GCU Common Good Podcast

Glasgow Caledonian University is marking Carers Week (June 7 to 13) by highlighting the work we do to support our staff and student carers.

In this episode of the Common Good Podcast, Gail Herrigan from the Professional Services talks about her experiences as a carer and how GCU has helped her balance her career and her caring responsibilities. Gail is joined by Adrian Lui, GCU's Equality and Diversity Officer, to outline how the University is supporting staff with similar requirements and building on its status as a Care Positive institution.

Dr Alec Wersun, a Senior Lecturer in the Glasgow School for Business and Society, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about PRME, the Principles for Responsible Management Education, and how GCU has adopted this United Nations-supported initiative to build the business leaders of the future. Dr Wersun charts PRME's journey since it was introduced to the University in 2012, how its been woven into our educational offering, and where he sees the relationship going next.

Professor Sebastien Chastin joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about his groundbreaking research into "the perfect cocktail" of exercise and rest that will lead to longer and healthier lives. Professor Chastin outlines the "three-to-one" formula, where three minutes of physical activity offsets every hour spent sitting, and how he and a team of international researchers carried out their study. He also looks at his work into how exercise can reduce the risk of infectious diseases like the coronavirus by a third.

Julie Duncan, the Head of Conference and Events at GCU, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about the future of the events industry in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. She talks how she and her team were affected by the lockdown, the challenges of hosting online-only events, and what the future holds for conferences as we approach the easing of restrictions.

GCU Students' Association Student President Susan Docherty joins the Common Good Podcast to reflect on her 12 months in office and how she and her team have supported our students throughout the pandemic.

Susan discusses being the Student President during "these unprecedented times", the importance of positive mental amongst the student community, the challenges of remote working and her plans for the future.

Mark Majewsky Anderson, the Director of the Research and Innovation Office at GCU, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about social innovation and how it ties in with our mission as the University for the Common Good. Mark explains what we mean by the term “social innovation”, GCU’s participation in two recent social-innovation projects and how the concept will evolve and develop over the next decade. He also discusses his "second life" as a playwright and author.

Douglas Little joins the Common Good Podcast for the final time to look back over his remarkable 35 years at Glasgow Caledonian University.

The Director of Estates, who announced he will retire from GCU at the end of April 2021, reflects on joining the Queens College, Glasgow in 1986 as a joiner, how the University was founded in 1993, the rapid transformation of the Glasgow campus and his role in the Heart of the Campus project in 2014.

Douglas is certain to be missed by his friends and colleagues at GCU and we wish him well in the next chapter of his life.

The importance of positive mental health has never before been so important, and GCU is always looking to improve its support for students and staff. Rachel Simpson, the Project Officer for Student Mental Health, and Helen Gallagher, Assistant Vice-Principal of Health and Wellbeing, join the Common Good Podcast to outline the University's mental health provision, how students and staff can access help and the launch of the "Spotlight On" series.

Dr Angela O'Hagan, the Deputy Director of the WISE Centre for Economic Justice at Glasgow Caledonian University, joins the Common Good Podcast to examine the theory behind feminist economics and the importance of gender budgeting. She also outlines the work of the WISE Centre and their role in influencing Scottish government policy, before talking about the launch of the new MSc in Human Rights at the University and the upcoming Ailsa McKay Memorial Lecture.

Elanor Cormack, a final-year student on the University's DPsych Sport and Exercise programme, joins the Common Good Podcast to talk about her research into gender stereotyping in sport and the harmful effects it can have on boys and girls. Elanor discusses how gender stereotyping can happen, which sports are more susceptible to it, and how teachers and coaches can prevent it from happening. She also reflects on her own research paper, "A systematic review of gender stereotype beliefs and their relationship with youth sport participation and performance" and how its findings can be put into practice.