Latest news with #UEA
BBC News
7 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
UEA criticised for cutting three NHS mental health courses
A union has claimed a university's decision to cut three mental health courses represents "abandoning" training the region "desperately needs". The University College Union (UCU) reacted after The University of East Anglia (UEA) confirmed it would be making cuts to three courses - the High Intensity Therapy programme, the Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner programme and the Clinical Associate in Psychology Masters Apprenticeship (CAPs) programme.A proposed reduction of 10.9 full-time equivalent roles has also been announced. A spokesperson for the UEA, said: "Applications for the courses only come from those in appropriate NHS roles, they are not open to self-funded students. Therefore, the continued delivery of the courses is no longer viable." The UEA said the courses had been affected by external factors including; NHS England restructuring, decreased uptake of NHS commissions for talking therapy programmes and a reduction in employment opportunities within the NHS for apprenticeship roles. It said the CAPs course, which is entitled to level-seven apprenticeship funding, ceases across all sectors from January mental health courses are open to NHS staff and current students already on the courses are said to have been informed of the cuts and will be supported by the university to complete their studies. However, the nearest university running these courses is in Essex. Staff have been informed and consultations with trade unions are under way. "Compulsory redundancies will always be a last resort," the university said. 'Turning its back' The UEA announced last year it would be shedding 170 full-time equivalent posts as it tried to save £ said it would be shaving 3% from its budget and could not rule out any compulsory redundancies. The UCU said the decision to cut the courses "directly contradicts" the NHS's mission and commitment to expanding psychological services. A spokesperson said: "UCU has heard from senior NHS leaders that the East of England needs 150 new psychological well-being practitioners and 150 new CBT therapists in the next year alone."By closing these programmes, in the midst of a regional and national mental health crisis, UEA is turning its back on the region and abandoning its responsibility to train the mental health workers that our region desperately needs." It claimed the decision was down to the University Vice Chancellor's desire to "smooth over" "poor financial planning" and decision making. The union has called for the university to work with it to find a solution. The BBC has contacted NHS England for comment. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Globe and Mail
16-07-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Willis and the University of East Anglia launch wildfire risk partnership in response to escalating global threat
LONDON, July 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Willis, a WTW business, (NASDAQ:WTW), today announced a new collaboration with the University of East Anglia (UEA) to deepen understanding of global wildfire risk. With wildfires now rivalling the losses caused by other perils such as hurricanes, this partnership aims to deliver credible scientific insight that helps insurers and reinsurers keep pace with a rapidly changing risk landscape. Wildfires have intensified in recent years, becoming larger, more destructive, and increasingly unpredictable. Shifting climate conditions are expanding fire-prone areas beyond traditional hotspots and triggering more intense and destructive fires, while urban growth and rising property values are amplifying the potential for catastrophic loss. From insured losses amounting to US$1.5 billion during Australia's Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20 to the US$40 billion in damage caused by this year's Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles, wildfires are no longer a secondary peril. This collaboration will focus on helping the insurance sector understand the shifting nature of wildfire risk, including changes in fire frequency, intensity, geography, and the growing threat of urban conflagrations. By combining Willis' catastrophe risk expertise with the leading climate and fire science of Dr. Matthew Jones at UEA, the partnership will support clients in anticipating wildfire-related losses and responding with more informed risk strategies. Dr. Matthew Jones co-leads the State of Wildfires Report, an annual initiative with an international network of fire scientists from 60 institutions covering six continents. This report examines the causes of extreme wildfire events of the latest fire season, evaluates future wildfire risks under climate change, and identifies opportunities to minimise risk through climate action and land management practices. 'The insurance industry can no longer treat wildfire as a niche peril confined to a few known hotspots,' said Dr. Daniel Bannister, Weather & Climate Risks Research Lead at the Willis Research Network. 'We are seeing more frequent, fast-moving fires capable of devastating urban areas and overwhelming response systems. As insurers grapple with the mounting human and economic toll, robust and accessible insights from cutting-edge research are needed more than ever before. By partnering with UEA, we aim to distil the latest research into meaningful insights that help our clients understand and manage wildfire risk, today and into the future.' 'Wildfires are a growing threat that will worsen as the climate warms, and societies are increasingly feeling the brunt of their impacts worldwide. It is critical that our research keeps pace with the emerging threat, for example by providing better prediction and warning systems and guiding forest management and fire prevention strategies that best protect society from wildfires,' said Dr. Matthew Jones. 'UEA's partnership with Willis represents a bridge between science and society and that will ensure that our research delivers real-world benefits that make communities more prepared for and resilient to wildfires.' About WTW At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance. Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you. Learn more at About the University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a UK Top 25 university (Complete University Guide and HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey). It also ranks in the UK Top 20 for research quality (Times Higher Education REF2021 Analysis) and the UK Top 10 for impact on Sustainable Development Goals. Known for its world-leading research and good student experience, its 360-acre campus has won seven Green Flag awards in a row for its high environmental standards. The University is a leading member of Norwich Research Park, one of Europe's biggest concentrations of researchers in the fields of environment, health and plant science. Media Contacts
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Heartbreaking footage reveals a plastic 'death trap' in birds' nests - with chicks getting entangled in ropes that strangle their limbs
Next time you drop rubbish on the ground, it could end up killing a bird in its own nest. Heartbreaking photos and video footage reveal white storks – one of Europe's biggest birds – tangled up in plastic waste, rope and other harmful human debris. Scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say the species, once common in the UK, is harvesting carelessly disposed trash to build their nests. It is turning their home into a plastic 'death trap' – often killing young chicks through limb loss, strangulation, ingestion and more. The photos, snapped in Portugal, reveal several white stork nests littered with blue rope, plastic bags, wrappers, tissues, fabric and even a soft toy. White storks are opportunistic foragers when searching for food or building nests, meaning they often end up collecting our junk. Aldina Franco, a professor in ecology and global environmental change at UAE who took some of these images, said the birds 'suffer a horrible death', calling it a 'serious issue'. 'These chicks get entangled in synthetic ropes when they are very young and the ropes slowly strangle their limbs as they grow, mostly legs and feet,' he said. The UAE scientists worked with colleagues in Portugal to examine the impact of plastics and rope in the nests of white storks there. They monitored and photographed 32 white stork colonies and 568 nests in Alentejo and the Algarve, southern Portugal, over four years. Overall, they found human-derived materials present in a whopping 91 per cent of the 568 stork nests monitored during the period. Soft plastic, like plastic bags, was the most common material, found in 65 per cent of the nests, followed by synthetic ropes (the main cause of entanglement) in 42 per cent of nests. Baler twine, a slow-degrading polypropylene rope, accounted for 63 per cent of the entanglements and was present particularly in colonies surrounded by agricultural areas. Overall, white stork chicks in nests containing a higher number of rope material were more likely to become entangled and had lower survival rates. During one year of weekly checking (2023), 35 out of 290 birds too young to leave their nest (nestlings) became entangled in some type of synthetic material. Many of these nestlings died, often due to injuries such as necrosis (death of body tissue) and limb loss. Where possible, researchers accessed nests with ladders to free the nestlings from the materials – but many other nests were inaccessible. White stork leg has become tangled in tightly-wound fibre, causing pain and leaving a potentially permanent mark. The leg is still swollen from the entanglement 'In some cases they still died from the consequences of their wounds,' lead author Ursula Heinze, a postgraduate researcher at UEA, told MailOnline. The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) has a wide range across Europe, but is clustered in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and much of eastern and central Europe. The species – known for clattering their bills as a form of communication – frequently nests near or within human settlements and tends to rely on landfills as foraging grounds. 'White storks are known to incorporate discarded human-made materials into their nests, frequently nest near or within human settlements and often forage on organic waste at landfill sites,' said co-author Dr Inês Catry at the University of Lisbon. 'The reasons for using these materials in nest-building are not fully understood. 'But they may relate to their availability and the scarcity of natural ones, while some might also be mistaken for food, being inadvertently incorporated in the nests.' The authors acknowledge that their study, published in the journal Ecological Indicators, only looked at one species in one country. But they say white stork is an 'indicator species', meaning it will reflect a broader trend in the environment – not limited to Portugal. Pictured, healthy chicks in a nest built with no synthetic waste. On land, the incorporation of human-derived materials into bird nests is already well documented White storks are native to the British Isles and evidence suggests that they were once widely distributed here before their decline, due to factors such as overhunting with guns and habitat loss. Thanks to reintroduction efforts, white storks are making a comeback in Britain, including at Knepp Estate in Sussex. The research team, including researchers from the University of Montpellier and University of Lisbon, know pollution like this is widespread – on land and in the sea. Such materials are also now being found in nests in the UK and other countries, such as Ukraine. 'In Ukraine, for example, solders are finding nests with fibre optic wires from remote controlled drones,' said Professor Franco. 'In the UK, several passerines, such as goldfinches and wrens, have also started using different colour polypropylene threads to build their nests. 'People spotting empty nests at the end of the breeding season may have started to notice this. 'Impact of plastic in the nests can be underestimated because the negative effects of human-produced materials tend to happen in the early life of the chicks, at an average age of two weeks, and the deaths can go unnoticed.' White storks are now enjoying a population boom of their own amid a conservation project that has seen them return to English skies for the first time in centuries. The White Stork Project, which is based at the Knepp Estate in West Sussex, has 25 home-grown storks which have chosen to spend the winter in the UK. The birds first laid eggs in 2020 and conservationists say the numbers are getting close to a 'critical mass' which could see the birds finally recover to numbers not seen for centuries. 2024 saw 53 chicks fledge at Knepp - double the previous year's 26 - giving high hopes that storks will start to recolonise other parts of England. The secret of Knepp's success is creating a colony of more than 20 non-flying storks rescued from accidents with powerlines and roads in Poland. These are kept in a six-acre pen in the middle of the rewilding project. This helps attract wild birds from Europe and also gives Knepp's free-flying storks - offspring of the penned birds - confidence and security in numbers. As well as stretching their wings in the air, the overwintering white storks can be found following the Tamworth pigs and longhorn cattle around the rewilding estate, trailing them for unearthed worms in the disturbed soil.
Daily Record
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Older motorists urged 'put 1 gadget in vehicle' to keep driving
Drivers who don't have this tool in their car tend to drive less often, says new research Older drivers could keep hold their driving licence for longer if they fit one gadget in their cars, says new research. Those over 65 years old who are still getting behind the wheel could benefit from the technology which could allow mature motorists to 'maintain their driving independence' for longer. Installing a satellite navigation GPS device in their cars could be a benefit, according to a new study from the University of East Anglia. Researchers found that drivers in that age category with Sat Nav systems in their cars 'tend to drive more frequently'. Those that don't use them didn't drive as often and effectively forced themselves off the road. Sat Nav systems are a common feature of newer cars but they can be installed separately. Professor Hornberger, spokesperson for UEA's Norwich Medical School, said the GPS systems can help older road users with their sense of direction. He said: 'We found that a considerable majority of older drivers use navigation assistance at least for some journeys, and commonly for the entire journey to a new destination. 'Older people with a poorer sense of direction rely more on Sat Navs. 'But the really important thing we found is that those who use GPS tend to drive more frequently than those who do not, suggesting that these tools help mitigate against spatial orientation difficulties and help maintain driving mobility. 'This means that if we support older drivers with using GPS navigation, it could really help maintain their driving independence, keeping them on the roads safely for longer,' reports the Express. The study saw experts question 895 UK drivers aged over 65, with the average age of participants aged 71. The participants self-reported how often and far they tend to drive, how their sense of direction was and how they tend to use GPS tools while behind the wheel. Modern Sat Navs have a voice which walks through directions and can also provide speed alerts and traffic updates. That means it helps elderly individuals to focus on their driving without having to worry about anything else. Professor Hornberger added: 'Driving is usually the preferred mode of transport among older adults, and it can be vital for maintaining independence, quality of life, wellbeing, and cognitive health as we age. 'But age-related cognitive decline means that people might experience worsening spatial abilities, leading them to drive less and less.' There have been calls for older drivers to face medical tests over the age of 70. Eyesight tests and cognitive testing is not mandatory for drivers of this age. Instead they have to declare themselves medically fit to drive. And last week Prime Minister Keir Starmer was urged to introduce stricter eyesight testing rules for all drivers. The Association of Optometrists (AOP) had previously claimed the current rules around road vision checks are 'out of step' and were in need of a review. Dr Peter Hampson, Optometrist and Clinical and Policy Director at the AOP, said they had been calling for tougher vision checks on UK roads. After similar remarks from the Older Drivers Forum and a leading coroner, Sir Keir Starmer and the Government are being urged to react and change the rules.
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Why ChatGPT essays still fail to fool experts despite good structure, although they are clear and well structured
The advent of AI has marked the rise of many tools, and ChatGPT is one of the most popular ones. Often used for research and writing, this tool has often been the centre of discussion for its ability to fetch interesting content. However, A new study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK shows that essays written by real students are still better than those produced by ChatGPT, a popular AI writing tool. Researchers compared 145 essays written by university students with 145 essays generated by ChatGPT to see how well the AI can mimic human writing. The study found that although ChatGPT's essays are clear, well structured, and grammatically correct, they lack something important. The AI essays do not show personal insight or deep critical thinking, which are common in student writing. These missing elements make the AI-generated essays feel less engaging and less convincing. However, the researchers do not see AI only as a threat. They believe tools like ChatGPT can be helpful in education if used properly. Instead of shortcuts to finish assignments, AI should be a tool that supports learning and improves writing skills. After all, education is about teaching students how to think clearly and express ideas. These are things no AI can truly replace. One key difference the researchers looked at was how the writers engage readers. Real student essays often include questions, personal comments, and direct appeals to the reader. These techniques help make the writing feel more interactive and persuasive. On the other hand, ChatGPT's essays tend to avoid questions and personal opinions. They follow academic rules but do not show a clear viewpoint or emotional connection. Professor Ken Hyland from UEA explained that the AI focuses on creating text that is logical and smooth but misses conversational details that humans use to connect with readers. This shows that AI writing still struggles with capturing the personal style and strong arguments that real people naturally use.
