Nexus May 2017

Nexusonline

M AY 2 0 1 7 C o nn e c t i n g t h e U n i v e r s i t y c o m m un i t y

D e s i g n e d b y : Th e G a t e h o u s e - D e s i g n & Pr i n t A g e n c y a t R G U

A Word from the Principal

Designing for Dementia

Alison McLennan Retires

Look Again

Aberdeen Student Festival

IMechE Awards

ROV MATE

MBA Investment Den

Stories, Stones and Bones Grant

Pharmacy Research Conference

SCCB Student Success

NIB

Mirrored Pavilion Commendation

Land Yachts

SouthWest University MoU

Events

Law Focus

Digital Fashion Show

RGU: GO India Documentary

Matthew Wilcock Appointment

A word from the Principal

As we finalise RGU’s next strategic framework, one question worth asking of ourselves is how we would describe this university’s essential nature or character. What is it that makes RGU distinctive and special? What makes a student want to come and study here, or what prompts people to want to work in the university?

There isn’t just one ‘right’ answer to this. But there is one trait of the RGU offering that has real significance: we understand the world of work and we prepare students for it.

Students who come to us know this, and the employers who hire them after graduation know this too. It is a hugely important selling point for RGU, and one we need to reinvigorate and renew in every generation. Our recent pioneering development of Graduate Level

Apprenticeships is a key initiative that reinforces this message right now.

Recently RGU participated as one of the four co-founders in the launch of the new Centre for Work Based Learning in Scotland, which is a partnership between Skills Development Scotland, RGU, Strathclyde University and Heriot Watt University. This Centre will promote the kind of learning which is exactly what RGU exists to offer. It is worth supporting not least because those who benefit from such learning are often those who most need support, so that people from all backgrounds can enjoy a high value education and become active participants in the labour market.

There are many reasons for being proud of RGU. Our engagement with the world of work and our support for real workbased learning is definitely one of them.

Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski

RGU’s Architecture and Occupational Therapy students join forces to design for dementia Groups of RGU architecture and occupational therapy students have joined forces for a collaborative learning opportunity focusing on the needs of individuals with dementia in relation to their living environments.

The joint teaching and learning sessions were developed as an innovative way to support these third year students and encourage future colleagues to collaborate, learning with and from each other.

The project has enabled a better understanding of building design and interpreting plans for the occupational therapy students, while the architecture students have gained awareness and knowledge of the needs of this particular population.

As Dawn Mitchell, subject leader in Occupational Therapy, explains, there are huge challenges for people with dementia when it comes to carrying out simple everyday tasks around the home.

“Individuals with dementia frequently experience challenges in their daily life due to cognitive impairment such as memory loss, disorientation or visual impairments,” she said.

“These challenges can make finding their way around the environment or carrying out new or even familiar activities difficult. Through their unique

understanding of these difficulties, occupational therapists can inform and influence design and building of inclusive environments.

“This process enables older people to remain active participants in society by allowing individuals to continue to participate in their chosen occupations while maintaining independence through reducing risk and building confidence.

“Collaboratively the students have considered how the environment could be created or modified to reduce potential barriers.

“It is anticipated this shared learning will increase the students’ knowledge which they will use in their chosen careers and also support their understanding of each other’s roles and future collaborative working.”

Architecture and Occupational Therapy students with subject leaders Dawn Mitchell and Neil Lamb and lecturer Judith Bisset

Neil Lamb, subject leader in Architecture, added: “This an invaluable experience for our student architects as they are learning to design more adaptive environments that allow people to remain independent for longer.”

“This collaborative approach to teaching and learning made perfect sense for us, as the students could gain great insight from each other and ultimately it could lead to the improvement of living conditions those with dementia.

“Once they started chatting with the OT students, it became clear that some established design practices needed to be re-thought as they can present real difficulties for those with dementia.

“The students worked incredibly well together and we are looking forward to developing this concept, given the success of the pilot and the positive feedback from both sets of students.”

The students worked incredibly well together and we are looking forward to developing this concept.

Campus visual art and design festival warms up city to Look Again The wacky world of artists Pester and Rossi brought a colourful start to the Look Again @ Garthdee festival.

The Garthdee campus came alive with a jam packed programme of events, installations and performances as a warm up for the city’s Look Again Festival.

Now in its third year, the festival aims to challenge the way the public see the Granite City, encouraging its audience to ‘become a tourist in your own city’.

This was the first year the festival kicked off at RGU, which brought students, staff and the local community to the campus in an atmosphere of celebration, showcasing the university’s engagement with visual art and design.

To officially launch Look Again @ Garthdee, a group of 40 students from North East Scotland College (NESCoL) took part in a masterclass by Pester and Rossi, one of the highlights of the Garthdee festival. The collaborative duo descended on campus with

their ‘INFLATO - OPTICAL IMAGE INTENSIFIER’ - a series of large-scale inflatable and wearable sculptures, inspired by some of the curious measuring and optical instruments from the early pharmacy, engineering and domestic science schools.

They were joined by Stephanie Smith and Eddie Stewart who, working with Gray’s School of Art painting collection, curated an exhibition which re-interpreted the tradition of the nude in a potentially provocative installation.

Professor Chris O’Neil, Head of Gray’s School of Art, says: “Look Again at Garthdee added colour, drama and vibrancy to the campus as part of what is already a great festival.

“The festival is a very unique partnership between the university and SMART. RGU’s investment in such a publicly accessible arts festival is unprecedented for a Scottish art school and our involvement allows us to take art directly to people.”

The following week saw the launch of the main Look Again 2017, which was officially opened by international design guru Wayne Hemingway.

Delivered through a partnership between RGU and independent art agency SMART, Look Again not only aims to establish the region as a centre of excellence for visual art and design but also encourages visitors to become tourists in their own city, looking at their surroundings though fresh eyes and gaining a new appreciation of our region.

With 2017 being the Scottish year of history, heritage and archaeology, many artists delved into the city’s important archives and collections - some of the oldest and most complete in the UK - to create new work which reflects the North-east’s culture – past and present.

These included the UNESCO recognised Aberdeen Archives, the Harbour Board’s records, the RGU collection and archives held by the Seven Incorporated Trades.

Pester and Rossi colourful inflatable and wearable sculptures

NESCoL students join the Pester and Rossi masterclass

RGU strengthens overseas links with China RGU is continuing to build on its overseas links with China after confirming a strategic partnership agreement with Southwest University in Chongqing.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between RGU and the university in Western China will give students the opportunity to split their studies between the two countries. In RGU this principally concerns the Aberdeen Business School and the School of Creative and Cultural Business.

RGU’s Principal, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, said: “Southwest University has a strong tradition of international engagement, enrolling its first overseas students in the 1950s and continuing to be recognised as an academic institution which encourages and supports students from around the world.

It follows on from the MoU signed last year between RGU and Wuhan Polytechnic University in Central China.

“Growing our international presence through the formation of educational alliances with other top performing universities is part of RGU’s continuing growth strategy. I am delighted we have signed this collaborative agreement with Southwest which will bring academic benefits for both universities and open up new opportunities for our students.”

The 2+2 pathway agreement will cover a range of undergraduate programmes including accounting and finance, international business management, media, public relations and journalism. Future areas of additional collaboration are likely to include pharmacy and life sciences.

It is hoped that the first students from Southwest University will begin studies at RGU in September with students from RGU starting their studies at Southwest University next year.

Dan Bennet, Regional for East Asia with representatives from Southwest University

STUDENTS THROW CAUTION TO THE WIND IN LAND YACHTS RACE

Young engineers from RGU went head to head in a fiercely competitive race at Bridge of Don beach last month as they put their land yachts to the test.

The third-year engineering students have been hard at work since February designing, constructing and assembling their yachts as part of a student project aimed at encouraging mathematical, analytical and team working skills.

The land yachts are comprised of a twometre go-kart style body with brakes, steering and a fixed wing, and were conceived and built entirely by the students within their teams.

No pushing or pulling of the land yachts is allowed, regardless of wind conditions, so the yachts must utilise the ‘wing’ to its maximum potential – previous races have allowed the use of pedals to augment the sail.

The 21 teams comprising 143 students had three attempts to complete a 100m time trial across the beach weaving through obstacles to test their manoeuvrability, brakes,steering and the pilot’s handling skills, with gold,

silver and bronze trophies to be presented to the three fastest teams.

Certificates will also be presented to the best three teams following assessment of build quality, functionality, safety features, performance timings and structural integrity of the yachts after the race.

The students carefully researched and designed their yacht designs before setting to work on the fabrication process with a

budget of £200 per team.

Dr Morgan Adams, module coordinator from RGU’s School of Engineering, said: “As ever, we looked forward to seeing the students’ land yachts in action. This was the first year we have trialled the new design brief, opting for a fixed wing instead of a sail as they have shown to be more efficient - so we had some pretty quick yachts on race day.”

RGU architecture student receives industry commendation for Mirrored Pavilion An architecture student at RGU has been awarded a commendation at the prestigious American Institute of Architects UK Excellence in Design Awards 2017.

Lucy Fisher, a fourth year student at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment, designed the Mirrored Pavilion – an iconic information centre which became a focal point of the 2016 Look Again Festival in Aberdeen.

Lucy’s design aimed to capture the use of a reflective surface which would reflect the city’s architecture while becoming a contemporary form in itself.

She said: “It is amazing to have received this commendation from the AIA as it recognises the huge amount of work put in by myself and two fellow students, as well as our lecturers at RGU, in developing the design, exploring the materials and preparing drawings for the creation of the Pavilion.

“The Mirrored Pavilion became a piece of artwork in itself and was more of a success than we ever could have imagined and the public really engaged with it – the mirrors even provided a distorted reflection which gave a new perspective on some of the city’s iconic granite architecture.”

Professor David McClean, Head of the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment, added: “This award by the American Institute of Architects for Lucy’s Mirrored Pavilion is a tremendous accolade for her and for the school and university.

“To my knowledge this is the first time that the work of our students has been recognised by the principal professional body of the United States, and the fact that the USA itself has over 120 schools speaks of the competitive strength of Lucy’s work.

“The original opportunity two years ago to host a student competition for the design of a pavilion for the Look Again Festival 2016 and the national Festival of Architecture Innovation and Design, was always an exciting one. The fact that Lucy’s scheme was realised, with notable assistance from students, Covell Mathews Architects (the original competition sponsors), SMART, and DAB Studio, gave great visibility to the school in one of Aberdeen’s most important public spaces.

“It is the simplicity and clarity of Lucy’s vision that lies at heart of her design’s success, and this award, and indeed the way in which its reflective nature captured the imagination of the public.”

Architecture student Lucy Fisher with RGU’s Principal, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski at the Mirrored Pavilion

RGU students explore meaning of fashion in digital fashion show Fashion management students have launched a digital fashion show which embraces the creativity, culture and business of the industry.

Entitled ‘Fashion Undefined’, the project follows on from the success of last year’s first ever digital fashion show, with this year’s theme in keeping with the launch of the recently formed School of Creative and Cultural Business, which incorporates fashion, media, journalism, information management, events and tourism courses.

The students carried out a number of fashion shoots, including one on location in Aberdeenshire which was inspired by Alexander McQueen’s spray painted dress from his Spring/Summer 1999 collection and the Indian festival Holi.

Images from the shoots were then edited to showcase the best of fashion through a dynamic and impactful film, which was launched online.

Nichola Strachan, lecturer in Fashion Management, said: “We have an excellent group of committed and creative students embracing the project this year, and tackling the learning curve of filming, directing, and editing using industry standard software. The theme is also a challenge with different perspectives of fashion to be considered and communicated through the film.”

Joint Creative Director and Producer of the project, third year student Ciara Boyle said: “This unique opportunity to work on a project with such an open theme allowed the group to work with limitless creativity, and produce a visually striking film.

Our aim was to encompass vibrancy, fluidity, detail, and the art of telling a story, into one digital fashion show.

“The project, and the way it is led by students and guided by lecturers, shows how Fashion Management at RGU is continuously keeping up to date with the evolving fashion industry, and is the perfect way to prepare us students with the vital digital skills which are increasing important to this area of business.”

Fashion used in the film included scarves handmade by Helen Ruth and Avant Garde designs from Gray’s School of Art. John Lewis also kindly provided garments and the music “Sun Goes Down” was produced by Fabian Mazur.

View ‘Fashion Undefined’ www.rgu.ac.uk/digitalfashionshow

RGU bids a fond farewell to respected School head A senior figure at RGU was honoured at a special event last month, marking their retirement after three decades at the university.

Alison McLennan is leaving the School of Nursing and Midwifery after 30 years, which saw her work in a number of key roles, most recently as the Head of Student Experience.

Staff, students, friends and family attended a reception held in Alison’s honour at the university’s Health and Social Care building. The event recognised Alison’s contribution to nursing and education and the lasting effect she has had on the university.

Originally born in St Andrews and raised in Cupar, as the daughter of a charge nurse and hospital joiner at Stratheden Hospital, nursing was an inevitable career for Alison.

Alison worked as a registered nurse in a number of hospitals, specialising in learning disabilities and mental health before stepping across to nurse education in 1987, where she has remained for

the rest of her career.

During her time with RGU, Alison held a number of roles, including senior lecturer, acting Associate Head of School, Head of Practice Learning and Head of Student Experience.

Reflecting on the variety that marked her career, Alison said: “Most people don’t get the opportunity to put aside what brought them into teaching and to spread their wings, but I did almost out of necessity.

“I like to think I’m a bit like the AA – I might not be able to fix it, but I’ll certainly know what to do or where to send you. Just don’t leave me out of anything.”

In her former position as Head of Practice Learning, Alison was able to develop transferable policies and practices, while her appointment to Head of Student Experience in 2015 saw her lead the School in a new student-centred direction.

Alison said: “I’ve always taken pride in helping people – whether it’s a patient, a struggling student or an entire school – and I’ve been incredibly lucky to have a career that has given me those experiences, along with a family of nurses and midwives to share them all with.”

Alison will look back fondly at her time with the university, not only as the place where many of her best friends work, Alison McLennan with Professor Ian Murray, head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery but due to a strong family connection. Her Professor Ian Murray said: “She has been an integral part husband, Norman, has an “Alison’s contribution over the of the team and I know I speak Honorary Professorship years has been wide-ranging for everyone in the School with the Scott Sutherland and she has made critical when I say that we all wish School of Architecture and contributions to a number of her our very best and a happy, Built Environment. Her three key areas more recently in fruitful retirement.” children, Holly, Stewart and the area of enhancing student Lucy have all previously experience which she tackled worked or volunteered at with great enthusiasm and RGU SPORT. produced fantastic results over the last two years.

RGU Student Festival raises more than £5000 for charity “The total raised for the charities is excellent, and it goes without saying that we are incredibly proud of their achievements.”

Michael Parkes, Community Fundraiser for Erskine, said: “Thanks so much to everyone involved at the Aberdeen Student Festival.

From Liverpool to Hawaii, the Aberdeen Student Festival brought colour, fun and inspiration to the Granite City! All this whilst helping Erskine to continue to support over 800 veterans and their spouses each year in our four homes."

Karen Moore, Regional Fundraiser of Diabetes UK: “As the UK’s leading diabetes charity, our mission is that by bringing people together to work in partnership, we will support those living with diabetes, prevent Type 2 diabetes, make research breakthroughs, and ultimately find a cure.

The events management students celebrate the festival’s success

The Aberdeen Student Festival, organised by Events Management students at RGU, has raised £5215 for charity.

The money will be evenly split between Erskine and Diabetes (UK).

Seven internationally-themed cultural events took place in venues across the city from April 21-23 during this year’s festival. The second annual festival to be organised by RGU students as part of their third year course, it gave them the opportunity to use all of the practical skills developed during their course.

Dr Rachael Ironside, lecturer in Events Management at RGU’s School of Creative and Cultural, said: “This year the students have put on another amazing festival. The huge range of events has taken us around the world and enabled the 456 guests that attended the festival to immerse themselves in a variety of cultural performances and activities.

“The income from the festival will help us to achieve our goals faster and realise our vision of a world where diabetes can do no harm. I would like to congratulate the students on such superb and imaginative events and thank them all on behalf of us at Diabetes UK and the 4 million people living with Diabetes in the UK.” The money raised is going towards supporting a research project for Diabetes UK and funding assisted cycles for the veterans at the Erskine homes.

This year the students have put on another amazing festival. The huge range of events has taken us around the world.

Keith Grammar come out on top in annual ROV competition Keith Grammar School has come out on top in an annual competition led by RGU which sees pupils from across Scotland put underwater robots they have designed and built to the test.

The Scottish leg of the MATE ROV challenge, co-ordinated and hosted by RGU, saw eight schools put their ROVs through a series of challenges last month at RGU SPORT. The Keith Grammar School team emerged victorious, after a panel of industry experts scored the teams on how well they completed the missions, as well as taking into consideration the technical reports, poster displays, and engineering presentations the pupils were required to produce.

Robert Gordon’s College placed second, with Portlethen Academy in third, while Keith Grammar also triumphed in the technical prize for safety protocol.

Alford Academy was awarded the Encouragement for Future Development award and Inverurie Academy picked up the teamwork award.

The major STEM initiative aims to inspire future engineers through hands-on experience of designing (ROVs) used underwater in the oil and gas, defence, oceanology and marine renewables industries.

It is one of 24 regional heats held around the world by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Centre in California and will see Keith Grammar School travel to compete in this year’s international final which will be held at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California.

Neil Gordon, chief executive of sponsor Subsea UK, who attended the prize giving and handed over the award to the winning team, said: “MATE ROV engages with students in a compelling way and uses marine technology to inspire and challenge them to think creatively in order to solve real-life scenarios. It empowers them to apply their STEM knowledge and skills to enhance their learning experience of the underwater environment. It’s crucial that we continue to support those whose skills and ingenuity will drive the industry forward for decades to come.”

To date, Scottish MATE ROV has worked with more than 500 pupils from over 40 schools over the past 10 years.

BP North Sea has been a major sponsor of the competition since its launch and Subsea UK and ROVOP this year continued their support of the competition along with the in-kind support of many industry organisations which provided judges on the day.

Tim Smith, Vice President Communications & External Affairs for BP North Sea, said: “The ROV design competition continues to be a great highlight in the Aberdeen engineering calendar and BP is delighted to once again support RGU with this excellent initiative.

The winning team from Keith Grammar School

“The MATE ROV challenge offers pupils a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the oil and gas industry and supports BP’s strategy to develop capability and talent in the STEM subjects.”

Doug Middleton, operations director at ROVOP, said: “Initiatives such as ROV Mate are an excellent way to encourage interest in ROVs and subsea sector at an early age. The recruitment and development of young talent is key for the industry and, as a high growth company, an integral part of ROVOP’s key focus. As such, we are pleased to provide our local support to what is a fantastic competition.”

RGU project on North-east Suffragettes wins Heritage Lottery Fund Grant RGU has received a Stories, Stones and Bones grant of £8,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a project on the suffragettes in North-east Scotland.

Professor Sarah Pedersen

Led by Professor Sarah Pedersen, Professor in Communication and Media, the project is based primarily on the correspondence and work of Caroline Phillips, a journalist and activist for women’s rights. The project is part of Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

The focus of the project is a collection of correspondence held at Aberdeen Art Gallery, written to and by Ms Phillips, who was secretary of the local Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) branch in Aberdeen in the early years of the 20th century. She was also a reporter at the Aberdeen Daily Journal, a forerunner of the Press & Journal, an unusual job for a woman at the time.

It will involve a number of events held throughout Autumn 2017 and Spring 2018 to engage the public with the history of the suffrage campaign in the region in partnership with Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Glasgow Women’s Library.

These will include talks to school pupils studying the suffragettes for Higher History, exhibitions and talks in libraries in the city and Aberdeenshire, and work with the Aberdeen Women’s Alliance.

2018 will mark the centenary of women gaining the vote in the UK. Many people do not realise how active the campaign for women’s suffrage was in the North-east of Scotland.

Professor Pedersen, of RGU’s School of Creative and Cultural Business and author of The Scottish Suffragettes and the Press, to be published this summer, said: “2018 will mark the centenary of women gaining the vote in the UK. Many people do not realise how active the campaign for women’s suffrage was in the North-east of Scotland. It is the aim of this project to raise public awareness of the activities of the suffragettes in the area and the unique collection of suffrage correspondence held in the city.”

Law School celebrates students’ successes Norway negotiation competition

RGU students moot in the Supreme Court

RGU students Dylan Middleton and Zhaira Kausar are through to the final of the International Negotiation Competition after triumphing in the Scottish Universities Negotiation Competition held at RGU.

RGU Law School students had the opportunity to present legal arguments in the highest court in the UK after being given permission to hold their internal Moot Final in the Supreme Court in London.

The postgraduate students, both studying for their Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at RGU’s Law School, beat stiff competition from four other universities and will now head to Oslo in June to compete against national winners from countries across the world.

The opportunity to participate and to moot before Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland was open to RGU students studying LLB, BA and Management and Diploma in Professional Legal Practice and also to students studying for the LLB online.

The negotiations involve the teams taking on fictional challenges to resolve disputes – this could be over the terms of a commercial lease, an argument between members of a committee or a dispute between neighbours.

Margaret Downie, senior lecturer and Director of Resources at the Law School said: “Negotiation is a key legal skill. It is very important in today’s global market that lawyers have the knowhow and skillset to negotiate effectively across contexts, cultures and national boundaries.

“The Negotiation Competition is an excellent forum for profiling this skill and we are delighted that we will be going forward to the finals in Norway. This result showcases the high standard of skills that students acquire on our courses.

“Our congratulations go out to both Zhaira and Dylan for all their hard work and great effort in the competition.

Both students prepared diligently and negotiated skilfully.

We wish them all the best for the next round of the competition.”

The International Negotiating Competition 2017 will be held in Oslo Norway from June, 27 to July, 1 2017.

RGU successfully applied to a Supreme Court scheme which has been set up to give a select number of university students this opportunity.

The finalists chosen were the students who scored highest in a moot competition. Three of these, Dan McManus, Nikki Sully and Heather Evans are studying for their LLB online while the fourth, Rory Milkova, is a 3rd LLB student studying on campus. Georgia Carey, a final year, on campus student, was selected as clerk.

Only matters of national importance reach the Supreme Court so RGU Lecturer David Christie created a complex legal problem for the final which included penalty clauses, liquidated damages, third party rights – and Santa Claus.

The Moot Final was held in the main courtroom at the Supreme Court where Justices had given their view on Article 50 Brexit debate a few months earlier.

The winning team, after a hard fought moot, was Rory Milkova and Heather Evans. All the finalists were presented with prizes by Lord Kerr.

Ken Mackinnon Head of the Law School said: “We are delighted that our students had this opportunity to demonstrate their skills before a Supreme Court Justice. In the Law School we encourage all students to develop the skills they may use in their future legal careers and this event was an excellent way to do that at the highest level.”

New documentary follows RGU students in India A team of RGU students have released a documentary which tells the story of their trip to India last summer, where they delivered a community health and wellbeing initiative.

Twelve students participated in the RGU: GO India project, representing a range of subjects, including Applied Sport and Exercise Science, Nutrition, Event Management, PR and Media, Communication Design and Journalism.

The group travelled to Manipal, South-Western India in August last year where they spent three weeks working with local students to deliver their community project and change the perception of health, nutrition and sport with school children in the city.

They thought of fun and inventive ways to educate the children on the risks

of an unhealthy diet and the benefits of sport for both boys and girls.

The documentary follows the students’ journey, from arriving in Manipal, through the planning process and running the events with the children.

The students speak about their experience on the project, discussing the challenges they faced, how they felt they had bonded with the Indian students and how rewarding the entire trip had been for them.

Simona Bisiani, the Journalism student behind the documentary, said: “I believed that a documentary would be the best way to remember the project in the long run and be a powerful way to tell the story of where we were and what we did.

opportunity to enhance our individual talents, to develop a multidisciplinary set of skills, to meet people from another country and together plan and deliver an initiative that addressed key priorities of our modern world.”

the pilot RGU: GO India project.

“The final film really sums up the challenges we faced to deliver our initiative and how much effort was put into the project by all of us in the team.

The project was led by RGU Sport and Exercise Science lecturer, Bryan McCann, and Event Management lecturer, Dr Rachael Ironside, who worked with a team of colleagues from RGU to develop and deliver

“The students have put a lot of effort into the documentary and it will allow project partners, funders, supporters and the general public to find out more about the students’ experiences and the benefits of

“RGU GO: India was a real once in a lifetime

Bryan McCann said: “RGU GO: India was a unique project, which provided the students with a once in a lifetime opportunity to use their subject-specific skills in an international context.

international student mobility projects such as this.”

The RGU: GO India project was backed

by Team GB Olympian Dr Katherine Grainger CBE, and is linked to the award winning Aberdeen Youth Games (AYG), which promotes physical activity, health and wellbeing to young people in the North East of Scotland.

The project team secured £19,197 in funding from the Scottish Government’s Outward Mobility Fund (OMF), with the RGU Foundation committing a further £1,000. The university also contributed £35,276 through the RGU Foundation as in-kind support for the project.

Find out more about the RGU GO: India project and watch the documentary.

RGU Engineering students win IMechE Award Five RGU engineering students have won a group project award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), which allowed them the opportunity to present research at an international conference in Berlin.

The £2,500 grant meant the students were able to attend the 2nd International Conference on Advances in Clean Energy Research, where they delivered their paper on a wind turbine design – winning ‘Best Presentation’ on the day.

For the successful project, Morven Shaw, Alasdair White, Craig Stout, Scott Arnott and Erald Kollovozi designed and built a small turbine, and by using deflectors to optimise the airflow, they were able to increase performance levels when they tested it at RGU’s wind tunnel facility.

The team worked on their project with RGU School of Engineering staff members, Dr Sheikh Islam, Dr Ghazi Droubi, Dr Yashwant Sinha and Dr Nadimul Faisal.

Morven commented: “We selected this project as there was a lack of research within this area of the renewable sector, as most studies have looked at horizontal axis rather than vertical axis wind turbines. This project aimed at developing a new turbine, for rooftop applications, with increased performance over similar designs.

“We are extremely grateful to be given this opportunity as it allows us to demonstrate our work to experts in this field of study. Receiving feedback and recommendations will allow us to learn from the experience and expand our knowledge of engineering research and development.”

Dr Islam added: “The group investigated the efficiency improvement of a small vertical axis wind turbine using asymmetrical aerofoil blades and an upstream deflector. The computational modelling and experimental studies carried out by the group showed very promising initial results of significant improvement in turbine efficiency.

“The results showed an opportunity to further develop this idea to construct a prototype in future.”

We are extremely grateful to be given this opportunity as it allows us to demonstrate our work to experts in this field of study.

“We feel that any advancement in the field of renewable energy is extremely beneficial to the current market.

“The applications of small devices, such as our turbine design, have applications in the form of small household power generation to urban environments. The turbine design was unique, with a novel aerofoils design used and with the research of deflector plates; two areas of study that can be further researched by future RGU students.

Engineering students Morven Shaw, Alasdair White, Craig Stout, Scott Arnott and Erald Kollovozi with RGU staff Dr Sheikh Islam, Dr Nadimul Faisal and Dr Yashwant Sinha

RGU students take on the dragons

The judges with the winning team

MBA students from Aberdeen Business School faced their own set of “dragons” when they took part in an Investment Den exercise supported by Energy Ventures and Simmons and Co. Over the course of two days five teams comprising 21 students on the MBA programme were tutored on investment appraisal techniques by Anoop Poddar, Senior Partner and President of Energy Ventures Houston Office, before being given time to prepare presentations on hypothetical business scenarios. They then had to pitch their business proposal to an investors’ panel and negotiate a deal.

The winning team – Thuy-tien Le Guen Dang, Hector Martin and Prasanna Chandran – impressed the panel with their presentation on a drone technology business. To mark their success they were presented with a glass trophy commissioned by the late Richard Selwa, a former judge at the annual event.

Anoop, who graduated from RGU in 1997 with an MSc Offshore Engineering degree, led the panel of judges which also comprised Rajat Maheshwari, Energy Ventures, Andy Blues, Simmons and Co, and

Ian Broadbent and Farooq Ahmad. She said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Ian, the MBA Director at RGU and this highly experienced and motivated group. I was very impressed with the students’ ability to pitch an opportunity as well as negotiate a deal with the investors.”

There are currently more than 270 students on RGU’s MBA programmes, one of which offers an MBA in Oil & Gas Management. Ten percent of the students study full time on campus with 90% studying on a part-time basis on campus or around the world on a distance learning basis.

Ian Broadbent said: “This is an annual event which gives participating students the opportunity to learn from and engage with experts in their field and to work on a project with a practical application and which they could expect to encounter in the real world – indeed, previous participants have stated that they have continued to use the techniques from this workshop in their careers. Industry engagement forms a main pillar of our approach at Aberdeen Business School and we are grateful for the support of Anoop, Andy and Rajat.”

Award success for RGU students Two students studying International Tourism Management and International Hospitality Management have won prestigious industry awards in their final year of study.

Awards winning students Peigi Rodan and Leonora Ramos Brebner

Peigi Rodan won the Tourism Management Institute’s (TMI) David Hughes Memorial Award and Leonora Ramos Brebner was the winner of the Council for Hospitality Management’s (CHME) Young Guns Award.

Both awards are presented to students for the outstanding quality of the reports they prepare following their third year placements. Peigi spent a year in Santiago in Chile, working for a tourism company specialising in city bike tours and bike and vineyard tours.

She also worked for the sister company which leads walking tours of Chile. Leonora spent a year in the USA, working in two private country clubs in upstate New York and in Key Largo, Florida.

“It really has been wonderful to see the great efforts of Leo and Peigi being recognised with these awards,” said Craig Leith, Subject Leader for Hospitality, Tourism and Events at RGU’s School of Creative and Cultural Business.

“Both Peigi and Leo were up against strong competition from across the UK but the feedback from TMI and CHME made it clear that both were very worthy winners.

“This confirms once again the extremely high calibre of students we have on the International tourism Management and International Hospitality Management courses at the School. I’m really looking forward to seeing Peigi and Leo go on to further successes throughout their careers.”

This is the second year in a row that an RGU student has won the David Hughes Memorial Award which is awarded to a student on a TMI recognised course. The judges praised Peigi’s passion and enthusiasm for people, her self-motivation and awareness of how the skills and knowledge she gained during her placement could be used across the wider industry.

Young Guns awards are presented annually to recipients selected by judges as shining examples of today’s hospitality students who will be champions for the industry.

Candidates are asked to demonstrate how their skills and the knowledge developed throughout their placement can impact on their careers. In many cases, winners of Young Guns awards are offered employment with a high profile hospitality business as a direct result of their success in the awards.

It really has been wonderful to see the great efforts of Leo and Peigi being recognised with these awards.

PALS make impact at national pharmacy research conference Academic staff from RGU have recently returned from successfully taking part the Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice (HSRPP) Conference 2017.

Six representatives from the university’s School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences travelled to the event last month, to give presentations on the leading health research taking place at RGU. The HSRPP Conference has been held annually for the past 22 years at a different higher education institution in the United Kingdom or Ireland and this year took place at Nottingham University.

The conference’s objective is to identify and publicise research that informs policy and practice development, while providing an encouraging environment, particularly for early career researchers.

The academics and researchers from RGU spoke on a number topics, including the role of community pharmacists in managing dermatitis and acne, influences on non-medical prescribers and the implementation of electronic systems for medicines in Irish hospitals.

Out of the 40 talks delivered at the conference, RGU’s Dr Katie Gibson Smith won the award for best oral presentation for her PhD research.

Her work involves surveying and interviewing offshore workers and remote healthcare practitioners in the North East of Scotland on promoting self-care in their work environment.

The findings of her work suggest that the workers may benefit from the implementation of a self-care intervention, which targets healthy eating, physical activity and alcohol consumption.

Speaking on her success, Dr Gibson Smith said: “I am delighted to have received this prestigious award at a key national conference.

I feel that the award highlights the importance and impact of researching health and wellbeing in remote populations, such as the offshore workforce.”

RGU’s Alyson Brown and Dr Katie MacLure also had the honour of opening the event with a preconference workshop on social media and eprofessionalism in pharmacy practice, which was wellreceived by attendees.

Professor Derek Stewart, the Lead for practice research in the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, said: “It has been great to see RGU’s research showcased once again at such a high-profile event.

“It continues to demonstrate the consistent quality, sustainability and impact of our work, underlining our leading reputation in pharmacy practice and related research.”

Dr Katie Gibson Smith, Research Fellow at PALS

RGU’s Gray’s School of Art appoints BBC’s Great Pottery Throw Down winner The winner of the inaugural series of the BBC show, The Great Pottery Throw Down, has been appointed to Gray’s School of Art as a lecturer in Three Dimensional Design.

Matthew Wilcock, who excelled in the first series of the TV show in 2015, joins RGU from Giggleswick School, where he was artist in residence.

His role at Gray’s will focus on ceramics and developing the Three Dimensional Design students’ skills in the craft, helping to ensure they are equipped to enter the workplace after graduation.

“For me, the most exciting thing about my role is having the chance to work with future designers and makers, giving them the knowledge they need to progress as a postgraduate,” he said.

“I am also quite excited by the fact that RGU is currently looking to invest in the arts, whereas many other universities across Britain are trying to cut costs and courses.

“I have a strong passion for ceramics and hope to pass on my enthusiasm to future ceramicists in order to keep the subject alive and thriving.”

As well as lecturing, Matthew will be continuing his education and starting his MA this coming September.

“I’m looking forward to starting my Masters where I intend to push the boundaries of my current work, using all of Gray›s fantastic resources to their full potential.”

Head of Undergraduate Studies, Lenny Smith, commenting on Matthew’s appointment: “Gray’s School of Art is the only institution in Scotland where students can study ceramics at this level.

We feel our graduates have a vital role in leading contemporary ceramic design and manufacture nationally and internationally.

“It is a real coup for RGU to have secured one of the brightest young talents in the ceramics industry as a lecturer.

“Despite his young age, Matthew brings a wealth of experience and creativity to his role and I believe our students and staff will benefit hugely from his presence at Gray’s.”

Matthew Wilcock, new lecturer in Three Dimensional Design

news in brief BAFTA game designer delivers keynote at RGU

Fashionable combination raises funds for charity First year students studying Fashion Management, Events Management and Public Relations at the School of Cultural and Creative Business have raised £200 for charity following a fashion exhibition.

In the collaboration involving students from three courses, 10 teams were each given £10 to spend on a garment from a designated charity shop in the city. They then had to develop a film or book-themed showcase centred on that garment which would also promote the work of their assigned charity.

The themes created by the students included “Fam Fatale” which combined the glamour of the Great Gatsby with Oxfam’s work to support women; “Breakfast at Barnardo’s” and a Beetlejuice showcase which promoted the work of Shelter.

A BAFTA award-winning game designer, artist and Fulbright scholar delivered a keynote presentation to the RGU community last month.

Brenda Romero, an award winning designer, artist and Fulbright scholar who entered the video game industry in 1981 shared her story during the keynote, which was delivered in partnership with RGU and Oracle Academy.

A hugely successful designer, Brenda has worked on 47 games and contributed to many seminal titles. Away from the machine, her analog series of six games, The Mechanic is the Message, has drawn national and international acclaim.

She has been heavily awarded for her talents, receiving the 2017 Development Legend at the Develop Industry Excellence Awards; the 2015 Ambassador’s Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards; Fulbright award to study Ireland’s game industry, academic and government policies; and in 2013 was named one of the top 10 game developers by Gamasutra.com while Develop magazine listed her among the 25 people who changed games that year.

During her keynote, Brenda talked about her career journey and emphasised the creativity of the gaming industry. She encouraged the audience to consider a career in gaming, highlighting the wide range of opportunities in the industry.

The results of their work - Charity Fashion Exhibition: A Celebration of Creativity & Culture – was on show for two weeks School atrium at the Garthdee campus.

Funds were raised for the charities through silent auction purchase of the garments, which were styled to fit the themes, and from the sales of home bakes and refreshments provided by the students. Unsold garments were returned to the charity shops.

The event promoted the diversity of RGU’s recently-established School of Creative and Culture Business in which student collaboration in the form of live student-led projects is key.

MSP talks with RGU social work students A North East MSP visited RGU last month to talk to students about Holyrood and life as a Member of the Scottish Parliament.

Liam Kerr MSP, from the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, spent time with first year students working towards their BA Social Work.

RGU lecturers attend congress in Cannes

A group from the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences have recently returned from participating in the 22nd Congress of the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP).

RGU has been invited to participate at the EAHP annual congress since 2010, facilitating various specialist workshops and student symposia, including teaching, research and expert professional input.

This year’s congress was held in Cannes, with several RGU lecturers in attendance.

Dr Antonella Tonna, Dr Ruth Edwards and Dr Scott Cunningham led and facilitated a workshop for European students and early stage career pharmacists.

Dr Tonna was invited as one of the experts on the panel of an Antimicrobial Resistance session and was asked to comment on antimicrobial choice for each of the cases presented.

In addition, Dora Mueller, a successful RGU postgraduate student from Vienna, was a poster prize nominee. She was given an opportunity to present her research and was awarded third prize, out of a considerable amount of submissions.

Dr Antonella Tonna said: “The EAHP Congress has grown over the years, becoming the biggest hospital pharmacist congress in Europe, attracting up to 4,000 delegates from across the world.

“We look forward to continuing to represent the university at future events and congresses and using our staff’s expert knowledge to improve pharmacy standards across Europe”

As part of the degree’s first stage, students undertake a politics module – An Introduction to Politics and Social Work. The module is designed to teach them about the UK and Scottish Parliaments, councils and the civil service, while helping them understand the process of political decision-making.

Mr Kerr took time to speak with this year’s cohort about his own route into politics, Holyrood motions, committees and the expanded role of the opposition in Scottish politics.

Kirstin Parkes, Social Work lecturer at RGU’s School of Applied Social Studies, welcomed Mr Kerr’s input and thanked him for his visit to the university.

She said: “Social work is a profession that operates within a political context and it’s therefore crucial that our students have a good understanding of how politics works, including how political structures and institutions operate, to underpin their further studies.”

a look at rgu events 13-28 May

Visit to India New Delhi, Cochin, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata Michelle Duncan, Regional Manager for South Asia, is visiting India to meet with prospective students interested in learning more about studying at RGU.

18-20 May

Architecture Portfolio Development Workshop Navitas Hong Kong, Causeway Bay RGU and ICRGU will hold the 2017 Portfolio Development Workshop - designed specifically for students wishing to embark upon an Architecture degree.

19 may

Joanna Briggs Collaboration European Symposium Garthdee campus The Joanna Briggs Collaboration European Symposium will bring together clinicians and academics to discuss the latest advances in evidence synthesis, transfer and implementation to promote evidence-based practice in a range of healthcare settings.

19 May

20-21 MAY

22-23 May

The Big Crit Scott Sutherland School, Sir Ian Wood Building Organised by staff and students from the Scott Sutherland School, the BIG CRIT is a public event to celebrate the best of the students’ work, from first to final year, and to use that work to raise the level of discussion around fundamental issues of architectural design.

Amber Education Fair Hong Kong Dan Bennett Regional Manager for East Asia will attend the Amber Education Fair in Hong Kong to discuss courses and scholarships. ICRGU will also be attending to discuss foundation and pre-master course options.

Visit to Bangaldesh Dhaka Michelle Duncan, Regional Manager for South Asia, is visiting Dhaka to meet with prospective students to discuss admissions, scholarships and living and studying in Aberdeen.

24 May

31 May

Professorial Lecture: Let Food Be Thy Medicine...: Did Hippocrates Get It Right?

Sir Ian Wood Building Professor Susan Duthie from the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences will discuss how diet acts mechanistically to prevent human diseases, the concepts of personalised nutrition and the implications of ‘optimum nutrition’ for the prevention of cancer.

The School of Nursing and Midwifery Annual Postgraduate Research Symposium Health and Social Care Building Postgraduate students from the School of Nursing and Midwifery will be provide oral and poster presentations. The event will also feature a number of external speakers.

1 June

Remanufacturing and Decommissioning Opportunities Sir Ian Wood Building This informal evening event will demonstrate opportunities for reuse and remanufacture in oil and gas decommissioning, as part of Scotland’s wider transition to a circular economy.

17-24 June

Gray’s School of Art Degree Show 2017 Gray’s School of Art An annual highlight in the arts calendar, the Gray’s Degree Show presents and celebrates the work of graduating students across a range of disciplines.

17-24 June

Scott Sutherland School End of Year Show Scott Sutherland School, Sir Ian Wood Building The End of Year Show showcases the best work of students across all disciplines, reflecting the broad spectrum of activities undertaken within the School.

June August

UCAS events June to August Various locations across the UK RGU will be touring the country attending various UCAS events to meet with prospective students and discuss courses.