October 2008 - UWE Bristol

thebulletin
27 October 2008 - Issue 80
UWE seals
major land
deal
NEWS
In this
month’s issue
2-3 UWE seals major
land deal
UWE lays foundation for the future with
major land deal
3
No friends? Blame
the traffic
In a bold step the University has secured its long term development and purchased from its
neighbour HP the majority of their adjoining land interests. The purchase will add a further 70 acres
to the current 80 acre campus and create one of the largest new university campuses in the UK.
4
Himalayan
oregano as MRSA
antibacterial agent
4
Professor contributes
to inclusive planning
resource
The purchase underpins the University’s strategy to improve the student and staff experience by
providing contemporary facilities for teaching and learning, as well as reaching out to employers
and the business community through enhanced conference facilities, premises and space to
facilitate knowledge exchange.
5
Computer experts
help make
experiments at
CERN’s Large Hadron
Collider
6
Students’ films
selected for Doc/Fest
The Bulletin is published by the
Marketing and Communications
Office who reserve the right to
select items for inclusion and to
edit copy. For further information
contact Jane Kelly or Mary Price
on ext 82208, e-mail Jane.Kelly@
uwe.ac.uk and Mary.Price@uwe.
ac.uk.
Editor: Jane Kelly
Editor: Mary Price
Contributor: Lesley Drake
Production: Kate Mooney
Designed by Graphic Design
Printing and Distribution by
Printing and Stationery
The partly developed 70 acre site has capacity for in excess of 1,000,000 sq ft of development and
adjoins the west boundary of the existing Frenchay Campus.
The move will enhance the University’s ability to deliver professional courses to a growing
postgraduate community of 6,000 students with its expanding number of international students.
It will also provide a space for the University’s growing number of research centres such as the
internationally renowned Bristol Robotics Lab, Institute of Bio-Sensing Technology, and the Institute
of Sustainability, Health and Environment.
The vision is the creation of a 21st century campus able to compete with the best in the world, The
future environment will set new standards with some exciting ideas on sustainability, energy and
including a low emission transport service serving both students, the local community and local
employers.
Vice-Chancellor Steve West said, “This land provides a fantastic opportunity for the University to
create one of the most extensive, sustainable and modern campuses in the UK. It will enable us
to provide a real hub for student life, and to meet the needs of students, employers and staff.
This purchase is the largest single investment the University has made since the inception of the
Frenchay Campus at Coldharbour Lane in 1972 (then Bristol Polytechnic), and it offers an excellent
opportunity for us to realise the University’s long term strategic future.
“Employer engagement is a key focus of our strategy and of the Government’s vision for Higher
Education. We want to enhance our facilities to connect employers, businesses and the community
to the University and its expertise. This land offers a chance to create a sense of place for the
community that is open and connected.
“We are delighted to be close neighbours of HP. The University prides itself on the contribution it
makes to its local partners like HP. Also students and our research centres like the Centre for Fine
Print benefit enormously from the relationship with HP.”
The long term plans for the site will be the subject of an 18 month Master Planning exercise,
which will consider the consolidation of UWE’s other campuses, creating contemporary teaching
and learning facilities and integrating subject areas which are currently split between different
campuses. In addition the Master Plan will focus on the possible creation of a hub, a facility which
will enable employers and
businesses to gain direct
access to the University’s
expertise and knowledge.
The next issue will be circulated
at the end of November.
Copy date for this is Monday
3 November. Please do keep
sending contributions in. The
Bulletin regrets that it cannot be
held responsible for any claims
that arise out of advertisements
carried.
UWE were advised by
property consultants
Alder King, solicitors,
Lyons Davidson and
engineers Capita Symonds
in the acquisition of the
70 acre site.
Chris Booy (UWE
Governor), Steve West
(Vice-Chancellor) and
Bill Marshall (Director
of Finance and Assistant
Vice-Chancellor), sign the
documents for the land
purchase
Front cover:
Vice-Chancellor Steve West, with
SU President Dominic Passfield and
Director of Finance and Assistant Vice
Chancellor Bill Marshall are pictured
on the new land UWE has bought
with the HP building behind them
2
The new area of land bought by UWE is shown in green. The pink areas have also been purchased by UWE but are in use by HP.
The existing Frenchay Campus, which borders the new site, is shown in purple
In broad terms the land purchased by UWE is equal to
the size of:
n 42 football pitches
n 2 Cabot Circuses
n Land equivalent to 75 per cent of the MOD next door
n 6.5 Wembley Stadia
n 7 (and a bit) Millennium Stadia
For further information see: www.uwe.ac.uk/aboutUWE/future/
The former Farmhouse, one of the buildings which UWE has
purchased along with some more contemporary buildings
No friends? Blame the traffic
New research shows that friendships on busy streets are cut by
more than 75 per cent. People living on streets with heavy motor
vehicle traffic are experiencing a considerable deterioration of their
local social lives according to Joshua Hart, a researcher from the
Centre for Transport and Society. Results suggest that residents on
busy streets have less than one quarter the number of local friends
compared to those living on similar streets with little traffic.
experience sleep disturbances, no longer spend time in the front
of their homes, and curtail the independence of their children in
response to motor traffic. “Our four year-old girl has a constant
cough and we limit the amount of time she spends outside…we’re
constantly breathing in pollution,” said one father. On the heavy
traffic street many have left, or are planning to leave, in search of
a healthier environment for their families.
The study looked at three streets in north Bristol with light,
medium and heavy traffic respectively. It found that motor traffic,
which has grown more than tenfold in the UK since 1950, has a
considerable negative impact on quality of life, particularly for
residents living beside heavy motor traffic flows.“Traffic is like a
mountain range, cutting you off” said one resident of the heavy
traffic street, Muller Road, where over 20,000 cars drive by every
day.
This research, carried out as part of a Transport Planning MSc,
confirms for the first time in the UK the results of a 1969 San
Francisco study by Professor Donald Appleyard, which found similar
social isolation on busy streets. With an additional 5.7 million cars
expected on the UK’s roads by 2031 (a growth of 21 per cent), these
findings point to an urgent need for the Government to provide
healthy residential environments and stem traffic growth by
investing in public transport, walking and cycling in order to avoid
many more local communities being impacted. Josh Hart concludes,
“This study shows that the deterioration of neighbouring in this
country may well be down to our own travel habits. We created
this problem, and now we have a responsibility to solve it.”
Interviews with residents indicated that growing motor traffic has
forced people to make major adjustments in their lives, to shield
against the nearly constant noise, pollution, dust and danger
outside their front doors. Many residents revealed that they
3
Himalayan oregano as MRSA antibacterial agent
NEWS
UWE Professor contributes
to inclusive planning
resource
Inclusive planning expert Professor Clara Greed
has contributed towards a revolutionary new
web site, www.gendersite.org that highlights
the importance of considering women’s needs
in the planning process. Professor Greed is
widely renowned for her campaigning work
in highlighting the lack of toilet provision for
women and the quality of toilet provision in
public places. Clara has received worldwide
media attention for her dedication to
promoting the case for better provision which
she believes is negated by a male dominated
planning profession.
Gendersite comprises a searchable database
of publications, research findings, and
articles which address gender issues in the
built environment, alongside case studies
highlighting particular themes. The intention
is that all designers and decision makers
check on Gendersite to ensure that relevant
research findings are included in their plans
and proposals from inception. Gendersite is a
partnership project between Women’s Design
Service and Queen Mary University of London
funded by the UCL-led UrbanBuzz Programme,
within which UEL is a prime partner.
Professor Greed was a key member of the
Gendersite Project Advisory Group and
contributed many useful insights to the project
as well as case studies, resource information
and publications to the website. Other
members of the Group were Professor Dory
Reeves, Professor Kerry Hamilton, Professor
Alison Blunt, Dr Jos Boys, Virginia Newman
RIBA, Dr Clare Melhuish and the director of
Women’s Design Service, Wendy Davis.
Professor Greed said, “This project is a vital
means of providing an enduring legacy
resource both for academics, and built
environment professionals who are unsure
where to find relevant information to enable
them to fulfil government Gender Equality
Duty requirements so they can mainstream
gender considerations into urban policy,
design and development. I am amazed that
even today, planners, architects and surveyors,
imagine that 'women and planning' is a
relatively new topic and appear unaware of
what is available. I hope that this initiative
will make people more aware of the extensive
range of research and information that is
available.”
The website was launched on Thursday 2
October in London, and the key note speech
given by architect Ruth Reed, the first female
President-elect of the RIBA.
A research team from the School of Life Sciences, working in partnership with
people living in Himalayan villages in the remote Kullu Valley in the Kullu district
of Himachal Pradesh state in India, Biolaya Organics and Jagriti both based in
India, have jointly been awarded a 2008 SEED award for their project investigating
Himalayan Oregano Oil as an antibacterial agent for MRSA. Biolaya Organics works
towards the sustainable production and conservation of endangered Himalayan
herbs and Jagriti is a local NGO working towards sustainable livelihoods and women’s
empowerment in the Kullu district.
The SEED Initiative promotes supports and researches exceptional multi stakeholder
partnerships that develop innovative, locally led solutions to the global challenges
of sustainable development. The Himalayan Oregano project was selected from over
400 global applications. The project ‘Himalayan Oregano Oil and Livelihoods against
MRSA’ aims to provide people living in the Kullu Valley communities in the Himichal
Pradesh with a sustainable source of income picking and selling the shoots from the
oregano plants. Oil will be extracted from the aerial parts of the plant and distilled
by Jagriti and Biolaya Organics and then packaged for global distribution for use in
antibacterial agents.
Ben Heron from Biolaya Organics explains, “It has been known for some time that
the Mediterranean strain of oregano, Origanum vulgare contains carvacol, an antibacterial compound that has a multitude of medicinal benefits and uses. We have
conducted a study with SGS Labs in Delhi to ascertain the carvacol content of the
Himalayan strain of the herb and found that it contains very high levels. The tests
found that the oil killed MRSA more effectively than many of the antibiotics it was
compared against. We have recently linked up with UWE’s microbiology department
who will carry out further rigorous tests that we hope to publish in a scientific
journal. Once the efficacy of the Himalayan strain of oregano has received further
rigorous academic testing to back up the findings at the SGS labs, we will be in a
position to enrich the livelihoods of one of the world’s poorest communities and
produce an antibacterial disinfectant that will fight the MRSA bug.”
UWE’s project leader Professor Vyv Salisbury and co-investigator Dr Shona Nelson
are very excited at the opportunity to help the community. Vyv said, “We have done
a few preliminary tests and have found that the essential oil from the oregano kills
MRSA at a dilution one to 1,000. The tests show that the oil kills MRSA both as a
liquid and as a vapour and its antimicrobial activity is not diminished by heating in
boiling water. This is exciting as it also means that we could consider using the oil to
develop disinfectant washing powders. We now aim to conduct a focused academic
study in partnership with SGS labs in Delhi that we hope will give the project the
academic credence needed to market the oil. We hope that our study will help take
the project to the next stage where, with the help of UWE’s Research, Business and
Innovation department we find a business partner to help us produce a range of
products that we can market for medical and domestic settings thus providing a
sustainable income for the villages of the Kullu Valley.”
The project is multi layered because as well as providing a business opportunity to
a poor region of India and the possibility of producing an agent that will kill MRSA,
the harvesting of the raw product is also wholly sustainable. The oregano grows
wild and is regarded by locals as ‘bekaar ghaas’ or useless grass as grazing animals
do not eat it. As it is only the upper parts of the plant that need to be harvested for
oil the plant stock can remain in situ and be harvested for years. Ben Heron added a
note of caution, “To ensure the sustainability of the project we will need to stick to
strict harvesting guidelines from the Wild Harvest Management Plan which stipulates
that we leave 20 per cent of each plant to go to seed. Once the seed is ready we will
need to collect 100 per cent and scatter the seed as the sustainability of the project is
dependent on careful management and monitoring.”
The award will be presented to the team at
the SEED award conference on Monday 17
November, at the German Embassy in Delhi
by the German Minister of Environment,
Sigmar Gabriel. Concluding Professor Vyv
Salisbury said, “We received enormous help
with the business plan side for the SEED
bid from Cath Thomas in Research, Business
and Innovation department and we are very
grateful for her support. We hope to report
our findings in the not too distant future.”
Collecting the Himalayan Oregano in the Kulu
Valley
4
UWE computer experts assist the construction of
experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider
Computer scientists in the Complex Co-operative Systems
(CCS) research centre have developed a tool called CRISTAL
(Co-operating Repositories and Information Systems for
Tracking Assembly Lifecycles) that has revolutionised
management systems used to control complex workflow
procedures.
CRISTAL has been developed into the Agilium product now
being marketed by M1i in France and, in the near future, across
Europe for process and product management in many domains
including engineering, manufacturing and in the retail sector.
Richard McClatchey concludes, “We are very excited at the
potential and capacity of Agilium to have a real impact on
businesses, organisations and research. We will be studying
a range of applications over the next few years with a view
to establishing CRISTAL/Agilium as the software of choice for
managing complex business processes. Watch this space for
more news later this academic year !”
Emanating from the work carried out by CCS on the
management of the processes involved in the construction
of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), one of CERN’s new
generation of experiments at the Large Hadron Collider,
CRISTAL has enabled scientists to track thousands of
constituent parts through hundreds of complex activities over
CMS extended 10-year construction period. Furthermore it has
been developed with flexibility and adaptability in mind and
can be reused across the industrial spectrum from concurrent
engineering design to business process management.
The CMS ACCOS machine (Johansson) used to gather the data
managed by CRISTAL
Director of CCS, Professor Richard McClatchey explains,
“CRISTAL is designed to deliver distributed workflow and
data management infrastructures and support technologies.
It provides ready solutions to many of the problems in
commercial production management. The beauty of the
CRISTAL system is that it has been tried and tested on
one of the world’s most complex, demanding and high
profile environments at CERN, but can be customised for
use by companies and organisations in the manufacturing,
telecommunications and many other sectors.
“CRISTAL can also be used as a management tool in areas
such as bio-informatics and health informatics – for tracking
research findings or for monitoring the efficiency of different
treatment programmes. It is also effective for large-scale
engineering projects when workers and managers in
scattered locations need to know the status of a current work
programme.”
The computer centre at CERN where the CRISTAL data was housed
In the past 10 years the CRISTAL technology has proven itself at
CERN and has enabled the tracking of the over half a million
constituents of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter (ECal).
It has gathered several terabytes of information about the
history, calibration and testing of these elements so that the
ECal detector can safely operate for the next 10 to 15 years
in CMS. In doing so it has demonstrated the efficiency and
application of the software engineering techniques employed
by CCS personnel in the design of CRISTAL and its open, and
extensible architecture has facilitated the re-use of CRISTAL in
other domains.
BBS launches new Executive Development Centre
Bristol Business School has launched a new Executive
Development Centre to provide dedicated facilities for its
continuing professional development provision, which includes
short courses, in-house training and part-time postgraduate
courses.
Dr Peter Simpson, Director of MBA and Executive Education
at the Business School, said “The new Executive Development
Centre provides the sort of learning environment that is
needed to support high quality management education. This
investment is a signal to our clients as well as to ourselves that
we are serious about becoming a leading regional provider
of accredited and non-accredited continuing professional
development programmes. This is just a beginning and the
Business School’s strategy is to build on this to provide an
extensive portfolio of programmes that will be designed and
delivered to meet the needs of managers and organisations
throughout the South West.”
The new centre which is located in 2D77, adjacent to the
Glendinning foyer has facilities which include two large
teaching rooms and two breakout rooms, which combine
to make a small conference room and first-class audiovisual equipment. Delegates will also have access to a
communications centre and a lounge area.
5
NEWS
UWE students’ films
selected for Doc/Fest
Three undergraduate Media Practice students
will have their films screened at Europe’s
biggest Documentary Film Festival, the Sheffield
International Documentary Festival. www.
sheffdocfest.com. The festival brings the
international documentary family together to
celebrate the art and business of documentary
making for five intense days from 5 to 9
November. Doc/Fest is a film festival, industry
session programme and market place, offering
pitching opportunities, controversial discussion
panels and in-depth filmmaker master classes,
as well as a wealth of inspirational documentary
films from across the globe. The three student
films were produced in Algeria, Brazil and
Thailand and reflect a growing strength in
documentary production at UWE.
Marta Fernandez’s film We are Saharawi is set in
Algeria. Marta explains, “We are Saharawi is the
human face of a long struggle for independence
and is shown in the film through the eyes of
an 11 year old boy Hussein and his mother
Geishmullah, who tell the story of how the family
have been exiled in a barren corner of Algeria
for over 30 years after having been exiled from
their homeland in the Western Sahara.” Marta’s
film has also been shown at the National Film
Theatre and has been selected for the London
Documentary festival.
Ambulantes, directed by Dan Gonzalez, centres
on the lives of two of the 200,000 people in Rio
de Janeiro who make a living from selling their
wares on the city’s beaches. Dan’s film manages
to capture the hardship of their lives but also the
wonderful humanity of the individual characters
with great skill and a disarming sensitivity.
Ambulantes will also be screening at the
Encounters festival in Bristol.
Lorne Kramer, the director of Mee and my Dad,
describes the inspiration for his film, “My Dad has
lived in Thailand for the past four years and in the
film is about to marry a Thai woman called Mee,
who is 33 years younger than him. The resulting
documentary is a personal journey that captures
the feelings and emotions of both my family and
myself. The narrative covers the past, present
and future of my family and was a spiritual and
emotional journey for both myself and my Dad.”
Alistair Oldham, Senior Lecturer in Media
Practice, said “This is a real achievement to get
not just one but three films into one of the most
prestigious documentary festivals in the world.
I admire these three students enormously for
their hard work, their persistence and above
all for their personal integrity in taking on and
delivering these films to production and I am
delighted at the respect they are being shown
in the professional environment of the Sheffield
Documentary Festival.”
New research looks to transport users
to solve UK transport problems
‘Ideas in Transit’ is a new initiative which will look to transport users’
experiences and creativity as a source of innovation to tackle the UK’s
transport problems. The key to future transport solutions may lie in the way
users of the various transport systems use information technology to meet the
challenges they face in getting around. Transport experts UWE are leading
the major national collaborative project, ‘Ideas in Transit’. Partnering with Ito
World Ltd, Ordnance Survey and the Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute
at Loughborough University, the Centre for Transport and Society is engaged in
a five year project destined to question and perhaps change the way we think
about transport.
Valued at £2m and funded by EPSRC, DfT and the Technology Strategy Board,
as part of the ‘Future Intelligent Transport Systems’ initiative, ‘Ideas in Transit’
draws on the experiences of users, builds communities of innovators and
supports best practice in advancing their resultant innovations to market. As
Stephen Hart, who leads the Technology Strategy Board’s work on Intelligent
Transport Systems and Services, explains, “The Future Intelligent Transport
Systems initiative is an important strand of the Technology Strategy Board’s
work supporting and encouraging innovation in the transport sector. We are
confident projects such as ‘Ideas in Transit’ will help to provide innovative
solutions to the challenges facing the sector in the UK.”
Ideas in Transit finds user-led solutions to transport headaches by seeking out
the ways in which individuals, groups and businesses use new technology to
improve their transit. The solutions often revolve around websites, texting,
blogs and e-mail and may over time lead to significant changes to patterns
of travel. This ‘bottom-up’ innovation is in stark contrast to the typical
‘supplier led’ approaches in the transport sector; rather than starting with the
capabilities of large commercial enterprises this new project will look to the
users themselves. Firstly it finds co-operative, user-led behaviour based on
the real challenges people face. It then helps progress the ideas which have
more widespread applications via an incubator approach, providing support, a
network and even funding to turn the ideas into market ready propositions.
Professor Glenn Lyons (Centre for Transport and Society) the project leader
explains, “It’s a bit like watching children play with their toys – they often find
new and unanticipated uses for things. When we apply the same principle to
the way people use technology, we find that they can come up with new uses
and practical applications not thought of before. An example might be when
thousands of football fans converge on a single spot at the same time and find
ways of using new technology to find solutions to their transport needs. As
fans they are already connected through a shared interest, and with various
means of communication amongst them possibilities can arise for a user-led
solution to the transport challenges they face attending matches.
“Some commercial enterprises have already found ways to use new technology
for example by linking people in ‘text’ groups so they can share taxis more
efficiently and safely. Other applications include the www.openstreetmap.
org which is a free editable map of the world to which users can contribute.
For this research we are first setting up an ‘observatory’ which will gather
examples of creative behaviours in relation to use of transport systems by
individuals, organisations and businesses and will also look to discover and
understand user innovation and the process that is or could be followed from
the germ of an idea through to an innovation success. Part of the observatory
is an evolving ‘Innovations Portal’ which is set up as a Wiki on the project’s
website to encourage others to share, contribute and learn from the growing
number of examples of user innovation that are already in existence. Later in
the project we will be engaging with and nurturing individual innovations.”
The project, its academic findings to date, news of its ongoing activities and
a rapidly developing innovations portal for the user innovations can be found
at www.ideasintransit.org. Full contractual title of project: Understanding user
innovation - unanticipated applications of existing ITS. Sponsors: EPSRC, DfT and the
Technology Strategy Board. Future Intelligent Transport Systems (FITS) is an EPSRC,
DfT and Technology Strategy Board initiative to fund multidisciplinary research
and innovation consortia which will address key research issues in the long-term
development of the UK's transport system.
6
International experts to attend UWE alcohol research symposium
Members of the Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International
Study (GENACIS) project from Canada, Denmark, Switzerland,
the UK and the USA will participate in the next of UWE’s Alcohol
Problems Research Symposia in Kendal on 5-6 November 2008.
This meeting will also be attended by researchers from Ireland and
New Zealand. These twice-yearly events are organised by Professor
Martin Plant and this will be the 65th meeting in this series.
social problems amongst adults in a number of European
countries.
Moira Plant said, “The strength of GENACIS is that both
experienced and new researchers from around the world are able
to work together and support each other. The study is beginning
to produce a lot scientifically. It helps developing countries gain
experience in carrying out research into important health and
social problems. No country has all of the answers and we all
learn from each other.”
GENACIS involves researchers from over 30 countries working
together to understand the relationships that drinking habits and
alcohol problems have with factors such as gender, nationality and
drinking culture.
The UK and Isle of Man components of GENACIS are directed
by Professor Moira Plant (HLS) assisted by other members of the
Alcohol and Health Research Unit. GENACIS involves researchers
from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, the Isle of Man, Italy,
Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway,
Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Uganda and Uruguay, the UK
and the USA. It is supported by the World Health Organisation
and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
(USA). GENACIS investigators have collected comparable survey
information from samples of adults in their own countries. These
findings are being analysed and compared in detail. The UWE
team has been working with colleagues at the Swiss Institute
for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drugs Problems. They have
just completed six scientific papers on the relationships between
alcohol consumption patterns and alcohol-related health and
Members of the GENACIS group at a meeting in Victoria, British
Columbia, Canada in May/June 2008
New research to create reliable electronic systems
UWE researchers are to carry out ground breaking research
with collaborators from the University of York* into creating
electronic systems that can diagnose and heal their own faults
in ways similar to the human immune system.
electronic system malfunctions it should be able to cope with
minor faults and continue to operate effectively even if one or
more components fail. Currently, those few electronic systems
that are designed to be fault-tolerant either replicate whole
sub-systems at a high level in the overall architecture (similar to
having two lungs), or roll back to a simpler, safer mode when
there is a malfunction, but still replicate the whole system or
a large part of it in a simplified form. This is a vital function
in current safety-critical systems such as anti-lock breaking, flyby-wire aircraft, space exploration, as well as industrial control
and shutdown systems.
The project is called SABRE (Self-healing cellular Architectures
for Biologically-inspired highly Reliable Electronic systems). The
part of the project to be carried out in Bristol will be based at
Bristol Robotics lab (BRL), which is jointly run by the University
of Bristol and UWE.
Increasingly, our lives are intertwined with digital electronic
equipment. From gadgets to household appliances, computers,
and the life-saving systems which ensure that cars and planes
are safe, these devices can be extremely complex and often
have hundreds of thousands of components on a single
chip. However, if one component fails this commonly causes
catastrophic failure of the whole system. Electronic hardware
designers have achieved fantastic levels of reliability so far but,
as such devices become more and more complex, such instances
can only become more common. Under fault conditions it
would, therefore, be highly desirable for the system to be able
to cope with faults, and continue to operate effectively even
if one or more components have failed; but this is not the way
electronic systems are currently designed.
“However highly complex living organisms such as the human
body are able to deal with malfunctions at a much lower level,
that of the cells, defending the system overall by repairing
damage to cells, thus maintaining normal functionality. The
human body is both reliable and highly complex. It is this
ability that we want to try to replicate in electronic systems.
By studying the multi-cellular structure of living organisms
and their protective immune systems, we hope to be able to
design ‘nature-like’ fault-tolerant architectures for electronics.
This research has the potential to influence the way complex
electronic systems are designed in the future, creating a new
generation of electronic systems which are fault tolerant and
self healing.”
Drawing on inspiration from nature, the researchers at Bristol
and York will look for ways to create electronic systems
based on a structure of ‘cells’ which have the ability to work
together to defend system integrity, diagnose faults, and
heal themselves. The researchers will be looking at the way
complex biological systems, such as the defence mechanism
of the human body, are able to deal with faults and still keep
functioning.
The research will pave the way for a biologically inspired
unique design approach for electronic systems across a wide
range of applications, from communication through computing
and control, to systems operating in safety-critical or hostile
environments.
The project is funded by EPSRC. The research team comprises:
Dr Tony Pipe (BRL, UWE), Dr Gabriel Dragffy (UWE)
*Professor Andy Tyrrell, Dr Gianluca Tempesti and Dr Jon
Timmis (all Department of Electronics, University of York)
Dr Tony Pipe, (Bristol Robotics Laboratory) explains, “When an
7
NEWS
UWE introduces
new equality and
diversity monitoring
policy
From October 2008, UWE is introducing
a new data monitoring policy aimed
at recognising the value of a diverse
workforce and student body. The policy
intends to ensure that people are treated
fairly regardless of gender, gender
identity, age, nationality, ethnicity,
disability, religious, sexual orientation, or
social class.
The policy aims to ensure that staff
recruitment, retention and development
reflect the principle of equal access and
fulfill the University’s obligations under
the law. Effective data monitoring will
help the University improve, measure,
change and identify issues that affect
staff such as recruitment, career
progression and access to training. The
policy, which can be accessed on the
equality and diversity pages of the HR
section of the intranet, outlines the
equality and diversity data collection and
monitoring arrangements which will be
introduced initially for staff.
Monitoring is recommended in the
codes of practice issued by the former
Commission for Racial Equality,
the former Equal Opportunities
Commission and the former Disability
Rights Commission. Tribunals can infer
discrimination from failure to comply
with a relevant code of practice. Where
there is no current specific requirement
to monitor (ie age, sexual orientation
and religion or belief) there is still a legal
requirement for evidence that there is
no discrimination, and monitoring helps
the University to do this.
Information provided will be treated as
strictly confidential and will be used for
statistical monitoring only. It will inform
judgments about the operation of
practices and procedures, annual reports,
audits and business planning.
All staff will receive an equality and
diversity monitoring form in the post
either to their work or home address or
if they prefer staff can fill out the form
online.
For more information contact Angeline
Carrozza, Equality and Diversity
Manager, e-mail Angeline.Carrozza@
uwe.ac.uk
Researcher studies complexity in
Amazon language
Dr Jeanette Sakel, senior lecturer in linguistics (SSH), was interviewed recently by a
Danish newspaper on her experiences studying the Amazonian language Pirahã. She
said, “There has been a big debate about this language since 2005, when linguist Dan
Everett claimed that it does not have recursion. This is the way of expressing complex
structures like embedded sentences such as ‘he thought that she said that I was not
interested’(each instance of ‘that’ introducing a new clause) or multiple possessions
such as ‘my neighbour’s friend’s son’s cat’. Everett discusses other structures that are
absent from Pirahã, such as numbers and colour terms, giving the reason that the
Pirahã have cultural constraints in what they express and what not - they live in the
here and now. The debate arose because Everett’s claims directly attacked an idea of
Noam Chomsky and his associates Mark Hauser and Tecumseh Fitch a few years earlier,
claiming that the one clear difference between animal communication and human
language is recursion.”
Jeanette had the chance to visit the remote area of the Pirahã, in the heart of the
Amazon basin in Brazil, to test out the claims on recursion - which she found broadly
to be true - using experiments and interviews. She also looked at other factors
related to the recursion issue, namely the degree to which the people are said to
be monolingual, even though they are in regular contact with outsiders speaking
Portuguese.
“I found the society was indeed monolingual, with no need or wish to speak
Portuguese though a few middle-aged men acted as gatekeepers, able to speak
some simple Portuguese pidgin. I also found that while the language may not use
embedding or recursion, it was not a simple language. Pirahã is a spoken language,
tonal, and difficult to learn. It expresses complex thoughts or ideas of time, place and
context by juxtaposing the elements directly, such as ‘He does not hunt. He is sick’
instead of ‘because he is sick he does not hunt’ and by direct quotations – similar
to some people chatting in English – ‘and I’m like “huh?” and he’s like “yeah”‘.
Spoken language generally uses recursion less anyway so this is not necessarily a good
measure of the complexity of a language.”
Jeanette’s work has already been presented at conferences and in a number
of publications, some in collaboration with her former PhD student, Eugenie
Stapert. Jeanette has
also contributed to the
debate in ‘letters to the
editor’ in the journal
Human Development,
for which she wrote an
invited commentary on
Dan Everett’s work. This
can be downloaded from:
content.karger.com/
produktedb/katalogteile/
issn/_0018_716x/hde-lettersto-editor-12-13-2007.pdf
Jeanette Sakel interviewing
the Pirahã
On Sunday 14 September
UWE Illustration students
(CA) manned a stand
at the Bristol Botanical
Gardens to raise money
for the Gardens as part
of the National Garden
Scheme Open Day. The
event was organised
collaboratively between
Illustration and Business
Studies students. The
students ran a stall making
t-shirts, badges, boxes,
bugs and other things.
The students involved
were Olly Robertson, Harry
Powell and Amy Butler.
8
Enterprise competition opens for business
Budding business tycoons have a new goal to
aim for with the launch of UWE’s theBizIdea
competition 2008/9.
theBizIdea is an enterprise competition
which encourages and supports
entrepreneurs in making their business
ideas a reality, from the development of
an initial idea to the submission of a full
business plan. Finalists are then selected
to pitch their ideas to a panel of experts.
There are three different prize categories
in Business, Social Enterprise and Creative
Design as well as a special marketing prize
and merit awards.
At the launch Jane Harrington (BBS) said, “This
evening marks the start of activities celebrating
and encouraging enterprise that will take place
throughout the coming year, culminating in the
grand awards ceremony in May 2009. There is a
fascinating array of students, staff and alumni who
are achieving great things starting up their own
business or social enterprise, an example to us all.”
theBizIdea is open to all UWE students and staff, alumni who have
graduated in the last five years, or to teams including external
people led by a UWE student, recent graduate or staff member.
Entries have to be in by spring 2009. A series of workshops will
offer advice on ideas development and finance as well as legal and
intellectual property issues. After shortlisting sponsors will mentor
those through to the next stage to help them develop their plans
further.
Offering advice and the benefit of their experience to potential
entrants was a panel of previous prizewinners and finalists
including Tom Bennett (Interactive Places), Patrick Dasoberi
(Community Portal International), Carolyn Newton (Whalebags)
Caroline Sargeant (The Bristol Festival Community Group) and
Norman Ratcliffe (Odor Reader).
Tom Bennett, a merit award winner in the 2006/07 competition
with his Interactive Places concept, feels that theBizIdea played a
big part in his current success.
Winners stand to receive cash prizes from a prize fund worth up to
£22,500, a free seat for a year in a UWE business incubator and a
range of in-kind benefits from the supporters who include Business
Link; Lloyds TSB Commercial; Chartered Institute of Marketing;
Spike Design; SPark; Haseltine Lake; Osborne Clarke; Jordans;
Kinneir Dufort; Nomensa; BookCheck; SXS Events; UWE and the
Directors Centre. For more information visit http://rbi.uwe.ac.uk/
Internet/Innovation/theBizIdea/
“Since the competition, we have gone from strength to strength,”
he said. “Interactive Places won the Best Student Business Plan
prize in the Knowledge West Enterprise Awards the following
November, and was accepted onto the Insight Out South West
program run by NESTA and the Southwest RDA. More recently we
have received two funding grants from the Technology Strategy
Board, allowing us to develop to the point of market readiness.”
theBizIdea Workshops 2008
These are a series of interactive workshops designed to help theBizIdea 2008/09 entrants take their ideas forward. They are all
free of charge and are also open to students, staff and alumni who have not entered the competition, but want to improve on
their business knowledge and enterprise skills. The workshops provide a great opportunity to network and interact with other
like-minded people.
Thinking of Your Idea as a Business
Setting Your Goals
Successful Entrepreneurs/Winners
29 October 15.00 - 16.00
5 November 15.00 - 16.00
12 November 15.00 - 16.00
Should You Protect Your Idea?
What Resources Do I Need?
29 October 16.30 - 17.30
5 November 17.00 - 18.00
All workshops will be held in room 2B061, Frenchay Campus. For more information e-mail [email protected] or
call 0117 32 83671
UWE to represent South-West on Knowledge Transfer national body
Katie Gough (left) from the
Knowledge Transfer Partnership
(KTP) Office in Research Business and
Innovation has been selected as the
South West representative on the
KTP National Forum Committee. The
committee, made up of 12 members
from Higher Education institutions
throughout the UK, makes a positive
contribution into strategic policymaking through participation in
KTP Management Board meetings and the Strategic Plan Working
Group. Katie’s new role on the committee will provide a valuable
opportunity to raise UWE’s profile within the national KTP
community.
and mentoring for these associates. UWE have established a KTP
Associate Network for current and former UWE associates.
The network will create opportunities to meet with other
associates, undertake group training and be involved in a
mentoring programme.
Professor Stephen Hagen welcomed attendees to the first meeting
of the network on 24 September and further events are planned
during the autumn term.
The KTP office at UWE would like to hear from any former KTP
or TCS associates employed across the University who would like
to attend future events. If you would like to get involved, please
contact Katie Gough at [email protected] or 0117 32
83272.
KTP aims to help businesses improve their competitiveness and
productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and
skills that reside within the UK Knowledge Base. KTP is funded by
the Technology Strategy Board and other government funding
organisations.
Graduate associates employed on UWE Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships work on dynamic and challenging projects based
within companies in the South West and across the UK. An
essential part of the work of the KTP Office is to provide support
9
NEWS
RBI kite flying activity
day with Flexifoil
As part of a team building day for a new
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with
Flexifoil Ltd, staff from RBI and BBS tried their
hands at kite-buggying in Weston- super-Mare
this month. Flexifoil, a leading manufacturer
of performance kites, put the enthusiastic team
through their paces on the beach in what was
an exciting and fun packed day but it remains to
be seen if we have any future kite-surfing stars
among us.
BBS and RBI are celebrating the successful
approval of a further KTP programme, looking
at marketing, sales and ‘end to end’ supply
chain with Hunts Food Service, a wholesale food
distributor based in Sherborne.
KTP programmes between BIT and Polamco
Ltd, a precision engineering company and
Management Process Systems, a London based
software firm were recently highly graded by
the Technology Strategy Board who are the
main funder of the scheme. This builds on
UWE’s good track record with over 90 per cent
of projects receiving high grades in the last five
years.
The KTP Office in RBI is organising an event
entitled Knowledge Transfer: A Contact Sport
on behalf of the universities of the South West.
The event, supported by SWRDA and HERDA,
will be held on Thursday 9 October at Lakewood
Conference Centre in Blagdon at 14.00. For
more details please e-mail [email protected] or call
Katie Gough on 83272.
Alison Greenslade flying a kite on Weston-superMare beach
UWE and CLT team up to offer national
weekend legal practice course
The School of Law is teaming up with Central Law Training to offer its
highly-regarded Legal Practice Course on a flexible study basis at a range of
locations nationally.
The programme is aimed at eligible graduates wishing to qualify as solicitors
who have work or other commitments during the week. The course will be
delivered at partner locations across the country including the Universities
of Coventry, Southampton Solent, Manchester Metropolitan and a location
in London. Each of these institutions will become more directly involved
in delivery of this programme at agreed stages. Most notably Manchester
Metropolitan is likely to become directly involved in 2010.
The new course comes in response to recent announcements from the
Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) to the effect that it will now be less
prescriptive about such things as resourcing and teaching hours. The scheme
is subject to SRA approval and an application has been made to the SRA for
commencing this scheme in 2009.
Steve Dinning, Head of the Bristol Institute of Legal Practice (BILP), said:
"This is an exciting opportunity for UWE to deliver a top quality course on
a national basis at a competitive price. The programme will be based upon
our flagship course and will be delivered over weekends using existing
facilities at key locations across the country.
"We feel that this is the kind of course that the SRA wants LPC providers like
us to develop in light of the changes that are planned for both the course
itself and for the training contract."
Maurice Cook, Director of the BILP CLT collaboration project, said, "We
believe we have a programme that will be popular as it will be of high
quality and very competitively priced.
"The scheme will place great emphasis on students planning their own
study programme, thereby minimising the impact on their existing work
commitments."
UWE will be ‘Authorised Provider’ under the SRA reforms, responsible for
all aspects of the programme to the SRA including assessments. UWE is
currently the fourth largest Legal Practice Course provider in the country
and its courses enjoy an excellent national reputation. It was continually
graded excellent from 1996 to 2005 by the Legal Practice Course Board and
since 2005 it has held the highest grade possible under the revised scheme of
‘commendable practice’ in all six areas of the programme.
Central Law Training Limited (CLT) is the largest post-admission legal training
company in the UK. CLT has experience of delivering thousands of short
courses annually at dispersed locations and like UWE enjoys the confidence
of the SRA.
Ideas Factory
The Ideas Factory welcomes two new advisers, Denise Cooke and Kim Brookes
and bids farewell and thanks to Alison Larkman, Enterprise Adviser. Dr
Denise Cooke has experience of running businesses and is currently running
Going Green Consultants Ltd. She has previously worked at UWE in Research,
Business and Innovation and has wide experience working with Faculties.
Kim Brookes comes from a background of international commercial banking
and has recent experience as an entrepreneur, consultant, and adviser to
start-up businesses.
Kim and Denise look forward to meeting you to discuss your idea. Drop
into the Ideas Factory in room 2D11 on the Frenchay Campus or e-mail
[email protected] to arrange an appointment.
For more information visit http://rbi.uwe.ac.uk/intranet/innovation/
ideasfactory/
10
Ghana youth media collaboration
Emma Agusita, a PhD student, recently travelled to Ghana to
attend ‘Our Media 7’ a global citizens’ media conference in Accra,
Ghana, presenting on the topic of young people’s alternative media
communication, making specific reference to her collaborative
research approach with young people. Emma has been working
with Knowle West Media Centre, a community media organisation,
to develop an action research project entitled ‘Platform Futures’.
The project, which started in 2006, evaluates the ways in which
young people engage in creative media communication activities in
informal learning contexts. PF aims to explore what kinds of digital
technologies and creative processes can be enabled to extend
effective creative media practice with young people. Emma now
plans to join forces with practitioners and researchers present at
the conference to facilitate participation of young people in the
network to ensure future activities and thinking are representative
of and fully encompass a youth perspective.
Emma with members of the community radio station, Radio Adar, in
Ghana
UWE honours Malaysian judge with honorary doctorate
Assistant Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Bensted has awarded
a posthumous honorary Doctor of Laws degree to the late
President of the Court of Appeal in Malaysia, Tan Sri Abdul
Malek Ahmad.
“His achievements were recognised when he returned to
his Inn of Court, Inner Temple, in 2005, to become the
first Malaysian and international judge to be elected as an
Honorary Master of the Bench. He was also the first President
of the Inner Temple Alumni Association in Malaysia.”
His widow Puan Sri Roziah Sheikh Mohamed said after
accepting the degree at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, “It is
with a combination of happiness and sadness that I am today
accepting this award so graciously made to my husband.
Happiness on the fulfilment of my husband’s dream – and
sadness because he is not around to receive it personally.”
Professor Alan Bensted and Puan Sri Roziah
Professor Bensted said the award was in recognition of Abdul
Malek’s outstanding achievements and contributions to the
country’s judicial system. He also announced the establishment
at UWE of a scholarship in the name of Tan Sri Abdul Malek
for outstanding Malaysian students who intend to read for
the Bar.
Professor Bensted said Abdul Malek was an eminent Malaysian
at the peak of his profession. “He began his career as a
magistrate at the age of 21 and was one of the youngest High
Court judges when he was appointed at the age of 40.
Facing the challenge of providing rural services into 2020
The number of people living in rural England is increasing all the
time, but the problems of providing all the services they need are
also increasing.
leisure, transport and emergency services. The standard of service
delivery is key in the rural community and makes a big difference
to people's lives.”
A one-day conference was organised by the Countryside and
Community Research Institute (CCRI ) and the Rural Services
Network to look forward 12 years to the point when, if current
projections and plans are fulfilled, three million new homes will
have been built in England. In particular, it highlighted the future
of England's rural services.
Delegates considered what the future shape of rural communities
will be in 2020, reviewed the changes that they will have
experienced between now and then and identified the key
crossroads or turning points which will have influenced this
change.
The conference followed the recently published report to the
Government on the rural economy and affordable housing Living
Working Countryside, The Taylor Review of Rural Economy and
Affordable Housing (July 2008) which stated that a fundamental
shake-up of planning and affordable housing policy is vital to
breathe new life and prosperity into rural communities. The
conference argued that the delivery of rural services also needs
radical attention.
The conference, entitled Rural Services 2020: The Challenge of
Sustaining Rural Communities, was hosted by the University
of Gloucestershire. The Countryside and Community Research
Institute (CCRI) is a collaboration between the University of
Gloucestershire, UWE, the Royal Agricultural College and Hartpury
College.
Malcolm Moseley, Professor of Rural Community Development in
the CCRI said, “We focused on the future for rural communities
and the services on which they rely, such as healthcare, education,
Further information can be found on the CCRI website (www.ccri.
ac.uk/Events/RuralServices2020.htm)
11
NEWS
UWE Students’ Union
Advice Centre has moved
The main Students’ Union Advice Centre at
Frenchay has relocated and is now based
on the patio, next to the Job Shop and
directly opposite Core24. The Advice Centre
will continue to be staffed by two full-time
advisers and we hope this more prominent
spot will result in more students using our
service. There is also a part-time, term-time
adviser, Jane, based at Glenside on Monday
and Wednesday and at St Matthias on
Tuesday. She will see students on a drop-in
basis between 10:00 and 15:00 in the relevant
Students’ Union Office.
The Advice Centre provides UWE students
with information, advice, representation and
support on a wide range of issues. The Advice
Centre is run by the Students’ Union and
provides an independent service to students.
This includes provision of advice, where
appropriate, to students who are in dispute
with the University. Staff who are University
employees can refer students to the Advice
Centre if the nature of the student’s problem
would put that member of staff in direct
conflict with the University.
Student Paramedics take part in
major incident exercise
On Friday 26 September 19 student Paramedics took part in a major incident
exercise on Salisbury Plain called ‘Operation Equinox’. The exercise was designed to
test the readiness of the emergency services should a mass-casualty incident occur.
Major incidents are an important part of the Paramedic Science curriculum, and the
partnership with the Great Western Ambulance Service resulted in the invitation to
participate.
The incident scenario was that a military transport aircraft, a Hercules, crashes down
on to a country town, resulting in 160 casualties. The casualties were ‘made-up’ and,
to add to the realism, the scenario included burning wreckage, smoke machines,
aircraft debris and the fuselage of a real Hercules. Participating in the incident
were the Police, Fire and Ambulance Services, the voluntary services, the military, a
medical team provided by the RUH, Bath and a paramedic urban search and rescue
team. A number of observers were watching the exercise including Government
ministers, the Department of Health and the Strategic Health Authority. Paramedic
lecturers were also present to support the students.
The students’ role included; triage, treating casualties lying in the wreckage of
houses, cars, a bus and a railway station; rescuing patients and doing secondary
triage in the casualty-clearing tent.
The incident lasted five hours and the Paramedic students worked throughout.
Observers present all agreed that their performance under pressure had been
excellent. The Ambulance Service incident organiser, Pete Brown, congratulated
the students and thanked them and the University for participating. The exercise
provided significant information that
will help inform the Government and
the Emergency Services to prepare for
major incidents in the future.
For the students it provided valuable
insight in to their future role: student
Paramedic Charlotte Green stated,
“We were quite apprehensive during
the build-up, but we’ve learned a
lot by taking part…the team-work
between the paramedics and the
other emergency services was really
important.” Gary Smart, (Programme
Leader – Paramedic Science, HSC)
says, “I am very proud of the way the
students conducted themselves and of
the spirit in which they participated.
This was a valuable learning exercise
for them, and UWE made a significant
contribution to this important event.”
The Advice Centre is well placed to help with
non-academic issues such as housing, money,
employment and academic problems but will
refer students to specialist organisations if
the problem does not fall within the support
remit. All assistance is free, professional,
confidential and non-judgmental and the
Centre treats all students in a fair and
impartial manner.
Please refer students to the Advice Centre
if you feel we can help! E-mail advice@uwe.
ac.uk or tel: Louise (Student Adviser): 0117 32
82676, Clare (Advice Services Manager): 0117
32 82571, Jane at Glenside: 0117 32 88514,
Jane at St Matthias: 0117 32 84435
UWE Student Paramedics treating a
patient at Operation Equinox
Competition of Ideas winners
at MOD
Dr Abdul Farooq (right) of the Machine Vision Laboratory (BIT)
and Giles Verwey of Systems Engineering Assessment (SEA)
Ltd recently gave a joint presentation to an audience of MOD
stakeholders at the MOD’s Research Acquisition Organisation
(RAO), based at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham.
The presentation, one of eight competition winners, promoted
work funded under the MOD’s Competition of Ideas, aimed
at identifying innovative research solutions to key defence
challenges. Abdul gave a well received presentation, detailing
an innovative prototype imaging device, developed at UWE,
able to reveal suspicious concealed or camouflaged objects in
the field.
12
UWE student wins top Humanities Student of the Year award
organisation such as the Red Cross or Médecins sans Frontières. He
was President of the Cameroon Community in Bristol last year and
is active in supporting the cultural and social development of this
community.
A political refugee from Cameroon studying at UWE has
been judged Humanities Student of the Year in the 2008 Xcel
awards. Bonaventure Feka Ngode, who is studying for a BA in
International Relations and Politics, was nominated by Jonathan
Bradley, Dean of Students, following a recommendation from
Jayne Saul-Paterson in Student Services Department. The award
was presented to Bonaventure in London at a gala dinner
and post-awards party in October, also attended by Jayne and
members of Bonaventure’s family.
He approached UWE’s Career Development Unit for support
with finding relevant work experience and was referred to Jayne
Saul-Paterson. She co-ordinates an Employability and Diversity
Project which specifically targets groups of students who may
face disadvantage in the graduate labour market. Bonaventure
received careers advice and support particularly on developing his
CV and obtained a two week work experience opportunity with
Bristol City Council shadowing a range of finance and housing
management staff.
Jonathan said, “This award is richly deserved and we are delighted
with Bonaventure’s success.”
Bonaventure tells his story: “I left Cameroon in 1997 while
studying economics at university. I had protested against the
policy of all teaching being in French (the majority language in
Cameroon), which disadvantages the country’s English-speaking
minority. I settled in Greece and became a professional footballer.
Injuries cut short this career and I decided to resume my university
education.
The Xcel Student of the Year Awards are designed to acknowledge
and encourage student achievement among ethnic minority
students. For more information visit www.courses-careers.com/xcel/
xcel-student-awards.htm
Bonaventure at the Xcel Student of the Year Awards in London
“As English is my first language, I applied to UWE to study for
a BA in Economics and Marketing. I then changed to a BA in
International Relations and Politics, which I felt would help me
better understand my own country and experiences. I have had
to cope with frequent trips back to Greece to keep my papers
in order, which has severely disrupted my studies, but I have
remained committed to completing my degree.”
Bonaventure works part-time as a home carer for the elderly
and those with learning or physical disabilities. He also supports
disabled students at UWE on a voluntary basis, works in the
Students’ Union shop and as a volunteer with the Red Cross
in Bristol as a trained first-aider. Bonaventure would like to
continue to postgraduate study and work for a non-governmental
UWE’s work-based learning expertise showcased at ASET conference
UWE had a strong representation at this year’s ASET
Conference at Plymouth University in September. ASET is a
professional body for those involved in placement education
and training, and employability. Their annual conference
attracts delegates from universities across the UK and Europe.
Two of UWE’s National Teaching Fellows, Professor Ursula
Lucas and Dr Stephen Gomez, gave separate keynote plenary
presentations on the importance of work-based learning in the
academic development of undergraduate students.
group. The paper highlighted the position of UWE as a leader
in assessment of placement learning.
Professor Ursula Lucas and Dr Phaik Leng Tan (BBS) presented
a plenary session giving an overview of the findings of their
research project funded by the Higher Education Academy
and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and
Wales. The project investigated the development of a reflective
capacity within undergraduate education, focusing on the role
of work-based placement learning.
UWE delegates enjoying the sunshine in between presentations at
the ASET (Work-based learning and employability) 2008 Conference
at Plymouth University 2 - 4 September. L-R: Dr Stephen Gomez,
Holger Andersson, Karen Croker, Professor Ursula Lucas, Dr Phaik
Leng Tan
For further information, please visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/bbs/
research/drc/index.shtml
Final research report: Developing a Reflective Capacity within
Undergraduate Education: the role of undergraduate workbased placement learning. www.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/
detail/projectfinder/projects/pf2660lr www.profile.ac.uk
Dr Stephen Gomez, Karen Croker, Dr David Lush (Faculty of
Health and Life Sciences) and Holger Andersson presented a
plenary session entitled, ‘Profile: A Web-Based, E-Portfolio Tool’
to enhance assessment of placement learning for academic
credit and to support employability.
The conference also covered the accreditation of work-based
learning and while many universities are still trying to develop
strategies to assess such learning, this group has produced a
pedagogically sound system which has been in place for over
four years. The complex nature of accrediting highly diverse
placements has been made possible by the development of
an electronic portfolio system, called Profile, produced by the
13
NEWS
Social media tools for
student engagement
A forum on the application of social
technologies in higher education teaching
will take place on Monday 1 December 2008
at the Octagon on Frenchay Campus. The
event, entitled ‘Social Media Tools for Student
Engagement’, is sponsored by the Higher
Education Academy and Joint Information
Systems Committee and organised by Praminda
Caleb-Solly and Paul Matthews from the
Department of Information Science and Digital
Media (BIT). The forum will enable sharing of
experiences and innovation in this area and
build links with colleagues at other universities.
Social media tools such as blogs, wikis, social
networking forums, interactive web applications
and 3D virtual worlds offer an exciting potential
for exploring different ways to engage students
with subject content and develop active learning
communities. Collaborative learning afforded
by these tools enables sharing of different
perspectives and a more participatory and
constructivist approach to education.
Dr Caleb-Solly said, “As we develop our
understanding of these tools, it is vital that
we share our experiences, both positive and
negative, so as to maximise their potential
benefit. We hope also to provide a forum to
discuss the changing nature of the educational
model which incorporates the technology that
our students are growing up with. There will
be an opportunity for participants to offer and
receive advice on how to develop applications
in their own teaching, as well as get hands-on
experience with some of the technologies.”
Register for the event at the following website:
www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/events/displayevent.
php?id=202
The Distinguished
Executive Address Series
Autumn 2008
Tuesday 28 October 16.30-19.00
Sir Rob Margetts, Chairman, Legal & General
Thursday 6 November 18.00-20.30
Mervyn Davies,Chairman, Standard Chartered
Wednesday 19 November 18.00-20.30
Karen Dunnell, National Statistician,
UK Government
Wednesday 3 December 18.00-20.30
Ian Carter, Chief Executive, Hilton International
For further information on the series or
to book a place visit www.uwe.ac.uk/bbs/
events
14
New York, New York!
Wendy Davis and Jane Wathen from the School of Health and Social Care
are taking part in the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday 2 November
to help raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. They have been
pounding the streets to help them prepare for this challenge. “We’re really
looking forward to the taking part, we just want to finish in one piece and
enjoy the atmosphere of the event,” says Wendy.
To find out more about Macmillan Cancer Support have a look at their
website www.macmillan.org.uk
Wendy and Jane both aim to raise £2,200 each through sponsorship,
donations and fundraising events. To offer sponsorship go to Just Giving
fundraising pages www.justgiving.com/wendydavis and www.justgiving.com/
janewathen
Bristol Business School gives
helping hand to family business
Bristol Business School is to launch a programme dedicated to business
education for advisers to family businesses.
The School has created a joint venture with the International Centre
for Families in Business to develop an 18 month part time programme,
the Postgraduate Certificate in Family Business Advising. Designed for
professional intermediaries – from lawyers and management consultants to
accountants, bankers and IFAs – the programme will enhance learning about
the nature and dynamics of the family business.
Approximately 60 per cent of all UK registered companies are family
owned and run, with around 40 of The Times top 100 companies in family
ownership. Research by the Centre shows that many professional advisers,
whose experience has been with non-family run companies, are often
uncomfortable when confronted with the family business and rarely fully
understand the very nature of the business model.
The programme starts in January and will provide an opportunity for
advisers to enhance their experience of dealing with family business issues
by getting involved in a live consultancy project.
The programme will be headed up by Nicholas O’Regan, Professor of
Enterprise and Innovation (BBS), whose research interests cover the family
business sector.
Nicholas O’Regan said, “The introduction of this programme forms part of
the Business School’s strategy to establish itself as the leading provider of
business education in the region and specifically to families in business and
their advisers across the UK.
“The learning environment we are looking to create with the programme is
one that encourages the exchange of knowledge between academics, family
businesses and the advisers, which will not only be of mutual benefit to all
those involved but also enable us to continuously enhance the programme
in the future.”
John Tucker, Director of the International Centre for Families in Business:
“This partnership with Bristol Business School demonstrates our commitment
to ensuring the most up-to-date and relevant professional support and
services for both existing and potential family business clients. By offering
this programme for professional intermediaries, it will help them develop
greater understanding of the unique issues facing the family in business.”
The programme consists of three modules: a strategic introduction to the
family business context, providing a foundation in understanding of the
family business and issues such as ownership, succession, governance and
finance; an exploration of family business organisational dynamics; and,
lastly, a live project in which advisers are mentored through a consultancy
project for a family business client.
hello
+
welcome
UWE Open Days
Saturday 22 November 2008
Saturday 7 February 2009
Saturday 14 March 2009
10.00-16.00
Register online
www.uwe.ac.uk
Alex
2008
Retail Liaison Manager
for Land Securities
at Cabot Circus
2008
MSc Construction Project
Management, UWE
alex+
cabot circus
2002
BA(Hons) Politics, UWE
Coming to the end of your degree?
Find out how far you could go, just like Alex.
Visit www.uwe.ac.uk/further
BBS hosts new Professorial Address Series
Schedule of Distinguished Professorial Addresses
Following on from the success of the Distinguished Executive
Address Series which brings those heading up major organisation
to the business community in the South West, BBS has announced
a series of Distinguished Professorial Addresses.
Wednesday 5 November 2008, 18:00-20:30
Professor Mike Gregory CBE, Head of the Manufacturing and Management
Division of the Cambridge University Engineering Department and of the
Institute for Manufacturing (IfM)
This series presents a unique opportunity for students, alumni,
staff and businesses in the South West region to hear about
the latest cutting-edge research from renowned leaders in
management research.
Thursday 5 February 2009, 18:00-20:30
Professor Hugo Letiche, Research Professor and Humanitas/ ISCE Chair of
the University for Humanist Studies, The Netherlands
Nicholas O’Regan, Professor of Strategy and Innovation (BBS) said
“The events offer a forum for regional businesses and researchers
to address some of the challenges they face and update
their knowledge and understanding of recent management
developments.”
Tuesday 3 March 2009, 18:00-20:30
Professor Howard Thomas, Executive Dean, Warwick Business School
For further information on the series or to book a place, please
visit www.uwe.ac.uk/bbs/events.
Dr Mark Steel (1962-2008)
It was with great shock and sadness that colleagues in
the School of Built and Natural Environment learned of
the unexpected sudden death of Dr Mark Steel in early
September 2008.
Mark had a wide range of interests, particularly watching
sport. He loved the annual Six Nations Rugby tournament
and was always happy to spend time chatting about the
weekend’s action on a Monday morning. He had a passionate
interest in American Football, which he played in his younger
days before a neck injury forced his retirement. Mark was
extremely knowledgeable about Asian history, specifically
about Japan. He loved international travel and had a huge
passion for Italy, especially Rome where he had only recently
had a short holiday.
Mark joined UWE in 1993 as a Lecturer in Economics in the
then School of Land and Property Management. He was
born and brought up near Sheffield and after leaving School
studied Economic History at the University of Liverpool
for his Bachelor’s degree and continued his studies by also
completing his PhD at Liverpool.
Away from the workplace Mark was a talented author. He
wrote several short historical pamphlets and books on Bristol’s
Architectural History and its relationship with the Slave Trade.
He had also recently completed his first historical novel and
was attempting to find a publisher.
Mark always had a deep seated desire to continue his career
in the academic world and following his doctorate he held
a number of short term teaching and research posts, once
again, at the University of Liverpool and then at Manchester
University before he settled in Bristol.
As colleagues we will all miss Mark, especially his dry and
acerbic sense of humour, but perhaps the best legacy that can
be provided for him is the memory of the impact he had on
his students. There have been numerous letters and e-mails
from existing and ex-students in response to his death. Their
words rather than mine express the level of his contribution
to their education and lives so much more appropriately.
Whilst at UWE Mark developed his teaching interests from
his initial expertise in Economics and Economic History and
was soon teaching a range of modules to a wide selection of
student groups. Mark had a gift for combining teaching early
stage students basic principles with engaging more advanced
audiences with more complex and challenging ideas and
concepts.
“He was a phenomenally clever man and a great lecturer
with a unique but effective way of teaching. I will always be
grateful for the time and guidance he gave during my final
year at the University.”
Mark was a vital contributor to BNE’s Shared Elective
programme where he indulged his passion and research
interests and shared these with students on modules on the
Post Modern City and in the History of Architecture. These
optional modules were always popular with students and
recruited high numbers at the annual module choice fair. This
stands as a true testament to Mark’s ability and his popularity
with students.
“He was a brilliant individual and an inspiration to all those
that came into contact with him. He is an irreplaceable
character.”
Steve Galliford, Deputy Head of School
School of Built and Natural Environment
Glenside ladies leg it!
The Glenside ladies
running team
A UWE ladies running team came second in the 32nd AXA five
mile race. The Glenside Campus based staff, led by Fiona Cramp
(HSC), decided to enter for fun not expecting to find out the next
day that they actually came second in the ladies team category,
with the fastest four in the team receiving medals. In addition
Fiona managed a very impressive second place in the senior
women’s category.
Suzanne Ford (HSC) said, “We all enjoyed ourselves immensely and
in particular I welcomed the opportunity after two weeks in post,
to meet more HSC colleagues. We are already looking forward
to next year’s event and are keen to have even more ladies in the
team, so start limbering up now!”
15
Back row (l to r)
Emma Farrow, Judy
Orme, Suzanne
Ford, Selena Gray,
front row (l to
r) Wendy Davis,
Fiona Cramp, Shan
Aguilar-Stone
NEWS
Cycling and society
symposium
The Fifth Cycling and Society symposium was
hosted by the Centre for Transport and Society
in September bringing together over 40
practitioners, policy makers and academics from
throughout the UK.
“The first day’s remarkable achievement was
to bring a broad range of voices with their
different perspectives and styles which produced
a stimulating environment in which I thought
people were very open to one another’s views,
and respectful of their differences,” said Dave
Horton from the University of Lancaster, a
founder member of the Cycling and Society
Research Group.
Presentations ranged from the very practical
to more methodological issues and included
how to run a bicycle workshop; a recycling bike
project; setting up the Bristol hire bike scheme;
how to measure and evaluate physical measures
to promote walking and cycling and their
financial benefit. There were also presentations
on bike-rail integration; class and competition
- the gentrification of sport cycling; cycling
cultures; the safety of cycle lanes on roads and
whether the wearing of cycle helmets is counterproductive in the promotion of cycling.
More informal discussions took place on the
second day among those engaged in academic
research to identify research gaps and plan the
development of the Cycling and Society Research
Group. The next symposium will be hosted by
John Parkin at Bolton University who will also
investigate archiving previous papers and the
development of a website.
A full report of the event and papers can be
accessed through www.transport.uwe.ac.uk and
further information from Henrietta.Sherwin@
uwe.ac.uk
Department of English:
Staff Research Seminars 2008-09
16.30-18.00, St Matthias Campus (Conifers Room 002). Contact Professor Peter Rawlings
([email protected]).
29 October 2008
Professor Jonathan Charteris-Black
The Blackbird on the Shoulder:
Metaphor - The Language of Depression?
20 November 2008
Hedley O’Sullivan
In 1969 the Secretary of State for Education, Tony Crosland, established the
Polytechnics, by a process which transformed a number of technical colleges
into institutions offering Higher Education with a vocational emphasis.
The Polytechnics lasted only 23 years, and it has often been noted that the
process by which these technical colleges were able to become fully fledged
universities by 1992 was remarkably swift. One of the major contributing
factors was that those technical colleges had some staff who demonstrated
enormous commitment and energy to bringing about the necessary changes.
Hedley O’Sullivan, who retired as Associate Dean of what was then the Faculty
of Engineering in 1996, was one of those who played a key role in that
transition from technical college to university.
Hedley had joined Bristol Technical College in the early sixties to teach his
skills mainly to apprentice engineers on day-release programmes. In 1969
the Technical College split, with some staff staying on in what became Brunel
College, while others formed the core of the new Bristol Polytechnic. Hedley
became a key figure in the Polytechnic’s department of Engineering, then
based at Ashley Down, taking on various roles, such as Course Leader for
Mechanical Engineering, and then Director of Studies for the Department.
He was appointed at an early stage to the CNAA Mechanical Engineering
committee, which gave him a good understanding of what was needed for
the new Polytechnic to gain approval to run CNAA degrees in place of the
earlier London external courses. As a result the part-time degree in Mechanical
Engineering was one of the early approvals that the Polytechnic gained.
By the early 1980s he was Director of Studies, responsible for co-ordinating
the teaching delivery across all the courses in Engineering. He always put
a great deal of energy into whatever he was doing – and as Director of
Studies he was very much in his element. He managed timetabling and the
assessment processes, and contributed to course design and development. He
possessed the unusual ability to engage with the detail of a job, while always
keeping the bigger picture in view. There is no doubt that the development
of Engineering as a discipline in the Polytechnic and subsequently in the early
days of UWE owed much to his energy and commitment.
He was an excellent teacher, able to present complex subjects with clarity and
conviction, and to draw on his own experience in the aircraft industry. He was
also much valued colleague, particularly supportive to new staff.
Hedley was deeply attached to his Welsh roots. He was born in Barry, attended
Barry Grammar School, and on leaving school gained an apprenticeship with
BAC. His academic performance was such that he was able to go to Cranfield
to do an MSc. He had a good practical grounding in Engineering within the
local aerospace industry before he moved into education, and he was always
able to locate his teaching firmly within the practicalities.
Outside the University Hedley was very much a family man. His family was
always of great importance to him, and it is a comment on his energy that
he could give so much time to his family while also being fully committed
to his work. He remained very much a practical engineer, using his talents
particularly in building scenery for
amateur theatrical productions
directed by his wife Marie. And
whereas much theatrical scenery is a
bit ramshackle, everything he built
was thoroughly engineered. It is not
surprising that his sets regularly won
awards for St Ursula Players – the
group he was part of.
Dr Charlie Butler
Feminist vs Transgender Discourse in Children's
Chapter Books: The Cases of Bill's New Frock and
Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl?
In his retirement he divided his time
between Bristol and Pembroke, and
continued to be very active until
shortly before his death. He died on
27 July 2008, after a short illness.
3 December 2008
Professor Richard Coates
Reens, Warths, Dumbles, and Pills:
Coastal Vocabulary of the Severn Estuary and the
Paradox of Viking Influence
Hedley and his wife Marie on holiday at
the Cape of Good Hope
16
Centre for Performing Arts
www.uwe.ac.uk/cpa
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
Requiem
Copland - Outdoor Overture
Tchaikovsky - Serenade for Strings
Bristol Cathedral, College Green
Saturday 6 December 2008, 19.30
UWE Singers and Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ian Holmes and Roger Huckle
Soloists: Belinda Evans - Soprano
Glenn Tweedie –Tenor, Daniel Chidgey - Treble
Tickets £5-£10
(concessions £4-£6)
UWE Online Store
Website http://store.uwe.ac.uk
MusicBox
Telephone 01275 349010
Centre for Performing Arts
Email [email protected]
Telephone 0117 32 82067
Centre for Performing Arts
www.uwe.ac.uk/cpa
UWE Showstoppers
and soloists
St Patrick’s Church
Redfield, Bristol
Friday 21 November 2008
20.00
Songs from Broadway to the West End
including ‘With A Song in My Heart’, ‘The
Sound Of Music’ and ‘High School Musical’.
Tickets £10
(£8 concessions/£2 children 12 and under)
UWE Online Store:
Website http://store.uwe.ac.uk
St Patrick’s Parish Office:
E-mail [email protected]
Telephone 0117 955 7662
140b Church Road, Redfield, Bristol, BS5 9HN
Centre for Performing Arts:
E-mail [email protected]
Telephone 0117 32 82067
Staff contribute to new law library for Singapore Institute of Commerce
Staff from Frenchay Campus library and Bristol Law School have
collected donations of law reports and legal journals to furnish a
new law library at the university’s partner college, the Singapore
Institute of Commerce that started running UWE’s undergraduate
law programme in September.
UWE donations prepared for shipment to Singapore
The donations have now been sorted, packed and shipped by sea
to Singapore ready for the new intake of UWE students to provide
them with a library collection fit to meet their study needs.
The law librarians would like to express their thanks to all those
who kindly donated an impressive collection of materials. A
special thank you is expressed for UWE alumni David Higgs, Chris
Duncan and Sarah Macattie, now working at the Bank of Ireland
in Bristol. They lobbied hard to ensure that UWE was able to
provide our new students based at Singapore with a full back run
of All England Law Reports.
MA History thesis wins prize
Mike Breward's MA History thesis 'The Business of Slave
Trading: the Ships' Books of the Royal African Company, 16601733' has won the George Palliser-Martin prize awarded by
Bristol West, (incorporating The Bristol Chamber of Commerce,
The Bath Chamber of Commerce and The South Gloucestershire
Chamber of Commerce).
Madge Dresser, said, “It has been gratifying to learn that
a history thesis has been recognised by the Bristol Business
community in this way. This thesis was particularly innovative in
that it was a joint venture between UWE's History Department
and the National Archive at Kew, where Mike was trained in
how to describe previously uncatalogued records from the 17th
century. Mike's catalogue descriptions of the primary sources
were then put onto the National Archives website www.
nationalarchives.gov.uk/slavery/learn-more.htm. The thesis
analysed in new detail the way slaving voyages under the aegis
of the Royal African Company were managed.”
The prize, established in 1946, is 'designed to promote and
encourage within the area covered by the [Bristol] Chamber [of
Commerce], knowledge and study of commercial and industrial
subjects'.
Year 12 students ‘Leap into Health’
that the student ambassadors were helpful and that they
appreciated being able to talk to them about what it was really
like being a student. As illustrated by one student’s comment
“The ambassadors were very helpful in talking about their
experiences which helped me greatly! I look forward to being
a student!”
The 4th annual ‘Leap into Health’ summer school was hosted
by HSC for 29 young people from nine schools or colleges in
the South West from 23 to 26 June 08.
This hugely successful, non-residential event aims to raise
the awareness and aspirations of the young people towards
different health and social care professions. The summer
school targets young people who are taking vocational courses
who have an interested in health care but have no parental
experience of HE. The event showcases the range of careers
within the health and social care sector and encourages them
to apply for HE courses.
Scott Mighall (HSC) Summer School Co-ordinator, said, “It was a
privilege working with so many students with great potential.
There was a clear progression in the students’ confidence and
character development in such a short space of time which was
fantastic to witness.”
The event was organised by the Aimhigher Healthcare Strand,
based within the School of Health and Social Care but it was
a collaborative project involving partners from NHS Trust,
University Hospitals Bristol as well as colleagues in the School
of Life Sciences.
The dates of the 08/09 summer school are 22 to 25 June 09.
Election Result - Staff elected on to
Academic Board
Participants chose from a selection of interactive academic
workshops across all of the Allied Health professions, all
Nursing disciplines, Midwifery, Social Work and Biomedical
Science. Alongside these were generic sessions designed to
give a flavour of university life and extra curricular activities
including workshops on student finance, communication skills,
a morning at the Centre for Sport and an afternoon with the
Students’ Union where the participants had a go at creating
their own newspaper in a competitive team challenge.
The following staff members have been elected on to
Academic Board to serve from October 2008 to 31 July
2011.
Academic Staff
Manuel Frutos-Perez (ITS)
Andrew Mathieson (HLS)
Administrative Staff
Patrick Nolan (AR)
The Summer School benefited from an excellent team of
student ambassadors, who were central to the positive
experience of the participants. 100 per cent of the participants
either strongly agreed (90 per cent) or agreed (10 per cent)
Technical Staff
No nominations were received and a further election will
take place.
17
Centre for Performing Arts
www.uwe.ac.uk/cpa
UWE Chamber Choir and
Brass Consort in concert
St John the Baptist Church,
Frenchay
Saturday 15 November 2008
19.30
Tickets £6 (£5 concessions)
UWE Online Store:
Website http://store.uwe.ac.uk
Telephone 0117 956 7665
Centre for Performing Arts:
E-mail [email protected]
Telephone 0117 32 82067
Kate Claxton (left), who graduates
this year with a first class BSc
Honours degree in Radiotherapy
has won a prestigious national
award presented by the Society
and College of Radiographers.
Kate was nominated by Jan
Chianese, programme leader and
the radiotherapy academic team
together with Petra Jacobs, clinical
co-ordinator to win this prize. The
prize is awarded to the student who exemplifies ‘the best
of the profession’s values’ and also highlights the student’s
academic and clinical accomplishments and outstanding
contribution to student life or university. The prize will
be awarded to Kate on 6 November at a ceremony at the
House of Commons.
Award Ceremonies 2008
Tuesday 11 November, 10.30/14.00: Bristol Business School
Wednesday 12 November, 10.30/14.00/17.00:
Bristol Business School
Thursday 13 November, 10.30/14.00/17.00:
School of the Built and Natural Environment
Friday 14 November, 10.30/14.00: Bristol Institute of Technology
Monday 17 November, 10.30/14.00/17.00: School of Life Sciences
Tuesday 18 November, 10.30: School of Life Sciences
Tuesday 18 November, 14.00/17.00:
School of Health and Social Care
Wednesday 19 November, 10.30/14.00/17.00:
School of Health and Social Care
Wednesday 19 November, 11.30/14.45: Hartpury College
Monday 24 November, 10.30/14.00/17.00:
School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences
Tuesday 25 November, 10.30/14.00:
School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences –
Joint Honours
Wednesday 26 November, 10.30/14.00: School of Education
Thursday 27 November, 10.30/14.00/17.00: School of Creative Arts
Friday 28 November, 10.30/14.00/17.00: Bristol Law School
All ceremonies will take place in Bristol Cathedral, except for
Hartpury College ceremonies which will take place in Gloucester
Cathedral. For further information, please contact the Graduation
Office at Frenchay Campus on 0117 32 83934 or e-mail
[email protected]
N E W S
I N
B R I E F
News in Brief
Dr Christina Tucker, Head of School, Maternal and Child Health (HSC)
retired on 30 September 2008.
Staff in the media
Jennie Parker (HLS) was interviewed on Thursday 11 September by BBC
Radio Bristol about her research into dreams which finds that women are
more prone to nightmares than men.
Kath Holden (SSH) had an article based on her book printed in the Family
section of the Guardian on Saturday 27 September.
Professor Moira Plant (HLS) did a live interview on BBC World Service
Radio on 17 September about personality types and alcohol problems.
Joshua Hart (BNE) received significant national and international coverage
following the release of his report - 'Driven to Excess' which found that
residents in Bristol are suffering in their daily lives from a rising dependence
on motor vehicles. In particular, communities on busy streets were found
to be atrophied significantly, while safety concerns were widespread, even
among residents of quiet streets. National press included: coverage in The
Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Daily Mirror and Daily
Express. International press included coverage in Express India and Tehran
Times. Joshua was also interviewed for a number of local and regional BBC
radio stations ranging from Bristol to Scotland.
Dr Stephen Hunt (SSH) was interviewed by the BBC News Magazine on
the subject of the large Hadron Collider particle accelerator on the Swiss/
French border that came into operation on Wednesday 10 September and
from which scientists hope to find out more on the origins of the universe.
Dr Hunt’s comments were posted on the Internet version of the magazine in
an article entitled ‘Why the Fascination with the End of the World?’ which
considered ‘End-Time’ beliefs, apocalypticism, and disaster scenarios in the
Western cultural setting. He was also interviewed by one British national,
one Irish national channel and two local channels in the production of radio
programmes on the same subject.
Janet Askew (FET) was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 1
October about the new planning regulations which came into force on that
day. The 'You and Yours' programme asked Janet to explain the new rules
about householder development - controversial due to the headlines which
erroneously suggest that planning permission will not be needed. On the
same day, Janet was also interviewed by local radio station GWR about Cabot
Circus, the new shopping centre in Bristol. Her view is that it is located in
the wrong place, and will inevitably act to extend the city centre along the
motorway, leaving a worsening gap between Broadmead and the so-called
'Centre'.
Professor Clara Greed (BNE) was interviewed in September by Canadian
Radio station - CBC on her research on public toilets.
Professor Martin Plant (HSC) was interviewed in September by Original
and Star Radio on the forthcoming ‘Addiction and the Family’ conference on
Friday 21 November.
Publications
Centre for Psycho-Social Studies
Wednesday 19 November, 15.00 – 17.00
Frenchay Campus, S Block, Room 2S704
Esther Rashkin
Professor of French and Comparative Literature, University
of Utah; Fellow of the American Psychoanalytic Association;
practising psychoanalyst, presents
Unspeakable Secrets
Cryptic mourning, buried history and the screening of antisemitism in Kieslowski’s, A Short Film about Killing
To reserve a place e-mail [email protected]
Simon Messer (HSC) has co-authored an article with Rachael Bamber (a
former student on UWE’s Diagnostic Imaging programme) on their experience
of providing a mobile x-ray service at Glastonbury Festival. For the first time
ever, radiographers attended Glastonbury Festival as part of the medical
services provided on site for this event. The article describes how this was
achieved, reviewing work patterns, case load and the benefits of introducing
a mobile x-ray service to such an event. Bamber R and Messer S (2008).
Music, Mud and Mobiles. Synergy Sept 8-9.
Dr Havi Carel's (Philosophy, SSH) book, Illness, has just been published
by Acumen. The book explores the experience of illness and its philosophical
significance, taking an approach which emphasises the first-person
perspective on illness. It brings out the experience of illness as seen from the
ill person’s point of view, contrasting that with social attitudes towards illness
and medical professionals’ detached perspective. Dr Carel was interviewed
19
continued overleaf
N E W S
I N
B R I E F
continued from
previous page
about her book on BBC
Bristol, on the BBC website
and has written a piece for
the Daily Telegraph. A book
launch will take place on
Illness by Havi Carel Tuesday 28 October, 18.00 at
the Arnolfini. For details: www.arnolfini.org.uk/
whatson/events/details/153
Christien van den Anker (Politics, SSH)
has recently contributed the articles ‘Human
rights in Iran. The relevance of ethnography of
‘others’ for global political theory’ in Journal
of International Political Theory, forthcoming
October 2008;‘Cosmopolitanism and Trafficking
in Human Beings for Forced Labour’ in Sex as
Crime? Gayle Letherby et al (eds), 2008: 137-155
and ‘Bridging the gaps in Global Ethics: grounded
cosmopolitan praxis’ in Wim Vandekerckhove, An
Verlinden and Ronald Commers Ethics in an era
of globalization Ashgate, 2008: 41-54
Appointments
Tessa Harrison (Academic Registrar) has
been appointed as a specialist assessor for
the Association of University Administrators
Postgraduate Certificate. Her specialist areas are
quality and standards, leadership, governance
and management, strategic planning and review.
Conferences
Dr Enda Hayes (AQM, BNE) presented two
papers at the 16th International Union of
Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental
Protection Associations (IUAPPA) regional
conference in association with the annual
meeting of the National Association for Clean Air
(NACA) in South Africa (1-3 October). He was
also invited to sit on an IUAPPA Special Session
Panel to provide an international perspective on
‘Linking air pollution and climate change: The
challenge for Africa’. Enda presented papers
co-authored with Air Quality management
colleagues entitled: ‘Ten years of air quality
management in the UK: A model for the South
African National Framework on air quality’ and
‘The potential impact from increased use of
wood-fuelled biomass on local air quality in
London: Lessons to exchange with mega-cities in
developing countries’.
Rod Ward (HSC) presented a paper entitled,
‘The potential and challenges of Web 2.0 in the
education of healthcare professionals’ at the
Medicine 2.0 conference in Toronto, Canada
4-5 Sept 2008. His report is available on his blog
Informaticopia at www.rodspace.co.uk/blog/
blogger.html
Professor Leslie Bunt (HSC) was invited to give
a plenary presentation to the World Congress
of Music Therapy held at the University of
Buenos Aires at the end of July. The presentation
'Participants' accounts of group music therapy'
was a summary of a collaborative research project
with Professor Norma Daykin and Dr Stuart
McClean. In September he presented a paper
on Guided Imagery in Music (GIM) with cancer
patients at the European Conference held in
Norway. He has also recently been awarded the
title of Visiting Professor in Music Therapy at
the New Zealand School of Music, University of
Massey.
Julie Williams and Jenny Hall (both from the
School of Midwifery, HSC) gave presentations
at the 7th International Qualitative research
conference in Bournemouth in September. Julie's
presentation was entitled: 'Why women choose
midwifery: a narrative analysis of motivations and
understandings in a group of first year students'.
Jenny gave two presentations on her current
EdD work: ‘Using artistic methods as tools in
qualitative research: do they reveal the whole
person?’ and ‘Quilt imitating research imitating
life’.
Dr Tim Hughes, Dr David Bence, Dr Louise
Grisoni, Professor Nicholas O'Regan, David
Wornham (all BBS) recently won ‘Best Paper’
in the Knowledge and Learning Track - British
Academy of Management Conference September
2008 for their paper: ‘Academic/Practitioner
Engagement in Management: Knowledge
Exchange and Knowledge Transfer’.
Professor Robin Hambleton (BNE) was invited
to speak at the 2008 International Conference
of the Federation of Local Authority Chief
Executives in Europe in Cardiff on 5 September.
His presentation, on ‘International Insight –
Learning about Innovation in Other Countries’,
drew on his series of articles for the Improvement
and Development Agency for local government.
More information: www.idea.gov.uk/international
Professor Jim Longhurst (AQM, BNE)
co-chaired the 16th annual conference on
Air Pollution Modelling, Monitoring and
Management in Skiathos, Greece 22-24
September). His co-chair was Professor Carlos
Brebbia of Wessex Institute of Technology (WIT)
who organised the conference. UWE was well
represented at the conference with research
students Dotun Olowoporoku, Simon Baldwin
and Mofoluso Fagbeja who presented their
research at their first international conference.
Visiting Professor Jimi Irwin and Jim
Longhurst also presented papers. The papers
have been published in the conference book
published in hardback by WIT Press. Bibliographic
details of the conference book: Brebbia, C A and
Longhurst, J W S (Editors) Air Pollution XVI. WIT
Press. Southampton and Boston. pp639 ISBN
978-1-84564-127-6
Janice Kiely (IBST) was an invited speaker at
the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Institute
of Physics and Engineering in Medicine in
September. Her talk was given during the session,
'Showcase: the interface with biology'.
Andrew Spicer (CA) presented two papers at
the University of Portsmouth: one entitled ‘The
Precariousness of Production: Michael Klinger
and the Role of the Film Producer in the British
Film Industry during the 1970s’ at a conference
on British Culture and the Society in the 1970s
and another entitled ‘Targeting the Hitman’,
at the conference on Crime Cultures: Figuring
Criminality in Literature, Media and Film.
20
Dr Matthew Partington (V&A Museum Senior
Research Fellow, (CA) and Director, NEVAC
(www.media.uwe.ac.uk/nevac) ) recently gave
a paper entitled 'A blurred photograph of
Jesus is better than no photograph at all - the
practicalities of using video as an oral history
tool' at the International Oral History Association
Conference held at the University of Guadalajara,
Mexico from 23-26 September 2008.
Dr Richard Waller, Dr Elizabeth Newman and
Helen Butcher (Education) gave two recent
conference presentations arising from their
work into NSS results within the School. In July
they presented to the British Education Studies
Association annual conference in Liverpool a
paper entitled ‘Your views are important, fill in
this form’. The NSS: Reliable conduit for student
voice or a ‘useless exercise?’. In September the
team presented another paper arising from the
study at the annual conference of the British
Educational Research Association in Edinburgh
– ‘Real’ and ‘Virtual’ Spaces, Places and
Relationships: Social capital and influences on
undergraduate student experience/s’.
Dr Jona Razzaque (BLS) participated in the
‘Expert Forum on Ecosystem Services and Human
Well-Being: The Role of Law and Governance’
(19-20 September 2008, Geneva, Switzerland),
which was organised by the United Nations
Environment Programme. During the meeting,
the experts explored the role of human rights
in the sustainable management of ecosystems.
They also identified synergistic policy and legal
approaches to promote the sustained adequate
functioning of ecosystem services that contribute
to human well-being. The recommendations
from the meeting will form part of the discussion
at the UNEP Montevideo Programme IV for
the Development and Periodic Review of
Environmental Law.
Christien van den Anker (Politics, SSH)
organised four workshops for women in Bristol
on ‘Ending the Oppression of Muslims’. Christien
believes that this form of discrimination is
more widespread than is often acknowledged.
Women attended from a Muslim and non-Muslim
background, professional and non-professional,
including journalists, police, educators and policymakers, but also for a purely personal interest.
The fourth workshop was during Ramadan and
included sharing a meal together to break fast.
Sharing about our traditions and celebrating with
the religious Muslim women brought the group
very close together. The workshops emphasise
listening skills and the group became very close
despite all diversity: there were women with
heritage from Libya, Bangladesh, Algeria and
Iran, one of whom was Kurdish.
Christien van den Anker (Politics, SSH)
attended a week-long workshop (7-14
September) to address the emotions surrounding
World War II with the objective to build alliances
across national boundaries and collaboratively
work towards ending all wars. The workshop
consisted of a two-day visit to AuschwitzBirkenau and a four-day workshop in Warsaw.
120 people from 20 different nationalities
attended the workshop and 73 people were
involved in the camp visit.
Forty Minutes
The Octagon,
Frenchay Campus
12.40-13.20
A series of performances taking
place at UWE throughout the year
Free Admission
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Tuesday 25 November 2008
Tuesday 27 January 2009
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Centre for Performing Arts
Telephone 0117 32 82067
www.uwe.ac.uk/cpa
UWE Fashion
Show Festival
In association with
CATWALK COLLECTIONS
Onezone, Frenchay Campus
Autumn show:
Wednesday
26 November 2008
Spring show:
Wednesday
18 March 2009
•Free admission
•Doors open at 16.00
•Modelling sessions start at 16.30
•Fashion accessories stalls with high
street discounted products from
M&S, Next, Top Shop, River Island
and Jane Norman
•Great opportunity for UWE students
to book a stall to sell hand made or
unwanted clothes and fashion accessories.
Please contact [email protected]
for a fashion stall application form
(limited places)
Human Resources
October pay award
$
$
A 5% cost of living award will be applied to salaries with effect from 1 October and represents the final instalment of a three year
pay deal agreed in 2006. This pay award is based on the September retail price index (RPI) figure and will be paid in November salary
payments.
Staff Association
Coach Club
National Stress Awareness Day
Wednesday 5th November 2008
Too many worries in
your life today?
Worrying about what
has happened in the
past?
Worrying what might
happen in the future?
Try The Worry Busters
Go to: www.isma.org.uk
to download
WORRY WORKOUT
AUDIO VISUALISATION
USEFUL ORGANISATIONS
Positive Thinking:
change the worry word to concern,
issue, problem, dilemma, challenge.
Forthcoming Trips
Your request for seats will only be
‘provisional’ until payment/deposit
is received and they will not be held
indefinitely without it if we have a waiting
list. Thank you.
Sat 22 November 08 (waiting list)
Royal Albert Hall - Classic Spectacular
£38 members, £39 guests. This trip will
include the earlier part of the day in
London.
Sat 6 December 08 Clearwell Caves
£10 child, £15 member, £16 guest.
Includes visit with Father Christmas
Sat 10 January 09
Merry Hill Shopping Centre
January Sales at a different location?
January Sales at a sales price!
Members: was £11, now only £9!
Guests: was £12, now only £10!
Easter 2009 10-13 April 08 (waiting list)
Trier, Germany
Three nights B&B at NH Hotel
£200 members, £205 guests (based on
two sharing, single supplement £60).
Excursions included
Talk to friends :
worry can be a habit, a ‘reality check’
talking with others can really help.
Write it down :
Write your worries down & designate
a time when you can deal with them.
Relaxation:
If you are interested in any of the above
please contact us: [email protected],
tel: 0117 32 83001
www.uwe.ac.uk/staff-assoc/
Physical activity:
SA Members Only
Christmas Panto
An excellent way to defer worry.
Download our audio visualisation.
A good steady walk changes the focus
from mind to body & improves mood.
Improve your diet:
Reduce caffeine, alcohol & smoking
& eat well regularly for a calm mind .
International Stress Management Association UK
Promoting stress prevention and well-being
Registered Charity No 1088103
Company limited by guarantee No 4079657
Copyright © ISMA 2008
22
Dick Whittington
Sat 13 December 08 at 14.00
Glendinning Theatre (2D67) Frenchay
Campus
Look out for posters and e-mails for
further details.
what'son
156th Autumn Exhibition
Date: 26 October - 14 December 2008
Venue: Royal West of England Academy
Tel: 0117 973 5129 E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.rwa.org.uk
Forty Minutes
Date: 28 October 2008 (Time: 12.40-13.20)
Venue: The Octagon, Frenchay Campus
Indian Classical Music. Free. Contact: CPA
Tel: 0117 32 82067 E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/cpa
Seminar: Inclusive Education Partnerships with disabled people
Date: 4-5 November 2008 (Time: 10.00-13.00)
Venue: Frenchay Campus
Free. Tel: Caroline Foyle 0117 32 81169
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/
ResearchSeminar_04Nov08
Farmers Market
Date: 5 November 2008 (Time: 10.00-15.00)
Venue: Courtyard outside Main Reception
Free. Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/environment/
farmersmarket/
Inaugural Professorial Lecture
Date: 6 November 2008 (Time: 18.45)
Professor Diana Jeater
Venue: Lecture Theatre H124, St Matthias
"The unrewarding gyrations of barbarous
tribes?": Why African History matters in a
modern university. Free, reservation required
Tel: Rose West 0117 32 84372
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/hlss/faculty/news.shtml
Extending Collaboration with Social
Software
Date: 7 November 2008 (Time: 18.30-21.00)
Paula Dantas - Senior IT Specialist for Lotus
at IBM UK Ltd. Venue: UWE Bristol
Free - registration required Contact: David
Martyn E-mail: [email protected]
Staff Ads
To submit a UWE event to the Bulletin please
use the form at www.uwe.ac.uk/events
UWE Big Band + Gospel Choir in concert
Date: 8 November 2008 (Time: 19.30)
Venue: Gordano School
Admission: £8/£4 (U16) Contact: CPA
Tel: 0117 32 82067 E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/cpa
UWE Award Ceremonies
Date: 11-28 November 2008
Venue: Bristol Cathedral, College Green
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/awards
UWE Chamber Choir and Brass Consort
Date: 15 November 2008 (Time: 19.30)
Venue: St John the Baptist Church, Frenchay
Tickets: Pauline Palmer - 0117 956 7665
Admission: £6/£5 concessions Contact: CPA
Tel: 0117 32 82067 E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/cpa
Encounters Short Film Festival
Date: 18-23 November 2008
Venue: Watershed, Harbourside, Bristol
Tel: 0117 929 9188
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.encounters-festival.org.uk
B1 10-: UKBI's Annual Conference
Date: 19 November 2008
Venue: Marriott Hotel, Bristol City Centre
Visit: http://rbi.uwe.ac.uk/intranet/events/
default.asp?urn=5164
Hartpury Award Ceremonies
Date: 19 November 2008 (Time: 11.30, 14.45)
Venue: Gloucester Cathedral
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/awards
Goals and Challenges for the
Co-Evolution of Social and Technical
Defence Capability
Date: 20 November 2008 (Time: 18.30-21.00)
Professor Karen Carr - Cranfield University
Venue: UWE Bristol
Free - registration required Contact: David
Martyn E-mail: [email protected]
www.uwe.ac.uk
Addiction and the Family
Date: 21 November 2008
Venue: Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel
Contact: Jan Green Tel: 0117 32 88800
E-mail: [email protected]
E-Learning in health and social care current practice and directions
Date: 21 November 2008 (Time: 10.00-16:00)
Venue: Glenside Campus
Free. E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.health.heacademy.ac.uk/newsevents/eventsbox/2008/elearning2111/view
Open Day
Date: 22 November 2008 (Time: 10.00-16.00)
Venue: All UWE campuses
Contact: AIR Tel: 0117 32 83333
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/openday
Forty Minutes
Date: 25 November 2008 (Time: 12.40-13.20)
Venue: The Octagon, Frenchay Campus
Free. Contact: CPA Tel: 0117 32 82067
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/cpa
UWE Fashion Show Festival
Date: 26 November 2008 (Time: 16.00)
Venue: Onezone, Frenchay Campus
Free Tel: Frans Dekker 0117 32 82438
E-mail: [email protected]
Centre for Psycho-Social Studies:
Addressing Community Tensions
Date: 27 - 29 November 2008
Venue: UWE St Matthias Campus
Tel: Glynis Morrish 0117 32 81311
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit: www.uwe.ac.uk/hlss/research/cpss/
index.shtml
Bulletin deadlines 2008
Month/Issue
Nov/81
Jan/82
Copy deadline
Monday 3 Nov
Monday 5 Jan
Adverts up to a maximum of 50 words can be placed in the Bulletin by staff for free by e-mailing [email protected].
Kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing, tiling. Full range of suites
and units to suit all budgets. Reliable, experienced and reasonably-priced
work carried out to your instructions. Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and
surrounding areas. All work to quotes unless otherwise requested. Call 01454
312535, 07825 816 050 or e-mail on [email protected].
Three bedroom spacious character cottage for rent.
Keep Fit... Self Defence... Confidence! Ever thought of trying
motivate and develop life skills such as teamwork, memory, balance and
co-ordination as well as improving self-esteem and confidence Through
this programme your child will become brighter, fitter and have lots of fun.
Contact [email protected] for further details.
Walking distance to UWE. Two off road parking spaces. Enclosed walled
garden. Unfurnished. £1,000 pcm, not including bills. Contact Kate Burd on
07725 903 906 or [email protected]
Little PUMA classes (4 to 7 yr olds) - designed to challenge,
martial arts? We train in Mangotsfield and are looking for new members
to join our small, friendly Taekwondo club. Open to anyone over seven. No
experience necessary. First class FREE!
www.ttabristol.co.uk or contact Ani Drewery x82227 for more info.
Learn to Drive – Local and friendly instructor. Nervous pupils welcome.
Discounts for student and block bookings. Pass plus courses, Motorway lessons
and Refresher lessons. Call 07884 481 280 or see www.learntodrivebristol.
co.uk
Various child toddler carriers including; All Terrain Mountain
Buggy (0-four years twin type, navy blue) including rain cover and sun shade.
McLarenTwin traveller buggy. Three Maxi-Cosi car seats, (nine months to four
years). Two folding travel cots. Two toddler carriers by Vaude (rucksack type).
All items in excellent condition. Contact [email protected]
Power for the Planet - 23 November, Bristol This one day
workshop introduces ‘The Work that Reconnects’. Together we will explore
how we can use our concerns for current global issues to feel empowered to
act towards a more sustainable society. £40 (£20). Contact Jenni on 07970
746 334 or [email protected]
To let French holiday home in Vendée town of Aizenay, West France. 15
minutes from coast and golf courses, sleeps 10, fully equipped, from £300 per
week. Further details contact Patrice Lloyd 01454 850698.
Flooring innovations. Domestic and commercial floor laying. Tiles,
BEKO fridge (Model BX175 White) Freezer box, two shelves, salad
compartment. Capacity 145 litres Gross Volume). Size 84cm x 55cm x 56cm
(deep). Class N, Type 1.Good Working order. New price in Argos Catalogue
£129.99. For sale £35.00. Ring Kevin on 0780 379 1368
vinyl and laminate, all types of work undertaken. Please contact Colin Doran
on 0117 937 2589 or 07989 558 545 or e-mail flooringinnovations@yahoo.
co.uk.
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Graphic Des gn Team MC824
UWE, BRISTOL
F 10 08
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