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Students have more ways to learn and develop than ever before but also face greater pressures
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With every good wish
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Welcome to Observe – in here you’ll find all the latest news on Oxford Brookes, its students and staff. At Brookes we have always focused on ensuring that our students have an outstanding experience while they are here and are well equipped for the professional world when they leave. In this edition you will hear about some of their exploits. From achieving success at the Olympics through to conducting research at the cutting edge, our students are doing great things. All staff in the University take pride in the part they play in the student experience, but this is not a one-way street. More than ever, studying for a degree is a partnership between the University and each individual student. Commitment to personal development - outside as well as inside the classroom - is vital to success. In Observe you will find plenty of success stories - I hope you’ll find them as exciting as we do.
Professor Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor, Oxford Brookes University
Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor
A YEAR iN piCTuRES
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Lighting the 2012 Olympic cauldron. The torch was designed by Brookes alumnus, Jay Osgerby
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Our Chancellor Shami Chakrabarti (third from left) at the Olympics opening ceremony with fellow flag bearers.
Brookes celebrates 20 years as a university with an event for staff who have been with us since the polytechnic days.
© Getty Images
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Abercrombie building’s
new extension – part one of the redevelopment of Headington Campus.
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Scientists here at Brookes are using advanced laser and electron microscopes to conduct research in cell and developmental biology. Many of our recent findings have attracted international acclaim and these findings are forming the basis of teaching in these subjects.
Image captured by Dr John Runions, Reader in Cell and Molecular Biology
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Pictured is the interior of a living flower, imaged so that embryos developing within the ovules are visible as the small oval-shaped structures in the centre.
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OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2013
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A new portrait of John Henry Brookes by alumnus Anthony Morris on display in the Glass Tank exhibition space.
The first phase of our £132 million redevelopment of the Headington Campus is now open. The Abercrombie atrium was completed in September 2012 and combines new workshop spaces for architecture, planning and built environment students with a cafe and exhibition area.
Keep up to date on the building’s progress at: www.brookes.ac.uk/spacetothink
Built studentsfor
Shweta Soni, English and Drama student and member of the Student Redevelopment Group
“Without the redevelopment I don’t think my university experience would have been the same. It’s given us a chance to grow.”
The Abercrombie atrium
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The new space is already well loved and it’s a great taste of things to come. It forms a fifth of the new John Henry Brookes building expected to fully open later this year. This will bring together a new library, teaching rooms and the Students’ Union with essential student support services such as careers.
News
It looks set to transform the experience of students and they have been closely engaged in its development. Central to its success has been their involvement in its design, operation and construction. From creating proposals for a landmark pavilion through to advising on future opening hours for cafes and eateries, they have ensured the new building is truly student focused.
Also at Eton Dorney, Alex Partridge added to his silver medal from 2008 with a bronze in the men’s eight while Caroline O’Connor again represented Team GB coxing the women’s eight.
Brookes Fired2012up
“We won the Olympics of design,” he said. “To be in a position of representing Great Britain in design terms is just fantastic.”
What are your memories of London 2012? The torch relay? The opening ceremony? Wiggo and Mo? Or perhaps images of the Olympic park in the heart of East London? Brookes had several major parts to play in last year’s games.
Richard and Peter Chambers were the first brothers to row together in a senior Team GB boat since Greg and Jonny Searle took gold at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
“To be in a position of representing Great Britain in design terms is just fantastic.”
Peter (who is in the final year of a Sports Science Degree) and Richard ’07 (Built Environment) clinched silver in their race at Eton Dorney in a contest described as ‘brutal’ by Richard in the crew’s post-race interview with the BBC.
The final of the lightweight men’s four was a highlight of the Dorney regatta and Richard and Peter had the full support of the partisan 30,000-strong crowd lining the shores.
Brothers’ ‘brutal’ final
From left: Pete Chambers and Richard Chambers
The torch became the icon of the Olympics during its 8,000-mile 70-day relay round the UK. Jay was also made an honorary doctor in June by Brookes.
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Jay and his design partner, Edward Barber, formed an eponymous furniture and industrial design studio, Barber Osgerby, which won the brief to design the torch.
As reported in last year’s Observe, Jay Osgerby ’89 (Foundation Art), was the man behind the torch design for 2012.
Since Sydney 2000, Brookes rowers have won five gold, five silver and one bronze medal at Olympic regattas.
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Teaching Fellowship for online-learning pioneer
Her team at Brookes has shown that highly structured courses with activities like web conferencing can quickly engage students in collaborative tasks such as online forums. Rhona’s aim is to create a transformative learning environment by giving staff a brief taste of online collaboration in order to pass it on to their own students.
Bringing biology to all
Faculty of Health and Life Science’s Dr Anne Osterrieder has been awarded the prestigious President’s Medal by the Society for Experimental Biology in recognition of her work in increasing public understanding of biology. Anne will become only the fourth scientist in the world to receive this accolade.
James Roe MBE ’09 (Fine Art) won a gold medal in the Paralympic rowing regatta in the mixed coxed four and was recognised in the New Years’ Honours for his services to the sport. James, who is visually impaired, has the additional accolade of being the first Oxford Brookes gold medal-winning Paralympian.
Politicians and planners saw the games’ legacy as one of combatting deprivation affecting the area of London surrounding the Olympic park.
As Director of Planning and Sustainability at the Olympic Park Legacy Company he’s helping run one of the world’s most ambitious redevelopment projects.
Rhona began her academic career as a psychology lecturer. Her interest in online learning was triggered by her own experiences on The Open University’s Teaching and Learning Online course in 1995.
Laurentia Tan ’02 (Hospitality Management and Tourism) has won multiple medals (three bronze and a silver) in equestrian events both at the Beijing Olympics and in London. Laurentia, who has cerebral palsy and is deaf, was the first ever Singaporean to win a Paralympic medal.
theTransformingEastEnd
Dr Anne Osterrieder
Dr Rhona Sharpe
Head of the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development at Brookes, Dr Rhona Sharpe has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship – the most prestigious award for excellence in higher education teaching – for her pioneering work in online education.
Anne is committed to public engagement and uses Twitter to talk about her work and the latest scientific breakthroughs in the field of plant biology. Follow her on @AnneOsterrieder
powerParalympic
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One of the biggest legacies of the Olympics and Paralympics was a fundamental shift in the way the world views disability.
James Roe
Former Brookes student Niall McNevin ’87 (Town Planning) is overseeing the rebuilding of a big swathe of one of the world’s great cities.
British Academy award for composerBrookes
Israel Scholarship
The2012.awards recognise leaders and practitioners in universities, schools and colleges who have brought about the most change in their sector and more widely.
The Museum is a fascinating sound installation commissioned by Oxford Contemporary Music and premiered at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford last year.
Elad Almog
Find out more at: www.sonicartresearch.co.uk
Brookes’ Vice-Chancellor, Professor Janet Beer has been named among the Education Foundation’s Education Reformers of the Year
Ray LeeProfessor Janet Beer
Pioneering the Grade Point Average
Professor Beer was recognised for providing a solutionsbased approach to the debate around higher education and her leadership of the University Alliance. In all, 17 educators were honoured by the Education Foundation, which is the UK’s first cross-sector education think tank.
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Find out more at: www.brookesalumni.co.uk
ofeducationnamedVice-Chancelloramongreformerstheyear
Brookes now offers postgraduate scholarships to students from Israel, thanks to the generosity of a group of donors to the University. Elad Almog (MSc in International Hotel and Tourism Marketing), from Israel said “It is a real honour and a pleasure to be the first recipient of this scholarship. An integral part of developing a global reach and network and my time at Brookes will be a first and significant step in this direction.”
Another advantage of the system will be to help those students seeking work abroad. Classifications differ around the world and the current UK method is not universally recognised, unlike the GPA.
Brookes will be the first UK university to introduce the Grade Point Average (GPA) from September 2013. It will run alongside the traditional British Honours Degree Classification.Thismeans marks achieved across the whole course count equally, rather than it being weighted towards those at the end of a programme’s period of study.
Artist and Brookes lecturer Ray Lee was a winner at the prestigious 2012 British Composer Awards. Ray’s work, The Ethometric Museum, won the Sonic Art category at the awards run by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors held at London’s Goldsmiths’ Hall.
Engineers –the next generation
Brookes tops the league table of UK Universities for teaching students abroad. We recruit by far the most students overseas (251,900, or 44 per cent of those studying UK degrees abroad) by offering education with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Isn’t she lovely
The QS Business Schools Report, a league table of MBA providers worldwide, gives an annual overview of business schools providing the best training for managers and leaders.Brookes’ Business School programme climbed six places in the UK.
Up to 10,000 pupils in 100 schools based across Northern Ireland and Glasgow will take part in the four-year study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research.
National Mooting Competition. This is the first time that Brookes has won the contest which has been running for 41 Mootingyears.is the presentation of a legal issue against opposing counsel and mirrors the experience of appearing in court as an advocate.
IN BRIEF
Brookes and Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells are the joint sponsors of the scheme. Part of a wider national movement for technical education, the college will equip the pupils of today to become the engineers of tomorrow.
2,000 volunteers took part in a Brookes study at the London Science Museum called What Makes Your Walk Unique? Over topMBABrookesinUK’s10
The competition is run on a knockout basis with 64 teams. All finalists were offered a mini-pupillage at Essex Court Chambers.
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The MBA taught at Brookes’ Business School has been ranked 10th best in the UK.
UTC Swindon, a new concept in engineering education, is expected to open its doors to 14-19 year old students in 2014.
Top UK university
Matthew Sellwood and Daniele Selmi have been named winners of the 2012 ESU - Essex Court Chambers
Student dominatelawyersmoot
Philly Lopez ’05 (Music) recently performed with Stevie Wonder at Glastonbury, with Il Divo on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, at the closing ceremony of the Olympics and at Downing Street.
Battling teen drinking
Professor Foxcroft is working in collaboration with researchers from Liverpool John Moores, the University of Liverpool, Queen’s University Belfast and the Clinical Research Support Centre in Belfast.
Levels of alcohol misuse by young people in the UK are among the highest in Europe. David Foxcroft, Professor of Community Psychology and Public Health at Brookes is co-leading a £1 million project to find out how effective classroom-based interventions can be in reducing alcohol-related harm among that age group.
In August 2012, Will Loxton ’10 (Real Estate) and friend Christian LaytonHannam cycled from the North to the South then the West to the East of America in order to raise £10,000 for the UK charity, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association and Livestrong. The entire distance took the duo 38 days, breaking the previous record by six days.
This project, led by Brookes, builds on the legacy of Brookes’ MINI E electric car trials in the South East of England. Our vision is to build a self-sustaining market for electric and low carbon vehicles and develop a low carbon economy in Oxfordshire.
A student from Gaza has begun a master’s degree at Brookes thanks to a scholarship scheme set up by philanthropists associated with the University. Hassan Alhallaq (MSc in eBusiness), from Gaza said “This is the biggest reward in my life. When I found this scholarship for Gaza, I couldn’t believe it. I am living a dream!”
The research project focuses on the gap in knowledge surrounding the Italian cinema-going public of the 1940s and 1950s, for whom cinema was by far the most popularUponpastime.receiving the award Daniela commented, “I feel extremely honoured to be given such an exceptional award for a project my colleagues and I have been working on for several years.”
ScholarshipGaza
Italy’s post war ‘Lost Audiences’
Find out more at: www.brookesalumni.co.uk
IN BRIEF Brookes Restaurant wins top award
Transport Minister Norman Baker unveiled a new network of charging points for electric cars throughout Oxfordshire last summer. The so-called Oxford POLAR network will create one of the highest densities of electric vehicle charging points anywhere in Europe.
Brookes Restaurant came first out of 75 entrants in the ‘Best Service Category’ at the annual Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards. The restaurant, based at Headington campus, also claimed second place in the ‘Gastronomic Restaurant’ category.
Hassan Alhallaq
Brookes’ winning formula
European electric car capital
Open to the public, the restaurant is part of the Oxford School of Hospitality Management at Oxford Brookes. The school is a centre of excellence for research in international hospitality and tourism.
Engineering students from Brookes were named the top UK team at Formula Student 2012, the world’s largest student motorsport competition.FormulaStudent challenges universities from across the world to design and build Formula One-style racing cars within the space of a year before racing them at Silverstone. Brookes beat 50 UK universities to take the top British team prize, and came in seventh place overall out of more than 100 total entries.
On your bike
Dr Daniela Treveri Gennari, Programme Lead for Film Studies at Brookes, has received prestigious AHRC funding of £690,000 for her ‘Lost Audiences’ research project. Daniela’s achievement has resulted in one of the largest AHRC funds to be awarded to the University.
The development of charging points has been supported by both Oxford city and county councils, as well as Brookes, and means there are now more electric vehicle charging points in Oxford than petrol stations.
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Brookes Bridges wins plaudits
In 2011/12 more than 400 learners enrolled on 22 separate Brookes Bridges courses and in a number of the courses well over 75 per cent of students went on to degree level.
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18652015
A scheme run by Brookes to create routes into higher education for the unemployed has been named runner-up in the Guardian University Awards.
Since the early 1990s, alcohol misuse and other behavioural problems have increased among young people and the Strengthening Families Programme aims to reduce those trends.
A £1.5 million investment from the Big Lottery Fund will mean the programme (known formally as Strengthening Families Programme 10-14 (UK) or SFP10-14 (UK)) can be rolled out to new areas of the UK. Brookes’ work will particularly focus on Muslim families.
Our predecessor institutions:
Every once in a while, we can take a little time to celebrate achievements and look with pride to the future. For everyone connected with Brookes and its predecessor institutions, that moment is just around the corner, as we approach our 150th anniversary.
In 1865 we started as the Oxford School of Art, and since then we have grown through a number of changes and mergers, building on the important contributions that our predecessor institutions made to the people and city of Oxford.There will be opportunities for former and current students and staff, along with many others close to Brookes, to be part of the celebrations and activities running from September 2014 to June 2016.
ourApproaching150th
It offers free, short community-based courses as a means of progression into higher education and future employment.
Oxford City Technical School, Oxford College of Technology, Singletree Catering College, Oxford Polytechnic, Lady Spencer-Churchill Teacher Training College, Oxford School of Nursing, Dorset House School of Occupational Therapy, Westminster College of Education and Oxford Institute of Legal Practice.
The scheme was entered into the Commitment to Widening Participation category of the awards which recognises universities that have ‘taken exceptional steps towards addressing the differences in take-up of higher education opportunities across different social groups’.
Strengthening families
More details of these plans will be on our website and featured in future editions of Observe. In the meantime, if you have any questions or ideas about our 150th, we’d love to hear from you. Do contact us at 150years@ brookes.ac.uk or via the alumni office.
The programme is geared to help all families with children aged between 10 and 14 prepare for the teenage years. The seven-week programme is aimed at reducing alcohol and drug use, behavioural problems in adolescence and strengthening the parent-child or carer-child relationship. us on Twitter
The Strengthening Families Programme has received significant investment to help prevent young people in the UK becoming involved in crime and anti-social behaviour.
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Based in the most deprived areas of the region, the aim of Brookes Bridges is to up- or re-skill those who have previously left formal education and have been adversely affected by the economic climate so may be unemployed or under-employed.
Journalist, mother, student
Award-winning broadcast journalist Sian Williams, has presented and produced a number of the BBC’s flagship news programmes. An alumna who graduated in 1987, she spoke offcamera to Observe about her distinguished career and higher education’s continued ability to inspire.
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However, Sian is quick to point out that “the key thing about working in an organisation like this is the people. You work in such close teams and because you’re working to deadlines, there is a lot of trust and support, and people show that.
On hearing that Brookes will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2015, Sian says that she is “proud to be associated with Brookes and its history. I think it’s got a proud tradition and a heritage of education and a lot of the people who’ve been through it do great things.”
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“That to me is the sort of story that I want to hear. Everybody has a story to tell; it’s just finding it and allowing the space to tell it.”
Sian entered higher education in 1984 to study at Oxford Polytechnic. One of her reasons for this choice was the rare modular based degree system which the institution revolutionised. “Very few universities had it at that time and it meant that you could do two subjects, so I did English and History.
With Brookes on the cusp of moving into its new building and significant change within the higher education sector, parallels can be drawn between the University and the workplace of theAfteralumna.passing through security, we’re ushered into a ‘goldfish bowl’ which faces the BBC newsroom. Looking out for Sian amongst the hive of activity of producers, researchers and journalists we finally spot her on a screen as she presents the One O’clock News
“The regional and local newsrooms were hard. It was very macho. Amongst the clatter of typewriters, everybody smoked and everybody swore. When I first started, the Director General came up to me and said ‘It’s nice to have a secretary prettying up the place.’ I said ‘I’m not a secretary sir; I’m actually outputting the news bulletin!’
“That was the attitude back then. There were women in the news in the late 80s but you had to be tough because there was little or no room for courtesy, the news came first and we’ve just got to get it on air as fast as possible.”
“If something happens that’s quite big, if there is an internal crisis of some form, you will find people supporting one another and backing each other up. I think there was an appreciation that systems hadn’t worked properly, so change was needed. Things go wrong and they need to be changed and, as I say, we’re a tight enough team, that has enough loyalty towards the organisation, to make it want to work.”
From our conversation it is clear that Sian herself has a remarkable story to tell and is a further reminder of why we are so proud of the achievements of those who have studied with us.
Sian’s guests on the latter included Tony Blair and former US Vice-President Al Gore, highlighting the hectic, high-profile nature of her work. “I had twenty minutes with Tony Blair. I over-prepare because there’s always a little bit of you that thinks I might need it! When I work on political interviews, I work really hard. The essence of our job is explaining a complex story simply.”
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As Observe has a focus on what it’s like to be a 21st century student, we were keen to find out how else Sian felt things had changed since she studied with us. “I [still] am a student actually. I’m studying for my master’s in psychology. So, I know what it’s
“We interviewed a woman at the weekend who’d had a horrible time in Jamaica. Her mum had been murdered, her sister died and she found herself in a position where she came to Britain with only 60 quid in her pocket, no friends and no hope. Now she’s painting houses for kids and so far she’s actually painted 157 houses to make children’s lives better.
Although it’s often too simplistic to say that anyone is born for a particular career, Sian’s father was a journalist, while her grandfather was a writer.
Twenty minutes later, she is speaking with us, following a typically busy few days of broadcasting. “I’ve been on air since Thursday,” she explains. “I did the PM programme, a live studio audience programme on Saturday morning and The Andrew Marr Show yesterday.”
“[Brookes] has got a proud tradition and a heritage of education and a lot of the people who’ve been through it do great things.”
However, competition is something which Sian is wellaccustomed to and her initial experiences at work were tough. After graduating in 1987, Sian worked in an environment which was still predominantly male.
Having worked at the BBC for over 25 years now in a variety of roles, most notably on BBC Breakfast, Sian has returned to her roots, “I’ve gone back to Radio 4 presenting Saturday Live I spent a long time in Liverpool mainly and then I came down to Radio 4 as a producer for The World at One, PM and other programmes.”Theseareamong the organisation’s most respected and uncompromising news programmes and the BBC itself remains a cherished national institution, recognised across the globe. It has also had a particularly challenging 12 months under intense scrutiny over its practices and upheaval across the organisation.
“I grew up with it,” she explains. “My dad was on Fleet Street and worked at the BBC for a while in radio news. He was very influential and an excellent writer. He’s still a journalist now and he’s 75. Growing up, the radio was on all the time and I suppose because of his interest, I became interested in the news as wellit felt inevitable for me.”
rriving at the iconic Television Centre, it is impossible not to evoke memories of the classic BBC programmes produced here over the years. It is also a time of change as much of the organisation has moved out of its old home in White City, while the media landscape itself continues to shift at a rapid pace.
“Oxford is fascinating. It’s a city of academia. The beauty of the city draws a lot of people to it as well. It was interesting being at a polytechnic rather than being at the University [of Oxford] because you did feel that you were more part of the town than the gown and you did feel that there was a divide. I don’t think that’s the case now.”
like to have been a student in the 80s and a student now. I think more is expected of you and the competition is more intense.”
A
With time escaping us as Sian has to dash to pick up her youngest from school, we’re keen to know who is the most interesting person she has interviewed in her career. Her belief is that “people usually expect you to say politicians or stars, but they’re practised, they’re on the circuit and they do interviews all the time. I always find the best interviews are the ones where people have some extraordinary story to tell.
Students Tobi Fett, Shweta Soni and Christos Floros in the Abercrombie atrium.
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The 21st studentcentury
With stunning new facilities on our Headington campus, we can give our students an education that helps them succeed in an increasingly competitive world. Observe Editor Steve Buchanan explores how learning is flourishing at Brookes.
he John Henry Brookes building is in the final stages of construction. Architecturally, it’s ahead of the game; technologically, it’s cutting edge and aesthetically, it’s stunning, and, quite rightly, it will take pride of place as a major new landmark in Oxford.
Mentoring also plays a huge part by offering students an opportunity to job shadow and gain work experience. It is usually voluntary and often the mentors are our own alumni who want to give something back. Hospitality graduate Tom Shorney ’11 was part of the Bacchus Mentoring Scheme which pairs every student with an industry professional. He says, “Having a mentor in my final year was immensely valuable.” And thanks to funding from our alumni, some of our students have been given the opportunity to set up projects that can make a real difference in theSocommunity.howdifferent is the 21st century student? I wanted to compare and contrast students’ experiences a generation apart. I invited architecture undergraduate Christos Floros and architecture senior lecturer (and alumna ’89) Maria Kessler to discuss this. “The biggest change is digital. Twenty years ago it was just starting but now we have digital portfolios, social networks, social media and so on, and it is increasing a lot. My generation didn’t have the same tools as students nowadays”, says Maria. Christos acknowledges this, “Digital portfolios are already starting to become old and we’re already thinking about what’s going to happen next.”
More than ever studying at Brookes is not just about what you get out of it; it’s also what you put into it.
But more than ever, studying at Brookes is not just about what you get out of it; it’s also what you put into it. One of the ways we do this is through our robust link between teaching and research. Students are taught about the latest ideas from our researchers, many of whom are internationally recognised within their fields. Senior Lecturer in Geography, Helen Walkington has taken this a stage further, setting up a journal for undergraduate student research. It’s a serious business; students have to submit proposals, as you would professionally and get their studies peer-reviewed. The publication provides an opportunity for them to disseminate their findings to a wider audience and begin the building blocks of a career in academia or to potentially influence policy and practice.OurPhD students are also doing their own ‘world firsts’ too, with computing student Steve Barker part of a team using a human skeleton for the first time in robotic research, and biology student Sam Barry breaking new ground to discover more about female infertility and kidney disease.
Maria continues, “What I find fascinating now is how to balance the use of computers, and old-school sketching and drawing. They’re skills we are trying to maintain; we don’t want students to just work with computers.” Christos reflects, “We do sketch but we sketch digitally, we sketch on a tablet. It’s traditional sketching but in the digital era.”
But our commitment to teaching and learning is much more than bricks and mortar. The building is named after John Henry Brookes to emphasise that we continue his passion for great teaching. We want a place where the modern student can flourish, from undergraduate through to PhD. It’s the students that will provide the building’s heart and soul; it is critical that we’re conscious of this.
It’s the students that will provide the building’s heart and soul; it is critical that we’re conscious of this. you’d like to read more about life at Brookes, please visit:
Our students will go on to help shape the world outside the University so we provide learning experiences beyond the classroom, such as work placements, research integration, leadership skills and extra-curricular activities.
If
And it’s not just at Brookes where our students are seizing unique learning opportunities. Geographically, Oxford is at the centre of an economic hub with major employers and smaller,
The Student Redevelopment Group is a strong example of this, set up to make sure that students voices were heard in the development of the building. Shweta Soni and Tobi Fett, studying English and drama, and planning respectively, are just two of the students benefiting from the involvement. The Group meets once a month to help influence the project through discussions with architects, staff members and other student group members.
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unique organisations on its doorstep; from MINI to Microsoft, Innocent to the Oxford Literary Festival. Local global employers are enlisting our students and increasing their skillsets, their employability and their confidence. Motorsports engineering graduate Gavin Ward ’07 went on placement at Red Bull Racing. It led to the company sponsoring his final year and dissertation, and ultimately a job after graduation. Gavin said his placement “was invaluable for getting a foot in the door – one of the hardest things with Formula One.”
T
Being a student isn’t quite the same as it was in the last century; the pace of change is fast, but the commitment to learning in all its forms still keeps evolving. A lot is asked of students, both within their courses and how they balance the extra pieces that develop them. To ensure we carry on maximising our students’ potential, we need to keep on equipping them with the firepower necessary to propel them into what will undoubtedly be a difficult job market, and into a world that needs 21st century thinking.
www.brookes.ac.uk
“Without the group I don’t think I could have had the university experience that I had,” says Shweta, “I’ve watched the project grow from nothing to then turn into these magnificent structures that make people come to Brookes and go, ‘Wow’.” Tobi echoes this, “The entire project has given us so many opportunities and I see it as giving me an advantage.” This kind of empowerment is confirmation that wider experiences will help students like Shweta and Tobi in their professional lives after university.
Our commitment to learning is right across the board, and every year, our PhD students expand the knowledge base of their subject with a unique piece of research. Their findings make a real difference to the world. Below five students share the passion which drives them. Tap here to view profiles and find out more
Doctor(s) in the house
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Making waves in The Glass Tank: new curator’s exhibition plan
Dr Joanna Walker ’98 (English and History of Art), former Development Manager at Tate London, has been appointed Gallery Manager and Exhibitions Curator of Brookes’ new gallery, ‘The Glass Tank’. Situated in the Abercrombie atrium, she will manage the operation of the new space and oversee the exhibition programme.
Joanna said, “The Glass Tank will showcase university activity and the creative work of our students, staff and alumni. As curator of this collective space, I will be taking on the challenge of devising an exhibition programme that will reflect and appeal to the interests of all faculties. I would like to see the gallery grow to become an important feature of Oxford’s cultural landscape, enabling us to raise our profile to the wider community.”
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Vijay said about his new role, “I am delighted to have been asked to lead the Commonwealth Foundation at this critical time in its development. I see a bright future for the organisation – one that is based on its ability to encourage people to take action in support of the values we say the Commonwealth stands for in relation to development and democracy.”
Throughout the magazine we’ve heard from several of our alumni about their amazing stories and achievements. Here are a few more highlights, more of which you can read online. If you would also like to find out more about how you can get involved, visit our website: www.brookesalumni.co.uk
Leading the way at ParalympicCarryingFoundationCommonwealththetheflame
Michael McGrath ’88 (Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Management) and cofounder and CEO of national family charity, The Muscle Help Foundation, carried the Paralympic Torch through the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Michael said, “It was a tremendous honour to carry the flame.”
He studied land-use planning at the Polytechnic, which gave him an appreciation of the importance of civic participation and engagement with the institutions that shape people’s lives.
Find out more about Brookes alumni around the world
Alumni
Vijay Krishnarayan ’87 (Planning) has been made the Director of the Commonwealth Foundation. He has supported civil society organisations in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth over the last 25 years including leading the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute.
If you’re interested, please contact alumni@brookes.ac.uk or visit our website
Keeping up with old friends
Debbie Dance ’93 was awarded an OBE in January. She has been Director of the Oxfordshire Preservation Trust since 1999 and has completed a number of successful projects including the regeneration of Oxford Castle.
Last September, a group of alumni and friends who had lived at Cotuit Hall in the 1980’s while studying at the Oxford Polytechnic met up to talk about old times. Peter Mills ’86 said, “We brought along photo albums of us all in our first year, which brought many happy memories flooding back.”
Join the Brookes Society
40 year
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85 years celebrated at a party to remember
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Richard Sexton ’92 was awarded an MBE. He is a partner at Knight Frank in New York and an alumnus of the Department of Real Estate and ArchitectConstruction.
The Doric Club and the Oxford School of Architecture celebrated their 85th birthday in June at the Ashmolean Museum with the largest ever gathering of Dorians. A total of 186 from all over the world, including 16 members from the Norwegian Doric Club, made it a party to remember.
Alumni who studied on the Postgraduate Urban Studies Diploma at the Oxford Polytechnic in the 1970s met up at the Headington campus in August. As well as meeting old friends and looking at the changes to the campus, they also recreated a photo that was taken in June 1972.
The Brookes Society for retired staff, headed by Geoff Bremble, has had an active year, running a wide selection of social events and excursions. The society now has 250 members but is always looking for new members to join its ranks. It’s a great way for former staff to keep in contact with old friends and make some new ones, as well as finding out what is going on at Brookes.
Congratulations
Nicola Antaki ’01 was awarded the 2012 RIBA ICE McAslan Bursary to deliver an ingenious school design project in India to support environmental and community projects in the UK and abroad.
Reunions are an excellent opportunity to meet up with old friends and rekindle university memories. The Alumni Team can help in a range of ways such as advertising the event on the Brookes website, contacting invitees and arranging for access to university facilities.
Helen Hammond ’00, owner and director of Elephant Creative, won the Women in Marketing Award. She was recognised alongside some of the biggest brands in the UK.
30 year Cotuit Hall reunion
Dorians are looking forward to the 90th anniversary reunion in five years’ time, celebrating in the new Abercrombie extension, but before that, the Norwegian Doric Club is planning an event in Oslo linked with experiencing modern Norwegian architecture, an activity that the original Doric Club was organising back in 1927!
Do you want to set up a reunion?
PlanningUrbanreunion
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How you are making difference...a
Alumni are creating incredible opportunities for students, and contributing to the achievements and impact they will go on to have in life. Thank you so much to everyone who has given their support.
Every year an increasing number of students’ lives are changed thanks to the vision and generosity of a growing body of donors. Last summer, several hundred alumni pledged over £90,000 to the Brookes Alumni Fund, partnering with students by supporting scholarships and student community projects.
Many alumni also shared with the student callers their invaluable experience about careers and course choices, and opened up possibilities for them which they had not envisaged.
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DavidDONORSWinters’96(Law)withhiswife,Debbie
To show how this amazing generosity is being put into action, we’ve invited donors, a student caller and some of our award recipients to share their thoughts and experiences.
“A scholarship can give a student renewed vigour, and a sense of accomplishment that far outweighs the monetary size of the award. Of course we realise that the money is important of itself, and can make a big difference to student finances. But the renewed enthusiasm and confidence is the longest lasting effect.”
STuDENT CALLER Sophie Howell, BSc Sociology and Psychology
“When I found out that my place on the MSc was funded by Brookes alumni, I was stunned by this act of kindness and generosity. It’s very heartening that there are so many people out there who are willing to help the academic progress and lives of others. I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity.”
Please visit brookesalumni.co.ukwww.orcall+44(0)1865484863
SCHOLARSHip RECipiENT
Ben Wilkins, BSc Osteopathy
“I’ve carried out two SCF projects; one was encouraging local primary school children to have regular climbing sessions and the other was a website called the Student Vegetable Diaries, to give guidance on how to grow your own vegetables. I realised I was capable of anything! I learnt valuable skills and I’d definitely recommend the SCF to other people.”
“I believe the DEP programme is already making a huge difference in my life as it gives me the opportunity to study development and humanitarian related topics in-depth. It also equips me with the knowledge and skills which I am very sure will be more than useful to my career in the future.”
“I found the experience really rewarding. My enjoyment came from actually getting to speak [directly] to alumni. They were happy to talk to us about what the University was like when they were here, and about their careers and the paths they had taken following graduation. It was really inspiring.”
If wouldyoulike to support students...our
Ahmed Safi, MSc Development and Emergency Practice (DEP)
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CENDEp RECipiENT
Francesca Hill, MSc Psychology
STuDENT COmmuNiTY FuND (SCF) RECipiENT
On the future of universities
On universities as drivers for economic growth
On the application of class-based knowledge by students
Vince was born in York.
A minute with… Vince Cable
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On what impressed him about Brookes “I hadn’t realised that OxfordBrookes was actually one of the biggest campuses in the country for architecture and related subjects. And... this is the leading Formula One university. The next generation of Formula One designers and possibly drivers are coming through this faculty here.”
VinceUniversity.served as a Labour Councillor in Glasgow between 1971 and 1974, before joining the Social Democrat party.
On why it’s important to have a degree “It’s important that people are as well prepared as they can be for what will be an increasingly competitive knowledge economy worldwide.”
“If Britain’s going to succeed and we’re going to make our living as a country, it’s going to come through knowledge and applying that knowledge in business.”
He has published several books covering issues including international economics, trade and the environment.
On the role of modern universities
In 1997 Vince was elected as an MP to represent Twickenham
He studied Natural Science and then Economics at Cambridge University, where he was president of the union, followed by a PhD at Glasgow
“These days most students accept that their working lives will involve a lot of change and they’ve got to be adaptable and what I also see happening in university campuses are enormous numbers of students joining entrepreneur societies, thinking not just of how they learn a skill, how they learn knowledge but how they will apply it in a creative entrepreneurial way.”
Observe caught up with Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he visited Brookes to tour the Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment. We chatted to the Secretary of State just after he had met with a group of Motorsport Engineering students. You can find out what he had to say below…
“Universities like Brookes andOxford itself are very much focused on making sure their students are employable. You see this all around us, all these young people going off to work in Formula One companies.”
“Technology is changing with enormous speed. Most of the rapid growth jobs at the moment are in areas which didn’t exist 10 years ago and I think it’s [about] preparing the next generation for that world.”
Connect with us eventsdevelopmentGreat Our exciting series of career and personal development events are open to all alumni. Led by professional external speakers, subjects range from communication styles through to advice on starting your own business if you membershipyouralready,haven’tgetalumnicard Benefits include up to 50 per cent off UK attractions, super savings on UK hotels and theatres, and much more pop by our online shop From keyrings to clothing, all profits go CommunitythetowardsStudent Fund www.brookesalumni.ac.uk Remember, we really want you to stay in touch, so drop us a line at alumni@brookes.ac.uk OBSERVE | THE MAGAZINE OF OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY | SPRING WWW.BROOKES.AC.UK/OBSERVE2013
Andrea Ansell, Mollie Ashley, Susannah Baker, Matthew Butler, Jo Carr, Sirius Gibson, Jane Hobden, George O’Neill, Emma Radley.
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t:(Equalthewww.brookes.ac.uk/services/hr/eodoftheandUniversityandequalityofOxfordcreativeservices@brookes.ac.ukBrookesiscommittedtotheprincipleequality.Ourpoliciesandpracticespromoteofopportunityforallwhostudy,workvisitourcommunity.Weseektomaketheaninclusiveplacetoworkandstudywelcomeapplicationsfromallsectionsofcommunityandfrompeopleatallstagestheirlife.TofindoutmoreseeorcontactHRTeam&BusinessPartnershipManagerOpportunityandDiversity),+44(0)1865485929.Toenquireaboutalternativeformatspleasecontact+44(0)1865484848oremailquery@brookes.ac.uk Still want more? Vist: www.brookes.ac.uk or connect with us via our social networks: /brookesalumni/oxford_brookes/brookesalumni/oxfordbrookes Remember to chat ‘Observe’ on Twitter using #brookesobserve/Oxfordbrookes
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WWW.BROOKES.AC.UK/OBSERVE OBSERVE | THE MAGAZINE OF OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY | SPRING 2013 Get involved Share your photographs and other Brookes memorabilia Tell us about an inspirational teacher or a memorable event Let your fellow alumni know about the celebrations Suggest an event that the Brookes community can all take part in Please send your suggestions to 150years@brookes.ac.uk or via the alumni office 18652015