Issue 26
HELLO Hello and welcome to the latest edition of City News. In the early weeks of the new year, it’s natural to look back on the year just gone and it’s been quite the 12 months, to say the least. This time last year: • ‘Brexit’ sounded like the name of a new chocolate bar • Donald Trump was best known as a reality TV star • ‘The Panama Papers’ could have been the title of John Grisham’s latest novel Closer to home, 2016 was a big year for City. Completing the implementation of our Strategic Plan 2012 to 2016, having the highest levels of student satisfaction in London, being ranked inside The Guardian’s Top 20, joining the University of London and being shortlisted for University of the Year mean we can reflect on 2016 as a year of major achievement in the City story. The first thing you may notice as you read this edition is that there is a new ‘City Community’ page. Feedback from the internal communications survey said staff were keen to read more news about colleagues and so this is a regular feature with more of a focus on the City staff community. One of the other great achievements of 2016 was the transformation of our estate, led by Property & Facilities. You can read more about this and upcoming projects on page 4. In other articles featuring City people, on page 12 we talk to the staff behind City’s LGBT+ forum and on page 16 we meet the Sustainability team, whose work recently helped City to be named the most sustainable university in London. Liz Rylatt joined City as our new Chief Financial Officer last summer. Fresh to higher education after many years working in retail and at the BBC, on page 10 we find out how she is settling into her role and gain her first impressions of City. Given the recent momentous political events, we couldn’t let this issue pass without asking some of our academics to give their expert insight. On page 8 you can read about the potential hidden costs of Brexit and on page 20, Professor Jason Chuah considers whether Islamic finance holds the key to economic stability. Meanwhile, on page 14 we ask ‘what’s next?’ for the US following Donald Trump’s victory. If you’ve watched the BBC’s Planet Earth II recently you’ll no doubt have marvelled at the wonders of the natural world and their adaptability to their environment. On page 18 we learn more about the research of Professor Christoph Bruecker, Professor of Aeronautical Engineering, who is investigating how the aerodynamics of the peregrine falcon could help the aviation industry. As ever, we welcome your ideas and contributions for future editions of both City News and CityWire.
Simon Watts Head of Communications and Events
CONTENTS 10
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City Community pages
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Changing spaces
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The hidden issues of Brexit
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A word with…Liz Rylatt
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Diverse-City: a look at the LGBT+ forum
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US election 2016: what happens now?
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Meet the team: Sustainability
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Research focus: Natural designs
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Research focus: Does Islamic finance hold the economic sustainability the UK is looking for?
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The Conversation article – Walking on fire water: how a whisky maker put its brand to work for refugees
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Staff making a difference: Hanna’s Orphanage
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IT’S YOUR MAGAZINE Comments and feedback are always welcome, as are suggestions for future editions such as exciting new research outputs or a new project. Please contact the Editor. Marketing & Communications reserves the right to edit submissions. About City News City News is published by the Marketing & Communications department at City, University of London. Back issues: https://issuu.com/cityuniversitylondon Editor: Demetri Petrou Deputy Editor: Jennifer Mills Tel: 020 7040 8783 Email: demetri.petrou.1@city.ac.uk THANK YOU... ...to all of this issue’s contributors: Jenny Aster, Professor Christoph Bruecker, Raffaella Cuccia, Dr Glenda Cooper, Professor Jason Chuah, Jason Clarke, Professor David Collins, Professor Sir Paul Curran, Dr Graham Daborn, Dr Xeni Dassiou, Matt Dumas-Bowden, Kevin Gibbons, Professor Tim Lang, Professor Les Mayhew, Professor Inderjeet Parmar, Nicola Ranson, Liz Rylatt, Ellie Simes, Dr Matt Shipton, Dr John Stanton, John Stevenson and Afua Yeboa-Henaku.
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JOIN THE COMMUNITY GARDENING PROJECT Are you interested in volunteering, gardening or giving something back to the local community? Staff and students are invited to join the Northampton Square Community Gardening project. Since the summer, City has been working closely with Islington Council and the local community to rejuvenate Northampton Square by introducing new plants, clearing fallen leaves and watering the flowerbeds. To date, three gardening days have been held and they have seen dozens of students, staff and local residents help make Northampton Square a more pleasant, green space. Everyone is welcome to join the project, from the green to the not-so-green fingered. If you’re interested in taking part, please join the Gardening group on Yammer.
CITY IN THE COMMUNITY
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BLUE PLAQUE FOR BESSEMER CITY NAMED THE GREENEST UNIVERSITY IN LONDON AND SEVENTH IN THE UK A new league table has named City as one of the UK’s most sustainable universities. The People & Planet University League ranked 150 UK universities on their environmental and social justice performance. City was placed in seventh position nationally and first in London. People & Planet rate each university on 13 separate measures, from environmental policy and carbon management to waste and recycling. City’s total score was 70 per cent, just 6 per cent below Nottingham Trent, the university in first place. To read more about how the Sustainability team is making City green turn to page 16.
DON’T MISS ON ADINA URITESCU “We are currently overhauling our Induction process and would interested to find out: What is the best Induction you ever had? What happened that made it good? This could be at City or elsewhere. I would love to hear your views on how a great Induction should be and help us improve this at City.”
An English Heritage blue plaque will be installed on City’s new Main Entrance to mark the achievements of Sir Henry Bessemer FRS (1813 to 1898) who resided in Northampton Square in 1833. Bessemer was an English engineer and inventor, famous for the Bessemer used to manufacture steel. His work is claimed to be the single most important contribution to the Industrial Revolution. Northampton Square has a rich history of craftsmen inhabitants, including clockmakers, jewellers and silversmiths. In addition to Bessemer, it was home to George Baxter, the inventor of commercial colour printing; the British Horological Institute; James Clarke Hook the painter; and Dr William Shearman, a physician involved in the establishment of the Charing Cross Hospital.
10 MINUTE MIND Mindfulness is proven to have a positive impact on stress, anxiety, focus and can jump start creativity. The Student Counselling and Mental Health Service and the Organisational Development team have launched the ‘10 Minute Mind’ programme for staff and students. During the programme staff will be emailed a short guided mindfulness track each morning. All you need to do is take 10 minutes to sit somewhere quiet, put headphones on and listen. The programme has been devised by Monique Rhodes who has been teaching mindfulness for over 10 years. To sign up visit: www.city.ac.uk/ staff-hub/mindfulness
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CHANGING SPACES It’s probably a safe assumption that if you’ve walked around City in the last 12 months, you’ll have come across some form of building work. You might have turned down a corridor in Tait to find it out of action, or had to take a new route to access the Library, or even simply to enter and exit the buildings. The scale of construction has been significant but the results of those efforts are now starting to show. Early November saw the opening of a flagship 240-seat lecture theatre, while the Main Entrance began welcoming visitors at the beginning of December. The project began in summer 2015 and involved the remodelling, refurbishment and extension of the ground floor and level one of the University Building. Director of Property & Facilities, Kevin Gibbons, said: “The ever increasing number of students, staff and visitors using the original Main Entrance meant it was simply no longer fit for purpose. It was also a very poor ‘shop window’ from which to display our wares to the outside world. The new Main Entrance will greatly improve its functionality, access and circulation and will provide more routes into and out of the building. It also sends a clear signal to the outside world about our standing and ambitions.”
Above: Kevin Gibbons, Director of Property & Facilities
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NEW SPACES FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF Elsewhere, the Tait Level 1 amenity project is progressing. This work involved major demolition and when completed in summer 2017, it will provide a range of first class facilities for students and staff. The Students’ Union will have a new home, something welcomed by current SU President Yusuf Ahmed: “Moving the SU back into the heart of the building will make it easier for students to find and access our services and give a better sense of community. As we’re not a campus university we have to work harder to give students the same experience
SEBASTIAN STREET Perhaps the most significant construction since CitySport, the plans for a new building on Sebastian Street are certainly ambitious. This 6,500 sqm education facility, offering high quality academic spaces for learning and research, has been earmarked as a new home for The City Law School. Demolition work to clear the site and demolish the Parkes and Health Centre Buildings is underway, finance has been approved by City’s Council and construction is scheduled to begin in May. As part of the demolition process, the Museum of London conducted
“Moving the SU back into the heart of the building will make it easier for students to find” they receive at campus institutions and create a feeling that there is a lot they can get involved with. Having this new suite of spaces will definitely help us to do this.” Other facilities in the project include new informal learning and quiet study spaces, a multi-faith area and a new cafeteria for staff and students. Landscaping to the courtyard behind the old staff cafeteria will turn unused wasted space into a quiet inner garden, free from traffic noise. The project is being delivered in phases, with the cafeteria area due to open first in early 2017.
an archaeological dig for items of historical significance hidden below the surface. Research suggested that a civil war era fort was once situated on part of the site. Items found during other digs include prehistoric bones, Roman remains and other remnants that give a glimpse into the history of London. While City hoped to find its own Car Park King, as the University of Leicester did with Richard III, sadly, no such treasures were found and construction work can continue as scheduled.
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/BUILDING-THE-VISION
BUILDING THE VISION… S U S T A I N A B LY One of our most significant achievements is our environmental and sustainability performance. One of City’s key performance indicators is to achieve at least a 2:1 award in the People & Planet University League. This year that was exceeded when City was given a First Class award. Staff and student teams across the University have engaged enthusiastically with issues rightly considered important for an institution with a high degree of social responsibility. In 2014 Green Dragons, the student-led sustainability initiative programme, was shortlisted for a coveted Green Gown award, while the Green Impact scheme has shown how much can be achieved by staff working together on saving waste. As part of the UK’s global commitment, universities are required to reduce total emissions by 43 per cent by 2020 against a 2005/06 baseline. City is on track to achieve this and sits within the top 10 per cent of institutions for performance to date. The current focus is to embed sustainability in all parts of the University’s operations such as procurement, investment and student curricula.
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Above: the new pavilion space Below: an artists interpretation of the new Sebastian Street building
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On Thursday 23rd June 2016, the British electorate voted to step into the unknown and leave the European Union. The last edition of City News looked at the campaign. As suggested by Dr Dan Mercea, people took to the streets after it was too late. Professor Philip Corr and Jonathan Hewett spoke about the media coverage and the language used, which has been a major focus for discussion after the result was announced. Much has been said about the campaign and why voters decided that they would be better off outside the union of which the UK has been part for over 40 years. The ‘Remainers’ were accused of using an apocalyptic rhetoric and the ‘Leavers’ were accused of preying on the public’s fears. It was a debate which divided the nation and has caused fractions that may take many years to heal. Several months have passed since the referendum and the economy hasn’t quite collapsed, but neither has the leaving process been a bed of roses. City News spoke to some of City’s academics to discuss important issues that may have gone unnoticed.
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/EU-REFERENDUM
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THE WEAKER POUND IS A MIXED BAG AS RIVALS MOVE TO ADAPT
Dr Xeni Dassiou, Reader in Economics “The value of the pound plummeted after the Brexit referendum. From close to US$1.50 before the vote, sterling has now found a new level close to US$1.20. This has been greeted as a welcome boost to UK exporters as it makes it cheaper for other countries to buy British goods. But this is a simplistic view. The reality is far more complicated and dependent on the markets. “The conventional wisdom about a falling currency and exports fails to acknowledge some fundamental points. Our research highlights that such analysis typically does not account for the existence and nature of a company’s competition, domestically and overseas. “In other words, nimble corporate rivals can quickly adapt to counter any potential gains from currency effects and that applies to UK-focused firms as well as exporters. Let’s take an example from one of Britain’s favourite pastimes: beer. SABMiller is a British exporter, which competes in an international duopoly with Belgian group AB-InBev. “Now, under conditions of a falling pound, SABMiller would in theory enjoy an increase in its profits as foreign buyers snapped up products now markedly cheaper in their home currencies. However, that assumes that its Belgian rival failed to cut its own product prices by what was required to offset the change in the GBP/EUR exchange rate. If AB-InBev is on the ball and sensitive to exchange rate changes it can very easily decide to cut its product price by more than the increase in the exchange rate. In that scenario, the profits of SABMiller could fall. “It is clear the argument that a weakened currency makes domestic exporters better off is not necessarily true. Whether a fall in the currency is a good thing for an industry depends on the market structure and specifically on the size of the price sensitivities with respect to exchange rates of their international competitors. “If the companies ignore these complex relationships between firms’ price setting behaviour, profits and exchange rates, mistakes are more likely and sometimes they will benefit the exporters of the appreciating country at the expense of the firms in the depreciating country.”
HOW IS THE REFERENDUM LIKELY TO AFFECT OUR PENSIONS?
Professor Philip Corr, Professor of Psychology “Legislatively speaking, The Pensions Act 2014 requires the State Pension age to be reviewed during each Parliament. The reviews will consider changes in life expectancy and wider changes in society. The first of these reviews is currently underway, conducted by John Cridland and will conclude in May 2017. That review is forward-looking and will not reexamine the existing timetable for increases up to April 2028. So it is not in the gift of the Chancellor to announce the result before the review has been done. “However, it is important that the review does not postpone the inevitable. The demographics show that the State Pension age needs to be 70 years or thereabouts. However, the existing timetable will give little time for a further increase because increases in State Pension age to 67 by 2028 have already been announced. This leaves little time to make changes, so if it is raised to 70 it will more likely be in the early 2030s, a few years later than the economics suggest it should be. “Britain’s working age population has been underpinned by immigration for years and if one of the effects of Brexit is a shortage of workers, this will only add pressure on people to work for longer and for the pension age to increase. “The danger is whether people will be physically fit enough to work to this age or may be otherwise engaged caring for a family member. Many will find themselves unable to work through physical disability, longterm illness or other responsibilities with no money coming in (other than benefits). It will be interesting to see how the review addresses this.”
HOW BREXIT THREATENS BRITAIN’S FOOD SECURITY
Professor Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy “The situation created by the British vote to leave the European Union is momentous for UK food. It is on a par with the Repeal of the Corn Laws of 1846 when Britain decided its Empire could feed it, not its own farmers. And it is as important as the creation of the Agriculture Act of 1947 when after two bruising wars in which the population faced serious risk of starvation, the country decided to put its food house in order, to produce more of what it could and look after the land. “Those events set the tone and framework for UK food for decades. Brexit will do the same. It doesn’t help that the political elites are now distracted from the genuine, looming effects. “My concern is that the security of food might get lost in the debacle. The UK must not let that happen. Food stocks are low in a just-in-time economy, an estimated three to five days’ worth. The UK doesn’t feed itself. It has dropped to 61 per cent self-sufficiency, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) reported recently. The UK has quietly become an outsourced food economy, using other people’s land and low wage labour to feed people while consumers subsidise rich landowners and keep their land values high. The UK gets 30 per cent of its food from the EU. That rises to 40 per cent for horticultural produce, of which consumers eat too little for good health. “Part of the challenge now is the UK’s love of cheap food. This was the legacy of the Repeal of the Corn Laws which sought cheap food for workers. Cheapness as efficiency is still central to the neoliberal project today, as Michael Gove stated in the referendum campaign. But in food, cheapness encourages waste and poor health. “The UK faces harsh food times ahead, but they have been a long time coming. The Brexit euphoria won’t last long if food prices rise or shelves empty. This needs planning.”
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A word with Liz Rylatt Liz Rylatt joined City as Chief Financial Officer in August, bringing with her a wealth of experience from retail giants John Lewis, House of Fraser and Laura Ashley. More recently, she spent 18 years with the BBC. City News caught up with Liz to find out how she’s settling into her new role and to hear her first impressions.
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/EXECUTIVE-TEAM
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CN: How are you finding your new role?
CN: What have your first few months at City been like?
LZ: Although higher education is a sector that’s new for me, at the BBC I was Chief Financial Officer for the Operations Division, which had huge similarities to this role. The types of people you deal with and the governance processes within a public service organisation draw close comparisons and I really enjoy the inspiration when working with academically excellent people.
LZ: I have been made very welcome and am enjoying finding out more than I ever thought I would in such a short space of time. There’s been a lot going on, specifically supporting the governance process. Ensuring the process runs smoothly enables staff to focus on what they do best. That underpins everything we do. CN: Will leaving the EU have an effect on the financial outlook at City?
LZ: Well, my first ever job was a paper round where I grew up and after a few years I progressed to being the Saturday and Sunday staff member in the shop. CN: Did you always know you wanted to work in finance LZ: No, my father was a bank manager and when I got to the end of my degree in computer science at Newcastle University he suggested that training as a chartered accountant would be the best all-round business training. I think I can say I totally agree with him!
CN: What drew you to the role at City? LZ: While I was working at the BBC I took on a governor role for Kingston University and became involved in several supplementary committees. I was a member of the audit committee when Kingston was going through the Research Excellence Framework 2014, so I started to gain an understanding of the sector. I also took on a role on the International Advisory Board at Newcastle University Business School. Again, that was all part of looking at the sector from different angles. I spent some time contemplating which sector would offer me a fresh challenge, but I thought my skills and experience would work well in higher education. When the job at City came up I felt that it was a perfect fit due to its focus on business and the professions. CN: What does the role of Chief Financial Officer entail day-to-day? LZ: As a member of the Executive Team, I support and advise on City’s direction and work hard to ensure we have in place the building blocks and tools to support the Strategy.
LZ: Over the summer a lot of work was done on modelling Brexit’s potential impact. From that piece of work we have forecast that leaving the EU may not have as big an impact as first thought. We have made sufficient strategic adjustments to believe we will be financially sound, especially in the short to medium term, with scope to make plans for the long term once more details are available. The most important thing is that we retain our ambition and continuing to attract internationally diverse students is part of achieving it. CN: What does Vision & Strategy 2026 entail for Finance? LZ: One of my priorities is to champion City’s growth ambition. We have an international student population hungry for what we have to offer. We have a strong brand that has been enhanced since we joined the University of London. And we offer a great student experience. These strengths are an excellent foundation to build on. CN: What was your first ever job?
CN: Are you enjoying this part of London? LZ: I’m enjoying exploring the local area. I’ve been walking around Smithfields, Angel and Exmouth Market. Everything is so close and there are so many places to eat! I recently got myself a bicycle to help me get around faster. CN: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? LZ: I have three teenage girls who keep me well entertained. We spend a lot of time shopping, we go to the Isle of Wight every other weekend and we have two dogs, so in my spare time it’s domesticity. We are a great family of cooks so we do a good deal of entertaining, mainly for family and friends. CN: What do you like to cook? LZ: My favourite cuisine would be a Mediterranean mixture. Plenty of meat and lots of nice flavours.
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his year is a historic year for the LGBT+ community in the UK. 2017 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967, the Act that decriminalised homosexuality in the UK. The community has come on leaps and bounds since then, with countries around the world introducing more liberal laws. “Despite recent wins, there is still a lot of work to be done,” says Matt Dumas-Bowden. Matt has been at City since 2004, working as a Course Officer in the Cass Undergraduate Programme. When in 2013, Dr Arti Agrawal, Lecturer in the School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering, started City’s LGBT+ forum, Matt saw that as the perfect opportunity to get involved. “I came out quite late, after I had finished university. There was no LGBT+ forum or any other support for LGBT+ staff and students when I was at university. If there was an opportunity to help people feel more comfortable about their sexuality, or help people that aren’t LGBT+ understand us better, I wanted to get involved,” Matt shares. “Since I’ve been part of the forum, I’ve seen it develop and grow. Not just in terms of size, but also in its goals and aims. Initially, it was a social group, but now it is so much more. We’re a lot more politically and socially active having taken part in several programmes and initiatives that spread beyond the walls of City.” According to Matt, part of the growth is thanks to his colleague Jenny Aster, Service Coordinator in Learning Enhancement & Development (LEaD), who joined the Forum in 2013. “At first, I wasn’t sure if I would be welcome,” Jenny says. “At the time I was neither ‘L’, ‘G’, ‘B’ or ‘T’ (or +) but I have a big interest in the area and joined as a straight ally with my partner at the beginning of her transition. The people who were already there were so welcoming and keen to get me involved, I felt more and more part of the community,” she recalls. “Not being LGBT+ allows you to step back and see the wider issues and how to address them and be someone that can promote and advocate for a community that has struggled and continues to struggle with discrimination. I think this has allowed me to contribute something new as does having a partner who was in transition. As part of our journey I realised I was now in a lesbian rather than a heterosexual relationship. We have been together for 32 years and married for 20. We’re due to marry again as a same sex couple this year. It’s been wonderful to have the
group to support me on my personal experiences,” Jenny recalls. Matt reinforces Jenny’s importance: “People tend to group us together, but whatever letter you assign yourself to, you have your own interests and priorities. To be honest, I didn’t know much about the Trans community until Jenny joined. She helped me step back and gain a better understanding of something I didn’t have a huge experience with, so she really has been significant.” The Network meet on matters to promote inclusivity, greater understanding and awareness of diversity at City. In addition, the group holds events during the year that promote the community and what they offer to staff and students. This applies to those who are out and proud and those who don’t feel comfortable about sharing their sexuality with others. “We’ve got the Network to quite a good place. I think we’re becoming fairly well known with staff and students. They know who we are and what we can offer which is great, but there’s still a lot we’d like to achieve which is quite difficult in addition to our regular jobs. But it’s a labour of love so we’re happy to make the effort,” Matt says. “I think we have made huge strides in recent years and that’s something I’m really proud of,” says Jenny. “It’s so important to build the community and give everyone a voice. City’s LGBT+ voice is getting louder! Our Network was active in the introduction of the ‘Mx’ title for staff at City and we are hoping that soon this will also be available for students. The rainbow banner on the walkway between Northampton Square and College Building is now a permanent fixture. We are currently working with the Equality & Diversity Adviser, Nneb Akpom-Simon, Community Interest Company, Gendered Intelligence, the Student Experience team and the Students’ Union on trans, intersex and gender non-conforming people policy. We are hoping to launch this early in the year and are working hard with Nneb to roll out trans training for the University.” “We also assisted in the Trans Day of Remembrance which was hosted here for the second year on Sunday 20th November, organised by Sahra Rae Taylor, in her capacity as tutor and PhD student here at City. We also ran events for World Aids Day in December and will as always be putting on a variety of things for LGBT History Month in February and for Trans Awareness Day on Friday 31st March.
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/EQUALITY-DIVERSITYINCLUSION
“We are getting to a point where diversity is actively being considered in things that affect our identity as a university, like the new Strategy. It’s something I’m hoping will make a huge difference to the future of City,” Jenny concludes. Describing the future plans, Matt continues: “The main focus of the group was to support each other and that was really tested following the hate attack in Florida. That was felt by the whole community and we were all there for each other which is comforting during a difficult time. It has also been difficult to hear some of the hateful rhetoric targeted at minorities on the back of the US Presidential campaign and the EU Referendum. But this is the kind of thing that brings our community closer together.” “We don’t only want to be there for our own community, we want to be there for other groups and communities. City is an international institution and we respect people from all cultures and backgrounds. There are still 74 countries where same-sex sexual contact is a criminal offence, so we don’t expect that people are automatically in-tune with the freedoms we enjoy here. But we want to work with them especially to raise awareness and for us to learn and respect each other’s cultures.”
DIVERSE-C LGBT+ FOR
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Jenny and Matt on the University’s main corridor
CITY: A LOOK AT THE RUM
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US ELECTION 2016: WHAT HAPPENS NOW? After what seems like an age of campaigning, the most bitter political campaign in western history finally came to an end on Tuesday 8th November with billionaire hotelier, Donald Trump, defying polls to become the next President of the United States of America. The appointment has divided opinion with protests seen across cities in the US and the hashtag #notmypresident trending within hours of the announcement. As Trump was inaugurated in January, City News spoke to academics from across City to provide an insight into their predictions.
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Professor Inderjeet Parmar, Professor of International Politics, School of Arts & Social Sciences
“Trump is unpredictable but he is also just one man, albeit the most powerful in the world. He still has to get legislation passed by Congress and therefore by a hardcore conservative body that is bankrolled by corporations and who want to placate the markets. The House and Senate are likely to check and balance Trump and, most likely, he will moderate his positions to make deals with Congress. “Long-term, the US remains the most powerful, innovative, technologically and scientifically advanced economy in the world, so it will continue to improve and grow. But this shock will unnerve markets short-term.” “Clinton had promised more of the same to a nation that, after eight years of the Obama presidency, was more unequal and seething with discontent on Left and Right”. “The last thing it wanted was someone attached to the centre-ground,” he said.
Professor David Collins, Professor of International Economic Law, The City Law School
“While Trump’s position on trade during the presidential campaign was one of protectionism and withdrawal from trade agreements, we have some reason to feel optimistic that this will not come to fruition now that he has won. We have already seen a more balanced, conciliatory tone from Trump since his victory and there is every indication that he will move away from some of his harsh anti-trade rhetoric when it becomes clear that this approach will do more harm than good to the US economy.” David, an expert in international economic law who has published extensively on global trade issues and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), believes Trump will give precedence to trade relations with the UK: “He has indicated that the UK will be among his top priorities when signing new trade agreements and his renegotiation of existing agreements might address some of the genuinely unfair trade practices he mentioned during his campaign. For example, Trump regularly pointed to China’s currency manipulation which has been inadequately addressed under current international trade laws (for example by the WTO). “Some mechanism to prevent this kind of protectionism is needed. He is clearly a ‘deal-maker’ and it seems unlikely that he will not pursue trade negotiations which are of mutual benefit to the US and potentially the UK.”
Dr John Stanton, Senior Lecturer in Constitutional Law, The City Law School
“With concern about Trump’s political and personal views in mind and issues raised in connection with the rule of law, now more than ever we need to acknowledge the importance of constitutional legal constraints acting upon a political system defined by populist movements.” John, the author of Democratic Sustainability in a New Era of Localism, is of the view that Trump will not be given carte blanche to do as he pleases. “In America and with Donald Trump at the helm, there exist various constitutional restraints that could temper the policies, views and political ideas that he has come to represent and on the strength of which he has been elected. The US President isn’t quite as powerful as popular opinion might think, mainly due to the principles and values that are set out in and protected by the US Constitution and advocated more broadly by the Founding Fathers in the 18th century. The US system is one that respects a separation of powers and honours checks and balances. “This mandates that whilst the President is the seat of executive power and has extensive governmental authority, the legislative and judicial functions rest elsewhere. Congress, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, makes law and while the President has the power to approve or veto bills, once they have passed through both Houses, that veto is itself susceptible to overrule by two-thirds of Congress. If Donald Trump’s policies and views are to inform the legislative process, he must work with the Republican Party in Congress as it is ultimately up to the Party to introduce the bills and to work towards their enactment.”
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MEET THE SUSTAINABILITY TEAM Over the last few years, City has made impressive progress to becoming a more sustainable institution. It is on track to achieve its target of a 43 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. City is one of few universities who remain on track and has been rated fourth best in the UK for carbon reduction. The amount of water City consumes is down by 3.6 per cent on last year and nearly 65 per cent of waste is recycled. In the last three years, a project encouraging staff and students to switch to tap water has saved an estimated 840,000 plastic bottles from going to landfill. So who is responsible for this success? Meet the Sustainability team: Jason Clarke, Ellie Simes and Afua Yeboa-Henaku. The team has two main objectives. One is to reduce the impact that City has on the environment. The other is to engage with City’s many staff and students to encourage them
to be more aware of the environment in their everyday lives. At the helm is Jason Clarke, Head of Sustainability, who is responsible for the Environmental Management System, utilities (how we manage water, gas and electricity) and the team’s overall strategy. Their goal, Jason says, is to embed sustainability into everything City does. A major part of this is making the City campus as energy efficient as possible. The new building planned for Sebastian Street, for example, is set to be City’s most sustainable building to date, using innovative technologies and sustainable building techniques. “It will be heated using ground source heat pumps, a renewable source of energy. It will also feature solar panels and will have both ‘green’ and ‘blue’ roofs which will promote biodiversity and absorb water to use in the waste system”.
Materials chosen for buildings on City’s campus are assessed for their sustainability credentials. “The wood we use is taken from forests that will be replenished and the company that provides the carpet uses recycled materials”. Jason’s role is to put considerations like these on the agenda when City plans new buildings or refurbishes old ones. Working with Jason are Ellie Simes and Afua Yeboa-Henaku. Ellie is City’s Sustainability Officer who looks after the biodiversity of the campus, food, travel and waste management. This involves improving recycling facilities and finding ways to “encourage people to recycle more, more of the time”. Ellie also works with City’s catering providers to source sustainable ingredients, making sure there is healthy food on the menu and improving the efficiency of appliances. Most recently, City has
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/SUSTAINABILITY
Meet the awardwinning people who have earned City the title of ‘greenest university in London’
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5,000 tonnes of CO2 – saved since 2006
2 beehives producing over 20 kg of honey a year
From left to right: Afua Yeboa-Henaku, Jason Clarke, Ellie Simes by the solar panels on top of the Tait Building
started recycling food waste that was previously sent to landfill. Last year, with the help of an expert beekeeper, Ellie installed two beehives on the roof of the Innovation Centre. She has been running a weekly bee club ever since to help raise awareness of the plight of pollinators and educate staff and students about the importance of biodiversity. Afua Yeboa-Henaku is the Sustainability Engagement Coordinator. Afua’s job is to engage staff and students; and she runs the popular Sustainable City Challenge, the competition that encourages staff and students to make small changes to their habits, from how they get to work, to buying Fairtrade products. Each year, Afua organises Sustainable City Week, the series of events and workshops aimed at staff and students, from a cycle-powered cinema to a bike sale. The aim, Afua
6 years of being a Fairtrade University
says, is to celebrate sustainability and encourage more people to lead sustainable lifestyles. A key part of her role is keeping people motivated throughout the year, whether this is through recruiting Sustainability Leaders (volunteer ambassadors across the institution) or running the annual Sustainable City awards ceremony which recognises those who have contributed to City’s sustainable successes. The key to the team’s achievements, Jason says, is aligning sustainability with the main aims of the institution, education and research. “Whether it is becoming a Sustainability Leader, participating in the staff Sustainable City Challenge, or even incorporating sustainability into your teaching or research, everyone can play a part in City’s mission to improve sustainability on campus.”
Greenest university in London and 7th in the UK, according to the People & Planet University League
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A H E A D O F H I S R E S E A R C H F E AT U R I N G O N B B C ’ S N AT U R A L W O R L D , B A E S Y S T E M S S I R R I C H A R D O LV E R CHAIR IN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING, PROFESSOR CHRISTOPH BRUECKER, SPEAKS TO CIT Y NEWS ABOUT HOW HIS RESEARCH COULD BE USED TO BENEFIT THE FUTURE OF AIR TRAVEL.
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ature has long been an inspiration for Science and Engineering. Known as Biomimicry, the designs of many of the things we use daily are based on animals. Velcro was created after exploring the way plant burrs stick to dog hair. Colour displays for e-readers take their inspiration from butterfly wings. Even new surgical techniques for skin grafts are based on the Pomphorhynchus laevis – a parasitic spiny-headed worm which pierces its hosts with a razor-like spine and is said to be three times as strong as surgical staples. This natural inspiration is not unfamiliar to the academics at City. Professor Christoph Bruecker, Professor of Aeronautical Engineering in City’s School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering, is using the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) to investigate how its aerodynamics could help the aviation industry. Christoph joined City last August and was appointed as the recently established BAE Systems Sir Richard Olver Chair in Aeronautical Engineering. He continues his research which he began at Freiberg University in Germany. “The peregrine falcon is a feat of nature. It has been described as the ultimate aerial predator,” explains Christoph. “It is a powerful, agile bird which reaches speeds of up to 200mph (322kmph) when it divebombs its prey mid-air.” Nearly all bird species can alter the shape of their wings and can change their aerodynamic properties, a concept known as ‘morphing wing’. What’s unique about the peregrine is that they can also do this during a dive. While accelerating, they move them closer and closer to their body. “What’s fascinating about them is that peregrines are not only extremely fast flyers but also maintain remarkable manoeuvrability at high speeds. For instance, during courtship behaviour they often change their flight path at the end of a dive, i.e. they
turn from a vertical dive into a steep climb. This suggests that peregrines are exposed to high mechanical loads which is of particular interest in aeronautics,” Christoph continues. Although the nose-diving flight of peregrines has been investigated numerous times, exact measurements of acceleration forces, drag forces, flight path angles and the corresponding aerodynamics of the flow around the body have not been determined. The dive of a wild peregrine is a brief, rare event that takes place at unpredictable places and times, usually at a long distance from the observer. To learn more about the flight characteristics of a diving peregrine, they used birds accompanied by a falconer that were trained to dive in front of the dam wall of the OlefTalsperre in Hellenthal, Germany. Christoph and his team investigated the flight path of the diving falcons with the aid of high-speed video cameras. 35 nearly identical dives were recorded, where the academics were able to obtain acceleration values and body shape information. From this information, they were able to create models of the body shape of a diving falcon at maximum flight velocity recorded. Using these models, they were able to create further experiments using a wind tunnel and oil-based paintings to explore lift and
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VELCRO
A WORL D O F I NSPI RATI ON
SKIN GRAFT SURGICAL TECHNIQUES The new technique for attaching skin grafts, which are transplants used to treat wounds and burns, is inspired by the spiny-headed worm called Pomphorhynchus laevis. It pierces the intestines of its host with a razorlike spine. Similarly, the skin graft adhesive consists of a patch of tiny needles whose tips swell up when exposed to water, keeping the graft in place.
drag forces. Some of this research was the subject of the BBC Two programme Natural World. Christoph found that the typical shape of both the body and the wing at maximum diving speed showed a ‘V-type’ structure with the open end between the shoulders and the tip at the tail of the body. The leading edge of the wing is not straight but has a wavy structure with grooves in the gaps between the neck and both shoulders. He also found that some of the falcons’ feathers pop up acting like micro-spoilers and sensors giving falcons so much control at high speed. “Although we will need further research into this, especially from taller structures, I hope that eventually, aircraft technology can learn from the impressive birds and we can adapt what he have learnt to give us more streamlined and efficient aircraft,” Christoph concludes.
The hook-and-loop fastener, also known as Velcro, was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in 1941. George was struck by the idea when he was walking his dog and realised burrs had become stuck in its fur. The fastener consisted of two components: a lineal fabric strip with tiny hooks that could “mate” with another fabric strip with smaller loops, attaching temporarily, until pulled apart.
SHARK SKIN
The U.S. Navy is taking a lesson from sharks. Shark skin contains miniature scales that are comprised of a material called dentin which create vortices in the water to reduce drag. Their skin also prevents other organisms such as barnacles from attaching themselves. The cost of cleaning this so-called ‘bio-fouling’ from Navy vessels is estimated to be over $50M annually.
COLOUR DISPLAYS FOR E-READERS Researchers were inspired by the way butterfly wings gleam in bright light to create a new type of colour displays for e-readers. The new displays work by reflecting light, instead of transmitting light from behind the screen the way LCD monitors do.
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The Dubai International Finance Centre (above) is one of the most important financial hubs for the Gulf region and in 2014 issued a sukuk bonds worth $700 million. Dubai has become more and more important as a financial hub for the Gulf region.
RESEARCH FOCUS: DOES ISLAMIC FINANCE HOLD THE ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY THE UK IS LOOKING FOR? I N T H E A F T E R M AT H O F T H E E U R E F E R E N D U M A N D T H E US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 2016 WAS ONE OF THE M O S T U N P R E D I C T A B L E Y E A R S I N R E C E N T M E M O R Y. FINANCIAL MARKETS DON’T COPE WELL WITH U N P R E D I C T A B I L I T Y. T H E L O N D O N S T O C K E X C H A N G E H A S B E E N R O C K E D B Y F I N A N C I A L I N S T A B I L I T Y. W I T H S O M U C H U N C E R T A I N T Y, W I L L I N V E S T O R S L O O K T O MORE STABLE HAVENS TO INVEST THEIR MONEY?
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Professor Jason Chuah, Professor of Commercial and Maritime Law at The City Law School, believes that Islamic finance may be the solution. Jason is a leading legal expert on Islamic financial law in a western context. His research on the ways Islamic financial products are structured, received and enforced in western jurisdictions such as the UK has been cited as some of the most important legal research undertaken on the subject in the UK and further afield. “It’s difficult to say that Islamic finance will be the answer to everything, although what I think we can safely say is that it had been government policy to place London alongside Dubai as an international Islamic financial capital,” Jason says. “In 2014, the UK government issued a Sukuk (Islamic bond) valued at £200 million maturing on 22nd July 2019, which was sold to investors. This was the world’s first sovereign Sukuk issued by a non-Islamic country and orders were totalling around £2.3 billion. In 2015, the UK also guaranteed, again for the first time, a Sukuk bond issued by Emirates Airlines. The guarantee was for a 10year US$913 million issue. By any measure, that is the largest guarantee in the aviation sector by any export credit agency,” he continues.
Since fixed-income, interest-bearing bonds are not permissible in Sharia or Islamic law, Sukuk securities are structured to comply by not paying interest. This is generally done by involving a tangible asset in the investment. For example, by giving partial ownership of a property built by the investment company to the bond owners who collect the profit as rent, which is allowed under Islamic law. Relatively speaking, Islamic finance is a small, but healthily growing corner of the larger international finance tapestry. While most other financial institutions are watching with bated breath, at this stage, things look unlikely to change in the world of Islamic finance. “I do not think that the referendum will necessarily be a deterrent to Islamic financial institutions looking to internationalise their client and investor bases. In terms of deposit taking, the majority of Islamic banks do not take deposits outside their home countries, so it is unlikely to be an issue for deposit taking. As to attracting investors, there is no need to be established in the EU to draw inward investments. The EU is not a homogenous market as far as Islamic finance is concerned. Islamic finance providers know the different advantages within the different Member States and pitch their business accordingly.”
Despite the positives, there are causes for concern and they may prevent the growth of the market. “The main issue will be legal uncertainty. How and to what extent, the current banking and financial regulations, which have largely been influenced by EU law, will change, is a relevant risk. Another big issue is the performance of the pound. If, for example, the pound falls even further, this will make it more expensive for a UK business to repay loans expressed in a foreign currency. Under English law, a contract cannot be said to be frustrated merely on the basis that performance is uneconomic or more inconvenient, meaning that these bonds will still need to be paid out.” It’s not all doom and gloom for Jason, who remains hopeful that this could be a positive outlet post-Brexit. “Overall, far too many people are talking about Doomsday scenarios and the like for the City of London. On the contrary, I have to say that Islamic finance providers, including some of the largest Islamic investment funds, have taken the line that the referendum could bring about different opportunities, especially with the UK being keen to attract inward investment. Still, some others might well wish to take a ‘wait and see’ approach to investing in the UK”.
Professor Jason Chuah, Professor of Commercial and Maritime Law at The City Law School
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THE CONVERSATION
Walking on fire water: how a whisky maker put its brand to work for refugees D R G L E N DA CO O P E R, L ECT U R E R I N T H E D E PA RT M E N T O F J O U R N A L I SM
Who best to try to change the narrative around Syrian refugees? A new film by a Sundance-winning director to raise donations for the international NGO Mercy Corps has been funded not by a traditional media organisation, but a well-known whisky maker. Johnnie Walker, part of consumer giant Diageo, commissioned Talal Derki, best known for his awardwinning feature documentary Return To Homs, to make a film about the island of Lesvos, which last year helped around half a million refugees making the dangerous voyage across the Aegean Sea. Some of the islanders (who are featured in the film) were nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for their actions. These included fishermen Stratis Valamios and Thanassis Marmarinos and 85-yearold Aimilia Kamvisi. The film Ode to Lesvos has had 31 million views since its launch last month, according to Johnnie Walker and Mercy Corps says the film has raised almost £1,500 for the charity. From my conversations with Johnnie Walker, Mercy Corps and director Talal Derki, the message all three want to reinforce is that the film is a way of repositioning the story of the refugee crisis that has dominated the news agenda over the past year. “My point of view was as a Syrian refugee and exile,” says Derki. “For me, I wanted to do the story in a positive way to show it as inspiration. This is a work about finding out who can change things around themselves”. The subtitled four-and-a-half minute film, which features several islanders speaking about their experiences in rescuing refugees and includes dramatic pictures of piles of abandoned lifejackets, is resolutely upbeat and beautifully shot.
For Selena Victor, Director of Policy & Advocacy at Mercy Corps, the message was key: “There is so much rhetoric that is anti-refugees, anti-outsiders, about closing borders and political debate. But when people come face-to-face with refugees, it’s not the case. From our perspective it is really interesting that this film harnesses the goodwill people show in life and death situations. We wanted to challenge the media portrayal that sees refugees as either those drowning, or generating a dangerous security threat”. Unlike in his previous documentary, Derki made a conscious choice in Ode to Lesvos to focus on the Greek islanders, rather than the refugees who were helped: “I wanted it to be about the Greeks and their experience and their reaction”. This, says Guy Escolme, Global Brand Director for Johnnie Walker, fitted well with their new Storyline programme which works with writers, directors and photographers to create “inspiring stories of positivity and progress”. So far, Storyline has released a film about a post-war art project in Colombia and a perhaps more typical one about an Edinburgh-based whisky blender travelling to New York with a limited edition rye blend. Says Escolme: “We’ve always sought to tell inspiring stories of the human spirit. The Keep Walking campaign is really about people doing extraordinary things. And we wanted to tell the story of how the Lesvos residents responded to a crisis in front of them and we thought they would inspire other people. We hope people are inspired to reflect what it would take to be a better person and as a call to action, people can go ahead and make a donation”.
“inspiring stories of positivity and progress”
FIND OUT MORE WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM/INSTITUTIONS/ CITY-UNIVERSITY-OF-LONDON-1047
Diageo and Johnny Walker have involved themselves in other humanitarian campaigns. Some may feel uneasy that an NGO should be working in such close contact with a company whose primary aim is to sell alcohol. Victor, however, is adamant that Mercy Corps, which has a long relationship with Diageo, has no ethical problems with this: “We partner with an enormous range of people at Mercy Corps: civil society, local NGOs, private sector, think tanks, everyone has something to contribute. Of course, we had a conversation about it and we respect everyone’s position on how they feel about alcohol but this was a really positive film brought to us by a company we had worked with and respected in the past and it was just such a good and important way to get the message out”.
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Staff making a difference: Hanna’s Orphanage
E A C H Y E A R , C A SS S E N D S S T U D E N T S A N D S TA F F T O S P E N D T W O W E E KS H E L P I N G AT T H E H A N N A’ S ORPHANAGE. HEAD OF SCHOOLS MARKETING, RAFFI CUCCIA SPEAKS TO CIT Y NEWS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES.
To find out more about Hanna’s Orphanage and the work it does with Cass, visit the Hannah’s Orphanage website.
From the age of 14, Hanna Teshome found herself caring for orphans and the elderly in her local community in Ethiopia. By chance encounter in 2006, Jenny Higgins, a British academic, saw the wonderful work she was doing and helped her found the charity Hanna’s Orphanage. With the help of money raised in the UK, the orphanage has grown in leaps and bounds, with several sites now looking after around 400 disadvantaged children across Ethiopia. In 2009, the charity began to work with Cass Business School and since then, the two organisations have built and dance utilising her experience a strong relationship. Cass has been as a ballerina; Sophie Roberts, MBA funding volunteers each summer and MSc Rankings Manager at Cass, to travel to Ethiopia to visit the originally from Australia, who taught orphanage and teach at the summer the children about native Australian school. The volunteers also get to see animals; Nicholas Steininger, BSc how the money they have raised has Finance student, who taught the helped to support the development children about gravity; and Samira of the facilities and buy the children Fuad, BSc Optometry graduate, who clothing, shoes and new classroom used her experience in health science equipment. Over £30,000 has been to educate the children on the human raised and opportunities to help the body. charity are now available to many Raffi explained that volunteering parts of City. at an orphanage is This year staff something she had and students at Cass “I have wanted to do for a long and the School of done a lot of time: “I have done a lot Health Sciences were of volunteering here and volunteering challenged to submit a had always wanted to go proposal for how they here and had to an underdeveloped could raise money for always wanted country and try and Hanna’s Orphanage: to go to an help in any way I could. the entrants with the best proposals would underdeveloped Working with children something that is have the opportunity country and try isespecially close to my to spend two weeks and help in any heart. Opportunities to teaching at a branch in do something like this way I could” Addis Ababa. are often fairly long-term The volunteers’ and difficult when you have a full-time classes complement classes taught by job, but when this opportunity came the Ethiopian staff at the orphanage up, I knew I had to apply”. and focus on working with the children “The experience is something that is in a visual, audio and kinaesthetic way. both incredibly difficult and incredibly This year’s volunteers were Raffaella fulfilling. You kind of know what to (Raffi) Cuccia, Head of Schools expect, but when you actually see Marketing, who taught the children the children first hand, the feelings English, incorporating storytelling
FIND OUT MORE WWW.HANNASORPHANAGE.ORG.UK
are a lot stronger. The kids there have nothing. Quite often, their parents are either in prison, HIV positive or have passed away, so they are so grateful just for you being there. The gratitude of the kids is something that I won’t forget any time soon.”
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