The SCONe project, run by optometrists, ophthalmologists, and researchers from the University of Edinburgh, and funded by Sight Scotland, is appealing for participants to take part in a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group focused on revolutionising the detection and management of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
AMD is the most common vision impairment in the older population and impacts an estimated 60,000 people in Scotland. SCONe research is seeking to find the early signs of AMD, so people can receive support earlier and adjust to living with AMD sooner.
SCONe is inviting anybody with lived experience of AMD, caregivers, friends or family of people with AMD, and regular visitors to optometry practices, to come along to take part in its PPI group.
Participants could help transform how AMD is detected and make a real difference for future generations.
SCONe, the Scottish Collaborative Optometry-Ophthalmology Network e-research, is a new collaborative venture aiming to build a Scotland-wide retinal image resource for innovation in eye research, healthcare, and education.
SCONe is taking two complementary approaches to try and speed up the detection of AMD at an early stage. Firstly, the team is meticulously analysing the SCONe dataset to extract crucial structural information about the retina.
This involves quantifying various parameters, including the total area of drusen, fatty deposits beneath the retina that can sometimes indicate an elevated risk of AMD.
Furthermore, the team is harnessing the power of modern machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a groundbreaking predictive model.
Unlike traditional methods that rely on manual measurements, this AI-driven approach uses raw retinal images to assess a patient’s risk of developing AMD. By automating the analysis process, this model promises to streamline screening procedures and facilitate early intervention.
Professor Baljean Dhillon, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, explains: “The PPI group offers a unique opportunity for participants to contribute directly to the development of new strategies and technologies aimed at combating AMD.
“Our research represents a significant step forward in the fight against AMD. By combining cutting-edge technology with comprehensive data analysis, we aim to transform how we detect and manage this debilitating condition.”
Craig Spalding, Chief Executive of Sight Scotland, and Sight Scotland Veterans, adds: “”As advocates for the visually impaired, we understand the profound impact that AMD can have on individuals and their families.
“By investing in research focused on early detection, we aim to empower healthcare professionals with the tools and knowledge needed to intervene swiftly so hopefully less people have to suffer.”
SCONe’s Patient and Public Involvement group focused on AMD and the impacts of AMD is taking place on 03 May 2024 at Surgeons Hall in Edinburgh.
For more information or to register to join please contact arubio@ed.ac.uk or call 07876647083. Participants in the group will be compensated for their time.
SCONe is funded by Sight Scotland, RS MacDonald Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh.
£11 million grant funding confirmed for public sector bodies
Leisure centres, schools and university campuses will be transformed by a government fund designed to accelerate the decarbonisation of public sector properties, the Scottish Government announced yesterday.
The University of Edinburgh, Fife Council and Edinburgh Napier University are among the first seven projects to share grants for clean heating and energy efficiency improvements totalling £11 million from the £20 million Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund.
The funding, to support the ambition to reach net zero by 2045, is the first time direct grant awards have been made to public sector bodies instead of loans.
A recent Scottish Government consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill asked for views on a possible requirement for all buildings owned by a Scottish public authority to move to clean heating systems by the end of 2038. There are currently around 23,000 buildings in public ownership.
Zero Carbon Buildings Minister Patrick Harvie (well, he was until this morning, anyway – Ed.) said: “Heat from our homes and buildings is responsible for around a fifth of Scotland’s overall emissions so there is no route to delivering Net Zero by 2045 without tackling this.
“Not just our homes but our schools, universities, offices, hospitals and libraries also need to improve their energy efficiency and make the move to clean heating.
“We are absolutely committed to addressing Scotland’s reliance on direct emission heating systems that produce greenhouse gas emissions when we use them, which is why we have consulted on ambitious proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill which we intend to bring forward during the current Parliament.
“We have made clear that we want all public sector buildings to have moved to clean heat by the end of 2038. We expect the public sector to demonstrate leadership in this area and I am therefore very pleased to be able to confirm these first awards from the Fund. Further awards will be confirmed shortly.”
The funding is part of £200 million already committed to the public sector for energy efficiency and renewable heating over the next five years – part of the wider plan to spend £1.8 billion during the current parliamentary session on decarbonising Scotland’s buildings.
The University of Edinburgh will receive £2.08m to support the reduction of heat demand at its King’s Buildings campus, home to the College of Science and Engineering, including through fabric insulation and pipework insulation upgrades.
The project will also take steps towards the decarbonisation of heat supply. A heat recovery pump will recycle waste heat from one of the University’s data centres and upgrade it for use within a local district heating network.
Catherine Martin, Vice Principal Corporate Services, University of Edinburgh said: “The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges we are facing.
“The University of Edinburgh has a clear commitment to take positive action to address our impact on the climate and ultimately reach our institutional goal of being net zero by 2040.
“We need a coordinated approach to these activities and the funding from the Scottish Government will support our efforts to generate solutions and sustainably adapt the way we operate.”
Grants have been confirmed for the following projects:
Recipient
Grant awarded
Project
University of Edinburgh
£2,079,459
King’s Buildings campus – to support the reduction of heat demand and take steps towards decarbonisation of heat
Fife Council
£2,404,911
St Andrew’s RC High School and Beacon Leisure Centre – installation of a combination of air-to-water heat pumps and water source heat pumps as the primary heat source for both, plus heat demand reductions at St Andrew’s RC High School
Scotland’s Rural College
£387,130
Barony Campus, Dumfries – retrofitting insulation including on the grade II listed Kirkmichael House
Perth & Kinross Council
£324,546
Auchtergaven Primary School, Bankfoot – upgrading the existing heating supply via the installation of two air source heat pumps and the installation of a building management system
North Lanarkshire Council
£2,345,176.00
Strathclyde Park Watersports Centre – whole building retrofit, redesign and extension as part of revelopment into Net Zero Health Hub
Edinburgh Napier University
£1,241,966.00
BE-ST A Lab – Removal of gas-based fossil fuel heating system as part of retrofit including Mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, a sustainable innovative curtain wall system, a solar PV integrated roof system and a sustainable LED ready lighting control system
Dumfries and Galloway Council
£2,500,000
Dumfries Ice Bowl – replacement of the mains gas system with a low emission water source heat pump with heat recapture technology to allow heat generated from the refrigeration system to be recovered, plus energy efficiency measures
University of Edinburgh Statement on the death of Professor Peter Higgs
It has been confirmed that Professor Peter Higgs has died at the age of 94. He passed away peacefully at home on Monday 8 April following a short illness.
Peter is renowned the world over for his prediction of the existence of a new particle – the so-called Higgs boson – which he first proposed in 1964.
It would be almost 50 years before the particle’s existence could be confirmed, with experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at Cern finally confirming Higgs’ theory in 2012. He was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for this work in 2013, along with Francois Englert.
Peter was also a great teacher and mentor, inspiring generations of young scientists.
“Peter Higgs was a remarkable individual – a truly gifted scientist whose vision and imagination have enriched our knowledge of the world that surrounds us.
“His pioneering work has motivated thousands of scientists, and his legacy will continue to inspire many more for generations to come.” – Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh
Creative Informatics events at Edinburgh Science Festival
Creative Informatics, the research and development programme established to bring together Edinburgh’s world-class creative industries and tech sector, has partnered with Edinburgh Science Festival to celebrate the end of its funded programme and showcase the brilliantly wide-ranging community that has been built.
Since 2018, Creative Informatics has supported individuals and organisations working in the creative industries in Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland to do inspiring things with data and digital technologies.
Events and activities inspired by the project come together in a festival programme packed with creative experiences, demonstrations, and debates at the National Museum of Scotland and Summerhall.
A new interactive exhibition ‘Unleashing the Power of Data’ runs throughout the two weeks of the festival at the National Museum of Scotland, and showcases some of the incredible artworks, objects, and innovations developed by Creative Informatics community. VR and AI tools combine with light, sound, and music across a series of immersive installations.
Exhibits include a VR obstacle course through digital landscapes traversing forests, valleys and cliffs from game designers Bear Hammer; a collaborative music making app that transforms phones into magic wands, allowing audiences to make music together in real time, created by Ray Interactive; an interactive light-box from artist Dominka Jackowska combining art, sound, and animation allowing users to manipulate sounds through drawing and movement; an AI-driven, Lego-powered DJ centre which allows visitors to create their own music using building-blocks, designed by Playable Technology; data-inspired art and sculpture from artists Rebecca Kaye, Mella Shaw, Caitlin Macdonald and Inge Panneels; and a digital exploration into Edinburgh’s fabled ‘lost’ Empire Palace Theatre.
Other events include ‘Creative AI for Creative Work’, a talk at the National Museum of Scotland exploring the burgeoning world of AI and its positive potential for use across the creative sectors, as Chair Frauke Zeller – Professor of Human-Computer Interaction and Creative Informatics at Napier University – is joined by creative professionals working with AI to enhance their projects – from developing playful innovations to creating new revenue streams for sound and audio production.
Lastly, experience why Scotland has a global reputation in the video game, film and TV industries at Let’s Play, a data-driven evening for adult audiences at Summerhall, part of the festival’s ‘Nights Out’ programme. This playful evening features interactive experiences, short talks from industry creatives and researchers, and AI-generated beats creating a live soundtrack to the event.
Festival-goers are invited to immerse themselves in a new world of data-driven inspiration and discover more about the programme behind the creative innovations.
Creative Informatics is led by director Melissa Terras, Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage at the University of Edinburgh’s Design Informatics in Edinburgh College of Art, and since 2018, has supported creative professionals in Edinburgh and Southeast Scotland to develop new and innovative work by providing funding and development opportunities that explore how data can drive ground-breaking new products, business, and experiences.
Over the last five years the programme has engaged with almost 3000 businesses and individuals, with 683 benefitting from training and new skills programmes, and 136 SMEs supported to explore data-driven business opportunities.
This work has sustained 429 jobs and created 210 new products, services, and experiences, in turn generating over £7.5 million in further funding and investment. As the funded programme draws to a close, Creative Informatics now looks to the future and legacy support for the community created in the past five years.
Professor Melissa Terras, Professor of Digital Cultural Heritage at the University of Edinburgh:‘We’re really excited to be celebrating the achievements of the Creative Informatics programme at this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival.
“Our events have been specially curated to highlight some of the extraordinary work developed through our programme – from innovations in gaming and audio production to artistic creations that push the boundaries of how we think, feel and interact with the world around us.
“These events and exhibits showcase the incredible Creative Informatics community that has been built over the last five years, whose practice, products and networks will form a lasting and supportive legacy for creative professionals across Edinburgh and South East Scotland’.
Creative Informatics is a partnership across four organisations: the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, Codebase and Creative Edinburgh, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, Department of Culture, Media & Sport, the Data Driven Innovation programme and the Scottish Funding Council.
Creative Informatics: Unleashing the Power of Data | Hawthornden Court, National Museum of Scotland | 30 March – 7 April
Explore some of the innovative products, new experiences and groundbreaking creative work that has been developed through funding and support from Edinburgh’s Creative Informatics programme.
As the innovation programme draws to a close, this interactive showcase celebrates the achievements of its creative community. Stop by to experience virtual reality worlds, discover new data-driven artworks and use building blocks to create your own music.
Exhibitors
Bear Hammer | Venture’s Gauntlet | Explore vast and stunning environments such as open highlands, caves, cliff edges and a castle; each jam-packed with its own unique puzzles and challenges.
Dominika Jackowska | Interactive Light Box | Interactive, fun, and playful electronic installation for an audience of all ages, combining drawing, sound, and animation.
Ray Interactive | IMP | IMP is a fun, interactive, collaborative music making app that transforms phones into magic wands, allowing you to make music with your friends. Simply scan the QR code and you get to control a layer of sound and create music together.
Tinderbox | Tinderbox Games Club Expo | Using different forms of technology to make games. Together we play, research and make games, as well as design our own artwork, audio & code needed for them.
Ice Cream at the Interval | Reimagining the Empire Palace | A combination of physical modelling and digital innovation to explore and reimagine Edinburgh’s ‘Lost’ Empire Palace Theatre
Yaldi Games | Wholesome Out and About | A factual life simulator that broadens your horizons. Learn about foraging, healthy cooking & creative crafts while playing and then recreate them in real life
Mahsa Nikoufar | Creative Gradient | Creative Gradient uses GIS geospatial data and Python programming to turn raw data into contemporary pixel art, communicating the use of data to different age groups in fun and colourful ways.
Kate Ives | To the Core | To the core is a tactile Jesmonite sculpture carved with geometric patterns that reflet data relating to the decline of native British species and explores what we can do to support biodiversity in our communities
Ailie Finlay | My Kind of Book | Creative ways to ensure that children with complex additional needs, including PMLD (profound and multiple learning disabilities) have books and sensory stories to enjoy
Playable Technology | Beat Blocks Live | A new app for iOS that enables you to build music in real-time with traditional children’s building blocks
Ploterre | Naturally Curious | Ploterre uses environmental data to create artwork from processes and discoveries within the natural world. Combining principles from the fields of mathematics and design, it describes data via colour and form, making it more accessible, and beautiful in the process.
Mella Shaw | Sounding Line | A short film showcasing how Mella created Sounding Line – a award-winning large-scale ceramic installation addressing the devastating effect of marine sonar on whales and other cetaceans.
Cloud Quilting | Reul-iùil – guiding star | A personalised quilt pattern creator that allows makers to embed meaning in these significant handmade decorative and functional objects through the use of data-driven design.
Caitlin Macdonald & Inge Panneels | Picture Your Poisons |Picture Your Poisons is an intimate portrait of a cancer treatment journey through the specific lens of one patient’s course of treatment.
Creative AI for Creative Work | National Museum of Scotland | Wednesday 10 April, 6pm
The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence is creating challenges for the creative industries around human creativity, originality, intellectual property, and ethics. However, AI has incredible potential as a tool for creative work – for experimentation or as part of an ideation process.
Hear from creative professionals working with AI to enhance their projects – from developing playful innovations to creating new revenue streams for sound and audio production. Chaired by Dr Frauke Zeller, Professor of Human Computer-Interaction and Creative Informatics at Edinburgh Napier University.
Let’s Play | Summerhall, Dissection Room | Friday 12 April, 7pm
Get your game face on and extend your reality as we explore how creative technologies and on-screen innovation are changing how we play and experience the world around us – and worlds we can only imagine.
Virtual production is one of the most exciting new technology areas and Scotland has a global reputation for game, film and TV production.
Join us for a playful evening with interactive experiences and short talks from industry creatives and researchers.
Try out some new creative tech or relax with a drink from the bar and some AI-generated beats.
On 26th February, a coalition of student groups, including the Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society (EUJPS), the Staff-Student Solidarity Network (SSSN), Edinburgh University Kehillah, Youth in Resistance, and Vegans for Animal Liberation and Ethical Revolution in Edinburgh (VALERIE) reclaimed the Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre.
The protesters have called for a complete and immediate divestment from all companies complicit in Israeli war crimes.
The students’ demands to university management are as follows:
Recognition of and explicit condemnation of Israel’s continuing acts of genocide, which includes the destruction of all of Gaza’s universities and the targeted erasure of its entire educational infrastructure.
Reduction of police presence on campus surrounding our demonstrations and empty naming of our protests as “threatening”.
The removal of the IHRA definition of antisemitism that inhibits any criticism of Israel in its conflation of anti-Zionism to antisemitism.
Severing all research ties with Leonardo and Anyvision, the latter responsible for operating the facial recognition surveillance system of Palestinians in the West Bank, essential for the perpetuation of Israel’s apartheid and illegal settler-colonial violence.
Finally, and most importantly, the complete and immediate divestment from those companies previously mentioned, in line with the continuing campaign from the Justice for Palestine Society
The investments amount to £39 million each year, including Blackrock (£30.5 million), Amazon (£3.6 million), Booking.com (£2.6 million) and Albermarle (£2.2 million), the latter involved in the production of white phosphorus to be used in weaponry.
White phosphorus is illegal under international law and there is photo evidence of it being used on Gaza. Investment in this would break Edinburgh’s own policy of sustainable investment.
Furthermore, the University also maintains research collaborations with Leonardo, a company that produces laser systems used for fighter jets; and, of disturbing significace, with AnyVision, an Israeli startup that built and operates the facial recognition system resposible for the ceaseless surveillance and subjugation of Palestinians in the West Bank, integral in maintaining the Israeli apartheid and illegal settler-colonial violence.
Over the last 5 months, unprecedented Israeli attacks have killed over 38,000 people and injured more than 70,000 people in Gaza (Figures from EUROMED monitor).
A statement from the protesters states: “we have occupied Gordon Aikman lecture theatre to make it clear to the University’s management that we will maintain the pressure until our demands of divestment are met“.
This action follows months of weekly demonstrations held on the Edinburgh University campus, where large crowds of students have gathered to protest the attacks on Gaza and demand Edinburgh’s divestment from Israeli arms.
A petition from the Justice for Palestine Society has also reached over 1800 signatures calling for divestment across the student body.
The statement continues: “The occupation of Gordon Aikman lecture theatre is not an action we take lightly, however the urgency of the situation in Gaza and the university’s continued silence regarding the genocide and our demands has compelled us to take this escalated action.”
General statement on the reclamation of the Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre
We, students at the University of Edinburgh, have for months been protesting our university’s direct complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza, demanding the divestment from companies that have been profiting from Israeli apartheid for years and that are presently complicit in genocide.
Shamefully, our university has struggled to even acknowledge the magnitude of the unfolding genocide whilst repeatedly avoiding or dismissing our demands concerning divestment.
As students representing Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society (EUJPS), the Staff-Student Solidarity Network (SSSN), Edinburgh University Kehillah, Youth in Resistance, and Vegans for Animal Liberation and Ethical Revolution in Edinburgh (VALERIE), we have occupied Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre to make it clear to the University’s management that we will maintain the pressure until our demands of divestment are met, the details of which are below.
We also want to continue to raise awareness around campus among fellow students and staff, emphasising that university activity cannot operate business as usual when our tuition fees are funding genocide. In lieu of the latter we will also be hosting various educational events and teach-ins.
The occupation of Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre is not an action we take lightly, however the urgency of the situation in Gaza and the university’s continued silence regarding the genocide and our demands has compelled us to take this escalated action.
Furthermore, in light of the recent ruling in the International Court of Justice and in compliance with the Genocide Convention, the University has an obligation to divest immediately and completely from all funds with ties to apartheid Israel. As long as divestment does not occur, the University is contravening Article III , para. (e) of the Genocide Convention, which prohibits complicity in genocide.
Currently the University of Edinburgh invests over £39 million each year in companies complicit in Israel’s genocide and its longstanding apartheid; namely, Blackrock (£30.5 million), Amazon (£3.6 million), Booking.com (£2.6 million) and Albermarle (£2.2million), the latter involved in the production of white phosphorus to be used in weaponry which is illegal under international law and is proven to be used on Gaza and breaks the University’s own policy of sustainable investment.
When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine two years ago, this University was quick to withdraw all its stocks in Russian companies and was proud to have done so, we call upon those same people to divest once more from the aforementioned companies.
Furthermore, the University also maintains research collaborations with Leonardo, a company that produces laser systems used for fighter jets; and, of disturbing significance, with AnyVision, an Israeli startup that built and operates the facial recognition system responsible for the ceaseless surveillance and subjugation of Palestinians in the West Bank, integral in maintaining the Israeli apartheid and illegal settler-colonial violence.
We continue to demand:
Recognition of and explicit condemnation of Israel’s continuing acts of genocide, which includes the destruction of all of Gaza’s universities and the targeted erasure of its entire educational infrastructure.
Reduction of police presence on campus surrounding our demonstrations and empty naming of our protests as “threatening”.
The removal of the IHRA definition of antisemitism that inhibits any criticism of Israel in its conflation of anti-Zionism to antisemitism.
Severing all collaborative research ties with Leonardo and AnyVision, the University’s work with the later directly contributing to the surveillance and categorisation
Finally, and most importantly, the complete and immediate divestment from those companies previously mentioned, in line with the continuing campaign from the Justice for Palestine Society.
This is a time of urgency that the University needs to react to.
Save the date – our Community Grant scheme will open for applications on Monday 25 March 2024!
Our scheme helps the development of projects, community activities and sustainable local action through funding and collaboration. We support local people’s vision for a better Edinburgh.
We award project grants of up to a maximum of £5,000, but welcome applications for less
The application process is simple and a member of the Community team will be on hand to support you if you have any questions, just contact local@ed.ac.uk or call us on 0131 651 5000.
Applicants may only receive one grant per project
Please read our guidance notes before applying, to check eligibility criteria and other helpful information
We do not fund projects that have already been completed
Please note: You should aim to start your project around four months after the deadline.
Our micro-grant scheme is open all year round for applications for funding of up to £500: apply for a micro-grant here
If you require application materials in an alternative format, please email local@ed.ac.uk or call 0131 651 5000, or ask a friend or family member to do so for you.
We can send you a printed copy of the form by post on request.
If you need any help completing the form, we are happy to try and help.
We can talk with you online, over the phone or in person (at a mutually suitable venue).
New aquatic exercise research for fall prevention looking for participants to get involved
An exciting new aquatic exercise research study is looking for participants to get involved.
Aqua Steps, is a new exercise programme, developed by experts in the field from the University of Edinburgh, Glasgow Caledonian University and Edinburgh Leisure. The programmes are delivered as part of a research project, and aims to improve the balance, strength, endurance, confidence, and independence of the participants.
One-third of people aged 65 years or over fall every year with more than 4 million people falling each year in the UK, which is approximately 11,000 people daily. Falls reduce quality of life, lead to nursing home admissions, cause about 90% of hip fractures and half of deaths due to injury. The annual NHS and social care cost for fall-related injuries is more than £3.3 billion.
Older adults who have some of the following: feel unstable/unsteady; have poor gait or balance, have a history of falling or are at risk of falling, have low bone density or previous fracture are encouraged to get in touch to take part.
Dr Stelios Psycharakis, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics at the University of Edinburgh said: “Aquatic exercise can improve many of these factors and has many benefits.
“For example, the buoyancy of the water reduces spine and joint loads and allows exercising without having to support one’s weight, while the pressure of the water on the body assists with balance and mobility which may be preferable for people who find land exercise challenging or have high risk/fear of falling.”
Amy Fastier, Health Development Officer (Falls Prevention) at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the University of Edinburgh.
“The study is looking to see if water-based classes have similar benefits as land based as there is no current research on water based activity in preventing falls.
“Participants don’t need to be strong swimmers as the exercises take place in shallow water and everyone will be encouraged to work at their own pace during the class, guided by our expert instructors.
“People who may have difficulty getting in and out of the pool without some help, are welcome to bring along a family member, carer, or friend.
“Pools hoists (for safe entry/exit from the water) are available at swimming pools and will be used when necessary.”
High-quality research on aquatic exercise in fall prevention is scarce. This programme will deliver an aquatic intervention for people with high risk of falls. The data we get will be used to look at the programme’s effects on falls risk and compare it with an established land-based programme, Steady Steps, which is delivered by Edinburgh Leisure to see whether there are similar benefits to the existing research on land-based classes.
The classes are free, with the cost covered by funding provided by the Chief Scientist Office for Scotland. The exercise sessions will take place in the shallow water only in one of five swimming pools in Edinburgh and Midlothian*.
The pools are Warrender Swim Centre (Marchmont), Dalry Swim Centre (Dalry), Ainslie Park Leisure Centre (Inverleith/Pilton), Glenogle Swim Centre (Stockbridge) and Penicuik Leisure Centre (Penicuik).
Participants would be required to attend for two sessions per week (30 minutes in the water for each session) over a course of 16 weeks. Different time slots will be available.
The programme will start in the first week of March 2024 (last week of March for Penicuik).
Interested parties willing to take part should contact the Aqua Steps administrator, Diane Chirnside on AquaSteps@ed.ac.uk and will be assessed for their willingness/ability to participate and complete the intervention.
Spaces are limited so people are encouraged to get in touch as soon as possible, and ideally by early to mid-February.
OVER 100 pupils aged between 16-18 from Scottish schools played the part of politicians, journalists, and lobbyists to debate on the climate crisis.
They were taking part in the British Council’s COP28 Climate Simulation Negotiation at Moray House, School of Education, University of Edinburgh, and had the opportunity to find out what it’s really like to negotiate a climate deal.
Delivered with Learning for Sustainability Scotland this debate was the first time the event has come to Scotland and the first in a series coordinated by the British Council in five cities across the UK.
The event kicked off with a keynote address from Learning for Sustainability lead at Scottish Government, Lucia Ramon Mateo, with the debate taking place in the run-up to the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates which starts on November 30.
During the negotiations, the pupils had to agree on a global strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and successfully reduce global temperature rises to no greater than 2 degrees C, making sure that all countries were on target to reduce temperatures by 2030. To do this, they used computer software developed by Climate Interactive and MIT to create a real-life climate simulation.
They were led by Professor Peter Higgins, Director of the United Nations University Regional Centre for ESD (Scotland) and Professor Dave Reay, Executive Director at Edinburgh Climate Change Institute and Professor of Carbon Management at the University of Edinburgh.
Attending the event students Rosie Zisman, and Raphael Uddin from Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh shared the role of United Nations Secretariat General.
Speaking about the negotiations, Raphael said: “Today our aim was to reduce greenhouse emissions drastically and we just reached the target agreement for warming, bang on 2.0 degrees.
“We were able to work together, compromise, and reach this goal and no countries were left behind or lost out. It was also great to have schools from Egypt join us today, to hear about their experience during COP27 and to get an insight into the different issues, especially with COP28 coming up in Dubai”.
Rosie added:“We managed to reach consensus to fund $1billion in climate financing per year globally, which was a big win.
“At 2 degrees, we will still see dramatic increases in climate change. Today gave us just a flavour of what is possible and it is progress, but not our final destination”.
Speaking at the event, Professor Reay said: “We’ve seen skilled negotiations from the students today and many congratulations to all those taking part who have worked diligently debating the issues.
“It is extremely important that we have opportunities like this to maintain the conversation about the vital importance of keeping warming under 1.5 degrees.
“This event shows that while the global conversation on the climate crisis still falters, young people have the energy, drive and ambition to focus and ask the hard questions. Today at Moray House, we have had the privilege of working with future policy makers and global citizens, a generation who already know that activism for the planet is crucial”.
Peter Brown, Director, British Council Scotland provided a welcome to the students, he said about the event:“Well done to all those involved in today’s event – I’m delighted that young people from across Scotland, the wider UK, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates are coming together to actively engage in the challenges of climate change.
“Our research at the British Council shows clearly that the climate crisis is of deep concern – particularly to young people, and this event has put students at the head of the negotiating table.
“It has given them a unique chance to experience the realities of diplomacy and international negotiation such as that taking place at COP28, providing them with the skills and confidence to take on some of the world’s biggest challenges.”
The initiative is part of the British Council’s Schools Connectprogramme for schools in the UK and around the world. The British Council works with education policymakers to explore effective practices from other countries and help teachers to bring an international perspective to the curriculum. This supports all young people to build the skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to respond to global challenges and develop international understanding.
Through the Climate Connection programme, the British Council is also supporting people globally to find creative solutions to climate change in support of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in UAE this month.
The British Council is supporting the summit by engaging with networks of education professionals, students, academics, researchers, artists, civil society leaders and policymakers to participate in meaningful dialogue and bring about real change for our planet.
This event continues the British Council’s work, building connection, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through arts, education and English language teaching.
To find out more about their work in Scotland visit:
Edinburgh Women’s Aid, (EWA), which marks 50 years of supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse, unveils ‘A Source of Strength’ exhibition in partnership with Stills: Centre for Photography in Cockburn Street and the University of Edinburgh, which runs until tomorrow (28 October).
The exhibition is part of the Economic Social Research Council, (ESRC), Festival of Social Science, building on research that finds the relationship between children and mothers can help improve the impact that domestic abuse has on children.
It offers visitors the chance to view photographs created by children and mothers about their relationships together and the importance of them, and the role they play in protecting and supporting children to recover from domestic abuse.
Dr Fiona Morrison, Programme Director for Childhood Practice, University of Edinburgh, said: “These beautiful photographs were taken by children and women, which celebrate the strength that children and mothers find in each other when living with and recovering together from domestic abuse.”
Over the past two years the charity has provided support to 440 children and young people in Edinburgh who have experienced domestic abuse with everything from giving them a safe place to stay in a refuge, specialist housing support, legal advice and help securing employment.
Linda Rodgers, CEO at Edinburgh Women’s Aid, said: “This exhibition is a great opportunity to honour and showcase the strength of the relationship between mothers and children experiencing domestic abuse.
“Thanks to everyone who helped bring it together including the families we have been working with, Stills Centre for Photography and the University of Edinburgh.”
The free exhibition at Stills: Centre for Photography is on from11-5pm at Cockburn Street until tomorrow – Saturday, 28th October.
The UNESCO Week of Sound, a week of events organised around the themes of hearing health, the sound environment and musical expression which aims to educate the public and raise awareness about the importance of the quality of our sound environment, is taking place in Edinburgh this week, it’s first edition in the United Kingdom.
Edinburgh Central MSP and culture secretary Angus Robertson has welcomed the event, saying: “I’m delighted that Edinburgh has been chosen by UNESCO as the first city in the UK to host this global cultural event. Edinburgh and Scotland’s links with UNESCO are strong, and the Week of Sound taking place here is another demonstration of our close bond.
“When I visited the global headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, we celebrated the success of the world’s first-ever UNESCO trail—based in Scotland—that brings together some of Scotland’s most iconic, diverse and culturally significant sites.
“Of course, the week-long festival will itself be taking place in a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the centre of my constituency – Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns. I invite all to take a look at the programme and enjoy the free events.”
Produced in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the UNESCO Week of Sound will take place the week commencing Monday 16th October 2023 and will host a number of concerts, workshops, talks and discussions on sound and how it relates to some of the predominant issues and questions of our time.
Head of the University of Edinburgh’s Reid School of Music, based at Edinburgh College of Art, Dr Martin Parker, who is leading the UNESCO Week of Sound in Edinburgh, said: “The UNESCO Week of Sound explores how sound connects with some of the biggest issues facing the world today. From climate change and mental health to the sounds of protest and community action to artificial intelligence.
“The Reid School of Music at the University of Edinburgh is the perfect place to engage the public and student body with new ideas and performances that connect with global challenges that concern us all.
“We are thrilled to host a new chapter of the UNESCO Week of Sound here in Edinburgh.”
The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson MSP who will give a speech at the event next week, welcomed the news that the UNESCO Week of Sound will be held in the Scottish capital.
He said: “I’m delighted to welcome the UNESCO Week of Sound to Edinburgh, the first city in the UK to host this global event.
“With our 12 UNESCO designations across Scotland—including Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns and the Forth Bridge—our links with the United Nation’s global cultural body is strong.
“I greatly look forward to building on this during the UNESCO Week of Sound.”
The UNESCO Week of Sound takes place in Edinburgh from Monday 16th October to Friday 20th October 2023.
All events held at the UNESCO Week of Sound are free.
To find out more and book tickets for the events, please visit www.weekofsound.scot.
