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Helping people live better, for longer

The Orthopaedic Research Institute is helping people with hip arthritis to live pain-free lives through their ground-breaking CHAIN programme

By working together with regional healthcare partners, our international research is helping people live better, healthier lives and age well.

From enhancing the nutritional welfare of people with dementia to using virtual reality technology to train nurses and surgeons, we work across our faculties to contribute to a happier, healthier society.

In addition to educating the healthcare professionals and technical innovators of the future, the multifaceted nature of our research is leading to change in a wide variety of contexts. That ranges from supporting people to manage the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, to helping people with hip arthritis live pain-free lives through an innovative cycling programme.

The £48 million investment in the Bournemouth Gateway Building – the home of the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences – underpins our commitment to improving the quality of life for people in our region, and beyond, at every stage of their lives.

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Challenging marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

This is the story of Hannah, her experiences of prosopagnosia, and how BU's research and practice has helped raise awareness of the condition for patients and practitioners alike

We challenge marginalisation, embody ethical reporting and digital responsibility, protect the vulnerable, and empower communities. We do this by listening to those who are often excluded from decision-making, and helping them to be heard.

It’s a commitment that’s embodied across a wide range of research, from safeguarding vulnerable adults from scams, to giving a voice to disabled young people, to analysing the media coverage of para-sports.

Our Athena Swan Bronze award recognises our commitment to gender equality, and the Students’ Union at BU (SUBU) has Investors in Diversity accreditation. We’re also a Disability Confident employer, a member of the Race Equality Charter, and a signatory to the Time to Change Employer Pledge – a scheme that aims to tackle the stigma and discrimination around mental health, particularly in the workplace.

Throughout the year, we work to celebrate diversity and equality among our community – from an annual Pride event, to celebrating Black History Month and championing wellbeing during Mental Health Awareness Week.

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Acting as a catalyst for growth, using our skills and expertise to boost skills and advance the region

Outpost VFX, a global visual effects agency for film and TV with studios in Bournemouth, Montreal, Los Angeles, London and Mumbai, explain the value of being in such close proximity to new talent

We care about the place where we live and work and we want to make it the best it can be through our extensive industry links and partnerships.

We have real-world experience, underpinned by our innovative research, to help support local growth, develop talent, and enhance economic outcomes. Our international links, our alumni network and the impact of our global research help us take the best of Bournemouth around the world.

Every BU undergraduate student has the opportunity to complete a placement during their studies, and many do so with multinational companies, both in the UK and overseas. Many then go on to start their careers with their placement employer, and you’ll find BU graduates working all over the world, whatever your industry.

Regionally, our staff and students contribute significantly to the South West’s economy and our long-standing partnership with AFC Bournemouth, dating back to 2013, has led to a range of collaborations, including sponsoring the girls’ teams at different age ranges.

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Helping creative and cultural industries to thrive

Researchers from the UK and the US, including BU, have uncovered unequivocal evidence that shows human activity in the Americas much earlier than previously thought

We help communities appreciate and understand their cultural heritage and support creative industries to grow and develop. From our Oscar-winning graduates to discoveries made by our historians, our work underpins the UK’s international reputation in creative industries and cultural heritage.

You’ll find BU graduates in some of the top animation studios around the world, working on major blockbuster films and leading-edge projects. Our National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) has been at the forefront of computer graphics and animation education and research in the UK since 1989 and has forged links with many of the UK’s, and the world’s, most prominent animation organisations and award-winning professionals. It also hosts BFX – one of the largest visual effects, animation and games festivals in the UK.

Our Department of Archaeology & Anthropology has worked on a rich variety of celebrated projects and finds – from discovering the earliest unequivocal evidence of human activity in the Americas, to answering age-old mysteries of Stone Henge, to identifying and preserving historic shipwrecks.

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Helping to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

Join Anita Diaz and Ecology & Wildlife Conservation students at Arne Nature Reserve, describing their work to understand and preserve crucial habitats for generations to come

We are helping to save endangered species, protect coastal and freshwater regions, and understand ecosystems, learning from the past to impact the future. The university uses its location to embed good practice that helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment for generations to come.

Our academics’ work to protect endangered species includes research to help save the hump-backed mahseer population in Indian rivers from extinction, and evidencing the devastating effects introducing invasive species can have on existing ecosystems.

The local region lends itself perfectly to this kind of research, with work on the cross-channel Marineff project (MARine INfrastructure EFFects) – investigating methods to protect and enhance costal ecosystems – taking place in Poole Harbour. We strive to get our students involved in such research where possible, too – for example, working with partners across the UK and EU to understand the migration patterns and populations of wild salmon in Dorset rivers.

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Helping to prepare for and recover from crisis

Through a partnership with the Disaster Management Centre at BU, the community in Freetown, Sierra Leone have built resilience to deal with and manage crises

We are leading governments and organisations across the world in preparedness for, and recovery from, crises – with people at the heart. From the work of our Disaster Management Centre (BUDMC) to research focused on building resilience and cyber security, we manage situations, make systems and operations safe and secure, and work for the protection of the world we live in.

BUDMC is one of the leading providers of Disaster Management education in the UK and overseas, and it undertakes major externally funded research projects for a number of international partners. This includes working with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) on travel and tourism crisis management, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) on ‘Hotel Resilience’, and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) on issues of resilience in African nations.

Outside of the centre, our academic and graduate community is involved in a diverse range of projects and innovations, from leveraging the power of journalism to shaping the future of search and rescue with pioneering research into the use of drone technology.

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