Tag: Edinburgh Napier University

Researchers reveal the impact of Covid-19 and war on Ukraine’s persons with disabilities

New report examines ways of strengthening support mechanisms

Researchers have called for Ukraine’s organisations of persons with disabilities (OPD) to have a bigger role in the country’s decision-making processes.

The Edinburgh Napier-led team were finalising their report on the impact of Covid-19 on the country’s almost three million persons with disabilities just as Russia launched its first attacks on its eastern European neighbour.

Their investigation, carried out with partners in Ukraine, documents how the pandemic created many new barriers while also amplifying existing ones.

Covid-19 limited persons with disabilities’ access to healthcare, social services and transport, increased their social isolation and undermined their economic security. 

Digital poverty meant many could not access online portals for government departments or online learning, and the study also highlighted concerns about decreasing levels of cooperation from public bodies.

Now war with Russia – in which 15 per cent of the civilian population caught up in the conflict will have a disability – is presenting new and even more complex challenges.

Initial reports suggest persons with disabilities are struggling to access safe zones, medical services or reliable information on top of the other challenges faced by a population under attack. 

Principal Investigator Dr Kiril Sharapov, from Edinburgh Napier’s School of Applied Sciences, said: “Organisations of Persons with Disabilities remain one of the last remaining systems of support for the people they have been taking care of within the context of the pandemic and now within the context of this catastrophic war.

“They continue, where and when they can, to provide support to the most vulnerable individuals and their families. Their knowledge and expertise must inform all current and future relief efforts provided by the Government of Ukraine and by the international donors and humanitarian agencies.”

The research report calls for organisations of persons with disabilities to have their unique roles recognised at legislative level within Ukraine, and for the Government to support their activities.

It also recommends that public bodies consult with and give OPDs a say in decision making, and that OPDs should be actively involved in monitoring the quality of social services delivery.

There are almost three million people registered as having a disability in Ukraine, with actual numbers likely to be higher due to the lack of reliable statistics. 

Dr Sharapov researched the impact of the pandemic on them in partnership with the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine umbrella group and local organisations. The study was funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund and the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council.

A total of 108 organisations responded to a survey co-designed by the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine, making it the largest to explore the views of the disability movement on the effects of the pandemic. The findings were presented to disability experts and activists who were asked to comment and make recommendations.

The research report says it is “essential” that public authorities in Ukraine at all levels recognise and support OPDs as key actors in ensuring and protecting the rights of people they are caring for. 

It also recommends that an up-to-date register of all OPDs is kept, and that the Government cooperate with them in developing a rapid response protocol for circulating information during any future public health emergencies.

Working-paper-COVID19-and-Disability-UKR-ORG-ENGDownload

New documentary turns the spotlight on asylum seekers’ experiences 

Film captures the harsh realities of life in temporary accommodation during a pandemic

A NEW film documents the hardships and challenging living conditions faced by asylum seekers in Glasgow during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I’m Still Here, based on video diaries and photos shared by people living in temporary accommodation and other forms of housing, highlights the insecurity of their lives and constant battle to find the strength to carry on.

Around 350 asylum seekers were moved from their settled flats into various hotels in the city centre following the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 in what was said to be an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.

A study last year by Edinburgh Napier University researchers found that they faced unsafe conditions, mobility restrictions and a lack of communication from service providers.

The report said the asylum seekers’ accounts – in which they likened their hotel-type accommodation to detention centres – “pointed to a provision that was inattentive towards their needs, vulnerability and wellbeing.”

Now an 18-minute documentary film produced as part of the research project by staff from Edinburgh Napier is to be premiered at Glasgow’s GMAC Film hub at a stakeholder event from 11am-2pm tomorrow – Wednesday February 23.

Further public screenings are being organised across Scotland and the UK to highlight the challenges faced by the country’s asylum seekers and raise public awareness of the issue.

Film director Dr Kirsten MacLeod, the University’s Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Television, said: “I’m Still Here offers a powerful insight into the lived realities of men, women and children placed in temporary accommodation in Glasgow during the pandemic.

“Participants speak of the insecurity of the system in which they find themselves and of extremely challenging living conditions.

“From hotels, hostels and a mother and baby unit, they tell of the stress and hardships they have faced as well as their personal efforts to stay strong, bravely sharing their experiences in the hope that their stories can affect audiences and create change.

“Featuring footage from across 2021, the film aims to humanise and give voice to those seeking asylum and living in Scotland and highlights inadequate policy and treatment of asylum seekers.”

The research study – funded by the Economic and Social Research Council – and film were produced in collaboration with migrant-led grassroots organisation Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment (MORE).

Dr Taulant Guma, Principal Investigator and lecturer in Edinburgh Napier’s School of Applied Sciences, said: “The recent moves by private sector firms to relocate asylum seekers to hotels across the UK during the pandemic have led to a great deal of misinformation in the public and media about the ‘luxurious’ conditions offered by these temporary arrangements, misinformation which has further perpetuated the stigmatisation of asylum seekers during the pandemic.

“This co-produced documentary captures the impact and reality of these moves through the eyes and from the perspective of asylum seekers themselves. 

“Through their video diaries, our participants tell a very different story from the one we often hear, a story that sheds new light on Covid realities for those individuals whose lives and mobility are largely regulated and restricted by the state and private companies.”

Yvonne Blake, co-founder of MORE, said: “The footage of the prison-like conditions the participants endured in the hotel capture the hostile environment at work and its significant impact on people’s mental health.

“Sadly, it has become common practice for the UK government Home Office through various contractors to subject international protection applicants to this kind of treatment.”

East meets West in Super Bowl Sunday Varsity Game

Edinburgh Napier Knights host University of Glasgow

The annual American Football Varsity match returns to Meggetland Stadium on Sunday (February 13) as the Edinburgh Napier Knights host Glasgow Tigers.

The Super Bowl Sunday event is now in its tenth year and is one of the high points of the student sporting calendar, with the game a shop window for domestic American Football. A great family day out, the fixture has seen some memorable matchups and this year’s promises to be the best yet.

Both teams enter the game undefeated, meaning it’s winner takes all for the division title, playoffs, promotion and the prestigious MacKenzies Challenge Trophy.

The Glasgow team features a grind it out, run heavy, offense whilst the Knights have eschewed their traditional running game and taken to the air this year, smashing the previous club scoring record.

There is game day entertainment of a DJ, music, and the Edinburgh Napier Cheer Squad with hot food, barbeque and a licensed bar at the Canalside.

Varsity tickets include entry to the Knights Super Bowl party at the Canalside bar with late 3am licence.

Gates open from 1.30pm, with kick off at 3pm, and the Super Bowl party from 8pm.

Tickets are £5 adults, £3 students and free entry for under 16s, and can be purchased in advance online or on campus, or on the gate.

Edinburgh Napier supports Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2022

Academics and employers outline the benefits of “earn while you learn” GA scheme

October 2021 Grads – Gradutte Apprentice group. These graduates are the first cohort on the Graduate Apprentice prgramme to graduate.

EDINBURGH Napier today pledged its support for Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2022 – and underlined the value of apprenticeships to the country’s people, business and economy.

Employers also spoke of the benefits of our Graduate Apprenticeships initiative, which produced its first graduates from the University last October.

Graduate Apprenticeships (GA) offer high quality work-based learning to strengthen the skills people and businesses need.  Available to businesses of any size in Scotland, they provide a route for new and existing staff to get a fully funded university degree while in a paid job.  There is no maximum age limit and learning costs are funded by Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for the full duration of the course.

Last Autumn saw Edinburgh Napier’s first intake complete their degrees four years after the University began offering Graduate Apprenticeships.

Twenty-nine students graduated from the School of Computing under the scheme, with their degrees including BSc (Hons) IT Management for Business, BSc (Hons) Software Development and BEng (Hons) Cyber Security.

This year’s #ScotAppWeek22 (March 7 – 11) theme is Apprenticeships Work, with the aim of highlighting how apprenticeships are providing the skills employers need now and for the future.

Developed in partnership with employers, apprenticeships continue to adapt to respond to industry needs.

Scottish Apprenticeships work by providing thousands of opportunities to get a job, get paid and get qualified across Scotland every year. 

Benefits of Graduate Apprenticeships to business include:

  • Business can attract new, emerging talent through cost-effective recruitment
  • Professional development opportunities for talented and motivated existing employees
  • No learning costs to the employer or the apprentice
  • Improved staff productivity, morale and retention
  • Apprentices bring new ideas by applying their learning in the workplace
  • Graduate Apprentices learn from leading academics and industry experts
  • An excellent way for Apprenticeship Levy paying businesses to recover their investment

On the benefits Graduate Apprenticeships bring to business, Terence Mallon, Project Manager at civil engineers Roadbridge and former Edinburgh Napier student, said: “There is a major skills shortage within construction, particularly in project delivery. Through work-based learning, apprentices know what they are heading into after graduation.

“They realise the risks and rewards, having been nurtured in the workplace for four years, and therefore develop the knowledge and core skills to cope with the demands of project delivery.”

Edinburgh Napier is one of Scotland’s leading learning providers of Graduate Apprenticeships.  Our #ApprenticeshipsWork by giving our students the skills employers need now and for the future. 

Graduate Apprenticeships are offered across a range of subjects in the School of Computing, Business School and School of Engineering and the Built Environment. When our School of Computing cohort graduated last October, they picked up honours degrees at the Usher Hall, but by then they had also amassed up to four years’ work experience, developing skills and knowledge that are essential to their job role.

Professor Sally Smith, Head of Graduate Apprenticeships at Edinburgh Napier, said: “We wholeheartedly agree that #ApprenticeshipsWork so are committed to offering Graduate Apprenticeship places for 2022. Our graduates show how effective they are both for employers with a need for new skills and for individual apprentices.

“More than ever, apprenticeships will prove crucial to Scotland’s economic recovery. Our apprenticeships appeal to school and college leavers including Foundation Apprentices, Modern Apprentices and existing employees. With our apprentices putting their skills to use immediately, both they and their employers benefit from day one.”

Scottish Apprenticeship Week is a time to show that Graduate Apprenticeships provide opportunities that work for everyone. From 7-11 March Edinburgh Napier University is supporting #ScotAppWeek22 to demonstrate that #ApprenticeshipsWork by supporting learners, employers and Scotland’s economic renewal.

For more information on Graduate Apprenticeships at Edinburgh Napier University, visit www.napier.ac.uk/apprenticeships or email ga@napier.ac.uk. 

Share your stories and get involved in #ScotAppWeek22 by visiting apprenticeships.scot/scotappweek.

University team unveil data set to bolster research into ransomware detection

Newly-published paper details the creation of NapierOne

Cyber security experts at Edinburgh Napier have created a new data set which will support cutting-edge research into ransomware detection.

Ransomware – malware that encrypts files, giving the attacker scope to demand a ransom to restore access – has become a popular and potentially lucrative method of attack for cyber criminals.

However, newly-created NapierOne (www.napierone.com) is now available to help test and evaluate new detection methods, amid concerns that previous data sets used in digital forensics research have become outdated.

The new openly accessible ready-to-use data set will improve consistency by using standard formats allowing earlier studies to be replicated. As such it will improve the pace and direction of research into ransomware, and could help find robust solutions to the threats it poses.

NapierOne’s creators also believe it is generic enough to support many other fields of research that require a varied mix of common files.

Govdocs1

The most well-known publicly available data set used in malware analysis to date has been Govdocs1, now more than a decade old.

It was designed to help reproduce forensic research, but doubts have emerged about how well it reflects current usage, with some increasingly popular file types not being well represented.

And where there have been a lack of useful data sets available to researchers, they have often developed their own and have not distributed them when their work is complete.

In a new paper published in Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation, Edinburgh Napier PhD research student Simon Davies and senior computing academics Professor Bill Buchanan and Associate Professor Rich Macfarlane detail the creation of NapierOne as a complement to Govdocs1. 

Their research identified popular file formats for inclusion as they set about creating a data set containing more than 500,000 unique files distributed between 100 separate data sets and subsets.

The paper describes how specific file types were selected, how examples were sourced and how researchers are able to gain free, unlimited access to the data.

The authors see NapierOne as a starting point for an ongoing project which will grow and develop as other researchers provide additional data sets that can be incorporated into it.

Simon Davies said: “It is hoped that the adoption of the NapierOne data set into the implementation, development and testing lifecycles of new ransomware detection techniques will streamline and accelerate the development of more robust and effective detection techniques, allowing independent researchers to reproduce and validate proposed detection methods quickly.”

Portrait of Rich MacFarlane

Associate Professor Rich Macfarlane said: “Ransomware has been around for many years – encrypting and deleting users’ files and demanding a ransom from the victim. It has become increasingly common and its sophistication has increased significantly, leading to it currently being the biggest cyber security problem globally.

“This work aims to provide a research data set allowing scientific rigour in research towards fighting the ransomware problem. The data set has been created and successfully used in our ransomware detection research.

“Containing over half a million unique files representing real world file types, it is broad and diverse enough to be used in a range of cyber security and forensic research areas.

“We hope the data set will have the same global research impact as the Govdocs1 work.”

Professor Bill Buchanan said: “There are few areas of cyber security that need more of a scientific base than in digital investigations, and thus there exists a need to make sure investigators have appropriate tools that have been verified and properly evaluated. This data set provides a foundation for researchers to prove their new methods, and thus further support innovation in the area.

“The UK is becoming an international leader in the field of safe technology – which involves the development of tools to support digital investigations and threat detection – and this research showcases the development of a strong scientific base.”

Bridging Scotland’s skills gap in Advanced Therapies

University works with Charles River Laboratories to develop short course

A new course launches at Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Applied Sciences on 24 January, offering students and recent graduates an opportunity to build key skills for a career in the expanding field of Advanced Therapies.

The five-day course has been developed by Edinburgh Napier, working closely with Charles River Laboratories.

It forms part of the UK’s Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network (ATSTN) and will teach Good Laboratory Practice – supplying participants with theoretical knowledge, including sterile manufacturing and the development and production of Advanced Therapies – and practical skills needed to enter the Advanced Therapies workforce.

These include cell culture and immunoassay techniques, and lab auditing, as well as learning about the quality and regulatory environment and Good Manufacturing Practice within an industrial setting.

ATSTN was launched in 2020 and operates through three centres, two in England and one in Scotland.

Edinburgh Napier is the only university in Scotland to be a member of ATSTN, and the School of Applied Sciences partners with RoslinCT, SULSA (the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance), the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, and Ayrshire College to deliver bespoke and highly targeted training to address the skills gaps identified in advanced therapy and vaccine manufacturing.

Dr Claire Garden, Associate Professor in the School of Applied Sciences, said: “Advanced Therapies offer enormous potential and promise to protect our society from current and future diseases, but when the UK government conducted research with companies in 2019, 83% were concerned about their ability to capitalise on emerging opportunities because skills anticipated to be essential were – at that time – missing.

“With our industry skills focus and partnership with key employers, recognised in our recent reaccreditation by the Royal Society of Biology, we have the track record to bring this training to a wide audience.”

Geoff Burns, General Manager of Charles River Edinburgh, is delighted to be working on this targeted project. He said: “Charles River are very pleased to be partnering with Edinburgh Napier University to provide an Advanced Therapy skills training course as part of the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network.

“We are dedicated to supporting students both during and after their time at university, and this course will help ensure the scientists of the future are well-equipped for a career in the emerging industries of advanced therapies and vaccine manufacturing.

“There is no doubt that many exciting breakthroughs are to be had in the future for the long-term management and even cure of disease.”

Nathan Barnett, programme coordinator at SULSA, added: “This course is an exciting addition to the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network in Scotland. It will give industry insight into some of the careers available in the fast-growing advanced therapies sector and provide practical skills relevant to roles in the industry.”

The bespoke course is being launched at a vital moment for the Scottish Life Sciences Industry and provides a brilliant opportunity for students and recent graduates interested in a career in Advanced Therapies.

It runs from 24-29 January at Edinburgh Napier University’s Sighthill campus and at Charles River Laboratories’ state-of-the-art facilities. The course will run twice more in 2022.

To enquire about participating, contact nathan.barnett@glasgow.ac.uk.

Enterprise backing for project to protect software supply chain

New cyber security venture from School with record of successful spin-outs

A NEW Edinburgh Napier project aims to bring trust and transparency to the software supply chain, as the School of Computing continues its drive to translate innovative research into real world impact.

The TrueDeploy venture has received £73,418 funding from Scottish Enterprise, as part of its High Growth Spin-out Programme (HGSP), to help develop the project’s innovative technology.

In setting its sights on the multi-billion pound industry to secure software development supply chains, TrueDeploy is following in the footsteps of Edinburgh Napier cyber security spin-outs ZoneFox, Symphonic Software, Cyan Forensics and MemCrypt which have already successfully made the leap from research lab to market.

The software supply chain relates to the development and supply of software for use across all organisations and systems. This supply chain needs to be managed by organisations that use software due to regulatory requirements and the obligations to ensure their systems are not compromised.

Recent high-profile cyber-attacks, including SolarWinds, Kaseya, and NotPetya, have cost companies and nation-states billions of dollars. Each of these attacks had the same underlying issue, in that they were possible because a threat actor managed to infiltrate and compromise software that was being developed by a software vendor in the long chain that exists from code being written to it being distributed to a customer.

Potential future spin-out TrueDeploy, which aims to resolve these issues by bringing transparency to the software supply chain, has been developed by a technical team led by research student Pavlos Papadopoulos.

He is working alongside the School of Computing’s Dr Nick Pitropakis and seasoned cyber security innovator Professor Bill Buchanan. The technical team will be supported on the project by a core business team of Nanik Ramchandani (Imagine Ventures) and Matthew Burdge (Business Development & Relationship Manager, School of Computing).

With Scottish Enterprise’s support, the team is aiming to develop their innovative technology over the next nine months.

Pavlos Papadopoulos, whose research work is focused on privacy-preserving systems around trust and identity, said: “We are thankful to Edinburgh Napier and Scottish Enterprise for their continuous support.

“This funding is the first step in bringing this innovation to reality.”

Nanik Ramchandani added: “We sincerely appreciate the support provided by Scottish Enterprise to the start-up ecosystem in Scotland.

“This support will help us identify the ideal commercial opportunity for TrueDeploy’s ground-breaking innovation.”

Victoria Carmichael, director of strategic investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Cyber security is a major issue facing society today and this project has the potential to be hugely impactful.

“Our High Growth Spin-out Programme helps turn innovative university research into successful business ventures. To date we’ve supported four cyber security spin outs from Edinburgh Napier, with TrueDeploy becoming the fifth, which speaks volumes about the university’s academic and commercial capabilities.”

Fiona Mason, Head of Business Engagement and IP Commercialisation at Edinburgh Napier, said: “We are thrilled to receive this recognition from Scottish Enterprise on another exciting venture arising from our cyber group.

“The project has benefitted from seed funding, and the inventor has worked closely with both the Business Development support, Matthew Burdge, and our Royal Society-funded Entrepreneur-in Residence, Jamie Graves, to develop the project to the high standard required by SE.

“We value the long-term platform the funding provides, both in terms of project development but also the access to networks, training and mentoring support.”

Meant To Happen? Matt’s short film has top award in the can!

Napier TV graduate wins prestigious Royal Television Society short film competition

An Edinburgh Napier TV graduate and former Royal Marines Commando has triumphed in a prestigious short film competition organised by the Royal Television Society.

Matt Jones – who graduated from Edinburgh Napier in 2018 from its BA (Hons) TV programme – won this year’s Royal Television Society (RTS) Futures 48 film challenge with his short film, “That Wasn’t Meant To Happen.” 

Written, filmed, directed and edited by Matt over 48 hours, and featuring an original music score by his brother Bill Jones, the humorous film focuses on a dad and son’s day out on safari that doesn’t quite go to plan. 

The film features three talented actors – Young Theo, Olly Bassi and Madeline Richardson – all who were praised by judges as the film fended off competition from other entries across the UK.

The Futures 48 film challenge allows entrants 48 hours to create, film and edit a three-minute short film that is judged and awarded by key professionals from the television industry.

On winning, Matt’s film will now be showcased on the RTS 48 YouTube channel and he will be invited to next year’s 2022 student awards ceremony in London.

Matt graduated from Edinburgh Napier in 2018 with a First Class BA (Honours) in Television after a 12 year career as a commando saw him take part in active service in Northern Ireland and The Gulf.

He was also part of anti-drugs and anti-piracy missions in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and South China Seas.

Matt’s relationship with Edinburgh Napier continues through its armed forces network where he is currently involved with establishing a work-related project producing media content with the armed forces.

On winning the award, he said: “I was completely taken aback by the announcement.  I was thrilled to have just been shortlisted.  I entered the competition last year to no avail, so to have won a year later is both a euphoric and humbling experience.”

Matt’s success doesn’t stop here however.

During lockdown last year, he entered another short film competition with British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) and won with his delightful dog ‘Buddy’ who earlier this year sadly passed away.

He is also currently in collaboration with his brother Bill, creating a set of short songs, films and books based on creatures of the garden.

Watch this space!

Matt’s award-winning short film, That Wasn’t Meant To Happen, can be viewed here.

Top rating for Edinburgh Napier’s sustainability credentials

Edinburgh Napier has been named as the top university in Scotland for environmental sustainability and ethics, according to the 2021 People and Planet University League.

People and Planet is the only league table of UK universities focusing on action and transparency of environmental sustainability performance, and ranks universities across a number of credentials, including carbon management, energy, waste and recycling and workers’ rights.

Edinburgh Napier achieved a 2:1 ranking – the only Scottish university to do so – and topped the league in Scotland while receiving an overall UK ranking of 43rd.

The University scored particularly highly on its carbon reduction and carbon management and saw its biggest increases in score within Education for Sustainable Development, Ethical & Investment & Banking, and Staff and Student Engagement, highlighting recognition of collective work within each of the areas.

The good news comes in the same week as the University launched its new  Environmental Sustainability Strategy, which sets out the ways in which the university community will work towards a target of Net Zero Carbon 2030 and beyond.

Jamie Pearson, Environmental Sustainability Manager at Edinburgh Napier, said: “We are incredibly proud that the work and leadership of our community has been recognised in this table. An array of students, staff and partners have led and enabled key areas of improvement in our work, including divestment, engagement and curricular development.

“We will now continue our journey at Edinburgh Napier and will meet the significant commitments made within our strategy, including the very recent publication of our new Environmental Sustainability Strategy.” 

Edinburgh Napier success at Higher Education ‘Oscars’

Edinburgh Napier collective takes home Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion award

A three-year long campaign by students and staff at Edinburgh Napier to raise awareness of period poverty has been recognised with an award win at the “Oscars of Higher Education.”

Bleedin’ Saor – the staff/student collective responsible for the campaign – collected the Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at last night’s Times Higher Education Awards 2021 in London.

Led by Edinburgh Napier colleagues Ruth Cochrane, Dr Kirsten MacLeod and Lindsay Morgan, the collective was praised by judges for its efforts in combating menstrual myths and breaking the ‘silence of menstruation’ to create a long-lasting impact for young people and their communities.

The Bleedin’ Saor campaign was multi-faceted, with the collective most recently launching its Bleeding Free documentary which looked at topics such as period poverty, period dignity and menstrual education both in Scotland and overseas in Uganda.

The collective visited Uganda in 2019 as it took its campaign to East Africa to join global efforts in the menstrual movement.

The 10-day trip saw the group meet with and interview members of a number of organisations within the country who are fighting for better period product provision, gender equality and women’s rights.

Closer to home, the documentary also captures the work of the collective and its three designers – Sam Calder, Hannah Stevens and Brogan Henderson – as they worked with the University and the Hey Girls social enterprise to design two new period product dispensers.

The final design has been used by Edinburgh Napier to make period products free to all who need them within the University’s campuses and will soon be installed in schools, colleges and universities across the country. The free products at Edinburgh Napier have been made available thanks to Scottish Government funding.

The Bloody Big Brunch event hosted by Bleedin’ Saor at all three of Edinburgh Napier’s campuses in early 2019 – which saw guests pay for entry to the brunch through donating period products rather than money – is also revisited in the film.

On the award win, Ruth, Kirsten and Lindsay said: “We are beyond delighted that Bleedin’ Saor has received this recognition. It highlights the role that creativity has to play in tackling society’s challenges.

“The success of this project is completely down to our amazing students. It shows that given the chance, our young people really can change the world.”

University Principal Andrea Nolan said: “This award is fantastic recognition for the Bleedin’ Saor collective and I am so proud of what it has done both for Edinburgh Napier and beyond.

“The campaign is a perfect example of successful student and staff partnership working and I am thrilled that the team has been recognised for its tireless work and passion in raising awareness of period poverty.

“A huge congratulations to you all.”

The THE awards – now in their 17th year – span 20 categories covering the full range of university activities. This year’s winners, focusing on achievements during 2019-20, were announced at a ceremony last night at the Hilton London Metropole hotel.

The University was well represented on the night, with Professor Lis Neubeck, from the School of Health & Social Care, also shortlisted for Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative of the Year.

Entitled Abnormal Heart Rhythms: Changing National and Global Detection and Management, Professor Neubeck’s internationally leading research and knowledge exchange focuses on the early detection and appropriate management of the most common abnormal heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, and has had significant impact on the field of cardiovascular health at a national, European and global level.

The full list of winners from the night can be found here.