Summer 2014 edition

UNIVERSITY NEWS

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Double success for Northumbria in national league tables

Northumbria University’s reputation for academic excellence and providing an outstanding experience has been further endorsed after being named the most improved university in the North East and receiving its highest ever ranking in a national survey of the student experience at more than 100 universities.

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It was also rated the UK’s 21st best university for providing an outstanding student experience in the Times Higher Education’s annual Student Experience Survey

The ratings build on a number of other recent successes, outlined in this newspaper, which indicate Northumbria’s growing national and international reputation.

In the Complete University Guide,

orthumbria climbed six places in the Complete University Guide 2015 with three subjects ranked in the UK’s top five, a further three appearing in the top 10 and more in the top 20.Northumbria’s Physiotherapy programme is rated as the third best in the UK, with Librarianship and Information Management ranked fourth and Land and Property Management ranked fifth. Building programmes, Architecture and Food Science are all in the top 10, with Nursing, Town and Country Planning, American Studies, Linguistics and Art and Design programmes all featuring in the top 20.

Northumbria was also the only UK university to be ranked in the top 10 for all Building, Architecture and Property Management subjects. The Times Higher Education’s

Student Experience Survey saw more than 14,000 students from 111 UK universities rate how their universities performed in 21 different areas.

These included the quality of the lecturers and facilities, library provision and accommodation, as well as the on-campus environment, community atmosphere and the welfare support made available to students.

Northumbria’s Library facilities were ranked joint third best in the country, alongside Cambridge, and its sports facilities were rated joint fifth.

The outstanding performance of Team Northumbria in this year’s

British Universities & Colleges Sport National League Table led to the University finishing eighth in the league – the first time it has ever reached the BUCS top ten.

Other areas which scored highly include the quality of staff and lecturers, the provision of wellstructured courses with a fair workload, centralised and convenient facilities, and good support for personal welfare and security.

The University has continuously improved its position in the Student Experience Survey over the last four years, climbing from 45th place in 2010 to 21st place in 2014.

Professor Andrew Wathey, ViceChancellor and Chief Executive of Northumbria University, commented: “Northumbria’s rating reflects the improving experience of its students and the practical result of our work to put students at the heart of the University, as well as the academic and other investments the university has made.

“The successes achieved in these national league tables are further recognition that the University is achieving its ambition to be a research-rich, business-focussed, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence.”

@NUstudents

Accredited to join elite global network

Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School has joined the elite ranks of global business schools after its programmes earned accreditation by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education. Almost 16,000 institutions worldwide offer business degrees, yet only 700 business schools – less than 5% of the world’s business programmes – are accredited by the AACSB.

“It takes a great deal of commitment and determination to earn AACSB Accreditation,” said Robert D. Reid, Executive Vice President and Chief Accreditation Officer of AACSB International. “Business schools must not only meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty, and professional staff must make a commitment to ongoing continuous improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver the highest quality of education to students.”

Newcastle Business School has earned a full five-year Business accreditation by AACSB International for its business programmes. The School is currently working to achieve accreditation

for its accounting degrees, with this decision expected to be received later this summer.

The accreditation will bring a range of benefits including enhanced employability for graduates, the opening of new international markets for Newcastle Business School, and access to high-quality international partners for research, dual degrees and other collaborative activity.

Northumbria has been recognised by Times Higher Education as one of the top-rated universities for the provision of business and management education in the UK. These courses are offered from the University’s base in Newcastle as well as its new London campus, giving business education a presence in the UK’s two top cities for students.

Professor Andrew Wathey, ViceChancellor and Chief Executive said: “This is a truly significant achievement as Northumbria and the Newcastle Business School’s place in the top echelons of business schools worldwide is confirmed. This important professional accreditation

Triple crown for nurse education

Nursing students have named Northumbria the UK’s Nurse Education Provider of the Year: PostRegistration for the third year running at the Student Nursing Times Awards 2014.

reflects the University’s focus on employability, innovation, excellence and impact.”

Kevin Kerrigan, Executive Dean for Business and Law at Northumbria, said: “Over the last ten years the Business School has gone from strength to strength, making fundamental improvements across our programmes, quality assurance processes, student recruitment, partnership development and staff qualifications.

“I believe our success reflects the academic strengths and experience of our teaching staff, and the quality and commitment of the entire team. This positions Newcastle Business School in an elite group of only 5% of business schools worldwide.”

Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

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northumbria.ac.uk/nbs

The award recognises the high-quality teaching the University provides nurses on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes to develop their leadership, management and clinical skills.

Practice Development (Critical Care Nursing) student Nicola McCann was also named the UK’s Student Nurse of the Year: PostRegistration at the ceremony. The Student Nursing Times Awards celebrate the achievements of student nurses, education providers and mentors who are shaping the future of the nursing profession. Students put forward nominations for the awards which are followed up by judges who speak with students at each nominated institution to assess their learning experience. The judges gauge students’ views on teaching quality, the learning environment

and student support. Northumbria University was nominated in nine categories overall and won two of the 18 prizes on offer.

Professor Kath McCourt, Executive Dean for Northumbria’s Health and Life Sciences programmes, received the award for Nurse Education Provider of the Year: Post-Registration at the ceremony in London. She said: “Northumbria has a great track record for nurturing professional, high-quality nurses who

are ready to meet the demands of modern healthcare and the needs of patients.

“To win this award not once or twice, but three times in a row is absolutely outstanding and reflects the hard work and dedication of all our nurse educators and students.”

Student Nicola McCann, a nurse at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, said: “I was completely bowled over when I heard that I had been nominated and I certainly never expected to win.

Global expansion for Northumbria

Northumbria has signed a new strategic partnership with an Indonesian university to create a design school in South East Asia as well as announcing plans to launch a new campus in London that will help to expand its academic reach.

Northumbria is already one of the most active British universities in the Asia Pacific region, and teaches the largest number of Indonesian undergraduates in the UK.

It has now signed an agreement with BINUS International, part of the Universitas Bina Nusantara in Jakarta, to create the new BINUSNorthumbria School of Design which will help to meet Indonesia’s growing demand for professionals in the creative industries. Indonesia is aiming to become the world’s Islamic fashion capital by 2020.

Northumbria is also launching four scholarships with BINUS, which will see students move in both directions between the UK and Indonesia to

gain a truly global experience.

The formal signing of the agreement was witnessed by David Willetts MP, the Minister for Universities and Science, who commended the ambitions of both universities.

“This is a superb example of international collaboration in higher education delivering both educational and economic benefits,” he said.

“Partnerships like Northumbria and BINUS contribute to UK

These exciting plans support the University’s aspiration to increase its global reputation and the recruitment of international students.

Our London campus and the strategic partnership with BINUS will provide industry-based programmes that will equip Northumbria students with the professional, business-focussed skills needed to meet the demands of the future economy.

“It was a great experience to travel to London for the awards and to meet so many influential and senior figures from the world of nursing. “My colleagues back on the ward have been extremely supportive and even put on a celebratory lunch for me. The trophy now has pride of place in my living room and I’m extremely grateful to all my tutors and fellow students for their support throughout.”

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For more information on awardwinning nursing programmes visit northumbria.ac.uk/nursing

Northumbria University has announced national and international expansion plans, affirming its commitment to building its global footprint.

trade and enhance international commercial, cultural and political relationships, as well as helping emerging economies to benefit from the UK’s educational expertise.”

Shortly after signing the partnership with BINUS, Northumbria further expanded its academic presence with the announcement of the launch of a new campus in the heart of London’s financial district.

The London campus will open in September 2014 offering

professional, industry-based programmes at postgraduate and undergraduate level. It will provide Northumbria students with increased links and new opportunities in the national and international business sector, with extensive opportunities for student placements. The London campus supports the University’s aim to significantly grow its international community in the UK, with students being recruited nationally as well as internationally.

Professor Andrew Wathey, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

Student Nicola McCann (centre) with nursing academics Vanessa Gibson and Sheila McQueen

Calling all current and prospective students! Check out some of our recent tweets and join in the conversation.

Scores of industry professionals and members of the public have attended Northumbria’s graduate arts and design shows in Newcastle, Gateshead, London and New York. Northumbria University News takes a look at some of their leading work…

The graduate shows are a major highlight in the North East’s cultural calendar, offering the opportunity to see exciting new talent across a range of disciplines including fashion, 3D design, architecture, engineering, interior design, fine art, performing arts, design for industry and media communications.

Working in collaboration with a range of cultural partners, the shows take place on campus, as well as at prestigious venues including BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Northern Stage and Tyneside Cinema. Selected students also travel to London and New York to compete for industry attention against some of the UK and United States’ most talented rising stars. The shows were opened with style at BALTIC, with student fashion collections unveiled on the catwalk as part of NE1’s Newcastle Fashion Week. The most striking pieces were selected to be exhibited in front of the world’s fashion industry and media at Graduate Fashion Week in London.

On the other side of the pond, six Designers in Residence were invited to present their unique products at the New York International Contemporary Furniture Fair.

Graduate talent in the spotlight Law students help sole trader

Northumbria is the only European university selected to exhibit at the fair and the industry exposure it provides is world class.

Closer to home, two landmark events provided a backdrop for our performing arts student end of year productions which were open to the public at Northern Stage. Lucy Prebble’s Enron told the story of one of the most infamous scandals in financial history and The Fall, by Lilia Rubin, reflected on the aftermath of 9/11 on the families of the victims.

Elsewhere in the city, down at the Tyneside Cinema, the red carpet was rolled out for our highly acclaimed Media Gala with student work displayed on the big screen to guests from the film and TV industry.

Our ‘Reveal’ showcase highlighted the very best of its architecture, arts, design and media work to prospective students and employers.

Dr Heather Robson, Associate Dean in Arts, Design and Social Sciences, said: “It’s the culmination of many years’ hard work for our students and we are proud to showcase their work to the world and see their careers soar to extraordinary heights.

“It’s also an exciting opportunity for the general public to get a sneak preview of new artwork and cutting edge design before it hits the stage, screen and shelves.

“Last year, we received over 80 international and national awards for our arts, design and architecture programmes and we look forward to similar successes from this year’s graduates.”

Entrepreneur praises the work of Law students for helping him to set up his successful business.

Producing made-to-order shoes, Neil Robinson’s bespoke designs quickly caught the eye of consumers, including a number of celebrities.

Neil needed a tailored set of terms and conditions for his customers and was promptly referred to Northumbria’s Student Law Office.

He explained: “My business has been really successful in quite a short space of time. I have had orders from the cast of The Only Way is Essex, members of dance group Diversity, and prominent UK DJs which has been amazing and really helped raise the profile of my work.

“The Student Law Office at Northumbria understood exactly what I was looking for and helped me to create a tailored set of terms and conditions that covered everything from personalised designs and intellectual property to pricing, payment, returns and refunds.”

The Student Law Office is an award-winning ‘law clinic’ in which students work with academic staff who are qualified solicitors to offer free legal services in areas such as employment, housing, consumer, family and business law.

Senior lecturer and experienced commercial solicitor, Elaine Campbell, said: “We have worked with a number of local businesses in the past, but this work was quite unique.

“Neil’s business is growing at a massive rate and it’s so important that he protects himself.

The custom and online elements to his business meant that standard terms and conditions wouldn’t offer the appropriate cover.

“More detailed and in-depth terms were required and it was important that we worked with Neil to ensure they were robust while fitting with the overall style of his website.”

The Student Law Office was recently awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its outstanding work. The prize is the highest form of national recognition open to a UK academic or vocational institution.

Neil Robinson with senior lecturer Elaine Campbell and student Natalie Baldwin

Prestigious awards for legal education

“I was extremely impressed by the dedication, enthusiasm and quality of work. The students should be proud of their achievements and I hope that they continue to carry out pro bono as they move forward in their future legal careers.”

Dominic Grieve QC and Attorney General

Students and staff have travelled to Buckingham Palace and the House of Commons to be presented with awards for the achievements of the Student Law Office.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh presented the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education to Northumbria’s Vice-Chancellor and the Executive Dean for Law programmes at a ceremony in the Palace. The formal presentation followed the announcement that the University was being awarded the honour for the outstanding community work of its Student Law Office. The prize is the highest form of recognition available to an academic institution in the UK.

Dance research leaves global footprint

The study, led by psychologists Dr Nick Neave and Dr Kristofor McCarty, used 3D motion-capture technology to film men dancing and mapped their real-life movements onto feature-less, gender-neutral avatars. Women were then asked to rate how attractive the avatars’ dance moves were.

Hundreds of national and international newspapers, radio stations and television programmes, including BBC TV’s The One Show The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Mail on Sunday have rushed to feature the findings of the research.

The study found that females perceived ‘good’ dancing – and were therefore more attracted to –those men who displayed large and

Interior designs set to become a reality

Interior Design students have put their academic theory into practice to develop creative concepts for one of the largest bar, restaurant and hotel operators in the North East of England.

The Apartment Group, which owns and manages a number of well-known venues across the North East including As You Like It, House of Smith, Mr Lynch and Newton Hall, challenged interior design students to transform one of its venues.

The winning concepts were designed by students Lizzie Cronin, Emma Howson, Alfie Johnston and Abi Hancock following a presentation pitch to the board of the Apartment Group. They were each awarded cash prizes of £500 to help with their studies.

Duncan Fisher, owner of the Apartment Group, said: “I have always enjoyed the concept and design work that goes into opening a new venue – but it’s often the hardest part. It’s about creating a world

around the venue in terms of brand and marketing and you have to get it right. That’s where the students came into it.

“Being able to tap into the talent that is being nurtured at Northumbria University was a great opportunity for us to bring fresh ideas to the table, and we have been incredibly lucky to uncover lots of work – some of which I am hoping to use within one of our venues.”

Student Emma Howson said:

“It was a really exciting project to work on. I had presented to professionals before but never as part of a live project, where there is an opportunity of actually seeing your ideas brought to life.

“Our third year project will be all about critical design analysis, so having the extra funds to travel and see a wider variety of interior design

examples will be a huge help for this. I am also thinking of heading to London now this summer to see the Free Range graduate shows and check out the competition!”

Senior lecturer Al Brown added:

“Not only does this kind of collaboration provide businesses in the region with new ideas; it also gives our students the opportunity to get a taste of what the business of design is all about.

“Pitching ideas is something that every designer will experience on a regular basis, and allowing our students to gain this experience early on really sets them up for a successful career, ensuring they graduate not just with a competitive CV, but also with the confidence to take their ideas out to the market. They all did fantastically well.”

Historian’s find of a lifetime

which had never been seen, he knew it was precious.

varied movements of the neck and torso.

Dr Neave believes that differences in dance movements could send out signals of a man’s reproductive quality to females, making them more – or less – attractive.

He believes that the dance moves may send signals of health, vigour or strength and is now carrying out further research in this area.

He said: “Men all over the world will be interested to know what moves they can throw to attract women. If a man knows what the key movements are, he can get some training and improve his chances of attracting a female through his dance style.”

A creative space for creative minds

Northumbria recently opened the doors of its brand new Interior Design studio, housed within the design building at the University’s award-winning City Campus East.

Tomorrow’s interior design stars needed a stimulating and contemporary space in which to create and produce awardwinning concepts. With this in mind, the new studio has been designed to replicate the look and feel of a commercial studio. The new interiors space allows students to come together as a community, with break out spaces to encourage peer-to-peer learning and review. Vitra high-back sofas have been installed specifically for their acoustic and aesthetic qualities, creating review spaces for staff and students to share their thoughts, ideas and feedback.

The studio also includes open learning spaces and smaller seminar rooms, reflecting and supporting the various ways in which students learn throughout their degree. Staff offices are also located right next door to the studio so that staff are always on hand.

And it seems the public and the media caught on to its rarity, with Professor Ward’s discovery being used as the basis for a number of television and radio programmes. A BBC documentary, A King’s Speech based largely on Ward’s work. He was also invited to discuss King’s Tyneside visit on BBC TV’s The One Show

There has also been an amazing international response to King’s lost words from the public as well as celebrities and politicians. Figures including David Miliband, MP Chi Onwurah, Lenny Henry, civil rights legend Andrew Young, and activistentertainers Harry Belafonte and former Supreme Mary Wilson are among those who have found the speech inspirational.

Professor Ward said: “The resurgence of interest in Martin Luther King’s visit to Tyneside visit and the discovery of his lost speech is really gratifying.

“As his life and speeches have been so closely scrutinised, it is extremely rare to come across anything new. I

knew this was probably the find of a lifetime for a historian of the civil rights movement like myself.”

Ward discovered the film in 1993 while researching the circumstances surrounding King’s trip to Newcastle University to receive an honorary doctorate.

“For years, it was believed that no footage existed,” explained Professor Ward, “But I found a few hints in the documentation surrounding the visit that the speech may have been filmed for a local BBC news magazine show.

“The unexpected bonus was that I found it in Newcastle University’s audio-visual centre – just yards from where I worked!”

Professor Ward now hopes to harness this renewed interest in King’s visit – and the civil rights movement more generally – by making it one of the centrepieces of Northumbria’s new American Studies programme.

He added: “Northumbria is absolutely brimming with experts on different aspects of US history and culture, but we’re especially strong

on the African American experience and race relations.”

Earlier this year, the Ambassador of the United States of America visited Northumbria and met with staff and

students from the American Studies programme, which now boasts one of the largest concentrations of US historians outside North America.

Northumbria once again earns national recognition for the exceptional quality of its legal education and the free advice provided by Law students.

Northumbria researchers have hit the headlines with their discovery of the dance moves that make men attractive to women.

When American Studies Professor Brian Ward discovered long-lost footage of Martin Luther King’s 1967 visit to Newcastle

(Far right) Dominic Grieve QC at Northumbria’s Student Law Office

The Queen presenting Queen’s Anniversary Prize to Northumbria’s Vice-Chancellor and the Executive Dean of Law

Dr Nick Neave

Interior Design students at Apartment Group venue, As You Like It

Professor Brian Ward

northumbria.ac.uk/slo

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Preparing graduates to stand out from the crowd

With an outstanding national reputation for preparing its students for employment following graduation, Northumbria University News takes a look at some of the ways in which Northumbria is ensuring that its graduates really do stand out from the crowd.

With 560 employers and 60 professional bodies directly sponsoring and accrediting Northumbria’s programmes, the University can be confident that it is meeting the current and future workforce needs of a diverse range of sectors. Employability, entrepreneurship and enterprise are at the top of the University’s agenda. Many programmes encourage entrepreneurship or offer professional placements working in national and international businesses. The Students’ Union also actively encourages its members to gain additional experience through its Volunteer

Internships

A new £1.1 million ERDF-funded project is helping to provide graduate interns to small and medium businesses in the North East region. When the scheme was first piloted last year, 81% of the interns were permanently recruited by their employers at the end of their internship.

Maths and Business Management graduate Matthew Thomas was one person to benefit from this scheme. He was taken on to support the finance team at business and IT consultancy Waterstons.

Lesley Renteurs, Waterstons HR Officer, explained: “Our business was starting to grow quite significantly and we needed to expand our finance team. We used Northumbria’s internship programme to test the benefits of bringing someone else in and it worked so well that we were in no doubt about offering a permanent contract at the end of the scheme.”

Enterprise

Northumbria’s Student and Graduate Enterprise team offers advice, support and tangible assistance to those wanting to start or develop their own business.

The team provides help and guidance around compiling business plans, specialist advice from mentors, free office space and facilities. Eligible businesses also receive access to grants and financial support.

Games Programming students James Mintram and Tomasz Kandziora had an idea to develop games for mobile phones. They approached the Enterprise team and are now successfully trading as Lemon Moose Games Ltd.

James explained: “We approached the University and were given support to develop our business plan, as well as free hatchery space on campus to run our business for a year. We’re now attracting more clients so we needed more capacity in the team. We took on a Northumbria intern for a ten-week period and it worked so well that we decided to take him on full-time when the scheme ended.”

Northumbria project.

It’s no accident then that Northumbria University has received outstanding ratings in two national reports which focus on the employment prospects of graduates.

The annual Destination of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE) survey is a nationwide survey of all university students six months after graduation. The latest report revealed that Northumbria is in the UK top 10 for the number of graduates entering professional employment. At the same time, a government review of how universities contribute to economic growth rated Northumbria as the fourth best university in the UK for

give

Volunteering

Volunteering and societies are at the heart of Northumbria Students’ Union, which encouraged students to get involved in projects and share their skills, knowledge and time.

Design for Industry student Katy Green had placements working for two companies – including a spell in Amsterdam working for global product manufacturer, Philips…

encouraging its students to set up and run their own businesses.

Thanks to support from the University’s Enterprise Campus scheme, more than 100 companies have been established by Northumbria graduates since 2008. The companies employ almost 800 staff and have a combined turnover of £54 million. While most are based in the North East, many are trading nationally and internationally.

Northumbria University News takes a look at some of the ways in which our students and graduates are stepping up the career ladder…

Last year, Northumbria students gave up an impressive 30,000 hours of time volunteering for projects, groups and schemes, helping to make a difference to more than 2,500 people in the region. In addition, our students helped to raise £50,000 for charity through our Raise and Give (RAG) Week.

Nicole Pegg, Vice-President of Academic Affairs at Northumbria Students’ Union, explained: “Volunteering has benefits such as the satisfaction that students get out of charitable work, participating in an activity they enjoy, making friends and having fun. Beyond that, volunteering also helps to develops skills that make students more employable, which is essential as prospective employers are now looking beyond academic results.”

“My course is organised into two short placements, rather than a typical year in industry. I worked at Cosatto Baby Products which really built my confidence and allowed me to develop the skills I’ve learnt during my course. One of my pushchair designs was selected for manufacture and will soon be featured in over 150 Mothercare stores.

“Gavin Proctor, the Design Director at Philips who is also a visiting professor for Northumbria, helped me to secure a placement at Philips. I’m working on a confidential project and seeing it transform from an idea to sketches right through to the final product is very rewarding. Completing a placement undoubtedly improves your employability and helps you build confidence and expand your expertise within your chosen industry.”

Both students are working on their own projects. Will said: “My role involves a lot of responsibility which I relish. I carry out site inspections of ongoing projects, including the refurbishment of MP’s dining room, as well as chairing meetings and managing budgets.”

Scott added: “I am currently undertaking a survey of all the stained glass windows displayed in Parliament as well as the conservation of fire doors within the building. I love being involved in such prestigious projects.

“I couldn’t recommend a placement year to a student enough. It provides invaluable experience in industry which looks fantastic on your CV for future jobs.”

Professional placements

Today’s employers are looking for experience as well as academic achievement when recruiting. Recognising the importance of this, Northumbria University ensures many programmes offer the opportunity to undertake professional placements.

These students tell Northumbria University News how their placement experiences at some of the world’s most famous organisations are ensuring they stand our from the crowd.

A new focus on employability

Ranked in the UK top 10 for the number of graduates entering professional employment, Northumbria University already has a strong reputation for graduate employment.

“My course really appealed as it enabled me to take a year out working in industry,” she said.

“My placement at Disney, as a concierge cast member, was an amazing life experience. I worked in a demanding environment, met new people from different cultures and made friends from all over the world.

“Working as a marketing assistant at Barbour was crucial in helping me get the job I have today. It was directly linked to my degree and included working with retail stockists to set up events and provide them with props and imagery.

“I would 100% recommend a placement year to any student thinking about it as your hard work really does pay off and gives you a huge advantage when applying for jobs in the future – it’s been so beneficial to getting where I am today.”

“I chose Northumbria as it’s one of the best places in the country to study Building Surveying. As my particular course is geared towards a practical career, it’s really useful to get that hands-on experience through a year in industry. There’s a big difference between reading something in a book and seeing it on site – my placement has really helped to bridge this gap and made things a lot clearer.

“I have several projects ongoing at the moment – from roof repairs to flat refurbishments – and it’s so satisfying to see the progress being made and jobs being completed. I feel incredibly lucky to be working on such a historically rich and prestigious building and I’m now sure that I want to work in conservation and restoration. This experience will definitely help when I’m applying for jobs in the same sector.”

Our newly-appointed Head of Employability & Enterprise, Doug Cole, will build on these foundations and tells Northumbria University News why he shares the University’s passion for enhancing the employability of all Northumbria students.

As a former senior sports lecturer who has managed sports and leisure businesses in China, Hong Kong and Bangkok, as well as working as a senior lecturer and Employability Project Manager, Doug has extensive experience in both lecturing students and recruiting graduates. He sees his appointment as a clear signal of Northumbria’s dedication to employability.

“There is no doubt that Northumbria is committing to become leaders in the field of employability, so this is a great opportunity for me and one I am really looking forward to,” says Doug.

“It’s worth noting from the outset that there is a difference between

employability and employment.

“Employability is about far more than just a job – it’s about developing the individual, helping someone develop a fulfilling career or even start their own business.

“From my own experiences in business and lecturing I came to appreciate just how important employability is, and began to ask whether enough really was being done to address this area.”

Doug will begin his new role by learning more about the current good practice taking place and also sharing some of his experiences with colleagues.

“We need to remember that employability is not just for the Careers Service at the end of three or four years,” he says.

“We all need to take ownership of this key area of work so a major part of my role will be looking for ways we can develop this further.”

Business with Marketing Management student Gemma Mills secured placements at Walt Disney World in Florida and fashion brand Barbour.

Building Surveying students Scott Rexworthy and Will Rycroft both secured placements at Westminster, working on building projects in the Houses of Parliament.

Building Surveying student Oliver Barker secured a placement working on Buckingham Palace – one of the most historic buildings in the world…

your career the edge

Doug Cole

Katy Green in Amsterdam

Oliver Barker at Buckingham Palace Gemma Mills on her placement at Walt Disney World

Scott Rexworthy and Will Rycroft at the Houses of Parliament

Volunteers from Northumbria Students’ Union

Exciting times ahead as Trinity Square gets set to open

Northumbria University’s impressive new accommodation development, Trinity Square, will open in September 2014.

With fantastic facilities and services on site, this vibrant development looks set to give students everything they need and more to enjoy university life.

Northumbria University News talks to Jill Hargreaves, the new Residences Life and Student Activities Co-ordinator, on her role, as well as the activities and entertainment being created for students living in the University’s halls of residences.

“Building a community within our residences is one of my main aims to create a sense of home and belonging for students, where hopefully they will feel relaxed and happy,” said Jill.

“I believe it is important to do this as for many, if not all students, it is their first time away from home, so they may feel apprehensive and nervous about the journey ahead.

“I am working on many activities and events to engage all students, no matter what their interests or hobbies are. By creating an environment where they are comfortable and happy their overall university experience will be far more positive.”

Jill outlined some of the plans for students living in Trinity Square.

“The hub space provides a fantastic area for activities such as cinema screenings, game nights and even food tasting events,

with areas available for studying, relaxing and socialising.

“We are developing a lot of ideas, such as mini music festivals, book clubs, ‘stitch and bitch’ groups as well as possible activities like slumber parties and ‘box set’ nights for those times when binge watching Breaking Bad is the only answer!

“The private multi-use outdoor games area also means that sports from basketball or table tennis to yoga – whatever you fancy – are accessible to all students, and to those in other nearby residences such as Claude Gibb and Lovaine Halls.

“It’s really important for students to feel a sense of ownership of their residences, and to enjoy the environment they are living in, so it’s all about creating a relaxed and sociable community, where they are completely comfortable.”

Northumbria takes students on a new digital journey

Improving experiences

Transforming the way that universities and businesses work together

NORTHUMBRIA PARTNERSHIPS

Open for business

Northumbria University has worked hard over the last five years to prioritise its work with businesses and secure its reputation as a business focused professional university with a global reputation for academic quality.

This special supplement of Northumbria University News provides an insight into some of Northumbria’s partnerships with public, private and cultural sector organisations in the North East of England and beyond.

In building strong networks and partnerships with regional, national and international employers, Northumbria University is setting the bar at a new high.

Northumbria leading the engagement

Professor Roy Sandbach is a globallyrecognised expert on innovation who leads Innovation Strategy for the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

He tells Northumbria University News that universities can, and must, engage with businesses to unlock the door to greater innovation and economic growth.

The University has been working in partnership with the Students’ Union to make students’ time at Northumbria even better.

Innovative use of new technology is essential to these plans and in the last 12 months Northumbria has upgraded its eLearning Portal and timetabling systems, as well launching mobilefriendly versions of both to make them easily accessible from smartphones and mobile devices.

Partnerships developed by Northumbria University are supporting investment in skills, innovation, enterprise, entrepreneurship and economic growth, as well as improving the employment opportunities available to its graduates.

It goes without saying that students need to have all the facts and figures to hand to help make their final choice about which university they’d like to study at – and they can find them all on the new site. Designed with students in mind, the new website will make it easier to access course information, book open day places, order prospectuses, sign up to newsletters, ask questions and much more.

It is also filled with relevant content that is tailored to students’ interests. The site will share the stories and experiences of Northumbria’s students, staff and graduates, and there are also pages filled with the latest news, events and features, including interviews, reviews and comment.

A number of projects to further benefit students are currently being piloted across the University and will be rolled out from September. One of these is Connect NU, a new app to help students access services and information, whenever they need it and wherever they are, through their own mobile devices.

Connect NU will officially launch in September. A pre-launch version is available now on Apple and Android via the App store to gather feedback from students about what they would like to see in future updates.

The current version includes student timetables, a facility for locating available PCs, library account access, and other useful information about what services are available to students.

Other pilot projects include a system that enables students to submit their work and receive feedback online, without having to travel into the University, and a service which connects module reading lists directly

with Library resources and e-books. Students have also benefited from on-campus improvements introduced in direct response to feedback. A number of buildings now have 24/7 or extended opening hours, such as the Law Practice Library, and there has been a significant investment in refurbishing facilities and services. These include the modernised Castles Restaurant and The Zone in Ellison Building, and a new student engagement centre for Business and Law.

Professor Peter Francis, Pro ViceChancellor for Learning and Teaching, said: “It has been a pleasure to have worked so closely with the Students’ Union to deliver these improvements.

“Students are at the very heart of this University and are central to everything we do. We are continually developing initiatives that will further enhance their experience whilst at Northumbria.”

Northumbria received its highest ever ranking in this year’s Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey, being voted 21st best university in the UK.

With more than 560 employers and 60 professional bodies sponsoring and accrediting Northumbria’s programmes, many students graduate with chartered or professional accreditation. It is one of the key reasons why the University sits comfortably within the top 10 in the UK for the number of graduates entering professional employment.

Last year, the University was ranked the fourth best in the UK for supporting its students and graduates to start-up businesses.

Since 2008 more than 100 businesses have been established by Northumbria graduates. Mainly based in the North East, they trade nationally and internationally and

To prosper in today’s fiercely competitive markets, businesses must continually solve problems and innovate. Universities can support this through collaboration – as long as they make the engagement process as easy and as accessible as possible. Professor Sandbach believes Northumbria University, through its Research and Business Services department and each of its academic faculties, understands this better than most.

When collaboration works well the result is a win-win scenario. A win for businesses through innovation and growth, and a win for universities who can offer their academics impact-driven research opportunities on genuine business projects using real-time data.

Crucially, it is also a win for students who experience practice-based learning to develop skills and enhance their career prospects.

“There is nothing more exciting for a student,” says Professor Sandbach, “than to see the discipline they are studying put into action, and for their engagement with businesses to have real impact – it’s the whole package.

“The best business-engaged universities have practice-based learning at the core of their teaching – and Northumbria has this in its DNA.

“You only have to look at what Newcastle Business School is doing through its Entrepreneurial Business Management programme, where students learn by actually running their own businesses, to see this.”

Continued on page III

To understand the role of ‘innovation’

in this it is perhaps helpful to have a clear definition. According to Professor Sandbach, innovation is matching what is needed with what is possible, for economic value, social good, or both. Implicit in this of course is that it is nothing without delivery.

There is also an increasing understanding by universities –particularly so by Northumbria – of the need for a positive community impact.

“In this regard Northumbria has a clear sense of place and of regional engagement,” explains Professor Sandbach.

The education drivers behind engagement must therefore focus on delivering success, not just developing pockets of knowledge.

Universities have research expertise and capabilities, and outstanding academic knowledge holders. They are strong on what is possible, with a knowledge bank or reservoir of solutions – something Professor Sandbach describes as ‘creative spaghetti’.

He illustrates this through a funnel model, with the creative spaghetti reservoir at the top, and from which business partners can choose the elements to tap into. With an understanding of what is desired or needed in their markets, they can then collaborate with the university on research projects or through student placements, and manage the work through the funnel and into the commercial environment where it will have both value and customers.

Professor Sandbach is at pains to

point out the importance of each partner understanding the scope of their role fully in any engagement under this model.

“Universities occupy a key part of the innovation space, but certainly not all of it,” he says. “They will not typically be able to understand the markets, needs and commercial opportunities in the same way that their business partners will. This is why it is up to businesses to tap into the knowledge base and for universities to make this easy to do.”

Universities can also use the existing relationships they have with other academic institutions, as well as with government, business and voluntary sectors, to bring relevant groups together to build strong strategic partnerships. They can make the engagement process between all relevant groups far more cohesive.

Universities as facilitators are also useful to Professor Sandbach in his role leading Innovation Strategy development for the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

He highlights that one of the LEP’s aims is for the North East to become an exemplar for smart specialisation and open innovation in the automotive industry, subsea technology and engineering and life sciences and the digital sector – areas of key strength where the region already distinguishes itself with leading edge credentials.

Northumbria, says Professor Sandbach, is firmly plugged into this drive and is engaging in creating a skilled community for some of the most critical and exciting sectors of

activity in the world.

An example is the Think Physics project being led by Northumbria to inspire young people, especially women, into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Working with various partners, including the Institute of Physics, Centre for Life, North Tyneside Learning Trust and Kielder Observatory, this collaboration puts into focus the positive impacts of physics and helps to raise the region’s capabilities in critically important STEM-based innovation sectors.

Professor Sandbach believes this kind of collaborative skill development is vital in helping to create what he describes as an ‘inward innovation investment culture’ – capable of attracting innovation-centric corporates to the region by creating an offer through the work of our universities to meet their innovation needs. Having spent almost 30 years with Procter and Gamble he is well qualified to understand why the world’s largest consumer products company has invested heavily in the region over the years and works closely with its universities.

Professor Sandbach is passionate about creating an ‘innovation society’ to ensure economic prosperity. We are already breaking new ground in this region, he says, but our universities and businesses must continue to work together to drive the region’s competitive innovation position. The rest of the world won’t stand still.

Choosing what to study and where can be complex. Yet it’s one of the most important decisions students have to make. That’s why Northumbria has launched a newlook website to bring its unique experience directly to desktop, phone and tablet.

Students have benefited from a wealth of improvements to their learning experience at Northumbria this year –with even more to come in September.

Professor Roy Sandbach

Growing a Live partnership

Open for business cont.

those strong relationships and create more.

“I believe we are already a businessfocused university,” says Lucy. “But we are not the type of institution to sit on our laurels. We are dynamic, enterprising and have a real desire to play a leading role in improving public, civic, corporate and cultural life within the region and beyond.

and connected way.”

Live Theatre is one of the UK’s leading new writing theatres and its professional productions have travelled from Newcastle to Broadway. It stages work by established playwrights such as Lee Hall, supports the development of new and emerging writers and also presents work created by pupils from local schools. Alongside this, the company boasts an award-winning pub, an online playwriting course and The Schoolhouse – an office space for creative businesses – all of which help to support the company’s artistic work.

Northumbria University News talks to Chief Executive, Jim Beirne, about the organisation’s ongoing partnership with Northumbria. “Partnership working is the irrigation throughout the city that brings people together and makes more of what you have,” he says.

Jim Beirne is a big ambassador for collaboration, which is perhaps why both Northumbria University and Live Theatre have forged a way of working that transcends the arts.

This partnership, as with the collaboration with New Writing North, creates conversations not only within Northumbria’s Arts department, but also through health, business and architecture. And it’s still growing.

Jim explained: “Live Theatre is a diverse organisation, with social enterprises, education and community work underpinning its professional programme of theatre productions. This mirrors the diversity of Northumbria which develops expertise across a number of different disciplines. We have a shared aim in terms of training and developing people, so bringing this together was bound to ignite endless possibilities for both organisations.”

Performing arts was a natural springboard for this diverse activity. The partnership evolved organically over a number of years, before its official launch in 2013. Northumbria’s Director of Performing Arts, Steve Gilroy, is also an Associate Director of Live Theatre. In addition, a number of Live Theatre’s artistic team, including Artistic Director and Northumbria alumnus, Max Roberts, have delivered guest lectures at the University. These informal collaborations have created many opportunities for Northumbria’s Performing Arts and Drama students, who have performed in front of Live Theatre’s professional directors and seen their scriptwriting work championed by Live Theatre’s literary team. This has even resulted in one student having her work submitted by Live Theatre for the BBC Writer in Residence scheme.

Case Study: Wet House

have a combined turnover of £54 million.

Lucy Winskell, Pro Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for Business and Engagement activity, joined Northumbria in 2010 to lead this area of activity. She admits she was surprised at how extensive the University’s external focus was when she arrived and was excited at the opportunity to build on some of

“It is really important that we are fleet of foot; that we react quickly and positively to the changing environment around us. A very obvious example is how we work with the North East LEP and how Northumbria’s strengths and expertise can support the strategic economic plan.

“Although we have worked with many businesses in many innovative ways over the years, we are now approaching our partnership working in a much more strategic

Highlighting how the University develops relationships with businesses and organisations, Lucy explains: “It’s important that it is a partnership and we bring value to our partners, and in turn they bring value to the University and the student experience. We want partnerships that will impact on our learning, teaching and research activity, as well as our international aspirations. Working with business ensures our programmes are up-todate and relevant to business needs.”

The University is also mindful of its role in promoting and sustaining economic, cultural and social wellbeing in the region.

“The formation of some of our cultural partnerships was particularly important at a time when the cultural sector had challenges around funding,” Lucy added.

“We have worked hard to see how we can support some of the organisations which make the North East a fantastic place in which to live, work and learn because a creative city is a successful city.”

Lucy strongly believes that for the partnerships to work effectively there needs to be a match of aspiration and ambition between both organisations.

“I can’t stress how important the culture of the organisation is to ensure we can work together effectively to bring mutual and tangible benefits,” she says.

“I can say with absolute confidence that one of the best things about my role is the great relationships we have developed with our partners, a small number of whom are highlighted within this newspaper.

“The real challenge for us is the number of opportunities there are

to work with businesses. We have to think incredibly carefully about how we can prioritise and keep our focus on the activity that has the most impact.

“When you are close to a project it is sometimes easy to miss the impact it has had. Reviewing some of our recent work in this supplement reminds me of the phrase: ‘the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts.’

“This is never more apparent than when you see what is achieved when we work in partnership.”

DISCOVER MORE

If you are interested in seeing how working with Northumbria University can bring benefits to your business visit northumbria.ac.uk/business

Injecting new life into Gateshead

Northumbria University has played a key role in one of the biggest regeneration schemes in the country, thanks to its partnership with Gateshead Council.

The University and the Council work together on a number of projects to drive the economic and cultural regeneration of Gateshead.

Supporting enterprise and innovation, the projects are providing opportunities for both individuals and businesses.

Northumbria has increased the levels of support given to businesses in Gateshead and has encouraged a number of graduate start-up companies to base themselves in the borough.

The new accommodation forms part of the £150 million Trinity Square – the biggest regeneration project seen in the North East in recent years.

Developed by Tesco’s regeneration arm, Spenhill, Trinity Square features a Tesco Extra superstore, a wide range of retail outlets and a multiscreen cinema, as well as new accommodation for almost 1,000 Northumbria students.

dozens of businesses set up by graduates in Gateshead how their innovations can help the borough.

“The real tangible benefits will be felt by local businesses, voluntary and community groups, bars, restaurants and attractions. But think the whole feel of the area will change for the better with the vitality and excitement that students will bring.”

Jim said: “There was so much interaction between the two organisations, and so many developments in the pipeline with Live Theatre’s expansion plans, that it felt like a good time to formulate a more strategic relationship to fully enhance the work of both parties.”

And it was Live Theatre’s £10m expansion plan, a project entitled LiveWorks that is set to create new community, education and creative business spaces that generated opportunities for the partnership to extend beyond Performing Arts.

Jim continued: “We worked with Northumbria to create a live project for architecture students, based around our LiveWorks plan. We worked closely with six students to explore what we were hoping to achieve, and the students opened our eyes to new possibilities and the way in which we could use the space. Their ideas informed our approach to the project and our subsequent brief to the architecture consultancy.”

Partnerships bring with them projects such as this which allow students to work to briefs and develop their professional experience, while at the same time sharing their talent with the organisation involved. In fact, elements from all six student architecture projects have been incorporated into LiveWorks

Another area of expertise that is currently connecting with Live Theatre is health, with academics joining Live’s post-show discussions on themes explored in plays or short films, such as dementia and addiction. The business school is also developing work in partnership with Live to benefit SMEs and start-up companies.

Jim said: “Our two organisations are now working together at all levels and, with so many creative discussions taking place at the moment, am confident we will be announcing even more initiatives in the coming months that will continue to benefit staff and students, while making a real difference to the region’s world-renowned cultural landscape.”

Live Theatre’s multi-award winning production, Wet House a hardhitting look at homelessness and addiction, is a prime example of an integrated approach to partnership working.

The production itself was written by Northumbria Fine Art graduate, Paddy Campbell, who won the coveted Writer of the Year award at this year’s Journal Culture Awards Wet House also won Performance of the Year for its cast which included Northumbria Performance graduate, Riley Jones, and Performing Artist of the Year for cast member Joe Caffrey). With so much Northumbria talent on show, current Performing Arts students visited the show and met with the creative team and cast to learn more about the process.

Health academic, Tony Machin, was also invited in to rehearsal to share his expertise around the issues of addiction that the cast were dealing with as part of their performance.

Director, Max Roberts said: “It was invaluable sharing the rehearsal room with Tony. His knowledge in the fields of mental health and addiction gave the cast access to expert advice relating to their character’s actions and responses. During any rehearsal process it is important to provide the creative team with opportunities to further explore themes raised within the script, and our partnership with Northumbria University allows us to access an extremely diverse range of expertise.”

The University is also working more closely with schools in Gateshead to encourage pupils to consider higher education while student volunteers are working with carers, vulnerable people and supporting social and cultural events in the borough. However, the biggest – and by far the most visible – project has been Northumbria’s role in the transformation of Gateshead’s town centre with the development of exciting new student accommodation boasting stunning views across the Tyneside skyline.

With easy access to the Quayside’s array of bars, restaurants and cultural venues, Trinity Square is set to become a vibrant centre for student life and will bring a buzzing new community to the heart of Gateshead town centre.

Mick Henry, the Leader of Gateshead Council, outlined the benefits that students are set to bring to Gateshead.

“Students bring with them creativity and inspiration,” he said. “Having almost 1,000 talented students living in the heart of Gateshead will inject something new into the area. We already know from working with

Professor Andrew Wathey, ViceChancellor and Chief Executive of Northumbria University, added: “We are investing in quality accommodation for the benefit of our students, but also bridging the river to extend our reach across the NewcastleGateshead area, and embed university life and activity close to the internationally visible cultural attractions on Gateshead Quays.

“This is a very exciting project for the University. Partnership working of this kind marks the contribution a university can make to the economic, cultural and social wellbeing of an area.”

A genuine spirit of partnership

After working together on an informal basis for over five years, Northumbria University and the Centre for Life became formal partners earlier this year.

As both organisations work together on the stunning BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition, Centre for Life’s Chief Executive, Linda Conlon, writes about how the partnership came about, and how the two organisations are working together.

“We had been working with Northumbria on an ad-hoc basis for some time, and after a while we started thinking about trying to regularise the partnership. Putting it on a more formal basis was a natural evolution.

“Our shared interest in science is the common denominator for working together. We are both about learning and our motivations are the same, but we deliver in different, yet complementary, ways and believe that’s key to the partnership.

“Both organisations are trying to improve public engagement in science. We’re trying to enhance learning and teaching in STEM subjects, to promote employment in STEM-based careers, and to support research in areas related to public engagement such as learning, design and psychology. We’re also working to increase research impact to develop links with universities and science centres across the globe.

“There is a great synergy in these common motivations, but there is also a great benefit to the differences in the ways that we work. often describe Life as a ‘free choice’ learning environment as we’re not a school, a college or a university – we are a

place where people choose to come for an entertaining and educational family day out.

“We have a neutral environment which is great for the University as sometimes people can feel daunted about going onto campus. We can offer the University’s academics and researchers improved exposure to the public by coming into Life to talk about the work they are doing. And for us, we have the benefit of sharing the University’s exciting research with our visitors, so it’s a real win-win for both parties.

“We’re also working together on an MSc in Public Engagement with Science which we have jointly created and will jointly deliver from this autumn. We’re really excited about this as very few organisations offer masters degrees in this area. Our students will enjoy handson experience in the sorts of environments that they are likely to work in once they are qualified.

“One of the things which is very interesting to us, and which is proving to be particularly beneficial, is the number of partnerships Northumbria has with different organisations across the region.

“For example, our BODY WORLDS

Vital exhibition is named because most of the bodies are in dynamic poses – we have a tightrope walker, a fisherman, and a relay runner amongst the exhibits. We thought it would be a fantastic idea to do something with the Great North Run coming up. Northumbria’s partnership with Great North Run Culture means they have a foot in both camps, so we are all working together with sports scientists to deliver something exciting around the exhibition near the time of the run.

“Another example relates to a future exhibition on the brain, which will come to Life in a year or so. The working of the brain is a heavy subject to try and convey so our colleagues at Northumbria suggested involving their BALTIC Professor of Contemporary Art. You can express a lot of science through contemporary art and it’s something that the Professor has specialised in for a number of years. We’re keen to start working with both BALTIC and the University on this exhibition and think the results will be eyecatching and thought-provoking, which is something we always strive to achieve.”

“All of the people we work with are incredibly helpful. I find the team at Northumbria to be refreshing, lively and energetic and there is a genuine spirit of partnership working. Thanks to Northumbria, there’s now a growing group of organisations coming together to do exciting things that they couldn’t do on their own, and Northumbria University is right at the heart of it.”

Partnership gives ‘Vital’ support to exhibition

Northumbria University is working with the Life Science Centre on the world-famous BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition.

The exhibition, the first of its kind in the UK, brings together a collection of donated human bodies and organs. The bodies have been preserved through plastination – a ground-breaking preservation process invented by scientist Dr Gunther von Hagens.

BODY WORLDS Vital tells the story of how best to fight life-threatening diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, through healthy choices and lifestyle changes.

Throughout the course of the exhibition, academics and researchers from Northumbria will take part in a programme of events, debates and lectures to support the exhibition.

This is part of the wider partnership between the University and the Centre for Life which sees the two institutions working together to encourage the public to engage with the world of science.

Stephen Boddy, an anatomy demonstrator from the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, was invited to be the exhibition’s ‘Anatomist in Residence’ and is giving regular talks and demonstrations to visitors throughout the exhibition.

A fresh way to solve problems

A new series of ‘sandpit’ events is helping business leaders to solve challenges.

The interactive creative workshops developed by Northumbria University – known as innovation sandpits – are being held at the Northern Design Centre in Gateshead to address challenges such as the ageing population, the digital economy and energy issues.

Industry experts and leading academics work collaboratively to develop solutions through industry-focussed research projects. The format builds on the demonstrable benefits of universities and businesses working in partnership to deliver real solutions with a positive impact.

Lucy Winskell, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Business and Engagement, said: “Great innovation comes from bringing together the brightest people from a number of disciplinary and industrial perspectives.

“Northumbria has a track record of creating and applying knowledge to support business. We want to build on this and engage in open innovation with industry partners and academic colleagues to benefit the economy and establish the North East as beacon for innovative thinking.”

One recent sandpit focusing on the digital economy led to a number of spin-off projects. This included a bespoke sandpit for Your Homes Newcastle to help them understand the possibilities and puzzles associated with their aspiration to deliver affordable, ideally free, basic internet access into every council home in Newcastle.

Geoff Ellingham, Head of IT at Your Homes Newcastle, said: “Being involved with the sandpit was extremely useful as it allowed academic research to bump up against the delivery of real-life solutions to real-life problems.

“In the past, it has been difficult for us to access this sort of information quickly and easily as it relies on making numerous contacts, holding multiple meetings and isn’t always feasible.

“The sandpit helped to quickly bring us together with academics in an informal way and provided us with high quality information. It was a very effective way of enabling an open conversation and thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Stephen said: “It is important to educate people about how their bodies work in order for them to be able to make informed decisions regarding their lifestyle.

“This will be an eye-opening and insightful exhibition enabling the general public to discover what lies beneath their skin. The specimens on show offer an honest demonstration of how lifestyle choice affects us all.”

Lucy Winskell, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business and Engagement, added: “This stunning exhibition, which will no doubt have visitors travelling from across the UK, is the latest example of Northumbria’s burgeoning partnership with Centre for Life. I’m delighted that Stephen Boddy and other colleagues will be involved throughout, sharing their expertise with the public.”

MSc Public Engagement with Science

The partnership between Northumbria University and the International Centre for Life has resulted in an innovative new Masters programme – the MSc Public Engagement with Science.

The course, which will give students the skills and knowledge vital to delivering public engagement through science centres, starts in September 2014. It will be jointly taught by experienced University academics and professional science communicators from the International Centre for Life. As well as understanding the historical, political and scientific context of modern public engagement with science, students will receive an excellent grounding in developing and staging science shows, creating exhibitions, running major public engagement events and delivering successful education programmes.

WATCH

To see a short video about the programme and to find out more information about becoming part of the first cohort on this new course, scan this QR code

Sandpits may involve a number of companies and disciplines, and can cover themes as diverse as oil and gas to business resilience or children’s breakfast clubs. Wherever possible, the ideas generated are supported by seed-funding from Northumbria University, so that initial concepts can be further developed. Co-funded support can also be used subsequently to support proposals to access larger-scale funding if necessary.

Encouraging innovation

Grants of up to £6,000 are available for businesses wishing to work with Northumbria to develop new products and services.

Northumbria’s Innovation Voucher programme is designed to encourage businesses to collaborate with the University, providing a contribution towards the cost of finding new ways to grow and develop.

The scheme is primarily aimed at small research projects, as well as consultancy or technical services. The voucher can also help to support greater collaboration with the University.

Richard Keegan, Assistant Director for Research and Business Services, said: “There are many ways in which the University can support businesses and help them to maintain their competitive edge.

“We have experts in research and development, consultancy, commercial growth, innovation and

knowledge transfer covering all areas of industry.

“By tapping into our support we can help businesses unlock their potential and access funding to encourage growth.”

Businesses wishing to apply for support through the Innovation Voucher scheme simply need to contact Northumbria’s Research and Business Services team on 0191 227 3775.

Northumbria University encourages applications from a wide variety of organisations and is particularly keen to work with small and medium enterprises. Public sector organisations, not-for-profit enterprises and larger businesses are also encouraged to apply.

Linda Conlon

Stephen Boddy

The story of a successful partnership

The collaboration with New Writing North – the region’s writing development agency – contains all the ingredients of an award-winning story. So it’s no coincidence that this partnership played a key role in Northumbria’s award for Best Arts and Business Partnership at The Journal Culture Awards 2013.

Since then, the partnership has grown considerably, providing writers with access to academic expertise to inform their work, and creating exciting opportunities

for Northumbria’s student community to meet with and learn from leading publishers, agents and booksellers. This has allowed students to understand

more about the way in which the industry works, while exploring their creative expertise.

Northumbria University is also a key supporter of the Northern

What could we do better by being together?

Writers’ Awards alongside Arts Council England. The Awards identify emerging writing talent across the North and link it to industry. Arising from this are a range of initiatives engaging with industry and research that both organisations work on.

This year, the two organisations launched a brand new writing festival, Crime Story, aimed at fans as well as writers, celebrating the thrilling genre of crime fiction.

Vera author Anne Cleeves provided a fictional crime scenario written especially for the festival that was used as a basis for the weekend’s discussions. Northumbria’s academics provided insight into how the crime would be solved in the real world, with criminologists, forensic scientists, digital forensics experts, lawyers and creative writers all meeting with the audience to share their research and expertise on the subject.

New Writing North’s extensive network brought writers from across the UK to hear from the festival’s guest speakers and panellists. Anne Cleeves shared an insight into what makes her famous

character, Vera tick, and screenwriter Gaby Chiappe, who has adapted episodes of Vera as well as Anne Cleeves’ recent crime series Shetland shared her experiences of writing for the small screen.

Lucy Winskell, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business and Engagement said: “The North East has contributed to some of television’s recent crime drama successes, with both Vera and Inspector George Gently filmed in the region. So it seemed highly appropriate to host such a festival right on campus in the heart of Newcastle, bringing together new and established writers with Northumbria academics to explore the facts behind the fiction.”

Anna Disley, Acting Chief Executive, New Writing North, said: “Crime Story brought the expertise that exists within Northumbria, together with literature audiences to create a unique event. It’s one of many projects to come out of our pioneering partnership with Northumbria, which develops, supports and celebrates writers at all stages, links them to industry and connects them with research.”

BIM Academy goes global

An innovative collaboration between Northumbria University and Ryder Architecture, known as BIM Academy, has been taking its expertise around the world on iconic projects in Hong Kong and Australia.

Business Information Modelling (BIM) has taken the construction industry by storm in recent years and BIM Academy, which is based on Northumbria’s Newcastle campus, has helped the UK become a world leader in this innovative field.

School pupils test their crime stories on Northumbria experts

In celebration of the Crime Story festival, Northumbria academics also shared their expertise with younger audiences. Media Studies students from Newcastle’s Heaton Manor School met with the University’s experts during an afternoon on campus.

Christine Bell, Subject Leader for Media Studies at Heaton Manor, said: “Our GCSE and A Level students have spent many months investigating crime fiction, studying programmes such as Vera and CSI to identify how suspense is built, and how stylistic approaches to crime fiction vary.

“Having direct access to criminologists and forensics experts has been invaluable for our students. It has added another dimension to their work, while also allowing them to gain a glimpse into the type of research that is available to students within higher education.”

Students in the running for £4,000 artist commission

As the country gears up to see the one millionth runner finish the world’s greatest half marathon, a new generation of artists are celebrating the cultural aspects of the Great North Run through film and media.

In September 2013, Great North Run Culture launched its latest programme of events at Northumbria’s Sport Central arena. The event also marked the start of the two organisations coming together to create exciting opportunities for students to showcase their work, which, in turn, can be enjoyed by cultural audiences far and wide.

Great North Run Culture is an annual series of arts projects, events and exhibitions that celebrate and explore sport and art. The organisation was established in 2005 to mark the silver anniversary of the Run, and has since been responsible for the creation of a vibrant programme of work featuring film, drama, dance, writing and more.

BIM Academy, in collaboration with the client’s Building and BIM Engineering team, defined and developed a facilities management specification to meet the building stakeholder needs for the existing and future refurbishment.

During their time at Northumbria, the students had the opportunity to ask questions of the panel, madeup of Criminology, Forensics, Digital Forensics and Creative Writing lecturers.

They also went behind the scenes for a glimpse into the TV world, thanks to a talk from Northumbria Performing Arts graduate, Riley Jones, who played DC Mark Edwards in crime drama, Vera

The students then enjoyed a tour of Northumbria’s media facilities, giving them a taste of what’s to come if they were to continue their media studies into higher education.

Northumbria students directly benefit from being at the forefront of this emerging sector, with teaching informed by the latest technology and industry developments.

BIM Academy’s portfolio of work is continuing to expand across the globe with major project and competition wins involving several iconic international buildings.

The centre for excellence recently beat off international competition to win a major project providing specialist facilities management and technical expertise for Sydney Opera House, a UNESCO world heritage site since 2007, which has started to undergo a long-term renewal program.

BIM Academy is also working on the ambitious £450m M+ Museum in Hong Kong, which aims to attain international status comparable to MoMA, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Tate Modern in London.

Peter Barker, BIM Academy’s managing director said: “Our influence is growing across the globe thanks to our great technical team, our knowledge and expertise, and also the nature of the iconic projects we’ve been brought in to work on.”

Great North Run Culture annually commissions artists to create new work, such as the recent film, Tracer by artist Melanie Manchot. The film premiered at Sport Central and featured ten parkour runners, or traceurs, tracing the route of the run through jumps, vaults and urban gymnastics.

The partnership with Northumbria has now created a Graduate Commission, which will award £4,000 to a final-year undergraduate or recent graduate from any of Northumbria’s creative arts courses, to create a new work that responds to and captures the spirit of one of the world’s top sporting events.

The successful student or graduate will be announced in November of

this year, and will deliver their final artwork in July 2015 to form part of the 2015 Great North Run Culture programme.

Beth Bate, Director of Great North Run Culture, said: “We’re really excited to be able to offer this opportunity to a student or recent graduate as part of our partnership with Northumbria University. In the same way that our annual Moving Image Commission works, students or recent graduates will go through a rigorous application process, including presenting their work to a selection panel. We hope this will be a valuable experience for anyone who applies, and we look forward to working with the next generation of artists and filmmakers from Northumbria University.”

Helping new businesses to get off the ground

The Business & IP Centre is a partnership between the British Library, Newcastle City Council, Newcastle Science City and Northumbria University, supported by ERDF funding.

The Centre provides support to entrepreneurs, inventors and small businesses with the partner organisations each helping firms to successfully launch and develop a new business, product or service.

The Art Deco cinema’s longstanding relationship with Northumbria University moved up a level this year with the launch of an exciting partnership borne out of a shared enthusiasm for culture, developing new talent and the possibilities that are opened up through collaborative working.

One of the first projects will be a graduate residency supporting the artistic development and practice of recent Northumbria graduates from various disciplines including fine art, animation, design and film. This is just the beginning, with many more projects currently being developed to build on the activities of both the cinema and the University.

“We’re working on a number of possibilities with Northumbria, but we’re particularly excited about the coordinated role we can play in supporting aspiring artists and filmmakers from the region and helping develop talented students and graduates,” Mark said.

Mark, who has been Chief Executive at Tyneside Cinema since 2000, explained why he is a strong believer in partnership working.

“As a cultural organisation and a charity, with a remit to be of public benefit, partnership working is an excellent and very sensible way to achieve our goals.

professionalism of those involved,” he added.

“We already had a whole raft of informal relationships with Northumbria academics. We wanted to celebrate this and continue to encourage it, but we also wanted to think about how we could really enrich things for mutual benefit.

“A lot of partnerships start out with exciting ‘wouldn’t it be great if…?’ ideas, but at Northumbria this enthusiasm is also backed up by a very professional approach.

“I really give the University a lot of credit for the energy, time and effort it put into leading on faceto-face meetings and forging relationships to explore where there were real opportunities for enriching our work.”

The cinema is currently helping the University’s Media and Communications Design department to look at expanding its exhibition offer for the public, whilst also exploring how it can provide professional feedback and space to meet for students working in disciplines such as film, moving image and design.

Tyneside Cinema works with a number of partners including the Arts Council, British Film Institute, Newcastle City Council, Northern Film and Media, Creative England, and several other bodies, including the region’s other universities.

Mark added: “When it comes to successful partnerships, think both sides need to be continually asking ‘what could we do better by being together?’ and that’s one of the great things about working with Northumbria. We’re continually asking this question together throughout.”

Cinema offers graduate residency

The new graduate residency opportunity, funded by the Arts Council, has been created to support the development and practice of recent arts graduates working with screen-based media.

their businesses to grow.

Concepts for products and prototypes are then tested at Northumbria University before the team at Newcastle Science City provides in-depth support to commercialise the viable product or service.

opportunity for the University to form relationships with businesses at the early stages of their development.

To find out more about BIM Academy go to bimacademy.ac.uk

Newcastle City Council, through the City Library, helps businesses to assess and fully exploit their Intellectual Property (IP) needs in order to protect their ideas and help

Since launching as a pilot centre in 2011, the Business & IP Centre has supported 1,300 individuals, helping to create 66 businesses and 204 additional jobs in the region.

Hugh Rhodes, Enterprise Manager at Northumbria University, said: “The Centre provides an excellent

“We hope that this will leverage further work with these SMEs over time which will lead to long-term relationships and bigger projects, such as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships or collaborative research.”

MORE

For more information about visit bipcnewcastle.co.uk

“The North East also has a strong tradition of partnership working and we’re proud to carry this on. Mark went on to explain: “As a region, we could quite easily become isolated, but thankfully this hasn’t happened and, if organisations such as ourselves and Northumbria continue to work together, it never will.

“Tyneside Cinema works proudly with all the universities in the North East, but when it came to Northumbria we were particularly impressed by the energy and

It will provide emerging artists with a £2,500 bursary and mentorship, as well as studio space and technical support to develop new work in a professional working environment.

The selected resident will play a key role in the development and delivery of a new monthly ‘show and tell’ programme aimed at students in the region and will present their completed work at the Tyneside Cinema.

Every partnership should ask this question, according to Tyneside Cinema’s chief executive Mark Dobson.

A partnership with some of Newcastle’s leading organisations is providing support to firms with ideas for new products or businesses.

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View the film of Heaton Manor’s visit to Northumbria by scanning the code

Heaton Manor pupils enjoy a behind-the-scenes view of the TV world at Northumbria

Mark Dobson

Heaton Manor pupils put their questions to the experts at a Crime Story inspired event

“How did you do it?”

BALTIC Director, Godfrey Worsdale, is often asked this question about the famous gallery’s award-winning partnership with Northumbria University.

Three years ago, the Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead announced it would be working with Northumbria in a partnership that would revolutionise art education following a long-standing relationship between the two organisations.

Since the partnership was formed, there have been almost too many highlights to mention, from the Turner Prize exhibition in BALTIC’s Northumbria Gallery to the opening of BALTIC 39, a unique learning environment and hub for contemporary art on High Bridge, Newcastle.

The partnership also created the BxNU Institute for Contemporary Art, appointing renowned artist Christine Borland as BALTIC Professor, while continuing to jointly deliver programmes such as the MA Fine Art and Education.

The relationship earned further national recognition when it was named as the best example of “excellence in innovation and the arts” by the Times Higher Education magazine.

It’s no wonder that other organisations, both nationally and internationally, have been looking at this special relationship with envious eyes.

“People are always asking me how we did it,” says Godfrey. “It’s really gratifying, especially when it is highly successful global organisations that want to know.”

So what is the secret to this partnership’s success?

“There are many reasons,” he explains. “Our ambitions and values seemed to naturally align from the very beginning. Both BALTIC and Northumbria are committed to the success of this region. At the same time, we are also outward-facing organisations, dedicated to building our global reputations.

In conversation with… Natalie-Dawn Hodgson

Northumbria University News talks to Natalie-Dawn Hodgson, President of Northumbria University’s Students’ Union, about life at Northumbria and campaigning for what students really want.

creative communities.”

“I came into post as BALTIC Director in 2008-9, around the same time Professor Andrew Wathey was appointed Vice-Chancellor at Northumbria. Since then, both organisations have had to change and adapt.”

BALTIC was keen to enhance its public learning and exhibition programme and wanted to increase the support it gave to develop professional artists. Meanwhile, Northumbria was eager to improve the creative and learning opportunities available to students and become the arts university of choice.

“Art has always been a discretionary spend and BALTIC was established in a very different economic climate. Today, cultural organisations need to stand on their own two feet and become more entrepreneurial,” said Godfrey.

“This is another area of commonality with Northumbria. The University is

renowned for its professional focus and entrepreneurial spirit and I think this is absolutely vital for both cultural organisations and Higher Education in the current climate.”

Godfrey is a strong believer in partnership working and collaboration.

He says: “It has always been a given in the arts and more so than ever now, but I think there is also a genuine recognition that working in partnership is more efficient. We are stronger together and can travel further on a collective endeavour.

“One of the reasons I’m particularly proud of our partnership with Northumbria is that we are constantly exploring new ways of working together.

“The University’s Fine Art programmes are obviously a natural fit and fashion students use BALTIC as a venue for their show, but there is untapped potential across both organisations where we can learn

from each other and the relationship can blossom even more.

“Our colleagues at Northumbria have been great to work with, from their professionalism to their positive attitudes, and we are always looking at innovative ways to build on what we do.”

The partnership has broader elements than arts and culture.

As Godfrey explained: “We have Engineering and Environment students looking at how we can make our building more sustainable, and we are becoming involved with the University’s entrepreneurial activities. There are so many possibilities open to us.

“This isn’t just a strategic partnership at governance level. It’s founded on strong interpersonal relationships on the ground. It’s a multi-faceted partnership with a vast range of benefits, not just for both organisations, but for students, artists, academics, and the region’s

Godfrey is particularly proud of BALTIC 39, which opened in 2012, describing it as ‘a new kind of institution’ featuring a whole ecology of art practice, from education to exhibition, art studio to social hub.

He said: “The principle behind our partnership has always been about adding value to both organisations and the mutual benefits we can achieve through collaboration.

“In BALTIC 39, we demonstrated a real step change in the way both universities and galleries operate, and the opportunity is there to do even more.

“It is this untapped potential which will allow us to build on what the partnership has achieved so far and look forward to continuing our work together to contribute to the reputation of the region and further build our international standing.”

Last summer you graduated with a BA Honours English Literature degree. What did you enjoy most about studying at Northumbria?

I really enjoyed my degree and had good support from my tutors and lecturers, especially in my final year. I was campaigning for SU President during the run-up to exams and they were all very understanding of what I was trying to achieve. Being involved with the Students’ Union was a big factor in how much I enjoyed my time at Northumbria. Without it, I don’t think my university experience would have been as good as it was. It’s how I made friends and got involved with volunteering and lots of fun activities.

Northumbria University has a really welcoming environment. I think one of the things that stood out to me when I came to an Open Day was the friendly atmosphere on campus. I believe it’s unique to Northumbria and haven’t experienced it at the other universities I’ve visited.

What is a Northumbria University degree worth to students?

It’s outstanding for certain subjects, such as law, architecture, design and nursing. Northumbria has a strong reputation because of these areas which means that people and employers have already heard about it. There’s been a change in perception of Northumbria University. We’ve done really well in recent surveys and people are paying attention.

Newcastle has been voted as the UK’s best student city four times in five years. You are originally a Yorkshire girl, what do you like best about your adopted city?

Northumbria and Kellogg’s create winning breakfast formula

A partnership with Kellogg’s is having an impact on research into aspects of children’s health and wellbeing.

Professor Greta Defeyter, Director of Northumbria’s Healthy Living research unit, was one of the first people to research school and community breakfast clubs.

She has found that children who attend breakfast clubs integrate better into their school community and have more positive attitudes towards their peers. Additionally, research has shown that breakfast clubs can play a role in improving attendance, punctuality and concentration and help drive up levels of educational achievement.

Northumbria’s Healthy Living Unit works with Kellogg’s to investigate the impact of breakfast and breakfast club attendance on a child’s educational performance, nutrition, social behaviours and community cohesion.

Professor Defeyter added: “Over the last decade there has been a substantial rise in the number of school and community breakfast clubs in the

UK and these have brought significant benefits to children’s health and education.

“Our activity enables academics, teachers and charities to share knowledge and discuss the challenges that still face breakfast clubs.”

Research from the Healthy Living unit has helped to inform academics and the public of the benefits of breakfast consumption for children.

Their findings have been presented at Westminster’s Education, Food and Nutrition Forums and prestigious international conferences.

What were the highlights of your first term as SU President?

One of my major campaigning issues was the extension of opening hours of University buildings. The University now has 24/7 access to a large number of buildings which is a great benefit for students.

Expanding the Coach Lane bus service is another big success. We convinced the University that we needed an extra bus to meet demand. They listened and added a double decker bus to the service. We’ve also helped to broaden the sandwich and snack range provided, making eating on campus more affordable, and we’ve improved the standard of the meals in University halls. These may seem like small things but they are improvements that affect people’s experience on a daily basis.

A particular highlight was our Sabbatical team abseil down the library tower, which raised £1,000 for our chosen ‘Raise and Give’ charities. It was a great experience. I never thought I’d find myself standing on top of the library hanging on to a piece of rope!

This year you successfully campaigned for re-election to serve your second term as SU President. What does the position mean to you?

It is crucial. The Students’ Union plays the role of a critical friend, highlighting the ways that the University can improve. Northumbria does some great things for its students and sometimes those great things have come out of the issues highlighted by the Students’ Union.

I love Newcastle. It’s a small compact city space but has everything you need. It’s not so big that it’s too big. You can get across from one end to the other in a short time. I love the green spaces at Heaton Park and Jesmond Dene, as well as escaping to the Quayside and the coast. You don’t have to go far to escape into nature. There are brilliant bars and shopping and I love going to the theatre, both in Newcastle and further out.

Sunderland often has big West End shows touring. I recently watched War Horse there and Dirty Dancing at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal.

What unique qualities do you bring to the role?

Personality-wise, I’m a glass half-full sort of person. Hopefully, people think of me as an approachable, friendly face on campus. The more approachable I am, the better I can promote and represent student interests to the University in its various committees.

What are your future objectives as SU President?

I will be campaigning for more printing credits to be made available for students. However, my first objective is to build the new sabbatical team. We have three incoming officers so my focus will be to support the new team and help us to all get on the same page to work together to achieve our aims.

What lessons have you learned?

Resilience! There are lots of demands on your time in this role. Also, adapting from being a student to playing a part as a contributor to the organisation has been a big learning curve.

I’ve also learned a lot about public speaking. Standing in front of lots of different people is very different to giving presentations in front of your classmates on a module!

What are the main benefits of being a student?

In terms of life experience, the move away from home, living with six or seven strangers, is an experience you can’t easily find anywhere else. It gives you a taste of independence.

I’ve learned so much. It opens your eyes to new things and different opinions because you mix with so many people. When you live at home with the same people you’ve grown up with, you can fall into ‘group thinking’. Being in an environment where you meet people from different backgrounds means that you think a bit differently.

Why should incoming students get involved in Northumbria Students’ Union?

There are not many other places in your life where you will have so many opportunities to get involved. University is a really important time and everyone should make the most of it.

I got involved in the SU because I had an interest in dance. I wanted to carry it on at University so I joined the Dance Society – once you’re involved in an activity you find out about other opportunities. If you get involved it will have a big impact. For me, it was the best part of University.

Northumbria welcomes new ideas and is keen to enhance the student experience. The Board of Governors clearly value our input into the different discussions that go on and I’m there to bring my experience of being a student, as well as representing students, which they are keen to hear.

Natalie-Dawn Hodgson

Professor Andrew Wathey with Godfrey Worsdale

Professor Greta Defeyter

Scholarships support students’ experience

Fab four for record-breaking graduate

Andrew Shenton has made history by becoming the first person to graduate from Northumbria with four degrees.

Mr Woon graduated from Northumbria’s Law programme in 1981. Today, as a keen art collector with a number of successful businesses in Singapore, he has established a series of scholarships at Northumbria University to honour his family who supported him through his studies.

He explained: “When you have made it in life, it is good to share, to give and to enrich the lives of other people with whatever small gifts you can give to them.”

The renowned Woon Foundation Painting and

Sculpture Art Prize is now the UK’s largest student art prize, worth a total of £40,000 each year. It is open to all final year Fine Art students studying in the UK and provides opportunities to develop their fine art practice.

Mr Woon has also established the Access to Justice Fund to help members of the public access legal support, as well as the Woon Scholarships aimed at helping students with the expenses of working in law firms across the world.

Northumbria University News speaks to some of our students to find out how their studies have been enhanced, thanks to Mr Woon’s scholarships.

Arts fellow attracts attention

Just nine months after winning the UK’s largest student art prize, Holly Hendry has seen her work exhibited in national and international galleries and public spaces.

Holly, who graduated from London’s Slade School of Fine Art, was the first winner of the inaugural Woon Foundation Painting and Sculpture Art Prize. She received a £20,000 bursary to fund the cost of her one-year Fellowship and is mentored by BALTIC Professor Christine Borland at the BxNU Institute for Contemporary Art in Newcastle.

BxNU is based in BALTIC 39, an exciting new cultural hub for the city resulting from a collaboration between Northumbria University, Newcastle City Council, Arts Council England and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

Since winning the prestigious award, Holly has exhibited work in galleries including The Royal Standard in Liverpool and The Bank Gallery in Whitechapel, London. She was also included in The Catlin Guide 2014 – an annual publication that highlights the talents of just 40 graduating UK artists. Her current installation, ‘The March Project’, is on display in the United Arab Emirates. The sculpture was commissioned by the Sharjah Art Foundation and is

influenced by traditional Arabic architectural techniques. It plays with the old and new forms of air conditioning, addressing air as a life system that is processed through buildings and bodies.

As her fellowship draws to a close, Holly credits the Woon Art Prize for providing her with a unique opportunity and platform to develop her practice.

“Winning the Woon Foundation Art Prize has made everything possible,” she said. “It’s provided me with the resources, time and studio space. I’m enjoying being in Newcastle and experiencing a new art scene that’s so far away from London but exciting in its own right.

“Being part of BALTIC 39 is a really eye-opening experience. It’s great to meet the curators from BALTIC and all of the people involved in making exhibitions happen behind the scenes.

“I’ve also been able to draw on the tutors, students and other artists based at BALTIC 39 and Northumbria University and use the University’s library facilities. They have been invaluable in informing my work.”

DISCOVER MORE

For more information about The Woon Foundation Painting and Sculpture Art Prize, visit northumbria.ac.uk/woonartprize.

Contemporary MBA sets Northumbria apart

A new work-related MBA programme will strengthen the University’s growing reputation as a business educator that inspires and shapes strategic leaders.

The Information Science student will enter the University’s record books at this year’s summer congregation where he will receive his Higher Doctorate.

Andrew, who works at Monkseaton High School in North Tyneside, said he was ‘incredibly proud’ to be the first person to reach this milestone.

He said: “I loved my time at Northumbria so much I just kept coming back. My first degree was a life-changing experience. I made great friends, developed my research interests and matured as a person.

“I enjoyed my time here so much I couldn’t imagine studying anywhere else. It was challenging, stimulating and fun.”

Andrew originally graduated from Northumbria with a BA in Library and Information Studies in 1990, before going on to do the MSc Information and Records Management in 1997 and a PhD in Information Science in 2002.

He said: “I felt a sense of anticlimax after successfully defending my PhD thesis as was only 33 and soon found myself wondering what to do next.

“I wanted to embark on a new intellectual challenge and when Northumbria awarded its first Higher Doctorate in 2009, I finally had the opportunity I was waiting for.”

A Higher Doctorate is awarded

to an individual who has published work of high distinction resulting from research that has made a substantial, sustained and original contribution to their field.

Northumbria currently offers eight Higher Doctorate awards and Andrew will receive a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in July.

For his Higher Doctorate, Andrew chose to explore new ideas within Library and Information Science, rather than return to the subject of his PhD research.

He said: “I sought to demonstrate unnoticed links between existing areas of knowledge, apply theories from other disciplines in unprecedented areas, and pioneer innovative techniques for use in research and practice.

“This was supported by my work mentoring current PhD students as it brought me into contact with the data and ideas of other researchers.

I also learnt via blogs and online postings.”

Andrew added: “I can heartily recommend the use of the Higher Doctorate goal to give a clear focus and sense of direction to one’s writing and research.

“My only disappointment now is that there isn’t another stage of progression after this. I would happily do another degree at Northumbria if there was something beyond a Higher Doctorate.”

Professor Gobinda Chowdhury, Head of Mathematics and Information Science, said: “This is an excellent achievement and we’re delighted a student from our department has become the first person to graduate from Northumbria University with four degrees.

“It’s a testament to the excellence of our programmes and the outstanding experience we offer that talented students such as Andrew continue to return to us for further study.

“We wish Andrew every success in the future.”

Mathematics and Information Science at Northumbria is internationally recognised as an iSchool, a globally recognised status, awarded to only five other universities in the UK and 18 in Europe.

This prestigious accolade is only given to universities with a proven quality standard of teaching and research across the academic disciplines of information sciences, computer sciences and information systems.

For more information northumbria.ac.uk/ engineeringandenvironment

Fiona Todd’s trip to India

“Thanks to the Woon Scholarship programme, I had the opportunity to spend a month in Delhi working at India’s oldest law firm, Fox Mandal Solicitors and Advocates.

“I was based in the corporate team where worked with the firm’s associates and partners to draft advice and research various aspects of Indian commercial law.

“A particular highlight was working on an international commercial arbitration case which involved a conflict between Swiss and Indian arbitration rules. The final hearing was held at the Supreme Court and I was invited to brief the advocate and attend the hearing. The Court has a fascinating mixture of Indian and British architecture, culture and style.

“Being among the hundreds of advocates in the bustling open corridors – which are not air conditioned! – and discussing the case over a cup of chai was an unforgettable experience and the highlight of my trip.

“During my short stay I saw everything from local night markets to Delhi’s nightclubs, the inside of hospitals to stunning temples. I was welcomed from the moment I arrived and found myself enjoying idlis at someone’s home on the first night.

It was a unique experience that I am incredibly grateful for –I’m already planning my next visit!”

Rachel Fenwick’s visit to Singapore

“I was awarded a four-week internship in Singapore at Justicious Law Corporation in the centre of the city. On my first day, I remember being thrown in at the deep end, working on a housing contract worth over $90,000 and cases only grew in complexity from there.

“The work was often challenging, as it required me to look at areas of law which I hadn’t covered and, in places, the cases involved Singaporean instead of English law. I was assigned a mentor, who was head of the law firm. He was always supportive and through his praise and constructive feedback, motivated me to continue working hard and push my boundaries.

“Working actively often required my attendance at family or civil court. I was also fortunate to visit the Singapore Supreme Court and witness a number of high profile cases.

“Aside from working, the experience offered a number of opportunities to travel. During the weekends I travelled to Sentosa Island, where I went snorkelling, dined in a Michelin star aquarium restaurant, attended Universal Studios and on my last weekend travelled to Indonesia and stayed in a beach hut by the ocean.”

Natalie TenorioBernal’s visit to Singapore

“After travelling over 6,500 miles, I spent four weeks at Goh JP & Wong (Solicitors and Advocates) in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District.

“Most of my time was spent on a misrepresentation case where I researched various points of law in preparation for the upcoming trial. The cases and academic discussions that I found in support of our client’s case were relied on by the advocate and used in the trial bundle.

“The experience was invaluable. I was given the chance to work independently but there was always a partner there to ask questions and clarify any points. They were always willing to help and at times sought my opinion, in particular with the UK stance on the area of law that they were working on. I never felt like an intern but like a fellow lawyer, as they valued and were genuinely interested in my opinion.

“Overall, my visit to Singapore was an experience that has opened many doors for me. Not only did get to travel to the other side of the world, but I was given the opportunity to put the skills that I have learnt during my course into practice and do the work that a pupil would do.”

With a strong focus on engaging worldclass research with real-world business practice and problem solving, Northumbria’s MBA will also take the contemporary approach of integrating Western management theory with Eastern philosophies. It will include opportunities for work-experience placements, a leadership residential and an international study mission, as well as focusing on several pathway options including Culture, Design and Innovation Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Legal Management.

Dr Lucy Lu, Director of MBA Programmes at Newcastle Business School, said: “This is an exciting development which we have designed to introduce and address the most relevant global business issues.

“The pathway options can provide a unique learning opportunity and are based on areas of real research strengths. Taking part in an international study mission can also be an inspiring and CV-enhancing experience.”

The course can be studied on a fulltime, part-time and distance learning basis to meet the busy lifestyles of learners.

Want to be a Master in your subject?

Generous benefactor Wee Teng Woon has set up a number of scholarships to support current students in their studies and future careers.

Wee Teng Woon and Holly Hendry

Andrew Shenton

Three Law students benefitted from Woon Scholarships this year and told Northumbria University News about their experiences…

re asons why you 21 LOVE NU!

As Northumbria was recently voted the 21st best university in the UK for an outstanding student experience, Northumbria University News asked 21 of our students what they loved most about life at the University.

Paris trip for prize-winner

FASHION COMMUNICATION student Melissa Smith travelled to Paris to receive an international award after being named one of three overall winners in a competition run by global brand Orange. Northumbria was the only UK institution invited to take part in this year’s competition, which challenged students to look at personal digital space and how it might evolve.

Melissa’s award-winning concept used technology to monitor and control digital connectivity to encourage users to disconnect and give their time and attention to friends and family.

1

My course is four years long but includes specialist qualifications which would cost a lot more, in money and time, to take outside of Northumbria. didn’t find this anywhere else.

2

The Library being open 24 hours has been so useful during exam periods.

14 chose my course over Newcastle University because the lab work is integrated within the course whereas at Newcastle you have to do an extra top-up year for the practical stuff. Also our lecturers are really interactive and know their topics inside out!

“People are increasingly distracted by their digital devices,” she said. “My concept was not about discouraging use, but about being aware of how technology can encourage us to engage in offline activities. “The awards ceremony was filled with prolific industry names and personalities. I’d like to give huge thanks to Northumbria University, especially my lecturer, Gayle Cantrell, for giving me the platform to gain as much from the journey as possible.”

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5

To read more about Melissa’s prize scan this code

3

Northumbria has one of the best Students’ Unions in the country, run by a brilliant team of students who offer a wide range of support and opportunities. You can get a cheap pint too!

Matthew Robinson, History

On the Open Day, the good atmosphere on campus really struck me and the facilities for my course are so upto-date in comparison to other universities.

Gillie Malaney, Media and Journalism

4

Charlotte Webster, Biomedical Sciences 6

The law school has great connections with local and national law firms and there are frequent guest speakers on my course.

Nikita Poltavsky, Law

My course has a brilliant reputation as the third best Physiotherapy degree in the UK. A friend recommended Newcastle to me as the student city and haven’t been disappointed.

15

As a local student, wanted to attend Northumbria because I’d heard great things about the University and I know that Newcastle is a friendly, student city.

Ryan Carter, Media & Journalism

7

The library stocks loads of books in my topic and it’s easy to search on the online database, which makes finding references a lot easier.

Jon Bowe, Business Management

17

James Quinn, Business with Economics

16

Newcastle is a small city so it’s easy to get around but it’s packed with things to do and the nightlife especially is amazing!

Sophie Pugh, Business Information Technology with Entrepreneurship

like to keep in shape so the state-ofthe-art gym facilities are one of my favourite things about Northumbria.

Northumbria has best city life for students

NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY has received the WhatUni Student Choice Awards for “City Life” after Newcastle was voted the UK’s best city for students.

It is the fourth time that Newcastle has been rated as the UK’s best city for students in the last five years, after previously winning the MSN Travel survey in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Northumbria was also rated as having the fifth best accommodation provision in the UK.

More than 18,000 current students and recent graduates across the country reviewed their universities in nine categories, including their Students’ Union, facilities, course and lecturers and accommodation. The awards were given to the universities with the highest rating for each category.

8

Class sizes in seminars are kept small which makes for a really friendly atmosphere with lots of chances for one-on-ones with your lecturers.

Sarah Coupe, Physiotherapy 11

9

The lecturers are really friendly and approachable which is always a good thing.

Charlie Hunter, Criminology

Commonwealth role for nursing head

18

Northumbria’s Business School offered the best opportunities for a placement year.

PROFESSOR KATH McCOURT Executive Dean for Northumbria’s Health and Life Sciences programmes, has been appointed the Vice President of the Commonwealth Nurses Federation (CNF).

The CNF aims to develop international nursing networks by sharing good practice and influencing health policy throughout the Commonwealth.

Han Sun, International Business

Professor McCourt, who is also Chair of the Royal College of Nursing’s International Committee, said: “As an active nurse and midwife have had a long involvement with the Commonwealth delivering nursing leadership and education workshops.

The design workshop is extremely modern and professional which is so important on a practical course like mine.

Helena Kennedy, Law 13

It’s great to be part of Team Northumbria and play tennis for the University every Wednesday in the BUCS league.

Jon Helliwell, Applied Sports Science with Coaching

Bethany Wright, 3D Design

As a local student, wanted to attend Northumbria because I’d heard great things about the University and know that Newcastle is a friendly, student city.

Carli Hunt and Sarah Joy, Psychology

My lecturers have been really helpful with Masters and placement applications. Also, there are 13 Greggs’ in Newcastle!

Aarti Devgan, Biomedical Sciences

19

Northumbria’s campus is right in the centre of Newcastle and I love city life here.

Chloe Langhorn, Sport Management

21

There’s a real sense of community on the campus. Hayley Pate, 3D Design

Lauren Thomas, Marketing Management 12

“I am excited by the enhanced knowledge sharing and access to leading nursing figures around the world. look forward to bringing the benefits from these connections home to Northumbria and to our students.”

20

The careers advice service have proved really helpful during my time here.

Courtney Nicholls, Biomedical Sciences 10

Sociology lecturer wins teaching excellence award

INNOVATIVE approaches to teaching sociology have earned national recognition for a Northumbria academic.

Dr Carol Stephenson, Programme Director for Sociology, won the British Sociological Association’s National Award for Excellence in Teaching Sociology after encouraging teaching staff to share their own life stories with students. They demonstrated how life choices are influenced by a wider social context, including class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and geography.

The award recognises staff and best practice and raises the profile of learning and teaching activity in Sociology within Higher Education.

Nahla Kadri, Biomedical Sciences

Researchers win record funding

Northumbria’s reputation as a researchrich university was boosted earlier this year after securing a record five British Academy/ Leverhulme grants.

The grants have been awarded by a scheme which supports research in humanities and social sciences subjects to Northumbria academics working in the disciplines of Sociology, Criminology, International Politics and Law.

These academics will now undertake research into the online victimisation of women, the nature and extent of sexual violence in the British Army and the position and experiences of ‘new migrants in the North East’s workforce.

The researchers will also be investigating the experiences of two female Tanzanian former United Nations executives and how the Indian National Green Tribunal is reforming environmental governance.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Postlethwaite, said: “Quality research underpins everything we do at Northumbria.

“The ability to create new knowledge is the prime driver for academic quality and it provides our students with a learning and teaching experience that is contemporary, relevant and cutting edge. It also provides businesses and other stakeholders with an excellent resource to shape the way in which we operate.

“Securing five awards from the British Academy reinforces our reputation for quality research, helping Northumbria make a significant contribution to the world in which we study, work and live.”

£1.2m grant will help young people to ‘Think Physics’

Northumbria University is leading a pioneering project to encourage more young people, particularly girls, into careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

The three-year Think Physics project has been established to address the national shortage of STEM skills in the UK by inspiring more young people to take up these disciplines at university.

Northumbria, which is the only university to offer physics programmes in Newcastle, has been awarded £1.2 million by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) after research by the Institute of Physics revealed that four out of five physics students in the UK are male.

Northumbria aims to address this gender imbalance and change the way that young people, particularly girls and those from under-represented groups, engage with science from their early years.

It will also target teachers, families and the wider community to make them aware of the benefits of physics.

The project is supported by local schools, employers and a number of high-profile partners including the Institute of Physics, the Centre for Life, Kielder Observatory and the North

Child behaviour under spotlight

A£370,000 award from the Wellcome Trust will allow Dr Robbie Duschinsky, a Reader in Psychology and Society at Northumbria University to investigate how children become attached to those caring for them.

Dr Duschinsky will spend four years investigating ‘disorganised attachment’ – a contradictory behaviour sometimes displayed by infants either after periods of separation, or if a parent is dealing

A major research project currently underway could influence the way that courts make decisions in custody battles and child care proceedings.

with a difficult situation.

Displays of this behaviour can lead to parents or carers being placed under intense scrutiny by social workers, doctors and other child specialists.

Disorganised attachment is often considered by psychologists, social workers and other professionals responsible when assessing children for custody battles or care proceedings.

However, there is much debate

Shining a light on solar research

Northumbria University researchers work on £2 million project to find new materials that will harness the power of sunlight.

Northumbria University is already one of the UK’s leading institutions in the research of sustainable and renewable energy systems. Our academics carry out research into existing and new energy technologies powered by renewable energy sources, waste energy and fossil fuels.

In 1994, the Northumberland Building became the first in the UK to be fitted with a solar panel façade, known as photovoltaics, and researchers continue to investigate how to reduce the costs of photovoltaic technology.

Tyneside Learning Trust.

Think Physics received praise from Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah, an engineer herself, who has called for more to be done to inspire girls to get into STEM careers.

Ms Onwurah said: “The lack of girls and women studying physics blights both our society and our economy. The Think Physics initiative uses a wide range of local talent and experience to inspire girls with the power of physics and help encourage them to STEM careers. We need more such inspiration.”

Northumbria’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Postlethwaite, said: “As a cradle-to-career project, Think Physics will inspire and engage young people from early years through to university and beyond, helping to produce the professional graduates and scientists of the future.

“Think Physics is an excellent example of Northumbria’s commitment to partnership working and will see the University working with key partners such as the Centre for

Life, Institute of Physics, and Kielder Observatory as well as schools and colleges, employers and families.”

Linda Conlon, Chief Executive of the Centre for Life, one of the partners in the project, said: “Physics is an important foundation for many careers, particularly in engineering and technology, which are two areas that the North East excels in.

“However, there is a big skills shortage in this field and, disappointingly, there are not many girls taking up the subject. We’re thrilled, therefore, to work with Northumbria University on such an ambitious project to get more girls to think about doing physics at school and university. I’m confident that our programme of fantastic hands-on activities will play a key part in this process.”

For more information visit northumbria.ac.uk/ee

As a member of the PVTEAM project group, Northumbria is working with the universities of Bristol, Bath, Loughborough and Swansea on a £2 million project to develop new photovoltaic technology that is capable of being mass-produced in large-scale manufacturing.

The funding has been awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in a bid to find safer and more sustainable alternatives to the rare and expensive raw materials currently being used.

Dr Ian Forbes, a Reader in Photovoltaics, said: “More solar energy falls on the Earth’s surface in one hour than the entire global population uses in a year. It is important that we increase our capabilities of using the sun as an energy source and can use low-cost photovoltaic technology as a functional building product.”

Dr Forbes is exploring the use of incredibly thin technology – 30 times thinner than a single strand of hair. It is made using only a few milligrams of copper, zinc and tin to ensure it is cheap and capable of being mass produced in order to bring down the current price of photovoltaic energy.

David Delpy, Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, said: “Through the development and deployment of improved materials, processes and products that will come from this research, UK industries will be able to create wealth and new jobs, whilst at the same time tackling the societal and environmental challenges that resulted from the use of the original materials which were often rare and difficult to refine.”

around the issue which could have serious implications in assessments made by childcare professionals.

Dr Duschinsky will consider how disorganised attachment is understood and will provide clearer guidance for those professionals working directly with infants and parents.

“Infants are evolutionarily hardwired to go to someone – usually their primary care giver – who can look after them if they are hurt or in

Exploring what it means to be human

Northumbria University is to host a series of public events to celebrate the UK’s first ever national festival of the humanities.

The Being Human festival will ask what it means to be human and how we understand ourselves, our relationship to others and our place in nature. The University will host free film screenings, public talks, debates and workshops showing how 18th century culture, literature and medicine has influenced society today.

Dr Claudine van Hensbergen, SeniorLecturer in Eighteenth-Century Literature, said: “It’s crucial that the public understand the relevance and benefits

of academic research, and we’re looking forward to sharing ideas with them by exploring where many of the attitudes and customs we hold today come from.”

The Being Human festival is led by the University of London and supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. The festival week will be celebrated across the UK from 15-23 November 2014.

DISCOVER

a situation causing anxiety,” said Dr Duschinsky.

“This tendency can be disrupted and may show up as ‘disorganised’ behaviours but this doesn’t necessarily point to neglect on the parent’s part.

“Clarifying the terms of debate around disorganised attachment will help maximise the benefits of

psychology for professionals and parents on matters that we care a great deal about.

“This research has potential to stimulate the uptake of child mental health research in policy and practice, support the education of young people, and potentially inform the parenting practice of the general public.”

Student uncovers the truth about EU migration

In the wake of this summer’s European Union elections, public concerns about the impact of EU immigration have intensified as the subject is seized on by political parties and the media.

Crime Science student Katrina O’Bryan has been involved in a £1.2 million European research project that aims to shed light on how the expansion of the EU and the lifting of entry restrictions affects life in England.

Her investigation into the levels of crime within three regions of England revealed that the rate of crime committed by Bulgarians compared to the total population was insignificant – much less than 1% of all crimes committed.

She also noted that the peak age of offending by Romanians – on average 24 years old – was older than the UK’s, which averages 15 for females and 18 for males.

Katrina said: “My research has led to the successful creation of age-crime curves in Staffordshire, Leicestershire and

Cheshire police force areas for Romanian and UK offenders. These curves show the peak age of those committing crimes and highlight the need for further studies to provide accurate figures.”

Her findings contributed to a more widespread study of EU-migrant crime by Derek Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Geography and Crime Science. His unique investigation of data held by all but six English police forces found that minorities from the European Union are only responsible for approximately 1% of all crimes committed.

The findings, published in the journal Applied Geography, challenge the political scaremongering and newspaper headlines suggesting that EU migration has led to increased crime in the country.

Mr Johnson said: “Our

research confirms that EU migrants don’t have much impact on overall crime in the UK, amounting to around 1% of all crimes committed in England. This suggests that there is no national issue and those that may exist are very localised.”

The research was undertaken as part of a £1.2 million project to fight crime in Europe by facilitating a more regular exchange of DNA data between member states to prevent offenders crossing borders to evade prosecution. Northumbria’s School of Law is considering the legal and public policy questions posed by these arrangements while Geography and Crime specialists will assess patterns of behaviour in the movement of offenders across the EU.

Is attraction planted in the brain?

A new book outlining research by a Northumbria academic is helping to explain why humans are attracted to tea, coffee, tobacco and drugs – all of which begin their life as plants.

Professor David Kennedy of Northumbria’s Brain Performance and Nutrition

Research Centre believes that similarities between human and insect brains can explain why humans are affected by and attracted to plant-derived chemicals.

Despite many studies into how plant-derived chemicals interact with the brain and affect our behaviour, mood and mental and physical functions, there has been little research into why these chemicals have these effects at all.

In his book Plants and the Human Brain, Prof. Kennedy shows how human brains are fundamentally just a more complex version of the insect brain, with many striking similarities and patterns of

behaviour.

Prof. Kennedy explains: “Humans have a long and close relationship with plant-derived chemicals that alter brain function. Most of us reach for a cup of tea or coffee in the morning, many smoke tobacco; a few consume heavyweight drugs such as cocaine, morphine or cannabis.

“If you give the chemicals we think of as social drugs to insects, the change in behaviour is often strikingly similar to that seen in humans. For instance, caffeine and amphetamine make insects more active and less sleepy. LSD makes them confused; cocaine makes bees dance, and morphine kills insect pain.

“Plants evolved to interact with the brains of insects – their closest

neighbours – in order to survive by attracting them for pollination, or repelling them or dissuading them from eating plant tissue. Therefore, plant chemicals that have evolved to target the brains of insects have the same effects on the human brain.

“We are not as different from plants as we would like to think, and our brains are, in most respects, the same as an insect brain – albeit much more complex.”

Plants and the Human Brain is published by Oxford University Press.

Professor David Kennedy

what’s on

There are hundreds of shows, exhibitions, concerts and festivals happening in Newcastle each week. Here are just a handful…

Foods to feed the brain and body

International Print Biennale

Open until 8 August

The biggest free printmaking event in the UK.

Whether you enjoy seeing or making prints there is something for everyone.

New horizons for sport intern

Shows

Keith Vaughan: Figure and Ground

18 July – 12 September

One of the most celebrated British artists of his generation, Vaughan was associated with the Neo-Romantic movement.

BODY WORLDS Vital

Open until 2 November

An awe-inspiring journey celebrating the complexity, beauty and potential of real human bodies.

EAT OUT!

8 – 17 August

Newcastle’s renowned festival of adventures in food and drink, celebrating local producers, talent and traders with an eclectic programme of events.

Newcastle Pride

18 – 20 July

A unique festival hosted by the LGBT community for all, with a 5k fun run, main stage acts, fun fair, talks, stalls, parade, pet show and more.

Newcastle Vegan Festival

Saturday 26 July

Over 150 companies offering a wide variety of vegan produce, including cakes and chocolate, hot takeaway food, make-up, clothing, pet treats and cheese. At the Castlegate.

One

Guvnors 28 July – 2 August

The Lion King 18 September – 1 November

The sell-out West End show based on the Disney musical heads north to the Sunderland Empire.

Studies have shown that a good diet is linked to higher grades, improved concentration and faster information processing, but between lectures, assignments, studying, and that all-important social life, healthy eating often slips down a student’s priority list. Northumbria academic and registered nutritionist Dr Fiona Caple shows us that students can, in fact, have it all.

“Eating healthily can be done easily and on a budget,” says Dr Caple.

“Often, when students first come to university, they are ill-equipped with the skills needed to cook, and therefore depend on ready meals and takeaways. This can cause the ‘Freshman 15lb’ to occur, a proven study that students put on an average of 15lbs in their first year.

“Planning meals for the week ahead is really useful in order to reduce both food waste and your reliance on convenience food, which has very high sugar and fat content. If in shared accommodation, it may be a good idea to plan with flatmates too, as buying items in bulk is much cheaper.”

Dr Caple recommends students consider using the NHS Eat Well Plate campaign which highlights the different types of food that should make up our diet. It includes carbohydrates such as bread and pasta, meat and fish and dairy products.

“It’s important not to be too strict, and allow yourself a treat as part of a balanced diet,” she says. “But the newly recommended intake of seven fruit and vegetables a day should be consumed as they provide significant benefits for both mind and body.”

Ant and Dec’s Takeaway on Tour

5, 6, 7 September

Packed with special guests, amazing prizes to be won and lots of surprises.

Adam Barr recently completed his degree in Applied Sports and Exercise Science. Alongside his studies, he has worked as a Sport Activator then Vice-President for Sport with Team Northumbria.

This summer, he jets off to Zambia as part of the IDEALS project. There, Adam will spend six weeks in Lusaka with students from the UK’s top sporting universities, coaching disadvantaged children in various sports.

Northumbria University News caught up with Adam to find out about his time at Northumbria and why he’s so reluctant to leave… Has your time at Northumbria lived up to your expectations?

Completely! I’ve always said that coming to Northumbria to study was one of the best decisions of my life. How have your roles within Team Northumbria complemented your degree?

Dr Caple’s 10 basic necessities for any shopping basket with easy recipes to feed the brain and body

1. Spinach – huge amounts of vitamins and good for iron levels.

2. Broccoli – reduces cholesterol and has most concentrated source of vitamin C of any other vegetable.

3. Wholemeal Pasta – contains fibre needed for proper bowel function and to remove excess cholesterol from the body.

4. Brown bread – steer clear of white bread if possible as it’s full of sugar and hard to digest.

5. Chicken – a good source of protein and simple to cook.

6. Tinned Tuna – inexpensive yet packed with protein and potassium.

7. Dairy products – important for bones and teeth.

IKON live

Music

Sunday 24 August

With some of the UK’s biggest dance acts including Basshunter Ian van Dahl and Lasgo.

North East Calling

Saturday 30 August

Exhibitions and Festivals Sport

Punk festival with bands including The Damned and Conflict.

Bupa Great North Run 10k Gateshead

Sunday 13 July

The scenic route takes in landmarks along the Quayside, ending at Gateshead International Stadium.

Newcastle Triathlon

Saturday 19 July

A spectacular new triathlon event being held on the Newcastle Quayside for the first time, with swimming, cycling and running for beginners or seasoned athletes.

Great North Run

Sunday 7 September

The world’s greatest half-marathon with over 50,000 runners making their way from central Newcastle to the stunning South Shields coastline.

8. Bananas – preserves memory and boosts your mood.

9. Garlic – perfect to season an otherwise bland meal into a taste sensation.

10. Dark chocolate – a treat as part of a balanced diet is allowed as long as it isn’t eaten in large amounts.

Easy Pasta and Broccoli (serves 2)

Ingredients:

300g uncooked pasta

250g fresh broccoli florets, no stems

2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

¼ cup grated Parmesan

1 tbsp olive oil, divided

1. Bring pan of water to the boil, then add pasta and broccoli at the same time and cook according to pasta instructions. When pasta is almost done cooking, reserve about one cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and broccoli.

2. Return the pot to the stove and set heat to high. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. When hot, add garlic. Cook until golden, reduce flame to low and add pasta back to the pot. Mix well, add remaining olive oil and grated cheese.

3. Add 2 cup of reserved pasta water and mix well, adding more if needed.

4. Serve and enjoy!

Chicken with crispy Parma ham recipe (serves 2)

Ingredients:

225g new potatoes, halved if large

220g baby spinach leaves

2 skinless chicken breasts

½ tbsp olive oil

2 slices Parma ham

½ garlic clove, crushed

1. Cook the new potatoes in boiling salted water for 10-15 mins, until tender.

2. Heat a large frying pan and add the Parma ham. Cook for 2 mins, until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Add the oil to the pan and add both chicken breasts. Cook for 3 mins each side, transfer to a plate and keep warm.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the garlic. Toss in the spinach and potatoes and crumble in the Parma ham.

4. Enjoy!

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For more information on our research into Healthy Living scan this QR code

My various roles at Team Northumbria have massively increased my confidence in areas such as delivering presentations and public speaking, which in turn has helped on my course. My connections with the sports teams also proved useful when I was looking for volunteer athletes to take part in my dissertation, which was a study of the differences in acceleration and deceleration between futsal and football players. What’s been your sporting highlight of the year?

After the year we’ve had at Team Northumbria, it’s so hard to decide on just one. I’ll never forget being voted Sports Personality of the Year 2014 and receiving an award at the

Sports Ball. As Captain of the Men’s first team, winning the Premier Futsal Northern League was another big moment for me.

What are your plans for the future?

It’s sad to think that my time as an undergraduate student is ending. I’d love the opportunity to work with Team Northumbria and I definitely want to stay involved in sport. First of all, though, I’m off to Zambia in July!

To find out more about Team Northumbria visit nusportcentral.com

African role for sports expert

A Northumbria academic is advising a new African organisation on how it can use sport to improve lives and create opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Ruth Crabtree, Director of International Development for Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University, has been invited to join the African Sports Business Association (ASBA) as an advisor. The opportunity comes as a result of her extensive knowledge, skills and experience in sports management. ASBA works to create sustainable partnerships between global universities and business schools and universities in Africa.

The association hopes to make Africa a key marketplace for sports businesses and is working with global brands to develop relevant degrees and MBAs for African students.

Northumbria students and staff already deliver sports coaching

programmes to children in deprived areas of Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, and educate them about issues including HIV and AIDS.

As an internationally recognised sport management educator, Ruth will share her experiences of working on sports education programmes in Zambia. She said: “It’s an absolute honour and privilege. I’m certainly looking forward to gaining a lot of knowledge from ASBA which I can bring back to the University and share with our staff and students, as well as sharing my own expertise with other members of the ASBA in an advisory role.

“This partnership will benefit Northumbria, providing opportunities for student placements in African institutes and business

schools to working with members of the community in sports coaching programmes.”

Dr Mombi Thairu, founder of ASBA, said: “I met Ruth at the World Association for Sport Management Summit and was taken aback by her warmth, candour and brilliance. I knew I had met the right person to add to the ASBA leadership team.

“We feel lucky to have her on our team and we look forward to further collaborations with Northumbria University.”

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To find out more about Northumbria’s activity in Zambia scan this code

Adam Barr with Head of Sport, Colin Stromsoy

How can sports coaches control their anger?

Researchers have found that some sports coaches can erupt with anger during games because they are excessively concerned at how they are seen by others.

Coaches who are more focused on their own high standards and less interested in the opinions of others are significantly better at controlling feelings of anger than those who are very focussed on others’ opinions of their performance.

A joint study of almost 250 coaches in a wide range of sports, including football, rugby, swimming and netball was led by academics at Northumbria and Leeds Universities.

The results show that those with “high personal standards and perfectionism” were relatively good at regulating their emotions.

With less focus on other people’s evaluations, they showed more ability to reappraise negative feelings and see situations in a more constructive manner.

Coaches who placed a higher emphasis on perceived pressures from others were prone to a fear

of making mistakes. They had less control over their emotions and were more at risk of losing control of angry feelings.

Dr Paul Davis, Senior Lecturer in Sport at Northumbria, said: “The pursuit of perfect performance drives some coaches, but the dynamic nature of sport sets them up to experience intense emotions when their standards are not met.

“Moreover, emotions are contagious; a coach who is unable to regulate their own anger may actually undermine an athlete’s performance.

“In a worst case scenario, a coach that has limited capacity to regulate their emotions is putting themselves in a position where they may end up doing the one thing they really want to avoid.”

The findings have been published in the journal Motivation and Emotion.

Speaking to Northumbria University News, Dr Caple suggests ways in which healthy eating can be made easy and affordable and has provided a list of basic buys for any student’s supermarket shop along with some quick yet tasty recipes.

Photo credit: Ambient Creative Services

Ruth Crabtree in Zambia

For more information on these and other events in the area, visit www.newcastlegateshead.com/whats-on

SPORT

Sports Intern is Zambia bound

How award-winning Sports Intern Adam Barr is going global this summer… 19

An outstanding year for sport

Holding a top ten place in the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) standings for the first time, Northumbria is now ranked eighth for sport in the UK – six places above sworn rivals Newcastle University.

With an historic Stan Calvert Cup win and the men’s and women’s volleyball teams enjoying unbeaten runs to win the league championship, it seems there’s no stopping Team Northumbria.

This success has contributed to Northumbria being named a UK top five university for sport in the Times Higher Education’s Student Experience Survey and ranked within the top ten in the country according to the Which? University Guide

For Colin Stromsoy, Head of Sport, it’s certainly been a stand-out year.

“Sport at Northumbria University has always been a key part of the student experience, but this year has been truly record-breaking. In recent years, we have invested millions of pounds in both world-class facilities and academic staff. These investments have obviously paid off, as Northumbria has exceeded every target set for sport in all areas this year.”

At the helm of this record-breaking year is Hannah Marshall, Student Sport President 2013–2014.

Hannah took on the Presidency after graduating with a degree in Applied Sports Science with Coaching. Her role involves promoting, planning and organising all aspects of University sport and its programmes to students, prospective students and alumni.

“When I started in this role last summer, I thought about some of the things I hoped to achieve,” said Hannah.

“I dreamt about winning Stan Calvert, but I never ever thought it would be as amazing as it has been. Lifting the cup for Team Northumbria for the first time in seven years is something I’ll always remember.”

Hannah credits these achievements to the hard work and dedication of sports teams across the board.

“The record number of BUCS points we’ve brought home this year just shows the commitment to sport at Northumbria. To be at the forefront of that is a great feeling.

“We have a reputation across the country as a university that never gives up in the final minutes of a game and we are extremely passionate about everything that we do. I couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of our teams for making

this year one that will go down in history.”

Hannah is also the captain of the Women’s Futsal team, who won the BUCS Championship Final after a ten-game, unbeaten streak and has travelled to Zambia as part of IDEALS – a sports coaching project.

“The extra responsibilities I’ve taken on during my time here –from Sports President and Zambia IDEALS to Captain of Women’s Futsal – have not only complemented my degree but totally shaped my time at Northumbria,” said Hannah.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my degree, and my extracurricular placements and activities have influenced what I want to do with the rest of my life and really made me the person I am today.”

Hannah’s plans for the future are the biggest testament to her love for Northumbria University.

“I’ll be coming back to Northumbria to study a Masters later this year. I am also travelling back to Zambia for three months this summer as a Team Leader for the IDEALS project. When I arrive back in the UK, I’m going to be studying a part time MSc in International Sport Management. I can’t wait to be a student here again – I just can’t leave!”

Whilst Team Northumbria’s league teams have enjoyed these visible achievements, participation across all areas of sport has increased this year.

More students are volunteering within sport than ever before, with many working in placements in the local community. Students have spent more than 8,000 hours contributing to sports volunteering programmes and our sport facilities have never been busier, with over 500,000 individual visits this year.

Hannah added: “There is something for everyone here at Northumbria, from elite level to amateur sport and a wide range of spectator opportunities. With so much going on, it’s an exciting department to be involved with.”

As for the future of Northumbria University Sport, Colin concluded: “As a result of this year’s success, Northumbria now attracts student athletes of the highest calibre. We’re committed to building on this year’s success and providing even more opportunities for students to get involved with sport next year.”

The Rundown

UK top 10 finish in BUCS National League Table with record number of points

Stan Calvert Champions

UK top 5 for sport in Times Higher Education

UK top 10 Which? University for Sport

1st in BUCS Disability Competitions

2nd in BUCS Nationals Competition

3rd in BUCS Gatorade National Finals – the highest placed university in the North of England

Best Men and Women’s Volleyball teams in the country - winning both the National League Cup and Volleyball National Cup

1st in BUCS Championship Cup for Women’s Basketball team

Four gold and three silver BUCS medals for Boxing team

Team Northumbria celebrating their Stan Calvert Cup win

Sport President Hannah Marshall with staff from Team Northumbria