"Cheers!": Bayes experts raise a glass to their research

Emojis, artificial intelligence and financial planning were all on the agenda as Bayes Business School hosted three evenings of research presentation and discussion with pub-goers, as part of the annual Pint of Science Festival.

Pint of Science was founded in 2013 as a way of bringing scientists and researchers ‘to the people’. Events are held across the world by universities and research institutions over three days, aiming to bring academics and non-experts together to engage on topical research from a wide range of disciplines. The programme attempts to enhance trust in science by encouraging open and transparent conversations.

To celebrate this year’s iteration, six Bayes academics and PhD students presented their work to a packed-out Artillery Arms in Finsbury – with the following talks:

Dr Diogo Koch Alves, Postdoctoral Presidential Fellow –❤️ or ✨? When Emojis Help Brand Communications

Greta Vignali, Doctoral Student in Marketing – Home Without Ownership? How Generation Rent is Navigating the Housing Crisis

Menghan Cui, PhD Candidate in Management – Selling Dreams While Nothing Changes: The AI Hype vs. Implementation in Six UK Organisations

Dr Sara Jones, Reader in Creative Interactive System Design – AI Killed my Creativity!

Dr Parastoo Mousavi, Lecturer in Finance – Long-term Forecasting of Stock Returns: Avoid too Complex Machine Learning Models and Remember the Magic of Benchmarking!

Dong Xu, PhD Candidate in Finance at Bayes Business School – Cashing in on Kids: The Hidden Impact of Private Equity on Childcare

Dr Alves said he enjoyed the experience of presenting and exchanging insights with a public audience.

“Sharing my research on how emojis can affect brand was both rewarding and great fun,” he said.

“The audience was curious, engaged, and brought a fresh perspective that made me think differently about my work. It’s relatively rare to have that sort of exchange between academics and the public, and events like this are a wonderful way to make research more accessible and relevant.”

The event was co-organised by Dr Sabrina Gottschalk, Lecturer in Marketing, and Sinan He, PhD Candidate in Marketing.

Dr Gottschalk said it was pleasing to be part of a worldwide community.

“Sinan and I loved co-organising the Bayes edition of this year’s Pint of Science,” she said.

“It feels great to be part of a global community of thousands of scientists working to bridge the gap between academia and the public. Sharing the latest academic insights in a pub with pint in hand is one of the most enjoyable ways to do this!"

Sinan added how much she enjoyed seeing the levels of engagement.

"All the talks were incredibly insightful and engaging, sparking lively discussions between the speakers and the audiences. It was clear that both audience and presenters enjoyed the experience, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event!"