New year... new look

Going for gold

KENTThe Magazine for the University of Kent | January 2013

Staff

Welcome

Special thanks to: Lesley Farr, University Design & Print Centre. Photographs by Robert Berry, Lloyd Bosworth, Howard Griffin, Simon Jarrettand Matt Wilson.

Dear colleagues,

Autumn term 2012 saw major progress for the University of Kent. This progress can be measured in a number of ways, but perhaps most visibly in new physical developments across our campuses (see p12).

At Canterbury, we opened the new Crit Space for the Kent School of Architecture, an inspirational cutting-edge teaching and learning facility, and one that makes a striking addition to our estate. We also enjoyed the grand opening of the Colyer-Fergusson Music Building, which gave the opportunity for us to hear superb music in beautifulsurroundings. With multiple practice rooms as well as the concert hall, the building marks a step-change in ourprovision for music at Canterbury.

New facilities for the School of Arts were completed at the Medway campus, in buildings at Chatham’s HistoricDockyard. Visitors to the campus cannot fail to notice too that there is now a major piece of public art nestled alongside the Medway Building: ‘the elephant-cow’ (see p4) won the Vice-Chancellor’s art prize last year, and we are proud to display it on the campus where it was made by Fine Art student Rajvia Kaur. The links between theCanterbury and Medway campuses were further strengthened by the inauguration of a new hourly shuttle bus service between the two sites.

Our academic reputation continues to improve with outstanding results in the National Student Survey, and similarprogress in research as we complete REF pilot exercises in preparation for final submission later in the year. I thankeveryone who has been involved in the work so far, and for the continued endeavour in the coming months. Withprogress in our facilities for students and staff, for teaching, learning and research, we have much to celebrate already this academic year.

I wish you all the very best for a prosperous and successful 2013.

Professor Dame Julia M Goodfellow DBE, CBEVice-Chancellor

3 News 6 Feature: Going for gold 8 Research 11 Enterprise 12 Feature: New year... new look 14 Human Resources 16 Staff profile17 Sport/Books 18 Kent in the news/Obituary 19 People 20 What’s on

3KENT Magazine

News

Kent archaeologists help examinenewly-found treasure

Archaeologists at the University havehelped confirm a helmet unearthed inKent dates back to the 1st century BC.

The helmet, found in farmland near Canterbury,is made of bronze and was discoveredalongside a brooch by an amateur metaldetectorist.

Working with Canterbury Archaeological Trust,the helmet has been carefully scanned byexperts in the Department of Classical andArchaeological Studies at Kent, using state-of-the-art technology to help define the history ofthe object.

Dr Steven Willis, Senior Lecturer in Archaeologyand an expert in Iron Age and Roman Britain,said: ‘We are delighted to be able to assist withsuch a remarkable find for Canterbury and thelocal area. Using laser-scanning technology,which has become an essential part of theconservation of objects, we have been able toanalyse the helmet from a distance and unlockmany details of the object, such as the

manufacture, decoration and use. This sort ofemerging technology allows the rapid productionof accurate and high-resolution digital 3Dmodels of archaeological artefacts, minimisingthe potential harm associated with the repeatedhandling of these often fragile objects. Thetechnology also ensures any details potentiallyoverlooked by the naked eye are highlighted.

‘The secrets of this helmet are only justbeginning to emerge but we will know muchmore as the work progresses. More or less intacthelmets of this era are very rare finds; one usedas a cremation container, as with this example, isknown from Belgium,’ Dr Willis added.

Due to the discovery’s archaeologicalsignificance, which includes two prehistoricmetal objects found together, the find has beenregistered under the Treasure Act (1996). Theobjects have been reported to the Coroner andwill remain at the British Museum where aspecial report will be prepared. It is hoped thatthe Canterbury Museum will be able to acquirethe finds for permanent display in Kent.

KENTWe have set up a new group for staff to have theirsay on all aspects of internal communications,including KENT staff magazine. If you would like tobecome a member, please get in touch with us viacommunications@kent.ac.uk. We look forward tohearing from you.

KENT staff magazine is also available online atwww.kent.ac.uk/campusonline/kentmagazine

Editorial team:Wendy Raeside, CommunicationsOfficer (Corporate Communications); Karen Baxter,Press Assistant (Corporate Communications),University of Kent.

Next issue: the deadline for the next issue is5 April, with a publication date of 29 April 2013.

New year... new look

Going for gold

KENTThe Magazine for the University of Kent | January 2013

Staff

Cover storyNew year... new look for Kent, including a gala event for our Colyer-Fergusson Music Building (p12).

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4 KENT Magazine

News

University achieves topenvironmental standardThe University has achieved certification to ISO14001, an international standard that provides aframework for organisations to manage andimprove their environmental performance.

This marks a major step forward in Kent’s effortsto manage its sustainability. The award, whichencompasses the University’s many buildingsacross the Canterbury and Medway campusesand over 3,000 staff, was obtained through theintroduction of an environmental managementsystem [EMS] that enabled the University toidentify all its environmental impacts and put intoeffect strategies to reduce them.

The first stage of the external audit in Octoberwas passed with flying colours. Final certificationrested on the results of the stage 2 audit in mid-November and the University’s EnvironmentalSustainability Team worked hard to make sureeverything was in place to ensure success. Theexternal auditors were extremely impressed withKent’s commitment to sustainability and had nohesitation in recommending the University forCertification. Formal presentation of thecertificate is likely to take place at a high-profileceremony within the next few weeks.

Honorary degrees awarded atCanterbury CathedralGovernor of the Bank of England Sir MervynKing, pioneer of dance education VeronicaLewis and distinguished journalist Peter Williamsreceived honorary degrees from the Universityon 23 November in ceremonies at CanterburyCathedral.

Sir Mervyn King FBA received his honoraryDoctor of Civil Law degree in recognition of hiscontribution to economics and public life. Hejoined the Bank of England as a non-executivedirector in 1990, becoming Chief Economist andExecutive Director in 1991 and Deputy Governorin 1998. He was appointed Governor of the Bankin 2003, and is Chairman of the Monetary PolicyCommittee and Financial Policy Committee.

Veronica Lewis MBE received her honoraryDoctor of the University degree in recognition ofher contribution to dance and higher education.In 1998, Veronica Lewis became Director of theLondon Contemporary Dance School and, in2001, she helped to establish the world-leading

Law professor is latest socialsciences academician at Kent Professor Rosemary Hunter of the School of Lawhas been appointed as an Academician of theAcademy of Social Sciences (AcSS).

Professor Hunter, whose major area of researchinterest is in feminist legal scholarship and who isthe current Chair of the Socio-Legal StudiesAssociation, is one of 63 leading social scientiststo be appointed as new Academicians.

The Academy is composed of over 800 individualAcademicians and 44 Learned Societies.Academicians are distinguished scholars andpractitioners from academia and the public andprivate sectors. Most of the Learned Societies inthe social sciences in the United Kingdom arerepresented within the Academy. The Universitynow has 21 Academicians of the AcSS.

Kent MA to collaborate withMoscow Art Theatre SchoolKent will offer students the prospect of a springterm at the world-renowned Moscow Art TheatreSchool (MXAT) as part of its MA in Physical ActorTraining and Performance under a newpartnership.

As the only Europe-based permanent link withMXAT, the collaboration builds on a well-established student exchange between theSchool of Arts at Kent and the Russian theatreschool.

The MA programme will give students theopportunity to extend their learning byundertaking classes in Moscow on physical actortraining including movement, stage combat,dance and acting classes, led by some ofRussia’s best theatre teachers.

Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. During2012, Veronica Lewis was made an HonoraryProfessor of the University of Kent. The LondonContemporary Dance School also celebrated the30th year of its collaboration with Kent, whichwas the first university to award dance degreesin the UK.

Peter Williams MBE received his honorary Doctor of Letters degree in recognition of hiscontribution to the City of Canterbury. He hasenjoyed a long and successful career injournalism. He has lived in Kent for more than 40 years. He was chair and founder-member of the Canterbury Conservation AdvisoryCommittee, Chairman of the Oaten Hill Society,President of the Optimists Cancer Care Club,and is a life member of Kent County CricketClub. He recently chaired the Marlowe TheatreDevelopment Trust, was Chairman (nowPresident) of the Canterbury Festival for 21 yearsand is a Freeman of the City of Canterbury.

Elephant-cow sculpture marksinvestment in arts at MedwayA giant sculpture of a hybrid elephant andFriesian cow is providing a highly visible symbolof the University’s £5 million investment in itsSchool of Arts facilities at the Medway campus.

The seven-foot-tall ‘elephant-cow’ is now installedpermanently near the Medway Building afterbeing moved from the University’s new artsstudios at the nearby Historic Dockyard.

Fine art graduate Rajvia Kaur conceived andsculptured the elephant-cow as a representationof her own identity as a British citizen of Indianbackground and it won her the Vice-Chancellor’sPrize for 2012. Rajvia, who graduated earlier thisyear and is now planning to study for an MA,received a £500 cash prize.

21

5KENT Magazine

News

Kent Sport ‘runs off’ withnational prizeKent Sport has won an England AthleticsNational Run England Project Award 2012 forThe Kent Running Project.

Funded by Sport England and in partnershipwith Kent County Council’s (KCC) Sport andPhysical Activity Service, The Kent RunningProject was launched in February 2012 and aimsto grow the informal running market in Kent usinga network of beginner-friendly running groups.The groups are led by qualified ‘RunningLeaders’ co-ordinated by Running Activator, Lucy Tomlinson. Jointly recruited by theUniversity and KCC, Lucy is tasked with growingand leading participation in running across Kent.

Building on its success as the regional awardwinner, the project was awarded the national titleat a ceremony in London. It was praised for itssuccess and achievements, including therecruitment of 57 Running Leaders and over 50Run England groups across the county.

National recognition for KentPrint Collection and Studio 3Gallery The Kent Print Collection and Studio 3 Galleryhave been recognised at an Association of ArtHistorians (AAH) national seminar, while itscreator, Dr Ben Thomas from the School of Artshas been praised for his innovative teaching.

‘Teaching within Collections’, a seminarorganised by the AAH Museum and Exhibitionsgroup, brought together academics andmuseum representatives from across the countryto discuss and explore different ways for them tocollaborate. The seminar featured a presentationon the unique Kent Print Collection concept byDr Ben Thomas, Lecturer in History andPhilosophy of Art, and one of his students, Sarah Mosely.

Laura MacCulloch, Curator, Walker Art Gallery,Liverpool, praised Studio 3 for being ‘veryinspiring’. Dr Thomas was also recognised withthe Barbara Morris Prize for Learning Support atthe University’s annual Teaching Prize Awards.

Kent in Athens scholarships At least five students from the developing worldwill be awarded scholarships from the Stavros

Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to support theirstudies for a Master’s degree in HeritageManagement at the University’s centre in Athens.

The SNF, which helps fund organisations andprojects that are expected to achieve a broad,lasting and positive social impact, will offer anaverage of five scholarships each year for thenext three years. The scholarship will beawarded to students from developing countries,including those in the Middle East, South EastAsia and Latin America, and will be offered onthe basis of academic merit and background.

Blockbuster success for KentgraduatesComputer Animation and Digital Visual EffectsMaster’s graduates from the University haveshowcased their world-class expertise byworking on major Hollywood films, including thelatest James Bond blockbuster, Skyfall, andrecently released Les Miserables.

Robin Walsh and Amz Rattan, both former Kentstudents of the MSc in Digital Visual Effects,have contributed to one of the most-talked-aboutJames Bond opening sequences of all time. Thegraduates worked on special effects, includingmodelling, animation, texturing, motion capture,lighting, rendering and compositing, all taughtduring the course. Walsh and Rattan, now bothemployees of leading film and visual effectscompany, Double Negative, have also worked on Oscar-tipped musical, Les Miserables.

Leading Chamber role forUniversity directorCarole Barron, Director of Innovation &Enterprise at the University, has been appointedChair of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce.After two years as Vice-Chair, Carole will serveuntil 2014.

Carole commented: ‘I am honoured to have theopportunity to chair the Board of Directors ofone of the most proactive accredited Chambersin the south east. My appointment recognisesthe University’s position as a business in its ownright, acknowledging the contribution we make tothe economic development of the region.Developing strong links with businesses is apriority for Kent Innovation & Enterprise, and myappointment will help to position the University atthe heart of the business community across Kentand the Thames Gateway.’

It all adds up to Good Practice The School of Mathematics, Statistics andActuarial Science (SMSAS) has become asupporter of the London Mathematical Society’sGood Practice Scheme.

The Good Practice Scheme aims to improve theparticipation of women in the UK’s mathematicalsciences and research community within highereducation. It is based on five principles of goodpractice to deliver equality of opportunity andreward among all staff and students, both maleand female.

Despite nearly 40% of female graduatesstudying mathematical sciences, there is asignificant drop-off in the proportion of womenwho become academic mathematicians.Elizabeth Mansfield, Professor of Mathematics at Kent, is among just 4% of female professors in UK higher education maths departments.

As a member, SMSAS will follow the scheme’sfive principles while encouraging good practicefrom its staff. It also hopes to raise awareness ofthe importance of equal recognition andprogression among men and women in thedepartment.

New School at Medway Arts at Kent is set to move to an exciting newlevel, with the creation of the School of Musicand Fine Art at Medway. The new School, to beformally established at the start of the nextacademic year, will be composed of the existingparts of Arts at Medway, and will work closelywith the School of Arts in Canterbury. Furtherdetails will be available on the University websiteshortly.

1 Sir Mervyn King2 Rajvia Kaur with her ‘elephant-cow’ design 3 Carole Barron

3

still very much an interdisciplinary andmultidisciplinary subject,’ he continued.‘However, the majority of our work, the way weteach and the facilities it requires, are bestreflected by being located within the SciencesFaculty.’

Improved facilitiesOne of the obvious ways in which the School has changed in recent years is in the range offacilities and equipment available to students.These facilities have enabled the School toattract external funding from a range of bodiesincluding research councils and charities, theMoD, UK Sport, Sport England and MedwayCouncil. The School has strong links withorganisations such as the RFU, English Instituteof Sport, British Cycling and UK Sport, as well as assisting individual Olympians andParalympians.

In addition to the Medway campus laboratories,students now also have sports sciencelaboratories at Medway Park, a local authority-run sports centre in Gillingham. As a result of the University investing £3 million in the

6 KENT Magazine

Feature

Recent developments in Sportand Exercise Science have led to a rapid expansion of this innovative and excitingdiscipline, as Professor LouisPassfield told David Clark for KENT staff magazine.The spectacular success of the British athletes in the 2012 Olympics has been attributed to anumber of factors, including lottery-fundedinvestment in sports infrastructure and world-class coaching. However, Professor LouisPassfield, Head of the School of Sport andExercise Sciences, pointed out an additionalcause of Britain’s success.

One of the things that came out of the LondonOlympics, and the marvellous performance ofthe British athletes in particular, was the way thatcommentators, athletes, coaches and politiciansall remarked on the important role that sportsscience played in the athletes’ pre-Olympicpreparation, he said.

The influence of sports science in improving the Olympic medal haul is undeniable.Developments in optimising the effectiveness ofnutrition and training, identifying athletes’ mostefficient movements for success and treatinginjuries have all helped make great athletes even better.

The importance of sports science in elite athleticperformance is, however, just part of sportsscientists’ work. Other areas include usingexercise to assist in treatment and rehabilitationafter injury, as a way of alleviating depressionand in promoting improved health in the frail orelderly.

Developments in our understanding of theimportance of sport and exercise are reflected inthe growth of the University’s School of Sportand Exercise Sciences. It was originally formedin 2001 and named the Centre for SportsStudies. It moved to the Medway campus in2003, where it had its own dedicated sportsscience laboratory and sports therapy teachingclinic.

Since then, facilities including laboratory spacehave increased substantially, student numbershave risen to over 450 (a threefold increase since2008) and there are now 18 members of theacademic staff. There are four undergraduateprogrammes and four postgraduateprogrammes. A PhD programme was introducedin 2009 that now has more than 20 students, anda professional doctorate programme wasrecently validated. Overall student satisfaction forsports science at Kent is high; it was registeredat 95% in the recent 2012 National StudentSurvey.

This year, the department name was changed to the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences. As Louis Passfield explained, ‘This signalledrecognition by the University that we’ve reacheda critical size and profile, and that we can nowbe designated as a full school. It celebrates thegrowth and development we’ve achieved overthe past few years.’

At the same time as this change, the School alsomoved from the Social Sciences Faculty to theSciences Faculty, though Louis Passfield waskeen to point out that the School isn’t turning itsback on the social sciences. ‘Sports science is

Going for gold

7KENT Magazine

Feature

refurbishment of Medway Park, the School hasits own dedicated lab space there and anextensive array of research and exercise testingequipment.

‘We’ve maximised the opportunities provided by the investment in Medway Park,’ said LouisPassfield. ‘For example, we’ve opened a sportsinjuries clinic where people who use the centrecan come in and get sports injury treatment fromour students while they in turn are being taughtby our staff. This means we’re reaching out andengaging with the local community and ourstudents are getting vital hands-on clinicalpractice with real cases.’

Other labs available to Kent’s Sport and ExerciseScience students include a state-of-the-artchamber in which different environments can be simulated. Inside, heat can be increased and oxygen concentration lowered to simulatealtitude, which enables interesting and noveltypes of intervention to take place.

Students also have access to an exercisetreadmill developed by NASA with the brandname AlterG. ‘It notionally alters gravity,’explained Louis Passfield. ‘In reality it doesn’tquite do that, but it supports the bodyweight ofthe person exercising on it. The machine isuseful, for example, for exercising someone witha lower leg injury or arthritis.’

Moving forwardThe Sport and Exercise Sciences at Kent haveseen great changes in recent years, but LouisPassfield sees more opportunity for growth. ‘You can’t ignore the economic environmentwe’re in, or the impact that government changesare having on higher education,’ he said.

‘However, in terms of the development of theSchool, we’re only half-done. There is even morewe can introduce to support and develop ourcurrent and future students as well as our ownresearch and enterprise ambitions.’

Although the London Olympics has barelyfinished, the University is already involved inplanning for the Rio Olympics in 2016. ‘Acolleague and I have recently met with some of the UK’s elite sport practitioners and otheracademics,’ said Louis Passfield.

‘The aim is to create a think-tank and steeringgroup for Rio. From the outset, Kent will beactively involved in the preparation of our eliteathletes for the next Olympic cycle.’

To read more about the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, seewww.kent.ac.uk/sportsciences

Case studiesJoe ClementsSports Science undergraduate

‘I started my course in 2010. The mostinteresting aspects for me are the physiologymodules. This is a big part of my degree andit is interesting to find out the new andexciting ways that science affects athletesand interestingly the things that we still don’tknow about the human body, such as howfatigue occurs.

‘The University has gone from strength tostrength in the time I have been here and theavailable facilities and equipment is proof ofthat; many other universities don’t have theluxury of the modern equipment that we haveat Kent and it really does improve my qualityof learning.

‘My aim is to work in the sports scienceindustry, hopefully with specific teams andtrying to improve their ability from aphysiological perspective. I also run a smallbusiness in the local area, getting childrenand parents interested in physical activity.This will also be something I would like toexpand when I have more time.’

Manasi ShintreRecently completed an MSc in SportsTherapy and Rehabilitation

‘The School’s staff is very good and I likedthe informal yet academic manner in whichour lectures were conducted. I also liked thefact that we got to volunteer and do practicalwork at Medway Park and at various bigevents across the UK such as the LondonMarathon. All of this enhanced ourtheoretical as well as clinical and practicalknowledge. During the course, I also got tolearn certain techniques and use a lot ofequipment that was entirely new to me.

‘I have been lucky enough to be alreadypursuing my dream job after completing mystudies, which is working with the eliteOlympic athletes of my home country, India. I got the job as soon as I received mypostgraduate results and so I know that thiscourse definitely helped to steer me towardsmy goal.’

8 KENT Magazine

Research

The United Kingdom has been, and still is, remarkably successful interms of the volume, quality and range of its academic research,writes Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow.

A recent report for the Department of Business, Innovation andSkills demonstrated yet again that the UK punches well above itsweight on practically every measure, and does so while offeringexcellent value for money. Furthermore, that success is replicatedacross many academic disciplines: the UK has a leading position inover 400 individual specialisms. For how long, though, can thisdominant position be held? It will not come as a surprise that othercountries are catching up, particularly in terms of the volume ofresearch: China’s national output is rising rapidly.

Maintaining the strength of the national researchbase is important for many reasons. It providesthe basis for developments in the future, theenvironment for high-level skills training and thepotential to contribute to solving many of theworld’s problems. It is essential for our nationalprosperity; providing new businesses, skilledpeople and an environment in which the privatesector wishes to invest. The Council for Scienceand Technology (CST; www.bis.gov.uk/cst)reported in 2010 on a Vision for UK Research, adocument which has lasting relevance as itpresents some essential messages for nurturingresearch and further enhancing the nationalposition. It notes that research comes in manyforms, and has many uses: there is a need to beable to translate all disciplines’ research intoeconomic, cultural or social benefits. Publicengagement with research is under-valued, andmore should be made of the intellectual, social,and cultural benefits of sharing academicresearch with the community.

An area of concern to the government and toCST is nurturing our current, and future,researchers as well as providing the facilities inwhich they undertake research: I led the sub-group that looked at these issues. There arepractical steps that can be taken to improve thenational skills base and, by targeting younger

New frontiersfor research

people, we can build a population with the skillsnecessary to ensure flexibility and adaptability inthe future. CST recently reported on thechallenges within Science, Technology,Engineering and Maths (STEM) education, andthe importance of supporting the developmentof numeracy, particularly within schools. Too fewteachers have themselves had advanced trainingin STEM, particularly in primary schools, andthere is a need for better information, advice, and guidance to support young people tochoose to develop their numerical skills. Ourrecommendations are being followed up by theDepartment for Education and further meetingsare planned.

What role does the University of Kent play inmaintaining, and enhancing, the success of UKresearch, and in improving the skills of futureresearchers?

• We have tools available to us, such as the KentAcademic Repository (KAR), which helppromote our research to the worldwideaudience. With increased citations, there isgreater capacity to have impact.

• Our international collaborations are hugelyimportant, and ever more so when evidenceshows that internationally co-authored paperstend to be more highly cited.

• Many of our students will go on to be theresearchers of the future, and theUniversity has a pivotal role in preparingthem with advanced training across abroad range of disciplines. There areambitious and exciting plans to promotequantitative skills in the social sciences, not just providing specialist study butintegrating them into the very substance ofwhat we teach. This will help our studentsbecome leading researchers and morethan that; it will give them the necessaryskills for the leadership roles they playacross 21st-century societies.

• We have an extensive outreachprogramme, especially in science, andhave recently started an excitingknowledge exchange scheme in whichdisciplines in the humanities work with thewider community.

• With expertise in promoting innovation, wehave created support networks for localbusinesses, and have an innovativescheme to get a considerable number ofstudents work experience in variousindustries. Our Ideas Factory funding isdedicated to supporting innovative ideasarising from research.

Dame Julia is a member of the Council forScience and Technology, a group whichadvises the Prime Minister, and of theScience and Technology Facilities Council,one of the UK’s seven Research Councils.She is also Chair of the British ScienceAssociation. This article is based on a speechgiven at the Higher Education PolicyInstitute’s autumn conference on 5 December2012 at the Royal Society, London.

9KENT Magazine

Research

Vitamin variants could combatcancer as scientists unravelB12 secretsIn a development that may lead to new drugs totreat cancer, scientists at Kent have discoveredthe process by which a key vitamin (B12) ismade in cells.

A team in the School of Biosciences led byProfessor Martin Warren devised a method thatallows them to study how the individual steps forvitamin B12 construction are pieced together.B12 is an essential nutrient that plays animportant role in the formation of red blood cellsand the maintenance of the nervous system.Deficiencies are associated with anaemia,cardiovascular disorders and dementia.

Using techniques from the new discipline ofsynthetic biology, researchers engineered aconveyor belt of molecular machines for theconstruction of the vitamin within bacteria. By varying the length of the assembly line, they were able to unravel how the vitamin ismanufactured. Significantly, the team was alsoable to alter some of the molecular machines onthe conveyor belt and change the form of thevitamin that is made. It is hoped that these novelvariant forms of the vitamin will act as importantnew drugs to treat diseases such as cancer andinfections such as tuberculosis (TB).

‘Evolutionary approach’ neededto reduce teenage pregnancy Attempts to reduce the high rate of teenagepregnancy and motherhood in the UK – which isalso the highest in Western Europe – are unlikelyto succeed if young women continue to faceenvironmental risk and uncertainty.

This is one of the key findings of new researchfrom a team that includes Dr Sarah E Johns,Lecturer in Biological Anthropology in the Schoolof Anthropology and Conservation.

Together with colleagues from the universities of Middlesex and Portsmouth, Dr Johnsinvestigated how an evolutionary frameworkmight help move UK policy-makers beyond an‘intervention impasse’ on teenage pregnancyand motherhood. Among their conclusions,published in the Journal of Social, Evolutionaryand Cultural Psychology, the team found thatenvironmental risk, including factors such ascrime and vandalism, is a clear predictor of early pregnancy. The researchers suggest that,rather than investing in educational programmes(nearly £468 million by the Labour government of1997-2010), money would be better spent on‘the maintenance of at-risk neighbourhoods’.

Major milestone in Kent autismprojectImagining Autism, a pioneering research projectled by the University to investigate how drama-based activities may play a key role in helping

autistic children’s development, has reportedpreliminary success at a special milestone event.

The 30-month research project, funded by a£350,000 grant from the Arts and HumanitiesResearch Council, involves undertaking a seriesof immersive, play-based methods andimprovisation, puppetry, physical performanceand interactive digital technologies with autisticchildren in multisensory environments – portabletent-like structures. The project is a collaborationbetween staff from the University’s School ofArts, School of Psychology and Tizard Centre, as well as support from the Gulbenkian Theatre.

Imagining Autism shared some of its findings at a dedicated event to mark the end of thepractical phase of interventions. Held on 11December at the Helen Allison School, one ofthree special schools in Kent involved in theproject, the event was attended by over 50 invited guests, including teachers andfamilies associated with the work, as well asprofessionals from health, education and the arts.

The research will now enter its final phase whereresults will be analysed to see if the practicalinterventions have made a difference to thechildren through a range of tests undertakenbefore and after the practical phase. It is hopedthat the results could lead to a full-scale trial andmay also prompt changes in approaches toother communication disorders in children.

Research within ethical boundsProfessor Ulf Schmidt, of the School of History,has been awarded £20,200 from the WellcomeTrust for an international conference on‘Research Within Bounds: Protecting HumanParticipants in Modern Medicine – TheDeclaration of Helsinki, 1964-2014’ inSwitzerland on 12/13 September 2013.

The aim of the Symposium, which ProfessorSchmidt is jointly organising with colleagues from Germany and Switzerland, is to mark the50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Helsinkiby the World Medical Association (WMA), one ofthe most important landmarks in biomedicalresearch ethics.

Continued overleaf

10 KENT Magazine

Research

By bringing together leading world experts fromthe medical humanities, biomedicine, themedical sciences, bioethics and health law,including keynote speakers who served onPresident Obama’s Presidential Commission forthe Study of Bioethical Issues, the Symposiumwill reflect upon and critically examine ourcurrent global regulatory system which is aimedat protecting experimental participants indeveloped and developing countries.

New software to explorehistorical documentsA new system created by academics at Kent todigitise and explore historical documents hasmoved into its next phase of development afterits unveiling at an international workshop inRouen.

The software has been created as part of across-channel EU INTERREG IVa projectbetween the University of Kent, CanterburyCathedral Archives and researchers in Rouen.

Known as DocExplore, the project aims todevelop an interactive system that allowsdigitised versions of valuable historicaldocuments to be explored via a touch-screen,

simulating, as far as possible, the experience ofaccessing the physical object itself. But userscan see much more than the document – theycan access translations and transcriptions, readmore about the period in which it was written, itscontents and who would have used it at the timeby using the additional text, image, sound andvideo resources that are a feature of the system.It also allows scholars to explore many uniquefeatures of a document such as handwritinganalysis and text searching.

The project is led by Dr Richard Guest andProfessor Michael Fairhurst from the School ofEngineering and Digital Arts. The next stage willinvolve a public exhibition for Canterburyresidents to use the newly created DocExploretechnology while accessing documents held inthe Cathedral Archives.

‘Significant’ increase in million-pound donors The annual Coutts Million Pound Donor Report,released on 10 December and produced inassociation with the Centre for Philanthropy,Humanitarianism and Social Justice (CPHSJ) atKent, has found a record total of 232 separate‘million pound or more’ philanthropic donations

Research (cont)

made by individuals, trusts and corporations inthe UK during 2010/11.

This is the largest total identified by the report inany one year since the study began in 2008, upby 58 donations compared to last year. Therehas also been a big increase in the number ofmillion pound donors, with 130 different donorsidentified, up from 73 the previous year (thisincludes individuals, charitable trusts,foundations and corporations, some of whommade more than one donation worth £1 million or more).

The total value of these donations was £1.241billion. This is lower than the total value recordedin previous years, down from £1.312 billion in last year’s report, which covered donationsmade in 2009/10. More than half of the millionpound donations made in 2010/11 were donatedby 93 individual donors, with a total value of£763 million. Higher education, arts and cultureand international development remain the mostpopular destinations for the largest gifts amongboth individual and institutional donors.

The report is available online at www.coutts.com/philanthropy and at www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/cphsj/research/couttsmilliondonor.html

Recent research awardsDr Kate Bedford (Kent Law School),£533,292 from the Economic and SocialResearch Council for ‘A full house:developing a new socio-legal theory ofglobal gambling regulation’.

Professor Simon Thompson (School ofComputing), £471,706 from the EuropeanCommission for ‘PROWESS: Property-basedtesting of Web services’.

Professor Glynis Murphy (Tizard Centre),£311,049 from the National Institute of HealthResearch for ‘Cost and benefits of socialcare support for ex-offenders with learningdisabilities’.

Dr Will Pettigrew (School of History),£818,692 from the Leverhulme Trust for‘Corporations and cultural hybridisation:English overseas trading companies in the17th Century and the development of aglobal dialogue about governance’.

11KENT Magazine

Enterprise

Innovation, creativity and enterprisewere recognised at the University’sannual Innovation Awards.

Members of Kent’s business community andrepresentatives of partner organisations werewelcomed by University Vice-ChancellorProfessor Dame Julia Goodfellow to the event,held at the Canterbury Innovation Centre on 23 October.

The three categories in the Awards, which wereorganised and hosted by Kent Innovation &Enterprise (KIE), were: Impact ThroughKnowledge Exchange; Innovation; andCollaboration.

Darren Griffin, Professor of Genetics at theSchool of Biosciences, won both the Impact andCollaboration awards for research and work,including projects with The London BridgeFertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre andJSR Genetics Ltd. Chris Barron, of the School ofEngineering and Digital Arts (EDA), won theInnovation Award for a project to produce anattendance monitoring device for students.

Professor David Shemmings and Dr Jane Reeveswere highly commended in the Impact categoryfor their Centre for Child Protection project. AniaBobrowicz and Jane Milton, from EDA, were

Innovation Awards 2012Former Dragon inspires Kent entrepreneursStudents and staff at Kent learned abouthow to become entrepreneurs from formerDragon’s Den panellist Doug Richard at aworkshop in December.

Doug Richard was speaking as part of theEntrepreneurial Institution (EI), a nationalprogramme to embed entrepreneurship andinnovation at higher education institutions,and to expand awareness of business-university collaboration.

The workshop took place on the Canterburycampus and was hosted by Kent Innovation& Enterprise (KIE), the University’sdedicated business development unit.

Carole Barron, Director of Innovation &Enterprise at Kent, said: ‘We are alwayslooking for new ways to encourage our staffand students to develop their entrepreneurialskills and understand the principles behindbuilding and running a profitable business.The workshop acted as a catalyst for someof Kent’s entrepreneurs, many of whomshared their own ideas at the event to getadvice from Doug on how they might runsuccessful businesses.’

highly commended in the Innovation category fordeveloping an app for visually impaired visitorsto the Turner Contemporary gallery. In theCollaboration category, two projects were highlycommended: Professor Mark Smales fromBiosciences, for collaboration with LonzaBiologics on developing predictive tools for theisolation of highly productive recombinant celllines, and Dr James Hopker from the School ofSport & Exercise Sciences for his work with NHSMedway on cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

Celebrating excellentserviceAn innovative scheme to celebrate excellenceamong administrative staff has proved asuccess.

The Academic Division ran the ‘ServiceExcellence’ initiative throughout 2012. Theinitiative was led by the three FacultyAdministration Managers (FAMs) and the SchoolAdministration Manager in Engineering andDigital Arts, in collaboration with Learning andDevelopment.

The initiative aimed to encourage the sharing ofgood practice and collaboration across thedifferent Schools and Faculties, and to enhanceand, above all, celebrate the service delivered byadministrative staff to students and academicsas well as to other professional colleagues.

The initiative was launched in January 2012 with a half-day conference to which over 200administrative staff were invited. The conferenceconsisted of keynote presentations andworkshop sessions run by external and internalspeakers. Schools were then asked to identifyprojects which would best meet the specificneeds of their own student and staff population.At a second session in May, six Schools talkedabout work on their projects.

The final event showcase was held on 23October when each School produced a posteron their project. A wide range of projects wereundertaken including cross-cultural awareness,signage, changing office layout to improveservice delivery and access, and buildingrelationships to enhance the student experience.This showcase was attended by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow,Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor DavidNightingale, the Deans, the Academic Registrar,Director of HR and Heads of Schools.

Prizes were awarded to the following projects:• School of Anthropology and Conservation –most enterprising Service Excellence project(sponsored by Kent Innovation & Enterprise)

• School of English – Service Excellence projectwith the biggest potential impact (sponsoredby Kent Hospitality)

• School of European Culture and Languages –most creatively designed poster (sponsoredby Creative Campus).

The FAMs would like to thank everyone whocontributed to the success of ‘ServiceExcellence’. They will be presenting a workshopon the initiative at the 2013 Association ofUniversity Administrators annual conference inEdinburgh in March and plan to run a similarevent at Kent during the spring term. To find outmore, please contact the FAMs, Melissa Bradley(ext 3753), Chloé Gallien (ext 3670) or LindaLough (ext 7371).

12 KENT Magazine

Feature

The physical appearance of theUniversity is changing as it invests innew developments for the benefit ofboth students and staff across itscampuses. Major new buildings andrefurbishments during 2012 includedthe new School of Arts facilities at theMedway campus, the inspiring Colyer-Fergusson Music Building andinnovative ‘crit’ space within the KentSchool of Architecture. Anotherbuilding at the heart of Canterburycampus, the Templeman Library, isalso set for a major makeover, startingin 2013.

Gala opening for new MusicBuildingKent’s new Colyer-Fergusson Music Buildingcelebrated its official opening with a Gala Eventon 8 December.

The celebrations began with a specially-commissioned premiere by eminent Britishcomposer, James Rae, entitled Platform One,performed by the University of Kent Concert andBig Bands, and conducted by Ian Swatman. VIPguests were then treated to tours of the buildingand a champagne reception before the eveningconcert.

The concert programme was designed to showoff the new hall in all its musical glory andfeatured the University Chorus, SymphonyOrchestra and Chamber Choir, conducted byDirector of University Music Susan Wanless andDeputy Director of Music Daniel Harding. Theprogramme included Elgar’s Enigma Variations,Part One of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and ForThe Music, specially composed for the concertby Daniel.

The new building, sited alongside theGulbenkian Theatre and Cinema on Canterburycampus, was designed by Tim RonaldsArchitects, together with a design team includingArup Acoustics and Carr & Angier. With itsadjustable acoustics and flexible seating, the hall is designed for a whole range of music –everything from large-scale choral and orchestralconcerts to jazz, bands, chamber music andsolo recitals. The building also has a suite ofpractice rooms, a small stage in the foyer forinformal gigs and concerts, and social spacesopen to all.

The £8 million building has been funded entirely from donations: a bequest from Kentphilanthropist Sir James Colyer-Fergusson and a further grant from the Charitable Trust thatbears his name, together with matched fundingfrom the Higher Education Funding Council forEngland and donations from over 200individuals.

Susan Wanless commented: ‘The Colyer-Fergusson Building affords the opportunity for awealth of music-making for students and staff atthe University and the wider community inpurpose-built state-of-the-art facilities. Previously,all such activities have taken place in variousvenues scattered across the Canterbury campuswhich were not always suitable – now, we canmake music in dedicated spaces, as well asdevelop the range of musical activities that willfurther enhance the student experience, andmake the venue one of the leading spaces forconcerts in the city and south east.’

The Colyer-Fergusson Music Building was alsothe setting for the debut performance by a newstaff choir – see box opposite.

New state-of-the-art digital ‘crit’ spaceArchitecture students at the University’sCanterbury campus are benefiting from the latestin digital technology with the opening of a£1 million extension to provide new ‘crit’ facilitiesat the Kent School of Architecture (KSA).

The new extension, designed by award-winningarchitects Guy Hollaway, was opened byStephen Hodder, President Elect of the RoyalInstitute of British Architects (RIBA) on 29November. He described the new extension as‘quite remarkable’ and said Kent was ‘leading the way’ among schools of architecture. It will

New Year – new look

13KENT Magazine

Feature

provide Kent’s architecture students with one ofthe finest and most advanced learningenvironments in the UK. New state-of-the-art 70-inch U-Touch screens with HD resolution willenable up to six students and tutors to interactand contribute to ‘crit’ presentations on eachscreen.

‘Crits’ are an important part of architecturestudents’ education, providing invaluableexperience of having their projects questionedand scrutinised – in the same way as real worksituations – and the new facilities will radicallychange the way Kent students present their workfor discussion and feedback.

Professor Don Gray, Head of KSA, said: ‘This is a very exciting development and will mean ourarchitecture students will have access to someof the very best digital learning and teachingfacilities in the UK. These eight digital touchscreens will totally change the way studentspresent their work. This new way of learning andteaching will be more intuitive and also morecollaborative as we can accommodate up to sixstudents at each screen.

‘The design of the building is the result of acreative collaboration between Guy HollawayArchitects and KSA. One of the unique aspectsof the project is a rippling façade whichresponds instantaneously to local windconditions. Observers have already expressedsurprise and delight at this lively addition to theUniversity’s Canterbury campus.’

Templeman Librarydevelopment underway Extend/Refurbish/Refresh

The flagship project to extend and improve theTempleman Library has now begun, with work toreplace parts of the East Wing roof already wellunderway. The main extension is expected tobegin in July 2013 and refurbishment work to theexisting building in July 2014. Elements of thebuilding will be delivered in phases during thecourse of the project and other serviceenhancements are planned over the sameperiod, so that current students will see realbenefits.

Presentations have taken place during Facultyand departmental meetings and the consultativegroup, which includes Kent Union representationof undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as academics and representatives fromCommercial Services and Estates, has helped to ensure that the needs of Library users is wellunderstood during the design process. Detailedplanning work is currently being undertakenwhich includes the landscaping of the north(rear) entrance of the Library and, to the west,the café areas and arrangement of supportservices.

There will be an exhibition in the MarloweBuilding foyer during the spring term. To find outmore, see: www.kent.ac.uk/is/projects/templeman

Estates Choir debut in newMusic BuildingStaff from across Estates hit a high note justbefore Christmas when they showcased theirnew choir in the Colyer-Fergusson MusicBuilding.

The Estates Choir, modelled on GarethMalone’s Choir in the Workplace series, sangfestive tunes for staff and students. Membersinclude: Beverley Braiden, Sarah Cooke,Tracey Davies, Myfanwy Williams, KarenWeatherley, Lucy Goad, Juliet Thomas, LizzieMarsh, Lesley Loxley, Nigel Futter, TeresaCurteis, Jayne Mortlock, Rob King, PaulDengate, Katie Norton, Matt Brealey, GillBrealey, Mark Crutchlow, Neil Hornsey, BarryVaughan, Paul Griffiths, Roger Gower andCatherine Morris.

If you missed the Choir’s debut, don’t worry,members are continuing their rehearsals thisterm, led by Daniel Harding, Deputy Directorof Music, and accompanied by MilesBanbery, Communications Manager, onpiano. Watch out for news on their nextpublic outing!

Artists’ impressions © Penoyre & Prasad

14 KENT Magazine

Human Resources

Harmonisation and reform ofemployment proceduresThe University Statutes whichrelate to employment have notbeen revised since 1988 and weare currently engaged innegotiations to reform them.

In 2010, the University reformed the Charter andStatutes other than those parts specificallyrelating to employment (Statute 7 and Statute 8).Statute 7 deals with procedures in relation todiscipline, dismissal, grievances and appeals,and is currently applicable only to academic,academic-related and research staff. Statute 8prescribes the ages at which these staff mustretire.

The Statutes in relation to employment are in theform prescribed by the Education Reform Act1988 and have not been changed since then. In2010/11, the Executive Group made a proposalto Council and the recognised trade unions tonegotiate on the reform of Statute 7 and theabolition of Statute 8. The purpose of this articleis to inform staff about these ongoingnegotiations and the proposals that theUniversity is making.

Since the implementation of the National PayFramework in 2006 and work around that time toharmonise terms and conditions, the Universitynow has two sets of procedures – one for staff in

grades 1-6 (available at www.kent.ac.uk/hr-staffinformation/policies/a-z.html) and Statute 7which applies to all academic, research,administrative and technical staff at grade 7 andabove who are employed in the UK.

The University accepts that academic andacademic-related staff are entitled to specialprotection in relation to academic freedom and iscommitted to upholding that protection. However,there is now a strong case for having a set ofpolicies and procedures that apply equally to allstaff.

Reasons for changeThe primary reason for instituting this process isbecause the University believes that the mostimportant employment policies and proceduresmust be consistent with modern employmentlegislation and give staff the protection that thislegislation has brought. The University of KentStatute has not been revised since 1988 and is therefore not reflective of the manydevelopments that have been made inemployment legislation since then. The currentprocedures are cumbersome and it means thatoften procedures are lengthy which causesunnecessary distress to those involved.

Many other chartered universities (Southampton,Exeter, Sussex, Leicester, King’s College London

and Imperial) have already reformed theirStatutes dealing with these issues, and more(including the London School of Economics) are in the process of doing so. The University is committed to consulting and reachingagreement with the recognised unions on thenew procedures, and any subsequent variationto those procedures, which gives the unions andtheir membership far more say in the content ofthese procedures than has ever been the casebefore.

Progress to dateA number of meetings have been held betweenthe University and the recognised trade unionsand staff representatives from the JointNegotiating and Consultation Committee. Thegroup has already agreed that Statute 8 (whichrelates to a compulsory retirement age) shouldbe abolished. This has been agreed by theUniversity’s Council and we are now awaitingapproval by the Privy Council. We are stillmeeting and negotiating on the proposals reStatute 7, which are more complex, but it ishoped that we will able to reach an agreedconclusion to the negotiations in 2013. We will beproviding regular updates to all staff through theyear and further information is also available onthe Human Resources website –www.kent.ac.uk/human-resources/

New informal introduction tomediation meeting launchedThe University’s Mediation Service is now up andrunning. The in-house service has been set upwith the help of mediation experts Total ConflictManagement (TCM) Group Mediation, and isbased on the principle of collaborative problem-solving and does not seek to apportion blame.

If you would like to talk to one of our trainedmediators about the process and whether itwould be beneficial to you, please complete theform on our website and we will arrange a half-hour introduction to mediation meeting. Themeeting will be confidential and no records willbe kept.

If you are interested in finding out more aboutthe Mediation Service visit kent.ac.uk/mediation

Reflect, Plan,Develop –making connections

15KENT Magazine

Human Resources

Have you got ideas for howthe University mightcelebrate 50 years? Over five decades, the University of Kenthas risen to become one of the UK’sleading academic institutions – aninternationally oriented, research-intensiveuniversity with a commitment to excellencein research and teaching.

The 50th Anniversary is a fantasticopportunity to celebrate our history,showcase everything that we do, and toset out the University’s vision for the future.The 50th Anniversary will officially launchin October 2014, with the closing eventcoinciding with the Alumni ReunionWeekend at the beginning of September2015. During the academic year of2014/15, the University will host a series ofevents and celebrations, and initiate anumber of legacy projects marking the50th Anniversary. The plans will involvecurrent staff and students, alumni, formerstaff and members of the community.

We want to thank those staff who havealready submitted ideas: we’ve had someinteresting and unique suggestions! If youhaven’t done so already, please getbrainstorming and submit yoursuggestions online at www.kent.ac.uk/planningfor50 and follow us on Twitter –@unikent50.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 15February 2013. Feedback on ideas will begiven in March 2013.

We are pleased to announce that in 2013the new Reflect, Plan, Develop (RPD)Scheme will be introduced to replace thecurrent appraisal scheme.

Over the past 18 months, the University hasbeen reviewing its approach to appraisalwith a view to implementing a new schemeand supporting materials in 2013.

The review encompassed understandingwhat practices and schemes already existacross the HE sector and what our own staffand managers think about the currentappraisal system. In addition, the Universityhas also been running a number of pilotschemes and has kept a watchful eye on anumber of online systems being developedin small pockets of the HE sector.

The review concluded that our currentscheme needed to be refreshed andredesigned to suit the needs of all thevarying types of roles that we have at theUniversity. It was also clear that staff andmanagers all wanted something differentfrom their appraisal discussions, and thatthe current processes and forms appearedto be administratively burdensome.

Given the range of needs and the desire forthe processes and administration to besimplified, the RPD scheme will enablemanagers and staff to tailor theirdiscussions to focus on topics and subjectsthat are relevant to both their owndevelopment and the requirements of theirrole.

It is intended that the RPD scheme will: • Provide tools and a framework for positiveand effective appraisal conversations totake place

• Encourage greater participation in theprocess across the University

• Reduce the administration, for managersand staff, associated with the process

• Encourage more discussion of personaldevelopment and career plans.

The RPD scheme consists of three mainareas of discussion: Reflect:What has happened over the past 12 months? Plan: What are the objectives for the next 12 months, what needs to happen? Develop: What are your development needs and longer-term career thoughts?

These form the basis of the RPD appraisaldiscussions, but there are also a number offlexible options that both appraisers and staffcan elect to bring into the conversation. All ofthese options will be presented on the newwebsite and within the supporting materialsthat will be available from the middle of March2013. Only the key elements of thediscussions or any agreed actions/objectiveswill need to be captured using a redesignedsimple template.

The new RPD scheme launches officially viaworkshops for appraisers and staff fromMarch 2013, with the intention that we will allbegin to use the new scheme in May 2013.

More information will be sent out over thecoming weeks, and the developmental work isstill underway, but if you want any furtherinformation at this time, please contact amember of your HR team. A copy of thisarticle is available on the HR website –www.kent.ac.uk/human-resources/

Staff profile

Tim joined the University of Kent eight years ago and is Accounts Supervisor inthe Finance Section of Kent Hospitality.One of his major roles is overseeing andreconciling student and staff spending onthe KentOne card.

What would be your perfect day?If I could cram in some quality time with Angelaand my children, a decent run, watching a Crystal Palace match, relaxing in the sun for a few hoursand having a cheeky beer or two with my friends,that would be pretty perfect.

Which word or phrase do you use most?I’ll do it tomorrow!

What (if anything) would you like to change about yourself?There was a time I would say everything, but I am more than happy with my life at the moment and I wouldn’t change much at all.

What was your first/worst job?My first job was a summer job at Sealink which camethrough work experience and ended up being long-term. My roles varied from post room to accounts andturned out to be a great stepping stone for me. I have enjoyed all my jobs to date and am a firmbeliever that if you don’t enjoy it – move on.

What was your earliest ambition?Like most boys, I always wanted to play football andhad my dreams of playing at Wembley. Over recentyears, I have discovered that if I take a ball away andrun further distances, I am actually a lot better at it.

How do you spend your time outside work?The thing that takes up the greatest amount of timeoutside work is running. I am a member of FolkestoneRunning Club and when training for a marathon canbe known to run four or five times a week, coveringbetween 35 and 50 miles. My three young kids alsokeep me on my toes.

What is your greatest achievement?In 2011, I completed my first London marathon whilstrunning for my chosen charity, Kidscape. As much ascompleting 26.2 miles felt like an achievement, raising£100 for every mile run was just as satisfying,especially when I was able to spend a day working with kids helped by Kidscape and see how the funds I raised were used. I ran the Brighton marathon in 2012 and am running London again in April 2013,hoping to raise more funds for Kidscape.

Tim Warren

How do you celebrate good news?These days it is more likely to be with a nice mealand the odd drink. Long gone are my partyingdays, although every now and again my bodynaturally moves into some ‘dad dancing’ if theright tunes are played! When it comes to running,I do write a blog which I enjoy compiling, althoughI am known for going on a bit!

What is the best piece of advice you’ve everbeen given?When it comes to running, it would have to beonly concentrate on what you are doing – youcan’t influence what others do. In regards to lifeexperience, it would be “you can’t change whathas happened in the past, but you can have a sayin what happens in the future”.

To support Tim’s marathon run for Kidscape,visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=TimWarren

16 KENT Magazine

17KENT Magazine

Sport

Phase one of the £4.8 million redevelopment ofthe sporting facilities on the Canterbury campusis now complete.

The old Fitness Suite has been refurbished andfeatures a new cardio area with double thenumber of exercise machines. The state-of-the-art Star Trac equipment includes new treadmills,trainer bikes, steppers and eSpinners; each withintegrated TV, audio, exercise programmes andiPod connectivity.

The cardiovascular area is also equipped with amixture of 14 different strength stations, offering

CharityChallenge indoortennis eventKent Sport will be holding a charity indoor tennisevent to celebrate the opening of the new indoortennis structure at the Pavilion on Thursday 28February 2013 from 11am. All staff and studentsare welcome to come and see the new facility, hita few balls and have some fun.

Come along and have a go at Cardio Tennis from11am to 3pm. Cardio Tennis is the latest tennisfitness craze and a fantastic way to burncalories, improve your tennis and have some fun.

Try our record-breaking tennis challenges from11am to 3pm, including how many tennis ballsyou can hold in one hand and how many timesyou can bounce a tennis ball on the handle of atennis racket. £1 a go and prizes for the winners.

You can also compete in our mini tennistournament, open to all abilities. Visitwww.kent.ac.uk/sports for further details and toregister.

New cardiovascular andresistance training area now open

BooksConsuming Higher Education – Why LearningCan’t Be BoughtJoanna Williams, Bloomsbury Academic

Consuming Higher Education explores the statusof students within university and society, and thefunding and purpose of higher education,drawing on empirical data, UK and USAgovernment policy documents, speeches bypolicy-makers and media representations ofstudents.

Dr Joanna Williams, Lecturer in HE & AcademicPractice in the Centre for the Study of HigherEducation at Kent, moves beyond the debatessurrounding fees to consider the impact of theconsumption model on universities, learning,knowledge and student identity.

While consumer status initially appears toempower students, Dr Williams argues that itultimately erodes students’ autonomy andreduces learning to an instrumental focus oncredit accumulation. At the same time, in givingstudents consumer status, lecturers areencouraged to avoid intellectually or emotionallychallenging content so as not to upset studentconsumers, which could promote dissatisfaction.Dr Williams draws these themes and argumentstogether to consider what it means to be astudent and to explore alternative conceptions ofhigher education.

Find out more at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Consuming-Higher-Education-Learning-Bought/dp/1441183604

a complete body workout. In addition to the newequipment, there is an increased dedicated floorspace for stretching, recovering and engagingyour core.

The new Wellness and Strength & Performanceareas are planned to open in March 2013 alongwith the brand new studio and third sports hall.

For the latest news, updates and photos of thesports redevelopment visitwww.kent.ac.uk/sports/future

18 KENT Magazine

ObituaryKent in the news

Kent experts continue to feature strongly in international and national newscoverage. There have been contributions from, among others, the Schoolsof Politics and International Relations, Social Policy, Sociology and SocialResearch (SSPSSR), History, and Economics as well as the Centre forJournalism.

International broadcast coverage of University research and expertcomment included: Dr Gülnur Aybet, of the School of Politics andInternational Relations, who was interviewed on television channelsincluding Channel 4 News, CNN and Al-Jazeera; Professor Richard Sakwa,also of Politics and International Relations, who appeared on ABC Australiato comment on the Russian Orthodox Church and its relationship to Russianpolitics; and Dr Charlotte Sleigh, of the School of History, who wasinterviewed on ABC Australia about her new book Frog.

National broadcast coverage included: Dr Ellie Lee, of SSPSSR, who tookpart in a debate on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour on the issue of men’srights in abortion decisions; Professor Tim Luckhurst, of the Centre forJournalism, who was interviewed on various BBC programmes includingThe World Tonight and Radio 5 Live News on both the implications for theBBC of the Jimmy Savile scandal and the resignation of BBC DirectorGeneral George Entwistle; and Dr Charlotte Faircloth, of SSPSSR, who wasinterviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on a UNICEF report into breastfeeding.

Valerie Eliot

Staff quit in StoptoberThe University’s Occupational Health Department linked up with NHS StopSmoking in the autumn term to offer a NHS Quit Club on Canterburycampus. Nine plucky individuals started the course on 17 September andattended weekly sessions encouraging them to abandon their smokinghabit and adopt a healthier lifestyle. They were guided by NHS StopSmoking Adviser Debbie Van Blommestein. The initiative coincided with theNHS Stoptober Campaign which was advertised widely on television and inthe national press. The last session was held on 29 October and the fivepeople who succeeded in stopping – a great success rate of over 50%! –were presented with certificates.

Occupational Health (OH) will continue to work with NHS Stop Smoking andthe intention is to schedule another course at Canterbury in March 2013,coinciding with National No Smoking Day. If you’re interested, watch fornotices on Campus Online and the Occupational Health website. OH is alsohoping to link up with the NHS in Medway with a view to offering a Quit Clubat the Medway campus.

If you’re really keen to sign up for a course, please contact Pat Armstrong inOH (p.armstrong@kent.ac.uk, ext 4691) and she will keep your name on fileand get back to you when we have more information.

The death of Valerie Eliot (Hon DLitt, 1990) on 9 November 2012prompted obituaries which praised an individual who had been totallydedicated to the life, work and memory of her late husband, TS Eliot.However, among the examples of her single-mindedness anddetermination to guard and preserve her late husband’s wishes are themore private anecdotes which tell of someone who moved in the highestartistic and privileged circles, but yet was capable of gestures whichdemonstrated warmth, kindness and generosity; a spirit whichcaptivated the heart and transformed the life of her husband.

After much discussion about suitable names for the first two Colleges atthe new University of Kent at Canterbury, Valerie Eliot was approachedby the University, shortly after her husband’s death in 1965, to name thefounding College after him and she gladly agreed. That the Collegeshould bear the name of such a great literary figure and one who hadalso been a champion for humanity was considered not only highly aptin choice, but also something of a coup for a new university. Thus begana relationship between Eliot College and Valerie which continued foralmost 50 years.

For many years, Valerie presided over an annual Eliot Lecture series,given by a long succession of very eminent literary figures. Then therewas her financial support for a Special Collection of Modern Poetry, nowhoused in the Templeman Library. In later years the focus moved to theEliot Poetry Competition, for which budding poets at the University, fromany discipline, were encouraged to submit their work which was thenjudged by a professional poet who also held a workshop to encourageand develop the most promising entrants. The winner was awarded agenerous prize, with a cheque signed personally by Valerie, and everyyear came her request to be sent a copy of the winner’s poems so thatshe could read what promising poets from the University of Kent werewriting. When funds were required to enhance the profile of thecompetition, Valerie came to the rescue and money was made availableto ensure its continuation.

Valerie Eliot was one of the most long-standing and loyal benefactors ofthe University, not only in providing a platform for the understanding andpromotion of her husband’s work and as a champion of modern poetrygenerally, but also through her quiet but unfailing and continued supportof our students’ creative endeavours in poetry.

Dr Michael Hughes, Master of Eliot College, 2006-2011

19KENT Magazine

People

Appointments and awards

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Welcome to…Professor Amalia Arvaniti, Professor ofLinguistics (SECL); Professor Joao de Pina-Cabral, Head of School, Anthropology andConservation; Dr Dean Sayle, Reader inChemistry (School of Physical Sciences); and Professor Veronica Wong, Professor ofMarketing (Kent Business School).

Congratulations to…Dermot O’Brien is the new Master of Darwinand Woolf Colleges. Dermot was until recentlySenior Tutor in the School of Arts where heteaches Drama and Theatre Studies toundergraduate and postgraduate students. Heis also chair of the Personal Academic SupportSystem (PASS) network.

Professor Rob Fraser, of the School ofEconomics, has been appointed to a newgovernment panel of academic economists thatwill assess and advise on how environmentalregulation and policy impacts on the food andrural sectors of the UK economy. ProfessorFraser joined the Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) EconomicAdvisory Panel’s first meeting in the autumn.

Dr Gülnur Aybet, of the School of Politics andInternational Relations, has been invited to joinTurkey’s influential Global Relations Forum(GRF). Dr Aybet has already contributed to theGRF as part of a task force working on policyrecommendations on Turkey’s approach tosecurity but now joins as a full member.

Professor Michael Kölling, of the School ofComputing, has been named as the winner ofthe Outstanding Contribution to ComputerScience Education award by the Association forComputing Machinery Special Interest Groupfor Computer Science Education. Theinternational award recognises ProfessorKölling’s work in the computer scienceeducation field centering on the development ofsoftware tools and material for teaching andlearning of programming in schools anduniversities.

Ted Parker, Emeritus Professor of RadioCommunications at the University, has beenpresented with The James Roderick JamesLifetime Achievement Award for his work on thedevelopment of antenna systems for radiocommunications. The annual award recognisesworld-renowned researchers for theircontributions to the field and highlighted

Professor Parker’s work on the design anddevelopment of frequency selective surfaces.

Andrew Livesey, Academy Science Specialistbased in the Partnership Development Office,has been awarded the title Eur Ing by theBrussels-based European authority FEANI(European Federation of National EngineeringAssociations) in conjunction with the UKEngineering Council.

Moustaches for Movember Four members of staff in the Personal SocialServices Research Unit (PSSRU) sportedsplendid moustaches throughout November –all in a good cause. Steve Allan, James Caiels,Ed Ludlow and Nick Smith (pictured below)were taking part in the national Movembercampaign and raised around £600 to supportprostate and testicular cancer initiatives.

25 Year LunchThe 25 Year Lunch was celebrated in style at the Beagle Restaurant, Darwin College, on 19 October 2012, attended by 12 members ofstaff and hosted by Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow.

As usual, it was an excellent meal and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event.

Photographed above are (from left, back row):Professor Richard Sakwa, Professor Ann Netten,Nigel Simpson, John Champkin, Robin Hornsey,Colin Daniels, Andrew Fuller, Dr MichaelForrester and (from left, front row): ProfessorDame Julia Goodfellow, Christopher Porter, TinaMcKenzie, Fran Williams, Carole Barron,Margaret Ayers.

What’s on

Gulbenkian TheatrehighlightsTuesday 5 February, 7.30pm, RecklessSleepers – Schrödinger, focussing onthought experiments, cats, René Magritte,love, time, mathematics, observations, truthlies and alcohol.

Thursday 7 February, 7.30pm, JustinMoorhouse – Justin Time! Expect storiesabout owls, family fun days, and a pet dog.

Friday 8 February, 7.30pm, The Troggs,best remembered for the 60s anthem, WildThing.

Sunday 10 February, 2pm, Folded Featherwith Suitcase Circus. Meet WobulousDiscombobulous, the anarchic sock as hepresents a line-up of extraordinarily talentedperforming objects, all with their owncaptivating storylines.

Sunday 17 February, 7.30pm, ACelebration of Jane Austen, featuring much-loved actor Robert Powell and actressElizabeth Garvie, who gave the definitiveperformance of Elizabeth Bennett in BBCTV’s Pride and Prejudice.

Thursday 28 February, 7.30pm, AnAudience with Jonathan Miller, a man ofmany parts – doctor, expert inneuropsychology, satirist, writer, sculptor and director of theatre, opera and film.

Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 March,7.30pm, Petrol, a comedy thriller by theRoyal Court playwright Gregory Motton anddirected by David Wickes (The Sweeney,Frankenstein, Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde).

Tuesday 19 March, 7:30pm, JV2 Tomorrow,an evening of new works created specificallyfor JV2, an international group of youngperformers hand-picked by award-winningchoreographer and artistic director JasminVardimon.

Gulbenkian Cinema Friday 1 – Tuesday 5 February, Amour(12A)

Sunday 3 February, NT Encore – TheMagistrate

Wednesday 13 February, Grimond LectureTheatre 1, 6pm, Open Lecture by Dr JoanWolf on Is breast really best? Breastfeeding,motherhood and the politics of care.

Thursday 28 February, Pilkington LectureTheatre, Medway campus, 7pm, Bob FriendMemorial Lecture by Stephanie Flanders, onLessons of the global financial crisis foreconomists and economic journalists.

Thursday 7 March, Pilkington LectureTheatre, 6pm, Open Lecture by ProfessorMary Watkins on Efficiency and compassion– are they incompatible partners inhealthcare?

Wednesday 20 March, Grimond LectureTheatre 1, 6pm, Open Lecture by ProfessorTim Birkhead on What Darwin thought aboutsex.

Wednesday 27 March, Grimond LectureTheatre 1, 6pm, Eliot Annual Lecture by Dr John Guy on Thomas Becket.

Lunchtime talksA series of free lunchtime talks by leadingacademics from the University has beenlaunched at the Beaney House of Art &Knowledge in Canterbury. Find out more at www.thebeaney.co.uk

Wednesday 6 February, 1.15-1.30pm, Dr Andy Kesson on Loving Lyly, or, why doesCanterbury not celebrate its most successfulwriter, John Lyly?

Wednesday 27 February, 1.15-1.30pm,Professor Darren Griffin on Designer babies:myths and magic.

Wednesday 13 March, 1.15-1.30pm, Dr Steven Willis on The story of Roman lifefrom beneath our feet: the fine Roman samiantableware from the archaeologicalexcavations at the Beaney, 2010.

Wednesday 20 March, 1.15-1.30pm, Dr Patricia Baker on Roman medicalinstruments found in Britain and their multi-functional purposes.

Thursday 7 February,Magwitch and GreatExpectations (PG) double-bill.

Thursday 14 February, Dirty Dancing (15)

Friday 15 – Thursday 21 February, The Hobbit3D (12A)

Friday 22 – Thursday 28 February, Life of Pi 3D(PG)

Friday 1 – Thursday 7 March, Les Miserables(12A)

Saturday 2 March, Monsters, Inc 3D (U)

MusicFriday 15 February, The Crypt, CanterburyCathedral, 7.30pm, The University ChamberChoir with Daniel Harding, Emma Murtonconductors and Carina Evans percussion,explore a range of music from Handel toVaughan Williams, with pieces for choir andpercussion, and solo marimba.

Saturday 2 March, The Nave, CanterburyCathedral, 7.30pm, The Colyer-FergussonConcert, with the University Chorus andSymphony Orchestra joining forces for theirannual concert, performing Schubert’s Mass inA flat, D678, and Brahms’ Nänie for Chorus andOrchestra, and Symphony No 2 in D major.

Wednesday 6 March, Colyer-Fergusson Hall,1.10pm, Lunchtime Concert featuring SimonBates clarinet, flute, saxophone, and Paul‘Harry’ Harris piano.

Friday 15 March, Colyer-Fergusson Hall,7.30pm, From Bond to Basie, featuring theUniversity Concert and Big Bands with IanSwatman conductor and Steph Richardsonvocals.

Wednesday 20 March, Colyer-Fergusson Hall,1.10pm, Lunchtime Concert featuring theUniversity Cecilian Choir with Daniel Hardingconductor and Emma Murton harp, in acelebration of Britten’s centenary year.

Lectures Wednesday 6 February, Grimond LectureTheatre 1, Canterbury campus, 6pm, LordMayor’s Lecture by Dominic Grieve, QC, MP,Attorney General, title TBC.