DCU Research

This week's featured Dublin City University research impact case study is the Tackling Online Hate in Football project. Football is the most popular sport in the world, arguably the most popular pastime in the world, with millions of people playing it and billions watching it. It is discussed and promoted across every form of social media. Online hate speech in football is a global concern, harming fans, players, coaches and media figures across the sport. One of the prominent features of the Euro 2020 final was the vile racist abuse black English players received following the team’s penalty shootout loss against Italy. Although online hate and abuse had surfaced in the sport before, this was the first time the issue really caught the public’s attention and comprehensive coverage by the press. Three years later at the next tournament, the police, sporting and private organisations that were hired to block abusive content used the Euros to highlight legislative and technological improvements that can be implemented to help protect the players. However, the reality is that the abuse received by players in a high-profile match is only the tip of the iceberg of a widespread culture of online abuse that permeates football at all levels, and has significant implications beyond the direct wellbeing of the footballers who receive the abuse. The Tackling Online Hate in Football project is an innovative combination of state-of-the-art quantitative data analysis, nuanced qualitative critical analysis and grassroots activism against hate speech in football. The project brings together diverse expertise spanning data analysis, network building, interview skills, and discourse analysis and engages with player representatives, governing bodies, policy makers, social media platforms, and fan organisations in order to craft a genuinely effective response to the problem. https://lnkd.in/eftj3VEG

Latest oped out today in Bangkok Post: Almost two years ago, during election campaigning, Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai Party pledged decisive action against Thailand’s annual air pollution crisis. Yet today, with Paetongtarn as Prime Minister and her party in power, Bangkok ranks among the most polluted cities globally, schools are closing due to hazardous air, and millions continue to suffer from pollution-related illnesses. While air pollution is a complex issue, proven solutions exist. Other emerging economies—like Colombia, Mexico, and China—have successfully tackled pollution in transport, industry, and agriculture. Thailand can learn from them: 🚍 Bogotá, Colombia: Reduced transport pollution with a world-class Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, dedicated bike lanes, and car-free initiatives. Bangkok must expand its public transit, integrate electric buses, and improve pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. 🏭 Mexico: Cut industrial pollution through strict emissions standards, cleaner fuel transitions, and stronger monitoring. Thailand has introduced an emissions trading scheme, but enforcement must be strengthened. 🌾 China: Drastically reduced agricultural burning by banning crop residue fires, offering financial incentives for non-burning practices, and leveraging community-driven monitoring. Thailand must enforce stricter regulations and provide farmers with viable alternatives. The excuse that "Thailand is too poor" to prioritize clean air doesn’t hold up—these examples prove that economic growth and environmental protection can go hand in hand. But meaningful progress requires overcoming vested interests and political inertia. The onus is now on Pheu Thai. Will they act on their promises, or will Thailand continue to suffocate? #AirPollution #Bangkok #PheuThai #EnvironmentalPolicy #UrbanPlanning

Dear colleagues, Some GREAT news. Christian Kaunert and I are proud to announce that our BOOK entitled "Islamic State, Media and Propaganda - Performances of the 'Visual Caliphate'" is out now. This book presents visual analysis of 374 official ISIS videos in which the 'Islamic State' performed like a modern state and provides a comprehensive history of the 3-years of the ‘Caliphate’. Please click on the link below to read the OpenAccess PDF for FREE: https://lnkd.in/eudJA8Gb You can also purchase the hard cover copy from the link below: https://lnkd.in/eKHgd7ec Looking forward to your comments. Many thanks.

I just wrapped up an amazing week in Miami—my first time here in the US! I came to present our The SHINE Project and share insights about home IAQ issues in Ireland with delegates from around the globe in the climate and sustainability fields. I learned so much about different projects happening worldwide, and I even got to meet some new colleagues, gain new Miami experience, and see the pelicans at the Pelican Rescue Harbour! I'm also excited to share that I’ve been recognised as an Emerging Scholar for the second time (the first was in Toronto in 2023). A huge shout out to my PIs, Valesca Lima & Stephen Daniels, and funders because without their support, this trip wouldn't have been possible. Thanks to the Common Ground Research Network, Tamsyn Gilbert, Alba, Philip, Carolin, and Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus, as well. Thanks for everything, America! Hope to see you again soon! #NationalChallengeFund #NextGenerationEU

Along with my colleague Michael Breen, I'm recruiting two postdocs for a two-year post to research the political economy of electronic waste. Please share

Research Ally prizes mark outstanding contribution by researchers and higher education staff to the research community in Ireland. This year Research Ireland has recognised seventeen awardees from across Dublin City University. The Dublin City University awardees are among 67 Research Allies to be recognised. Each years Research Ireland seeks nominations for mentors, supervisors, research officers and technical support staff who have aided members of their institution in carrying out impactful research. https://lnkd.in/eDMJsNqS Christy Ann Petit David O'Connor Eamonn McConnon Ethna Regan Hannah Goss John Judge Lisa van der Werff Martin Brown Orna Farrell Peter Admirand Yvonne Daly

Delighted to have a Book Chapter [exploring how teacher education systems are responding to cultural diversity] with Sarah Gardezi @Herbert Altrichter and @Barbara Herzon Punzenberger IN 'Preparing and Supporting Teachers of Immigrant and Refugee Students'. Many thanks to the editors: @Lisa Damaschke-Deitrick, @Ericka Galegher, Annika Wilmers and @ Alexander W. Wiseman Dublin City University DCU Research | Available at: https://lnkd.in/eZJ9Knx9

With the excellent Doris Aja-Eke and Chandan Jha, I have written a chapter on #Corruption and #SDG13: #ClimateAction for the forthcoming volume "Corruption and the #sustainabledevelopment goals" (that Chandan and I are editing) My work on this volume was made possible by Research Ireland funding for the project "Corruption, Gender, and Sustainable Development" Preprint draft on SSRN https://lnkd.in/e9-Q3Cq6

“Art is just something that makes people heal” Study analyses therapeutic tattooing for cancer survivors. A new study from DCU’s School of Psychology DCU Faculty of Science and Health examines the practice of therapeutic tattooing for cancer survivors. Speaking to 22 who have worked across the world, including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and Ireland, who collectively have tattooed almost 9,000 cancer survivors, it found that therapeutic tattooing helped cancer survivors regain their body confidence, reinventing or reclaiming their identities following the tattooing. Many cancer treatments are still aggressive and often have negative effects on the bodies of cancer survivors such, skin discoloration and surgical tattoo marks from radiation therapy, port-scarring from chemotherapy and amputation of body parts such as the breast(s) in mastectomies. The consequences of cancer treatments can also cause a disrupted body image and identity for the survivors. The primary type of cancer worked with by the tattoo artists in the study was breast cancer, but they also worked with ovarian, stomach, skin and lung. Adam Daly, lead author of the study said: “This research came about because of my love for tattoos and my experiences of seeing just how much cancer can affect someone. What we found indicates that tattoos can allow cancer survivors to feel more at home in their bodies, using different symbols to navigate their new and changing identities as cancer survivors. Importantly though, these findings highlight that we should be empowering cancer survivors to make informed decisions about what happens to their bodies after treatment, instead of spreading stigmatized misinformation such as the type which is typically associated with tattooing.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eSw73SYf #DCUResearch #DublinCityUniversity DCU Alumni DCU Global DCU Business School DCU Faculty of Engineering and Computing DCU Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences DCU Educational Trust DCU Research

By drawing students and staff from across Dublin, the country and the world, Dublin City University contributes to the fabric of the city. Another way the university affects the city is through research. Projects from across DCU are tracking the city’s past and present, and scanning the horizon to plot its potential future. For instance, Dublin’s city centre is layered in history. The period following the Irish Civil War is now just over a hundred years ago, and a paper by Dr Daithí Ó Corráin (School of History and Geography) and Dr Joe Rodgers charts the restoration of O’Connell Street following intense combat in the area. https://lnkd.in/egyrH6st