Professional Reflections
2019-20 Final Reflections A message from Prof. Mehmet Karamanoglu, Head of Department, Design Engineering and Mathematics
Many of us will remember the 2020 academic year for some time to come, and for many of us with lasting effects. Sadly, whilst there has been some devastating news for some of us, and all of us have encountered many challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is comforting to know that we are making positive moves toward reaching some form of normality. Whether we will go back to how things were is yet to be discovered, but I suspect we will all define a new normal in what we do. Reflecting on the past year, and particularly for the past 4 months, there is no doubt that there has been some very difficult periods but focusing on the positives, I am very pleased to see our students continue to achieve great successes, alongside staff managing to switch to online delivery and support really quickly and effectively. While none of this was planned, we did
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PRODUCT DESIGN Middlesex University School of Science and Technology
fantastically well and managed to get through this difficult period. I am very grateful to everyone involved in ensuring a successful completion of the academic year.
the NHS to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of staff across the institution responded and of course our Faculty did its fair share too. A team of staff started to adapt their research in infant lung function to develop new We would normally have a technological solutions to degree show to celebrate our assess respiratory functions in student’s success and this year adult patients to help with their this was going to be a festival COVID-19 recovery. This work is of celebration on the campus. still ongoing. Another team of Although the plans for this staff, made-up of 70+ started in October, volunteers across the Faculties unfortunately things did not go of Science and Technology according to plan but it is still and Arts & Creative Industries good to see some of the pulled together to respond to students having the opportunity the chronic shortage of PPE to showcase their work on equipment across the hospitals various online platforms such as in the London region. They dezeen, core77 and our worked long shifts over 38 days, in-house showcasing website: 7 days a week to produce over creativegraduates.mdx.ac.uk 67,000 face shields for the which was created quickly to healthcare workers which replace the on-campus event. included our own nursing staff and students working in Covid Lastly, I want to acknowledge wards. To be working with such the amazing response our staff fantastic staff and students across the University have given makes one nothing but proud. (read more pp. 05-06) when we received calls from
