Cardiff Met Sport Broadcast students, graduates and staff are set to play their part in one of the biggest sports media operations in the world this summer, taking on broadcast roles connected to the FIFA World Cup.

In addition, former Sports Coaching and Development student, Harrison Kingston, takes on the role of Director of Performance Analysis for the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. The team’s Group C opener takes place on Saturday 13 June, with Morocco facing one of the most iconic nations in world football, Brazil.

Two Cardiff Met graduates and four current students from the MSc Sport Broadcast programme will be working for FIFA Host Broadcast Services at the FIFA / HBS London production headquarters in Olympic Park for seven weeks this summer.

Graduates Dan Rhydderch and Oliver Hampson will be joined by current students Jack Tapp, Eve Pearson, Dylan Odelet and Tom Flint as part of the operation, supporting the delivery of content and coverage for a tournament watched by audiences across the globe.

These graduates and students are part of a wider Cardiff Met broadcast contingent involved with FIFA during the tournament, with a number of current and former students working remotely and in the USA across different areas of the media and production operation.

Among the alumni involved are Aaron Ackerman, Harry Lowe, Alessandro Foglinio, Harvey Rutherford, Alex Goddard, Jake Allman and Oli Pau, alongside current students Sam Cocker, Joseph Dali-Kemmery, Oliver Buck, Jonah Jones, Matthew Austin, Megan Bowen and Oliver Tuffill.

Programme Director for the MSc Sport Broadcast, Joe Towns, will also be working for FIFA as a Senior Features Producer, based in Philadelphia for the group stages in June and one knockout match on 4 July.

The involvement of so many Cardiff Met students, graduates and staff comes as sports broadcasting is enters a new era. The tournament will feature more teams, more matches and more cameras than ever before, with innovations including AI avatars, enhanced player tracking, semi-automated offside technology, spider cameras, 360 cameras, referee-view footage and greater use of vertical and behind-the-scenes content.

Through practical experience, industry-facing projects and the work of Cardiff Met Sport TV, students develop the skills needed to operate in demanding live sport environments, from production and editing to storytelling, reporting, camera work, social media and live broadcast roles.

Cardiff Metropolitan University has achieved its highest-ever Fairtrade University Award score, earning a two-star Fairtrade University Award in recognition of its commitment to ethical sourcing, sustainability and social justice.

Cardiff Met achieved 385 points across 41 assessment criteria, demonstrating a University-wide commitment to creating positive social and environmental impact.

The award reflects positive action across the University, from increasing the availability of Fairtrade products and strengthening ethical procurement practices to embedding Fairtrade and responsible consumption within the curriculum. Students have also taken part in Fairtrade-focused projects, campaigns and volunteering opportunities that connect global challenges with real-world learning.

The achievement places Cardiff Met among a select group of UK universities recognised by the Fairtrade Foundation and SOS-UK for embedding Fairtrade principles across teaching, research, procurement and student engagement. Other universities in the 2024-26 Fairtrade University Award cohort included UCL, Birmingham, Leeds, St Andrews, Cardiff and Exeter.

The University has held Fairtrade accreditation since 2007, but this latest result marks its strongest performance to date.

One standout initiative was the Fairtrade afternoon tea and storytelling event, delivered through a collaboration between Cardiff Met’s Sustainability, Catering and Print teams, Fairtrade Wales and Fairtrade Pontypridd. The event brought staff, students and community partners together to explore the real-world impact of Fairtrade and ethical consumer choices.

Cardiff Met’s Climate Action Lead, Dr David Clubb said: “This award is hugely meaningful for the Climate Action team. Through our work, we’ve come to better understand the real impact Fairtrade has for small producers around the world, supporting their efforts to remain as custodians of the land and helping to safeguard dignity and living standards in rural areas.

“Achieving the two-star award demonstrates the commitment and effort of the everybody involved in the accreditation process and reflects positively the University’s ambition to act responsibly on a global scale across all that it does.”

For students, the benefits extend beyond the classroom.

MSc International Business Management student Ferdous Woahid Raz said: “Volunteering for the University’s Fairtrade initiatives has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It has allowed me to develop new skills, deepen my understanding of global ethics and sustainability and gain valuable experience that will support my future career. I am proud to be part of a university community that truly promotes these values.”

With the next assessment due in 2028, Cardiff Met is already looking ahead to building on this success and creating even more opportunities for staff and students to champion ethical and sustainable choices.

Cardiff Metropolitan University has been recognised as part of an award-winning partnership at the Welsh Sport Association Sport Industry Awards 2026, with the Team Wales’ LeadHERship Programme winning the best collaboration initiative award.

The programme, delivered by Team Wales in partnership with Cardiff Met and RBC Brewin Dolphin, was recognised for bringing together sport and business to support, empower and develop the next generation of women leaders. The award was presented at the Welsh Sport Association Sport Industry Awards on Thursday 4 June, with the LeadHERship Programme named winner in a category that also included Cardiff City FC Community Foundation and Actif Sport & Leisure.

The LeadHERship Programme was created to provide women across sport and business with a space to learn, share experiences, build confidence and develop the networks needed to progress in leadership roles.

The programme has been supported by Dr Kerry Harris and Dr Sofia Santos from Cardiff Met, alongside partners from Team Wales and RBC Brewin Dolphin with contribution of Belinda Houghton-Jones, Laura Williams, Prof Katie Thirlaway and Prof Rachael Langford, as well as the inaugural LeadHERship cohort and the guest speakers who helped shape the learning experience.

The LeadHERship Programme was designed to empower women in leadership roles across sport and business, with objectives including building confidence, raising awareness of gender dynamics, developing support networks and helping participants navigate professional environments. The year-long programme includes residential sessions, online learning and access to inspirational leaders from both sectors.

Laura Williams, Assistant Director Sport, Physical Activity & Health, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to see the LeadHERship programme recognised in this way. This initiative was built on the belief that collaboration between sport and business could create real change, and working alongside Team Wales and RBC Brewin Dolphin has enabled us to reach and support an exceptional network of inspiring women. Dr Kerry Harris and Dr Sofia Santos have provided outstanding guidance to our first cohort, and we are excited to see how they continue to grow and succeed.”

Cohort two of the Team Wales LeadHERship Programme is expected to be advertised soon.

To mark Refugee Week, Dr Shahira Shahir from Cardiff School of Management reflects on her journey from leaving Afghanistan and seeking sanctuary in the UK to being awarded a PhD.

As a nine-year-old Afghan girl, when the Taliban first took control of Afghanistan, I was banned from attending school simply because I was female. I often wondered what was in the books that we were forbidden to read. That curiosity led me to continue my education in secret classes, held under a tree in my teacher’s house, and at great risk.

When the Taliban fell in 2001, I returned to formal education. I went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics from Herat University, followed by an MBA in India on a scholarship.

By the age of 26, I had become a Faculty Dean at Qhalib University. Although I was free to study and teach, I worked in a male-dominated environment and faced significant gender discrimination. Despite these challenges, I remained determined and served successfully in this role for four years. I later joined Herat University as a lecturer and was promoted to senior lecturer within three years.

In 2021, when the Taliban returned and once again banned women from education and work, everything I had built was taken from me. But I refused to let that be the end of my story.

Determined not to give up, I secured a scholarship from Cardiff Metropolitan University, along with a fellowship from CARA (an organisation which helps academics who are forced to flee their home countries), and moved to Wales to pursue my doctoral degree, leaving behind my family and friends.

Starting a doctorate in gender equality in a completely new country and context tested my courage, strength and resilience, and revealed what I was truly capable of. Through this journey, I came to understand that gender inequality is a global phenomenon, shaped by context and expressed in varying forms across different institutional and cultural settings.

During this time, I published an article on female academics in Afghanistan, presented my work at four academic conferences, contributed to two research projects as a Senior Research Assistant, delivered public talks as an Afghan academic, and became the first Afghan to be awarded a fellowship at the education charity Cumberland Lodge. I now work as an Associate Tutor in Human Resource Management at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Today, having completed my doctoral degree, I believe that nothing is impossible if we do not give up. I continue my academic journey with a deep commitment to equality. My story is not only about what I have endured, but also about what I stand for: the right to education, dignity and opportunity. I am determined to use my voice, my research and my experience to challenge inequality and contribute to meaningful change, so that no one is denied their future because of who they are.

A large-scale motion sensor camera project has revealed the hidden results of feeding hedgehogs – and it may have a bigger impact than previously thought.

Researchers at Nottingham Trent University and Chester Zoo analysed thousands of  images from 415 gardens, alongside each garden’s specific characteristics, to examine how often hedgehogs were detected and which features most influenced their visits.

Hedgehogs were present in more than half (57%) of the gardens studied, demonstrating that these spaces are crucial habitats for them..

The study in residential gardens across Cheshire, was part of Chester Zoo’s Hedgehog Watch scheme and is thought to be one of the UK’s largest trail camera studies for a single species.

Hedgehogs are a species of conservation concern across Europe with long-term population declines due to factors such as loss of habitat and increased vehicle collisions.

The researchers believe urban habitats are increasingly important for hedgehogs and that unlocking insights into how they use gardens could play a key role in their conservation.

Food was by far the most important factor for their presence, with the spiky mammals appearing in 78% of gardens that supplied hedgehog food and 53% of gardens where bird food was left on the ground. Hedgehog presence dropped to fewer than half of gardens (46%) when no food was left out.

Just over a quarter (28%) of all the gardens surveyed contained food left out for hedgehogs.

Lead researcher Kelly Hitchcock, a PhD student in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, and one of Chester Zoo’s Conservation Scholars, warned that the practice of feeding wildlife needs further study as it can lead to significant and unanticipated changes to animal behaviour and health.

She said: “The provision of supplementary food clearly plays a significant role in shaping hedgehog movement and distribution. Despite the possible benefits of supplementary feeding, it can pose potential risks such as increased disease transmission among animals, altered hibernation behaviour, increased aggression between species and changes in species community structure.”

The study also revealed that hedgehogs were 70% more likely to be spotted in gardens where foxes had been detected, possibly due to increased food availability.

Kelly said: “We saw some of this on the cameras, which captured images of foxes and hedgehogs sharing food bowls, despite the fact that hedgehogs can be a prey species for foxes. The potential impacts of supplementary feeding certainly warrant further investigation in future research.”

While the authors anticipated that the presence of food would be important, it was so dominant that it made other variables such as the presence of flower beds, vegetable patches, overgrown areas, or ponds, less significant within the data.

The researchers argue, however, that while their work sheds important light on how hedgehogs are using urban gardens, people should continue to include wildlife-friendly features on their land as hedgehogs and other species will benefit from them.

“Our data will contribute to further studies, including one looking at hedgehogs, foxes and badgers. There is more research needed, and public participation has huge potential to help us understand how UK wildlife and people coexist within a changing world,” said Kelly.

Leah Williams, Lead Conservation Scientist in Population Biology at Chester Zoo, said: “This was a fascinating and ambitious project. It is generally difficult for scientists to access private gardens to gather camera trap footage. One of the largest camera trap studies of its kind in the UK, it yielded an incredible sample size and captured amazing snapshots of garden wildlife.

“It was a hugely collaborative project and would not have been possible without the volunteers who allowed cameras into their gardens. We know many were surprised to find that their gardens host hedgehogs, which are nocturnal, and we like to think this was a nice way for the participants to feel more connected to species living just beyond their doorstep.”

Bonington Gallery presents A Semester in Nottingham, 1976, an exhibition of photographs by American photographer and videographer John Dean.

In the Spring of 1976, Dean was a 20 year old visiting student from the Maryland Institute College of Art, taking part in an exchange programme with Trent Polytechnic (now Nottingham Trent University). During his short visit, he created a powerful body of work that captures Nottingham during a year of profound social and economic change.

Armed with a camera and quiet curiosity, Dean immersed himself in the rhythms of Nottingham life. Over the course of a single semester, he wandered the city’s streets and parks — Hyson Green, Market Square, the Arboretum — capturing striking black-and-white portraits of residents going about their daily lives. The resulting images are both documentary and deeply personal, offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of Nottingham residents during this transformative era.

The exhibition marks a significant homecoming to the institution where Dean studied fifty years ago. Now, half a century on, these photographs will be exhibited in the UK for the first time, in the city where they were made.

First developed in Trent’s own darkrooms (still situated next door to Bonington Gallery, in the School of Art & Design), these photographs have remained largely unseen for decades. Now, they return to the place of their origin, standing as a testament to the power of observational storytelling, told through the eyes of a visitor to the city.

John Dean has since built a distinguished career as a producer and videographer, creating historical and educational media for museums and non-profit organisations across the United States. Yet photography remains his first and most enduring creative language — a medium through which he continues to explore the intersections of memory, environment, and human experience.

John Dean is a Baltimore-based photographer, videographer who graduated with a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

He regularly works with museums, non-profit organisations and editorial platforms on the creation of educational and historical media and content. In addition to his institutional work, John’s independent photographic practice has taken him around the world, exploring historic and cultural sites, including excavation sites in Greece and sacred spaces in Istanbul.

Current work includes photography for the 111 Places Guides, a series of books published by Emons Verlag.

John worked on 111 Places in Baltimore That You Must Not Miss and 111 Places in Washington DC That You Must Not Miss. As a mentor and arts advocate, John is consistently guided by a curiosity for human stories.

John Dean
A Semester in Nottingham, 1976
21 March – 9 May 2026
Launch: Friday 20 March 2026, 6-8pm

On St Dwynwen’s Day, as Wales celebrates love and compassion, the National Cardiovascular Research Network (NCRN) is calling on communities to help protect the most vital symbol of love – the heart.

The NCRN is an interdisciplinary network of academics, researchers, clinicians, NHS staff, patients, charities and health boards united with the mission to drive cutting-edge cardiovascular research across Wales.

Based in Cardiff Metropolitan and Swansea universities, and spanning universities across Wales, the NCRN has been set up with funding from strategic partners, Health and Care Research Wales and the British Heart Foundation.

Currently, 340,000 people are living with heart disease in Wales, and 9,700 of them will die from the condition every year, according to the British Heart Foundation.

It is a huge public health issue, and certain groups – like ethnic minority communities, women, people living in rural or deprived areas, young people and adults in care settings – are often not taken into account within research that can help prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease.

Statistics from BHF Cymru show that many risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) are more prevalent in Wales’ most deprived areas, including smoking, obesity, insufficient levels of physical activity, eating fewer than five fruits and vegetables daily, and hazardous alcohol consumption. This undoubtedly contributes to higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in Wales’ most deprived populations.

But behind every statistic is a family, a loved one, a story.

That’s why the NCRN has launched AURORA (Addressing Underrepresentation through Outreach and Research Access), a new initiative to eliminate inequalities in heart and circulatory health across Wales.

The grant scheme, supported by Health and Care Research Wales and British Heart Foundation, is dedicated to supporting community-based outreach and public engagement activities that make cardiovascular research more inclusive.

By funding community projects, AURORA helps build stronger relationships between research and the people it impacts the most to ensure every voice is represented in the science that shapes a healthier future for all.

Anyone can apply for AURORA, as long as they have a good idea of how to make heart health more inclusive across Wales – for example, setting up blood pressure drop-in clinics in community centres or care homes, paying for a mobile cardiovascular health service for those experiencing homelessness or educational/awareness sessions in schools.

Professor Barry McDonnell, Chair of the AURORA funding committee and Director of the NCRN, said of the initiative: “Our vision is to use this funding to build real purposeful partnerships with traditionally underrepresented communities across Wales. This funding will pay for groups to lead or engage in cardiovascular initiatives, making a real impact towards improving inclusivity of cardiovascular research within our communities.”

Hassan Al-Kaabi, Health Systems Insight Manager at British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cymru said: “I believe AURORA matters as it gives a platform to people who are too often unheard in cardiovascular research. When communities with less voice are left out, the science we rely on becomes incomplete, and so do the solutions. By supporting locally led, culturally grounded outreach, we can build trust, open doors and ensures that those most affected by cardiovascular disease can shape the research that shapes their future. For BHF Cymru, this is not just good practice, but it’s a meaningful step towards a fairer, more representative future for heart health for the people of Wales.”

More information on AURORA can be found on the National Cardiovascular Research Network website.

Huge congratulations to three Cardiff Met alumni who are heading to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan Cortina (6 to 22 February).

They follow in the footsteps of many former Archers to compete on the world’s biggest stage and represent an amazing achievement for our University community.

Adele Nicoll

Former Cardiff Met student, staff member and coach Adele Nicoll has been highlighted by Team GB as one of their athletes to watch at the upcoming Games.

Nicoll, a three-time British shot put champion, took up bobsleigh in 2020 and now makes her Olympic debut as a bobsleigh pilot in both the monobob and two-woman events, becoming the first British female to compete at a Winter Olympics in monobob

Her place on Team GB’s core sliding squad comes after competing as a reserve in Beijing 2022 and achieving strong results on the World Cup and European Cup circuits.

Adele studied Clinical Neuroscience at Cardiff Met and was awarded a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2023.

Leon Greenwood

Congratulations also to Leon Greenwood, a BSc Sport and Physical Education graduate who represented Cardiff Met as both a sprinter and basketball athlete during his time studying at Cardiff Met from 2015-2018.

Leon joined the British Bobsleigh programme in 2022 and has since earned medals at World and European Championships.

He has now been selected for Team GB’s four-man bobsleigh crew, marking his first Olympic Games appearance.

Mica Moore

Our third Olympian is former women’s sprinter Mica Moore, who has been selected to represent Jamaica in bobsleigh at her second Winter Olympics, competing in the women’s monobob.

Mica, who studied BSc Education and Sport and MSc Sport Broadcasting at Cardiff Met and still trains at the National Indoor Athletics Centre, previously represented Great Britain in the two-women bobsleigh event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Her selection is a powerful reminder that sporting excellence crosses borders and disciplines.

Mica recently recorded a video about her Olympic hopes, filmed and edited by one of Joe Towns’ Sport Broadcast MSc students, Devin Pote.

We’ll be cheering on Adele, Leon and Mica as they compete on the world’s biggest winter sports stage. Good luck/pob lwc to all three.

We have recently received our results of the annual Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF), an initiative introduced by Research England.

Similar to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the KEF is also a measurement that we use to benchmark and track our activities and performance – in this case within knowledge exchange.

Simply put, knowledge exchange is our work with external partners such as businesses and organisations of all sizes to share our knowledge and expertise for the benefit of the community and economy.

The KEF measures seven perspectives of knowledge exchange, namely:

• Research partnerships
• Working with business
• Working with the public and third sector
• Skills, enterprise and entrepreneurship
• Local growth and regeneration
• Intellectual Property (IP) and commercialisation; and
• Public and community engagement

The metrics used are based on income, and in the case of Public and community engagement and Local growth and regeneration – a self-assessment submission. To aid benchmarking and performance, institutions are clustered together with comparable universities.

This year we are encouraged to report that once again, our results remain consistent and expected amongst our competitor universities. We remain average or above average engagement for the majority of the above perspectives.

Our ranking slightly increased in the Research Partnerships element but dipped slightly for Working with Business. This seems to be mainly due to movements in the wider sector affecting the benchmark as our activity remains fairly stable.

We will use these results to track and improve our performance in these areas, to ensure we remain accountable and continue to play an important role in our community. It also helps to showcase the excellent work we are doing at a national level, and in the future, may be used by Research England to inform its approach to funding.

Professor Sarah Speight
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost
Nottingham Trent University