Innovative thinking - Glasgow Caledonian University

SUMMER 2014
N
ews and
University
News
and views
views for
for the
thepeople
peopleofofGlasgow
GlasgowCaledonian
Caledonian
University
Innovative
thinking
Caledonian Creates gets inventive Page 12
Millar time
Comic-book writer Mark
Millar returns to GCU Page 10
Tin Man by GCU student
Heather Main
95% of GCU graduates go on to
employment or further study
1
GCU boosts Scotland’s economy
by £444million
2
10,000 jobs are supported by GCU
2
£30million Glasgow campus
transformation under way
1st Scottish university to open in London
1st UK university to launch in New York
17,000 students in Glasgow
from more than 100 countries
More than 120,000 graduates
in 123 countries
Source 1. DLHE Survey 2013 2. BiGGAR Economics 2012
Welcome to the summer
issue of The Caledonian
Contents
04 Bringing research to life
Research Day showcases GCU’s expertise
07
Ready for action
Meet new Students’ Association President Michael Stephenson
08
South Africa trip is visionary
GCU students will make history when they take healthcare to those most in need ­
via the Phelophepa trains
10
Stand-up comic
Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar talks about his career in graphic novels and film
12
Bright ideas
Caledonian Creates demonstrates the innovation of GCU’s students and staff
14
News Briefing
GCU plays a hand in helping STV launch a new channel and Climate Justice tops
the agenda
17 Give the kids a hand
GCU student nurses and schoolchildren take part in the world’s largest
hand-hygiene class
SUMMER 2014
The impact of innovation is a strong
theme in this issue. From the groundbreaking research carried out at GCU to
the creative minds of the University’s
students and staff, it’s all here.
Our main feature focuses on GCU’s
research, which was showcased at the
University’s annual Research Day in June.
More than 200 guests visited the exhibits,
stalls and interactive sessions that were
spread across the campus and were
introduced to, among many others,
fitness MOTs for older people,
electricity-generating windows and the
impact of police training in Scotland.
The creative thinking doesn’t end there,
however. The week-long Caledonian
Creates event celebrated the work of
students and
academics from the
University’s creative
programmes.
A concrete sound
system, sunglasses
made from hemp
Innovative
and a Tin Man
thinking
‘Singing in the Rain’
Millar time
are just some of the
innovations you can
read about in these pages.
Elsewhere in this issue, Kick-Ass
comic-book writer and GCU Honorary
Graduate Mark Millar talks to The
Caledonian about the importance of
following through your ambitions ­no
matter how big or unachievable they may
seem. In fact, this is a common theme
among the GCU Honorary Graduates
interviewed this issue, with both fashion
leader Professor Caroline Rush and
Olympic gold medal-winner Katherine
Grainger offering similar advice.
We also look at the difference our
Magnusson Award winners will be making
around the world this summer and we
check in with our New York campus,
which has enjoyed a busy spell since its
official opening back in April.
We hope you enjoy these and the other
features we have compiled for this issue
and, of course, we always welcome your
feedback and suggestions for future
editorial content.
N
ews and
University
News
and views
views for
for the
thepeople
peopleofofGlasgow
GlasgowCaledonian
Caledonian
University
18Fashionable
accessories
Household items make up
some of the garments at
this year’s Fashion Show
Caledonian Creates gets inventive Page 12
Comic-book writer Mark
Millar returns to GCU Page 10
THE CALEDONIAN
EDITORIAL TEAM
[email protected]
Tin Man by
Heather Mains
20
Anything is possible
Honorary Professor Caroline Rush talks about the limitless opportunities in the
fashion industry
22
Globalwatch
GCU is helping to transform lives around the world
24
Checking in at New York
Inspiring masterclasses and a visit from Scotland’s First Minister
26
Making a world of difference
GCU’s Magnusson Awards embody the University’s mission of taking the
Common Good around the globe
28
Sport taught me vital business skills
Olympic gold rowing champion Dr Katherine Grainger talks about her epic
journey
30
Hold the front page
GCU’s Print Design Services are on the move. We look at the vital role it plays
31
Your opinion counts
Why the staff survey is a vital tool
32
Global mindset
The impact of Collaborative Online International Learning
34
Back story
James Bowness is running on success
COVER PICTURE: Heather Main.
P
ublished by: Communications and Public Affairs, Glasgow Caledonian University. Designed and printed by: Print Design
Services, Glasgow Caledonian University. Photography by: Peter Devlin, Guy Hinks, Getty, Derek Prescott. © Glasgow
Caledonian University 2014. Glasgow Caledonian University Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow G4 0BA Scotland, United Kingdom
+44 (0)141 331 3000 www.gcu.ac.uk
03
MAIN FEATURE
Bringing
research to life
Peter John Meiklem checks in on Research Day
G
CU’s second annual research
celebration saw more than 200 guests
visiting exhibits, stalls and interactive
sessions spread across campus.
Featuring in the Glasgow Science Festival
programme, and held only a few days before
the launch of Universities UK week, the
event encompassed the full sweep of GCU’s
research, profiling the research and
promoting public engagement in three
main areas: inclusive societies, healthy lives
and sustainable environments.
In his opening remarks, Professor Mike
Mannion, Vice Principal and Pro ViceChancellor (Research), challenged visitors,
staff and students to go out and learn
something new. That wasn’t difficult,
given the huge array of work on show.
The Caledonian caught up with a few
colleagues, to give a brief insight into the
huge array of applied research currently
ongoing at GCU…
04
Fitness MOTs for older people
If you thought that fitness classes had to be
about Lycra, rippling muscles and toned
waistlines then think again. GCU has long
specialised in research which seeks to
create the right conditions for healthy
ageing, and Research Day 2014 incorporated
a keep-fit session with a difference.
A group of smiling older people joined
staff and guests for a functional fitness
masterclass led, not by a Jane Fonda or
a Davina McColl, but by Professor Dawn
Skelton, the expert in ageing and health who
has spent much of her career working with
partners inside and outside the University
to help older people regain the health and
fitness they might once have feared had
gone for good.
Dawn and her team have developed
the Functional Fitness MOT — a fun,
community-focused way to test the key
constituents of fitness for older people:
aerobic fitness, co-ordination, strength,
balance, flexibility and endurance —
and a set of exercises to improve them.
No fancy gym kit required — only a chair
and the right attitude.
Dawn said the MOTs — which were this
summer named one of Universities UK’s
top 20 ideas to change the world — were
first created for Glasgow Science Festival:
“I was looking for something which would
highlight the physical activity guidelines,
something that older people who’d brought
Professor Dawn Skelton.
Dr Roberto RamirezIniguez with his
patented solar
concentrator
their grandchildren along to the festival
could do.
“The whole point is you do the test,
you put older people on a graph showing
how they compare with other people of
their age and then you can discuss with
them how well they’re doing. It’s a great
starting point to get people talking and
thinking about behaviour change.
“We ran the first session in Govan
shopping centre — it was great fun; we were
literally standing there in the concourse of
the shopping centre, grabbing people as
they came past.”
A year ago Dawn’s team, working with
partners at the British Heart Foundation
National Centre for Physical Activity and
Health (NCPAH) at Loughborough
University, started to roll out the MOT idea,
training those who work with older people,
such as exercise teachers and
physiotherapists, how to best use the MOT.
Bob Laventure, Physical Activity and
Older People Consultant at the NCPAH,
says almost 400 professionals have now
been trained with sessions held all over the
UK — from Dingwall in the Highlands to the
heart of Gloucestershire.
“Older people love doing this and they
find it really interesting because it engages
them in their own health and fitness.”
Albert McBain, who undertook an MOT
in Renfrewshire, agrees: “It was absolutely
excellent and I wanted to follow it up to see
if I improved.”
Electricity-generating windows
Dr Roberto Ramirez-Iniguez is excited about
the white, PVC-framed object in his hands.
Fresh from the manufacturer for Research
Day, the small doubled-glazed window is
the first prototype which uses his patented
solar concentrators and shows, not only
that the devices can be used in buildings
to generate electricity as well as heat and
light, but that they can be manufactured
at a cost which makes his device
commercially viable.
“What we wanted to do is what we have
here,” he says, holding the prototype to up
to the sky. “We wanted to create an array
of concentrators and photovoltaic cells
(which turn light into electricity) that can
be used for a window. It is semi-transparent
so the people inside the building can see
what’s outside. It’s light, the cost has been
reduced so, yes, we have achieved what we
set out to do.”
Roberto and his team, Dr Firdaus
Muhammad-Sukki, Professor Scott
McMeekin and Professor Brian Stewart,
first patented his version of the solar
concentrator in 2009. The project was
inspired by a challenge to design a device
for turning light into electricity which would
follow the movement of the sun.
>>>
05
Roberto’s square-ended prisms catch
the light at a range of different angles,
channelling its power to postage-sized
photovoltaic or solar cells, which in turn
generate more than four times more
electricity than the cells alone could
produce. A grid of nine concentrators and
nine cells fitted inside the double-glazed
window clearly illustrates how the device
could quickly and easily be put into
practical use.
Years of experimental work, including
computer modelling, led to the creation of
an efficient prototype last year. There was
only one problem — it cost more than £600
to make.
“One of the biggest breakthroughs has
been discovering a method where we can
manufacture each concentrator for around
£1 each. That has made a huge difference to
the commercial viability of the project.”
The number of concentrated PV cells
that would be needed to, say, generate
enough electricity to power the average
home depends on the PV technology used.
More tests will be carried out on the
“
We can manufacture
each concentrator
for around £1 each
prototype to verify its performance with
different PV cell types — but the grand plan
is for the devices to be used extensively in
buildings to reduce energy consumption
with the obvious environmental benefits.
As those tests are carried out, Roberto and
his team will begin to court business
partners who may be interested in investing
in the technology.
A Mexican by birth, he is not unaware
of the irony of developing such a device in
Glasgow, a city not particularly noted for
its sunshine.
“People are sceptical when we tell them
we’re working in Scotland where there
isn’t that much sunlight, but the way I see
it is we are providing solutions on the
world stage.”
Testing the impact of police training
in Scotland
Most people you meet will have a police
story. That time they were asked to step
into the back of the car for driving down a
bus lane; or handed in a missing wallet at
the local station; or had the misfortune to
have some piece of property stolen.
06
GCUs health MOTs for older people have been named one of Universities UK’s top 20 ideas to change the world.
Some of these experiences are good;
some less so. And research has long
suggested that many factors, including the
group you come from, ­be it middle-class
office workers or unemployed teenagers, ­
may have an effect on people’s experiences
of engaging with the police.
It is a fact acknowledged by the Scottish
Government and the Scottish Institute for
Policing Research who commissioned a
research team from GCU to see if additional
evidence-based training sessions could
have a positive effect on the way the police
interact with the public.
A multi-disciplinary team, led by
criminologist Dr Annette Robertson,
and including sociologist Professor Lesley
Dr Annette Robertson.
Professor Lesley McMillan.
McMillan and statistician Professor Jon
Godwin, investigated whether additional
training sessions ­based on concepts of
procedural justice which originated in the
US would have an effect.
Annette explains: “Procedural justice
developed in the 80s and it’s the idea that if
agents of the criminal justice system,
including the police, behave in ways which
are deemed to be procedurally-just by
members of the public ­— so if they treat
people with respect, if they’re fair, nondiscriminatory etc — then people are more
likely to comply with the justice system.
It’s a powerful idea in providing a police
service that’s fair and equitable ­and so
encouraging public cooperation.”
The team worked with police recruits
at the Police Scotland training college at
Tulliallan in Stirlingshire between
December last year and March of this year.
One group received the intervention and
one did not.
“The trainees had been told they had
to manage their emotions,” Lesley says.
“They had to control themselves; they had
not to be aggressive; they had to listen but
they needed some support in how they
might accomplish this.
“We did work around young people;
around people who may have been involved
in more sensitive crimes such as rape
and sexual assault; we worked on activelistening, communication skills,
developing empathy — so the recruits
learned how to better accomplish these
things.”
The final data from the study,
identifying what difference the intervention
made, is still being analysed, but early
indicators suggest that the intervention
may have improved the recruits’ training
in at least one crucial area — capacity for
communication.
“On the whole, many police officers
are quite good, but you can always
improve on something,” says Lesley.
“Different groups have different
experiences with the police. And it
looks from the earliest indications that
the trial has improved the officers’ ability
to communicate which is a key thing in
achieving all our aims.”
STUDENT PRESIDENT
Stuntman to frontman
The new GCU Students’ Association President Michael Stephenson talks to Craig G Telfer
about his action-packed plans for the academic year ahead
M
ichael Stephenson’s journey to
become GCU’s new Students’
Association President hasn’t been the most
orthodox. The 31-year-old — who took
office in mid-June — left school midway
through sixth form and took on a number of
jobs including a ski instructor, a retailer and
a stuntman.
“I used to be a gymnast and I ended
up in a show as the red Power Ranger,”
he smiles. “I couldn’t really call myself a
stuntman — I just fell over a lot with a bit
of style!”
After rediscovering his passion for
education, Michael began studying podiatry
at GCU in 2010. He quickly became
involved with the Students’ Association and
served on the Societies’ Council and as a
Student Trustee, as well as setting up the
Podiatry Society. His immersion in the
University and student politics drove him
to run for Student President in March.
“Part of the experience at university is
about getting involved in things you
wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise,”
he explains. “I’ve done things and had
opportunities that I just couldn’t have
imagined before. Through my involvement
in the Students’ Association, I began to see
how things worked and I wanted to give
something back.”
After winning more than 50 per cent
of the votes cast, Michael is keen to
consolidate the hard work of his predecessor
Matthew Lamb and is excited about meeting
the challenges facing the Students’
Association over the next 12 months.
“I want us to work on representation,”
he says. “We have to look at the whole
student body and make sure all the voices are
heard. For instance, we’ve never had a
postgraduate full-time officer and I want
to get all students involved. I think we also
need to make sure that people know what’s
going on at the University.
“We’re rebranding the Students’
Association, we’ve got big plans for Freshers’
Week and we’re launching a new website in
August. All this will make sure we’re more
visible around campus and let our students
know the good work we do.
“We’re going to have a bigger presence
on campus,” he adds. “Last year, we had
full-time officers going into lectures
providing information about the Students’
Association — it was a huge success, and I
want us to expand on that. We want to
make sure there’s a buzz about the place
with bits and pieces going on everywhere
and make it as exciting as possible with
students at the heart of everything.”
Even at this early stage, it sounds as
though Michael will require more than 12
months to achieve his goals.
“I think two terms could be a possibility,”
he asserts. “It gives you consistency and it
also allows you to develop a deeper
understanding between students and the
University. It’ll be a long 12 months and it’ll
be hard work. But I love hard work and it
will be a privilege to represent students
at GCU.”
07
TRAIN OF HOPE
Heading out on a
visionary journey
GCU students will make history when they board the Phelophepa trains, taking healthcare
to those most in need across South Africa. Roisin Eadie reports
T
his summer marks the opening of
a new chapter in the University’s long
association with South Africa, when 32
ophthalmic students board the Phelophepa
‘trains of hope’ as they cut across the vast
countryside delivering healthcare to
isolated communities.
As South Africa celebrates its 20th year
of democracy, GCU students are making
history as the first UK student volunteers to
be invited on board the trains. The students’
incredible journey, geographically and
academically, will herald the beginning of a
five-year agreement between the Transnet
Foundation and GCU that will develop
further over the coming years to embrace
additional disciplines across the School of
08
Health and Life Sciences, such as
psychology and nursing.
The students will travel to South Africa
in groups of four to six between July and
September to join a team of full-time
professionals in the train’s eye clinic.
During each two-week placement,
they will carry out eye examinations and
give advice to adults and children from
the country’s neediest communities.
Gemma Hill, a third-year BSc Optometry
student, will be one of the first GCU
students to board the train. Her dedication
has already been recognised by the
Association of Optometrists, which
selected Gemma as its Student of the Year
for her commitment to Optometry Giving
Sight, a global fundraising initiative.
“I’m looking forward to increasing my
optometry skills and putting everything I’ve
learned over the past three years into
practice on board the Phelophepa Train,”
says Gemma. “Every week, the train moves
location and, as it pulls into a station,
hundreds of people are waiting to be seen.
“They are queuing for healthcare we take
for granted in Scotland. For example,
a simple solution like a pair of glasses can
change their lives; it can allow them to read
the blackboard clearly at school for the first
time or allow them to find work to support
their family.
“The Phelophepa train is an amazing
initiative and I’m proud to be a part of it.
I have received fantastic support from
the tutors and lecturers at GCU,
who encouraged me to develop
a passion for optometry.”
GCU’s relationship with South Africa
dates back to 1990, when the University
awarded an Honorary Degree to the late
Nelson Mandela. In typical Mandela style,
the story goes, he immediately demanded
of the University: “But what are you going
to do for South Africa?”
Since that day, GCU has continued to
make good on its pledge to support
Mandela’s vision for South Africa, and a
number of initiatives and collaborations
were put in place that remain to this day.
One of the most successful has been
the long-standing relationship with South
Africa’s largest freight rail company,
Transnet. Through its successful Business
Academy initiative, the University will
deliver a BSc Railway Operations
Management programme for 1000
Transnet staff over the next five years.
The programme was designed by GCU’s
Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning in
partnership with the Institution of Railway
Operators and was rolled out in South
Africa in partnership with the University
of Johannesburg.
That relationship has now flourished
through the development of GCU’s unique
partnership with the rail company’s
corporate social investment arm,
The Transnet Foundation, which operates
the Phelophepa Trains along existing rail
networks to reach South Africa’s most
remote communities.
Director of Business Academies at GCU
Fiona Stewart-Knight says: “I have long held
the ambition to link GCU’s excellence in
healthcare and social mission with the
“
The Phelophepa
train is an amazing
initiative and I’m
proud to be a
part of it
inspirational Transnet-Phelophepa project.
This five-year strategic partnership is an
unparalleled opportunity for GCU students
and staff to bear witness to the challenges
of primary healthcare delivery in South
Africa and to be part of an alternative and
inspirational solution.”
The first custom-built health train,
fondly referred to as ‘the miracle train’ by
many South Africans, began riding the rails
in 1994, the year that Mandela took office.
It travels for 35 weeks a year, visiting a
different rural community every week.
From its humble beginnings as a threecarriage eye clinic, each train now has 18
fully refurbished and equipped coaches that
provide facilities for health, oral and vision
screening programmes, health education
awareness and community counselling
workshops.
The success of Phelophepa, together
with increased demand for its healthcare
services by thousands of people who live in
the most poverty-stricken parts of South
Africa, set in motion plans for another train.
That dream became a reality when
Phelophepa II began operation in March
2012. With both operating simultaneously,
nearly 100,000 people for whom there was
little or no healthcare provision can now
access its healthcare services.
“The School of Health and Life Sciences
is delighted to be involved in the
Phelophepa initiative,” says Helen Brown,
Associate Dean International of the
School of Health and Life Sciences.
“This volunteering project will give our
students a unique international opportunity
and invaluable experience of working with
communities as they work with up to 100
patients every day, supported by local
translators and clinical staff.
“Our support for Phelophepa further
embeds GCU’s social mission ‘For the
Common Good’ and demonstrates our
commitment to develop students to be
global citizens.”
Fiona Stewart-Knight
(second left, back row),
Professor Niall Strang
(below) and the GCU
students heading to
South Africa.
09
Stand-up
comics
Kick-Ass creator and GCU Honorary
Graduate Mark Millar talks to
Chris Fitzgerald about his career in
graphic novels and film, inspiration
and radioactive laboratories
M
ark Millar gets himself comfortable
and says, somewhat reflectively:
“It was one of my proudest moments.”
Given he’s responsible for some of the
most successful characters and storylines
in recent comic-book and movie history,
and received an MBE last year, the fact he
is describing the award of an Honorary
Doctorate from GCU carries some
serious weight.
He isn’t paying lip service, either.
Awarded his doctorate for services to film
and literature in 2012, Mark goes on to
explain that he already felt an affinity with
the University thanks to a brace of links
prior to his graduation.
For one, he says with a wry smile,
his first ‘legal’ alcoholic drink was
consumed on campus. Before then,
however, he enjoyed another experience at
GCU that really played on his imagination.
“My brother undertook his PhD at GCU
back when I was about 10,” he says. “I used
to come in to the labs with him while he
was doing microbiology, and I sat reading
comics. The labs were awesome. I wanted
to be bitten by something radioactive and
get superpowers.
10
“So, it was a proud day when I was
presented with my doctorate. A couple of
my brothers are doctors, and I used to have
zero letters after my name.” He then adds
with a chuckle: “You could say my Honorary
Doctorate legitimised me.”
Returning to GCU two years after
receiving his scroll, Mark says he is
delighted to be giving something back to
both the University and its students via his
masterclass, An Evening With Mark Millar.
Those in attendance were in for a treat,
too. Mark has worked for both the industry’s
US heavyweights DC Comics and Marvel
during his career, and is lauded for
reinvigorating many of the latter’s titles.
However, it’s for his own comic-book
creations that he is best known.
Frustrated at enhancing the profile
of others, he began creating characters
and titles for his Millarworld company in
2004. Two of those, Kick-Ass and Wanted,
have since translated into very successful
films. The Secret Service is to follow
next year.
Yet his global popularity and success
is even more amazing given his
comparatively humble beginnings. Born in
Coatbridge in 1969, he is immensely proud
of his roots. In fact, he says he owes much
of his inspiration and success to his
formative years.
But it almost didn’t come to pass.
Introduced to comic books by one of
his brothers (a British reprint of The
Amazing Spider-Man Issue 122, he recalls),
Mark was determined he wanted to draw
his own when he was a “grown-up”.
With ambitions of attending art school,
his parents branded such aspirations a
“waste of time” and, instead, a
IN FOCUS: MARK MILLAR
teenage Mark found himself studying
politics and economics at Glasgow
University.
It didn’t last. He dropped out after the
death of his father meant he could no longer
afford the costs. “My heart wasn’t in it
anyway,” he concedes. “I sat in lectures
drawing the Green Lantern.”
Besides, a previous chance meeting
with another legendary Scottish
comic-book writer had already set Mark
on his true path.
“I met Grant Morrison through a fanzine
I was writing for when I was in sixth year at
school,” Mark says. “I told him I wanted to
write and draw comics. Grant told me I had
no chance of doing both and to focus on just
one. It’s the best advice I’ve ever been given.
I had a really bad art portfolio. I couldn’t
afford to buy paper, so all my drawings of
Spider-Man were on maths paper. That is
what I was submitting to publishers. It was
so unprofessional. I chose writing because
I couldn’t afford the art materials but did
have free access to a typewriter. True story.”
Mark’s road to success began at British
comic 2000AD aged 20, like fellow writing
greats Alan Moore, John Wagner and
Morrison before him. It wasn’t long until his
writing had caught the attention of DC
Comics and he was heading across the
Atlantic to work at the home of Batman.
However, what Mark describes as a
“corporate way of working” left him
feeling stifled.
This led him to DC rivals Marvel,
where he was an immediate success.
He revamped The Avengers and penned one
of the most successful comic series of all
time, Marvel Civil War.
“I trod the established path of British
comic writers,” he says. “You start at
2000AD and go to the Americans.
I knew what I was getting into with the
corporations. I knew it was finite. You get
paid to write the comic and that’s it.
No ownership and no movie rights.
What you can do, though, is raise your own
profile with your stories and that’s what I
did. Then you know you have a good chance
of taking readers with you when you start
your own company, which, thankfully,
happened for me.
“The guys at Marvel and DC do pay well
for what you write, but ownership is
something you will never have. That gives
you, as a writer or artist, a shelf-life, just like
an actor in EastEnders. That’s why I wanted
to start up on my own.”
Beyond Wanted, Kick-Ass and The Secret
Service, Millarworld has also produced a
number of other projects, all of which are
in various stages of film production.
However, unlike other major comic-book
publishers, Mark ensures that whenever he
sells the film adaptation rights to anything
he has penned, the artist who illustrated the
work receives half of the money on offer.
“You are 100 per cent dependent on
the artist,” Mark says. “It’s like an actor
delivering a script. If the actor is bad,
the script is lost. I’m always lucky enough
to work with the best artists in the world,
so it probably makes my script look better
than it is.
“I contact the artists ahead of time now
that I have my own company, and schedule
my work with them. We do something
together and there tends to be a film from it,
too. With the profit-share agreement,
the artists can make more money in six
to 12 months with Millarworld than they
can in 20 years at Marvel or DC.”
Despite this success, Mark’s career
hasn’t been without controversy,
with Kick-Ass itself, in both comic and
movie form, being criticised by some
quarters for being overly violent.
“I’ve never really felt comics needed to
be any safer or more dumbed-down than a
book or a film,” he says. “It’s just a means of
telling a story and is actually the means I
enjoy most, as it tends to be more
autonomous than film, being made by
just two people instead of 300.
“
I like Paddington Bear
as much as I like
Quentin Tarantino
“When I was a kid, comics were aimed at
eight to 12-year-old boys, but now the range
is anything from toddlers to pensioners —
across a wide array of books.”
Fittingly then, Mark has come up with
the perfect counterpoint to his more
violent creations with the publication
of his first children’s picture book,
Kindergarten Heroes.
“I like Paddington Bear as much as I like
Quentin Tarantino,” he says. “I’m as happy
writing for tots as I am writing for 15-yearold boys. As a father of three girls, I guess I
just wanted to write something they could
read and, as a writer, it’s nice to stretch
different muscles.”
Now Mark is hopeful that many other
young Scots will follow in his footsteps in
pursuing what they really want to do,
regardless of how far-fetched it seems.
“Growing up, it must have sounded crazy
when I told my career advisor in school
that I wanted to write Batman,” he says.
“Living 5000 miles away from where the
action was happening, on paper, made it all
seem almost impossible, but if you want
something badly enough you can make it
happen.”
11
CALEDONIAN CREATES
Innovative thinking
leads to bright ideas
Caledonian Creates brings together the imaginative conjurings of GCU’s students
and academics. Rosin Eadie reports
T
ake a 1950s Hollywood musical, throw
in a dash of kitsch robot design and
add a dollop of Wizard of Oz. Then mix it
all up with the most advanced 3D
technology and let it dance.
Imaginative thinking like that has helped
to make Caledonian Creates one of the
most widely-anticipated events on the
GCU calendar. The week-long showcase,
which takes place each May, celebrates the
work of students and academics from the
University’s creative programmes
across the disciplines of construction,
product design, technology, gaming,
3D animation, multimedia, interior design
and fashion.
Bruce Wood, Professor of Design
Innovation and Director for the Centre of
Creative Industries, said: “Caledonian
Creates is our opportunity to demonstrate
the ways in which we are inspirational in
addressing design, multimedia, technology,
marketing, communication, fashion and
interior architecture needs.
“GCU has the biggest concentration of
creative sector programmes in Scotland
and as we celebrate 10 years of Caledonian
Creates in the Saltire Centre,
it has earned a reputation as a must-attend
exhibiton for educationalists as well as key
figures from business, industry and the
third sector.”
For June 2014 3D Computer Animation
International Product Design
graduate Cameron James
mixed retro style with modern
design. He chose plywood
and vacuum-formed it to an
unusual shape, finishing it off
with vintage style bulb and
bright orange cable.
12
GCU graduate Greg McFarlane with his Concrete Sound speaker dock.
graduate Heather Main, Caledonian
Creates provided a platform to share her
dancing tin man animation with industry
experts, academics and her peers.
She said: “The brief was to design a
character and animate it to a piece of
music using three of the 12 animation
principles. The whole process involved
designing, modelling, texturing, rigging and
animating your own character. This was
the first time I had ever created more than
a head model and learned about rigging
and weighting.
“I chose the Singing in the Rain dance
sequence by Gene Kelly and the character
design was inspired by classic 1950s
robot toys, the Iron Giant, iRobot and
the Tin Man. The full animation was
a little adventurous but proved to be
a fun challenge.”
Other concepts unveiled at Caledonian
Creates 2014 included a duck-shaped toy
that encourages sensory development in
children, fashions of the future and an app
designed to inspire feelings of wellbeing.
Cutting edge domestic furniture,
lighting and decor solutions by
International Product Design students
were also on display, including work
by June 2014 graduate Greg McFarlane,
the creator of Concrete Sound
speaker dock.
He said: “I focused on using unique
materials. Concrete was used as a
substitute for plastic, wood and metal
commonly used in speaker products.
The concrete utilised its natural attributes
to create great sound. The main aim of the
design was to manufacture an interesting
object which would function like any other
speaker dock.”
Fellow International Product Design
student and aspiring entrepreneur Sam
Whitten, also a June 2014 graduate,
showcased his hemp sunglasses. He has
ambitions to launch them to the UK
market in the near future as his first
business venture.
Heather Main and her Singing in the Rain Tin Man, as featured on the front cover of this issue.
Sam said: “Hemp is an incredible
eco-friendly material. At the moment,
each pair is made by hand but I hope to get
them mass produced. I am in touch with
various companies to test compression
moulding machines.
“I believe they are the first hemp
sunglasses to be offered to the UK market.
They have polarised lenses and I am now
working on different styles. The next step
is to find funding for the machines and
approach outlets to sell them.”
Sam’s determination to take his product
to the market comes as no surprise to
Professor Wood. As well as showcasing
innovation, he believes that Caledonian
Creates provides an entrepreneurial
springboard for students.
“At GCU we are passionate about
helping our students not only develop their
products and concepts, but inspiring them
with the entrepreneurial skills, networks
and confidence necessary to take their
ideas to the next level,” he said.
Sam Whitten’s hemp sunglasses.
13
NEWS BRIEFING
Focusing on
climate justice
From helping STV launch a new channel to getting a BigTick,
GCU has continued to have impact near and far, no more so than
with the Centre for Climate Justice
DUBAI OPPORTUNITIES
EBE Construction and environment
students explored career opportunities in
the Middle East during a study trip in May,
sponsored by the KAR Construction
Scholarship Fund. They visited construction
sites including Yas Mall and the expansion
of Emirates’ catering facilities at Dubai
airport, as well as Sheikh Zayed Grand
Mosque, Burj Al Arab and the Burj Khalifa,
the world’s tallest building, and joined GCU
alumna Amanda Forte for a guided tour of
Abu Dhabi. The KAR Scholarship is
supported by GCU Honorary Graduate
Khalid Abdul Rahim, CEO of multi-million
dollar construction company Cebarco
Bahrain, and provides funding for
international study tours, scholarships
and prizes for construction students in
the School of Engineering and Built
Environment.
TREND SETTING
GSBS Fashion Branding students teamed
up with Buchanan Galleries as part of an
exciting project to inject unique style into
Glasgow’s shopping district. Students were
tasked with transforming the main
Buchanan Street windows and display pods
within the centre with eye-catching spring/
summer visual designs. The revamped
window displays showcased the creative
talents of the winning students to highstreet shoppers and tourists visiting the
city’s famous Style Mile.
CLIMATE JUSTICE TOPS AGENDA
SOCIAL WORK SUMMIT
GSBS GCU hosted the fourth and final
conference in the Moral Panics seminar
series on Friday, May 16. Sponsored by the
UK’s Economic and Social Research Council
(ESRC), the prestigious seminar brought
together academics, policy makers and
practitioners to further debate and discuss
the role of social work in moral panics.
Moral panic occurs when the media
sensationalises a condition, event, person or
group of people and portrays it as a threat
to society, inducing a state of outrage or
panic. The Chair of Social Work at GCU,
Professor Stephen Webb, one of the
world’s foremost academics in social
work, introduced the seminar, which was
attended by international experts.
14
TOP US WRITER VISITS
GSBS American writer and producer Toni
Graphia, whose TV hits include Battlestar
Galactica; Grey’s Anatomy; Dr Quinn,
Medicine Woman; and Terminator:
The Sarah Connor Chronicles,
visited students on the flagship MA TV
Research GCU’s Centre for Climate Justice
held the first in a series of stakeholder events
to focus on gathering the best evidence to
inform the Climate Justice agenda. Scottish
Government Minister for External Affairs and
International Development Humza Yousaf
MSP is pictured above with Principal and
Vice-Chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies
CBE and Professor Tahseen Jafry, head of the
Centre for Climate Justice, prior to the event.
They were joined by delegates including
Dr Tara Shine, Head of Research and
Development at the Mary Robinson
Foundation; and Katharine Knox, Policy
and Research Programme Manager at the
Joseph Rowntree Foundation, among other
International Development specialists.
Just days later, it was announced that the
Fiction Writing programme. Graphia took
time out from her busy filming schedule to
pass on her expertise. She is in Scotland to
film Outlanders, a major US science fiction
series for cable network Starz and Sony
Pictures Television, which is being shot
in Cumbernauld.
journalist. Riverside Show roving reporter
Colin Stone (pictured below) is also a GCU
graduate. He gained a BA Multimedia
Journalism in 2012. STV Glasgow’s
partnership with GCU also offers unique
work experience opportunities for current
multimedia students to work on prime-time
content for the channel.
LEAGUE TABLE SUCCESS
Research GCU rose eight places in the
Complete University Guide, which was
published in May. The University is ranked
72 out of 123 UK universities, and is in the
top 20 modern universities. GCU also
performed well at subject level. It is first
in the UK in the category Complementary
Medicine, which refers to Podiatry at GCU,
and in the UK Top Ten in Building,
Medical Technology (Radiography)
and Ophthalmics.
CENTRE STAGE FOR
YUNUS CENTRE
Centre for Climate Justice is to play a key
role in a campaign encouraging communities
in Malawi to replace dangerous and costly
kerosene lamps, batteries and candles with
environmentally friendly solar lighting that
helps families to tackle poverty.
Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group, which
includes GCU, Keep Scotland Beautiful
(KSB) and charity SolarAid, which runs a
social enterprise in Malawi, has received
£200,000 of Scottish Government funding
to act as project partners and help deliver
the “Scotland Lights up Malawi” awareness
and fundraising campaign. It will last for 20
months and 20 days and will seek to raise a
further £2020k from Scotland’s public sector,
private businesses and individuals, as well as
increasing awareness of the issue of climate
justice.
Research Leading figures from the third
sector met at GCU as part of the Yunus
Centre’s £2million study into the impact of
social enterprise on the health and
wellbeing of people and communities. The
Medical Research Council and the
Economic and Social Research Council (UK)
awarded GCU’s Yunus Centre for Social
Business and Health, and five other
Universities in Scotland, almost £2m in
December for a five-year study into the
links between social business and health
and wellbeing. Around 30 social business
operators, academics and representatives of
membership organisations, such as Social
Enterprise Scotland, met at the University to
share best practice and to chart a common
way forward.
BIG TICK FOR GCU
GCU Glasgow Caledonian University
achieved ‘Big Tick’ recognition in the
prestigious 2014 Responsible Business
Awards, run by the Prince of Wales charity,
Business in the Community. As well as
this recognition, GCU is one of just six
organisations shortlisted to become overall
winner of the Unilever International Award,
supported by Business Fights Poverty.
GCU was
shortlisted
thanks to its
work
with the
Grameen
Healthcare Trust
in co-founding
the Grameen
Caledonian
College of
Nursing (GCCN).
WRAP STARS
MAKING THE NEWS
GSBS GCU journalism graduates are
playing key roles in front of the camera and
behind the scenes as the city’s first local
television station, STV Glasgow, goes from
strength to strength following its launch on
June 2. Their roles include assistant
producer, video journalist and production
GSBS Thirty secondary school pupils from
Glasgow completed the first Glasgow
School for Business and Society (GSBS)
Work Ready Action Programme (WRAP).
The initiative marked the start of a
three-year strategic partnership with
Castlemilk High School and St Margaret
Mary’s Secondary School. WRAP has been
designed to boost the S4 pupils’ confidence
by helping them to develop skills in fact
finding, creative thinking, working with
others, and using multimedia. It was
delivered as part of GSBS’s partnership with
Scottish Business in the Community (SBiC)
and its Business Class programme.
>>>
15
NEWS BRIEFING
GAMING FOR GLASGOW AT
GCU
EBE A total of 160 schoolchildren
unveiled their digital games, apps and
animations at GCU earlier this month,
which they co-designed with GCU
students and staff in preparation
for the XX Commonwealth Games.
The showcase formed part of the
Gaming for Glasgow project, a
Commonwealth Games-linked initiative
to improve digital skills, and marks a
collaboration between GCU’s School
of Engineering and Built Environment,
GCU’s Caledonian Club and Celtic FC
Foundation. The event brought together
more than 200 GCU students and
staff and pupils from nine primary and
secondary schools from the East End
of Glasgow. Thirty digital games have
been created for the project, all based
on the Glasgow 2014 Legacy Priorities
‘active’, ‘connected’, ‘flourishing’ and
‘sustainable’. Gaming for Glasgow won
a Game Changer award as part of the
Commonwealth Games legacy.
SOUND AND VISION
GCU’s Audio Technology with Electronics
and Multimedia programmes, within the
School of Engineering and Built
Environment, since November last year.
APP-Y DAYS FOR JAMIE
EBE Students experienced cutting-edge
technology when they got a taste of working
behind the scenes at the Glasgow 2014
Commonwealth Games. As part of the
Host Broadcaster Training Initiative (HBTI),
NEP Visions Ltd — one of the facilities
suppliers for Glasgow 2014 host
broadcasters SVGTV — brought its Atlantic
Outside Broadcast truck on to campus to
give students and staff training in the latest
HD recording and output equipment.
They were given tours and hands-on
training in the use of vision, sound,
cameras and operations facilities. HBTI, a
key Legacy 2014 programme of Glasgow
2014, has been training 37 students from
16
EBE BA (Hons) Graphic Design for Digital
Media student Jamie Shirra took home
£2500 after winning Scottish Institute for
Enterprise Young Innovators Challenge for
his inventive approach to improving mental
wellbeing. Jamie invented Reflect-a-Pic,
a concept for a mobile application that
turns the idea of social media on its head.
He said: “Whereas Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram make you focus on what other
people are doing, Reflect-a-Pic focuses only
on what you are doing in a bid to make you
feel better about yourself and rid you of
stress, anxiety and depression.” The app
does this by giving the user a theme each
day — such as something that makes them
happy or proud — then asks them to take
a picture of it, accompanied by a short
sentence. At the end of the week, the app
displays the pictures and sentences from
the previous seven days in a gallery.
WINTOUR EXCLUSIVE
GCU London Fashion and Luxury students
met fashion industry legends Anna Wintour,
Editor in Chief of American Vogue and
Artistic Director of Conde Nast, and Suzy
Menkes, International Vogue Editor, at an
exclusive event in Piccadilly organised by
GCU Honorary Professor and Chair of the
British Fashion Council, Professor Caroline
Rush. Ms Wintour shared her experiences
of the industry and her top tips for success.
Professor Christopher Moore, Director of
the British School of Fashion, said: “Anna is
an important and influential figure in the
fashion industry, so it was a remarkable
opportunity for our students to meet her.
We will remember it for a very long time.”
Anna Wintour met GCU London Students.
ENGAGEMENT
Splashing into the record books
GCU student nurses participate in the world’s ‘largest ever’ hand-hygiene class in a bid to take
their place in history. Peter John Meiklem reports
W
hat do the Guinness Book of World
Records, 5000 screaming kids,
scientists and a team of student nurses
from GCU all have in common?
They all scrub up nicely, thank you
very much. Or at least they do now,
after the unlikely partnership united to seek
to win a place in the record books for
organising the world’s largest ever handhygiene class. ‘Sneeze guns’ filled with
green coloured water, ultraviolet lights and
giant bugs knitted from wool all took their
place in the unlikely world-record attempt
as more than 70 GCU student nurses and
5400 pupils in 62 Glasgow primary schools
hoped to wrestle the title from the Health
Protection Agency in England.
But what was it all for?
GCU’s Professor Tracey Howe,
who organised the event, explains:
“As well as working at the University,
I work for the Glasgow City of Science
campaign. We wanted to promote science
and the understanding of science to young
people. Hand washing is an important area,
and some of the best researchers in it work
at GCU, and we wanted to make something
memorable for the kids, so it all came
together in the world-record attempt.”
Tracey contacted GCU’s nursing
department, researchers and, with
additional support from the NHS,
Glasgow Science Centre, Glasgow Schools,
the Scottish Government and agencies
such as Health Protection Scotland,
and others too numerous to mention
here, the project soon started to
gather momentum.
A public appeal for knitting enthusiasts
to create wool versions of common bugs,
such as e-coli, salmonella, or the common
cold, met with a warm response, both from
amateur knitters who were happy to help
and the Scottish media. The story was soon
being covered everywhere from Glasgow to
John O’Groats.
But it was only a precursor to the
main event.
Kicking off with a flashmob dance at
the Glasgow Science Centre, it wasn’t
your everyday school lesson.
Zoe Lawless, a third-year BA Nursing
student who took part in the class held
at the science centre, said: “The sneeze
gun was a lot of fun, though I wasn’t
expecting quite so many children to be
there, so I was quite nervous. We wanted to
show the kids just how important washing
your hands is.”
And although the day was nothing but
enjoyable, for kids large and small, the
serious message remained
centre stage.
Professor Jacqui Reilly,
expert in Healthcare
Associated Infection,
explained: “Hand washing
is the first line of defence
against the spread of many
infections. It really does cut
down the risk of colds and
other common infections.”
And it wasn’t just the kids
who sat up and took note.
After receiving a masterclass
in hand-washing technique from
Tracey and Jacqui, Alex Neil, MSP,
the Scottish Government minister for
Health and Wellbeing, was firmly on
message.
“The importance of hand hygiene is
absolutely critical. This is the right age
to teach kids to wash their hands and how
to do it properly. And doing it through
the 62 primary schools in Glasgow,
involving trainee nurses from Glasgow
Caledonian University, and involving the
teachers too, really gets the message
across — and that’s good for us all.”
17
FASHION SHOW 2014
18
2014
Fashion
Show
GCU’s Fashion Show is an annual celebration of students’ hard
work and dedication, reports Roisin-Alana Di Giacomo
T
he 2014 Fashion Show provided a
platform for students to showcase the
innovative designs created as part of their
business-focused fashion degrees.
“It borders on fashion-art,” says lecturer
Diane Cook. “You can’t design unless you
are able to be creative and tap into this.
Creativity is a skill you can use in aspects
of every career.”
She is speaking about the third-year
collection of upcycled clothing, which
challenged students to design outwith
the boundaries of fashion. It featured the
work of students such as Kate Anderson,
who created a bespoke dress from six
handbags she had in her cupboard, and
Vanessa Lang, whose inspiration was
drawn from Alessandro Volta, the inventor
of the battery, and Andrew Mackinnon,
who whisked up a storm using kitchen
utensils as part of his design.
Designer Gillian McDonald’s (pictured
inset, right) exquisite gown in leather and
tulle was selected to feature in Eleganza’s
Collezioni range and following her
graduation this summer, Gillian will take up
an internship with the brand: “My style
isn’t conventional,” she says. “I’m hoping
to bring my ideas to the design studio and
to learn from Anna and those experienced
around me.”
Anna Cirignaco (pictured inset, left),
Managing Director and owner of Eleganza,
has developed a strong working
relationship with the Glasgow School for
Business and Society. This has led to nine
GCU students from different disciplines
across the School benefiting by
undertaking work placements in the city’s
flagship store.
“Working in the industry for more than
20 years, it is wonderful to see the energy
students bring and to look at aspects of
the business from different perspectives,”
said Anna. “The designs are often raw as
they don’t need to follow the marketplace
or trends, and such freedom allows design
to flourish.”
GCU Subject Group Lead in Fashion,
Marketing and Retail Dr Julie McColl said:
“Fashion is woven into the history of GCU,
with the founding colleges dating back to
1875. The programmes, like fashion,
have evolved and they address industrial
experience, brand development,
marketing strategies, internationalisation,
and merchandising, key to the success of
any business.”
19
INTERVIEW: PROFESSOR CAROLINE RUSH
Anything is possible
in an open world
Honorary Professor Caroline Rush talks to Lynn McGarry about her Glasgow roots,
the importance of fashion business and the “limitless” opportunities in the industry
H
er formative fashion memory may be
of her mum being “heckled for wearing
hotpants in Glasgow”, but Caroline Rush
doesn’t bear a grudge against the city.
Chief Executive of the British Fashion
Council (IBFC), Caroline is “Glaswegian and
proud of it” and delighted to be rekindling
her connection with the city as a GCU
Honorary Professor.
Says Bishopbriggs-born Caroline:
“I came to look at the incredible campus
at GCU London and happened to mention
to Professor Christopher Moore that I was
born in Bishopbriggs. He said, ‘I can’t
believe it — it was meant to be’. There are
great opportunities in what GCU is doing
internationally and sharing that global
knowledge is very important for the
University, its students and alumni.”
Listed in the Evening Standard Power
1000 List 2012 and 2013, and in the 2013
Business of Fashion’s 500, Caroline has led
the BFC since 2009.
20
Her appointment heralded the return of
brands including Burberry, Jonathan
Saunders, Matthew Williamson, Preen and
Pringle of Scotland to London Fashion Week
and she has overseen the expansion of the
BFC’s LONDON show ROOMS to cover new
markets including Hong Kong, LA,
New York, Paris and Sao Paolo, as well as
established London Collections: Men,
Britain’s only biannual menswear trade
showcase.
Caroline has already given her inaugural
professorial lecture, focusing on
developments in the past decade of
fashion and exploring how the £26bn
British industry will look by 2020.
She outlined how the BFC is securing
a pipeline of talent through education and
training and is enthusiastic about the GCU
British School of Fashion’s parallel
commitment to mentoring the next
generation of fashion business leaders.
“I went to art college and modelled
on the side to help cover the costs of
studies,” Caroline says. “I was offered
an opportunity to go to Tokyo, all
expenses paid, so I was like ‘yeah I’m
off!’ I took a year out to think about
what to do next and got a job on a City
graduate traineeship in financial PR, I
thought as I haven’t got a degree I
should do this. I loved it. I thought I
would go back to university but never
did.
“When I was looking to go to
university you could be a buyer or
designer but there was not a clear
view of what you could do if you
were better at the business side
than the creative. Had these
incredibly important courses been
available, I might have gone back
Professor Rush is featured
to university and down that route.
in the ES Power 1000 List.
The young designers I work with need
individuals who know production,
the management side, brand strategy,
sourcing, merchandising... if you could
surround yourself with like-minded
graduates who know the business side you
would be in a strong position to evolve and
grow in a more strategic fashion, and
potentially quicker.”
High-quality programmes clearly
linked to career paths are also essential if
perceptions of the industry (worth more
to the UK economy than car
manufacturing and as much as telecoms,
and estimated to support 797,000 jobs)
as a little fluffy and frivolous are to be
overturned.
“We have worked closely with
government in terms of perception and
understanding the industry’s
complexity and opportunities,”
Caroline says.
“We hope to highlight the
incredible career paths in the
industry so that parents don’t turn
their noses up when children say
they want to be the next Michael
Kors or Christopher Kane. To do that
we need to make it clearer how they
can study the kind of courses
universities like GCU offer; raise
money for scholarships like you do
to ensure your courses are
accessible — which is wonderful.
We need to see there are
apprenticeships too.” She is
also enthusiastic about the
“limitless” opportunities and
the challenges of a career in
fashion.
“It’s a really dynamic industry,”
she says. “You could be a small
brand barely making
a profit but selling in Tokyo, South Korea,
LA. It opens up your world in an industry
that has global reach. Anything is possible
and there’s always a huge amount to learn.
It’s changing all the time. I’d advise
young graduates to first go and get
experience in a larger organisation. We have
a brilliant entrepreneurial culture where you
can start a business and develop — but
there’s no substitute for experience and
understanding how to apply your studies
“
Although it’s my
work, fashion still
excites me
to the real world. It is invaluable when you
go and start afresh.”
GCU’s commitment to ethical,
sustainable business also resonates with
the BFC, where manufacturing and sourcing
can create challenges.
“Finding sustainable brands that can
compete in the mainstream is challenging
but more businesses want to follow that
route, which is rewarding.
“Retailers and brands often won’t shout
about it though, as they haven’t done it
across the spectrum of their business.
We want to champion them so that the
public and industry feel there is a
commitment to addressing challenges in
sourcing and manufacturing, and to looking
on your doorstep to invest in skills so we
can manufacture in the UK and keep the
industry buoyant.
“The BFC has launched schemes such as
Estethica and works with companies on
best practice.”
Some personal challenges she is most
proud of include creating Men’s Fashion
Week and bolstering support for
businesses, which has already helped stem
the failure rate of fledgling labels — “Our
incredible creative talents are finding ways
to run commercial businesses”.
Though she is “rarely out of work”,
in her spare time Caroline enjoys being
with her “incredible family and friends”
at galleries, theatre and the cinema —
and fashion, of course.
“Although it’s my work, too, I am
still super excited about fashion,”
she says. “When I travel, I find time to
go to the stores and see the different
edits and international brands. It’s an
incredible industry.”
21
GLOBALWATCH
Lynsey Spiers took in the sights at Helsinki.
A taste of working overseas
FINLAND
B
Sc Occupational Therapy students
Collette Kelly and Lynsey Speirs
received a warm welcome at Helsinki
Metropolia University — despite
temperatures dropping to -17.
Collette and Lynsey travelled with
Erasmus to undertake third-year placement
projects; Lynsey working in a neurological
rehabilitation centre and Collette assessing
the needs of elderly hospital patients
to ensure they could safely return to
their homes.
“We want to work overseas now and the
exchange gave us a fantastic taste of what
it might be like to begin a career abroad,”
said Lynsey.
Added Collette: “Helsinki made Scotland
feel like Hawaii and I soon fell for a key
aspect of Finnish culture — the sauna.
22
I hoped studying in a different environment
would be a great learning tool and it turned
out to be a life-changing experience that
every student should have. Learning the
language was challenging but struggling to
get by helped sharpen our non-verbal skills
with patients, which is invaluable when we
work with people who have different
communication barriers.”
Lynsey is the first GCU student who uses
Collette Kelly.
a wheelchair to embark on an international
exchange and urged all students to embrace
whatever challenges studying abroad
might bring.
She said: “I often experience
environmental and attitudinal barriers that
can make participating in some activities
more difficult. I try not to think ‘I can’t do
that’, but instead think ‘I haven’t done that
yet’. My disability was something I had to
consider and I had to solve issues such
as travelling alone with luggage, the snow
and not having adaptations in my
accommodation that I am used to at home.
It’s only one element of me though and
doesn’t define who I am or what I am
capable of. So I would recommend anyone
to try studying abroad. It’s a great way to
challenge yourself and appreciate your
true capabilities.”
OMAN
Caledonian College of Engineering, GCU’s
partner institution in Oman for the past 18
years, has joined the SME Development
Fund (SMEDF) of National Company for
Projects and Management LLC to launch the
Entrepreneurial Campus initiative.
CCE is one of five Muscat institutions
launching the project, which is designed to
nurture Omani entrepreneurs. It will offer
programmes in entrepreneurship and
promote student-led companies.
The College is also celebrating an
international award for its sustainability
initiatives. The Global Green Award was
presented to the College in recognition
of its outstanding environmental
achievements and sustainable practices
including introducing a paper-free
environment, research focused activities
on renewable energies, and the use of solar
energy to meet the needs of the campus’
electricity demands.
BANGLADESH
Nursing students joined their peers from
GCCN to mark World Health Day in a joint
lecture via Skype.
Small Bite, Big Threat focused on
vector-borne illnesses (diseases carried
by insects) such as malaria and 300
second-year students discussed disease,
health care and nursing training here and
in Bangladesh with their counterparts
in Dhaka.
GCCN Founding Principal Professor
Barbara Parfitt joined the students. “It was a
wonderful opportunity for students to learn
from each other and to continue to build
their relationship,” she said. “I would love to
see all our students feel part of one family.”
Professor Parfitt was recently honoured
at the Bangladesh Independence celebration
in Glasgow for her work in helping establish
GCCN.
across the Commonwealth.
Twenty students mentored teenagers
during the Aye Write! Future News
International Young Journalists’ Conference.
GCU sponsored two students — from
India and Bangladesh — to take part in the
conference, during which they heard
masterclasses from GSBS lecturers and
journalists including Paul Ingrassia of
Reuters and Jim Naughtie and Reevel
Alderson of the BBC.
Lecturer Nick Bevens said: “The
conference gave GCU students a great
opportunity to interact with peers from
around the world, which is invaluable in
a global market. Our students were a
fantastic advert for what we do.”
CCE’s Acting Dean Dr Ahmed Hassan Mohammed
Al Bulushi, and Raphael Parambi, CEO of SME
Development Fund – NCPM, signed a Memorandum
of Understanding to seal the partnership.
US
Students from UMass Boston visited GCU.
Eight first-year Pre-Med students shadowed
Biomedical/Biological Sciences students
during a short exchange which took six
first-year GCU Biosciences students to
Boston. The School of Engineering and
Built Environment also hosted students
from UMass.
“We were delighted to welcome the
UMass students to GCU and to offer our
students a unique chance to study abroad,”
said Dr Julie Rattray, of Life Sciences.
“Such an early short exchange opportunity
encourages our students to take up further
chances to build study at our partner
institutions.”
COMMONWEALTH
GCU students joined some of the world’s
leading journalists to pass on their skills to a
new generation of global reporters from
UMass and GCU students work together during an exchange trip organised with the American university.
23
NEW YORK ROUND-UP
Marigay McKee
ries
– Town Hall se
24
Harris Tweed
event
– Town H
all series
New York opens with
Caledonian Lecture
From its autumn launch to its spring opening and beyond, GCU New York has hosted events
including inspiring masterclasses and a visit from Scotland’s First Minister. Chris Fitzgerald
reflects on a busy and exciting period for the University
I
n September last year, Chancellor
Professor Muhammad Yunus launched
GCU New York to a select audience of 300
people in midtown Manhattan and, in doing
so, marked GCU as the first UK university to
take root in the city.
But that was just the beginning.
Cara Smyth, GCU New York Vice
President, next had the considerable task of
preparing the Wooster Street campus to
open its doors officially in April of this year
— which it did to a flurry of activity.
While Scotland’s First Minister and two
iconic fashion brands ensured the campus
opened in some style, other heavyweight
events swiftly followed.
In May, Professor Marigay McKee,
President of Saks Fifth Avenue, visited
Wooster Street, delivering her inaugural
Professorial Masterclass after her
appointment as an Honorary Professor. The
masterclass, The Business of Luxury, was part
of GCU New York’s ongoing Fashion Sharing
Progress Town Hall series — an approach
designed to allow academics and
professionals to collaborate with students
and industry experts to encourage learning.
Professor McKee took over at Saks Fifth
Avenue in January this year, following her
success as Chief Merchant of Harrods in
London. About 130 people attended the
masterclass, including the British Fashion
Council’s Chief Executive Professor Caroline
Rush and designers Professor Henry Holland
and Maria Cornejo.
Professor McKee used the class to
explain what brands should be doing to
make a difference today. She explained how
Saks is seeking additional ways to
demonstrate this and gave examples of a
number of luxury brand initiatives, including
Saks’ own Key to the Cure campaign, which
has raised $35million over the past five
years for women’s cancer charities.
Of course, being the first British
university to open a campus in New York
First Minister Alex Salmond delivers the Caledonian Lecture.
meant nothing less than a series of highprofile events to mark the April opening
would do ­— and this included the
presentation of the inaugural Caledonian
Lecture by the Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MP.
The First Minister presented to a
distinguished audience of more than 150
guests and also unveiled a plaque to
commemorate the opening of the satellite
campus. Paying tribute to the University’s
established initiatives and programmes, he
said: “In all of this, you are living up to your
motto — for the common weal.”
Mr Salmond’s visit was followed by that
of representatives from two iconic brands,
Harris Tweed and Brooks Brothers, who
discussed the issue of sustainability in
fashion as part of the first Town Hall event.
The panel was made up of Harris Tweed
Hebrides Creative Director Mark Hogarth
and Chairman Brian Wilson. They were
Glasgow City Council
leader Gordon Matheson
also checked in on GCU
New York while in the city.
joined by Brooks Brothers Senior Fabric
Specialist Doug Shriver and Director of
Fashion Glen Hoffs. The discussion itself
was moderated by Nick Sullivan, the Fashion
Director of Esquire.
About 150 people were at the event,
which was framed by an exhibition of 30
striking images from the award-winning
book From the Land Comes the Cloth, by
photographer Ian Lawson.
A cross-party delegation from the
Scottish Parliament, led by Presiding Officer
Tricia Marwick, also visited the New York
campus during the April opening, which
coincided with the city’s Scotland Week
celebrations.
The delegation, which included Linda
Fabiani, the Scottish National Party MSP for
East Kilbride, met with Principal and
Vice-Chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies;
Cara Smyth; and GCU Student President
Matt Lamb, to learn about the development
of the New York campus, including its
planned programmes and transatlantic
exchange opportunities for students and
staff. Other masterclasses planned for GCU
New York in the near future include Andrew
Rosen, co-founder of contemporary fashion
brand Theory.
Andrew will discuss the Garment Centre
Initiative, which is looking to bring apparel
production back to the US and, in particular,
New York. Patagonia and the ILO
(International Labor Organization) will also
present on the subject of supply chain
management, with Mercado Global, Maiyet
and Warby Parker all scheduled for
masterclasses later in the year.
With all this considered, Cara has been
impressed with the response the campus
has received since opening.
“GCU NY, and our For the Common Good
mission, has been warmly welcomed to the
city by thought leaders from the business
and apparel industries, NGOs, United
Nations and the academic world,” she said.
25
Making a world
of difference
Linda Robertson looks at how GCU’s Magnusson Awards embody the University’s mission
for the Common Good around the globe
F
rom a project for premature and
vulnerable babies in Tanzania to a ‘train
of hope’ providing medical care to people
in South Africa, this year GCU students will
travel the globe to help enrich communities
and improve the health and wellbeing of
others... and it’s all in the name of one man.
The 2014 recipients of the Magnus
Magnusson Awards will embark on
adventures that will take them from Ghana
and Zambia to Myanmar and Nepal as they
strive to make the world around them a
brighter and better place.
These once-in-a-lifetime opportunities
are made possible by the awards
established in memory of the University’s
late chancellor and renowned broadcaster
and journalist, Magnus Magnusson KBE.
It’s a legacy that allows students to
follow their dreams and make a positive
and lasting impact, whether at home or
abroad. In doing so, they embrace and
embody the University’s mission for the
Common Good.
Funding of up to £5000 enables
students in their second year upwards or
researchers in the early stages of their
academic careers to cultivate their
ambitions by supporting a period of
exploration, study, learning and personal
growth. Since the awards were launched in
2008, 44 awards totalling £160,000 have
been presented.
“As Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian
University from 2002 to 2007, Magnus
carried out his University duties with
great enthusiasm and tireless dedication,”
says Principal and Vice-Chancellor,
Professor Pamela Gillies CBE.
“Magnus had a real passion for learning
and knowledge. Through the creation
of the Magnus Magnusson Awards,
“
I’ll be in a privileged
position to make a
lasting change
we ensure that our late Chancellor’s
contribution to Scottish education in
general, and to Glasgow Caledonian
University in particular, will be forever
remembered.”
Magnus’ daughter, Dr Sally Magnusson,
says her father ‘adored’ his time as
chancellor of the University from 2002
to 2007.
“My father always loved meeting the
students and other young people who are
such a vibrant part of the Glasgow
Caledonian community.
Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies with Dr Sally Magnusson and the Magnusson Award recipients.
26
“Each year I look forward to hearing
what new and exciting projects the next
generation of GCU students are planning
with the support of the Magnusson
Awards, and I am always excited and
proud that this fund can make such
a variety of goals possible.”
This year’s winners include Craig
Hausman, a BSc Graphic Design for Digital
Media student, who will share his passion
for art with the Let Us Create project which
provides outreach, education and art
therapy to an underprivileged community
of families, especially children, living in
Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
Pei Ling Choo, who is studying for
a PhD in neurological rehabilitation,
hopes to help set up a rural satellite
neurorehabilitation clinic in Myanmar,
an extension of the only rehabilitation
hospital in the entire country.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
work within a developing country and will
enable me to develop both professionally
and personally as a clinician-scientist.
“This project will make a significant
and positive impact to the lives of those
with disabilities in Myanmar through the
sharing of clinical and professional
knowledge.”
BSc Optometry students, Gemma Hill,
Jayne Imrie and Emily McGarva, will use
their Santander Magnusson Award to
volunteer in South Africa on the
Phelophepa train, or ‘Train of Hope’,
which travels through rural communities
providing medical care to those who
otherwise have no access to treatment.
The girls will enhance their optometry
skills and provide a much-needed service
to more than 100 people every day.
Roisin Donnelly, BSC Human Biology,
Sociology and Psychology, will work in
Zambia to improve public health issues in
the city of Livingstone while Tom Faure,
MAGNUSSON AWARDS 2014
NAME: Leanne Fraser
DESTINATION: Nepal
NAME: Jennifer Collins
DESTINATION: Nepal
NAME: Karen Fletcher
DESTINATION: Nepal
NAME: Pei Ling Choo
DESTINATION: Myanmar
NAME: Rachel Griffin
DESTINATION: Nepal
NAME: Emily Pathe
DESTINATION: Austria
NAME: Roisin Donnelly
DESTINATION: Zambia
NAME: Emily McGarva
DESTINATION: South Africa
NAME: Tom Faure
DESTINATION: Ghana
NAME: Jayne Imrie
DESTINATION: South Africa
NAME: Gillian Murray
DESTINATION: Tanzania
NAME: Gemma Hill
DESTINATION: South Africa
LLB Law, will spend time in Ghana to
undertake a legal work experience
placement.
“Thanks to the Mike Smith Magnusson
Award, I’ll be able to fulfil a lifetime
ambition to travel to Africa to help those
in most need,” says Tom.
“I’ll be in a privileged position to help
make a lasting change, educating
vulnerable groups and promoting legal
assistance to individuals who otherwise
have limited awareness of their most
fundamental human rights.”
Gillian Murray, who is studying for her
MSc Public Health, is the recipient of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference Magnusson
Award which will allow her to take part in
NAME: Craig Hausman
DESTINATION: Cambodia
the Kangaroo Mother Care project for
premature and vulnerable babies in
Tanzania.
Most hospitals in Tanzania cannot
afford expensive life-saving equipment
such as incubators but Kangaroo
Mother Care promotes a method where
the mother, or caregiver, uses skin-to-skin
contact as a natural incubator for their
baby.
Gillian, who will take her donations of
baby clothes, blankets and hats, will teach
mothers and staff this method. “I’m hugely
grateful that the Magnusson Award is
supporting me to deliver this project to
mothers and babies from disadvantaged
backgrounds, in order to give them the
best start in life and at a time where they
are most vulnerable.”
BSc Adult and Child Nursing students,
Jennifer Collins, Leanne Fraser, Karen
Fletcher and Rachel Griffin, who received
the Glasgow Caledonian University
Magnusson Award, will run clinics in the
city of Pokhara in Nepal for women and
adolescent girls, educating them about
HIV and sexual heath.
GCU alumnus, Gordon Masterton,
has supported five awards since 2008.
“I have supported the Magnusson Fund
because it’s for students who see beyond
the goals of their course of study and have
an ambition to do something
extraordinary,” he says.
27
Sport taught me
vital business skills
From Olympic gold to Honorary Graduate, rowing champion Katherine Grainger CBE talks to
Roisin-Alana Di Giacomo about her epic journey to sporting glory and academic success
T
he story of a champion chasing an
elusive gold medal is one which
captivated a nation.
Two years on, Dr Katherine Grainger,
the Olympic gold and three-time silver
medallist; six-time World Champion;
graduate; karate blackbelt and author,
arrives at GCU to share her journey. It’s an
epic tale.
Relaxed and good-humoured, Katherine
begins by quizzing the team about the latest
visitors to the University and their stories:
“It’s interesting hearing about other people’s
lives,” she says.
For John Harris, Reader in International
Sport and Event Management, the
Olympian’s return to GCU to share her
academic and sporting experiences is the
perfect endorsement of the University’s
inaugural Caledonian Sporting Conversation
event, which also marked the official launch
of the Sport and Identities Research Cluster:
an interdisciplinary group of academics
committed to the study of sport.
“Katherine’s journey epitomises how
sport can be a force for good and unites
people collectively,” says John. “Our work
into the study of sport is focused on its
transcending nature, what it means and the
role sport plays in shaping our identities.”
August 3 at 12:10, Katherine knows the
very hour and minute she and Anna
Watkins started the race that would lead to
their first Olympic gold medal.
Katherine was 36, competing at her fourth
consecutive Olympic Games. Her story
was one of the greatest sporting triumphs
of 2012, and propelled her on to the global
stage. It is no surprise that she has attracted
a packed audience ready to hear her story.
“I think the biggest thing you don’t
expect is how it grows beyond your own
results. It’s a very personal achievement,
but I’ve seen that it does inspire other
people; it has an effect on them; the story,
28
Katherine and her rowing partner Anna Watkins.
the journey, the highs and lows of sport —
as in most lives.
“At the start of my career, a lot of people
would have laughed if I’d said I wanted to
win the Olympic Games. It wasn’t
something that came easy or that I got right
first time. I spent years and years trying to
get better and improve, coming back from
disappointments and knockbacks.”
Born in the Queen Mum’s in Glasgow,
she attended Bearsden Academy before
going on to study law at Edinburgh
University.
She joined the university’s rowing team
and, after some reluctance and a few false
starts, whereby she failed to make the top
four teams and instead was placed in a fifth
team, she realised that rowing was meant
for her.
“The sport didn’t hook me completely
at first, but the people did. After not being
selected, I was so angry that I walked out of
the lecture theatre and up Arthur’s Seat in
a blind frustrated rage. It was my Scarlett
O’Hara moment.”
She woos the home-crowd with her tale,
describing this as a pivotal moment early
on in her career and admitting that she
had overestimated her ability and
underestimated the opposition —
a mistake she would not repeat.
Katherine was not only chasing her
Olympic dream, which had evaded her
in previous Olympics, she was also juggling
the demands of academia, studying for a
PhD in Homicide alongside her gruelling
training regime.
“It is a massive undertaking, you can’t
underestimate how much work it takes,”
she says. “Equally so, my rowing and
training is a full-time job. It’s physically and
mentally exhausting as well as emotionally
draining. Trying to bring the two together in
the same timespan was an ambitious target,
but I wanted to keep in that academic
world. I was a better athlete because I
studied, and a better academic because
I rowed.”
Determined to compete at the highest
level in both arenas, and to finish what she
started, Katherine went on to fulfil her
academic ambition, which was 10 years
in the making. She goes on to tell the
audience that she was spurred on by her
KATHERINE GRAINGER
PhD supervisor, when she was provoked
by the suggestion to give up on her
studies; a phrase not synonymous with
the Olympian.
Katherine hasn’t rowed competitively
since London and describes her break as
a long sabbatical.
But she isn’t ready to retire yet,
leaving the door open and the Rio question
unanswered. “The publicity and awareness
we received after the 2012 Olympics has
been different from anything else I have
ever experienced. For myself and other
athletes I know, we are busier than ever.”
Her work now is focused on using sport
as a force for good, which chimes with the
University’s own social mission. In her
capacity as an Olympian, she works with
charities and people from disadvantaged
backgrounds and is an inspirational speaker
at corporate events. She is most passionate
when speaking about her work
internationally in challenging areas of the
world, where there are no human rights,
or where women have no social standing,
using sport to challenge conventions
and attitudes.
“Through sport people learn valuable
business skills and entrepreneurship,
which open up potential new paths. I’ve
been involved in international projects
where we have set up football clubs with
women running them. Projects which save
lives by teaching swimming before the flood
season, or prevent young girls being forced
into marriage because they see there are
other options. By having that experience
and giving women leadership roles, they get
respected in ways they haven’t been before.
These projects go far beyond sport; they are
about using sport for social change; that is
the power of sport and what it can do.”
In recognition of Katherine’s
achievements in sport, and to honour
her public service and work with
charity, last year the University
conferred an Honorary Degree
on the athlete. She described
the award as a privilege and
not something, from an
athlete’s point of view, you
can train for. “Glasgow is still
my hometown, though I don’t
live here, it’s an honour to
be part of this University.”
“
Through sport people learn
valuable business skills and
entrepreneurship, which open
up potential new paths
29
PRINT DESIGN SERVICES
Hold the front page
The University’s Print Design Services has moved home to the Charles Oakley building.
Chris Fitzgerald looks at the role this vital department plays at GCU
The PDS team is now up and running in its new home in the Charles Oakley Building after months of careful planning ensured minimal disruption to services.
A
ndrew Scott looks at the dismantled
presses that cater for the entirety of
the University’s print needs and says,
sincerely: “It’s not just a case of unscrewing
a few nuts and bolts. It’s a detailed,
technical and delicate operation that takes
time and a lot of planning.”
As head of Print Design Services (PDS),
Andrew was responsible for overseeing the
department’s move to its new, permanent
home in the Charles Oakley building from
June.
The relocation from the George Moore
building to C025 is part of the Heart of the
Campus project, the £30million
redevelopment of the University estate.
Andrew was determined the move
would cause minimum disruption because,
while moving the presses isn’t just a case
of tweaking a few nuts and bolts, it’s fair to
say that PDS is the nuts and bolts when
it comes to all things design and print at
the University.
“We had to ensure downtime was
as minimal as possible, because the
University’s needs are constant,” he says.
“We had been working away behind the
30
scenes for months and have to tip our hats
to the colleagues who have not only helped
us move, but prepared our new facility too.”
The Design Studio, headed by Richard
Barrett, caters for all of GCU’s design
requirements, whether for print or
multimedia. With high demand for the
University’s flagship publications,
promotional brochures, printed support
materials, exhibition materials and,
of course, The Caledonian magazine,
the studio is never quiet.
“Contrary to what people think, we don’t
just press a ‘design button’ to achieve the
finished product,” Richard jokes.
“Our dedicated and experienced team
receives commissions from across the
University — including London and New
York — and works closely with clients to
achieve an end result that meets their needs
while ensuring it falls within the University’s
brand.
“It has been interesting to watch the
University grow and PDS has risen to
the challenge.”
If the finished design needs to be printed,
it falls to Steven McCart. Steven manages
print production, the materials and the
production staff. He also oversees the
Saltire Print Centre, offering a binding and
poster printing service to students.
“Moving location has presented the PDS
management and staff with the opportunity
to design a facility that will meet the
University’s print requirements for many
years to come,” he says.
KEY FACTS
• The Design Studio handles
approximately 700 projects per
academic year.
• PDS prints approximately 16 million
sheets per year.
• PDS manufactures 1500 wide-format
posters and pull-up banners per year.
• PDS as a whole deals with 15,000
transactions per year.
• PDS uses recycled paper, vegetable
inks and recycles 95% of its waste.
STAFF SURVEY
Your opinion counts
GCU staff have been invited to have their say on working for the University by taking part in
the Staff Survey 2014. Here Nicole Cooke looks at how feedback from the last staff survey,
in 2011, and the Pulse Survey, in 2012, has helped to drive change across the University
A
s GCU’s 2015 Strategy draws to a
close, the University is considering
its priorities for 2020. Staff welcomed
the opportunity to influence the strategic
direction of the University during a
six-month consultation period and
now have another opportunity to share
their views by taking part in the Staff
Survey 2014.
The Staff Survey was last run in 2011,
followed by a Pulse Survey in 2012. Six out
of 10 staff responded, providing vital
feedback on staff development,
internal communications, health and
wellbeing and much more.
“The Staff Survey 2011 followed a
period of significant change, internally and
externally, and staff were open and honest
about the challenges this change had
brought about,” says Alex Killick,
GCU’s Director of People.
“The results showed that staff were
generally positive about the University,
with 92% of respondents saying it was
more than just a job, however, it also
highlighted some areas for improvement.”
Staff focus groups were held to
explore the feedback in more detail and
further discussion took place in Schools
and Directorates.
“Our staff are at the centre of everything
we do so it was important we knew what
was important to them,” says Alex. “The
results of the survey and feedback from the
focus groups gave us a firm foundation to
make changes and develop new initiatives.”
One of the key initiatives to be put in
place was the University’s People Strategy.
“The People Strategy sets out the main
priorities for the University as an employer;
it aims to inspire current and future
generations of staff to realise their full
potential and achieve excellence,” says Alex.
Alex explained how the People Strategy
has evolved since its introduction in 2012:
“Our People Passport programme is one
element of the University’s commitment
to the People Strategy.
“One of the issues from the previous
surveys was the need to enhance GCU’s
leadership style and build management
capability. We developed the People
Passport to equip our people managers
with the knowledge, tools and confidence
to carry out their role effectively, and have
so far delivered it to over 150 managers.
“The programme is based around a set
of accountabilities which define what is
expected of people with leadership and
management responsibilities at GCU.
This helps people managers understand
their responsibilities as a leader and helps
other members of staff understand what
they should expect from their manager.”
Staff feedback also led to many other
initiatives, including a suite of online
resources for staff career development,
a staff intranet and a health and
wellbeing taskforce.
Confident that staff have helped to drive
real change across the University, Alex is
looking forward to reviewing the results
from this latest survey: “There have been
further changes since the Pulse Survey in
2012 and I am expecting these to be
reflected in the Staff Survey 2014.
“Staff have been given another
opportunity to tell us what progress they
feel has been made and to identify further
areas for improvement. Their views will
influence the direction of the University,
help us to make GCU a better place to
work and, most importantly, create a
better student experience.”
31
LEARNING AND TEACHING
Global mindset
As part of the ongoing series looking at the 10 principles of GCU’s Strategy for
Learning, Sabine McKinnon, Senior Lecturer in Academic Development in GCU LEAD,
discusses the impact of Collaborative Online International Learning and how it can be
utilised to embed Global Learning deeper into the curriculum, citing the work of
colleagues Dr Liz Frondigoun and Dr David Moore
What is Collaborative Online
International Learning (COIL)?
COIL is a learning and teaching approach
that uses internet-based tools and online
pedagogies to connect students and staff
in different countries to enhance
international awareness and improve
intercultural skills. It has been tested by
the State University New York (SUNY) and
25 international partners over the past 10
years. GCU has recently joined the COIL
CENTRE’s network as a global partner.
COIL is integrated into the taught
curriculum at module level. Academics
collaborate on developing shared elements
of the syllabus which emphasise
experiential, student-centred learning.
COIL can be part of an existing module
or the basis of a new one. Students are
enrolled and assessed at their own
institution and the collaboration can take
place over a short period of four to six
weeks or throughout the entire module.
In some cases, the teaching is online only
but most often it is delivered alongside
conventional sessions.
What role does it play in the
Strategy for Learning?
Internationalisation pervades all aspects of
learning and teaching in higher education,
here and overseas. We want GCU
graduates to be aware of world issues and
empowered to bring about change towards
32
a more just, sustainable society. ’Global
learning’ is one of the 10 design principles
in the Strategy for Learning. There are
many ways of internationalising the
curriculum, such as study abroad and
discussing the findings
of international research with students.
While we recognise the value of
mobility schemes such as ERASMUS,
we understand that financial constraints,
family commitments or a lack of
confidence can limit uptake. ‘Virtual
mobility’ enables students to communicate
with international peers online and engage
in the global learning activities the
Strategy for Learning asks for without
having to leave the classroom.
How do students benefit
from COIL?
Graduates need to meet the expectations
of employers who, due to economic and
technology change, are increasingly
conducting their operations internationally.
They are looking for global leaders with
global competencies, such as the ability to
work in international teams, to understand
different national cultures and working
practices, and support international
clients. Some recruiters use the term
‘global mindset’ to describe what they are
looking for — an individual who considers
issues from a variety of international
perspectives and demonstrates an
awareness of their own culture.
COIL activities can lay the foundations.
Learning with and from peers in another
country can open students’ eyes to
different views of the world. Long-lasting
relationships between the students on
COIL modules often lead to increased
physical mobility through exchanges and
study visits at the respective institutions.
Can you give an example of how
GCU is encouraging ‘global
learning’?
GCU has used Santander funding to give
more students and staff the
opportunity to learn a foreign
language, quadrupled the number of
students on ERASMUS exchanges
and opened a campus in New York.
All GCU programmes are
required to show how they address
internationalisation in the curriculum, and
some academics already have experience
of working collaboratively online with
overseas universities. For example, Dr Liz
Frondigoun, lecturer in Criminology in
GSBS, has been involved in projects similar
to COIL since 2008 which link students
with those in universities elsewhere in the
UK and the US. Currently, these projects
are delivered using pbwiki. Students from
collaborating universities are assigned to
virtual groups of eight to 10. In these
groups, they undertake an online project
on a topic that is of interest to criminology
and/or criminal and social justice. It runs
for five to six weeks and there is a
requirement for all students to engage in
all of the project during that time. Linking
students across cultural and distinct
jurisdictions encourages discussions
on issues for criminology and criminal
justice. It also contributes towards
internationalising the curriculum for
our students.
A further example can be found in the
School of Engineering and Built
Environment. In the next academic year,
GCU’s Audio Technology with Electronics
students will take part in a COIL project led
by GCU Creative Technologies lecturer Dr
David Moore in collaboration with Audio
Design and Production students at the
State University of New York (Oswego).
Although the emphasis of their study is
different, there is commonality through
music production modules which both
institutions deliver. The students will
collaborate on studio-recording
coursework and will team up to perform,
record and produce music tracks.
Through the different emphases of the
degree programmes, Oswego students will
benefit from contact with GCU students
who are involved with the more scientific
aspects of audio, whereas the GCU
students will learn more about the
creative/performance aspects of studio
work covered in Oswego.
GCU’s efforts to widen horizons do
not stop with the taught curriculum.
Extra-curricular activities organised by the
Students’ Association and its international
societies add to the colourful spectrum of
cultural events and global learning
opportunities.
How do you measure whether
COIL has been a success?
In the short term, the success of COIL can
be measured in the number of modules
with a COIL element. Given that COIL is
not subject specific, all programmes in all
schools should have a COIL element in
their curriculum by 2020.
The long-term success will manifest
itself in the number of graduates who leave
Glasgow and the UK to pursue challenging
career opportunities with international
employers and British employers who
operate abroad. A substantial increase in
the physical mobility figures would be
another indicator of success.
Please contact GCU Lead for further
information about the Strategy for
Learning.
View from here
WHO?
I am Frances MacInnes,
Module Leader, Skills
for Professional
Practice for Biosciences
and Vision Science.
I am highlighting how I implement
the design principles of Personalised
Learning and Broader, Deeper Learning.
WHAT?
Traditional approaches to Personal
Development Planning (PDP) and
reflective writing can be uninspiring
and quite often a difficult concept for
many students. My approach sees
students participate in two interactive
group PDP sessions, helping inform the
creation of an online personal profile
and their participation in a reflective
blog over a 10-week period. Students
attend reflective writing sessions
and guidance is given on the type of
postings and content that must be
covered. After a slow start, the postings
become more regular, interesting and
compelling, providing a platform for
them to talk openly and reflect on their
academic and social lives. It targets
the SfL principles on Personalised and
Broader and Deeper Learning through
interaction, reflection and formative
feedback not just to the module team,
but to each other.
SO WHAT?
Student feedback is instantaneous,
highlighting the usefulness and
enjoyment of blogging, and many
continue to blog even after the
assessment period.
It helps them identify strengths and
weaknesses, analysing and evaluating
their development and self-prescribing
new courses of action, problem solving,
or seeking support.
NOW WHAT?
There is benefit to starting the process
early in the academic year to support
students to chart and measure their
progress. A blog can be accessed
from any device that has an internet
connection. It’s instantaneous, timely,
up-to-date and captures a moment
in time… and the students love it.
From left, Dr David Moore, Sabine McKinnon and
Dr Liz Frondigoun.
33
BACK STORY
James is running on success
Who are you
and what’s your
day job?
My name is James
Bowness. I’m a first year
PhD student in Sociology and Social Policy ­
having just completed my Sport Science
undergraduate degree at St Mary’s
University in London. As a full-time PhD
student, I receive a stipend from the
University to fulfil my research —­this is my
day job. My PhD is looking at ageing,
identity and gender in “Masters (older
athletes) sports” — with a specific look at
Highland Games athletes.
What is your Back Story and
how did it come about?
I am a national standard runner. I was the
fastest at school over sprints etc in the
playground and, with family members
involved in athletics, it was an easy
trajectory to follow. Winning races built an
athletic identity which has continued for
just over 10 years now.
James balances his work with scheduled runs.
Can you explain how you began
studying for your PhD?
How do you combine your
training with your studies?
In many aspects, my PhD topic ties in with
my personal life. I am looking at ageing
athletes, how their gender affects
participation and how their sporting
identities are crafted. There is a lot of
crossover with my own sporting life.
Primarily, I turned to education as
a response to repeated injuries and a
fracturing of the athletics identity.
Academics provided a platform where more
effort resulted in better results —­which is
not necessarily the case in athletics. As a
result of this change of perspective, and a
continued critical mindset ­— sociology
seemed to work well with me and I got good
scores in my undergraduate work. One of
the lecturers at St Mary’s directed me to the
studentship advertisement. I applied and,
fortunately, got selected.
34
WWW.THECALEDONIAN.AC.UK
I aim to do a certain amount of work each
day alongside my scheduled runs, sessions
and gym workouts. Time management is a
big thing with this ­— and I don’t always do it
well. Sometimes I have to work unsocial
hours to facilitate both of them.
What’s been your biggest
achievement in sport?
Representing Great Britain at the
Loughborough International when I was 18
was a very special achievement for me.
Since I have had a lot of injury and illness
problems in the past three years, it has been
really rewarding making my second British
Indoor final this year and also representing
England in competitions in Vienna and
Bratislava. Furthermore, I achieved an
800m time of 1.49.97 in early May to
break 1.50.00 for the first time in almost
four years.
What are your long-term
ambitions?
The academic goals are the most important ­
— and I want to complete my PhD within
the three-year period, in which I will
hopefully display some good scholarship
that will enable me to continue in the field
of research and stimulate my inquisitive
nature. With regards to athletics, I hope to
continue to perform at my best —­learn
more about what works for me and enjoy
the bodily experience that running brings.
If my continued efforts bring me closer
to opportunities to represent England,
Scotland or Great Britain, then great.
But if not, being involved in sport allows
me to enjoy the body and its capacities.
2 in UK
nd
for international
student
satisfaction
(ISB, summer 2013)
At GCU, our staff are committed to offering an excellent student
experience. That is why we have been ranked 2nd in the UK for
international student satisfaction in the latest International Student
Barometer survey.
Our dedication has also placed GCU:
•1st in Scotland for international student support
•1st in Scotland for accommodation costs and visa advice
•4th in the UK and 2nd in Scotland for learning experience and student recommendation.
To find out more, visit www.gcu.ac.uk
20
modern
A top
university*
(*Complete University Guide 2014)
At GCU, our hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence is reflected in the
satisfaction of our students, the high calibre of our graduates and the services we
provide to all of our stakeholders. This has seen GCU rise eight places in this year’s
Complete University Guide. Performing well in a range of areas including topping the
ranks with our Podiatry provision and achieving UK top 10 status with Building,
Medical Technology (Radiography) and Ophthalmics, GCU is now one of the top 20
modern universities in the UK.
To find out more, visit www.gcu.ac.uk