Bridge 2009

Bridge www.sunderland.ac.uk 2009/10

Leading the way Chancellor Steve Cram on how the University has a key role to play in Sunderland’s future

Stuart Benette

“

Environmental Engineer, WYG Environment, MSc Environmental Management

You won’t hear of a better place to master your studies

”

“Studying geography really opened up the subject for me. I became really interested in the environmental aspects which led me to study for a Masters in Environmental Management. As part of my course I took a placement with one of the UK’s leading Environmental and Engineering consultancies who then offered me a job after just three weeks. I now specialise in environmental noise and acoustic monitoring for a range of residential and commercial developments. So if it wasn’t for Sunderland I really wouldn’t be where I am today.”

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Contents

Welcome to Bridge, a University of Sunderland magazine, which keeps you up to speed with the latest news and views at the University, in the region and further afield p. 22 p. 10

cover story

04 in brief

At the end of his first year as Chancellor, Steve Cram speaks to Bridge about the University’s role in Sunderland’s future

Bridge celebrates Lord Puttnam’s legacy and congratulates photography award-winner Sam W S Keung

09 automotive World’s fastest car takes shape

“It’s important for the University to cement its relationship with the wider community” p. 18

14 Software city A new industry is driving the region forward

16 Infertility North East scientists highlight failings in infertility treatment

22 profile Bridge speaks to referee and Sunderland graduate Michael Oliver

profile Broadcaster Lauren Laverne speaks about her Sunderland roots

24 Research

p. 6

Carrying on an age-old tradition

28 education No barriers to learning

City Campus

Abstract Associates Celia Mather, Annie Jennings, Joel O’Connor, Anja Linke, Helder Dantas and Roger Wilsher Biscuit Factory J108, 100 Clements Road, London, SE16 4DG +44 (0) 20 7064 8400 www.abstractassociates.co.uk

30 bridge alumni

Bridge previews the new £75m development that is City Campus

A new section dedicated to the University’s alumni

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Reproduction in whole or part of any material contained in Bridge is prohibited without prior written consent.

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Any advice given does not constitute a legal opinion.

www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge |

In brief Steve Cram, Chancellor (left), with Lord Puttnam at the renaming ceremony

Celebrating Lord Puttnam’s legacy New media centre named after the University of Sunderland’s inspirational first Chancellor

“Agreeing to become ...Chancellor was one of the best decisions I ever made” —Lord Puttnam

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he University of Sunderland recently celebrated the legacy of its first Chancellor by renaming its media centre the David Puttnam Media Centre.

Lord Puttnam, who spent 10 years as the inspirational champion of the North East university, was honoured in a ceremony led by the present Chancellor, Steve Cram.

Guests from the worlds of film and television, politics and the arts paid tribute to the Oscar–winning filmmaker – including filmmakers Sir Alan Parker and David Parfitt, Tube and Band Aid creator Malcolm Gerrie, Melyvn Bragg and former Dire Straits front man Mark Knopfler.

Lord Puttnam said: “This wonderful institution has been, and always will be, close to my heart. Agreeing to become its Chancellor was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. It was such a sad day when I stepped down. I feel very privileged to have this great building named after me.”

Professor Peter Fidler, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, added: “David was a fantastic ambassador for this university. In his 10 years here he did more than anyone else in taking our key messages to a national and international audience. It gives us great pleasure to pay back some of that support and commitment by naming our wonderful media centre in his honour.” | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

Ferrari gets a racing start It’s rare that a student becomes a professional radio broadcaster in the first year of university – but Adam Ferrari has done just that.

The 19-year-old media production student, like most university students, works part-time. The only difference is that he works on his own show as a radio presenter on Sun FM’s early morning show.

Adam, who is studying at the University of Sunderland, explains: “I do a couple of live shows during the week, but because I’m on from 1am to 5am it’s a bit difficult because of university and other commitments.”

Controller of Sunderland-based Sun FM, Simon Grundy, says: “Nobody knows the city better than a student who has chosen to spend three years studying at our local university. The best way we can serve our listeners is to employ people who know the area and know how to operate in the industry.”

Moving pictures Sunderland graduate, Sam W S Keung, wins award for his work that catches the last days of a dying culture in Hong Kong

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hotographer Sam W S Keung recently received international recognition for his powerful visual capture of life in one of Hong Kong’s most run-down areas.

The University of Sunderland graduate picked up second place in the 2008 National Geographic International Photography Competition for his photo series, ‘Behind Closed Doors’.

Sam, who graduated from Sunderland in 2005 and now lectures at the City University of Hong Kong, spent time with residents from 50 squatter households in Hong Kong’s notorious Lower Nagau Tau Kok Estate, which is scheduled for demolition in 2009.

The images he captured graphically show life in one of the most deprived areas of the former British colony. The estate, which was badly hit by the SARS outbreak in 2003, is one of the oldest public housing estates in Hong Kong, with over 21,000 residents.

Sam says: “People living in these slums are alienated from their neighbours, while in their homes foreign culture has begun to overtake their everyday lives. They live almost entirely behind closed doors.”

Sam’s ability for having a sixth sense for homing in on the unusual or the extraordinary within any scene caught the eyes of the National Geographic judges. www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge |

Profile Lauren Laverne

Home is where the heart is Lauren Laverne returns to her native Sunderland in the summer to receive an Honorary Award from the University. Tony Kerr found out how close she is to the city

| Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

How often do you get back to your home city?

Quite a bit! It’s a bit more of a palaver now that I’ve got a toddler to travel with, but we come home a lot. He particularly loves the beach at Roker and his grandad’s Yorkshire puddings.

Do you still have friends and family here?

Of course! My mam is one of nine and my dad one of six. His dad was one of 14 so as you can imagine there are quite a few relatives scattered about!

What are your early memories of playing gigs in Sunderland?

We didn’t actually play in town much. There wasn’t as much of a music scene in the city in those days – it’s really vibrant now, I’m often retrospectively jealous! We did play The Royalty, though. I remember my Uncle Tony’s pals helping us lug the amps up all the stairs and spilling beer on my fake fur coat from Help the Aged!

What’s your favourite place in Sunderland?

I love the seafront, the Winter Gardens and the view from the top of Tunstall Hill, but the place I’m happiest at is my mam and dad’s front room.

What’s your favourite shop?

Eleven. Really cool stock and the staff are very helpful.

And your favourite pub/club/ restaurant?

The restaurant in the Glass Centre is lovely and pub-wise, I’m a big fan of The Rosedene. In terms of clubs, I have not been in one for approximately 100 years (due to having a small child) but last time I checked Cool for Cats was amazing!

If you could change or create one thing in the city, what would it be?

I’d make everyone richer!

What book are you reading at the moment?

Mugby Junction by Charles Dickens, Ten Storey Love Song by Middlesborough author Richard Milward and a book on time management (geeky but I’ve got a lot on)!

“The place I’m happiest at is my mam and dad’s front room”

What are you listening to on your MP3?

All sorts – my 6Music Show is all new stuff so luckily I get sent all the new releases as part of my job. My favourite albums at the minute are Checkmate Savage by The Phantom Band, Alpinisms by School of Seven Bells and The Atlantic Ocean by Richard Swift.

When and where are you happiest?

When my son is tucked in on my knee, like a hot little beanbag, I’m as happy as it gets.

What does the future hold for Lauren Laverne?

Who knows? Surely the fun bit is finding out?

You commute regularly between London and Sunderland … pie ‘n’ mash or Gregg’s pasties?

I live in London and feel duty bound to point out that Greggs has now come south – there’s even one in the West End! I used to feel like I had to choose between the two and that I was somehow being disloyal to my home if I let myself properly fall in love with London. But I’m over that now and very happy and lucky to call both places home! u

Laverne in 30 seconds Lauren Laverne was born and raised in Sunderland where, in the mid-1990s, she formed the teen punk band Kenickie. She fell into presenting after making a guest appearance on comedy panel game show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Lauren now presents the BBC’s flagship arts programme, The Culture Show, and has a Saturday afternoon radio show on BBC 6Music.

Despite living and working in London, Lauren has never lost her passion for her hometown and in 2005 she became an ambassador for the city, promoting it and raising awareness.

Lauren is being awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the UK music and media industry. Turn to page 8 to see who else is receiving an award. www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge |

Inside

Honorary achievements Michael Wood

As well as Lauren Laverne receiving an Honorary Award, nine other inspirational people will be honoured by the University this summer

To be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts (HonDArt) in recognition of his work in making history accessible to a wide audience through broadcasts and publications

Wendy Craig To be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts (HonDArt) in recognition of her distinguished acting and writing career in film, theatre and television Wendy has led a long distinguished career.

Born in County Durham, Wendy trained at the Central School of Dramatic Art in London. She began her career at the Ipswich Repertory Company, and then went on to star in numerous West End productions, television sitcoms and feature films.

Wendy won a BAFTA for her role in The Servant, and, since then has won various other titles including the BBC’s and ITV’s ‘TV Personality of the Year’.

Wendy is perhaps best known for her roles in long-running comedies and dramas, including Nanny and Butterflies, and, more recently, The Forsythe Saga and The Royal. Wendy more recently appeared alongside Martin Clunes in the remake of the classic series The Rise and Fall of Reginald Perrin.

Geoff Cook

Alun Armstrong

To be awarded an Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding career in cricket, both as a player and a worldrenowned coach

To be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts (HonDArt) in recognition of his distinguished career in film, theatre and television

Geoff Cook has led an exemplary cricketing career, both on and off the field.

Originally from Middlesbrough, Geoff captained Northamptonshire County Cricket Club from 1981 to 1988, during which time he was awarded seven England caps. He was then elected chairman of the Cricketers Association before going on to play for Durham County.

In 2007, Geoff took over as coach of the county’s first division team and led them to victory in the Friends Provident Trophy that year and at the County Championship in 2008.

Durham-born Alun Armstrong has led an eminent acting career – appearing in numerous films, television productions and musicals.

Alun’s film career began in 1971 in Get Carter and he has since appeared in more than 35 feature films and numerous television series.

Alun has also enjoyed an award-winning stage career and, after being nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award six times, picked up the ‘Best Actor in a Musical’ trophy in 1994, for his portrayal of the title role in Sweeny Todd.

His most recent role was in the television production of Little Dorrit.

Renowned historian and co-director of Maya Vision International, Michael Wood, has had a long and distinguished career in bringing his historical interests to the masses.

Michael was born in Manchester and educated at Oriel College Oxford.He has since worked on a plethora of films and documentaries, and written numerous biographical novels, many of which have gone on to become bestsellers. His documentaries include the BAFTA-winning River Journeys and the awardwinning Hitler’s Search for the Holy Grail.

Michael has given lectures on medieval history at the British Museum, London and at the Conference of International Medievalists in Kalamazoo. He also works as an ambassador for the World Heritage bid for WearmouthJarrow. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Royal Society for the Arts and the Society of Antiquaries, a Governor of The Royal Shakespeare Company and a Trustee of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. u

OTHER HONORARY AWARDS: Gary Shaw MBE (NPIA national interview advisor at the Knowledge Centre) To be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science in recognition of his exemplary work in investigative interviewing techniques and services to policing.

John Wood (CEO of Tolent Construction) To be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

Business Administration in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the building and civil engineering industry.

Sir Peter Carr (Chairman of the North East Strategic Health Authority) To be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science in recognition of his distinguished career in the NHS and the civil service.

Duncan Goose (Director of Global Ethics) To be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration in recognition of his fundraising and development work in the third world.

Bryan Talbot (writer and graphic artist) To be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts in recognition of his contribution to the arts.

Supersonic power Sunderland drives forward a ‘great British adventure’, with the creation of the world’s fastest car. Bridge reports

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utomotive experts from the North East are part of a team building the world’s fastest car, which will be capable of speeds of more than 1,000 mph.

The University of Sunderland’s Professor Dave Crolla is one of the team members on the Bloodhound Super Sonic Car (SCC) Project, described as a “great British engineering adventure” by the Government.

The car will be powered by a Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine and hybrid rocket that will be capable of travelling at around 1,050 mph – twice the speed of a bullet fired from a handgun.

It is being developed and built to beat the land speed record, which was set in 1997 and currently stands at 763mph, by the largest ever margin. Construction should be completed by the end of 2009.

Professor Crolla, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says: “Sunderland is recognised as one of the UK’s leading universities for automotive engineering for

“One challenge is to keep the vehicle safely in contact with the ground at speeds of around 1,000mph” its work on advanced manufacturing with Nissan and research into hybrid electric and low carbon vehicles. It is now involved in what Science Minister Lord Drayson has described as a ‘great British engineering adventure’.

“One of the most challenging aspects of this ambitious project is to keep the vehicle stable and in contact safely with the ground at speeds of around 1,000mph. We’re using the latest prediction techniques to ensure safe vehicle stability in the supersonic region.

The Bloodhound SSC l the 12.8m-long, 6.4-tonne Bloodhound SSC will be expected to travel faster than a bullet fired from a handgun; l its 900mm-diameter wheels will spin so fast they will have to be made from a high-grade titanium to prevent them from flying apart; and l the car will accelerate from 01,000mph in just 40 seconds.

Only one vehicle that we have worked on – the ThrustSSC – has ever achieved safety at supersonic speeds.”

A key element to the project is to excite and motivate the next generation of UK engineers and technologists through schools, colleges and universities.

Professor Crolla adds: “I hope our students in Sunderland will be able to follow this engineering programme and contribute to it.

They certainly have the talent.” u

Green technology

To balance out the eco issues of the Bloodhound SCC, the University also created the HyPower Nissan Almera, which has been adapted to run on hydrogen so that it only emits water from its exhaust.

A team of experts led by automotive expert Dirk Kok came up with the HyPower system, a hydrogen-powered car, which they believe is a significant step forward in creating a mass-produced green machine.

www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge |

Cover story Steve Cram

Leading the way University of Sunderland Chancellor, Steve Cram, says the University is a key asset in the future prosperity of the city. Annie Jennings reports

10 | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

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teve Cram is a man full of passion – with enthusiasm for both his North East roots and about education and the opportunities it can provide. “I want to make sure access to education is there,” he says, reflecting on what he can bring to the role of Chancellor at the University of Sunderland. “It’s first about opening up people’s minds to the amount of education actually offered, and the next step is to make it accessible.”

Perhaps best known for his incredible athletics career, the ‘Jarrow Arrow’ reigned men’s middle-distance running in the 1980s, Steve is now known as the voice of athletics, as the BBC’s chief athletics commentator.

But there is another side to the athlete – nurturing young talent, pioneering for better use of funding and prioritising every person’s right to higher education. Steve is a Sunderland alumnus and, after graduating from the University in 1983 with a BA in Sports Studies, maintained close ties with the institution and the surrounding area. He was awarded an honorary fellowship from the University in 1986 for his ‘outstanding contribution to sport’ and in 1994 became President of the University of Sunderland Alumni Association. His chancellorship was the next logical step. and, he admits: “Once I was comfortable with what the University was looking for, I was very pleased to be asked.”

Indeed, over the last 15 years, Steve has dedicated his career to various goodwill causes. “I do it because I believe in it and I want people to have the opportunities that I had,” he explains. He has been very committed to the high performance areas of sport and also founded COCO (Comrades of Children Overseas), a charity dedicated to monitoring education and health care initiatives in the developing world. “There are parts of the world

“Every city needs a couple of jewels in its crown and I think that the University is one of Sunderland’s” where simply getting to school is a mission and the availability of education is important to me,” he says. Since its launch in 2000, COCO has raised over £1.3m for its cause.

Although Steve’s exhaustive workload dictates that he is often away from home, home is still very much the North East of England – “I’m passionate about the area – I’ve always lived here and that will continue”.

He thinks this will prove crucial to his success as Chancellor. Former Chancellor, Lord Puttnam, took significant steps particularly in the physical development of the institution during his chancellorship. However, Steve thinks that having someone from the area produces a different role: improvements are already in place but “it’s now important for the University to cement its relationship with the surrounding community”.

Sunderland prides itself on being as accessible as possible and, during the last 15 years, has worked incredibly hard to encourage people from all walks of life into higher education, offering flexible courses for students of varying educational backgrounds.

Its diverse student-base, 90% of which are in full-time employment or postgraduate study within six months of their graduation, is testament to its success. This is even www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge | 11

cover story Steve Cram

Steve and Allison find time away from a hectic schedule

more encouraging when you remember how disadvantaged the area used to be.

As Steve has two children currently going through the education system, he has an insider’s view of just how it works. He is a big believer of keeping local talent in the region and sees this as a possible gateway to getting the community involved. A key to this is to get local businesses, which can attract investment and ultimately more job opportunities, on board.

“We need to create a full story and the work on Software City is part of it,” he says. A large proportion of Sunderland’s students are from the region. We want people to go to school, then to university and then to be able to get jobs and enjoy life in the area.” It needs to involve everybody and be sustainable – “educational institutions are the cornerstone of this work”.

It is an exciting time for the North East, particularly Sunderland, and the City Campus development is a significant step towards improving the University’s (and the city’s) profile. The new campus (details of which can be found on page 18) will reinforce links with the city and allow the University to have a voice in its future development. City Campus will also incorporate an £12m sports and recreation facility called CitySpace, which has already been given the go-ahead as a possible pre-Olympic training ground for the 2012 Games. While this is a fantastic opportunity for Sunderland, Steve thinks it’s important to focus on the wider implications: “It’s all about what we can offer regionally,” he says. “Sunderland might have CitySpace but there are also great facilities in Durham and Newcastle. Olympic teams come in all shapes and sizes and while the first hurdle was to be graded as a possible Olympic training venue, the next step is what we do with it.” He suggests initially breaking 12 | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

“We want people to go to school, then to university and then be able to get jobs and enjoy life in the area” down the barriers to sport, encouraging the “full story” and making facilities accessible to the region as well as the students: “I don’t see why the University’s athletics club cannot be the city’s club – it’s that idea of a complete story – if you join a club at the University when you’re 13, you’ll be more likely to go there later in life.”

When Steve took the role of Chancellor little over a year ago, he vowed that his position would “not be ceremonial” and that he would take a “hands on approach”. And he has already helped to implement change. In recent years, high performance areas of sport and their funding have become somewhat centralised, leaving the North East with an abundance of facilities but a shortage of people.

So together with SUNEE (Sport Universities in North East England) – a partnership effort between Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside Universities, to encourage physical activity – Steve has fronted the University to take steps at putting the North East back on the “high performance map”.

“The North East has always had an impressive track record of sporting achievers but we need to be more proactive and convince the national funding agencies – Sunderland

lifetime achievements l Steve received an MBE in 1986 l he was named ‘Sports Personality of the Year’ in 1983 l founded COCO, a charity which monitors education and health care initiatives of children living in poverty in the developing world, in 2000 l is the Chairman of the English Institute for Sport l is the BBC’s chief athletics commentator

needs to take the lead,” he explains. Over this next year, he hopes to continue pushing the work of SUNEE and also plans to get more involved with schools in the region.

While he doesn’t have a lot of spare time away from his hectic lifestyle, he and his partner, former Olympian and BBC athletics commentator, Allison Curbishley, like to enjoy the beautiful Northumberland countryside, where they have lived for the past seven years.

So what has made the former Olympian so determined? Reminiscing on his past experiences, he believes he has been “shaped” by what he’s seen – both on and off the track.

“You see things that we should, and could, do more about at home. While my opportunities have enabled me to see a much wider

picture of the world, it’s also given me a better viewpoint of my own region,” he explains, which is why he prioritises his efforts to young people in the North East. He thinks back to his own childhood in Jarrow and Gateshead, with both fondness and apprehension: “When I grew up, the North East was a pretty depressing place – shipyards and mines were closing, people were out of work – this has changed but there’s still scope to do more,” he notes.

“We need to flourish as an educational establishment but every city needs a couple of jewels in its crown and I think that the University is one of Sunderland’s.” And with an inspirational person like Steve Cram at the helm, perhaps Sunderland has already found its second jewel. u

Athletic achievements l Olympics: silver medal for the 1500m (1984) l Commonwealth Games: gold medals in the 1500m (1982, 1986) and the 800m (1986) l World Championships: gold medal in the 1500m (1983) l European Championships: gold medals in the 1500m (1982, 1986) l in 1985, Steve broke three world records within 19 days (1500m, mile and 2000m) the mile achievement of 3:45.32, recorded at the Bislett Stadium in Oslo, remained unbeaten for eight years l he was the first man to run the 1500m event in under 3 minutes 30 seconds l Steve still holds the British record for the 1500m and the mile www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge | 13

Feature Software City

New industry on the Wear Software companies looking for a UK base should consider the attractions of Sunderland Software City, set to help drive forward the region’s economy.

Paul Callaghan extols the virtues of the North East over the South East as the preferred location for software companies

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ver the past 20 years Sunderland has evolved from a town on its knees to a city with a thriving automotive industry and call centre sector. Next on the city’s masterplan is a software industry, Sunderland Software City to be precise – an ambitious plan to rival the M4 corridor as the preferred UK base for software businesses.

The project harnesses the power of business, academia and the public sector. Key regional partners include the Leighton Group, the University of Sunderland, Sunderland City Council, the North East Business and Innovation Centre and regional development agency, One North East.

Paul Callaghan, chair of locally-based software company the Leighton Group, deputy chairman of the University of Sunderland’s board of governors and chair of Sunderland Software City’s board, is in no doubt that the project will be a success.

“It has developed very quickly since its launch in July 2007 – 240 software businesses 14 | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

now operate in the region – from the blue chip Sage Group, which employs 15,000 worldwide, to small start-up firms. The development will create a vibrant software industry that should attract millions of pounds of investment, employ thousands of people and generate considerable wealth for the city and the North East region.

“The loss of the region’s key industries such as mining and shipbuilding in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in a massive talent drain, so it was vital to restructure the economy in this area.

The North East has undergone a major transition since, particularly with the rise of the automotive and call centre industries. However, it’s vital that other industrial sectors are developed and that business and education work together to produce and attract more graduates and high calibre employees. Software City will be a great focus for this and the University will create a strong, well-educated regional workforce which is vital to the software business. Leighton Group

Why Sunderland? l it’s the largest city

between Leeds and Edinburgh with 185,000 working-age residents out of a total of 280,000 l the urban regeneration company, Sunderland arc, has been established to deliver investment of £1.2 bn l there is a wide choice of affordable housing in the city, with easy access to schools, shops and leisure facilities l it has excellent road, rail, air and sea links; a high standard of broadband connectivity; high quality, low-cost business accommodation

the graduate’s view: When researching where to study, Kathryn Harper wanted to find a degree that would cover how businesses use IT. She hit upon the BA in Business Computing at Sunderland and, seven years, later is forging a highly successful career in the software industry.

“The course was a great help in kick-starting my career. It had a very broad range of modules from learning how to use Microsoft Access and Excel to understanding databases and I’m using these skills in my job now.”

While some students can leave university with no real idea of what working life is about, Kathryn says her degree at Sunderland was excellent preparation.

“My placement at domainnames.com in 2000 was great experience. I was able to move around different areas of the business and develop a real understanding of how a company works and put my first years of study into practice.”

Kathryn’s advice to students wondering what and where to study is to consider the benefits of a sandwich course at the University of Sunderland.

“I can’t recommend the course or the University enough. It’s a fantastic place to study and having the opportunity to gain practical experience gave me a great advantage when starting work,” she explains.

Kathryn (left) is operations and support manager at The Communicator Corporation, part of the Leighton Group

companies employ some fantastic graduates and we need to make sure that they want to stay and work in the North East.”

He believes that there are three elements to ensuring the future success of Software City and that the University has a key role to play.

“First, we must grow our own high-calibre workforce. We need to tackle this within schools.

We want children to see the benefits that sitting A-levels and taking a degree can bring and the career potential of the software industry. The North East needs a talented population.

“Second, we need to ensure that the right infrastructure is in place. Surprisingly, the City of Sunderland has the highest broadband connectivity in the UK, but we need to ensure that office developments have access to this and that the North East is easily accessible with good road and transport access.

“We also need to encourage and facilitate a vibrant business networking community where like-minded businesses can share their knowledge. This benefits individual businesses and, in turn, the reputation of Software City, making the area a prime location for investors in software technology.”

Paul says that Sunderland Software City is also intent on providing a soft landing approach for any would-be residents. “We will make it easy for companies to lease an office to test the market.

We want to encourage international software firms who traditionally locate their UK office along the M4 corridor to come to Sunderland, and we want to attract a range of companies to Software City – from established businesses to overseas firms looking to locate in the region.”

Software City aims to increase the number of businesses in the region to 360 by 2011 which, says Paul, should create an additional 2,000 jobs. “This will have a real impact on the provision of employment for graduates and high-income jobs and will be great for business.

The region has a great tradition in science and technology, so software is the next logical step.”

The University’s Faculty of Applied Sciences has the largest ICT training facility in the UK and its role in this city goes far beyond the campus walls. The University will provide computer graduates and business professionals. It is aligning its academic programmes with Software City so that graduates will have the necessary skills and will be encouraged to become software entrepreneurs. The University will also be key to the research capability of Software City.

The project is a vital component in the city’s economic vision. “It’s the next logical step for Sunderland,” says Paul, “when you harness the power of business, academia and the public sector you have the recipe for success.” u www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge | 15

Feature Infertility

A problem shared North East scientists have found that infertility treatment is failing those most in need.

Bridge reports

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better understanding of infertility treatment by GPs could save years of anguish and heartache for couples desperate to have children, a major study into infertility in the UK has found.

North East researchers claim that infertility treatment is not working because there is a poor understanding of infertility management

by GPs, a lack of knowledge among patients and an unfair exclusion criteria.

Experts from the universities of Sunderland, Durham and Newcastle, the NHS and the Newcastle Fertility Centre at LIFE worked on the report, Epidemiology and Management of Infertility – the first major epidemiological study into infertility management in the UK since 1990.

One of the most startling findings in the report is that while the most common treatment for infertile couples is IVF or ICSI, it is not a successful treatment for the most common form of infertility – ovulatory disorders. This can be easily detected and, in some cases, treated by GPs. However, the condition is generally going undetected.

Dr Scott Wilkes, principal author of the report, (pictured above) carried out the research while studying at the University of Sunderland. The report examined the experiences of almost 800 infertile couples in 58 GP practices in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear over an 18-month period.

“My feeling is that the system isn’t working very well at the moment,” says Dr Wilkes. “This is highlighted by the fairly random nature of referral. Half of all couples require IVF or ICSI as an end-point treatment, specialist treatment which is only performed in Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) licensed units like the International Centre for Life or the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.

“Because there is no system of full evaluation of couples in primary care, GPs are failing to root out those couples who have 16 | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

ovulatory disorders such as sperm problems or blocked tubes, and they subsequently need to be referred to specialist centres. Due to the lack of investigation in primary care those people are going on to general hospitals which cannot give them the treatment they need.

“The most likely success in the treatment of infertility was with ovulatory disorder, which was mostly identified and managed in secondary, (non-HFEA licensed) care.

“This group of patients has the highest chance of success, and they are easily diagnosed with a simple blood test and treated with the drug Clomifene. We discovered that only 9% of women with ovulatory disorders are treated by GPs. GPs should be able to diagnose this relatively easily, and it should lead to a simple cure.

“However, there is a lack of information at a primary care level. The average GP only sees one or two infertile couples a year, so

“Half of primary care trusts use social exclusion criteria to ration infertility treatment”

34%

of general practices in the Tyne and Wear and Northumberland study area contributed data population 404,263

31

average age of women in study

18 1/2

average time attempting conception months

More than

of the couples in the study were not eligible for NHS fertility treatment

there is an understandable lack of confidence and expertise in managing an infertile couple.

This can often lead to the misdirection of infertile couples.

“The fact is that the majority of couples who go to their GP become pregnant spontaneously. We worry about capacity in the NHS, but there is a good proportion of infertile couples who can, and should be, managed by their GPs. “For example, if all initial investigations performed by a GP are normal, including open access tubal assessment, and the couple are young, then unexplained infertility is the likely diagnosis. These couples have a high chance of spontaneous pregnancy within three years and should not be referred. For those who do not achieve a pregnancy then referral for assisted reproduction is appropriate.

“But just as importantly the people who need specialist treatment, those with tubal or

sperm difficulties, need to be referred correctly – not to their local general hospital, but to specialist Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority licensed units.”

Dr Wilkes and the team discovered that women are approaching their GPs at an older age but after a shorter duration of infertility than their peers in 1985, despite infertility rates not having risen over that period.

They discovered that 36% of all couples who went to their GPs achieved a pregnancy within one year and of the couples who successfully achieved pregnancy 75% did so without treatment.

“The prevalence of infertility hasn’t increased, but people’s expectations are so much higher,” adds Dr Wilkes.

“Society has changed and we see more and more working women than we did back in the 1980s. Women are choosing to wait longer to have children as they want a career, and so are presenting later and requesting investigation and treatment quicker. It is a problem of perception among patients, and of lack of knowledge among GPs – it is not a problem of rising infertility rates. But that does not mean less money should be invested in infertility research and treatment.”

Dr Wilkes also discovered that half of primary care trusts use social exclusion criteria to ration infertility treatment. One of the main criteria for being denied infertility treatment is based on one or both partners having had children in a previous relationship, which amounts to about a quarter of couples.

Those involved in the research included: former University of Sunderland primary care expert Professor Greg Rubin, (now at Durham University); Professor Alison Murdoch, IVF fertility expert at Newcastle’s International Centre for Life; and epidemiological researcher Dr David Chinn from NHS Fife.

The report will be published in the journal Family Practice. u www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge | 17

Feature City Campus

The City space age The £75m re-development of City Campus offers University of Sunderland students outstanding facililities

T

he University of Sunderland’s multi-million pound vision to dramatically change the face of its City Campus is well underway.

Around £75m is being invested in the city centre site to ensure it continues to offer one of the best student experiences in higher education.

Plans for the former Chester Road Campus include: l an iconic sport and recreation facility l a high quality hotel and conferencing venue l new student accommodation l a new University Square l widespread landscaping l traffic calming.

The new plans build on the successful redevelopment work already carried out on the City Campus and will complement the awardwinning Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s, offering the rarity of both sea and city locations.

The flagship of the new development is CitySpace, which opens in Autumn 2009.

The £12m sports and social centre will have a six-badminton court sports hall; a 70 station fitness suite; a sports massage and injuries centre; an indoor climbing wall; and social, catering, leisure and exhibition spaces.

It will also have several social spaces that can be adapted for a multitude of usage – anything from exhibitions and shows to conferences and large theatre productions.

The City Campus plans form an essential part of the University’s strategy to ensure that students get the experience they deserve, and indeed expect. According to the latest figures from the National Student Survey, which 18 | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

How often do you get back to your home city?

Quite a bit! It’s a bit m

“The City Campus plans form an essential part of the University’s strategy to ensure that students get the experience they deserve”

measures student satisfaction, the University of Sunderland currently has the most satisfied students in the North East. These plans will help to ensure that this feeling continues.

CitySpace will form the heart of the University’s sporting provision, bringing together academic expertise and the growing sports arm of the Students’ Union. It will also increase the University’s ability to help provide expertise to its own elite sporting athletes, Olympians and the region’s professional sportspeople. The centre will also be a strong addition to the University’s support for world athletes, after being chosen as a Pre-Olympic Training Provider for the 2012 London Games.

The new centre will link in with the University’s sporting partners, including Sunderland Football Club, Sunderland Marina, the Puma Centre, Sunderland Aquatic Centre, Silksworth Sports Complex, Raich Carter Centre, Ashbrooke Sports Club, and developments at Stadium Village. www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge | 19

feature City Campus

“The development is making a huge impact on the regeneration of the city with two campuses helping change Sunderland’s landscape” Later phases in the “new” City Campus include plans for a 200-bed high quality hotel and conferencing facility and a student accommodation block development. There are also improvement and refurbishment plans for the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s.

The development is making a huge impact on the regeneration of the city with the two campuses helping change Sunderland’s landscape. The local community will also be encouraged to use the new facilities, particularly CitySpace.

The University’s civic vision was an important factor in the development process as the institution has always played a major role in the prosperity of the city. u

20 | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

Everyone’s talking about our conferencing facilities Whatever your conference needs, the University of Sunderland has the solution.

Whether you are looking for a small meeting room, an executive boardroom or a lecture theatre for up to 400 people, our highly experienced conferencing team can offer facilities tailored to your specific requirements.

Please contact the Conference Team for a tour of our facilities or to discuss your requirements.

Email: conferences@sunderland.ac.uk Telephone (0191) 515 2666

www.sunderland.ac.uk

Profile Michael Oliver

“Michael was appointed the youngest-ever football league assistant referee in 2004�

22 | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

In a league of his own

Oliver in 60 seconds Greatest achievement so far League 1 Play Off Final Refereeing Liverpool at Anfield (Liverpool v Crewe – Carling Cup)

At the age of just 24 Michael Oliver is a referee destined for the Premiership. Celia Mather talks to the sports science graduate about the highs and lows of his career in the beautiful game

Most memorable moment?

Hearing the National Anthem being sung at Wembley prior to your game kicking off Key qualities that make a good referee?

Man management, awareness and positional sense Best thing about being a referee?

Being involved in football Worst thing about being a referee?

Trial by TV Referee most admired?

Howard Webb

A

football referee since the age of 14 Michael Oliver, Sunderland Sports Science graduate, knows that it is not a career path to be taken lightly. Football inspires the strongest of emotions in its fans, players and managers. Two thirds of fans have cried at football matches — mostly through joy, but occasionally despair – and the game, perhaps unfairly, is notorious for provoking violence and hooliganism.

So how, when you are subject to abuse and criticism from all quarters, do you remain calm and objective while fans, players and managers become immersed in the drama being played out on the pitch?

“I started training in my teens and used to referee at youth matches,” explains Michael, “this has been really useful for my role in league football as it exposes you to the passions of the game. The under-15 and -16 level is the hardest. You have a game to referee but the parents are right on the sidelines and are close enough to get involved. It can be a lot more daunting than football league although most of the time with parents it is not malicious. Usually it is just a case of enthusiasm going too far.”

Originally from Ashington, just 25 miles

from Sunderland, Michael took a two-year foundation course at the City of Sunderland College which gave him access to the Sports Science degree at the University.

Michael finished at the University in late May in a hectic week which saw him take his final exam on the Friday and then journey to London to referee in the Coca-Cola League One Play-Off at Wembley between Millwall and Scunthorpe. “That really was quite a week,” he says.

Michael believes that studying sports science at Sunderland is helping to further his career as a referee. “Sunderland is a very friendly university,’ he explains, “It provides great hands-on support, training and experience, and the teaching staff are extremely knowledgeable and professional.”

Although a promising player at Newcastle United Academy, Michael became disillusioned with the game. “I had become a bit fed up with playing football and needed a break. My father, Clive, is a referee and I decided to take a year out and train to see if I enjoyed it too. I did and have never looked back.”

Michael’s talents as a referee were soon spotted. He was appointed the youngestever football league assistant referee in 2004, was the youngest-ever football league

referee to referee at Wembley in 2007. He currently referees in the football league (championship, League 1, League 2) and is appointed regularly as 4th official in the Premier League.

With such a prestigious track record, it is little surprise that Michael was asked to return to Wembley to referee at the CocaCola League One Play-Off in May this year.

What Michael terms a truly momentous occasion was made even more special by the appointment of his father as the referee of the League Two clash between Gillingham and Shrewsbury the day before. “It really was a weekend to remember,” he recalls.

While any game is taxing, a final at Wembley with television cameras allowing fans and the media to dissect and criticise every decision must surely make refereeing even more nerve-wracking than usual?

“The bit before the game when the national anthem is playing and you can hear the crowd singing can be daunting,” admits Michael. “But it just becomes another game after that.”

With such a professional attitude and his highly-credible track record, it seems that Michael’s long-term ambition to referee in the premiership is not far away. u www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge | 23

feature Research

Fields of success Universities have led the way in pioneering research for over 6,000 years. And, as Bridge reports, institutions like Sunderland continue to push back the boundaries

W

hen we talk about research pioneers, names like Newton and Einstein spring to mind.

However, they are not alone – there is an army of academics who have dedicated their lives to the advancement of society. People such as Edward Jenner who discovered vaccines in the 18th century, Sir Alec Jeffries responsible for the development of DNA fingerprinting in the 1980s, John B Gurdon who researched cloning in the 1970s, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen who discovered the ray that he called X-ray in the 1890s, and many more.

There are also thousands upon thousands of academics who do not make it onto the research fame list, but who do equally important work in their fields. Less celebrated institutions like the University of Sunderland has many such academics.

Sunderland’s reputation for punching above its weight in terms of research is well documented. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) – the body that measures quality – the University of Sunderland was recognised as having ‘world-leading’ research in 10 academic areas, including computer science, media, English, history, art and design and automotive engineering.

This means that the University of Sunderland has some of the finest academics in these fields. All of the research carried out at Sunderland is fed directly into the institution’s academic programme provision which ensures that students are receiving some of the latest information from some of the world’s leading researchers. This research is also shared with industry and business in the region and beyond.

This feature details examples of just some of the leading research that is being carried out at Sunderland.

24 | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

Superbug under attack Sunderland’s research into the early detection of a superbug could save the lives of thousands

R

esearchers at the University of Sunderland recently made a major breakthrough in the fight against a superbug which is responsible for killing tens of thousands of people every year.

Experts have discovered a technique for the early detection of the superbug pseudomonas aeruginosa, which infects patients with cystic fibrosis in particular.

There are 70,000 people worldwide who are affected by cystic fibrosis and on, average, around 50% of them will be infected with the superbug, of which 50% will die. Although the research concentrated on the superbug’s relation to cystic fibrosis, pseudomonas aeruginosa also attacks patients with localised and systemic immune defects, such as those suffering with burns or, for example, patients

infected with AIDS or diagnosed with cancer.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, pseudomonas aeruginosa accounts for 10% of all hospital infections. While the superbug is very difficult to cure as it is highly resistant to antibiotics, early detection makes a huge difference to a patient’s chance of survival.

The University of Sunderland–led team has discovered a technique that can identify the superbug within 24-48 hours of infection, greatly increasing chances of survival.

Professor Paul Groundwater and Dr Roz Anderson at the University of Sunderland worked with colleagues Professor John Perry, of Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, Professor Arthur James, of Northumbria University and Dr Sylvain Orenga, of bioMérieux, France. The team was supported

by PhD student Alexandre Bedernjak.

Professor Groundwater says: “This superbug has a massive impact on people who are immunocompromised, for example, patients with severe burns, cancer and AIDS. It is calculated that 28 per cent of people who have undergone transplant surgery are infected by pseudomonas aeruginosa.

“We hope our research will make a big difference in the survival rate of many thousands of vulnerable people throughout the world. The bacteria infects the fluid on the lungs of cystic fibrosis sufferers and also infects patients in intensive care units. It is really difficult to treat, and hospital staff need to know very quickly if someone has been infected by it.

“In our new diagnostic method a noncoloured compound reacts with an enzyme present in pseudomonas aeruginosa and

“This superbug has a massive impact on people who are immunocompromised”

produces a very distinctive purple colour which indicates the presence of the bacteria.

This technique works on 99% of the strains of this superbug.”

The research has been sponsored by the multinational biotechnology company bioMérieux. The company, based in France, designs, develops, and produces a wide range of diagnosis systems for medicine and industry. “bioMérieux is very proud to have participated in and supported this research that will help in the fight against health care associated infections – a strategic focus for our company,” explains Dr Peter Kaspar, bioMérieux corporate vice-president of research and development. “This discovery will enable bioMérieux to bring additional high-medical value tests to clinicians and positively impact patients’ treatment and their follow-up care.”u www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge | 25

feature Research

The inside track on fraud A smart computer developed at Sunderland will be a key tool in fighting fraud

A

s the credit crunch continues to affect the worldwide markets, the need for efficient methods to combat financial fraud has become more important than ever. Researchers at the University of Sunderland are working on 26 | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk

a smart computer that they believe will be able to detect insider trading fraud within the stock exchange, almost instantly.

Computerised Analysis of Stocks and Shares for Novelty Detection of Radical Activities (CASSANDRA) aims to create a prototype software tool to tackle financial fraud. The project has been awarded £90,000 in funding to investigate the feasibility of combining artificial intelligence technologies with headline analysis techniques to track suspicious share dealing.

The Financial Times recently reported that up to 25% of UK share dealing may be tainted by insider trading and a study commissioned by the New York Times suggested that as many as 41% of North American deals may be similarly affected.

The University’s Dr Dale Addison, project manager for CASSANDRA, believes the development of effective anti-fraud methods has never been more important.

“The figures from the FT and the New York Times research are extraordinary,” he says, “especially when you consider that the UK and US stock markets are among the most highly regulated in the world. Goodness knows what is

happening in other countries.

“But the big problem with current anti-fraud systems is ‘false positives’. The stock market is highly volatile with stocks and shares going up and down all the time, and sometimes there is a perfectly rational explanation for these fluctuations. As many as 75% false positive flaggings have been observed by some systems.

“In contrast, the CASSANDRA system looks at the news stories which may affect a particular company. So if two companies are in the process of a merger and someone gets wind that the merger isn’t going ahead, a key player will go out and buy or sell stock shares and make a killing on the markets. Using our system that information may be detectable by analysis of news.”

The big difference with Sunderland’s research is that it will allow the system to analyse the movement of particular stocks and shares for a specific company. At the same time, it will also access headline news from providers such as Reuters, Bloomberg and Associated Press and a company’s own websites to see what news is available to their employees. This will enable the

Turning back time Help could be at hand for dementia sufferers thanks to pioneering research from the University of Sunderland

M

“With CASSANDRA we think we have a technique which has identified an important gap in the market” company to track potential insider trading.

Sunderland’s team is working in conjunction with a Canadian company called Measured Markets which is providing the academics with data on the US and UK stock markets.

Dr Addison adds: “With CASSANDRA we think we have a technique which has identified an important gap in the market. This system will have the ability to allow users to look at news information and rank it according to how significant an impact it has had on share dealing.

Dr Addison and his team have more ambitious plans to track down rogue traders using artificial intelligence in the future.

“We have plans to develop a larger system which will allow CASSANDRA to tackle not just insider trading but larger issues related to ‘market abuse’ such as false, exaggerated or highly misleading news stories released by individuals or groups. Such stories can massively influence the markets, and yield huge profits for unscrupulous traders.”

“If successful, CASSANDRA will make it more difficult for unscrupulous traders to make a killing on the stock market at the expense of others.” u

edical experts believe they could have found the key to turning back the brain’s biological clock and reverse the effects of dementia and memory loss.

Pioneering research at the University of Sunderland has shown that regular exposure to safe low level infra-red light can improve learning performance and kickstart the cognitive function of the brain.

The results are a scientific breakthrough as, to date, medical treatments for dementia have only been able to slow down brain deterioration. Human trials are about to start to see if the treatment could provide a cure to illnesses like Alzheimers.

Independent research carried out at Sunderland has demonstrated that low power infra-red can improve the learning performance. The low levels of infra-red light used are completely safe. They are currently being used in innovative new machines for the treatment of cold sores.

Experts claim that early-stage dementia patients should see an improvement in their cognitive function within four weeks, by wearing a lightweight helmet in their home for just 10 minutes a day.

Dr Gordon Dougal’s new infra-red device was created after research carried out by Dr Abdel Ennaceur, a neuroscientist at the University of Sunderland.

Dr Dougal came up with the idea of using a safe level of infra-red light on the human brain after it had proved effective in the treatment of cold sores – a process that relies on boosting the cells within the body responsible for killing the virus, rather than attacking it.

“The implications of this research at the University of Sunderland are enormous,” explains Dr Dougal, a GP, “so much so that, in the future, we could be able to affect and change the rate at which our bodies age.

“As we get older cells stop repairing themselves and we age because our cells lose the desire to regenerate and repair themselves.

This ultimately results in cell death and decline of the organ functions for the brain, resulting in memory decay and deterioration in general intellectual performance.

“But what if there was a technology that told the cells to repair themselves and that technology was something as simple as a specific wavelength of light?

“Near infra-red light penetrates human tissues relatively well, even penetrating the human skull, just as sunlight passes through frosted glass.

“Currently, all you can do with dementia is to slow down the rate of decay – this new process will not only stop that rate of decay but partially reverse it.”

Dr Ennaceur carried out the research with fellow neuroscientist Paul Chazot. He explains: “The treatment can indeed improve learning ability. The results are completely new – this has never been looked at before.

“Dr Dougal’s treatment might have some potential in improving learning in a human situation by delivering infra-red through the thinnest parts of the skull to get maximum access to the brain.”

Further research work will continue in this area, funded by CELS, who support health care research and development in universities, hospitals and companies within the North East of England. u

www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge | 27

Feature

A lifetime in learning

Education

Bridge looks at the work of Sunderland’s NE Centre for Lifelong Learning and previews its new membership scheme

2758 BH CLL Ad 297x210 FINAL

24/6/09

12:05

S

cientiam dulce hauriens or to “sweetly absorb knowledge”, as the University of Sunderland says in its motto, is the key to enjoying higher education. From 18-year-old students going away to study for an undergraduate degree to retired pensioners learning a new craft, Sunderland provides fantastic opportunities for continuous education.

These would not have been possible without the NE Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL), the premise of which can be traced back to the 19th Century and has existed as a successful learning programme within the University since 2003. “It’s about a group of people coming together to explore and to create, to be inquisitive, to discuss and to develop their ideas,” says Tim Crocker, Head of Continuing Education at the University of Sunderland.

Page 1

What is the CLL? change. So rather than passing on extortionate The CLL, based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was fees to its students, staff at the CLL created established to widen access to lifelong learning an innovative approach to lifelong learning in the North East. In any one year, it has around delivery with the Explore scheme. “It will offer 6,000 enrolments – that’s 3,500 individual a new and viable model for lifelong learning in students studying on more than 500 separate the region. We’ve engaged with the issues, courses, in varying formats.

It prides itself on Including history, archaeology, regional studiesre-analysed and topics the problem and come up with It’s simple, for one monthly beingOrigins an accessible and flexible connection something new and exciting,” explains Tim. in the study of the natural world. the cultural platforms and the region, fee our unique new Explore between Perspectives philosophy, and incorporating local Including museums, theatresmusic, and classical studies Introducing Explore topicsinto in the of science. “We have a galleries thehistory programmes.

Explore will work in much the same way as a membership scheme allows whole cross-section of people,” says Tim. writing. gym membership. Students will pay a monthly Readings Including literature and creative you to pick and choose from, “Many use it as their first step into formal study fee which will entitle them to participate Visions Includingtopractical sessions across media and genres, across the many educational are looking sustainart their academic in learning and attend, a variety of lectures,but lots history of art andother film studies. engagement with people.” platforms. The beauty of the scheme is that classes and seminars in a wide Traditionally the centre worked like many other students can pick and choose which classes following accredited courseswould are also available: adultThe education facilities do – a student and self-contained lectures they participate range of subjects. pick Modern a course,Languages enrol, and -pay a fee.

The from Learn a Language! courses Courses in a wide in range of the wide selection of non-accredited werelanguages mostlyincluding assessed, and when completed, learning activities. Members will have the the most common European languages, as well as Arabic, Chinese, provided an Award in and Continuing Education, freedom of the University and, in terms of Dutch, Japanese, Polish Russian. which was equivalentcourses to gaining 30issues, credits on literatureaccess to staff and learning opportunities, Also, language-related in current grammar, and translation. the first year of an undergraduate degree. they will be entitled to more than before – “it’s - Working in partnership with the National Glass Centre we offer a variety It Glass was very successful.

However, a recent better value for money”, says Tim. of glass-making courses, many suitable for beginners. Come along and learn many change in the way that higher education is The scheme is open to everybody. But Tim glass-making techniques and try your hand at making your own jewellery and tableware. funded has left around 80% of the CLL student hopes that “members of the University will be Modules For students whohad wishto to take their studies further. baseProgression non-fundable – the-system has the first to sign up”.

“

”

For28 more information on fees, details of how to join the membership scheme or how to enrol on an accredited course contact us. | Bridge | www.sunderland.ac.uk General Office: North East Centre for Lifelong Learning, 2nd Floor, Bedson Building, King’s Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU.

The student’s view Alan Dodds, a Sunderland alumnus and former IT professional, is a prime example of why the CLL is such a fantastic scheme.

The 53-year-old took early retirement in 2008 and, following a lifelong interest in photography, decided to enrol on the CLL’s Advanced Digital Photography and Digital Imaging course, which is held at the Tyneside Cinema. “It served as a good refresher but added the digital side of things, it was very good,” Alan explains.

Alan has since turned his hobby into a business and after two happy customers spread the word, has four more wedding photography bookings lined up. He also recently won a competition through St Clare’s Hospice, Jarrow, and will have three winning photographs published inside a calendar and on its front cover.

“I had always wanted to go into photography after I retired but completing the course gave me the confidence to do it,” he says.

You can view Alan’s website and see examples of his photography at: www. doddsphotographic.co.uk

Want to know more... l the year will be split into

four seasons, beginning in mid-September. Fees per season will be £80 full, £67 retired and £53.50 for those on benefits. However, if you take out an annual membership, which is payable in instalments, fees will be £240, £200 and £160; l accredited courses are still available in certain subjects; l foreign language courses are still funded and subject to the traditional enrolment and payment methods. But language students can still enjoy Explore and join at the associate member rate.

for more information: Call 0191 515 2800; visit www.cll.sunderland.ac.uk or email: lifelong.learning@ sunderland.ac.uk

The Explore courses are unaccredited but tutor feedback is available on an opt-in basis for a supplementary charge. “It’s an attractive offer that will prove to be less intimidating than before,” explains Tim. Giving the choice back to the students is an important move for Sunderland and the University is very proud of its new scheme. Some of the classes will inevitably be larger, and there will be slightly fewer courses available, but the programme will be much more student-focused, tailored around popular demand and easily sustainable. The scheme also allows room for growth so as new members subscribe, more opportunities will become available.

For all the budding students out there, the CLL provides a perfect mix of stress-free further education, and the University should be congratulated for its approach to learning. In these times of economic uncertainty, studying in whatever form has never been more important. But learning shouldn’t just be about assessment, it should encourage new thoughts and different perceptions, which is where the CLL flourishes. It really does promote a ‘love learning’ approach to academia. u www.sunderland.ac.uk | Bridge | 29

“It’s simple, for one monthly fee our unique new Explore

Origins Including history, archaeology, regional studies and topics in the study of the natural world.

Perspectives Including philosophy, music, classical studies and

membership scheme allows

topics in the history of science.

you to pick and choose from,

Readings Including literature and creative writing.

and attend, a variety of lectures, classes and seminars in a wide

”

range of subjects.

Visions Including practical art sessions across media and genres, history of art and film studies.

The following accredited courses are also available: Modern Languages - Learn a Language! Courses in a wide range of languages including the most common European languages, as well as Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Japanese, Polish and Russian.

Also, language-related courses in current issues, grammar, literature and translation.

Glass - Working in partnership with the National Glass Centre we offer a variety of glass-making courses, many suitable for beginners. Come along and learn many glass-making techniques and try your hand at making your own jewellery and tableware.

Progression Modules - For students who wish to take their studies further.

For more information on fees, details of how to join the membership scheme or how to enrol on an accredited course contact us.

General Office: North East Centre for Lifelong Learning, 2nd Floor, Bedson Building, King’s Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU.

Telephone: 0191 515 2800 Email: lifelonglearning@sunderland.ac.uk

www.cll.sunderland.ac.uk

Bridge Alumni www.wearunited.org

Our global circle of friends

From Algeria to Zimbabwe

_p. 34

welcome

View from the top of the Bridge

international

_34/35 An international perspective

Operating in over 30 countries, the University of Sunderland has a truly international impact –

events

_36/37 Wear Back! 2009

The Alumni Office have organised some memorable reunions and is planning more –

Where are you now?

WearUnited

_38/39 Memories are made of this

The University of Sunderland’s online community is creating an international network of alumni keen to keep in touch –

_40/41 Where are you now?

We catch up with Sunderland alumni to see what they’re up to and how the University put them on the right track –

awards

_42 Celebrating their success

Neil Stephenson, Blueprint Enterprise Alumni of the Year and Colin Orr, Alumni Member of the Year –

Dear graduates and friends of the University, Hello and a warm welcome to our 2009 edition of ‘Bridge Alumni’.

Congratulations to all of our recent graduates who will be receiving this as their first issue, we hope you enjoy reading about the successes of our alumni and the range of services and benefits we offer.

We have had a really busy year and there have been lots of changes since our last edition. Our new online community has kept us fully occupied since launching last year and we are delighted with the responses and interaction from our users. It’s always fantastic to hear what our graduates have gone on to do since leaving the University and we are very proud of your achievements. Our quarterly e-newsletter is an excellent way of engaging with our alumni, thanks go to everybody who has made a contribution so far. Your input, stories and suggestions are a constant source of inspiration to other members, staff and students.

If you haven’t been receiving your copy contact the Alumni Office at: askalex@wearunited.org to update your email address.

Special thanks also to all of our supporters and friends who have kindly donated to the Futures Fund. Your support is invaluable to the work of the Development Office and makes a huge difference to those students who benefit from the fund and who would otherwise not go on to experience that ‘life-changing’ opportunity.

2009 is an exciting time to be part of the University of Sunderland and your support and enthusiasm help us to ensure continued success.

Our very best wishes to all of our friends wherever you are in the world.

Development & Alumni Office Sarah and Jo

Emily Coulson, BA (Hons) Glass and Ceramics Awarded: Opportunity Scholarship of £500 Q: What did you do with the Futures Fund grant?

I attended a specialist engraving course at Northlands Creative, renowned for its courses in glass and ceramics.

Q: How has the experience helped you?

It has helped me to develop my ideas further by pushing my technique and exploring the visual imagery within glass through my own language.

Q: What are you doing now?

I am continuing to work with glass using influences I learned on my course.

The future looks bright The Futures Fund is a part-endowed fund that supports excellence and opportunity for those studying at the University. Launched in 2003, it encourages students to expand their horizons and take advantage of the opportunities that their drive and skills create for them. These opportunities are as varied as our students but, in general, the Futures Fund focuses support on:

l Professional Development Awards l Opportunity Awards l Excellence Awards

If you can make a small but valued donation and help the potential talent of the future, join the hundreds of alumni who are already supporting the fund. For more information email: development. office@sunderland.ac.uk or to donate online visit: www.wearunited.org.

By 2010 the Futures Fund hopes to deliver: 52 scholarships of £2,000 to reward academic excellence 100 Opportunity Bursaries of £500 10 Professional Development Grants of £2,500 The Trust intends to raise £1m for the Futures Fund by 2010 CitySpace The University’s Development Office administers the work of the Trust and is responsible for developing capital fundraising campaigns in line with the Institution’s objectives.

One of our key aims over the next three

years is to identify sources of support for our ‘new’ City Campus. Around £75m is being invested in City Campus to ensure it continues to offer one of the best student experiences in higher education.

Read more about these exciting campus developments and City Space on page 18.

Jan Spalek, MSc Ecotourism Awarded: Professional Development Scholarship of £200 Q: What did you do with the Futures Fund grant?

It covered the cost of my field trips, which involved attending two conservation holidays in Britain. I was able to interview the holiday participants and collect crucial data for my dissertation project.

Q: How has the experience helped you?

It has allowed me to develop my research skills and to start thinking about continuing my studies at PhD level. It also made the dissertation process more interesting as I was able to apply my theoretical knowledge into practice.

Q: What are you doing now?

I am in the process of applying for a PhD study.

Linda Myers, PhD Tourism Awarded: Futures Fund Opportunity Scholarship of £475 Q: What did you do with the Futures Fund grant?

I used it to contribute towards the cost of my flights to attend the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education bi-annual international backpacker’s conference in Shimla, North East India.

Q: How has the experience helped you?

I presented a paper at the conference which has now been selected as a chapter in a tourism studies book to be published by Channel View.

Q: What are you doing now?

I am editing the chapter and am continuing to write up my PhD results. n www.wearunited.org | Bridge Alumni | 33

Denise De Las

From Bahrain to Botswana and Greece to Greenland, the University of Sunderland has an amazing international reach and presence

Trinidad & Tobago BA (Hons) Business Administration (2006) “The University has such an international atmosphere and the fact that I’m being exposed to cultures from Greece, Norway, Germany, France, Uganda, Nigeria and China is such a privilege.”

The University of Sunderland has a truly global outlook on higher education, operating in over 50 countries around the world.

Sunderland has always welcomed students from across the globe to study in the city – from Norwegian naval architecture in the 1950s to the Chinese officials of today who come from the Liuzhou City Government to study at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s.

However, it is the institution’s work across the world that has led to it receiving further praise for providing quality higher education. The British Council describes the University of Sunderland’s global reach as ‘impressive’.

Almost every course on offer in the UK is offered on all continents by the University – from pharmacy in Malaysia and business management in Morocco to tourism in Singapore and computing in Sri Lanka.

Listed in the international map are just some of the students who have benefited from coming to Sunderland or from Sunderland coming to them.

Jill Allen

Snehil Dhall

Texas, Houston Exchange Student (1998) “Sunderland University was one of the best international experiences of my life. As an exchange student I studied broadcasting and biology classes.”

New Delhi, India BA (Hons) Criminology (2009) “I was the only Indian student on my course and the support I received was awesome. The facilities and resources were unique.”

International Alumni Listing over 11,000 worldwide

fundraising international events WearUnited Where are you now? awards

An international perspective

Algeria Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Botswana Brazil

7 114 17 1 2 137 15 1 2 20 1 82 6

Brunei Bulgaria Burma Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Channel Islands Chile China Corfu Crete Croatia Curacao

21 3 3 2 110 5 10 1 572 1 8 2 1

Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dominica Egypt Ethiopia Eritrea Finland Fiji France Gabon Gambia Germany

334 10 22 2 31 2 1 33 1 205 1 2 753

Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guyana Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq

41 5 1502 1 2 2 1507 15 2 289 28 17 2

Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kenya Kuwait Lagos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho

399 67 32 1 3 36 23 279 31 2 9 8 1

Xiano Hui Li

Thomas Cepe

China BA (Hons) Business Computing (2006) “The knowledge I’ve gained from studying at Sunderland has broadened my own experiences and has allowed me to develop into who I am today and decide where I want to go in my career.”

Czech Republic/Australia BSc (Hons) Automotive Design & Technology (2008) “The facilities that the University of Sunderland offers have enabled me to express my design imagination in unique ways. And there is always someone to turn to if you experience any problems.”

Noor Al-Doy

Ahmed Khalil

Bahrain BA/BSc (Hons) Design and Technology “Studying abroad is one of the most fascinating experiences. It has taught me a lot and is something I won’t forget.”

Egypt LLB law (Bachelor of Laws) (2007) “The course pointed me in the right direction career wise and provided me with valuable life skills. The transition from where I’ve come from to where I am has been educational.”

Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Malawi Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mexico Montserrat Morocco

8 4 5 4 2 7 1398 9 56 6 4 1 19

Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicosia Nigeria Northern Ireland Norway Oman Pakistan Palestine Panama Papua

1 7 64 23 1 116 45 788 14 107 1 1 1

Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal PR China Qatar Republic of Korea Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Seychelles

1 3 1 4 31 2 18 4 4 16 2 49 6

Sicily Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa South America South Korea Spain Sri Lanka St Helena Island St Kitts & Nevis St Lucia

1 7 153 3 1 37 1 6 186 54 1 2 2

St Vincent & Grenadines Sudan Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Trinidad Tunisia Turkey

1 2 1 19 21 10 277 31 42 164 1 21

Uganda 20 Ukraine 4 United Arab Emirates 78 USA 393 Uzbekistan 1 Venezuela 3 Vietnam 39 West Africa 2 West Indies 1 Yemen 4 Yugoslavia 2 Zambia 12 Zimbabwe 21

www.wearunited.org | Bridge Alumni | 35

fundraising international Events WearUnited Where are you now? awards

Wear Back!

2009

Graduates converged on the banks of the River Wear to take part in the most spectacular reunion the Alumni Association has hosted to date

The banks of the river Wear played host to the biggest-ever University of Sunderland Alumni event in early May. Wear Back! 2009 was a reunion for all University of Sunderland graduates and provided a great opportunity for old friends to get together and to launch some new friendships.

The evening’s festivities started at CAMPUS, which most graduates remembered as Manor Quay – the main haunting ground for students in the 1990s and early 2000s. The venue was completely refurbished and re-launched as CAMPUS in 2008. Guests enjoyed the hospitality of the Alumni Office with a free drink while looking around the hugely changed venue. Not surprisingly, many a moment was spent reminiscing about past, care-free Wednesday, Friday and Saturday student nights.

Guests then moved across to the Glass Centre where they were treated

Calendar of Events 2009/2010

to a wine reception and buffet, accompanied by tunes that provoked evocative memories of university days.

Alistair Rogowski, a graduate of 2000 says: “We all had a great time catching up with each other and said we’d come back next year for another meet up. It was the first time a lot of us had seen Sunderland since we left so we tried to see a bit of the uni, the bars, Manor Quay, and the town all in one night.”

Sheila Webster, who graduated in 1999 adds: “As ‘group leader’ I contacted as many as possible within my group to invite them to the event. It was the tenth anniversary of our graduation, and I thought the event would be a great opportunity to get everyone together.

“We really enjoyed the event and the photos which alumni had sent in to display were a lovely personal and

Events are open to all Alumni members unless otherwise stated. Check the online calendar at www.wearunited. org for more detail.

Do you have an idea for event? If so, let us know by emailing: askalex@ wearunited.org

touching addition to the evening.

“We were part-time students and out of the 150 that started the course, only 13 graduated with an honours degree, so it was great to share each other’s graduation day stories.

“Congratulations to everyone who organised the event, we had a great time... and are already looking forward to the next one.”

Planning for Wear Back! 2010 is already underway and we hope that it will be even bigger and better.

Don’t forget that the Alumni Association is also here to help you plan your own reunion, so get in touch at: askalex@wearunited.org. n Check out the film of Wear Back! 2009 at www.wearunited.org

August

CitySpace preview tours for Alumni members

October w/c 12th 12th

14th 15th 17th

Alumni on Campus Week Annual Alumni Lecture* Open to all staff, students and alumni Mastermind – Alumni v Current Students Tour – How the University has changed Sports Day – Alumni v Current Students

November

An Evening with Steve Cram in London*

40 years of change

Pharmacy graduates reunite after 28 years

Foreign-exchange alumni students from Sunderland Technical College reunited to mark the 40-year anniversary of their graduation.

Odd Bredo reminisces on a successful trip

We arrived at the University of Sunderland in 1963, after a long voyage across the North Sea from various towns in southern Norway.

We were all excited and curious about what life as an engineering student in a foreign land would hold. It turned out to be one of the most interesting and important periods in our lives. After a lot of hard work and many enjoyable moments, we left Sunderland as Bachelors of Science, with engineering degrees in our pockets. Most of us never had time to visit our student town before this reunion brought us back, 40 years on.

We met at a “get to know each other again” session at Fitzgerald’s pub. Most of us didn’t recognise each other – age seemed to have taken its toll. But after a short while (and a few pints), the faces from the 60s reappeared and there were plenty of stories.

We toured Sunderland, went on pub-crawls, dined in fine restaurants, and laughed about the good old days. As we were the first group to move into Wearmouth Hall in 1963,

the Alumni Office even arranged a special tour of the building minutes before it was pulled down. The reunion brought back lots of good memories, although we were disappointed that The Star, our old watering hole next to the Priestman building, had been replaced with a roundabout!

The University tour was impressive – the place where we had once boiled and tested bitumen and learnt the difference between stress and strain – has been transformed for the students of today. The University has definitely come a long way. We were also impressed by the strong commitment shown to support students and link individuals with research institutions, businesses and industry.

The reunion was made possible through the internet and a lot of assistance from the University’s Alumni Office, and I want to thank the University’s administration for its efforts to ensure we had a most memorable stay in Sunderland. n

December 11th

Alumni Shoppers Event Take a break from Christmas shopping and join us for coffee and mince pies

18th

Homecoming Event Are you returning home to visit family?

Take time out to catch up with friends over mulled wine and mince pies.

April 2010

Old Teacher’s Society Easter Day Out

May 2010

Visiting your old university 28 years after graduating is a strange experience, to say the least. But that is just what a group of former pharmacy students recently did in Sunderland, aided and abetted by the Alumni Office.

Not surprisingly, the former Sunderland students were amazed at the dramatic change in both the city and the University and particularly enjoyed sampling the delights of Sunderland’s new bars and restaurants before hitting the sack at Clanny!

Balu Mistry was at the reunion and says that the group had long thought about revisiting Sunderland, but had found it hard to put the idea into practice as many of them had drifted out of contact. The event was pulled together with the help of Sarah Fairless, Alumni Officer and Dr Mike Sackville, Head of Pharmacy.

Balu says it felt strange returning to the University after 28 years where so much has changed. “Even the local shops, restaurants and bars gave somewhat of a ‘jolt’ to our memories,” he recalls. “Especially the Galen building which used to be our main science building, but now goes by the name of ‘Liquid’. However, it was most enjoyable and gave us the opportunity to reminisce about friends, lecturers and our youthful years spent studying in Sunderland.” n Wear Back! 2010 Following on from the success of Wear Back! 2009, join us again for Wear Back!

2010 – the reunion party of the year!

Faculty of Business & Law Graduation Ball Open to all Faculty of Business & Law Alumni. *Details to be finalised www.wearunited.org | Bridge Alumni | 37

fundraising awards

Where are you now?

WearUnited

EVENTS

international

Memories are made of this

Have you lost touch with old University friends? Then sign up to WearUnited – the University of Sunderland’s online alumni community – which is creating a network of alumni who are keen to re-connect

For some of us the halcyon days of university life are long gone. Nights spent in student union bars are becoming distant memories and friendships appear to be fading fast due to increasingly busy working lives. However, Sunderland University is providing its alumni with a great way to rediscover student memories and reaffirm friendships through its social networking site WearUnited.

Launched in late 2008, WearUnited is rolling out to its 80,000 strong alumni community who are invited to sign up and take advantage of the many benefits and services available to the alumni body.

“WearUnited has already generated a huge amount of interaction with alumni,” says Jo Dann who is responsible for the website at Sunderland, “particularly those we have lost touch with and our huge base of international alumni.”

“Alumni make contact via the search facility and often arrange to meet up or re-connect”

To date, WearUnited has about 1,500 users and the community is growing every day. “While we strive to engage with all of our alumni, providing a facility for graduates to engage independently with each other is a great way to encourage networking and communication. Our ‘chapters’ section allows graduates to manage their own microsite where they can blog, email and arrange their own

events dependant upon the group’s location, interest or members. This is particularly useful for our overseas members who want to connect with other University alumni in their area.

“Our regular e-newsletter and events calendar are proving to be the most successful areas of the site so far. Alumni can also make contact via the search facility and often arrange to meet up or re-connect at a University event. Alumni seem to really appreciate the benefits and services area too” adds Jo. “They use it to request help with career advice, replace a lost degree certificate or just to benefit from the many corporate discounts available to them.”

Jo hopes that a large percentage of students graduating this year will join WearUnited and help to further promote the site. “One of our ongoing tasks is

Joanne Bowey

Leigh Ann Edwards

BA (Hons) Early Childhood & Curriculum Studies (2006) Primary School Teacher, Sunderland

BSc (Hons) Media Studies (1999) PGCE IT Education (2002) Civil Servant, Liverpool

“I’ve found WearUnited a great way to look up former friends who I studied with at Sunderland. Using the ‘alumni search feature’ was an easy way to reconnect with those I’d lost touch with and we have since gone on to meet up again and catch up on what we have done since graduation.”

“The development of the new WearUnited website is looking really good. I especially like the events calendar of forthcoming events and reunions. This makes it easier for the many graduates from Sunderland University to see what events there are aimed at their specific interests.”

Philip Dews

Simon Robinson

BA (Hons) Business Administration (2000) Contracts Manager, West Midlands

BA (Hons) Health Studies (1995) Lecturer, Teesside

“The features and content on the site are spot on in terms of what is needed.

I’d love to see a ‘remember when’ feature for alumni to post their memories and photos.”

“Regular e-newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with what’s going on at the University and I especially like the featured competitions to engage alumni.

I find the site colourful and easy to use.”

WearUnited’s main features: l online event registration l personal profile page l corporate discounts l blogging l message boards l email for life l trace a friend l the jobshop to maintain the connection with our graduates and it is always fantastic to hear of our alumni’s success stories and career development. WearUnited is a fantastic communication tool for this and we really want our Alumni community to come online and engage with us in this way!”

It is hoped that up to 10,000 people will be reaping the benefits of WearUnited by 2010 and there are exciting plans for the site’s future development. The site can also be a useful focus for business networking for graduates with discussion forums focused on, for example, career advice, job interviews or further study.

So if you’ve lost contact with friends, or simply want to know what’s going on at the University since you graduated log on to: www.wearunited.org and register your details to get back in touch. n

How do I register for WearUnited?

Users must go to: www.wearunited.org and create their own username and password; this is then processed to verify applicants as alumni; users then have free access to the site’s host of features.

Any queries contact: askalex@wearunited.org www.wearunited.org | Bridge Alumni | 39

fundraising

Peter Green

awards

Where are you now?

WearUnited

Events

international

BSc (Hons) Pharmacy (1970) “I retired last year after 34 years in the pharmaceutical industry. I started out as a research biochemist for Beecham before moving to Squibb to head up a formulation development group. I ended my career as Vice President with Pfizer working in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“I will forever be indebted to Sunderland for the thoroughness and breadth of the education that has allowed me to make several significant career shifts and take on a large range of challenges with confidence. Since retiring, I have moved back to the UK and now focus on my grandchildren and volunteering for the National Trust.”

Where are you now?

Bridge catches up with Sunderland’s alumni to see what they’ve been up to since graduating and how the University helped to shape their careers

Hazel Biggs BA (Hons) Post-Compulsory Education (2007) “I am currently working for the National Policing Improvement Agency as a Crime Scene Investigation Instructor. I started studying as a mature student and was concerned at the time that I was ‘too old’ to return to education – fears that were never realised. Without the confidence and skills that my degree awarded me, I am sure that I would not have had the courage and confidence to have applied for a travelling fellowship.”

Hazel, pictured above, was recently awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship – read more about her career story at: www.wearunited.org

David Dodd

Idris Akinola

Kerianna Embleton

BSc (Hons) Pharmacy (1994) “After graduating, I returned to Ireland where I have my own pharmacy, wife and children. Life is full on but rewarding. I look back on my times in Sunderland with great pleasure but don’t miss the cold north wind!”

MBA Business Administration (2007) “The University of Sunderland made me what I am today, before my MBA programme I was the Marketing Manager of Tabson Gases and Welding Products (Nigeria), now I am the Managing Director and employ over 150 staff.”

Ba (Hons) joint honours photography & media (2008) “My degree made me realise my passion for television and I’m now working for BBC London. Special thanks to my third year TV tutor, Joe Carter, who inspired me to perform to my true potential.”

Chris Clarke MSc E-Commerce, BA (Hons) Business Computing (2002)

& Dominic Murphy

BSc Hons) ComputING (2000) “We recently launched a business venture called Jumpstart Matchmaking™, aimed at helping new professionals find a desk within an established business office, and applying some of the lessons learnt through our time at Sunderland!”

Samuel Munyigi BSc (Hons) Computer Studies (2004) “I am Acting Station Manager for Kenya Airways Station in Brazzaville, Congo.

Sunderland’s unforgettable experience still runs in my blood.”

Rich Hodgson BA (Hons) Media Production (2001) MA Media Production (2003) “I worked in Newcastle as a freelance TV editor until 2005 before relocating back to the Isle of Wight, where I decided to pack in TV and set up The Isle of Wight Cheese Company Ltd. In 2007 my cheese ‘Isle of Wight Blue’ won Best English Cheese at The World Cheese Awards!”

Roselynn Wasike

Ashleigh Whitfield BA (Hons) Media & Cultural Studies (2001) “Since graduating I went on to present radio shows for seven years on most North East radio stations. I moved to London in 2009 to become a Continuity Announcer for BBC1 and BBC2 and absolutely love my job!”

Rachel Allison

MA Peace, Conflict & Justice (2004) “I currently work with the Peace and Development Network Trust in Kenya where I assist in the Training and Capacity Building Programme. I travel to many places in Kenya to coordinate and facilitate training sessions and peace-building events of all kinds.

It’s a great job!”

BA (Hons) French with Spanish (1999) “I travelled to France and Spain during my third year at Sunderland, where I met my husband Javier. We moved from London to Vigo in 2001. Our boy and girl twins Hugo and Isabella arrived in May 2008. I teach English as a foreign language in a language academy.”

Chris Snowdon

Yvonne Gitendorfa

BSc (Hons) Network Computing (2007) “I applied for my current position via Business Bridge after graduation and I’m currently working as a Systems Engineer on various projects around the UK and Europe. If it wasn’t for the University of Sunderland and Business Bridge, I have no idea where I would be today!”

BSc (Hons) Tourism Development (2005) MSc Cultural & heritage Tourism Development (2006) “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Sunderland University and am currently working for Sunderland City Council as a Tourism Coordinator.”

Kyle Kiper Exchange Student from Florida, USA (1999) “My experience at Sunderland changed my life. Prior to that, I had only travelled in the USA and Mexico. After living in the UK, I became a travelling nut and have now visited 39 nations. I work for the US Department of Education, under the State of Florida Department of Education.”

Mohammed Shah PhD (2001) “My thesis has found wide acceptance, since I received my PhD, and I have since moved to the USA where I have worked on several important multi billion dollar projects. I fondly remember my association with the University of Sunderland.”

Marie Bolton MSc Clinical Pharmacy (1996) “I remember feeling like a ‘fish out of water’ after deciding to return to Sunderland to do my MSc at the age of 45! But I enjoyed every minute and my thesis was in Palliative & Terminal Care, which stood me in great stead as I now practice as a Community Pharmacist in Whangarei, New Zealand. Many thanks to the staff who helped me achieve what seemed impossible back in 1996.”

Oluchi Terese Mbama (nee Ozuzu) BA (Hons) Business administration (2006) MA international management (2007) “I came to the University of Sunderland from Nigeria with a goal to upgrade my education to enhance my career.

My nostalgia for the University is not just because it helped me to obtain an international degree, but the fact that it reinvigorated my professional career paradigm, unlocked my potentials and a world of opportunities.” n www.wearunited.org | Bridge Alumni | 41

Each year the Alumni Association asks members to nominate a graduate who has succeeded in enterprise since graduating.

The aim of the Blueprint Enterprise Alumni of the Year award is to recognise and reward outstanding alumni achievement in enterprise, particularly those which have had a dramatic effect in the North East, and to raise the profile of the University via the successes of our alumni.

This year’s award was presented to Neil Stephenson at a ceremony and dinner, held on 4 June 2009.

international

fundraising

Blueprint Enterprise Alumni of the Year

Neil Stephenson

EVENTS

Neil has been with the Onyx Group for the past 10 years and has been integral to its growth. When he joined in 1996, it was a small internet start-up business – it is now a full-service group with acquisitions under its belt.

Neil graduated with a degree in Computing and Economics in 1993 and went on to work as marketing executive at Vaux Breweries.

In 1996, Neil left Vaux to

become marketing manager at Onyx Internet. A meteoric career rise saw him promoted to CEO in 2007.

He now helps to mentor local technology businesses, and supports the Digital City project. He is also a member of the NTI board.

“The confidence I have in business stems from the experience studying at Sunderland. It is a rich place for learning and taught me that it can be fun,” he says.

Alumni Member of the Year Every year we ask you to nominate a person, who you feel has exhibited noteworthy achievement in: l professional success demonstrated by notable career achievements; l extraordinary community involvement; l meritorious heroism, and/or prevalence over adversity; and/or; l significant volunteerism or philanthropy for the benefit of humanity.

We are delighted to announce that the winner for 2008 was Colin Orr. He was nominated due to his outstanding commitment to the work of the Sunderland Old Student Teachers’ Society, of which he is Secretary. Application forms for the 2009 Alumni of the Year Award are available online now at www.wearunited.org, and the winner will be announced in November.

awards

Where are you now?

WearUnited

Celebrating their success

Colin Orr

Bridge profiles the two winners of Sunderland’s inspiring alumni awards

Born and bred in Sunderland, Colin has worked alongside the Alumni Association for the past 32 years, maintaining the links between the University and the society’s members.

He studied at Langham Tower as a student teacher before working at South Hylton Junior Mixed

and Mill Hill Primary Schools between 1967 and 1982.

Colin is a trustee of the Alumni Association and is one of the University’s longest and most committed supporters.

He is a true friend of the University of Sunderland and a deserving recipient of the Alumni of the Year Award. n

Change Someone’s Life Today!

Help support our students to change their lives and realise their potential by supporting the Futures Fund.

The Fund offers great continuing professional development opportunities for current University students to allow them to receive extra training, pay for placements or attend conferences.

Our University is full of exceptional students who need assistance from the Fund to develop their talents. We need your help to enable more of these students to realise their potential.

A grant of ÂŁ2,500 enabled mature student Reuben Abraham to shadow a professional film producer for 10 weeks. After starting his own business, his work has since won awards regionally and nationally.

To read more about the work of the Futures Fund log on to: www.wearunited.org

Telephone: 0191 515 3664 Email: askalex@wearunited.org

www.wearunited.org

CASE STUDY

Reuben Abraham, MA Media Production Futures Fund award recipient.

Managed office accommodation for newly established and growing innovative businesses.

• State of the art managed offices from 15m2 to 150m2 • Prestigious Sunderland city centre location • Prime office location on the banks of the River Wear • Reception and administration services • 24 hour access • Weekly rates starting at £40 • Easy-in, easy-out tenancies • Free secure on-site parking • Inspiring riverside views • High specification development • Hi speed ICT connectivity • Conference and meeting room facilities • Access to University facilities and enterprise team

Contact the St Peter’s Gate team on 0191 556 1000 for further information.

CASE STUDY: Paul McCoy - MCC Media

St Peter’s Gate is home to the studios of awarding-winning production company MCC Media which makes TV adverts, documentaries and promotional films.

University of Sunderland graduate Paul McCoy launched MCC Media after building up years of expertise in TV and video production.

From St Peter’s Gate, Paul has quickly built up a thriving media business producing short films and video productions for clients that include the NHS, Sunderland City Council and the Department for Work and Pensions.

Paul said: “St Peter’s Gate has proved to be a great place to network and as the business has grown we have been able to secure staff graduating from the university.

“Being based at St Peter’s Gate has also helped us access good quality business advice and open the door to funding opportunities that have aided rapid growth.” http://www.mccmedia.co.uk/

www.stpetersgate.co.uk