NexusonlineC o n n e c t i n g t h e U n i v e r s i t y c o m m u n i t yJ A N U A RY / F E B R U A RY 2012

Produced by The Gatehouse: Design & Print Consultancy at Robert Gordon University

RGU Celebrates 75 years of RadiographyRadiography professionals from across the UK descended upon Aberdeen in October to celebrate 75 years of radiography education and training in Aberdeen.

Aberdeen Business School has been ranked in the global top 50 for its MBA programmes in the highly acclaimed ‘Beyond Grey Pinstripes’ survey, recently published by The Aspen Institutes Centre for Business Education.

RGU was rated as Scotland’s highest placed school, at 50, and was one of only five UK universities to be ranked in the top 100 MBA programmes. ABS was in good company sharing the honour with top American universities including Stanford Graduate School of Business and Yale School of Management who were placed first and fifth respectively, as well as Madrid’s IE Business School, rated top European university in third position.

Allan Scott, Director of MBA Programmes at RGU’s Aberdeen Business School said, “Being highly ranked is testimony to the quality of the MBA programs RGU delivers. The graduates that we produce are ethical, environmentally astute and good corporate citizens. These are the type of individuals that are going to lead the way in industries such as construction and oil and gas; improving sustainability, cost efficiency and social responsibility.”

RGU MBA ranked top 50

are highly subscribed to with an average of 80 students per year undertaking radiography education across undergraduate and postgraduate levels; plus specialist graduate certificates and continuous professional development programmes.

In January 2012, the university will launch its new MSc in Diagnostic Radiography which will provide a fast-track route for professionals in non-cognate disciplines to gain entry into a new career. It is expected to be of interest to a wide range of professionals including ex-forces and those from general science backgrounds.

For the full story click here.

Alumni and former members of staff from RGU and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) joined current teams from the city’s departments of Radiography for a two-day programme of events to look back at the profession’s development and forward to its future role within the healthcare sector.

Radiography education in Aberdeen began in 1936, only 16 years after the Society and College of Radiographers (UK) was established. Based within ARI, the School of Radiography initially trained a small number of radiographers who undertook a diploma qualification. The training was delivered by radiologists, senior radiographers and specialists from within the

x-ray departments. Scientific input from Robert Gordon Institute of Technology (RGIT) followed in the 1960s.

In 1990, radiography education transferred from the NHS to RGIT. The first Scottish degree programme in Diagnostic Radiography (DR) was launched within the Centre for Professionals Allied to Medicine in 1993. In 1995 and 1996 came the validation of a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Ultrasound and the elevation of the BSc programme into a four-year honours programme.

Now held within RGU’s School of Health Sciences, today’s radiography programmes

SPECIAL FEATURES

4-8Focus on Design and Technology

9-10Aberdeen Business School

Welcome to Nexus online, which is issued electronically every second month. Please get in touch if you have any suggestions for stories or features for the magazine. Email your ideas to Nexus online Editor. The cut-off date for articles to be included in the March / April edition is Friday 3 February. Can managers please ensure that staff without regular university email access are informed that Nexus online can be viewed from home, or in libraries and IT labs at any university site at Nexus online.

‘Virtual’ Now a realityIn a complex, multi-site organisation sharing information across professional teams can often be problem and that can lead to missed opportunities or the need to provide unplanned and therefore less effective services.

As part of the review of the Marketing, Communication and Student Recruitment teams last year we looked at ways to improve cross-team and cross-university communication, especially in our work with the academic faculties and research institutes.

Out of this has come the concept of ‘virtual teams’ made up of specialists located in their respective teams but all able to contribute together to the delivery of professional services to one specific faculty or institute.

These teams will share information provided by colleagues in the faculties and institutes with their Directorate colleagues and where appropriate co-ordinate joint service delivery.

For Aberdeen Business School/IMAGES your team is:

Admissions - David McSporran/Donna Simpson/Rebecca PattersonCommunications - Katie Begg International - Michelle MacFadyen Marketing - Madeleine Marcella

For the Faculty of Design and Technology/IDEAS your team is:

Admissions – Anne MacBean/Louise HughesCommunications – Sarah GrieveInternational – Julie DeightonMarketing – Jeannie Price

For the Faculty of Health and Social Care/IH&WR your team is:

Admissions – Linda Fraser/Debbie KeithCommunications – Andrew YoungsonInternational – Jamie HastingsMarketing – Jeannie Price

We of course also continue to work closely with other professional services and they should contact us directly utilising their established contacts.

Have Scottish Universities already invented your next big idea? University Technology has announced the launch of its new-look web portal, making it easy for companies and investors from business & industry to find new technologies invented in Scotland’s universities.

This unique initiative involving Scotland’s 13 research universities was created to improve business and industry engagement with these institutions. University Technology publishes the latest technology opportunities in one convenient location, meaning investors do not need to trawl through many different university websites to find a commercial opportunity that matches their interests.

Further information can be found at www.university-technology.com

National success for HR teamThe HR team at Robert Gordon University team have won two prestigious awards (regional and national ) and been national finalists for their development and delivery of a behavioural interviewing initiaitve across the university.

The HR team identified that in order to meet the University’s strategic objectives, it needed to enhance the University’s recruitment and selection process. A key component of this was to introduce behaviuoral interviewing, as it is recognised that the best predictor of future performance is one’s performance in similar situations.

They have now trained over 200 managers, including the top management team, on time and within budget and with it achieved a cultural shift in the organisation.

As well as improving the selection of new staff, there have been finanacial benefits with shorter lead times and smaller but better trained interview panels.

The most recent awards in November included:

• the Staff Development Impact Award (awarded by the Leadership Foundation of Higher Education, Staff Development Forum and Good Practice) - which is recognised by all our peers in higher education UK-wide;

• finalists in the UK TJ Awards (Training Journal) - recognised by the UK Learning and development sector.

Renee Raper of HR receiving the Leadership Foundation Award

RGU Announces Sport Scholars RGU: SPORT has revealed the latest recipients of its annual sport scholarship scheme. A total of 21 top sporting students from a range of academic and athletic disciplines have been selected this year.

Joining the scholarship for the first time is hill runner, Scout Adkin. The physiotherapy student’s dedication has propelled her up the ranks in recent years, and saw her awarded the 2011 Great Britain selection for the U20 European uphill mountain running championship. In 2010 she was titled the U20 UK Mountain Running Champion and the British & Irish Hill Running champion. Returning to the scheme for the second consecutive year is Stonehaven archer, Emily Blake. Currently holding a staggering 28 Scottish records and ranked eighth Junior Lady in the UK, Emily (18) has been involved in the sport for five years.

Other budding sport stars include: golfer Jane Turner; rugby players Geoff Dunne and Caitlin Sedgeworth; Olympic cross-country skier PJ Barron; basketball star Ciara Newell; footballer Odmar Faeroe; and table tennis player, Aurelie Bernadet. Click here for the full story

University Consults on Qatari Pharmacy SectorA team of academics are currently helping develop a strategy for pharmacy based research in Qatar. Prof Derek Stewart, Dr Lesley Diack and Dr Lorna McHattie of the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences and Institute of Health and Welfare Research attended a week-long programme of events in Doha from 25 October to 1 November.

Major Study into Systemic Social Work PracticeRGU’s School of Applied Social Studies is taking part in a €115,000 project to establish a common European perspective on systemic social work practice.

Primarily invited as guests of the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) - the premier non-profit healthcare provider in Doha - the RGU team met with Qatari health, pharmacy and educational stakeholders. There are around 300 pharmacist employed by HMC, few with any postgraduate or research training, hence the need to increase research capacity and activity. Cardiovascular, diabetes mellitus, neurology and cancer are the key areas of focus for the academic health centre The team at the College of Pharmacy. From left – Wessam

Mohammed El Kassem, Derek, Lorna, Lesley, Dr. Mohammed Abdul Wahid Al-Hamadi (Director of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning), and Dr Peter Jewesson (Pharmacy Program Leader at Qatar University).

Entitled ‘Systemic social work Throughout EuroPe’ (STEP) the project is concerned primarily with the less-common - but arguably more effective - branch of social work practice which seeks to effect change by broadening the focus from a person’s unfavourable circumstances to consider the environment in which these circumstances have developed.

Steve Hothersall, who is a senior lecturer within the university’s School of Applied Social Studies, has taken the position of primary researcher at RGU for the STEP project and is working with partner institutions in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, England and Finland.

For the full story click here.

and hence are of particular importance for pharmacy practice research.

This collaboration will provide an opportunity for the university to be involved in the strategic and operational development of the state’s pharmacy services, plus the implementation of a research-based approach to support and evaluate them.

For the full story click here.

RI Director strengthens international linksDirector of the Institute for Health and Welfare Research (IHWR), Professor Cherry Wainwright, recently returned from trips to Malaysia, Hong Kong and China to strengthen collaboration between RGU and the countries’ health research programmes.

During her tours, she visited world-leading institutes to discuss synergy of research and course offerings; deliver seminars on her own research; and interviewed a selection of candidates with a view to offering funded research positions within the IHWR’s Graduate School.

For the full story click here.

Some of RGU’s sport scholars

First Minister Opens Low-energy Home

The Show House comprises a double-height open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, a work space, two/three bedrooms, a shower-room and bathroom over a 1¾ storey layout with a steep roof pitch consistent with traditional Scottish rural housing.

In addition to using an innovative engineering process in the design of the house, the building incorporates a number of features to ensure a low-carbon footprint including super insulation levels, air-tight construction, triple-glazing and solar panels.

Facilitated by the North of Scotland KTP Centre, which provides the framework and resources to support collaborations and partnerships between companies and academics, the partnership combined expertise in architectural design and professional construction.

Professor Gokay Deveci from the SSS, who spearheaded the design at Pitmachie, has an international reputation for his expertise

First Minister Alex Salmond has officially opened the Model-D Show House at Pitmachie, near Insch, which has been built to address affordable, sustainable rural housing demand in Scotland. This comes as the result of a successful partnership between Robert Gordon University’s Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment (SSS) and local construction company Sylvan Stuart Ltd.

Developed as part of a funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) agreement, the Model-D Show House is made almost entirely from Scottish timber, and was created from a concept aimed at exploring affordable, low-carbon homes which could be easily constructed in rural communities.

FOCUS ON DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

in sustainable private and social housing, recently winning the 2011 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award, as well as three accolades at the Scottish Design Awards for his commitment to energy efficient, low-cost homes. Professor Deveci comments: “The Model-D House not only offers a solution to help reach Scotland’s 2016 carbon targets but is also a viable and affordable housing option for rural communities where fuel poverty is a major concern with the rising costs of energy.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “I’m delighted to officially open the Model-D Show House at Pitmachie, developed by Robert Gordon University and Sylvan Stuart Ltd. Not only will the results of their innovative partnership help cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change, but they can also drive down families’ energy bills. I’m also encouraged to see such fine examples of sustainable affordable homes being created by Scottish firms using Scottish materials.”

For the full story click here

First Minister Alex Salmond Opens the Show House at Pitmachie

DePICT hosts successful ‘Aberdeen: Apps’ eventOver 70 business and technology leaders from across the region attended an event on 3 November at the Thistle Caledonian Hotel hosted by ‘dePICT’, an initiative of the university’s Institute for Innovation, Design and Sustainability Research (IDEAS) using expertise from the School of Computing, aimed at supporting Scottish businesses in their ICT product development.

The event, entitled ‘Aberdeen: Apps – Design, Development and Marketing of Mobile Applications’, invited delegates to discuss web and mobile applications or ‘apps’, and how these can have a positive impact in sectors such as energy, health, transport and food & drink.

Guests learned the basics of app design, received an overview of how to develop and

market these to suit their business needs and were given information on any legal concerns in terms of copyright and intellectual property in a series of talks and panel sessions.

Speakers comprised industry experts including Gordon Murrison, Director at Open Planet Software, Brian McNicoll, MD at Dynamo Games and Mark Lenthall, Development Manager at AVC Media Enterprises as well as academics including Fraser Spiers, Head of Computing & IT at the Cedars School of Excellence, and Gordon Eccleston, Senior Lecturer from RGU’s School of Computing.

Chris Moule, Business Development Manager at dePICT, comments:

“Worldwide mobile application store

downloads have increased by 117% over the past year and are forecast to reach 17.7 billion downloads by the end of 2011. This is a new and emerging market that organisations of all sizes can take advantage of. We are looking to stimulate a community of app developers in Aberdeen and then connect them with the expertise in the University and the people who require web and mobile apps for their businesses or public sector organisations.”

The dePICT initiative aims to help businesses create new and improved ICT products with increased marketability by connecting them with academic experts, whilst at the same time building long-term relationships with growing companies.

FOCUS ON DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Scott Sutherland students learning enhanced by on-site visitsStudents across a range of courses at the Scott Sutherland School have taken part in on-site visits to Culter House near Milltimber, and the university’s Masterplan construction site at Garthdee, in order to give them first-hand experience of the challenges faced in industry.

a lecture by Miller Construction on the university’s Masterplan new-build and then visited the site.

David Williams, Senior Site Engineer for Miller and an RGU graduate, led the presentation on the development and then took the students on-site in groups to view the progress so far.

Alan Watson, Lecturer at the School, comments:

“The visit gave our new students an excellent opportunity to gain an awareness of design and construction responsibilities as well as giving insight to the roles of professionals in industry on a day-to-day basis.

“Experiences such as on-site visits help to enhance students’ employability by giving them an understanding of how projects are undertaken as well as the technological and management systems in place.

“We are very grateful to Miller Construction for facilitating this visit which was well received by our students who were excited by the scale and complexity of the design. The ongoing partnership with the firm helps support the learning and teaching across all Built Environment and Architecture courses at the School.”

The university and Miller Construction have organised a series of collaborative events for 2012 including site visits, guest lectures and a postgraduate prize for the best MSc Construction Project Management student.

On 1 November, over 25 Building Surveying students from second to fourth-year visited Culter House, a mansion originally built in the 1600s currently undergoing a refurbishment by Inspired Design & Development Ltd, based in Stonehaven, who recently employed a graduate from the School. Students visited the listed building to see the effects of decay and the challenges involved in renovating such a residence.

Senior Lecturer Gerry Buda, who facilitated the visit, explains:

“The students all undertake a Built Heritage Conservation module and site visits to historic buildings give them the opportunity to complement their classroom learning by seeing real buildings undergoing work.

Historic Scotland and other building preservation organisations give strict guidelines on what can be altered. By visiting the site with Inspired Design, the students can see how the company is effectively managing the project and adapting their construction processes.”

In the same week, over 130 first-year students from the surveying, architecture and architectural technology courses attended

Computing students take on 26-hr programming marathonA team of students from the School of Computing recently came fourth in a national programming competition, working overnight for 26 hours to develop a student app.

The DevXS Conference at the University of Lincoln, invited students from across the UK to take part in a developer marathon spread across three days from 11-13 November to develop and build applications that contribute to university life.

The team of four, including Terry Delph, Colin Dawson, Kerr Marin-Miller and Alex MacDonald along with lecturer and mentor Gordon Eccleston, were sponsored by Inoapps, global leaders in advisory consulting for Oracle applications, technology and e-business suite managed services.

The groups worked non-stop overnight to develop an app relevant to student life and by 4pm had to complete their project and give a suitable presentation. The students also delivered ‘lightning’ presentations on topical programming topics to their peers.

The RGU team created a native iPhone application, entitled ‘FIND IT’, aimed at

helping new students find their way around university and receive information about events for the current week.

Final-year Computer Science student Colin Dawson (22) explains:

“Our aim was to create an application for freshers so they could get to know the city and the university campuses. In the future, we would like it to include bus and class timetables, as well as the ability to link to Facebook events.”

Gordon Eccleston, Senior Lecturer and Teaching Fellow, comments:

“The students undertake iPhone, database and web programming modules as part of their course and the competition not only complemented their existing skills but the successful completion of the app will count towards their final grade.

“I’m really pleased with the achievements of the team who put their classroom learning into practice. RGU were the only group developing an app solely for the iPhone and worked well together to address complex challenges in coding and functionality.

“I’d also like to thank Inoapps for covering the costs of our travelling expenses, accommodation and team t-shirts. Without the support of industry leaders like Inoapps, our students would not benefit from attending conferences and competitions which give them the opportunity to learn from and mix with computing experts, professionals and fellow students.”

The students hope to develop the app further to use for Freshers Week 2012.

The students at Culter House

FOCUS ON DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

How does your Garden Grow?First-year students from the Scott Sutherland School took part in the second annual 2-day Entrepreneurial Challenge on 3 and 4 November to design a structure for the Garthdee community allotments in order to enhance and integrate the modules taught during Stage 1.

Over 130 students took part in nine interdisciplinary teams comprising first year Surveying, Architecture and Architectural Technology students, and were tasked with a brief to design and cost an allotment structure suited to 21st century gardening and the local environment.

Allotments Chairman, Stuart Oram, acted as a real client and also formed part of the judging panel to select the winning proposal along with David McClean, Head of School, and lecturers Alan Watson, Graeme McRobbie and Neil Lamb.

The winning team were selected for their functional timber building, capable of being placed at the corner of an allotment to form one of four similar structures where the allotments meet.

Alan Watson, Lecturer at the School who organised the project, comments:

“The team’s design and associated fenestration allowed for natural light and was also secure. The judging panel, and in particular the Allotments Chairman, were particularly impressed by the idea of similar buildings meeting at a central point to encourage a communal atmosphere as well as the design’s simplicity, functionality and cost effectiveness.”

Living in the CityArchitecture students from Robert Gordon University’s Scott Sutherland School have been challenged to create a vision of future city centre conceptual living.

Student work from the Living in the City project

Stonehouse Property, based in Bon Accord House on Riverside Drive, has joined forces with Year 2 Architecture students by setting them the task of constructing plans for hypothetical apartments to home visiting oil workers in the city’s West End.

The winning team, Yasmin Al-Obaidi, Stewart Hancock, Cameron Irving, Lee Johnstone, Gary Lowe, Robert Lucas, Finlay Macbeath, Alasdair Macdonald, Ewan Maclachlan, Erica Malaguti, Fraser Manson, Andrew Mccallum, Reiss Mcleod and Ashleigh Thomson, were presented with the entrepreneurial shield by Stuart Oram in an awards ceremony at the School.

Students at work on the allotment

The 55 students, working in teams of three, will plan and design theoretical buildings that would look to meet the demand for high-end accommodation for workers on short-term contracts in the area.

Neil Lamb, Senior Lecturer at the School believes the project offers the students a valuable insight

into working with real life companies.

“The University is delighted to be working with such a progressive company as Stonehouse Property on this innovative project,” he said.

“It has real relevance to the city and for the professionals living and working here. This is the sort of live project students would encounter in their working lives after graduation.

“They are all relishing the challenge ahead and we’re all looking forward to seeing their ideas and concepts take shape in the coming weeks.” The project will involve students coming up with an outline for their prospective apartment, followed by the lookout and design and lastly a final design presentation where the group with the best design will be awarded a prize in January.

Stonehouse Property managing director Ross Murray is a firm believer in nurturing creative ideas through academia deeming it highly important not just for the students but businesses as well.

“The oil and gas market forms a key strand of our core business so this project is of particular relevance to us and will allow the students to build up some practical experience of pitching an idea to real life companies,” he said.

“This project will really add to the students’ academic learning and is a great opportunity for them to showcase their skills and flair for architecture.”

Stonehouse Property manage 300 properties in and around the Aberdeen city centre, focusing primarily on new build, high quality property, and Neil believes this demonstrates the experience that the students can gain from a project such as this.

Neil continued: “The students really benefit from live client-led projects which add another dimension to their learning experience. “It’s great that companies like Stonehouse are willing to partner up with the University and we look forward to building on this relationship in the future.”

FOCUS ON DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Student life-drawing award remembers artist and friendThird-year Painting student Tomasz Wrobel (28) is this year’s recipient of the Jen Beattie Memorial Award established to remember local artist Jen, who passed away in 2009 during her studies at Gray’s.

Tomasz Wrobel

Painting students awarded prestigious fine art prizePainting students JJ McKeown (23) and David McDiarmid (21) have been jointly awarded the David Gordon Memorial Trust Student Drawing Prize, each receiving a cheque for £250. The popular competition, which received over 120 submissions, is open to second, third and final-year painting and printmaking students, and aims to promote and stimulate drawing as a core skill in the creative process within art and design education.

Set-up by lifelong friend, Lindsay Stewart, the Jen Beattie Memorial Award aims to recognise an outstanding piece of work by a second or third-year fine art student at Gray’s in life drawing – a favourite activity of Jen’s.

Jen, a mother-of-four from Inverurie, had previously worked as a special needs teacher at Kemnay Academy and had returned to study for a BA (Hons) in Painting at Gray’s. Sadly, in her third-year of study, she passed away shortly after her 63rd birthday in September 2009 following unexpected complications during surgery.

Lindsay explains: “I wanted to create an award that would not only celebrate Jen’s love of life drawing but would also encourage fellow student artists to explore this area. I also wanted to acknowledge the value Gray’s places on the core practice of drawing.

“Despite suffering from ill health for a number of years, Jen showed amazing stamina and

perseverance in continuing her studies, often being in pain. Drawing and painting were very important to Jen and I think that she wanted to get the most out of life and from her work.”

Tomasz’s large-scale life drawing in black and white utilises subtle shadowing techniques to create form and texture.

Tomasz said: “Life drawing is an essential skill and highlights good practice as an artist. In my piece, I covered smooth paper with black paint then, using cloths soaked in white spirit, gently removed layers to create an atmospheric image.

“I’m very surprised to have won the award as there were so many great pieces put forward. It’s such a positive boost which has really encouraged me to develop my work more and given me extra resource to purchase specialist art materials.”

Fourth-year student JJ was awarded for his large-scale pencil drawing of animal and human hybrids interspersed with pattern and abstract shapes. Inspired by nature and animals in mythology, JJ incorporates ancient folklore and creates his own myths based on modern sources including science journals and encyclopaedias.

David, currently in his third-year, submitted an atmospheric piece depicting artists at work in the studio.

He comments: “JJ and I are delighted and surprised to have jointly won the prize as the standard of drawings on display was very high. It is always very rewarding to receive recognition for your work and it gives me great confidence to continue developing my skills as an artist.

“For me, life drawing is an important practice and allows for a more thorough investigation of materials and techniques which I can then transfer into more specialist interests in the studio.”

The judging panel comprised Ian Parkinson, Joyce Mackie and well-known local artist Eric Auld, all trustees of the David Gordon Memorial Trust.

Keith Grant, Subject Leader in Painting at Gray’s, adds: “The high standard of work on show reflects the quality of Fine Art students at Gray’s.

“Awards such as these not only give students the opportunity to have their work hung in the context of a real exhibition, but also means that they can critically asses their own work and that of their peers – a key attribute in contemporary art practice.”

David McDairmid

JJ McKeown with Trust Members

Scottish Minister discusses Arbitration in AberdeenThe Northern Chapter of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) chaired by Derek Auchie, senior lecturer in Law at Robert Gordon University, met with Roseanna Cunningham, Scotland’s Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs.

The topic under discussion was the use of dispute resolution in the energy sector in Scotland as well as new opportunities presented by the Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Scottish Arbitration Centre.

The meeting, held at Paull and Williamsons’ Aberdeen office, was also attended by representatives of the CIArb Northern Chapter and Andrew Mackenzie, Chief Executive of the newly set up Scottish Arbitration Centre.

Arbitration is a commercial, cost effective and confidential method of resolving disputes. The Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010 bestows a modern, innovative arbitration regime that aims to incorporate the best of arbitral practice from around the world to provide a statutory framework for domestic and international arbitration in Scotland.The Minister keenly supported the Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010 and, during the meeting, placed an emphasis on benefits including confidentiality and the lower costs of arbitration which can be achieved, whilst recognising the distinctive and mature Scottish legal system. Students Challenged for

New IdeasRGU launched its 2011 New Ideas Competition in November in preparation for the Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) national competition.

The SIE New Ideas Competition gives students and recent graduates the opportunity to win £1500 towards an idea for a new product, business or social enterprise.

Universities across Scotland run local challenges for their institution with the best ideas going forward to the main competition, where finalists pitch their ideas to a panel of experts. The SIE competition provides the winning entrepreneurs with the funding and support to get their business ideas off the ground.

RGU’s leg of the competition is part of the Charles P Skene Entrepreneurship Programme and through the university’s Business Incubator will provide support and coaching to help students turn their business ideas into viable commercial ventures before pitting students from the three different faculties against each other in order to generate a range of new business ideas in areas such as art, design, pharmacy, marketing and retail.

Judges will focus on ideas most relevant to students’ chosen fields of study. The best three ideas from each Faculty will then be further refined to ensure genuine commercial viability, with the winning proposals sharing a total prize fund of £2100, before being entered into the SIE National Competition as business propositions.

Dr John Park, Charles P Skene Entrepreneurship Programme Leader at the university, explains: “The Entrepreneurship Programme seeks to instill the process of generating new ideas into the minds of the entire student population, not just our business students, to capitalise on the knowledge and skills learned in each Faculty.”

MSP Hosts Tourism Policy Master ClassThe Scottish Centre of Tourism (SCoT) welcomed back Lewis Macdonald MSP in October to discuss tourism policy at a master class for MSc International Tourism and Hospitality students.

Lewis spoke to the students about how government policy influenced national tourism development, followed by a question and answer session covering a variety of topics including the route development fund, the Lufthansa Aberdeen-Frankfurt route, the London Olympics, low cost carriers, the Qantas strike and Union Terrace Gardens.

RGU marches forward with Military MastersRGU is offering a new MSc in Leadership and Management to support the transition of ex-military Officers and Warrant Officers back into the civilian world. The course not only presents an industry-recognised qualification to help forces personnel move into new careers, but also provides access to companies within the Energy, Finance and Independent Business Start-up sectors, where officers can demonstrate their extensive leadership and management experience.

For the full story click here.

ABERDEEN BUSINESS SCHOOL

Roseanna Cunningham, Scotland’s Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, with Andrew Mackenzie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Arbitration Centre and members of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Northern Chapter including RGU Governor, Jennifer Young.

Lewis Macdonald MSP, Andrew Martin (Director of SCoT) and the Masters students.

Students Showcase ResearchRGU and the University of Aberdeen came together in November for ‘An Opportunity for Industry’, an annual event showcasing the impressive engineering research undertaken by both institutions.

Representatives from the local energy sector were invited to find out more about industry-related research projects being undertaken by students at both universities, who have been brought together by the Energy Institute (EI) Aberdeen Highland and Island Branch.

Thirty postgraduate MSc students from both universities displayed posters outlining their research projects - all of which are relevant to industry, and many of which have been produced in response to a company’s specific need.

For the full story click here.

Media Student Wins Film PrizeAmie Harkins, a fourth year media student, has been selected as one of the winners of the British Council and Ecorys Lifelong Learning Programme and Youth in Action Competition 2011, entitled ‘Your Story’, following her five month placement in Rotterdam at Inholland University as part of the ERASMUS initiative.

Amie was presented with the award for best film at a prize-giving event at the British Council head office in London in November.

Professor Launches latest Book in BrusselsProfessor Justin Greenwood’s latest book, Interest Representation in the European Union (3rd edition, Palgrave Macmillan), was launched in Brussels in October to an audience which included European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic and European Economic and Social Committee General Secretary Martin Westlake.

In his book Professor Greenwood argues that the fragmentation of EU decision making between the institutions and member states ensures that no one type of interest will ever routinely dominate the EU political system. This is reinforced by a system purpose-built by the EU institutions designed around interest groups to ensure similar democratic goals.

ABERDEEN BUSINESS SCHOOL

Amie Harkins at the British Council head office awards ceremony collecting her winners certificate.

If You FallThe Institute for Health and Welfare Research (IHWR) played host to paralympian and entrepreneur Karen Darke who spoke candidly about how she overcame paralysis to reclaim her life as an athlete and outdoor adventurer.

For the full story click here.

Scottish universities reveal hidden collectionsA £250,000 project unlocking the secrets of some of Scotland’s greatest museum treasures went live for the first time on 28 October 2011. The Revealing the Hidden Collections project, a two-year collaboration between nine Scottish university museums, will enable over 1.8 million objects in some of the nation’s most important collections to be searched through a dedicated website and through Google.

The Revealing the Hidden Collections project has brought these treasures into the light of the 21st century in a two-year project by a partnership of the University of Aberdeen, University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, Glasgow School of Art, University of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, Robert Gordon University, University of St Andrews and the University of Stirling. They are all members of UMIS: University Museums in Scotland. The project was funded by a £240,000 SPIRIT grant from the Scottish Funding Council.

Jane Kidd, Curator of the Art and Heritage Collections at RGU said “This has been a major piece of work for us all, but now students and the public can find out just what is owned by Scottish University museums, and access it all, in one place. The website is easy to use and should be a very useful tool in years to come”.

All collections are now searchable through the UMIS search portal at www.umis.ac.uk/revealing.

Future4Build ConferenceProfessor Richard Laing of the Scott Sutherland School recently participated in the ‘Future4Build’ conference, held in Warsaw. Richard was invited through his work with RICS Brussels to participate in an expert panel considering the large scale implementation of zero energy buildings and communities, with a particular emphasis on Poland itself. The discussion covered a range of issues, including certification, design approaches, and the importance of social variables and behaviour on realising low energy performance.

Student architectural paper published at international conferenceKristina McKinnon, a final-year Masters of Architecture student from the Scott Sutherland School, had a peer-reviewed conference paper published at the Young Architects Festival 2011 which took place in Chandigarh, India in October. The 3-day conference brought together architects, academics, researchers, engineers, town planners and students from around the world in an international forum to discuss modern trends in architecture under the theme ‘Contemporary Architecture: Beyond Corbusierism’.For the full story, click here.

EVENTS DIARY 2012For further information on all events, visit: www.rgu.ac.uk/news/eventsdiary

JANUARY

25 Energising Construction: The Future

FEBRUARY

23 Professorial Lecture, Susan Craw

29 Aberdeen Convention Bureau, Raising Awareness

MARCH

8 Elphinstone Defence Lecture

APRIL/MAY

28-5 ENNE Student Conference

JULY

10-13 Summer Graduations

Miley Inspires Fellow StudentsRGU Olympian, Hannah Miley, launched a new London 2012 affiliated sports engagement initiative in November that will run at Robert Gordon University until the London 2012 games.

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Karen Darke with Cherry Wainwright and Susan Klein