www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 9 November 2015 Issue 1319 Free
NUSU ELECTIONS Keen nominees hope to win your vote p.23
The Independent Voice of Newcastle Students
CHILDREN IN NEED Top 10 moments in recent years p. 37
Est 1948
INTERVIEW: ASH Chatting to drummer Rick McMurray p. 31
Physics degrees relaunched Uni welcomes first intake of new Physics undergraduates since 2004 £2 million invested in laboratories for relaunched Physics department Four new academics appointed to teach new degree programmes By Victoria Armstrong Editor After a nine-year absence, Newcastle University has restarted teaching Physics, offering prospective students the opportunity to study for a BSc or a MPhys in Physics. A dwindling interest in studying Physics a decade ago meant the last intake of Physics students at the University occurred in 2004. However, the field has seen a nation-wide spark in interest recently, with numbers of students studying Physics in school increasing, causing a subsequent rise in demand for Physics degrees. So far, four new academics have been appointed to help teach the new degree programmes. Additionally, £2 million has been invested into providing purpose-built facilities, including a Physics laboratory in the Herschel Annex building, where the Physics department is housed. The Herschel building is named for the University’s first Professor of Physics, Alexander Herschel, who was appointed in 1871 and whose grandfather, Sir William Herschel, is credited with discovering the planet Uranus. The facilities were officially opened in a ceremony on Friday 6 November by the internationally acclaimed physicist, astrobiologist, cosmologist and Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Professor Paul Davies. Speaking on the subject of “the great unresolved problems of physics”, Professor Davies lauded the reintroduction of Physics degrees at Newcastle University, commenting, “I welcome this initiative which restores physics to its rightful place at this esteemed insti-
tution. As the ‘queen of sciences’ physics will always be a core discipline. “In the second decade of this century, physics is poised to transform the frontiers of research from fields as diverse as computing, cancer biology, materials science and nanotechnology. The career opportunities opening up for physics graduates herald a new Golden Age for science. “The end is not in sight for theoretical physics, nor experimental physics; there is still a long way to go yet.” The ceremony continued with flare, as a paper cover was set aflame to reveal a plaque commemorating the occasion. Speaking exclusively to The Courier, Professor Steve Homans, Pro-ViceChancellor of the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAGE) at Newcastle University, stated: “It’s wonderful to see Physics back on the map in Newcastle. I think Physics has exhibited a rebirth, the Brian Cox effect perhaps. We have a lot of very strong Physics research in Newcastle already in other departments, like Electrical Engineering, but this means that the University’s physicists can come together to focus their efforts. “Over the next decade, we would hope to establish Physics as a separate discipline within the University, by gaining more researchers and postgraduate students, as they are ultimately the lifeblood of research.” There are 39 undergraduate students currently on the first year of the two new single honours Physics degrees, the first intake in eleven years, with numbers set to rise. Plans also exist to expand the current facilities with the construction of cryogenics and electronics laboratories intended.
“As the ‘Queen of sciences’, physics will always be a core discipline”
Exploding paper showing the official opening plaque of the new Physics facilities Image: Mike Urwin
Gender imbalance forces nominations to re-open in election for NUS delegates By Mark Sleightholm Deputy Editor Nominations for Newcastle’s NUS delegates will have to be re-opened later in the year in order for the delegation to meet NUS’ representation requirements. NUS voted in 2014 to ensure that all students’ unions send delegations that include “at least 50% self-defining women, rounded down”. This means that three of Newcastle’s six places at the NUS National Conference must be filled by self-defining women. However, none of the current candidates self define as women. Elections are held every November to elect five of the six NUSU delegates, with the NUSU President automatically taking the other place. Since Dom Fearon, this year’s NUSU President,
self-defines as a man, there are only two places left for the four candidates currently standing. NUS regulations state that if there are not enough self-defining women in the delegation by the registration deadline in March next year, none of NUSU’s delegates will be eligible to attend. Fearon said: “I am very surprised that no self-defining women were interesting in attending NUS Conference. Female engagement with the Students’ Union is higher than male, and female satisfaction with NUSU is 10% higher. In the past five years we have had more delegates self-defining as women than men so this is definitely out of the ordinary.” Last year there were three self-defining women in NUSU’s delegation, including the then-President, Claire Boothman. Fearon continued: “Since we have
previously had more women delegates than men we haven’t found it necessary to specifically target women before now. “I will be having discussions with Lucy Morgan (the NUSU Gender Equality Officer) to discuss how to make our female students aware of the importance of having their views represented at NUS conference. Hopefully when we reopen nominations in February we will have a plethora of applications.” Morgan said: “NUSU should actively be trying to engage more women in Newcastle student politics. The fact that no women at all have ran for it highlights the need for NUS’ fair representation policy in the first place. “I hope when nominations re-open there will be a more concerted and clarified effort to encourage more women and I will of course be promoting it through the Feminist Society and my role as Gender Equality Officer.”