Building a Secure And Resilient World: Research and Coordination Hub

Blogs

  • “Pinch, punch, first of the month – no returns” (to prison). 

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    Karon Mee

    Richard Kirkham, Principal Investigator, SALIENT Programme  Mike Lewis, Co-Investigator, SALIENT Programme  On the 1st July 2026, the UK Government launched an independent review of the prison system. It will be led by the former Home Secretary, the Rt Hon. Amber Rudd.  There was a degree of inevitability surrounding this announcement; the prison system has been ‘running hot’ for a considerable amount of time and the commissioning of an independent report to…

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  • “Not another PowerPoint, please”

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    Karon Mee

    Announcing our new creative arts partnership with OddArts  Richard Kirkham, Principal Investigator, SALIENT Programme  On Friday 3rd July, I found myself in the company of some inspiring people at the Aquarius Centre in Hulme, Manchester, by invitation of Rebecca Friel MBE, the Chief Executive of OddArts. I first met Rebecca earlier in the year, on the advice of…

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  • When AI Meets Faith: Forging Cultural Resilience in Uncertain Times

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    Angel Harper

    How will AI impact religious beliefs and cultural resilience? Generative artificial intelligence (AI) represents a step-change in digital technology and is facilitating transformative change in contemporary cultures and approaches to knowledge and communication across the globe and across the world of faith. Led by Dr Adam James Fenton and the Co-Investigator Dr Chris Shannahan,, the devolved funding research…

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  • Harwell: From constraints to commons

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    Helen Kreissl

    In a reflection by Professor Mike Lewis, SALIENT Work Package Lead, Harwell Campus emerges as a powerful example of how constraint can foster innovation. Originally farmland, then an RAF base, and later the heart of Britain’s atomic energy research, Harwell has continually adapted to shifting national priorities. Its legacy of contamination and complex infrastructure made…

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  • Brunswick Comes Together: A Day of Community, Conversation, and Creativity

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    Helen Kreissl

    Written by Vicky Turner, SALIENT Hub and Programme Manager On Tuesday 29th July, Gartside Gardens in Brunswick, Manchester came alive with the buzz of over 200 local residents gathering for a vibrant community event. Organised by the Brunswick Tenants and Residents Association (BTARA) and supported by S4B (the Specialists for Brunswick consortium, a partnership formed…

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  • The Manufactory: Samuel Colt’s Three Years in London

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    Angel Harper

    By SALIENT co-investigator Michael A. Lewis, Professor of Operations and Supply Management, University of Bristol I have finally read Priya Satia’s prize-winning history, Empire of Guns, which firmly connects Britain’s industrial revolution to the state’s demand for weapons. Showing how the military as much as markets drove industrial experimentation. It also includes a fascinating nineteenth-century manufacturing story with…

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  • Drones and the UK Strategic Defence Review 2025

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    Angel Harper

    written by SALIENT Academic Lead Dr Richard Kirkham and SALIENT co-investigator Prof Mike Lewis , University of Bath The 2025 Strategic Defence Review [1] (SDR) emphasised the integration of autonomous and semi-autonomous drone systems into the UK’s future force structure. References to “swarms”, “uncrewed targeting networks”, “Digital Targeting Web”, etc. underscored a vision of defence transformation by digital and robotic systems.…

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  • Join a NCSR How to… communities webinars

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    Helen Kreissl

    ‘How to… communities’ webinars are especially aimed at local community resilience groups but everyone is welcome to attend. NCSR+ / RBOC+ webinars are designed for resilience practitioners, resilience partnerships, partner organisations, and communities to share insights and lessons on developing societal resilience.  How to retain volunteers This webinar will focus on effective strategies for how to attract and…

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