FUSE Issue 1

FUSE FACULTY OF ARTS, PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIAL STUDIES NEWS SUMMER 2016

Fuse WELCOME

WELCOME CONTENTS 04 06 08 10 12 13 14 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

THE FACULTY OF ARTS, PROFESSIONAL AND SOCIAL STUDIES APSS NEWS A DAY AT THE RACES: LJMU’S COLLABORATION WITH AINTREE UNIVERSITY IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF POLICING STUDIES TURNER PRIZE WINNERS TAKE UP RESIDENCE AT ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIPS WITH ARTS ORGANISATIONS STUDENTS PAY TRIBUTE TO ELEANOR RATHBONE BUSINESS SCHOOL OFFERS STUDENTS A HEAD START ON WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE THE HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME: SARA PARKER’S WORK IN NEPAL AN AMERICAN IN LIVERPOOL: THE STORY OF AN EXCHANGE STUDENT APSS STUDENT BURSARYS REIMAGINING THE VETERAN: DR EMMA MURRAY EXPLAINS HER RESEARCH FACULTY CELEBRATES RECENT GRANT SUCCESSES LJMU IS TOP OF THE CLASS FOR RESEARCH STUDENTS SAY: THE FINAL WORD FROM APSS STUDENTS

EDITOR ELLE SPENCER

WRITERS

LUCY FEGAN & CARA HUNTER Send future content suggestions to fuse@ljmu.ac.uk

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PROF. JOE YATES EXECUTIVE DEAN

W

elcome to this first issue of the newsletter for the Faculty, which i have commissioned to to communicate some of the great work being done by our staff and students.

The passion, commitment and drive of our staff has led to numerous successes and accolades this year.

I would like to make special reference to the Faculty’s contribution to the results from the University’s QAA judgment; the work we have undertaken to strengthen our research profile; the reach and impact of our civic engagement and our continued accomplishments at helping to secure student work placements which benefit our students and communities.

We continue to develop excellent public engagement activities, and I have been delighted that we have

received nominations and awards from our students, and the work of our academics, support staff and programme teams has been recognised in University-level awards.

In addition our work has been recognised externally through awards, prizes and the successes we have had in securing competitive grant funding for our research.

Colleagues have worked hard through the process of validation this year, to ensure that our programmes remain intellectually inspiring and cutting-edge. We have continued to generate new funding streams to support our ground-breaking research and our publications continue to make significant interventions across a range of disciplines.

What is also clearly evident is how your commitment, drive and collaborative spirit transfers to our growing community of staff, undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research students. We should be immensely proud of this. We feature some of our students in this publication and I ask that you support the enterprises of our student body, particularly their conferences, exhibitions and shows.

FUSE, researched and produced by Journalism students, is intended to capture a snapshot of the work from this semester but is by no means fully exhaustive - please continue to communicate your achievements via our internal communications channels, the University website, social media, your school and departmental groups

and importantly to your students who would benefit from knowing about the activities the Faculty undertakes.

On a final note I would like to take the opportunity to thank two of our Associate Deans who shortly come to the end of their tenure Ross Dawson, Associate Dean Education and Tony Hall, Associate Dean Quality. Both Ross and Tony have played significant roles in supporting the Faculty as we have developed over the last three years and I would like to personally thank them for the support they have provided for the faculty, the Schools, the Programmes and colleagues.

I hope you enjoy this newsletter.

Best wishes, Joe.

Fuse APSS

SCHOOLS

The Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social S LIVERPOOL SCREEN SCHOOL

THE SCHOOL OF LAW

DR RACHEL MCLEAN

DAVE SELFE The School of Law delivers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes within Law and Criminal Justice to its 1200 plus students. In addition to its programmes, it is also known for pro bono activities, innovative research and excellent links with the legal community. The School’s Legal Advice Centre has recently been shortlisted for two categories within theLawWorks and Attorney General Student Pro Bono Awards 2015.

The Liverpool Screen School delivers excellent programmes within media, journalism, the performing arts and writing. To ensure they unleash every students’ creative potential, they not only provide a supportive environment, but also cement quality theoretical teaching with relevant, practical experience; experience that ensures students can succeed professionally in their chosen fields.

In addition to our achievements within research, the School is also known for the strong links they have forged with local, national and international companies and institutions, including the BBC, ITV, Trinity Mirror, Lime Pictures, Classic FM, ZUMC in Hangzhou and the Institute of the Arts, Barcelona. The School also organises the Liverpool Film Seminar series and is involved in both Sound City, Doc/Fest and Edinburgh Fringe Festival. These partnerships offer a wealth of opportunities for both staff and students.

“Through our strong links with the creative and digital sector, Liverpool Screen School provides a vibrant, industry focused learning environment. Our students are encouraged to be creative and innovative, professional in their approach to work, and ambitious in their aspirations.”

“I want to ensure that all aspects of the School’s provision continues to expand and be of the highest quality. I want the School to continue to be a nationally recognised leader in undergraduate and postgraduate provision in Law and Criminal Justice, with programmes and teaching that are informed by the highest quality scholarship and research.

The School provides academic and professional courses that will give all students the opportunity to develop key transferable skills, to enhance their employability prospects and to engage with practitioners and a wide range of professional firms, agencies and bodies. The School will be ideally positioned to meet the challenges and innovations of education and training in Law and Criminal Justice in the 21st century.”

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Studies THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DR ALEX MILES The School of Humanities and Social Science are leading educators within six subject areas – English and Cultural History, Media, History, Culture and Communication, Policing Studies and Criminology and Sociology. Current research and scholarship are defining features of all six of these subject areas. This commitment has enabled staff in the School to produce an impressive array of world-leading research.

“At the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, students are led by teaching staff who are national and global research experts. Students are encouraged to be creative, enthusiastic and rigorous in their approach and to engage in debate with a range of practitioners and cultural partners locally, nationally and internationally.”

LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN PROF CAROLINE WILKINSON In 1825 the School opened its doors, becoming the first school of art and design in England outside London. Since making that first bold move, we’ve continued to push boundaries. Today, its community of artists, designers, illustrators and architects deliver cutting-edge programmes, produce high-impact research and work alongside some of the world’s most iconic cultural leaders.

“Liverpool School of Art and Design is a vibrant and inspirational creative art environment where students are encouraged to be innovative, exceptional and imaginative.”

THE LIVERPOOL BUSINESS SCHOOL TIMOTHY NICHOL The business school provides support for its students whether that be within accounting, marketing, human resource management, public relations or business.

They are proud to provide a first rate teaching and learning environment backed by research and scholarship which is central to the school’s ethos, as is delivering practical business solutions to local, national and international businesses.

“We’re an innovative business school based in the heart of Liverpool. We nurture talent and provide the knowledge, experience and contacts our students need to succeed. Our services for business deliver excellent and measurable results.”

Fuse APSS NEWS

British Academy grant for humanities lecturer An LJMU lecturer has recently been congratulated on securing a grant from the British Academy small research fund.

Dr Christopher Vaughan, a lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences has recently been awarded £9914 to enable him to continue his work on the history of regional integration in East Africa.

“Applications for the British Academy have a very restricted word count, so it was essential to hone a very succinct account of my research aims and objectives, and to explain their significance both within academic debates and in the ‘real world’,” said Dr Vaughan.

“Fortunately, I had excellent internal and external support from multiple readers and peer reviewers who helped me draft a strong proposal.”

Dr Vaughan has taught a general survey course on twentieth century Africa at the University for a number of years and it was during this time that he noticed he had a particular passion surrounding the history of decolonisation in Africa during the 1950s and 60s.

Throughout his time at LJMU, Chris’ work has engaged with debates about the character of the colonial state in Africa, colonial violence, prevalent times in Africa’s history, the authority of local chiefs, and the dynamics of African borderlands.

The grant is shared between Dr Vaughan and two others and he looks forward to the building of new collaborative relationships between himself and his new coinvestigators who are based at the universities of Edinburgh and York.

Each of the investigators

will have an international archival research trip paid for by the British Academy, and the grant will also fund a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya where the academics will disseminate their findings to both academic and policy stakeholders.

“Hopefully our research will lead to high quality academic publications, and will also engage with officials and policy-makers in East Africa engaged in the politics of regional integration in the present day. This may lead to a larger research grant being submitted on the same theme - but research is by definition unpredictable.”

Dr Vaughan also added that the problem with grants can be the unpredictability of outcomes as excellent applications may be rejected, leading to discouragement and

Dr Christopher Vaughan disaffection. Thankfully, his determination proved successful, with him saying: “As with other aspects of academic life, resilience is key - you just have to keep trying!”

Success for new academic hiring scheme Last year, LJMU launched an innovative scheme known as Inspire 3 to recruit further inspirational research staff.

The scheme aims to appoint a range of inspiring academics to support excellence in research and teaching – a key theme in the strategic plan.

With a wide range of posts across a broad spectrum of disciplines, the scheme represents a significant investment in the University’s academic community and is in

fact, the third dedicated recruitment campaign which aims to attract the very brightest and most inspiring individuals to join the teaching staff.

Already making significant progress on the objectives previously outlined in an ambitious strategic plan, the University is undergoing a renaissance as it seeks to forge ahead as the UK’s premier modern civic university.

Developing an excellent student experience is the driving force for the whole

university – pioneering work in improving graduate prospects, innovative approach to cultural partnerships and the plans for a new studentfocussed campus are setting benchmarks for the essence of university life in the 21st century.

As one of the highest climbers in the REF exercise, the University is strengthening its already solid reputation, based on evidence and performance, for providing students with the highest

quality teaching and a learning experience informed by relevant, credible and world leading research.

With over 25,000 students and 2,500 staff, Liverpool John Moores is one of the largest universities in the UK. The University prides itself on having an inspirational, open and enthusiastic academic community who operate in world class facilities. Diversity is valued; endeavour is supported and achievement is celebrated.

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International book deal success

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n alumna who has landed an international book deal credits her time at LJMU as reason for her success.

“The last 12 months have been quite the whirlwind” said Mary Torjussen as she reflected on the success she has encountered this past year.

“It’s been really incredible, as soon as one deal was done I received another it’s been the most fantastic experience.”

The Wirral -based author was delighted as not two months after finishing her debut novel it was snapped up by UK publisher Headlines, as were its film rights shortly after.

The psychological thriller entitled ‘Without a trace’ is set to be released digitally later this year before hitting shelves across the world in April 2017.

But the book may have never have come to fruition

had Mary not enrolled on the MA Writing at LJMU. “I have always loved literature and found that I always looked at novels critically and thought I might like to write one - I just never got round to it.

“It was the masters that finally made it focus, it was brilliant! It made me commit to creative writing and taught me the best lesson I have ever learnt: a lot of people can write a first chapter but it is finishing the thing that’s the challenge.

The course made me become absolutely committed and it’s what led to me writing the novel.”

Mary, who graduated in 2007, was inspired to write ‘Without a trace’ after reading an online thread which detailed the experiences of a woman who came home one day to find her boyfriend had moved out of their

home and had taken all his possessions - including toiletries and items from the fridge. She explains how she began thinking of how it seemed as though the man didn’t want there to be any trace of himself and why that might be.

This became the basis for her novel in which the main character Hannah goes through a similar experience only to then begin receiving frightening and cryptic messages.

“I like writing what is called ‘domestic noir’, which describes situations where the peril is within your own home. It’s about things that could really happen and I personally just think that psychological terror - where there is no overt violence - is in fact more frightening and that’s what this book is all about.”

Headline’s commissioning editor Emily Griffin said this element was why she was so excited about the novel.

“I was instantly drawn into Without A Trace -the set-up is irresistible and I love Mary’s fresh take on the domestic noir genre. All of the key elements for an addictive read are here: an intriguing mystery, twisty plotting and jaw-dropping reveals which had me genuinely gasping aloud.”

Staff and students within the Creative Writing department were also thrilled to congratulate Mary on her success and quickly invited her back to speak to current MA students in the hopes that she might offer some words of wisdom.

Reflecting on what she might say to the aspiring authors when she visits, Mary said: “The best advice I can give anyone is just to write the bloody thing!”

Art students treated to masterclasses Students at the Liverpool School of Art and Design have been treated to a series of lectures from ‘masters’ over the past few months.

The School has welcomed a number of high profile practitioners at the height of their careers. Guests have included ‘Starchitect’ Daniel Liebeskind - a PolishAmerican architect whose buildings include the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the Imperial War Museum in Manchester.

Other artists such as graphic designer Lance Wyman, fine artists Jane & Louise Wilson and recent

Master artists host lectures at John Lennon Art and Design Building Turner Prize winners Assemble, have also hosted lectures at LJMU Commenting on the Masters events, School Director, Prof. Caroline Wilkinson said: “Students are inspired by master artists and the lecture series has been designed

to include speakers from a range of creative arts. The students have interviewed our speakers and can take the inspiration and interest stimulated at the lecture back into their own practice and studies.

“External guest speakers provide a real world

context for university study and offer challenging and successful applications for creative art.”

Fuse APSS FEATURES

T

he work of a number of LJMU students has been celebrated following the University’s partnership with Aintree Racecourse.

As home to the Grand National, the racecourse was able to involve students from a number of courses including; History, Fashion, Drama and Journalism.

“It has been amazing”, said Aintree’s Managing Director, John Baker.

A day at “The students have just completely got it and understood it and really had a passion about it.

That’s what blows you away because some of the work they have done is up to certain standards that not even professional agencies would have been able to do. It is awe inspiring.”

The partnership came about following a two-year long conversation between LJMU’s Employer

Engagement Manager, Deb Pownall and the race course discussing all the possibilities that the racecourse could offer students and vice-versa.

She was particularly keen to take part in a project that would integrate across a number of faculties and involve a diverse group of students.

She said: “the lovely thing about it is that this project has given so many students a proper insight into working with a

client and has given them so many new experiences.

“They’ve done an absolutely amazing job. All of the work that these students have done is amazing, they will be able to showcase it on their CVs and they will be able to show it to future employers.”

The multi-faceted project looked at a number of interesting elements involving Aintree and drew on the wide range of talent on offer to create an exhibition

of work which was showcased at the Museum of Liverpool.

Screen School students worked on the Aintree project by producing a video on the history of the races which was aired on the day while History students spent months researching and building the largest database of historical material that Aintree has ever had.

Fashion Design students also took a look back in time to study the history

the races of fashion trends at Aintree and used this as their inspiration for the creation of a contemporary fashion collection.

The project illustrated the design process from the start to a completed garment and showcased the learning process which includes pattern cutting, textile design, illustration and production, among other things.

Meanwhile, Fashion Communication

students took a wider view and were invited to create Ladies Day ‘style guides’ that they curated with the help of an Aintree style guru who expressed the ethos and direction that Aintree hopes to instill in all their race-goers.

Their campaigns offered the students the chance to showcase a number of skills from social media marketing to photography, styling, branding, graphic design and book

production.

Bethany, a Fashion Communications student whose work was presented at the Museum of Liverpool said: “I really enjoyed the project because we were able to develop it in lots of different ways. We’ve taken part in this event but it’s not over yet as we’re actually working with Aintree on their social media now so our work will be uploaded to their Facebook and Twitter accounts which is actually really nice.”

Speaking on the day Managing Director John Baker said: “You never think because the Grand National is a horse race, that it is going to create so many emotions for so many different people in so many different ways.”

He expressed how thrilled he was at the project’s immense success and said it would not be the end of the University’s involvement with the racecourse.

“I’m sure there’s many other things we

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can do in the future that LJMU students can get involved in. This has been a great project and we definitely want to do more of it.”

Fuse APSS FEATURES

University at the forefront of advances in Policing The Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies at LJMU is supporting the sector to meet the needs of 21st

century policing.

The aim of the project is to develop knowledge in Merseyside Police so that emerging issues

can be dealt with appropriately. Issues such as domestic abuse, female genital mutilation and criminal

Ian Whitfield is at the helm of the national professionalisation project

exploitation and youth involvement in gangs are just some of the problems that are trying to be tacked by the team

at LJMU. The Police Knowledge Fund has made all of this possible.

The 20-month project focuses on embedding evidence-based practice in public protection and crime prevention. It was funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the College of Policing, the Home Office, and with support from Merseyside Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside After invitations to bid went out in early 2015, LJMU was one of 14 successful applicants.

Ian Whitfield, a Senior Lecturer at the Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies, is working on the national professionalisation project. He said: “The research project involves LJMU academic

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Chief Constable joins Centre for Policing Sir Jon Murphy QPM, the outgoing Chief Constable of Merseyside Police has joined the Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies as Professor of Advanced Policing Studies, to lead a specialised team which will develop and deliver an academic framework to drive policing studies in the UK and across the world.

Commenting on his appointment, Sir Jon said: I have spent the last 41 years in policing, and I am delighted to be able to put that front-line experience, training and knowledge into a research centre that will become an international benchmark for excellence for new generations of serving officers.

In 2013, the University introduced the annual ‘Chief Constable’s Lecture Series’, with the inaugural lecture presented by Sir Jon. The public event is designed to explore contemporary issues and debate in policing and to share viewpoints and ideas affecting Merseyside and the wider community.

Sir Jon was made an Honorary Fellow of LJMU in 2014 in recognition of his exceptional services to policing and community relations.

staff working with Merseyside Police researching vulnerable people, hate crime and evidence-based crime prevention. The vulnerable people heading includes a wide range of topics including child exploitation, female genital mutilation, trafficking to name a few.”

Whitfield is an experienced former Merseyside Police officer who also served in various overseas locations on operational, training and advisory missions.

He has worked at LJMU since 2012 after finishing his police career and gained two undergraduate degrees, a masters as well as a teaching qualification.

He continued: “The focus of any research project has to be centered on public and community safety in order to satisfy the

requirements of the bid process. We have three Merseyside officers seconded part time for the two-year duration of the project and will be taking 70 officers through a PG certification in which they will conduct their own small scale research projects around public safety, all of which will contribute to developing policy and practice in the force.”

The project will be looking into what the police response is to low level risk and the impact of Zero Tolerance regarding domestic abuse. They will also analyse the impact of the Duty to Report requirement for Female Genital Mutilation, question whether the policy of treating crimes against sex workers as hate crimes increasing engagement and reporting, and finally

they will study Police Officers training, understanding, confidence and response to dealing with transphobic incidents.

Sean Bell is a PhD student at LJMU who is focusing on research in mental health in the police force. He was a police officer for 31 years and spent the latter part of his career as a police inspector. Spending the last three years on a full time basis for at the police federation, his main job there was supporting officers with mental health problems.

With his specific research being based around attitudes to police officers and police staff with mental health, he looks at the stigma and discrimination towards mental health within the police service.

He said: “I think the research element within policing provides that professionalisation and if we want to understand policing better we’ve all got good ideas but it’s about putting evidence in place to say ‘this works, and that doesn’t work.’

“I think the research element here will outweigh the amount of teaching that is done in the grand scheme because there isn’t actually much empirical evidence within policing. The evidence is very slim at the moment within the police.”

With academic staff from a wide number of faculties and schools collaborating on the teaching programmes and research projects being delivered by the Liverpool Centre for Advanced Policing Studies, the Centre has also

developed close links with Merseyside Police as well as other police forces and the College of Policing.

In May this year the first truly collaborative event between police and academia was held when the National Police Chief’s Council and LJMU presented the Serious and Organised Crime Exchange.

The conference examined issues relating to these crimes from both the practitioners and academic perspective. The event was attended by practitioners and academics from the UK and overseas including senior ministers and civil servants including the former Home Secretary and now Prime Minister, Theresa May.

Fuse APSS FEATURES

Art and Desig

Turner Prize winners take up residence at John Lennon Art and Design Building The School of Art and Design has been fortunate to welcome this year’s Turner Prize winner as its resident artists.

The unique ‘virtuoso’ position aims to partner the School with high profile creative artists who will enhance the student experience and promote Liverpool’s global profile within popular culture.

Assemble are a creative collective who work across the fields of art, architecture and design seeking to reconnect the public with abandoned

residential and commercial areas.

Fran Edgerley and Lewis Jones form part of the creative group who will be coming into the School of Art and Design once a week and will be doing work in relation to teaching, research and public engagement.

Assemble have been working in Liverpool for some time, it was their work in the Granby Four Streets, a cluster of terraced houses in Toxteth, which led to them winning the Turner Prize. Following the Toxteth riots in 1981, the council

acquired many of the houses in the area for demolition and redevelopment.

Hundreds of people were moved out of the area and houses subsequently fell into disrepair. Local residents consistently fought plans for demolition and battled to save the houses. Over the past ten years they have cleaned and planted in their streets, painted the empty houses, organised a thriving monthly market, founded a Community Land Trust and shown their area in a different light.

The Granby4Streets that won Assemble the Turner Prize ©Assemble

Assemble’s work with the Granby Four Streets project has presented a future for the area which has built upon the work that the local residents have already done, contributing to the refurbishment of housing and public space, as well as helping create employment and enterprise opportunities.

The approach is characterised by celebrating the value of the area’s architectural and cultural heritage, supporting public involvement

and partnership working, offering local training and employment opportunities and nurturing the resourcefulness and DIY spirit that defines the four streets.

Prof. Caroline Wilkinson, Director of the Liverpool School of Art and Design, said: “I am delighted that Fran and Lewis have joined the School and will be working with our staff and students. High profile artists working in the school enhance our reputation and award winning artists stimulate the teaching and learning environment, which in turn attracts other successful artists to the school.

“They’re working closely with our undergraduate and postgraduate students and their real world experience and novel approach to creative art will enhance the student learning environment. The students will also gain access to ongoing projects and research collaborations.”

gn flourishes

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Art and Design school announces partnerships with local organisations In a ground-breaking initiative, the School Of Art and Design has given its academics the unique opportunity to collaborate with organisations such as the Tate, Biennial, FACT and RIBA North, and to feedback their findings directly into the teaching environment of the university.

As part of their role, the academics will spend half of their time embedded within their respective cultural organisations. This creates opportunities for real collaboration where the research and practice of the artist influences the activity of the cultural organisation.

Speaking about the project, Prof.

Caroline Wilkinson said: “The cultural organisations provides access to the public and impact for the academic and the University provides stability, evaluation and flexibility for the cultural organisation.

“The University partnerships benefit the students in relation to free exhibitions, facilities and events and offer unique access for students in relation to projects, mentoring and engagement.

“The degree programmes can plan to include elements of the cultural organisation’s schedule and students gain advanced knowledge transfer and inside experience.”

Opportunities like this are invaluable to students in the School of Art and Design as it offers them the chance to showcase their work with organisations that are well known around the city.

Prof. Wilkinson said: “A number of students have gained internships and mentoring through the collaborative partners and a number have taken that experience to work in cultural organisation’s across the UK.”

Academics (pictured top left) such as Dr Joasia Krysa (Liverpool Biennial) and Michael Birchall (Tate Liverpool) are forming strong partnerships with cultural organisations.

Fuse APSS FEATURES

Students pay tribute to Eleanor Rathbone

This year marks the 70th anniversary of Eleanor Rathbone’s death. The activist’s work in the 1900s had a huge impact on Liverpool’s history. Now, the Remembering Eleanor Rathbone Group aims to raise public awareness about her life and humanitarian work.

As the daughter of Liverpool merchant, philanthropist, and social reformer William Rathbone VI, Eleanor devoted her working life to championing the underrepresented in society - regardless of race, religion or gender.

From 1897 she was known as a pioneering social and welfare reformer, a feminist and a suffragette.

She entered local politics in 1909, becoming the first woman to be elected to Liverpool City Council as the Independent councilor for Granby Ward, and later became a Justice of the Peace for Lancashire.

Not only is 2016 the 70th anniversary of Eleanor’s death, it is also the 70th

anniversary of the first payment of the family allowance, a campaign she proudly initiated.

Lesley Ubach, the co-founder of the Remembering Eleanor Rathbone Group, said: “This year was an ideal opportunity to commemorate and celebrate her achievements, and to raise her profile beyond the references to her in history books.

“Very many of the issues Eleanor campaigned on have a contemporary relevance and we wanted to make this link. Things such as women’s rights and education, child marriage, housing and refugees.”

Supported by a Facultyfunded initiative, students at LJMU have also been getting involved with the campaign to remember Eleanor Rathbone and all the work she has done in Liverpool and Lesley hopes that this will enable Rathbone’s commitment to active citizenship to

be passed on to future generations.

An expert on Eleanor Rathbone’s life and work, Dr Susan Cohen was invited to give a talk to History students at LJMU who prepared a series of questions about Eleanor and her refugee work.

Drama students also had the chance to interview Dr Cohen before they decided how they could creatively represent different aspects of Eleanor’s life and campaigns.

Drama student, Leonie Parkes said: “Eleanor Rathbone was the elected independent member of Liverpool City Council for the seat of Granby Ward so to commemorate her death we are working with the idea of home, we think that if she could see how people have been forced out of their homes in the area, she would’ve had something to say about it.

“So we are working with the community collecting information, stories, quotes

to create theatre, songs and poems.”

The projects have been so successful this year that the University already has plans underway for next year and beyond.

There are plans include running a three-year project with LJMU graduate interns with the aim of creating teaching materials based around the themes of Eleanor Rathbone’s work.

Journalism students are going to help with publicity and Film students will record and produce a film of the activities.

Leslie has said that the university’s partnership has been an amazing asset to the campaign.

“Given the students’ enthusiasm we were confident that they would embrace the challenge, but we had no idea what the final outcome would be. It has surpassed all expectations. We are extremely grateful for LJMU’s support.”

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Business School offers students a head start on work place experience

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he employers of today are looking for more than just a diploma, and graduates need more than just their smarts to land their dream job – they need experience.

It’s a well-known fact that students are encouraged to take work placements while sitting their degrees but the Liverpool Business School is going one step further by encouraging their students to take year-long paid placements during their time at university.

Working with companies in the UK and overseas, the Business School is providing opportunities for their students to take on placements after their second year, most with an average salary in the region of £14-£21,000.

Timothy Nichol, the Director of the School of Business, said: “Not

all universities offer such support for placement and students should consider extending their studies by one year as the benefits are significant.”

He explains that the benifits are first, that students are able to develop both their personal skills and their understanding of the subject they have studied - this impacts on their final exam results. And second, that for many companies the placement recruitment process is the first stage in their graduate recruitment scheme. Placement students are observed and monitored and many students are proven to return to university with a job offer on graduation.

Nichol said: “It is not unknown for many to continue their employment on a part time basis when they return for their final year. The placement has

The Employment Support Team work hard to make sure all students gain plenty experience

The School is allowing their students to make contact with me of the UK’s top businesses a significant impact upon employability.”

More and more opportunities are now being made available to students across the Business School and beyond; students are often able to spend a semester or a full academic year overseas with another university. In the past this has shown to be very beneficial in developing students’ skills and attributes.

Not only are Business School students gaining placements such as Airbus, VW, Aldi and Bentley where they’re supported

by Employability Support Unit, they’re also given crash courses in writing CVs, interview techniques and on assessment centres.

The Business School works with a rante of professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Chartered Institute

of Personnel and Development, which accredit its degrees. Staff are also members of these bodies and students are encouraged to become members and undertake CPD programmes. The bodies are also involved with co-hosting events at the Business School.

Having mastered the undergraduates’ work placement opportunities, the Business School is now hoping to help out their postgraduate students too.

The school’s director added: “Year-long placements for postgraduates has been difficult to arrange in the UK for a variety of reasons, but typically PGT students will be involved either in shorter term internships or live project and consulting work – this will be an area for development in the Business School.”

Fuse APSS FEATURES

Holiday inspires lifelong research career

At the age of 15, Dr Sara Parker was studying in Singapore and decided to take her first trip trekking around Nepal. Little did she know, 30 years later she would return and form part of a movement helping to give thousands of Nepali women equal education opportunities.

Dr Parker’s Liverpool John Moores career started when she pursued a career as a Geography lecturer before eventually changing her focus to teach Sociology. Despite putting down roots in Liverpool, Sara never lost the love she felt for Nepal and has spent her life incorporating it and its peoples into her research.

“What’s really fortunate about LJMU is that they allow me to go back every year to Nepal to conduct

some research doing interviews and talk to people.”

It began in April 1998, on one of Sara’s regular treks to Sikles, a village in the Annapurna region – one of the most trekked areas of Nepal – which she now views as a second home. It was on this visit that the Nepali women who the lecturer had become familiar with came forward and said they wanted to learn to read and write. It was in that moment Dr Parker was inspired to help.

During this time Action Aid launched an education programme called ‘Reflect’.

It was a nonformal education progamme that allowed Nepali women to form learning circles, and though without books, it was a place where women could attend evening classes, form discussions and appoint a teacher.

It became clear to Sara that it was women in particular who had in the past missed out

on education and decided that this would form the basis of her PhD. She began to analyse these classes in which women were taking control of their own learning and what their effect were on Nepalese society, women in particular, and analysed this critically for her research.

Since then Dr Parker’s connection to Nepal has increased tenfold.

She travels backwards and forwards every year and every time she

Dr Parker meeting with the first female Head of State of Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari

discovers something that inspires her or one project outcome leads to another.

Dr Parker’s work has since been funded by the British Council in order to establish a links between Bangladesh and LJMU, while small grants from the British Academy have enabled Dr Parker to do her work with non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“That’s what enables me to go back and forward so often. I’ve been to Nepal twentyeight times in thirty years to conduct collaborative research. I really love Nepal, and the experience of it. LJMU allows me to continue to work with people in Nepal and have the ease of mutual relations.”

In 2007, Dr Parker and a colleague from the Politics department travelled to Nepal and happened to have a spare camera - this led to a two-year photography project entitled ‘Made in Nepal’ which featured photos taken by the people of Sikles.

This amazing exhibition then led to a 2011 book being published, centring on the lives of the Nepali people in Sikles. The book, called ‘Our village,

17 our life: Sikles in focus’, was edited Dr Parker and included the photographs taken by people from the village. The publication raised more than £7000 for the local community.

“Since then, I’ve also been back and forward with students; some doing dissertations, some doing work placements there and in 2013, we even had a fieldtrip of thirteen sociology students.

“Students at LJMU have played an important role in helping raise awareness by making posters and supporting me. A lot of the work has only been possible because I’ve worked with so many great students.”

More recently, Dr Parker has been working on a children’s book named about a frog who travels around Nepal discussing Fairtrade.

The ‘Adventures of Fairis a Nepali Frog’ is both an attempt to entertain and educate children on the importance of buying Fairtrade.

Dr Parker has since also started a social enterprise called ‘Fair Connections’.

It is a Community Interest Company working to support fair trade producers in Nepal and provide new and exciting ways to develop understanding of fair trade and global issues and whose profits provide education materials for people in Nepal.

Due to her years of hard work in Nepal, Dr Parker was recently invited to meet the first female Head of State of

Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

“She was very interested in what we wanted to do for education, especially our work about gender. We didn’t know how long we’d have with her, but we had hours!

“We presented her the Fairtrade book about the frog, and explained the work we were doing. During the conversation with her we talked about the need for more inspirational women in Nepal.”

Sara is hoping to inspire more than just her Sociology students and the University’s website will soon include short interviews with inspirational Nepali women. Dr Parker believes good examples will change how women see themselves and see education.

“By using the interviews we have with nearly thirty women, we’re aiming to make these available to Nepali women with guides on how to do coding and draw out key lessons for these women. We also want to teach them how to analyse data both manually and electronically.

“It’s important to empower young women so we have a better world for all.

But it’s also important that we work with young men. What I’ve found in Nepal is women now have a much stronger sense of identity and a better understanding of their rights. So what’s important that these rights are respected and it’s important to engage men in that process.”

Dr Parker often tells

A photograph taken by one of Nepali people in Sikles. The project was one of the first which led of the snowballing that Dr Parker has since witnessed on her journeys. her students about the importance of exploring and learning about other cultures and societies and that they should approach them with an open mind.

Her current research is on non-government organisations within the UK, with a focus on those who work in Nepal. “I’m looking to highlight how these organisations work, their strengths and weaknesses and how they cooperate and collaborate.

From there, I share this information with the Government so we can strengthen the link between

government and non-government organisations.”

Liverpool also has a growing community of Nepalese people, many of whom currently study at university, and Dr Parker is excited by the ever growing connection between Nepal and Liverpool and hopes more students will have the opportunity to experience places like Sikles.

She is also keen that people help where they can and pledges her support for websites like ‘Liverpool Unites for Nepal’ which

was set up by the Nepalese community after the earthquake last year to the help the Nepalese people who suffered due to the natural disaster.

She hopes that in time both Male and Female Nepali people will grow up receiving the education they deserve and are entitled to.

Fuse APSS INTERNATIONAL

An American in Liverpool Ever since being crowned the European Capital of Culture, Liverpool has seen a substantial boom in its international student scene and after named among the top 10 most exciting cities in the world in 2014 by Rough Guides, it’s no wonder the city appeals to those far and wide.

Business student, Kevin Patel is one such international student who decided to spend some time studying in Liverpool. The student from Vernon, Connecticut in the United States, began pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Finance at Southern Connecticut State University, and decided to spend his second year abroad in order to experience something new as part of an exchange programme with LJMU. Originally from a small suburban area in the States, Patel was desperate for a taste of something new and to situate himself in a different environment and experience a different lifestyle. Following some research, he quickly decided that Liverpool would be the perfect place for him to soak in the British lifestyle and city atmosphere.

“With the motley of pubs, museums and Beatles history on almost every street, the city really feels alive. I was very excited to study in this city.”

The business student also speaks kindly of his experience with staff and lecturers at LJMU, saying: “Honestly all the staff members I have talked to or asked for help are always willing and ready to go the extra mile for their students.

“I mainly work with the business staff members and they have helped me settle in comfortably.

It’s reassuring knowing that they are always available for any questions or concerns I might have.”

While in attendance, Patel will be taking four modules on the Bsc

Accounting and Finance degree, consisting of Accounting Information Systems, Introduction to Marketing, Introduction to Management Accounting and Introduction to Financial Reporting and Corporate Governance.

Although some can be challenging, Kevin likes how the modules analyse financial and accounting reporting systems, complemented by working with business software programs.

After four months of living in the city, this American said he will be deeply sad to leave it in July.

“I will definitely miss it when I leave, and yes I would absolutely recommend it to someone else. It is a great opportunity that people should take advantage of. They get to experience England’s culture while pursuing their degree. No one should miss out.”

A hit with the locals too, Patel said

his background has helped him to meet new people and broaden his knowledge of the British experience.

“My experience at LJMU has been great so far. I’m still meeting new people weekly. I love networking with people. I never want to leave.”

The Liverpool John Moores University community is made up of staff and students from over 100 countries with a range of undergraduate international student programs that vary from six week English language courses to entire degrees.

For more information, visit: https:// www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/internationalstudents

‘Go for it!

19

- you will not regret it’ The APSS student bursary is a Facultydriven scheme that gives students the opportunity to travel abroad and immerse themselves in a partner institution, developing important study, personal and employability skills. The scheme has been running for three years and is likely to continue to be an ongoing part of student life here at Liverpool John Moores.

The APSS bursary supports students financially so they will have the chance to experience different cultures and act as an ambassador for LJMU - enhancing the individual’s skill set and outlook.

The bursary is funded by the faculty then offers additional bursaries from individual school budgets.

The application requires the level 5 student to be able demonstrate that they are a suitable candidate by writing a personal statement outlining how the opportunity will enrich their knowledge of their degree subject and demonstrate why they feel they are suited to the cultural experience.

Dr Alex Miles, who runs the bursary scheme as part of his wider role tells LJMU students, “Go for it - you will not regret it!”

The bursary opens doors for undergraduate students and gives them an experience they might not otherwise be able to undertake

because of financial issues. Thanks to the bursary, students will be able to meet new people, and experience a variety of different cultures in different countries which will give them new ways of thinking about the world.

“I am always excited when I see the quality of the applicants who have applied and how they feel the chance will change their lives and bring added value to their studies,” said Miles.

“That excitement then goes up a notch when I see them on the trip and hear their stories upon return.”

In 2014, Alex was lucky enough to go to Shanghai and see first-hand the amazing reception LJMU students receive and how they are able to immerse themselves in their host institutions and gain confidence while leading sessions on British culture.

LJMU provides a variety of options for financial support in the form of bursaries and scholarships in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. These include parental support through the childcare grant, student support funds and financial support for disabled students.

Bursaries are paid directly from LJMU and help students afford living costs while attending university.

Bursary students gathering before a trip to Shanghai and Nepal

ERASMUS+ The European Union programme, Erasmus+, offers exciting opportunities for Liverpool John Moores University students and staff to work, train or study in Europe.

Statistics from the European Commission show that students who have undertaken an Erasmus placement have higher rates of employability and are more likely to be involved in employment that is international in scope.

An international experience can help students to develop selfconfidence, adaptability and cultural awareness.

These are key areas which will help add an extra dimension to a CV. As part of its wide array of Erasmus programmes, this year LJMU has organised a placement scheme which will take place in Malta.

Journalism student, Rochelle Beighton said: “I’ll be in Malta for two months working for MBR Publications, a company behind the Malta Business Review, MAINSAIL and Property & Life Magazine, Malta’s premier publications. I’ll be working with them in their PR department from June to August. I’m most looking forward to exploring the beautiful sights of Malta, spending the summer making new friends and strengthening my CV with this great opportunity.”

Fuse APSS RESEARCH

Reimagining the Veteran In 2008, statistics released by the National Association of Probation Officers showed that more than 20,000 veterans were either on probation or in custody. Dr Emma Murray of Liverpool John Moores believes this figure is frighteningly just the tip of the iceberg.

“Criminal offenders are less inclined to admit to a military past for fear of placing shame upon the military,” said Murray, who has made it her life’s work to help retired soldiers that have, one way or another, landed themselves in the criminal justice system.

The Senior Lecturer and Criminologist believes that a feeling of ineptitude or a lack of excitement may contribute to why so many war veterans go on to commit crime. Upon returning home, “veterans find that some of the behaviors they had shown while under the protection of the military were not tolerated by society, resulting in their imprisonment.”

“A lot of selfworth is lost when people leave the military, they often look for excitement in different ways.

There’s a culture of

particular attitudes towards violence and being above the law. I think a lot of the people I come in contact with just miss that military family, they just find reintegration extremely difficult.”

Originally from Donegal in Ireland, the Dr Murray first became involved in her field while working with ex - royal marine offenders from the North West. In trying to understand the psychology of the veterans she encountered, Dr Murray had them discuss their feelings towards their violent crimes and finding themselves in a prison cell after having served their country.

“I started thinking from their perspective and looking at how they came to terms with violence. Often veterans have it culturally rooted in them that they cannot ask for help.

It’s difficult for them

to admit defeat - they view it as taboo”.

Since continuing her efforts at LJMU, Dr Murray has piloted a number of schemes

such a new green screen project based at the Redmonds Building. The project will allow veterans to reimagine themselves in bigger and brighter

roles.

“The idea is: ‘if you could be anything in the world, what would you be?’ and then we make it happen.”

The website reimaginetheveteran.com hopes to serve as a space for people to enagage and learn about veterans

21 Alongside this, Dr Murray was also recently congratulated on receiving the University Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award and decided to use the award money to fund the creation of a website that promotes resources concerning veterans.

Reimaginetheveeran.com discusses what it is to be a war veteran today in the criminal justice system and will act as a resource for students and academics all around the world.

The lecturer hopes the website will bring policy and the arts together to create a space dedicated to understanding veteran affairs in the 21st century.

Dr Murray also said the website was her way of ‘giving back’ to LJMU students, as she believes it is of paramount importance to support students while they try to cover these really difficult and important issues.

Furthermore, she explained how she wanted to create a space where contested and marginalised voices were heard and given a platform.

“I wanted it to be a place where veterans could speak for themselves. We don’t particularly often hear them they come through media voices.

“It looks at how we perceive veterans.

Do we want to vilify them or celebrate them? It’s so much more complex than that.”

The website also includes other forms of media such as photographs taken by soldiers and

Dr Emma Murray in front of the green screen at the Redmonds Building debates from two veterans - one who sustained physical injuries and one who did not - the interviews will remain unedited and Dr Murray hopes they will serve as an insight into the mindset of soldiers returning home from war.

Another highlight of the site was its recent broadcasts of debates which took place when leading professors, doctors and policymakers gathered on March 10th of this year, to discuss why society today needs to talk differently about veterans and how we can better understand them.

The alternative space is accessible not only to teachers, practitioners, academics and politicians but to general public who Dr Murray hopes will visit and engage with the site.

The Criminologist remains focused on these important issues and is currently working alongside the British Society of Criminology to run a one-day seminar workshop in the North West for those wishing to understand veterans better in the future.

“The Government has come up with a few suggestions of how to reach

out to veterans but there is not yet set national models or full awareness of the issues - the biggest of which being the type of person veterans have to become in order to do their job in the military.”

Dr Murray relates that while the public can help by volunteering and donating to charity, it is most important to be aware of what veterans are going through since the experience of war and how it has not only changed them but changed itself.

“The experience of coming home from war has changed.

In this modern age,

veterans fight for six months and come back, but the war still goes on - very different to the wars of our grandfathers.

War used to be about going to fight a war, and you won or you lost. Now it is different, now we’re fighting a different kind of fight. War has changed and the people that are fighting them are damaged differently.”

Fuse APSS RESEARCH

Faculty celebrates Testing, Targeting, Tracking Funding win for latest policing research An LJMU lecturer has been congratulated on receiving funding for a new policing studies project.

Senior Lecturer in Humanities and Social Science, Dr Adegbola Ojo has received funding for his project which aims to use the framework of evidence-based practice to promote a sustainable foundation in policing and broader security studies.

His research, entitled ‘Testing, Targeting, Tracking: Quantitative and Spatial Analytical Skills for Evidence Based Policing’ will cultivate graduate and researcher quantitative skills and design and conduct cutting edge research.

Dr Ojo has also won the prestigious British Academy Skills Innovator Award for his project and said: “It is humbling and delightful to be named British Academy Skills Innovator Award-holder. I am grateful to my colleagues and indeed to the British Academy who believed in the potency of my ideas. I am optimistic that by synergising expertise in Spatial Analysis, Quantitative Techniques and Artificial Intelligence, this award will help facilitate the advancement of evidence-based practice within policing and broader human security domains.

“The College of Policing have called for greater focus on quantitative skills in police

Dr Adegbola Ojo training. There has been increased emphasis on evidence-based practice requiring the deployment of effective techniques and methods for evaluating policing creativity and innovation. These cultural transitions serve as the core impetus for the project design. This will enable us embed applied quantitative skills in a way that is immediately relevant to law enforcement researchers and practitioners.”

Starting the project in March this year, it is still currently at an inception phase however Ade is keen for it to open up opportunities for the crossfertilisation of big ideas which could yield opportunities for face-to-face

contact with researchers across the university and from around the region.

Dr Ojo said: “I am optimistic that the award will contribute towards projecting LJMU as a modern civic institution that sits at the vanguard of knowledge creativity and innovation.

“Additionally, we will establish an interdisciplinary research network which we hope will create a foundation for future training, research and collaborative activities in later years.”

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grant successes

Award-winning poet to improve Creative Writing in schools An LJMU research project which focuses on developing continuous professional development in Creative Writing has been congratulated on receiving a £5,000 grant.

The pilot project, which received the sum from the Paul Hamming Foundation, is now set to begin its work in primary and secondary schools across the country. Beginning in areas like Peterborough, Telford and Medway, the scheme aims to improve the way in which Creative Writing is taught and graded.

“Teachers are terrified of teaching creative writing because it’s very hard to mark and fit into a grade-criteria,” said Andrew McMillan, the LJMU Creative Writing lecturer and winner of the Guardian First Book Award behind

the project.

“All I want to do is to encourage teachers to be confident in their own ability to teach creative writing and help them develop strategies so that they feel comfortable having a creative classroom, whilst still being tied to the curriculum.”

Starting his career as a freelance writer, Andrew then began working in schools, specifically working with excluded children, developing his own practices before moving on to working with the Prince’s Teaching Institute.

He believes his past roles have given him the knowledge and experience to create these plans for continuous professional development (CPD) which will equip and enable tutors to have the confidence to teach creative writing.

The lecturer and author first became involved with the project through

‘Pop Up’ - an organisation that puts authors into schools in troubled areas in the hopes of exciting the children and enhancing literacy within the school.

“A lot of authors go in to schools for an hour and then leave. What I will be doing is saying ‘let’s look at the teacher and the children as creative writers in the classroom as well’ - so that when the author leaves, that’s not the end.

“There’s a sense in which, through CPD, we can develop the idea that the teacher is permanently writing and the classroom is always creative.

We’re hoping that this small pilot program will expand and become a larger project.”

Fuse APSS RESEARCH

Ground-breaking postgraduate research LJMU has a long history of fostering creative and innovative research. The University believes that research and scholarship is central to the student experience and is at the heart of university life. With a wide range of research interests and groups, spanning science, technology, business, law, education, health, leisure and the arts, it’s safe to say exciting things are happening in research at LJMU.

M

iro Griffiths is a PhD researcher and Graduate Teaching Assistant within Sociology, which is part of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Growing up on the Wirral, he was from a young age heavily politicised and during his teenage years became particularly interesting in social movement, justice and marginalisation.

As a wheelchair-user himself, Miro has spent his life working towards achieving a greater equality for all disabled people and was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) as recognition of this service. But this isn’t Miro’s only focus as he believes “it’s not just disability that needs addressing

Miro Griffiths

but a reflection of the severity of social injustice issues – we need to continue to create progressive change.”

In addition to his research and teaching responsibilities at LJMU, he is an adviser to local and national government, supports the design and implementation of strategies and policies with the European Parliament and guest lectures at various North West universities. Miro told FUSE he was initially hesitant towards his role in teaching but soon began to enjoy “seeing an excitement in [his students’] eyes and helping them engage in critical thinking.”

He adds: “There is a definite link between academia and activism and I would like to see more of it.”

His interest in activism among young people is also partially what informs Miro’s research topic.

The aim of which is to investigate how the established UK Disabled People’s Movement (DPM) is incorporating the views and experiences of young disabled people, but with particular focus on developing the capacity of younger

members and encouraging them to become future leaders within the Movement.

Miro explains that “research pertaining to the development and importance of the Disabled People’s Movement is extensive; nevertheless, the research is unique in the fact that there is no other research that explicitly investigates UK young disabled people’s current experiences of the movement and their perceived future position of directing the movement and agendas.”

By examining current experiences, Miro believes there is an opportunity to reflect on the current understanding of disability and society’s response to disablement, particularly in relation to how the DPM prioritises issues and establishes agendas.

PhD student, Jennifer Lynch, is also conducting research at LJMU which is actually a continuation of work started at undergraduate level focusing on Japanese art and culture. The 25-year-old from Warrington told FUSE that her love of research began when

she was very young and this is what lead to her decision to take on a study of art history: “I have always loved reading and writing, for as long as I can remember I was making up stories or adding extra research into homework I was set. History has always been a favourite subject of mine and I realised I loved art during high school, however by the time I reached sixth form I realised that I preferred and was better at art history than practical art!”

Currently in her second year of PhD study, Jennifer also completed her History of Art and Museum Studies undergraduate and Masters in Research Art and Design degrees within the School of Art and Design at LJMU, gaining a First Class BA (Hons) and Merit respectively.

Jen rates the research community within the university as a major factor in her decision to continue her research at LJMU: “Throughout the MRes we got to know more researchers from across the faculty as well as within the School of Art and Design, which was great; and that has continued on

through the PhD due to different events and sessions that are organised, and I now have friends within different faculties due to the 3I’s teaching programme and the Graduate School Research Conference.

Everyone is always really interested and encouraging which really helps to keep you going, as without this community and the fantastic comradery within the Art school as well as across LJMU, PhDs would become very lonely experiences, as the research you are doing is completely your own.”

The research that Jen is conducting for her PhD is a continuation of research started at undergraduate level focusing on Japanese art and culture; specifically, the representations of gender within Japanese art from the Edo Period (16031868) compared with gender representations in contemporary Japanese art from the 1970s to present day.

“I will be looking at why and how female, male and also nonbinary genders such as transgender and genderfluidity have been represented

25

Jennifer Lynch in Japanese art. The art work I examine from the Edo period depicts people such as Geisha, Courtesans, Kabuki actors and Samurai as well as the Legends, Myths and important stories of Japanese history – such as the Tale of Genji, which has been referred to as the first novel or first modern novel.

“It is a really interesting story and artists today still depict it using their own interpretations.”

An unexpected outcome of Jen’s research was the incorporation of the study of nonbinary people within Japanese art from this period. She said: “Gender has always been a really important aspect of live and research, and non-binary representation has become more and more prominent in media in the past few years. More transgender people, more non-binary people are feeling comfortable to be themselves and out in the open.

There are still a lot of problems and issues for these people in the world they are not always accepted or recognised as they should be. So through my MRes research

which was focused on geisha and courtesan depictions I noted that there were some references to possible non-binary people during the Edo period. So when it came to my PhD research I decided I wanted to incorporate this into my research alongside the male and female representations to show that nonbinary gender isn’t just a ‘new trend’ or anything cynical like that.”

Alongside her PhD Jen has been taking lessons in Japanese language for the last year, here she not only learns to speak Japanese but also learns to read and write in Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji – the three character sets used in Japan. She explains that Japanese is a very gendered language as there are certain things only man would say and vice-versa, so while undertaking research focused on gender, learning the language has really helped her to understand aspects of the culture as well.

She said: “I am really enjoying the lessons; some parts I find easier to grasp than others but generally I think I am making good progress. I find the reading and writing comes more naturally then the actual speaking aspect, but then until I learnt how to present I preferred reading and writing to public speaking in English anyway, so I guess that transfers into other languages as well! My tutor is a fantastic woman who goes above and beyond to help with my PhD research as well as the language!

She has definitely become a good friend over the last year as well as a tutor and I think that is another reason why I love my lessons so much – they’re fun!”

She laughs as she explains the reaction from people when they find out she is learning to speak Japanese: “I usually get ‘oh wow! Is it difficult?’ Sometimes the conversation ends there, other times people become really interested and what to know everything about the language! That’s a bit like when people find out I’m doing a PhD actually, some people leave it at ‘Oh wow!’ and others keep you talking about every tiny detail you can give them!”

Marta F Suarez is a second-year PhD researcher at the Screen School, where she also teaches as part of her duties, while she was able to obtain a scholarship as part of this arrangement with LJMU, she explains her reasons for choosing LJMU were not just financial.

“LJMU is a university that is really focused on student satisfaction and a great student experience. Whilst I wanted to be in a University that could push my research forward, I was attracted by the fact that it is not a university with too many PhD students, where sometimes one might feel like a number. At the LJMU I feel I am looked after and treated as an individual.

After being here for just over a year, I really feel I made the right decision, the academic and administrative staff

are incredibly friendly and approachable, I am being given many opportunities to learn and grow as a future academic and I really wish I could stay and teach here postPhD.” Marta holds a BA(Hons) in Spanish Philology, a PGCE and a MA in Latin American Cultural Studies. She has recently completed her Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice and previously acquired teaching experience at the Instituto Cervantes, the University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University, where she also held a position as Research Assistant for FLAME (Film, Language and Media in Education).

Her research aims to explore the representation of Latin American and African immigrants in Spanish fiction films between 2005 and 2015, in terms of the extent to which they are informed by gendered and xenophobic attitudes based on (post)colonial attitudes related to the image of the “Indian” or the “Moor”. The study focuses on this period

Marta F Suarez

not only because of the gap in research but also in order to look at the ways in which the economic crises of 2008-2012 might have promoted xenophobic attitudes towards the immigrants, which were perceived as stealing jobs from the Spaniards.

Marta spoke to FUSE on how she feels about undertaking this nature of research amongst the ongoing refugee crisis: “On the one hand, I wish the subject weren’t so topical, in that I wish that all those having to flee their countries wouldn’t have to also face the European wall and the discourse of criminalisation.

Refugees and asylum seekers are accepted based not on the need of protection and human rights, but based on their economic value. The news keeps reminding me how lucky I am by having been born in this part of the world, where my life concerns are nothing compared to those on the move.

“On the other hand, the current interest and relevance of the topic means that there are many scholars presenting papers and publishing research on the topic, which is of great help... but I still wish that weren’t the case.

I feel as if my research had gone from being relevant within the world of fictional film, to being relevant within the harsh everyday experiences of a great number of people. I obviously want my research to be relevant, but I wish it were just because Spanish film all of a sudden becomes increasingly more popular, for example.”

Fuse APSS EXTRA

Students Say We ask students what they have to say about their courses, the Faculty and more...

“

Well, I love journalism, especially the radio aspect of it. This year we’ve done lots with broadcasting and learnt how to use a camera and make a news package. I’m loving my experience at LJMU and can’t believe I’ve only one year left! The staff have been so helpful and I really don’t want it to end.

Molly Copoc, Journalism

I studied English Literature because of my passion for books. LJMU’s courses gave me with a great opportunity to develop my research and analytical skills, through a diverse reading list, over a fascinating set of module options. My tutors were a valuable resource in helping me complete my course and were always open to discussing ideas. Staff members, Colin Harrison and Alice Ferrebe in particular provided a rewarding learning experience, both challenging and enjoyable.

Daniel Pearce, English Literature

”

27

“

The lecturers are really helpful at LJMU, they go above and beyond to make the course enjoyable and had great success in motivating me to achieve high marks with both enjoyable and challenging lectures. My three years at John Moores comes to an end this year and i’m going to really miss it.

Jonathan Noble, History

My uni experience so far has been unforgettable.

Next year I’ve chosen to do ‘print and online’ and I can’t wait to get started because it’s the part I’m most interested in. Exam week has been tiring, but it’s almost over. In a few weeks I’m off to Malta as part of an Erasmus internship linked with LJMU, so now I just want to get packed and go!

Laura Hughes, Journalism

”

Dates for the diary 9th July - 16th October, Exhibition Research Lab - John Lennon Art and Design Building HFT the Gardener, exhibition part of Liverpool Biennial 2016

20th July - Redmonds Building Cycling Symposium

18th - 20th July - Redmonds Building

Start-up Summer: student and graduate programme

1st - 2nd September - John Lennon Art and Design Building Image Conference 2016 Face Value - Personification and Identity in a post-digital age

8th - 9th September - John Foster Building

Marginal Irish Modernisms: international conference