WLV Dialogue - Issue 11

WLV

dialogue

Winter 2011 | Issue 11 | University of Wolverhampton | www.wlv.ac.uk

An Eyeful of Sound Animation lecturer scoops top award

Home from home New Student Union Centre opens

Creative collaboration Prestigious win for business partnerships

Welcome

Welcome to the latest edition of WLV Dialogue.

There have been a number of exciting developments at the University recently. A refurbished Students’ Union opened its doors this academic year, with a fresh and vibrant new look.

The Ambika Paul Student Union Centre offers a comfortable and friendly ‘home from home’ for students, and was officially launched by the University’s Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone.

at the ERASMUS scheme, which enables students to travel to partner institutions in Europe to enhance their language and cultural skills, on pages 16-17.

The University has also launched two innovative new Institutes which aim to enhance students’ employability and create new opportunities with businesses. Find out about the Institute of Gaming and Animation and Institute of Media Arts on pages 8-9. There was a double success at the prestigious Lord Stafford Awards, which recognise collaboration between businesses and universities in the West Midlands. Read more about the award-winning projects on pages 20-21.

Take a step back in time on pages 10-11 where you can read about some interesting research being carried out by Reader in History, Dr Laura Ugolini. Laura is looking at the role of civilian men on the home front during World War I.

In tough economic times, our graduates are boosting their credentials by gaining valuable work experience. A group of graduate interns who have been working at the University talk about what the placement has meant to them on pages 6-7. Students are also adding to their CVs by taking part in international student exchanges. We take a look

We hope you enjoy reading this edition of WLV Dialogue. If you have any feedback for us, please get in touch at: wlvdialogue@wlv.ac.uk Our next magazine will be out in the Spring.

Best wishes Vickie Warren WLV Dialogue Editor

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CONTENTS 1

22

20

2

10

16

4

PAGE NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

Home from home – Ambika Paul Student Union Centre launched

2

An exchange of ideas – The benefits of student exchanges

16

An Eyeful of Sound – Prestigious award win for animation lecturer

4

Dare to dream – Scholarship transforms the life of one student

18

One step ahead – Graduate interns boost their credentials

6

New beginnings – Launch of two Institutes

8

Creative collaboration – Lord Stafford Award success celebrated

RESEARCH The war at home – Research into the role of civilian men in World War 1

10

PROFILE The power of education – Q&A with Henriette Harnisch

12

FEATURE Putting pen to paper – A look at our Creative and Professional Writing course

BUSINESS

14

20

PEOPLE Sign of success – Q&A with former BBC See Hear Editor Terry Riley

22

Graduate Success Story – Biological Sciences graduate John Tarplee

24

What’s on guide – University events

25

2 NEWS

Coming to University can be a daunting time, but finding a place that feels like home can be the key to settling in. Students at the University of Wolverhampton now have a new-look Students’ Union which aims to provide a friendly, comfortable and homely space for them to meet friends, study and relax.

Students were asked what they wanted from their Students’ Union and the overwhelming response was a coffee lounge and comfortable study zones. With a fresh outlook and focus, the SU is at the centre of the Wolverhampton City Campus and is already proving a popular destination with the University’s student population.

The Ambika Paul Student Union Centre was recently officially opened by the University’s Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone. The Centre received a generous

donation from the Ambika Paul Foundation, a charitable trust established by Lord Paul in memory of his daughter. At the opening, Lord Paul spoke of the importance of education in his own life and his pleasure at being able to support today’s students.

“I am delighted that I have been able to benefit the next generation by doing something for this University, of which I have enjoyed being Chancellor. I can think of no better way of contributing through my foundation than towards a Student Union Centre. This is where they can study, talk to each other and be proud of the University and their education,” he said.

Ken Harris is the Students’ Union President and he is delighted with the revamped Students’ Union. He explains what the new SU means to students: “The Students’ Union is a home from home. A place to relax and socialise in, participate in clubs and societies and take part

in volunteering and employment opportunities.

The SU is also a place to study and receive support.”

The front of the Students’ Union, situated opposite the Learning Centre on the City Centre Campus, has been transformed into a vibrant and welcoming modern environment.

On entering the glass-fronted space, students are met by a coffee lounge with comfortable seats and tables, and a reception area with friendly staff who are happy to help. A corridor with striking virtual wallpaper featuring images of real Wolverhampton students leads to the Activities Centre, a study zone equipped with computers and more comfy seats. The sabbatical Students’ Union officers can often be found here, making them fully accessible to the student body and on hand to help out and advise. There is a boardroom for meetings and a recording studio where the student radio

news 3

University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline Gipps, Students’ Union President Ken Harris, Chairman of Governors Michael Elliott and University Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone PC

station, Kic Fm, is based. In addition, the room which formerly housed the bar, The Lounge, and a larger room called The Venue, both provide a great space for comedy and karaoke nights and enables clubs and societies to host their own events.

The new-look Students’ Union very much reflects the needs of today’s students, who want to work hard to succeed but also socialise with their friends. The Centre has opportunities for employment, enabling students to further boost their credentials.

The location is also perfect as it is close to the Learning Centre, Sports Centre, Careers and Employment Service and Active Volunteers, enabling students to combine their work with extra-curricular activities.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline Gipps, is pleased that the University has been able to provide a space that students enjoy and that is extremely well used.

She says: “The student experience is extremely important to us, and we are pleased that we have been able to provide such a bright and comfortable environment for our thriving student community.

“We are most grateful to Lord Paul and the Ambika Paul Foundation for their generous support of this new Centre.”

Perhaps the final word should go to the students who use the Student Union Centre on a daily basis to relax and study, take part in activities and learn about opportunities to further their skills.

Ken Harris says: “A Students’ Union is many things to many people but to us it is a place to call our own, and with the help of the Ambika Paul Foundation we have a place to accommodate the needs and activities of our students.”

A Students’ Union is many things to many people but to us it is a place to call our own.

4 NEWS

An Eyeful of Sound What does the number four taste like?

What colour is the letter L? What shape is Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony or Take That’s The Flood? These may sound like unusual questions, but for someone with synaesthesia, they are likely to evoke a whole array of sensations.

Synaesthesia is often described as a joining of the senses, whereby two or more of the five senses that are normally experienced separately are involuntarily and automatically joined together. This may be hearing a piece of music and seeing a certain shade of colour, or where numbers, days of the week or months have personalities, shapes or even tastes. It is an interesting phenomenon which has fascinated artists for generations, and an animation lecturer at the University has spent five years researching and developing a project that explores and celebrates this rare trait.

Sam Moore is an award-winning animated documentary maker at the University’s School of Art & Design. Her short film about synaesthesia, An Eyeful of Sound, recently won

the prestigious Nature Journal Scientific Merit Award at the Imagine Science Festival, New York.

Sam says: “Film makers spend a lot of time sending work out to film festivals and it is a long process – sometimes we get in and sometimes we don’t. To get in was great but to win the top prize was a real thrill.”

The prize is awarded to the best short film of the festival, and was significant recognition for the documentary. The 10 minute animated documentary focuses on audio-visual synaesthesia and was produced with three women who see music. Sam received funding from the Wellcome Trust to conduct a research and development project, which grew into the film.

“I had been interested in the brain trait of synaesthesia for a few years. I am always looking for things that can be visual and put across well within an animated documentary.

The research and development project was really interesting to do, so it seemed a logical

conclusion to continue and turn it into a short film and give it a life outside,” she explains.

“A lot of artists are interested in synaesthesia; if you have a creative output once you have heard about it, you don’t forget about it and it seems to hold the key to why the human brain is creative.”

Sam, who is not synaesthetic herself, built quite a relationship with the three women she interviewed for the documentary. The process began with an audio interview about their experiences, and then Sam began to cut up the sound and think of how to make images that would be representative of what they described.

Sam says: “It is a view of the subject that we could not get any other way. You cannot put a camera in their heads to show how they experience life.

“When I played them sounds – not just music, even the sound of a coffee grinder – it would bring up something visual and outside their body that was really interesting.

NEWS 5

Things in the Road

“One of the participants said that when her friends and family came round to the house, she would play them the film to explain what the condition was like. They really like the film – one said I had made it very synaesthetically which I liked! A lot of people don’t admit to being synaesthetic because people will think they are weird, but it is not an illness, it is a way of seeing the world.”

Sam says she picks up nuggets of information all over the place and files them away for future use. Her previous work, The Beloved Ones, tells the true stories of two African women living with the repercussions of HIV/AIDS, while doubled up is a portrait of her own experiences of having twin boys.

Students on the School of Art & Design’s BA (Hons) Animation are encouraged to get their films screened as much as possible. The course seeks to develop students’ technical knowledge and cultivate their understanding of movement, mostly through drawing. They learn to combine visual and sound skills with

structured time and motion, as well as honing their editing skills and creative use of sound.

“One of the things I love about the course is that it’s really diverse, has an open ethos and students are encouraged to find their own way,” Sam says. “It is really about finding your style and respecting different ways of working.

“I always say to students that they should get their work out there as much as they can and get it screened. You see your work in a different context and see what’s not working – the more feedback you get the better.”

Monday

Sam has already moved on to her next project – her PhD, which is looking at animation to represent unique brain states such as synaesthesia. As Sam’s work shows, inspiration comes from many places, and students at the University continue to amaze and challenge expectations with their work.

And with an award-winning lecturer behind them, the sky’s the limit.

(c) Samantha Moore An Eyeful of Sound funded by the Wellcome Trust. Front cover: Glitter Flyover

Glitter Harp

6 NEWS

One step ahead Gracia Kabongo’s experience of the current job market may be familiar to many recent graduates.

“I finished University in May and I didn’t get anywhere. I got interviews and it was always a case of not having enough experience,” she says.

But 21-year-old Gracia wasn’t one to accept defeat and she applied for a Graduate Internship at the University of Wolverhampton, where she had studied a BA (Hons) in Event and Venue Management. Gracia and three other graduates from the Class of 2010 were successful in gaining places with the academic Schools where they had studied.

“Now I have experience of lots of different things – dealing with customers, liaising with colleagues and using my own initiative. I go into the office and I decide what is best for the students I’m dealing with. I think this internship will boost my future chances,” the School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure graduate adds.

The role of the interns is to share their own experiences and help new students settle into their academic programmes. They provide advice and support to students on enrolment and registration, monitor attendance and support any individual students who are experiencing difficulties. They have almost become ‘the face’ of their Schools, building relationships with students, with some inquirers returning to them a second or third time for additional support.

Gracia explains: “I have been doing lots of presentations and I felt scared at first, but now I’m more confident speaking in front of people and on the telephone. It has helped me to learn a lot about students and I love putting a smile on someone’s face, and when they say thank you it’s great.”

Positive experience Each of the interns has come to the six-month internship with different experience, but all are positive about what they are learning.

Joanne Griffiths studied part-time to complete a BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies at the School of Education. She managed to juggle her degree with raising her children, and she jumped at the chance when she heard about the internship.

The 34-year-old says: “It is a nice feeling to help students – we do get the same students coming back to us and you build a relationship with them.

“Every day is different and every week is different – I actually like coming to work.”

Katier Scott was a mature student at the School of Art & Design, with 18 years of work experience already. But the internship programme has opened up new horizons and possibilities for her.

“There is a lot of experience I am bringing to the job, but it is a way of starting a career within a University. Working face-to-face with people is rewarding and you get to see the end result. It can be on-going support, and I have also made friends.”

Stacy Evans

Meanwhile Business Management graduate Stacy Evans, 24, has found that doing the internship has changed her aspirations.

After finishing her degree at the University of Wolverhampton Business School, Stacy had wanted to go into HR or Marketing, but now she says she just wants to help people.

The skills she has learnt so far are wide ranging, and she thinks it was a good idea for the University to focus on recent graduates for these positions.

“I have gained communication and presentation skills. I enjoy working face-to-face with the students and staff,” she says.

“Recent graduates are good because they are fresh from their studies and relate to students better. They also know the positive and negative sides of being a student.”

NEWS 7

Gracia Kabongo and Katier Scott

Joanne agrees: “It also makes you more approachable if they know you have just finished. You have common ground straight away.”

Jon Elsmore is Dean of Students at the University, and developed the proposal for the internships. He is aware of the challenges facing today’s graduates, but is keen to stress that there are opportunities out there.

Broadened horizons The experience of the internship has broadened horizons for each of the graduates, but the skills and knowledge gained from their degrees is still hugely important and useful.

“The University was a major partner in the West Midlands Graduate Internship programme, through this and other initiatives we matched over 150 of our graduates with local employers.

I thought that we should be sharing the same benefits as an employer and so developed this scheme for graduate interns to bring their recent experiences back to the University to help new students.

BA (Hons) Journalism and Editorial Design graduate Katier, 39, says: “I would still like to go into journalism, but I would like to stay at the University and do a Masters.

I’m interested in lecturing, Marketing or becoming a technician – it has opened up options within the University, and I have always loved this University.”

Joanne adds: “I haven’t changed my aspirations, but this has broadened my horizons. When you hear about the economy, there are fewer jobs out there so everybody has to widen their scope for what they want to do.”

“The project has been hugely successful and I hope we will be able to continue to offer these opportunities in the future.”

A bit of advice So what advice would the interns give to students following in their footsteps?

Joanne says: “Get as much experience as you can, alongside your degree. I did volunteer work but looking back I wish I had done more and pushed myself.”

Katier agrees, and suggests the Students’ Union is a good place to gain some valuable experience, whether it is working on a student newspaper or working in the reception.

“We are not in jobs that are necessarily our chosen career but we are all in a job that opens up the opportunity of going into a career. It is good to get a foot in the door, so when a job does come up you are in the right place,” she adds.

Stacy advises: “Every student should use all the services that the University provides, such as the Careers and Employment Service.”

Gracia takes a slightly different, and rather refreshing, stance.

“My advice is switch off the news! There might be cuts in jobs but a lot of my friends are still getting positions. I think hearing about it can destroy your focus – I would say, focus on what you want to do. Believe in yourself and go and get it.”

8 NEWS

New

beginnings

If asked what would be their dream job, working in the media or the computer games industry would probably be high on the list for many graduates. Both careers offer the opportunity to combine a passion with a profession and the potential rewards are enormous. But with popularity comes competition, and the need to have the edge and stand out in a crowd is a challenge facing today’s job hunters.

The University of Wolverhampton recognises the need to tick every box on an employer’s wish list. They want academic knowledge and professional skills in areas relevant to their industry, and they also want practical experience. That’s why two new Institutes at the University are striving to enhance students’ employability and create new opportunities with regional, national and international businesses.

The Institute of Media Arts and the Institute of Gaming and Animation were officially launched at a reception attended by students, graduates, academics and industry experts. Both Institutes seek to create links with businesses that will benefit both the employers and the students.

They also draw together experts from different areas of the University to work on innovative projects and applied research.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline Gipps, says: “We are delighted to have launched

the two new Institutes, which will enhance the student experience and create new opportunities to work with industry experts.

The courses we offer in these subjects are innovative and engaging, and provide our students with the necessary skills and experience to start a career in these important and growing industries.”

Introducing … The Institute of Gaming and Animation The Institute of Gaming and Animation (IGA) is led by its Director, Dr Stuart Slater. Bringing together experts from the School of Art & Design and the School of Technology, the IGA was formed to meet demands from industry to deliver cutting edge technology and design solutions. Academics from both Schools have worked with industry leaders on innovative curriculum development to ensure students on undergraduate courses graduate with skills relevant to the demands of the profession. The Institute also offers bespoke training and works with regional, national and European partners on innovative projects and applied research.

In addition, the IGA has a thriving Games Society which has seen students exhibit their projects at high profile events such as The Gadget Show Live. Graduates have

also worked on over 24 Nintendo Wii games and popular titles such as Resident Evil: Degeneration and Grand Theft Auto: the Lost and the Damned. The IGA has links with industry giants like Microsoft and Epic, giving students access to leading experts in the field.

At the launch, Stuart recognised the economic challenges facing the gaming industry but highlighted that there are opportunities for the bright young stars of tomorrow.

“The University has shown over a continued period that if there is an opportunity for our staff and students to innovate, they will always hold their own.

“The support from University staff, firstly in the inception of the Institute and then changes to the curriculum and the refocusing of our business development, means that the students of the future can have optimism.”

He was joined at the event by Nick Davies, a graduate of the University who has gone on to become a Senior Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineer at CCP Games, who said he still used the skills and ideas he learnt while studying in Wolverhampton in his career today. David Burden, from Daden Limited which has worked with Stuart on some innovative projects already, also outlined the benefits of collaboration between universities and businesses.

NEWS 9

Presenting… The Institute of Media Arts Sam Hope heads the Institute of Media Arts (IMA), which aims to be a centre of excellence incorporating expertise from the School of Art & Design and the School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications. By developing undergraduate and postgraduate courses that are industry focused, the Institute aims to produce graduates who will shape the creative industries. Partnerships with the media industry, including the BBC, help to boost student placement opportunities in a profession that demands work experience on every applicant’s CV. Another strand of the Institute’s remit involves outreach work with school pupils and young people. An excellent example of this was the Be Heard! Project, which was a magazinestyle radio programme produced by blind and partially sighted people aged between 13 and 25. With support from Wolverhampton Community Radio (WCR FM) and media experts at the University, they developed the content for a range of features. The final production included the subjects of audio description for visually impaired people, owning a guide dog, the meaning of dreams, a friendship poem, a passion for football and a school visit.

Speaking at the launch, Sam focused on change – to both the economic climate and the media industry itself, and how this impacts on those wishing to embark on a career in this exciting arena.

She says: “I wish both Institutes every success.

They are both specialising in high growth areas of the economy and both bring businesses closer to the University, and this means we are supporting the talent pool for both sectors.”

“There are many changes for the creative and media sector, but with change comes an opportunity for innovation and creativity and we will be embracing future changes,” she added.

The world of work is changing and evolving all the time, and there are challenges for all sectors.

Through the new Institutes, the University of Wolverhampton is striving to produce graduates who are ahead of the game.

The final say: employers The keynote speaker at the launch was Karen Price, Chief Executive of e-skills and a recent recipient of an honorary degree from the University. e-skills is the employerled Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology. Karen shared her insights on collaboration between universities and businesses, highlighting the fact employers recognise the importance of higher education in shaping the talent pool. She also emphasised the benefits of such links for the professional development of people who are already on the payroll.

As someone who knows the minds, desires and aspirations of today’s employers, Karen is well aware of the impact well-equipped graduates can make to a business.

The Institutes are specialising in high growth areas of the economy and both bring businesses closer to the University

10 RESearch

The war at home The experiences of men who fought during the First World War are well documented.

Many kept diaries, wrote poems or letters home to loved ones and some went on to write autobiographies about life in the trenches when the war ended. But what about the men who lived during the Great War, but didn’t step foot onto the battlefield?

Up until now, little has been written about civilian men on the home front, particularly middle class men. The men themselves may have considered their experiences as being less important or interesting as those fighting for their country so did not record the ins and outs of daily life. But a University of Wolverhampton researcher is investigating the experiences of such individuals for a new book.

Dr Laura Ugolini, Reader in History, has received a research grant from the British Academy to look at what happened to men who didn’t join up because they were too old, unfit or were in reserved occupations. It is difficult to assess the numbers, but estimates suggest that one in three men joined the armed forces. This means that two thirds did not – but so little is known about them.

“Looking at case studies of individuals, there was a huge difference in their attitudes to the war and clearly it was a problem for many of them, even those that were too old to fight,” Laura, from the School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications, says.

“They felt they had to justify why they had not enlisted and that they had to present themselves as making a contribution to organisations supporting the war effort and charitable activities.

“But there was a feeling that whatever they did was never going to be good enough – the sacrifice was not sufficient as they were not on the battle front.”

This seems to have been more of an issue during the First World War than the Second, as bombing of civilians on the home front was more intense in the 1940s.

Laura explains: “There were Zeppelin raids and the fear of a German invasion during WW1, but during war time we create an image of heroic soldiers and brave war personnel so it is always difficult for those men who are not actively fighting to justify their role in society.”

Dr Ugolini cites an example of a male civil servant who was asked almost every day why he was not in uniform, and even received white feathers to symbolise cowardice. The writings that are available suggest that some men paid no attention to this, while others were traumatised by it.

For example, at the outbreak of war, Walter Glenn Ostler was a railway booking clerk at Crouch Hill, North London. During an interview for an oral history project in 1973, he said that he was ‘6 ft 1 ½ tall and very soon patriotism built up very intense around London and

alternate weeks I used to meet my fiancé at Finsbury Park’. He added that getting on the tram and ‘being so tall and fairly conspicuous … I was soon made to feel that my place would be in the forces; in fact on one or two occasions I was given white feathers’.

Laura adds: “Some men spent the whole war being harassed about why they were not in uniform as the assumption was that they did not want to do their duty, and had somehow managed to get work in a reserved occupation or used their contacts.”

Looking closer Dr Ugolini’s research looks at a number of aspects of life for men on the home front, including the impact of the Zeppelin attacks and the extent to which people had information about what was happening on the battle front.

She is also studying their experiences of work and how they continued their occupations.

Family life is placed under the spotlight to consider the disruption and break down of the normal order, and asks whether men felt they had lost their authority as women got involved in the war effort and sons went off to fight in the trenches.

The book will look at the men who volunteered on the home front by becoming Special Constables or joining paramilitary organisations in case there was an enemy invasion. This was one way of proving their patriotism. They also had to change their leisure and consumption habits because of the restrictions of the war.

research 11

To carry out the research, Dr Ugolini is looking at any material that is available, such as diaries of men on the home front. One diary she has uncovered is thousands of pages long as the author felt it was his war duty to write the diary.

At the end of the war, Frederick Robinson wrote: ‘It is an intense relief to feel that this daily self-imposed task, I might almost say, this daily penance, is finished. I feel like the man must have felt who took off the hair shirt he wore for his soul’s sake’. His own family questioned why he was doing it, and it became a self-imposed duty for him. He stopped writing on November 11, 1918.

Another diary was written by Andrew Clark a vicar of a small parish in Essex, as he had been disappointed that he had not kept a diary of village life and opinions during the Boer War. Laura describes this diary as “fascinating” as he kept press cuttings and adverts to create a history of the war.

“He is distant from the events of the war, but you get hints within the diary of combatants that didn’t come back. One family in his parish lost five sons during the war, and this is explained as the vicar had to sign to receive the effects. On Wednesday 14 October 1914 Clark wrote: Mrs Sophia Fitch, wife of Walter Fitch, an agricultural labourer, had come ‘to have their application signed for the effects of their son Dick … of the 2nd Essex Regiment, killed in action … a lad of just 19, and enlisted so recently as a year ago last June’.

“He also posted the names of those that were serving on the door of the church but stopped this practice as it was too painful to remove the names of those that had died. He tries to be impersonal but this gives an insight into how he felt about the losses. The death of his own wife due to illness does not get mentioned in the diary as it was not part of the war – perhaps because it was considered personal.”

Dr Ugolini’s study looks at one of the most widely researched periods of our country’s history, but an aspect that has received little attention. But as she says, it is another part of the jigsaw in our understanding of this pivotal era of modern times.

“After World War One, there was a trend towards publishing the autobiographies of soldiers, but very few, if any, of civilians. They may not have been considered as important or interesting as the experiences of combatants but it creates a huge gap in our war knowledge as you imagine the home front to be completely empty of men, when clearly, it was not.”

12 PROFILE

The power of

education

Henriette Harnisch is Interim Deputy Director of Education Partnerships at the University of Wolverhampton. Her role involves managing the University’s Schools and Colleges Partnerships and also the Midlands Leadership Centre, an educational consultancy. She has worked at the University since 2003 and her background is in Linguistics. Henriette has worked across all educational sectors as a lecturer, teacher, curriculum manager and head of a specialist language centre, and moved to the UK 20 years ago from Berlin.

1

What does your role involve?

Schools and Colleges Partnerships manages the higher education and further education collaborative provision the University has in the Black Country and beyond. It also involves pre-entry curriculum activity, where we develop partnerships with schools and colleges to jointly deliver curriculum opportunities such as tasters, workshops and year-long courses delivered in sixth forms.

2

Why is this aspect of the University’s work important?

It helps us as a University to understand the journey of students before they come to us, and this informs teaching, learning, assessment and achievement. It is important for us to understand this so we can feed it into our institutional strategic priorities. If we want to improve student satisfaction, we need to understand concretely and practically where the students are coming from.

3

What do you enjoy about your work?

I really do enjoy challenges. I wasn’t looking for a job when I heard about this one, but the role initially was to direct the Black Country 14-19 Pathfinder (which later became Language Networks for Excellence) and help

people to work together, and I wanted to try and help change take place. Innovation is the theme that links everything I do. I am in a privileged position that I work with external partners and no two days are ever the same. The opportunities in Education Partnerships of working either through Schools and Colleges Partnerships or the Midlands Leadership Centre are tremendous. The Midlands Leadership Centre is an educational consultancy that is commissioned by public and private sector bodies to deliver bespoke activity. That could be, for example, delivering a project for funders in the Middle East to set up an international school by helping them to write a curriculum model, a staffing structure and progression routes. We also do local consultancy such as our involvement with academies, which informs what we do on the schools and colleges side too.

4

What is the key to partnership working?

Communication and understanding. What I find fascinating, elevating and inspiring in partnership working is being confident about the contribution we can make but also being humble enough to understand every other partner’s contribution. The aim is always to create a whole which is greater than the sum of its components.

5

What is the most difficult thing about partnership work?

The same thing! People are driven by personal or institutional agendas – understandably so – but it is about working out what makes the other person tick. What is making them say what they are saying, and how can we find a solution?

6

What advice would you offer to students?

Follow your passion. Think about what it is you really like or are great at, and that need not relate to a specific job. To succeed in this world, having one great job cannot be the objective. We have to be flexible, highly skilled and confident. It is finding that flame inside of you.

7

What has influenced your own career?

The big thing in my life has been mentors. At every stage professionally I have had a really important mentor. That is something I try and be to young people – it is only when you reach my age that you realise the value.

PROFILE 13

8

What are you working on currently?

The University co-sponsors three academies which brings fantastic opportunities for us in terms of student progression but also in relation to building strong relationships, and a robust research base for our transition work.

One of these new academies is the Black Country University Technical College (UTC) with lead sponsor Walsall College.

The UTC is a completely new type of institution for 14-19 year olds and the emphasis is on high quality vocational and technical learning.

The focus is on engineering, and we have engineering and scientific expertise from both institutions working together to develop a curriculum model at the moment. This is a very good area for us to be involved in, given the expertise at the University.

9

What is the most rewarding thing about your job?

We work hard to provide high quality and innovative activities, and when children experience these and at the end of them say “I want to come back�, that’s very rewarding.

14 Feature

Putting pen to paper The saying goes that everyone has a novel in them. But actually having that spark of a great idea, the inspiration and the determination to sit and write something that transports an engrossed reader to a different world takes something special. At the University of Wolverhampton, a degree course is helping students to nurture their passion for writing and also earn a living from their talent.

The BA (Hons) Creative and Professional Writing degree offers a stimulating programme in which budding authors can create, analyse and interpret different forms and styles of writing.

The aim is for students to develop a range of specific and transferable skills to enable them to enter a wide range of professions, including journalism, public relations, advertising, copywriting, teaching and even fiction writing.

The publishing industry is a notoriously difficult nut to crack, and the road to publication can be littered by rejection letters. The University course is taught by published authors who know the challenges, pitfalls and the hard work needed to succeed.

Senior Lecturer Dr Paul McDonald runs the Creative and Professional Writing programme and is also a comic novelist and poet. His first novel, Surviving Sting (2001), draws on his experiences working as a saddlemaker.

His second novel, Kiss Me Softly, Amy Turtle (2004) is a comic mystery set in Walsall, while his third, Do I Love You? (2008), takes Northern Soul as its theme. His humour research gained international media attention when he identified the oldest joke in the world. Senior Lecturer

Candi Miller’s first novel, Salt and Honey, is set in southern Africa during Apartheid and focuses on a young girl’s displacement from her Kalahari desert-tribe. Candi spent time in the Kalahari to research the book, and is drawing on those experiences again to write the as-yet untitled sequel, due out in September 2011.

They agree that the hardest thing about writing is the actual sitting there and doing it, for hours on end, pushing the narrative along inch by inch. It can be a lonely process, and that is one of the appeals of a University course.

Candi explains: “You don’t have to come to University to become a writer but one reason why you might do so is the sense of community – it is very appealing and comforting because writing is such a lonely business. Our students flourish when they are with people doing the same thing.

“The reason the University of Wolverhampton course is impressive I believe is that it is practical, allowing you to merge your skills so you can earn a living while closing in on your creative enterprise. It combines the professional side with the creative.”

Paul adds: “What a creative writing course does is offer a context in which to develop creative skills with that all important critical feedback from people who have read a lot. That’s invaluable. It’s very difficult to get objective feedback outside the context of a creative writing course.”

So what do our students write about?

According to Candi and Paul it is an eclectic and enjoyable mix.

“Our students come from a diverse range of backgrounds and different continents and their experiences are amazing, from the supposed ordinariness of a peaceful Black Country childhood to reformed addicts to people from oppressive regimes in Eastern Europe. Students think their lives have not been interesting but every single one of them has found the minutiae of their lives can be fascinating,” Candi says.

Paul agrees: “I’m constantly learning – it’s an absolute joy to read students’ work. They have interesting things to say about themselves and their world.”

Inspiration can come from all sorts of places.

For Candi, it is a perceived injustice, but she admits this is different for every writer. Paul, meanwhile, says it is looking for things he finds funny in everyday life and exaggerating them. However neither believes in the concept of writers’ block, with Candi arguing this is inevitably about something else that is going on in a writer’s life.

“One thing I will always say to people is never wait for inspiration – you have to go out and find something to write about and when you find it, keep writing about it. Inspiration won’t seek you out – you have to be proactive if you want to be a writer,” Paul advises.

Feature 15

There can be an element of false expectation among people seeking a career in creative and professional writing, drawn in by the fairytale stories of what happened to authors such as Harry Potter creator J.K Rowling. Candi explains that it is crucial for budding writers to be ferocious readers, to read widely and understand the building blocks of words.

Paul says: “You have to strike a balance by encouraging people to be realistic and letting them know it’s not an easy thing to do. Many are called but few are chosen when it comes to being a celebrity writer. But on the other hand, people do make money out of writing and publishers are looking for writers to publish, so there’s nothing wrong with optimism.”

Candi continues: “You have to write with an audience and market in mind. That does not mean you have to compromise your creativity but you have to write realistically. Not all writing has to be shared, but if you do decide to share it, it should be entertaining, informative and meet some demand.”

So what advice would they offer to tomorrow’s novelists and professional writers? Paul and Candi’s recommendations are simple – write and also read as much as possible.

“Writers are the ones who go out and find ideas actively, look for ideas, feed on ideas and then put the work into developing those ideas into something,” Paul says.

Candi adds: “Write and don’t send your work off prematurely. You need feedback desperately, and that is the time to find a writers’ network and if you can get on to a University course so much the better. At University, the tutors come to know you over the course of your degree so they can see your possibilities more than you can.

“We want you to be the best writer you can be, whether that is as a professional or creative writer.”

Dos and don’ts DO • Read as much as you can • Take advice where you can get it • Put your writing aside then go back to it and revise before thinking about publishing it • Have courage in your convictions if you have a good idea

DON’T • Submit a first draft • Overwrite – be selective • Try to write a bestseller – write what you can and feel • Be discouraged – if it’s rejected, send it to another publisher

16 INTERNATIONAL

An exchange of ideas For Matt Vesty, university has opened up a new possibility that he wasn’t expecting.

He is off to Sweden for a semester to broaden his language skills and experience another culture through an ERASMUS exchange.

“I thought it would be a convenient way to add to my degree and gain teaching experience over there,” he explains. “I have not been to Sweden before, but a Swedish student came over last year and explained what it was like. There is a great focus on language and teaching which complements what I’m doing, and I’ve always wanted to go there.”

Linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) student Matt has basic Swedish which he is hoping to develop further during his stay, but speaking the language is not a requirement for students wishing to take part in an exchange.

Participants study a wide variety of subjects including English Language, Sport and Exercise Science, Nursing, Psychology, Spanish, Law, German, Public Relations and French. As many of the University’s partner institutions teach all or some of their modules in English, participants don’t need to be studying a language to travel.

The ERASMUS exchange scheme has been running at the University since 1987 with the aim of increasing student mobility within the European community. Hundreds of students have taken part in the scheme, which allows them to study at one or two of the University’s partner institutions in Europe for a maximum of one academic year. Over the years, Wolverhampton students have visited Finland, Cyprus, Poland, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Students receive a contribution grant to their living expenses and the institution meets the costs of the study if they are from

European partners, so they do not incur any additional costs for the period they spend on an ERASMUS programme.

The benefits are wide-ranging. Izabela Wojcik, a Tourism Management and French student, spent five months in Nice and was nervous about having language difficulties.

“I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able to speak the language or cope with exams.

But thankfully that was not so bad. After two months I found myself thinking in French – that was a new experience for me!” she says.

Mature English and History student Katrina Brown describes studying at the University of Versailles, Saint-Quentin, through ERASMUS as one of the “best adventures of my life”.

“I felt I had accomplished a rite of passage, albeit a few years late, had made new friends and had a wonderful time getting to know Paris, and, perhaps most importantly, developed massively in confidence.”

There are also advantages for international students who wish to visit Wolverhampton, and over the years the University has welcomed hundreds of enthusiastic students from across Europe. Magdalena Brodzinska from Poland where she studies English Philology, is currently at the University studying English, French and The American Civil War, and is having a great time.

“I am enjoying my stay in Wolverhampton. I love the University, the broad choice of modules to study, friendly teachers and very attractive library. It is a great educational experience to study in Wolverhampton, I find it very different than my home-university and I love exploring these differences. ERASMUS is also an unforgettable time for a young person because of the many new acquaintances, spending time with people of various cultures.”

ERASMUS also enables staff to take part in the teaching and staff training mobility scheme. Many staff have taken advantage of the scheme to visit partner institutions in Europe to teach and run workshops in their subject. This gives them the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, learn about each other’s culture and compare working environments.

Graeme Simpson from the School of Health and Wellbeing took part in such an exchange.

He says: “Not only are the teaching placements worthwhile in themselves, the experience provides valuable material to benefit the teaching of the subject to University of Wolverhampton social work students at all levels of study, especially through reciprocal visits.”

From the University’s point of view, taking part in an ERASMUS exchange enhances students’ experiences, skills and adds to their CVs. Wolverhampton actively promotes these opportunities to students and encourages them to grasp this wonderful opportunity to broaden their horizons with both hands.

As Jo Gittens, Director, International, says: “The ERASMUS scheme provides an opportunity for a student to travel, experience different cultures and enhance their employability skills. We support and promote this scheme during studies as a commitment to global citizenship and we benefit from the enrichment these students bring to the community here in Wolverhampton. Staff are also catered for with many having taken up the chance to network and exchange ideas in their chosen field and I wholly endorse this activity.”

The students that visit Wolverhampton add to the cultural diversity of the University and bring a fresh outlook on the advantages of higher education. For Wolverhampton students, an ERASMUS exchange can be an enormously exciting and beneficial aspect of their studies, and an experience to remember.

INTERNATIONAL 17

18 INTERNATIONAL

Dare to dre m The University of Wolverhampton has a strong regional presence in India and welcomes hundreds of students from the country to the UK each year. A scholarship from the School of Technology for Indian students from poor backgrounds is helping to transform lives and make a difference to gifted and talented young people.

“Although this took me almost a year to do, it was hope and belief that kept me going. It felt like a miracle when I found that I had been selected for the MSc Computer Science course at the University of Wolverhampton in May 2008.”

Jasvir Kaur describes being selected to study at the University of Wolverhampton as “a miracle”. There was a time when adding to her qualifications with a Masters degree seemed beyond reach – despite her academic excellence and willingness to learn.

Jasvir’s family were unable to pay for her education, but she says she still dreamt of obtaining a degree. She managed to pay a small instalment to be accepted onto the BSc Information Technology at Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar in 2004. She received support from a college tutor, Professor Harbans Singh Bolina, who paid for her fees enabling her to continue her studies, and she graduated in 2007.

But Jasvir was determined to add to her qualifications by studying at an international university.

She says: “People said I was wasting my time and foolish for trying to accomplish such an impossible task. I began my research on how to obtain a scholarship in order to carry out my studies.

The timing coincided with the launch of the Wolverhampton-India project, an initiative which aims to strengthen existing links and open up new opportunities for mutual benefit to businesses, individuals and communities in India and Wolverhampton. The project’s three main areas of focus are trade, education and culture/sport and it received backing from organisations within Wolverhampton including the University, Wolverhampton City Council, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, the Chamber of Commerce and City of Wolverhampton College as well as local MPs. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline Gipps, attended an official Wolverhampton-India Project event in the Punjab in 2008 and launched a new scholarship offered by the then School of Computing and Information Technology. The scholarship aimed to give opportunities to academically excellent students from poorer backgrounds by paying their tuition fees to attend the University to study courses offered by the School.

Jasvir was interviewed by Jasbir Singh Uppal, India Co-ordinator from the School, and began her studies in Wolverhampton in September 2008. Her accommodation and living costs were met by a generous sponsor in the UK, Mr Tejpal Atwall.

Jasvir says: “There were a lot of students from my community and country at the University, and that helped me a lot. The lecturers were really nice and I enjoyed my course – it was

totally different from in India. The International Centre at the University also helped us a lot.

“I have now finished my MSc at the University of Wolverhampton, where I have been able to learn valuable skills that can be applied to the academic world. I felt that during the course, the staff were helpful and friendly.”

Jasvir, now 23, graduated in September 2010 and her ceremony was attended by many of the people who had helped her to achieve her dream. Jasvir has remained in the UK and now lives in London. She gained employment in Data Administration and is currently looking for a job closer to her field of expertise. She is also hoping to continue her studies by completing a PhD and she is grateful for the opportunity she was given by the University.

“The main thing I learnt at the University of Wolverhampton was that if anybody has a desire to do something, then they must try to achieve it. Everybody was equal and was given an equal opportunity in the classes,” she says.

“I have gained independence and confidence during each module, and the skills are with me now that I’m in a profession.”

Professor Rob Moreton, Dean of what is now the School of Technology, was instrumental in developing the scholarship, and says he is delighted by what Jasvir has achieved.

He says: “The School of Technology at the University is committed to creating opportunities for gifted students, and this scholarship illustrates the difference higher education can make to young people. I’m absolutely delighted that Jasvir has achieved so much during her time with us and everyone wishes her every success for the future.”

INTERNATIONAL 19

It felt like a miracle when I found that I had been selected for the MSc Computer Science course

20 BUSINESS

Creative collaboration The prestigious Lord Stafford Awards celebrate collaboration between universities and businesses in the West Midlands. The Caparo Innovation Centre (CIC) – a successful partnership between the University of Wolverhampton and Caparo – scooped the top prize in the Open Collaboration category at the recent awards ceremony. There was a double celebration on the night as the Advanced Business Development Network (ABDN), which benefited from a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University, won the Cisco Prize for New Technologies.

A helping hand to innovate Andrew Pollard is Industrial Professor at the Caparo Innovation Centre, and was delighted to see its achievements recognised at the awards.

“The category was a new one for 2010 and when we saw the criteria we just felt it fitted so well with what we are doing here. The CIC is a collaboration between Caparo and the University but we involve third party inventors in the development of products, so open collaboration is very much what we are about,” he says.

The Centre has three main roles. Firstly, to provide access for Caparo companies to University skills and resources, such as specialist market research, design and prototyping. Secondly, it is open to approaches from independent inventors and may offer a partnership agreement to develop products for a share in the profits. Lastly, the CIC has new product commercialisation skills, which are available to other companies and organisations in the region.

One of the Centre’s current projects is an iPhone application called ‘Consume Within’.

Developed from an inventor project by a new spin-out company, Unibyte Ltd, the app is all about managing the food within your kitchen fridge, freezer and cupboards. It keeps a record of when items are due to go out of date and alerts you when they are due to expire. Another CIC success story is the Caparo RightFuel device, a clever invention which prevents motorists from filling petrol in diesel cars. The brainchild of Martin White, who partnered with the CIC to develop and license the patent rights, the device won a double gold award at the British Invention of the Year Awards in 2008.

Andrew believes it is the collaborative element that makes the Caparo Innovation Centre a success. He says: “We have managed to get the synergy of benefits a University can bring to a project and what industry can add, so we have the creativity and technical capacity from the University side and the focus on results and implementation from Caparo.”

John Wood, a Caparo Director who has worked with the CIC from the very beginning, agrees: “Through our combined expertise, we have been able not only to assess and develop many product innovations, but also commercialise them in a manner that benefits all parties. Working with the University of Wolverhampton we have been able to provide much needed support to inventors by giving them access to a combination of practical business experience and advanced academic support.”

The Caparo Innovation Centre can be approached at any stage of development – from having a patent and a prototype to the mere glimpse of a way to solve a particular problem. The starting point for everybody is to register through the website (www.wlv.ac.uk/cic) and submit an idea.

Every day can hold a new surprise for staff at the CIC, as Andrew explains: “The range of ideas that people bring to us is immense. You can never rely on your first impressions – very often the best ideas come as something of a surprise.”

BUSINESS 21

So what advice is there for budding inventors?

Andrew says: “A successful inventor requires a lot of skills. You need to have the passion and belief in your idea because you will come up against endless hurdles and barriers. You need to be careful about sharing your idea with others, yet at the same time get input from the right people with experience in the market you are interested in. We are able to offer inventors a helping hand with all of these.”

Following on from the Lord Stafford Award win, the Centre is planning yet another way of assisting inventors. The £5,000 prize money will be used to set up a new website that will present an Open Marketplace for inventors and inventions. When completed it will showcase products that can only be bought directly from the inventors, helping them to get their ideas off the ground.

Networking showcase The Advanced Business Development Network (ABDN) was also pleased to receive recognition for its collaborative approach by clinching the Cisco Prize for New Technologies. ABDN is a network of 19 West Midlands manufacturing

companies that work together to improve competitiveness and win bigger contracts than they could achieve individually.

A Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University enabled ABDN members to improve their digital marketing skills and introduce IT systems to enable members to collaborate. These developments led to more than £200,000 of new business. Based at Malthouse Engineering Ltd, but working with all of the ABDN members, the KTP has employed a specialist marketing graduate to carry out the work.

Paul Buszard was the academic lead on the KTP at the University. He said: “Although the University of Wolverhampton is one of the country’s biggest participants in KTP programmes, this is the first project to involve a cluster of companies. The team involved in the KTP – Roy Taylor, Managing Director of Malthouse Engineering, Jim Wood from the ABDN and several specialist academics from Wolverhampton – have worked together really well and we are all very pleased with the results.”

The success at the Lord Stafford Awards illustrates the University’s commitment to collaborating with West Midlands-based companies to get new ideas, inventions and projects off the ground, improve competitiveness and enhance productivity to the benefit of all involved.

Open collaboration is very much what we are about

22 people

Sign

of success Terry Riley was the first Deaf Editor of the BBC’s flagship See Hear programme. In September, the University recognised his outstanding contribution to broadcasting for Deaf and hard of hearing viewers and for promoting British Sign Language (BSL) to a wider audience by awarding him an honorary degree.

Terry has been an advocate for British Sign Language for over 40 years. Born into a Deaf family, both his parents were Deaf and sign language users. He has a wealth of experience in Deaf Television, having started in 1987 as a researcher on See Hear, a community programme for Deaf and hard of hearing viewers, and working his way up to become Editor in 2002. He was instrumental in setting up the European Deaf TV and Video network, which now encompasses over 20 countries including the USA, Japan, Greece and Australia.

Terry is now the Chief Executive of the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust. He has been associated with the British Deaf Association (BDA) for many years and received its highest honour, the BDA Medal of Honour, for his work in promoting and empowering Deaf people.

people 23

7

The University of Wolverhampton offers a range of Deaf Studies and Interpreting courses. Why do you think it is important for both Deaf and hearing people to study these subjects?

For many Deaf people who are born into a hearing family their Deaf heritage is almost unknown, to learn about one’s history, culture and languages gives us a unique identity. And for many this is the first time they really know who and what they are.

As I said before, language and education are

1

How did you feel about receiving the honorary award?

To be honest I didn’t actually believe it when I first got the letter, then once it sank in I realised what a great honour it was to be recognised in such a way. It was unbelievable, very few Deaf people are given such a rare and distinguished award.

2

In your acceptance speech, you spoke about language and BSL in particular. Why is language so important to you?

Language defines who we are. Language and culture are the key to one’s identity.

Without language we cannot be equal.

Without language we cannot be involved in society as equals. Without language we cannot participate in democracy and without knowledge we cannot be considered equals.

3

How do you think education for Deaf people has changed since you were at school?

When I was at school, further education and University was Utopia, it was there but not for Deaf people. Now we are seeing Deaf students in all levels of Deaf education from FE to university degrees, becoming not only BAs and MAs but PhDs too.

This is why universities have a greater role to play in enabling Deaf students to take their rightful place in university education.

4

Why did you choose a career in the media?

This was a natural progression from my small political campaigning, at local regional and national levels, and I was aware that to get noticed the best way was the media. It is so powerful and has a very subtle way of influencing the viewer without the hard pitch.

Also the media is a fantastic communication medium for deaf people.

5

8

If you were to go to university now, what subject would you like to study?

Deaf history as I feel this is so important to our heritage; it’s so unknown and the books and films are being lost forever.

What do you enjoy about your current role or find most rewarding?

I am now seeing the fruits of over 23 years being nurtured with the new ethos of the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust. In ensuring that Deaf people take their rightful place in not only being seen on screen but behind the camera. The new Zoom project is giving Deaf talent the opportunity they thought they would never have had. And they are winning awards. I am now leaving a legacy.

6

so important and it’s only by having good qualified interpreters that we can participate in all levels of society. For interpreters it is such a challenging job and the language is developing every day – it’s a living language. I strongly believe no other language can compare with the visual nature and complexity of British Sign Language.

What is your greatest professional achievement?

I think it has to be the honorary degree from the University of Wolverhampton, as this was the culmination of my career at the BBC, and it’s a very rare and humbling award.

9

What advice would you offer to students and graduates following in your footsteps?

Knuckle down, be dedicated, and have fun.

You will get knockbacks but keep getting up with a smile.

10

Who do you admire?

Nelson Mandela, who for so many years was incarcerated in prison yet when released did not seek vengeance or revenge but spoke of all as one nation, all as equal. I often use his quote: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands that goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his language that goes to his heart.”

This is why I work in television. There is no greater medium to show the beauty of sign language than television.

24 success story

Graduate success story

John Tarplee John is Vice President for Northern Europe, covering the UK and Ireland, the Nordic countries, the Netherlands and parts of Eastern Europe.

He explains: “I enjoy a very varied role and there is no such thing as a typical day for me. My main focus is business strategy, considering how we can improve our offering to all our stakeholders, whether it is customers, employees or shareholders.”

And having responsibility for such a large region means that a big part of John’s time is dedicated to travelling, with as much as 40% to 50% spent visiting businesses in Northern Europe or having meetings in the company’s headquarters in Copenhagen.

Name: John Tarplee Course: BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences Year of Graduation: 1986 John Tarplee may not have achieved the grades he had hoped for at A-level, but gaining a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Wolverhampton has helped him go from exam re-sits to sitting at the top of the table as Vice President of a global pharmaceutical company.

John is responsible for the commercial operations of ALK Abello, a research-driven pharmaceutical company focusing on allergy treatment, prevention and diagnosis.

Before joining ALK Abello John began his career as a medical sales representative, visiting healthcare professionals and promoting prescription medicines. He believes his time at University provided a solid foundation for his career path.

“My degree has definitely helped me in my career. To work in the pharmaceutical industry you need to have a solid life sciences education and my studies gave me the knowledge I needed to get started and build on as I progressed upwards,” he explains.

As well as knowledge of his subject area, John also developed key personal skills.

“My time at University taught me a lot about how to present myself and my ideas and how to negotiate for a win-win solution. Most interaction essentially boils down to some kind of a transaction and if you can get what you

want whilst enabling the other party to get what they want, you’re in for some success!”

Like many first generation university-goers John remembers his time fondly and recognises how his experience has changed him.

“I probably didn’t realise it at the time but my three years at Wolverhampton were very much a transition for me,” he says. “It was the most formative period of my life, where I learned to become independent and self reliant. For me the balance was just right between the structure and control provided by my lecturers and the freedom of the undergraduate living away from home and fending for myself.”

And for new students thinking about going to university in the future John has some advice.

“I think it is important to enjoy yourself and make the most of what student life has to offer – the curricular and extra-curricular activities alike. Take the opportunity to broaden your horizons and actively look for clubs, societies and groups to join that can broaden your perspective. The same is true of your studies, be a critical and lateral thinker, these skills will stand you in good stead in later life.”

WHAT’s ON GUIDE 25

What’s on

Guide February Time: 7.30am-9am

Date: Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Carbon Management business event – an overview of the legislation and some practical tips on how to apply carbon management principles in a business.

Time: 5.30pm-7pm

Date: Thursday, 24 February 2011

Call: 01902 321272

Location: Wolverhampton Business Solutions Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, WV10 9RT

Time: 7.30am-9am

Email: enquiries@wolverhamptonbsc.com

How to Network – a business workshop providing some valuable hints and tips on successful networking.

Call: 01902 321272

Location: Wolverhampton Business Solutions Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, WV10 9RT

Email: enquiries@wolverhamptonbsc.com

Call: 01902 321272 Email: enquiries@wolverhamptonbsc.com

Collektive-Exposure – exhibition by School of Art & Design photography students.

March

Date: Saturday, 12 to Friday, 26 February 2011

Telford Campus Conference Facilities launch event – find out about a range of conference and non-student accommodation facilities at Telford Campus. Complimentary lunch and exhibitions, network and tour the Campus.

Location: Fotofilia Photography Studio, 69 Rea Street, Birmingham, B5 6BB Further details: http://collektive-exposure. blogspot.com University of Wolverhampton Postgraduate Open Evening – find out about a range of Postgraduate courses, meet academics and current students and view the facilities.

Date: Thursday, 24 February 2011 Time: 5.30pm-8pm Location: MX Building, Camp Street, Wolverhampton City Campus

Date: Tuesday, 1 March 2011

University of Wolverhampton Open Day – find out about a range of courses, meet the lecturers and current students and tour the excellent facilities.

Date: Saturday, 12 March 2011 Time: 10am-3pm Location: Wolverhampton City and Walsall Campuses Contact: Enquiries Team Website: www.wlv.ac.uk/opendays Call: 0800 953 3222*

Location: Telford Campus

Health and Safety business event – experts will explain the legal obligations under Health and Safety legislation.

Contact: Suzie Gobourne

Date: Wednesday, 23 March 2011

E-Mail: suzie.gobourne@wlv.ac.uk

Time: 7.30am-9am

Website: www.wlv.ac.uk/conferences

Location: Wolverhampton Business Solutions Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, WV10 9RT

Time: 12pm-2pm

Call: 01902 323839

Website: www.wlv.ac.uk/pgopenevening

Internationalism business event – experts will provide some practical advice on the international markets to enter and how to market your business.

Call: 0800 953 3222*

Date: Wednesday, 9 March 2011

Contact: Enquiries Team

Location: Wolverhampton Business Solutions Centre, Wolverhampton Science Park, Wolverhampton, WV10 9RT

Call: 01902 321272 Email: enquiries@wolverhamptonbsc.com *If you are calling from a mobile you may incur a charge. The charge may vary depending on your network provider

WLV

dialogue

University of Wolverhampton Wulfruna Street Wolverhampton West Midlands WV1 1LY tel: 0800 953 3222* fax: 01902 32 25 17 web: www.wlv.ac.uk/dialogue

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*If you are calling from a mobile phone you may incur a charge. The charge will vary depending on your network provider