nexus october 2015

7/23/2019 NEXUS October 2015

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Nexusonline CO N N E CTIN G TH E UN IV E R S ITY CO M M UN ITY

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

A Word From

The Principal Right Click Reloaded

News In Brief

Rgu: Union Bike Hire

Scheme Launch SaipemNorthern Star

Business Awards

ABS Creativity

Workshop

Health andWellbeing Strategy Oil & Gas Institute

Director appointed

Events

Freshers Week

Round Up My Career Toolkit

You Are What You Eat

Fit For The

Future Fayre

Energy After The

Referendrum

SPE RGU Student

Chapter Award

Designed and Activated by: The Gatehouse - Des ign & Print Consul tancy at R GU



A word from the Principal

I attended a meeting recentlywith a number of academicsfrom different institutions. The

discussion turned to whetherindividual universities could have

their own ‘ethos’.

The consensus amongst a numberof those present was that, on thewhole, they could not. The academicprofession more generally could anddid - an ethos of independent critical

inquiry and learning - but individualuniversities should not.

I confess I dissented from thisconclusion. I agree of course that wemust all be committed to independentcritical inquiry, but beyond that we can tackle it in various ways and engagewith the wider society according to ourown strategies and outlook.

RGU has for some time emphasisedits capacity to work closely withemployers and others to ensure thatour students leave us ready for theirprofessional lives; and our research isoften directed specifically at social oreconomic needs.

In an academic world in which it hasbecome increasingly important tobe distinctive, and to demonstrateexcellence in one’s chosen priorities,

Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski

Over the past two years RGU has re-examined its strategic intentions

and ambitions, and has adopted a new strategic framework that

includes the general plan contained in ‘A Clear Future for a LeadingUniversity in a New Era’, and the strategic priorities identified in oiland gas, health and wellbeing, big data, arts and creative industries,

employability, and our role in the region.

This framework recognises and celebrates what the university has achievedover many years, and charts a course that will allow us to be recognisedglobally for our excellence in key areas of focus.

To place all this within a planning environment that will keep our priorities inview and allow us to assess how we are progressing year by year, we are nowalso proposing to adopt a university business plan. This will draw together the key strategic strands and set targets for us to achieve over the planningperiod.

We will also use the business plan to ensure that our actions are sound, that they will provide us with a sustainable and robust financial model, and thatcolleagues are encouraged to develop enterprise and initiative.

Of course universities are not businesses. We are a not-for-profit organisationwith both charitable status and intentions, and our work is designed tosupport our students and give value to the local, regional, national and globalcommunity. None of that will change. But we intend to behave in a business-like manner in order to ensure that this university, and its staff and students,will thrive into the future and lead the way in advancing knowledge.



RGU outlines plans for new remote healthcare research centre

RGU has outlined plans for anew research centre for remotehealthcare as part of a new

Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The centre is a key component of theuniversity’s new strategy which waslaunched at RGU’s Garthdee campuslast month.

The centre will be of particular interest to the oil and gas industry and also toothers concerned with healthcare ininaccessible places.

The Health and Wellbeing Strategyaims to maintain and enhance the

university’s existing strengths, andensure that all graduates in relevantcourses continue to prioritisepatient safety and person-centredcompassionate care in their practice.

RGU’s Principal, Professor Ferdinandvon Prondzynski, hosted the launchwith support from university colleaguesand distinguished guests.

Professor von Prondzynski said: “RGUenjoys a long-established reputationfor producing graduates with fit-for-purpose skills and knowledge, highly

regarded by employers in the healthand social care sectors.

“Our ambition is to play a leadingrole, in the UK and internationally, indeveloping health care for those in the workplace by ensuring that thehealth needs of workers are met bypractitioners who have the relevantknowledge and skills.

“The strategy will outline a number ofkey areas we will focus on including

a new Centre for Remote HealthcareResearch and the continueddevelopment of RGU:Wellness,

which offers a number of benefits tocompanies.

“Working with partners, including the IRHC, NHS Grampian, theScottish Royal Colleges and Oil & GasUK’s Health Committee, we aim toinfluence and inform the competencelevels recognised as essentialfor medics and other healthcareprofessionals in the workplace.”

Professor Valerie Maehle, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Care,has overseen the development of the

university’s Health and WellbeingStrategy with her colleagues.

She said: “We’re delighted toshare our plans for the Centre forRemote Healthcare Research and the devel opment o f RGU:Well nessas part of our ambitious Health andWellbeing Strategy.

“It will ensure that our existing highquality of provision, particularly inrelation to practice-focused activity andinterprofessional working, is maintainedand enhanced through furtherinnovation in teaching and learning.

“We aim to lead the way in developinglearning experiences that will equiphealthcare practitioners with therequired competencies to operatein a range of remote environments.This work will shape the educationallandscape, ultimately enhancing clinicalassessment, decision-making, the useof telehealth and other related skills inremote environments.

“Using a range of innovative teachingand learning practices, the centrewill also define the competence

levels recognised as essential foroffshore medics and other healthcarepractitioners working in remote andhostile environments in the UK oil andgas sector and internationally.”

The guest speaker at the strategylaunch was RGU visiting ProfessorJames Ferguson who is Clinical Leadat the Scottish Centre for Telehealthand Telecare (SCTT), and ConsultantSurgeon in Emergency Medicine atNHS Grampian.

The event marked the progress of

RGU’s Healthy University initiativewhich takes a strategic, wholesystems approach to improving thehealth and wellbeing of staff andstudents across campus.

Also outlined in the strategy is the continued development ofRGU:Wellness which is a specialistservice that provides a unique andeffective offering for companiesprimarily, but not exclusively, in theenergy sector.

Elizabeth Hancock, Head of RGU’sSchool of Health Sciences, hasworked with colleagues to developRGU:Wellness from its initial stages to the full range of health and fitnessservices it now offers.

She said: “Combining our specialistfacilities and the professionalknowledge of our academic staff,RGU:Wellness can provide a specialistdiagnostic and fitness testing service

to support effective treatment andassessment of fitness for work.

“It encompasses expertise in healthimprovement, ergonomics, nutritionadvice, personal training and stressreduction to constitute a definitiveworkforce health programme.

“Strong links with our colleaguesat RGU: SPORT further enhance theeffectiveness of these interventions through the provision of individually tailored fitness and self-managementprogrammes.”

Delegates were also welcome to attenda Public Health seminar which followedimmediately after the launch, entitled

“The Future is Now: Health Challengesin a Shrinking World.”

Guest speakers at the event includedProfessor Richard Parish, NationalPharmacy & Public Health ForumChair, Duncan Selbie, Chief Executiveof Public Health England, Dr SteveBoorman, Chief Medical Advisor atCapita PIP Assessment Services, andMalcolm Wright OBE, Chief Executiveof NHS Education for Scotland.

RGU’s Principal, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, and Professor Valerie Maehle, Dean of the Faculty

of Health and Social Care



RGU re-launches ‘Right Click’ social media campaign

RGU has re-launched an award-

winning campaign to supportand encourage positive use ofsocial media across campus.

The ‘Right Click’ campaign wasoriginally launched in 2013 tocommunicate the benefits and potentialpitfalls of social media to students andstaff.

The aim was to encourage positiveuse of social media in a safe andresponsible manner and also to reduce the potential for disciplinary issuescaused by their misuse.

The campaign, which was originallydeveloped in partnership with theStudent Association, has been updated to take in to account changes in thesocial media landscape.

Launched at the start of the newacademic year, advice is available onRGU’s website on how to use socialmedia accounts including: Facebook,Twitter, YouTube as well as a variety ofhints and tips on issues such as privacyand responsible publishing.

RGU has an active social mediapresence through a number of officialaccounts with more than 42,000 likeson Facebook, 11,000 Twitter followersand 480 YouTube subscribers.

Each channel is used to communicate the work of the university and promote the courses and opportunities whichare available through studying orworking at RGU.

Earlier this year, Times HigherEducation ranked RGU’s Twitteraccount as the eighth most influentialuniversity account in the country,based on a high ‘Social Authority’ranking.

The original incarnation of ‘RightClick’ won a gold award in 2013 at theannual Heist Awards for EducationMarketing, which recognise andcelebrate professionalism, expertiseand innovation in the sector.

Martyn Spence, Director of Marketing,Communications and Student

Recruitment at RGU, said: “The RightClick campaign was an outstandingsuccess when it was originally launchedand was a first for a Scottish university.

“We’ve developed the campaign for the new academic year with updatedadvice and also provided guidanceon positive and responsible onlinecommunication from both a studentand staff perspective.

“Social media is an important partof daily life for many of our staff andstudents and the university offers

countless opportunities to shareinformation and interact with friendsand colleagues online.”

For more information about the ‘RightClick’ campaign and to view the socialmedia advice, please visitwww.rgu.ac.uk/rightclick

http://www.rgu.ac.uk/rightclick

http://www.rgu.ac.uk/rightclick



Experts explore future of energy in Scotland after ‘No’ vote

Energy experts gathered atRGU to explore the future of

energy in Scotland after thereferendum.

The Scottish Government’s Minister forEnergy Economy and Tourism, FergusEwing, spoke at the conference, whichconsidered how more energy powersfor Scotland can increase Scottishinfluence over renewable energy, anti-fuel poverty measures and consumerelectricity prices.

The possibility of establishing aScottish Energy Regulator wasdiscussed, as well as the challenges

and opportunities surrounding futureinvestment in oil and gas, at the eventwhich was organised by ProfessorPeter Strachan, Strategy and PolicyGroup Lead within the Department ofManagement at RGU, and Dr DavidToke, a Reader in Energy Politics at theUniversity of Aberdeen.

Energy experts including; FergusEwing, Minister for Economy,Energy and Tourism for the ScottishGovernment; Andrew Faulk, formerSenior Policy Advocate at ScottishConsumer Focus; Roger Cook ,

Research Director at the ScotlandInstitute; and Martyn Tulloch,of Tulloch Energy, spoke at theconference which ended with a round table discussion.

Introducing the event, ProfessorStrachan said: “Energy had beenpolitical and economic dynamite,and a key battleground on which theindependence debate had been fought.

“Following the outcome of thereferendum there is now universalagreement that Scotland should have

a more significant voice when it comes to energy policy, and national energysecurity, in the United Kingdom.”

Mr Ewing outlined the challengesand opportunities surroundingfuture investment in oil and gas, the need for fiscal and regulatoryreform to promote innovation, and the significant financial contribution that oil and gas service sector wasproviding to the UK economy.

He stated that in the post referendumsettlement he was looking for Scotland to

have a more equal footing when it comes to UK energy policy and other decisions.

Professor Strachan added: “It is acomplete disgrace that despite beingone of the most energy rich countriesin the world, far too many peoplein Scotland are still affected by fuelpoverty. Following the recent outcomeof the referendum Scotland requiresmore powers to bring down electricitybills and to introduce far reachingenergy efficiency measures.

“Scottish electricity is the most secureand reliable supply available, withScotland exporting a large surplus to the rest of the United Kingdom. Therecent news that the two EDF-ownednuclear power stations at Heysham 1and Hartlepool in Lancashire are to stayclosed until the end of the year, is anillustration of the fragility of UK supplies.”

Dr David Toke made a call for theScottish Government to be givencontrol over a substantial proportion

of money allocated by Westminster tofund renewable energy.

He said: “Scottish and Westminsterenergy policies diverge, withWestminster wanting to give moneyfor new nuclear power whilst Scotlandwants to focus on renewable energy.

“Scotland needs to be insulated fromConservative plans to dictate whatlow carbon energy sources shouldbe allowed in Scotland. The ScottishGovernment needs to be given controlover spending a sizeable proportion of

funds earmarked by the Treasury forspending on renewable energy.

“In addition a Scottish Energy regulatorshould be established that could allowgrid upgrades to be implemented morespeedily to help community renewableschemes.”

Other important issues exploredincluded how Scotland could exertmore influence over renewable energyissues, and whether the UK shouldestablish a national sovereign oil fund.

Finally, Professor Strachan and DrToke stated that the final conclusionarising from the event was that aScottish energy regulator should beestablished, thereby allowing gridupgrades to be implemented morespeedily and to better help establishcommunity renewable schemes.

Professor Peter Strachan with the Scottish Government’s Minister for Energy Economy and Tourism,

Fergus Ewing.



RGU community enjoys all the fun of the Fayre

More than 200 visitors

attended RGU’s first ‘Fit for the Future Fayre’ which washeld at Garthdee on Saturday,

September 27.

The family Fayre is the latest healthand wellbeing event at RGU organisedby the university’s Healthy Universityinitiative, ‘Fit for the Future’.

A number of fun activities at the Fayreshowcased the values of the HealthyUniversity approach and promotedphysical activity and mental wellbeing.

Gil Barton, Senior Lecturer at RGU,plays a key role in the HealthyUniversity project and co-ordinated theorganisation of the event.

She said: “We are delighted at thenumbers who attended the Fayre andclearly enjoyed the different activitieson offer. It was great to see so manyfamilies at the Fayre and the feedbackwe have received has been verypositive.”

Attractions on the day included a bike

road show presented by the GetAbout team highlighting a wide range of bikes that attendees could try out, includinga penny farthing. The EdinburghBicycle Co-operative also brought theirSmoothie Bike.

There were also guided walks along

the medal routes which were unveiledearlier this year to mark 100 days until the Glasgow 2014 CommonwealthGames.

Organisers also laid on family yoga,Mindfulness sessions, climbing wall taster sessions, desk aerobics, facepainting, bouncy castle and a variety ofstalls. University caterers, Aramark, alsohosted a very popular and informative‘Heaven or Hell Cook Off’ inside theRiverside East building.

A unique aspect to the Fayre was the

launch of RGU’s ‘Modern Munro’challenge which aims to encouragepeople to take the stairs rather than thelifts.

The initiative sets out how manycomplete ascents of RGU buildingsparticipants must complete to climb theequivalent of a 3,000ft Munro.

RGU Lecturer and PhysiotherapyClinic manager Nicholas Summersgillcompleted the first Munro with anamazing time of one hour and twentyfive minutes to complete the Aberdeen

Business School.

For more information about RGU’sHealthy University initiative, please visit:www.rgu.ac.uk/healthyuniversity

http://www.rgu.ac.uk/healthy-university

http://www.rgu.ac.uk/healthy-university



RGU welcomes new students with a fun filled Freshers’ Week

A raft of activities took place across the

city last month to welcome new andreturning students to RGU.

More than 2500 new undergraduate studentsenjoyed a jam packed Freshers’ Week which wasorganised by RGU’s Students’ Union to help thenew cohort settle into university life before starting their first year of studies.

Kicking off the week on Monday, September 22was a silent disco at the Woolmanhill Halls, and theBig Student Quiz at Campus bar and club which tested students on their knowledge of Harry Potterfor a chance to win £200.

The new students then got to put their fitnesslevels to the test at the Freshers’ Sport Day atRGU: SPORT on Tuesday September, 23 whichfeatured a selection of mini tournaments includingbasketball, dodgeball and football.

Freshers also enjoyed their very own ‘live lounge’at Campus bar which will featured the bestacoustic talent that the city has to offer includingKyle Paterson, Daniel Mutch, Lizabett Russo,Emma Hay and Nicky Aitken.

A comedy night was also organised at Downstairswhich featured a number of stand-up comediansincluding Mark Nelson, Jellybeen Martinez, OwenMacGuire, Gareth Mutch and Obie.

The Freshers’ Fayre is an annual highlight during the week which attracts a huge audience of newstudents looking to bag a free giveaway from the many retailers, bars, banks, shops, clubs andsocieties which were present at RGU: SPORT onThursday, September 25.

Paul Greene, Student President for Democracyand Communication, said:

“A lot of planning and organisation has gone intopreparing for Freshers’ Week, ensuring it wasfilled with a variety of events so that there was

something to suit everyone.

“Freshers’ Week is not just about exploring thecity’s nightlife, it’s about settling into halls, making

new friends and being introduced to universitylife to help the new students, some of whom haveleft home for the first time, feel supported and

comfortable in their new environment.

“It is a very special time for the thousands of first time students who have been waiting all summer

Students flock to the Freshers’ Fayre looking to bag a free bie

to start university life so we wanted to ensure wegive them a welcome to remember.”

The week culminated with RGU’s Healthy Universityinitiative’s inaugural ‘Fit for the Future Fayre’.



RGU launches ‘My Career Toolkit’

RGU’s online career educationoffering has been significantly

enhanced to provide a moreinteractive and comprehensive

resource to help studentsbetter plan for successfulemployment.

Students now have access toan improved informative onlinecareers environment that supportscareer planning at RGU as a resultof a collaborative project between the Careers and Empl oyabili tyCentre and the Department for theEnhancement of Learning, Teaching

and Assessment (DELTA).

Christine Buchanan, Dean of Studentsat RGU, says: “RGU is the topuniversity for graduate employmentand that leading reputation comesnot only from the way our courses are tailored to meet industry needs butalso how we prepare our graduates for the workplace.

“We recognised the need to engagestudents early on in their studies about their future careers and provide themwith an accessible and interactiveonline environment to learn how toincrease their employability.”

The project has involved the upgradingof existing subjects on the CareersCentre’s ‘Preparing to Succeed’ webpages to make them more interactiveincluding quizzes to increase andclarify student learning.

Alan Davidson, Dean of DELTA, said:“The subjects were upgraded using

e-learning software called ArticulateStoryline which allows us to buildanimations and interactivity into thesubjects, include video clips and links to external sources so that the userexperience is enhanced. The softwarealso allows the subjects to be easilyviewed on mobile devices, increasing their accessibility.”

The two departments worked together to develop RGU’s ‘My Career Toolkit’,a comprehensive online careerseducation resource which features anumber of key learning topics to help

students prepare for employment.

“My Career Toolkit features a seriesof employability topics to supportstudents in developing the skillsneeded to manage the career ladderand encourage them to be moreproactive with their employmentplanning,” says RGU CareersConsultant, Lorraine Amies, who hasbeen seconded to DELTA to develop the resource.

The ‘employability topics include‘Writing your CV’, ‘Preparing for

Interviews’, ‘Utilising Social Mediafor Career Planning’ and ‘AssessmentCentre Expectations’.

New topics have also been createdwhich address the demands ofstudents such as ‘Making the Mostof Careers Fairs’ to support studentsin preparing for key employment

events such as the annual RGUAutumn Careers Fair, and manage theirexpectations.

“There are currently 15 employability topics which have been developedand tailored to meet the demands of

students including providing a mixtureof resources from reading material tovideo clips so that the toolkit is fullyaccessible,” continues Lorraine.

The toolkit was formally launched at the start of the academic semester andstudents are being introduced to theonline resource with a chance to win an

ASUS 7 tablet by taking part in the ‘MyCareer Toolkit’ competition.

“We’d encourage all students at anystage of their studies to familiarise themselves with the toolkit andcomplete at least one module which

will automatically enter them into theprize draw,” adds Lorraine.

‘My Career Toolkit’ is now arecommended resource for all schools toput into their student handbook and weare currently working with academics toutilise and integrate the resources of ‘MyCareer Toolkit’ within the curriculum.

The deadline for the ‘My CareerToolkit’ competition is Sunday 30November so make sure to check it outfor a chance to win an android tablet.Visit www.rgu.ac.uk/mycareertoolkit

The full suite of the university’s Careers

resources can be accessed by all staffand students via CampusMoodle. Visitwww.rgu.ac.uk/careersonmoodle.

Don’t miss the 2014 Autumn CareersFair which is taking place on 30October. Visit http://www.rgu.ac.uk/current-students/news/autumn-careers-fair-2014 for more informationincluding how to prepare for the Fair.

Alan Davidson, Dean of DELTA, RGU Careers Consultant, Lorraine Amies, and Christine Buchanan, Dean of Students at RGU



RGU helps to educate that you are what you eat

Nexus hears from Dr Myra

MacKenzie and Dr Morag

McFadyen of RGU’s School ofPharmacy and Life Sciences on the university’s involvement

with ‘You are What You Eat:Aberdeenshire’s first foodscience festival’.

‘You Are What You Eat’ was organised to engage with the community on the science of food, taste and healthyeating by bringing a fresh perspective to the Aberdeenshire Farming Museumat Aden Country Park, Mintlaw.

It focussed on the agricultural industryboth past and present, with a central theme of the impact of food productionon individuals, local communities, oursocial heritage and our landscape.

Staff and student volunteers fromRGU’s School of Pharmacy and LifeSciences worked in partnership withAberdeenshire Council’s Museum

Service to deliver an exciting, free twoday event, which was a designed tobe a hybrid of a farmers market and a

science fair.

The event attracted 8800 visitors throughout the two days who enjoyeda mixture of market stalls which offered the best of Aberdeenshire’s produce,entertaining cookery demonstrationsusing local farm produce; and funactivities exploring the history andscience of what we eat, why, andwhere it comes from.

The event questioned our agriculturalheritage in a novel and innovativemanner. We were able to showcasecutting edge research, exciting livescience experiments and fascinatinginsights into how diet affects society,landscape and community.

Prior to the event, the School ofPharmacy and Life Sciences hosted

a training day with all the staff andstudent volunteers, who acted asscience communicators on the day.

Our science communicators manned anumber of different science stalls over the two days: we provide a flavour of these below:

A ‘Supertasters Experiment’ ran over the two days, and generated a lot ofinterest, as did the ‘DNA Extractionfrom Strawberries’ challenge – 175

experiments were performed, with asatisfying 100% success rate!

A ‘Myth Busters’ stand explored,among other things, how much sugaris present in juices, drinks and snacks,

which generated a lot of interest byusing fun hands on guessing gamesfor children. In hindsight it was wise to locate that some distance from thechocolate stand!

The ‘Power of Plants’ stand was wellreceived and offered an opportunityfor visitors to engage with real andcurrent medical research, as well asdiscover more about the plant productswe come across every day withoutrealising it.

This innovative project was fundedby a ‘Talking Science’ grant from the Scottish Government and theCommunity Food Fund from Scotland’sRural College (SRUC).

This innovative educational partnershipsuccessfully made connections

between business, heritage, scienceand nutrition.

Highlighting the importance ofeducation to the rural community, the project has been shortlisted for the Arts & Business Scotland Awards2014 - Enterprising Museum Awardsponsored by Museums GalleriesScotland.

A summary video from ‘You are WhatYou Eat’ is available to viewhere.

Some of the RGU staff and student volunteers

Sugar contents busted

The power of plants: biomedical science project posters

The packed marquee What’s that smell: investigating aromatic

compounds

RGU’s training day

http://bit.ly/1pAJO4A






RGU:Union brings ‘Boris bikes’ scheme to Aberdeen

A sustainable bike hire scheme

for students at RGU has beenofficially launched.

Students are now able to hire arecycled bike from RGU’s Students’Union, providing an affordable andenvironmentally friendly way of travelling to the university’s Garthdeecampus and across the city.

Launched by RGU: Union’s ‘Go Green’sustainability initiative with funding itreceived from the Climate ChallengeFund (CCF), the bikes, which have allbeen recycled and refurbished, areavailable to hire on a weekly basis foras little as £2 for the week.

Students are able to view and hire the bikes online from the RGU:Unionwebsite, and can pick them up everyWednesday from the bike-hire stationwhich is based at RGU’s Garthdeecampus. Each user is also providedwith a lock and a set of lights.

The bikes and safety equipment are then returned by the students to thehire-station the following week where

they then receive their £10 deposit.

Paul Greene, RGU’s Student Presidentfor Communication and Democracy,said: “The bike hire scheme has beenestablished to provide students with anaffordable and environmentally friendlymeans of travel across the city, whichcan become extremely congested,especially during peak rush hour times.

“Students are increasingly becoming

aware of the importance ofsustainability and the need to protect the environment so the bike schemeallows them to make a difference whilesaving them money on the cost of travel fares.”

Students who choose to cycle touniversity instead of taking the buscan be expected to save up to sevenkilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide (CO2)a week, or 280kg of CO2 over theacademic year, which is enough to fillone and a half double decker buses.

“RGU:Union is committed to loweringScotland’s carbon footprint and thebike hire scheme is one of our projectswhich aims to engage with students toget them involved, demonstrating howsmall measures can be put into place to help to help the environment whilehaving fun, meeting new people andgaining qualifications,” adds Paul.

The scheme has various volunteeringopportunities for students to getinvolved with. For more informationon the scheme or the volunteering

opportunities, please visitwww.rguunion.co.uk

The launch of the schemecomplements a wider HealthyUniversity initiative at RGU, Fit for the Future, which takes a strategicapproach to health and wellbeingacross campus. Paul Greene, Student President for Communication and Democracy

http://www.rguunion.co.uk/

http://www.rguunion.co.uk/



RGU delivers courses to major oiland gas contractor

A major international oil and gascontractor has called on RGU’s expertise

to deliver training modules to its staff.

RGU’s Scott Sutherland School of Architectureand Built Environment has recently delivered onebespoke short course to contract specialists atSaipem, with a second course in the pipeline.

Covering a range of topics relating to quantitysurveying through classroom based workshopsand online distance learning, the courses are targeted at enhancing the core competencies ofcontract specialists in the company.

Headquartered in Italy with offices in strategiclocations across the world, Saipem is a leader in the provision of engineering, procurement, projectmanagement and construction services to the oiland gas industry.

The first course, ‘An Introduction to QuantitySurveying’, covered the basic processes andskills necessary for the commercial control ofcontracts from initial procurement, delivery andwhole life performance.

The second course to be delivered, ‘QuantitySurveying Skills for Contract Administrators’, willfocus on the critical evaluation of practice andperformance in the delivery and procurement

The Saipem delegates with RGU’s Rob Leslie, Course Leader

for MSc Construction Project Management; Bassam Bjeirmi,

Associate Head of the Scott Sutherland School; Renne

Raper, Aberdeen Business School’s Corporate Development

Consultant; and Chris Moule, Business Development Manager.

of commercial assets within a contract and costenvironment.

Business Development Manager at the ScottSutherland School, Gerry Buda, said: “We aredelighted to be working with Saipem SA as part ofits staff development programme.

“RGU maintains close links with industry to ensure that our courses are as relevant as possible andmany offer the opportunity to undertake individualmodules which are a great way for companies todevelop their employees.”

Aberdeen Business School also delivered mentor training to some of the Saipem employees.

A programme giving Aberdeen schoolpupils an insight into what it would be

like to study art and architecture at RGUhas launched for the third year. The Access to Creative Education Scotland(ACES) programme is a national initiative fundedby the Scottish Funding Council and deliveredlocally by RGU, which aims to encourage andsupport pupils who are often underrepresentedin art, design and architecture towards studying the subjects at univers ity.

Pupils from schools around the city, includingKincorth, Northfield, St Machar and HazleheadAcademies, attended the launch of the third year of the programme at Aberdeen Art Gallery recently,where they took part in a range of activities.

The programme is co-ordinated by the university’sStudy Skills and Access Unit and developed inpartnership with Aberdeen City Council.

As well as participating in taster classes at RGUover the coming months, the pupils will be guided through the university application process by staffat Gray’s School of Art and the Scott SutherlandSchool of Architecture and Built Environment

should they decide to continue their studies.

A number of pupils who completed last year’sACES programme and successfully applied tostudy at RGU are now about to start their degrees.

Sabrina Bremner (16), a sixth year pupil atNorthfield Academy, attended this year’s ACESlaunch and said: “It was really good. I like the artgallery so it was nice to get the chance to spendsome more time there and analyse the paintings,as I’ve not done that before.

“I haven’t studied art since second year at schoolbut I took it up again recently and am now doinga crash Higher. I’m excited about the rest of the

ACES programme as I’ve heard good things aboutit from people who did it last year.”

Study Skills and Access Unit co-ordinator, JamesDunphy, said: “The ACES programme forms animportant part of the university’s commitment towidening access and we are delighted to welcomea new cohort of young people to campus for the2014/15 programme.

“The university is also delighted to havelaunched Access RGU Scholarships whichsupport young people as they undertake theirstudies. One of these scholarships will be forACES participants and we look forward to

awarding the first of these soon.”

Aberdeen pupils given insight intocreative courses at RGU



Students from around the world arrived at RGU to explore ‘DigiPreneurship’

Students from seven

universities across Europeand from as far away asChina descended on RGU

for a Creativity Workshopaimed at turning them into‘DigitalPreneurs’.

Held at the Scottish holiday and studyretreat ‘The Burn’, the 12th annualCOEUR Ideas Generation Workshophad a digital theme built around thekey strengths of old Scottish industriessuch as tourism, food, drink andfashion. It aimed to challenge students

to develop entrepreneurial ideas whichwill help make these important Scottishindustries sustainable in a digital future.

The group was also given theopportunity to visit Edzell Golf Clubfor a talk on the importance of golf to the Scottish economy, a tour ofCrathes Castle and a tour of FettercairnDistillery.



Sir Ian Wood honoured at Northern Star Business Awards

The Chancellor of RGU, leadingoil executive Sir Ian Wood, washanded a lifetime achievementaward at last month’s Northern

Star Business Awards for hisoutstanding contribution to theregion.

His work in building up one of thelargest oil supply chain companies in the country, as well as his public serviceand charity work through the WoodFamily Trust combined with his recentleadership of influential governmentcommissions made him a popularchoice as he accepted the award.

Organised by Aberdeen & GrampianChamber of Commerce, the annualevent celebrated innovation, successand the achievements of individuals,companies and organisations from throughout the Grampian area.

Thirty-eight finalists joined the 800guests at the Aberdeen Exhibition andConference Centre, all eager to findout who would lift the award in each of the 14 award categories.

RGU plays it part in the awards by

sponsoring the coveted ‘StudentPlacement’ accolade, which this yearwas won by KCA Deutag.

KCA Deutag was nominated for the award by Sonja Cammaert, whocompleted a year-long placement

with the company as part of hermanagement course at AberdeenBusiness School.

Speaking about why she nominatedKCA Deutag, Sonja said: “KCA Deutaghas been fully committed to mypersonal and professional developmentand provided me with the knowledgeand skills which will help to furthermy career. My colleagues made mefeel very welcome and the overallplacement has been an extremelyrewarding experience.”

Collecting the award on behalf ofKCA Deutag, Kees Sterk, Head ofIT said: “To be recognised for our

graduate programme is a hugehonour. At KCA Deutag, we believeour people are our biggest asset and that our future success depends onattracting, developing and retaining the best graduates to secure the nextgeneration of industry leaders.”

Chief executive of the ChamberRobert Collier said, “We are proudof the efforts of members and thecontribution they make to the robusteconomy of our region, our enviablequality of life, and its bright future.

“The evening is an opportunity to takestock of the talent and success thatabounds here in the City and Shire,and celebrate their achievements inkeeping us at the heart of a prosperouscountry.”

The winners in the 14 categories wereas follows:

Lifetime Achievement Award – Sir Ian Wood

Achievement in InternationalBusiness- Entier Ltd

Best Campaign of the Year– OilCareers.com

Commitment to Innovative Use ofResearch and Development- Plexus Ocean Systems Ltd

Commitment to PeopleDevelopment- Bibby Offshore

Excellence in Customer Service- Pentagon Freight

Excellence in Health and Safety- Concerto Live Scotland

Outstanding Contribution to Society- Saltire Energy

Outstanding Contribution to theEnergy Sector - Bibby Offshore

Overall Business of the Year– Inoapps

Rising Star– Andrew Ferguson, Eden Scott

Student Placement- KCA Deutag

The Business Diversity Award- Glencraft (Aberdeen) Ltd

The Green Award- Elan Hair Design

Professor Rita Marcella, Dean of Aberdeen Business School with Sonja Cammaert and Kees Sterk of KCA Deutag, Student Placement



SPE RGU Student Chapter bags three awards at SPE Aberdeen40th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

The Society of PetroleumEngineers (SPE) AberdeenSection reached its landmark40th anniversary having arrivedshortly before the first drop

of oil was extracted from theNorth Sea.

To mark the occasion and acknowledge the continuous efforts made by itsmembers over the years to enhancing the ethos of the SPE, the Aberdeensection commemorated with a black-tie

dinner at Aberdeen’s Chester Hotel.SPE Aberdeen welcomed animpressive line-up of key industryspeakers from Statoil, BP, Shell,Taqa, Schlumberger and the Pressand Journal, as well as numerousinternational guests.

The RGU student chapter wasrecognised at the event, bagging a hat- trick of awards in acknowledgementof its contribution to both increasing the organisation’s profile on and offits campus, as well as bridging the

technical know-how between studentsand industry professionals.

The Student chapter was awarded the SPE Aberdeen Most OutstandingStudent Chapter 2014 which wascollected on behalf of the Chapter by itspresident Abdul-Razaq Momodu, whostudies oil and gas engineering at RGU.

The RGU Chapter’s faculty sponsor,Ibiye Iyalla, a Senior Lecturer at RGU’sSchool of Engineering, was alsorecognised as the most outstandingfaculty sponsor for his liaison between the student Chapter and the SPEAberdeen Section, while RGU oil andgas engineering student, Vijay Anne, the Chapter’s social secretary, wasawarded for his outstanding service to SPE, the local community and theindustry by a student member.

Abdul-Razaq Momodu, said: “We arehonoured to have received three awardswhich are a testament to the workand commitment of the RGU studentChapter and its members in contributing to the SPE’s Aberdeen section.”

The evening showcased the oil and gasindustry’s journey over the past 40 yearsand the impact that the SPE AberdeenSection has had upon the local industryand the wider Scottish community.

Anthony Onukwu, Past SPE Aberdeen Chairman, Abdulrazaq Momodu, RGU Chapter President 2014, and Helge Haldorsen, SPE International President 2015



News in Brief

A leading computer science expert fromNew Zealand explored the concept ofartificial intelligence at a guest lectureheld at RGU.

Dr Ian Watson, Associate Professorwithin the Department of ComputerScience at the University of Auckland,delivered a public lecture entitled‘Alan Turing and the Artificial Brain’,which drew on the work of Alan Turing,

the British mathema tician, logician,philosopher and computer scientist whois widely regarded as the founder of thefield of artificial intelligence.

The ‘Turing Test’, for deciding whethera machine shows intelligence, continues

to be inspirational up to the present day.

Professor Watson explored the conceptof intelligence and looked at argumentsfrom both sides of the philosophicaldebate claiming that artificialintelligence is or is not achievable.

With examples from the past andpresent, Professor Watson also lookedat the impact that artificial intelligencewill have in the future and the profoundbearing it is likely to have on our society.

Originally from Poole in Dorset,Professor Watson holds a PhD inComputer Science from LiverpoolUniversity. His career has involved

the practical application of many areasof artificial intelligence research anddevelopment, including knowledgeengineering and expert systems whichhave gone on to be used commercially.

Susan Craw, a research professor withinRGU’s Research Institute for Innovation,Design and Sustainability (IDEAS), said:“His guest lecture gave us a fascinatinginsight into the world of artificialintelligence and its influence on thedigital world in which we now live.”

Professor Watson, said: “Artificialintelligence is at a tipping point whereit is about to change the world we livein and how we interact with it. Now is

the time to understa nd its origins andimplications.”

A video from one of Dr Watson’sprevious lectures, which mirrors thepublic lecture delivered at RGU, isavailable to view here.

Ready, steady, fire! Newengineering students

take aim at RGU

The newest intake of engineeringstudents at RGU got straight down

to business as part of their induction this week, as they grappled with themechanics of medieval warfare.

The Stage 1 students set to work building trebuchet models in teams, a type ofcatapult that was used as a siege machinein the Middle Ages.

With only a morning to design and build their models, the 25 teams were up against the clock, gathering the following day to test out their trebuchets.

A series of prizes were awarded for the trebuchet which fired the furthestdistance; the best designed trebuchet;

the team which worked best togetherand the team which designed the bestcorporate identity for their model.

Senior Engineering Lecturer, GraemeDunbar, said: “It is good to kick off theacademic year with a fun, ice-breakeractivity like this which is all about

team building, working together andcommunicating.

“It is a great opportunity for new students to get to know their classmates, as theseare the people that they will be workingwith for the next few years and we’ve seensome good examples of lateral thinkingand creativity.”

Universities come together to combatmaternal mortality inMalawi

Scottish experts are aiming to pass on thebenefit of their experience in reducingmaternal mortality to health professionalsand managers from Malawi at a conference

to be held in Aberdeen.

RGU and The University of Aberdeen willcome together with Voluntary ServicesOverseas (VSO) to host the event that isdesigned to address the challenges facedby health workers in Malawi.

In Malawi, eight women die in childbirthevery day and the country has a chronicshortage of trained health workers.

The University of Aberdeen is home toImmpact - an internationally recognisedmaternal and newborn health researchgroup whose members have spent timeworking in Malawi.

Immpact has recently led a maternal healthproject there in partnership with RGU’s

RGU professor’sprestigious appointment

A RGU professor hasbeen appointed to theInternational AccountingEducation StandardsBoard (IAESB).

Professor Elizabeth Gammie, Head of the

Department of Accounting and Financeat RGU, has been appointed to serve on

the IAESB from January 1 for three years.This adds to the already impressive listof high level education-related boardappointments Professor Gammie sits on.

Professor Gammie, a charteredaccountant and council member of theInstitute of Chartered Accountants of

Scotland, said she was delighted to beappointed to the IAESB.

She said: “I am delighted to be appointed to the IAESB and I look forwardcontributing to the advancementof accounting education programsworldwide, particularly where this willassist economic development.”

The IAESB is an independent standard-setting body that serves the publicinterest by strengthening the worldwideaccountancy profession through thedevelopment and enhancement ofeducation.

Professor Gammie is published extensivelyin the area of accounting education andher expertise in the area of educationalassessment and benchmarkingmethodologies were welcomed by thenomination committee.

School of Nursing and Midwifery and theMinistry of Health in Malawi.

Tracy Humphrey, Professor of Midwifery atRGU, said: “Strengthening the educationand professionalisation of midwives inMalawi is something we are currently doingwith partners in the country to improveoutcomes. The seminar will also explore thepotential for partnerships to be formed andvolunteer schemes to be developed.”

Jacqueline Bell, the Principal Investigator forImmpact’s Malawi project said: “The aim ofprojects such as these is to build capacityand improve the recruitment and retentionof midwives, particularly in rural areas.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming thedelegation from Malawi andhope we can use this event to build futurecollaborations.”

Visitors from Malawi include ProfessorAddress Malata, Principal of KamuzuCollege of Nursing, Grace Massah,Dean of Nkhoma College of Nursing andMidwifery and Joyce Kamdonyo, Director

of Examinations from the Nursing andMidwifery Council of Malawi.

Artificial intelligence explored at RGU lecture

https://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/gibbons_lectures/LectureSeries2012/lecture_series2012_4.php

https://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/gibbons_lectures/LectureSeries2012/lecture_series2012_4.php



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Autumn C ar eers F air2014

October Open Day 201408 October 2014Riverside EastThe annual Open Days providesan opportunity to experience theuniversity’s stunning buildings andfacilities and learn more about ourcourses.

Artist talk: Strange Attractor10 October 2014Exhibition Space, Georgina ScottSutherland Study Centre,David Blyth, the artist behind aninnovative exhibition of reverse taxidermy called Strange Attractor, willgive a lunchtime talk about his work

and find out the story behind the show.

Professorial Lecture:Information Seeking andContext: Providing SearchRelevance in Social Media13 October 2014Riverside EastAyse Göker, the Digital TechnologiesTheme Leader at IDEAS will delivera professorial lecture which willexplore the challenge of finding searchrelevance in social media.

Experience Aberdeen CultureFair15 October 2014Aberdeen Beach BallroomOrganised by International AberdeenWelcome Project, a joint initiativebetween RGU and the Universityof Aberdeen, the Fair provides anopportunity for international students to experience a flavour of Scottishculture.

Autumn Careers Fair 201430 October 2014RGU SPORTThe Autumn Careers Fair is a keyrecruitment event for students andgraduates to talk to businesses seeking to secure the best graduating talent, aswell as discuss placements, vacation,part-time and voluntary work.

Ar tist T alk : st r ang e At tr actor

P r of essor ial Lect ur e:Inf ormation seek ing and cont ext : P r ov iding Sear ch Relev ance in Social Media

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