Celebrating the Past, Transforming the Future
Join us on the 19th of June 2025 at a special research conference which marks the 150th anniversary of É«»¨Ìà (É«»¨ÌÃ), Edinburgh.
We invite you to come together with researchers, academics, staff and students at É«»¨Ìà to celebrate 150 years of our research, innovation and knowledge exchange.
- Overview
- Speakers
- Programme
- Concurrent Session's & Workshops
- Afternoon Creative Spaces
- Research Images
We’ll showcase how our groundbreaking research and innovations are influencing the world around us by making a positive impact on health, wellbeing, culture, social justice, and sustainable business. Our dynamic conference programme will consist of keynote speeches, fascinating panel discussions, and exhibitions. We invite you to be inspired; and to learn, build and strengthen collaboration and partnership as we move forward into future innovation and research which supports wellness and creativity in individuals and societies.
We welcome academics, practitioners, policy makers, and strategic leaders, as well as students. Be part of this milestone celebration as we honour our past and present and chart the course for the next 150 years of discovery and excellence.
We look forward to welcoming you and sharing research and ideas, but most of all, bring an open mind, enthusiasm, energy, and laughter. By challenging one another and sharing ideas, we can harness our talents to make a better world. Be part of the discussion!
Professor Sarah Skerratt
Sarah is Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). A familiar face to the RSE, having been the RSE’s Director of Programmes for two years. Prior to this, Sarah was Director of Policy Engagement at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), where she worked for just over two decades. Sarah is Professor of Rural Society and Policy.
For 30+ years, Sarah has researched rural community resilience, disempowerment, poverty and rural mental health. She has enhanced rural and national policies and made a difference in rural communities via robust data, particularly lived-experienced evidence. Sarah works with Scottish Government task forces, Scottish and UK Parliaments, universities, private, public and third sectors, communities and development agencies in Scotland and internationally. Following a two-year secondment with Audit Scotland, Sarah is retained as their rural adviser, having established their Islands Forum in 2017. Sarah is also Scientific Director of the Scottish Consortium for Rural Research (SCRR).
Sarah’s charity Board appointments have included: Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Rural Housing Scotland and Scotland’s Regeneration Forum (SURF); she is currently on the Board of the Scottish Power Foundation.
MD Rezaur Rahman
MD Rezaur Rahman, known as MD, originally from Bangladesh, has called Scotland home since 2009. He considers himself a Global Citizen dedicated to building an inclusive society where future generations have equitable access to resources, well-being, and opportunities.
MD completed his master’s degree in 2022 and is currently a PhD candidate at É«»¨Ìà in Edinburgh. His research, funded by Police Scotland, examines the impact of social mixing activities on fostering connectedness and social cohesion among diverse ethnic groups in West Lothian, Scotland.
With a strong commitment to community engagement and policy impact, MD currently serves as a Community Relationship Specialist with Police Scotland, working to strengthen trust and collaboration between the police and minoritised communities through meaningful partnerships and service improvements.
Details of further speakers to be confirmed, please check back here for updates.
Celebrating the Past, Transforming the Future
Thursday, 19th June 2025Ìý
| 0830 - 0900 | Arrival and RegistrationÌý |
| 0900 - 0910 |
Welcome, outline of the day and house keeping Erna Haraldsdottir, Deputy Head, Division of Nursing & Paramedic Science, É«»¨ÌÃÌý |
| 0910 - 0920 |
Welcome overview of É«»¨Ìà – History and where are we nowÌý Sir Paul Grice, Principal, É«»¨ÌÃÌý |
| 0920 - 0950 |
Giving back’ through our research: making a difference (and knowing that we are!)Ìý Sara Skerratt, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Edinburgh |
| 0950 - 1005 |
Research on reasons for barriers to education Sofia Kazh |
| 1010 - 1155 |
Concurrent Session'sÌý See separate tab to be booked in advanceÌý |
| 1200 - 1310 |
Lunch served in Guthrie's |
| 1315 - 1415 |
Afternoon Creative SpacesÌý See separate tab to be booked in advanceÌý |
| 1415 - 1430 |
Research into skills and workforce developmentÌý Sanna Rimpilainen, Head of Research and Skills, Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre |
| 1430 - 1445 |
Educating for Connection: A Global Citizen’s Path from Lived Experience to Policy Impact MD Rezaur Rahmaur, PhD candidate, É«»¨ÌÃÌý |
| 1445 - 1500 |
Session TBCÌý |
| 1500 - 1515 |
Refreshment BreakÌý |
| 1515 - 1615 |
Panel SessionÌý |
| 1615 - 1630 |
Closing RemarksÌý Richard Butt, Deputy Principal, É«»¨ÌÃÌý |
Ìý
Booking link for all sessions, coming soon!
Live and Culture - Room 3105
| 1010 - 1025 |
Farmer: Narrative about Self, Land and the Future of Farming Ana Tomic |
| 1025 - 1040 |
Destigmatising Sex: How Sexfluencers Deconstruct Sex Positivity through Digital Advocacy on Instagram Abhilash Sugunan Nair |
| 1040 - 1055 |
Exploring Culture and Social Justice through Critical Realist Lens Georgios Tsigkas |
| 1055 - 1110 |
Refreshment Break |
| 1110 - 1125 |
Scotland in 1875- É«»¨ÌÃs Response to Educational, Health and Social Inequality Kieran Taylor |
| 1125 - 1140 |
Impact of Carnival Tourism: Carnivals as Niche Product Leei John |
| 1140 - 1155 |
Childhood Across Time and Place: Exploring Evolving Perspectives through É«»¨Ìà 150 Year Leagacy Carlyn Blaisdell |
Living, Health and Wellbeing - Room 3106
| 1010 - 1025 |
The Past, Present and Future of Speech Technology Jim Scobbie |
| 1025 - 1040 |
Health, Wellbeing and British Sign Language Interpreting Rachel Mapson |
| 1040 - 1055 |
Dream AI Open Lab: Immersive AI-Generated Storytelling to Enhance Wellbeing John Dean, Bianca Mastrominico and Vlad Butucea |
| 1055 - 1110 |
Refreshment Break |
| 1110 - 1125 |
The Role of Workplace Spirituality in Finding Purpose at Work Susanne Ross |
| 1125 - 1140 |
Nature Connection for Health and Wellbeing: New Directions in the Anthropocene Alexia Barrable |
| 1140 - 1155 |
Food for health and the environment: 10 years of food innovation and development at É«»¨Ìà (2015-2025) Julien Lonchhamp and Catriona Liddle |
Live and Education - Room 3091
| 1010 - 1025 |
Clinical Academic Partnership Alison Wood |
| 1025 - 1040 |
Strengthening transnational education partnership through shared contextual understanding Ailsa Espie |
| 1040 - 1055 |
É«»¨Ìà and Religious Moral Education Stephen C Scholes |
| 1055 - 1110 |
Refreshment Break |
| 1110 - 1125 |
TBC |
| 1125 - 1140 |
TBC |
| 1140 - 1155 |
TBC |
Workshops I & II - Room 3162
| 1010 - 1105 |
What Does it Mean to be Nero- affirming in Research Marion Rutherford and Lorna Johnston |
| 1105 - 1120 | Refreshment Break |
| 1120 - 1215 |
Wiggle- Waggle your Tongue on Screen Jim Scobbie |
Workshops II & III - Room 3163
| 1010 - 1105 |
Anti-Ableism in Education through Imagination and Play Clare Uytman and Sian Jones |
| 1105 - 1120 | Refreshment Break |
| 1120 - 1215 |
Active Learning- A Socratic Nursing Approach Georgios Tsigkas |
Workshop IV and V - Room 3164
| 1010 - 1105 |
Perceiving Water: Digital Images, Texture and Transcorporeal Intimacy Alice Giuliani and Regina Moss |
| 1105 - 1120 | Refreshment Break |
| 1120 - 1215 |
Sing for Wellbeing: Beats & Harmonies for Health Kat Lord and Stuart Wilson |
Workshop VI and VII - Room 3165
| 1010 - 1105 |
Re-imagining the Future of Global Health and Developing IGHD |
| 1105 - 1120 | Refreshment Break |
| 1120 - 1215 |
Communicating Scotland Through Food Ana Tominc |
Booking link for these sessions will be coming soon!Ìý
Creative space I - Room 3162Ìý
| 13.15 - 14.15 |
Opaque Bodies, Opaque Methods- Researching Queer Trauma through Film Art Regina Moss |
Creative space II - Room 3163Ìý
| 13.15 - 14.15 |
Co- shaping the Future of Palliative and Bereavement CareÌý Julie Young |
Creative Space III - Room 3164
| 13.15 - 14.15 |
Mountaineering, Expeditioning and Wilderness Medicine: Enhancing Wellbeing and Resilience in a Changing World Suzie DickÌý |
Creative Space IV - Room 3165Ìý
| 13.15 - 14.15 |
Erewhon- Fictional Lessons of Life with our With or Without TechnologyÌý Alan Bainbridge |
Creative Space V -Ìý Outdoor SpaceÌý
| 13.15 - 14.15 |
É«»¨Ìà Outdoors- Gifts of PlaceÌý Patrick BoxallÌý |
We invite research students and staff to capture an element of their research in a single A3 image
Interestingly, Succinctly, Meaningfully, Beautifully
and to explain / express how your image is relevant to your research in up to 150 words (including an image title if you wish).
Your entry could convey a concept, some data, your methods, a result.
It could express the rationale for your work, or its impact.
A group of staff and doctoral students will curate the entries, aiming to display as many as possible at the É«»¨ÌÃ150 Conference (19 June 2025).
Submit your entries by Friday 30 May, mechanism still to be determined
Conferences and Events Enquiries
If you have an Event/Conference enquiry, one of our team will contact you as soon as possible.
We aim to respond to all enquiries within one full working day of receipt.
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2025 marks 150 years of É«»¨ÌÃ
