GCU Common Good Podcast

This special episode of the Common Good podcast, released to coincide with Black History Month, focuses on the subjects or racism, language and self-identity. Hosted by Adrian Lui, Glasgow Caledonian University's Equality and Diversity Advisor, the podcast brings together members of the GCU community to discuss how they identify themselves and the evolution of language in relation to race. Adrian...

Dr Emma Green and Leona McQuaid join the Common Good Podcast to talk about the launch of the snack-sized self-care initiative, a scheme designed to boost the mental health and wellbeing of our students. The Pair discuss the project's genesis, how it was developed with partners across GCU and how it can be rolled out across the University and beyond.

Points of Pride is GCU's flagship event that celebrates staff success and achievement. As nominations close on Friday 7 October 2022, Claire Currie, a lecturer in diagnostic imaging, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about her experiences of being nominated and why she's "paid it forward" for this year's event.

Professor Simon Hunter returns to the Common Good Podcast to talk about the results from the Scottish Mental Illness Stigma Survey. Professor Hunter had previously spoken about the project after it launched and now he discusses its findings and how they can be put into a practical context.

Mandy Abbott, a lecturer in podiatry at GCU, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about her recent experience volunteering at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, providing foot healthcare for hundreds of elite athletes. Mandy reveals how the opportunity came about, the camaraderie amongst her colleagues and how the spending 10 nights in student accommodation.

Professor Rohinton Emmanuel, Director of the BEAM Centre at GCU, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about the phenomenon of urban heat islands and their contribution to the climate emergency. Professor Emmanuel explains how urban heat islands develop in our city centres, why some neighbourhoods in the same city are hotter than others, and how we can mitigate against this phenomenon. He also ref...

Dr Chioma Nwafor, a lecturer in financial services, joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to discuss The Paradox of Educational Attainment and Income/Poverty: Has the Nexus Broken?, a new study that examines why there is a disparity between the calibre of education and income amongst Scottish Africans. Dr Nawfor discusses the project and why previous studies into this area have been...

Dr Jane McKay joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about the concept of perfectionism and how it can be used to help improve the student learning experience. Dr McKay explains the positive and negative connotations of perfectionism and its role in mental health. She discusses the HAPPY project and how our students can benefit, as well as her background in athletics, which has shaped her career in...

Dr Sanjukta Brahma, a Senior Lecturer in Finance, joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast, to talk about her research exploring the links between the LGBTQ community and finance. Dr Brahma outlines the four areas her study investigates, how it fills in the missing gaps in existing literature, and how it can be implemented in a practical context.

Anna Talbot, the Programme Co-ordinator with the Rhodes University Community Engagement Team, joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to talk about her work and its importance within South African higher education. Speaking with Julie Adair, Anna discusses why community engagement is vital to universities, her team's outreach work with local schools, and how the University sprung into...

Adil Rahoo, the outgoing Student President at the GCU Students' Association, joins the Common Good Podcast to look back on his 12 months in office. Adil discusses how he and his team supported the transition from remote learning to face-to-face teaching back on campus, as well as their other successes during his time in office. He also looks to the future and outlines his next steps.

Dr Gillian Hunter joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to talk about how GCU is implementing sustainability in its laboratories. Dr Hunter, a lecturer in the Research Centre for Health, explains why her department is implementing the principles of LEAF and how a £5,000 grant from the University will help them cut down on their waste.

Dr Lucyna Gozdzielewska joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about World Hand Hygiene Day, which takes place on Thursday 5 May 2022. Dr Gozdzielewska, a researcher in the Safeguarding Health through Infection Prevention (SHIP) research group at GCU, talks about how the team are marking the day, as well as their wider work in raising awareness for good hand hygiene.

Dr Paul Baker joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to talk about how the GCU campus in Glasgow has become a haven for birdlife. Dr Baker, a Lecturer in Cell and Molecular Biology and a passionate ornithologist, has been monitoring the campus' bird life for four years and last year he recorded 12 species on campus, including a migratory Woodcock, which may have flown in from as far a...

As we approach International Women's Day 2022, the GCU Common Good Podcast focuses on its success in Graduate Apprenticeships and how it is supporting girls and young women in STEAM. Sarah Speirs, a graduate apprenticeship in Environmental Civil Engineering, is joined by Dr Andrew Cowell, the Programme Leader for the Graduate Apprenticeship in Engineering, Design and Manufacture, to share their ex...

Annamae Burrows, a PhD student in the School of Health and Life Sciences, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about her forthcoming study into the impact of gender and masculinity on male loneliness and social isolation. Annamae outlines the project, which aims to talk to men aged between 18 and 30, and how we define terms like "loneliness" and "masculinity". She also discusses the role alcohol...

Adrian Lui, GCU's Equality and Diversity Advisor, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about the University's Call It Racism campaign, a new initiative designed to tackle racism on our campuses. Adrian discusses racism within the higher education sector, why we need this new campaign, how our students and staff can benefit from it.

Dr Zoe Tieges, a SMART Technology Research Centre Research Fellow, joins the latest episode of the Common Good Podcast to discuss a new study that's found people living close to canals can cut their risk of chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease, stroke or hypertension by 15 per cent. Dr Tieges explains the regeneration of canals and their impact on areas like the north of Glasgow, how she...

Nathan Tagg joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about the work of the Caledonian Club, GCU's multi-award winning widening participation and community engagement initiative that works across our local communities in Glasgow and beyond. Nathan, the manager of the Caledonian Club, discusses its genesis, how it works with a wide spectrum of children, from nursery age to high-school leavers, and the...

Simon Hunter, a Professor of Applied Psychology at GCU, joins the first Common Good Podcast of 2022 to talk about the launch of a new survey that will allow people with experience of complex mental illnesses to share their views and experiences of stigma and discrimination to help shape policy, support and services in Scotland. Professor Hunter outlines the kind of stigmas people with mental healt...

GCU Sports Historian Dr Fiona Skillen and Richard McBrearty, a curator at the Scottish Football Museum, join the Common Good Podcast to talk about a new exhibition celebrating Rutherglen Ladies FC, a trailblazing women's football side from the 1920s and 1930s who paved the way for today's superstars. Dr Skillen and Richard discuss how Rutherglen Ladies FC's story had been forgotten until very rece...

Stephanie Pitticas, the Director of Recruitment and Admissions, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about the admissions process at Glasgow Caledonian University. Stephanie discusses how she and her team have processed 11,000 applications from potential students and the challenges involved in dealing with such a large volume. She also talks about how her team have made a positive impact on hundr...

Dr Elaine Ritch, a Senior Lecturer in Marketing, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about hew new book, New Perspectives in Critical Marketing and Consumer Society, and how it ties in with GCU's mission. She talks about how the book is based on her own teachings and how the concept of sustainability is embedded within her programme and lectures. Dr Ritch also talks about concepts such as "wokew...

In the final instalment of our COP26 Podcast Series, we are delighted to bring you this special episode with Glasgow Caledonian University's Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pamela Gillies CBE FRSE, Dr Annie Lennox OBE, humanitarian, singer-songwriter and Chancellor of GCU, and social activist Dr Satish Kumar about education and the role it can play in tackling climate change. Led by Profe...

Our COP26 Podcast Series continues with a special interview with Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Laureate and Emeritus Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, about climate justice and how it fits into his vision for a post-pandemic society. Professor Yunus says bold action is needed to stop humanity from continuing on its “suicidal path” and how mankind will become an “endangered species” un...