Bangor International August 2015

Bangor International August 2015 Final Year Biomedical Science Student Makes Break-Through Cancer Discovery

Gruff Rhys of ‘Super Furry Animals’ awarded Bangor University Honours during Graduation Week Rock musician and Super Furry Animals member, Gruff Rhys from Bethesda, Gwynedd, Wales received a Honorary Fellowship at Bangor University on Wednesday 15 July.

Victoria Hilditch in the Cancer Research Laboratory at Bangor University

A long standing enigma in cancer biology is how the cell growth regulator Cdc2 can be active and inactive at the same time. Human cells stop dividing in the presence of genetic damage by inactivating Cdc2, but they also need active Cdc2 to remove the genomic defects.

Victoria Hilditch, a final year Biomedical Science student in the School of Medical Sciences at Bangor University, discovered that Cdc2 exists in seven different forms. Further work by her supervisor Dr Thomas Caspari revealed that only two forms stop cell division while two different forms help the cell to repair genetic damage.

Read the full story here: www.bangor.ac.uk/news/research/final-year-biomedicalscience-student-makes-break-t hrough-cancer-discovery-23276

He is among a number of talented individuals, who have connections with the University of Wales, who will be receiving Honorary Fellowships during the University’s annual graduation ceremonies.

Gruff Rhys will be fitting in the Bangor University degree ceremony between playing at festivals, from Glastonbury to Japan, with the Super Furry Animals. He has recently completed a successful tour with the Super Furry Animals. In the last few years, he has been working on a number of solo projects including most recently, writing the film score for Set fire to the Stars, a film about the last days of Dylan Thomas, and American Interior a tour, film, mobile app and book in which Gruff Rhys goes on a personal journey to follow the footsteps of Welshman John Evans, who explored and mapped the Missouri river while searching of a mythical

Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals tribe of Welsh-speaking Indians.

His electro-pop collaboration, Neon Neon were nominated for a Nationwide Mercury Prize for the Stainless Style album in 2008.

The Honorary Fellowships are awarded to recognise outstanding contribution in an individual’s particular field. They are presented during a number of the University’s Degree ceremonies.

In this issue of our newsletter... u u

Graduation Stories Research Stories www.bangor.ac.uk/international

Research News Researchers in Bangor’s School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography lead international collaborations to grant success

Steve Ullathorne

Comedian Ruby Wax who addressed the conference aimed at promoting better mental health and happier lives

Leading experts share latest Mindfulness research World-leading researchers into mindfulness gathered to present and consider ground-breaking research in this emerging field, the conference was held between 3-7th July.

Organised by experts at Bangor University’s pioneering Centre for Mindfulness Research & Practice, at the College of Health and Behavioural Sciences, the event discussed how mindfulness can bring benefits to individuals and society.

Mindfulness has already been proven to reduce recurrent depression, offering real hope to the millions of people in the UK who suffer depression.

The Conference, organised by Bangor University in partnership with University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre, the University of Exeter, the Mindfulness in Schools Project and Breathworks, provides a forum to set out current research and discuss how mindfulness can develop for the future benefit of society.

Read the full story here: www.bangor.ac.uk/news/research/leading-experts-sharelatest-mindfulness-research-2 3290

Researchers in Bangor University’s School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography (SENRGy) have recently secured two major grants, paving the way for collaborative research based in south-east Asia.

state-owned coal mining company, PT Bukit Asam and Western Carolina University (U.S.), Bogor Agricultural University (Indonesia), Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia), Universitas Diponegoro (Indonesia), Universitas Brawijaya (Indonesia), Prof. Morag McDonald, Dr Graham Southeast Asian Region for Bird and Dr Paula Roberts, in Tropical Biology (Indonesia), and conjunction with colleagues in Aberystwyth University (UK).

Indonesia, UK and USA, successfully secured funding from Indonesia is the fourth largest coal the Global Innovation Initiative (GII) producer in the world as well as having abundant resources of for their project: Establishing a other important minerals. As noted network of research excellence for mine reclamation in Southeast Asia. by Prof McDonald, “the project will allow us to engage in high quality The GII is a joint UK-US research in the areas of water programme established to foster multilateral research collaboration quality and land reclamation, with higher education institutions in whilst at the same time engaging in knowledge, staff and student Brazil, China, India and exchanges with our partner Indonesia. The GII award of nearly organizations”.

A kick-off £150,000 towards the total project workshop for the project was held costs of £420,000 is one of eight in late April in Indonesia and the awarded to UK-led partnerships by research programme will begin in the British Council and the earnest this summer.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills as part of the GII. The project will focus on the challenges and opportunities faced in attempting to reclaim mine sites in partnership with an Indonesian

From Mumbai to the Menai Science Park Bangor University international student, Nebu George, has been appointed as Menai Science Park Ltd’s archaeology intern. The company recently received outline planning permission for M-SParc, a state-of-the-art science park in Gaerwen on Anglesey, and the archaeological survey is part of the conditions for full planning permission.

With the Minister (centre) were Dr Gill Windle, Prof Bob Woods, Chris Roberts, who has dementia, Vice Chancellor Prof John G Hughes, Prof Jo Rycroft-Malone and Prof Chris Burton.

Ground-breaking healthcare research showcased

The project, which will receive Welsh Government funding of £10 million, aims to create a unique cluster economy to encourage hi-tech industry and scientific research partnerships in north-west Wales. The project is also applying for ERDF European funding.

Originally from Mumbai, India, Nebu, 26, is currently in the 2nd year of an Archaeology BA (Hons) degree and was selected as part of Bangor University’s Undergraduate Internship Scheme, administered by the Bangor Employability Award (BEA) team in the Careers & Employability Service.

As part of the 150-hours of work to be undertaken, Nebu’s main tasks will include completing a photographic survey of existing buildings on site, as well as forming a part of the team that will undertake archaeological studies on the site.

Research News

Nebu George, said, “I’m really excited to have been chosen to work on the project. One of the reasons I chose to study at Bangor University was the wealth of archaeological sites nearby. This project is very different to the usual dig and you can read all the books in the world, but there is nothing to compare with hands on experience of archaeology in action.”

Menai Science Park director, Ieuan Wyn Jones, said, "We look forward to working with Nebu on the archaeological survey of the site as his work will contribute towards the development of the park."

An artist's impression of how the Menai Science Park near Gaerwen could look

Ground-breaking research which is set to improve healthcare in Wales and the UK was showcased at Bangor University on the 2 July.

Three projects in particular were given prominence, during a visit by Welsh Government Health Minister Mark Drakeford to the University’s College of Health & Behavioural Sciences, due to their potential to impact on services and patients.

The research, still on-going, is assessing the effectiveness of marrying expertise at the School of Healthcare Sciences, with the insight and experience of stroke survivors, to develop the peer coaching programme.

Professor Christopher Burton of the School of Healthcare Sciences said: “The programme’s success is that it gives ‘people power’ to those who have overcome their stroke. We know that participation in social and leisure activities is beneficial post-stroke, and being encouraged and supported by people who have also had the same experience adds an extra impetus to get involved.”

Read the full story here: www.bangor.ac.uk/news/research/ground-breaking-healthcare-research-showcased-23285

Graduation 2015

Here are just a few of our graduation stories for 2015...

RITS-Bangor MBA graduates attending Bangor graduation ceremony Thirty-four proud MBA students from the Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen (RITS), a branch of China’s top Tsinghua University, were conferred their MBA degree at Bangor University on 16 July 2015 following two years part time study on the RITS-Bangor validated MBA programme. The 34 attending the ceremony in Bangor were among over 100 students who are the first to graduate following the successful validation of the programme in October 2012 in RITS Shenzhen and Shanghai centres.

“We are delighted with and proud of the progress our students have made on the programme over the last two years,” said Ms LUO Wei, Deputy Director of RITS, congratulating the graduates, their family and friends. “The students have worked really hard to achieve this remarkable result today.

Almost all of our students have a busy job, and some even run very successful businesses. Juggling between study, work and family is

never easy, but with the support of RITS and Bangor University staff, they have demonstrated that the set up of the part time validated MBA programme worked.”

Professor John Hughes, Vice Chancellor of Bangor University warmly welcomed the graduates, “We value the strategic partnership with RITS, and are committed to the success of the

project. Most of the MBA students are young entrepreneurs in the most economically developed cities in China. Having such students among Bangor University’s alumni community will not only provide diversity for the institution, but also opportunities for further business links for the University and the North Wales region.”

Keeping it in the family Three members of a Kuwaiti family graduate with pride from Bangor University.

Aqeel and Mohammad Hamoud and Duhar Al-Etabi from Kuwait came to study for a BEng in Electronic Engineering 3 years ago.

Aqeel said: “We don’t know where to start, we can't believe that this is the end of our three year course. Time has gone very fast.

We are a family of three mature students from Kuwait, myself, my wife Duha and my brother Mohammad, came to study Electronics at Bangor University. After a month in Bangor we went from being complete strangers and a small Kuwaiti family to being part of the Bangor University School of Electronic Engineering family. There was social interaction with other students in Bangor and everybody was friendly and helpful, even the public and police were always welcoming and helpful.

We really miss this atmosphere.

Now at the end of this journey, Bangor holds a special place in our hearts, it is a vibrant, multicultural and safe place to live which is prefect for studying and Bangor has now become our second home.”

12 Medical Sciences Graduates make History On Friday 17th July 2015 twelve Bangor University students will be the first to graduate from the pioneering BMedSci Medical Sciences programme developed by the School of Medical Sciences, the University’s youngest academic department.

These student have set an extremely high bar for future cohorts to follow with over 50% graduating with a 1st class degree.

The Medical Sciences degree provides a science programme related to medicine with strong professional skills/ethics and research elements and the graduates are hoping to go onto a number of destinations including paramedic training, masters degrees and several who have applied for graduate entry to medicine programmes at a number of different UK and EU medical schools.

These students will benefit from graduating from a School that is

the focal point for medical education and research at Bangor University. There has been substantial growth in the size of the School in the last three years now to a Faculty of over 25 and over 200 students on four undergraduate programmes including the IBMS accredited BSc Biomedical Science, which is ranked No.1 in the UK for ‘student satisfaction’ in the 2014 National Student Survey. The School also offers postgraduate courses in Clinical Sciences and Medical Molecular Biology with Genetics. It has a growing research base which is building on the University’s success in the research Exercise Framework 2014, with cutting edge researchers in topics including stem cell biology and DNA repair complementing the existing clinical expertise.

Mr Dean Williams, Head of the

School of Medical Sciences said: “We are very proud of the high standards that this first cohort of Medical Sciences graduates has achieved which is testament to the enthusiasm and ability of staff and students alike. I wish them all the best in their varied future careers.”

Ban

Bangor student’s MA film to be broadcast on Sky

A film by a former Bangor University MA student will be broadcast to a national audience on Sky Arts and S4C in the coming weeks.

Jam Man, which was completed during director John Evan’s final year as an MA student, will also be available to download on Sky On Demand services.

The short film will be broadcast as a result of being shortlisted under the Best Postgraduate Drama at the RTS Student Television Awards last year.

It also won the Best Fiction Film category at the Cardiff Mini Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Short Drama at the 2013 Celtic Media Festival.

Director John Evans said that he was glad to see that the Welsh-language film would get an audience beyond Wales.

“To get it broadcast on S4C was always a hope as it is the film’s natural audience, but to get in on not only a English Language channel but a channel of the calibre of Sky Arts is quite simply amazing,” said John Evans.

Read the full story here: www.bangor.ac.uk/studentlife/studentnews/bangorstudent-s-ma-film-to-be-broad cast-on-sky-23211

Scientists at work: tackling India's snakebite problem

L-R: Dr Wolfgang Wuester, Dr Anita Malhotra, Stuart Graham, a PhD student from Bangor University, and members of staff including the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pune, Maharashtra, India

Dr Anita Malhotra, Dr Wolfgang Wuester and PhD student Stuart Graham, of the Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics research group, School of Biological Sciences, visited Shri Shiv Chhatrapatti College, University of Pune, Maharashtra, India in June 2015. Their visit was part of the BITES project, funded by an International Research Staff

Exchange Scheme grant from the EU, aimed at reducing snakebite deaths in India. It is hoped that the visit will result in an MOU between Biological Sciences in Bangor and the Zoology Research Centre headed by Dr RD Chaudahri, to foster joint research projects as well as possible student exchanges in the future.

Read the article by Dr Anita Malhotra, Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics at the School of Biological Sciences which was published in ‘The Conversation’: www.bangor.ac.uk/news/latest/scientists-at-work-tackling-india-ssnakebite-problem-23563

Student’s film screened at Cannes A postgraduate Bangor student who graduated with a Distinction from the university last week has had his film accepted at a prestigious film festival.

The science fiction film Empty Space was completed as part of Phil Coleman’s Masters Degree at the School of Creative Studies and Media.

The Cannes Short Film Festival, which is in its second year, aims to showcase the best of international short filmmaking in the world's most famous film festival city.

“It's crazy to think that a film I made for my Masters is going to be screened in the most famous film festival city,” Phil Coleman said.

“I'm thrilled to have an opportunity to screen the film to a large audience, and meet some other talented people in Cannes.”

The film follows two lovers who leave in an escape pod during an intergalactic war, and the trailer can be watched here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxtEFU0zUg8

Mixing with film stars and a life- changing 48 hours in New York for Bangor Student

Bangor Law School celebrates 10 years of excellence

A Bangor University graduate HanJie Chow has been mixing with stars and experienced a life-changing 48 hours during his ‘year abroad’ as part of his studies at Bangor University.

The 26 year old modern language student, from Fakenham, Norfolk who graduates this summer, has always enjoyed performing arts, and even managed to fit in extra performing arts modules on top of his French and Psychology degree and working at a local supermarket. Through his exchange with Pace University, New York, and his studies there, HanJie has met a few ‘celebs’ including Danny Aiello and Bradley Cooper.

HanJie says: “A good friend of mine recently introduced me to her mentor, Danny Aiello - who was Oscar nominated for his role in Do The Right Thing by Spike Lee, and had roles in The Godfather Part 2, and Once Upon A Time in America.

We've met on several occasions, and even had high tea together once at The Plaza for my friend’s birthday. Also, I had just seen Bradley Cooper's play 'The Elephant Man' on Broadway (that has just recently transferred to the West End!) when I met him. He actually graduated from the Actor's Studio Drama School that is run by Pace University, and 'The Elephant Man' was the play he auditioned to the school with - so it's a full circle for him! I was actually very lucky to have taken private vocal training lessons with a teacher at Pace who taught Bradley all those years ago when he was a student as well,” HanJie’s life-changing 48 hours came when he applied for a place at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

“All my plans had been thrown into the air in less than 48 hours - I had applied and auditioned and I got a phone call in on a Thursday morning (2 days after the audition, and 3 weeks earlier than expected), telling me I had been accepted. That in itself would have been enough, but I was also told I had been awarded scholarships totalling to $10,000. I must have done something right!” he says.

HanJie has achieved a first class honours degree in French with Psychology and International Experience at Bangor University.

He says of his five years of study at Bangor University: “If I was able to change my decision about pursuing the Performing Arts first instead of spending 5 years at university, I would not change anything. I would not be able to pursue the Arts without having first spent 5 years learning about myself. In short, I would not be where I am right now if it hadn’t been for my undergraduate degree.”

Read HanJie’s full story here: www.bangor.ac.uk/international/n ews/mixing-with-film-stars-anda-life-changing-48-hours-in-newyork-for-bangor-student-23608

Over 150 Bangor University alumni and former staff will attend a special celebration in August to mark the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Bangor Law School.

Since its inception in 2004, Bangor University Law School has soared through the league tables to become the foremost law school in Wales, according to the latest university rankings published by The Guardian.

Now ranked 32nd in the UK, many of its alumni have gone on to successful careers as barristers and solicitors with prestigious firms and chambers, with its graduates also being sought by employers in non-legal sectors.

Professor Dermot Cahill, Head of School, attributes this success to the small class sizes, he said: “The Law School's focus on developing commercial awareness, and the vast network accessible to Bangor alumni via the extensive contacts developed by our staff, are key to our graduates’ success.”

www.bangor.ac.uk/international

Country Representatives Karen Jones

Ali Khan

Maggie Parke

Tel: +44 (0) 1248 388207 (Starting in post 21st September 2015)

Tel: +44 (0) 1248 388874 Email: a.khan@bangor.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1248 388416 Email: maggie.parke@bangor.ac.uk

Responsible for:

Responsible for:

Responsible for:

Mainland China Hong Kong Japan Philippines Singapore

South Korea Taiwan Vietnam

Bangladesh India Malaysia Nepal Pakistan

Singapore Sri Lanka

Argentina Brazil Canada Chile

Colombia Mexico USA

Sarah Jones-Morris

Noor Al-Zubaidi

Michael Rogerson

Tel: +44 (0) 1248 388843 Email: s.jonesmorris@bangor.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1248 382879 Email: n.al-zubaidi@bangor.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1248 383648 Email: m.rogerson@bangor.ac.uk

Responsible for:

Responsible for:

Responsible for:

Brunei Russia Indonesia Thailand Kazakhstan Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon

Bahrain Egypt Iraq Jordan Kuwait Libya

European Union Countries

Oman Saudi Arabia Turkey UAE Qatar

International students in the UK

Upcoming Visits for 2015 We shall be visiting the following countries in August 2015: Hong Kong - August

Brunei- August

Please do contact us if you would like one of our international oďŹƒcers to visit your school or if you need any advice.

W: www.bangor.ac.uk/international E: international@bangor.ac.uk

www.facebook.com/BangorUniversityInternational

For further details about country visits please contact the relevant Country Manager.