September 2011
Transcription
September 2011
thebulletin 27 September 2011 - Issue 106 Sir Steve Redgrave visits UWE In this month’s issue NEWS 2 Sir Steve Redgrave gives support to Bristol Rovers and UWE stadium scheme 3 Sir Steve Redgrave gives support to Bristol Rovers and UWE stadium scheme Experts investigate best way to treat cardiac arrest 4 UWE takes leading role in £16 million AHRC investment in creative industries 5 Geography lecturer wins National Teaching Fellowship 9 Success and ‘Familiness’ go hand in hand 14Honorary graduates 2010 15Sir Ian Carruthers OBE installed as new UWE Chancellor at Bristol Cathedral From left: Hannah Lawton, UWE Boat Club, Colin Offler, SU President, Ally Clarke, UWE Boat Club, Sir Steve Redgrave, Ariana A Sefre, Vice-President Sports, Nick Preston, UWE Boat Club President and Kimberley Warner, UWE Boat Club. 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 [email protected]. The next issue will be circulated at the end of October. Please do keep sending contributions in. The Bulletin regrets that it cannot be held responsible for any claims that arise out of advertisements carried. Editor: Jane Kelly Editor: Mary Price Contributor: Lesley Drake, Kate Mooney Production: Jayne Andrews, Kate Mooney Designed by Graphic Design Printing and Distribution by Printing and Stationery Fron cover: Photo Martin Chainey From left to right: Nick Higgs, Chairman of Bristol Rovers, Sir Steve Redgrave, Richard Steer, Chairman of Gleeds and Professor Steve West, Vice-Chancellor. Olympic legend Sir Steve Redgrave, visited the Centre for Sport at UWE to meet UWE’s rowing team, view plans and give his seal of approval to plans for the UWE stadium. to the same state-of-the-art facilities as professional sportsmen and women which is extremely positive and may help encourage the next generation of Olympians.” The visit was arranged by UWE and Gleeds, the International Management and Construction Consultancy, who have recently been appointed by Bristol Rovers as Project Manager, Cost Manager and CDM Co-ordinator for the £28 million community stadium scheme that will be based on UWE’s Frenchay Campus. Terry Langdon, Director of Gleeds Bristol who will be responsible for the scheme, went on to say, “Gleeds has considerable experience working with large and complex stadium redevelopments and we’re confident that we will be able to deliver above and beyond the client’s expectations. We have established an appropriate development mix to suit all parties and are looking forward to getting started on site mid-2012.” The project will include the construction of a new all seated community stadium of at least 20,000 capacity for both football and rugby union at international level. The site will be capable of holding major concerts and includes an education centre, as well as a mix of community facilities for wider use. Sir Steve Redgrave toured the site which is situated adjacent to the Frenchay Campus for a meet and greet with Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steve West. He also met student representatives and Nick Higgs, Chairman of Bristol Rovers. “I am delighted to have been invited to meet the team involved with what I’m sure will be a superb sporting venue,” said Sir Steve. “It is fantastic that, by pooling their resources, UWE and Bristol Rovers will allow students at the University to have access 2 Sir Steve Redgrave enjoying his visit to UWE Experts investigate best way to treat cardiac arrest currently in pre-hospital treatment, are the i–gel manufactured by Intersurgical and the LMA Supreme®. The devices are used in the upper airway, they are easy to use and cause less disruption in chest compression. UWE, the Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (GWAS) and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, will conduct an investigation to ensure paramedics employ the best possible techniques when treating a patient who has suffered a cardiac arrest. Over the next year, a pilot study funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit programme will take place to find out which approach to rescue breathing is most likely to improve patient survival. The results from this study will be used to inform a large national study that will determine future guidelines to be used nationally and internationally. Paramedic teams from GWAS will receive structured education on CPR and rescue Professor Jonathan Benger breathing; one group will be taught how to use the Intersurgical i-gel, one group the LMA Supreme® and one group will continue as usual. Each group will have consented to taking part in the research project. Working with paramedics from the Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (GWAS), the researchers will test the efficacy of three different approaches and/or tools to manage a patient’s airway during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR is a combination of rescue breathing and chest compression. Professor Jonathan Benger from UWE and Consultant in Emergency Medicine at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, recently cited as one of the top emergency doctors in a Times survey, is leading the project. He explains, “When the heart stops outside hospital, this is a dire medical emergency and a major cause of sudden death. Emergency ambulance teams attend several calls daily to treat people in cardiac arrest and it is important that the most effective techniques are employed and best tools used to provide the best chance of patient survival. At the moment outcomes remain poor with most patients not surviving. GWAS Medical Director and Chief Operating Officer Dr Ossie Rawstorne says, “GWAS is keen to continue its involvement in research and this study will provide evidence to support the best care for patients suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Pre-hospital ambulance care has changed significantly in the last 30 years and continues to do so. GWAS is committed to remaining at the forefront of these developments and participation in such research ensures the service and its dedicated staff are able to provide the best care and treatment for patients wherever and whenever they need us.” “Prompt CPR saves lives by preventing damage to a patient’s brain and other organs, and effective airway management is a fundamental component of this. Professor Benger concludes, “We will be pioneering a new research model on a small scale that will, if successful, be rolled out for a national study that will then go on to shape future guidelines and be of benefit to cardiac arrest patients in the UK and internationally. “Until now placing a breathing tube in the windpipe (tracheal intubation) has been considered the best form of pre-hospital airway management, but sometimes attempting intubation can cause significant complications and interruptions in chest compression. “The findings from this pilot study will teach us important lessons in conducting research in this way. We are interested to learn if we can answer our questions by trialling techniques in a challenging area of clinical care.” “National recommendations advocate using newer supraglottic airway devices (SADs) which are quicker to insert and cause minimal interruption to chest compressions. The two most promising SADs used in hospitals, but not The University has signed up to a four year membership with the Institute of Customer Service to help make UWE a world class provider of service throughout the organisation. Membership provides access to expertise, publications and market trends along with accredited training which will be used to influence the culture and develop a more customer oriented University. This is in line with the white paper ‘putting students at the heart of the system’ and will focus not only on students but all customers who use and work at UWE. Pictured are: Deputy Vice-Chancellor, John Rushforth receiving the plaque from Kevin Copp, Account Manager, Institute of Customer Service. 3 NEWS UWE takes leading role in £16 million AHRC investment in creative industries Mutant Labs, part of iShed's Media Sandbox in 2010 UWE has been chosen to lead one of four prestigious Knowledge Exchange Hubs for the Creative Economy by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). UWE is teaming up with the Universities of Bristol, Exeter, Bath and Cardiff, as well as Bristol’s Watershed and a wide range of creative industry partners, to form the new Research and Enterprise in Arts and Creative Technologies Hub (REACT) for Bristol, the South West of England and South Wales. The four new Hubs, announced in August, will represent an investment by the AHRC of some £16m over four years. The Hubs will have the task of building new partnerships and entrepreneurial capacity in the creative economy and increasing the number of arts and humanities researchers actively engaged in research-based knowledge exchange. The four lead institutions are UWE, the University of Lancaster, the University of Dundee and Queen Mary, University of London. Each will lead consortia that will include other universities, creative businesses - including small and medium enterprises - arts and culture organisations, and other agencies. Professor Paul Gough, Deputy ViceChancellor said, “This is an outstanding result for the universities and for all our partners across the south-west of the UK; the Hub will generate many brilliant and exciting projects that will have a direct impact on the creative economy, on businesses and education. UWE is delighted to be leading this project and working in collaboration with so many outstanding partners.” The Hub will be directed by Professor Jon Dovey and based in Watershed's Pervasive Media Studio, growing its existing partnership with UWE's Digital Cultures Research Centre. This unique city-centre studio, which was established in 2008, brings together artists, technologists and academics to explore the future of creative technologies. 4 The UK’s creative economy – which includes the creative industries as well as museums, galleries, libraries, orchestras and theatres – is, relative to GDP, probably the largest creative sector in the world. As the major focus of AHRC’s new knowledge exchange and impact strategy for 2011-2015, the Hubs will encourage significant interactions between research and the creative economy which will generate wider social, economic and cultural benefits. David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science said, “Interaction between businesses and universities is crucial for driving growth. It enables businesses and organisations to benefit from our world-class research base, gaining new knowledge and ideas. This major investment will not only enrich the creative industries but is also a vote of confidence in the excellent arts and humanities research at our higher education institutions.” Geography lecturer wins National Teaching Fellowship Education Research Group, Jenny is leading UK initiatives to bridge the divide between geographical pedagogy in schools and universities. Intrepid Geography lecturer Dr Jennifer Hill (FET) has been awarded a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy. She was one of 55 lecturers and learning support staff to be honoured with the most prestigious award for excellence in higher education teaching and support for learning. She continues, “I am keen to extend Geography lecturer Jennifer Hill who has been education into awarded a National Teaching Fellowship informal settings - I served for 10 years as an officer in the Territorial Army and in 2003 was mobilised to Basra, Iraq, where I managed the education of local artisans. This experience demonstrated that education erases ignorance, bringing with it a depth of understanding that transcends divergent cultures and contexts.” The winners were chosen from nominations submitted by Higher Education Institutions across England, Northern Ireland and, for the first time, Wales. Each will receive an award of £10,000 which may be used for professional development in teaching and learning or aspects of pedagogy. Jenny says, “As a chartered geographer, I am passionate about exploring and introducing new ideas, concepts and viewpoints into the student learning experience. For example, I have produced bespoke video podcasts about exotic ecosystems, filmed at a number of locations worldwide, including Tunisia, Australia, the Caribbean, French Guyana and Brazil in order to enhance student learning.” The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme is part of an overall Higher Education Academy programme to inspire and celebrate teacher excellence. It is funded by the Higher Education Funding Councils for England (HEFCE) and Wales (HEFCW) and the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland (DELNI). She is committed to integrating research into undergraduate geography programmes at UWE, and has driven curriculum changes that encourage students to engage in research and which inspire staff to creatively integrate their scholarship into teaching. She has written 26 journal articles, edited three books and almost 100 other outputs including the co-authoring of research with undergraduate students after joint presentation at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) Annual International Conference in 2010. Along with the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme, the Higher Education Academy’s work in teacher excellence includes the accreditation of institutions’ professional development programmes and individual recognition for staff who meet the criteria of the UK Professional Standards Framework. In her roles on the Geographical Association Post-16 Committee, Geography Editorial Collective and RGS Higher The new National Teaching Fellows will officially receive their awards at a ceremony in London on 5 October 2011. “More Routes, More Buses – all year round” Timetables on public bus routes provided by UWE and the University of Bristol are being improved in response to feedback from local people while new routes have been introduced to provide added choice for bus users from 4 September 2011. The timetables on the most popular routes U2, U3 and U5 will run on a year-round timetable, providing consistency for local users. This means that from September this year, bus timetables for these routes will remain the same outside of university term times, making these routes an attractive option for regular bus users. The routes are: U2 (UWE to City Centre via Gloucester Road); U3 (Old Market to UWE via Fishponds) and U5 (UWE to City Centre via Henleaze and Whiteladies Road). In addition to the enhanced timetable on key routes, three new routes are being created. The new U7 route will run from Frenchay Campus to Cribbs Causeway and at peak times this will be the U7A calling at Aztec West. The U8 from Bradley Stoke (starting at Woodlands Road) will go to the City Centre via the A38. The bus service used to be called Ulink, but has now been rebranded as Wessex Red to tie in with the rest of the Wessex Connect network. The service will operate 30 vehicles at peak times, compared to 21 in 2010, and seven when the service started in 2007. Between September 2010 and March 2011 the service carried one million passengers, the greatest number of passengers so far in a seven month period. Speaking about the changes UWE Travel Planner Steve Ward says, “Against a background of cuts in public transport we are improving our services and their reliability for the benefit of local people. We are increasing the service rather than shrinking it and at the same time maintaining the quality of the service and the low cost. UWE is committed to making this transport as sustainable as possible and supporting the needs of students and the local community.” Full details of all the services and the routes can be found at: http://www.uwe.ac.uk/transport/bus.shtml 5 NEWS UWE commits to international recognition for breast feeding training The Baby Friendly University Award was launched in the UK in 2008 – the first such award anywhere in the world –in order to ensure high levels of training in breastfeeding are incorporated in midwifery and health visitor training courses. The Certificate of Commitment recognises that a university is dedicated to implementing recognised best practice standards in breastfeeding training, and is part way along the road to full Baby Friendly Accreditation. Once the training is underway at UWE, the teaching methods will be scrutinised and students will be questioned to ensure their training meets the new guidelines. UWE has been recognised for its commitment to work towards international recognition from the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative for the high levels of training in breastfeeding provided to students on its health visiting and midwifery courses. UWE is one of only three UK universities who have gained a certificate of commitment for both health visiting and midwifery courses. Louise Condon, (Nursing Lecturer) says, “More than eight out of ten newborn babies in the UK are now breastfed according to the latest NHS figures*. Whilst it is good news to hear that breastfeeding is on the increase, for women “We are delighted that the who want to breastfeed University of the West of successfully it is vital they get England has received this the support they need. That award,” said Baby Friendly is why it is so important that Initiative Programme Director midwives and health visitors Sam Hillier-Smith (breastfeeding peer supporter), Louise Condon, Sue Ashmore. “Surveys show are given the right training Valerie Watson (Head of Nursing Department) and Geraldine Lucas us that most mothers want to and the practical skills needed receiving their certificates. breastfeed but don’t always to support women at this get the support they need. crucial time. We decided to Working towards full Baby Friendly Accreditation means that work with the Baby Friendly Initiative to ensure a high standard UWE is addressing this problem and aiming to ensure more of training in breastfeeding for all student midwives and health mothers can successfully breastfeed their babies in future.” visitors graduating from UWE.” The Certificate of Commitment to the UNICEF Baby Friendly Geraldine Lucas (Midwifery Lecturer), explained, “Breastfeeding Initiative was presented to staff and students at the Glenside is important because it protects babies against a wide range Campus of UWE by April Whincop, Barnardos Breastfeeding Peer of serious illnesses including gastroenteritis and respiratory Support Co-ordinator, on 29 July. infections in infancy as well as allergies and diabetes in Bristol has already been awarded the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly childhood. We also know that breastfeeding reduces the Initiative Community in 2010 and is the first city to have both mother’s risk of some cancers such as breast and ovarian cancer. midwifery and health visiting services accredited for best practice For a woman’s baby, there is also a reduced risk of childhood in the support of breastfeeding http://www.bristol.nhs.uk/yourleukaemia.” health/breastfeeding.aspx The Baby Friendly Initiative, set up by UNICEF and the World *The Infant Feeding Survey 2010: Early Results from the NHS Health Organisation, is a global programme which provides a Information Centre. www.ic.nhs.uk/ practical and effective way for health services to improve the care provided for all mothers and babies. http://www.unicef.org. uk/BabyFriendly/ Professor David James (EDU/ACE) cycled from London to Paris (some 300 miles in just over three days), raising over £1,400 for the Mines Advisory Group, the Nobel peace prize-winning charity that clears landmines and helps some of the world's poorest people to use their land to grow food again after war. David said, “The ride was a great experience with a very diverse group of about 65 people. It was superbly organised and supported by a firm called Discover Adventure who are towards the sustainable and responsible end of the spectrum. We rode together in a procession for the last few miles and took in the Arc de Triomph, the Champs-Elysées and the Eiffel Tower”. More details and photos can be seen at www.Justgiving.com/ David-James5 6 'Outstanding’ ex-RAF forensic science graduate wins Inner Temple scholarship Former RAF man James Davis is having a summer to remember. He left school with just a handful of GCSEs - but now has come top of the class with a First Class honours degree in Forensic Science from UWE. And he was so inspired by some of the law lectures that formed part of his course that he has won a major scholarship from the Inner Temple to train as a lawyer. At his recent graduation ceremony, he was awarded not only his degree but the Forensic Science Society prize for top UWE student on one of the modules; this came just one week after being awarded the scholarship, worth £18,500, from the Inner Temple. The scholarship covers two years of legal training fees and was awarded in the face of stiff competition from many, including Oxbridge graduates. Associate Head of Department, Dr Carolyn Morton (SLS) said, “James is an exceptional student and to say we are proud of him is an understatement. He achieved his degree with a tremendous aggregate mark of 79.6 per cent - almost 5 per cent above the next highest mark. He has also won a Royal Society of Chemistry award, and we are nominating him for the national student award offered by the Forensic Science Society. “James’ success is proof of the strong links between UWE’s forensic scientists and our Bristol Law School, in a range of activities. Two of the law staff, Kathy Brown and Lauren Devine, lead a module called Science in Court for our FS students and it was their inspiration that encouraged him to make this career move.” Twenty-seven year old James from North Wales spent more than three years as a military policeman with the RAF, seeing service in places such as the Falkland Islands. During his military service, he improved his qualifications, enabling him to enrol for UWE’s Science Foundation year, which was the stepping stone to the BSc Forensic Science. James Davis receiving his degree certificate and plaque from the Forensic Science Society from Vice Chancellor Steve West He said, “It took me three attempts at school and a further attempt in the RAF to get a C grade in GCSE Maths but I gained the focus I needed to continue with my academic career during my time in the forces. I would never have thought about enrolling for UWE’s law conversion course, and hopefully training to be a barrister, if it hadn’t been for the inspiration of tutors like Lauren and Kathy, and I would like to thank them both for all their support. I also owe great thanks to Helen Robson and Fritjof Korber (both SLS) for the scholarship references they provided which I'm sure contributed greatly to my success.” "He has contributed to the University by being a student representative and has also helped trainee barristers from UWE’s Bristol Law School by acting as an expert witness in courtroom simulations. He has recently completed his training with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau where he volunteers as a Gateway Assessor. James sees his future as a barrister, wishing to put his forensic science expertise to good use in the pursuit of justice.” James’s next challenge over the coming years is to find pupillage, a yearlong apprenticeship in a barrister’s chambers, which he hopes to be able to commence following the Bar Professional Training Course. Principal Lecturer Dr Fritjof Korber said, “James has consistently performed extremely well in all subjects. 7 NEWS Live Sound at the Royal Albert Hall Just before the end of term 28 students and staff from the Live Sound module on UWE’s Music Technology programme were invited by Principal Sound Engineer Phil Wright to go up to London’s Royal Albert Hall to experience Live Sound at the sharp end. Phil Wright of Sound by Design crafts the live sound for prestigious events such as the BBC Proms and has the enviable job of providing front of house sound for all of the Royal Albert Hall’s varied events. The visit was arranged by Senior Lecturer Martyn Harries (FET) who was put in contact with Phil by BBC National Orchestra of Wales’ balance engineer, Huw Thomas, who earlier in the year had helped put together a lecture with details of the sound rig and mix for the Dr Who prom. Students get in the swim with legal advice A group of Legal Practice Students from Bristol Institute of Legal Practice have used their skills to help residents from Wotton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire to take over the running of their local swimming pool when the council decided they needed to close it. In the Pro Bono project UWE students supported a group of community volunteers who needed help with the legal aspects of the project. The students provided legal advice between November and July, set up a company and advised on governance issues. They also registered the company as a charity and advised on associated issues as well as dealing with the lease and service level agreement with the council. The project is now up and running successfully. http:// wottonpool.co.uk/. It is well known and used in Wotton and surrounding areas and is a valuable resource for the local community. Cathy Biggs (Bristol Institute of Legal Practice, UWE) said, “Our students made a significant contribution both in terms of time and energy and provided much-needed legal expertise to the clients. It is a really good example of the way students can get involved in the local community and use their skills to help others, but also learn a great deal in the process. Both the students and the local volunteers have greatly benefited from the experience. This is just one of a number of Pro Bono projects that our students are involved in, using their skills and time to help out in the local community.” Martyn Harries said, “As soon as Phil heard of our keen students he extended an invitation to the most prestigious venue of all to gain valuable real world, first hand knowledge of how high end live sound is handled. The students were treated to a master class and talk by Phil and then sat in on a dress rehearsal of a major show by the English National Ballet with full strings, a big-band multiple pianos, singers and tap dancers (with radio mics in their shoes!). They witnessed Phil building the sound mix ‘from the floor up’, as he explained he only had three hours to get the sound right. It was a full dress rehearsal of Strictly Gershwin and as the director and choreographer were concentrating on the visuals, he couldn’t stop the show to sort any problems, he had to just work away achieving the perfect sound for the event without anyone being aware he was there.” Phil also explored the physics of sounds with the students including the theory behind the massive slung curvo-linear array of speakers and how wherever you sit the sound should still appear to be coming from the stage. He was pleased with their knowledgeable responses and questions. The students really enjoyed the whole experience and found it very beneficial. One student said, “Had a great time yesterday, I found it very informative and inspiring! Trips like that to see ‘real world’ pros in action is essential I think and should definitely be encouraged and supported.” Martyn added, “Everyone was so grateful for Phil’s generosity and willingness to share the details of his craft, they were also in awe of his ability to bring together so many sound sources and achieve a great mix in such a short time with the minimum of fuss. He must have liked us too, as we are invited back next year!” Alan George (Wotton-under-Edge Swimming Pool Ltd) said, “The pool has been running very successfully through the summer, and to start with it was a bit hectic, but everything is now going really well. The contribution UWE students made to our set up was important and very much appreciated. As well as being incorporated we are now a fully fledged charity, so their help has been invaluable. Legal fees can be very expensive so the students’ help in this area was a considerable cost saving for us and helped to make the project viable.” The students involved in the project were Nicola Copeland, Heather Shere-Massey, Jenna Larcombe, Sean Garbutt and Katherine Cantle who were all doing the Legal Practice Course full–time at BILP during 2010/11. Music Technology students and staff outside the impressive Royal Albert Hall. Photo credit: Steve Brown (FET) Lecturer designs cover of award winning album UWE lecturer Michelle Henning (Media and Cultural Studies), designed the cover for PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake, this year’s Mercury Music Prize winner for best album in the UK and Ireland. Talking about her work Michelle said, “The cover image of a swarm of birds was inspired by the war-themed songs on Let England Shake. I wanted to produce something very immediate, which looked at first glance like an explosion of shrapnel, and then revealed itself to be birds. I created the explosion photographically, then used pictures of birds, many of them lifted from the backgrounds of PJ Harvey’s own drawings, to replace each piece of ‘shrapnel’ using Adobe Photoshop.” Success and ‘familiness’ go hand in hand Against the backdrop of the toughest economic times in living memory, family businesses seem to be not only surviving, but thriving, according to research conducted by UWE and law firm Veale Wasbrough Vizards. Their recently published 2011 National Family Business Report identifies that family businesses have proved well able to survive the credit crunch and shown that financial resilience and a commitment to the future are attributes of the family business. The message from family businesses has been that the outlook is bright, with over 50 per cent actually reporting that they had increased both market share and profitability during these tough economic times. This is set against their reported perception that competitors are struggling. In the survival of the fittest, family businesses have come out fighting. Of the 233 family businesses who responded to the survey over half were not concerned about raising finance or the availability of funds at a time when other businesses seem to be struggling with financing and cash flow. For those working in, or owning family businesses, this may not come as a great surprise. Family businesses tend to have their eye on longevity and sustainability for future generations, focusing on reinvestment of profits and low gearing. The result has been that they have been well equipped to survive the banking crisis and the recession at large and this has been reflected in the survey results. Dr Lorna Collins (BBS), said, “Opportunities to reach a global market have been grabbed with both hands by family businesses with over 30 per cent reporting that they trade internationally. This challenges the popular misconception that family businesses are small and insular and focused on local markets. On the contrary the family businesses in this survey are demonstrating that they are forward thinking, financially fit and strong players in today's global market.” What explains their success and outperformance of the general market? Nicholas Smith, Partner and Head of Family Business at Veale Wasbrough Vizards, points to ‘familiness’ to explain their success. By this he means the unique characteristics that family businesses exhibit. The positive influence of the family in business shone through the survey results. 58 per cent of respondents indicated that the primary aim of the family business was to put bread and butter on the table of the immediate family. However over 30 per cent pointed to purely family orientated aims such as building a legacy for future generations (15 per cent). It is this strength and depth of vision which Nicholas believes gives family businesses a competitive edge and this is never more apparent than during tough economic times. Nicholas Smith said, “Family businesses have a strength and depth of vision 9 way beyond immediate revenue building. The sense of custodianship often felt by the current generation gives them a reason for survival beyond their own immediate needs. This also provides them with a reason for protecting profits for future generations and I believe it is this that has given them a financial shock absorber needed to survive the recession and outperform their counterparts.” For the full story please see the press release on the UWE web pages http:// info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news. aspx?id=2012 Lorna Collins NEWS Staff evacuation under spotlight in Fire Safety Training roadshows “The provision of this training by the University’s Health and Safety Unit provided the understanding of our roles and responsibilities in terms of fire safety and the requirement that all members of staff attend was fully endorsed by the senior management team and myself.” Some interesting facts and figures emerged from the roadshows: • In 2010 there were 684 fire alarm activations • 6 53 of these were in student residences and 31 at campuses • Ten of these required the Fire and Rescue Service to attend • F ire doors can contain a fire for up to 30 minutes allowing for staff to exit safely in corridors protected by these, as shown in the graphic images of fire damage at the University of Westminster Fire Safety Roadshow organisers - from left, Jackie Oxenham, H&S Adviser; Alison Weeks, Acting H&S Manager, and Julie Bryant, H&S Support Officer The vital importance of leaving buildings rapidly in the event of a fire alarm has been brought vividly to life in a series of Fire Safety Training roadshows on every UWE campus. A short film at the start of the roadshow showed how peer pressure can work against people exiting their building quickly on hearing a fire alarm. For example, in major incidents like the Twin Towers, people have a tendency to wait and see what others do, rather than act decisively on their own account. A company in the World Trade Centre that held regular fire drills, with every member of staff clear on what they had to do, was the one from which most staff members survived. Alison Weeks, Acting Health and Safety Manager, said, “We opted for a roadshow approach to ensure a consistent, face-to-face message to all staff on the role they play in preventing fires, and what to do if they should hear a fire alarm. “This is the first time at UWE that safety training has been mandatory and we have done this because we were aware that for some staff it will have been a long time since their induction training, and there have been changes in fire safety legislation over the years.” The roadshows – organised by Alison, Health and Safety Adviser Jackie Oxenham and Health and Safety support officer Julie Bryant - visited Frenchay, Glenside, St Matthias and Bower Ashton campuses over a period of four weeks during June and July. During that period, there were 25 sessions, attended by 1,783 staff, and a further five sessions took place in September. Vice-Chancellor Steve West said, “Fire safety is a fundamental component of the University’s Health and Safety Policy. Our success in achieving and sustaining the high standard that we aim for requires widespread commitment and engagement at all levels within the University. • D uring fire drills, only 68 per cent of staff have evacuated within four minutes The main roles for staff, according to the Health and Safety team, are how to prevent fires, and how to respond to fire alarm activation. Prevention – includes housekeeping, keeping exits and routes clear, making sure fire doors are shut, and reporting faults such as fire doors not working Response – on hearing a continuous alarm, staff should use the most accessible escape route, which may not be their usual exit; they should not use the lifts, should close doors, encourage others to leave, evacuate to a safe place away from buildings, and stay out until told it is safe. Alison continued, “Because of the nature of the University’s work and activities all staff are ‘wardens’ through a collective and collaborative approach. This means we should all: • Leave without prompting ssist those who need help because they don’t know • A where to go – or have difficulty getting there eg visitors and the disabled • E xhibit leadership and direction – from all, particularly managers • E ngage in tasks to assist the co-ordination of evacuation eg door control “We will continue to monitor performance during our fire drills throughout the next year, with the aim of getting everybody out of the buildings in four minutes. We have had a lot of good feedback from the roadshows, with people saying they have found them useful. It appears we have succeeded in making people more engaged in taking responsibility for fire safety – since the roadshows we have been getting an increase in emails both on potential hazards such as missing fire signs or fire doors not closing properly, or on positive actions people have taken to keep fire exits clear.” To notify any fire safety issues, e-mail the team on safety@ uwe.ac.uk. 10 Croatia Calling celebrates 10th birthday Croatia Calling, a professional link between HLS and learning disability and autism services in Croatia, celebrated its 10th birthday this year. The link, which was established in 2001, celebrated a decade of co-operation, partnership and student visits at a special event in June. The link is an innovative scheme which offers a two week elective every year for student nurses to work in and experience an alternative health and social care delivery system and make comparisons with Learning Disability services in the UK. Since the outset of the scheme student nurses have made valuable contributions and formed constructive relationships with clients and staff in Croatia. Students also give positive feedback about their experiences. Eric Broussine, who helped to set up the link says, “Students benefit hugely from learning about how people with learning disabilities and autism are managed in an Eastern European country. The students also get involved in fundraising for services taking part and this contributes to the success of the link.” Eric Broussine, (Senior lecturer, HLS), Mr Chris Hodge (Deputy Head of the British Embassy) and Vesna Muraja (General Manager, The Centre for Rehabilitation Zagreb, branch office Sloboština). The occasion was marked by the signing of a memo of agreement witnessed by the Deputy Head of the British Embassy, Chris Hodge. UWE historians launch new Cricklade book as part of Wiltshire VCH series Dr Virginia Bainbridge, who is County Editor of VCH Wiltshire, and her colleague Dr Alex Craven (History, Philosophy and Politics) are researching the history of Wiltshire towns and villages for the Victoria County History of England. Virginia said, “This new volume, produced in co-operation with the local communities, demonstrates the vitality of historical research within Wiltshire. It charts the history of Cricklade and its environs, from pre-history to the founding of an Anglo-Saxon burh as part of King Alfred's defences against the Vikings, from the civil war to its highly controversial political culture in the eighteenth century, and its modern-day role as a satellite to Swindon. The research of VCH Wiltshire is only made possible thanks to the continuing support of Wiltshire Council and UWE.” Cricklade High Street in the early 1900s The latest volume in the Wiltshire Victoria County History (VCH) series, Cricklade and its Environs, was launched on 10 September by UWE historians and Wiltshire Council. The Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, John Bush OBE, presented a copy of the new volume to the leader of Wiltshire Council, Councillor Jane Scott, at the United Church Hall in Cricklade. Work on the definitive history of Wiltshire has been going on since 1947, and the project has been a part of the UWE history department since 2004, with a large part of the funding coming from UWE’s Wallscourt Foundation. The launch was celebrated by events at Cricklade and Purton museums, and included talks by contributing author Dr John Chandler, who is a visiting research fellow at UWE and recently appointed editor of VCH Gloucestershire, and Dr Peter Fleming (HPP). The VCH was founded in 1899 as a private enterprise, with the intention of producing a history of each English county. This latest volume, Wiltshire XVIII, covers the area to the west of Swindon, which was once the western half of Highworth, Cricklade and Staple hundred. Mr Bush, who is also the patron of the Wiltshire VCH County Appeal Trust, said, “It is always a delight when another volume of the Victoria County History is published for Wiltshire. Being able to read about the development of specific areas of Wiltshire provides an invaluable insight into the historical development of our county, whilst providing a wonderful research resource for many.” 11 NEWS Emma Weitkamp is pictured (fourth from left in the front row) with delegates from the ‘Doi Moi in Science’ workshop (roughly translated as ‘Opening up in Science’). Next to her are Dr. Nguyen The Dung (fifth from left), former director of the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City, and Professor Nguyen Tan Binh (sixth from left), vice-director of the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City. Also present are workshop organisers Dr Tran Thuy Chau (fourth from right in first row), Universities Liaison Officer, and Mr Phan Kim Son (far right) a science journalist with OUCRU. UWE shares science communication ideas with Vietnam health journalists Dr Emma Weitkamp (Science Communication Unit, HLS) recently ran a three-day media training workshop for the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit which is based at the Centre for Tropical Medicine in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Twentytwo medical and health journalists from print and broadcast media took part. Delegates explored the problems faced by both journalists and scientists in covering health and medical topics in Vietnam, key amongst which was access to spokespeople and/or securing permission to speak with the media. Sessions explored how to overcome these barriers and how to communicate health information to the lay public effectively. Emma said, “I really enjoyed the visit and learned a huge amount. I know that the experience will be useful for me in my own teaching – it is always helpful to have international examples you can draw on!” Dr Tran said, “It was our pleasure to have you with us in the workshop. We really appreciated your time and commitment during the time. We learned a lot from your exciting lectures and would be very grateful if you could continue to advise us as an expert on the field of science communications in the future.” Havi Carel awarded a Leverhulme Fellowship UWE philosopher, Dr Havi Carel (HPP) has been awarded a prestigious one year Leverhulme Fellowship to study the experience of illness from a philosophical perspective. This proposal was selected from over 600 applications in an open field competition. Of the 90 proposals selected for funding only two are in philosophy. The research project, entitled The lived experience of illness: philosophical grounding and descriptive method, will consist of four research papers. Havi Carel says, “Although much has been written on the experience of illness, no method for the first-person description of illness has been developed in detail. This project aims to develop such a method, using a phenomenological approach. This approach enables a systematic qualitative description of first-person experience. The method will be used to provide patients with a way to communicate their experiences to health professionals, family and friends and enable patient-centred experience to feed back into effective health care provision.” Phenomenology is a philosophical view that focuses on lived everyday experience, providing a method for ordering and describing this experience. Using this approach Dr Carel plans to develop a descriptive method that will enable patients firstly to discern and then to describe their experience. 12 Dr Havi Carel UWE Philosophy tops the chart at NSS viewed on UWE’s Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ BristolUWE#p/c/1/gugWteQ6LFs In addition UWE Philosophy has won an award of £3,000 as a conference grant from the RIP. The conference organised by Dr Havi Carel and Dr Darian Meacham, focused on Human Experience and Nature. The conference attracted delegates from the UK, the US, Canada and Europe. Information on the conference: www.uwe.ac.uk/rip2011. Philosophy at UWE received a terrific result at the recent National Student Survey. 97 per cent of students said they were satisfied with their course. This result places UWE Philosophy second nationally in the survey. The past year has seen great investment in philosophy students, in the form of a very active philosophy society, an introduction of Peer Assisted Learning, tailored advice for students about to graduate, and an encouraging and friendly teaching style. Additional events this year included a book launch of Idealism (co-authored by Jeremy Dunham, Iain Grant and Sean Watson), an AHRC-funded public debate on organ donation held at the Watershed, and a graduate workshop on phenomenology. Dr Havi Carel has been elected to the British Philosophical Association Executive Committee. UWE Philosophy saw an increase in MA European Philosophy student numbers, and a further rise in the number and quality of applications for the BA(Hons) Philosophy. This has also been UWE Philosophy’s first year as a Royal Institute of Philosophy (RIP) Branch. UWE receives funding from the RIP to organise events. This year’s RIP annual event was attended by more than 750 members of the public, as well as members of Bristol City Council. The event can be UWE + Chinese partners hold workshop on innovative technologies for the food industry Some of the workshop delegates Group discussions aim to establish a long-term partnership with China. The partnership will include not only the development of joint research projects but also enhancing links between academia and industry, training of young scientists, the establishment of long-term programmes for students and staff exchange and access to partners’ facilities.” Food quality and safety was the global issue addressed at a free two day workshop hosted by the University in July, bringing together academics and business leaders from the UK and China to discuss innovative technologies for the food industry. There are many food quality and safety challenges in the industry: concern regarding food contamination with environmental pollutants (pesticides, heavy metals and other); concern regarding nutritional quality of food (ie the amount and type of fat, vitamins, minerals) and also that current evaluation technologies are time-consuming, expensive, require specific expertise and are commonly performed in specialised laboratories. The workshop was opened by Professor Steve Neill, Deputy Dean, HLS. The workshop attracted around 50 delegates and along with presentations from the UK and China it included group sessions, poster exhibition and industry exhibitions. An overview of the UK/China partnership was given by Professor Olena Doran and an overview of food safety issues in China was given by Dr Gang Chen and Dr Hongyang Wei. Other presenters included Kim Matthews (UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board), Professor Shuming Yang (Institute for Quality Standards and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, China), Dr Don Wilson (Anitox), David Telford (Biosciences Knowledge Transfer Network), Tim Harrap (Adams Food Ltd), John Sheaves (Taste of the West) and scientists from the Centre for Research in Biosciences, FET, Institute of Bio-Sensing Technology and University of Plymouth. Jointly organised by the Centre for Research in Biosciences (HLS), the Institute of Bio-Sensing Technology, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the China Agricultural University, the workshop forms part of a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) China Partnering Award to UWE. The main aim of this workshop was to establish a sustainable network and long-term collaboration between the UK and China in order to develop and take to the market new, rapid and cost-effective technologies for the evaluation of food quality and safety. It is anticipated that these technologies will form a platform for wider applications (ie to biomedical and health care areas). Professor Doran concludes, “China has a large food market, extensive expertise in food quality, food safety, access to a wide range of unique animal breeds and plants used for food production and rapidly developing technology. The BBSRC award and this workshop are part of our strategy to internationalise our research, to enhance links between academia and industry and to translate our research into practical application.” Professor Olena Doran, Leader of the BBSRC China Partnering Award and Centre for Research in Biomedicine Director, says, “We look forward to working with our new Chinese partners. This workshop is part of our larger 13 Honorary graduates 2010 The following individuals were awarded honorary degrees by the University in the past academic year in recognition of their outstanding contribution in a particular field: Stephen Golledge Liz Redfern CBE Roger White OBE Doctor of Business Administration in recognition of his significant contribution to the development of UWE's health provision and continuing input to the National Health Service. Doctor of Education in recognition of her service to nursing education, leadership and influence in the South West in supporting nursing practice and policy. Doctor of Education in recognition of his outstanding work with ASDAN in the field of curriculum innovation. Sir John Bourn KCB Professor Leon Chua Gillian Smith Doctor of Business Administration in recognition of his outstanding contribution to public service and in recognition of his active relationship with the University. Doctor of Science in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the field of nonlinear circuit theory, cellular neural networks and memristors. Master of Science in recognition of her significant contribution to the furtherance of the importance of social research within transport studies. 14 Michael Rosen Ruby McGregor-Smith Antony Jinman Doctor of Letters in recognition of his significant contribution to and impact on primary education and English literature. Doctor of Business Administration in recognition of her significant national and local contribution to business through the distinctive culture she has created within MITIE. Doctor of Education in recognition of his pioneering work with young people and raising awareness of the environment. Miles Templeman Doctor of Business Administration in recognition of his significant contribution to the regeneration and competitiveness of regional business along with his representation of UK business directors both nationally and internationally. Sir Ian Carruthers OBE installed as new EWS UWE Chancellor Nat Bristol Cathedral Sir Ian Carruthers OBE was installed as the new Chancellor on Monday 18 July and presided over his inaugural awards ceremony for graduands of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Bristol Cathedral. Professor Steve West (V-C) formally invited Sir Ian Carruthers to become the new Chancellor, symbolised by the traditional gesture of clasping hands. He said, “Award ceremonies are always a wonderful occasion for the University to celebrate the well-deserved achievements of our students. This year, was even more memorable for the graduating Health and Life Sciences students to have their degrees conferred by our newly installed Chancellor, who has played such a vital role in the NHS over the past 40 years. “I am delighted to welcome Sir Ian to the University as Chancellor. His passion for education, his deep understanding of the University and the challenges and opportunities we face stand us in good stead to take the University forward.” 15 NEWS UWE links up with US libraries to offer 24/7 advice service A new 24 hour online chat service for UWE library users, starting in September, means students and staff can access outof-hours advice from a network of 400 academic libraries, across the US and in the UK. UWE is one of the first universities in the UK to offer this benefit to students and staff. Chat is an instant message service that enables students to contact a member of library staff for help and receive an instant response. This is a well established mode of communicating with students and is used by many other academic libraries. What will be different about the new service is that it will be available to UWE students 24/7, allowing for the time difference between the UK and the United States. Senior Assistant Librarian Sandra Clark, who is project lead on this initiative continued, “The Frenchay Library is open 24/7 to reflect students’ study patterns, with library staff available until 18:30 from September. In order to provide support to students after 18:30 on a 24/7, 365 day basis, we are joining a Chat co-operative consisting of over 400 other academic libraries, most of which are in the US but which also includes the Open University which is currently the only member in the UK. “Students will be able to chat with one of our team Monday to Friday between 11:00 and 14:00, the rest of the time they will be able to get help via chat from a librarian who could be anywhere from Boston to Honolulu. Our staff will also contribute to the co-operative providing enquiry services to students ‘across the pond’ at certain times of the week.” Services Development Librarian Amanda Conway said, “We are providing this service as part of the Academic Reference Co-operative, collaborating with library staff in US academic libraries, and building on the current library e-mail enquiry system available to UWE students, staff and external users, to provide an enhanced experience. A Chat box will sit on our library web pages where students can type in their enquiry and ‘chat’ live with a librarian who will respond instantly to their query. “Our recent Library Survey (LibQual survey) highlighted that students want access to the information they need for their studies where and when they need it. We need to provide help and support to enable this flexibility in access and Frenchay Library use. For example, we had lots of e-mail enquiries over the Christmas period when the University is closed and Chat will provide easy access to library support all year round, complementing our existing enquiry services (face to face, phone and e-mail webform).” In other developments, Level 2 of the library on Frenchay Campus has been revamped to provide a new Help Zone, where librarians can spend time helping students with their enquiries, and an updated Assistive Technology Area for disabled students. At Glenside Library, there is a refurbished teaching room and increase in number of network points for laptop use. At Bower Ashton library, selfservice machines have been introduced to speed up book borrowing and make artists’ books more visible and accessible. Photography and Media lecturer shows film in California Dr Shawn Sobers, Senior Lecturer in Photography and Media, showed his film, 15 Autobiographical Moments in Perpetuity, at the PerpiTube exhibition in California earlier this month. The exhibition took place at Pitzer College Galleries and included invited contributions from 29 international artists. Dr Sobers describes his film as, “a personal analytical journey through YouTube and social media, using the 15 YouTube catagories as the theme for the film's content.” The unique structure of the show was designed to highlight how various spaces, on and offline, amplify the connections and contradictions between local place and digital mobility, the reception and production of social media, the tension between the ephemeral and the archive, and the ‘artist’ and ‘amateur’. To find out more see www.youtube.com/PerpiTubeSpace 16 A still from the spoof video blog Royal Photographic Society awards Saxby Medal to fine print researcher David Huson, research fellow in the Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR), has been awarded the Saxby Medal by the Royal Photographic Society in their annual awards. The Saxby Medal is an award for achievement in the field of threedimensional imaging, endowed by Graham Saxby Hon FRPS in appreciation of the benefits of 50 years’ membership of the Society. David was awarded the medal for the body of work he has undertaken at UWE since 2000 at a ceremony on 8 September at the Royal Society. This includes research into early photo-mechanical print techniques on ceramics and alternative substrates, and 3D rendering and printing. Along with Professor Steve Hoskins, director of the CFPR, David received funding in 2000-2003 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for research entitled A Practical Re-appraisal of Continuous Tone Photo-relief Printing for Ceramics and Alternative Substrates. This project explored the potential of early photo-mechanical printmaking techniques, including the Woodburytype process, for UWE graduate wins Mullany Prize for Excellence in Physiotherapy The Mullany Prize for Excellence in Physiotherapy has been won by deserving recent UWE graduate Chris Jones. The Mullany Fund was set up in memory of Ben and Catherine Mullany, whose lives were tragically cut short on their honeymoon in Antigua in 2008. At the time of his murder Ben was a physiotherapy student at UWE, and Catherine was a qualified doctor. Each year, the Mullany Fund awards two £1,000 prizes, one to an outstanding student of physiotherapy at UWE, and the other to a medical student at Swansea University’s School of Medicine, in Cath’s home city. The awards aim to recognise, promote and reward exceptional student commitment. Chris was nominated by his tutors in HLS for his academic the printing of high quality photographic imagery onto ceramics and alternative substrates. As a result of the success of this research, UWE’s 3D printing laboratory, led by David and Steve, was set up in 2007 with funding from the Science Research Investment Fund and Higher Education Innovation Fund which allowed the purchase of equipment. This was followed by an AHRC grant for a project entitled The Fabrication of 3 Dimensional Art and Craft Artefacts through Virtual Digital Construction and Output (2007-09), to carry out research into 3D rendering and 3D printing. This study was undertaken from the perspective of the artist/craftsperson and sought to adapt its generic, intermediary and industrial role as a tool for creation of temporary prototypes to the production of one-off, permanent bespoke or limited edition artefacts. The current AHRC funded project entitled Solid Free-Form Fabrication in Fired Ceramic as a Design Aid for Concept Modelling in the Ceramic Industry (2011-12) aims to prove the commercial viability of 3D printed ceramic bodies as a design tool for concept modelling of tableware and whiteware for the ceramic industry. David said, “I was surprised and delighted to receive this award and I am very honoured with the recognition from the Royal Photographic Society. This award reflects the expertise and dedication of the team at the CFPR.” achievements, including gaining top marks in one of his final modules, and also for his contributions as a student representative. Chris said, “My main contributions have come through being Chartered Society of Physiotherapy representative - I presented to each of the first year groups with the aim of increasing membership. I also spoke at the CSP annual representative conference about how the profession might be moved forward which I felt was beneficial and allowed the student voice to be considered. I was also part of a team that organised a Haiti fundraiser which raised £700.” Vice-Chancellor Steve West said, “The Mullany Prize for Excellence is a fitting tribute to an outstanding student. Ben Mullany was very highly regarded by all the staff and students who worked with him and it is wonderful that his family have chosen to make such a generous and far sighted gesture that will make such a positive difference to future physiotherapy students at the University. This is a great legacy in memory of Ben and Cath Mullany.” 17 Dave Huson’s award-winning research included 19th century photo-mechanical printing techniques on ceramics Steve said, “The Centre is very pleased that David’s multidisciplinary work has been recognised by this award. Unusually, CFPR, as visual arts printing specialists, have one of the most comprehensive sets of state-of-the-art 2D and 3D printing, cutting, machining and fabrication hardware of any university creative arts departments in the UK. By adapting to the changing demands in the market and requirements of the user, David is able to conduct research that has direct application to industry, creative design, science and art. The Centre’s long-term vision is to capitalise on the strengths that have been built over the last ten years to work in new and innovative ways towards novel surface print, design and fabrication in 2 and 3 dimensions, combining a multi-technology approach of using new materials and processes to push forward new ideas and innovation.” Ben’s mother Marilyn Mullany said, “We are delighted for Chris to receive the award. He has demonstrated a dedication and enthusiasm for physiotherapy, striving to achieve the best not just for himself but for others as well and this quality makes him a very worthy recipient of the Mullany Fund award for 2011.” To find out more about the Mullany Fund or make a donation visit http:// www.themullanyfund.org/ Chris Jones received this year’s Mullany prize for excellence in physiotherapy NEWS Animation graduates Constantinos Mavromichalis and Dane Winn, after winning the Crazy Horse session at the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film UWE animation students win Crazy Horse short film competition in Stuttgart we thought rather than over-complicate the scenario, we should have a simple conflict for the character and utilise our skills to enhance it. We were very surprised and excited when we were announced as winners, and shared our victory and champagne with our competitors and UWE tutor, John Parry.” Recent graduates from UWE’s Bristol School of Animation, Constantinos Mavromichalis and Dane Winn, have won the Crazy Horse Session, a competition at the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film. They competed with teams of international animators from Poland, Singapore, Egypt and Georgia to create a short film using the festival mascot – a Crazy Horse - in just 48 hours. During the 18th Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film, the city was transformed into the capital of animation for six days. The programme demonstrated how animation is a lot more than just light entertainment. The social relevance and the political topicality of the winning films and entries to this year’s Festival were proof of this. In total, almost 1,000 films were shown at the Festival, and around 70,000 visitors attracted to both the inner-city cinemas and the open air cinema with a large LED screen. According to the organisers, animating a film before an audience is a frightening thought for most animation artists – and all the more challenging is the task of creating a short film within 48 hours at the live Animation Jam. The teams had to use the same character, taken from the festival motif, to tell a short story of between 30 seconds and two minutes. The organisers provided the participants with the source code for various types of animation software such as Maya, 3D Studio Max and xsi Softimage. They could then compare the skills of the animators with regard to storytelling, graphic style and animation software. Their film showed what happens when the colourful Crazy Horse encounters a disintegration force-field. Dane said, “It was a really fun experience. We figured out the story on the plane to Germany, and worked through the 48 hour Jam with hardly any sleep. Our UWE tutors suggested going for something simple with the story, so Senior Lecturer in Animation, Rachel Robinson said, “Both Constantinos and Dane have gone from strength to strength in the work they have produced - they are hugely talented and creative individuals. Their win for the Bristol School of Animation showcases the high standards we expect of our students and the passion and commitment we have to providing high quality teaching and training in all aspects of creative animation production.” They are part of a group of five animation students, called A Foot Apart Productions, who were featured as rising stars in the spring issue of Imagine magazine. Dane has already secured a job in animation at Blue-Zoo Productions. To view the winning animation visit http://goo.gl/Y1dU5 18 Sea, air and light come to life in Extreme Wave exhibition UWE project helps Ugandan communities build water security Dramatic seascapes by visiting UWE Research Fellow Dr Janette Kerr were on show this summer focusing on the seas around Shetland. The exhibition of works in paint, graphite, charcoal and chalk was at the Bonhoga Gallery, Shetland, until 14 August. Water research experts from UWE have been helping rural communities in Uganda to create secure and sustainable water supplies. Dr Alan Terry, Dr Chad Staddon, Dr Olayide Fatoyinbo (all from Bristol Group for Water Research, UWE) with colleagues from NAPE (The National Association of Professional Environmentalists), Uganda, travelled to Mukono District, outside Kampala in Uganda, to improve the community water supply. The exhibition represents the end of the first stage of an Arts Council funded research project on the interface between art and science. The work on show is the result of fieldwork in Shetland’s shoreline and cliffs, on boats out at sea, and research into first-hand accounts by survivors of fishing disasters in the Shetland Museum archive. Dr Chad Staddon said, “Water security is a crucial challenge for the developing world where more than a billion people lack access to clean, safe water. Local communities do not always have the expertise and the resources to ensure the water supply is sustainable. For a modest outlay on technical infrastructure, we were able to improve the water supply for more than 1,000 people in Mukono District on the outskirts of the Ugandan capital, Kampala. Working with the Ugandan NGO NAPE and with local government we rehabilitated gravity wells, making them safer, more reliable and easier to use. A related work package involved helping with training of local water user committees in sustainable water management – key to the long term sustainability of projects like these. Janette seeks to make direct visual associations between observational and experiential field work and the work of Norwegian mathematicians and scientists researching extreme wave theory, and the material culture of exploration and measurement. This is intertwined with the cultural narratives of danger and the sublime – historic storms and tragedies that are part of Shetland’s history. During her time on the island Janette went out drawing in the snow, was blown across cliff-tops, and experienced the dramatic changes in the landscape. She met local archivists, story-tellers and sea-farers, and witnessed Shetland's famous Up Helly Aa fire festival. “Water is an increasingly precious resource and we need to help communities to manage water supplies in a way that is sustainable, uses available (and relatively low tech) skills, and benefits both the community and the environment. We need to make the link between researching the global issues of water supply and demand, and the practical actions here and in developing countries that will help to secure water supplies. Helping these communities is a practical application of the research and understanding we are developing in the Bristol Group for Water Research.” She says, “My process of making paintings involves extremes and instabilities: peripheral vision, peripheries and promontories - sites of instability and unknowing, places of rapid change and sudden shifts both physically and meteorologically. Following the success of this work, funded with £5,000 from the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, the Bristol Group for Water Research and NAPE are now looking for funders to help with follow-on work in Uganda and sub-Saharan Africa. “Shetland experiences one of the highest wave energy environments in the world, exposed to the full force of the Atlantic, generating high winds and agitated sea. My journey here was auspiciously in keeping with the aims of the project. I experienced the effect of high winds on the sea, which kept me awake most of the night, with the noise of the ferry battling against gale-force wind and the constant swell and roll of the boat.” Work from the project will be shown later on in this year at Bower Ashton Campus as part of Janette’s travelling/workin-progress exhibition. Chad Staddon at the Mukono Well Visit her blog of her experiences on Shetland at http://extremewavetheory.blogspot.com/ 19 NEWS Call for entries for FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2012 Robots playing football and basketball, climbing, or running a marathon will be on display when the FIRA RoboWorld Cup is held in Bristol from 20-25 August next year. The event will be hosted by Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) – a collaboration between UWE and the University of Bristol, and will take place between the Olympics and the Paralympics. Student teams with expertise in robotics and engineering from universities around the world are now being invited to take up the challenge and enter the competition. Humanoid robots play football Professor Alan Winfield, (FET, and Publicity Chair of the RoboWorld Cup), said, “We want this RoboWorld Cup to be the best ever and for that we need student teams from across the UK and around the world to take up the challenge and enter the competition. all our lives. Robotics will be used to perform ever more sophisticated medical treatments, to control our transport and to complete tasks in the home. Care for the elderly will also benefit through research into socially assisted technology. The RoboWorld Cup is a way to inspire people about the potential of robots.” “Teams need to be multi-disciplinary with a mix of computer scientists, electrical and mechanical engineers, as well as having expertise in vision and sensing. This event is a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their skills, network with other roboticists and learn about the potential for robotics.” Robot soccer began in 1995. The Federation of International Robot-soccer Association (FIRA) was founded in June 1997 with the goal of taking the spirit of science and technology of robotics to the laymen and the younger generation. Alongside the games, a major scientific conference, the FIRA/TAROS Congress, will be held in Bristol, bringing together the leading experts in robotics in the UK and worldwide. The aim of the tournament is to inspire interest in robotics as the teams design and build robots to compete against each other in a variety of challenges. The technology developed for the FIRA RoboWorld Cup requires a holistic view, involving mechanical, electronic and software engineering, integrating advanced AI, automated control and image processing technology. These are the core technologies in robotics, and key to the future development of this field. The FIRA RoboWorld Cup 2012 is sponsored by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a range of industrial partners. Staff and students from BRL have already formed a team to enter the Humanoid Robot World Cup Soccer (HuroSot). Isobel Pollock, President Elect of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, sponsors of the event, said, “As we move forward robots are going to play an increasingly important part in The Faculty of Environment and Technology recently said thank you and good bye to eight colleagues from the Department of Planning and Architecture who were leaving the University after some combined 100+ years of service. Approximately 60 current and former colleagues and friends gathered for a leaving party in the Studios Extension in R Block to say goodbye to Laura Braybrook, Stuart Farthing, Clara Greed, Ron Griffiths, Christine Lambert, Paul Millar (moving to another Faculty), Derrick Purdue and Yusak Susilo. Pictured at the party is Ron Griffiths addressing the other leavers and guests. The photo in the background, taken in the 1980s, shows former colleagues, many of whom were in attendance. The second photo shows Barry Hutton (foreground, right), the first Head of Department of Planning, in conversation with former staff member Geoff Walker. 20 Diagnostic Imaging student elected to the Society of Radiographers Council. Esther Spiering, a second year Diagnostic Imaging student, was recently elected to the post of student observer to the Society of Radiographers UK council. Founded in 1920, the Society is a professional body and trade union that represents more than 90 per cent of the 26,000 state registered diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers in the UK. The Society is led by a Council which is made-up of representatives from 12 regions from England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The council determines the Society's policy and strategic direction in consultation with members and others that have a vested interest. Student observers attend the monthly council meetings and although they do not have the right to vote they get to learn how the council operates and can raise issues that are faced by student radiographers. Esther first learnt about the Society when a representative came to give a talk at the University last September. She said, “After the talk, I got in touch with Amanda McKenna. a Radiotherapy and Oncology student, who is already active in Society business and was subsequently invited to the South West Committee meetings. When I attended the meeting I was surprised at the broad range of topics discussed and how there are representatives from all over the area who really care about the issues surrounding radiography. As part of the South West Committee I attended the Annual Delegates Conference in Brighton in April and it was there where a firstyear student at London South Bank University and I were elected to share this post.” Esther Spiering Karen Dunmall, Diagnostic Imaging Programme Leader, said, “This is a first for a UWE Diagnostic Imaging student and it is a great opportunity for Esther to be involved in the internal processes of the Society of Radiographers as well as sharing her experiences with the students and staff involved in both the Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy and Oncology programmes here at UWE.” Relaunch of FET’s best kept secret, the Video Project The relaunch has involved the production and launch of a new website displaying products, film clips and a website sample. An online payment system has also been introduced to enable customers external to UWE to purchase our products electronically. The Video Project, run by the Department of Construction and Property, FET, has relaunched as Educational Resources for the Built Environment (ERBE). ERBE now comprises both the Video Project, which produces educational films, and the Construction Website, which is currently used on licence by over 75 UK colleges and universities. UWE’s Educational Resources for the Built Environment team Steve Samantha said “We have Brown, Nigel Dann and Samantha rebranded to better reflect Organ the nature of the project and its products. This is an ideal time for members of the University to reacquaint themselves with these valuable resources.” Founded in 1992 by Duncan Marshall (1953–2009) (see article on him in the February 2010 Bulletin), ERBE currently has 32 films on construction and building history and conservation. These educational films are sold extensively throughout the UK and internationally. The internal Construction Website can be accessed at The Construction Website is an interactive web-based encyclopedia covering a wide variety of teaching and learning materials for use within the classroom, lecture hall, for independent learning or in professional practice. It has over 500 pages of text on all aspects of construction including materials, techniques, history and technology. There are over 1,500 photographs, more than 1,000 colour graphics, and has numerous computer-based self-tests. https://fbe6.uwe.ac.uk/resources/constructionofhouses/cduwe_ flicformat/Index.htm The externally facing website with films clips can be found at www.uwe.ac.uk/et/cp/erbe Also find it on Facebook under Educational Resources for the Built Environment. For more information e-mail: [email protected], tel: 0117 32 83008. The ERBE team updates the Construction Website annually, and produces four films every two years. Today the team principally consists of Nigel Dann, Steve Brown and Samantha Organ. 21 NEWS Novel measures to control disease in amenity turf grass Drs Dawn Arnold, Ian Wilson and Peter Spencer-Phillips (Department of Applied Sciences, HLS) visited their PhD student John Dempsey in Ireland in July. John’s research project is entitled The effect of phosphite treatments on the disease susceptibility of Agrostis stolonifera L, and essentially focuses on novel measures to control disease in amenity turf grass. John is the Course Manager for the Curragh Golf Club in County Kildare, the oldest golf club in Ireland, having been founded in 1883. The visit included a tour of the course and the trial plots that John has established, as well as discussion of the next stages of the research. The project is investigating alternative, environmentally friendly means to reduce susceptibility to fungal pathogens in amenity turf grasses, thereby allowing for a reduction in the use of chemical fungicides. This is particularly significant as disease control by conventional methods relies heavily on pesticides, with end user costs of approximately £200 million per annum across the world on golf greens alone. Successful management requires diverse maintenance procedures in order to achieve optimum playing surfaces. Disease control is a major factor in this and the most common and damaging disease in temperate climates is caused by the fungus Microdochium nivale. Fungicide use gives rise to a number of contentious issues, including high cost, inhibition of non-target beneficial organisms, continued use giving rise to a build up of resistance in pathogens, and forthcoming legislative restrictions on fungicide use. Thus alternative methods of reducing susceptibility to this pathogen are required. The present research is exploring the use of phosphite (PO33-), which is an anion of phosphorus, as a means of reducing susceptibility to M. nivale by stimulating or enhancing the plants natural defence mechanisms. Amenity turf grasses are used worldwide to provide playing surfaces in a wide range of sports in addition to golf, such as football, rugby, athletics and tennis, as well as providing surfaces for green spaces in public areas and domestic lawns. All suffer from infection by the Microdochium fungus, and therefore there is significant potential for this research to reduce fungicide use wherever turf grass is grown. From left to right; Ian Wilson, John Dempsey, Dawn Arnold and Peter Spencer-Phillips at the turf grass trial plots. Mental Health Awareness Day – 10 October Drs Dawn Arnold, Ian Wilson and Peter Spencer-Phillips UWE Students’ Union are leading a campaign to mark Mental Health Awareness Day on 10 October. Keep an eye out for the colourful campaign that will be featured across UWE campuses. Louise Goux-Wirth, Vice President Commununity and Welfare, UWE Students' Union, says, “Mental Health is an area of health that is important to us all. It is crucial to our ability to fulfill life. The Mental Health Foundation carried out a research into mental well-being and found that one out of four people will suffer from mental health issues in the course of the year. “Mental health is sensitive issue, making it challenging for institutions and organisations to find suitable ways of approaching it. It is essential, however, to ensure that we break down the myths and stigma currently associated with mental health. “Ultimately, the silence and lack of understanding about mental illness can encourage feelings of shame, and discourages people from seeking treatment or even discussing symptoms that they may be experiencing, that may relate to mental illness. Working to break down the stigma can be done by simply talking about it, and making the services available more accessible.” 22 PinkLime Design Consultancy UWE Ventures helps students get entrepreneurial “External assessment from a business perspective was really respected by the students. Some were so used to getting high marks, they were amazed by how low they were rated in some of the areas. Instead of giving up, they really dug in and responded,” said Dr Rob Williams, Principal Lecturer, FET. In Autumn 2010, the Department of Art and Design launched a final-year option module entitled Enterprise in Creative Practice to introduce enterprise and entrepreneurship in a supported academic context. The undergraduate module was developed in consultation with the Bristol Business School and building on a popular MA option module, Enterprise for Creative Practice. To discover how course leaders are building on these successes, go to www.uwe.ac.uk/ventures Due to overwhelming demand, the pilot run with 22 students was increased to 62 (about 13 per cent of the year group). The module’s aims include students’ identifying and cultivating entrepreneurial skill sets and initiatives, as well as encouraging engagement with extracurricular University-supported enterprise-related activities provided by UWE Ventures. Faculties deliver inspiring selfemployed work placements Adrienne Noonan, Module Leader and Associate Head of School, External Relations, Department of Art and Design, said, “The University has a fantastic range of services to support enterprise and innovation – from UWE Ventures, the BizIdea competition, the Ideas Factory and IP/Copyright expertise. Matt Rusling (FBL) and Rob Nisbett (FET) Work Placement Officers have delivered successful self-employed work placements with support from UWE Ventures. Business undergraduates can elect to run their own business rather than going into a traditional work placement. Matt Rusling helps guide students who want to enter ideas for the BizIdea. “We felt that it was important to flag these up and encourage student engagement whilst they’re still students. By working in partnership with UWE Ventures, we organised a roster of guest speakers. Students really responded to UWE Ventures residents – including Make Design Enjoy, Fiasco Design, BrisFest, PhotoBoy, and Mindsport – particularly the frankness about their own entrepreneurial journeys.” Matt said, “The BizIdea was extremely useful because it meant students came to us before their self employed placement with a solid, validated business plan.” UWE Ventures also secures and co-ordinates business mentors, feedback and presentations. Creative Enterprise student Alex Green, BA(Hons) Illustration, anchored UWE's winning team in the FLUX Inter-University Challenge. He went on to be shortlisted at the Idea stage of the BizIdea Competition. Rita Madiera, MA Media, scooped first prize, winning £1,000 and UWE Ventures incubator space for her artisan fashion import concept, AYMO. Matt said, “They offer a crucial interface with local business. Students received feedback on presentation skills and incubator clients came in to present their ventures. Students responded particularly well to these as their achievements are relatively recent, making them accessible and therefore attainable.” “Student take-up of the module was strong with many of these being high-fliers. This was evident by a high proportion of students achieving a 1st (27 per cent), 2.1 (28 per cent) and 2.2 (27 per cent) respectively.” When five FET students came up with creative design consultancy, PinkLime, they approached Rob Nisbett to see if they could develop this during their work-placement year. Rob Nisbett said, “We’re used to directing academic learning – not helping students run a business. We set milestones that we wanted PinkLime to achieve from an academic perspective. UWE Ventures staff then identified milestones on setting up the business. They also provided business mentors to advise and assess the team throughout their placement. In Autumn 2011, Enterprise in Creative Practice will run with 65 students, an interdisciplinary teaching team, and the continued support of UWE Ventures. FET also reported outstanding results and outcomes from their enterprise-focused modules last academic year. The module Entrepreneurial Skills for Computing attracted a highly engaged cohort of high-fliers. These benefited from leadingedge course materials supplemented by UWE Ventures’ enterprise initiatives including theBizIdea. “We’ve used PinkLime as an example to other students. Quite a few have got in touch on the back of this and we’re hoping to offer the same encouragement to others who want to take this more entrepreneurial route.” Read PinkLime’s story at www.uwe.ac.uk/ventures 23 NEWS Environmental Technologies iNet event held at UWE Professor James Longhurst speaking at the Environmental Technologies iNet lunch event at Frenchay Campus More than 50 academic and support staff from UWE attended an event on Frenchay Campus in July, to find out how they could work with the Environmental Technologies iNet. resulting benefits including academic networking opportunities, the recruitment of graduate interns and assistance with securing European funding. The £2 million UWE-led project, which provides business support to the most promising environmental technology companies and entrepreneurs in the South West, is already working with a number of individuals and teams across the University. “The opportunities for UWE staff to get involved in what we are doing will increase in the coming months,” he said. “A number of clients that are developing new technologies can gain an enormous amount from the opinions and guidance of academic consultants. As the number of businesses it is engaging with grows, and those it is currently assisting evolve to a stage where they can take advantage of the University’s more intensive support services, extending these relationships will become increasingly important. “Others have recruitment issues that can be resolved through graduate internships and student placements, or specific project needs that may have the potential to develop into Knowledge Transfer Partnerships or longer-term graduate roles. Professor James Longhurst, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Environment and Sustainability) and Associate Dean (FET), opened proceedings with an overview of the iNet’s inception and how it fits into UWE’s future strategy. “Where a skills shortage exists, UWE’s professional course offering can also provide an effective solution. In many cases, simply having the chance to network with university representatives is highly valued by these companies and entrepreneurs.” This was followed with a summary of current project activity provided by the Faculty’s Professor Martin Bigg, Director of the Environmental Technologies iNet. For more information on the Environmental Technologies iNet and the opportunities it presents for UWE staff to engage with innovative businesses, contact [email protected], tel 0117 32 86711 During his speech, Professor Bigg highlighted three client companies that had already engaged with the higher education sector through the iNet, with 24 Environmental technology issues discussed at breakfast debate an honorary UWE graduate, who gave an overview of the regional sector. Professor Martin Bigg (FET) was a panellist at one of South West Business Insider magazine’s recent economic breakfast events in Bristol. The panellists answered questions from an audience that included leading From left: Vimal Vallabh (PricewaterhouseCoopers); environmental Ross Fairley (Burges Salmon) and Professor Martin Bigg (Environmental Technologies iNet) at the South technology West Business Insider magazine panel event. businesses, public sector organisations and investors drawn from the South West and further afield. Director of the UWE-led Environmental Technologies iNet, Professor Bigg debated current financial, regulatory and technological issues facing environmental businesses in the South West with a diverse group of industry leaders and experts. Other panel members included Julie Davenport (Chief Executive of Good Energy), Ryan Law (Managing Director of Geothermal Engineering), Ross Fairley (Partner and Head of Environment and Energy at Burges Salmon) and Vimal Vallabh (Director of Renewables Corporate Finance at PricewaterhouseCoopers). As might be expected in the current economic climate, most questions related to the availability of funding, from UK government, European Union and private sources. The debate opened with two on-stage interviews conducted by South West Business Insider’s Editor, Christian Annesley. Merlin Hyman, Chief Executive of Regen South West, an Environmental Technologies iNet consortium partner, set the scene with regard to government regulation and support, followed by Alan Bailey, Chair of Low Carbon South West and Coverage of the event was published in the September edition of South West Business Insider and is available as a PDF download from the Environmental Technologies iNet website: www.inets-sw.co.uk/environmental Intellectual property initiative responds to Government findings to book confidential one-to-one follow up appointments with an independent expert in the field. These sessions resulted in the provision of detailed action plans containing bespoke guidance on how to best manage IP in relation to the individual businesses. A scheme providing the South West’s environmental technology businesses with a comprehensive free programme of intellectual property (IP) support has successfully assisted ten of the region’s most promising companies and entrepreneurs, and plans are in place to re-launch the initiative later in the year. “Intellectual property is often one of the most valuable assets our client businesses possess,” said Dr Enda Hayes (FET) the Environmental Technologies iNet’s Business Support Manager and a Senior Research Fellow with UWE’s Air Quality Management Resource Centre. “In many cases, however, they are simply not aware of how to make the most of it. The Exploit Your Most Valuable Asset programme was devised by the UWE-led Environmental Technologies iNet in response to government findings that only 15 per cent of small businesses seek advice on safeguarding their ideas. It enabled participants to secure specialist, bespoke IP support that might otherwise have been too costly. “Seeing clients enter the programme without an understanding of what they should protect and how they should protect it, then emerging at the other end with a tailored action plan and a clear vision of the best way forward, has been really satisfying. “This timely initiative directly addressed one of the key challenges facing small and medium sized enterprises in the UK. We now intend to open the scheme up to even more businesses with a re-launch planned for later in the year.” After attending an initial workshop that covered the basics of securing commercial benefit from IP and dispelled some of the common myths surrounding the subject, participants were able 25 NEWS CLARS nominated for award Geographers bring Gordano Valley history to life Following the 2011 national recognition of CLARS free legal advice and representation service (winner of the Attorney General Award, runner-up in The Lawyer awards ), the service has recently been nominated by the publishers of the legal periodical Family Law for an award in its ‘outstanding contribution in the field of family law’ category. Dr Wendy Woodland (FET) and colleagues from Bath Spa University have collected a 3m-deep soil core to help to record the history of the Gordano Valley, near Portishead. The core will be preserved in resin and put on display at Bristol’s @-Bristol science centre, as part of the attraction's forthcoming exhibition – “Our World” – a permanent new display which will be unveiled in the spring. CLARS has now started, at the Civil Justice Centre in Bristol, the first in-court service in the country offering advice and representation to litigants in person in the area of domestic abuse. The Government is cutting public funding in family cases and there is a significant concern that the courts will be littered with litigants in person. Accordingly, the service has attracted interest from the President of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice and, on his behalf, Mr Justice Cranston is examining the service and considering whether it may form the model for future nationwide schemes. “People think about history as being something that's gone: disappeared,” Wendy says, “But it's all still there, just below our feet – history itself, or at least an echo of it.” “We hope this will provide a physical record of time passing, right here on our doorstep.” The soil-sampling, in a field owned by the Avon Wildlife Trust, was filmed by BBC Points West and also covered by the Bristol Evening Post. Tom Hill, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography from Bath Spa, whose PhD was supervised by Wendy, explained what the clearly defined, different coloured layers of earth show us: CLARS is in the process of setting up an Environmental Justice Partnership based at UWE; the launching event to be held at CREATE in Bristol on 21 October. The partners are UWE, Bristol Green Capital, The Environmental Law Foundation (President: HRH The Prince of Wales) and the ADR group, Bristol. The purpose of the Partnership is to provide a focal point for Bristol and the South-West offering research, publicity, information, advice and representation on all environmental issues to individuals, business and community groups. “Each layer of strata is a different type of soil, which can tell us a different thing about the era in which it was set down. Because sediment builds up and up over time, the lower down the core we look, the further back into history we are delving.” The first section of the core, a dark layer of peat, represents the most recent past. But the next section down is grey in colour, and the section below that is beige. “The grey layers further down the core tell a very interesting story,” Tom says. “If you go back 11,000 years, parts of the Gordano Valley were underwater.” Association of University Administrators (AUA) Helen Featherstone, content and visitor researcher for @-Bristol who is working with Wendy and Tom says “It's about finding ways of bringing history to life – making academic concepts more accessible for our visitors." Join AUA now and benefit from: • support for your career development • networking opportunities • information on current HE issues • a world of new opportunities within the sector •the opportunity to travel (through application for travel awards) The UWE Bristol Branch of the AUA contributes to the professionalisation of the UWE Administrator by promoting the work of the Association and by working with the University to embed the Code of Professional Standards in a more high profile manner. For an information pack on the benefits of being a member of the AUA, please contact Pat Hughes, [email protected] or Teresa Stephens, [email protected], UWE Joint AUA Branch Co-ordinators. From left: Helen Featherstone, Content and Visitor Researcher from @Bristol, Wendy Woodland (FET) and Tom Hill from Bath Spa University. 26 October 2011 is Black History Month UWE is proud to be celebrating Black History Month (BHM) this October. BHM aims to celebrate and promote the contribution that black people of African and Caribbean origin have made to society. BHM was established in the United States of America by the Harvard-educated African American scholar, Dr Carter G Woodson in 1926. UK recognition of BHM started in London in October 1987 by the former Greater London Council. October was chosen because the month coincided with the Marcus Garvey celebrations and London Jubilee. From the London boroughs the interest in BHM soon spread to other cities like Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham. Since 1997 BHM has gained national profile and the then Commission for Racial Equality became involved in co-coordinating a national events programme. Broadcasters such as Channel 4, the BBC and local media now include programmes focused on BHM in their October schedules. UWE has a range of activities and events for students and for staff. More details are on the equality and diversity web page for UWE and Bristol wide events: http://www.uwe.ac.uk/ groups/equalityanddiversity The UWESU are planning various activities, notably a Love Music Hate Racism event, for more details on this and other UWESU BHM events go to: http://www.uwesu.org/ events/6013/115/ UWE Library investigates researchers’ information needs How do researchers use the Library? Are the relevant information, books and journal titles needed, accessible? And how can librarians at UWE support the research process? A recent needs analysis by Research and Knowledge Exchange Librarians, Judith Stewart and Jenni Crossley, assisted by Dave Hewish, found that there was a high level of satisfaction within the UWE research community with the resources and services offered by UWE Libraries. A pilot survey of researchers in Health and Life Sciences which elicited 72 responses, was extended to researchers across the University. This received 105 responses, with representation from all faculties. There was a high level of satisfaction for access to full text journals in terms of relevant titles (93 per cent) and relevant back issues (86 per cent). Where items were not available from the library, 75 per cent of respondents made use of the interlibrary loans service and were largely satisfied with the process. Researchers said they would like more assistance in finding and using: • conference papers (75 per cent) • grey literature (58 per cent) • official publications (50 per cent) They would also welcome support with: • citation impact/impact factors (75 per cent) • open access publishing (76 per cent) • UWE Research Repository (67 per cent) • getting published (67 per cent) Specific mention was made of a need to learn more about data management and curation. For developing information skills, researchers would welcome workshops on using Refworks, searching databases and developing search strategies. Opinions about specific library space for researchers were divided 50/50; however there was a clear demand for silent study space with some extra facilities for researchers. The Library is working to address this. Questions were asked to rate the ease of use of features of the Library’s web pages. Views expressed here have already informed developments on the new look library website: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/library/usingthelibrary/ servicesforresearchers.aspx. Thank you to all those who took part in the study. A full survey report can be accessed at: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/15596/. Data from the survey will inform the development of services to meet the needs of the UWE research community. You may contact the Research and Knowledge Exchange Librarians, e-mail [email protected] or phone 0117 32 82840. 27 NEWS UWE graduate picks up inaugural award from Bristol Property Agents’ Association Jayne Rixon, president of the BPAA, who is a partner at Burston Cook, added, “We shortlisted and interviewed four candidates but Shahaid is a worthy winner. He put himself through university by working for a local motor vehicle garage and his sheer dedication, enthusiasm and application is borne out by the fact that he was awarded a First.” The BPAA represents the commercial and residential property sector in the city and its membership comprises surveyors, solicitors, architects, engineers, developers and contractors. UWE graduate, Shahaid Hussain is on track for a successful career in the property industry after being recognised by the city’s professional body. Shahaid, from Bristol, is the first winner of the Bristol Property Agents’ Association’s (BPAA) Student of the Year award. The 39 year old recently obtained a first class degree in property management and investment. left to right: Shahaid Hussain with Doug Wood, Senior Vice President of the Bristol Property Agents’ Association and Jayne Rixon, President He will be presented with the award and a £500 cheque at the BPAA’s annual dinner in February. Shahaid said, “I am delighted and honoured to be named BPAA UWE Student of the Year 2011. It would not have been achieved without the mentoring and dedication of my lecturers at UWE over the last three years, who included Tania Woolf, Andrew Ellison, Christopher Mason and James Taylor.” UWE nurses join global community Pam Moule (pictured middle row, fourth from left) at the ceremony UWE offers special training in Women’s Health issues The University will be offering specialist training and support to help people who work in professions concerned with women’s health. The course has been developed to help professionals gain a better understanding of specialist issues so that clients and patients are better supported. Pam Moule (Department of Nursing and Midwifery) attended the chartering and induction ceremony of the first England Honour Society of Nursing (Phi Mu Chapter), held at the American Embassy, London on 8 July. The Honour Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, aims to create a global community of nurses who strive to improve nursing care through leadership, scholarship in practice, education and research. The Phi Mu Chapter is hosted by Bournemouth University. Its President is Professor Elizabeth Rosser and members are drawn from across England, representing a wide range of nursing interests. The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences will be hosting the February meeting of the Phi Mu Chapter that will include three presentations of nursing research and scholarly work. All staff and students are welcome to attend the presentations on 29 February 2012, UWE, Glenside Campus, room 1F11. For further information on the event and Phi Mu Chapter please contact Pam Moule (Pam. [email protected] 0117 32 88422) The course will cover a diverse yet relevant range of topics including physiological processes and abnormalities of the female reproductive system, menarche and fertility; menopause and the older woman; mental health and psychosexual issues; issues around sexual health; screening for female cancers and urogynaecology; sociological and public health perspectives; and communication skills using appropriate models and/or motivational interviewing. Pat Turton, one of the course tutors says, “This course will suit people working in primary care, the voluntary sector, public 28 health nursing, school nursing, practice nursing, sexual health, mental health or any other field where you are providing advice and care to women of all ages. There are many health issues that are pertinent to women only and this course gives busy professionals a chance to reflect on and learn more about these specialist areas.” The course starts in November and runs over an eight month period. For more information please contact: Pat Turton : [email protected] Telephone: 0117 32 88848 UWE provides input into national Nuclear Medicine Workforce Development event Marc Griffiths and Gary Dawson (both HLS) delivered two interactive keynote addresses at a national Nuclear Medicine Workforce Development event, held at the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) headquarters in York. The event focused on career development within the field of nuclear medicine practice and was attended by a mixture of clinical technologists and radiographers. Gary Dawson provided a session on developing standards for education, training and practice in Nuclear Medicine and Marc Griffiths discussed the educational requirements and practice development within Hybrid Imaging. Both sessions utilised Turning Point Technology, in order to capture delegate feedback at the event and gather market intelligence related to the emerging education and training themes within Nuclear Medicine practice. Speakers and organisers at the seminar event: (L to R)Cathy Scully (Avon TeleCare), Jill Preddy (Occupational Therapist, AWP), Marc Griffiths (Associate Head of Department, AHP (HLS) and ATSN Project Lead), Lesley Donovan (HEIF4 Project Manager), Harriet Moseling (Tunstall Healthcare Ltd), Dylan Martlew (Avon Telecare). The event provided an opportunity to promote the Nuclear Medicine programme and various CPD modules and short courses at UWE. This was the first collaborative workforce event held between IPEM and the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR), which also explored the impact of the new Modernising Scientific Careers training programme within the field of nuclear medicine. Following on from the event, Marc Griffiths and Gary Dawson have been asked to lead on two strategic SCoR publications, providing an evidence based approach to a career road map within nuclear medicine practice and the development of an essential core competency framework within hybrid imaging. Assistive technology seminar event for health and social care professionals The Assistive Technology Strategic Network (ATSN) organised and co-delivered a half day seminar event on 27 July. The event focused on the use of assistive technology (AT) in the management and prevention of falls within a number of physical environments. A number of commercial companies also supported the seminar event, providing access to a range of AT equipment and presentations for delegates. The seminar event was supported by the ATSN, which was formed earlier in the year, through HEIF4 funding, and provided an opportunity for a range of health and social care professionals to network and discuss aspects of care and support for patients / clients who may require the use of AT. The event covered areas including choosing the right AT equipment for the patient / client and environment, emerging mobile AT and geofencing technology, telecare options within the home environment and how to refer a patient / client for an AT assessment. The event was attended by over 65 delegates with various professional backgrounds being represented. Keynote speakers and organisers of the joint IPEM / SCoR Career Promotions for Technologists and Radiographers in Nuclear Medicine event: Marc Griffiths (ATSN Project lead and seminar event organiser) highlighted the value of the seminar event: “This was an opportunity to bring together a range of health and social care professionals and commercial companies in one environment, sharing experiences, emerging technologies and the current challenges associated with the provision of diverse assistive living solutions. It is evident that the use of AT and telecare will continue to grow and UWE is positioning itself as a key stakeholder in the delivery of education and training within this field.” Back row: Kim Howe, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Andrew Tootall, Salford University, Manchester; Marc Griffiths, UWE; Sean Kelly, The Society and College of Radiographers; Sally Farrell, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth; Gary Dawson, UWE Front row: Anil Vara, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton & IPEM Technologist Representative; Bernadette Cronin, The Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton; Ian Jones, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby; Barbara Dawson, Rotherham Hospital, Rotherham A larger scale Assistive Living conference, which will focus on the use of AT and service improvement, is being planned for the winter and aims to involve commercial companies, service representatives / users and carers. 29 NEWS Mollie Hughes training in the Alps UWE graduate seeks sponsorship to achieve Everest dream to make some kind of difference to people around the world suffering in poverty.” Climbing Mount Everest is a major physical and psychological challenge. Before attempting to reach the summit at 8,850m, Mollie will need to spend almost two months on the mountain to acclimatise as much as possible to the extreme altitude and reduced oxygen levels. Psychology and Sports Biology graduate, Mollie Hughes is seeking sponsorship to help her achieve her dream of becoming the youngest British woman to climb Mount Everest in May 2012. A keen sportswoman and former UWE netball player, Mollie has been supported by the University Centre for Sport’s Steve Lock in her quest to reach the optimum fitness levels needed. She said, “Steve has helped with his expert knowledge of fitness training and by creating and adapting a training programme specific to the challenges I am going to face on Everest. Since training with UWE I have definitely seen an improvement in my fitness levels, I have just returned from training in the Alps and even though some of the climbing was pretty tough I felt fit and adapted to the altitude well. If I had done the same climbs in the Alps before training with UWE I would have struggled a lot more.” Mollie who recently completed her studies, will be 21 when she takes on the challenge, hoping to emulate the feats of Bonita Norris, who was 22 when she climbed Everest in 2010. Currently she is looking for sponsorship from local businesses to fund the costs of this two month expedition to Nepal. She will be climbing with the expedition company Dream Guides led by experienced climber Kenton Cool who has successfully summited Everest nine times. Talking about her inspiration behind the challenge, Mollie says, “ I have always had a passion for mountaineering and adventure sports, but my inspiration for wanting to conquer Everest comes largely from my dissertation project during my last year at UWE. I interviewed seven high altitude climbers who had summited Everest. Through meeting them and assessing their psychological experiences on Everest I realised it was a mountain I definitely wanted to experience for myself. But also having the chance to raise money and awareness of such a deserving charity (ActionAid). Hopefully I will be able The next step of Mollie’s training programme comes in November when she will travel out to Nepal to climb the mountain, Ama Dablam in the Himalyas. To find out more about Mollie’s Everest Challenge and sponsorship opportunities, e-mail: [email protected] Radiography staff take delivery of technology upgrade to further enhance student learning Radiography staff within the Department of Allied Health Professions (HLS) have recently taken delivery of an equipment upgrade to existing practical X-ray imaging facilities at the Glenside Campus. The introduction of a CXDI-50G Canon portable Direct Digital Radiography (dDR) detector complements the existing practical radiography facilities, which were installed in 2005 by Xograph Healthcare Ltd. The “BuckyStar” dDR imaging system was installed by Xograph Healthcare Ltd over the summer and will provide additional imaging capabilities for students on the BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy and Oncology programmes from September. The introduction of the DR imaging system reflects recent technological advancements within clinical practice and provides students and staff with the ability to replicate a variety of clinical scenarios. Marc Griffiths, Associate Head of Department, Allied Health Professions (HLS), highlighted the importance of the imaging upgrade. “The addition of a DR system to existing imaging resources will provide first class practical teaching, learning and research resources for students and staff. The upgraded imaging resources will also be promoted at future open days for student recruitment.” 30 Members of the Radiography team pictured with the new Canon DR Imaging system: (Back row L to R): Gary Dawson, Senior Lecturer; Antonio Sassano, Senior Lecturer; Viv Gibbs, Programme Leader Ultrasound; Angela Bailey, Senior Lecturer and Clinical Co-ordinator; Rob Stewart, Senior Lecturer; Liam Neill, Territory Manager, Xograph Healthcare Limited (Front L to R): Stuart Grange, Senior Lecturer; Marc Griffiths, Associate Head of Department, Allied Health Professions Copyright Licensing Agency annual survey The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) will soon be conducting its annual survey of copyright material being photocopied in the University. The survey will be conducted by the CLA at selected photocopiers within the departments of two faculties: Health and Life Sciences and Arts, Creative Industries and Education from 24 October–2 December 2011. Teaching staff or administrative staff copying on their behalf, photocopying from books, journals or magazines will be asked to photocopy a single sheet that identifies the book (title or verso page). If photocopying a journal or magazine the identification of the relevant article is also required. A sticker showing the number of copies made must be fixed to the identification sheet and placed in the yellow box by the photocopier. Stickers and boxes will be supplied by the CLA and placed by all participating photocopiers. Staff in these departments are asked to familiarise themselves with the red instruction posters that will be displayed next to relevant photocopiers during 2 the survey. FAQ Flyer A5the 5/9/06 12:31 Page For further information please contact [email protected] Photocopy Survey Frequently Asked Questions Who is CLA? The Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd. is a non profit-making company set up by authors and publishers to license the photocopying, and in some cases, scanning and emailing of their works. What does CLA do? We facilitate access to copyright materials, represent the rights of authors, artists and publishers and protect the value of their creativity. Our licences provide easy legal access to magazines, journals, books, law reports, press cuttings and more. Why are you here? Surveys are a means of identifying the authors, artists and publishers whose works are copied so that we can distribute licence fees to them. The surveys also provide an opportunity to discuss copyright issues with licensees and to answer any questions that may arise. How do surveys work? The survey procedure is quick and simple. When photocopying we ask you to produce a single copy of the page that identifies the work. This is either the ISBN/title page of a book, the ISSN/title page of a journal or a copy of the journal cover and the first page of the article copied. You are also asked to record the number of pages and copies made on a label we provide . 31 News in Brief NEWS Staff in the media The Family Names of the United Kingdom (FaNUK), an AHRC-funded research project led by Professor Richard Coates (ELC), was featured on BBC Radio 4’s Word of Mouth on Tuesday 26 July. included the director of Historical Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Director of the Institute of Historical Research. Publications Dr Andrew Spicer (ACE) was interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland’s Movie Café about Gilda (1946), a classic film noir due to be re-released at selected cinemas soon. Mike Richardson and Peter Nicholls (HRM Department, Business and Law Faculty) have edited the monograph: A Business and Labour History of Britain: Case Studies of Britain in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Palgrave (September 2011). The book brings together historical case-study evidence to provide valuable insights in the field of work organisation, the social relations of production and the detailed division of labour in some key British industries between the 1830s and the 1990s. Professor Alan Tapp (BBS) was interviewed on Radio 5 Live on Monday 5 September about research with Dorset County Council on parental choice of primary school and the link to driving children to school Professor Don Webber and Dr Andrew Mearman (FBL) have published Students' perceptions of economics: identifying demand for further study, in Applied Economics, 44 (9): 1121-1132. Professor Clara Greed (FET) was interviewed on Monday 25 July about toilets on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. She was also interviewed by the Women’s Design Service for a video about women’s experiences of toilet provision in London. It can be viewed on You Tube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/ marielenclos?feature=mhee#p/u/0/62n5ANpFwTw Tony Flegg (FBL) has published with T Tohmo - Regional input-output tables and the FLQ formula: a case study of Finland, Regional Studies DOI: 10.1080/00343404.2011.592138 Professor Alan Winfield (EPSRC Senior Media Fellow) was interviewed on robot ethics by Dallas Campbell for the extra web segments to accompany the BBC programme Bang Goes the Theory: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ p00k24rk Fiona Spotswood (FBL) of the Bristol Social Marketing Centre was interviewed on BBC Radio Bristol on Tuesday 19 July on the day a subgroup of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee published its report on issues around the ‘nudge’ approach to behaviour change, which is based on thinking from behavioural economics. MediaWise Director Mike Jempson (Senior Lecturer, Journalism) has been interviewed about the hacking scandal at News International by the Los Angeles Times and Huffington Post, by BBC Radios Bristol, Gloucester, Somerset and York, Three Counties Radio and Jack FM, and appeared on BBC News 24 and Iran's Press TV. He also addressed the NUJ public meeting at the Conway Hall in London's Red Lion Square. He is now part of the Media Reform Steering Group bringing together academics and activists giving evidence to Lord Leveson Inquiry. Mike also was interviewed by both BBC Points West and ITV West about the Attorney General's successful action for contempt of court against the Daily Mirror and The Sun for their treatment of Bristol landlord Christopher Jefferies during the police investigation into the murder of Joanna Yeates, and Mr Jefferies’ successful legal actions against eight newspapers. Dr Chris Alford (PSY) did an interview with Nick Ferrari on London LBC radio breakfast show on 28 July, discussing sleep apnoea and related sleep problems – in connection with Ed Miliband who underwent surgery in order to help treat his sleep and breathing problem. Alastair Kocho-Williams (HPP) was interviewed on Pyaty Etazh for the BBC Russian Service on Anglo-Russian relations. Other commentators Dr Noelle Quenivet (Law - FBL) has published an article the War on Terror and the Principle of Distinction in International Humanitarian Law in the Colombian Yearbook of International Law (2010, Volume 3, pp 155-186). Dr Britta Martens (ACE) has published a monograph Browning, Victorian Poetics and the Romantic Legacy: Challenging the Personal Voice (Ashgate Press). Her book takes an original approach to Robert Browning's poetics and analyses his work in relation to Romanticism and an evolving Victorian poetic culture. It goes beyond reductive interpretations of Browning as a self-effacing poet to reveal a highly self-conscious, selfdramatising and conflicted engagement with the Romantic tradition. Nigel Curry and Stephen Owen (CCRI) had Rural Planning in England - a Critique of Current Policy published in Chinese in the journal Urban and Rural Planning. Jens Krause, Alan FT Winfield, Jean-Louis Deneubourg (BRL) have published Interactive robots in experimental biology, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 26 (7), 369-375, doi:10.1016/j. tree.2011.03.015. Erbas, M D, Winfield, A F T and Bull, L (BRL) Towards Imitation-Enhanced Reinforcement Learning in Multi-Agent Systems. In Proceedings of 2011 IEEE Symposium on Artificial Life pages: 6-13, Paris, France. Dr Rachel Gillibrand (PSY) has co-authored the textbook Development Psychology (Pearson 2011) with Dr Virginia Lam (University of East London) and Victoria L O’Donnell (University of the West of Scotland). The book has received very positive reviews from the global psychology community. Professor Anne I H Borge, University 32 of Oslo, Norway said, “A timely, fresh textbook with verve and student appeal. This modern, future-oriented text is compelling and lively from start to finish - a real page turner. The text helps students to develop a critical mindset by exploring the many crucial ‘why’ questions we have about child development. Each chapter is cleverly constructed around essential topics, and includes relevant and engaging case studies, key recommended websites, stop and think boxes, specifically designed to facilitate student’s learning.” Mike Jempson (ACE) and research assistant Wayne Powell contributed a chapter From the Gentlemen's Club to the Blogosphere: media accountability in the UK in Media Accountability - in Europe and Beyond [Ederwein, Fengler, Lauk and Leppik-Bork (eds), Herbert von Halem Verlag, Koln 2011, ISBN 978-3-86962-038-1]. This is the first publication of the EU-funded MediaAct project in which UWE is a partner. They also co-produced a study on the impact of the internet on media accountability in the UK for the project website <www.mediaact. eu> a summary immediately overtaken by the 'hackgate' affair. They are currently conducting a survey of attitudes amongst UK journalists for the project. Dawn Arnold (HLS), with Robert Jackson at Reading University, has recently had a review paper Bacterial genomes: evolution of pathogenicity, published in the journal Current Opinion in Plant Biology. The invitation to write this review came after Dawn had a number of papers published recently on investigations into the evolution of pathogenicity in plant pathogenic bacteria. Her research group looks into how the resistance of plants to bacterial attack can be lost due to changes in the pathogen's DNA. This has significant implications in terms of protecting our food crops from devastating disease outbreaks. Dr Havi Carel (HPP) has recently had published In the Grip of Grief: the Materiality of Mourning in Vital in New Takes in Film –Philosophy, H Carel and G Tuck (eds), Palgrave, Basingstoke (2011) and Phenomenology’s influence on nursing and medicine in Routledge Handbook for Phenomenology, S Luft and S Overgaard (eds), Routledge, London (2011); also the paper, Phenomenology and its Application in Medicine in Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 32(1):3346 (Nov 2010). Dr Owain Jones (CCRI) has had the following chapter published: Forest landscapes: Identity and Materiality, in E Ritta and D Dauksta (eds) Society, culture and forests: human-landscape relationships in a changing world, Guilford: Springer (2011), pp 159 – 178. The following publications have also been accepted and are in production: Geography, Memory and Nonrepresentational Theory; Geography Compass, Social Geography Section and Lunar-solar rhythm patterns: towards the material cultures of tides, Environmental and Planning A. Alastair Kocho-Williams (HPP) - Editor of The Twentieth Century Russia Reader (Routledge, 2011). The volume is a collection of edited articles and extracts from books which provide a broad overview of 20th Century Russian History and Politics for undergraduate students. Dr Kocho-Williams is currently producing a textbook, Russian and Soviet Foreign Policy in the Twentieth Century to be published by Routledge in January 2012 and his monograph, Russian and Soviet Diplomacy, 1900-1939 will be published in November 2011 by Palgrave Macmillan. Bayarma Alexander, Christa Hubers (Centre for Transport and Society, FET), Tim Schwanen, Martin Dijst and Dick Ettema (2011) have published: Anything, anywhere, anytime? Developing indicators to assess the spatial and temporal fragmentation of activities,in Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 38(4) 678–705 Stephen E Hunt has had published Green Romanticism: The Natural World and Human Well-Being, 1775-1900, VDM Verlag Dr. Müller (Aug 2011) Appointments Professor Alan Bensted has been appointed Emeritus Professor in recognition of his distinguished service to the University. Jane Powell (HASS) has been appointed to the funding board of the Public Health Research Programme (National Institute for Health Research) for a three year term. Dr Andrew Spicer (ACE) gave a paper, An Invisible Art: The Role of the Film Producer at the Screen Conference, Repositioning Film History, University of Glasgow, 1-3 July 2011. Dr Chris Alford (PSY) was invited to co-chair a special session - Treating Sleep Disorders with Sue Wilson (University of Bristol) at the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) annual meeting from 24-27 July in Harrogate. The session was entitled BAP consensus statement on evidence-based treatment of insomnia, parasomnias and circadian rhythm disorders. This was a result of Chris’s involvement, as part of an international panel, in preparing sleep disorders treatment guidelines for the BAP which were published last year. Chris also gave a talk Insomnia: the size of the problem, its costs and consequences at the meeting. UWE Psychology undergraduate students also attended and included the following poster presentations of their research: Gunn C and Alford C: The effects of alcohol on deception rate, success and mood and Alford C and Johnson S: The effects of caffeine treatment and belief on daytime performance after normal and restricted sleep. Dr Carey McClellan (AHP) who recently completed his PhD and Physiotherapy Lecturer Rob Grieve (final year PhD), presented results from their PhD studies at the World Physical Therapy Congress (WCPT 2011) in Amsterdam June 2011. The PhD director of studies for both presenters was Dr Fiona Cramp. Dr Karen Bultitude, Science Communication Unit (HLS) is taking up a new post as an academic in the Science and Technology Studies Department at University College London. Conferences Dr Glenn Parry (FBL) presented a paper Servitization and Value Co-Production in the Music Industry at the 18th International EurOMA Conference in Cambridge. The work looked at the move from physical product towards digital streamed music services. Analysis defined consumers according to their attitudes towards music purchase, exploring differences between modern digital online sales and more traditional sales channels. Findings showed over half of consumers would be active in creating value with music sellers. Dr Phil Ollerenshaw (HPP) gave an invited paper at the Colloquium on Business Organisations in Europe, jointly hosted by the University of Paris I (Sorbonne) and University of Paris XIII between 9 and 10 June. After peer review the papers will be published by Rennes University Press in 2012. Dr Stephen Hunt (HASS) presented his paper Christian Negotiation of Non-Heterosexual Rights: The Case of the UK, to the 25th Nordic Sociological Conference on the theme of Power and Participation, University of Oslo, August 4 – 7, 2011 Student Vic Burgess won a prize for the poster presentation Barriers to counselling experienced by British South Asian women: a grounded theory exploration. Student Guy Millon won a prize for the poster presentation Seeing others' feelings: does mirroring of emotions facilitate social understanding and how is this related to traumatic brain injury? Dr Owain Jones (CCRI) gave an invited talk, Sylvan Spirits. Trees as makers and shapers of strange places, at the Scala Film Festival event, curated by PassengerFilms at RoxyBarandScreen, London in August. At the Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG) Annual International Conference 2011, The Geographical Imagination (31 August - 2 September), he also convened three sessions entitled Meteorological Imaginations. Towards geographies of affective practices of weather, atmospherics and landscapes, with Oliver Moss of the University of Northumbria. He also organised and contributed to one of the advertised conference highlights: To the River – a film showing, presentation and discussion. To the River is set during the vernal equinox of 2010 , artist Sophy Rickett installed a rig of spotlights along a stretch of the bank of the River Severn in anticipation of one of the largest predicted bore waves for several years, filming and recording a small crowd who gathered at night to watch the Severn Bore. John Bird (Sociology and Criminology) presented a paper Pain, Injury and Risk in Girl and Women Footballers at the Sports and Coaching at the Pasts and Futures conference organised by Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Performance Research. Professor Chris Melhuish, Director of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, has been appointed Visiting Professor of the Department of Computer Science, Sheffield University for a period of three years from September 2011. Dr Owain Jones (CCRI) has been appointed as a Visiting Fellow in the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Northumbria University. Tony Ward presented the poster Towards pluralism - the perceptions of trainee counselling psychologists around therapeutic integration. Rob Grieve and Dr Carey McClellan at WCPT 2011 The Department of Psychology contributed widely to the British Psychological Society Division of Counselling Psychology conference, 15-16 July in Bristol. Eight staff and students presented posters with a further eight presenting papers and workshops. John Waite and student Sarah Brinsdon presented the workshop Pluralism and the Real Relationship. Dr Naomi Moller presented the paper Preventative, low-intensity family services needed but only if they work! with Dr Andreas Vossler, Open University. Dr Antonietta DiCaccavo presented the paper The kinder face of cognitive-behavioural therapy; the importance of the therapeutic relationship in working with clients’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Christine E Ramsey-Wade presented the paper Poetry in Therapy: An example of group bibliotherapy and therapeutic creative writing with clients with eating disorders. Students Amanda Kinsella, Naomi Moller and Gary Christopher presented the poster Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Alcohol Dependency and Negative Affect Investigating the Role of Self Compassion. 33 Alastair Kocho-Williams (HPP) presented a paper, India as a Sticking Point in AngloSoviet Relations in the Interwar Period, at an international conference on Anglo-Russian relations in the 19th and 20th centuries held at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow in May 2011. The conference was organised by the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Historical Research and was of major political significance. The Institute of Bio-Sensing Technology (IBST) in partnership with scientific publisher, Elsevier will host the second international conference on Bio-Sensing Technology from 10-12 October in Amsterdam. Over 300 delegates from industry and academia will come together from across the world to exchange and share their experiences, present research results and explore collaborations with the aim of developing new projects and exploiting new technology for bio-sensing applications. The themes of the conference are: Biomarkers, Sensor technology, Instrumentation and data processing and System Integration. Institute Director, Professor Richard Luxton will open the conference and chair some of the sessions and researchers from UWE’s Centre for Research in Biosciences will also be presenting oral and poster presentations: Professor Tony Killard will present his latest research on electrochemical sensing devices and Dr Myra Conway will share developments on identifying potential biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. For more information and the full conference programme see: www.biosensingconference.com News in Brief NEWS Tony Flegg (Accounting, Economics and Finance) gave a keynote address at the International Conference on The Spatial Economy, Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU), Guangzhu, China 2-3 July 2011 and gave a seminar on his regional modelling work to PhD students in Economics. His trip was funded by SYSU Business School. Dr Robert Grattan, Visiting Research Fellow, BBS, was invited to the panel of a workshop run by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC on 3-4 August. The topic was on helping friendly nations to conduct strategic defence reviews, and Dr Grattan gave a presentation on the British MoD Strategic Defence Review of 1997/98. He published a book on this subject, Strategic Review: the Process of Strategy Formulation in Complex Organisations (Gower) in February 2011. The report on the proceedings of the workshop will be available shortly. Martin Sullivan, (Department of Accounting Economics and Finance and member of the Centre for Global Finance) was invited to take part in a debate on the future of UK pensions policy, hosted on 2 September at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in Newport. The debate was held before an audience of 120 staff. Martin was joined on the panel by two representatives from ONS and a trade union representative, to consider the question How should the crisis in UK pensions be addressed? Martin, who has been researching and writing about the economics of public and private pension provision for 15 years, argued that the proposal contained in the 2011 pensions Green Paper, for an end to the second state pension and contracting-out and a single-tier state pension was a step in the right direction, but did not go far enough. He argued that the government needed to go a step further and also scrap the tax relief on contributions to private pensions. UWE Farmers’ Market 2011/12 Friendly market selling a wide range of delicious fresh local produce, crafts, plants and more. Come along! On First Tuesday of the month Where Main reception courtyard Frenchay campus When 10:00 till 15:00 in term time For further information www.uwe.ac.uk/farmersmarket E-mail [email protected] Now Tuesdays www.uwe.ac.uk/farmersmarket Telephone 0117 32 82659 sustainability+action U+WE taking action for a sustainable world 34 Human Resources Update New policies Askwell HR would like to take this opportunity to make staff aware of some new policies: The EAP wellbeing website has been updated with detailed advice and guidance on a whole range of wellbeing issues. The website can be accessed via the Askwell link on the Employee Assistance Programme web page: Unpaid sabbatical leave – ever thought about having some time out of work to travel, pursue a hobby or spend extra time with the family? We now have a sabbatical leave policy which allows you to apply for up to a year off work. www.uwe.ac.uk/eap The site offers: a series of wellbeing subjects on topics such as nutrition, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular risk, sleep and other subjects. Each subject contains articles, links and also numerous fact sheets. Homeworking guidelines support staff working from home on an ad hoc basis. The guidance provides advice on the kind of work that could be undertaken at home and practical information on working practices, responsibilities etc. For example the Musculoskeletal Clinic has information on the prevention and treatment of common musculoskeletal problems including back problems and upper and lower limb problems. There is also a useful section on balancing work and life, with tools such as the Balance Wheel to help you measure your level of satisfaction in different areas.. Job sharing – UWE’s position is that all posts could be offered on a jobshare basis except for in exceptional cases. The policy gives advice on making jobsharing work and the practicalities of implementing the arrangement either for a new post being recruited or for existing staff. Grievance – there is a new grievance procedure for all staff. There is a form for staff to complete should they wish to raise a grievance. We have also written guidelines and an investigation toolkit for managers involved in investigating grievances. Health programmes Time to get moving? In essence the policy emphasises trying to resolve issues informally; offering mediation where appropriate and allows for a grievance and disciplinary to run in parallel (we have amended the disciplinary policies to reflect this change). We’d like to invite you to join Askwell’s Get Moving programme, which can help you get fitter and healthier, and feel more confident about your body. Our online eight-week programme lets you set your own goals and easily slots into your everyday life. We will be running briefing sessions in the autumn and are also organising one-day investigation training for managers. We plan to ask that each Faculty and Service nominates managers to be trained in conducting investigations. Links can also be found on the website to the very successful paper-based programmes that are easy to print and follow; Bribery Act Calling all staff who use public transport The Bribery Act 2010 came into force on 1 July 2011 and encompasses four offences in relation to bribery: • Making or offering a bribe Did you know that the University provides interest free loans for staff to purchase season ticket loans to help pay for travel to work? Details of how to apply for a loan are on the HR web site in the travel section under Wellbeing and Employee Support. • Requesting, receiving or accepting a bribe • Bribing a foreign public official • Failing to prevent bribery Organisations may be liable for all the offences above. Individuals may also be liable for the first three offences. The University could also be liable where someone who performs services for it pays a bribe specifically to get business, keep business, or gain a business advantage for the University. The University is updating both its Finance and HR policies and these are available on the intranet for you to download. Training will be provided to managers in relation to this. Alcohol and drugs - the policy offers advice and support for staff in respect of alcohol, drug and substance misuse. Included within the policy is advice for managers on how to deal with alcohol and drug related issues within the workplace. Domestic abuse – unfortunately there may be some employees who are suffering from domestic abuse: these guidelines provide practical advice and support/signposting for managers and employees. All the above policies can be found on the HR webpages under policies and procedures. 35 Enjoy Sustainability Week at UWE NEWS Monday 17 - Friday 21 October Green gardeners question time Library rubbish challenge Natural Theatre company Fairtrade tastings Farmers market on 18 October Local seasonal foods in cafes Electric bikes for sale Bulb planting Wildlife walks Green office champions PLUS lots more... www.uwe.ac.uk/whatson/sustainabilityweek Organised by the sustainability team in Facilities 36 The St Matthias Lecture 2011 The HBOS story and the lessons learned putting faith and ethics into practice in the world today 17 October 2011 19:30 - 22:00 Chapel Lecture Theatre, St Matthias Campus, Oldbury Court Road, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 2JP Speaker: Paul Moore - former Head of Group Regulatory Risk at HBOS Paul Moore was a whistleblower in 2008 after claiming that he had been fired for warning HBOS about its excessive risk-taking. Admission to this Lecture is FREE to all but you will need to register to attend. Register to attend at www.uwe.ac.uk/whatson [email protected] 0117 32 82334 This event is a collaboration between The Living Centre at UWE, Clifton Diocese Justice and Peace Commission and Business West. There’s more to uwe than work… Whatever your sporting or fitness needs, we’re here to help. We’ve made a few changes: • Now open at 7:00 – perfect for a work-out before work • ‘Gym only’ membership now available – so only pay for what you will use Contact us: 0117 32 86 200 More information and sign up online at: www.uwe.ac.uk/sport facebook.com/uwecentreforsport • Interested in Golf? Active Card Members can get a free loyalty card for Windmill Golf Academy twitter.com/UWESport Terms and conditions apply 2310_Sport_WesternEye_uwe08-18e.indd 1 31/08/2011 10:36 37 UWE Awards Ceremonies NEWS November 2011 Monday 14 November 10:30 ceremony Faculty of Health and Life Sciences 14:00 ceremony Faculty of Health and Life Sciences 17:00 ceremony Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Tuesday 15 November 10:30 ceremony Faculty of Health and Life Sciences 14:00 ceremony Faculty of Health and Life Sciences 17:00 ceremony Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education Wednesday 16 November 10:30 ceremony Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education 14:00 ceremony Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education Thursday 17 November 14:00 ceremony Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education 17:00 ceremony Hartpury College Wednesday 23 November 10:30 ceremony Faculty of Business and Law 14:00 ceremony Faculty of Business and Law 17:00 ceremony Faculty of Business and Law Thursday 24 November 10:30 ceremony Faculty of Environment and Technology 14:00 ceremony Faculty of Environment and Technology 17:00 ceremony Faculty of Environment and Technology Full details at www.uwe.ac.uk/graduation or contact [email protected] 38 hello+welcome UWE Open Days 01 October 2011 15 October 2011 Register online www.uwe.ac.uk 39 what'son • for full details of all UWE events • to submit an event to the diary • to sign up to receive What’s on monthly go to www.uwe.ac.uk/events www.uwe.ac.uk/events Staff Association Coach Club - forthcoming trips ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All staff, family and friends are welcome to book for trips. You don’t have to be a SA member, all welcome to join us! Please make payment on booking, as seats will not be held without, unless otherwise advised. Cheques should be payable to Staff Association Coach Club. Thank you Saturday 22 October - Salisbury (with Wilton Shopping Village) We shall visit Wilton Shopping Village on route for short stop before heading for medieval Salisbury. Cost: Members £10, 3rd Age £11, Non-members £12 Saturday 19 November - London (waiting list applies) We plan to drop off near Hyde Park for those who wish to visit the Winter Wonderland for the day. Entry to the Park is free but you will need to book tickets for Wheel & Rink in advance yourselves. The next drop off will be central for those wishing to shop, sightsee or take in a matinee show. Cost: Members £11.50, 3rd Age £12.50, Non-members £14, Child £10 Friday 9 - Sunday 11 December - Xmas Market Weekend to Ghent, Bruges and Ostend Beautiful places to visit at any time of the year, but with the festive feeling even better! Cost: £139 (Members), £145 (Nonmembers) www.uwe.ac.uk Interested in any of the above? Please contact:- [email protected], Tel: 0117 32 83001 Non-members are welcome to join us but remember that membership will bring with it a further reduction on ticket costs advertised. If you are interested in joining us at the theatre and wish to be put on the mailing list for regular updates and advance notice of any tickets available please contact BOB via e-mail:- [email protected] Staff Association BOB Club Tickets are still available for the performances below. All tickets are for the evening performances and in the (comfortable) Stalls at the Bristol Hippodrome; Peter Pan (Panto) - Tuesday 13 December 2011 - £20 Sister Act – Thursday 12 January 2012 - £27 Lord of the Dance - Tuesday 25 January 2012 - £36.50 Strictly Gershwin – Thursday 16 February 2012 - £32 Blood Brothers – Tuesday 28 February 2012 - tba Bulletin Deadlines 2011 Month/Issue Copy deadline Oct/107 1 October Nov/108 1 November Dec/109 1 December Graphic Design TeamMC10052 40 UWE, BRISTOL F.06.11 Printing and Stationery Services