THE FUTURE OF WORK C O U L D A U T O M AT I O N B E P O S I T I V E ?
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Simon Watts Head of Communications and Events
CONTENTS 2
City Community
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Sebastian Street: The past and future
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Research focus: The price of violence
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The future of work
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Research focus: Demand for emergency care – is the NHS a victim of its own success?
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A word with Julia Palca, Chair of Council
14 Diverse-City: Making City more inclusive for transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming people 16
Fundraising focus: The cycle from student to alumni
18 Meet the Modernising Administration for Students Team 24
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Should the rich be taxed more?
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#BacktheCityPack
24 The Conversation: How telling the right stories can make people act on climate change 12
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25
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From the archive: Graduation
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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: Nicola Ranson Deputy Editor: Jennifer Mills Tel: 020 7040 3037 Email: nicola.ranson@city.ac.uk THANK YOU... ...Jenny Aster, Dr Tarek Besold, Professor Sir Paul Curran, Dr Graham Daborn, Professor Peter Fleming, Andrea Foti, Ed Grover, Julie Haggar, Professor John Hatgioannides, Dr Tom van Laer, Dr Mauro Laudicella, Professor Feng Li, Julia Palca, Amy Ripley, Melanie Sanderson, Lizzie Starling, John Stevenson, David Street, Dr Agne Suziedelyte, Bill Thompson, George Wigmore and Jessica Wykes.
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CITY COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
THANK YOU TO THE CHAIR OF COUNCIL City would like to extend our thanks to Rob Woodward, Chair of Council, for his commitment and dedication to the University over the last five years in the role. After serving the maximum term, Rob will be stepping down as Chair of Council in February and handing over to Julia Palca, current Deputy Chair of Council. You can find out more about Julia on page 12. Rob has been Chair of Council at a time of great transformation for City – supporting the development and implementation of our Vision and Strategy 2012-2016. This saw more than £140 million invested in our estate, IT infrastructure and academic staff, all while City returned to a financial surplus. That strategic investment is most evident when walking around our campus – from the opening of CitySport, to the creation of innovative underground lecture theatres and the new Main Entrance. Rob was also Chair when City joined the University of London, supporting City’s application and subsequent accession.
DEVELOP@CITY INITIATIVE WINS PRESTIGIOUS INDUSTRY AWARD Develop@City, organised by the Organisational Development and Internal Communications teams, has won the Staff Development Forum Award for Developing Excellent Practice. Comments from the judges described Develop@City as “an inspiring initiative that strives to put learning and development at the core of the University” and a “…strong internal collaboration which delivers a multi-faceted approach to staff development”. All judges agreed that the initiative showed clear evidence of immediate impact and deserved to be recognised as an initiative that other institutions may wish to adopt. Develop@City covers all learning and development initiatives at City, including masterclasses, leadership courses, walking tours and the Develop@City day which offers staff taster development sessions and wellbeing activities. Find out more: www.city.ac.uk/develop-at-city
INTERNATIONAL WEEK
International Women’s Day, held annually on 8th March, celebrates the achievements of women past, present and future. Each year City marks the occasion with a range of events, workshops and lectures for staff and students. The activities are designed to raise awareness of gender equality issues, provide a platform for positive female role models and offer practical support for female staff and students in their career and personal development. 2017 saw the addition of Professor Alison MacFarlane to our gallery wall showcasing City’s ‘extraordinary women’, for her work on FGM. All the women represented on the wall have made a significant impact on the world through their work. The annual #Iamalso campaign to celebrate achievements of female staff outside of the workplace was also hugely popular, with more submissions than in previous years. The flagship evening event, “Women in the workplace: what does professional look like?”, focused on discrimination based on appearance in the workplace, with a panel including Nicola Thorp and Charlotte Proudman. To find out what City has in store for International Women’s Day this year visit: www.city.ac.uk/international-womens-day International Women’s Day webpage views 1st Feb – 1st Apr 2016
1,564
1st Feb – 1st Apr 2017
1,951 Up by 24.74%.
Don’t miss on yammer James Bryan Head of Organisational Development
Monday 19th February – Friday 23rd February
Join the International team to find out more about the range of international opportunities and services available to you at City and celebrate the contribution of international students and staff to the community. The varied programme will include cultural awareness sessions, a global careers workshop, sporting activities, language tasters, a chance to try food from around the world and much more. To find out more contact Ina Wang in the International Partnerships and Development Office.
The City Forum is in full swing, sharing news and views around the City community. The discussions at the first session were on modernising student administration and careers registration. Let us know what you think about the event and what you would like to see next time.
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NEW YEAR ’S RESOLUTIONS: LET CITY HELP Each year more than 80 per cent of New Year resolutions made in January have failed by February. This year, take up a challenge you’ll enjoy with these opportunities at City:
GET ACTIVE
START A NEW HOBBY
SEE THE WORLD
Join the City Carrot Runners for a twiceweekly jog along the canal. All abilities are welcome. You can find the group on Yammer. Or if it’s a bit chilly for an outdoor run get a discounted membership at CitySport.
Join the City Community Choir to sing traditional folk songs, musical delights and a bit of cheesy pop. No previous experience is needed and the choir meets every Friday in AG09 from 1.05pm to 1.50pm.
Would you like the chance to travel the world, pick up new ideas and build relationships with institutions across Europe? The staff and student Erasmus schemes fund trips to partner institutions where you can learn new things, develop your skills and share best practice. Find out more: www.city.ac.uk/staff-hub/staff-exchange
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
LOOK AFTER THE PENNIES
You’re just in time to enrol on a City Short Course. Study anything from event planning to travel writing or even 3D design. Staff receive a 50 per cent discount. Find out more: www.city.ac.uk/short-courses
Use your student or staff card to get discounts in local eateries, hairdressers and other small businesses or see what’s on offer through our City Benefits scheme. Find out more: www.city.ac.uk/employee-benefits
GRADUATIONS Each January we celebrate over 2,000 students graduating from City in ceremonies at the Barbican Centre. You can join in the celebrations and watch live online. You can find details of each of the ceremonies below. You can also take a look back in the archives on page 25 to see how graduation has changed over the past century. Monday 29th January, 10am School of Arts & Social Sciences, Honorary Graduand – Lord Tony Hall Monday 29th January, 2pm School of Arts & Social and Cass Business School, Lord Mayor’s Installation as Rector Tuesday 30th January, 10am Cass Business School, Honorary Graduand – Mr Tom Ilube Tuesday 30th January, 2pm Cass Business School Wednesday 31st January, 10am The City Law School and School of Health Sciences , Honorary Graduand – Ms Tessa Green CBE Wednesday 31st January, 2pm School of Health and School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering, Honorary Graduand – Professor Anthony Finkelstein CBE
MEET NEW PEOPLE Network with colleagues at the next City Forum on Wednesday 21st March. Look out for more information in CityWire.
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AS WORK COMMENCES ON THE CITY LAW SCHOOL’S NEW BUILDING, CITY NEWS TAKES A LOOK BACK AT THE LOCAL AREA AND UNCOVERS THE HIDDEN HISTORY LOCATED BENEATH THE EARTH. On the corner of Sebastian Street and Goswell Road, construction has begun on a new building for The City Law School. The development will make the most of an underused site and will create an inspiring space suitable for world-class education and research. It is an exciting new beginning for The City Law School and a welcome addition to the campus. City is located in an area with a rich history and before work began, MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology) began a trial archaeological dig. Beneath the ground, a scattered time capsule of objects dating back thousands of years revealed the fascinating history of this part of London. THE PAST The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts that began in 1642 during the reign of King Charles I. Fearing that London was under threat of attack from the King’s Royalist troops, the City of London Corporation began work to build defences. Funded by the City livery companies, more than 20,000 Londoners helped to build the fortifications including trenches, forts and defensive walls: they were the largest fortifications known in
Europe at the time. Parliament ordered the fortifications to be demolished after the war and so very little evidence of them exists today. Until recently they have proved elusive to archaeologists trying to find them. During the archaeological work, remnants of the fortifications were found under the Sebastian Street site. The excavation uncovered a ditch lined with oak planks and scattered with items including candlesticks and a holder. They are thought to be the remains of Mount Mill Fort which included a windmill and was formed of turf and earth, reinforced with timbers and wattle work forming a checkpoint on what is now Goswell Road. The exact location of these fortifications has been disputed for many years and no fort from them has been excavated before, so this is a significant historical discovery. POTTERY A variety of pottery and earthenware was discovered, including Delftware tin-glazed pottery dating back to the 16th Century. This was a type of earthenware covered in a tin oxide glaze to create a pure white colour. Such pottery was seen as a sign of wealth as it was owned by the rich.
FLINT Flint objects found at the site are thought to date back as far as the Bronze Age (4500 BC – 700 BC). The flint would have been used as a tool, as a knife or for hunting. Certain characteristics of the objects indicate what they were used for – markings, indents and ripples on the flint show where it was struck during use. JETONS (TRADE TOKENS) AND OTHER ITEMS Several small metal coin-shaped items, known as Jeton tokens were found. They would have been used to do calculations using a board or as unofficial coinage. Other items discovered include medicine and gin bottles, iron baseplates, the worn-out soles of square-toed 17th Century shoes and pottery dating to the period of the Civil War and the preceding century, with imports from France, Holland, Germany and Portugal.
SEBASTIAN STREET: THE PA George Vertue’s 1738 map of London defences, showing ramparts and trenches surrounding London during the Civil War.
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THE FUTURE While the site was once home to Civil War fortifications, a children’s clothing factory and an air raid shelter during the Blitz, it is now the turn of The City Law School to occupy the space. The building will provide a space for research and study and is set to be completed later in 2019. DESIGN Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, it will be modern, yet complementary to the character and existing architecture of Goswell Road. The design incorporates high quality materials and uses space innovatively, such as an atrium to link the new development to the existing Georgian industrial buildings of Goswell Place. The building also uses a low carbon design, helping to support City’s Carbon Management Plan. It will achieve a BREEAM standard of excellence – an environmental assessment mark to denote sustainability. President Professor Sir Paul Curran said: “Back in 2010, we started to invest in and revitalise our estate and infrastructure. “This has included new engineering labs, underground lecture theatres and our splendid new front entrance that was opened by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal last year. But we are not resting on our laurels. We aspire to be a leading global university and this building shows our continuing commitment to investing in City and its future. “I had followed the development of the building’s design but it was not until I visited the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition last year and saw that the curtain wall for our building had been selected for display in the innovative architectural section, that I realised what a truly outstanding building it is going to be.”
AST AND FUTURE
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/ SEBASTIAN-STREET-PROJECT
THE NEW HOME FOR THE CITY LAW SCHOOL: CARL STYCHIN Q&A W H Y W I L L T H E C I T Y L AW S C H O O L B E M OV I N G T O S E B A ST I A N ST R E E T ? There are several reasons. Firstly and simply it allows the School to be brought together on a single site. This provides the School with the opportunity to rethink how we work, allowing us to collaborate effectively with each other in terms of both education and research. This undoubtedly will be to the benefit of our students. As well, by creating an attractive and inspiring space for students to learn, we expect to continue to attract the brightest and best to study and work here. W H Y I S T H I S E XC I T I N G? This is a major investment in the future of The City Law School and a strong show of confidence from City’s Council. It is truly a defining moment in the history of The City Law School. The world around us is changing at unprecedented speed; we are in a period of potentially radical change in the way that law is practised and learned. Our vision is to establish The City Law School as a truly leading law school in the UK. The new location will be just part of the process that will help us to achieve this.
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RESEARCH FOCUS:
THE PRICE OF VIOLENCE HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME RECEIVE? City News speaks to economist Dr Agne Suziedelyte about her fascinating new research into the cost of crime and how much compensation victims should be awarded.
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/ECONOMICS
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Being a victim of violent crime can be a traumatising experience with long-lasting effects on the individual and their family. From robbery to sexual assault, such crimes can be life-changing, with many people suffering psychological as well as physical symptoms. To help victims recover and rebuild their lives, many countries offer compensation, which can reach tens of thousands of pounds. But a City academic says that the sums people receive for similar crimes can vary significantly from case to case due to subjectivity involved in compensation decisions. In an effort to address this, Lecturer in Economics, Dr Agne Suziedelyte and colleagues carried out research to consider by how much victims should be compensated. Agne says the level of violent crime compensation is often left to a tribunal, judge or jury to determine but they are not always well-equipped to make appropriate tough judgements on an individual’s pain and suffering. Consequently, there is subjectivity in decision-making, resulting in unexplained variation in monetary awards. “We decided to study the issue to provide a benchmark for judges, jury members and tribunals that are given the difficult task of deciding on compensation,” she says. “The estimates of victim compensation provided by existing studies vary widely. We improve upon these studies by using high quality data and thorough methodology.” According to Agne’s recent paper in The Economic Journal, official statistics show a violent crime occurred every 26 seconds in the USA in 2012, with more than 1.2 million violent crimes committed nationally. Violent crime also makes up the majority of the cost of crime there: $250 billion out of the $310 billion total. In Australia, the focus of the research, police recorded more than 1,000 victims of violent crime per 100,000 people in 2012.
Agne notes that the cost of violent crime includes things that cannot easily be evaluated, such as psychological symptoms, as well as direct costs such as medical care. It is often the intangible consequences that are not accurately taken into account when compensation is awarded.
VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME REQUIRE AN AVERAGE AWARD OF AROUND £53,000 TO RETURN THEM TO THEIR FORMER LEVELS OF WELLBEING. “There are many indirect effects,” she says, “such as reduced mental wellbeing, negative impacts on relationships and feelings of personal safety, as well as direct costs, such as loss of income.” To explore the issue, the academics used unique data and methods that have not previously been applied to the issue. By analysing rich survey data from Australia, they were able to examine respondents’ reports about different aspects of their lives. This gave them a sample of around 18,500 people who had been questioned over 11 years. The team considered three key measures: whether respondents reported being victims of crime, their reported life satisfaction and whether they had suddenly received large amounts of money, such as winning the lottery. A key question they faced was whether compensation helps people to recover from crime. To answer this, the team compared respondents’ reports of ‘large positive income shocks’ with their life satisfaction answers. Their findings show that, on average, a sudden boost in income
Dr Agne Suziedelyte
Official statistics show a violent crime occurred every 26 seconds in the USA in 2012, with more than 1.2 million violent crimes committed nationally. Violent crime also makes up the majority of the cost of crime there: $250 billion out of the $310 billion total. In Australia, the focus of the research, police recorded more than 1,000 victims of violent crime per 100,000 people in 2012.
can indeed result in people reporting better wellbeing. The study found victims of violent crime require an average award of AU$88,000 (around £53,000) to return them to their former levels of wellbeing. It also found that costs are higher for females than for males, with an average of AU$102,000 (£62,000) required for women and AU$79,000 (£48,000) for men. It concluded that the amount for women needs to be larger if the perpetrator of the crime is a stranger. Agne explains the gender differences may be partly down to the fact that women are more likely to be victims of domestic violence and because the aspects of their lives most affected by crime are relationships with partners, safety and satisfaction with their homes. Overall, the results show women are more adversely affected by physical violence and less positively affected by large cash windfalls. Agne hopes her research can provide a real benefit to victims as well as to judges, juries and tribunals who make compensation decisions. “The victim compensation estimates we provide have two main purposes. First, judges and juries can be given a benchmark for the ‘average’ amount of compensation, which they can then adjust based on the nature and severity of particular cases. Second, the estimates can be used to set maximum compensation limits in tribunal systems.” Agne believes the findings of the study can be generalised to other nations with similar legal systems, such as the UK. “We hope that the results of our research, together with those of other studies, can reduce the subjectivity of awards to victims in the court and tribunal systems,” she says. The other authors of the study were Professor David Johnston and Professor Michael Shields from Monash University in Australia.
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THE FUTURE OF WORK
C O U L D A U T O M AT I O N B E P O S I T I V E ? ? PROFESSOR PETER FLEMING, DR TAREK BESOLD AND PROFESSOR F E N G L I E X P LO R E W H AT WO R K W I L L B E L I K E I N T H E D EC A D ES A H E A D. Do you ever wonder about how advances in technology are changing the way we live and work? If you do, then you are certainly not alone. According to auditor PwC’s recent Workforce of the Future report, 37 per cent of us are concerned we might lose our jobs to automation. Is this concern justified? What should we do to ensure we can survive in the modern workplace? Professor Feng Li is Chair of Information Management at Cass Business School. He says it can be easy to overplay the predicted impact of automation because we simply don’t know what will happen. “We should be cautious when we predict the future of work with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and new technologies,” says Feng. “They may take a long time to materialise and may eventually do so in different ways from how we imagine.” Feng compares the debate on automation today to that concerning teleworking in the 1970s, when commentators predicted that workers wouldn’t need to commute to work as information could be sent to them electronically. “The notion of teleworking never really took off. While many of us enjoy working flexibly and can do many tasks effectively from home, we still come to the office and get together with colleagues regularly. Work is not just what we do, but also where we go and who we go with.”
“There will be winners and losers, with a painful change for some workers, particularly those who do not already have digital skills. The Government and employers need to start thinking now about policies to help those affected.”
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/CENTRE-FOR-HUMANCOMPUTER-INTERACTION-DESIGN
Analysis by the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, found the jobs that are at most risk of disappearing include telemarketing callers, data entry clerks, insurance underwriters and legal secretaries. Those least at risk of losing their jobs are those who use a combination of strong cognitive ability and soft personal skills such as therapists, choreographers, HR managers and dentists. Feng says that while some jobs will disappear, automation will create new jobs. “There is no doubt some existing jobs will go, but new jobs will be created in both high-skilled and low-skilled areas. It is too early to predict whether new jobs will compensate for job losses from automation but there will definitely be a skill mismatch between the skills of people who lose their jobs and the skills required by new jobs.” As well as concerns about job losses and the struggle for workers to adapt, there are real concerns that automation may lead to declining pay and conditions for workers. “Automation could be a positive development if it is directed in a liberating way. Unfortunately, the history of automation in industry has tended toward deskilling the workforce, lowering pay and eroding conditions,” says Professor Peter Fleming, Professor of Business and Society at Cass.
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ACADEMIC COMMENT
Professor Peter Fleming
Peter says automation poses less of a threat than the rise of the ‘gig economy’ and insecure work. “Automation is not the biggest threat because how it is deployed (and with what effects) is not inevitable or inherent in the technology itself. The real threat comes from unfair employment policies pursued by governments and firms, the politics and power, if you like. That has been the major driver behind the rise of insecure work.” Dr Tarek Besold is Lecturer in Data Science in the Department of Computer Science. He supports Peter’s and Feng’s views and thinks people often overestimate the possibilities that AI and related technologies offer. “While we have seen recent impressive advances in several areas of AI research, the resulting approaches and implemented systems are still very far from exhibiting anything remotely similar to actual intelligence. While robots may excel in certain clearly defined tasks in specific domains, they lack the capacity to operate in a domain-general or taskindependent manner, making them ‘digital idiot savants’.” Instead of envisioning a replacement of human labour through AI systems and robot workers, Tarek sees the future in a growing number of human-machine collaborations which combine and augment the cognitive flexibility and robustness of humans with the precision and speed of computational systems.
“While certain strongly repetitive, mechanical jobs might indeed eventually be automated, for most other roles I see great promise in combining AI assistants with human employees. The former can take over standardised routine duties, allowing the latter to focus on more complex, less frequent or somewhat novel tasks.” Feng says education and training will be crucial to smooth the transition for those affected by automation and that Government, policymakers and employers need to play their part. “There will be winners and losers, with a painful change for some workers, particularly those who do not already have digital skills. The Government and employers need to start thinking now about policies to help those affected.” Peter agrees with Feng that upskilling and training are crucial for workers as they prepare to navigate the new world of work. He recommends that workers join together to reject any potential negative effects of automation. “Skill is central, along with higher cognitive abilities that are scarce and industry is heavily reliant on. But workers should also contribute to mobilising a collective voice through professional associations and unions to push back on the possible disempowering deployment of automation. We don’t really have a great deal of power if we act simply as individuals.”
Peter’s research focuses on the changing relationship between business and society, with special emphasis on new patterns of conflict in the workplace, the evolution of management ideologies and the rise (and fall) of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Professor Feng Li Feng’s research investigates how digital technologies (ICTs) can be used to enable strategic innovation and organisational transformation in different sectors and domains, from banking, telecoms, manufacturing, retailing and the creative industries to health, social services and other public and voluntary sectors.
Dr Tarek Besold Tarek is a Lecturer in Data Science, conducting research at the intersection between artificial intelligence, computational creativity and cognitive systems.
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Thirty-seven per cent of the increase in emergency admissions and their costs can be explained by the success of hospitals in saving the lives of patients with acute life-threatening conditions.
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/MAURO-LAUDICELLA
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RESEARCH FOCUS:
DEMAND FOR EMERGENCY CARE – IS THE NHS A VICTIM OF ITS OWN SUCCESS? THE NHS IS FACING MORE ADMISSIONS TO EMERGENCY UNITS THAN EVER BEFORE, PUTTING UNPRECEDENTED STRAIN ON THE S TA F F, F A C I L I T I E S A N D N H S T R U S T S . B U T I S T H I S T O D O W I T H THEIR FAILURES? OR IS IT A LOT MORE COMPLIC ATED THAN THAT? Accident and Emergency waiting time has been a key metric for the NHS in recent years. Recently the service has failed to meet its waiting time target and the proportion of patients waiting longer than four hours in A&E reached its highest level for more than a decade. For many years, the number of people attending A&E remained unchanged at around 14 million a year. In 2003/04, the number of attendances increased by nearly 18 per cent to 16.5 million. Since then, the overall number of admissions has increased significantly, rising to 22.9 million last year, an increase of 39 per cent. Many attribute the rising number of emergency admissions to the UK’s ageing population but Dr Mauro Laudicella, Senior Lecturer in Health Economics, believes the NHS has become a victim of its own success. “The number of over 65s has increased by only half the growth rate of emergency admissions. Numerous studies show that demographic trends and population health are able to explain only 40 to 50 per cent of the total growth. With the aim of shedding some light on this puzzle, we undertook a new study and tried to be original by looking where others haven’t already. We searched for other changes in the health system that might have a logical relationship with the use of emergency care,” he says. Mauro worked with colleagues from Imperial College London, University of York and University of Palermo. They found that 37 per cent of the increase in emergency admissions and their costs can be explained by
the success of hospitals in saving the lives of patients with acute lifethreatening conditions, including heart attacks and strokes. To determine the impact of survival rates on emergency admissions, the study examined a large dataset of ten million patients with a first hospital admission for an acute event, such as a heart attack or a stroke, between April 2000 and March 2010. They then followed the patients for up to two years from first admission until 2012, counting the times they were back for an emergency admission for any reason and to any hospital. The survival effect led to an estimated increase of 426,000 emergency admissions in 2012, remaining at this higher level thereafter, costing NHS hospital services around £1 billion every year. The research, published in the journal Health Services Research, recommends that increased support for those with acute conditions after their first admission may be an effective way to reduce A&E demand in the future and ease the strain on struggling NHS hospitals. Mauro explains that: “Emergency care services of the NHS and many other health systems are coming under great strain and there is a great need for additional resources to cope with an increasing demand for services. A sizeable part of emergency admissions and their costs can be explained by the success of NHS hospitals in saving the lives of their patients. Managing and targeting their health conditions after first hospital admission can be key in containing a large element of the future rising demand for emergency services.”
DR MAURO LAUDICELLA
Senior Lecturer in Health Economics, School of Health Sciences Area of research: Since my PhD (University of York) in 2009, the NHS has been my area of research. I chose to focus on it as there is much interesting data that has not previously been examined. The NHS and healthcare are invariably top of the political agenda and there are lots of initiatives to improve the service. As a publicly funded service the NHS comes under lots of scrutiny and demand for it is always growing. But the main reason I chose this area of research is that if there is any evidence that can help the NHS become better, then that is going to be a benefit to the people. What do you hope the impact of this research will be? Our findings have important policy implications as they show that the assumption that healthcare providers can directly control their flow of emergency admissions may be flawed. I hope that the research allows the NHS to have a better understanding of future demand and to reduce A&E admissions following acute life-threatening conditions by preempting the needs of those patients. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I do a lot of travelling. My wife is Spanish and I’m Italian so we visit Spain and Italy regularly. We enjoy exploring Europe. My favourite place at the moment is Rome. I attended a conference there recently but I usually change my favourite place every time I go somewhere new!
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A word with Julia Palca, incoming Chair of Council Julia Palca is set to take over as Chair of Council in February, replacing Rob Woodward when his five-year tenure comes to an end. Julia’s extensive experience includes working in law for many years and chairing several large non-profit organisations including Macmillan Cancer Support. City News interviewed Julia to learn how she is preparing for her new role and to hear her first impressions.
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/COUNCIL
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CN: Tell us about your career to date JP: I am a solicitor by trade and I’ve done a lot of work for several charities. For the last seven and a half years I have been Chair of Macmillan Cancer Support and for the last eight the Chair of the Royal Free Charity. I’m also a part-time employment judge at London Central, just around the corner from City. I think the experience that is most relevant to City is through chairing large non-profit organisations.
something very important happened in my life: I had cancer. As it does with everyone who has cancer, it made me totally re-evaluate what I wanted my role in life to be. It changed my priorities and from then on, I started working more and more in the third sector. The values that motivate me are probity, equality, openness and ambition. I think they all chime very well with City, with where it is and where it aims to be.
CN: What attracted you to City?
CN: What is your career highlight?
JP: I have lived in Islington for much of my life and I’m very familiar with City. It’s such a vibrant place, full of so many wonderful students who have so much to give. I think it’s unique. I love the way the University has a very strong relationship with the City and I love its focus on making sure people not only get a good education but a stepping-stone for the future.
JP: I think my career highlight so far has been Chair of Macmillan and specifically, doing two things there. Firstly, broadening the scope of the people affected by cancer that we’ve been able to help. Secondly, by substantially increasing the funds that we have raised to be able to do so.
is the appropriate strategy and making sure there are appropriate means in place to deliver it. The key role of Council is to approve the strategy, the direction and the governance of the University. The key role of the Chair is to make sure it happens and to make sure there are strong relationships between the Council and members of the executive team. Essentially Council acts as a critical friend to the University. As non-executives, we are not handson, not rolling up our sleeves and getting stuck in with the work that needs to be done. What we do instead is discuss and evaluate what needs to be done and how well it is being done. The Council is here to make sure that students and staff have the best experience possible. If people feel we are failing in any of those respects, they should let us know and how they think things should be improved.
CN: What is your immediate priority for the first few months in post?
CN: What are your long-term priorities for City?
JP: When I first start in a role, I like to establish as much of the background as I can. I talk to others about what they think is good about the organisation and what needs improving and then work with them to establish how best to do that. With Macmillan I did that with key members of the Board and executive team and it’s what I’m in the process of doing here at City.
JP: It is to continue the current direction of travel. I want to make sure City becomes and remains a first-class educational institution providing high quality and stimulating opportunities for personal development, creativity and ground-breaking research. To provide an outstanding educational experience for undergraduates and postgraduates. Finally, equality for both students and staff, equality of opportunity, access and reward.
CN: What are your first impressions? JP: It’s fantastic. I’m very, very impressed with the quality of the people I have met, both the senior team and Council members; and with the enthusiasm people across City have for the University. I’ve also been impressed by the Students’ Union: I think they have the students’ interests at heart, they are positive and progressive and they are really doing the right thing.
Council City’s Council is the supreme Governing Body of the University, with responsibility for the development of City’s Vision and Strategy
CN: What motivates you?
CN: What does the role of Chair of Council involve?
JP: I’m motivated by being part of creating and delivering a vision. I like working in partnership with people: together you can create much more than you can on your own. Several years ago, I was working as a lawyer for a great firm, when
JP: With all not-for-profit organisations, such as Macmillan and City, there is a Chief Executive or in City’s case President, who is appointed because they have a vision for the entity. I think key for the Board or Council is critically evaluating that vision, making sure it
CN: What do you like doing in your spare time? JP: I like going to the theatre, I like cooking and I like dancing, particularly ceroc which is a kind of French rock and roll. I got into ceroc through my son who is a keen dancer.
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DIVERSE-CITY:
Making City more inclusive for transgender, intersex and gender nonconforming people City has launched the Transgender, Intersex and Gender NonConforming People Policy, but what does it mean for you? City News looks at the trailblazing new approach and the difference it will make to people on the gender spectrum at City and beyond.
The transgender community has never been more Administrator at City and the Co-Chair of the visible in society. There is a growing awareness of LGBT+ Network. She has worked with Nneb transgender and gender identity issues and of those Akpom-Simon, the previous Equality and Diversity who don’t fit into a binary gender. But there is still Manager, Chloe Milano from the Organisational a long way to go. Media coverage of transgender Development team and colleagues across City, to issues is often mixed and discrimination is still develop the policy and roll out the training. Jenny widespread. Many individuals feel unable to be explains why the policy is important: “There are open with who they are, the gender with which many people who feel excluded from education they identify, or the fact that because this aspect of “Many people feel excluded their life makes them feel they do not identify with either gender. from education because this different. To feel there is a City’s approach to equality place for them, that there are aspect of their life makes and diversity is designed to safe spaces and that they will them feel different. To feel create a culture of respect, be made to feel comfortable where individuals feel there is a place for them, that being their true selves, is a valued and welcomed, free positive thing.” there are safe spaces and from discrimination and Jenny goes on to explain that they will be made to feel that some transgender, harassment. It is for this comfortable being their true intersex and gender nonreason that City launched a new policy on transgender, conforming people choose selves, is a positive thing.” intersex and gender nonnot to share their identity conforming staff, students and stakeholders. because they fear negative reactions from coThe policy incorporates everything from workers. This can lead to stress and can have a communication and training, to changes to our negative impact on mental health. The policy facilities and sports provision. It will act as a will also ensure that everyone at City complies guide for staff and will make sure the new with the law. The Equality Act of 2010 states that approach is embedded. transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming Jenny Aster is the Student Counselling people must not be discriminated against.
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THE IMPACT
WHAT DOES THE NEW POLICY INVOLVE? AWARENESS RAISING For most people, approaching a reception desk won’t fill them with dread. But for individuals going through a transition or who don’t identify as male or female, being addressed as ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ can be really upsetting. To help people understand complexities such as these, City is running comprehensive awareness training available for all staff. The training covers how to deal with cases of discrimination and harassment, what to do if a colleague or student is transitioning and how to communicate using accepted terminology. FACILITIES Choosing facilities such as changing rooms and toilets if you do not identify as male or female, or are transitioning, can be problematic. City has introduced new gender-neutral toilets around campus to address this and is considering the accommodation provision to make sure en-suite options are available. SPORTS Sport is an important part of the university experience, but transgender people often feel excluded. Most sports require participants to specify
their gender, with badminton and archery being notable exceptions. A new project will create safe spaces in changing areas and ensure there are sports that cater for everyone. SYSTEMS AND HR SITS and SAP, the systems for recording student and staff data, have been changed to accept a non-binary gender option and Mx as a title. This sounds like a small change, but it means students applying to City or staff applying for jobs don’t have to specify whether they are male or female. From their first interaction with City, everyone is made to feel welcome. Other policies and processes, such as paternity leave, the harassmentrelated policies and leave entitlements are also being changed to make sure students and staff going through a transition have time off to recover.
Jenny Aster Student Counselling Administrator at City and the Co-Chair of the LGBT+ Network.
F U L LY E M B E D D E D C U LT U R E C H A N G E The policy features all this and more. It will be embedded into everything City does from recruitment to introducing gender-neutral uniforms in the School of Health Sciences.
FIND OUT MORE HTTPS://WWW.CITY.AC.UK/TRANSGENDERINTERSEX-AND-GENDER-NONCONFORMING-PEOPLE
For many, the changes won’t have a big impact on their day-to-day lives. But for some, this could be the difference between applying to City or somewhere else. It can be the difference between feeling like an outsider to feeling like a valued member of the City community. It is widely thought that transgender people constitute one per cent of the population. It is this statistic that often leads to criticism. Jenny Aster says: “You sometimes hear people say that as this only applies to one per cent of the population it isn’t worth bothering with. But I think that’s the wrong attitude and isn’t an approach we should be striving for at City. “Firstly, there are definitely more people that aren’t included in the statistic because they don’t feel comfortable coming forward. But secondly, someone has to take the lead and be courageous enough to say ‘we can do better’. That is what we are doing. We aren’t ignoring it or being reactive, we’re ahead of the game and we’re becoming a flagship. We’re sending a message to say we are open, we are inclusive and we welcome diversity. We won’t try and fit you into a narrow version of humanity, you will fit in here. That is something that we should be proud of.”
INT
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FUNDRAISING FOCUS: THE CYC T H E D E V E LO P M E N T & A LU M N I R E L AT I O N S O F F I C E ( D A R O ) R A I S E S M O N E Y TO S U P P O RT C I T Y I N T H R E E K E Y A R E A S : ST U D E N T S U P P O RT, WO R L D - L E A D I N G R E S E A R C H A N D T H E E S TAT E . C I T Y N E WS R E V I E W S T H E C YC L E F R O M ST U D E N T TO A LU M N I A N D S O M E O F T H E R EC E N T P R O J EC T S A LU M N I D O N AT I O N S A R E F U N D I N G .
STUDENT FUNDRAISING TEAM, AUTUMN 2017
STUDENT FUNDRAISER – SARHA NUUR
City’s relationship with its students doesn’t end at graduation. Links to alumni are lifelong and many continue to contribute through mentoring, providing careers advice and acting as ambassadors for City across the world. Aside from improving the employability of students, City alumni have helped to fund new facilities, research and scholarships. The relationship is mutually beneficial. Staying in touch with City means alumni have the chance to attend events hosted by world-leading speakers and to network with their peers. Many also find making philanthropic contributions a rewarding experience. David Street is the Director of the Development & Alumni Relations Office (DARO). He explains why alumni are so important to the life of the University and how fostering strong bonds with them is important. He says: “Since the advent of tuition fees and as traditional sources of funding are reduced, there has been an increased reliance on philanthropic income. The cost of education means that without support through scholarships, some people
may not come to university or proceed to postgraduate education. Others may have no choice: they will be financially unable to proceed. At City, we want to attract the most able and scholarships are one way of doing so. They help to ensure excellent students aren’t slipping through the net.” CITY FUTURE FUND: LOOKING AFTER THE N E X T G E N E R AT I O N Approximately 95 per cent of City’s annual donors give to the City Future Fund. This helps to create lifechanging opportunities for students who are most in need including those who have fallen into financial hardship through no fault of their own and need emergency funding to complete their degrees; and those who grew up in care and don’t have the usual support networks in place. Many alumni, now decades into their careers, donate money to City as they recognise the greater financial challenges faced by students today. David Street says: “Many alumni who studied here years ago received grants and bursaries and left without significant debt. They donate to
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/SUPPORT-US
City because they know things are very different today; and believe that university should be available for everyone who has the ability to benefit. They also recognise the significant start a City education gave them as they entered their chosen careers. Alumni who donate in this way often say that giving to the University is rewarding and fulfilling: they can understand the difference they are making.” The Hardship Fund supports students who might not otherwise be able to finish their studies. Former student Michaela Carroll wanted to be a journalist and enrolled at City to work towards her dream. However, at the beginning of her final year, her father died and she contemplated dropping out. Travelling home every weekend to visit her family was expensive and it placed a burden on her finances. The City Future Fund helped Michaela and she was able to finish her degree. She graduated with First Class Honours and found work at the BBC and The Economist. The City Care Leavers initiative provides bursaries for students who
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CLE FROM STUDENT TO ALUMNI
FORMULA STUDENT CAR IN THE PROCESS OF BEING BUILT
COM M U N I C AT E P R O J ECT
are young care leavers. This fund acts as a safety net for students who have grown up in care and feel they have nowhere else to turn to for support. Alumni who reach a certain donation threshold can opt to fund a scholarship in their name and an increasing number are doing so. This can be truly lifechanging and recipients of scholarships have the chance to meet their donors and build a mentoring relationship. WORLD-LEADING RESEARCH City alumni also help fund the world-leading research taking place across the University. For example, several Cass alumni have funded the Grammemos Shipping Centre and DARO is working with the Centre for Food Policy, the Centre for Charity Effectiveness and on several research projects for the School of Health Sciences. The 2017/18 Annual Fund campaign is underway and the team is fundraising for two projects, the Formula Student engineering competition and a research project on aphasia.
MICHAELA CARROLL INTERVIEWING VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
Many alumni, now decades into their careers, donate money to City as they recognise the greater financial challenges faced by students today.
The CommuniCATE Project uses computer technology to provide therapy for people with aphasia, a language disorder that can affect people who have had a stroke. It can lead to isolation and mental health issues including depression. Approximately 400,000 people in the UK live with aphasia. The project showed that the use of technology in therapy can improve language and communication in people with aphasia. It also found wider benefits for social participation and quality of life. The project included the development of an online conversation service using Skype, to help reduce the social isolation experienced by many stroke survivors with aphasia. It also supported skill development in NHS clinicians and speech & language therapy students through training in project techniques, working alongside clinical teams to transfer knowledge. Forty-eight students have so far undertaken CommuniCATE placements which helped equip them with the necessary skills and
knowledge to achieve the most positive outcomes for those needing speech and language support. Following the success of the research project, City is launching a new CommuniCATE clinic in 2018 to ensure more people can be helped by these novel approaches. ESTAT E D E V E LO P M E N T Some alumni will donate to help improve City for the next generation, through supporting projects to improve the quality of our estate and equipment. Fundraising will soon begin for the Cass campaign, the largest fundraising campaign in City’s history to support large-scale developments to improve the student experience at Cass. THE FUTURE OF CITY While City receives donations from many different sources, alumni make up a large portion of its philanthropic donors. Alumni are often seen as City’s past, but through the work the DARO team does, they are becoming a vital part of the University’s future. Their generous donations and support help to create a stronger City for generations to come.
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MEET THE
MODERNISING ADMINIST
Pictured left to right: Samuel Adams Mark Smith Eleanor Cornfield Melanie Sanderson Louise Wessen Chris Clements Mandeep Plaha Ben Draper
WITH ALMOST 20,000 S T U D E N T S A T C I T Y, THE TASK OF STUDENT A DM I N I ST R AT I O N I S N O M E A N F E AT. COVERING EVERYTHING F R OM E X T E N UAT I N G CIRCUMSTANCES TO PERSONAL TUTORING RECORDS AND STUDENT COM M U N I C AT I O N S, THE MODERNISING A DM I N I ST R AT I O N F O R STUDENTS TEAM IS TURNING REAMS OF PAPERWORK INTO UPT O - D A T E D I G I T A L LY ENHANCED PROCESSES R E S U LT I N G I N A N IMPROVED STUDENT EXPERIENCE.
The team, more colloquially referred to as MAfS, works hard to establish easy-to-use processes and systems that enable staff to deliver better student administration by creating a seamless service to put students first. Melanie Sanderson, Programme Manager, explains that the administration processes at City are fundamental to improving the student experience: “MAfS is about improving the underpinning processes and systems that support students. It’s not so concerned about learning and how programmes are delivered; it’s concerned more with supporting administration: the ways students register for modules, the content of emails, how they view notes of their meetings with personal tutors and how they’re submitting extenuating circumstances forms.”
FIND OUT MORE HTTPS://WWW.CITY.AC.UK/MODERNISINGADMINISTRATION-FOR-STUDENTS
Modernising Administration for Students, previously known as the Transformation Programme, was established in 2015 due to the need for better processes. “All of the projects help implement the Vision and Strategy 2026 to achieve the academic KPIs. For example, we don’t have an automated way of monitoring whether a student is attending academic activities, so there’s a big drive to make processes less manual.” The Modernising Administration for Students Board ensures that projects benefit staff and students. It comprises 18 key stakeholders including Deans, the Student Experience Manager and the Students’ Union. It oversees work groups for each of the six individual projects: Migration to e:Vision; Process Improvement; Student Engagement and Attendance Monitoring;
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TRATION FOR STUDENTS TEAM Management Information; Student Communications; and Personal Tutorial Records. “There are several aims but our focus is to use technology to deliver a more consistent message and to ensure students have a consistent experience. Fundamentally, the projects are enablers to help consistent and effective working.” Despite the hard work, Melanie explains that the team has time to have fun. The team includes a belly dancer, a furniture upcycler and a Bruce Springsteen super fan: you can discover more about them on the team’s blog. “We’re a very fun team and we gel very well. Everyone plays on each other’s strengths and it’s a lot of fun, we’re always having a laugh. Enjoying working together helps us deliver in a more effective and positive way.”
MELANIE SANDERSON Programme Manager Melanie leads the MAfS team and manages the Student Engagement and Attendance Monitoring project. SAMUEL ADAMS Project Support and Communications Officer Sam joined the team from the School of Health Sciences and is responsible for the organisation and smooth running of all projects, supporting the Project Managers, updating the website and keeping the blog full of interesting content. LOUISE WESSEN Project Manager Louise manages the Process Improvement project and the Migration to e:Vision project. She is pivotal to ensuring the team has the tools to manage projects effectively. ELEANOR CORNFIELD Business Analyst and Project Manager Since joining the team from the School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering, Eleanor has taken responsibility for the Personal Tutorials Records project and the Management Information project; and is Business Analyst on the Student Engagement and Attendance Monitoring project.
CHRIS CLEMENTS Business Analyst and Project Manager Chris joined the team from Student & Academic Services and is Project Manager for the Student Communications and Module Registration projects. He is also Business Analyst on the Student Engagement and Attendance Monitoring project. MARK SMITH Business Analyst Since joining the team from the School of Arts & Social Sciences, Mark works on the Process Improvement, Migration to e:Vision and the Student Engagement and Attendance Monitoring projects. BEN DRAPER Business Analyst Ben joined the team from the School of Arts & Social Sciences and works on the Migration to e:Vision, Personal Tutorials Records and Student Engagement and Attendance Monitoring projects. MANDEEP PLAHA Business and Change Analyst Mandeep works across the projects to ensure the team implements change effectively by supporting testing, training and transition. Mandeep is also the lead Business Analyst on the Student Communications project.
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Opinion: Should the rich be taxed more? C A S S B U S I N E S S S C H O O L’ S P R O F E S S O R J O H N H AT G I O A N N I D E S I S CO N D U C T I N G R E S E A R C H I N T O T A X A N D I N C O M E E Q U A L I T Y. H E S A Y S T H E A N S W E R I S U N E Q U I V O C A L .
“If the richest one per cent paid a higher and fairer income tax rate it would have a significant impact on quality of life for some of our poorest citizens.”
Compared with other developed countries, the UK has a very high level of income inequality, something about which many of us feel uncomfortable. According to the Equality Trust, UK households in the bottom ten per cent of the population have, on average, a disposable (or net) income of £9,644, with the top ten per cent enjoying net incomes almost nine times that (£83,875). Income is also spread unequally across the UK’s regions and nations, with the average London household income considerably higher than in the North East. Earlier this year, the High Pay Centre released figures showing that the UK’s top bosses make more in two and a half days than their workers earn all year. The report, which found that executives typically earn over 129 times more than their employees, demonstrated the growing divide between executive pay and that of the rest of the workforce. Professor John Hatgioannides, Professor of Mathematical Finance and Financial Engineering, Cass Business School, argues that a progressive income tax rate is the only way to balance this kind of income inequality and ensure a fairer society for all. John is leading a research team, which includes colleagues from Queen Mary, University of London and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. They have developed a novel and holistic index, the Fiscal Inequality Coefficient (FIC), which measures the progressivity of the income tax system.
The FIC tracks the ratio of the effective income tax rate per income group divided by the percentage of total personal wealth (or the percentage of national income) owned by the same income group. Using this metric, instead of focusing on the absolute income tax contribution, the team discovered that the bottom 99 per cent pays, in relative terms, at least 10 times more tax than the top 1 per cent. John says a progressive income tax, used together with other direct and indirect taxes, insurance contributions and government borrowing, would help balance the UK’s unequal, divided economy. “Vast income inequality, appropriation of huge chunks of wealth by the top one per cent and systematic public underinvestment due to relatively low direct income tax rates for the highest earners, have all contributed to the unbalanced UK economy. “If the richest one per cent paid a higher and fairer income tax rate it would have a significant impact on quality of life for some of our poorest citizens. For example, it could mean that high-quality universal services, a guaranteed state pension, a thriving free health service and free child and elderly care would be within reach for all,” he says. The top 1 per cent of high earners account for 27 per cent of income tax receipts which some commentators argue means that
FIND OUT MORE HTTP://OPENACCESS.CITY.AC.UK/18086/
the rich already pay their fair share of tax. John says this is true, but only in an “absolute, dry” sense. “What we believe is missing and what we believe is correct in our research, is the percentage of total wealth (or national income) owned by the top income groups. The FIC offers a unique, redistributive function which proves that a genuinely progressive income tax should serve a rich, advanced and yet highly polarised economy such as the UK.”
“In the Nordic countries, high earners pay more tax and the rest of the country benefits from initiatives such as government sponsored higher education, paid parental leave and universal healthcare.” John says countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark are excellent examples of advanced high-tax economies which have a more equal distribution of wealth. “In the Nordic countries, high earners pay more tax and the rest of the country benefits from initiatives such as government sponsored higher education, paid parental leave and universal healthcare,” he says. Should the Rich Be Taxed More? The Fiscal Inequality Coefficient was undertaken with Dr Marika Karanassou from Queen Mary, University of London and Associate Professor Hector Sala of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and IZA in Bonn.
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Impact and media engagement John’s initial findings were covered exclusively by Larry Elliott, Economics Editor at The Guardian.
The bottom 99% pays at least ten times more tax than the top 1%.
John worked with the Cass PR team on a press release which was pitched exclusively to Larry, running as a full page story. The story was also shared more than 56,000 times online, garnering nearly 5,000 comments and was reproduced in online news outlets including MSN and Yahoo Finance. The paper was also shared with parliamentarians including the Chancellor, Shadow Chancellor, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Treasury, the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee and its members and the members of the All-Party Groups on Taxation and Responsible Taxation. This brought John’s work to a wider and influential audience.
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Y T I C E H T K C A #B THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE ON BOTH PHYSICAL A N D M E N T A L H E A LT H H A V E B E E N W E L L D O C U M E N T E D B U T ST U D I ES A L S O SH OW T H AT B E I N G ACT I V E C A N H AV E G R E AT B E N E F I TS F O R ST U D E N TS’ ST U DY A N D F U T U R E E M P LOYM E N T.
THE VALUE OF SPORT
THE WOLFPACK
British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS), the national governing body for higher education sport in the UK, found that being involved with sport while studying can have a marked impact on employability and earnings. The study found that students who participated in sport earned, on average, salaries more than £5,000 higher than their non-sporting colleagues. The study also found that sporting students have skills and experience that employers value, including team-working skills, the ability to improvise and the capability to focus on more than one task. Sport England has drawn positive links between sport participation and academic success and has highlighted the ability for sport to strengthen social networks and community identity. Bill Thompson is the Head of Sport and Leisure Services at City. He explains: “We’ve seen the benefits of participation in sport and physical activity highlighted in employability surveys but what our students are saying now is that they want to be well-rounded in their studies and in particular their wellbeing. Sport and physical activity have major roles to play in prevention and resilience. I expect to see a greater emphasis on both in the coming years within our programming and activity.”
Since the arrival of the City Wolf and creation of the Wolfpack, the new name of the sporting community at City, there has been an increase in interest in both playing and supporting sport. Julie Haggar, Sport Development Coordinator says: “The inclusive nature of the Wolfpack is its biggest strength. Whether you play a sport, use the gym or cheer for those who do, you are part of ‘the pack’.” Last season over 5,600 City students participated in some form of sport or physical activity and this is expected to rise by six per cent this academic year. Last year also resulted in City moving up the BUCS national league table and adding new silverware to the cabinet in the form of the Thames Varsity trophy. City was triumphant in a series of games against Kingston University, which the teams hope to repeat this year.
WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES As well as the 26 teams that compete every Wednesday afternoon, individual athletes represent City in sports varying from kickboxing to trap shooting to athletics for the University of London, national competitions and even Team GB. The 3,000 square metres of facilities that opened in 2015 allows top athletes to train with state-of-the-art equipment while studying for their degrees. CitySport has also attracted global teams to train in CitySport while competing in London. Last year NBA teams the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers used the Saddlers Sports Hall to train for a week prior to their high profile game at the O2. Many staff and students also take advantage of the facilities with discounted gym memberships.
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K C A YP
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ATHLETE?
Sport has been instilled in me for as long as I can remember. From dancing at the age of two, to beating the schoolboys in running races, I have always loved being active. I enjoyed a variety of sports when I was younger but the competitive nature of sprinting stood out for me. I loved the adrenaline rush of reacting to the gun, the challenge of striving for continual improvement and the fact that athletics just made me happy. GREATEST SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS Being
selected to represent England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the 4x400m European Junior 400m Silver Medallist World Junior 4x400m Silver Medallist BIG COMPETITIONS COMING UP IN 2018 Commonwealth
CHERIECE HYLTON
MANAGEMENT BSC, 2019 SPORT ATHLETICS: 400M AND 200M
Games Athletics Championships Senior Indoor and Outdoor Championships England
There’s nothing worse than doing something you don’t enjoy, otherwise it will feel like a chore. So, do what you love!
I was injured playing rugby and then inspired by London 2012. That September, when I went to the University of Edinburgh, I began rowing.
I have been given free gym membership so can train at the well-equipped CitySport gym. Furthermore, CitySport funds my training costs. I don’t have to worry about paying for kit, accommodation, travel and training camps as it has all been sorted. CitySport has taken my mind off my other struggles and has let me focus on competing.
BIG COMPETITIONS COMING UP IN 2018 GB selection trials throughout the year, Henley Royal Regatta representing the University and fingers crossed, World Championships back in Plovdiv. HOW ARE YOU PREPARING?
SPORT ROWING
CitySport’s facilities are incredible. The provision of modern and highly technical equipment allows me to complete my gym programmes effectively. It’s also so convenient when I have hour-long gaps between lectures. It is so close to City, I can go to my morning lecture, go to the gym, then come back for my afternoon lecture. ANY ADVICE FOR GETTING ACTIVE AT CITY?
TELL US ABOUT CITYSPORT AND THE SUPPORT THAT HAS HELPED YOU
GREATEST SPORTING ACHIEVEMENT
GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LAW. LAW CONVERSION COURSE, 2019
TELL US ABOUT CITYSPORT AND THE FACILITIES
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ATHLETE?
Representing Team GB at the World Championships. I will never forget the feeling of sitting at the start line in the final for the first time in Plovdiv, Bulgaria during the summer of 2015.
RUFUS SCHOLEFIELD
HOW ARE YOU PREPARING? I focus on the first 24 hours in front of me. You can’t control the uncontrollable, so day by day, I make sure that I do everything I can to help me compete at my best when it matters. For example, stretching and foam-rolling every morning, refuelling my body correctly pre-and post-work out and making sure I get at least eight hours sleep each night.
I train twice-a-day, every day at the University of London Boathouse in Chiswick. My training is a mixture of water sessions, rowing machine sessions, strength and conditioning and cross-training.
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/SPORT-AND-LEISURE
ANY ADVICE FOR GETTING ACTIVE AT CITY? Do it! I have had my best experiences at university through sport. You make loads of friends, compete at your highest levels, de-stress after class and become a better well-rounded person. I can’t see any negatives.
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THE CONVERSATION
How telling the right stories can make people act on climate change BY TOM VAN LAER, SENIOR LECTURER IN MARKETING THE LATEST UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE SINCE THE 2015 PARIS AGREEMENT TOOK PLACE IN BONN BETWEEN NOVEMBER 6TH AND 17TH – WHILE THE WORLD WATCHED. THE CONFERENCE WAS PRESIDED OVER BY THE GOVERNMENT OF FIJI, A COUNTRY THAT IS NO STRANGER TO THE DEVASTATION THAT CLIMATE CHANGE BRINGS. At first glance, modern Fiji’s narrative follows a recognisable storyline: vanishing islands, a culture slipping away and a people unsure of what their future holds. It tells a familiar tale of vulnerable villages in fear of rising tides and residents as victims on the frontline of climate change. Stories help us to share facts, knowledge and experiences about the causes and effects of a changing world. Yet they are more than just educational tools, they also shape our lives and help define us. From the news to Game of Thrones, stories hold the immense ability to alter what we do and do not see. They do this by activating and exciting the neural pathways in our brains that form the basis for our actions. According to doomsday narratives about climate change, such as the one about Fiji, communities are neither empowered nor resilient, nor do they hold much agency over their future. When we constantly see stories about communities in crisis as sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, we come away with notions that there is no hope – the future is presented as an ominously uncertain but seemingly inevitable defeat. Yet, such doomsday narratives are counterproductive, dangerous and wrong. We can survive climate change. There is something simple and concrete that each of us can do. Telling and sharing stories, from the scientific to the personal, is one of our most important tools. However, they are different stories than the Fijian one.
A NEW HOPE
W H AT W E F O U N D
Energy+Illawarra is a communityoriented, interdisciplinary, strategic social intervention programme. Engineers, geographers and marketers work together to improve energy efficiency in the homes of low-income, older people in Illawarra, a region in New South Wales, Australia. Ultimately, humankind must rapidly decarbonise the environment to avoid dangerous climate change. Being more efficient with energy is an effective way to do that. This project has that message at its heart. First, the energy use and attitudes towards energy efficiency of 830 households in the community were measured. Then, a series of 11 focus groups with 59 participants from the community were carried out to collect their stories relating to energy efficiency. These stories were then used to help develop ten short films that bust participants’ misconceptions and myths about everyday energy use and provide strategies on how to use energy more efficiently. Each film features audiovisual footage of real project participants telling their stories and focuses on the energy use of an everyday household appliance, from fridge freezers and lighting to the washer dryer. Following the development of these films, we assessed their efficacy. We conducted cognitive neuroscientific research using electroencephalography (EEG) to identify brain wave activity associated with watching these films. The experiment involved people watching the films while they were attached to the EEG equipment that measured their neural response to the stories. Sixteen people from the community participated in the experiment. All the study participants watched the same films in random order, while undergoing the EEG scans.
The results showed heightened activity in areas of the brain associated with empathising with the story characters as well as imagination of, attention for and memorising of the story plot. These mental processes are involved in spurring our brains into action. Brain response was especially strong for the fridge freezer film, which featured a real project participant telling stories about his fridge, followed by animations providing technical advice and guidance on energy efficiency. This household appliance has been associated with the visceral nervous system and deep inward feelings, because it stores a basic need: food. We already knew that engaging stories can put you in another person’s shoes in a figurative sense. The fridge freezer film suggests that watching an engaging story can also transport you into the ‘body’ of an object. The films have been extensively distributed through the project website, social media and special LCD brochures that were sent to households as well as community and health centres across regional New South Wales. Afterwards, the energy use and attitudes towards energy efficiency of the same community households as before were measured again. The findings showed that the films have begun to reduce energy use in the community and change the climate change narrative, with meter reading data revealing that energy use dropped by between 0.45% to 22.5%, depending on the type of household. Instead of presenting a narrative of helpless climate change victims and an inevitable future of defeat, these films tell stories that bust misconceptions and myths about everyday energy use and provide strategies and support for using energy efficiently. Take a look to see just how easy it is to make a difference. Let’s rewire our brains and act. A better environment starts with us.
FIND OUT MORE WWW.CITY.AC.UK/RIGHT-STORIES-CAN-MAKEPEOPLE-ACT-ON-CLIMATE-CHANGE
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From the archive: Graduation
Graduation is a highlight of the academic calendar and each year thousands of City students graduate from ceremonies at the Barbican. It is a proud and significant occasion, steeped in tradition. At each ceremony traditional academic dress is worn by graduands and academic staff in the procession. City’s traditional gowns and hoods (pictured) remain unchanged since it became a university by Royal Charter in 1966. Pictured is the inauguration ceremony in 1966 at the Royal Festival Hall. Also pictured is the programme from one of the first graduation ceremonies of the Northampton Institute in 1899.
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