Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute

In the summer of 2025 the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton UK worked together on a research exchange programme for undergraduates, masters students, postgraduate research students, and early career academics.  This programme is all about transformative impact in the broadest fields of sustainability centred around the climate change and adaptation challenges facing communities along the Mekong River Delta. 

In episode 3 we address the visit of four sustainability researchers from the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam to the University of Southampton to continue the collaboration on climate change and adaptation research projects.

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp 

Episode guests: Phan Ky Trung, Le Kim Ngan, Nguyễn Kiểu Điểm, Nguyễn Tan Loi

Episode producer: Libby Kale

Episode editor: Ellie Howell

In the summer of 2025 the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton UK worked together on a research exchange programme for undergraduates, masters students, postgraduate research students, and early career academics.  This programme is all about transformative impact in the broadest fields of sustainability centred around the climate change and adaptation challenges facing communities along the Mekong River Delta. 

In episode 2 we continue to discuss  the opening visit where nine students and researchers from the University of Southampton visited the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam to collaborate on climate change research projects and undertake cultural exchange activities to develop an understanding of the people and the environment of the region.

We recognise that some may feel flying to a region to collaborate on climate and sustainability research is counterintuitive, possibly even hypocritical. However, conducting partnership research on these crucial challenges can only be authentic if it is achieved by understanding the real-life complexities facing people and working with these communities, and not by researchers stating what the possible solutions may be from a wholly different part of the world.

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp 

Episode guests: Angelina Spilnyk, Daniel Locke, Irene Ruiz Espejo, Jamie Robinson, Lily Rudduck, Massimo Risoli, Samuel Inkster, Stefania-Myrto Staiculescu

Episode producer: Jack Dinham

Episode editor: Ellie Howell

In the summer of 2025 the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam and the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton UK worked together on a research exchange programme for undergraduates, masters students, postgraduate research students, and early career academics.  This programme is all about transformative impact in the broadest fields of sustainability centred around the climate change and adaptation challenges facing communities along the Mekong River Delta. 

In episode 1 we address the opening visit where nine students and researchers from the University of Southampton visited the DRAGON-Mekong Institute at Can Tho University Viet Nam to collaborate on climate change research projects and undertake cultural exchange activities to develop an understanding of the people and the environment of the region.

We recognise that some may feel flying to a region to collaborate on climate and sustainability research is counterintuitive, possibly even hypocritical. However, conducting partnership research on these crucial challenges can only be authentic if it is achieved by understanding the real-life complexities facing people and working with these communities, and not by researchers stating what the possible solutions may be from a wholly different part of the world.

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp 

Episode guests: Angelina Spilnyk, Daniel Locke, Irene Ruiz Espejo, Jamie Robinson, Lily Rudduck, Massimo Risoli, Samuel Inkster, Stefania-Myrto Staiculescu

Episode producer: Jack Dinham

Episode editor: Ellie Howell

This is just a bit of fun. Not a serious sustainability research, education or careers episode, this is an informal recording of some of the Meliora team chatting before, during and after the 2025 Green Gown Awards.  

We reflect on the podcast journey to this point, discuss our favourite episodes to date & the 2024 awards in the pub before the awards, attend the 2025 ceremony, chat to one of the co-chairs of the EAUC who run the GGA the brilliant Prof Zoe Robinson, the announcement of the Next Generation Learning & Skills award, the thoughts of the production and editing team after the awards (I'm not really 'that' competitive honest), and a closing reflection at a horribly early time the morning after at Birmingham New Street Railway Station.

We recognise this episode may be seen as a little self-indulgent, but we thought some people may enjoy a light-hearted insight into the more informal celebratory side of sustainability in the HE sector.  We hope you enjoy it :)

Episode hosts: Prof Simon Kemp, Jack Dinham, Libby Kale, Ellie Howell

Episode guests: Prof Zoe Robinson and the background comments of the Green Gown Award guests

Episode editor: Ellie Howell

We are delighted to welcome the inspirational and all round wonderful sustainability expert Professor Denise Baden to what is now the 'Green Gown Award Winning' Meliora podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton.

Denise continues to innovate in her approach to maximising the sustainability impact of her work.  We chat about her journey to sustainability, her academic expertise and teaching, creativity leading to research awards, and her current work as a sustainability fiction author.  

Links to Denise's highly recommended brilliant work are below:

https://www.dabaden.com/

https://www.greenstories.org.uk/

https://habitatpress.com/

linkedin.com/in/denise-baden-3742793

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/creative-climate-communication-7300475505529540608

https://bsky.app/profile/dabaden.bsky.social

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5wzjrb/professor-denise-baden

Episode guest: Professor Denise Baden, University of Southampton

Episode host: Professor Simon Kemp

Episode producer and editor: Jack Dinham

The Meliora podcast is back for a new academic year, and we're joined by the brilliant Jenny Abery (Principal Educator) at the wonderful Hawk Conservancy Trust (https://www.hawk-conservancy.org/) to chat all things wildlife, studying, building a conservation education career, and the lifelong relationships and connections from studying at University.  

We always love having our alumni join us on the Meliora podcast, and as ever it was an absolute joy to welcome Jenny back. She was always such an impressive natural communicator and excellent student when studying with us at the University of Southampton, and it's always so great when someone has the job that so perfectly suits them!

Episode guest: Jenny Abery, Principal Educator at the Hawk Conservancy Trust

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp

Episode producer and editor: Ellie Howell

Billy Weir MSci Environmental Science joins us again for his episode, this time on his Masters research project "Assessing the impact of Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber) reintroduction on fish populations in Plymouth, England".

Abstract - Rewilding has become an aim for conservation across the globe, and a crucial aspect of that is species reintroductions. Ecosystem engineers such as Eurasian Beavers (Castor fiber) are an excellent example of a species that can return to nature-deprived countries, such as the UK, and increase biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. The return of Eurasian beavers across Europe and the UK represents a conservation success story, despite some controversies surrounding localised flooding. 

This study investigated the impact Eurasian Beavers have on fish populations at a reintroduction project at Poole Farm, Plymouth, England. Seine netting sampling was conducted and eDNA samples were collected across three sites at Poole Farm. This data was compared to a fish population survey that occurred in October 2021 and supplemented with land imagery of the enclosure to assess beaver impact. 

The data suggests that Three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) dominate the stream at all sites, and that the beaver dam provides Brown trout (Salmo trutta) with a large obstacle that they cannot pass to upstream areas, despite other literature finding otherwise. 

We suggest it’s crucial to continue monitoring the fish population at Poole Farm, and at beaver reintroduction projects across the country, as beavers become more established.

Episode guest: Billy Weir MSci Environmental Science

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp

Episode producer and editor: Libby Kale

Nurulhuda Gumay Riswandi BA Philosophy and Politics joins us to discuss their research project "How can we explore and compare health infrastructures and delivery of healthcare services of two regions affected by conflict and political instability?".

This research explores and compares the health infrastructures and healthcare delivery systems of four post-conflict countries: Rwanda and Liberia in Sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq and Kuwait in the Middle East. By using a comparative case study methodology, the research investigates how conflict and political instability shape healthcare recovery. It focuses on governance capacity, international aid and gender equity to evaluate factors that support or hinder long-term health system resilience and inclusivity. The research directly aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being, by analysing how conflict-affected states rebuild healthcare services to promote universal health coverage and improve health outcomes. It also supports SDG 5: Gender Equality, through its gender-sensitive analysis of health governance and the inclusion of women in post-conflict healthcare delivery. Additionally, the study engages with SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, by evaluating how institutional coherence and governance reform contribute to equitable and sustainable recovery in fragile contexts.

Episode guest: Nurulhuda Gumay Riswandi BA Philosophy and Politics

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp

Episode producer and editor: Jack Dinham

Joelle Foster BSc Psychology joins us to discuss her research project titled "An investigation into music engagement in adults in the UK and its relationship with general levels of nostalgia and mental well-being".

Research on music listening is vast in showing the mental health benefits of such a practice. Nostalgia has also shown great effect in eliciting positive emotions. Emerging research looks at music-evoked nostalgia but not much research has been conducted on music composers in this area. This  research project investigated this population with regards to general levels of nostalgia and well-being, important for tackling SDG3 'Good Health and Well-being'.

Episode guest: Joelle Foster, BSc Psychology

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp

Episode producer and editor: Jack Dinham

We’re joined by three of our students - Jack Carter and Shaska Nicholson, who are studying BSc Biology, and Montasir Ahmed, who is studying BSc Pharmacology to discuss their research project ‘The Use of GenAI in Higher Education’

Over the past 6 months, they have been working on their Capstone Research Project as part of their School of Biological Sciences ‘Science Communication’ module. They investigated how students in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton are using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) for learning purposes.

In this episode, they discuss how widely GenAI is being used by students, which AI platforms are most popular, and student opinions on whether GenAI has improved their learning experience and academic performance. They also explore how education might adapt in the future, either by integrating GenAI more fully into everyday learning or by finding ways to mitigate its potential negative impacts through changes to assessment.

 Recommended papers:

Exploring the integration of ChatGPT in education: adapting for the future – (Elbanna et al., 2024).https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/msar-03-2023-0016/full/html 

Leadership is needed for ethical ChatGPT: Character, assessment, and learning using artificial intelligence (AI) – (Crawford et al., 2023) https://open-publishing.org/journals/index.php/jutlp/article/view/645

Ethical principles for artificial intelligence in education - (Nguen et al., 2022). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-022-11316-w

Episode guests: Jack Carter and Shaska Nicholson, who are studying BSc Biology, and Montasir Ahmed, BSc Pharmacology

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp

Episode producers: Libby Kale and Ellie Howell

Episode editor: Ellie Howell