Author: Kerra Maddern

Beautiful monastic music will be heard again in a former Exeter priory closed by Henry VIII thanks to the discovery of a rare collection of medieval chants. St Nicholas Priory was founded by William the Conqueror in 1087. It was home to Benedictine monks for over 400 years and is the oldest building in Exeter. In 1536, like other monasteries, it was closed and the remains became the home of wealthy Tudor merchants. Thanks to the University of…

Humanitarian organisations must go beyond reactive compliance to data protection laws if they are to continue using technology in a principled, safe, and trusted way in the digital age, experts have said. The sector must share knowledge and best practices for protecting the data of affected populations and shape the technologies it uses as they become central to the way aid is delivered around the world. In a new book, the experts highlight the risk of “scope creep”,…

The European Union’s legal ambiguity on the Western Sahara frozen conflict is an increasingly glaring source of vulnerability for Sahrawis, a new study shows. The lack of an EU firm position on the non-self-governing status of Western Sahara’s territory is a disadvantage for the Polisario Front. The EU’s ambiguity includes questions such as where lies the distinction between Western Sahara’s people and local population and who is entitled to represent them. The study, by Dr Irene Fernández-Molina, from…

The growing age imbalance in the duty solicitor scheme in England and Wales risks eroding trust in the criminal justice system, a new study warns. Most duty solicitors are aged 45 and over, putting at risk the ability of vulnerable suspects to access timely and effective legal representation at the police station. The study says the Ministry of Justice’s failure to offer training grants to criminal law firms to support trainee solicitors with Solicitors Qualifying Examination fees is…

Major new research will examine whether younger people are more anxious about the climate emergency than older generations. The study will examine if millennials and those younger do worry more about environmental changes, who they blame and how they cope. Social media memes and hashtags suggest “baby boomers” are often blamed for global problems, including climate change, at least according to millennials. Intergenerational blame may distract from real solutions and foster discord and disengagement. The study will also…

Comments from ordinary users on social media platforms can be a force for good, helping others identify false information and navigate what is accurate, new research shows. However these same comments can also mislead when they are inaccurate, which makes it challenging for people to judge what can be trusted. The study shows digital media literacy is not only about telling true from false but also about evaluating the reliability of user comments. In a new book, The…

Some of the world’s most distinguished judges and academics have united to boost knowledge of human rights law across the globe. An innovative new online course takes people on a compelling journey into one of the most powerful concepts at the heart of human rights – dignity. Co-produced with the Global Campus of Human Rights, the course is designed and coordinated by renowned scholars Erin Daly, from Delaware Law School, and Catherine Dupré, from the University of Exeter Law School. It…

The increasing pressure for teachers to obey school curriculum policies is “profoundly demotivating” and is leading directly to people leaving the profession, a new study warns. Teachers value being able to be creative and collaborate with each other to design lessons but are increasingly subject to school policies requiring their conformity. The research shows this is also reducing their curriculum-making skills and reducing teacher autonomy and motivation, as well as relationships between colleagues and with pupils. There is…