thebulletin28 March 2011 - Issue 102

It’s Madness - UWE’s CPA presents Our House

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In this month’s issue

2 BLOODHOUND chief engineer and rocket expert inspire young engineers

3 Discovery Channel films Machine Vision Lab

4 Social Care course praised by students

6 UWE’s rising stars shine in the fashion world

7 Kate’s ‘historic dress’ designed by UWE fashion graduate

8 AHRC success for Digital Cultures Research Centre

16 UWE’s CPA presents Our House – see centre pages

The Bulletin is published by the Marketing and Communications Office who reserve the right to select items for inclusion and to edit copy. For further information contact Jane Kelly or Mary Price on ext 82208, e-mail Jane.Kelly@uwe.ac.uk and Mary.Price@uwe.ac.uk.

The next issue will be circulated at the end of May. 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

Front cover:

A scene from the Madness Musical - Our House (See centre pages) Photo: Credit Martin Chainey

Chief engineer of the BLOODHOUND supersonic car project Mark Chapman and rocket specialist Daniel Jubb gave an inspirational first-hand account of the technical challenges overcome so far at an evening lecture on 17 March at UWE.

A full size model of the car was on display at UWE to schools and regional businesses as part of National Science and Engineering Week (NSEW).

Young engineers and scientists of the future found out about progress on the Bristol-based project to reach 1000mph and break the current land-speed record of 763mph. After three years of preparation, work has just begun on assembling the jet and rocket-powered vehicle in the Bloodhound’s headquarters in the Bristol docklands next to the ss Great Britain.

UWE is a founder partner of the BLOODHOUND Project led by Richard Noble, a previous world land-speed record holder. The project is using the challenges of designing, building and running the car to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and mathematicians.

A range of specialist firms with expertise in Formula One and aerospace are involved in making parts of the structure of the car. Bloodhound's chief engineer Mark Chapman said moving from the design stage to construction was a great moment for the Bloodhound team.

“After three years of working on a virtual car, Hampson, Cosworth, ACG and our other technical partners are helping us make it a reality at last,” he said.

The vehicle will be 13.4 metres in length, two metres wide and weigh 6.4 tonnes. It will be powered by a Eurojet EJ200 jet engine from a Eurofighter Typhoon delivering 20,000lbs thrust and a Falcon hybrid rocket delivering 27,000lbs thrust.

Rocket scientist Daniel Jubb of The Falcon Project Ltd described his work on BLOODHOUND's hybrid rocket, which is due to be test-fired for the first time this summer.

Dr Claire Rocks (SLS) said, “During the day over 100 students from the local area saw the show car for themselves and found out how studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects could lead to fascinating careers on projects such as the Bloodhound car.”

UWE student Hywel Vaughan said, “Bloodhound was more than just a placement; it was a once in a lifetime experience. I worked across all areas of the team from events to engineering, and managed to see up close how dynamic and exciting a project can be when done in the right way. It gave me a huge opportunity to learn; not just about science or education, but about myself - it has changed my whole attitude towards work and the possibilities it holds. It was and still is a fantastic project, and I am both privileged and honoured to be able to say I have been a part of it.”

UWE also co-ordinates the flagship Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) involving collaboration with around 20 BLOODHOUND sponsors. KTPs are a three-way partnership enabling businesses to address strategic projects and gain skills and knowledge by working with universities and recent graduates.

The aim is for the supersonic car to attempt to create a new world landspeed record in 2012 or 2013. UK runway tests will start next year and the record attempt will take place on a dried-out lake bed in South Africa, a site chosen with the aid of NASA.

For more information on UWE’s involvement with Bloodhound visit www.uwe.ac.uk/aboutUWE/bloodhound/

BLOODHOUND chief engineer and rocket scientist inspire young engineers at UWE

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UWE’s Machine Vision Laboratory was in the spotlight recently when a Discovery Channel film crew visited from Canada. Presenter and producer Cindy Bahadur, along with a cameraman and sound engineer, spent all day in the labs interviewing Dr Gary Atkinson, Professor Mel Smith (Director, MVL), research associate Dr Khemraj Emrith, research fellow Dr Jiuai Sun and PhD students Mark Hansen and Laurence Broadbent.

Discovery Channel Canada filmed a segment on MVL’s innovative 3D projects, such as PhotoFace, for its flagship daily science news show Daily Planet. They were particularly interested in how the technology behind PhotoFace is being expanded into the fourth dimension, and the wide range of potential applications. The segment is expected to be shown in May.

Gary said, “The filming crew clearly took our research seriously and were keen to discuss aspects such as the underlying technology, the nature of the algorithms employed and the range of possible applications.”

PhotoFace is an innovative 3D face data capture system developed as part of an EPSRC funded project involving UWE, Imperial College, the Home Office (Scientific Development Branch) and General Dynamics Ltd.

It works by taking four photographs of a face in very rapid succession. For each photograph, a separate illumination direction is used and the software estimates facial geometry. The precise form of this geometry is then used to recognise the face by comparing it to faces stored in an existing database.

Mel said, “The technique is known as photometric stereo and UWE's Machine Vision Laboratory is one of only three UK centres with expertise in this area. The software works out the colour, surface orientation and depth of each point on the face by analysing the shading within each of the photos. MVL’s 3D work is continuing to find new applications in the fields of health and stealthy object detection.”

MVL technology was also on display at the government’s INSTINCT (Innovative Science and Technology in Counter Terrorism) demonstration in London. Dr Jiuai Sun and Dr Abdul Farooq (MVL) were invited to attend to demonstrate the system for detecting concealed objects, such as weapons hidden under clothing, at the TD3 Augmented Reality Showcase Demonstration event in February. Abdul said, “Our exhibit appeared in the ‘Futures’ hall and received considerable interest.”

The Discovery Channel crew with from left: Professor Melvyn Smith and

Dr Lyndon Smith filming Gary Atkinson in the Machine Vision Lab.

Dr Jiuai Sun and Dr Abdul Farooq with the MVL exhibition stand at the TD3 Event.

Discovery Channel films Machine

Vision Lab

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A long standing partnership between UWE and Somerset County Council Social Services is helping social care workers develop more confidence at carrying out challenging roles with a growing set of demands.

Unlike qualified social workers who have completed a three year degree programme with work placement practice, there are many people who work in demanding roles within Social Services settings, who are required to cope with increasing responsibility.

To help support these workers UWE and Somerset County Council have worked together for the past five years to offer day release courses that help them gain better understanding of the wider context of their roles and to develop their practical skills.

The courses have been so successful that two years ago they were taken up by Bristol City Council and the award leaders are now in discussion with other councils in the region to extend the training opportunity to more workers. The courses are run by Karen Jones and Susan Walton at UWE.

Susan Walton said, “Many people working in unqualified roles in the social care sector have had more demands placed on them over the past few years. People working at the coal face of the social work arena, including work with adults with mental health problems,

disabled adults, older people in the community and hospitals, face myriad challenges as they try to offer support. We were approached by Somerset County Council some years ago now to develop a course that would give these workers a good grounding in key social work principles and practice.

“What has happened during this time is fantastic to see, the course is always full and we’ve had some amazing testimonials from students who have in several cases gained the confidence to train as full time social workers. This is a good thing as many mature people who perhaps missed out on higher education or did not think it was for them have gone on to get degrees."

Karen Jones, Professional Lead on the Social Work course at UWE, said “We cover a range of areas that are included on the three year degree course such as social policy, psychology, law, key concepts in social work and skills in social care and there is also space for practice based project work. Students who complete the two years can offset this experience as a year towards a full social work qualification.”

Miriam Madison, Corporate Director Community Services at Somerset County Council, said “We are pleased with the success of our partnership with UWE in developing this award for Adult Social Care staff within the Authority. As

they use the knowledge gained on the course, workers are able to reflect on their practice and feel more confident to advocate on behalf of service users and carers. Our focus has been to up skill our workforce, to support them in their practice, and some have also grasped the opportunity to undertake social work training and embark on their Newly Qualified year and Post Qualifying Awards."

Lynn Metcalf is a now fully qualified social worker who graduated from UWE last summer. Lynn was one of the first students from Somerset County Council to be seconded to the Foundation Degree in 2006. She said, “I left school after doing GCSEs so for me the less intensive academic route gave me the time to gain necessary experience about learning how to study. Learning at school was based on memory and learning facts so it was really good to find out more about studying at a higher level. Completion of the Foundation Degree gave me the courage to apply to do the full degree in Social Work, something that I would never have previously contemplated. I am now a fully qualified social worker and I love my job. Sue Walton who runs the Foundation Degree was such a brilliant tutor, really outstanding, I can’t speak highly enough of her commitment to students.”

Social Care course praised by students

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Academic writing Communication English language SkillsLecturers• Do your international students need help with

their English language, academic writing or communication skills?

• Do you realise that help is available FREE to your full-fee paying international students via the ACES programme, and at a small cost to other non-native/EU students?

At a glance - Modules for international students:Academic Writing and Further Academic Writing: teach students to structure assignments and research-based assignments appropriately and use suitable academic English*

Intercultural Communication: improve your understanding of how to communicate more effectively across “cultures” – increase students’ employability in the international workplace*

English for Academic Purposes courses: ongoing language improvement available through many publicly-validated courses (Cambridge FCE, CAE, CPE) and internal UWE Language Programme (ULP) modules.

*Also open to home students via the UWE Language Programme (ULP).

Three hour workshops scheduled at regular intervals in the year:Assignment writing; Reading journal articles; Seminar skills and presentations; Writing your dissertation; Pronunciation; Listening; English grammar

One-to-One consultations

By appointment

Drop-in sessions in OneZoneLunchtimes on Mondays (12:00 -13:00), Wednesdays (13:00 - 14:00) and Fridays (13:00 - 14:00)

the Autumn Term, and Mondays (12:00 - 13:00), Tuesdays (13:00 - 14:00), Wednesdays (12:00 - 13:00) and Fridays (13:00 - 14:00) in the Spring Term.

No appointments necessary, just come along.

For more information, dates and registration information see the ACES website www.uwe.ac.uk/aces/ or e-mail aces@uwe.ac.uk or david.phelan@uwe.ac.uk

Tickets £8 (£6 concessions) Accompanied children 12 and under - £1

Box Office: UWE Online Storehttp://store.uwe.ac.uk

Centre for Performing Arts:Telephone 0117 32 82067

And from: Heritage Café – Wadham Street, Weston-super-Mare

Saturday 7 May 2011 - 19:30

All Saints Church, All Saints Road Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS23 2NL

The programme will include works by:Bach, Bruckner, Dowland, Fanshawe, Finzi,

Monteverdi, Mozart and Palestrina

An evening with the UWE Chamber Orchestra and Chamber ChoirConductors: Adrian Hull and Ian Holmes

Centre for Performing Artswww.uwe.ac.uk/cpa

70250 CPA chamber concert.indd 1 07/02/2011 15:51

Trainee solicitors and barristers of Bristol Law School in collaboration with practising barristers and mediators offer free legal advice, representation and mediation services to UWE employees and the wider Bristol Community.

Call the Community Legal Advice and Representation Service (CLARS) on

0117 32 82681 (24 hour voicemail) or e-mail us at enquiries@clars.org.uk

We cannot guarantee to help but we guarantee we will listen.

Need legal help but cannot afford it?

landlord and tenant - family - insolvency - employment - consumer - personal injury - housing

ww

w.uw

e.ac.uk/probono

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The blogger – Fashion Fantasist To her followers, Bristol based Frances Poulton (BA (Hons) Fashion and Textiles, 2010) is the creator of Fashion Fantasist, a popular blog for fashionistas everywhere to discover up and coming designers, artists and enjoy everyday observations guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. She currently works as a freelance designer and fashion writer.

Frances who graduated in July last year recently completed a three month internship with French Connection in Camden and a placement at Bristol based designer, Puckoo couture, credits these opportunities to the time that she has spent networking and developing her blog.

She says, “As any fashion designer will tell you, it’s a real challenge to get that first break in the fashion industry. I set up Fashion Fantasist and also a Twitter account as a way of building contacts and to look for work after finishing my degree. One day whilst talking to a friend on Twitter, I was tipped off about a possible internship at French Connection to help get their AW11 collection ready for the buyers. They saw my CV and blog and a couple of days later without an interview asked me when I could start. I then had an evening to get myself set up in London. It was a great opportunity to get real life experience of the fashion world.

“I’ve been approached by Young British Designers and Guide 2 Bristol to attend fashion events and write for them. I’m also working on my own print work collection. I really enjoyed doing the Fashion Textiles degree. There was good camaraderie amongst the Fashion students and we still keep in touch and help each other out.”

http://fashionfantasist.blogspot.com/

UWE’s rising stars shine in the fashion worldAs Fashion Week hits the headlines around the world, recent fashion graduates have been making waves to break into this lucrative yet incredibly competitive industry.

UWE Fashion Students help Gok Wan at Cabot Circus Earlier this month, Bristol was the setting for Channel 4’s Gok’s Clothes Roadshow. Pictured is Gok Wan on the Cabot Circus runway -seven lucky Fashion and Textile students volunteered over two days to help Gok and his team customise outfits for the Cabot Circus fashion show.

Gok Wan at Cabot Circus. Photo Credit Endemol

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Kate’s ‘historic’ dress designed by UWE fashion graduateUWE graduate Charlotte Todd’s most famous creation to date was auctioned in March for a reported £78,000 despite a guide price of £8,000-£10,000. The see-through knitted lace dress designed by Charlotte has received wide media coverage, as it was the item modelled by Kate Middleton at the annual St Andrew’s University charity fashion show in 2002.

Charlotte was studying for a degree in Fashion and Textile Design at UWE in 2000, working on a project appropriately entitled The Art of Seduction, when she produced this garment. It took around a week to make and was actually intended as a skirt rather than a dress. She was invited by the organisers to submit a garment for the annual charity fashion show. This piece was selected for Kate Middleton to wear and it was decided that it should be worn as a dress rather than a skirt - and the rest as they say is history!

Charlotte Todd says of the piece, “If it is true that my design helped changed the Prince's interest in Kate from platonic to romantic as has been reported, then I am pleased to have played a part - however minor. I never would have imagined as I sat knitting this piece that one day it would be so important.”

The dress was the star item in an auction on 17 March by Kerry Taylor Auctions, specialists in antique, vintage fashion and textiles.

Charlotte Todd with the dress she designed which was worn by Kate Middleton at the St Andrew's University charity fashion show in 2002.

The Fashion StylistJoanna Wills – Fashion StylistJoanna Wills hit the headlines in 2008 when she won The Clothes Show – Young Stylist of the year in the final year of her BA(Hons) Fashion and Textile degree. Her prize was to manage a whole photo shoot for Glamour magazine. Now 18 months later Joanna is pursuing her dream job as a part-time stylist in London where she has assisted on shoots for magazines: Another Magazine, i-D, Italian Vogue and Undercurrent and E-bay and Levis advert campaigns. Joanna is also really interested in window and display styling and last summer did a placement with the creative team at Liberty’s. In the last few months, she has been concentrating on building contacts by doing test shoots to complete her portfolio to send to the fashion industry.

Alex Gilkison (Executive Dean CAHE) said,

“It’s great to hear that our Fashion graduates and students are developing the contacts and the experience needed to break into the world of fashion. UWE Fashion students have regularly won awards at Graduate Fashion week and it’s a credit to the students and the fashion teaching staff at Bower Ashton Campus.” Joanna’s Clothes Show winning entry

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AHRC success for Digital Cultures Research Centre

The Digital Cultures Research Centre (DCRC) has recently been awarded a clutch of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) grants.

Mandy Rose, a Senior Research Fellow in the DCRC, has been awarded a three year AHRC Research Grant for a project entitled Collaborative Docs. This will form the second stage of the CollabDocs project which is looking at how documentary practice can take advantage of new media, in particular Web 2.0 and the emerging Semantic Web. This award will explore the creative combination of vernacular video and online data and will produce two web-based participatory documentaries. Are you Happy? will take a cross-cultural look at the idea of happiness, and Human/Traffic will explore our love/hate relationship with cars.

Mandy says, “ The project will look at how coherent meaning and an engaging user experience can be produced through the design, information architecture and video editing of a live documentary which combines subjective video content, data feeds, and ongoing public contribution.”

For more information, visit Mandy’s blog at http://collabdocs.wordpress.com/.

DCRC has also won three awards

under the Connected Communities programme, a cross-Research Council initiative led by the AHRC, which seeks to understand the changing nature of communities, in their historical and cultural contexts, and to develop more effective community based interventions addressing key economic and social challenges.

The awards to DCRC include a six month study entitled Keeping in Touch which looks at people’s everyday use of media and communication technologies. Working with the Knowle West Media Centre, the project will explore the claims that are made about the potential of new media (Web 2.0, pervasive, and mobile media) to connect people, so they are better able

to engage with their communities. A further 12 month project, Measuring Value Networks in the Cultural Industries, will formulate new methods for measuring and evaluating cultural work in creative communities.

In collaboration with the Universities of Cardiff, Birmingham, Birmingham City and the Open University, another AHRC project entitled Community Media Spheres and the Creative Citizen is investigating how people actually use the range of media now available to them to identify with their communities.

Professor Jon Dovey (Director, DCRC) says, “With the decline of local news audiences and the rise of digital self-generated news, how do people make sense of their place in the world? The project will investigate the community media sphere now and will go on to offer citizens and communities the opportunity to develop practical platforms for co-creation.”

Further information on all the awards can be found on the DCRC website at http://www.dcrc.org.uk/

For further information on AHRC funding opportunities, contact Mandy Donoghue in RBI, mandy.donoghue@uwe.ac.uk

Architecture student’s design wins heritage awardCharles Wellingham (BA Hons Architecture) has been given a prestigious award by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings for his scheme to refurbish a dockside building in Gloucester. He came third in the Philip Webb Award 2010, a design competition established to encourage the creative reuse of historic buildings amongst architecture students and to further understanding of the philosophy and techniques of heritage conservation.

His design, called Downing’s Malthouse Local Food Hub, is a sensitive restoration of one of the last remaining derelict 19th century warehouses in Gloucester’s historic dock basin into a new city centre mixed-use food

market. Charles said, “ The aim was to retrofit a more traditional food supply model onto our present day cities by growing local food in the surrounding landscape, rebalancing the UK’s food supply from global to local, and reconnecting the people to the land through the daily rituals of eating.”

Charles’ work was developed as part of unit three of the Bachelor of Architecture course (RIBA Part II) themed on The Good Life- a new benchmark for the future and run by Elena Marco and John Comparelli (both FET). He won a cash prize of £100 and the possibility to get a scholarship in the future.

The project’s conservation philosophy proposes stripping back and

securing the dilapidated structure, and designing pre-fabricated and demountable timber interventions for insertion into the exposed void of the warehouse. The scheme offers a contemporary public interface for these historic buildings, allowing a dialogue between the historically isolated internal uses and the external pedestrianised street, leading on to a new public square. The concept developed was a mediating ‘in-between’ space that softened the public threshold, architecturally articulated by timber and glass canopies, creating covered public route ways through the site, and housing temporary market space along the canal waterfront.

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UWE senior law lecturer Tom Appleby has called for UK fisheries authorities to come up with a fairer and more environmentally sustainable way of allocating fishing rights.

Tom reviewed the history of allocating fishing quotas and says the topic is particularly pertinent at the moment as it seems the government has shied away from privatising the forests, but may be accidentally privatising the fisheries instead.

He points out that since the introduction of fishing quotas in the 1960s, those who were initially allocated quota (or their descendants) have come to view it as their own property. This has led to the quota being treated as a tradable commodity, rather than a temporary licence to access a common good. This raises the issue of what exactly is quota, and whether UK fishing rights being privatised by stealth.

Tom says, “Traditionally there was, and still is, a public right to fish in UK waters, which belongs to the Crown on behalf of the public. Fishermen could fish commercially and recreationally simply because they were UK citizens. In the 1960s it was recognised there was a need to license fishing vessels, and the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act was passed in 1967. At the time everyone who applied for a licence could get one, but in the mid 1980s the Ministry decided to issue no new licences, but to continue to reissue licences to existing holders. At almost the same time, in an effort to control fishing, maximum limits were placed on landings of certain species. The Ministry probably didn’t realise, but by capping vessel numbers and introducing quota it was effectively creating an exclusive fishing right for those with enough foresight to complete the paperwork.

“The wording of vessel licences and guidance notes makes clear that these rights are only temporary and are allocated at the discretion of the UK Fisheries Minister. From an outsider’s perspective what emerges is a pattern where consistently the UK fisheries authorities have sought to preserve the status quo despite their legal obligations. This legal mess is a shame, as rights based management was, and is, one of the key cornerstones of the reforms of the EU’s common fisheries policy. The UK has one of the best organised fisheries in the EU and is probably one of its most enlightened member states when setting quota at the international level.

“It is vitally important that the UK Government and the devolved administrations turn their attention to the issues of illegal delegation, anti-competitive practice and unauthorised privatisation before some seismic court case rips the system apart. In the process the UK Government and the devolved administrations will have to finally answer the difficult questions of who really should be getting the UK’s quota, what are the terms of its disposal, and what exactly quota is.”

A longer article on this topic by Tom appeared in Fishing News on 25 February 2011.

Scallop dredger

UK fishing rights at risk of privatisation by stealth

CCRI takes part in EU sustainable agriculture research

The CCRI is one of ten partners, from eight European countries, in a successful bid to carry out a three-year European Commission FP7 collaborative research project and will be taking a key role leading one of the work packages. The project, Agricultural Knowledge Systems in Transition: Towards a more Effective and Efficient Support of Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture began on 1 February 2011.

The overall objective of this project is to identify effective and efficient approaches for the support of innovation for sustainable agriculture and rural development. In order to achieve this, the project will explore networks within case studies in each of the partner countries examining barriers and opportunities for effective knowledge exchange. The study will be carried out in three fields - consumer oriented networks, non-food oriented networks and purely agricultural networks or networks for sustainable land use.

The partners working on the project come from the UK, France, Latvia, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands and Germany. The UK contribution comes from UWE and the University of Gloucestershire. The CCRI staff members involved are Julie Ingram, Nigel Curry, James Kirwan, Damian Maye and Katarina Kubinakova.

Prizewinning design by Charles Wellingham for Gloucester Docks

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Students encouraged to fundraise to plant a

degree tree

All graduating students this year will be encouraged to donate £3 to plant a degree tree to offset their paper usage during their student years. The trees will be planted in Malawi by the Bristol based charity Temwa and in future also in the UK. The project, kick-started by one student’s idea and funded by UWE’s Better Together Fund, resulted in 6,000 trees (one for every graduating student last year) being planted in Malawi. The trees will grow fruit for the local community and help with education and community development. Kirsty Smith who first came up with the project said, “I thought that if every graduating student could plant a Degree Tree, it would both offset the paper they use during their degree, and help promote sustainability among other students.” The project is now being developed by another student, Chloe Langham studying Geography and Environment, supported by UWE Volunteering and the Better Together fund team.

Planting a tree on Frenchay Campus. From left to right: Student, Kelly Mclawrence, Helen Seacombe (CVP), Lerato Dunn (CVP), Laura Blake (Development and Alumni Relations), student, Charlie Molloy and student, Chloe Langham.

UWE’s Coffeemat Challenge idea taken up by Bristol and Lancaster Unis

UWE’s pioneering ideas challenge, the Coffeemat Challenge, was launched on 21 February and enables people to test the popularity of their enterprising ideas. The challenge has three heats, each with prizes, and concludes with a final prizegiving 1 April.

The Coffeemat Challenge follows on from the successful Beermat challenge run last term, which saw over 200 ideas voted on by 1,800 people. This UWE initiative has now been picked up by both Bristol and Lancaster Universities as a great, light touch way of engaging with students, staff and alumni.

Project Manager Kim Brookes said, “To take the challenge, write your idea on our coffee mats which can be found in cafes and bars across the university, or post your idea online at http://uwe.coffeematchallenge.co.uk/. The challenge is a fun way to test your ideas, and to vote on others’ ideas. It could be your first step towards entering theBizIdea, which is now open for entry throughout the year and is also available online.”

With studies now showing that enterprise skills have a significant effect on employability, the Coffeemat Challenge is a very simple way of involving the UWE student population in thinking creatively about problems and opportunities. Previous challenges have shown that there are a plenty of original and creative thinkers at UWE who enjoy the opportunity to share their ideas.

For more information visit http://uwe.coffeematchallenge.co.uk/

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UWE’s Better Together Fund is helping a local venture scout group reach one of its goals –taking part in the challenging Ten Tors expedition in May.

Jeffrey Steeds is a Building Surveyor in Facilities-Estates at UWE, and has helped at the Downend Venture Scouts for four years. He said, “I am thrilled with the news that this application for funding has been successful.

“I applied for £509.88 for new cooking utensils to replace the old and well-

worn ones. It’s all in preparation for the Ten Tors event later this year which many of the group will be attempting.”

Laura Blake, who manages the Better Together Fund, said, “It’s great to be able to help small-scale projects which benefit the local community by supporting our young people. The Better Together Fund is a wonderful opportunity to support projects at the heart of our community where volunteer support like Jeffrey’s plays a key role in helping the fund to make an

even greater impact.”

The Better Together Fund welcomes gifts of any size and offers grants of up to £3,000 for projects that will make a positive impact on the lives of the people in our region and around the world. It also supports students facing hardship and makes grants of up to £250 to support the student experience at UWE.

For more information visit http://www.uwe.ac.uk/btf

This year it is easier to enter theBizIdea than ever– students, staff and alumni can enter their bright idea, business plan or existing enterprise by answering ten questions online. All entries remain 100 per cent confidential and will be given a score and expert feedback within two weeks.

Each month a £100 cash incentive will be award to the Idea, Plan and Venture achieving the top score in the month. The competition is open all year but the final date for entries to win this year’s main prizes is 27 May 2011.

On 6 June the year's top scorers will give presentations to the competition sponsors who will decide the winners. The prizes to be awarded at theBizIdea Awards Evening on 30 June include:

• FourWinningIdeas-£1,000casheach

• WinningPlan-£5,000cashand12monthsbusinessaccommodation and support at UWE Ventures business incubator

• WinningVenture-£5,000cashand12monthsbusinessaccommodation and support at UWE Ventures business incubator

• Runner-upPlanandVenture-£2,500casheach

In addition three finalists will receive 12 months business accommodation and support at UWE Ventures and another three finalists will receive 12 months 'virtual' business accommodation and support at UWE Ventures.

Enterprise Managers Jill Burnett and Kim Jones have this message for anyone hesitating to enter, “The practical and relevant experience provided by the competition will help you recognise and act on economic opportunities; develop your professional networks and prepare for and expand your career options. TheBizIdea is much more than a competition - it provides ongoing support and feedback to help develop ideas, plans and existing projects. It is massively supported by professionals from the local business community, who enjoy providing feedback and

advice on entries. Staff teaching enterprise are also beginning to use it with their students. TheBizIdea offers something for everyone.”

Previous winning ideas have gone from strength to strength. Joe Constant, who won the 2010 social enterprise prize with Kick Start Enterprise, works with young people, parents and teachers to give young people greater self-knowledge, confidence and self esteem. He delivers his accredited Heros programme to schools in the Bristol Region with great results and

has recently launched a new website. Steve Glover’s The Severn Project, which was runner up for last year’s social enterprise award, supports individuals post-treatment for addiction issues and has opened its first residential centre. It is helping socially excluded individuals to achieve independence by supporting and incubating ethical businesses and charitable enterprises.

The £20,000 prize fund is made possible thanks to the generosity of theBizIdea’s sponsors. They include Bristol City Council; Lloyds TSB commercial; award winning design and innovation consultancy Kinneir Dufort; Viimi Ltd, which provides interim management services to organisations requiring business development, management accounting and project management support; Roxburgh Milkins LLP, a Bristol based niche corporate and commercial law firm; the Chartered Management Institute; the Institute of Consulting, and Pitcher and Piano, a nationwide group of more than 20 bars.

At the Ideas stage, January’s winning idea was submitted by Matthew Watson, a student in BBS studying Marketing, and February’s winners were BBS students Charlie Hancock and Richard Johnson.

For more information visit http://rbi.uwe.ac.uk/BizIdea/default.asp

Better Together Fund aids scouts’ Ten Tors expedition

theBizIdea 2011 – the competition hots up

Winners of the best idea in February Charlie Hancock and Richard Johnson

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PRINCE2 is the industry-standard training approach for project management, used extensively in both the public and private sectors. UWE’s CPD Support and Development Office, in collaboration with Faculty colleagues, set up an initiative in September 2009 to promote and market a PRINCE2 e-learning and package provided by a commercial partner. Tapping in to strong market demand, over 300 learners have now successfully completed the training and final assessment exam. The initiative supported UWE’s solutions4recession project, and a significant group of university colleagues have also taken the opportunity to develop their project management skills.

Key features of PRINCE2 are:

- defined organisation structure for the project management team

- focus on (continued) business justification through a robust business case for the project

- product-based planning approach ie identify the end product or output then work backwards to plan

- emphasis on dividing the project into manageable and controllable stages

- flexibility ie it can be applied at a level appropriate to the size and complexity of the project

The PRINCE2 qualification is organised into two parts: Foundation level for colleagues who need to understand the basics and Practitioner level for colleagues who need to manage projects in a PRINCE2 environment.

An 18 month unlimited user licence for

the e-learning package was negotiated with ILX Group with a provision to provide ‘free’ e-learning for UWE staff and a contractual guarantee from ILX Group to extend the term of the licence as needed to ensure that UWE recovered its up-front investment.

Looking back, with three months of the 18 month unlimited use licence remaining, the initiative has been successful on a number of different dimensions, including:

- full recovery of investment in unlimited user licence plus significant surplus income. 138 individual licences sold through the solutions4recession programme

- 36 individual licences sold at full price

- 107 individual licences issued to UWE staff at a net saving of £45,000

- 29 individual licences issued to UWE students and early exploration of how PRINCE2 could be integrated with GDP or academic undergraduate provision

- minimal cost of sale and bad debt through use of UWE Online store and well engineered fulfilment processes

- exam pass rate comparable to traditional learning methods

Stephen Batty, Head of CPD Support and Development, RBI commented,

“We’ve received some great feedback from people who have completed their exams and have achieved the

employment or career objectives they set out at the start of the course. It’s very clear that the primary drivers for undertaking PRINCE2 are employability and career progression around Project Management related roles.

“However, we also found that e-learning can drift and we quickly put a free monthly workshop and regular contact processes in place to help learners start or maintain their study.”

Adam Rehin, a recently qualified PRINCE2 Practitioner, commented,

“I’ve now completed my Prince2 training – just passed the Practitioner exam (scoring 97 out of a total of 108) – so I’m very happy with the result. I found the on-line course very good – particularly the exam simulators.”

A real plus has been the fact that over 100 UWE colleagues have also been able to take advantage of the learning package, which has provided a great opportunity for skills and career development.

PRINCE2 project management e-learning at UWE exceeds 300 learners

Facilities – Estates are pleased to announce that the design team for the second phase of the St Matthias and Media Practice relocation has been appointed to take the design phase forward. The lead architects will be Parson Brinkerhoff, a Bristol based practice, working in conjunction with specialist structural, acoustic, media designers and our in-house mechanical and electrical engineers. Project management services will be provided by Facilities.

Phase 2 of the project involves the fit out of Building 2 on the Frenchay Campus to provide facilities for drama, and media production including specialist spaces for TV and radio production complementing the new lecture theatre constructed in the building last year.

The project is planned to be completed by summer 2012.

Plans for St Matthias and Media Practice steps up a gear

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UWE shares best practice on employability for Linguistics and English Language graduates

UWE is holding a workshop on 11 April on developing employability among Linguistics and English Language students. It aims at sharing good practice on how to support students in gaining skills that will enhance their careers.

The workshop is open to academics and careers staff in universities throughout the UK who are interested in embedding placements or skills training into their degrees.

The workshop will be introduced by Alex Gilkison (pro VC and Executive Dean, CAHE) and Jeanette Sakel (both ELC) entitled Wider perspectives and more options for English Language and Linguistics students will be presented at the workshop.

In their research, Jeanine and Jeanette studied graduate employment from 11 UK universities; comparing each institution’s overall rate with the rate of employment among linguistics and English language graduates (data used was from 2007/8).

For these graduates, slightly fewer students were in employment six months after graduation, compared with the overall figures for each university, but the differences were

small and often negligible. For some universities, the employment figures for Linguistics graduates were more positive than for others from the same university. During the research, most students and graduates questioned welcomed the suggestion to include a placement or practical applications into an English Language or Linguistics degree.

Among the key recommendations from the report for those responsible for delivering degrees in English Language and Linguistics were to raise awareness of the key skills students acquire when studying particular modules; to include an optional credit-bearing placement into the curriculum, in which students apply their knowledge and skills in real life, and to integrate sessions on employability and career options into the curriculum from Level one, to encourage students to consider their career options at an early stage.

Jeanine said, “In our report we point out that the Higher Education experience can and should never be exclusively about employability. As is clearly explained in the British Academy report (2004) an education in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences enhances

the lives of individuals and assists the formation of critical minds to bear on a wide range of crucial issues, resulting in a flourishing public culture, committed to respect for knowledge and intelligent debate.

“However while it is important to bear this in mind, it is crucially important for universities to take the employability agenda seriously. The majority of graduate employers found what they called ‘employability skills’ to be more important than the specific occupations, technical or academic knowledge that graduates might have acquired. The importance of key skills, many of which can be gained from studying these subjects, is also highlighted in the Benchmark statements for Linguistics and English (QAA)."

The workshop is free of charge for employees and postgraduate students of publicly funded UK higher educational institutions and other institutions with a subscription to the Higher Education Academy. It is sponsored by the Higher Education Academy’s Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies.

The deadline for registrations is Monday 4 April 2011. For more information visit www.llas.ac.uk/events/6326

A student, Steve Wright, who tragically died in a rock climbing accident in 2009, has been remembered at the annual Glenside Charity Rugby match. This year the match was a hard fought contest between Glenside and St Matt’s rugby teams

A cup that has been named the Steve Wright Memorial Cup in his memory was presented to the winning team captain Scott Gormley of the UWE Glenside team who was one of Steve’s best friends. The teams were also presented with a special tie, embroidered with the logo created by the students for the match, which Steve West kindly contributed.

Steve Wright was a well loved student who organised the charity match in 2009. The Glenside Charity Rugby Match was an idea

of a third year Physio, Theo, who decided to arrange a rugby match for the Jessie May trust in Feb 2008. In 2009 the event raised money for the Ben Mullany Fund (Ben was a Glenside student killed on his honeymoon with his wife in the summer of 2008).

Many of Steve’s close friends who left in the summer came to support the event and Matt Hanley said, “It’s impressive that although Steve died 18 months ago he’s still inspiring this number of people.”

This year the total raised for charity is already over £1,000, and will be split between Compassionate Friends, a counselling service for families who have lost loved ones, and Kids Active, a charity sending children with disabilities on adventure holidays that cater for their needs.

Scott Gormley, Glenside’s Captain and Millie Allen, worked tirelessly to sell tickets for the match, the after party, sorting out shirts for the players and raffle prizes. Without them this match would not have been as successful as it was. Steve would have been proud of the Glenside boys, their attitude, commitment and sheer stubbornness to keep St Matts from scoring in the final minutes.

Steve Wright Memorial Cup

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Flood risk expert joins UWE

Professor David Proverbs recently joined the University as Head of the Department of Construction and Property. He is a Professor of Construction Management with particular research expertise into the effects of flooding on buildings. His research has focused both on how to protect and prepare buildings for floods and how to make them habitable afterwards, and he has been consulted by policy makers, insurers and practitioners. Current research includes a project for the World Bank on the development of a global handbook on urban flood risk management for use in developing countries. The handbook will offer case studies and practical guidelines to practitioners. International workshops in Argentina, India and Ghana will inform the development of the handbook. David was

also host to a three year EPSRC funded international network of experts on flood damage and repair which now includes a bi-annual international conference and is currently working on a £1.6million EPSRC funded programme of research investigating community resilience to extreme weather.

David Proverbs says, “Flooding represents a major challenge for governments all over the world. It is also an important issue for individual home owners. The devastation of having your home flooded, the cost of re-instating it along with the trauma of having to leave your home while it is repaired, are all serious issues for those who experience floods. Linked to this is the worry of property blight which is something the media are quick to highlight – our

research indicates that property prices will soon return to normal, say after a three year period after the flood. A related issue which requires further research is the extent to which property prices may be affected if homeowners adapt their property towards improving the resilience of their home. We are currently working on a tool kit for a national firm of loss adjustors which will help property owners to identify which flood risk adaptations they should consider for their property, and the costs and benefits of these over the long term. As part of this we are also trying to capture the stress and turmoil of losing all your possessions as one of the costs associated with flooding.”

David Proverbs, who has come to UWE from the University of Wolverhampton, is also

collaborating on a RICS funded project to identify the skills needed by chartered surveyors in giving flood adaptation advice. The University will also host the 27th Annual ARCOM (Association of Researchers in Construction Management) Conference from 5 – 7 September 2011. Two new edited books are soon to be published: Flood Hazards: Impacts and Responses for the Built Environment will be published in May, followed by Solutions for climate change challenges of the built environment in June. David is looking forward to working with colleagues in FET and across the University on flood risk management and related climate change research opportunities and in helping to raise the international profile of the Construction and Property Department.

Professor David Proverbs

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UWE students triumph in Regional Varsity Enterprise Competition

On 2 March six UWE students participated in the Regional Varsity Enterprise Competition hosted by Deloitte, sponsors of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games, and organised by Bristol University.

The Apprentice style competition gave competing University teams with the challenge to create a business plan on the theme - How can we create economic value from the London 2012 Olympics in the South West. This was followed by a pitch in front of a Den of friendly Dragons drawn from the organisers and sponsors. The five minute pitch was designed to attract £200,000 of investment in the proposed business.

The UWE team, brought together by RBI Enterprise and Innovation, comprised Alex Green, Safiyyah Henderson, Tom Keeling, Ariana Helen, Chris Dalley and Raphael Nagel representing a broad mix of UWE Faculties.

The team sprang into action when the challenge was presented to them, and against tough competition from Bristol and Cardiff Universities, came up with the concept of GoGoElectric, a fleet of electronic cars available through a network of recharging points, covering tourist locations throughout the South West, and capable of maximising the earning potential of visitors to the area both during the Olympics but with built in project sustainability.

“The team were inspired to build on Bristol’s existing strength and reputation for sustainable transportation and to take it to another level, and presented a compelling case for a project which could leave a lasting legacy for the city,” said Kim Brookes, Enterprise Project Manager, RBI.

In presenting the £200 prize to the team, Nick Sturge of Bristol University commended the group for their ‘great teamwork’ and the excellent quality of their presentation.

From left to right: Chris Dalley, Raphael Nagel, Safiyyah Henderson, Ariana Helen and Alex Green, also Tom Keeling was part of the team but not photographed.

Internet training for pensioners by UWE volunteers in bid for Race Online competition Student volunteers from the University, who are helping to close the digital divide, are set to gain national recognition.

The team of second year students is taking part in the government Race Online campaign by running a community internet training project for older people.

Dubbing their team Leading Edge, the students are running a valuable internet skills training and awareness course for people over 65 in Portishead, near Bristol, in conjunction with NS Housing’s sheltered housing scheme. They are also working with a group of people in the Henleaze area of Bristol where the training has been especially adapted for those who have a very limited knowledge of the internet.

The student volunteers are acting as course tutors in weekly Computer Club sessions every Friday afternoon at the housing association’s new Jubilee Hall building.

Resident Activities Co-ordinator, Aimee Phipps, said, “The students are a real asset to our Computer Club, which has seen the number of participants rise. They have made the club more structured and enjoyable and I have had great feedback from all the members. I’m wondering what we did without them! The course is now full and we have had to set up a waiting list.”

Matt Deadman, team leader, is quietly optimistic that Leading Edge will achieve the national award. “We are having a great time working with older people at Jubilee Hall and we feel that we have really given something back to local people,” he said on behalf of the team.

“This initiative is a landmark in the development of CAKE, our Community Action + Knowledge Exchange project”, added UWE academic Nick Plant. “CAKE encourages and enables student community engagement as a powerful extra-curricular complement to traditional academic programmes to boost our students’ employability skills.”

The project was initiated entirely by the Leading Edge students, but formed a natural extension of the existing ‘silver surfers’ scheme running at UWE.

Computer Club for older people at NS Housing Jubilee Hall run by UWE volunteers

Jane Carter (CAHE) with student Helen Callow in the background along with other Department of Education staff joined in the celebrations for World Book Night on 5 March. They gave away 48 copies of Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights to members of the audience attending the final performance of Our House at the Redgrave Theatre in Bristol.

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This year's student production at the Centre for Performing Arts (CPA) was the Madness musical - Our House, staged at the Redgrave Theatre in Clifton from 2 - 5 March 2011. The show attracted a total audience of around 1400 theatre-goers.

The show was directed by Alex Turasiewicz, with Jacquie Bell as choreographer, John Cousins designing set and costumes and Ian Henderson as producer and musical director.

For more information on forthcoming CPA productions or to get involved see: www.uwe.ac.uk/cpa

UWE’s CPA presents

Our House

Over 80 people were involved in staging Our House with a cast of 34 and the

others making up the production team and band. Look out for next year’s historic

production of musical Titanic – specially chosen to mark the centenary of the

sinking of the ship.

The show is based around the slapstick, comically endearing music of the famous 1980s band Madness, known as Suggs and the Nutty boys. The talented cast bring the famously fun-loving hits to life such as Driving in my Car

UWE Education for Sustainable Development dayA springboard for innovation, student enrichment and partnership

Tuesday May 10 2011, Frenchay Campus, R block10:00 Day conference to be opened by John Rushforth16:00 Sustainability, Health and Environment poster showcase hosted by Steve West

Join us for an unmissable UWE-wide Forum:• Providingaplatformfordebate• Showcasingandsharingapproaches• Inspiringyournextsteps

sustainability+ education

Booking now open via the online shop

ContactMarcus Grant, Institute for Sustainability, Health and Environment

Mark Webster, Sustainability Manager, Sustainability Team, Facilities

Sustainability Board: supported by Facilities, Knowledge Exchange for Sustainability Education and the Institute for Sustainability, Health and Environment

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Over 80 people were involved in staging Our House with a cast of 34 and the

others making up the production team and band. Look out for next year’s historic

production of musical Titanic – specially chosen to mark the centenary of the

sinking of the ship.

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Chinese New Year roundupThe International Development Office and Department of Art and Design partnered up with Hong Kong Poly University to bring a flavour of the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit celebrations to Bristol with a free exhibition of 40 traditional New Year prints at the Exhibition and Conference Centre, Frenchay Campus. Posting Nianhua (New Year prints) on to your front door is a traditional Chinese custom to chase away evil spirits and bring blessings and peace to families in anticipation of springtime. The prints are produced throughout China varying in style and theme according to the geographical features and customs of each region, but all feature vibrant colours and bold exaggerated forms.

Artists Ho Yin Fung, Mian Har Ng and Sau Mui Yung also held a screen print workshop for the general public which Bower Ashton students Elizabeth Holbrey and John Lynch helped to facilitate.

Mian Har Ng, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design and International Liaison and Recruitment, said, “It was a rare opportunity to have colleagues from our partner Hong Kong Poly University to demonstrate woodblock printing to Bristol artists and the UWE community. The workshops were well attended and all the participants were inspired. We also had well known artists like Peter Ford in the audience, enjoying the talk and exhibition. Hopefully from this success we are able to have more intercultural events in UWE promoting the diverse cultures at the University.”

From left: Ho Yin Fung, Mian Har Ng, Sau Mui Yung Elizabeth Holbrey and John Lynch.

Examples from the exhibition:

Plum Blossoms with Five Blessings Blossoming in early spring, plum trees can endure the frost and snow of harsh winters and are thus considered a symbol of loyalty and nobility. The five petals of each blossom also represent five kinds of happiness: goodness, prosperity, longevity, wealth and joy.

This print shows a magpie perched on a plum blossom branch. Magpies are birds of good omen symbolising luck and happiness. When described in Chinese, the image depicted in this print sounds like the expression ‘a door lintel touched by joy’, implying that good things will come to the door. Seen together, the motifs in this print represent the expressions ‘five blessings coming to the door.’

Plum Blossoms with Five Blessings

Three Goats Usher in Prosperity; Spring Prevails in Six DirectionsThe six directions – north, south, east, west, heaven and earth – refer to the universe. As the Chinese words for ‘deer’ and ‘crane’ together sounds like ‘six directions’, the two animals have also come to represent the six directions.

With a mild and gentle temper, goats are symbols of good luck and peace. The expression of ‘three goats ushering in prosperity’, with its origin in the Tai Gua in The Book of Changes (Yi Jing or I-Ching), refers to the month of Lunar New Year.

In this print, three goats are grazing in the mild spring sunshine. The spotted deer, the red-crowned crane, green pines, peonies and lingzhi are symbolic of the arrival of springtime and a fresh start for all things.

Three Goats Usher in Prosperity; Spring Prevails in Six Directions

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. The character of the year is supposed to reflect that of the animal, so this year is expected to be calm and placid following the ferocious Year of the Tiger. It is also supposed to be good for creative new business partnerships, as the Vice-Chancellor, Steve West, noted in his introduction to the business reception which was held in UWE in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The event was organised by Neil Blakeman Associates and run in partnership with UWE and in association with UK Trade and Investment. Sponsored by local company ElementOne IP and by KL Communications, the reception was attended by over 70 people, including the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress. Around 40 businesses and organisations were represented, including Barclays, RBS, the Institute of Directors and several law firms.

Key note speakers were Dr Kerry Brown, Head of the Asia Programme at Chatham House, who spoke on China’s economic growth and the associated challenges, as well as the wider issues and trends facing the Chinese Government, and Stephen Phillips, CEO of the China-Britain Business Council. Stephen commented that opportunities

differ according to region, with certain cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou focusing on the Creative Industries, while Tianjin and Hangzhou are key centres for financial services. Stephen’s advice to businesses was that they should get off the beaten track, and his hot tip for the evening was to look at where the supermarkets are investing as they tend to have excellent market intelligence!

The talks were followed by a lively Q & A session and then a quiz sponsored by KL communications where the top prizes were won by UWE students, Shuibin Xie and Jian Wen Sew.

“The business response to the reception was very positive, and we were delighted to co-host it,” said co-organiser Rosie Gilmour of Intercultural Communication. “Clearly the appetite for business in China is evolving, but it certainly isn’t diminishing.”

For more information please contact Rosie Gilmour: rosie.gilmour@uwe.ac.uk or Neil Blakeman Associates www.neilblakeman.com

Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit - Dr Jianxian Bi (CAHE), Neil Blakeman (co-organiser) Jasper Becker, Dr Kerry Brown (Chatham House), Colin Smith (Lord Mayor of Bristol), Jenny Bradley (Lady Mayoress), with Vice-Chancellor Steve West

Happy New Year Chinese and Vietnamese styleSeveral days of celebrations to celebrate the Chinese and Vietnamese New Years were organised by Barbara Lung and Radhika Nathwani (Marketing and Communications); Wei Lin, an intern at the International Development Office, and Huy Nguyen (UWE Vietnamese Society).

A Chinese lion dance troupe visited Core24 to chase out spirits of the previous year.

UWE students from Vietnam dressed in their national costume to celebrate Tết Nguyên Đán or

the Vietnamese Year of the Cat

Chinese spring scrolls and paper cuts were created to decorate OneZone and wish everyone a happy Year of the Rabbit

Business celebrates the Year of the Rabbit at UWE

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Staff and students from the University kept the winter blues at bay last month with a series of health and wellbeing events across the University as part of Feel Good February.

The Students’ Union (UWESU) held a successful event Body Beautiful as part of a campaign led by sports president Nadia Harding and a project team of 12 girls to encourage women to participate in sport and activity. The programme offered a variety of free activities for women to participate in and also utilised a lot of UWE sports to increase participation.

Nadia Harding said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed the project and take part in all the activities: it’s a fantastic way to make women feel confident and active in a fun environment and the sponsorship from HP was greatly appreciated. The programme has been recognised by the Healthy University Group and Feel Good February as a vital programme that should continue to be implemented each year.”

Student volunteers also raised a total of £274.84 in just five hours for Sue Ryder Care through a successful cake sale. Beverley Dyke, Event Organiser, said, “The day was very successful, we collected and promoted for a very good cause! I would definitely do it again. Staff and students alike were giving very generously and especially enjoyed our homemade cakes. I had lots of students approach me and ask how they would be able to get involved in something like this; it was great to see so many other students interested in volunteering!”

A month that could change your life

Feel Good February

A selection of scrumptious cakes

Body beautiful team

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Neil Edmunds Memorial Fund lecture

The first Neil Edmunds Memorial Lecture was given on 1 December 2010 by Professor Alexander Zdanovich, an historian at the FSB Academy in Moscow, to an audience of over 50 staff and students from the Department of History, Politics and Philosophy and external guests. Professor Zdanovich talked about the Soviet political police and its relationship with the Red Army in the 1920s and 1930s. The paper will be published in a revised format in a collection on the Soviet political police edited by Dr Alastair Kocho-Williams (UWE) and Dr James Harris (University of Leeds).

The Devil in France was the title of the second Neil Edmunds Memorial Lecture given recently by Professor Jean-François Berdah, Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence at the University of Toulouse. Professor Berdah, who has published widely on the Spanish Civil War, outlined the fate of Spanish Republican refugees in France after 1936 to an audience of students, staff, historians from other universities, and members of the public. Professor Berdah’s talk was on 16 February.

The lecture series was established by the field of History in commemoration of their colleague Dr Neil Edmunds who died suddenly in January 2008. Neil, an expert on Soviet Russia, was a passionate European with a particular interest in music. This legacy will continue thanks to the generous donation of his parents, Nancy and Keith Edmunds. The Neil Edmunds Memorial Fund supports History students who need to visit European archives for their research, finances visits from European scholars and subsidises research workshops with a European theme. Further events are scheduled for 2011 and 2012.

Professor Jean-François Berdah making final preparations for his talk on The Devil in France

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Research day on Human Rights and Migration mixes audiences for impactParticipants thought the research day on Human Rights and Migration was very useful for work, research or study. It inspired a sense of action and was felt to be very useful for those on relevant programmes of study as well as by practitioners working in relevant fields.

The day, organised by Christien van den Anker, Politics and supported by the Department of History, Philosophy and Politics, attracted 35 participants including academic staff, students (PhD, MA and undergraduate) as well as staff and volunteers from Bristol City Council, International Organisation for Migration, Bristol Legacy Commission, Bristol Women’s Forum, Unchosen, and members of the public.

When asked what they enjoyed most about the day, many participants commented on how excellent all the speakers were, in particular the PhD students working on trafficking with Dr van den Anker, and Dr Ann Singleton from the University of Bristol. Participants were pleased that there was a range of papers delivered covering diverse issues but that there was a strong underlying theme. Avril Madden said, “The day was very useful for teaching my geography module on migration.” Some of the key messages taken from the research day were identified as: the issue with agency and ‘victim’ discourse; the need to for constant self reflection when looking into these issues; how positive UWE is as a space for research. One student said, “This is a timely and evolving area of study which I am keen to get involved in.”

Christien van den Anker said, “The experiment with inviting all students as well as organisations and interested individuals to an academic research day where PhD students and academics presented their work made that everyone got an insight not only in the findings of the research but also in the next level of engagement for their aspirations. Level two and three students became interested in the MA in Human Rights, MA students got a view of what a PhD might be like and some of the PhD students practised a presentation on their research for the first time. With UWE colleagues speaking, chairing and attending, a network for future collaboration was established more firmly.”

The follow up from the day will include an edited collection C van den Anker and I van Liempt Human rights and migration: Trafficking for forced labour in a wider context, Palgrave forthcoming 2011, an EU bid on Borders and Migration (partnering with the University of Bristol and 18 other partners) and two more research days on Development and Peace and Conflict.

Lord Lieutenant visits Migrant Rights Centre Bristol

The new Migrant Rights Centre Bristol (MRCB) was visited on 18 February by Mary Prior, Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, hosted by Dr Christien van den Anker. She spoke in-depth with a man from Iran and a Jamaican man about their experiences of how the Centre had been helpful. Migrants can fall outside the remit of support from authorities and NGOs and the Centre is useful in signposting and providing support. She then heard from several volunteers about their motivation to work for the MRCB. Their stories showed that they learn a lot from this work and that their confidence grows every week. The volunteer debriefing sessions were especially found helpful. The founders of MRCB were able to give an overview of the Centre's first eight weeks.

Christien van den Anker said, “By combining research, training of practitioners and supporting migrants in the drop in centre we found that there is a real need for support in accessing human rights amongst migrant groups like undocumented, Roma, Eastern Europeans, overstaying spouses and failed asylum seekers. We are glad to be able to help and create a wider impact of our research in the community.”

Lord Lieutenant Mary Prior with the founders of MRCB. From left to right: Danielle Baker (UWE), Mary Prior, Christien van den Anker (UWE), June Burrough (The Pierian Centre) and Cezara Nanu (UWE). Photo by Anita Hummel (UWE)

Cezara Nanu, PhD student in Politics presents on Trafficking prevention.

Undergraduate students from Bristol Law School who are interested in becoming barristers visited Lincoln’s Inn on 24 February for an information afternoon and dinner. They heard talks on a range of subjects, including training, career opportunities and life at the Bar. The talks were followed by a drinks reception and dinner and it gave the students the chance to talk to barristers about their own experiences at the Bar. The students were accompanied by Sue Heenan and Karen Moore (FBL).

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UWE Law students quiz the Environment Minister in London

Six environmental law students visited the firm of Stephenson Hardwick to attend a meeting with Lord Henley on 15 February 2011 to question the Environment Minister on law and policy.

The meeting was organised by the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association, of which they are student members. Natalie Broad, Clare Dadge, Lisa Denley, Latkjeet Kaur, Marc May, Sarah Turnbull are undergraduate students on Dr Ben Pontin’s LLB Environmental Law option.

Natalie Broad asked the Minister what the Coalition Government was doing about minimising the volumes of waste in particular, the problem of packaging waste. Natalie commented, “Lord Henley said that packaging was not something that could be eliminated because it was necessary to keep food and other goods safe and to prevent waste through product damage. He said supermarkets were doing lots to reduce packaging, but that it was ultimately for consumers to send out the right signals through the choices about what they buy.”

Marc asked a potentially awkward question about the Minister’s status as a hereditary peer with a title going back to before the industrial revolution (Lord Henley, aka Oliver Eden, is the eighth in a line of Henley peers dating back to the 1750s). Marc said, “I asked the Minister whether hereditary peers were the greenest force in parliament. He suggested that he was more of a businessman than a gentleman farmer.”

Rachel Caldin of Lawtext Publishing, Oxford (which publishes the journal Environmental Law and Management), was the UKELA member responsible for the funding of the trip. She said, “The United Kingdom Environmental Law Association is very keen to build links between student lawyers, environmental law practitioners and academics. I don’t know what the students made of it, but they gave a very good account of themselves, asking some thought-provoking questions.

“I think we all got a bit lost in some of the scientific jargon…even now none of us can quite distinguish between our aerobic and anaerobic waste,” admitted Lisa. “But seeing law in its context is what made this experience worthwhile,” observed Latkjeet.

For Sarah, it was clear that the group found the occasion interesting. “Whilst I have not made up my mind, I can see that environmental law could be a good area to work in when I graduate.”

Dragons’ Den presentation wins at Deans’ conferenceA presentation replicating the Dragons’ Den idea by a multidisciplinary team of students from the Faculty of Environment and Technology has won a £600 cash prize at the annual Deans’ conference.

430 students from 64 interdisciplinary teams of final year undergraduate students competed in the sixteenth annual competition to come up with the best professional presentation on sustainable development.

The winning team used the style of Dragons’ Den to illustrate competing bids from China, India and the UAE for funding alternative low carbon developments. The presentation included the difficulty of limiting carbon emissions and finding appropriate low-cost solutions in developing economies.

The presentation was hosted by Mike Trollop from Property Management and Investment; the country representatives were: China – Scarlett Franklin from Architectural Technology and Design, India - Emma Parry from Civil Engineering and Bernie Vent from Property Development and Planning; the bid judges were Billy Evans from Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management, Adam Bennett from Architecture and Planning and Joe Hobbs from Construction Management.

Tony Westcott, course leader explains, “We are keen to ensure that our students are prepared for the demands that will be expected of them once they are working with industry customers. Many professionals working in the built and natural environment find themselves operating on complex projects that will demand the ability to collaborate with others across professional boundaries.”

The annual Deans’ Conference competition is sponsored by the Great Western Branch of the Forum for the Built Environment (FBE), a national organisation of multi-disciplinary professionals.

The winning team L6 who presented on Low Carbon Development

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Law School launches domestic violence support service

Pictured are teammates: Jon Shorter (left), a third year Forensic Computing student and Australian Chris Jones (right) who will be taking on the challenge of a sponsored 4,550km bike ride across Australia in July to raise £15,000 for the UK Prostate Cancer Charity and the Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation. The 38 day cycle adventure will take on every season and climate that Australia has to offer starting at the southernmost tip South Point in Victoria heading straight down to finish up on 5 September in the northernmost point of Cape York in Queensland. For more information and to sponsor the boys go to: www.upunder2011.com/

John and Chris

The Domestic Abuse Support Service (DASS) was launched this academic year by trainee solicitors and barristers of Bristol Law School to provide free legal advice and advocacy services to the victims of domestic abuse throughout Gloucestershire.

In 2009, there were 8,500 incidents of domestic abuse reported to the Gloucestershire Police. It is estimated that less than 10 per cent of domestic abuse is reported to the police as there is a marked reluctance by victims to use the criminal law against the perpetrators. There is a significant need for legal assistance in seeking civil orders.

Public funding is not freely available and many victims cannot otherwise afford to pay. Very often, emergency without notice applications are required in the first instance for which solicitors are quoting a £1,000-£1,500 minimum fee. Furthermore, child residence, contact and abduction issues often arise in conjunction with violence within the home.

Bristol Law School students now offer this crucial additional legal

support in collaboration with all the domestic abuse support agencies in Gloucestershire.

Currently two clinics are held weekly in central Gloucester with additional, ad hoc appointments where the urgency of the situation so demands. It is anticipated that the advice clinics will be extended to three other locations in Gloucestershire in 2011, in Coleford, Stroud and Cheltenham. The success of the service has led to a request to extend it to the victims of abuse in North-East Somerset.

The 32 members of the DASS student team have been fully trained in client care, the preparation of applications and affidavits in support and court procedures relating to emergency domestic violence applications. Often it is less than a day between first contact by the client (often on advice from the police dealing with the incident) and the matter being heard by the court. As an illustration of the extent of the service, in the seven working day period 7 to 17 January, DASS students obtained six court orders: two ‘without notice’ non-molestation and occupation orders; two ‘on notice’ non-molestation and

occupation orders and two interim residence orders.

The Gloucester County Court District Judges have, on every occasion, granted rights of audience to the students in their capacity as Mackenzie friends so that they may act as advocates; not only at the emergency hearing but also the later hearing on notice. (Such rights are also granted in relation to any ancillary hearing relating to child issues.) It is, perhaps, a measure of the standing in which the service is held by the court that, on occasions, it has contacted DASS to request that it represents a party eg to act for a mother who, having given birth whilst in a coma, was faced with a residence application by the father.

To date (ie during the first four months of its operation) the UWE team has dealt with 45 cases. Apart from non-molestation and occupation orders the team has also invoked port alert procedures to stop child abduction; sought ‘seize and snatch’ orders to recover children from ‘vanishing’ fathers and emergency interim child residence applications on behalf of both mothers and grandmothers.

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Award success for Drama studentsOn Saturday 12 February, UWE’s entries for the Bristol One Act Festival scored several notable successes through the excellent efforts of our drama students. Small Moving UWE Parts won first prize for the director, John Reid (Drama staff), for his production of Chekhov's Swansong and the leading actor in that production, Ian Halverson, won the Best Actor Award for the role of Svetlovidov. The adjudicator, Paul Fowler (GODA), praised Ian for a ‘truly remarkable virtuoso performance - a detailed study in orchestrated histrionics’. Daniel Eccleston won Best Supporting Male Actor for his role as Nikita in the same play as well as warm praise for his other role in Woody Allen's God (A Play).

UWE had entered three of the quartet of one act plays that had just completed a highly successful run at the Alma Tavern Theatre - Chekhov's Swansong, Beckett's Catastrophe and Woody Allen's God (A Play). Paul Fowler felt that all of the plays had attained very high standards of performance but he singled out for particular mention the performances of Monty Kimball-Evans, Jane Larsen-Edgar and Elizabeth Webb. Elizabeth Webb subsequently was awarded the Best Supporting Actress Award for her roles in two of the plays. The company can now look forward to competing in the regional quarter finals in April

(left to right): Rachel Slack (stage crew), Louise

Swindell (DSM), Ian Halverson (Best Actor),

John Reid (Director) and Chrissy Fryers

costume Adviser.

Meet leaders of industryBristol Business School’sDistinguished Executive Address Series

Spring 2011

A unique opportunity to hear about the challenges, issues and decisions being made at the highest level of strategic leadership.

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A team from UWE has won a prestigious Royal Television Society (RTS) Bristol Centre Student Television Awards 2010 Undergraduate Fiction award for their film Boy.

Boy by Matty Groves (Director), Dan Kay (Producer) and Mike Marchlewski (Camera) is a psychological horror based on a true story.

The film features Roland Boy, a night shift taxi driver who uses his black cab as cover to prowl the streets and pick up women. His position of trust becomes the ultimate betrayal as his passengers’ journeys turn into a fight for survival.

Dan Kay says, “It's really satisfying and rewarding for the film to have won this award. When you're making a student film, everybody involved works so hard, for so many months but once you've graduated, it's easy to forget what an enormous task it was. So for the film to keep going, to carry on, to new audiences and new platforms - long after graduation - makes the effort even more worthwhile.

“The film couldn't have been made without the UWE Media Practice department, and we are all really grateful to them - particularly Abigail Davies and Dave Neal. They submitted the film to RTS on our behalf, showing their belief in the

professional quality of the films that come out of UWE. That's a great compliment."

"The Royal Television Society Bristol Centre Student Television Awards 2010 Undergraduate Factual prize was for Don’t give up your guns by Juris Kudeiko, also from UWE.”

Don't give up your guns is a documentary following Armand who left Latvia for England because of the economic crisis in his homeland. How has his life changed; is it better or worse? The film explores the life of an economic migrant, his aspirations and dreams.

This was a bumper year at the regional RTS awards for UWE as five of the final nominations from the total of six were by teams from the University.

Abigail Davies, the Media Practice award leader said, “We're thrilled to have won both the Undergraduate Factual and Undergraduate Fiction categories of the Royal Television Society Bristol Centre Student Television Awards for 2010. BA (Hons) Media Practice aims to give students a strong foundation in documentary and drama story-telling so it is particularly pleasing to see our students succeed in both these genres, as well as it being a testament to their creative talent.”

Alex Gilkison (Executive Dean, CAHE) said, “We are delighted that a UWE team has won this prestigious award. UWE is obviously attracting some very talented people – this is great as it reflects the excellent teaching reputation that we have built up. Well done to the Matty, Dan and Mike, it’s a great achievement.”

The BA(Hons) Media Practice course consistently turns out award-winning filmmakers. Teaching creative media across multi-platforms, we equip students with narrative, production and craft skills. The aim is to develop new talent for the creative industries: content producers and craft technicians who understand professional demands.

In 2012, the course moves to purpose-built accommodation at the University's main campus in Frenchay, where it will benefit from new high-spec facilities, including a TV studio, high-definition edit suites and a dubbing theatre. Media Practice is part of the Department of Screen, Media and Journalism at UWE.

The RTS Student Television Awards recognise the best audiovisual work created by full- or part-time students as part of their course. The national awards ceremony will be held in May in central London.

www.uwe.ac.uk

Postgraduate and Professional Open Evening

Wednesday 4 May 201116:00-20:00

UWE team wins RTS Award

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Does a degree in philosophy prepare students for employment? How does philosophy contribute to culture and can it help us be happy? These are some of the topical questions aired by a panel of top philosophers in Bristol at a forum co-organised by UWE and the University of Bristol.

Well-known philosopher Professor AC Grayling spoke at the annual Royal Institute of Philosophy event in March. Entitled Philosophy matters, the event was open to all.

Also speaking at the event were Professor Baroness

Onora O'Neill (House of Lords and the University of Cambridge), Professor James Ladyman (University of Bristol), and Dr Havi Carel (UWE). Chairing the meeting was Dr Julian Baggini, editor-in-chief of The Philosophers’ Magazine.

The speakers also addressed questions such as Why study philosophy? Is philosophy valuable to those in society who don't engage with it directly?

Professor Grayling said, “Philosophy matters because life has to be lived reflectively, and philosophy

is reflection on life, together with training in how to reflect and an education in the best such reflection from the great traditions of thought. As this shows, philosophy lies at the heart of endeavour to live wisely and well.”

Dr Havi Carel (HPP) said, “At a time of cutbacks, it is in the national interest to debate the cost and value of higher education. In particular, the value of humanities and other non-vocational subjects has been questioned, and reduced simply to its economic and social impact.

UWE decided to set up an event to address these issues.

“The philosophy departments of UWE and the University of Bristol have joined forces with the Royal Institute of Philosophy to host a discussion that goes beyond the economics of higher education and says clearly, Philosophy matters in individual and public life.”

The event was funded by the Royal Institute of Philosophy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UWE and the University of Bristol.

Can philosophy make you happy?

The 2011 South West Nuclear Medicine Group (SWNMG) meeting was held at the Exhibition and Conference Centre on 17 February 2011. The day was sponsored by a number of commercial companies, including Siemens Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, HERMES Medical Systems, Alliance Medical Ltd, IBA Molecular UK Ltd and Covidien Pharmaceuticals.

Over 85 professionals from across the south of England and Wales attended this annual knowledge exchange event, which provided an opportunity for delegates, commercial representatives and educational providers to discuss current aspects of nuclear medicine practice, workforce training requirements, future technology/service requirements and explore emerging clinical techniques. The event was organised by Marc Griffiths (Subject Group Leader for Radiography, DAHP). Also involved in the preparation and delivery of the SWNMG event was Rob Stewart, Senior Lecturer, Radiography (DAHP) and other clinical NHS stakeholders from across the region

Talks by NHS centres covered a

range of topics including the development of CT competencies in hybrid imaging, appropriate use of CT in a hybrid imaging environment, mentorship in nuclear medicine, provision of a one-stop cardiac patient pathway, new ways of learning in nuclear medicine, clinical PET/CT case studies and an update on the Modernising Scientific Careers Framework/planned Medical Physics training pathway at UWE.

Students from UWE’s MSc Nuclear Medicine programme attended the SWNMG meeting in order to develop their professional networking and knowledge transfer partnership skills.

The SWNMG event consolidates UWE’s professional involvement has with commercial companies, the nuclear medicine community and training of the workforce.

Feedback from the event was extremely positive, with a number of delegates highlighting the importance of knowledge exchange and partnership developments. The 2011 SWNMG meeting was endorsed by the College of Radiographers CPD. Future events are now being planned.

Regional Nuclear Medicine Community event at ECC

Organisers and speakers from the 2011 South West Nuclear Medicine Group Meeting. (Back row, l to r) Martyn Evans (Royal United Hospital, Bath), Professor Iain Lyburn (Cheltenham); Lee Jenkins (Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham), Dr Paul McCoubrie (North Bristol NHS Trust), Dr David Hall (University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust); (Front row l to r), Lloyd Rowling (Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth), Ken Parker (Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham), Marc Griffiths (UWE) and Rob Stewart (UWE).

Delegates discuss aspects of nuclear medicine practice over lunch.

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Poetry and the Visual Arts at Meantime, Cheltenham

As part of the Cheltenham Poetry Festival 2011 (31 March – 3 April 2011), research members from PLaCE (CAHE) will take part in a free event Poetry and the Visual Arts on Sunday 3 April, 11:00-14:00 at Meantime, Cheltenham.

This free event is a programme of performance, poetry readings and artist films. The range of work is rich and diverse yet all pieces hinge around the experiential landscape and explore issues of personal, social and cultural concern.

The event opens with of a series of live pieces. To start, there is a performance of Communion – collaboration between Anna Saunders (poet), Suze Adams (visual artist) and Robert Perry (composer). Communion is followed by a performative presentation of Exquisite Pain (includes work by Davina Kirkpatrick and Penny Somerville) and readings of new poems by festival director Anna Saunders (extracts from a forthcoming publication). The second part of the programme comprises film works (installation) by Ruth Jones, Joshua Stocker, Mel Shearsmith (Consultant, PLaCE) and Iain Biggs (Director, PLaCE) and (monitor) Bronwyn Platten and Margaret Cogswell.

Free event tickets are available via Cheltenham Town Hall www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk/item/events/2011/agency/cheltenham-poetry-festival/26751/

Further details can be found at www.meantime.org.uk and www.cheltenhampoetryfest.co.uk/

Communion - Suze Adams, photo Josh Biggs.

Facilities staff receive a gold medal for 100 per cent attendance in 2010, pictured are on the left side bottom to top - Andy Keirle, John Jackson, Kate Tarr, Tracy Talboys and Heather Hutchings, right side Viv Jowett, Rachael Tonge, Jane Higgins and Janet Exon.

Awards ceremoniesJuly and November 2011Following a major review of the University's Academic Calendar, UWE is introducing July and November ceremonies from 2011. This will bring us in line with other universities and allow undergraduate students to graduate as soon as possible after they complete their studies.

July ceremonies The July ceremonies will take place between Monday 18 July and Wednesday 27 July 2011 in Bristol Cathedral.

Hartpury College July ceremonies will be held in Gloucester Cathedral and their November ceremonies in Bristol Cathedral.

Mon 18 10:30 Health and Life Sciences

Mon 18 14:00 Health and Life Sciences

Mon 18 17:00 Health and Life Sciences

Tues 19 10:30 Health and Life Sciences

Tues 19 14:00 Health and Life Sciences

Tues 19 17:00 Health and Life Sciences

Wed 20 10:30 Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education

Wed 20 14:00 Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education

Wed 20 17:00 Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education

Thurs 21 10:30 Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education

Thurs 21 14:00 Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education

Thurs 21 17:00 Faculty of Creative Arts, Humanities and Education

Thurs 21 11:00 Hartpury College

Thurs 21 14:00 Hartpury College

Fri 22 10:30 Faculty of Business and Law

Fri 22 14:00 Faculty of Business and Law

Fri 22 17:00 Faculty of Business and Law

Mon 25 10:30 Faculty of Business and Law

Mon 25 14:00 Faculty of Environment and Technology

Mon 25 17:00 Faculty of Environment and Technology

Tues 26 10:30 Faculty of Environment and Technology

Tues 26 14:00 Faculty of Environment and Technology

Tues 26 17:00 Faculty of Environment and Technology

Wed 27 10:30 Faculty of Environment and Technology

November ceremonies All postgraduate taught students will be invited to attend the November awards ceremonies which will take place between Monday 14 and Friday 25 November 2011. November ceremonies will follow the same Faculty order as in July and full details of which courses will graduate on which day will be published at the beginning of August 2011.

Full details of courses graduating at July 2011 ceremonies can be found at http://www.uwe.ac.uk/awards/

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12 May - Dr Lita Crociani-Windland

Festivals of community rivalry and cohesion: The case of Siena’s Palio’s race

Siena’s Palio is a well-known medieval horse race run twice a year in the beautiful Piazza del Campo, Siena’s central square. The race sees the wards of the town competing for the Palio cloth prize. The beauty and power of the event, relayed through visual imagery encourages us to focus and elaborate on its capacity to allow and contain the expression and enjoyment of strong group rivalries and attachments.

2 June - John Moore

Drugs: the harms of criminal justice policy

John’s research seeks to disaggregate the harms caused by drugs as substances from those caused by the legal and market framework in which they are consumed. Much of the harm of drugs is caused by the preeminent role played by the criminal justice system. He argues for a different policy paradigm, based on public health and effective government control and regulation of all drugs (including alcohol), to help dramatically reduce the harms experienced by society.

16 June - Nigel Williams

Chaos and brains

What do chaos and brains have to do with each other? We all have mood changes; something which might resonate with our preoccupations with the weather. The weather is a good metaphor for capturing the ebb and flow of feelings of daily experience. In this talk Nigel will discuss the light that chaos and field theory throw on the changes we go through on a daily (and nightly) basis. He will encourage us to ponder on whether these changes in pace, rhythm and time tell us anything about the more subtle, weather-like aspects of our inner lives and relationships.

7 July - Professor Paul Hoggett

The nature of human resilience

Why is it that some people can endure incredible hardships over a long period of time and yet still retain their spirit and optimism? And why is it that some individuals and groups can ‘bounce back’ from sudden crises whereas others collapse, go into decline or enter a malaise? The answers to these kinds of questions takes us to the study of human resilience – the ability of individuals, groups and perhaps whole communities to adapt to adversity and, in some ways, continue to flourish. In this talk Paul Hoggett will draw upon research on resilient individuals and resilient ecosystems to offer some thoughts about the psychological and social factors that appear to contribute to our capacity to withstand poverty, violence, family breakdown and other hardships.

Social Science in the City Summer seminar series 2011All talks take place at 18:00 at Tart Café and Food Store, The Promenade, Gloucester Road, Bristol

For further information about the speakers and the series

http//socialscienceinthecity.uwe.ac.ukTo get involved, e-mail the convener: Stella.Maile@uwe.ac.uk

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News in Brief

Staff in the mediaAlan Winfield (BRL) was interviewed on BBC Radio Bristol on 21 February and on Heart Radio on 22 February about BRL’s successful bidtohosttheFIRARoboWorldCup2012.DrGuido Herrmann (BRL, University of Bristol) was interviewed on Talk Sport Radio on the same subject.

Graham Parkhurst (PA) was interviewed on 2 March by BBC Radio Wales on how motorists are responding to the fuel price increases. He was alsointerviewedonBBCRadioOxfordon22February about parking charge increases.

Heather Wulff, (Year 2 Creative Music Technology student) appearedonFayeDicker'sSaturday morning show on Radio Bristol on 19 February to talk about one of the modules on her course. With a group of students she is organising a music event at the Fiddlers in Bedminster, running the whole process, business planning, dealing with contracts for venue and bands and performing.

Lisa Harrison (CAHE) appeared on BBC Radio Bristolon18FebruaryexplainingAV(AlternativeVote).LisaalsogaveaninterviewonBBCWiltshire on 5 March about the current rash of protest marches taking place in the UK and the historicalcontextandcurrentenvironmentforprotestors.

Chris Alford (PSY) appeared on the Saturday SurgeryprogrammeastheDoctorintheHouseon Saturday 12 February on BBC Radio Bristol.

Dr Ioannis A Ieropoulos (BRL, FET) carried outaliveinterviewwithNewstalkRadioIreland,on the Moncierff programme on 25 February. The topic was alternative energy sources and the main theme of the interview was the EcoBot project.

Professor Clara Greed (PA) was interviewed by BSIStandardsfortheirwebsite.Listenagainat:http://audioboo.fm/boos/287720-why-do-public-toilets-matter-bsi-talks-to-dr-clara-greed

PublicationsAlexandros Nikitas, Erel Avineri (CTS, FET), and Graham Parkhurst (CTS, FET) published a paperinTransportationPlanningandTechnology,vol34,issue1,pp.87-108,entitledLookingintoOlderPeople'sAttitudestoRoadCharging:AreTheyDistinctiveandWhatAretheImplicationsforPolicyIntervention?

Staff from the Machine Vision Laboratory (MVL) have published several papers recently. These include Y Zhou, M Smith, L Smith, A Farooq,RWarr,Enhanced3Dcurvaturepatternsin melanoma diagnosis in Computerized Medical ImagingandGraphicsandLNSmith,MLSmith,ARFarooq,JSun,YDingandRWarr,Machinevision3DskintextureanalysisfordetectionofmelanomainSensorReview.DrGaryAtkinsonrecently published the proceedings of an internationalconferenceorganisedbyMVLonBiometricsinSeptember2010inIndia-Elsevier/ScienceDirect,http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/18770509

Kate Thomas (Schools and Colleges Partnership Service) has published a chapter, co-writtenwithRuthWaringCrossingCampuses:

Level3TutorVisitsandVocationalProgressionin the e-book edited by Shaw, J., Wise, J. andRout,A.(2011)ResearchintheLifelongLearning Networks. The e-book is available at http://lifelonglearningnetworks.org.uk/uploads/document/811/ebook-research-in-the-llns.pdf

Dr Danielle Sinnett (Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments, FET), Lawrence, VK,HutchingsTR,HodsonME(2011)havepublished:Plantsfoundgrowingoncontaminated and brownfield sites appropriate for use in the Organisation for Economic Co-operationandDevelopmentterrestrialplantgrowthtest.EnvironmentalToxicologyandChemistry30(1):124-131.

A recent special issue of the peer reviewed journalAslibProceedings(volume62issuesix)featuredLibrary and Information Management at the University of the West ofEngland.ItcontainsaneditorialbytheprogrammeleaderfortheMScILM,PaulMatthews, various articles written by some of the staffwhoteachonthecourse(PaulMatthews,Rob Stephens, Amanda Richardson and Jackie Chelin) and by past students reporting on the outputs of their dissertation research.

These articles are available through the Research Repository under the Faculty of Environment and Technology’s department of Computer Sciences and Creative Technologies and also under Library Services or via a journal search on the library catalogue.

Jeremy Dunham (HPP) has published his chapterBeyondDogmaticFinality:Whiteheadand the Laws of Nature in a new collection editedbyFaber,R,andHenning,BG(2011)BeyondMetaphysics:ExplorationsinAlfredNorthWhitehead’s Late Thought, published by Rodopi.

Sareh S, Conn, AT, Rossiter, JM,(BRL) Optimization of bio-inspired multi-segment IPMCcilia,ProceedingsofElectroactivePolymerActuatorsandDevices(EAPADXII),SPIEVol7642.

Spiers, A, G Herrmann, and C Melhuish, (BRL). A Neural Network Method of Learning Human Motion by Observation in Operational Space,Humanoids2010.10thIEEE-RASInternationalConferenceonHumanoidRobots,pages86-91.

Palmer D, Kirschenbaum M, Lanese A, Bledsoe R, Vaidyanathan R, (BRL), Using EstimatedGlobalInformationtoIncreaseMissionEffectivenessforUnmannedAirVehicle(UAV)Swarms,25thBristolInternationalUnmannedAirVehicleSystems(UAVS)Conference,pp23.1-23.2, Bristol, UK, April.

Fenton R, Grear A, Jones J, Stevenson K, (2011) Gender, Sexualities and Law

Viv Gibbs (HLS) has the following publications intheRadiographyjournal:

AnInvestigationintotheChallengesFacingtheFutureProvisionofContinuingProfessionalDevelopmentforAlliedHealthProfessionalsin a Changing Healthcare Environment; The DevelopmentofanInnovativeApproachtoPostgraduateUltrasoundEducation:AnEvolvingProcess.

AppointmentsProfessor Mel Smith (Machine Vision Laboratory) has been appointed a Member of theInternationalProgramCommitteefortheIASTEDInternationalConferenceonComputerVision,1-3June2011.HehasalsoexaminedaPhDattheUniversityofBristol,entitledMulti-camera optimisation for view synthesis and video communications,andwilljointlysuperviseaPhDattheUniversityofBathonusingthe3Dnoseasa biometric.

Bristol Law School has been short-listed for the best new student pro bono activity; this is part of the attorney general’s pro bono awards.

A team from FET, led by Dr Danielle Sinnett, has recently been awarded a contract to conduct a literature review for the charity Living Streets on Making the case for investment in the walking environment. This is a collaborative project between three research centres in the DepartmentofPlanningandArchitecture:CentreforSustainablePlanningandEnvironments,Centre for Transport and Society and WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Cities and UrbanPolicyaswellasanexternalconsultantCavill Associates. The review will set out the evidence for the impact of interventions in the walking environment on walking levels, physical and mental health, social interaction, satisfaction with the local environment and quality of life.

The review will be conducted by Danni Sinnett and Dr Kiron Chatterjee with input from Caroline Bird, Professor Katie Williams, Professor Hugh Barton and Dr Nick Cavill.

ConferencesCelia Rhodes and Stella Warren (BBS) are presenting a paper on encouraging teenagers to breastfeedatthe2ndWorldNon-ProfitSocialMarketingConferencetobeheldinDublininApril.

Dr Jiuai Sun, a Research Fellow in the Machine Vision Laboratory (MVL), presented a paper entitled An integrated multiple modal imaging method for skin condition inspection on 14 February at the Royal Society on Advances inMedicalandForensicImaging.TheeventwassupportedbyTheInstituteofPhysicsandEngineering in Medicine.

Mark Hansen (PhD student, MVL) won full funding to attend and present his work at a prestigious Doctoral Consortium at theNinthIEEEInternationalConference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition (FG 2011)heldinSantaBarbara,CaliforniaonMarch21-25,2011.TheIEEEconferenceseriesonAutomatic Face and Gesture Recognition is the premier international forum for research in image and video-based face, gesture, and body movement recognition. Mark successfully attracted funding from two sources,theBritishMachineVisionAssociationand the conference organisers. Only ten people worldwide were selected, based on their doctoral work, to present at this event.

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Technology Strategy Board Consultation Workshop on Advanced Robotics and Embodied Intelligence,Wednesday23February2011,Bristol Robotics Lab

BRLhostedtheTSBandESPKTNworkshoptostudy and evaluate the prospects for growing a viable business sector or sectors based upon the technologies and capabilities of autonomous systems and robotics. The aim of the event was to identify the key issues which may pertain to the acceleration or blocking of the emergence of a wealth creating industry.

Dr Andrew Spicer (CAHE) gave an invited talk and research seminar on Michael Klinger and the role of the producer at Lillehammer UniversityCollege,Norway,1-2February2011.AswellasTheJewishProducer:MichaelKlingerandRachel’sMan,attheInstituteofHistoricalResearch,Londonon10February2011.

Marcus Keppel-Palmer (Law) gave a paper onProgrammeQuotasForIndependentProductions:TheUKExperiencetoaConferenceonTheFutureofTelevisionProductioninStockholm, Sweden on 18 February. At the conference, which was arranged by the JönköpingInternationalBusinessSchoolandthe KK Foundation, Marcus also chaired a panel which looked at issues facing regulators of the television and broadcast industry. A forthcoming book will include papers delivered at the conference.

The Commercial Law Research Unit held

aconferenceonCloudComputing:Legal,OrganisationandTechnicalIssuesattheUWEExhibitionandConferenceCentreonWednesday23February2011.Thisconferenceprovidedan opportunity for delegates to engage with anexpertpaneldrawnfromindustry,thelegalprofessionandacademiainordertoexplorehowthe legal community responds to technological developments in the computing industry. The presentations included such topics as information ownership and the cloud, protecting personal data and regulation of the cloud. The conference attracted a number of renowned speakers from industry, academia and the legal profession includingProfessorChrisReed(QueenMaryUniversity of London), Andrew Murray (Reader, LondonSchoolofEconomics),DrMirandaMowbray(HewlettPackard),RichardWilderspin(Microsoft), Mark Webber (Osborne Clarke Solicitors), Martin Cuell and Andrew Tibber (Burges Salmon Solicitors). The conference was organised by Frances Winch with the support ofMarkO'BrienandStevenThackerandNicRyder. This is the first in a series of events to be organised by the Commercial Law Research Unit.

Dr Stephen Hunt (Dept of Sociology and Criminology) gave a talk entitled The (non-hetero)SexualisationoftheChurchtotheLSEAtheist and Humanist Society, at the London SchoolofEconomics,on8March,2011.

Danni Sinnett (Centre for Sustainable Planning and Environments), Marcus Grant and Sarah Burgess (WHO Collaborating

Centre for Healthy Cities and Urban Policy) have been successful in their bid to organiseasessionattheUK/IrelandPlanningResearchConference:Planningresilientcommunities in challenging times, to be held in Birmingham from 12 to 14 September. TheirsessionPlanningforHealth:attheforefront of interdisciplinary research will focus on the research challenges arising from the integration of health into planning. This session will be truly interdisciplinary, seeking to attract speakers and participants from the planning community working in collaboration with the public health sector. For further information please see the conference website (http://www.curs.bham.ac.uk/planning-research-conference-2011/index.shtml)orcontactDanniSinnett(danielle.sinnett@uwe.ac.uk).

ResearchKate Thomas (Schools and Colleges Partnership Service) has been awarded a LeadershipFoundationforHigherEducation:2011SmallDevelopmentProjectgranttoevaluate the UALL Women in Lifelong Learning e-mentoring scheme. The e-mentoring scheme waslaunchedinNovember2010andisco-ordinated by Kate Thomas in her capacity as the national Convenor of the UALL Women in Lifelong Learning Network. The project runs fromFebruary–September2011andwillconclude with a conference in September2011.

Printing and Stationery ServicesDid you know that we not only provide printing for the University but also do private work for staff and work for external organisations?

If you are involved in a club or an organisation and you need some printing, please contact us for a quote.

Telephone Internal 84670 External 0117 32 84670 E-mail printing@uwe.ac.uk

Our services include:

• Lottery/raffle tickets• Event tickets• Event programmes• Posters• Newsletters

• Calendars• Booklets with a variety of

bindings (coil, comb, tape, ring, wire)

• Bulk printing and burning of CDs and DVDs

• Postcards• Printed envelopes• Promotional goods

Tired of stuffing envelopes? We are able to offer a sophisticated mail-merge and mailing service to both University and external customers. Contact Roland Cowley on ext 84672 for more information or e-mail Roland.Cowley@uwe.ac.uk

Hot newsWe are now able to accept jobs via our electronic submission service. At present it is only available to staff through the intranet. We are developing an external portal for staff over the internet. For more information, please contact Carolyn Hancocks on ext 84674 or e-mail Carolyn.Hancocks@uwe.ac.uk

WebsiteOur website contains lots of information about our services. Why not take a look today?

www.uwe.ac.uk/printing/

31

Pay awardThe2010/11payawardof0.4percenteffectivefrom1August2010willbepaidinMarchsalariesandwillincludethenewsalaryand back pay.

Important changes to the default retirement ageOne of the measures the Government has taken to enable flexibilityforpeoplewhowishtoworklongeristophaseoutthedefaultretirementagefrom6April2011.Thelegislationalsoremovesthedutyonemployerstogiveaminimumofsixmonthsnotice of retirement to employees, and the subsequent right for employees to request to work beyond their retirement age.

Asfromthe1October2011,anemployeecandecidewhentoretire and the onus will be on the employee to provide a minimum contractual notice in writing to their line manager. Where there are pension considerations, it is recommended that three months’ notice be provided. The new legislation does not currently affect the age at which an employee may draw their state or occupational pension, which may differ from the age at which they decide to retire.

Inlightofthesechanges,informationisavailableontheHRwebsite(underHRPoliciesandProcedures,clickonRetirement)tohelp individuals understand their options in relation to accessing pensions,phasedandflexibleretirementarrangements,andplanning for retirement courses.

Employees who do not have access to the intranet can access information from their line manager or HR contact.

Human Resources Update

Transforming Stress into Resilience

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living well working well achieving more• •TM

Month/Issue Copy deadlineMay/ 3 May

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GraphicDesignTeam MC1021 UWE,BRISTOL F.03.11Printing and Stationery Serviceswww.uwe.ac.uk

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For sale in coastal Bulgaria - British couple selling two adjoining interconnected houses, set in peaceful friendly village close to unspoiled beach. For more information www.ourbulgariahome.com

Villa for rent–SouthofBarcelona(MiamiPlaya)BeautifulBeachesand Mountain Region Three Bedrooms (Sleeps 8) 2 Bathrooms shared swimming pool, and children’spool,gatedgardenarea.50minutesfromBarcelona.Closeto Roman Ruins in Tarragona, and Yacht Marina in Cambrils. Fully equipped villa, discounted prices for UWE Colleagues. CallAnna07770886380http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/s13068.htm

The ‘Staff Ads’ section of the Bulletin will discontinue after this months’ issue. Thanks to all the people who have sent us their ads overtheyears.TheNoticeboardhttp://www.uwe.ac.uk/cgi-bin/meepboard/Notices/list.cgiontheUWEWebsiteoffersstafftheopportunity to place and respond to notices from other members ofstaffandisquickandeasytouse.Ifyouhaveanyqueriespleasee-mail:bulletin@uwe.ac.uk

Staff ads

what'son • forfulldetailsofallUWEevents • tosubmitaneventtothediary • tosignuptoreceiveWhat’sonmonthly

go to www.uwe.ac.uk/events

Pleasenotethenewofficeopeningtimes fortheStaffAssociation:

Monday and Tuesday12:30to13:30 Wednesday closed Thursday and Friday12:30to13:30

Coach Club - Forthcoming Trips All staff, family and friends are welcome to book for trips. You don’t have to be a SA member and you are all welcome to join us!

Stratford upon Avon Sat 30 April 2011 (Shakespeare’s birthday weekend!) Cost: Members £10.50, Non-members £11.50 Stratford celebrates Shakespeare’s birthday each year with a festival. As this year it falls at Easter, the procession etc will be held on 30th.Therewillbeplentyofstreettheatre,music and other activities with players in costume around the town. A colourful, busy day with plenty to watch out for!

Sat 21 May 2011 - Coughton Court and Tewkesbury Costs: Members £18, Non Members £19 [This includes House Entrance Fee – N.T. Membersreducecostby£7.50,howeverNTMembers will have to pay separately on the day for entrance to the Walled Garden]

Staff Association

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We shall have a stop off at medieval Tewksbury with its ‘Olde England’ timber framed buildings in the morning whilst waiting for Coughton Court to open.

Sat 25 Jun 2011 - Babbacombe (and festival)Costs: Members £10.50, Non-members £11.50, Child £8

PlentygoingontodaywiththeBabbacombeFestival. Take the funicular railway down to the beach. Enjoy fish and chips in the renowned Hanbury’sorvisittheBabbacombeInnforasteak! Kent’s Caverns are a half hour walk away.

Xmas Market Weekend to Ghent, Bruges and Ostend 3 days (2 nights) Fri 9 - Sun 11 December Cost:- £139 (Members), £145 (Non-members) [Based on two sharing - Single supp £40]

Beautiful places to visit at any time of the year, but with the festive feeling even better!

Pleasenotethatatripmaybewithdrawnifnumbers are below the minimum required. Any seats requested for trips will not be held without payment.PleasemakechequespayabletoStaffAssociation Coach Club.

Ifyouareinterestedinanyoftheabovepleasecontactusthrough:-Coachclub@uwe.ac.uk, Telephone:01173283001

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:-

Midnight Tango Tues12July2011-tickets£22 Footloose-Weds15June2011-£22 South Pacific-Thurs24November2011-£31 Peter Pan (Panto)-Tues13December2011-£20(payby01Sep-£18!) Sister Act -Thurs12January2012-£27 (payby01Jun-£23!!) Lord of the Dance-Tues25Jan12-£36.50

Non-members are welcome to join us but remember that membership will bring with it a further reduction on ticket costs advertised.

Ifyouareinterestedinjoiningusatthetheatre 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:-Bobclub@uwe.ac.uk