering Theme)

It’s great to see students enhancing their time at HCRI by getting involved with volunteering. If you’re interested in studying one of HCRI's courses in Autumn 2021, they’re offering a full-fee for current University of Swagֱ�� undergraduate students, or Returned Volunteers, who are able to demonstrate how their volunteering is relevant to studying at HCRI, and their vision of helping others in their future career. Applications are open now.

If you’d like to get involved with volunteering, Swagֱ��’s Volunteering Hub is a great way to find local and international opportunities, and there’s something for every interest, availability and skill area.

The Researching the Impact of Attacks on Healthcare (RIAH) project, led by Drs , , Stephanie Rinaldi and  at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), has

The RIAH project aims to improve the understanding of the nature, frequency, scale, and impact of attacks on healthcare in conflict through enhanced data collection and analysis. Attacks on health often threaten the sanctity of healthcare, disrespect the right to healthcare, and violate international humanitarian law. As , healthcare workers are still coming under attack during the coronavirus pandemic. The new website will host the project’s latest research outputs, in-depth case studies, and developments. 

A collaboration with academic partners at the University of Geneva, Johns Hopkins, UC Berkeley, and Insecurity Insight, the website also features RIAH’s first . The findings address conceptual issues and methodological approaches to evaluating the wider and longer-term impact of attacks on healthcare in conflict. 

If you would like to know more and stay updated on the RIAH project, you can sign up to their mailing list via riah@manchester.ac.uk.

Find out more about the  project on HCRI's website.

UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.  

It has been observed globally since 2000 and has important historical roots, as on 21 February, Bangladesh marks the anniversary of winning the hard-fought recognition for the Bangla language.  

2021 is the fourth year that Swagֱ�� has celebrated International Mother Language Day. The events taking place this year will be online, and will involve libraries, cultural venues, community groups, universities, schools, poets and writers, collaborating and presenting language-focused events.  

Creative Swagֱ�� has coordinated with colleagues from the Centre of New Writing, HCRI, and Swagֱ�� Widening Participation and Schools teams to present a number of events, including:  

• 5.30pm, 19 February  

• 12.30pm, 19 February

• 7pm, 23 February  

• 2pm, 26 February  

• 25 February  

You can see the full list of International Mother Language Day events here. 

All of the students who’ve completed their Masters, during the added challenges and unpredictability of a global pandemic, should be extremely proud of themselves. Within HCRI, this year’s dissertations highlight not just the breadth of topics within each course, but the dedication, passion and adaptability of every student who’s worked to the highest standards, despite adversity.

As tradition, HCRI honour the students with the highest dissertation mark for Global Health MSc, International Disaster Management MSc, and Humanitarianism and Conflict Response MA respectively. Below, the 2020 award winners offer a summary of their brilliant final dissertations, along with their plans for the future.

Kate Mills, Highest dissertation mark for Global Health MSc

My dissertation explored gender-based disparities within health impacts of human-induced climate change, aiming to address significant gaps in the literature. Focused on the uniquely vulnerable Melanesian sub-region of the Pacific, this research employed a combination of primary and secondary methods to understand the perceptions and knowledge of the linkages between climate change and women’s health. Six key linkages were identified, covering gendered social constructs, women in agriculture, nutrition and NCDs, vulnerable sub-groups, extreme climate events, and communicable diseases. A stronger understanding of these linkages is essential to enhance commitment, coordination and advocacy for integrating health, gender and climate change in targeted programming across Melanesia.

This course was a great opportunity to explore an important gap in the literature, and I look forward to applying the skills I have learned to my work in health research and programmes. 

Charlotte Bennemann, Highest dissertation mark for International Disaster Management MSc

In my dissertation, I examined how the efforts of the climate change and disaster management sectors could be aligned within the context of development by focusing on the shared concept of vulnerability. While both communities agree on the necessity of alignment to tackle their intertwined challenges, most approaches focus on terminology or conceptual similarities and propose the integration of one sector into the other. The relevance of the development sector is often neglected. I identified the reduction of vulnerability as the shared goal of the three sectors and developed the focal-systemic approach, which is a conceptual framework to align the efforts of the climate change and disaster management community within development.

On reflection, I particularly enjoyed the course’s interdisciplinary nature, which not only included the content but also the diverse background of staff and students. Going back to working with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), I plan to work on cross-sectoral approaches of sustainable resource management as part of disaster management addressing linked challenges such as resource scarcity, food insecurity, conflict, climate change and now COVID-19.

Anna Llewellyn, Highest dissertation mark for Humanitarianism and Conflict Response MA

My dissertation explored the contemporary relationship between humanitarian video games and their pedagogical/educational potential. I focused on a specific mobile game, Bury me, my Love, to investigate whether video games give voice to refugees and refugee issues and whether this can be utilised and developed to facilitate further learning. First creating a 2-part theoretical framework from the literature, I then applied this directly to the empirical evidence gathered during an interview with the game’s developer and data from an online questionnaire completed by people who had previously played the game. Video games are an untapped resource for creative education and can express and portray complex humanitarian issues to a wide range of people.

On reflection, my favourite part of the MA was the Uganda field trip, where we got the opportunity to meet and learn from a variety of humanitarian actors as well as refugees. I’m currently in French Guiana working as an English language assistant to improve my French which will hopefully open doors as I embark on my humanitarian career!

A final congratulations to Kate, Charlotte, Anna, and all of HCRI’s graduates of 2020 for their fascinating, creative and conscientious dissertations.

For anybody completing their Masters in 2020, a significant amount of their studies has taken place against a backdrop of COVID-19, uncertainty, and unexpected challenges. Despite this, the standard of work produced by HCRI’s students across all of their postgraduate courses has surpassed all expectations: testament to the resilience and commitment of their students.

Every year, HCRI honour the students with the highest overall mark for Global Health MSc, International Disaster Management MSc, and Humanitarianism and Conflict Response MA respectively. Below, this year’s award winners reflect on their studies, their experience at HCRI, and their plans for the future.

Ines Böhret, Highest overall mark for Global Health MSc

"In 2017, I read about the MSc programme in Global health. I had just finished my BA in International Emergency and Disaster Relief, my son was learning his first words, and I decided to look for a new challenge. The significance of health in all its facets has always been fascinating to me and discovering Global Health issues in an interdisciplinary way sounded perfect.

"The plan to do my PGCert changed to the idea of doing the whole MSc programme and I experienced three - sometimes intense and challenging but also rewarding and exciting - years at UoM. I’m very grateful for everything I learned and for the team spirit we created in our cohort while writing our dissertations during this special time.

"During the course, my interest in issues of health equity was deepened and I started to put a particular focus on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. I am now involved in various projects and organisations aiming to do my part in reaching the goal of health for all by applying a gender and health equity lens. The knowledge and skills I gained in my MSc already support me in this endeavour."

Inès Decoster, Highest overall mark for Humanitarianism and Conflict Response MA

"Following several volunteering experiences in the humanitarian sector, this master’s degree offered me the opportunity to further explore the practical and theoretical challenges of humanitarianism. I have enjoyed the broad range of topics covered from mental health in humanitarian practice to the experiences of young people in conflict and displacement or specific regions’ issues. Most of all, I have enjoyed learning from my lecturers and course mates’ variety of backgrounds and experiences and engaging first-hand with humanitarian actors and projects. I am currently working with an NGO that supports unaccompanied minors in Calais and my training guides me in my everyday practice."

Jessica Hambley, Highest overall mark for International Disaster Management MSc

“I really enjoyed my year studying at HCRI. It was a privilege to be taught by researchers from such a wide variety of interdisciplinary backgrounds, and to study alongside so many amazing and inspirational classmates. Studying disaster management in the midst of a global pandemic definitely had its challenges, but it was also a particularly unique experience that really highlighted the importance of the discipline itself!

"I’m now working in local government research on a range of different projects. One of these projects is a COVID-19 dashboard that helps leaders in Greater Swagֱ�� to plan and manage the pandemic response. Another project uses some of the GIS skills that I developed on this course to support the expansion of environmental initiatives, like sustainable urban drainage systems or enhanced tree planting. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t studied this course – thank you to my wonderful fellow students and to the HCRI staff for such an invaluable experience.”

A final congratulations to Ines, Inès, Jessica, and all of HCRI’s graduates of 2020.

In an interview with HCRI, Undergraduate Programme Director and Lecturer in Humanitarian Studies, Jessica Hawkins, shares her approach of using historical sociology in her research, state formation in Uganda, and mental health considerations for working in the field of humanitarianism.

Can you tell us about the disciplines you use and why they are important for researching and studying humanitarianism and conflict?

My master’s in development studies sparked my interest in studying state formation through a historical sociology lens. Historical sociology is different to history, which looks at a particular moment in time, as it allows you to take a step back and look at it as longer processes of social change over a historical period.

My research interests are concerned with processes of how conflict changes the shapes of states and the people who live within those states and how it impacts those people over long periods of time. It, therefore, enables us to understand how humanitarian responses have changed. I recently applied a historical sociology lens to refugees in Uganda – a protracted situation that originates since the country became independent in 1962.

Why did you choose to position your research on state formation in Uganda?

I was always interested in Africa as a continent as my mum grew up in her teenage years in South Africa. I was researching state formation and state-building as part of my development studies master’s and I came across these real disjunctures and drastic changes in Uganda’s history. Pre-colonialism, Uganda had powerful kingdoms which were militarily powerful and economically prosperous. But then colonialism dismantled the kingdoms and any form of nationalism that might exist. More recently, Uganda has become this safe, stable, beautiful country that has so many ripples underneath it. The explains that outward appearances of nationality are still underpinned by complex local allegiances.

What is the value of using a historical sociology lens to look at the reach, origins, and effects of state power within developing countries?

I particularly use the sources of social power, which doesn’t just relate to the state but relates to how people achieve their goals, as I find it very interesting how power relations are structured in societies even in the past and how people use these sources of power to achieve their goals. Museveni, the current president of Uganda, similarly used the infrastructures that were in place to elevate himself in a position where he could fight a war against the central government to become president. I think it’s really interesting to look at how people alleviate their power to achieve what they want. My research tends to focus on military elites, political elites, social elites, and religious elites because it tells us the story of how conflict has been created and how states have then been formed as a result of that.

I have been developing a grant with Roisin Read (HCRI) and Briony Jones, a lecturer at the University of Warwick for a project entitled Citizens on the Move. We are looking at refugees who leave the UNHCR camps and what happens to them and how they claim citizenship from the place they now reside. The historical sociology lens is particularly useful to understand why refugees today leave the camps and look at the processes of how they’ve achieved their rights, their position, and their choices to move to a different place based on their historical relationship with the host country.

How might we revise taxonomies of 'failed and fragile states' to represent countries affected by conflict ethically?

This is linked to a paper awaiting publication which explores the idea of the failed state. The failed state discourse is incredibly problematic because it considers everything that a state cannot do and is not able to do. When you think about that in terms of development or even in terms of humanitarian response providing for its people, there is a tendency to assume that the state cannot do anything and requires intervention.

I use this historical sociology framework to look at how power is organised so that any humanitarian response or development initiative can be better tailored to support what is going on rather than trying to just replace the state. The state might be failing but within that state there are structures which function. For example, community groups and organisations provide relief for people. Upon researching 1980s Uganda I found that the state typically failed economically when it wasn’t providing for its citizens with poor development outcomes, especially in the Luwero Triangle in Northern Uganda.

How did your research on Northern Uganda lead to teaching trauma-informed educational practice?

Dr Rubina Jasani and I decided to launch the module – Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Crises - a couple of years ago to look at all areas of mental health in humanitarianism from a social science perspective. We wanted to remind students that it’s not just about the recipients of aid that they need to think about, but it’s also about their colleagues and themselves. The module featured experiences from many different scholars and practitioners who work in this area which is why it currently isn’t running this academic year. Sadly, it wouldn’t work in an asynchronous format.

While I was researching conflict in Northern Uganda, I came across research that talked about humanitarians and local humanitarians and the kind of impact it was having on their own wellbeing. There is a focus on the wellbeing of victims of conflict or communities affected by conflict but humanitarians who are responding to that are also affected. In Uganda, there is a lot of psychosocial support for victims because they have experienced trauma due to conflict. NGOs that are employing people in Uganda and other low to middle-income countries tend to have all their counselling services in the head office which tends to be in the West. As funding is incredibly tight, however, their work is directed again at the victims of trauma and conflict; it is often the aid workers and their mental wellbeing that gets neglected. This can lead to serious instances of PTSD and burnout. As a sector, we need to look out for each other as well as those we are trying to help.

Please note: Modules are subject to change every academic year. Although is not running this academic year, it may become available to students in the future.

To find out more about Jessica's research, visit her .

The IAA funding is awarded to help accelerate the impact of research, and, in doing so, will support Billy to analyse and yield outputs that will allow him to more effectively reach those who can use and benefit from the findings.

Billy said:

“The award is important for research that has any social responsibility element, particularly for something related to humanitarian work and especially so during COVID-19, which, as we know, is an ongoing crisis.”

The award will allow Billy to employ two research assistants. One research assistant will transcribe and translate interviews conducted in Portuguese, while the second will assist with adapting the findings for non-academic audiences.

The results of the project will be disseminated via a policy brief for the UK and a chapter for the HCRI COVID-19 book in English, and a journal article discussing the Brazilian results and a summary of the findings aimed at policymakers, NGOs, and support groups for LGBTQI+ people in Brazil in Portuguese. The funding will also contribute to an animated explainer video, which will help distil the research findings for an even broader audience.

When asked about the impact he hopes the research will have, Billy said:

“I hope the research will lead to broader awareness on every kind of level for a marginalised group facing particular challenges, and demonstrate strengths and resilience qualities that are often overlooked but can render better support and help through crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Awareness might lead to many things and fundamentally influence the public as well as policymakers and practitioners. If they aren't aware of the issues facing particular groups, then strategies in response to crises are not going to reflect the needs of LGBTQI+ people and other minority groups, which are less likely to be documented in a detailed way.

"[…] I think it is important to document the experiences of people at risk during any kind of crisis, and the goal is that we can do things a bit better in the future.”

Swagֱ�� was awarded a total of £1 million in 2019 to continue the excellent work of IAA1 and will continue to deliver IAA2 until 2023. The ESRC IAA is used to fund Knowledge Exchange and Impact activities across the University.

A team of academics will analyse how stakeholders such as local government, the emergency services and volunteer groups have responded to COVID-19 in the UK and overseas, before identifying the changes that need to be made to better support short-term recovery and drive long-term renewal within local communities moving forward.

Using this information, academics will partner with Local Resilience Forums – groups of representatives from local authorities and the wider public sector – in Merseyside, the Thames Valley and Essex to develop and test a resilience framework.

The framework will be designed to enable local communities to better plan, prepare and respond to emergencies like the coronavirus pandemic. For example, by sharing emergency services to better manage demand or utilising the support of individuals that want to help but aren’t affiliated to an official public body – commonly known as spontaneous volunteers – in the disaster response phase.

, Professor of Operational Research & Critical Systems at AMBS and HCRI, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to communities across the world and as we enter the second wave many are rightly focused on how we come out of the other side, and how organisations can work together to drive long-term recovery in what is a very complex political landscape.

“With the support and funding from ESRC, we are now in a position to take our research one step further and will be working closely with regional stakeholders to share lessons of successful recovery, and use these learnings to develop an actionable framework that can be used to drive resilience at a local level in a world post-coronavirus.”

The funding announcement follows a 10-month project during which academics have been working with organisations worldwide to ensure local communities can recover from COVID-19. This includes specialists in the areas of critical systems, emergency response, community resilience, humanitarian aid and mobilisation, digital solutions and security, viable systems, healthcare delivery and operations management.

To follow the project,  – a newsletter that brings together international lessons and case studies on the recovery from COVID-19 and is shared with more than 52,000 people worldwide every fortnight.

Tell us about your research focus on mobilities concerning contentious mobilities, vital mobilities, climate discourse, and climate pricing.

In my current research, I focus on vital mobilities - movements that impact life chances.

These are external societal mobilities of goods, people, and information that enable critical internal bodily circulations, such as the use of insulin and vaccines.

I am particularly interested in how global and diffuse medical supply chains are impacted by a changing climate, such as floods and hurricanes. My research is grounded in the mobilities paradigm, which examines the ubiquitous and complex mobilities and immobilities of people, objects, ecologies, and more, that make up contemporary society.  

How does your medical anthropology research contribute to wider research in humanitarian response, global health, and disaster management?

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Medical Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, I studied blood. That is: How does blood move from the point of donation to the point of care? How are these journeys susceptible to a changing climate?

I looked at the disruption to blood supply chains caused by snow and ice in Canada and by flooding in the U.K. Through my research, I highlight how these vital mobilities are vulnerable to a changing climate, information that is key for disaster management.

In reference to your doctoral thesis, which is the basis of your upcoming book: Under the Weather: Mobility in the Climate Crisis, what key themes do you address? 

In my dissertation, I tell the story of two record-breaking hurricanes that impacted Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia is home).

In my book, which is currently under review, I use these cases to theorise the intersection of human mobility, fossil fuels, severe weather, and climate change. In short, fossil-fueled mobility creates carbon pollution that contributes to climate change. Moreover, in turn, severe weather, intensified by climate change, disrupts mobility. This circularity needs to be a central consideration in policy thinking and decision making.

Tell us about your current research on global trade in the mobility of medical supplies.

Right now, I am focusing on the vital mobilities of saline IV solution and oxygen. These are mundane but vital substances.

Globally, many medical products are sourced in low-wage, low-tax regions with minimal consideration of potential climate impacts. In 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, a major manufacturer of medical supplies. Located in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico is vulnerable to more frequent and intense hurricanes due to climate change. In 2017, Hurricane Maria hit. Locally, healthcare suffered due to power outages, causing more than 4,500 deaths. In addition, there were also wider effects, including widespread saline IV solution shortages on mainland U.S. My research highlights the impacts of climate change on health care delivery.

How did you contribute to 2018 Being Human Festival? 

Just as blood circulates in the body, it also circulates in society. I created Bloodscape, a self-guided scavenger hunt that let residents see Edinburgh through the lens of blood - including changing trends, global campaigns and, even Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling wrote the series in Edinburgh). This event drew on research conducted at the University of Edinburgh in Medical Anthropology, such as my research on how severe weather disrupts blood delivery and  research on how immigrants use blood donation as a tool of social integration. 

What are your future research plans?

I plan to continue my research on vital mobilities, exploring diverse medical supply chains. Through this work, I want to draw attention to the complex and extensive journeys of medical supplies from the point of manufacture to the point of care, as well as address a critical gap in social scientific knowledge about global medical supply chains and their vulnerability to climate change, and identifying adaptation measures.

You can find out more about Stephanie’s research on

IWM North invite guests to interact with the practical and ethical dilemmas that aid workers in humanitarian organisations face in assisting and protecting vulnerable populations fleeing conflict. Its website explains:

“Through combining personal ‘in the field’ testimonies and scenario-based interactives, you can put yourself in the shoes of an aid worker and consider how you might respond to complicated decisions about the reach of aid, funding, responsibility and risk.

The exhibition reveals the dilemmas encountered while operating in areas including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, from which over 17.5 million people have collectively fled due to recent conflict*”^[1]

As a member of the advisory group for the exhibit, Larissa contributed to developing the interactive scenarios that ask visitors to consider how they might respond to the complicated and difficult decisions about risk, funding, and who to help. She tells us ‘It has been a privilege to work with the IWM team and to think through how the exhibit can help the general public understand more about the everyday dilemmas and experiences of aid workers in conflict situations.’

The exhibition is held at IWM North in Salford and forms part of IWM’s , a free season of exhibitions which ends on 31 May 2021.

Find out more about Larissa’s research on her .

[1] IVM North . * Statistic sourced from UNHRC’s Global Trends, Forced Displacement in 2018 report and UNHRC’s Global Appeal 2018 - 2019.