Was it the enthusiastic welcome given by the OUs new and dynamic VC Martin Bean?
Was it the quality of the invited speakers, the range of topics on offer, the bright Spring sunshine or simply a collective desire to learn more about the role of media in engaging publics with research? Whatever the primary reason, this NCCPE/OU/BBC workshop bought out the best in the delegates who came to the fully-booked day at the OU in March. Hosted by Paul Manners and Brigid Heywood (PVC Research and Enterprise, OU), the day was set up to bring both seasoned practitioners and new converts together to explore public engagement and its reach through the use of both traditional and non-traditional media. After an enthusiastic welcome from Martin Bean, who stated that engagement by the public with research is the only way to solve some of the big challenges facing society today, the three invited guests each presented their own view of how to use the media to engage people with research. Cambridge University’s Professor of Classics Mary Beard, who has excellent credentials for engagi
