Expert comment from Middlesex University
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All comments are the views of the academics and experts named and do not necessarily represent the corporate view of Middlesex University.
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Digital exclusion of older people can be easily avoided
23 April 2012
Middlesex University senior lecturer Mike Bradley, who researches older people’s use of technology, argues that technology companies can make technologies easier to learn and use for the older generation with simple changes.
Leading Gypsy expert welcomes European human rights watchdog condemnation
1 March 2012
Middlesex University criminologist and expert on Gypsy and Traveller communities Dr Anne Foley responds to Europe's human rights watchdog’s accusation that Britain is undermining the rights of gypsies and travellers to adequate housing.
We need to think long term to avoid droughts says leading water expert
21 February 2012
Leading expert in water management Professor Colin Green has called for an end to short term fixes in a bit to prevent droughts.
Safer Internet Day
7 February 2012
One of the UK's leading experts on online child protection and sexual abuse, Middlesex University’s Dr Elena Martellozzo has urged parents to get to know more about their children’s online activity to help them stay safe.
Blue Monday
16 January 2012
Short days, cold nights, debt and broken resolutions – January can be tedious for the best of us and 16 January 2012 will statistically be the most depressing day of the year. To help beat Blue Monday Middlesex University psychologist Mark Coulson is on hand to give his top five tips to surviving the gloomiest day of the year.
Get Online Week
31 October 2011
Get Online Week 2011 runs from the 30th Oct - 6 Nov and is a national campaign which aims to get tens of thousands of people that have never used computers and the internet before online. However, Mike Bradley, product design expert, thinks that many current technology designs create further barriers to getting people online.
Middle age isn’t too late to start exercise
27 September 2011
Better than any anti-aging cream, great at staving off health problems and an instant feel good factor, exercise is vital to living a healthy and fulfilling middle age and it’s never too late to start says Anne Elliott.
Bricks and mortar are no alternative for Dale Farm residents
31 August 2011
The eviction of the Travelling community at Dale Farm could violate the human rights of more than 80 families - Basildon Council needs to do more to protect the community and the nomadic lifestyle of the Travelling community – that’s the view of criminology expert Dr Anne Foley.
Healthcare staff's obligation to ‘blow the whistle’
26 July 2011
Following the Commons Health committee report saying that healthcare staff have an obligation to ‘blow the whistle’ if they suspect wrongdoing, Professor David Lewis, one of the UK’s leading academic experts on whistleblowing is warning that a professional duty may not be enough without changes to the law and a culture where the disclosure of suspected wrongdoing is encouraged by bosses.
Birmingham nursery worker jailed for child abuse and online grooming/blackmail
8 June 2011
One of the UK's leading experts on online child protection and sexual abuse has urged parents not to mistrust social media, following the latest high profile case of online grooming and child sex abuse.
Dr Elena Martellozzo, Criminology lecturer at Middlesex University said: "After cases like this some parents naturally worry and try to prevent their children using social media but this isn't the right way to tackle the problem”.
Industry Regulators' need for training in handling whistleblowers
2 June 2011
Following the latest care scandal at Winterbourne View residential hospital, Professor David Lewis, one of the UK’s leading academic experts on whistleblowing, has warned that industry Regulators must be given guidance and resources immediately to deal with whistleblowing and prevent obvious wrongdoing from continuing.
Silver Surfers' Day
20 May 2011
Commenting on Silver Surfers’ Day, a national campaign to promote the use of digital technology by older people, Mike Bradley, Senior Lecturer in Product Design and Engineering, said: “The importance of being connected digitally has been recognised by the UK Government, however, these efforts are hampered by the way the majority of technology companies are still designing.....
Rise in age discrimination cases
26 April 2011
Malcolm Sargeant, Professor of Labour Law, welcomes the news that age discrimination claims rose last year.
Ban on the burka in France
11 April 2011
Dr Erica Howard, human rights expert, said: “The coming into effect of the French ban on face covering in public places is bad news for Europe and should not be followed by other countries. It is open to legal challenge, unnecessary for the stated aims and counterproductive...."
Phasing out of the retirement age
6 April 2011
Professor Malcolm Sargeant, an expert in discrimination and employment law, said: “This is a really significant day for older workers. The coalition government has taken up the challenge of the ageing society and ended the unfair practice of ejecting workers from the labour market just because they have reached a certain chronological age...."
Pause in NHS Reforms
6 April 2011
Professor Annabelle Mark, commenting on the government's decision to "pause" controversial NHS reforms, says those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Reduction in corporation tax
1 April 2011
Richard Jones, tax expert at Middlesex University, said: “The reduction in the main rate of corporation tax from 28% to 26%, which takes effect from the 1st of April, was one of the surprises in the Budget which seems to have won general acclaim from business leaders. A reduction to 27% had been promised, but hardly anyone had dared hope for more this year...."
Bribery Act guidance: golden opportunity missed
31 March 2011
Professor David Lewis, a leading whistleblowing expert from Middlesex University, said: “The guidance understates the vital role that whistleblowing procedures can play and many employers in both the public and private sectors now have these procedures because it’s in their interest to do so....."
Ethnic minority businesses - Spring Budget
23 March 2011
Dr Ignatius Ekanem, Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University’s Centre of Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR), said: “Ethnic minority small and medium sized businesses play a significant role in the economy, making up 10 per cent of UK businesses and 17 per cent of those in London. To enable these businesses to play their part in the road to economic recovery, the Government should encourage......"
Pre-Budget comment
22 March 2011
Dr David Kernohan, Head of Economics at Middlesex University, said: “The current fragile state of consumer confidence makes it vitally important for the Government to get the Spring Budget right. Consumer confidence is delicate, as we saw this winter with the weakest retail sales in December for more than a decade....."
Japan disaster - recovery
21 March 2011
Sue Tapsell, Head of the University's Flood Hazard Research Centre, says there is evidence that the way people's psychological response to disasters is handled can greatly affect the ability of communities to recover.
National No Smoking Day
9 March 2011
Dr Camille Alexis-Garsee, lecturer in psychology, speaks about the different methods available to people who want to quit smoking.
New product placement rules in the UK
28 February 2011
Irini Katsirea, from Middlesex University Law Department, said: “The liberalisation of product placement in UK television is hoped to yield ‘meaningful commercial benefits to commercial television companies and programme makers’ at the expense of the editorial integrity of programmes. This is an unfortunate trade-off..."
Women in the boardroom
24 February 2011
Malcolm Sargeant, Professor of Labour Law at Middlesex University, said: “The numbers of women who are members of board rooms is a sad reflection of successive governments’ attempts to tackle sex discrimination. It is now more than 35 years since the Sex Discrimination Act was adopted and progress towards full equality at senior level is slow..."
Prisoner voting
10 February 2011
On the MPs' vote on whether to allow prisoners the vote, Dr Anastasia Karamalidou, a criminology lecturer at Middlesex University, said: “Voting is not a privilege, it’s a human right..."
National sickie day
7 February 2011
Human resource management expert Wendy Banfield discusses why this year may see fewer sick days taken, and the importance of ‘return to work’ interviews...
The Government's new mental health strategy
2 February 2011
Professor of Mental Health, Peter Ryan, comments on the new 'No Health Without Mental Health' strategy, launched by Care Services Minister Paul Burstow.
UCAS figures and the creative industries
2 February 2011
Middlesex University Vice Chancellor Michael Driscoll is encouraged to see continuing growth in creative courses despite media speculation that applicants may look to vocational subjects this year...
The Government’s Education Bill
25 January 2011
Gavin Baldwin, Principal Lecturer in Education at Middlesex University, said: “My worry is that a slimmed down curriculum, concentrating on dictated facts, could mean students are denied the chance to develop the skills they need..."
The Government’s Health and Social Care Bill
18 January 2011
Dr Mary Tilki, Lecturer in Health and Social Care, on the care given to older people and other vulnerable groups, said: "I don’t doubt the need for reform but fear that older people and other vulnerable groups who are relatively voiceless will suffer disproportionately..."
The Government's Education White Paper
24 November 2010
Dr Debbie Jack, Head of Education at Middlesex University, said: “There are 33,000 trainees in universities and just 5,000 in school-based programmes, schools are not equipped to deal with the numbers of trainee teachers we are talking about..."
