Latest news with #UniversityofStirling
The National
7 hours ago
- General
- The National
Uniqlo store's colonial ties uncovered by Scottish university research
Paul Max Morin, a French associate researcher at the University of Stirling and a lecturer at the Menton (Alpes-Maritimes) campus of Sciences Po Paris since 2018, recently discovered a safe in the Uniqlo store in Marseille which customers enter to use the fitting rooms. 'The building was actually a colonial bank that was created at the end of the 19th century, 1865, to finance basically the colonisation in Algeria,' Morin, 37, explained. READ MORE: Nobel-winning Scottish chemist predicts Alzheimer's drugs in 5 years 'It is a shock, to be between the past and the present in which in you have today, young French people that may be working or buying clothes, not knowing that the safe contained the wealth and resources that were that were created by the exploitation of Algeria and maybe their direct, great grandparents.' The opulent building still retains Art Nouveau features from the original bank alongside the safe, including ornamental railings and an engraved exterior gate. As part of the project titled "The Empire's Vault' alongside a team of his second-year political science students, Morin set out to get an information plaque installed by store management, and carried out research on the store's customers and their personal connection to Algeria. The team found that 42% of the store's customers had a family connection to Algeria and 66% had a negative view of colonization. "When Paul Max Morin contacted us, we were initially surprised," a spokesperson for Uniqlo France said. "Then we saw the opportunity to convey the right message about the building's colonial past, in a factual, humble, and respectful manner." Uniqlo added: "We supported the project before knowing these figures.' 'You never know what you're going to discover' Stirling University assisted in funding the project, with Morin adding: 'I think Stirling understood the originality of the projects and obviously Scotland has its own heritage with the empire and the colonization of countries as part of the UK. 'When I came to Scotland, I did the tour of Glasgow with some artists went through the cemetery and stuff and you had the statues of former slave owners and so on and in the space you have no signs, no way to actually understand the wealth of Glasgow. 'There was the wealth of all these slave owners, and they are presented as, you know, captains or industrial owner, and so on, but you can't actually guess where the wealth is coming from and how it was created, which is my main purpose here. READ MORE: St Andrews rector to make discrimination claim against university after Gaza row 'We could also, in my eyes, organise some colonial tools to explain where the wealth is coming from, and this tour I did in Glasgow made me think of that. Or we could also work on the colonial legacy like the physical presence of this history to tell. In a message to fellow academics in Scotland, Morin said: 'You never know what you're going to discover. Or is there something that you've learned through this that others should know? 'I would also say be a bit broader with the teaching experience, involve students in the making of the education. I think that's a great experience and trying to connect research with local stakeholders to have an impact on what we study - that's very dynamic in academia.'
The National
8 hours ago
- General
- The National
Uniqlo store's colonial past uncovered by Scotland lecturer
Paul Max Morin, a French associate researcher at the University of Stirling and a lecturer at the Menton (Alpes-Maritimes) campus of Sciences Po Paris since 2018, recently discovered a safe in the Uniqlo store in Marseille which customers enter to use the fitting rooms. 'The building was actually a colonial bank that was created at the end of the 19th century, 1865, to finance basically the colonisation in Algeria,' Morin, 37, explained. READ MORE: Nobel-winning Scottish chemist predicts Alzheimer's drugs in 5 years 'It is a shock, to be between the past and the present in which in you have today, young French people that may be working or buying clothes, not knowing that the safe contained the wealth and resources that were that were created by the exploitation of Algeria and maybe their direct, great grandparents.' The opulent bank still retains Art Nouveau features from the original bank alongside the safe, including ornamental railings and an engraved exterior gate. As part of the project titled "The Empire's Vault' alongside a team of his second-year political science students, Morin set out to get an information plaque installed by store management, and carried out research on the store's customers and their personal connection to Algeria. The team found that 42% of the store's customers had a family connection to Algeria and 66% had a negative view of colonization. "When Paul Max Morin contacted us, we were initially surprised," a spokesperson for Uniqlo France said. "Then we saw the opportunity to convey the right message about the building's colonial past, in a factual, humble, and respectful manner." Uniqlo added: "We supported the project before knowing these figures.' 'You never know what you're going to discover' Stirling University assisted in funding the project, with Morin adding: 'I think Stirling understood the originality of the projects and obviously Scotland has its own heritage with the empire and the colonization of countries as part of the UK. 'When I came to Scotland, I did the tour of Glasgow with some artists went through the cemetery and stuff and you had the statues of former slave owners and so on and in the space you have no signs, no way to actually understand the wealth of Glasgow. 'There was the wealth of all these slave owners, and they are presented as, you know, captains or industrial owner, and so on, but you can't actually guess where the wealth is coming from and how it was created, which is my main purpose here. READ MORE: St Andrews rector to make discrimination claim against university after Gaza row 'We could also, in my eyes, organise some colonial tools to explain where the wealth is coming from, and this tour I did in Glasgow made me think of that. Or we could also work on the colonial legacy like the physical presence of this history to tell. In a message to fellow academics in Scotland, Morin said: 'You never know what you're going to discover. Or is there something that you've learned through this that others should know? 'I would also say be a bit broader with the teaching experience, involve students in the making of the education. I think that's a great experience and trying to connect research with local stakeholders to have an impact on what we study - that's very dynamic in academia.'
The National
15-07-2025
- Health
- The National
Dog bites four times more likely in deprives areas finds study
Conducted by the Social Science and Natural Science departments of the University of Stirling, researchers say the findings should be a wake-up call for policymakers at a time of rising incidents of dog bites and strikes (DBS). They suggest that prevention strategies should focus more on addressing social inequities rather than criminalisation. Lead author Dr Jade Hooper of the University of Stirling's Social Science faculty said 'The significant social inequalities we uncovered are worrying. The implications are particularly strong for Scotland, which has among the most pronounced health inequalities in the UK and Western Europe. 'This study should be a wake-up call for policymakers and we urge a fundamental shift in public health strategy surrounding dog bites and strikes. 'It's important that we recognise the wider pressures families may be facing, including financial stress, limited access to behavioural advice and support, and the challenge of safely managing dogs and children in busy households, particularly where adults may be juggling multiple responsibilities. 'Multiple agencies need to come together, across local government, police, health services and animal welfare organisations, and prevention measures should be compassion-focused and family-centred, involving professionals such as social workers, health visitors and schools.' The research findings show that the number of emergency hospital admissions due to dog bites in Scotland almost quadrupled between 1997/98 and 2023/24, with 300 and 1,105 admissions respectively, according to Public Health Scotland. The study comprises data from 59,111 NHS Scotland health records including NHS 24, hospital admission and Accident and Emergency (A&E) Data between 2007 and 2019. It study also includes data from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, which measures area-based deprivation in Scotland using data on income, employment, health, education, access to services, crime and housing. DBS can mean either dog bites or strikes. Strikes are classed as non-dog bite related injuries such as being pulled, knocked over or scratched by a dog. Among the highest rates of incidents were local authorities with a higher proportion of deprived areas, such as West Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire and Glasgow City. However, the researchers note that even local authorities not generally seen as deprived can contain smaller pockets of deprivation where additional support may be needed. The rate of DBS was highest among children aged one to nine, and the most common place for dog bite incidents to take place was in the home, according to the study. Rates for children remained relatively stable over the 13 years, while rates for adults increased. The study found a rise in A&E attendances and hospital admissions, while the rates of NHS 24 calls remained relatively stable. There was a clear social gradient across all three health datasets, with income, employment, health and education found to be the driving socio-economic factors for DBS incidents in Scotland. The rate of hospital admissions was 3.9 times higher for individuals living in the most deprived areas, compared to the least deprived; the rate of NHS 24 calls was 2.5 times higher; and A&E attendances were 2.4 times higher. There was variation in rates of incidents depending on the type of health records. Midlothian came top for NHS 24 calls, West Lothian showed the highest rates for hospital admission records related to DBS, while West Dunbartonshire showed the most A&E attendances. Researchers pointed out, however, that surges in data could be partly due to improvements in data collection over the 13 years, particularly in certain health boards.
The Herald Scotland
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
10 Stirling swimmers set for World Championships medal bid
In a milestone moment for the programme, it represents the largest number of Stirling swimmers to be selected for a World Championships – surpassing the eight who competed at Fukuoka 2023. The 28-strong Aquatics GB team for Singapore includes Stirling's Duncan Scott OBE, Angharad Evans, Keanna Macinnes, Katie Shanahan, Holly McGill, Freya Anderson, Lucy Hope and Jack McMillan. Paige van der Westhuizen will swim for Zimbabwe and Arvin Shaun Singh Chahal for Malaysia. Ben Higson and Brad Hay will support the British team at the Championships, alongside ex-Stirling coach Steve Tigg, now Aquatics GB Head Coach. David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: 'As the University's high-performance swim programme has grown and developed, we have witnessed more and more athletes achieve selection for the Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. 'To have a record number of Stirling swimmers compete at the World Championships is a landmark moment for the programme, which continues to go from strength to strength under the leadership of Ben, Brad and the wider coaching and support team. 'We wish all the swimmers the best of luck as they head off to Singapore – and our university community will be cheering them on as they bid to medal on the international stage.' Confirmed events of University of Stirling athletes at the World Aquatics Championships 2025
The National
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
10 Stirling swimmers set for World Championships medal bid
The athletes – eight competing for Great Britain and one each for Zimbabwe and Malaysia – will be joined by University coaches Ben Higson and Brad Hay, ahead of their events beginning on Sunday, July 27. In a milestone moment for the programme, it represents the largest number of Stirling swimmers to be selected for a World Championships – surpassing the eight who competed at Fukuoka 2023. The 28-strong Aquatics GB team for Singapore includes Stirling's Duncan Scott OBE, Angharad Evans, Keanna Macinnes, Katie Shanahan, Holly McGill, Freya Anderson, Lucy Hope and Jack McMillan. Paige van der Westhuizen will swim for Zimbabwe and Arvin Shaun Singh Chahal for Malaysia. Ben Higson and Brad Hay will support the British team at the Championships, alongside ex-Stirling coach Steve Tigg, now Aquatics GB Head Coach. David Bond, Head of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: 'As the University's high-performance swim programme has grown and developed, we have witnessed more and more athletes achieve selection for the Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. 'To have a record number of Stirling swimmers compete at the World Championships is a landmark moment for the programme, which continues to go from strength to strength under the leadership of Ben, Brad and the wider coaching and support team. 'We wish all the swimmers the best of luck as they head off to Singapore – and our university community will be cheering them on as they bid to medal on the international stage.' Confirmed events of University of Stirling athletes at the World Aquatics Championships 2025
