College research festival returns for sixth year

The festival is set to take place on 18 October

A research festival featuring visiting academics organised by the Isle of Man's higher education institution is set to return for its sixth year.

Topics set for discussion at the 2024 event include sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI) and wellbeing.

The free event, which is being hosted by University College Isle of Man (UCM), takes take place at the Nunnery Campus in Douglas on 18 October.

UCM higher education manager Gail Corrin said the event continued to "reflect topics of interest and concern to our community".

The 2024 event will feature a keynote address, entitle The Story of Place, delivered by media entrepreneur Jens Bachem, which will focus on "how each of us can help shape a better future for the Isle of Man through our research".

'Useful and intriguing'

Other presentations will include a talk by Sarah McCarthy from Victoria College in London entitled Social Singing Circles, research into how the Isle of Man public perceive cybercrime by UCM graduate Laura Perkins, and a talk Thomas Hull from Sheffield Hallam University looking at AI and heart disease.

Also on the programme is the Great Interactive Debate looking at look at AI innovation, which will be chaired by Jason Bissell from the Department for Enterprise.

And UCM honorary fellow Fiona Gell is to present findings from her research on the natural history of Manx seas, for which won her the Corlett Bolton Research Award this year.

Ms Corrin said: “Whatever your interests, industry or area of expertise, this year’s Research Festival really does have something for everyone.

It was "really exciting" to see how the festival programme "continues to reflect topics of interest and concern to our community", she said.

That would make the sixth iteration of the event "useful and intriguing for all researchers, students and the business community alike”, she added.