Our Year 2019

Dundee, Scotland

25

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2019 has been another good year for Abertay, not least because it marked the 25th anniversary of our gaining University status.

This landmark provided an opportunity to celebrate achievement past and present, forge new links with the wider community and further strengthen the University’s bonds with our alumni, former staff and local partners.

It has been a year of considerable success in improving our student experience, of significant investment in our teaching and research facilities, and of both reflection and forward planning as we map out our future as an institution.

Highlights have included: • Ranked in the UK top 10 for teaching quality by the Times Good University Guide • Opened a new enterprise centre, Bell Street Ventures, funded by

the late William Sword and Santander Universities • Recorded the biggest Scottish climb, and the second biggest UK climb, in the National Student Survey • Opened a £5.5m teaching and research space within the School of Design and Informatics • Ranked number one in Europe for computer games education by the Princeton Review for the fifth consecutive year • Shortlisted in three categories at the national Times Higher Education Awards Our students, staff and alumni have excelled on an academic and professional level this year, while also playing a hugely important role in Dundee’s civic life and contributing to global society. I have no doubt this record of success will extend into the coming year and beyond.

I hope you enjoy Our Year 2019.

Professor Nigel Seaton Principal and Vice-Chancellor

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our history

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2019 was a special year in the history of Abertay, marking 25 years of University status.

An ‘Abertay 25’ programme of events was rolled out across the year to celebrate the milestone, including an alumni speaker event, professorial lectures, an exhibition of archive materials, public engagement, press and social media activity, and a celebration for current and former staff.

The University was also awarded National Lottery Heritage Fund funding in support of a two-year project, ‘Abertay: Dundee’s Changemakers – Our Contribution to Technology and Industry’.

Volunteer researchers from the local community were recruited this year to work with University Archivist Ruaraidh Wishart and ‘Young Ambassadors’ from secondary schools, with the aim of uncovering 25 key innovations and changemakers from Abertay’s history and that of its predecessor institutions.

Ruaraidh said: “This has been a real year of discovery for Abertay University as it has uncovered fascinating historical stories in its archives, ranging from the first female scientists and engineers enrolled at the beginning of the 20th Century, to the purchase of the first computer here in 1966 and its connection with the world’s first computer games degree.

“The NLHF award has provided a wonderful opportunity to share these with the community in a meaningful way.”

Some of the events that have shaped Abertay’s history • 1994 - Dundee Institute of Technology becomes University of Abertay, Dundee • 1997 - World’s first Computer Games degree launched • 1998 - New University Library opens, winning the Scottish Design Award • 2004 - World first in cryopreservation as golden eagle created using frozen sperm • 2005 - Student Centre opens, providing an accessible space for events • 2006 - World’s first Ethical Hacking degree launched • 2015 - Development of technique to detect fingerprints on feathers • 2017 - Prof David Lavallee appointed world’s first Professor of Duty of Care in Sport • 2019 – Abertay celebrates 25 years of University status

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Students Pioneering games team tackles cystic fibrosis Student team Konglomerate Games developed a unique videogame designed to turn the gruelling daily exercises for people with cystic fibrosis into a series of fun activities.

‘Archipelayo’ uses an adapted version

of the Acapella - a device used by those with the illness to support airway clearance - as a controller.

Developed in partnership with Microsoft, the project scooped the ‘Enterprise in Education’ prize at the 2019 Courier Business Awards, and was named runner up in the “Impact Challenge” category of the Converge Awards.

Lara works for mental health awareness Lara McDonald was nominated for a Herald Higher Education Award after working tirelessly to promote good mental health.

The Mental Health Nursing student, nominated in the Outstanding Contribution from a Student category, overcame a battle with PTSD and self-harm to become a befriender and advocate for mental health awareness.

Lara is also a board member on the Scottish Government’s National Suicide Prevention Group and volunteers with the charity SAM-H.

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Emotional cancer appeal goes viral Ethical Hacking student and fashion model Sam Latronico went viral when he shared a powerful online video about ovarian cancer, after his mother was diagnosed with the illness.

It featured the pair shaving their heads, something they decided to do together after the effects of chemotherapy caused Matilda Latronico to start losing her hair.

Their brave actions proved successful as thousands of people viewed the video and shared it on social media, receiving praise from the charity Ovarian Cancer Action.

Stefan strikes gold in judo championship Marketing and Business student Stefan Cameron bagged a gold in judo at the highest level of university sport.

Stefan took top prize in the 81kg weight category at the BUCS Nationals, competing against some of the best athletes in the country.

He said: “Representing Abertay at this level was a great experience and an honour, and the win still feels a bit surreal! I’m really grateful for all the support I’ve received from Abertay Sport, the judo club and the University.”

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Take Your Marks off the starting line

Graduate business Take Your Marks got well and truly off the starting line this year.

Led by Abertay graduate, Alan Clark, the innovative business delivers high intensity exercise and mindfulness techniques via a digital resource, with a view to tackling disruptive classroom behaviour in schools.

One of the first companies to

be based at Bell Street Ventures, Take Your Marks aims to address lesson disruption, drive up attainment and increase pupil engagement by delivering high impact five-minute breaks in classroom settings.

Alan said: “We believe that mental, social, emotional and physical wellbeing underpin all learning. Put simply we can’t learn properly until we are in the right state to learn.�

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Legacy gift supports future entrepreneurs New enterprise centre Bell Street Ventures got off to a flying start this year.

Made possible through a generous seven-figure bequest from the late businessman William Sword an support from Santander Universities, the facility in the Old College has already supported a number of fledgling student and graduate businesses, including several award-winning projects.

Equipped with modern office space, meeting rooms, breakout areas and superfast broadband, the centre offers guidance on how to maximise applications for funding.

Head of Business Engagement Lorna Edwards said: “We offer a variety of guidance, support, training and workshops to our students and recent graduates to help them get their business ideas off the ground.”

Best-selling book as Liam turns to photography There’s simply no stopping alum Liam Wong.

The former games student left his job as Ubisoft art director to launch a photography career this year – and promptly produced a best-seller!

The computer arts graduate, who worked on blockbuster games franchises such as Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed, released TO:KY:OO – a cyberpunk inspired exploration of nocturnal Tokyo – to critical and commercial acclaim.

Shooting straight to the top of Amazon’s street photography books list, the book was also the most crowdfunded book in the UK, raising more than £140,000 – over four times its original target.

Liam said: “Everything I know about working in teams, leadership, planning, presenting work and giving direction was picked up from my experience at Abertay.”

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Research that pushes

Checkout project has shoplifters in sight A study conducted by PhD student Susan Siebenaler found that digitised, human-like faces at supermarket selfservice checkouts may reduce the risk of shoplifting.

Participants were asked to scan or weigh items at a simulated self-serve till before paying for them, giving them the opportunity to select lesser weights or scan fewer items.

Dr Andrea Szymkowiak, Senior Lecturer in Human Computer Interaction, said: “People are responsive to social human cues, and there seems to be an in-built mechanism that makes us respond to faces and eye contact.”

Bioethics work looks at human genetics Academic research by Dr Kevin Smith suggested that the creation of genetically-modified babies was not only ethically justifiable but “highly desirable”.

In the paper, published in medical ethics journal Bioethics, Dr Smith concluded that the risks of gene editing were now low enough to justify its use with human embryos, with a view to producing geneticallymodified (GM) people.

He said: “The human germline is by no means perfect, with evolution having furnished us with rather minimal protection from diseases that tend to strike in our later years. GM techniques offer the prospect of protecting future people against these and other common disorders.”

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Kissing research reveals income factor A worldwide study found that income inequality may be linked to how often people French kiss.

The cross-cultural research, led by Dr Christopher Watkins, involved 2300 participants from 13 different countries across six continents.

The study revealed that people who lived in less equal nations said they kissed their partners more often.

It also found differences in opinions between men and women on the importance of kissing, and about what makes a good kiss.

Funding for food produce study Abertay University was awarded a grant of more than â‚Ź420,000 to pursue ground-breaking research into ways of improving the shelf-life and quality of fresh produce.

The Shealthy project assesses the effectiveness of technologies such as ultrasound, plasma-activated water and bioactive coatings in helping preserve the nutritional value of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Abertay will be working with 20 partner institutes from across Europe, including other universities, research centres and consumer associations.

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with the community

The University engaged with the local community in a host of ways across the year, from cultural outreach sessions and talks, to taster days and activities for school pupils and college students.

A Dundee Youth Voice event saw secondary school pupils from across the city share opinions to help influence council policy.

The annual Modern Studies debate then also provided a chance to express opinions, with around 300 high school pupils engaging with a fierce debate on Scottish independence.

Bright ideas, brought together by Widening Access staff and the Weave cultural engagement team, gave S3 pupils the chance to experience university life as they learned about Criminology, Food Science and Business and Marketing before designing prototypes for videogames, animations and comics.

Weave also continued their ‘Platform’ talks series and pulled together an exhibition for the NEoN Digital Arts Festival.

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2019 marked another year packed full of events and conferences.

In February, Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and BBC broadcaster John Beattie were part of Sport Cares, a panel discussion about the past, present and future of welfare in sport, hosted by Abertay’s Professor David Lavallee, the world’s first Professor of Duty of Care in Sport.

In June, a celebratory event was held to mark International Women in Engineering Day, including an afternoon of talks, a movie and a poster exhibition.

July then brought the Leisure Studies Association Conference to Abertay, with delegates arriving from as far away as New Zealand.

Abertay led Dundee’s first ever Summer of Games from May to September, consisting of a series of videogames-related events such as the V&A exhibition Design/Play/Disrupt, the Abertay Digital Graduate Show and the Abertay Summer Videogames Show.

In August, a party for current and former staff and friends of Abertay took place to mark our 25th anniversary. This was followed in September by a special night of quick-fire Pecha Kucha talks to highlight alumni achievements.

The annual Innovation for Global Growth challenge from the School of Business, Law and Social Sciences took place in November, with real-world challenges set by organisations such as Heineken, BT, and solicitors firm Digby Brown.

The same month, V&A Dundee hosted BBC Click Live, where work from Abertay games academics was showcased alongside projects from NASA and Hyundai.

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Honouring staff

Rankings and awards It was a year of success in national rankings and awards with Abertay breaking into the UK top 10 for teaching quality, according to the respected Times Good University Guide.

The same guide also placed the University in the national top 20 for overall student experience, while in the National Student Survey 2019 Abertay recorded the biggest rankings climb of any Scottish university.

At the Herald Higher Education Awards in Glasgow, Abertay picked up the Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community Award in a joint nomination with the University of Dundee, based on our work to bring V&A Dundee to the city.

Teams from the University’s Registry and Library services were nominated for awards at the prestigious Times Higher Education Awards in London, and once again the Support Enquiry Zone team achieved a Customer Service Excellence award.

Sparking change with Women in Games Professor Ruth Falconer was appointed to the new executive board of Women in Games.

The four-person board was assembled with a view to taking the not-for-profit to the next level as they seek to “build an organisation capable of delivering deeds as well as words.”

Founded in 2009, Women in Games works to recruit more women into the games industry and to support those already in the sector.

In addition to her new role, Prof Falconer, Head of the Division of Games Technology and Mathematics, was included on the GamesIndustry.biz list of the sector’s 100 most influential women.

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Following in the footsteps of Shackleton Dr Rebecca Wade was selected to follow in the footsteps of the famous 1901 Discovery Expedition to the Antarctic, as part of the international Homeward Bound initiative.

The Senior Lecturer from the School of Applied Sciences is among 80 participants in the global 12-month leadership initiative for women with a background in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine.

It aims to equip a 1000-strong collaboration of women with the skills to demonstrate a new model of leadership, to create better outcomes for our planet.

Leading the way in food science Dr Jon Wilkin received the Emerging Leaders Network award from the Institute of Food Technology (IFT).

The international accolade is given to select candidates who are part the IFT’s highly selective programme for food science professionals.

The lecturer in New Product Development said: “It’s not just academics who are eligible to receive this award, and in fact most of the recipients come from industry rather than academia.

“That makes it particularly special to me - I honestly didn’t expect to receive it.”

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in the future

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The new School of Design and Informatics was officially unveiled to the public in December following a £5.5m renovation.

Invited guests including local politicians, industry leaders and alumni were taken on a guided tour of the teaching and research space, home to Abertay’s internationally-leading videogames and cybersecurity programmes.

An Emergent Technology Centre is at the heart of the building, housing a Development Studio for experimental games design and cybersecurity projects, a Visual Design Studio for digital arts research, a Usability Lab kitted with eye-tracking equipment, and an XR (Extended Reality) Lab for experimentation with room-scale Virtual Reality, motion tracking and multi-user Augmented/Mixed Reality.

The University’s long-standing relationship with Sony Interactive Entertainment continues into the new School, with PlayStation development tools to be used within the labs.

A teaching and study zone for the University’s Professional Masters in Games Development has also been included in the build, providing a first-class learning environment for students, including those from China, North America and India.

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Class of 2019 see take the chair

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A new era for Abertay began at Winter Graduation as the University’s next Chancellor took up her chair.

Professor Alice Brown became the institution’s first female Chancellor, and paid tribute to her predecessor Lord Cullen, who held the position for a decade.

More than 1,000 students graduated from the Abertay Class of 2019 across the University’s winter and summer ceremonies this year.

Students from all three Schools attended - Design and Informatics, Applied Sciences, and Business, Law and Social Sciences - as well as those from the Graduate School.

Addressing graduands at the Caird Hall in November, Prof Brown said: “It is difficult to find the words to express how honoured and humbled I feel in taking up the role of Chancellor of Abertay University.

“I am particularly honoured to be taking over from Lord Cullen as Chancellor of this University and will do all I can to build on his excellent legacy.”

Professor Brown has enjoyed a highly-regarded academic career and has made an important contribution to public life.

She was a member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (Nolan Committee), advised on procedural aspects of setting up the Scottish Parliament, was Scotland’s first Public Services Ombudsman and was a member of the Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council from 2008 to 2012.

Notably, Professor Brown was also the first female General Secretary of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and was Chair of the Scottish Funding Council from 2013 to 2017.

Formerly Scotland’s most senior judge, Lord Cullen has had a distinguished career in public life, leading important and influential inquiries into the Dunblane massacre, the Piper Alpha tragedy and the Ladbroke Grove train crash.

In addition to officiating at graduation ceremonies, he recently, through a generous personal donation, established the Chancellor’s Fund, an initiative to support the University’s PhD and research Masters students.

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Dundee, Scotland

Abertay University is a charity registered in Scotland, No: SC016040.