Winter 2011 | Issue 11 | University of Wolverhampton | www.wlv.ac.uk

WLVdialogue

An EyEful of Sound Animation lecturer scoops top award

HomE from HomE New Student Union Centre opens

CrEAtivE CollAborAtion Prestigious win for business partnerships

Welcome to the latest edition of WLV Dialogue.

There have been a number of exciting developments at the University recently. A refurbished Students’ Union opened its doors this academic year, with a fresh and vibrant new look.

at the ERASMUS scheme, which enables students to travel to partner

institutions in Europe to enhance their language and cultural skills, on

pages 16-17.

Take a step back in time on pages 10-11 where you can read about

some interesting research being carried out by Reader in History, Dr

Laura Ugolini. Laura is looking at the role of civilian men on the home

front during World War I.

We hope you enjoy reading this edition of WLV Dialogue. If you have any

feedback for us, please get in touch at: wlvdialogue@wlv.ac.uk

Our next magazine will be out in the Spring.

Best wishes

vickie Warren

WLV Dialogue Editor

The Ambika Paul Student Union Centre offers a comfortable and friendly

‘home from home’ for students, and was officially launched by the

University’s Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone.

The University has also launched two innovative new Institutes which

aim to enhance students’ employability and create new opportunities

with businesses. Find out about the Institute of Gaming and Animation

and Institute of Media Arts on pages 8-9. There was a double success

at the prestigious Lord Stafford Awards, which recognise collaboration

between businesses and universities in the West Midlands. Read more

about the award-winning projects on pages 20-21.

In tough economic times, our graduates are boosting their credentials

by gaining valuable work experience. A group of graduate interns who

have been working at the University talk about what the placement

has meant to them on pages 6-7. Students are also adding to their

CVs by taking part in international student exchanges. We take a look

Welcome

PAGE

10

42

22

20

coNTeNTS 1

nEWS Home from home – Ambika Paul Student Union 2Centre launched

An Eyeful of Sound – Prestigious award win 4for animation lecturer

one step ahead – Graduate interns boost their credentials 6

new beginnings – Launch of two Institutes 8

rESEArCHthe war at home – Research into the role 10of civilian men in World War 1

ProfilEthe power of education – Q&A with Henriette Harnisch 12

fEAturEPutting pen to paper – A look at our Creative 14and Professional Writing course

intErnAtionAlAn exchange of ideas – The benefits of student exchanges 16

dare to dream – Scholarship transforms the life of one student 18

buSinESSCreative collaboration – Lord Stafford Award 20success celebrated

PEoPlESign of success – Q&A with former BBC 22See Hear Editor Terry Riley

Graduate Success Story – Biological Sciences 24graduate John Tarplee

What’s on guide – University events 25

PAGE16

Coming to university can be a daunting

time, but finding a place that feels

like home can be the key to settling

in. Students at the university of

Wolverhampton now have a new-look

Students’ union which aims to provide a

friendly, comfortable and homely space for

them to meet friends, study and relax.

Students were asked what they wanted from

their Students’ Union and the overwhelming

response was a coffee lounge and comfortable

study zones. With a fresh outlook and focus,

the SU is at the centre of the Wolverhampton

City Campus and is already proving a popular

destination with the University’s student

population.

The Ambika Paul Student Union Centre was

recently officially opened by the University’s

Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Paul of

Marylebone. The Centre received a generous

donation from the Ambika Paul Foundation,

a charitable trust established by Lord Paul in

memory of his daughter. At the opening, Lord

Paul spoke of the importance of education in

his own life and his pleasure at being able to

support today’s students.

“I am delighted that I have been able to benefit

the next generation by doing something for

this University, of which I have enjoyed being

Chancellor. I can think of no better way of

contributing through my foundation than

towards a Student Union Centre. This is where

they can study, talk to each other and be proud

of the University and their education,” he said.

Ken Harris is the Students’ Union President and

he is delighted with the revamped Students’

Union. He explains what the new SU means

to students: “The Students’ Union is a home

from home. A place to relax and socialise in,

participate in clubs and societies and take part

in volunteering and employment opportunities.

The SU is also a place to study and receive

support.”

The front of the Students’ Union, situated

opposite the Learning Centre on the City

Centre Campus, has been transformed into a

vibrant and welcoming modern environment.

On entering the glass-fronted space, students

are met by a coffee lounge with comfortable

seats and tables, and a reception area with

friendly staff who are happy to help. A corridor

with striking virtual wallpaper featuring images

of real Wolverhampton students leads to

the Activities Centre, a study zone equipped

with computers and more comfy seats. The

sabbatical Students’ Union officers can often

be found here, making them fully accessible

to the student body and on hand to help out

and advise. There is a boardroom for meetings

and a recording studio where the student radio

2 NeWS

station, Kic Fm, is based. In addition, the room

which formerly housed the bar, The Lounge,

and a larger room called The Venue, both

provide a great space for comedy and karaoke

nights and enables clubs and societies to host

their own events.

The new-look Students’ Union very much

reflects the needs of today’s students, who

want to work hard to succeed but also

socialise with their friends. The Centre has

opportunities for employment, enabling

students to further boost their credentials.

The location is also perfect as it is close to the

Learning Centre, Sports Centre, Careers and

Employment Service and Active Volunteers,

enabling students to combine their work with

extra-curricular activities.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline Gipps, is

pleased that the University has been able to

provide a space that students enjoy and that is

extremely well used.

She says: “The student experience is extremely

important to us, and we are pleased that

we have been able to provide such a bright

and comfortable environment for our thriving

student community.

“We are most grateful to Lord Paul and the

Ambika Paul Foundation for their generous

support of this new Centre.”

Perhaps the final word should go to the

students who use the Student Union Centre

on a daily basis to relax and study, take part

in activities and learn about opportunities to

further their skills.

Ken Harris says: “A Students’ Union is many

things to many people but to us it is a place

to call our own, and with the help of the

Ambika Paul Foundation we have a place to

accommodate the needs and activities of

our students.”

A Students’ Union is many things to many people but to us it is a place to call our own.

NeWS 3

University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline Gipps, Students’ Union President Ken Harris, Chairman of Governors Michael Elliott and University Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone PC

What does the number four taste like?

What colour is the letter l? What shape

is beethoven’s fifth Symphony or take

that’s the flood? these may sound like

unusual questions, but for someone with

synaesthesia, they are likely to evoke a

whole array of sensations.

Synaesthesia is often described as a joining

of the senses, whereby two or more of the

five senses that are normally experienced

separately are involuntarily and automatically

joined together. This may be hearing a piece

of music and seeing a certain shade of colour,

or where numbers, days of the week or

months have personalities, shapes or even

tastes. It is an interesting phenomenon which

has fascinated artists for generations, and an

animation lecturer at the University has spent

five years researching and developing a project

that explores and celebrates this rare trait.

Sam Moore is an award-winning animated

documentary maker at the University’s

School of Art & Design. Her short film about

synaesthesia, An Eyeful of Sound, recently won

the prestigious Nature Journal Scientific Merit

Award at the Imagine Science Festival,

New York.

Sam says: “Film makers spend a lot of time

sending work out to film festivals and it is a long

process – sometimes we get in and sometimes

we don’t. To get in was great but to win the top

prize was a real thrill.”

The prize is awarded to the best short film of

the festival, and was significant recognition

for the documentary. The 10 minute animated

documentary focuses on audio-visual

synaesthesia and was produced with three

women who see music. Sam received funding

from the Wellcome Trust to conduct a research

and development project, which grew into

the film.

“I had been interested in the brain trait of

synaesthesia for a few years. I am always

looking for things that can be visual and put

across well within an animated documentary.

The research and development project was

really interesting to do, so it seemed a logical

conclusion to continue and turn it into a short

film and give it a life outside,” she explains.

“A lot of artists are interested in synaesthesia;

if you have a creative output once you have

heard about it, you don’t forget about it and it

seems to hold the key to why the human brain

is creative.”

Sam, who is not synaesthetic herself, built

quite a relationship with the three women she

interviewed for the documentary. The process

began with an audio interview about their

experiences, and then Sam began to cut up

the sound and think of how to make images

that would be representative of what they

described.

Sam says: “It is a view of the subject that we

could not get any other way. You cannot put

a camera in their heads to show how they

experience life.

“When I played them sounds – not just music,

even the sound of a coffee grinder – it would

bring up something visual and outside their

body that was really interesting.

An eyeful of Sound

4 NeWS

“One of the participants said that when her

friends and family came round to the house,

she would play them the film to explain what

the condition was like. They really like the film

– one said I had made it very synaesthetically

which I liked! A lot of people don’t admit to

being synaesthetic because people will think

they are weird, but it is not an illness, it is a way

of seeing the world.”

Sam says she picks up nuggets of information

all over the place and files them away for future

use. Her previous work, The Beloved Ones,

tells the true stories of two African women

living with the repercussions of HIV/AIDS, while

doubled up is a portrait of her own experiences

of having twin boys.

Students on the School of Art & Design’s BA

(Hons) Animation are encouraged to get their

films screened as much as possible. The

course seeks to develop students’ technical

knowledge and cultivate their understanding

of movement, mostly through drawing. They

learn to combine visual and sound skills with

(c) Samantha Moore An Eyeful of Sound funded by the Wellcome Trust. Front cover: Glitter Flyover

Things in the Road

structured time and motion, as well as honing

their editing skills and creative use of sound.

“One of the things I love about the course is

that it’s really diverse, has an open ethos and

students are encouraged to find their own way,”

Sam says. “It is really about finding your style

and respecting different ways of working.

“I always say to students that they should get

their work out there as much as they can and

get it screened. You see your work in a different

context and see what’s not working – the more

feedback you get the better.”

Sam has already moved on to her next

project – her PhD, which is looking at

animation to represent unique brain states

such as synaesthesia. As Sam’s work shows,

inspiration comes from many places, and

students at the University continue to amaze

and challenge expectations with their work.

And with an award-winning lecturer behind

them, the sky’s the limit.

NeWS 5

Monday

Glitter Harp

6 NeWS

Gracia Kabongo’s experience of the

current job market may be familiar to

many recent graduates.

“I finished University in May and I didn’t get

anywhere. I got interviews and it was always a

case of not having enough experience,”

she says.

But 21-year-old Gracia wasn’t one to accept

defeat and she applied for a Graduate

Internship at the University of Wolverhampton,

where she had studied a BA (Hons) in Event

and Venue Management. Gracia and three

other graduates from the Class of 2010 were

successful in gaining places with the academic

Schools where they had studied.

“Now I have experience of lots of different

things – dealing with customers, liaising with

colleagues and using my own initiative. I go

into the office and I decide what is best for the

students I’m dealing with. I think this internship

will boost my future chances,” the School

of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure

graduate adds.

The role of the interns is to share their own

experiences and help new students settle into

their academic programmes. They provide

advice and support to students on enrolment

and registration, monitor attendance and

support any individual students who are

experiencing difficulties. They have almost

become ‘the face’ of their Schools, building

relationships with students, with some inquirers

returning to them a second or third time for

additional support.

Gracia explains: “I have been doing lots of

presentations and I felt scared at first, but now

I’m more confident speaking in front of people

and on the telephone. It has helped me to learn

a lot about students and I love putting a smile

on someone’s face, and when they say thank

you it’s great.”

Positive experience

Each of the interns has come to the six-month

internship with different experience, but all are

positive about what they are learning.

Joanne Griffiths studied part-time to complete

a BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies at the

School of Education. She managed to juggle

her degree with raising her children, and she

jumped at the chance when she heard about

the internship.

The 34-year-old says: “It is a nice feeling to

help students – we do get the same students

coming back to us and you build a relationship

with them.

“Every day is different and every week is

different – I actually like coming to work.”

Katier Scott was a mature student at the

School of Art & Design, with 18 years of

work experience already. But the internship

programme has opened up new horizons and

possibilities for her.

“There is a lot of experience I am bringing to the

job, but it is a way of starting a career within a

University. Working face-to-face with people is

rewarding and you get to see the end result. It

can be on-going support, and I have also

made friends.”

Meanwhile Business Management graduate

Stacy Evans, 24, has found that doing the

internship has changed her aspirations.

After finishing her degree at the University of

Wolverhampton Business School, Stacy had

wanted to go into HR or Marketing, but now

she says she just wants to help people.

The skills she has learnt so far are wide

ranging, and she thinks it was a good idea for

the University to focus on recent graduates for

these positions.

“I have gained communication and presentation

skills. I enjoy working face-to-face with the

students and staff,” she says.

“Recent graduates are good because they are

fresh from their studies and relate to students

better. They also know the positive and negative

sides of being a student.”

One step ahead

Stacy Evans

NeWS 7

Joanne agrees: “It also makes you more

approachable if they know you have

just finished. You have common ground

straight away.”

broadened horizons

The experience of the internship has

broadened horizons for each of the

graduates, but the skills and knowledge

gained from their degrees is still hugely

important and useful.

BA (Hons) Journalism and Editorial Design

graduate Katier, 39, says: “I would still like

to go into journalism, but I would like to

stay at the University and do a Masters.

I’m interested in lecturing, Marketing or

becoming a technician – it has opened up

options within the University, and I have

always loved this University.”

Joanne adds: “I haven’t changed my

aspirations, but this has broadened

my horizons. When you hear about the

economy, there are fewer jobs out there

so everybody has to widen their scope for

what they want to do.”

Jon Elsmore is Dean of Students at the

University, and developed the proposal for

the internships. He is aware of the challenges

facing today’s graduates, but is keen to stress

that there are opportunities out there.

“The University was a major partner in the West

Midlands Graduate Internship programme,

through this and other initiatives we matched

over 150 of our graduates with local employers.

I thought that we should be sharing the same

benefits as an employer and so developed this

scheme for graduate interns to bring their recent

experiences back to the University to help new

students.

“The project has been hugely successful and I

hope we will be able to continue to offer these

opportunities in the future.”

A bit of advice

So what advice would the interns give to

students following in their footsteps?

Joanne says: “Get as much experience as you

can, alongside your degree. I did volunteer work

but looking back I wish I had done more and

pushed myself.”

Katier agrees, and suggests the Students’

Union is a good place to gain some valuable

experience, whether it is working on a student

newspaper or working in the reception.

“We are not in jobs that are necessarily our

chosen career but we are all in a job that opens

up the opportunity of going into a career. It is

good to get a foot in the door, so when a job

does come up you are in the right place,” she

adds.

Stacy advises: “Every student should use all the

services that the University provides, such as

the Careers and Employment Service.”

Gracia takes a slightly different, and rather

refreshing, stance.

“My advice is switch off the news! There might

be cuts in jobs but a lot of my friends are still

getting positions. I think hearing about it can

destroy your focus – I would say, focus on what

you want to do. Believe in yourself and go and

get it.”

One step ahead

Gracia Kabongo and Katier Scott

the two new Institutes, which will enhance

the student experience and create new

opportunities to work with industry experts.

The courses we offer in these subjects

are innovative and engaging, and provide

our students with the necessary skills and

experience to start a career in these important

and growing industries.”

introducing … the institute of Gaming and

Animation

The Institute of Gaming and Animation (IGA)

is led by its Director, Dr Stuart Slater. Bringing

together experts from the School of Art &

Design and the School of Technology, the IGA

was formed to meet demands from industry

to deliver cutting edge technology and design

solutions. Academics from both Schools have

worked with industry leaders on innovative

curriculum development to ensure students

on undergraduate courses graduate with skills

relevant to the demands of the profession. The

Institute also offers bespoke training and works

with regional, national and European partners

on innovative projects and applied research.

In addition, the IGA has a thriving Games

Society which has seen students exhibit

their projects at high profile events such as

The Gadget Show Live. Graduates have

if asked what would be their dream job,

working in the media or the computer

games industry would probably be high on

the list for many graduates. both careers

offer the opportunity to combine a passion

with a profession and the potential

rewards are enormous. but with popularity

comes competition, and the need to have

the edge and stand out in a crowd is a

challenge facing today’s job hunters.

The University of Wolverhampton recognises

the need to tick every box on an employer’s

wish list. They want academic knowledge

and professional skills in areas relevant to

their industry, and they also want practical

experience. That’s why two new Institutes at

the University are striving to enhance students’

employability and create new opportunities with

regional, national and international businesses.

The Institute of Media Arts and the Institute of

Gaming and Animation were officially launched

at a reception attended by students, graduates,

academics and industry experts. Both Institutes

seek to create links with businesses that will

benefit both the employers and the students.

They also draw together experts from different

areas of the University to work on innovative

projects and applied research.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline Gipps,

says: “We are delighted to have launched

also worked on over 24 Nintendo Wii games

and popular titles such as Resident Evil:

Degeneration and Grand Theft Auto: the

Lost and the Damned. The IGA has links with

industry giants like Microsoft and Epic, giving

students access to leading experts in the field.

At the launch, Stuart recognised the economic

challenges facing the gaming industry but

highlighted that there are opportunities for the

bright young stars of tomorrow.

“The University has shown over a continued

period that if there is an opportunity for our staff

and students to innovate, they will always hold

their own.

“The support from University staff, firstly in the

inception of the Institute and then changes

to the curriculum and the refocusing of our

business development, means that the students

of the future can have optimism.”

He was joined at the event by Nick Davies, a

graduate of the University who has gone on

to become a Senior Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Engineer at CCP Games, who said he still used

the skills and ideas he learnt while studying

in Wolverhampton in his career today. David

Burden, from Daden Limited which has worked

with Stuart on some innovative projects already,

also outlined the benefits of collaboration

between universities and businesses.

8 NeWS

New beginnings

The Institutes are specialising in high growth areas of the economy and both bring businesses closer to the University

Speaking at the launch, Sam focused on

change – to both the economic climate and

the media industry itself, and how this impacts

on those wishing to embark on a career in this

exciting arena.

“There are many changes for the creative

and media sector, but with change comes an

opportunity for innovation and creativity and we

will be embracing future changes,” she added.

the final say: employers

The keynote speaker at the launch was

Karen Price, Chief Executive of e-skills and

a recent recipient of an honorary degree

from the University. e-skills is the employer-

led Sector Skills Council for Business and

Information Technology. Karen shared her

insights on collaboration between universities

and businesses, highlighting the fact

employers recognise the importance of higher

education in shaping the talent pool. She also

emphasised the benefits of such links for the

professional development of people who are

already on the payroll.

As someone who knows the minds, desires

and aspirations of today’s employers, Karen

is well aware of the impact well-equipped

graduates can make to a business.

Presenting… the institute of media Arts

Sam Hope heads the Institute of Media Arts

(IMA), which aims to be a centre of excellence

incorporating expertise from the School of

Art & Design and the School of Law, Social

Sciences and Communications. By developing

undergraduate and postgraduate courses

that are industry focused, the Institute aims to

produce graduates who will shape the creative

industries. Partnerships with the media industry,

including the BBC, help to boost student

placement opportunities in a profession that

demands work experience on every

applicant’s CV.

Another strand of the Institute’s remit involves

outreach work with school pupils and young

people. An excellent example of this was the

Be Heard! Project, which was a magazine-

style radio programme produced by blind

and partially sighted people aged between 13

and 25. With support from Wolverhampton

Community Radio (WCR FM) and media

experts at the University, they developed

the content for a range of features. The final

production included the subjects of audio

description for visually impaired people,

owning a guide dog, the meaning of dreams,

a friendship poem, a passion for football and a

school visit.

She says: “I wish both Institutes every success.

They are both specialising in high growth areas of

the economy and both bring businesses closer to

the University, and this means we are supporting

the talent pool for both sectors.”

The world of work is changing and evolving all

the time, and there are challenges for all sectors.

Through the new Institutes, the University of

Wolverhampton is striving to produce graduates

who are ahead of the game.

NeWS 9

10 ReSeARch

the experiences of men who fought during

the first World War are well documented.

many kept diaries, wrote poems or letters

home to loved ones and some went on

to write autobiographies about life in the

trenches when the war ended. but

what about the men who lived during

the Great War, but didn’t step foot onto

the battlefield?

Up until now, little has been written about

civilian men on the home front, particularly

middle class men. The men themselves may

have considered their experiences as being less

important or interesting as those fighting for

their country so did not record the ins and outs

of daily life. But a University of Wolverhampton

researcher is investigating the experiences of

such individuals for a new book.

Dr Laura Ugolini, Reader in History, has

received a research grant from the British

Academy to look at what happened to men

who didn’t join up because they were too old,

unfit or were in reserved occupations. It is

difficult to assess the numbers, but estimates

suggest that one in three men joined the armed

forces. This means that two thirds did not – but

so little is known about them.

“Looking at case studies of individuals, there

was a huge difference in their attitudes to the

war and clearly it was a problem for many of

them, even those that were too old to fight,”

Laura, from the School of Law, Social Sciences

and Communications, says.

“They felt they had to justify why they had

not enlisted and that they had to present

themselves as making a contribution to

organisations supporting the war effort and

charitable activities.

“But there was a feeling that whatever they

did was never going to be good enough – the

sacrifice was not sufficient as they were not on

the battle front.”

This seems to have been more of an issue

during the First World War than the Second,

as bombing of civilians on the home front was

more intense in the 1940s.

Laura explains: “There were Zeppelin raids and

the fear of a German invasion during WW1, but

during war time we create an image of heroic

soldiers and brave war personnel so it is always

difficult for those men who are not actively

fighting to justify their role in society.”

Dr Ugolini cites an example of a male civil

servant who was asked almost every day

why he was not in uniform, and even received

white feathers to symbolise cowardice. The

writings that are available suggest that some

men paid no attention to this, while others were

traumatised by it.

For example, at the outbreak of war, Walter

Glenn Ostler was a railway booking clerk at

Crouch Hill, North London. During an interview

for an oral history project in 1973, he said that

he was ‘6 ft 1 ½ tall and very soon patriotism

built up very intense around London and

alternate weeks I used to meet my fiancé at

Finsbury Park’. He added that getting on the

tram and ‘being so tall and fairly conspicuous

… I was soon made to feel that my place would

be in the forces; in fact on one or two occasions

I was given white feathers’.

Laura adds: “Some men spent the whole war

being harassed about why they were not in

uniform as the assumption was that they did

not want to do their duty, and had somehow

managed to get work in a reserved occupation

or used their contacts.”

looking closer

Dr Ugolini’s research looks at a number of

aspects of life for men on the home front,

including the impact of the Zeppelin attacks

and the extent to which people had information

about what was happening on the battle front.

She is also studying their experiences of work

and how they continued their occupations.

Family life is placed under the spotlight to

consider the disruption and break down of the

normal order, and asks whether men felt they

had lost their authority as women got involved

in the war effort and sons went off to fight in the

trenches.

The book will look at the men who volunteered

on the home front by becoming Special

Constables or joining paramilitary organisations

in case there was an enemy invasion. This was

one way of proving their patriotism. They also

had to change their leisure and consumption

habits because of the restrictions of the war.

The war at home

ReSeARch 11

To carry out the research, Dr Ugolini is looking

at any material that is available, such as diaries

of men on the home front. One diary she has

uncovered is thousands of pages long as the

author felt it was his war duty to write the diary.

At the end of the war, Frederick Robinson

wrote: ‘It is an intense relief to feel that this

daily self-imposed task, I might almost say,

this daily penance, is finished. I feel like the

man must have felt who took off the hair shirt

he wore for his soul’s sake’. His own family

questioned why he was doing it, and it became

a self-imposed duty for him. He stopped

writing on November 11, 1918.

Another diary was written by Andrew Clark a

vicar of a small parish in Essex, as he had been

disappointed that he had not kept a diary of

village life and opinions during the Boer War.

Laura describes this diary as “fascinating” as

he kept press cuttings and adverts to create a

history of the war.

“He is distant from the events of the war, but

you get hints within the diary of combatants

that didn’t come back. One family in his

parish lost five sons during the war, and this is

explained as the vicar had to sign to receive the

effects. On Wednesday 14 October 1914 Clark

wrote: Mrs Sophia Fitch, wife of Walter Fitch,

an agricultural labourer, had come ‘to have

their application signed for the effects of their

son Dick … of the 2nd Essex Regiment, killed

in action … a lad of just 19, and enlisted so

recently as a year ago last June’.

“He also posted the names of those that were

serving on the door of the church but stopped

this practice as it was too painful to remove the

names of those that had died. He tries to be

impersonal but this gives an insight into how

he felt about the losses. The death of his own

wife due to illness does not get mentioned in

the diary as it was not part of the war – perhaps

because it was considered personal.”

Dr Ugolini’s study looks at one of the most

widely researched periods of our country’s

history, but an aspect that has received little

attention. But as she says, it is another part of

the jigsaw in our understanding of this pivotal

era of modern times.

“After World War One, there was a trend

towards publishing the autobiographies of

soldiers, but very few, if any, of civilians. They

may not have been considered as important or

interesting as the experiences of combatants

but it creates a huge gap in our war knowledge

as you imagine the home front to be completely

empty of men, when clearly, it was not.”

What does your role involve?

Schools and Colleges Partnerships manages

the higher education and further education

collaborative provision the University has in

the Black Country and beyond. It also involves

pre-entry curriculum activity, where we develop

partnerships with schools and colleges to

jointly deliver curriculum opportunities such

as tasters, workshops and year-long courses

delivered in sixth forms.

Why is this aspect of the university’s

work important?

It helps us as a University to understand

the journey of students before they come

to us, and this informs teaching, learning,

assessment and achievement. It is important

for us to understand this so we can feed it into

our institutional strategic priorities. If we want

to improve student satisfaction, we need to

understand concretely and practically where

the students are coming from.

What do you enjoy about your work?

I really do enjoy challenges. I wasn’t looking

for a job when I heard about this one, but the

role initially was to direct the Black Country

14-19 Pathfinder (which later became

Language Networks for Excellence) and help

people to work together, and I wanted to

try and help change take place. Innovation

is the theme that links everything I do. I

am in a privileged position that I work with

external partners and no two days are ever

the same. The opportunities in Education

Partnerships of working either through Schools

and Colleges Partnerships or the Midlands

Leadership Centre are tremendous. The

Midlands Leadership Centre is an educational

consultancy that is commissioned by public

and private sector bodies to deliver bespoke

activity. That could be, for example, delivering

a project for funders in the Middle East to set

up an international school by helping them to

write a curriculum model, a staffing structure

and progression routes. We also do local

consultancy such as our involvement with

academies, which informs what we do on the

schools and colleges side too.

What is the key to

partnership working?

Communication and understanding. What

I find fascinating, elevating and inspiring in

partnership working is being confident about

the contribution we can make but also being

humble enough to understand every other

partner’s contribution. The aim is always to

create a whole which is greater than the sum

of its components.

What is the most difficult thing about

partnership work?

The same thing! People are driven by personal

or institutional agendas – understandably so

– but it is about working out what makes the

other person tick. What is making them say

what they are saying, and how can we find

a solution?

What advice would you offer to

students?

Follow your passion. Think about what it is

you really like or are great at, and that need

not relate to a specific job. To succeed in this

world, having one great job cannot be the

objective. We have to be flexible, highly skilled

and confident. It is finding that flame inside

of you.

What has influenced your

own career?

The big thing in my life has been mentors. At

every stage professionally I have had a really

important mentor. That is something I try and

be to young people – it is only when you reach

my age that you realise the value.

The power of educationHenriette Harnisch is Interim Deputy Director of Education Partnerships at the University of Wolverhampton. Her role involves managing the University’s Schools and Colleges Partnerships and also the Midlands Leadership Centre, an educational consultancy. She has worked at the University since 2003 and her background is in Linguistics. Henriette has worked across all educational sectors as a lecturer, teacher, curriculum manager and head of a specialist language centre, and moved to the UK 20 years ago from Berlin.

12 PRoFIle

1

2

3

7

6

5

4

PRoFIle 13

What are you working on currently?

The University co-sponsors three academies

which brings fantastic opportunities for us

in terms of student progression but also in

relation to building strong relationships, and a

robust research base for our transition work.

One of these new academies is the Black

Country University Technical College (UTC)

with lead sponsor Walsall College.

The UTC is a completely new type of institution

for 14-19 year olds and the emphasis is on

high quality vocational and technical learning.

The focus is on engineering, and we have

engineering and scientific expertise from both

institutions working together to develop a

curriculum model at the moment. This is a very

good area for us to be involved in, given the

expertise at the University.

What is the most rewarding thing

about your job?

We work hard to provide high quality and

innovative activities, and when children

experience these and at the end of them say “I

want to come back”, that’s very rewarding.

98

14 FeATURe

Candi Miller’s first novel, Salt and Honey, is set

in southern Africa during Apartheid and focuses

on a young girl’s displacement from her Kalahari

desert-tribe. Candi spent time in the Kalahari

to research the book, and is drawing on those

experiences again to write the as-yet untitled

sequel, due out in September 2011.

They agree that the hardest thing about writing

is the actual sitting there and doing it, for hours

on end, pushing the narrative along inch by

inch. It can be a lonely process, and that is one

of the appeals of a University course.

Candi explains: “You don’t have to come to

University to become a writer but one reason

why you might do so is the sense of community

– it is very appealing and comforting because

writing is such a lonely business. Our students

flourish when they are with people doing the

same thing.

“The reason the University of Wolverhampton

course is impressive I believe is that it is

practical, allowing you to merge your skills so

you can earn a living while closing in on your

creative enterprise. It combines the professional

side with the creative.”

Paul adds: “What a creative writing course does

is offer a context in which to develop creative

skills with that all important critical feedback

from people who have read a lot. That’s

invaluable. It’s very difficult to get objective

feedback outside the context of a creative

writing course.”

So what do our students write about?

According to Candi and Paul it is an eclectic

and enjoyable mix.

the saying goes that everyone has a novel

in them. but actually having that spark

of a great idea, the inspiration and the

determination to sit and write something

that transports an engrossed reader to a

different world takes something special. At

the university of Wolverhampton, a degree

course is helping students to nurture their

passion for writing and also earn a living

from their talent.

The BA (Hons) Creative and Professional Writing

degree offers a stimulating programme in

which budding authors can create, analyse and

interpret different forms and styles of writing.

The aim is for students to develop a range of

specific and transferable skills to enable them

to enter a wide range of professions, including

journalism, public relations, advertising,

copywriting, teaching and even fiction writing.

The publishing industry is a notoriously difficult

nut to crack, and the road to publication can be

littered by rejection letters. The University course

is taught by published authors who know the

challenges, pitfalls and the hard work needed

to succeed.

Senior Lecturer Dr Paul McDonald runs the

Creative and Professional Writing programme

and is also a comic novelist and poet. His

first novel, Surviving Sting (2001), draws on

his experiences working as a saddlemaker.

His second novel, Kiss Me Softly, Amy Turtle

(2004) is a comic mystery set in Walsall, while

his third, Do I Love You? (2008), takes Northern

Soul as its theme. His humour research gained

international media attention when he identified

the oldest joke in the world. Senior Lecturer

Putting pen to paper

“Our students come from a diverse range

of backgrounds and different continents

and their experiences are amazing, from the

supposed ordinariness of a peaceful Black

Country childhood to reformed addicts to

people from oppressive regimes in Eastern

Europe. Students think their lives have not

been interesting but every single one of them

has found the minutiae of their lives can be

fascinating,” Candi says.

Paul agrees: “I’m constantly learning – it’s an

absolute joy to read students’ work. They have

interesting things to say about themselves and

their world.”

Inspiration can come from all sorts of places.

For Candi, it is a perceived injustice, but she

admits this is different for every writer. Paul,

meanwhile, says it is looking for things he

finds funny in everyday life and exaggerating

them. However neither believes in the concept

of writers’ block, with Candi arguing this is

inevitably about something else that is going on

in a writer’s life.

“One thing I will always say to people is never

wait for inspiration – you have to go out and

find something to write about and when you

find it, keep writing about it. Inspiration won’t

seek you out – you have to be proactive if

you want to be a writer,” Paul advises.

FeATURe 15

There can be an element of false expectation

among people seeking a career in creative and

professional writing, drawn in by the fairytale

stories of what happened to authors such

as Harry Potter creator J.K Rowling. Candi

explains that it is crucial for budding writers

to be ferocious readers, to read widely and

understand the building blocks of words.

Paul says: “You have to strike a balance by

encouraging people to be realistic and letting

them know it’s not an easy thing to do. Many

are called but few are chosen when it comes

to being a celebrity writer. But on the other

hand, people do make money out of writing and

publishers are looking for writers to publish, so

there’s nothing wrong with optimism.”

Candi continues: “You have to write with an

audience and market in mind. That does not

mean you have to compromise your creativity

but you have to write realistically. Not all writing

has to be shared, but if you do decide to share

it, it should be entertaining, informative and

meet some demand.”

So what advice would they offer to tomorrow’s

novelists and professional writers? Paul and

Candi’s recommendations are simple – write

and also read as much as possible.

“Writers are the ones who go out and find ideas

actively, look for ideas, feed on ideas and then

put the work into developing those ideas into

something,” Paul says.

Candi adds: “Write and don’t send your work

off prematurely. You need feedback desperately,

and that is the time to find a writers’ network

and if you can get on to a University course so

much the better. At University, the tutors come

to know you over the course of your degree so

they can see your possibilities more than

you can.

“We want you to be the best writer you can be,

whether that is as a professional or

creative writer.”

dos and don’ts do

• Read as much as you can

• Take advice where you can get it

• Put your writing aside then go back

to it and revise before thinking about

publishing it

• Have courage in your convictions if you

have a good idea

don’t

• Submit a first draft

• Overwrite – be selective

• Try to write a bestseller – write what you

can and feel

• Be discouraged – if it’s rejected, send it

to another publisher

European partners, so they do not incur any

additional costs for the period they spend on an

ERASMUS programme.

The benefits are wide-ranging. Izabela Wojcik,

a Tourism Management and French student,

spent five months in Nice and was nervous

about having language difficulties.

“I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able

to speak the language or cope with exams.

But thankfully that was not so bad. After two

months I found myself thinking in French – that

was a new experience for me!” she says.

Mature English and History student Katrina

Brown describes studying at the University of

Versailles, Saint-Quentin, through ERASMUS as

one of the “best adventures of my life”.

“I felt I had accomplished a rite of passage,

albeit a few years late, had made new friends

and had a wonderful time getting to know Paris,

and, perhaps most importantly, developed

massively in confidence.”

There are also advantages for international

students who wish to visit Wolverhampton, and

over the years the University has welcomed

hundreds of enthusiastic students from across

Europe. Magdalena Brodzinska from Poland

where she studies English Philology, is

currently at the University studying English,

French and The American Civil War, and is

having a great time.

“I am enjoying my stay in Wolverhampton. I love

the University, the broad choice of modules

to study, friendly teachers and very attractive

library. It is a great educational experience to

study in Wolverhampton, I find it very different

than my home-university and I love exploring

these differences. ERASMUS is also an

unforgettable time for a young person because

of the many new acquaintances, spending time

with people of various cultures.”

ERASMUS also enables staff to take part in the

teaching and staff training mobility scheme. Many

staff have taken advantage of the scheme to visit

partner institutions in Europe to teach and run

workshops in their subject. This gives them the

opportunity to network, exchange ideas, learn

about each other’s culture and compare

working environments.

Graeme Simpson from the School of Health and

Wellbeing took part in such an exchange.

He says: “Not only are the teaching placements

worthwhile in themselves, the experience

provides valuable material to benefit the teaching

of the subject to University of Wolverhampton

social work students at all levels of study,

especially through reciprocal visits.”

From the University’s point of view, taking

part in an ERASMUS exchange enhances

students’ experiences, skills and adds to their

CVs. Wolverhampton actively promotes these

opportunities to students and encourages them

to grasp this wonderful opportunity to broaden

their horizons with both hands.

As Jo Gittens, Director, International, says: “The

ERASMUS scheme provides an opportunity for

a student to travel, experience different cultures

and enhance their employability skills. We support

and promote this scheme during studies as a

commitment to global citizenship and we benefit

from the enrichment these students bring to the

community here in Wolverhampton. Staff are

also catered for with many having taken up the

chance to network and exchange ideas in their

chosen field and I wholly endorse this activity.”

The students that visit Wolverhampton add to

the cultural diversity of the University and bring

a fresh outlook on the advantages of higher

education. For Wolverhampton students, an

ERASMUS exchange can be an enormously

exciting and beneficial aspect of their studies, and

an experience to remember.

for matt vesty, university has opened up a

new possibility that he wasn’t expecting.

He is off to Sweden for a semester to

broaden his language skills and experience

another culture through an ErASmuS

exchange.

“I thought it would be a convenient way to add

to my degree and gain teaching experience over

there,” he explains. “I have not been to Sweden

before, but a Swedish student came over last

year and explained what it was like. There is a

great focus on language and teaching which

complements what I’m doing, and I’ve always

wanted to go there.”

Linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to

Speakers of Other Languages) student Matt

has basic Swedish which he is hoping to

develop further during his stay, but speaking

the language is not a requirement for

students wishing to take part in an exchange.

Participants study a wide variety of subjects

including English Language, Sport and Exercise

Science, Nursing, Psychology, Spanish, Law,

German, Public Relations and French. As many

of the University’s partner institutions teach all

or some of their modules in English, participants

don’t need to be studying a language to travel.

The ERASMUS exchange scheme has been

running at the University since 1987 with the

aim of increasing student mobility within the

European community. Hundreds of students

have taken part in the scheme, which allows

them to study at one or two of the University’s

partner institutions in Europe for a maximum

of one academic year. Over the years,

Wolverhampton students have visited Finland,

Cyprus, Poland, Spain, France, Germany,

Austria, Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands and the

Czech Republic. Students receive a contribution

grant to their living expenses and the institution

meets the costs of the study if they are from

An exchange of ideas

16 INTeRNATIoNAl

An exchange of ideas

INTeRNATIoNAl 17

“Although this took me almost a year to do,

it was hope and belief that kept me going. It

felt like a miracle when I found that I had been

selected for the MSc Computer Science course

at the University of Wolverhampton in May

2008.”

The timing coincided with the launch of the

Wolverhampton-India project, an initiative

which aims to strengthen existing links and

open up new opportunities for mutual benefit

to businesses, individuals and communities in

India and Wolverhampton. The project’s three

main areas of focus are trade, education and

culture/sport and it received backing from

organisations within Wolverhampton including

the University, Wolverhampton City Council,

Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, the Chamber of

Commerce and City of Wolverhampton College

as well as local MPs.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline Gipps,

attended an official Wolverhampton-India

Project event in the Punjab in 2008 and

launched a new scholarship offered by the

then School of Computing and Information

Technology. The scholarship aimed to give

opportunities to academically excellent

students from poorer backgrounds by paying

their tuition fees to attend the University to

study courses offered by the School.

Jasvir was interviewed by Jasbir Singh Uppal,

India Co-ordinator from the School, and began

her studies in Wolverhampton in September

2008. Her accommodation and living costs

were met by a generous sponsor in the UK, Mr

Tejpal Atwall.

Jasvir says: “There were a lot of students from

my community and country at the University,

and that helped me a lot. The lecturers were

really nice and I enjoyed my course – it was

totally different from in India. The International

Centre at the University also helped us a lot.

“I have now finished my MSc at the University

of Wolverhampton, where I have been able to

learn valuable skills that can be applied to the

academic world. I felt that during the course,

the staff were helpful and friendly.”

Jasvir, now 23, graduated in September 2010

and her ceremony was attended by many of

the people who had helped her to achieve her

dream. Jasvir has remained in the UK and now

lives in London. She gained employment in

Data Administration and is currently looking for

a job closer to her field of expertise. She is also

hoping to continue her studies by completing a

PhD and she is grateful for the opportunity she

was given by the University.

“The main thing I learnt at the University of

Wolverhampton was that if anybody has a

desire to do something, then they must try to

achieve it. Everybody was equal and was given

an equal opportunity in the classes,” she says.

“I have gained independence and confidence

during each module, and the skills are with me

now that I’m in a profession.”

Professor Rob Moreton, Dean of what is now

the School of Technology, was instrumental

in developing the scholarship, and says he is

delighted by what Jasvir has achieved.

He says: “The School of Technology at the

University is committed to creating opportunities

for gifted students, and this scholarship

illustrates the difference higher education can

make to young people. I’m absolutely delighted

that Jasvir has achieved so much during her

time with us and everyone wishes her every

success for the future.”

Jasvir Kaur describes being selected to

study at the university of Wolverhampton

as “a miracle”. there was a time when

adding to her qualifications with a masters

degree seemed beyond reach – despite

her academic excellence and willingness

to learn.

Jasvir’s family were unable to pay for her

education, but she says she still dreamt of

obtaining a degree. She managed to pay a

small instalment to be accepted onto the BSc

Information Technology at Lyallpur Khalsa

College, Jalandhar in 2004. She received

support from a college tutor, Professor Harbans

Singh Bolina, who paid for her fees enabling

her to continue her studies, and she graduated

in 2007.

But Jasvir was determined to add to her

qualifications by studying at an international

university.

She says: “People said I was wasting my time

and foolish for trying to accomplish such an

impossible task. I began my research on how to

obtain a scholarship in order to carry out

my studies.

18 INTeRNATIoNAl

Dare to dre mthe university of Wolverhampton has a strong regional presence in india and welcomes hundreds of students from the country to the uK each year. A scholarship from the School of technology for indian students from poor backgrounds is helping to transform lives and make a difference to gifted and talented young people.

It felt like a miracle when I found that I had been selected for the mSc computer Science course

INTeRNATIoNAl 19

20 BUSINeSS

One of the Centre’s current projects is an

iPhone application called ‘Consume Within’.

Developed from an inventor project by a new

spin-out company, Unibyte Ltd, the app is all

about managing the food within your kitchen

fridge, freezer and cupboards. It keeps a record

of when items are due to go out of date and

alerts you when they are due to expire. Another

CIC success story is the Caparo RightFuel

device, a clever invention which prevents

motorists from filling petrol in diesel cars. The

brainchild of Martin White, who partnered with

the CIC to develop and license the patent

rights, the device won a double gold award at

the British Invention of the Year Awards

in 2008.

Andrew believes it is the collaborative element

that makes the Caparo Innovation Centre a

success. He says: “We have managed to get

the synergy of benefits a University can bring

to a project and what industry can add, so we

have the creativity and technical capacity from

the University side and the focus on results and

implementation from Caparo.”

John Wood, a Caparo Director who has

worked with the CIC from the very beginning,

agrees: “Through our combined expertise,

we have been able not only to assess and

develop many product innovations, but also

commercialise them in a manner that benefits

all parties. Working with the University of

Wolverhampton we have been able to provide

much needed support to inventors by giving

them access to a combination of practical

business experience and advanced

academic support.”

The Caparo Innovation Centre can be

approached at any stage of development –

from having a patent and a prototype to the

mere glimpse of a way to solve a particular

problem. The starting point for everybody is to

register through the website

(www.wlv.ac.uk/cic) and submit an idea.

Every day can hold a new surprise for staff at

the CIC, as Andrew explains: “The range of

ideas that people bring to us is immense. You

can never rely on your first impressions – very

often the best ideas come as something of

a surprise.”

A helping hand to innovate

Andrew Pollard is Industrial Professor at the

Caparo Innovation Centre, and was delighted

to see its achievements recognised at

the awards.

“The category was a new one for 2010 and

when we saw the criteria we just felt it fitted

so well with what we are doing here. The CIC

is a collaboration between Caparo and the

University but we involve third party inventors

in the development of products, so open

collaboration is very much what we are about,”

he says.

The Centre has three main roles. Firstly,

to provide access for Caparo companies

to University skills and resources, such

as specialist market research, design and

prototyping. Secondly, it is open to approaches

from independent inventors and may offer a

partnership agreement to develop products for

a share in the profits. Lastly, the CIC has new

product commercialisation skills, which are

available to other companies and organisations

in the region.

Creative collaboration the prestigious lord Stafford Awards celebrate collaboration between universities and businesses in the West midlands. the Caparo innovation Centre (CiC) – a successful partnership between the university of Wolverhampton and Caparo – scooped the top prize in the open Collaboration category at the recent awards ceremony. there was a double celebration on the night as the Advanced business development network (Abdn), which benefited from a Knowledge transfer Partnership with the university, won the Cisco Prize for new technologies.

BUSINeSS 21

So what advice is there for budding inventors?

Andrew says: “A successful inventor requires

a lot of skills. You need to have the passion

and belief in your idea because you will come

up against endless hurdles and barriers. You

need to be careful about sharing your idea with

others, yet at the same time get input from the

right people with experience in the market you

are interested in. We are able to offer inventors

a helping hand with all of these.”

Following on from the Lord Stafford Award

win, the Centre is planning yet another way of

assisting inventors. The £5,000 prize money

will be used to set up a new website that will

present an Open Marketplace for inventors and

inventions. When completed it will showcase

products that can only be bought directly from

the inventors, helping them to get their ideas

off the ground.

networking showcase

The Advanced Business Development Network

(ABDN) was also pleased to receive recognition

for its collaborative approach by clinching the

Cisco Prize for New Technologies. ABDN is a

network of 19 West Midlands manufacturing

companies that work together to improve

competitiveness and win bigger contracts than

they could achieve individually.

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership with

the University enabled ABDN members to

improve their digital marketing skills and

introduce IT systems to enable members to

collaborate. These developments led to more

than £200,000 of new business. Based at

Malthouse Engineering Ltd, but working with

all of the ABDN members, the KTP has

employed a specialist marketing graduate to

carry out the work.

Paul Buszard was the academic lead on the

KTP at the University. He said: “Although

the University of Wolverhampton is one of

the country’s biggest participants in KTP

programmes, this is the first project to involve

a cluster of companies. The team involved in

the KTP – Roy Taylor, Managing Director of

Malthouse Engineering, Jim Wood from the

ABDN and several specialist academics from

Wolverhampton – have worked together really

well and we are all very pleased with

the results.”

The success at the Lord Stafford Awards

illustrates the University’s commitment to

collaborating with West Midlands-based

companies to get new ideas, inventions

and projects off the ground, improve

competitiveness and enhance productivity to

the benefit of all involved.

open collaboration is very much what we are about

22 PeoPle

terry riley was the first deaf Editor of the bbC’s flagship See Hear programme. in September, the university recognised his

outstanding contribution to broadcasting for deaf and hard of hearing viewers and for promoting british Sign language (bSl) to

a wider audience by awarding him an honorary degree.

Terry has been an advocate for British Sign Language for over 40 years. Born into a Deaf family, both his parents were Deaf and sign language

users. He has a wealth of experience in Deaf Television, having started in 1987 as a researcher on See Hear, a community programme for

Deaf and hard of hearing viewers, and working his way up to become Editor in 2002. He was instrumental in setting up the European Deaf TV

and Video network, which now encompasses over 20 countries including the USA, Japan, Greece and Australia.

Terry is now the Chief Executive of the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust. He has been associated with the British Deaf Association

(BDA) for many years and received its highest honour, the BDA Medal of Honour, for his work in promoting and empowering Deaf people.

Sign of success

PeoPle 23

How did you feel about receiving the

honorary award?

To be honest I didn’t actually believe it when I

first got the letter, then once it sank in I realised

what a great honour it was to be recognised in

such a way. It was unbelievable, very few Deaf

people are given such a rare and distinguished

award.

in your acceptance speech, you

spoke about language and bSl

in particular. Why is language so

important to you?

Language defines who we are. Language

and culture are the key to one’s identity.

Without language we cannot be equal.

Without language we cannot be involved

in society as equals. Without language we

cannot participate in democracy and without

knowledge we cannot be considered equals.

How do you think education for deaf

people has changed since you were

at school?

When I was at school, further education and

University was Utopia, it was there but not

for Deaf people. Now we are seeing Deaf

students in all levels of Deaf education from FE

to university degrees, becoming not only BAs

and MAs but PhDs too.

This is why universities have a greater role to

play in enabling Deaf students to take their

rightful place in university education.

1

2

3

Why did you choose a career in the

media?

This was a natural progression from my

small political campaigning, at local regional

and national levels, and I was aware that to

get noticed the best way was the media. It

is so powerful and has a very subtle way of

influencing the viewer without the hard pitch.

Also the media is a fantastic communication

medium for deaf people.

What do you enjoy about your

current role or find most rewarding?

I am now seeing the fruits of over 23 years

being nurtured with the new ethos of the

British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust. In

ensuring that Deaf people take their rightful

place in not only being seen on screen but

behind the camera. The new Zoom project is

giving Deaf talent the opportunity they thought

they would never have had. And they are

winning awards. I am now leaving a legacy.

What is your greatest professional

achievement?

I think it has to be the honorary degree from

the University of Wolverhampton, as this was

the culmination of my career at the BBC, and

it’s a very rare and humbling award.

the university of Wolverhampton

offers a range of deaf Studies and

interpreting courses. Why do you

think it is important for both deaf

and hearing people to study

these subjects?

For many Deaf people who are born into a

hearing family their Deaf heritage is almost

unknown, to learn about one’s history, culture

and languages gives us a unique identity. And

for many this is the first time they really know

who and what they are.

As I said before, language and education are

so important and it’s only by having good

qualified interpreters that we can participate in

all levels of society. For interpreters it is such a

challenging job and the language is developing

every day – it’s a living language. I strongly

believe no other language can compare with

the visual nature and complexity of British Sign

Language.

if you were to go to university now,

what subject would you like to

study?

Deaf history as I feel this is so important to our

heritage; it’s so unknown and the books and

films are being lost forever.

What advice would you offer to

students and graduates following in

your footsteps?

Knuckle down, be dedicated, and have fun.

You will get knockbacks but keep getting up

with a smile.

Who do you admire?

Nelson Mandela, who for so many years was

incarcerated in prison yet when released did

not seek vengeance or revenge but spoke of

all as one nation, all as equal. I often use his

quote: “If you talk to a man in a language he

understands that goes to his head. If you talk

to a man in his language that goes to

his heart.”

This is why I work in television. There is no

greater medium to show the beauty of sign

language than television.

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John tarplee may not have achieved the

grades he had hoped for at A-level, but

gaining a degree in biological Sciences

from the university of Wolverhampton has

helped him go from exam re-sits to sitting

at the top of the table as vice President of

a global pharmaceutical company.

John is responsible for the commercial

operations of ALK Abello, a research-driven

pharmaceutical company focusing on allergy

treatment, prevention and diagnosis.

John is Vice President for Northern Europe,

covering the UK and Ireland, the Nordic

countries, the Netherlands and parts of

Eastern Europe.

He explains: “I enjoy a very varied role and

there is no such thing as a typical day for

me. My main focus is business strategy,

considering how we can improve our offering

to all our stakeholders, whether it is customers,

employees or shareholders.”

And having responsibility for such a large

region means that a big part of John’s time is

dedicated to travelling, with as much as 40%

to 50% spent visiting businesses in Northern

Europe or having meetings in the company’s

headquarters in Copenhagen.

Before joining ALK Abello John began his

career as a medical sales representative,

visiting healthcare professionals and promoting

prescription medicines. He believes his time at

University provided a solid foundation for his

career path.

“My degree has definitely helped me in my

career. To work in the pharmaceutical industry

you need to have a solid life sciences education

and my studies gave me the knowledge

I needed to get started and build on as I

progressed upwards,” he explains.

As well as knowledge of his subject area, John

also developed key personal skills.

“My time at University taught me a lot about

how to present myself and my ideas and

how to negotiate for a win-win solution. Most

interaction essentially boils down to some kind

of a transaction and if you can get what you

Name: John tarplee

Course: bSc (Hons) biological Sciences

Year of Graduation: 1986

24 SUcceSS SToRy

John TarpleeGraduate success story

want whilst enabling the other party to get what

they want, you’re in for some success!”

Like many first generation university-goers

John remembers his time fondly and

recognises how his experience has

changed him.

“I probably didn’t realise it at the time but my

three years at Wolverhampton were very much

a transition for me,” he says. “It was the most

formative period of my life, where I learned

to become independent and self reliant. For

me the balance was just right between the

structure and control provided by my lecturers

and the freedom of the undergraduate living

away from home and fending for myself.”

And for new students thinking about going to

university in the future John has some advice.

“I think it is important to enjoy yourself and

make the most of what student life has to offer

– the curricular and extra-curricular activities

alike. Take the opportunity to broaden your

horizons and actively look for clubs, societies

and groups to join that can broaden your

perspective. The same is true of your studies,

be a critical and lateral thinker, these skills will

stand you in good stead in later life.”

How to Network – a business workshop providing some valuable hints and tips on successful networking.

Date: Wednesday, 9 february 2011

Time: 5.30pm-7pm

Location: Wolverhampton business Solutions Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, Wv10 9rt

Call: 01902 321272

Email: enquiries@wolverhamptonbsc.com

Collektive-Exposure – exhibition by School of Art & design photography students.

Date: Saturday, 12 to friday, 26 february 2011

Location: fotofilia Photography Studio, 69 rea Street, birmingham, b5 6bb

Further details: http://collektive-exposure.blogspot.com

University of Wolverhampton Postgraduate Open Evening – find out about a range of Postgraduate courses, meet academics and current students and view the facilities.

Date: thursday, 24 february 2011

Time: 5.30pm-8pm

Location: mX building, Camp Street, Wolverhampton City Campus

Contact: Enquiries team

Website: www.wlv.ac.uk/pgopenevening

Call: 0800 953 3222*

WhAT’S oN GUIDe 25

John TarpleeCarbon Management business event – an overview of the legislation and some practical tips on how to apply carbon management principles in a business.

Date: thursday, 24 february 2011

Time: 7.30am-9am

Location: Wolverhampton business Solutions Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, Wv10 9rt

Call: 01902 321272

Email: enquiries@wolverhamptonbsc.com

Telford Campus Conference Facilities launch event – find out about a range of conference and non-student accommodation facilities at telford Campus. Complimentary lunch and exhibitions, network and tour the Campus.

Date: tuesday, 1 march 2011

Time: 12pm-2pm

Location: telford Campus

Contact: Suzie Gobourne

E-Mail: suzie.gobourne@wlv.ac.uk

Website: www.wlv.ac.uk/conferences

Call: 01902 323839

Internationalism business event – experts will provide some practical advice on the international markets to enter and how to market your business.

Date: Wednesday, 9 march 2011

February

March

What’s onGuide

Time: 7.30am-9am

Location: Wolverhampton business Solutions Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, Wv10 9rt

Call: 01902 321272

Email: enquiries@wolverhamptonbsc.com

University of Wolverhampton Open Day – find out about a range of courses, meet the lecturers and current students and tour the excellent facilities.

Date: Saturday, 12 march 2011

Time: 10am-3pm

Location: Wolverhampton City and Walsall Campuses

Contact: Enquiries team

Website: www.wlv.ac.uk/opendays

Call: 0800 953 3222*

Health and Safety business event – experts will explain the legal obligations under Health and Safety legislation.

Date: Wednesday, 23 march 2011

Time: 7.30am-9am

Location: Wolverhampton business Solutions Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, Wv10 9rt

Call: 01902 321272

Email: enquiries@wolverhamptonbsc.com

*If you are calling from a mobile you may incur a charge. The charge may vary depending on your network provider

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University of Wolverhampton Wulfruna Street Wolverhampton West Midlands WV1 1LY

tel: 0800 953 3222* fax: 01902 32 25 17 web: www.wlv.ac.uk/dialogue

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*If you are calling from a mobile phone you may incur a charge. The charge will vary depending on your network provider

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