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Justin Fisher (left) at his inaugural lecture (and above) the worldwide launch of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta in 2015, held at Runnymede in November.
Brunel wins ‘Forward Thinking’ accolade The Placement and Careers Centre (PCC) picked up the award for ‘University with a Forward Thinking Attitude to Work-Based Learning’ for its exceptional support for students seeking work placements, part-time work and careers advice, at the 2011 National Placement and Internship Awards. Nomination for the award came from students and employers as well as universities, and were judged by a panel on case studies submitted.
The many faces of Professor Justin Fisher In November, Brunel’s Professor of Political Science, Justin Fisher, delivered his inaugural lecture ‘Seven Myths about Political Parties’, exploring a series of common claims about political parties and their approaches to campaigning, finance, regulation and ideological positioning in relation to the electorate. Professor Fisher, the Director of the Magna Carta Institute, has also brought his expertise on political parties to bear in highprofile roles outside Brunel. Along with two other academic experts, he was appointed by the Committee on Standards in Public Life as an advisor to its enquiry into party political funding. He said: “I am delighted to be invited to be an advisor for this review. The appointment really demonstrates how academic work can have a considerable impact on public policy.” During the 2010 General Election Professor Fisher led the off-screen results analysis for the ITN/ITV Election night show and made post-Election appearances for GMTV and BBC London. He will also once again lead on the academic analysis of constituency campaigning carried out at each general election for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
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Michelle Kavan, Deputy Director (Placement) said: “Within the PCC we continually strive to change, improve and innovate and I think that the award highlights this. We are also proud that our Placement Assistant, Mo Rahman, won a special commendation in the ‘University Personality of the Year’ category for showing outstanding support to students and employers.” Announcing the award, co-founder of Rate My Placement Oliver Sidwell said: “Brunel University’s contemporary approach to work-based learning was described by the judges as ‘amazing’. They go miles beyond the call of duty and offer an integrated service providing a one-stop shop for all students. Their extensive use of social media also demonstrates a real understanding of the student audience.”