Exeter Magazine 2015/16 issue

Farewell Floella The Chancellor reflects

Ahead of the game The Rugby World Cup

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND SUPPORTERS

2015/16 ISSUE

EXETER

DIAMOND JUBILEE SPECIAL EDITION

EXETER

2015/16 ISSUE

It’s been a real privilege to join the team at the University of Exeter this year. In my first few months I’ve had the opportunity to talk to some of the extraordinary people – students, staff and alumni – who feature in this issue.

A huge thanks to them all for taking the time to share their stories with us. As we look back at the University’s history in this Diamond Jubilee year and forward to its next chapter, it’s fantastic to hear from people who are doing incredible things right now. As ever, if you have your own story to tell or if you have any feedback on Exeter magazine, please do get in touch.

Best wishes Becky Pratchett, Editor

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EXETER magazine is a University of Exeter publication.

Editorial team: Becky Pratchett, Rachel Jones, Kieran Miyamoto, David Watson.

Design: University of Exeter Design Studio. 2015DARO007 Print: Linny Group

Photography: Thanks to Christopher Alexander, Shella de Mar, Jenny Coomes, Lauren Furness, Martin Hartley, Steven Haywood, Hufton + Crow, Caitlin Kight, Richard Lewisohn, Tim Pestridge, Dave Poole, James Ramm, Georgina Venman, Jim Wileman

Thanks to: Jane Chafer, Rose Cohen, Andy Coles, Carole FitzGerald, Charlotte Gooding, Jane Harding, Russell Luscombe, Rachael Magee, Julie Passmore, and Sophia Pudney.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the University of Exeter.

Details correct at the time of going to print (Aug 2015).

Large print: Please visit www.exeter.ac.uk/ magazine to view a version of this magazine that you can enlarge on screen.

Alternatively contact us at: alumni@exeter.ac.uk or +44 (0) 1392 723141 if you would like a copy in large text.

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Professor Sir Steve Smith Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

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s we head into Exeter’s

Diamond Jubilee year, I have been reflecting on how the University has changed and adapted since it received its Royal Charter in 1955 and particularly since I became Vice-Chancellor 13 years ago. When I joined Exeter in 2002, the University was very different in many ways. But over the decades, Exeter’s reputation as a creator of graduates of distinction and world-class research has remained constant.

During my time at Exeter we have seen a 50% growth in the number of our students, with some of the world’s most talented students and researchers coming here to be part of the Exeter experience.

Applications from the UK market to study with us have risen by 56% since 2012 alone, which is more than seven times the average of UK universities. And Exeter’s financial turnover has nearly quadrupled, last year our total income was nearly £330m, whereas it was £90m in 2002.

2014/15 has been another year of successes, many showcased here in the pages of Exeter magazine.

For me, the stand-out achievements are: first, the University’s results in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, in which 98% of our researchers were judged to be world-leading, and where we were ranked 16th in the UK for research power and 3rd for the percentage increase in associated funding; and second, the news that Exeter is now ranked in the Top 10 in all the major UK league tables for the very first time.

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My current focus is on developing our global academic partnerships with other leading universities across the world, and on bridging the gap between our outstanding UK rankings and our position in the major international league tables. Our overall ambition is to achieve a Top 100 world ranking out of the 44,000 universities worldwide. We currently rank 161 and 154 in the two major international rankings (QS and Times Higher Education) which principally measure the size of an institution as well as reputation. This is illustrated by the fact that in the CWTS Leiden Rankings we rank 251st in the world in the sizedependent ranking, but jump to 34th in the world in the size-independent ranking, which is based purely on the quality of research outputs rather than the quantity through the number of citations in highly respected and influential journals.

I believe passionately that we will achieve this by virtue of the outstanding quality of our education and research, our students and staff, and through your support as alumni. But, as always, we will need to navigate our way through a set of external

challenges to get there. The outcome of the 2015 General Election poses universities with a number of important policy issues to respond to. Firstly, we need to continue to be able to attract the most talented students from around the world and work with Government to ensure that the UK adopts an immigration policy that is welcoming and attractive to the best students from overseas. Secondly, public spending pressures are mounting and we anticipate significant further reductions in public expenditure during the course of the Parliament, including a potential reduction of up to 40% to the budget for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

And lastly, the pending EU Referendum will be critically important to Exeter.

We currently receive 6% of our income from European research funding and the benefits of EU membership for UK science and research are not widely known. I will be working closely with Universities UK ahead of the Referendum to raise awareness of the benefits of remaining within the EU for UK universities and research.

So thank you once again for your continuing support of Exeter. And I hope that many of you may be able to join us at our Diamond Jubilee celebration events and activities during the coming year, as we all reflect on what a fantastic university Exeter is.

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RISING UP THE RANKINGS

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Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Sir Steve Smith said: “To be in the top 10 of all the UK higher education league tables is an extraordinary achievement, and one that we can all be truly proud of. It is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of all our staff and students, and cements Exeter’s position as one of the very best universities in the country.”

xeter’s rise up the rankings has continued this year with strong results in UK and international league tables. Exeter is now in the Top 10 of all the main UK higher education league tables – ranked 7th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2015, 9th in The Guardian University Guide 2016, and 10th in The 2016 Complete University Guide. Exeter is also in the Top 10 in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2015, appearing in 8th position.

The University has also been recognised as one of the 100 most international universities in the world. Exeter ranked

62nd in the latest Times Higher Education league table of the global 100 most international universities, a rise of nine places from 2014. Meanwhile both science and humanities subjects feature amongst the best of their kind globally in the QS World University Rankings

by Subject. Geography, History and English Language and Literature all appear in the Top 50 worldwide and in total, Exeter features in the world’s Top 200 institutions in 19 of the 36 subjects included in the table.

RESEARCH EXCELLENCE RECOGNISED

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he University of Exeter has been awarded an additional £3.8 million for research, from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

This represents the third highest gain amongst English universities, only surpassed by King’s College London and University College London. The £3.8 million represented a 22% uplift on an already significant base figure.

The increased funding is the result of Exeter’s performance in the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014), in which it was ranked 16th nationally when assessed against the very highest 4* grade for world- leading research.

Professor Nick Talbot, Deputy ViceChancellor (Research and Impact), said: “This is a fantastic result for Exeter and places us in the very top group of universities in the UK. The significant new funding is a recognition of the quality of the research that takes place in the institution and the impact that it achieves.

“It is also very positive news for the South West, showing that it has worldleading research that contributes strongly to the economy. We will re-invest this new funding in further developing our research programmes and aim to make Exeter a global centre for learning.”

Not including specialist institutions, or those with anomalous data.

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STUDENTS SCOOP GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY PRIZE

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xeter students have stormed to victory in an international competition, with their innovative app that allows users to lock and unlock doors with their mobile phone.

The team of Computer Science undergraduates secured victory in the Project Arduino competition, organised by leading engineering and technology company Thales, following a worldwide public vote.

Family first in South West to take part in ground-breaking DNA research

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six-year-old boy and his parents became the first family in the South West to take part in ground-breaking DNA research at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E), with support from the University, to help fight rare health conditions.

Noah Puleston from Honiton has moderate to severe learning difficulties. The cause of his difficulties has so far remained a mystery but he and his family now have an opportunity to achieve a clearer diagnosis after the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) was chosen to lead one of 11 new state-of-the-art genomics medicine centres across England.

Noah’s mother, Sam Puleston, said: “This is a really exciting day, not only for us as a family, but for what this project could mean for other people, because of the potential to discover new treatments.”

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Noah, Sam and his father Andrew attended the National Institute for Health Research Exeter Clinical Research Facility to donate samples of their DNA to a specialist team of University and NHS staff based in the Learning & Development (RILD) centre at the RD&E. The samples will give the team their ‘genomes’ – a complete set of the family’s genes. By collecting and decoding this complete set, the team will be better able to identify any genetic differences between Noah and his mum and dad and pinpoint the cause of his learning difficulties for the first time. This may help clinicians and the family to tailor treatment and support for him now and in later life.

Professor Sian Ellard, Programme Director for the Genomic Medicine Centre, said: “This new type of genetic testing works by decoding the genome to help families find out why they have a particular health problem. Many parents wait years for a precise diagnosis or never know the cause of their child’s disease.

Genome sequencing provides an opportunity to provide answers and in some cases will lead to better treatment.”

The winning entry, called ‘LockDuino’, allows doors to be locked and unlocked remotely via a mobile phone app, which connects to a small Arduino microprocessor that runs the locking system. The design also allows users to receive a message on their phone if they have left it unlocked, once they reach a certain distance away.

The LockDuino team faced rivals from the UK and the US in the latter stages of the contest. At the final count, they had polled more than 600 votes – twice as many as the next leading entrant – to take first prize.

The four-strong team comprised undergraduates Matthew Gilbert, Joshua Holmes, George Young and Ashleigh Udoh.

Professor Ken Evans, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, congratulated the students on their success. He said: “This is a wonderful achievement and richly deserved.

It was a fantastic feat to make it to the final vote, and to emerge as the winners against some excellent international opposition, is testament to the innovation and enthusiasm the team have displayed from the outset.”

The winning entry can be seen by visiting www.thalesarduino.com/arduino

©AFRICA STUDIO

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Childhood obesity – one epidemic or two?

N Representatives of the Foundation with the University’s Jessica Evans

US Foundation launched

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he University of Exeter, US Foundation is pleased to announce that it is now able to receive donations from alumni and supporters living in the United States who wish to make tax effective gifts to support the University. The new Foundation was established to strengthen Exeter’s presence in the United States and to facilitate fundraising from US based philanthropists, foundations and corporations.

Graham Hill (Economic and Political Development 1992), President of the Foundation said, “As Exeter’s international profile strengthens, it is engaging with the

US more than ever before through student recruitment, research collaborations and institutional partnerships. This means that the University’s alumni community in the United States is expanding rapidly and we hope that the establishment of the Foundation will enable alumni to engage with, and support, their university more easily.”

Supporters filing their income taxes in the United States can now be issued a tax receipt by the Foundation, which is recognised by the United States Internal Revenue Service.

To find out more please contact Jessica Evans, Senior International Development Manager, at jessica.evans@exeter.ac.uk

‘Lewis’ marks a lasting rowing legacy

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new racing boat was officially named the ‘Lewis’ at a special ceremony in memory of Professor Peter Lewis (1931-2011) who generously left a gift in his will to support Exeter’s Boat Club.

Peter graduated from the University in 1955, the year the Royal Charter was granted. He studied his undergraduate degree and his doctorate in Physics whilst participating keenly in student life, including leading the rowing team. During his time as Captain, Peter tirelessly lobbied to secure funds to buy the Club’s first boat and then the permission and funds to build the Boathouse at Countess Weir.

60 years later, Peter’s generous donation has allowed the Boat Club to purchase the ‘Lewis’.

George Butcher, Boat Club Captain said: “Peter’s gift will help both present and future members of Exeter’s Boat Club. Peter’s dedication more than 60 years ago helped to establish the Club, for which we are extremely grateful. It is clear from Peter’s legacy that he cared greatly for the Club and its members.”

For further information please visit www.exeter.ac.uk/legacies

ew research has indicated that obesity in children has quite different causes at different ages. The research, led by the University of Exeter Medical School and part of the internationally respected EarlyBird Study, could have far-reaching implications for attempts to reduce the global epidemic of childhood obesity, as it indicates that very different approaches may be needed at various stages of development.

In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, scientists compared data on contemporary children with those of the 1980s. They discovered that the rise in obesity among very young children has been largely restricted to the minority with obese parents. Toddlers as a whole have not changed. By contrast, obesity among adolescents has not been restricted to those with obese parents, but has occurred across the entire age group.

The data suggest that parenting is the fundamental influence on weight gain in the early years, whereas more general (peer-group) influences take over later on.

Public health strategies may need to be tailored accordingly.

Professor Terence Wilkin, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the study, said: “Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health issues of our time.

If we are to develop strategies to intervene effectively, we must first understand the cause. This study indicates for the first time that childhood obesity has different causes, depending on the age of the child. We now need further studies to explore this in more depth, as it could have significant implications for healthcare.”

The study was funded by the Bright Future Trust, the Peninsula Medical Foundation, the Bupa Foundation and the EarlyBird Diabetes Trust. exeter.ac.uk/alumni

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£3 MILLION RESEARCH CENTRE WILL TARGET DISEASE partnerships with organisations such as NHS Trusts and research networks. It will also fund the next generation of research talent, through PhDs. The Centre is also seeking public involvement, to give their views on which areas of research should be addressed, and how it should be conducted. To get involved, email engaged-research@ exeter.ac.uk. To find out more, visit www.exeter.ac.uk/bma

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new research centre will bring together experts in a diverse range of fields to tackle some of the greatest health issues of our time – and the public are being invited to get involved.

experts will gain a better understanding of the root causes of diseases such as dementia, diabetes and epilepsy, leading to new tools for diagnosing and treating these disorders.

The Centre for Biomedical Modelling and Analysis will unite disciplines including mathematics, computer science and physics with those from biology, biomedicine and clinical sciences. By working together,

The Centre is funded by £1million from the Wellcome Trust, combined with £2.2million from the University. The money will pay for six of the brightest minds in the disciplines involved to collaborate, and to forge

ALUMNI KILLED IN WAR REMEMBERED

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new memorial to Exeter alumni killed in war since 1945 is to be unveiled in the University’s Chapel on Streatham Campus.

Following an appeal for information in last year’s Exeter magazine, the stone plaque bearing the names of alumni will be dedicated at a special service on Remembrance Sunday 2015.

Richard Foord, Assistant Director (Partnerships) said “The Chapel’s existing plaques commemorate the lives of servicemen killed during WWI and WW2 so this new memorial will remember war dead since 1945. The Chaplaincy and I have information about four alumni, but there may be others so I would urge anyone with information to get in touch.”

To attend the special dedication service (8 November 2015 at 10:45am, Mary Harris Memorial Chapel) or make a donation towards the memorial, please contact Richard Foord on r.j.foord@exeter.ac.uk 8

Professor John Terry, co-director of the Centre and a mathematician, said: “This launch is incredibly exciting, not just for Exeter, but for the future of health care worldwide. In the past, disciplines as diverse as mathematics and biomedicine have typically operated in silos, but this new Centre will build new bridges of collaboration, both between scientists and clinicians and, crucially, with the wider public. By working together, we can get a much better understanding of what’s really causing disease, which will undoubtedly lead to more precise diagnosis and more effective treatment.”

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New £10.5 million facility upgrades St Luke’s Campus

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verhauling a former hall of residence at St Luke’s has created a modern, high-quality research and education facility on the University’s campus.

Over the past two years, the University has invested £12.7 million into developing a modern campus with a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing at St Luke’s.

As part of this commitment, the South Cloisters building has undergone a creative £10.5 million refurbishment. This investment has secured new high quality student learning and study spaces available to everyone at St Luke’s, representing a significant upgrade to facilities.

Professor Steve Thornton, Pro ViceChancellor of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “The new building is looking fantastic, and will benefit the whole campus. It will house state-of-the-art facilities for our Medical Imaging students, helping the programme maintain its status

Wolfson Foundation donates £2 million towards future of science at Exeter

as the best in the country. I’m also delighted that it will bring more of our outstanding researchers onto St Luke’s, strengthening our academic community, which has an international reputation for excellence in the field of health and wellbeing.”

Next door to South Cloisters is the newly modernised Giraffe House student study centre, and nearby is College House, a former hall of residence which has been converted to high-quality office space and a new student reception for the Medical School.

Hugh McCann, Director of Estate Development for the University of Exeter, said: “The quality of the South Cloisters upgrade is outstanding – it’s a real boost for a campus which celebrated its 160th anniversary last year.”

Professor Dragan Savic at the Global Conversation launch

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he University has received a £2 million gift from The Wolfson Foundation to support the establishment of a new Living Systems Institute (see page 30), which will pioneer a new approach to treating the world’s most serious diseases.

The gift constitutes the latest milestone in a long history of key contributions from the charity towards the advancement of science at Exeter.

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of The Wolfson Foundation said: “The Wolfson Foundation supports excellence and so we are delighted to make this exceptional grant to the University of Exeter in support of establishing a new Living Systems Institute.

The Foundation recognises the quality of research, the imaginative approach to understanding diseases and the effective working with local partners, particularly the NHS Trust.”

Global Conversation: Exeter academics lead the way on world issues

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lobal Conversation, a new programme of world lectures from some of Exeter’s pioneering academics, launched in Hong Kong in March 2015 with further events taking place in Paris, Toronto, New York and San Francisco throughout the year.

Showcasing some of the latest developments in world-leading research, Global Conversation shows how the University, working in collaboration with its partners across the world, is having an impact on many of the shared global challenges we face.

Launching Global Conversation, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Sir Steve Smith said: “We want to share our thinking and our world-leading research, to open up discussion and debate around these issues. By stimulating conversation between our academics and other leading experts in their fields, we can make a positive contribution to our collective global understanding of issues which affect us all.”

Global Conversation events are open to all alumni and friends. To find out more visit www.exeter.ac.uk/globalconversation exeter.ac.uk/alumni

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Simon Bray (centre) with Santander and University staff

SUPPORT FROM SANTANDER UNIVERSITIES UK CELEBRATED

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s its donations to the University topped £1 million, Simon Bray, Director of Santander Universities UK visited Exeter to meet staff and students who have benefited from the extraordinary support.

The University’s strong links with the bank began in 2009. Since then Santander Universities UK has supported scholarships, travel grants, awards and entrepreneurial activities.

The partnership continues to grow and now offers funding for a programme of internships with local small and mediumsized enterprises, with 40 internships receiving funding.

During the visit, Simon met with Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Sir Steve Smith. He was joined by the University’s Provost, Professor Janice Kay, alongside staff, students and project leads at a special event to celebrate reaching the £1 million milestone. Professor Janice Kay said “Support from Santander Universities UK really has been absolutely pivotal to the continued success of the University of Exeter. It has touched the lives of so many of our students and alumni, I would like to thank Santander Universities UK for making all this happen. It really is life-changing for our students.”

Student entrepreneur’s website encourages more of us to vote

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ickBox, an online platform that helps voters easily assess candidates and their policies, clocked up two million page views in the run up to the UK General Election.

Invented by University of Exeter History student and entrepreneur, Matthew Morley, the idea is simple: visit the site, answer a few questions and within one minute you can discover the party or parties most aligned with your values. The platform has also been used for the 2014 Scottish Referendum, the European Elections and by universities across the country for student union elections.

For the General Election, the TickBox platform featured the manifestos of all major and independent political parties and all candidates from every constituency – over 3,900. It allowed users not only to compare

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one party’s politics with another but to ask politicians specific questions anonymously.

Matt commented: “I developed TickBox to try and make politics easier and more accessible, not only to young people but to anyone who was potentially confused by what the different parties had to offer. If it also encourages more people to vote, that can only be good for democracy.”

The TickBox concept is getting noticed.

Alastair Campbell, former Director of Communication and Strategy at No 10 said: “TickBox is an excellent tool to help the digital generation understand, and choose, the policies that will shape their future.

Because they are the future and they are also the generation to save political debate and progress in the UK.”

Business and sustainability come together in Cornwall

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he Business School is expanding into Cornwall, launching a brand new course on the Penryn Campus in September 2015.

Penryn’s BSc Business programme aims to blend the Business School’s strength in business management with the Penryn campus’s renowned expertise in innovation, sustainability and social enterprise. The combination of business and sustainability will make students who graduate from the course uniquely skilled to ensure a sustainable future for businesses across the world.

Alongside the academic curriculum, employability also plays a key role in the programme’s structure. Over the course of their degree, students will undertake a work placement in their second year and a consulting project in their third year, as well as having access to many careers workshops and lectures.

Professor Sandy Williams, the Business School’s Associate Dean of Education, said, “Whilst developing the curriculum, we have been mindful of all that the local area has to offer in terms of opportunities, as well as incorporating some of the elements and thinking behind our worldleading One Planet MBA. We believe this will become one of the most popular degrees offered on our Penryn Campus.”

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HONORARY GRADUATES’ ACHIEVEMENTS CELEBRATED

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Lord, a Nobel Prize winner, a BAFTA winning playwright and a European athletics gold medallist were amongst those honoured at the University’s summer graduation this year.

In total, 15 special guests received an Honorary Degree and the CSM Trust was inducted into the College of Benefactors as part of the celebrations at the Streatham Campus in Exeter and in Truro Cathedral for the Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

Alumni honoured included Professor Ralph Wilcox, Provost and Executive Vice-President at the University of South Florida and Abi Morgan, playwright and screenwriter of films and drama such as The Iron Lady and The Hour. Others honoured included athlete Jo Pavey, who was recently recognised with an MBE for services to athletics in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list and Nobel Prize winner Alvin Roth, Professor of Economics at Stanford University. For a full list see www.exeter.ac.uk/honorarygraduates

Students lead gold LEGACY TO SUPPORT rush at International POSTGRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH Mining Games

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t was a gold rush for students from the Camborne School of Mines (CSM) at an internationally-celebrated mining competition.

Three teams from the mining school, based at the University’s Penryn Campus, secured four gold medals between them – including divisional gold – at the 2015 International Mining Games.

The CSM teams, who received support from the Camborne School of Mines Trust, were the only UK representatives at the three-day event, hosted by the Western Australia School of Mines, in Kalgoorlie.

Speaking after the event competitor Rhys Hill, from the Camborne School of Mines, said: “It has been a fantastic experience and, once again, CSM has shown that it can compete amongst the very best in the world. Everyone played their part to make it such a success.”

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he University has received one of its biggest ever legacy donations from a Devon resident.

Carlota Palmer left £881,000 to the University following her death at the age of 99. Although she had not had the opportunity of attending an institution of higher learning, she had always placed a high value on education.

She was aware that the University was an institution local to her with an excellent reputation and she wished to make a difference to society through funding a scholarship programme for postgraduate studies and research in maths and the sciences.

The University has devised a match-funding scheme for aspects of the scholarship programme, which will ensure the generous legacy benefits even more people in the future.

Alumnus Dr Neil Cross FCIS (Chemistry, 1966) is Chairman of BMT Group Ltd and, with a gift of £40,000, was the first donor to contribute towards the programme.

“As an alumnus I wanted to give something back to Exeter, something which would also make a difference to society in the future.

I am delighted to be able to help support future generations of talented postgraduate researchers,” he said.

“I was attracted to the match-funding opportunities available through the Carlota Palmer Legacy Fund because combining our resources will make an even greater difference.”

The first PhD students to receive support from the legacy start at the University during the 2015/16 academic year.

For further information please visit www.exeter.ac.uk/legacies

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1. The new building set to become the heart of the Penryn Campus, accommodating a new welcome centre and campus shop 2. The Leventis Lectures 2015 showcased the research currently being undertaken at Exeter into the impact of Greek culture upon our modern world 3. Jo Johnson MP, the Minister for Universities and Science met with key researchers and representatives during a fact-finding visit to the University 4. Pupils at Honiton Community College got hands-on in the lab to solve a genetic riddle. The Medical School’s popular outreach event engaged Year 9s from eight schools during British Science Week 2015 5. The University of Exeter Ladies Cricket Club (EULCC) made it to Lord’s for the BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) Final. They are pictured with alumni supporters Professor Jenny and Stephen Harrow 6. Sports Scholars Hannah Traylen and Jess Elkington won BUCS Gold in double sculls. The boat they raced in was bought thanks to the alumni rowing appeal and Hannah received a Chris Page Scholarship supported by alumna Tish Page

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special feature 16-17 THE STORY

OF EXETER:

A new book by Professor Jeremy Black charts the University’s history

18-19 FROM THE ARCHIVES:

The Royal Charter

20-21 MY EXETER, YOUR EXETER:

The French reunion

SPECIAL FEATURE:

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s we celebrate our Diamond Jubilee, the 60th anniversary of the granting of the University’s Royal Charter, we take a glimpse at aspects of the University’s past.

If this whets your appetite to reminisce, visit www.exeter.ac.uk/diamondjubilee where you can find out more about events and activities taking place over the year, and share your own memories and photos.

<< exeter.ac.uk/alumni

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The university’s long-held ambitions to expand in Cornwall bore fruit in 2004 with the opening of the Penryn Campus.

This aerial photograph shows the site under construction.

The Early 2000s: Restructuring

Music, found jobs elsewhere or, as in Education, retired early. Aside

biology and advanced genomics. This School was also to make the most success of the Cornwall campus, with the Centre for Ecology

late 1960s-70s staff intake, some of whom had showed insufficient

and Conservation founded in effect in a natural laboratory. A very

attainment, possibly because the expansion of that period sometimes

able group of evolutionary and conservation biologists was recruited.

exceeded the number of good academics available in particular

New programmes and appointments in Exeter and Cornwall created

disciplines. The effort to change the psychology of the university was

a reality of a fresh start, although the new School had to cope with the

applied particularly in the administration, where Allen (the Registrar)

debts of its previous incarnations. By 2010, the School of Biosciences

encouraged some staff who had served for more than ten years to

was earning £14 million of research income annually, a figure far

further their careers elsewhere.

greater than the £800,065 of the School of Biological and Chemical

The re-structuring of 2004/5 owed much to the degree to which the USS had not yet come under the sustained pressure of subsequent years, with the result that staff reductions could still be

The Ruler of Sharjah provided the funds for the creation of the new building to house the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies.

themes, as well as to strengthen molecular genetics, notably systems

from the closure of Chemistry and Music, a major effort was made to remove ‘dead wood’ from the system, aided by the retirement of the

achieved voluntarily through generous early retirement settlements.

In practice, this represented a raid on the assets of the scheme, and,

Sciences in 2004/5. There were also strong undergraduate and postgraduate admissions in the School, the achievements of which proved important to the success of the Science Strategy.

Similarly, alongside Music’s closure, there was the bringing round, indeed re-invention,49 of Drama in the early 2000s after its

conscious subsidy, notably of STEM subjects. The process of using

thus, on the future, that enabled both staff and management to avoid a

highly critical Panel Feedback Report for the 2001 RAE. A new Head,

metrics to get to Top 20 and then Top 10 was fundamental. The

measure of responsibility for under-performance. Student opposition

Chris McCullough, was important, as was investment including more

clarity of those two objectives and a process for achieving them

was greatly defused because of the deals struck with Bristol and Bath

funded undergraduate places and a new building. This was a rescue

really mattered.

that allowed all first- and second-year Chemistry undergraduates the

package that worked, producing more student applications and a

option of completing their entire degree at Exeter or transferring to

Allen also set about creating Professional Services.

Responsibility for Library and IT services passed ultimately to him, and

Bristol or Bath and achieving a degree with these universities. Smith

he set about winning investment for the services and integrating them.

was wise to work out a detailed advanced plan for the continued

He established a Professional Services Management Group (PSMG)

education of those students. That he talked to the Guild about the

where all the Services could meet, co-ordinate and plan together. This

closure was also sensible. Smith was also able to convince MPs that

group came to include college managers and the CEO of the Guild of

the closure had been in Exeter’s best interest while not damaging

Students and truly unified Professional Services across the university.

regional capacity in the subject. As a reminder that Exeter was not to

Expertise in fundraising, marketing, IT, and many other skills required

be alone in such restructuring, Plymouth in 2008 announced plans to

by modern large institutions, was built up. Good administrative leaders

shed 223 posts, including 101 academic ones, in order to ‘correct a

such as Patrick Kennedy, who helped engineer the league table rise,

historic overspend’.

Given the attention devoted to the closure of Chemistry, it

and Sean Fielding, proved able to carry the academic leaders with them because they appreciated what the academic leads were doing.

is important to note that this was as part not of some end of Science

There was a significant improvement in the finances in the early

at Exeter, but of the formation, from August 2005, of a School of

2000s, an improvement that permitted capital developments and

Biosciences. This involved a process of restructuring both Biology

restructuring, each in a context of greater institutional independence.

and Chemistry as well as the closure of Chemistry’s single honours

Non-governmental sources of income grew from the start of the

undergraduate programmes. New appointments were made from

decade, especially income from research grants and contracts.

August in pursuance of an attempt to build up interdisciplinary research 209

208

Golden Jubilee celebrations. The University of Exeter’s Charter presented to Russell Seal by Sir Eric Dancer, Lord Lieutenant of Devon.

Right: Golden Jubilee Gala Dinner held in the Guildhall, Exeter, 2005.

220

From the Mid-2000s to the Present: The Big Bang

made face-to-face administration and leadership less possible. The

As an important instance of the experience of change, the

public indebtedness during the recession. By September 2009, the

restructuring of Schools, in an effort (not always successful) to make them

weaknesses of the old ‘administration as the hand-maid of professors’

national debt stood at £804.4 billion, equivalent to over £25,000 for

work and to produce more coherent structures of roughly equivalent size,

model which, by the 1980s, was clearly no longer viable in the face

every family in Britain. The coalition government that gained power

further challenged established loyalties. Thus, for example, SHiPSS, the

of the challenges facing the university, had given rise to managerialism;

after the general election in May 2010 responded with an austerity

School of Historical, Political and Sociological Studies, created, in 1999 from

an aspect of what Harold Perkin presented as the fall of professional

that hit Higher Education, which was affected by a range of cuts, both

History, Economic History, Politics and Sociology, grew to include what could

society in Britain.

specific and indirect. ‘Creating a World Class University Together’, a

However, that process left unclear what should be the new

not be fitted into Arts and Sciences, becoming, in 2005, HUSS, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. After it was agreed in December 2004 that

accommodation between effective management and the sense of

VCEG paper of June 2010 for Council, designed to help in preparing a new strategic plan for the period to the end of 2015, declared:

SHiPSS and the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies (IAIS) should merge, the

purpose and morale among academic staff. The latter elements ensure

‘The non-negotiable key to success in an environment where the

School of Classics, Ancient History and Theology (CAHT) was added in 2005.

that it would be a mistake for universities to become clones of private

government is a less reliable partner, not only in university funding

Both mergers took effect at the same time.46 This was a conglomerate given

sector organisations. Universities are highly distinctive and important

but through the NHS, abolition of Regional Development Agencies

cohesion by the extraordinary efforts of its head, Jonathan Barry. After he

civil institutions with the particular goal of the disinterested pursuit

stepped down, Law and Archaeology were added. As an instance of the same

of knowledge. As most academics have greater allegiance to their

process, it was decided in 2008 to merge the School of Physics, the School

discipline than their institution of employment, there are particular

of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, and the Camborne School of

issues in management and its relationship with disciplinary leaders

Mines into one School ‘which was better placed to face the Engineering and

and influences.

There are also issues to do with work-rate and collegiality.

47

Physical Sciences Research Council’.

Far more is being asked of staff by government, the public, the

The problem of operating and opportunity costs resulting from

and the general squeeze on public investment, is to diversify our income streams more and move into unregulated markets such as international partnerships and recruitment, postgraduate activity and research at least on a full cost recovery basis.’ Smith referred to a funding ‘valley of death’.94 A dynamic environment was also apparent at the regional level. Exeter’s growth had in part been founded on partnerships,

running a large number of small departments was contained through

university and students, than ever before; and the time available,

which had helped the university to grow spectacularly, nearly trebling

rationalisation and reorganisation, which gave greater financial flexibility across

and inclination, for community interaction, have noticeably lessened.

turnover in nine years. Indeed, the university gained a Times Higher

groups of departments. However, the legacy of high staff-student ratios

This is not just an Exeter problem, and all universities now face the

award in 2007 for the quality of its partnership working. However, as

that remained from the old days of economy has never been satisfactorily

danger of staff burn-out. Exeter has put in place some imaginative

also with INTO, the university tended to outgrow these partnerships

addressed. In this light, university finances have continued to be subsidised

help-solutions for those suffering serious stress. Nevertheless, it is

and they carried a heavy overhead. In 2001, it had appeared sensible

from staff savings.

By 2010, what had initially been 18 Schools had become 6

widely recognised as a continuing serious problem at the staff level.

to partner in Medicine with Plymouth, not only for crucial regional

Aside from consequences for individual health and for teaching, there

political reasons but also because the two universities were close in

Colleges, which had similar aims, critical mass, budget holding capacity, and

is the risk that burn-out leads to a level of institutional disengagement.

standing. By 2011, the universities were moving apart in overall status,

managerial capability. Whereas there had been considerable opposition to

Common rooms and the Staff Club are generally far less well

while there was growing tension over the Medical School. Exeter

Schooling, there was far less to Colleging, which suggested that the Schools

frequented than formerly, and there is relatively little sociability

had more than 90% of the citations in medical research and held

had won scant affection. It was only in HUSS that there was any opposition to

within Colleges, let alone between them or between academic and

84% of the research grants. The relationship was too asymmetrical

Colleging, which may suggest at least some feeling on the part of those within

administrative staff. Concern over staff morale in 2012/13 led the

to be sustainable. Plymouth was preventing Exeter from investing

it that it had worked.

With Smith and Allen seemingly able to trust the Colleges more than

management to consider a move of academic initiatives back to the

in MRC-facing appointments and staff would only come to Exeter

College and departmental level.

appointments. In addition, the facilitating hand (between the two

The context for such issues was scarcely static. The national

the Schools, in part because Allen had much more say in the appointment of the Colleges’ senior management, the College strategy was also designed

universities) of John Tooke was no longer present.

and international context deteriorated with the global recession that began in 2008. The grave mishandling of the public finances and of banking regulation in the 1990s and 2000s led to a serious crisis in

The new University Reception building, opened in 2011.

243

Right: Crowds gather for the Queen’s visit to the Streatham campus in 2012.

258

259

The 1950s: The New University

In 2012/13, the extrication from the PCMD and the recreation of the Medical School as an Exeter institution (UEMS)

in Chapel and when visiting members of the academic staff officially,

pattern.29 Nevertheless, ideas about the university were debated by

but not in the laboratories: ‘Men on all occasion when academic dress

the senior staff in their consideration of plans for development. In 1956,

involved very difficult negotiations, with Plymouth and various agencies

is worn should wear a tie, women should wear a dress or a skirt.’ The

the Quinquennial Developments Committee (the university body

of government. These negotiations tested Smith’s not inconsiderable

editorial in the South Westerner on 19 October 1955 suggested that

that matched the UGC’s concern to plan on a five-year timespan)

political skill, not least in the face of an inconstant and unco-operative

‘certain features, evidence of a new age dawning, can be observed

put its emphasis on a Chair in Geology, but turned down proposals

stance by Plymouth University and by the Plymouth-based doctors

with satisfaction. The general relaxation of regulations in the Halls, the

for the establishment of independent Departments of Sociology and

in the PCMD. To help win Plymouth’s consent, it got more of the student places, so that the new Exeter Medical School was smaller than Exeter would have preferred. Plymouth also obtained the Dental

atmosphere of ease and freedom …’. However, the paper treated

Government. Outlining priorities to the UGC (University Grants

Senate’s agreement to the new regulations on academical dress with

Committee), Council, the governing body of the university, that July

the headline ‘Mourning Becomes Exeter’, adding that the female

focused on an administrative building, stage two of the Students’ Union

students seemed particularly bitter.24

School, but Exeter now had control over its Medicine and there

In the context of the age of majority at 21, until

were 15 applicants for each place in the 2013/14 entry. The outcome

These plans, all for development on the Streatham

was 36% in 2011 and 37.21% in 2012, each percentages that broke

lowered to 18 by the Labour government in 1969, the

site to the north of the city, reflected the extent to which

the previous record and that made Exeter the most democratic

general theme, as expected certainly by the parents of

the university was still partly located in crowded and largely

university in the country, although the number of students voting

female students, was one of control, as in the decision

inadequate buildings around Gandy Street in the city,

Coming on top of his important work as President of Universities UK from 2009 to 2011, this task affected the time

for Athletic Union President often exceeds that for Guild President.

to allow the Guild [Student Union] to sell alcohol at the

the original focus of Higher Education in Exeter. In 1922, the

available to Smith to address the difficult issues of ensuring quality

Student appreciation of staff issues, moreover, was understandably

Pavilion twice weekly from 5pm to 7pm provided adequate

year in which the Royal Albert Memorial College30 became

teaching in the context of student expansion while, at the same time,

limited and the Guild’s rhetoric and policies could be flawed.

arrangements for supervision were made.25 There were

the University College of the South West of England, it had

no such concessions on the question of the entertainment

also acquired 120 acres of the Streatham estate. From what

managing staff and student expectations. Aside from the UUK work,

At the same time, the university took a pro-active stance,

which led to his instructive Racing to the Top or Limping into Mediocrity?

notably by launching the innovative, interdisciplinary Grand Challenges

of guests of the opposite sex in student rooms, an issue

had once been part of this estate, an additional 17 acres was

Why Universities Matter to the Economy (2010), the growing size and

programme. Providing post-exam courses for first years that looked at

on which the Guild Council pressed from 1955 as they

purchased in 1929 and another 21 in 1931. Land was then

complexity of Exeter meant that Smith had to delegate to a larger

the major challenges facing the world in the 21st century confronted

did not wish to be treated as ‘adolescents’.26 It was not

relatively cheap, but there was money for only two academic

senior management team, notwithstanding his very high work-rate

the criticism that the university charged, but did not provide, for the

until December 1958 that Senate agreed visiting hours

back at Exeter and his continued commitment to termly staff briefings

post-exam period, when there was in practice much examining.

of 7-10pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and

across the campuses.

In 2012, there was a rethinking of the situation. Compulsory

Moreover, to a degree, Grand Challenges started to address a

2-5pm on Sundays, and then provided notice was given

point made by Steve Potter, a 1970s Biology student, who noted

beforehand to the Warden. ‘Serious misbehaviour’ between

buildings to be begun before World War II: the Washington Singer Laboratories completed in 1931 and the Roborough Library in 1940. Hatherly Laboratories, completed in 1952, followed after the war, by when there were a number of Halls

excellent lectures warning of imminent problems, for example as a

men and women led to expulsion.27 South Westerner,

although the Guild demands in the 2000s and early 2010s were

consequence of the overuse of antibiotics, but ‘no teaching in how

the weekly student newspaper, devoted much attention to the

generally very reasonable in content and tone, an understanding of

to prevent these prophecies coming to pass. No education in the

regulations. In contrast, as its editor for some of the late 1950s, Peter

treating them with a degree of scepticism about how far they reflected

disciplines of change, negotiation, human behaviour, matrix-leadership,

Whitfield noted, the paper ‘took a very politics-neutral stance’.28

of students rose: 454 students accepted offers of places for 1956, and

student views and, indeed, interests came into play. As with so much

persuasion, influencing, cross-business team and alliance building’.95

Sports grounds were not opened for Sunday play until 1970. Such

522 in 1957. However, because only about half of the 1,209 students

marking online was shelved, in part for HR reasons. Moreover,

in the university history, this was a matter of relearning old lessons.

The percentage of students voting in the Guild Sabbatical Elections

In 2013, the programme was launched, Smith himself teaching a course, a hands-on approach not taken by most Vice-

Abover right: HRH the Queen features on the cover of the 2012 Alumni magazine.

in residence in December 1957 could be accommodated in Halls, while 25-30 of those in lodgings were living beyond the city

Cook, who had the stature to direct the new university and the Charter that it would be unwise to launch out into new Faculties, and that the immediate duty lay in the consolidation of the present

university remained a participatory intellectual community. There 261

Applications shot up once university status was

formalities and restrictions were general to Halls of Residence across

was able to command respect, told the Civic Dinner held to celebrate

programme indicated its capacity to generate and implement new ideas, but also the extent to which, on the part of the staff, the

on or near the Streatham estate. achieved, the prospectus had to be reprinted twice, and the number

the university sector.

Chancellors. An initiative from the centre, the Grand Challenges Left: Her Majesty the Queen with the Chancellor, Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE DL, Hon D. Litt (Exeter) in the Forum during the Royal visit on 2 May 2012.

260

building, Chemistry provision, and a new men’s Hall.

for Medicine was particularly significant as this was an area in which government investment continued despite the public sector cuts.

Above: ‘Breathing The Eternal’ 2009 by Elaine M Goodwin. The mosaic is sited in The Mary Harris Memorial Chapel (see far right) and was paid for by The St Luke’s College Foundation.

Right: The Mary Harris Memorial Chapel was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Exeter in June 1958. Vincent Harris, the architect to the University College, set aside his fees to build a chapel in memory of his mother. The painted ceiling was designed by Sir Walter Monnington.

20

THE STORY OF EXETER Jeremy Black, Professor of History at the University is the author of over 100 books. His latest, ‘The City on the Hill: A Life of the University of Exeter’ is an accessible and candid look at the University and the people who have shaped it from the 1950s when the Royal Charter was granted (see page 18) to the present day.

Drawing on interviews with former students and staff as well as the University archives, the 320 page book charts the huge changes the University has undergone but according to Jeremy, its student-centred approach and its sense of ambition – even in times of austerity – have been constants. In this edited extract of a longer chapter, Jeremy looks back to University life in the 1950s and the social and political context in which the University was granted its Royal Charter.

16

special feature

On the global scale, Churchill was Prime Minister when the year started. India had gained independence in 1947, but Britain was still a major imperial power. Imperial rule was regarded not as anachronistic, but as a progressive force designed to develop colonies and to bring them to independence in a commonwealth of nations that Britain would lead.

The University drew on these aspirations in the role it developed as an institution of imperial and post-imperial education. There were links with institutions, notably in Africa and the Middle East, and particular courses were developed accordingly. Students from the Empire and from former colonies could be found on the campus. So also with staff.

This imperial element was not an add-on to the University, but integral to its nature.

Jeremy Black has been Established Chair in History since1996. A graduate of Cambridge, he did research work at Oxford, before going to Durham, eventually as Professor.

At Exeter, he has served on Council, Senate and Finance Committee. The most prolific historian in the country, his books include: Maps and History Why Wars Happen History of the British Isles Rethinking Military History

“

Charter.

We’re There!

Pubs recurred in other accounts, Ian Gordon (1957-63) recalling “Saturday evenings were spent in pubs in and around Exeter.

The White Hart (South Street), The Black Horse (Longbrook Street), The Tally-Ho, Ide”. Kenneth Minogue, who taught Politics in 1955/6, before going on to a distinguished career at the LSE, noted: “Merrydown cider was the widespread drink of choice, and known daringly as ‘babymaker’.” In turn, Brian Smith (Economics and Public Administration, BA and MA, 1956-61) noted that many students went to the ‘Saturday night hop’ in Washington Singer where they danced to records.

Headline in the South Westerner [student newspaper], 29 October 1955.

Applications shot up once university status was achieved, the prospectus had to be reprinted twice, and the number of students rose. 454 students accepted offers of places for 1956, and 522 in 1957. The pressure from government was for greater expansion in student numbers. This led to pressure to move forward the building programme, pressure that could readily be met from the University’s large campus. The Arts Building, on which work began in 1956, was opened in 1958: the Queen, who had laid the foundation stone, approved the name Queen’s Building. The re-phasing of building projects started, with Duryard I and II (halls of residence) planned for 1960, Chemistry and a lecture room block in 1961, Physics in 1962 and a hall of residence in 1963.

‘There couldn’t be a more definitive history of the University of Exeter.’

Sir Tony Robinson.

The City on t

A Life of the University of Exeter

The City on the Hill

He has served eight years on the Council of the Royal Historical Society.

Margaret Eley (née Helman) focused on her pleasure in moving from digs in Whipton to “a coveted place in hall – Birks Grange. This gracious residence was home to just twenty young women, gently but firmly overseen by the Warden... Living there was almost like being in a private hotel. Quiet women in green aprons were always around, cooking and cleaning to ensure that the domestic arrangements ran smoothly”.

A Life of the University

Jeremy Black

The first Senate meeting of the new University was held on 2 November 1955. A gathering of professors, its business included the consideration of the Ceremonials Committee, which recommended that students should wear academical dress [gowns] at lectures, classes and tutorials, in Chapel and when visiting members of the academic staff officially, but not in the laboratories.

For the student perspective on life at Exeter, Peter Goodfellow (English 1957), the first in his family to go to university noted: “Living at Crossmead was so cosy. All my meals were provided... I had a named laundry bag and all dirty clothes were left once a week at the bottom of the stairs and returned days later, clean. The only cooking I learned to do was to make a cup of tea or coffee”.

The general theme, as expected certainly by the parents of female students, was one of control, as in the decision to allow the Guild [Student Union] to sell alcohol at the Pavilion twice-weekly from 5pm to 7pm provided adequate arrangements for supervision were made. There were no such concessions on the question of the entertainment of guests of the opposite sex in student rooms. It was not until December 1958 that Senate agreed visiting hours of 7-10pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, as well as 2-5pm on Sundays, and then provided notice was given beforehand to the Warden. ‘Serious misbehaviour’ between men and women led to expulsion.

“

T

he move from the University College of the South West to the University of Exeter reflected long-held institutional and regional aspirations. It was also located in a specific historical moment. The foundation of the University was an aspect of the ‘New Elizabethan Age’, the period of optimistic hopes about a modernising Britain building on the best of the past to help grasp the potential of the future. Patriotism remained strong.

The graduation ceremony held in Exeter on 8 October 1955 ended with the National Anthem.

I

n 1955 the former University College of the So granted a royal charter and became the Univers Its development over the subsequent six decad of this book. This is the history of an institution community, a focus of teaching and research set w environment but also part of a wider world.

The author has drawn on a range of source material to personal recollections of staff and stude present, to record and analyse the story of the uni with the need to expand and evolve, while respond financial and political pressures. The result is a com of this unique ‘city on the hill’.

The City on the Hill A Life of the University of Exeter

Front cover: A detail of Alexander Beleschenko’s architectural glass forms the artistic centrepiece of the Forum on the Streatham Campu concertina spiral design produces dynamic colour swirls of movemen the North and South glass entrances and at the University Reception.

Back cover: The finial of the University of Exeter’s ceremonial mace.

Right: The crown of the University of Exeter’s ceremonial mace.

Back flap: A detail of Alexander Beleschenko’s architectural glass artwork.

Spine – top: Northcote House, the University of Exeter.

Spine – bottom: A detail of Alexander Beleschenko’s architectural glass artwork.

This is a ‘not for profit’ publication.

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

OF EXETER

Jeremy Black

We are delighted to offer Exeter alumni a 10% discount on orders placed before 30 November 2015 of ‘The City on the Hill: A Life of the University of Exeter’. To buy your copy, visit www.exeter.ac.uk/diamondjubilee and quote alumnioffer. exeter.ac.uk/alumni

17

FROM THE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

The

Royal Charter

18

special feature

T

hough tracing its origins to schools and colleges established in the 19th century, it was in 1955 that the welcome news of the granting of a royal charter confirmed the foundation of the University of Exeter.

A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch, granting a right or power to an individual or body. The British monarchy has issued over 980 royal charters since the first was granted in 1066. Of these about 750 remain in existence today. They include universities; cities; the Bank of England; the BBC; theatres such as the Royal Opera House; societies, such as the Royal Society, Livery Companies; professional institutions and charities.

On a visit to Exeter in May 1956, the Queen unveiled the foundation stone of the Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Building and presented the University with its Royal Charter. The original Royal Charter (pictured) is now held in the University archives. It is on vellum, as is tradition, with a pendent seal.

exeter.ac.uk/alumni

19

MY EXETER, YOUR EXETER O

ur graduates are found all over the world and many make the trip back to campus to visit familiar haunts and see what has changed. We caught up with three alumni during the recent French reunion on the Streatham Campus to hear about their memories and what they think about the University today.

What was your first impression of the University as a student?

20

What was life like as a student?

Poppy: Driving up Streatham Drive on move-in day in the sunshine I was amazed... with the building I later learnt to be Washington Singer, the gardens, Reed Hall and its pond...it all felt like a film set. I’m still in awe of the beautiful campus to this day.

Everyone was so friendly – both staff and students – that I felt instantly reassured. I always found the University, and the town, so wonderfully welcoming.

Bernie: We were still in rationing when I came in 1951. In the High Street there was a branch of Joe Lyons, a greasy spoon cafeteria and apart from the hall food there was nothing much else. As time went on Marks and Spencer opened on the High Street and upstairs they had a cafeteria where you could buy the first ever cappuccinos for 7d (7 old pence) and a frankfurter for another 7d – that was luxury, we used to go there for elevenses.

Barbara: My first impression was: ‘What a lovely setting! What a ‘cosy’ campus! Redbrick, throughout.

We used to have Saturday evening ‘hops’, informal dances in the Washington Singer block with local bands.

Bernie: I arrived on a sunny October day and had to get a cab up to Kilmorie. I’d been offered the choice of halls of residence and I didn’t know one from the other. One of my school masters was from Exeter and I said ‘Where did you go Sir?’ and he said Kilmorie, so I went there.

Barbara: Academic life at the University in the 1960s was an extension of school, in many ways. The syllabus offered little choice and we were expected to attend lectures, prepare tutorials, and sit exams, which we did! The language departments sent us abroad and when we returned for our final year, and finals, we had lost most of our friends, who had graduated the year before us, of course.

Poppy: With a language degree, and particularly with learning Arabic and Persian ab initio, I had a lot of contact hours and lots of homework! It was intense, but very rewarding... I enjoyed studying French with which I was far more familiar! The teachers were all superb. My year abroad in Syria in my second year, studying at the University of Damascus, was an amazing experience tough to begin with, but unforgettable!

What is your impression of Exeter today?

Barbara: I’m really impressed by the new buildings and the opportunities today’s students have: to keep fit, to socialise, to study.

The campus is bustling – there are hundreds of students, coming and going, busy or relaxing, in every nook and cranny. It appears to be so much more ‘international’ than it was, when I was a student. Then, the language departments sent students ‘abroad.’ Now students from all over the world come to study at Exeter.

special feature

From left to right: Poppy Mason Taylor (French and Arabic 2013) Bernie Sluman (French 1954) Barbara Schudel (née Simpson) (French and German 1968)

Bernie: I’ve been down here almost every year since and seen the place grow. I think it’s brilliant. I can’t imagine how people get to know one another with 20,000 fellow students – it’s a bit different to the 900 who were here in my day.

Poppy: It goes to show how much I loved Exeter that I was so eager to return so soon. I was lucky in that throughout my time at Exeter, I was able to witness the changes in the heart of campus – before the Forum was built in my first year, then to see the finished project in my final year. Being back there recently, I was very impressed with the Russell Seal Fitness Centre and the updates to the Guild space in Devonshire House. I look forward to seeing the completion of the Living Systems building in 2016!

What difference did coming to Exeter make to your life?

Poppy: My four years at Exeter were truly the best years ever! I made friends for life, worked hard, and had lots of fun. It prepared me well for life after graduation, and I am now happily living and working in Paris. Exeter will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Bernie: I do feel that the University (or College, as it was) nurtured in me the deep feeling for French language and culture that, over the years, enabled me to become closely involved with both, particularly in the political sphere.

Barbara: Returning to Exeter was an eye-opener, but also a very heart-warming experience. I’d had mixed feelings about returning to ‘the past’ – it does make you think about the choices you had, the decisions you made – but I am in no way disappointed.

exeter.ac.uk/alumni

21

Floella Farewell

A

fter 10 fantastic years as University of Exeter Chancellor, Winter Graduation 2016 in the University’s Diamond Jubilee year will be the last to be presided over by Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE DL, Hon DLitt (Exeter).

Floella attends every graduation ceremony, a personal touch that has ensured her a special place in the hearts and memories of thousands of our alumni. We caught up with her to hear her memories and to share the good wishes that have poured in from alumni worldwide.

DEGREE CEREMONIES ATTENDED

22

HUGS GIVEN TO

GRADUATING STUDENTS

ALUMNI AND STUDENTS REACHED WITH NEWS OF FLOELLA’S DEPARTURE

feature

What has been your highlight as Chancellor of the University?

There have been many wonderful moments over the last 10 years. One of the most precious was having my beloved late mother seeing me installed as Chancellor. It was an emotional time for me as she completely dedicated her life to her six children and told us every day “Education is your passport to life.” Another thrilling and memorable occasion was when Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip came to open the Forum in 2012 during Her Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. As the host of the day, I got the opportunity to discuss life and exchange thoughts and ideas with Her Majesty over lunch. It was a truly unforgettable experience, conversing with the woman I had learnt about as a little girl back in Trinidad. I will always treasure the hours I spent with her. I only wish my mother had been alive to witness that historic moment.

All our alumni remember what you said to them at graduation – do you have any particularly memorable moments?

I think the funniest moment was at the beginning of my time as Chancellor. I had decided to embrace the graduates as individuals in my own special way.

So as usual I was hugging each one as they came across the stage, when a 6’ 6” young man strode towards me, arms outstretched. I thought “this one’s easy, he knows how to hug!” Seconds later I felt myself being lifted off the ground and spun round and round. My hat and gown fell off and my microphone crashed to the floor! “I love you, I love you Chancellor” he said as he gently put me down. When I had finally recovered my composure I turned to the audience and said, “Let that be the last time the Chancellor is swept off her feet!” I did have someone bend down and kiss my feet on another occasion. But one of the most touching moments was meeting a gentleman in his late 80s who had always wanted to study for a degree. It just goes to show it’s never too late to learn.

You will be sorely missed at the University – what will you miss most about your role?

I have never missed a summer graduation and I always promised that if I did one ceremony I would do them all. Now because of the success of the University it means there will inevitably be more ceremonies added and it would be almost impossible for one person to take on any more. So it’s with a heavy heart that I am stepping down as it’s not in my nature to pick and choose ceremonies. The thing I love most during the ceremonies is the wonderful spiritual and emotional feeling I get as I embrace every student. One year I received a note from a graduate who told me her mother had never loved her and always told her she was stupid. But when I hugged her, my arms were the arms of the mother she had longed for. I wept when I received that letter.

Each time I greet a graduate, I feel as if I am meeting future leaders, innovators and world changers. They all promise to change the world and many keep in touch with me to let me know they are doing just that.

What’s next for you?

Every decade my life changes and I never know what’s coming or what each glorious stage will bring. From the time I arrived in Britain as a 10 year old, life changing experiences have happened to me – good and bad. But they have all made me stronger than ever. I now stand in Parliament where 500 years ago the fate of my ancestors was decided. So I am looking forward to my next challenge and that ‘Who would have thought’ moment!

So keep watching!

YOUR MESSAGES I will always remember my PhD graduation ceremony and your vibrancy coupled with your supportive words on that occasion.

You have been an excellent ambassador for the University and I thank you, wishing all the best for the future.

Anthony Baker (PhD Politics 2010)

She’s such an inspiration. I was so proud to receive my graduation certificate from her nine years ago - there was something quite poetic about how I’d learned from her as a child while watching Play School and was then in a position to meet her in person all those years later as I completed my degree.

Beth Knight (BA History 2006)

The University wishes to extend its heartfelt thanks and gratitude for the incredible support Floella has provided to students, their families and the University.

She is a remarkable person.

Sarah Turvill (LLB Law 1975), Chair of Council, Governing Body of the University of Exeter

I remember receiving my degree from Floella in 2006. I remember her gigantic smile and leaving the stage feeling a million dollars.

Pete Jackson (BSc Psychology 2006)

This is just a sample of the messages we’ve received for Floella. See more online at https://storify.com/uniofexeter/ floella-benjamin

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A DECADE CREATING CONSERVATION LEADERS IN CORNWALL

10 years since the launch of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation (CEC) at the University’s Penryn Campus, we talk to staff, students and alumni about the Centre’s impact and how its Cornwall home makes for a unique community.

“

When a student tells you that the course was the best two weeks of their life, you know you’re delivering an education people value.

“

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‘‘I

t’s a community here. One that’s united by a passion for biodiversity,” says Professor Brendan Godley, Director of CEC. “Our students focus on plants and animals, ecosystems and the problems they face. Our approach of focusing on whole organisms makes us distinctive and our degrees definitely speak to our students – they choose the courses because they’re impassioned about biodiversity.”

What started in 2004 with a small group of staff and a dozen students on one degree programme is now the biggest research and teaching unit on the Penryn Campus with 500 undergraduate students, 155 postgraduate students and 11 courses.

Despite this growth, the Centre has kept its essence, and being located in Cornwall is clearly significant.

“There’s a link between the attributes and aspirations of someone who wants to do the kind of course we do and who wants to be here, near the sea and nature. It’s a living laboratory and the outdoors is a professional training ground.” says Brendan.

And the outdoor classroom isn’t confined to Cornwall. Every January students and staff from the Centre head overseas for Field Course Fortnight, a two-week long expedition extravaganza. This year, 290 students and 27 academics travelled to five different countries on four continents to experience wildlife and cultures from around the world. Blogs, videos and photos of rare and exciting species were posted online, creating a social media storm of students and staff sharing their news from abroad.

“When a student tells you that the course was the best two weeks of their life, you know you’re delivering an education people value.” Brendan says.

feature Brendan Godley

Joanna Alfaro Shigueto

Tim van Berkel

Student societies thrive in Penryn – EcoSoc represents the biggest student body on campus. While WildDocSoc, a wildlife film making society, impressed TV wildlife presenter and Honorary Graduate Steve Backshall on his recent visit to the campus.

“Doing stuff through societies is employability that you can’t embed into a degree – it’s about the environment where all that breeds.“ says Brendan. “I’m very proud of how vocational and highly motivated our students are. It might seem like a sector with limited opportunities but we’ve proved that’s not the case. Students go into NGOs both in the UK and overseas, some into government, or ecological consultancy, some go on to further study, some are self-starters who’ve set up their own ecological enterprises.”

Having taught herself Biology A level so she could get into university, Roz Evans graduated in 2014 with a First (and a Dean’s Commendation) in Conservation Biology and Ecology. During her time at Penryn, Roz founded and edited Life, a magazine which is now produced annually by students. Since graduating, she has launched a popularscience magazine called Biosphere which aims to bring the latest discoveries from wildlife and the natural world to life. “Seeing and inspiring a connection with nature in others is what I’m passionate about so creating Biosphere really has felt like the right thing for me,” she says.

Alumnus Tim van Berkel (MSc Conservation and Biodiversity 2009) has set up The Cornish Seaweed Company, providing local, edible seaweeds. He is also Scientific Director of NGO, Beyond Conservation.

He says, “University got me where I am now. It’s where I met my business partner in the Cornish Seaweed Company, and the NGO I set up was born out of a University expedition. The friendships I forged, the lessons I learnt, it all fuelled my drive to do something different with my life.”

Enoch Mobisa Ontiri (MSc Biodiversity and Conservation 2010) now works as a research analyst with the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya, alongside doing a PhD at the University of Nairobi. “The University brought together a group of students from all over the world which made for a rich diversity of knowledge and experience. I’m immensely proud to be working at the interface of biodiversity and human livelihoods, especially in the developing world,” he says.

Joanna Alfaro Shigueto graduated in 2012, with a PhD in Biological Sciences. She now leads the aquatic conservation NGO, ProDelphinus in Peru. Its projects address issues such as the unintentional capture of sea turtles in fishing nets. The network she met at Exeter provides ongoing support:

“I feel genuinely lucky to have friends and colleagues all over that I can contact when I need advice. They are part of a large web of conservationists that live in my head, and my inbox, on a daily basis,” she says.

The Centre’s alumni have blazed a trail and shown current students what’s possible.

Max Ryan is a student on the MSc Biodiversity and Conservation course.

“After graduation, ideally I’d work for a government wildlife organisation, but a university or NGO are also options. I feel like there are many different directions I could head,” he says.

So what will the next 10 years bring for CEC, its students and alumni?

“We have new degrees launching in Human Sciences and Marine Biology and our research is going from strength to strength, so the next 10 years will build further on our international reputation and continue attracting students who want to make a positive difference in the world,” Brendan says. “As for our alumni, they’ll keep doing what they’re doing: using their passion for biodiversity and conservation to help wherever in the world that help is needed.”

Find out more about the Centre at: www.exeter.ac.uk/biosciences/cec Find out more about Field Course Fortnight at: blogs.exeter.ac.uk/fieldcourses

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From mental healthcare to water systems to climate change to dementia, Exeter researchers are tackling some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most pressing issues.

Global Conversation is a new international event series showcasing this research in cities around the world.

From Europe to Asia to North America, we are opening up discussion and debate and working with our international partners to tackle some of the most important issues of our time.

Global Conversation visited Paris in June 2015.

Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the first exoplanet, the conversation focused on the search for Earth-twins.

Join the conversation on Twitter: @uoeglobalconvo

IMAGE: P PANDORA MOND, LEVERHULME ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, ASTROPHYSICS DEPARTMENT

All Global Conversation events are open to University of Exeter alumni and friends. For further information on future Global Conversations visit: www.exeter.ac.uk/globalconversation

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feature

Isabelle Baraffe

NEW SCIENCE EXOPLANETS AND THE SEARCH FOR EARTH-TWINS

A

team of scientists from Exeter is involved in an international effort to search for planets outside our solar system which resemble Earth.

We spoke to Professor Isabelle Baraffe to find out more.

Could one of the most fundamental unanswered questions – are we alone in the Universe – be answered by a combination of cutting-edge technology and trailblazing research? Professor Isabelle Baraffe, leader of Exeter’s Astrophysics team thinks so. While humans have been studying the stars since the earliest recorded civilisations, today, thanks to the rapid pace of technological change, scientists can study stars and planets thousands of light years away.

The study of planets outside our solar system or exoplanets has expanded particularly rapidly. Since the discovery of the first genuine exoplanet orbiting a solar type star in 1995, astronomers have confirmed nearly 2,000 more with evidence suggesting many stars host multiple planets, just like our own solar system. Exeter’s Astrophysics department is at the forefront of this research.

Isabelle explains that there is special interest in ‘twins’ of our Earth – planets the same size as ours, orbiting other Sun-like stars and at a distance which allows the formation of liquid water. The discovery of Earth-twins may provide the best targets for the search for extra-terrestrial life and will guide the development of the telescopes of the future which are central to the search.

“The discovery of exoplanets changed the way we look at everything. It used to be that our whole understanding of our solar system and how planets are formed was based on just one point of reference – what we could see in our own solar system. Now we can see a much bigger picture that is helping us to understand things much better including the formation of planets in our own solar system,” she says.

“The holy grail is the search for biosignatures – anything that provides scientific evidence of life. We don’t have the technology yet but it will come. We are developing the instruments of the future to look for extra-terrestrial life. It’s probably very primitive life but there is no reason to think it’s not out there.”

An important step in this quest is the development of ‘The Terra Hunting Experiment’. The brainchild of Professor Didier Queloz from The University of Cambridge, it is an instrument to aid the search for a twin earth. Exeter is part of an international partnership with The University of Cambridge, Uppsala in Sweden, IAC in Tenerife, Leiden in the Netherlands, and the Geneva Observatory where the first exoplanet was discovered, which is behind the development of the instrument. It will be mounted in a telescope in La Palma in the

Canary Islands and should be in use by 2018, surveying about 40 stellar targets over 10 years to look for the presence of Earth-like planets.

A key area of research Isabelle and her colleagues are leading, is discovering more about the atmospheric properties of extrasolar planets, working with the Met Office who are based in Exeter to use their weather prediction tool.

The team is using the world-class climate knowledge of the Met Office through their Unified Model – one of the most sophisticated atmospheric models in the world. By adapting this model, they can better understand the properties of exoplanet atmospheres and build a better picture of those which could harbour life.

“Everything we learn about other planets helps to tell us more about our own planet.” Isabelle says.

“I love my work and the research I am doing really inspires me. Sometimes it might appear I’m working on complex and indigestible physics equations but I know that equation could lead to something really important. The potential to find any form of life beyond Earth is incredibly inspiring and exciting.”

Find out more at www.exeter.ac.uk/ astrophysics

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1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s 28

lifestyle

1990s

2000s

2010s

EXETER LIFE...

Student life through the decades.

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*in July 2014

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DIAGNOSING AND TREATING DISEASES

A NEW INSTITUTE A NEW APPROACH As construction of the Living Systems Institute (LSI) building continues apace, Russell Luscombe talks to the lead scientist behind the Institute about its potential impact and how it builds on a strong tradition of scientific research at Exeter.

I

t is Summer 2015 and to the untrained eye the Living Systems Institute on the University’s Streatham Campus is still a building site swarming with hard hats and high visibility jackets. But those close to the development can see the progress: the building is taking shape and ‘topping out’ whilst behind the scenes a team is finalising detailed plans, from the equipment needed in the labs to recruiting the world-leading scientists who will make the building their home.

The LSI’s aim is to revolutionise our understanding of diseases and how they can be better diagnosed by applying techniques from engineering and physics, effectively making biology a predictive science. It will tackle some of the most severe diseases facing humanity today, from chronic neurodegenerative diseases to the animal and plant diseases that threaten global food security.

Professor Nick Talbot FRS, Deputy ViceChancellor (Research and Impact), is leading the establishment of the LSI, so how would he explain its significance?

“The Living Systems Institute marks an important milestone in the history of the University. In 2008, we embarked on an ambitious science strategy which kickstarted serious, large scale, inter-disciplinary research, with new staff, new infrastructure and new capabilities,” Nick says.

“The Living Systems Institute has grown from that and will develop a completely new means of looking at biological problems.

It will take a holistic view of how cells, tissues and whole organisms operate and, importantly, what happens to them when they succumb to diseases.”

Much of Exeter’s current success in science is built on early foundations. Professor John Webster, for example, founding Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Exeter, was a great inspiration. A world-renowned fungal biologist who passed away last December, Professor Webster was twice President of the British Mycological Society (1969 and 1996) and organised the very first International Mycological Congress, which took place at Exeter in 1971.

“John Webster was interested in fungal physiology and developing a holistic understanding of how fungal cells operated.

He worked in an era when it was harder to apply genetics, molecular biology and cell biology in the integrated manner that will thrive within the LSI, but I think he would have approved of it,” says Nick.

Professor Webster was also a good friend of the late, long-term University of Exeter supporter, Philip Booth. Philip wanted his generous legacy gift to the University to support “Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Biological Science” so it is fitting that it is being used to support the development of the LSI building which brings all these disciplines together to a common purpose. The LSI has also benefited from a generous legacy of £881,000 from Carlota Palmer, a Devon resident who had never gone to university

herself but believed in the power of higher education and wanted to support able graduates in mathematics and in sciences to go on to further study. Carlota’s legacy will support PhD scholarships at the LSI. “Donors supporting the LSI will help the University of Exeter to make a significant step-change in the advancement of diseaserelated research. They are making a real difference and their generosity will impact greatly on the science that we can do in the LSI,” Nick explains.

“The Institute will build on our significant established research strengths, and unlock opportunities such as understanding how microbes cause disease and how mathematical models could unveil hidden patterns in clinical data. It’s a truly interdisciplinary endeavour which will involve clinical research scientists with engineers, physicists, mathematicians, cell biologists, molecular geneticists and a whole string of other disciplines.

The LSI is an exciting venture for all of us at Exeter and we believe it will lead to better diagnosis and treatment of disease in the future.”

The University has received generous support for the LSI from the Wolfson Foundation (£2 million) and the Garfield Weston Foundation (£500,000).

Find out more at: www.exeter.ac.uk/ livingsystems

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RISING STARS IN THE ARTS B

reaking into the creative industries is undeniably tough and success rarely happens overnight: hard work, talent and the magic ingredient – an element of luck – all have a role to play. We spoke to recent alumni whose studies at Exeter set them on a path towards a creative career and discover how they got to where they are today, and what’s next.

THE PLAYWRIGHT It’s a big year for Alice Birch. One of her plays ‘We Want You to Watch’ is at the National Theatre, another, ‘Little Light’, is at the Orange Tree Theatre and most life-changing of all, she has just given birth to her first child. Since she came to attention in 2011 with her play ‘Many Moons’, she’s been one to watch.

But for many people she really arrived in 2014 with ‘Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again’. It earned her the George Devine

THE POLYMATH A modern-day Renaissance man, Robert is a writer, games designer and musician from London. He is the creator of ‘The Black Crown Project’, a web-based epic published by Random House, ‘The Spare Set’, a choose-your-own-adventure game about the housing crisis for the charity Shelter UK, and as Interactive

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Alice Birch (English 2009)

award for Most Promising Playwright (previous winners include Mike Leigh and Hanif Kureishi).

“With playwriting your job isn’t finished when you stop writing. You need someone else to come along and have faith in the work and put it on stage so that you can keep crafting and learning. Reaching that point felt like a huge achievement.

The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is to be patient. Which is the most frustrating thing to hear at the start when you’re

working two other jobs and writing in the middle of the night and it feels like you’re getting nowhere. But having it all happen immediately isn’t necessarily a good thing.

It’s a craft. Work on it. Be better. You’ll be much better equipped by the time it becomes your job.

It’s a busy year ahead: the play at the National opens, I have a children’s play touring with Pentabus and my first feature film starts shooting.”

Robert Sherman (BA English 2009; MA Creative Writing 2010) Writer-in-Residence at the British Library, produced a suite of works, both physical and digital. He also plays music, makes art, and writes for theatre, short stories, and children’s literature.

“The skewed sense that nothing you do is quite good enough is probably the most destructive thing to anybody making things for a living, and I’m always trying to find ways of minimising it.

If somebody wants you to draw or write or compose or design something for them, then you are good enough to be confident. Never undersell yourself.

A PhD on literary artificial intelligence is on the cards and there’s a children’s book to write, and work on the project I began at the British Library…”

feature

THE COMPOSER Hannah’s contemporary classical music has been performed by some of the UK’s finest orchestras in iconic venues including Royal Festival Hall, Royal Opera House and St Paul’s Cathedral alongside regular broadcasts on BBC Radio. Born in London, Hannah graduated from Exeter with First Class Honours before gaining a Masters in Advanced Composition with Distinction from the Royal College of Music. She works part-time as Director at London Music Masters, a charity enabling

Hannah Kendall (Music 2005) opportunity, diversity and excellence in classical music. In March 2015 Hannah featured on BBC Radio 3’s Composer of the Week. Her one-woman chamber opera ‘The Knife of Dawn’ premieres in October 2016.

“Be entrepreneurial! There’s no guarantee that huge and high-profile commissions will fall into your lap. Go out there, really find out how the industry works and create the opportunities for yourself.

I’ve been wanting to write a one-woman opera for a singer of African/Caribbean

THE FILM MAKER A Director of Photography working in drama, documentaries and commercials, Adam’s work has been selected for the London Short Film Festival 2014 and Toronto International Film Festival 2015. He’s worked on film and TV projects including the latest Jack

Baritone Peter Brathwaite will give the premiere performances in October 2016 at a major London venue. I’m not allowed to tell you where yet!

I’m really passionate about this project because it not only draws on my own heritage, it also reflects on political, cultural and racial issues still very relevant today.”

Adam Singodia (Film Studies: Cinema and Practice 2010)

Bauer series ‘24: Live Another Day’, balancing this with commercial work for major brands around the world.

“When the first TV commercial I shot was broadcast, I felt like I’d finally become a professional!

Going freelance pushed me to take responsibility. I’m so glad I took the risk

THE THEATRE MAKERS Critical Ambition Theatre Company was born when Tom and Dan directed and performed in countless fringe productions as students at Exeter. They have a wide range of influences “from Sophocles right through to Punchdrunk”.

Now they have graduated, it’s become a ‘real’ company: they have toured their first show and based themselves in South Wales. As former members of the West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company, they

descent for ages, and didn’t want to hang around for someone to ask me to write it, so I’m producing it myself, it’s going really well.

follow in the footsteps of Michael Sheen and Russell T. Davies.

“Getting a nomination at the Welsh Theatre Arts 2015 for ‘The Man’, our first project out of university that we produced ourselves, was a proud moment.

Dan: It was unlike anything I had directed previously. It required me to be stage manager, props maker and designer – It was tough, but by God I am proud of what we achieved.

– it gives me control over the work I do.

It’s easy to stay in a bubble where you feel comfortable but the best experiences I’ve had tested my experience and nerve.

I’ve got high hopes for ‘Dying Laughing’, a documentary I recently shot on some of the most renowned comedians of our time.”

Tom Myles and Dan Jones (Drama 2014) Tom: It’s a one-man play. As the lone actor on stage I had to hold the audience’s attention for a full 90 minutes.

Tom: It’s a case of constantly putting yourself out there, and actually doing stuff. If opportunities don’t seem to be out there: make them.

Dan: Keep busy. Say yes, and if there’s no work around, make it yourself.”

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sport

<<

AHEAD OF THE GAME

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<<

With over five million ticket applications, the Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2015 looks set to be the best attended and most viewed Rugby World Cup ever. Exeter is one of 11 host cities with three games taking place at Sandy Park, the home of Exeter Chiefs, and the University is hosting Tonga as a team base during the tournament.

H

ow does it feel to be responsible for the management and planning of one of the world’s most high profile sporting events? We spoke to Alan Gilpin (Law 1994) Head of Rugby World Cup, to find out.

For a man with the weight of a world cup on his shoulders, Alan Gilpin seems very relaxed when we speak. Anyone who watched Hugh Bonneville as Ian Fletcher in Twenty Twelve, the BBC’s mockumentary series about the organisation of the 2012 Olympics, will have a sense of the sheer number of potential pitfalls with transport, logistics, ticketing, sponsors, players and VIPs involved in overseeing a sporting event of this scale. So how does Alan keep his head?

“It can be stressful but I’ve been around the event for a long time so that helps – and I work with a great team of people.” Alan says. “We have to be ready for anything so we do a lot of scenario planning. Inevitably there will be challenges on the field and off, but we’re prepared for them.”

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sport

SPORTS ROUNDUP This has been another incredibly successful year for sport at the University.

As well as a passion for sport, Alan has a background in Commercial Law which he feels is an excellent grounding for a career in the sports industry. “Everything is about rights and contract negotiations – broadcasting, sponsorship, host venues,” he says. He started working on RWC back in 2003. “I’ve grown with it and now to be hosting a tournament in the UK which will be the biggest and best ever is very exciting.”

Exeter – both the city and the University – has form where rugby is concerned so it’s fitting that Sandy Park stadium (home to Premiership team Exeter Chiefs) hosts three RWC matches and that the University is home to the Tonga team during the tournament.

“I was blown away by the sports facilities at the University when I visited recently. I spend a lot of time in great sports facilities all over the world and Exeter’s are worldclass. It’s why Exeter is doing so well in the university sports league – the investment into sport is clear to see and it makes me really proud as an alumnus.” Says Alan.

The University has proved itself a breeding ground for rugby at the highest level in both the men’s and women’s game. Former Exeter Sports Scholar Amber Reed (Sport and Exercise Sciences 2013) was part of the England team who became Rugby World Cup champions in Paris in 2014.

“Paris really put women’s rugby on the map and lots of countries are interested in hosting the next tournament as a result.

RWC PREDICTED TO GENERATE UP TO

£2.2 BILLION

OF OUTPUT INTO UK ECONOMY

£17 MILLION

WILL BE ADDED TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY

The challenge is to make sure the hosts are prepared for the spike in interest in the sport that happens as a result. When women turn up to clubs to play we need to make sure that they can – we have to plan the legacy – it can’t be an afterthought.”

Alan says.

So what is he looking forward to about a Rugby World Cup in England? “The potential to reach new fans for the sport the world over is really exciting. The explosion in social media over the last few years means that there are more opportunities than ever before for people to watch the action and feel involved this time. It’ll be interesting to see newer teams like Uruguay take on the more established sides – I’ll be watching them with interest. Aside from that, I’m hoping for reasonable weather and a competitive England – when the host nation performs well it lifts everything.”

Another highlight of the tournament Alan mentions is the role volunteers from all walks of life play in the proceedings. There were over 20,000 applications to volunteer at Rugby World Cup 2015 and of these 6,000 were selected to make up The Pack.

“The Pack are absolutely vital to showing the world that we can put on a good welcome. Their enthusiasm for the sport and their pride in where they’re from is what makes the difference and helps us deliver an experience that’s truly memorable. It’s heartening to hear that many Exeter students and alumni are volunteering for The Pack and I’d like to thank every single one of them – they’re what makes the game great.”

41,000 JOBS TO BE SUPPORTED AROUND THE COUNTRY

6,000

VOLUNTEERS IN THE PACK

We finished the season ranked 6th of 151 institutions in the overall BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport, formerly BUSA and UAU) table.

We are again first nationally for Rugby Union and Golf while in Cricket and Hockey we finished the season ranked 2nd.

In excess of £20 million has been invested in recent years to create a truly world-class sports offering.

We encourage our students to lead an active lifestyle and this year our 50 sports clubs had a combined membership of 7,294 and in excess of 3,000 students competed in friendly competition through our Intramural Sport programme. Both are record participation rates. Our students also have a positive impact in the local community through sport, with our Sports Volunteering Scheme providing student coaches to local schools.

In July the tenth annual Alumni Golf Day took place at St George’s Hill Golf Club in Surrey. Founders of the Exeter University Alumni Golf Society (EUAGS), Rod Alexander (History 1971) and John Gilbert (Economics 1972) have developed a programme of Golf enjoyed by alumni of all ages.

The Alumni Golf Day raises funds to support student sport and a special 10-year anniversary appeal this year funded a state-of-the-art performance analysis facility for use by athletes and teams. As a token of the University’s appreciation, this new facility was named the Alumni Golf Society Performance Analysis Suite.

EXETER IS THE

NO.1 RANKED UNIVERSITY FOR RUGBY IN THE UK

3 MATCHES

AT EXETER’S SANDY PARK

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HARD AS

Kieran Miyamoto talks to Arctic explorer Ann Daniels

M

alnutrition, hypothermia, sensory deprivation, frostbite, deadly polar bears… not everyone grows up wanting to become an Arctic explorer.

Honorary Graduate Ann Daniels certainly didn’t: her career as polar explorer started spontaneously in her thirties. Now she is a world-record breaker having been part of the first all-women’s team to trek to both poles as well as eight other Arctic expeditions totalling more than a thousand miles on the ice.

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When we caught up Ann had just been guest of honour at the Excellence in Exeter awards held at the University, celebrating the achievements of school pupils from around Exeter.

“Education means a lot to me,” says Ann, “It was my maths teacher who made me realise what I could achieve with determination.” If there’s one word that describes Ann, it’s determination. She is a celebrated polar explorer now, but her achievements had humble beginnings.

“My husband spotted a newspaper advert for the first ever all–women’s expedition to the North Pole,” Ann explains. “I was a mother at home with baby triplets and no job – it was very much a chance opportunity, I was never really brought up with the thought of exploring.” While many people in their thirties might consider holding back – especially with baby triplets at home – Ann went ahead and signed up, “To me the achievement was applying and just going down for a weekend away,” she says. “It was my chance to get away from the house.” Little did she know how unprepared she was for that weekend.

Over 200 women turned up on Dartmoor to compete for a place on the polar relay in a gruelling expedition across the moors.

“I’d never had a rucksack on my back, never worn walking boots,” she says, “I didn’t know what I was doing and I was in an awful lot of pain – but at the end I suddenly thought, this is my opportunity to do something amazing, either I give it up or just go for it.”

“I went back home and put a plan in place, I had friends who taught me how to read a map, and I asked a local gym to sponsor me. While the babies slept in the afternoons I was on the patio doing circuits or on the second–hand rowing machine,” says Ann. After nine months she returned to Dartmoor for the second round – even more challenging than the first. “I went from not knowing anything to being able to lead a team,” says Ann, “It was that difference that got me onto the polar relay. I wouldn’t say I was better than anyone else, but I certainly stood out from the group as the woman who went from sobbing in the first hour and unable to read a map – to someone who can really perform.”

“It was on the first polar expedition where I fell in love with the Arctic,” Ann says. Now after more than a decade of experience with the ice, she knows it better than most. “I feel spiritually connected to it,” she says. “I have become so connected to nature and the spirit of the Arctic. It really is a living landscape, at the same time as it’s trying to kill you it’s also protecting you. It’s like a beast and has characteristics, sometimes it’s angry and horrible and sometimes it can make your days special.” Ann attempted a solo expedition to the North Pole in 2005 but was cut short due to diplomatic issues in Russia. “While the aim was getting to the North Pole, most of the expedition was about being with the Arctic and taking on its challenges,” she explains.

The Arctic can prove challenging in unexpected ways, “Your boots freeze so you have to bang your feet into them, you have to bandage your thermos flask so you don’t touch the metal.” All expeditions in the polar region require someone to hold a gun license to ward off polar bears, something Ann has experienced first– hand. “The most terrifying experience of my life was also the most precious,” she begins, touching the pendant hanging from her neck, an outline of a bear wrought in silver. “On the first day, after the plane had dropped me off, I saw four polar bears, a mother and three cubs, they came close to me but ran away once I shot the ice near their feet,” she recounts, “Then, on the seventh day, a male bear came up to my tent while I was getting ready. I couldn’t leave the tent so I shot the ice near his feet, but he just looked at the ground, and then at me, as if to say ‘is that it?’”

“I panicked. I had two fears, one – that he would kill me and two– that I would have to kill him. So I shot over his head, and thankfully he walked away – slowly and calmly, not like the mother and her cubs.”

“Over the next three days he tracked and followed me. He was aware of me and I was aware of him, in a way he was my companion,” Ann says. “After the third day there was no sign of him, but ever since then I’ve felt connected to that bear.”

Ann now lives in Devon but still looks forward to the chance to one day get back to the Arctic. “‘Normal’ life can be overwhelming sometimes, the phone goes, the emails come in; even now I find it difficult to manage,” Ann says. “There’s a part of me that’s always going to be in the Arctic.” www.anndaniels.com @AnnDanielsGB

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ASK...

Sajid Javid

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feature

A

lumnus, the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP became Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in May 2015. He was first elected Member of Parliament for Bromsgrove five years earlier, and his previous Cabinet role was Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Minister for Equalities. Sajid attended state schools before studying Economics and Politics at Exeter, graduating in 1991. He joined the Conservative Party in 1988.

Before public service, he was a senior Managing Director with Deutsche Bank AG, where he specialised in helping to raise investment in developing countries. He has been engaged in community work his entire adult life, including leading a charity expedition to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Sajid is married to Laura and they have four young children.

Here he answers questions suggested by alumni.

What is the most helpful lesson you have learnt since leaving university that has enabled you to become such a successful politician?

I understand you were very politically active as a student – what are your memories of that time in your life?

It’s very nice to be referred to as a successful politician! A number of factors after university helped me learn and develop as a person but the standout one is public speaking. In business, you get very used to making presentations and communicating complex ideas, it’s the same in politics – you have to make the case and you have to persuade people, from every walk of life, your plan is the right one, the one that’s going to work.

You must be able to tell people what you believe and why.

I remember when I was elected as the First Year Representative to the Guild of Students Council. It was the first time I fought for votes and convinced people to back me. I learnt valuable lessons then which I still use today.

What inspires you?

People inspire me. Travelling up and down the country, I’ve met people who make sacrifices to improve things for their communities, others use their skills and expertise to drive forward change and occasionally people talk to me about great ideas they’ve had. When I meet people with passion, drive and determination I feel humbled, it makes me work harder.

What keeps you awake at night?

I try not to dwell on negatives, so I won’t pretend that I lie awake worrying. I’m interested in solving problems and I focus on how I can make things better. I want to be ready in the morning to take on the challenges the world might want to throw at me.

How important is it to you to encourage students of all backgrounds to apply to university and give them the support they need while they are there?

This is very important – everyone with the necessary ambition and ability must have genuine access to higher education. There are now more disadvantaged students going to university than ever before. This is great news and this government looks forward to building on that success.

Do you see encouraging and funding university research as a priority so that we don’t fall behind other countries, particularly in science?

Definitely. Britain’s international reputation for research is first class and it’s essential that we continue to invest in it.

After all, world-leading research is what underpins our economic growth.

exeter.ac.uk/alumni

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feature Thanks to generous donations from our alumni, the Annual Fund supports an eclectic mix of student projects every year. Recent graduate Sophia Pudney (Biological Sciences 2013) found out more.

Being a student is about so much more than the course you are studying. In my time at Exeter, the societies I joined, the opportunities they gave me and the friends I made as a result were really important – helping me balance the demands of my studies.

That’s why the Annual Fund is so important. It supports student projects that wouldn’t otherwise happen. These are the kind of projects which improve students’ wellbeing and help them get involved with the wider world. The grants are small in scale but big in impact with upwards of 40 projects supported each year by grants totalling around £180,000. I’ve chosen two that stood out for me this year.

Helping vocalists go international

Women in Science

A cappella group Semi-Toned started out in 2010, the same year I started my degree. An offshoot of the A Cappella Society, they’ve really established themselves in the years since with awards for their ingenious song mash ups, originality and vocal skills plus performances at the Edinburgh Fringe, on BBC TV and radio.

How can we inspire the next generation of women in science?

This was the impetus for a special event and exhibition in Cornwall during British Science Week 2015. It’s a subject close to my heart as I studied science myself, and it’s one the University is passionate about too.

2015 has been their most successful year yet. After an outstanding performance in the Voice Festival UK which won them the title of overall University Champions 2015, they headed to the US East Coast on tour, made possible thanks to support from both the Annual Fund with an award of £5,000 and a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign which raised £4,490.

The 12 talented ensemble singers perform a variety of songs from Coldplay to Beethoven with a bit of Lady Gaga thrown in, which went down well with audiences in the US. In between performances in Boston, New York and Washington, Semi-Toned recorded their own single with a cappella specialist Liquid 5th Productions. They also got a great response from a group of Exeter alumni who got together to watch them perform in Boston. “They were terrific” said alumnus Howard Appleby.

“We got such an amazing response for our first ever tour which has only increased our excitement for future excursions. All the American audiences were super-friendly and it was a pleasure to perform,” said Semi-Toned’s Duncan Payne.

Semi-Toned met and learned from other university vocal groups during the tour such as The Unisons and Downbeats at Northeastern and Something Extra from Yale. Their time was perfectly summed up in their final tweet of the tour “We’re on board our flight back home USA, it has been an absolute blast!

We couldn’t have dreamt of a better first tour #STUSA2015.”

Featuring talks from Cornwall-based experts in a range of scientific fields and an interactive exhibition, Women in Science was an inspiration to all aspiring scientists, but particularly to schoolgirls who could see how many opportunities are available to them in the sciences.

Five accomplished female scientists gave inspiring lectures – Annette Broderick and Regan Early from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Frances Wall from Camborne School of Mines, Helen Smith from Renewable Energy, and Ruth Garside from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health.

Speakers included the MP for Truro and Falmouth Sarah Newton who said, “Encouraging more girls to study science, maths and technology at school and through into university and apprenticeships is really important. Our country needs more scientists and engineers and at the moment we are missing out on so much talent as too many girls don’t pursue their interest in these subjects. I hope the week’s activities will have inspired more girls and young women as well as their families to consider these areas of study and employment. We have world-class science on our doorstep and I will continue to do all I can to support it.”

An award of £1,200 from the Annual Fund supported the activities, as part of the University’s Cornwall Campuses (Truro and Penryn) 10-year anniversary celebrations. The programme was run in partnership with The Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society and the Falmouth Café Scientifique.

Find out more about the Annual Fund at www.exeter.ac.uk/annualfund exeter.ac.uk/alumni

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THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEERING ALUMNI VOLUNTEERING STATS AND FACTS IN 2013/14 OVER 800 ALUMNI GAVE OF VOLUNTEERING TIME, INCLUDING:

3,757

HOURS TO SUPPORT STUDENT CAREERS ACTIVITIES

9,000 HOURS

2,506

HOURS TO SUPPORT ALUMNI FACING ACTIVITIES

2,210

HOURS OF STRATEGIC ADVICE

THE CLASS OF 2011 WERE THE MOST PROLIFIC VOLUNTEERS IN 2013/14 Alumni groups run by volunteers include: The Alumnae Group for female graduates; Exetra, the group for recent alumni; The Alumni Network Group (ANG) as well as international alumni networks.

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feature

We talk to the Exeter alumni and students who are giving something back and find out what they do and why they do it.

J

uggling the demands of work, family, and increasingly, technology, many of us feel more time-poor than ever. In spite of this, volunteering is thriving with 29% of adults in England volunteering regularly (at least once a month) and 44% volunteering at least once a year, according to figures from the annual Community Life Survey.

The University benefits hugely from the impact of student, staff and alumni volunteering, in all sorts of ways, as Alumni Volunteer Manager Emma McFadyen explains: “Volunteering is absolutely ingrained at the University – it’s central to our students’ experience and to making the University as successful as it is. It’s also a virtuous circle – by giving something back we learn new skills, help others and make a positive difference.”

In 2013/14 over 800 alumni gave 9,000 hours of volunteering time to the University.

Those hours were spent giving talks, providing career mentoring, supporting University governance and running alumni groups. So what motivates alumni to get involved in volunteering?

Alain Desmier (English and Politics 2005) runs two successful online companies and shares his insight and experience in start-ups with students through talks for the Entrepreneurs Society. “Exeter gave me opportunities that have shaped my career so it feels right that I am now helping out – it’s always an honour to be asked,” he says.

Deborah Hallett (Dip Leadership 2002) agrees. Deborah shares her expertise and experience through involvement with two key alumni groups: the Alumni Network Group (ANG) and the Alumnae Group for female graduates which she also

chairs. She has given recent talks and webinars to fellow graduates and students on how to progress their careers and overcome challenges as ‘a square peg in a round hole’.

“I want to share with others that it’s okay to be different. You can use it to your advantage,” Deborah says.

Alumnus Gerry Brown (Economics/ Economic History 1966) is not only a donor to the University but also volunteers as a member of Council, the University’s governing body, alongside being Chair of the Fundraising Campaign Board.

“You reach a stage in life where your family grow up and you ask yourself how else can I contribute? I want to help the University to become more successful – that’s why I do it,” Gerry says.

Even alumni based internationally can help, for example, through eXepert, our informal email careers advice service. US based alumnus Steve Matthews (Geography 1989) was matched to Jack Rysdale, an undergraduate student studying Economics and due to graduate in 2016. Jack said “I’m really pleased with the eXepert experience.

Steve was very friendly and willing to help me achieve my aims.”

And it isn’t just Exeter’s alumni who are giving something back: volunteering is also thriving amongst current students. ESV, the Exeter Student Volunteering Society has over 1,500 members.

One of the projects ESV volunteers lead every year is Summer Adventures.

Based at the University’s Streatham Campus, this two-week camp allows young carers aged 7-15 years in Devon to have a well-earned break from their responsibilities as they explore the local area and visit a range of attractions.

The project has received funding from former Chair of Council Margaret Lorenz, who spent much of her life volunteering for educational causes. In her will Margaret left a gift to the University to support student volunteering projects like Summer Adventures.

Drama student Sophie Harrison is one of its project leads for Summer 2015. “I enjoy helping people – it’s my biggest passion in life. If you’re in a position with time to spare, why not use that time for good?” she says.

Whilst all the volunteers we spoke to felt their primary motivation for volunteering was to ‘give something back’, there is growing evidence that the benefits of volunteering are wide-ranging, not just for those the volunteers are helping, but for the volunteers themselves. A 2013 study from the University of Exeter Medical School by Dr Suzanne Richards and her team found volunteers reported lower levels of depression, increased life satisfaction and enhanced well-being. It seems volunteering really is ‘win win’ – so what are you waiting for?

To find out more about alumni volunteering contact Emma McFadyen at e.mcfadyen@ exeter.ac.uk or on +44 (0)1392 725632

“For students, volunteering provides valuable experience and can give them a competitive edge. Prospective employers are always going to be impressed by proactive and motivated students who make an effort. But more than that, volunteering allows students to give something back to the community they are part of,” according to Katie Flint, Co-President of ESV.

exeter.ac.uk/alumni

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SOWING THE SEEDS Exeter Community Garden brings benefits beyond its harvest to students, staff and local people. We caught up with Norrie Blackeby, Treasurer and Co-founder, to find out more.

F

our years ago Norrie and a team of like-minded volunteers set about transforming an empty field on the University’s Streatham Campus into a ‘slice of heaven’ where people from all walks of life could meet and work together.

Norrie recalls “We asked if we could use some land on campus to do something green – it was as vague as that at the time.

Iain Park, Director of Grounds showed us a field near Car Park B. We had no idea what we were doing but we learned fast!

We fixed on a launch date, publicised it and then there was no going back – we had to raise the set up funds in three months. I asked everyone for money – and submitted a lot of applications for funding. I knew that to make it sustainable we needed some investment from the start. People were very

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generous – both individuals and companies – allowing us to fence it off, put in poly tunnels, a glass house and sow some crops.”

After the launch the word spread and a wide mix of people began coming along to help.

Local resident Adrian Berryman was one of them and is now involved as Committee Secretary. Adrian says “Community gardens have been an important source of food in this country and around the world for hundreds of years but for me it’s the social benefits of being involved in a community garden that make it really special.”

He adds “The garden is run on organic principles – no fertilisers or insecticides are used and we aim to be zero carbon. We reuse and recycle wherever we can – when Reed Hall pond was dredged, we used the material on the plant beds as compost.”

Today the garden’s orchard, beds and bees provide a regular harvest of fruits, vegetables and honey as well as a sense of wellbeing and pride for all the volunteers involved.

Everybody is welcome and the garden is still run entirely by volunteers. There are the very committed ‘the hardy perennials’, as Norrie calls them, who give many hours of their time, but equally there are casual volunteers who come when they can. Students who volunteer are clear on the benefits of being involved – the opportunities for recreation, exercise, education, meeting others and wellbeing away from their studies has made the community garden a huge hit.

Humanities student Francesca Solène Light says “It provides me and people from all walks of life with a sanctuary. It is a place where people come together through a shared passion for sustainability, biodiversity and the desire for getting back to their roots. The garden not only nourishes fruit, vegetables, flowers and trees, but community spirit. For me, it encapsulates what is truly great about British culture and makes me feel proud to belong to a university like Exeter.”

feature

EXETER COMMUNITY GARDEN FACTS

446 STUDENTS, STAFF AND LOCAL RESIDENT MEMBERS 60 LBS

8 PLANT RAISED BEDS FOR VEGETABLES AND HERBS

60 LBS (27.2 KG) OF HONEY

1 PLANT RAISED BED FOR ARCHAEOLOGY

1 COB SEAT 27 FRUIT BEARING TREES

1 BEEHIVE

1 OBSERVATORY/CLUBHOUSE

2 POLYTUNNELS

So what happens to the harvest?

So what’s next for the garden?

“If you’re here you’ll get your share. The rest is made into preserves and chutney and soup.” Norrie says.

“We want to establish a physic garden of medicinal plants – like ginkgo biloba and lavender – to really bring out the link between wellbeing and gardening.

“In Autumn we make a huge soup of all the remaining vegetables and share it with the students at our Soupfest. We also have a hive which produces 60lbs of honey.

Our honey and strawberry jam have now been eaten in the House of Lords and displayed at the 2014 Chelsea Flower Show. Our garden has also been featured in Waitrose Magazine and The Mail on Sunday’s You Magazine so we must be doing something right!”

Norrie is particularly proud that the garden is used and enjoyed by people across the University and has a surprisingly international element. “The Archaeology department has a bed for Flax and Woad and our international students really like to get involved – they’re fascinated by our potatoes! We also have a link with the Italian University of Gastronomic Sciences in Turin and they send seeds like borlotti beans and pomodora tomatoes for us to sow.”

We’ll continue to work with the homeless charity St Petrock’s by growing vegetables for their Christmas dinner and we want to strengthen our links with local schools and encourage them to use the garden as part of their learning environment.”

So it looks like everything’s coming up roses for everyone involved.

In Norrie’s words “Everyone is happy here.

It’s a real community and everybody gets on with things. When you see people working together from all levels and all ages, who would never have met in normal circles, nothing compares to it.

For me it’s a slice of heaven.”

For further information see www.exetercommunitygarden.com or contact Norrie Blackeby on n.blackeby@exeter.ac.uk. Norrie is also project manager for the Students’ Green Unit which funds sustainable student-led ideas. To find out more visit www.exeterguild.org/greenunit

HORTICULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS OF ST LUKE’S A visitor guide to the diverse and beautiful grounds of the University’s St Luke’s Campus is now available to download online. The St Luke’s Campus dates back to 1835 and became a teacher training centre between 1838 and 1839, with 19 students training as schoolmasters.

Today teaching remains a feature on the campus, joined by Sports Science and Medicine. Its landscaping and planting is designed to create a vibrant collegic atmosphere, with horticultural interest throughout the seasons. From the Eucalyptus trees and New Zealand Flax around the Richards Building to the cacti and bug hotel at the Medical School to the Indian Bean and Pagoda trees of the Quad, the guide includes all the horticultural highlights of the campus.

Download it at

exeter.ac.uk/alumni

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EXETER OCCASIONS...

A

round the world and across the year a wide range of exciting alumni events are taking place â&#x20AC;&#x201C; linking and supporting Exeter graduates. Alumni events include professional networking sessions at top companies, receptions in prestigious venues, bespoke lectures by leading academics and purely social events. Here we feature some from the past year. Find out about forthcoming events at www.exeter.ac.uk/alumnisupporters/events We can also help you to arrange your own events for alumni; get in touch by telephone on +44 (0) 1392 723141 or email alumni@exeter.ac.uk

1

3

5

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2

4

events 6

7

1. Exe-X: Women and Leadership Reception (May 2015) 2. Cyprus alumni reception (October 2014)

8

9

3. Reception at the Royal Society (March 2015) 4. Beijing alumni networking evening (March 2015) 5. Northcote Trophy golf tournament (April 2015) 6. Shanghai alumni networking evening (March 2015) 7. New York alumni networking evening (May 2015) 8. House of Lords Reception (November 2014) 9. Global Conversation Hong Kong (May 2015) 10. The Vice-Chancellorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Garden Party (July 2015) 11. Law Network Reception (November 2014)

10

11

exeter.ac.uk/alumni

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KEEP IN TOUCH! WHY? We love to hear from our alumni.

Let us know your contact details so that we can: • keep you informed of what’s happening at Exeter • invite you to our events • let you know about your alumni benefits, ranging from discounts on accommodation on campus and in the local area, access to journals, to careers support after graduation

HOW? There are lots of ways to contact us: @ alumni@exeter.ac.uk

www

+44 (0)1392 723141 www.exeter.ac.uk/alumni

@exalumni /exeteralumni /groups/University-Exeter-109267 Global Engagement and Development Office, Northcote House, The Queen’s Drive, Exeter EX4 4QJ

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keep in touch

ALUMNI FACTS

VOLUNTEERED

Last year, over 900 alumni volunteered to help students at Exeter through providing a career profile, giving a talk or mentoring a student. You can support from home, work or on campus and it could take as little as 15 minutes! For more information please visit www.exeter.ac.uk/alumnisupporters/volunteering

2,063 alumni made a donation to support students, totalling over £1 million! Gifts ranged from £1 to £163,000 and have supported a wide range of projects across all three campuses, from new sports equipment to bursaries, to medical research. Thank you to everyone who supported Exeter – every gift, of every size really does make a difference.

To make a donation, please visit: www.exeter.ac.uk/donate

exeter.ac.uk/alumni

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