Kent52: Summer 2009

The Magazine for the University of Kent

Issue 52 / Summer 09 Postgraduate focus University of Kent at Paris The Gulbenkian Theatre University of Kent at Brussels Kent Union update Who’s What Where

KENT Editorial

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KENT Interview

Editorial

Contents

Postgraduate focus

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David Clark R82

Welcome to the Summer 09 issue of KENT, the magazine for alumni and friends of the University of Kent.

Once again, we have much to celebrate.

Earlier this year we received the results of the government’s Research Assessment Exercise which saw us ranked among the UK’s elite research-intensive universities with world-leading research in all three faculties, and we now have six subject areas in the top ten of the disciplines nationwide. As a direct result of this success, the University was among the top ten universities in England for additional research funding and was awarded an almost 50% increase in research funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (MEFCE).

In this issue of KENT, we take a look at the University’s European activities in Paris and Brussels, and we also include a feature to mark 40 years of the Gulbenkian Theatre. The University has also launched its scholarship fundraising campaign – more details on p17 The autumn issue will see us move to a different design for the magazine. We are keen to ensure that the stories and people we feature are both interesting and relevant, and we also want you to receive news about Kent in a way that suits you.

As always, we welcome your feedback and look forward to your comments. We have created an online survey to enable you to give your feedback about the topics that interest you, and your views on the current magazine. The survey is available on the alumni website www.kent.ac.uk/alumni Visitors to the website will also notice some exciting new changes over the next few months – again your feedback will be welcome.

And finally, if we have your email address you will already receive our termly alumni e-newsletter. If you would like to receive a copy, please make sure we have your current email address by completing and returning the enclosed address sheet, or by emailing us at alumni@kent.ac.uk

Best wishes from Kent — and thank you for staying in touch.

Posie Bogan Fiona Jones Editors L’horloge de demain, by Guillaume Apollinaire, March 1917, from Les Dessins de Guillaume Apollinaire, by Claude Debon and Peter Read, Paris, BuchetChastel/Les Cahiers dessinés, 2008.

Apollinaire created this picture-poem after serving in the trenches, where gas damaged his lungs and he was wounded by schrapnel. The soldier wears on his coat the memories that constitute his identity, but through a telescope he is viewing the future, recognising that “Happiness and sorrow go together”, recalling “past perfumes”, but also seeing “beings who will exist, now in preparation”. The green heart, “full of all springtimes”, and the larger ones, added like graffiti, confirm the resilience of love, vitality and creativity, even in the midst of war.

Combining ink and watercolours, writing, drawing and painting, this composition prefigures the concrete poetry movement of the 1950s and the polychrome posterpoems of Ian Hamilton Finlay and other late 20-century artists.

Reproduced with kind permission of Apollinaire’s nephew, M. Gilbert Boudar.

Special thanks to: Chris Lancaster and Lesley Farr in the Design and Print Centre; David Clark R82; Karen Bayfield; Nick Ellwood and Michelle Gallagher.

Photo credits: Robert Berry, Simon Jarratt, Spencer Scott, Philippe Veldeman Photo Brussels.

Contact us: Communications & Development, The Registry, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ kentmagazine@kent.ac.uk www.kent.ac.uk/alumni

03. Postgraduate focus 05. News Summer 09 08. The University of Kent at Paris 09. The University of Kent at Brussels 10. The Gulbenkian Theatre The beginnings 11. The Gulbenkian Theatre 40 years on 13. Kent Business School 14. New frontiers 17. Fundraising news 19. Kent Union 20. The questionnaire 22. Who’s What Where 24. Events

Graduate School. It is based at Canterbury but has been created as a University-wide resource. In the past, Kent had a Graduate Office which managed the administration of postgraduate research degrees, but which had no academic input. When that office was abolished, responsibility for graduate students was taken over by individual departments and faculties.

The Graduate School aims to lead the development of provision for graduate education and research at Kent.

Two new initiatives are set to enhance postgraduate life at Kent: the building of Woolf College and the establishment of a university-wide Graduate School. Professor Diane Houston, the School’s Dean, talks to David Clark

graduate-only college. The £36 million building has been constructed on the former Darwin Field site. The College comprises a state-of-the-art 496-seat lecture theatre, six seminar rooms, a common room and high-quality en-suite accommodation for 544 graduate students.

Former Kent students revisiting the Canterbury campus after a number of years’ absence would notice a host of developments in their alma mater. Many familiar buildings have had facelifts, Park Wood has expanded greatly and the Kent Union building is a focus for student life.

Once-blank spaces have been filled and numerous new teaching buildings and accommodation blocks are studded around the 300-acre site.

The new building reflects the increased emphasis on graduate studies at Kent.

Postgraduate students now comprise almost 20% of the University’s student registrations. The quality of the postgraduate work being carried out at Kent has been reflected in the University’s success at winning support from research councils. In 2007, the University announced the creation of 90 fully funded research studentships, costing almost £1.5 million annually.

Many of these changes have occurred in response to the growth in student numbers in recent years. Over 14,000 students now attend the Canterbury campus alone, with over 3,000 more at Medway and Brussels. Of all the building developments at Canterbury, however, perhaps the most significant is the recent opening of the first new college for almost 40 years.

A further development has seen the University being allocated a 46% increase in research funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

This increase followed the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, which recognised the very high standard of research being carried out by Kent academic staff.

It’s called Woolf College – named after Virginia – and it is the University’s first

At the same time as building Woolf College, the University has set up a new

‘The Graduate School has been established as part of the University’s policy of putting greater strategic emphasis on postgraduate studies,’ says the School’s Dean, Professor Diane Houston. ‘We want Kent to provide distinctive and exciting programmes of study at the postgraduate level and to improve the way we promote and recruit to these courses. It’s really about looking at every stage of the postgraduate portfolio with the overall aim of increasing the numbers and improving the academic and social experience of postgraduates at the University.’

The Graduate School also aims to raise its profile both nationally and internationally by cultivating external links with organisations such as research councils, graduate organisations and other graduate schools.

KENT Interview

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KENT News

News Summer 09

Postgraduate focus Continued

regional award to a university consortium to support cultural activity. Together, the universities – all based in south-east England – will create a major touring exhibition in response to Olympic and Paralympic values and deliver workshops with local primary and secondary schools on community history, to teach people about the Games.

The School will also provide a social focus for graduate students. It has set up a graduate website and is about to launch a graduate newsletter, the Grad Post. The School will also encourage student initiatives. ‘We will be very much supporting initiatives for graduate students, such as conferences and mini training events – things that the students want to do themselves,’ says Houston.

‘It’s all part of creating that community.’

On the academic side, a Graduate School Board will be established in the overall governance of the University. This board will be a Senate-level committee which will, for example, ensure that students not only get the best levels of support from within their subject areas, but also develop knowledge and skills across disciplines.

It will also determine whether the University is equipping postgraduates for the labour market and providing all the different kinds of interdisciplinary transferable skills training that students need. These skills include self-awareness, career management, leadership, teamworking, problem-solving, organisational and IT skills.

‘As a result of the recommendations of the Roberts Report in 2002, universities are paying greater attention to transferable skills training,’ says Houston. ‘This element of postgraduate study was originally arranged within separate faculties, but we’ve coordinated it within the Graduate School. We’re aiming to develop this training in a Universitywide programme and it will be an important part of the Graduate School’s responsibility.’

The graduate community is focused on Woolf College. This is the first new college at Kent for over 35 years. The College is owned and operated by a private company, UPP (University and Private Partnership), but the University deals directly with students in allocating the accommodation and in all pastoral matters . All graduate students are members of Woolf and are offered accommodation in the building.

As with other colleges at Kent, there is a College Master, Nancy Gaffield, and a College committee to represent students’ concerns. The Woolf common room and foyer refreshment area provides a place for students to meet and socialise.

The College has already brought significant advantages for graduate students. ‘I think it has been very good in terms of having a sense of graduate community at Kent,’ Houston says. ‘For the first time, instead of being dispersed across the campus, postgraduates have actually been put together. They have a College committee like all the other colleges, and it’s putting on social events specifically for graduate students. They are all getting to know each other, which has given them a real sense of community.’

Further information on the Graduate School and links to information about postgraduate study at Kent is on the Graduate School website, www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool

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Professor Diane Houston Diane was born in Edinburgh and was an undergraduate student at Dundee University. She first came to Kent as a PhD student in 1989. After a period at the University of Illinois, she was a lecturer at the University of Sussex and then returned to Kent to take up a lectureship in Psychology. Between 2003 and 2007 she was seconded to the Department of Trade and Industry as adviser to the Ministers for Women and Equality. Diane’s main academic focus is social psychology and 1 the interface with sociology and social policy. In particular, she has concentrated on psychological perspectives on work, employment and parenthood. She took up her appointment as Dean of the Graduate School in July 2008.

Politics lecturer is one of Britain’s most powerful Muslim women In an initiative launched by the government-funded Equality and Human Rights Commission and The Times, Dr Gülnur Aybet, a lecturer in Politics and International Relations has been listed as one of the top 20 most powerful Muslim women in Britain today.

The first annual Muslim Women Power List, which honours Muslim women in Britain who have accomplished outstanding achievements in their field and have made key contributions to society, was selected by a jury including Baroness Sarah Hogg, Chairman of 3i and former advisor to the Prime Minister and Michael Binyon, Senior Diplomatic Editor of The Times.

Dr Gülnur Aybet joined the Department of Politics and International Relations in 2001. She previously held research and teaching appointments at the University of Nottingham and at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and later this year will be the south-east Europe Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars at Washington DC. University welcomes £1 million funding for Cultural Olympiad The University is part of a consortium of 13 universities that has secured £1 million funding from the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE) to deliver a series of cultural events, known as the Creative Campus Initiative, in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

An additional £1 million match-funding will be contributed by project partners, making the total funding the largest ever

James Bond composer on campus Film composer David Arnold, whose credits include James Bond films Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale, Die Another Day and The World is Not Enough, paid a visit to Music Technology students at the University’s Medway campus and took part in a Q&A session with music journalist Tommy Pearson.

David Arnold is one of the most popular and successful film composers in the world today. He has been the composer for the James Bond series since 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies. This isn’t the University’s only link with the James Bond films – alumni Neal Purvis and Robert Wade were scriptwriters for Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale, Die Another Day and The World is not Enough.

Woolf College Inaugural Lecture The Woolf College Inaugural Lecture was given by Lord Hannay, Chair of the Board of the United Nations Association-UK (UNA-UK) In his talk, entitled, Energy security and climate change: what role for Europe?

Lord Hannay discussed why only a united response to these two challenges will protect the interests of European countries and enable Europe to play a proper role in solving global problems, and why the two challenges are closely linked together.

University Vice-Chancellor Professor Julia Goodfellow said, ‘We are honoured to welcome Lord Hannay to the Canterbury campus. Woolf College is at the heart of our new Graduate School, and it is only fitting that we had someone of his calibre and experience to deliver its inaugural lecture.’

Lord Hannay’s latest book New World Disorder: The UN After the Cold War – an Insider’s View was published last year.

Woolf College was officially opened earlier in the year by Allan Willett CMG, Lord Lieutenant of Kent. The College, named in honour of Virginia Woolf, provides a focal point for postgraduate study on campus, and offers first-class en-suite accommodation for 544 graduate students, together with a state-of-the-art, 496-seat lecture theatre, seminar rooms and space for social activity.

Moran of the Burning Spear awarded to DICE alumnus Benson Okita-Ouma, an alumnus of the Durrell Institutue of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), has been appointed a Moran of the Burning Spear (MBS), one of the highest citizen awards in Kenya.

President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya awarded the MBS to Mr Okita-Ouma in recognition of his outstanding service to rhinoceros conservation and national development. The MBS is awarded annually in recognition of outstanding and distinguished services rendered to the nation in various capacities.

Ben Okita was at DICE between 2003 and 2004. After receiving his MSc in Conservation Biology with Distinction, he went on to become Senior Scientist, and, more recently, Rhino Co-ordinator, with the Kenyan Wildlife Service.

KENT News

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KENT News

During the course of the project, the KSA students received a mentoring session with architects Jestico + Whiles.

at the Daily Mail, as Assistant Editor of Femail, before becoming Deputy Editor of OK! in London, subsequently launching the US edition of OK! in 2005.

connect artists, projects and companies; a project archive featuring video and images of past events; a journal and research database and a national events calendar.

Ms Ivens is also the author of seven bestselling books, including A Modern Girl’s Guide to Etiquette and A Modern Girl’s Guide to Getting Hitched.

The London 2012 Inspire programme is run by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Inspire Mark recognises innovative and exciting projects from sporting, educational, business, environmental and volunteering sectors that have been inspired by the Games. The accolade also means that Kent becomes the first university in the South East where staff have received the Inspire Mark for one of their projects.

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News Continued University’s total number of Academicians to 19.

Based in London, the Academy of Social Sciences aims to promote social sciences in the UK for the public benefit. Members of the Academy include learned societies and 500 individual social scientists.

New festival to celebrate University multiculturalism Students, staff and the public took part in a brand new four-day festival at the Canterbury campus. WorldFest included drama, music, dance, film, comedy, food and fun from around the globe as well the chance to have a go on an ice rink specially constructed outside the Gulbenkian Theatre. Other highlights included: the Global Voices workshops and shared performances; a specially commissioned piece by Accidental Collective, Kent’s own live art and performance group; a series of films at the Gulbenkian Cinema including a showing of North Face; and a performance by the Irish band Craobh Rua. Preparations are now underway for this year’s ArtsFest, scheduled to take place on Saturday 13 June. Hundreds of people are once again expected to visit the Canterbury campus for a range of music and entertainment performed

by University societies, schools and the community. Further details at www.kent.ac.uk/music/ArtsFest/index.html

Social science recognition for Kent academics Professor Julia Twigg and Professor Richard Crisp have been elected Academicians of the Academy of Social Sciences. Their election brings the

Julia Twigg is Professor of Social Policy and Sociology at the University’s acclaimed School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research. Her work has largely focused on questions of care, the body and age, though she has also written on food – her doctoral study was on vegetarianism.

University honorary degrees Veteran broadcaster Sir David Frost and renowned geographer and social theorist Professor David Harvey received honorary degrees at the autumn degree ceremonies held at Rochester Cathedral. The eminent scientist Sir John Enderby was also awarded an honorary degree at a degree ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral. Sir David Frost received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) while Professor Harvey and Sir John both received the degree of Doctor of Science (DSc).

Richard Crisp is Professor of Psychology and Head of the University’s highly rated Department of Psychology. His research interests focus on reducing prejudice and the psychology of social and cultural diversity.

This work pays particular attention to the potential benefits of exposure to diversity in groups and societies.

Grand designs on local school Nineteen second-year students from the Kent School of Architecture (KSA) presented their designs for an extended school building to their ‘pupil-clients’ from Kent’s Longfield Academy. The project, launched last autumn, has involved the Longfield Academy pupils from the start and they were invited to attend the session to give feedback on the students’ proposals. Initially, they had explored the architecture of their school together with the KSA students, before drawing up a brief for adapting and extending it.

Top editor delivers masterclass Students at the Centre for Journalism had a taste of the high-powered world of celebrity magazines when they met the editor of the American edition of OK! Sarah Ivens, a Kent graduate, made a flying visit from her offices in New York to the Medway campus to deliver a masterclass which saw her recalling some of the key moments in her career – such as launching OK! in the United States while still in her 20s – and handing out tips and advice about how to handle the pressures of working on a best-selling weekly magazine.

Ms Ivens graduated from Kent in 1996 with a degree in Politics and Economics.

After spells at Tatler and Marie Claire magazines, she became a feature writer for the Daily Mail before returning to magazines as Features Director with Woman’s Journal, rising to the position of Associate Editor. She also worked for the Mirror Group and had a second spell

Strengthening links between graduates and local businesses The University has welcomed the news that it has been jointly awarded £311,563 under the government’s Economic Challenge Investment Fund.

Kent web project honoured by London 2012 Inspire programme A ground-breaking new online resource created by staff at the University of Kent has been awarded a prestigious Inspire Mark – the badge of the London 2012 Inspire programme.

The website, which will provide a wealth of information, contacts, production support and expert advice for the outdoor performance sector across the country, is the brainchild of Gavin Carver, Course Director for the University’s Creative Events degree.

The COPOR project – which stands for Celebratory and Outdoor Performance Online Resource – has been developed by staff from Kent’s web team during the past year, and is due to go live this summer.

The site will offer a comprehensive ‘one stop shop’ for anyone with an interest in this field, from creative arts professionals to community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations.

Within its pages, COPOR will offer resources such as a networking tool to

As part of a partnership led by Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent will be working with the universities of Greenwich and the Creative Arts to address immediate economic challenges through rapid placement of graduates with businesses in Kent and Medway. Funding will also go towards establishing a framework for a graduate consultancy accessible to local firms, thereby retaining higher level skills within the local economy.

The four universities will be seeking to strengthen the links between graduates and local businesses as part of the ‘Kent Universities for Business and Enterprise’ (KUBE) partnership. The £311,563 grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England will be invested in the partnership’s ‘Business First’ project, the first of its kind in Kent. This project will provide businesses with a single point of access to the county’s finest graduates.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Denise Everitt said ‘The University of Kent is already working to help local people and businesses to cope with the recession, and we welcome the opportunity to join forces with other universities in the region in this way.’

The local economy will shortly receive a

boost from the new Canterbury Innovation Centre, currently under construction on the University’s Canterbury campus. Due for completion in October 2009, the Centre will provide high-tech incubation space and support for entrepreneurs. Funded

by SEEDA and built by the East Kent Spatial Development Company, it is part of the University’s strategy to encourage innovation and enterprise within the University and to make it more attractive for graduates to stay and work locally.

Student company named as one of the 20 best e-startups in Europe A start-up company formed by postgraduate computing students at the University has been named as one of the 20 best e-startups in Europe.

Chootta Ltd, formed in 2008 by Sebastien Marion, Pulitha Liyanagama and Philipp Mohr, entered Seedcamp 2009, an annual event that brings together Europe’s top young web-based technology entrepreneurs and a world-class network of experienced developers, investors and mentors. After some fierce competition, Chootta was selected by Seedcamp as one of only 20 companies that would attend its pinnacle networking event in London at the end of April – an experience that Philip Mohr has described as one that has ‘already opened several doors to major opportunities’.

Chootta’s main product is Comufy, an innovative web-based platform for controlling multiple communication channels. Sebastien Marion explained: ‘People are losing control of their communications because of the increasing number of accounts they have to manage such as social networks (including Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Orkut and LinkedIn), instant messengers (including MSN, Skype, Yahoo and ICQ), email messaging and phone communications (including mobile, office and home phones).

This problem is very likely to keep growing but Comufy will allow the receiver to control how they want to receive their communications – for example, depending on who the sender is or the time of the day.’

For further information on Chootta or Comufy go to: www.comufy.com

KENT The University of Kent at Paris

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KENT The University of Kent at Brussels

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The University of Kent at Paris: an exciting new opportunity

The University of Kent at Brussels: celebrating its 10th anniversary this year

Professor Peter Read, Academic Director

John Macgregor, Dean

available on campus, including supportive and accessible tutors, interdisciplinary seminars, conferences, lectures and reading groups, the excellent Templeman Library, and also shops, restaurants, cafés and bars, a cinema, a theatre and a sports centre.

Woolf College, a brand new multi-millionpound development on the Canterbury campus, offers teaching and study facilities, accommodation and social spaces, all specifically designed for graduate students.

UKP students may also enroll for optional French language classes, in preparation for their term in Paris. At Canterbury, everything is organised to ensure UKP students are part of a diverse, creative and interdisciplinary community.

Imagine taking a one-year postgraduate degree where you spend the autumn term in Canterbury, the spring term in Paris and then qualify for your MA by writing a dissertation on a topic of your choice.

That is exactly what University of Kent is now offering prospective students from the UK and around the world, thanks to our University of Kent at Paris (UKP) postgraduate programmes. To qualify, you need a relevant first degree, a passion for literature, art and all things cultural, and a sense of adventure. Most of the modules are delivered in English so you don’t need to speak French.

September 2009 is the launch date for the four MA programmes in the Humanities being offered in the first year. These will be in Comparative Literature, Modern French Studies, French and Comparative Literature, and English and American Literature.

During the autumn term, based in Canterbury, UKP students select two MA modules from those available in their chosen programme. Details of the wide choice of modules, on a range of exciting topics, including literature, cinema and the visual arts, can be found at our website: www.kent.ac.uk/paris In Canterbury, UKP students will benefit, of course, from a first-class academic and social environment. Many KENT magazine readers will be aware of the resources

For the spring term, UKP students will move to Paris. Our activities there are based at Reid Hall, in the historic heart of Montparnasse, near the studios of Picasso and Modigliani and only a few minutes walk from the Luxembourg Gardens.

Reid Hall is an attractive set of buildings grouped around two quiet and leafy inner courtyards. Founded as a porcelain factory in the 18th century, now run by Columbia University, New York, the site has become a modern centre for postgraduate programmes, conferences and visiting academics, while retaining all its original charm. This is where UKP students and staff have their classrooms and offices.

Facilities at Reid Hall include computer workstations, wi-fi access and audio-visual equipment. The courtyards act as convivial social spaces, while common rooms include a library, a reading and music room with a piano and a lecture hall.

The academic community at Reid Hall includes postgraduates and staff from Columbia University, Barnard College, University of Florida and other similarly prestigious institutions.

The modules studied in Paris are designed to allow students to benefit from the city’s matchless cultural resources. Postgraduates in the Comparative Literature, English and American and French Studies programmes will all join forces in Paris to take two core modules, Paris and Modernism and Paris: Reality and Representation. The

texts are all in English or available in English translation and the modules also incorporate cinema, the visual arts and visits to relevant sites and institutions across the city. Before a seminar on, for example, Gertrude Stein, students will be invited to visit the Centre Pompidou to view cubist paintings, collages and other relevant works by Picasso and Braque, while appreciation of Louis Aragon’s Paris Peasant will be enhanced by visits to an extraordinary labyrinth of early 19thcentury covered arcades and to the city’s most Romantic park, Les Buttes-Chaumont.

The Academic Director of the UKP programmes and his administrative assistant will accompany the UKP students throughout their term in Paris, to ensure that they continue to get a high level of academic and pastoral support.

The modules will be taught by staff from the University of Kent and other guest lecturers, so there will be consistent academic standards and assessment throughout the year. Students will also have access to study centres and libraries in Paris with substantial English-language resources and they may if they wish continue with French language classes.

The University of Kent at Paris is a major strategic initiative designed to expand in future years as it incorporates new programmes from other subjects in the Humanities. It complements the University of Kent at Brussels, which specialises in the social sciences and is now happily celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The UKP postgraduate programmes offer the opportunity to acquire a valuable postgraduate qualification in one year, while working in England and France and studying the culture and history of Paris in beautiful surroundings at the heart of the city. The UKP MA will increase our students’ international credentials and open new professional opportunities, but these programmes will also offer a memorable and life-enhancing experience.

Contact details: Information, Recruitment and Admissions Office, email: information@kent.ac.uk Professor Peter Read, Academic Director UKP, email: paris@kent.ac.uk

As The University of Kent at Brussels celebrates its first decade, it is a real tribute to its founders and backers at the University that we have grown from a dozen to 200 students during this time and that by next year, we shall have a thousand alumni. For a specialist postgraduate institute, this is a remarkable achievement.

Brussels provides a truly unique backdrop.

The growing accumulation of European political and security institutions, an increasingly globally engaged NATO, and the plethora of pilot fish which surround these whales, all make for an exciting and intellectually stimulating environment to any study of international relations. Students studying International Law and Migration Studies can draw on the stimulus in the legal services of the Commission, the Parliament, the army of Brussels legal lobbyists and, a short hour’s train journey away, the International Court of Justice and the European Court. Students on the new International Development course will also find Brussels the ideal location as the EU is the biggest state-funded international aid player in the world.

One of UKB’s most important features is its multidisciplinary approach reinforced

by rigorous academic standards. As well as encouraging students to branch out into other disciplines in their choice of electives, we also have a broad range of interests in our teaching staff. For example, Dr Amanda Klekowski runs our courses on migration and had an industrial relations background and Dr Tugba Basaran has worked in microfinance in the Third World, but her Cambridge thesis was on Security and Personal Space. Our core teaching team works alongside a range of Canterbury-based lecturers who bring their specialist areas to Brussels and, in addition, we draw on the expertise of academics from neighbouring continental universities and practitioners from the Brussels institutions such as Dr Jamie Shea, Director of NATO’s Policy Planning Unit. Recent lectures have included talks

by General Sir Mike Jackson, the former NATO commander in Kosovo and head of the British Army, and Edward Mortimer, former Director of Communications in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

We also value our ability to provide a real international experience for all our students. Of course we offer a curriculum taught entirely in English, but our teaching staff are international and our student body increasingly so. From the beginning, we have had a core of North American students (and still do) but this year we have students from 60 countries.

Our students are emerging into a global world so the widest possible network is vital and we are looking to ensure that our ever-increasing alumni base provides an invaluable resource of advice and connections for current students.

Over the years, our students have consistently benefited from being so close to the whirlpool of international activity that is Brussels, not least because it presents a wide range of internship opportunities. This provides invaluable work experience and is just one of the reasons that our students go on to gain such interesting jobs. We also know that the nature of many of the institutions, organisations, and government departments in Brussels means that it can be difficult for those

working for them to commit to a part-time programme of study. As a result, we have developed a very specific approach which enables people to take only the module, or modules, that are most relevant.

We are also developing our research activity and we encourage and help our Master’s students to prepare for research and doctoral studies. We believe that high academic standards are key to our success and I was personally pleased to see that last year we saw the highest number of students ever graduate with distinction. I look forward to seeing that trend continue.

Contact details: The University of Kent at Brussels bsis@kent.ac.uk

KENT Gulbenkian Theatre

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KENT Gulbenkian Theatre

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The Gulbenkian Theatre

The Gulbenkian Theatre

Professor Reg Foakes

Dee Ashworth, Director

The beginnings In the 1960s, I came to the University of Kent as founding Professor of English from Durham, where I had directed plays at the lively theatre owned by the university there. It was a period of great excitement for drama in Britain, before TV took over, and when a number of immensely inventive writers effectively put to sleep the middle-class plays of authors like Terence Rattigan, and revitalised the stage with kitchen-sink drama and the theatre of the absurd. In the 1960s, the outbursts of the angry young men gave way to the more mature and exciting dramas of writers like Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard. On coming to Canterbury, I was co-opted on to city committees that were hoping to replace the dreary converted cinema that served for a civic theatre in the city. We studied designs and visited a number of recently developed theatres, some of them replacements for ones damaged or destroyed in the Second World War. This way we learned about the common mistakes made by architects who rarely had the chance to design more than one theatre in their career. The city council decided not to go ahead with a new civic theatre, but the research I had done prompted an idea for a campus theatre.

An economist at Leeds had produced a report on 30 or so theatres built or rebuilt in England since the end of the war, showing that they rarely cost less than £300,000, an enormous sum then. There was one notable exception: the Phoenix Theatre in Leicester, a small civic theatre in a largely prefabricated building based on aircraft hangars developed for the war. This cost £35,000, and was running successfully. The University architect, Bill Henderson, was a contemporary and friend of the Leicester city architect, and eagerly set to work to see if he could come up with an inexpensive custom design.

The result was the elegant octagonal theatre with a trapezoid stage now such an important feature of the campus. The Vice Chancellor, Dr Templeman, a historian by training, seemed to think of a theatre simply as a place of entertainment, and initially was less than lukewarm about the project. However, with the encouragement of the Dean of Humanities (Guy Chilver), the architect and I put up a proposal to the Gulbenkian Foundation for a pioneering low-cost theatre, and were rewarded with a substantial grant towards the cost. Dr Templeman was impressed and obtained the additional funding for the

40 Years On

Gulbenkian Theatre, with comfortable seating for 342 people, excellent acoustics (two experts spent months on aspects of the interior design) and a sophisticated 60-way switchboard for lighting, the whole costing in total about £100,000.

After a slightly rocky start – the first Director, Mike Lucas, offended some with a full-frontal male nude in his first production – the Theatre proved an enormous success. This was stimulated

by Reg Brown, a gifted comic actor and graduate of the Rose Bruford College, who took over as Director the following year. On a low budget he managed to help faculty and students to stage a great variety of plays and shows, from Shakespeare to musicals and operas, often participating himself, as well as bringing in occasional professional companies.

The Theatre became increasingly busy, and in turn helped us to bring about the introduction of degree courses in drama and theatre, which were launched in the 1970s. By this time, it was also becoming something of a cultural centre for the University.

I arrived at the Gulbenkian in 1984 to take up the post of technical director, by which time Reg Foakes’ wonderful vision had well and truly established itself as the artistic hub of the campus. Most people had even got used to the name! Annual student admissions for the drama degree course were up to 12 and UKC Dramatics were presenting two different shows every term.

The old Marlowe had closed, heralding the end of repertory theatre in East Kent, so it was the Gulbenkian that became the theatrical producer for the City.

Participation in theatrical productions flourished under the inspired and inspirational direction of Reg Brown.

The annual summer opera became a cornerstone of the University’s arts year.

Combining outstanding professional singers and musicians with local amateur performers, supported by a student chorus the improbable and then the impossible was attempted on the Gulbenkian stage. La Boheme, La Traviata and Die Fledermaus, to name just three, were produced to wide critical acclaim and sell-out success. Encouragement, advice and appropriate directorial criticism was handed down by Reg Brown to an entire generation of young actors, scene

painters, make-up artists, musicians and stage hands. Many careers started on the Gulbenkian stage during this period reflecting its strong focus on nurturing home grown talent.

I took over as director in 1994 just as the professional programme began to burgeon and the opportunity to diversify the programme arrived. Stand-up comedy and folk music soon became established.

With encouragement from Professor Bob Freedman, and funding from the Arts Council, contemporary dance, physical theatre and animated theatre soon joined the mix. The Gulbenkian had evolved into a presenting theatre, like the Leicester Phoenix, and was now providing the best in touring drama, music comedy and dance for a wider audience in East Kent and beyond. The likes of Actors Touring Company, The National Theatre, Jasmin Vardimon, Shobana Jeyasingh, the Albion Band and Bill Bailey all became regular visitors. But this shift had not been at the expense of student and local companies who still produce their own shows in, as far as I know, an unbroken line from the Theatre’s earliest beginning. We’ve just got a lot busier. New opportunities to develop a family-friendly programme

KENT Gulbenkian Theatre

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KENT Business links

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The Gulbenkian Theatre

Kent Business School

became the springboard for an education initiative involving workshops and schools which continues today. The Gulbenkian was increasingly showing a public face from ‘atop the hill’ reflecting the University’s role as a cultural and intellectual focus for the region.

This year, Kent Business School celebrates 20 years of business education and management development (1989-2009).

The School reached a new milestone by being elected a member of the prestigious European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) in Brussels, coinciding with our excellent results in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) which places us in the top third of all UK business schools. Our flagship programme, the Kent MBA, received the Association of MBAs (AMBA)-accreditation four years ago and has now consolidated its reputation as an important resource for experienced managers in Kent as well as gaining international reputation.

40 years on (continued)

For a 343-seat venue, (we added an extra seat when we replaced the originals in 1997), the Gulb is exceptionally intimate.

Whenever I show visitors round the Theatre, I take them on the stage and marvel at the relationship between the performer and the audience. Those early hours spent on interior design are repaid at every performance. There’s just not a bad seat in the house! The purple paint on the auditorium walls is unchanged vintage 1969. This is unlike the café bar, which is unrecognisable from its origins as a deserted concrete bounded foyer only open on performance nights for an interval drink. Now, after a rebuild championed

by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Keith Mander, it’s an important campus hub where everyone, staff, students and the public meets, drinks and eats… and performs! With the addition of a small stage and gallery in the café bar, new opportunities continue to develop the Gulbenkian’s potential all the time.

Cinema 3 joined forces with the Theatre in 1999 and, after extensive refurbishment became the Gulbenkian Cinema.

Presenting an art house mix unique in Kent, the cinema now contributes to the reputation of the Gulbenkian as Canterbury’s innovative ‘arts centre’.

University arts centre? Surely that’s an old 1960’s concept? After 40 years, have we matured into the cultural vision which the theatre’s founders, including Reg Foakes, dreamed of? I certainly hope so!

20 years of business education

The programme is distinguished by its small class size, the level of talent and experience of the participants and a curriculum that aims to incorporate academic rigour alongside softer skills like leadership, negotiation or networking.

Typically, a Kent MBA participant has between eight and 13 years’ work experience and comes from a wide range of sectors and nationalities, with students from 17 countries in the current cohort.

Participants who are UK-based tend to follow the modular executive format which is offered in 10 one-week blocks over 21 months, and this year we have two participants who commute from France and from Germany. The current economic climate has meant that we are seeing more senior applicants taking a year out to complete their MBA full-time, looking to benefit from new skills, knowledge and the networking potential of the programme.

With such a wide pool of talent, the MBA cohort represents an excellent source of talent for consultancy projects. This year there are eight companies working with Kent MBAs on specific projects to help organisations grow or work through the credit crunch.

Organisations in Kent are becoming more aware of the benefits of sponsoring their managers on the executive modular programme. It is an excellent way to motivate, leverage and retain talent; it can help develop new business opportunities, it can save money on external consultants and has an immediate impact on

individual performance in the workplace.

After graduation, Kent MBAs can participate in the Alumni Update Scheme which means they can join the current cohort to complete a free one-week course as part of their Continued Professional Development (CPD) – another bonus for their organisation.

In January, Kent Business School launched the Kent MBA in Athens, recognising the importance of the MBA as a vital part of the executive education provision. Partnered by the Hellenic Management Association, specialists in management development, the AMBAaccredited programme is delivered in English by Kent Business School academics who fly out to deliver the modules in a weekend modular format.

Participants are Greek executives who can also opt to fly to the UK to join the MBA class in Canterbury on a week-long course. This is also an attractive option for executives from neighbouring countries who are a short flight away from Athens.

For the past four years, MBA participants from the University of Deggendorf in Germany have been able to complete a module on Performance Management and Improvement in Canterbury. This creates additional opportunities for Kent MBA students to network with MBA participants in other European countries.

The benefits to an individual and to an organisation of an internationally recognised programme such as the MBA are obvious, but what about short executive education programmes? This year, Kent Business School has launched a new portfolio of management development courses which cover a wide range of topics. Some are designed specifically for senior managers such as Crisis Leadership, Finding the Value in your Supply Chain or Strategic Management. Other courses are designed for managers of functional areas such as Future Marketing, Working Smarter with Consumers or Improving Operations Contribution to Competitiveness. The Professional Postgraduate Certificate in Management gives organisations the

opportunity to provide their graduate trainees with Continuing Professional Development (CPD). This also provides credits towards a Master’s degree and can include a work-based project.

Similarly, the Kent Leadership Programme, now recruiting for its fourth cohort, can provide credit towards a Kent MBA. This innovative programme was designed for Kent County Council and is aimed at building leadership capacity and developing resilient leadership and global awareness. The programme includes a residential module in Brussels, a crisis leadership simulation and a strategic project that will impact the services and communities of Kent.

For more information on executive education, contact Angela Ransley, Head of Executive Education, Kent Business School on + 44 (0)1227 827726 or by email KBSinfo@kent.ac.uk.

The new Management Development Portfolio is available on the website at www.kent.ac.uk/kbs/execed

KENT New Frontiers

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KENT New Frontiers

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New Frontiers

Summer 09 University awarded 10th largest increase in government research funding Following the recent review of the quality of research conducted by British universities, the Research Assessment Exercise, the University of Kent has been allocated an increase of 46% a year in research support funding by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

This is the 10th largest increase in cash terms, amounting to an extra £3.8 million next year, and the fourth largest increase in percentage terms amongst the top ten.

This result is recognition of the performance of Kent in terms of the quality of research conducted by its academics, the value of grants it has won, and the performance of its postgraduate research students. The University now wins more than £13 million a year in competitive research awards from the UK Research Funding Councils, the EU, and from charitable and business sources. It conducts research across a wide range of areas including Kent Business School, Biosciences, Physics, Computing and Electronics as well as in the Social Sciences and the Humanities.

These results reflect sustained investments made by Kent over the last decade in staff, buildings, laboratories and equipment. At the same time, the University has maintained its commitment to ensuring that its students benefit from teaching by top researchers. In the last National Student Survey, Kent was rated first in the south-east. The Quality Assurance Agency audit in 2008 confirmed the quality and standards of the University’s degrees.

Social policy expert presents research findings to PM Peter Taylor-Gooby, Professor of Social Policy, presented his research on current developments in public attitudes to a breakfast meeting at Number 10 Downing Street.

The meeting was also attended by Liam Byrne, Minister for the Cabinet Office, and chaired by Ed Miliband, Minister for the Department of Energy and Climate

Change. During the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasised the challenges faced by the British government, such as recession and climate change, at a time when the financial crisis limits the available resources.

In the course of the discussion, Professor Taylor-Gooby presented the Prime Minister with some of his recent research on the impact of recession on public attitudes to migration, climate change policies, trust in government and social welfare, and also on general social values, which had been requested earlier by the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. This work grew out of Professor Taylor-Gooby’s analysis of how citizenship values are changing in a more globalised world, originally presented in his book Reframing Social Citizenship which argues the case for extending public consultation and reducing social inequalities, particularly at the top end, in order to help build the kind of public trust that is needed in difficult times.

Irish PM launch for book by Kent political scientist Brian Cowen, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Ireland, launched Ireland and the European Union, a major new book co-authored by Dr Jane O’Mahony, Lecturer in European Politics, at an event held at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. The book provides

a rich account of Ireland’s membership of the EU and the impact of the EU on the institutions, policy and economy of Ireland. The Taioseach commended the book for the way in which it ‘ably demonstrates how our membership of the European Union has greatly enhanced our international standing and our ability to act on the matters of most concern to us on the international stage’.

House of Lords recognition for research at Kent Research at the University received a special mention in the House of Lords when Lord Rooker used the discoveries of Dr John Batchelor, Senior Lecturer in Electronic Engineering, as an example of how advances in science and technology are important for business and the economy, as well as providing an inspiration for young people to enter these sectors. Lord Rooker used the example of Dr Batchelor’s development of an aerial the size and shape of a button on a pair of jeans that works at the frequencies used for wireless computer networking. The research has been very well received and has even resulted in enquiries from NASA.

Lord Rooker said: ‘John Batchelor at the University of Kent has developed a circular antenna that looks like a button on a pair of jeans but which is designed to communicate in two modes around the body and away to other devices. With touch panels integrated into sleeves in fully washable garments, the potential is very significant.’

Changing Parenting Culture Changing Parenting Culture, a major new and timely research seminar series was launched earlier this year at the University. The series will explore how 21st-century parenting has become a constant source of public anxiety Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, it will bring together researchers, parenting organisations and policymakers from Britain and abroad.

Research presented will examine the ‘new parenting culture’ which informs contemporary child-rearing practices. The launch seminar opened with a round-table discussion on ‘paranoid parenting’ led

by Frank Furedi, Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent and the author of Paranoid Parenting: Why Ignoring the Experts May be Best for Your Child, a book that has continued to influence public discussion about ‘parenting’ since its first publication in 2001.

‘War & Medicine’ exhibition Ulf Schmidt, Professor of Modern History and Director of Research at the School of History, made a substantial contribution to War & Medicine, a major new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection held recently in London.

Professor Schmidt’s contribution to the exhibition, which spans the Crimean War and today’s conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, has largely been on the subject of human experimentation, particularly in relation to medical war crimes committed

by German doctors during the Second World War. Professor Schmidt is a wellknown and respected authority in this area, having researched and written extensively on subjects such as the history and theory of human experimentation, the trials of Nazi doctors at Nuremberg, and Karl Brandt, Adolf Hitler’s physician, escort and organiser of the Nazi euthanasia programme from 1939.

DICE success with Darwin Initiative awards The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced that the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), based in the Department of Anthropology, has been awarded four grants by the Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species.

The Darwin Initiative was announced by the UK Government at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and DICE has been among the main recipients of the funding for projects as varied as conserving axolotls in Mexico to reintroducing paradise flycatchers in the Seychelles.

The latest round was announced to coincide with celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth.

In this round, DICE has succeeded with three out of the 30 new project awards and

one out of 13 post-project awards. Its new projects include: Dr Richard Griffiths, Dr Alison Rosser and their team working in Madagascar to examine the dynamics of the international trade in species of chameleons that occur nowhere else in the world; Professor Stuart Harrop and his team working in Sumatra to examine how Islamic religious beliefs and local customary practices can be integrated with sustainable management of globally important rainforests; and, in Vietnam, Professor Nigel Leader-Williams, Dr Douglas MacMillan, Dr Alison Rosser and team will study local hunting patterns of the ungulates that occur nowhere else but the Annamaite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos.

Student Research Experience Scheme Nineteen second-year students from the Department of Psychology have now participated in the Department’s first Research Experience Scheme (RES), an initiative designed to give them the opportunity to observe and assist academic staff in high-profile research projects.

By working on a range of projects, from the nature and consequences of conspiracy theories to the social psychology of climate change, the RES students have improved their analytical and communication skills, and gained important insight into academic research.

Dr Ulrich Weger, Lecturer in Psychology and co-ordinator of the Scheme, said: ‘Students who would like to get hands-on insights into ongoing research projects will find this a welcome opportunity. Those who seek to work on their methodological,

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KENT New Frontiers

Giles collection part of world’s largest online cartoon archive The largest collection of British social and political cartoons is now online at www. cartoons.ac.uk, thanks to the work of the British Cartoon Archive (BCA) housed at the University. The project funded by JISC, a joint committee of the UK further and higher education funding bodies, will enable free access to over 120,000 images from 250 leading cartoonists including work by Ralph Steadman, Martin Rowson and Steve Bell. A key part of the archive comprises the Carl Giles Collection (19161995) and includes original cartoons, sketches, letters and documents from arguably the most famous cartoonist of his generation and creator of the much-loved ‘Giles Family’.

The new online database is freely available and contains cartoons from the 18th to the 21 centuries providing valuable insight into the changing political and socioeconomic landscape of the UK. The launch of the new website coincided with a Giles exhibition ‘Giles – one of the Family’ running at the London Cartoon Museum, which included colour covers, drawings never reproduced in the annuals and a recreation of Giles’ studio complete with desk, drawing board and reference material.

Top writer becomes University’s Royal Literary Fellow Simon Levack, a novelist and short story writer, has been appointed as the University’s new Royal Literary Fellow.

He will be based in the Student Learning Advisory Service in the Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching at the Medway campus.

His remit is to provide students with advice on and support in all aspects of their writing, through one-to-one

Dr Anthony Medhurst, Head of Development

coaching. The guidance he offers is wideranging, from tips on writing essays, reports and dissertations, to making presentations, carrying out research and even writing applications for work placements.

for the completion of the third and final phase of the Channel Habitat Atlas for Marine Resource Management (CHARM), a project in which Kent’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) has played a major role.

Simon has published four novels and his short fiction has also attracted critical acclaim, with his story Jade Skirt selected for the Mammoth Book of Best British Mysteries (2008). He succeeds BBC broadcaster and award-winning travel writer Jonathan Gregson as the Royal Literary Fellow for Kent’s Medway campus.

The primary aim of this atlas is to act as a contemporary reference source for the Channel’s marine environment and to provide decision-makers with the necessary information to help in the management of marine ecosystems and living resources, including 16 fish species. It has long been considered essential that France and the UK have a common vision for the protection of these ecosystems and for the utilisation of their shared marine resources, which are presently suffering the consequences of decline in certain species.

Why we don’t mean what we say A group of Kent students from the School of European Culture and Languages (SECL) has organised the second annual undergraduate conference in English Language and Linguistics entitled English language today. Peter Grundy, Senior Lecturer at the University of Durham and author of Doing Pragmatics, gave the keynote speech titled: Why don’t we mean what we say? Or do I mean, why we don’t mean what we say? Several undergraduate students also presented papers on a variety of themes, including The Modern Perceptions of Cross-Cultural Pragmatics.

Maria Hickey, a first-year student in SECL’s English Language Unit and part of the conference committee, said: ‘The response to the conference was fantastic and we were able to welcome sixth-form pupils, university students and members of the public from across the south-east.’ €5.8 million to complete atlas of the English Channel The European Regional Development Fund has made an award of €5,825,462

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Fundraising news

New Frontiers Summer 09 analytic or literature-review skills will benefit from a strategic approach in dealing with a particular question. Others who are considering doing a Master’s or a PhD may use this scheme as a testing ground to investigate their own motivation, interests and strengths.’

KENT Fundraising News

Stuart Harrop, Professor of Wildlife Management Law at DICE and Project Leader of the previous two phases of CHARM, said: ‘The English Channel is the world’s most crowded shipping lane, and also contains vital marine and other extractive resources, such as gravel and aggregate, of great economic importance to Europe. Policies and laws in this context relating to fisheries, resource use, water quality, pollution and shipping derive from international and European Union sources in addition to UK and French regulation.

‘With all of these pressures, close and informed collaboration between the UK and France in this complex geographical and regulatory area is vital to protect the Channel’s resources. The Atlas is a single and dynamic source designed to present regulators, policymakers and researchers with most of the information required to enable the resources of the English Channel to be utilised sustainably and thus to be maintained for future generations.’

Please join other alumni and friends of Kent who are supporting scholarships.

Administration and fundraising costs are paid by the University so every single penny you donate will directly support students. Even a small gift can make a real difference.

Examples include gift aid: – £5 a month would result in a gift of over £110 a year, which could contribute towards the cost of books and course materials for an exceptional student – £20 a month would result in a gift of £450 a year which could cover accommodation for the entire six-week summer term for an undergraduate student in financial difficulty

Kent’s Scholarships Campaign launched!

The University of Kent’s first major scholarships campaign launched in March.

Our aim is to offer more talented students the chance to study at Kent to undertake groundbreaking research, encourage more international students and support students suffering from financial hardship.

To kick start the campaign, 30 students at Kent undertook a telephone fundraising appeal in March. Over a three-week period they spoke to over 2,000 alumni, sharing experiences and memories of Kent past and present.

The financial support afforded by this scholarship has enabled me to concentrate on the valuable research work that I have undertaken in order to enhance and deepen understanding of the phenomenon of gang culture. I am thrilled that I was able to play a part in the telephone appeal.

This allowed me to say “thank you” in a tangible way to all those Kent alumni whose generosity is contributing to my academic pursuits. It has deepened my sense of fellowship and I trust that I have been able to encourage alumni to continue this worthy tradition of providing scholarships so that many more students, like me, will benefit in the future from the support that I am now privileged to enjoy.

The appeal has been a resounding success, with alumni donating an incredible £27,000, with a further £11,000 still to come in.

Steven Pollard D97 was thrilled to be able to support the Kent Scholarships Campaign:

Emma Alleyne is currently the holder of an alumni postgraduate scholarship and she was delighted to participate in the appeal this year. Emma writes:

It’s important for me to be able to give something back to Kent and give other students the same opportunities I had. By giving to the scholarships campaign, I am able to directly support talented students and make a real difference to their lives.

– £140 a month would result in a gift of £3,145 a year to the University which could fund full academic fees on an undergraduate scholarship.

If you would like to make a real difference to the lives of talented students and support the Kent Scholarships Campaign, please complete the donation form on the carrier sheet enclosed with KENT magazine and return in the prepaid envelope. Alternatively you can donate online through our website www.kent. ac.uk/scholarshipscampaign or by phone on 01227 827830.

KENT Fundraising News

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The special agreement between Sky News, the University of Kent and the Friend family was set up to provide a lasting memorial to the life and career of Bob Friend, the original face of Sky News and one of the most instantly recognisable news presenters of his generation.

Sky’s the limit for University’s first journalism scholar Journalism student Alan McGuinness has been awarded the inaugural Sky Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship. The new annual scholarship, named after late Sky News presenter Bob Friend, rewards one of Kent’s students studying at the Centre for Journalism, based at the Medway campus.

He formally received his award from Professor Tim Luckhurst, Head of the Centre for Journalism, and John Ryley, Head of Sky News, at a ceremony at the University on 9 February. Mr Ryley also delivered the first Bob Friend Memorial Lecture, an event which helped celebrate the 20th anniversary of the launch of Sky News.

Kent Union is currently celebrating the success of being ranked 80th in the Sunday Times ‘Best 100 Companies to Work For’ list 2009. This is a great achievement and shows the high level of workplace engagement from the 150 career and 400 student staff working for Kent Union.

You can now hire bikes on campus from Kent Union! In December 2007, we were delighted to be awarded funding from the Annual Fund for a project which has the aim of helping students to become more active while they study. We currently have five bikes available to hire, plus all the safety equipment to go with them.

Kent Union has also recently won a Silver Sound Impact award from NUS Services Limited (NUSSL). This award is granted to Unions which make an active commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and increasing efforts made to make students aware of the environmental impact they have. Since winning this award, Kent Union has been reviewing its procedures across all outlets and services, looking for ways to decrease their its on the environment and hope to win gold next year!

We were also granted funds for a brand new Student Advice Centre Casework system, which is now up and running.

The new system will allow the Kent Union advisers to store all client details about their case, making it far easier to get results and more efficient for both students and staff. The system could cut down administration time by around 25%, meaning they can increase the amount of appointments offered to students and have the time to deliver pro-active advice on relevant issues such as budgeting, housing and immigration.

Plans are underway for a new produce store being built at the end of Eliot causeway, next to Blackwell’s bookshop.

The store will be built from sustainable materials, with photovoltaic windows and woodchip burners to provide heat and energy. The store will be opening in April 2010 and will sell freshly made sandwiches, local and organic produce as well as a range of baked and fresh goods.

Alan, 19, competed against his fellow students in a rigorous three-stage selection process, in which candidates had to prepare a paper outlining their multimedia treatment of a news story, demonstrate their prowess in current affairs, spelling and grammar, and face a panel of judges representing Sky News, the University and the Friend family.

As the winning student, Alan will have his first-year tuition fees paid by Sky, and can look forward to a four-week work placement at Sky News later this year.

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Kent Union

Fundraising news Continued

History scholarship launched A new postgraduate scholarship has just been launched thanks to the generosity of Paul Dyer, Non-Executive Director and co-founder of Maidstone-based Towergate Partnership, Europe’s largest private insurance organisation. Paul, who graduated from the University with a BA in Politics, launched the scholarship with a talk and an exhibition of his personal flintlock collection. More than 40 staff and students from the School of History, recently ranked second out of 83 history departments nationwide in the government’s 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), attended the launch.

For further information on the History scholarship, contact J.A.Waller@kent.ac.uk

KENT Kent Union

Did you receive a scholarship to study at Kent?

Please let us know the difference your scholarship has made to your life by calling Sara Scriven on 01227 824745 or emailing s.n.scriven@kent.ac.uk

Plans are underway for this year’s Summer Ball being held on Saturday 6 June on Giles Lane Car Park. Already confirmed to play is Dizzee Rascal, a multi-award-winning, chart-topping artist who is generating a lot of buzz around campus and there are still loads of acts to be announced. Visit www.kentsummerball.co.uk for further information.

For more information about Kent Union, visit www.kentunion.co.uk Louise Shaw R02 Marketing Manager Kent Union Triple whammy Kent Union is celebrating becoming the first students’ union to be included in the Sunday Times ‘Best Companies to Work For’ list 2009. Kent Union was ranked number 80 in this prestigious list alongside companies such as Microsoft, Beaverbrooks and Boots Opticians.

In addition, the Union has claimed the Best Bar None Regional and National Winners award from NUS Services Ltd for the third consecutive year running and it has also received a prestigious environmental award. The Sound Environmental Impact Awards is an accreditation scheme to help students’ unions do their bit for the environment.

Now in its third year, over a million students have seen environmental initiatives put in place in their unions through the awards.

KENT Questionnaire

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KENT Questionnaire

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The questionnaire Alumni and staff talk about their memories and experience at Kent

Karen Day D94 Biochemistry with Medical Biosciences

This entry originally appeared in the Spring 08 issue of KENT. Unfortunately, an error led to it being mixed up with another entry, for which we apologise.

We are pleased to reproduce Karen’s submission in its entirety.

Favourite Book: The Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

Place of residence: First year: Darwin N4-4 Second year: Bramshaw Road, which mysteriously had a headstone appear in the back garden over the Easter holidays.

We later found out it was the landlady’s deceased dog – but for a short time it added mystery and intrigue to our student digs.

Third year: Hillview Road.

Favourite bar/pub: Penny Theatre, Keynes bar and the Fools and Horses Pub (which no longer exists) for the bands.

Most embarrassing moment: Fainting in the Bioscience labs, at the end of an all-day practical on a very hot day. Dr Rooney was very understanding, although coming around on the floor with a cracking headache, with all my class mates looking down at me with concerned faces, isn’t an experience I’d like to repeat.

Enduring memory: At university it would have to be graduation, held at the fabulous Canterbury Cathedral.

Outside of university it would have to be giving birth to my two children, Phoebe and Xavier at home, with my husband Gavin (E94, pictured above with Karen) present both times. Yet another UKC wedding and baby success! My dad (Clive Parish R68) was also a UKC student (both

degree and PhD), so the University has had far-reaching effects on my family – I remember attending a reunion with my dad at the University when I was still at school, so my relationship with Kent started years before I arrived as an undergraduate.

Favourite item of clothing: A black leather biker jacket. I wore it during almost all my waking moments during my late teens.

Favourite song: “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. I particularly like the version by Jeff Buckley.

Biggest Influence: My mum.

Societies: Live music society and photographic club My first job: My first job following graduation was in R&D laboratories at Murex Biotech in Dartford. It was a wonderful working environment, both socially and academically. Even though I moved companies over ten years ago, I still regularly meet up with friends made there at the time.

Mark Edmondson K82 English with African and Caribbean Studies Favourite book: Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton.

I have recently had my debut novel, Making It, published. It is about a naïve young entrepreneur who is drawn into a murky world of corporate crooks and swindlers where he has to learn fast in order to survive.

Place of residence: 35a Broad Street, Canterbury.

Favourite bar/pub: City Arms.

Most embarrassing moment: Being wrongly arrested for setting off a firework, which another student did.

Enduring memory: The view of the City from Keynes College on a misty autumn morning. Seeing The Smiths in Rutherford College and Billy Bragg in Keynes JCR. Favourite item of clothing: Anything clean.

Favourite song: At the time, anything

by The Smiths, Pogues or Echo and the Bunnymen.

First job: Teaching in London.

Howard Griffin Head of Computing and Communication Kent School of Architecture

Nancy Gaffield Lecturer, English Language Unit Master of Darwin and Woolf Colleges

Societies: I don’t get much time outside of my work and photography, but I am a Freemason.

I find the work we do and the causes we donate to very rewarding.

First job: Washing up in an Indian Restaurant. I also learned how to make an onion bhaji too. Although, the less said about the state of the kitchen, the better!

John Platt R65 Economics

Favourite book: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.

Place of residence: A small hamlet called Garlinge Green.

Favourite bar/pub: The Compasses at Crundale.

Most embarrassing moment: It happened in Tokyo, where I was working at the time. I was under the influence of Japanese sake, which is all I’m prepared to say.

Enduring memory: In Corvallis, Oregon, I organised a Poetry Conference and Robert Duncan, WS Merwin and John Ashbery stayed with me for a week.

Favourite item of clothing: A sweater knitted for me by my Japanese ‘mother’.

Favourite song: ‘Boulder to Birmingham’ by Emmylou Harris.

Biggest influence: My inspiration is my husband, Maurice.

Societies: Kent Wildlife Trust, Poetics and Linguistics Association, British Association of Applied Linguists, British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes.

First job: Growing up, I did odd jobs in a Funeral Home (very Six Feet Under).

Favourite book: The Stand by Stephen King. A very long but gripping story that, unfortunately, didn’t translate to the silver screen very well.

Place of residence: Margate. Trust me, its going to be a shining beacon for the county one day!

Favourite bar/pub: Bar Local, Barcelona. They were kind enough to host my first photographic exhibition off these shores, and I make a point of going there every time I am in town.

Most embarrassing moment: Speaking behind someone’s back, then realising that they were right behind me.

Enduring memory: Too many, but if I had to choose one, the moment my children were born. Well, two moments, actually (seven minutes apart!).

Favourite item of clothing: Definitely my shirts. I like good shirts.

Favourite song: Again, too many to list, including many film scores, such as Thomas Newman’s ‘Whisper of a Thrill’, but top of the list is ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen. It’s a song I never get bored of.

Biggest influence: No man is an island and I am influenced by all around me, the people I work with, the students I teach, everyone. My biggest influences though are my mum and dad, of course.

Favourite book: I love books – I get pleasure from the possession of books and, like cars, they are threatening to take over my house, so it is hard to choose a favourite. However, Paul Theroux’s record of his trip from the Cape to Cairo in Dark Star Safari highlighted the sorry state of Africa today in a lucid, powerful and rather depressing way.

Place of residence: I have owned a house in Battle in Sussex for the past 20 years, although I have lived in London for about five years of that time, and Naples for another four and a half.

Battle is a very pleasant little town, but tourism is sadly taking over from ‘real’ businesses.

Favourite bar/pub: The John Harvey Tavern in Lewes – the Brewery Tap for Harvey’s Brewery next door – which makes some of the finest beers in the country. It is also near the railway station, so I can make my way home safely afterwards!

Most embarrassing moment: Placing a bottle of water on a very smart dinner table, not realising that two tables had been pushed together and were at slightly different levels. The bottle toppled over and created a domino-effect down a

line of glasses of red wine!

Enduring memory: In 1986, I led a crew from my Squadron to Australia to win the Fincastle Antisubmarine contest. We took two Nimrods round the world, won the contest, and returned exactly on schedule. It was particularly memorable as we won on the day my successor took command of the Squadron back in Scotland – and that was the end of my flying.

Favourite item of clothing: I have a much-loved green Goretex jacket made by a company called Endurance. I bought it in 1973 for £105 – an incredible price for those days – but I was living in Scotland with the associated weather!

However, I still use it and it does not look too bad.

Favourite song: Of recent releases, I love Please Read the Letter from the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss CD ‘Raising Sand’. And ‘Pretty Flamingo’ brings back memories of Manfred Mann at Kent in 1966(?).

Biggest influence: My friends.

Societies: I am a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and belong to several car-related clubs in support of my addiction to old cars (I currently have five ranging from a 1949 MG to a 1992 Mini). I also belong to the Sussex Archaeological Society as part of my hobby as a keen amateur archaeologist. For several years I have worked with Dr Gabor Thomas, lately of Kent, now at Reading, on Saxon sites in Sussex and Kent. I hope to be back on the Saxon site at Lyminge (near Folkestone) this summer.

First job: Navigator in the RAF. I spent 34 years in the RAF, flying Shackletons and Nimrods for about ten years, and a desk for much of the remainder! I retired in 2002 and decided to take a gap year (they had not been invented in the 1960s). I enjoyed it so much, I am now on my seventh!

KENT Who’s What Where

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KENT Who’s What Where

we will have no more children to support for the first time in 28 years! Martin (D75) and I are looking forward to that enormously. Hampshire. (13/01/2009)

since have been teaching at Collyer’s Sixth Form College in Horsham, Sussex, where I’m Assistant Principal. I like it, so I have stayed. Married in 1984 and have two boys, currently 11 and 14. Still enjoying martial arts. Sussex. (13/01/2009)

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Who’s What Where

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am able, which is most weekends. Hard to beat that! San Diego, USA. (12/09/2008) Horner, Stuart (K68) Living on a few acres in a remote old farmhouse near the Malvern Hills, spending time renovating and living off the land. Worcestershire.

(24/11/2008)

2

Captions: 1. Brussels Reception 2008 2. Hong Kong Alumni Reception 2008 The complete ‘Who’s What Where’ is available online at www.kent.ac.uk/alumni Key: D Darwin E Eliot K Keynes R Rutherford Location: The location at the end of each entry is from the mailing addresses we have for each individual. Please let us know if any corrections are required. To submit a Who’s What Where entry, email alumni@kent.ac.uk 1960s Cockbill, Richard (R66) Sue and I became grandparents for first time in May 2008 Freya is doing well. Best wishes to all Kent alumni past and present for 2009. West Midlands. (17/12/2008) Hancock, Chris (E65) I am now living and working (no thoughts of retiring) in San Diego. Quite amazing to me that I moved here after 18 years in New Hampshire.

Southern California is quite different!

However, I spend as much time sailing as I

Mills, Jane (E66) I have just been appointed Associate Professor (Teaching and Research) in the School of Communication, Charles Sturt University.

Bondi, Australia. (28/01/2009) Seville, Rod (R68) Continuing as an independent consultant in networks for both submarine telecommunications and offshore renewable energy technologies and approaching the golden years, but life seems to be getting more hectic with all those offshore wind farms and other marine based renewable energy technologies! Celebrated the big 60 last year and was joined by several old natural sciences reprobates: The Rutherford & Physics Department party committee strikes again! Would be great to hear from other committee members: Ray Lovell, Lyn Dawson, Hans Kappes and anyone else who is still suffering those JCR party hangovers! We had a great time at UKC too! Essex. (06/01/2009) Williams, Mike (E69) Awarded PhD

by Exeter University in August 2008 for thesis entitled Medieval English Roodscreens with special reference to Devon. Retired, living in Wiveliscombe, Somerset. Most recent publication: Mrs Ames’s Angel [short stories], (Wellington, 2008). At present, writing the history of the Whitby, Redcar, and Middlesbrough Union Railway (the Whitby to Loftus line).

Somerset. (03/11/2008) 1970s Fulda, Vivienne (R76) I now have two new identities. I completed my PhD in 2006.

I use the title Dr at work – several pupils have asked which surgery I work at. My other new title is nanny. Our daughter and her husband had a girl in 2006, who is a great joy. My days with her are very special. Our son will graduate from Imperial College London in 2010 and then

Hanlon, Maurice (K77) I moved to Australia in 2004 with my wife Barbara and our two girls, Katie and Sophie. It was hard at first but within a year we all loved it. We’re Aussie citizens now. We have a lovely house on the Port Hacking estuary and live right on the edge of the city overlooking the National Park. Kent was great. I loved it, and especially the folk from my year group; they were a lovely bunch. Sydney, Australia. (14/08/2008) Lewis-Evans, Jerry (E72) Still working at Ordnance Survey in Southampton, these days on business change management, risk management, etc. Most hobbies went west when the children arrived – but still following some of the Canterbury bands from the 70s. Living in Salisbury – very similar to Canterbury, but without the students! Wiltshire. (15/01/2009) Neale, Steve (K70) Still living in Farnham Common, Bucks, retired, but also “Man with Van”. One son, Joel, who will be going to Kent this September, and one daughter, Holly, aged 16 years. Still in touch with fellow retros Glyn Griffiths, Pete Stubbing and Laurence Gatfield. Best regards to anyone who remembers me. Berkshire.

(19/08/2008) Levy, Martin (K75) A few years after leaving UKC, I moved to the United States. First working in New Jersey for Bell Labs, then moving to Silicon Valley in ‘87. I’ve been in this neighbourhood ever since. I married Julie in 1991 and we have two kids (both born in the US). I’ve been involved with the commercial aspects of high-bandwidth global internet backbones for around 15 plus years, having worked for companies in California and abroad.

I have fond memories of Canterbury and still own a BSA 500cc motorcycle from my university days! I’m easy to find online – just search and say hello. Scotts Valley, USA. (09/02/2009) Sanderson, David (E73) Stayed on at UKC for MA on Hart Crane (76-77), and ever

1980s Davis, Graham (R87) Having graduated from Kent in 1990, I tried unsuccessfully to be an accountant with Ernst & Young and then finally ended up in software testing. I am now the Director of Testing Services for Planit Test Management Solutions, a software testing consultancy based in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.

I have been in Australia for over ten years and now have three lovely children; Harry, Lucy and Amelie. Would recommend the move down under any day! Sydney, Australia. (01/10/2008) Horne Perrin, Ella (E83) After spending my year abroad in Strasbourg (1985-86), I came straight back here after graduation and made it my home. Have my own business teaching English in businesses here and other cities in France, and also do voiceover work. Still love it as much, if not more than, 20 years ago and Strasbourg is my home! Just as sporty as I used to be and love travelling and sharing both passions with my partner. Strasbourg, France. (05/02/2009) Stubbings, Tim (E89) I work as a professional photographer (having started taking snaps for UKC’s Information Office back in 1992!). Worked in London for seven years and stopped doing that in April 2006. Married to Paulette (Dowson) R89 since 1995 and have two daughters, Kate 6 and Lucy 2. Lived in Whitstable since 2002 having been in Canterbury, Ashford and separately in London, Eastbourne and Brentwood before that! Still in touch with Neil Mossey D90 and Sam Michel E89.

Kent. (15/01/2009) Tilley, Pauline (E86) I would love to hear from anyone who remembers me.

A brief explanation of how I know you would be appreciated due to a brain injury I sustained when I was teaching English as a foreign language. Somerset.

(13/01/2009)

1990s Fukutome, Akira (D90) After graduating, moved to Japan and somehow lost my ticket back to the UK. Have been working in human resources for the past 12 years.

Married Kayoko Kato (E92). Yoh, our son, was born April 2008. Would love to hear from old friends. Yokohama, Japan.

(03/02/2009) Sheraton, Anthony (K90) Am still living in Worcestershire but will be moving early 2009 over the border to Gloucestershire.

Chemo has come and gone, my hair stayed in place (what’s left of it), and the scar on the tum has all but disappeared (no more tales of tiger wrestling alas). I’m very unfit at the moment and am in need of a trip to the gym, but all in all everything is coming along nicely. Business will be starting in earnest from January, and I’ll be employing staff over the coming year. I had to put studies on hold, but now that I’m well again I’ve applied for an MA starting September 2009, which I’ll have to fit in with work. It seems I have another change to get on with life. Consequently, I’m doing all those things I should have been doing all along – theatre, concerts, travel, even creative stuff (I write the odd article for a local magazine). I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the coming year.

Worcestershire. (17/12/2008) A’Court, Darren (D97) Shortly leaving local government as I have (finally!) reconciled myself with the Church of England and have been ordained. Serving as a curate in Weymouth and enjoying it a great deal. Married to Jeanette with three children (Jack 9, Emily 5 and Lucy 4), so pretty busy all-round! I would love to hear from anyone who I encountered at Kent and send them all good wishes. Dorset.

(09/10/2008) Bartels, Thomas (R98) I am working as a occupational psychologist, and have done so for five years. Hillerod, Denmark.

(15/01/2009) 2000s Henderson, Sophie (R01) Have been fortunate to have been able to put my degree to good use in my career! Worked for several small businesses in Kent doing

general web design/development before moving back to London and working in several marketing/media companies for many big name clients. Currently work as a Freelance Client-Side Web Developer (bit of a long title!) on a rebuild of a site for a major hotel chain. Really enjoying the work and am still in touch with a number of course mates as well as fellow Rocksoc-ers! Kent. (13/01/2009) Only Connect Lost touch with an old friend? The Kent alumni database may be able to help. If we have a current address for them, we would be happy to forward a message from you.

If we too have lost touch, Only Connect, which is printed in Kent twice a year and broadcast on the Web monthly, may get a response. And please, if you do connect, let us know.

1970s William Gibson (D73) wltf Glyn Tonge (R73) 1980s Moi Chan (D80) wltf Marie Hayes (D80); Bhavin Desai (R81) wltf David Barrett (R81); Vijay Bajaj (K84) wltf Michelle Morais (K86); Balvinder Mudan (Dhenjan) (E86) wltf Mary Clarke (R87) 1990s Claudia Elvert (Kiessling) (K92) wltf Michael Rattigan (K92); Marie Gallagher (R93) wltf Gary Thorpe (R95); Belen Sanchez-Rubio Garcia (E93) wltf David Morgan (E91); Julia Sokhi (D93) wltf Jashmin Patel (K93), Eleftheria Trimis (D93) and Rushpal Mann (R93) In Memoriam Alumni Andrea Chee E93 Paul Connelly D72 Revd Roger Kent R75 Charles Manicom K91 James Muiruri D02 David Seabrook E79 Staff and friends Jack Aisher, Honorary Graduate 1985 David Edwards, former Deputy Registrar Philip Mitchell, Honorary Graduate 1978

KENT Events

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Kent events

Here are some of the events planned for the next few months. A full calendar of University events is available at www.kent.ac.uk/whatson 11 June Creative Industries Alumni Reception Waterstone’s Piccadilly 12 June 40 Gulbenkian Years Gulbenkian Theatre www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian 13 June ArtsFest Canterbury campus www.kent.ac.uk/artsfest 18 June Medway Public Lecture: 25th anniversary of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust 6pm, Pilkington Building, Medway campus

20 June Open Day, 10 – 3pm Medway campus 4 July Benefactors’ Garden Party (by special invitation) Canterbury 4 July Open Day, 10 – 3pm Canterbury campus 14, 15, 16 July Graduation ceremonies Canterbury Cathedral 17 July Graduation ceremonies Rochester Cathedral

15 September Athens Alumni Reception Official Residence of the British Ambassador, Athens www.kent.ac.uk/alumni 10 October Open Day, 10 – 3pm Canterbury campus 17 October Open Day, 10 – 3pm Medway campus 22 October Hong Kong Alumni Reception 18 November Graduation ceremonies Rochester Cathedral 20 November Graduation ceremonies Canterbury Cathedral