UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINESPRING/SUMMER 2011

GLA

MO

RGA

N

What are you drinking?

Analytical science – your life in our hands

TALENT | 3

VICE-CHANCELLOR’S WELCOME

2 | TALENT

As Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glamorgan, I am honoured to lead such a dynamic higher education institution which is at the vanguard of innovative change within Wales and beyond. Much of the University’s academic endeavour − courses of study, research and commercial activities − is orientated to the needs of professions, industry and the public sector. I am justly very proud of the University and its achievements − the talents of our students and staff have taken us from our origins as the South Wales & Monmouthshire School of Mines close to a century ago to our current position as the second largest University in Wales.

The University aspires to be “locally rooted, globally connected”.

The University aspires to be “locally rooted, globally connected”. We have an important role to play in Wales to support economic renewal, enhance social justice and champion cultural awareness, but we believe that this is only possible if we are active, and more importantly, competitive on the global stage. It is pleasing to report

that in recent years, we have indeed been very competitive, attracting more international students year-on-year whereby this year we have over 2,000 international students. The presence of these students on our campuses provides for educational and cultural engagement between all students; offering home students the opportunity to embrace new ideas and develop friendships which span the globe and enabling us to inspire them to see and act as global citizens.

Student recruitment is but one aspect of the University’s international activities. As important are our institutional partnerships which facilitate, for example, student and staff exchange and research collaboration. The central premise of these partnerships is that they are built on mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit; there can be no other way to developing such initiatives. Our current partnerships span the globe, including China, where in recent years we have developed an extensive partnership network extending from Beijing in the north, Shanghai in the east, Chengdu in the west to Hong Kong in the south.

Last year, I was fortunate to travel to China for the first time as Vice-Chancellor; visiting several partner universities to meet staff, students and their families to explore how Glamorgan could add benefit and how we could learn from them. The vastness of the country, the size and scale of cities and higher education institutions were particularly memorable features of my trip.

One such city was Suzhou, a beautiful city famously known as the “Venice of the East”, with a population of over six million people generating the fifth largest local GDP in China.

Julie Lydon introduces this edition of Glamorgan Talent.

4 | TALENT TALENT | 5

Your life is truly in the hands of those we train to be analytical scientists! Glamorgan has a long tradition of excellence in this field which has been massively strengthened with the recent investment in new facilities at the George Knox building at Upper Glyntaff.

Professor Tony Davies tells Talent about how much we owe to these often hidden guardians of the quality of our lives.

“One of my first interactions with the University of Glamorgan was after being invited to speak at a European Union food quality meeting in Paris in the early 1990s. Dr. Peter McIntyre from Glamorgan and his students had reported on work they were carrying out as part of a very large European consortium looking at all aspects of food quality control.

“Glamorgan had a series of excellent PhD students working in the field of food quality control at this time. In Germany, my research group was equipped with state-of-the-art analytical hardware and carried out a number of projects developing new analytical technologies. A programme developed where I happily hosted research students from Glamorgan.

“One excellent example of the collaboration was the work carried out on olive oil, a foodstuff which can command an enormous price premium with a reputation second to none as a healthy food oil.

“Did you know that it is also the subject of some enormous complex and very well organised criminal conspiracies? It is probably the one where you are least likely to actually buy what the label on the outside says. A simple analytical technique was required that would allow the verification of the oil’s origin and possibly quantify any adulteration.

Analytical science also has a role to play in ensuring our drinking water is safe. The EU issued much tighter regulations on the concentration of pesticides in drinking water which prompted significant work by the analytical community to police these rules. These research projects have been succeeded by studies such as Meirion Pugh’s recent successful work policing the successful banning of certain persistent crop protection substances analysing Welsh rivers from source to mouth.

“The EU issued much tighter regulations on the concentration of pesticides in drinking water which prompted significant work by the analytical community to police these rules.”

Co-planar Polychlorinated Biphenyls are especially toxic as they are similar in bioactivity to dioxin – the Bhopal poison. Unfortunately, it is exactly the chemical properties of the PCBs that make them of such great interest to industry that is also their biggest problem as they are very resistive to biodegradation. A project looked at determining these molecules in sewage sludge and focussed on the extremely toxic co-planar congeners. We were successful in locating a method and using our experience gained in data transfer moved the raw data to a computer running some advanced software available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg USA called AMDIS. Research shows how specific analyte concentrations could be determined despite the very complex nature of a sewage sludge sample.

The AMDIS project was originally run to provide software for nations to monitor the presence of chemical warfare agents in their atmosphere, and another technology widely deployed for chemical warfare agent detection is the Ion Mobility Spectrometer. These instruments boast very low levels of detection and do not need high vacuum. In Dortmund, scientists in my research group studied another problem system with remarkably similar issues to the PCB’s. Sulphur hexafluoride SF6 is a very stable molecule which also finds use in high-voltage switchgear. It suppresses sparks during switching operations but unfortunately it is also a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential many times greater than carbon dioxide. Over time, a build up of toxic and very reactive species can occur which can lead to damage to the switchgear and ultimately catastrophic failure. A custom built ion mobility spectrometer was designed to sniff the gas and give the operators early warning of potential problems so that they can clean the gas before attempting to operate the switch. This was so successful that a spinout

company was formed to manufacture these instruments.

So what has this got to do with health, you may ask? Well in further advances in IMS detection sensitivity in Dortmund coupled with the ability to measure gas samples at atmospheric pressure led to an instrument which could support disease diagnosis. It is common knowledge that breath smells can be used to help diagnose disease and it has been possible to use breath analysis at atmospheric pressure as an indicator for lung cancer. This advance has also led to another spinout company being founded in Wales to manufacture the instruments and continue further development with the German inventors.”

“It is common knowledge that breath smells can be used to help diagnose disease and it has been possible to use breath analysis at atmospheric pressure as an indicator for lung cancer.”

So now, you have seen a few examples of how expertise and competence in one field of analytical science can easily and effectively be transferred to another field with excellent results. This ability to think out of the box and recognise opportunities is something I am very keen to introduce more into the Analytical Science taught at Glamorgan as it not only helps in our day-to-day work but also makes our students substantially more employable!”

As Professor Davies has shown, analytical chemists are busy working to ensure your safety and quality of life. They may not be available by dialling 999 but they do a terrific job of ensuring you don’t have to.

YOUR LIFEIN OUR HANDSProfessor Tony Davies explains how analytical scientists are working

to ensure your safety and quality of life.

For more information please contact Professor Tony Davies on adavies2@glam.ac.uk

UNIVERSITY OF GLAMORGAN BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINESPRING/SUMMER 2011

GLA

MO

RGA

N

What are you drinking?

Analytical science - your life in our hands

ON THE COVERYour life in our handsProfessor Tony Davies explains how analytical scientists are working to ensure your safety and quality of life.

04

With our partner, Suzhou University of Science & Technology, we launched an innovative, joint degree programme in construction management which meets the skills needs of the local municipality and student aspirations to study for part of their award in the UK. We were recently informed that alongside local municipal approval, the programme has now been officially approved by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. We were delighted with this news which is a tremendous achievement and will serve as the driver for further collaboration with this university.

People-to-people exchange is also a key feature of our partnership work. Alongside an innovative training programme for academic staff from partner institutions which combines English language and pedagogic training, we regularly welcome academics to our campuses from our partners who engage in teaching, research and scholarly activity for extended periods.

I trust that you now have a greater appreciation of the scale and importance of international activities at Glamorgan − “locally rooted, globally connected” − competitive on the global stage so that the people of Wales can reap the benefit of a sustainable institution of higher learning.

I hope you enjoy the read.

Julie LydonVice-Chancellor

Vice-Chancellor’s Welcome Julie Lydon introduces this edition

of Glamorgan Talent.

Cancer Patients Tell Their Story A very special project was launched

at the University’s ATriuM campus in November.

SMEs to get access to new mobile technologies

SMEs based in the convergence areas of Wales can now benefit from the University’s expertise in emerging mobile technologies thanks to a new centre of excellence.

Entering an era of international maturity

It’s time for rugby to wake up Welsh rugby legend JPR Williams

discusses the physical pressures on modern players, and explains new research at Glamorgan on sporting injuries.

Sport Park Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson

unveiled the University’s £3.7m state-of-the-art coaching and performance development complex at the Glamorgan Sport Park.

Ultramarines Attack A Glamorgan lecturer and three

second year Creative Technology students have earned credits on a new science fiction film.

Learning Through Employment

Glamorgan leads the way.

Ground Breaking Drama Professor Stephen Lacey’s new

book on Cathy Come Home explores the impact of this film on society and television.

English Success English and Creative Writing at

Glamorgan is a thriving area and includes prize winning authors and poets amongst its staff.

Look to the Stars Glamorgan lecturer Dr Paul Roche,

Wales’s Space Ambassador, on astronomy at Glamorgan.

The ‘Unexpected Survivor’ Elite medics from the US and

the British Army have been pooling their knowledge at the clinical simulation facilities of Glamorgan’s Glyntaff campus as they learn to work seamlessly together in Afghanistan’s state-of-the-art military field hospitals.

Choosing is Confusing More than 90 teachers and

careers advisers from across the UK explored the current challenges and issues facing students in their university decisions during a highly successful conference at the University of Glamorgan.

IN THIS ISSUE03

06

08

10

12

14

22

16

17

18

24

19

20

4 | TALENT TALENT | 5

Your life is truly in the hands of those we train to be analytical scientists! Glamorgan has a long tradition of excellence in this field which has been massively strengthened with the recent investment in new facilities at the George Knox building at Upper Glyntaff.

Professor Tony Davies tells Talent about how much we owe to these often hidden guardians of the quality of our lives.

“One of my first interactions with the University of Glamorgan was after being invited to speak at a European Union food quality meeting in Paris in the early 1990s. Dr. Peter McIntyre from Glamorgan and his students had reported on work they were carrying out as part of a very large European consortium looking at all aspects of food quality control.

“Glamorgan had a series of excellent PhD students working in the field of food quality control at this time. In Germany, my research group was equipped with state-of-the-art analytical hardware and carried out a number of projects developing new analytical technologies. A programme developed where I happily hosted research students from Glamorgan.

“One excellent example of the collaboration was the work carried out on olive oil, a foodstuff which can command an enormous price premium with a reputation second to none as a healthy food oil.

“Did you know that it is also the subject of some enormous complex and very well organised criminal conspiracies? It is probably the one where you are least likely to actually buy what the label on the outside says. A simple analytical technique was required that would allow the verification of the oil’s origin and possibly quantify any adulteration.

Analytical science also has a role to play in ensuring our drinking water is safe. The EU issued much tighter regulations on the concentration of pesticides in drinking water which prompted significant work by the analytical community to police these rules. These research projects have been succeeded by studies such as Meirion Pugh’s recent successful work policing the successful banning of certain persistent crop protection substances analysing Welsh rivers from source to mouth.

“The EU issued much tighter regulations on the concentration of pesticides in drinking water which prompted significant work by the analytical community to police these rules.”

Co-planar Polychlorinated Biphenyls are especially toxic as they are similar in bioactivity to dioxin – the Bhopal poison. Unfortunately, it is exactly the chemical properties of the PCBs that make them of such great interest to industry that is also their biggest problem as they are very resistive to biodegradation. A project looked at determining these molecules in sewage sludge and focussed on the extremely toxic co-planar congeners. We were successful in locating a method and using our experience gained in data transfer moved the raw data to a computer running some advanced software available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg USA called AMDIS. Research shows how specific analyte concentrations could be determined despite the very complex nature of a sewage sludge sample.

The AMDIS project was originally run to provide software for nations to monitor the presence of chemical warfare agents in their atmosphere, and another technology widely deployed for chemical warfare agent detection is the Ion Mobility Spectrometer. These instruments boast very low levels of detection and do not need high vacuum. In Dortmund, scientists in my research group studied another problem system with remarkably similar issues to the PCB’s. Sulphur hexafluoride SF6 is a very stable molecule which also finds use in high-voltage switchgear. It suppresses sparks during switching operations but unfortunately it is also a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential many times greater than carbon dioxide. Over time, a build up of toxic and very reactive species can occur which can lead to damage to the switchgear and ultimately catastrophic failure. A custom built ion mobility spectrometer was designed to sniff the gas and give the operators early warning of potential problems so that they can clean the gas before attempting to operate the switch. This was so successful that a spinout

company was formed to manufacture these instruments.

So what has this got to do with health, you may ask? Well in further advances in IMS detection sensitivity in Dortmund coupled with the ability to measure gas samples at atmospheric pressure led to an instrument which could support disease diagnosis. It is common knowledge that breath smells can be used to help diagnose disease and it has been possible to use breath analysis at atmospheric pressure as an indicator for lung cancer. This advance has also led to another spinout company being founded in Wales to manufacture the instruments and continue further development with the German inventors.”

“It is common knowledge that breath smells can be used to help diagnose disease and it has been possible to use breath analysis at atmospheric pressure as an indicator for lung cancer.”

So now, you have seen a few examples of how expertise and competence in one field of analytical science can easily and effectively be transferred to another field with excellent results. This ability to think out of the box and recognise opportunities is something I am very keen to introduce more into the Analytical Science taught at Glamorgan as it not only helps in our day-to-day work but also makes our students substantially more employable!”

As Professor Davies has shown, analytical chemists are busy working to ensure your safety and quality of life. They may not be available by dialling 999 but they do a terrific job of ensuring you don’t have to.

YOUR LIFEIN OUR HANDSProfessor Tony Davies explains how analytical scientists are working

to ensure your safety and quality of life.

For more information please contact Professor Tony Davies on adavies2@glam.ac.uk

4 | TALENT

6 | TALENT TALENT | 7

CANCER PATIENTS TELL THEIR STORIES

Storybank has been developed by the University of Glamorgan’s Storyworks Team in conjunction with Cardiff University’s Cancer Genetics Research Team.

The project, funded by the cancer charity, Tenovus, saw researchers from both teams collect and produce digital stories from patients who volunteered to share their experiences about their journey through the Cancer Genetics Service for Wales.

The website was officially launched by Rt Hon Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales, who said, “I’m pleased to launch this innovative website. Just the mention of the word “cancer” can strike fear in many people and anything which can help allay fears surrounding the disease will be very helpful.Hearing from others whose lives have been affected by the disease will surely offer some comfort to others in a similar situation.”

The patient stories cover a range of topics such as living with cancer; living with the risk of inherited cancer, or to tell children about a cancer diagnosis. “Although familial cancers are rare, for people who have a number of family members with cancer they are often worried that they too will get cancer,” according to Dr Rachel Iredale, from Cardiff University’s Institute of Medical Genetics, who led the project.

“This fear of not knowing where to turn can be extremely stressful which leaves people feeling isolated and alone.That is why we have developed this website. Real people telling their

stories and addressing the real issues surrounding cancer, offering others a place to turn for advice and support,” she added.

During the evening, some of the stories that appear on the website were screened and the storytellers themselves then took part in a frank and emotional Q&A session.Karen Lewis, Project Leader, Storyworks, University of Glamorgan added: “Through our work with Rachel and her team, not only have we been able to give patients a voice but also provide those who are worried that they may be at increased risk of inheriting cancer with a real-life source of information and support. It was great to see so many of them at the launch event and we were especially grateful to those who shared their stories with us on the night”

Dr Ian Lewis, Head of Research at Tenovus, added: “At Tenovus we strive to put people affected by cancer right at the heart of everything we do. The Storybank project is vital in supporting the complex emotional and practical issues faced by people with the risk of an inherited cancer. We are so proud to fund the work of the Cancer Genetics Service for Wales.”

It is hoped the website will be accessed by current and future patients, as well as the general public.

cancergeneticsstorybank.co.uk For more information please contact Karen Lewis on klewis@glam.ac.uk

“I’m pleased to launch this innovative website. Just the mention of the word “cancer” can strike fear in many people and anything which can help allay fears surrounding the disease will be very helpful.”Rt Hon Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales

A very special project was launched at the University’s ATriuM campus in November.

From left to right:Karen Lewis, Rt Hon Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales and Rachel Iredale

8 | TALENT TALENT | 9

SMEs TO gET ACCESS TO NEW MObILE TECHNOLOgIES

SMEs based in the convergence areas of Wales can now benefit from the University’s expertise in emerging mobile technologies thanks to a new centre of excellence.

Mobile and wireless technologies together with the Internet have dramatically changed our way of life. These technologies and their applications are also penetrating into all aspects of business making significant improvements in efficiency and quality of life and work.

The Centre of Excellence in Mobile Applications and Services is a £4.9m venture part-funded by the EU’s Convergence European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Assembly Government.

“Mobile applications development is one of the fastest developing industries worldwide.”

The creation of the Centre is in response to the UK Government’s Digital Britain report an objective of which is to create “a dynamic investment climate for UK digital content, applications and services that makes the UK an attractive place for both domestic and inward investment in our digital economy.”

Professor Khalid Al Begain, Director of the Centre said, “Mobile applications development is one of the fastest developing industries worldwide. There are currently more than 200,000 applications available in the Apple store for the iPhone. Other application stores are also offering huge amounts of applications including Nokia’s Ovi store and Google’s Android platform.”

Gartner’s figures estimate that there were around 8 billion individual smartphone application downloads from official sources in 2010 – rising to an impressive 21.6 billion by 2013.According to Gartner Research, Mobile App stores were worth US$6.2 billion in 2010 and this will rocket to US$29.5 billion in 2013. Gartner’s figures estimate that there were around 8 billion individual smartphone application downloads from official sources in 2010 – rising to an impressive 21.6 billion by 2013.

Professor Al Begain continued “These new developments are changing the traditional discrete structure of the telecom service provider industry, allowing new competitors to enter the market. This traditional structure, in which there are separate, parallel networks for different types of services provided by different companies, is losing its relevancy as IP based technology advances. To meet the competitive challenge, both existing and new companies are seeking new and better ways to differentiate themselves to gain share in the rapidly expanding market for advanced products and services.

For the first time, SMEs and external service innovators can contribute to the offering of applications and services – but only if they receive access to appropriate support and infrastructure.

In response to this emerging need, the Centre of Excellence in Mobile Applications and Services will provide a unique web-based platform/ telecommunication infrastructure, enabling academic experts to assist Convergence region SMEs to create, develop, and test innovative mobile applications and services prior to market launch.”

Professor Al Begain added, “The Centre will extend its services to beneficiaries from all sectors in the Convergence region, including business, health, transport, securities and even the farming industry in the Convergence region to provide mobile technology solutions that will improve productivity and efficiency.”

The Centre has been testing its next generation network facility with a number of local companies in the Convergence region. This piloting phase proved to be very successful and with this funding, the Centre will be in the position to roll this facility out to many more companies.

Professor Khalid Al Begain

For further information please contact Professor Khalid Al Begain on kbegain@glam.ac.uk

10 | TALENT TALENT | 11

ENTERINg AN ERA OF INTERNATIONAL

MATURITYThe University has actively targeted international student recruitment since 2002 when the original International Recruitment Office was created. Since that time, international student numbers have increased from around 100 to over 1000 new enrolments in autumn 2010, with a further 300 expected for our second intake in February 2011. The current focal point for international

LAURA TESSA BOSS

Laura Tessa Boss from the Netherlands is studying for an MA in LLM International Commercial Law. She told Talent why she decided to come and study at Glamorgan.

Students and staff from the Suzhou University of Science and Technology with the University of Glamorgan delegation led by Vice Chancellor Julie Lydon

recruitment is the International Office, which was created in February 2010, although our success in recruiting such high numbers of students is also based on the strong support that is received from the faculties when they undertake overseas visits in support of International Office colleagues.

International student numbers have increased from around 100 to over 1000 new enrolments in autumn 2010, with a further 300 expected for our second intake in February 2011.

In September, we received 1004 new students and whilst 67% of these came from four countries, namely China, India, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, we have 63 overseas nationalities represented amongst our new intake, including Argentina, Australia, East Timor, Ecuador, South Korea and Yemen.

A key partnership was developed recently between the Faculty of Advanced Technology (AT) and the Suzhou University of Science and Technology (SUST), Suzhou, People’s Republic of China. The multi-faceted agreement will see successful students from SUST’s undergraduate programme in Construction Management joining AT’s Construction Project Management

or Real Estate undergraduate programmes. Forging strong links lies at the heart of the partnership that will involve Glamorgan academics travelling to Suzhou to deliver part of the teaching material and working with local staff to pursue mutual research interests. Designed as an equal partnership, Suzhou academics will also spend a year at Glamorgan engaging in teaching, assessment and undertaking research.

The first two-week visit by AT academics was successfully completed in December 2010. During the visit, 48 first year Construction Management students experienced the Glamorgan style block-mode delivery of two subjects, at the end of which, they completed a series of assessments. Despite the tough schedule, students and staff managed to make the most of the opportunity to socialise and learn as much as possible about each other. At the end of the two weeks Glamorgan staff organised a social event for the students as a thank you for their hard work, enthusiasm and lively discussions about football!

SUST was established in 2001 following approval by the National Ministry of

Laura Tessa Boss

For more information please contact Malcolm Taylor or mrstaylo@glam.ac.uk

The University of Glamorgan is continuously raising its international profile through the implementation of an ambitious international strategy. Across the faculties, a strong ethos of internationalisation permeates all aspects of the work carried out, from international student recruitment to collaborative research and staff exchanges with overseas partners.

“When I finished my Bachelors degree in Management, Economics and Law, I wanted to expand my knowledge in a specific area of business. I had spent three periods of time studying overseas, in Sweden and Spain, so I had experience of studying in a different country and in different languages. I met a representative of Glamorgan’s International Office at a careers fair in Amsterdam. I visited the University the year before I started the course. The moment I saw the facilities I knew that I wanted to come and study here.

“The thing I really enjoy about the University is the work ethic. The lectures are, in my experience, focused on dialogue with and between students, the classes are very small and the students are happy to share their own perspectives on the subject matter.

“As an international student it is always a big step leaving home. The International Welcome Week

really helped me to settle in both academically and socially. The week consists of several events and is mostly focused on introducing you to other international students and introducing you to the areas of Treforest, Pontypridd and Cardiff. This week made me feel welcome and at home from the very first moment.

“The thing I really enjoy about the University is the work ethic.”

“I am very positive about my job prospects after my degree. I already have a good business degree but this LLM will really give my career a boost. There is no doubt in my mind that the effort and resources I have put into this Masters will benefit me in the future. Not only career-wise but also in my personal life. Studying abroad and the international environment at the University of Glamorgan have definitely brightened my perspectives on life.”

Education and the Government of Jiangsu Province, through the merging of the former Suzhou Institute of Urban Construction and Environmental Protection and the former Suzhou Railway Teachers College. The newly established university is a multi-disciplinary institution of higher education with engineering as its focus, but also covering other disciplines such as technology, natural sciences, liberal arts, management and art. SUST currently focuses on undergraduate programmes, but is actively developing postgraduate programmes and concurrently carrying out adult further education.

In September, we received 1004 new students and 67% of these came from four countries, namely China, India, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

12 | TALENT TALENT | 13

Welsh rugby legend JPR Williams discusses the physical pressures on modern players, and explains new research at Glamorgan on sporting injuries.

We need to have a proper debate how rugby players of today can be protected and treated for their injuries. That’s why we have set up four new academic fellowships, a partnership between the JPR Williams Foundation and the University of Glamorgan.

This will be the first comprehensive medical research in Wales into the injuries suffered by rugby players, and how they can be prevented. As well as a database of rugby injuries in Wales, the

research at Glamorgan will explore treatments for brain, spine, shoulder and joint injuries, as well as how oxygen chambers can help players train and recover.

We launched the JPR fellowships at a conference at the University in October. I was pleased to see that the news media reported the event widely, because we had an important open debate on the issues with contributions from experts from across the game: coaches, players’ representatives, academics and medical

IT’S TIME FOR RUgbY TO WAkE UP

a graduate of Glamorgan explained recently that the rugby injury rate has risen from 67 injuries per 1,000 playing hours in 1994 to 91 in 2009. These injuries are often career-ending.

I hope that we’ll be able to identify some lessons for the way that players train in the week. Today’s players don’t just play more often and at higher intensity than ever before. They are being subjected to a vast increase in training by the fitness coaches, to the extent that many injuries are now sustained in training from overuse. These injuries are often career-ending, and it’s a terrible waste of such promise and talent.

The rugby community needs to address this rising tide of injuries. The JPR Fellowships are a first step, and they will harness the capability of one of Britain’s leading centres of excellence for sport and research in the University of Glamorgan. This research can’t come soon enough. Frankly, it’s time for the game to wake up and get to grips with the problem.

practitioners. Chaired by Eddie Butler, the speakers included Damian Hopley, Chief Executive of the Professional Rugby Players Association, coaches Sean Holley and Phil Davies, doctors Alastair Nichol and Paul Jackson, and leading academic sport researchers from Glamorgan and Sport England.

Anyone who knows me will know that I was never averse to putting in big tackles and enjoying the more physical aspects of the game. I was on the receiving end plenty of times. But the modern game has gone a big step further. It’s more physical. Players train more, they are bigger, stronger and tackle harder. With the tension between clubs, regions and countries, today’s players play more often and at higher intensity than ever before.

Medical treatment for players has moved on hugely. I remember when I took a boot playing for Bridgend against the All Blacks, coming off with blood streaming down my face. I was able to feel my tongue through my cheek. And my dad, the club doctor, simply stitched me up and sent me back on the

field! These days, players have fitness coaches, physiotherapists, performance coaches, conditioning coaches, sports pysychologists… the list goes on. Especially recently, players have got bigger and heavier at a tremendous rate. One scientific study, we heard at the conference, compared the players in the 1971 and 2009 Lions tours and revealed that professional-era players are up to 25% bigger. We heard at the conference that data from French rugby suggests the size of backs has increased by up to 7% in the past 10 years.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that the injury rate is rocketing. Dr Brian Cunliffe,

“One scientific study, we heard at the conference, compared the players in the 1971 and 2009 Lions tours and revealed that professional-era players are up to 25% bigger.”

JPR Williams playing for Bridgend against the All Blacks

14 | TALENT TALENT | 15

The complex is the first sports facility in Wales to be rated as BREEAM-Excellent. It is used by students during the daytime and by professional sports clubs and teams in the evening, and has already been used by the Welsh netball and badminton teams, Cardiff City Youth Academy, the Cardiff Blues rugby region, and the Welsh Rugby Union as part of their elite coach education programme.

The Sport Park was also home to the visiting Australia, South Africa and Fiji rugby teams in preparation for their major international test matches against Wales last autumn.

The £3.7 million facility has been built by Midas Construction on the existing playing fields at the University and has been designed in accordance with international Sport England guidelines. Its Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Excellent rating was awarded for the use of super-efficient gas fired boilers, natural daylight and ventilation, along with A/A+ rated specification throughout, and forms part of the university’s continued strategy for responsible sustainable investment.

Designed by Holder Mathias Architects, the new facility includes a multipurpose sports hall with six courts and an ancillary support block, strength and conditioning lab for elite training, a lecture and meeting room, as well as a teaching facility with a notational analysis room. This enables staff and coaches to track the strength and conditioning of athletes, and to monitor and break down their performance.

Speaking in an elite conditioning suite, Cardiff Blues, British Lion and Wales international star Jamie Roberts told Talent that, “Gym and training facilities are so important to players in the modern game, and it’s great that the Blues Academy will have access to such superb facilities. The Sport Park is outstanding.”

The new facility includes a multipurpose sports hall with six courts and an ancillary support block, strength and conditioning lab for elite training, a lecture and meeting room, as well as a teaching facility with a notational analysis room.

The sports hall has particularly been praised for its point and area elastic floor and shock pads. The surface deflects under the athlete’s weight, preventing both injury and providing sufficient leeway to lessen the problems athletes often face with their ankles, knees and hips when turning sharply on traditional surfaces. Another unique aspect of the new facility is its glass-backed badminton courts which create the sense of an open sports hall while, practically, enabling spectators and coaches to see activity going on at a ground level, rather than only from a gallery.

“We believe that our students deserve the very best”

Julie Lydon, Vice Chancellor

At the opening, Baroness Tanni told sports students, “You are really lucky to have such a superb facility. It’s so important for us as a country to invest in sport, inspiring the next generation of athletes to reach their potential by giving them the very best support. The University of Glamorgan takes this aim really seriously, and so I urge you all to make the most of your University’s world-class investment in your future.”

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Julie Lydon, said, “We believe that our students deserve the very best, and the Sport Park complex is just part of a university-wide programme of investment in the teaching and training facilities they need to achieve their potential. The Glamorgan Sport Park will play a vital role in Wales’s health and sporting agenda, right at the heart of our community.”

SPORT PARkBaroness Tanni Grey-Thompson unveiled the University’s £3.7m

state-of-the-art coaching and performance development complex at the Glamorgan Sport Park.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson with local school children

To see for yourself what Glamorgan Sport Park has to offer go to www.glam.ac.uk/sport

Glamorgan Sport Park

16 | TALENT TALENT | 17

LEARNINg THROUgH EMPLOYMENT

Employees will soon be able to get a degree through their learning and experience at work thanks to a new scheme at the University of Glamorgan.

In England a small number of higher education institutions have adopted a framework approach to the accreditation of work-based learning. Glamorgan’s learning through employment framework and toolkit is the first of its kind in Wales, and is a response to the specific needs of the skills agenda in Wales and an attempt to remove some of the barriers to accrediting informal learning.

The LTE programme has been developed by the University’s Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT). The framework allows individuals who are already in employment to work towards a university level qualification in their area of work.

The main feature of the programme is that students are able to undertake the majority of their learning in the workplace. This means that they can earn while they learn and not have to give up their job in order to study.The learner, university tutor and employer work together to agree a programme of study that draws or builds on their work activities and, at the same time, satisfies the requirements for a university qualification at the appropriate level. A learning contract is drawn up and once approved by the university serves as a formal academic document.

Peter Green, one of the academics leading the LTE said, “Courses can be tailored around any subject. It isn’t a matter of just turning up for work and getting credits – the LTE requires a strong individual commitment to learning as well as appropriate opportunities to learn from the workplace.

The learning can also include a claim for credit to be awarded for previous learning where relevant. In addition to learning and development in the workplace, all programmes involve work-based projects, a research project and a module on reflection on learning in the workplace. Learners can also include subject-specific modules, accredited in-house programmes or independent study modules into their individual programmes which is agreed at the programme planning stage.”

A toolkit of support materials has also been developed by CELT to provide practical advice, support and guidance on the learning through employment framework, with separate toolkits targeted towards learners, employers and lecturers.

ULTRAMARINES ATTACk

A Glamorgan lecturer and three second year Creative Technology students have earned credits on a new science fiction film.

Ultramarines is a CGI science fiction feature film based on the characters and universe of Warhammer 40K, a popular tabletop role-playing game where warring factions clash on futuristic battlegrounds.

Chris Callow, a Creative Technology lecturer at Glamorgan’s Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries, worked on the film for five months as a lead visual effects artist. He was also able to bring in second year students Victoria Boyce, Joel Ritmeyer and Jonathan Davies as production assistants.

The producers of the film were so impressed with the dedication and professionalism shown by the students that they were fully paid throughout the production, and earned credits in the film.

“This was a unique and exceptionally rare opportunity for our students to fully experience the inner workings of an animated feature, and I’m sure it will prove invaluable when the time comes for them to step into the industry” said Chris.

Joel, 20, from Cardiff, worked on setting up rendering and checking shots before they were inserted into the final cut, “It was incredibly rewarding to put the skills that I have acquired into a real-world project with such a large demographic. One of the highlights of the entire experience was seeing my name in the credits on a cinema screen. It was fantastic to be credited for such a significant project before I even graduate”.

Jonathan, 21, from Rhondda, found the experience just as rewarding, “One of the nicest things was hearing the film with sound for the first time, as I only worked on the images. It was great to see it finished in all its glory. To have my name on the credits was brilliant”.

Ultramarines uses state of the art motion capture and 3D animation, and features performances from famous names including Terence Stamp, John Hurt and Sean Pertwee.

A screening and wrap party was held at the Cineworld cinema in Cardiff, where the crew were able to see the film on the big screen for the first time. The film is out on DVD in the UK and the US now.

Glamorgan leads the way.

Please contact Peter Green on pgreen@glam.ac.uk

From left to right: Jonathan Davies, Victoria Boyce and Joel Ritmeyer Glamorgan provides an opportunity to learn from the workplace

18 | TALENT TALENT | 19

gROUNDbREAkINg DRAMA

English and Creative Writing at Glamorgan is a thriving area. Our creative writing degrees are tutored by a diverse group of significant writers including the winner of the TS Eliot Prize 2009, Philip Gross. Our graduates make up an impressive list of internationally published and award-winning novelists, poetry and short story writers including Maria McCann and Emma Darwin – arguably two of the best known and most prominent historical novelists in Britain today.

MPhil in Writing graduate Maria McCann is enjoying great success with her second novel, The Wilding, published by Faber. This historical novel was also selected for special promotion by the Richard and Judy WH Smith Book Club. In her review of The Wilding, Judy stated: “I adored it. Maria McCann writes like she is living a dream. She never puts a foot wrong.”

Maria’s first novel, As Meat Loves Salt, was written for her Masters course and published by Flamingo in 2000 to huge acclaim. As part of a regular programme of guest speakers, Maria revisited

Glamorgan last year to talk to current creative writing students and read from her latest book.

Creative writing lecturer Tiffany Murray’s novel, Diamond Star Halo, has had excellent reviews in The Telegraph and The Independent and was also a critic pick for Fiction of the Year in the Guardian alongside titles from Ian McEwan and Howard Jacobson’s Booker Prize winning The Finkler Question.

On Christmas Eve, Gillian Clarke received the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry. One of the best loved writers in Britain, she is familiar to many English literature students from their A level syllabuses, and has been National Poet for Wales since 2008. She has a long association with Glamorgan, having supervised for many years students studying the MPhil in Writing. This is a major award and Gillian is only the second writer from Wales to receive it.

Professor Philip Gross’ new version of Gerd by Norwegian poet Nordahl Grieg was one of three poems commissioned by the Poetry Society that adorned the bottom of the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square. For the past two years,

ENgLISH SUCCESS

“There are few television dramas that have quite the same presence in British culture as Cathy Come Home. From the moment of its first transmission on November 16th 1966, Cathy’s impact on British society in general and television in particular was assured.” So says Professor Stephen Lacey, whose latest book explores the impact of this groundbreaking drama.

Its story is very simple: Cathy (Carol White), newly arrived in London from the provinces, meets and marries Reg (Ray Brooks) and starts a family. An accident results in Reg losing his job, and the film charts their remorseless descent through the housing system, which is revealed as being inadequate and heartless. By the end of the film, Cathy and her three children are in a hostel for the homeless, from which she is eventually evicted. Finally, in one of the most emotional scenes in the history of television drama, Cathy’s children are forcibly removed from her by social services on Liverpool Street Station.

Cathy Come Home is credited with being partly responsible for the success of the housing charity, Shelter, which was launched just days after its initial screening. Shelter used a still photograph of Cathy (Carol White) from the film as part of its initial publicity campaign, which was captioned with the comment that ‘there are literally thousands of Cathys in Britain at this moment’. It seemed to have an effect, and Shelter raised £50,000 in its first month.

Cathy Come Home was based on the meticulous research of its writer, journalist Jeremy Sandford, and its exposure of the realities of the post-war housing crisis led directly to changes in government policy (the ending of the separation of men from their families in hostels for the homeless). It also changed the way that television drama

was made and thought about. The second of many collaborations between director Ken Loach and producer Tony Garnett, Cathy was one of the first television dramas to be made entirely on film and substantially on location, combining dramatic and documentary modes of storytelling to create a new form of social realism.

Professor Lacey adds, “The film remains important, even though it was made more than forty years ago. With renewed fears of a rise in homelessness in the wake of caps to levels of housing benefit, Cathy Come Home has acquired a new topicality – there are

few more emotionally and politically effective reminders of the human cost of homelessness.”

Professor Lacey’s book is the first full-length study of Cathy Come Home, and appears in BFI/Palgrave’s popular and well-regarded TV Classics series. It offers a detailed and informative analysis of the film, the influences on its makers, how it came to the screen and how it was received by audiences and critics. Illustrated with stills from the film, the book is accessible to the general reader whilst being scholarly and readable.

the Poetry Society has been working in partnership with the Mayor of Oslo’s Office and the Royal Norwegian Embassy to celebrate this symbol of international friendship through poetry.

New poems were performed at the official lighting-up ceremony in the Square on 2 December and were wrapped around the base of the tree on large banners. As the lights were switched on, three children performed the poem ‘Green Magi’, composed by John Agard, using lines from poems by Westminster, Islington and Kensington & Chelsea primary schoolchildren. ‘Green Magi’ is displayed alongside ‘Gerd’ and ‘Growing a Tree’, a poem written by Immingham schoolchildren with Kevin Crossley-Holland.

The project also extended to Oslo, where a poem by Adrian Mitchell is displayed in the city, to link with the ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The department’s strong research track record is demonstrated by its successes in the past two Research Assessment Exercises. More recently, further credence has been given to the esteem with which English research at Glamorgan is held with the announcement that Professor Jane Aaron has been appointed as a member of the English Language and Literature sub panel for the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework (REF2014). The REF is the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions and will be completed in 2014. Submissions to the 36 Units of Assessment will be assessed by an expert sub-panel each working under the guidance of one of four main panels. Academics are nominated by their peers in universities and other bodies interested in research including businesses, public sector bodies, charities and other third sector organisations across the UK.

Stills from Cathy Come Home

20 | TALENT TALENT | 21

Upper Glyntaf for the BBC Stargazing Live event. Public events were arranged around the UK, following the success of the Stargazing Live TV shows, which ran over three consecutive nights in early January. The shows featured Prof Brian Cox and comedian Dara O’Briain, and were scheduled to correspond with a partial solar eclipse and a meteor shower. Luckily, no outdoor observing was planned (it being January in the Valleys…), but visitors were able to experience the stars inside the Dark Sky Wales digital Starlab planetarium.

“The twin Faulkes Telescopes, located in Hawaii (FT North) and Australia (FT South), offer a unique opportunity to control research-grade astronomical instruments, live over the Internet.”

The ground floor of the Alfred Russel Wallace building hosted a variety of displays, with telescopes from the Usk Astronomical Society and real samples of Moon and Mars rock from the Glamorgan/National Museum of Wales “Down to Earth” project. The Herschel Space Observatory team at Cardiff University gave demonstrations of thermal infrared camera, and visitors were able to view image galleries from the Faulkes Telescope Project (FTP), located at Glamorgan as part of the new BSc Observational Astronomy award.

The twin Faulkes Telescopes, located in Hawaii (FT North) and Australia (FT South), offer a unique opportunity to

LOOk TO THE STARSGlamorgan lecturer Dr Paul Roche, Wales’s Space

Ambassador, on astronomy at Glamorgan

Astronomy at Glamorgan has had a busy few months, starting with my appointment as the rather grandly titled “Space Ambassador for Wales”, part of a European Space Agency initiative – sadly this does not come with diplomatic immunity, or even a free supply of Ferrero Rocher, but it does provide a platform for engaging school students, teachers and the general public across Wales in some of the high-tech science and industry that is going on in the UK. Through this role, I’ve been working with educational bodies across the country, using astronomy and space science to try and inspire a new generation of rocket scientists.

Closer to home, a wet and windy Wednesday night in mid January saw over 160 people braving the rain at

control research-grade astronomical instruments, live over the Internet. Originally funded by UK philanthropist Dr. Martin Faulkes, they are primarily used by researchers in the US, but the educational programme (now run from Glamorgan) offers around 1,500 hours of observing time each year for schools and amateur astronomers. We are also using these telescopes to carry out research programmes, ranging from studies of asteroids, comets and the moons of Uranus in our solar system, to observations of supermassive black holes in distant quasars, billions of light years from Earth.

The new BSc Observational Astronomy award allows undergraduates to participate in, and eventually set up, research projects running on these instruments, engaging them with front-line science throughout their studies. Students are also able to work in schools, science centres and at public events, alongside the Dark Sky Wales educational programme. Combining participation in real science projects and engagement with schools and public outreach provides a unique opportunity for students to develop a range of communication skills, and provides us with a whole new type of astronomy degree.

All in all, it’s been a busy term for the astronomers at Glamorgan, but whatever way you view it, things are definitely looking up.

M51 : Whirlpool Galaxy Image by Daniel Duggan

M20 : The Trifid Nebula Image by Nik Szymanek

IC 4703 : The Eagle NebulaImage by Daniel Duggan

For further information please contact Dr Paul Roche on prochel@glam.ac.uk

All imagery courtesy of Faulkes Telescope Project

22 | TALENT TALENT | 23

Lt Col Patrick McAndrew commands the 67th Forward Surgical Team (Airborne). He said, “This pre-deployment training with the British Army is a boost to our preparation. When we land in Afghanistan we will be working side by side with our British friends, and the knowledge we have shared in these sessions at the University of Glamorgan has the potential to be very valuable.”

Examples of the treatment advances under discussion included the very latest training for safe prescribing by medics under pressure, and the priority use of tourniquets to stop major blood loss after combat injuries. Knowledge of these advances is transferred back to Britain into medical training for civilian and military practitioners through Field Hospital units and TA personnel in Britain’s teaching hospitals and major universities, such as Glamorgan.

Professor Donna Mead OBE, Dean of the Faculty of Health, Sport and Science, said, “The University’s relationship with 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital allows our trainee nurses and medics to share the very latest thinking and surgical experience from trauma experts at the top of their game. We are pleased, as ever, to facilitate the sharing of medical knowledge which will save lives.”

THE “UNExPECTED

SURVIVOR”

The doctors and nurses from 67th Forward Surgical Team (Airborne), an elite airborne unit of the US Army, were hosted in January by clinical experts from University of Glamorgan and the British Army’s 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital for joint training on treating “unexpected survivors” in Afghanistan.

The “unexpected survivor” is a military phrase increasingly used to describe a soldier who, despite suffering catastrophic injuries, for example from a roadside bomb, can now be saved by the latest medical treatment.

Col Kevin Davies, professor of nursing at the University and Commanding Officer of 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital, said, “Our experience in Afghanistan has led to huge advances in medical knowledge and surgical practices. Lives are literally being saved by these new techniques, and so it is vital that all medics going to Afghanistan have the benefit of the knowledge gained on the front line of military medicine. By combining our combat experience with the cutting-edge research and training facilities at the University of Glamorgan, my own unit is able to develop its ability to treat trauma patients. We are delighted to share our experience with our colleagues from the United States.”The military hospital at Camp Bastion, under British command, sees American and British medics working side by side to save the lives of soldiers injured on operations. The US medical unit, currently based in Germany, will deploy to the hospital in October.

Elite medics from the US and the British Army have been pooling their knowledge at the clinical simulation facilities of

Glamorgan’s Glyntaff campus as they learn to work seamlessly together in Afghanistan’s state-of-the-art military field hospitals.

UK and US Army medics training at Glamorgan’s simulation suite

24 | TALENT

help students rise to the challenge of making the right decisions about their future. The conference provided teachers and advisers with practical information which they can take back to their schools and colleges. It was fantastic that we attracted delegates from all over the UK, which demonstrates the need for this type of support.”

The Teacher’s Conference is just one strand of our schools and colleges liaison activity. We provide HE awareness sessions, tailor talks to match your needs, organise 6th form inductions and liaise with faculties to provide subject-specific events and visits. To find out more about how we can help you and your students as you go through the UCAS process by providing inspirational and informative talks and workshops please contact schools@glam.ac.uk

CHOOSINg IS CONFUSINg

The conference gave advisers the perfect opportunity to gain the most up-to-date information and tools to equip them in their roles of advising students through the UCAS process. Through a programme of engaging presentations and workshops, delegates were able to explore a variety of issues ranging from student finance to choosing courses in a competitive market to the use of social media in course research. Delegates had the chance to pose questions to a panel of experienced advisers and students and speed-network with a range of admissions tutors to find out what they look for in applicants.

Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer, Sarah Watkins said, “With so many recent changes in Higher Education, it is crucial that advisers have the most up-to-date information and advice to

The conference gave advisers the perfect opportunity to gain the most up-to-date information and tools to equip them in their roles of advising students through the UCAS process.

Teachers and careers advisers from across the UK explored the current challenges and issues facing students in their university decisions during a highly successful

conference at the University of Glamorgan.

The two-day conference, entitled Choosing is Confusing: Advising Students on their Higher Education Decisions, examined the complexity of the choice and information students face in their university decisions and shared best practice for equipping students to make sense of the options available and respond to the challenge of making wise university choices.

Roger Brown, Professor of Higher Education Policy at Liverpool Hope University set the scene for the conference with a keynote speech on the changes in higher education funding and their potential implications. Other high profile speakers included Helen Connor – Associate Director, Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE), Liam Owens, UK Chair of the Higher Education Liaison Officers’ Association and Peter Mulligan, Professional Development Officer, UCAS.

Delegates on the Choosing is Confusing conference at the University of Glamorgan