Dialogue Magazine - Issue 32

NEWS FOR DURHAM UNIVERSITY STAFF AND STUDENTS | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER | ISSUE 32

Geosculpture unveiled

Also in this issue: Back in Business

The rich geology of the British Isles has been captured and set into the ground at the entrance to Lower Mountjoy.

Following substantial expansion and refurbishment, Durham University Business School returns to Mill Hill Lane.

/ Page 22

/ Page 04

The Blueprint Enterprise Challenge Entrepreneurial students are recognised by the Careers, Employability and Enterprise Centre. / Page 09

Dialogue 32 | November / December 2013

/durhamuniversity

@Durham_Uni

DurhamUniversity

17

In this issue there is a feature on the re-opening of an expanded and refurbished building at Mill Hill Lane for Durham University Business School.

For the past two years DUBS staff have been ‘decanted’ around our Estate, with the majority enjoying time at Ushaw College. Economics has also now moved to Mill Hill Lane from Old Elvet to better integrate into the Business School.

14

13

11 05

The refurbishment of the Mill Hill Lane Building is the next step in our mediumterm estates strategy using design, landscaping and art work to provide both world-class facilities and a wonderful environment in which our students and staff can study and work.

The design is student-focused with enhanced teaching facilities, study and social spaces. Replacement of the outdated plant ensures the building is now energy efficient with photovoltaics providing sustainable energy input.

08

18

03 League tables

14 Payroll giving

Retired Staff Association

15 Focus on fitness

Following completion of this major project, the next phase of work is underway on other parts of our estate.

This includes work on the Bailey to create purpose-designed postgraduate space for Arts and Humanities students and the refurbishment of academic departments. The overhaul of Elvet Riverside is due for completion next summer.

With best wishes,

12 Library news

Get Social

04 Back in Business 06 Research highlights 08 Entrepeneurship

and the Blueprint Enterprise Challenge

10 St Cuthbert’s Society turns 125

11 DUCK updates New research collections portal New profile raising toolkit

Chris Higgins, Vice-Chancellor and Warden

23

13 Essay prize

Undergraduate Awards

Nobel Prize

Environment Awards

16 Student theatre in Zambia

17 Experience Durham 18 Visitor attractions 19 Event Durham,

Retail & Catering

20 HR news 21 Procurement news 22 New geological sculpture

Botanic Garden news

23 Greenspace 24 Under Investigation

/ What’s On

EDITOR: Rebecca Grundy, Corporate Communications Officer.

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Zoë Thomas, Marketing Projects Co-ordinator.

CONTRIBUTIONS: Tara Duncan, Greenspace; Louise Elliott, Event Durham; Media Relations Team, Communications Office; Caroline Hall, HR; Vicky Ridley, Experience Durham, Rachel Smith; Library, Peter Holmes; Procurement, Margaret Parry; Procurement, Suzanne Auty; Careers, Employability and Enterprise Centre, Yvonne Flynn, Greenspace; Katie Taylor, Experience Durham; Adam Moss, DUCK; Philip Bolton, St. Cuthbert’s Society; Simon Lynch, Durham University Business School; Nuaim Ahmed, CIS; Lynn Thornber, Durham University Business School; Tim Guinan, DARO.

DESIGN: wearewarm.com PRINT: statex.co.uk

FRONT COVER: Members of the Arthur Holmes Geological Society with the Geosculpture. p22.

Share your story...

If you have anything interesting coming up such as an event, lecture, news article, radio/TV appearance, etc. get in touch with zoe.thomas@durham.ac.uk

News

Over the last few months the University has enjoyed success in a number of league tables.

We have compiled a list of our favourite posts, tweets and videos over the past two months to show you what has been happening around the University!

Of particular note is the fact that we have been ranked in the World’s Top 30 for our arts and humanities in the 2013/2014 Times Higher Education (THE) World Rankings – a climb of 18 places from the previous year.

This recognition for excellence follows our success QS World Rankings 2013/2014 where we made the World Top 50 for our arts and humanities.

PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MONTH Our favourite photograph was taken during Induction Week after Stevenson College’s Matriculation. We hope everyone enjoyed their Induction Week and are settling in well to life at Durham University.

DURHAM UNIVERSITY ON WORDPRESS

DURHAM UNIVERSITY RETIRED STAFF ASSOCIATION

4-d scans show #babies learn to anticipate touch in the #womb http://bit.ly/GKqukf Durham is proud of its World Top 100 position in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 201314 http://bit.ly/thewur Congrats to 2nd year @durham_uni student George Pearson, winner of a writing competition run by UCAS and The Times http://ow.ly/plzBI @thom_brooks says victims should be given more power http://bit.ly/1aE40dB #restorativejustice

VIDEO OF THE MONTH Earlier this year Professor Fiona de Londras delivered a lecture entitled ‘Counter-Terrorism Everywhere’ as part of the Inaugural lecture series. If you haven’t yet seen this lecture visit http://youtu.be/btwufrh1Mjo

DurhamUniversity

The first activities will be a tour round Josephine Butler, a college most members will not have seen, and a drinks reception at the end of term. Staff who are about to retire are welcome to contact the secretary Ian Stewart (istewart090@gmail.com) for information or to consult DURSA’s web site via www.dunelm.org.uk

Take a look at the trailer for this year’s Lumiere Festival taking place this November http://bit.ly/1c4d3pm #LumiereDurham #excited

@Durham_Uni

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the University that allows DURSA to operate within the University’s umbrella and to use some of the University’s resources. The committee is seeking new members who would broaden its base and Ann Moss, Margaret McCollum and Clive Doloughan have agreed to join for the next phase, creating activities and links that can further DURSA’s aims.

TOP 5 TWEETS

/durhamuniversity

The Durham University Retired Staff Association (DURSA) held its inaugural meeting and dinner in Collingwood College on 8th July this year.

We’ve recently launched Durham University on Wordpress and thanks to student; Michael McCormick our blog is called The Durham Diary. This blog will be written by students for current and prospective students, showcasing student experience and managed by the Communications Office.

Visit http://thedurhamdiary.wordpress.com to find out more.

thedurhamdiary.wordpress.com

At University level, we have maintained our position of 80th in the 2013/14 THE World Rankings, where we are now one of only ten UK universities in the World Top 100. The QS World Rankings 2013/2014 have seen us move up two places from last year to 90th in the world.

Infrastructure

Throughout the months of September and October Durham University Business School’s Mill Hill Lane facility gradually returned to life following an extensive programme of expansion and refurbishment work.

Forming an integral part of the University’s long-term strategy, this major investment provides contemporary and inspiring stateof-the-art facilities.

With student-facing facilities at its heart, the newly configured building enhances engagement for staff, students and corporate partners.

“Being back at the heart of student activity – and the buzz you get from that – is just great. The new facility is stunning – it’s spacious, modern and a superbly professional environment to work in.”

Helen Caswell, Marketing Officer

Carefully designed sustainable features, such as solar-controlled glazing, ensures the building’s carbon footprint is reduced and contributes to the University’s commitment to manage its environmental impact.

Flexible open plan office accommodation has enabled many more of the School’s student-facing activities to be brought

05

together under one roof and the flow of movement around the building is enhance by an attractive two-storey glazed circulation corridor. New features include a Harvard-style lecture theatre, additional lecture and meeting spaces, a range of seminar rooms and impressive new dining and hospitality facilities, all of which are designed to provide greater flexibility to accommodate a variety of events.

Staff and visitors from across the University are welcome to come and enjoy the new, purpose-built, Fusion Restaurant which is open Monday to Friday 8am until 5pm (lunch service between 12 noon and 2pm).

Dean of the Business School, Professor Rob Dixon commented: “We are immensely proud of this building and what it represents for us as a Business School and a University. We do hope that you share this pride and will enjoy this world-class environment.�

IMAGES: Opposite page, inset, Reception Area. Main image, the Executive Lounge.

This page, above, The Reception area mural. Right, the glazed circulation corridor.

Research highlights

CHILDREN WITH AUTISM COULD MISS OUT ON NON-VERBAL CUES TO SOCIAL INTERACTION Research by the Department of Psychology found that children with autism might be missing “crucial” non-verbal gestures, because they typically look away more than others when listening to parents, teachers and other professionals.

They believe this could lead to children missing non-verbal gestures and cues such as facial expressions that usually aid social interaction. Missing these cues could negatively impact upon their social interaction skills and on the flow of their communication.

Despite individuals with autism averting their gaze for longer periods when listening to people, the researchers also found that looking away from a person while thinking about a response was the same in typically developing children and children with autism or the rare neurodevelopmental disorder Williams Syndrome.

Presenting the research at the British Science Festival, Dr Debbie Riby said: “We all modulate our gaze at certain times during an interaction, whether we have autism or whether we are developing typically, but it is when they are listening that children with autism seem to do something different.

We are finding that children with autism look away more than is typical when they are listening to someone speak to them.

This tentatively suggests that increased looking away while listening is linked with poorer communication skills in this group.”

The researchers emphasised that more work was needed to increase awareness of ‘looking behaviours’, particularly in the classroom.

COVERAGE INCLUDES: BBC News, The Times, international science and specialist websites including Zee News India, MedicalXpress.com, British Science Association, British Psychological Society and icare4autism.com

IMAGE: Lane Fountain (10) who has Williams Syndrome. © Mark Fountain-Fountain Fotos.

07

Church faces “difficult decision” to engage liberal Christian students Religious leaders face a fresh challenge in engaging with young Christians, after research revealed that large numbers of Christian university students are affirming their faith in private, but staying away from church on Sundays.

East Antarctic Ice Sheet could be more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought The world’s largest ice sheet could be more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than previously thought, according to new research from the Department of Geography.

The study found that Christianity attracts far more students than any other religious tradition, but most of these have begun to detach themselves from church by the time they reach this formative stage in life.

Lead author Dr Mathew Guest, in the Department of Theology and Religion, said: “With the vast majority of Christian students affirming a moderate expression of values in keeping with wider British culture, the Church faces a difficult decision about whether to adapt to changing times or risk permanently alienating an entire generation.

Moreover, as educated, upwardly mobile individuals, the Church risks alienating an important demographic group – the future leaders of society who could be major standard bearers for Christian tradition.

The challenge for the Church will be finding a way of engaging the interests and enthusiasms of this generation.”

The findings are published in a new book, Christianity and the University Experience.

COVERAGE INCLUDES: The Guardian, opinion pieces in The Tablet and The Church Times, Premier Christian Radio, BBC Regional Radio across the UK and The Northern Echo.

The Durham team used declassified spy satellite imagery to create the first long-term record of changes in the terminus of outlet glaciers – where they meet the sea – along 5,400km of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet’s coastline. The imagery covered almost half a century from 1963 to 2012.

Using measurements from 175 glaciers, the researchers were able to show that the glaciers underwent rapid and synchronised periods of advance and retreat which coincided with cooling and warming. The findings were published in Nature.

Dr Chris Stokes said: “If the climate is going to warm in the future, our study shows that large parts of the margins of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet are vulnerable to the kinds of changes that are worrying us in Greenland and West Antarctica – acceleration, thinning and retreat.

When temperatures warm in the air or ocean, glaciers respond by retreating and this can have knock-on effects further inland, where more and more ice is drawndown towards the coast.

We need to monitor their behaviour more closely and maybe reassess our rather conservative predictions of future ice sheet dynamics in East Antarctica.”

COVERAGE INCLUDES: International media including NBC and Al Jazeera Europe, national media including BBC news, Channel 4 news, The Daily Mail and The Independent and extensive coverage in international specialist websites.

IMAGE: EAIS outlet glacier Wilkes Land (© Michael Hambrey - glaciers-online.net).

Supporting students to develop a critical knowledge and understanding of the concept and practice of entrepreneurship personal skills and qualities which can be used in any context, and which are increasingly being highlighted by employers

With this in mind, both enterprise skills development and enterprise support activities not only form an integral part of the current mainstream activity within the Careers, Employability and Enterprise Centre (CEEC), but are also being developed appropriately to form a cohesive and inclusive programme which all students have access to on an on-going basis.

is available to increase the portfolio of activities offered across the University • Enhancing the provision of opportunities for students to undertake internships and placements within small scale social enterprises

This provision includes:

In terms of practical and on-going support the following provision is available to all students:

• Careers development learning delivered through existing CEEC mainstream activity focusing on awareness raising and developing the entrepreneurial skill set in preparation for graduate employment

• Informal and confidential meeting with the Enterprise Co-ordinator where anyone interested in ANY aspect of enterprise can access information and advice appropriate to their needs

• Support activity which specifically addresses the theme of enterprise and the notion of self-employment.

As well as collaborating with the student enterprise societies, specialist provision

• Bookable 1:1 appointments with our Resident Business Adviser who is able to provide an individually tailored mentoring and advice programme for students who wish to explore their business ideas.

Find out more... visit www.durham.ac.uk/ careers/enterprise

• The opportunity to participate in the ‘Blueprint Enterprise Challenge’ programme which provides workshops, entrepreneurial mentoring and networking opportunities as well as financial awards to help with start-up costs.

Of particular value to the entrepreneurial community at Durham is the existence of two highly proactive student societies. Each has a built in mechanism to support year on year sustainability and a commitment to developing strategically in collaboration with the Careers Centre and building an innovative entrepreneurial student community at Durham.

For more information: Email: suzanne.auty@durham.ac.uk Or visit the following websites: www.durham.ac.uk/careers/enterprise www.entrepreneursdurham.com www.enactusdurham.org

09

and entrepreneurial behaviour – thereby enabling them to demonstrate a set of as essential in top class graduate recruits.

Students Casey Lam and Elizabeth Bailey are both celebrating after winning top awards at The North East Regional Blueprint Business Planning and Creation Competition. Casey Lam, a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Chemistry was the overall winner with her business ‘Top Hat Teacakes’, whilst second year Sociology student, Lizzie Bailey, was awarded the ‘Highly Commended’ prize for her social enterprise ‘lookPositive’. Casey and Lizzie share their stories below.

LOOKPOSITIVE lookPositive is an organisation dedicated to helping people improve their body image and self-esteem. The main service of the business is delivering body image workshops in schools to pupils aged 11-15 which aim to change the way young people think and understand the pressures in society so they can gain self-confidence about how they look. lookPositive was very much developed due to my own personal experience and passion. When I had the chance to carry out my own research at A-level, I wrote about how women are affected by pressures in the media. This really solidified my interest in solving body image problems and made me realise I wanted to teach people about positive body image.

The highlight of my journey so far has been running my very first workshop. It was so

inspiring to see that I could change these lives, and make a positive impact.

The support from the CEEC has been incredible. From the first moment I met Suzanne Auty about the Blueprint competition, I realised that there was an incredible support system within the University for new entrepreneurs, and I have done nothing but benefit from this.

As part of the Blueprint competition I have had access to a large amount of free workshops and business advice appointments, I’ve also had fantastic support about every stage of setting up my business. As a social enterprise, I’ve had access to funding from UnLtd through the University, which means I’ve been able to secure over £5,000 to start up the business.

Currently I’m working on our upcoming community event. It’s going to be a fantastic event with lots of people of all ages, embracing their diversity and individuality.

TOPHAT TEACAKES Like most students coming to the end of their studies, in my case a PhD in Chemistry, the daunting question of “what to do next” was hovering over me. With a background in chemistry I had always seen myself working for either a leading pharmaceutical or FMCG company.

However with the current unpredictable job market, I opted for the more exciting route of starting up my own business.

I have always loved baking and decorating cakes for special occasions but it was only when I stumbled across Durham Blueprint that I thought there might be able to turn my hobby into a business. I was encouraged to think up an innovative idea to enter into the Blueprint competition and so TopHat Teacakes was born. My business is a luxury brand of chocolate teacakes made in a range of exciting different flavours and characters!

At the start I definitely had doubts; I knew nothing about how to write a business plan or draw up financial forecasts! I was provided with free expert advice from a professional business advisor through CEEC who I saw on a regular basis.

Through the fantastic support of the CEEC I was not only able to develop my business from an idea into a real, fully-functional business and brand but the advisors also gave me self-belief.

I went on to win the Durham Blueprint competition, and then the Regional Blueprint Competition, which was against nine other fantastic businesses - the most fantastic feeling ever! My business has also been recognised as an innovative and achieving business through the regional If We Can You Can competition run by The Journal and the Entrepreneurial forum.

I hope to keep on developing my business and make TopHat Teacakes a recognised household brand which everyone loves.

IMAGES: Far left, Phil Teasdale, Resident Business Adviser and Suzanne Auty, CEEC with Blueprint winners Casey and Lizzie.

Centre left, Elizabeth Bailey, lookPositive.

Near left, Casey Lam, Tophat Teacakes © French and Lamming Media.

Anniversary

On Friday 25th October, St Cuthbert’s Society celebrated the 125th anniversary of its foundation.

On this day in 1888, a group of the ‘Unattached’ met in a university lecture room and agreed to form a Society with membership by election which would meet weekly for debates, concerts, lectures and the like.

The motto of the Society was to be ‘Collegae non collegium’ – ‘colleagues but not a college’. The subject of an early debate was the motion ‘The present system of examinations is not conducive to sound learning’. The University of course did not agree, but this independence of spirit and challenge to convention has remained a hallmark of the Society (never the College!).

The membership was very small at the beginning; even in the 1950s there were only a couple of hundred students. Today we have over 1,200, including a substantial postgraduate community, and in addition to the much-loved Bailey site the Society has acquired new accommodation in the outpost of Parson’s Field, where students can enjoy the luxury, unknown in the 1880s, of en suite bathrooms and kitchen facilities. This gives Cuth’s students the unique advantage of a choice of bars, an arrangement of which the Unattached would undoubtedly have approved.

Although only a small proportion of our students can now fit in the dining hall, we continue to organise debates, concerts and lectures, featuring speakers from the SCR and JCR, and distinguished guests. Students can also benefit from the experience of our alumni through regular workshops on personal development and employability.

To celebrate our anniversary year, we are sponsoring three major lectures open to all, one linked to each of the three faculties of the University. On Wednesday 6th November the anthropologist Rob Foley (a former tutor

IMAGE: Left, JCR President Tom Wakelam with Open Day Reps, March 2013.

Right, Cuth’s Day 1959. Below, St Cuthbert’s Society entrance on South Bailey.

IMAGE: Above, 125 Vellum commissioned from local artist Judy Hurst, with many symbols of the history of Cuth’s.

11 at Cuth’s, now Leverhulme Professor of Evolution at Cambridge) spoke on ‘Human Evolution: the Search for Causality’. On Thursday 6th March 2014 the astronomer Gerry Gilmore (Professor of Experimental Philosophy also at Cambridge) will explain ‘What is the Milky Way? The View from Gaia’. A third lecture will be given in the spring by Sarah Dunant, novelist and broadcaster, on the contribution of historical novels to the academic study of history.

A permanent and welcome form of celebration is the splendid vellum painting commissioned from Judy Hurst, a local artist and former artist in residence at Cuth’s, which illuminates the entrance hall at 12 South Bailey. It is ingeniously filled with symbols of the Society and its history, and recalls the illuminations of the magnificent Lindisfarne Gospels associated with St Cuthbert.

The Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor attended an anniversary Formal on October 23rd, and the foundation day itself was celebrated by a reception at which many alumni and former members of staff entertained and moved us with their memories of Cuth’s. Throughout October a delightful selection of photographs spanning our first 125 years was on show at the Heritage Centre.

Much has changed at Cuth’s since 1888: the first women students were admitted in 1970, and currently they outnumber the men. For some years we have had a female Vice Principal/ Senior Tutor and Assistant Senior Tutor, and the first female Principal was appointed in 2012. As one of Durham’s sixteen colleges we are no longer unattached, but we adhere to the view expressed by J. E. Cooper in Palatinate in 1953: ‘We in Cuthbert’s would never allow a fully collegiate system to destroy either our own individuality or personality’.

Find out more...

Hi everyone and welcome to another year with Durham University Charities Kommittee (DUCK).

2014 looks set to be an exciting year for DUCK and we expect to see thousands of staff and students from across campus taking part in events that range from Tough Guy and Jailbreak to the Paris Marathon and our Canoe across Scotland!

THE CATHEDRAL SLEEPOUT

ALLOCATIONS PROCESS

At the recent National RAG Conference, our Cathedral Sleepout won the Award for Best Outreach. The Sleepout event, which saw over 400 students and staff gather in the Cathedral for Monopoly, live music and the most spectacular wake up view, raised over £11,000 for the local homelessness charity Moving On and for Foodcycle.

It is a fantastic event that appeals to a wide range of people, so if you don’t fancy running through fire and swimming through freezing water then this is the event for you. Watch out for more information at the end of this term on how to sign up.

Have you ever wondered where DUCK’s money goes? Every year, at Easter, we open our allocations process to the public. Charities from across the North East can apply for a grant from the DUCK fund and last year over 50 charities received financial help. If you know of a local Charity that could benefit from the wonderful fundraising effort of Durham students then please let us know.

If you would like to get involved with DUCK this year then please email Naz, our new DUCK Chair, at dsu.duckchair@durham.ac.uk

For the history of Cuth’s up to 1988 see Henry Tudor’s St Cuthbert’s Society 1888-1988; a sequel is near completion.

St Cuthbert’s Society, 12 South Bailey, ext. 43400, email cuthberts-reception@durham.ac.uk Visit our web page at www.durham.ac.uk/st-cuthberts.society

IMAGE: Above, Loyal Alumni at the Association Weekend, September 2013.

IMAGE: Above, The DUCK Cathedral Sleepover 2013.

Dialogue 32 | November / December 2013

New research collections portal launched Durham University and the wider region have a wealth of highly unique and significant research collections available.

The Library works closely with academic departments to try and ensure that books on reading lists are available to students.

But feedback from the National Student Survey tells us that students still want more books, either because we don’t have any copies of the text they need, or the item is in high demand.

So we’re pleased to announce that MORE BOOKS will return to Durham University Library in November 2013! For the past three years, MORE BOOKS has given students an easy and direct way to tell the Library which resources they can’t get hold of so we can purchase more books and e-books to meet their academic needs.

All students need to do is fill in a short online form with the details of the book they need. Although staff can’t request titles through MORE BOOKS, we encourage them to make requests via their departmental Library representative.

The service has proven really popular, with over 450 titles purchased as a result in 2012-13 and lots of students tell us how valuable they have found the service. So let us know if you need MORE BOOKS!

Find out more... visit www.durham.ac.uk/library/morebooks

The brand new portal page on the University website brings details of these collections together, allowing users to browse details of the collections, both by location and by area of interest.

This will be a highly valuable resource for researchers across the globe, and combined with the University’s recent successes in Arts and Humanities in both the THE and QS global rankings, cements Durham as a one of the world’s leading centres for the study of Arts and Humanities.

Visit the portal... www.durham.ac.uk/durham.collections

In October, the Barker Research Library opened at Palace Green Library.

With the generous support of Graham and Joanna Barker the former Law Library in the 1966 Pace Building has been transformed to create a modern and spacious research environment. Readers of the archives and special collections may study in a secure glass-partitioned

area, while 62 networked study spaces are provided for researchers using the openaccess reference collections for Local Studies and History of the Book that fill the rest of the impressively refurbished room.

Find out more... visit www.durham.ac.uk/library/asc

Recently The University Communications Office has launched a Profile Raising Toolkit with the aim to help staff and schools/ departments engage with social media, raise their media profile and conduct marketing activities.

This resource will be useful for any academic, department or school who would like guidance and tools for a number of activities including, working with framework partners on the design and print of brochures, writing press releases, templates for conference PowerPoint presentations, tips for writing for the web and social media.

Access the toolkit.. www.durham.ac.uk/communications .office/local/toolkit

13

ESSAY PRIZE WIN FOR STUDENT Congratulations to second year student, George Pearson (Collingwood) who has won the arts and humanities category of a national writing competition run by UCAS and The Times, with his article on Classics.

Over 2,500 entries were received across four different categories and entrants were required to write an article of 500 words which discussed why they love studying their subject at a higher level.

George used his knowledge of Classics to his advantage, writing about Plato, Aristotle and Ovid to illustrate his points. His essay describes the true value of a university education which “not only equips you to deal with the world, but also changes the way you view it.”

UCAS Chief Executive Mary Curnock Cook commented:

“George’s elegant advocacy of studying Classics at degree level impressed all the judges.

In addition to having his article published online, George also receives £3,000, a day at The Times and a six-month online subscription.

Commenting on his success, George said: “It was a huge surprise to win. Based on the criteria which had to be included in the essay I knew I could write something relevant for students. The day at the Times was fantastic - possibly more valuable than the money, although my student account is looking a bit healthier now!”

View the article online... thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/writingcompetition article3865550.ece

Honorary graduate awarded Nobel Prize Congratulations to honorary graduate, Professor Peter Higgs, who has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, along with his colleague Professor Francois Englert from Belgium.

Professor Higgs was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree in a ceremony at our June congregation this year, in recognition of his landmark research which theorised the existence of the Higgs boson.

Environment Awards win The Gateway Project has taken top honours at the prestigious County Durham Environment Awards.

The redevelopment project, which included the Palatine Centre, Law School and Bill Bryson Library extension, received the Outstanding Award which was presented to the University at a ceremony on 7th October.

Our Biophilia project, which has seen the Greenspace Biodiversity Group carry out extensive engagement in biodiversity awareness, monitoring and enhancement across the University, also received a commendation on the night. Activities within this project include: installing and monitoring bird boxes with biology students, leading guided walks and developing an ‘outdoor classroom’.

Two of our former students have been named as category winners in the international programme of The Undergraduate Awards for 2013.

Hannah Gibbs (University College) won the award for Languages and Linguistics while James Lyndon-Skeggs (Hatfield) won the Life Sciences category. Both Hannah and James graduated this summer. They were selected from almost 4,000 submissions in over 180 colleges and universities across the globe, to be named the best undergraduate in their field.

They will receive their medals at the Undergraduate Awards Global Summit in Dublin this month.

There were 55 entries for this year’s awards which are organised by the County Durham Environment Partnership to recognise great design and environmental achievement as well as contribution to the community.

Dialogue 32 | November / December 2013

It’s always nice to feel like you’re making a difference in the world. It’s tough deciding who to give your money to, how often, remembering to donate the money – it’s a lot to think about. That is why Payroll Giving exists.

WHAT IS PAYROLL GIVING?

DURHAM UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FUND

It is a simple and easy way for anyone who pays UK income tax to give regularly to charity, on a tax-free basis. Your donation is taken straight from your salary, meaning that the cost to you is actually less than you pledge – it is also deducted before tax.

There are over 200,000 registered charitable organisations within the UK, so making a choice as to where your money goes can be quite difficult. You can donate to any UK-based charity, or you can take this opportunity to donate into the newly created Durham University Community Fund, meaning that your donation stays in the local area and helps people in the local area.

This means that every £1 you pledge only costs you 80p, or 60p for higher rate tax payers. You also choose where your money goes, whether to a specific charity or to a general fund.

HOW DOES IT HELP? Payroll Giving provides a regular income for some charitable organisations, which can help them budget and plan ahead more effectively.

With Payroll Giving, you’d be providing a valuable, long-term source of revenue for a group who really needs it.

This is a fund that is being introduced and will be built up over time, and grants will be made to eligible organisations within County Durham and Tees Valley. The Fund will be managed by County Durham Community Foundation (CDCF) and all applications will be considered by a panel of CDCF and University representatives who will ensure that they fulfil the relevant criteria.

Obviously this fund will take a while to accumulate donations but we will be able to able to help a wide variety of local charities, including those with whom we already work through Student Community Action, Experience Durham and the colleges.

WHEN CAN I SET IT UP? The new scheme will be in place very shortly and its launch will be announced in the usual internal communication channels. There will also be a dedicated web page with further details.

All you will have to do to make a monthly, tax-free donation through your salary is to decide on the amount you want to donate then complete and return the necessary forms everything else will be done for you.

Find out more... about County Durham Community Foundation at www.cdcf.org.uk

Keep an eye out for the official launch of this new payroll giving scheme in Dialogue Signposts and the VC’s bulletin.

15

Health & fitness

As part of our new, state-of-the-art facilities at Maiden Castle, we run regular fitness classes in our aerobics studio and virtual X-biking classes in our spinning studio. Classes are open to university staff, students and all members of the general public.

Whether you want to tone up, burn calories, exercise in the early morning, midday or in the evening, we have a class to suit you. Classes are a great way to get fit and have fun at the same time.

Our updated timetable offers the inclusion of a 30 minute lunch-time ‘Body Blast’ – a great way for staff to complete a high intensity full body workout in their lunch break. All of our instructors are professionally qualified and many also work with our own high performance athletes.

Simply show your university campus card to receive a reduced rate of £3 per aerobics class and £2 for Body Blast, Ab Attack and X-biking. We also offer a ‘Progress Tracker’ card and every time you complete 10 classes you get one completely free!

17.30 – Circuits 18.30 – Zumba

07.00, 12.15, 13.15, 17.30,18.30, 19.30

12.30 17.30 18.30 19.30

17.30 – Body Tone 18.30 – Pilates

07.00, 12.15, 13.15, 17.30,18.30, 19.30

17.30 – Pilates 18.30 – Body Tone 19.30 – Ab Attack (30 mins)

17.30 – Pilates 18.30 – Body Tone

07.00, 12.15, 13.15, 17.30,18.30, 19.30

17.30 – Circuits

07.00, 12.15, 13.15, 17.30,18.30, 19.30

– – – –

Body Blast Body Tone Pilates Boot Camp*

12.10 – Pilates 17.30 – Circuits

FRI

12.30 – Body Blast

07.00, 12.15, 13.15, 17.30,18.30, 19.30

SAT

phone ext 42178 or email teamdurham. bookings@durham .ac.uk

12.30 – Body Blast 17.30 – Circuits 18.30 – Zumba

THURS

Find out more or book a class...

VIRTUAL X-BIKING (ALL YEAR)

WED

/FITatDU

VACATION

TUES

Classes are bookable on the day however some classes are very popular and you may wish to consider booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

TERM TIME MON

Alternatively why not consider our All Inclusive Monthly Aerobics Pass (30 days)? This pass entitles University staff to attend all aerobics and X-biking classes, up to 14 different aerobics and 34 X-biking sessions per week, a great saving at just £25 per month.

11.00 – Body Tone

07.00, 12.15, 13.15, 17.30,18.30, 19.30

Zambia

This summer, six of my fellow students and I embarked on a seven week trip to the southern African nation of Zambia to conduct drama workshops and performances with local children. An incredibly valuable experience, we all gained a huge amount from the project as both individuals and as a group, and we left the country with new friends, new skills and a love for a newly discovered culture.

This Student Theatre Project is supported by Experience Durham and was based on the model set up by Team Durham’s Project Zambia.

The first week of the trip was spent in the city of Livingstone where we worked closely with Sun International, an African hotel chain which supports local communities and schools. We ran a series of drama workshops in a local school, which culminated in a performance the school deserved to be very proud of. Other projects we visited included an elderly persons’ home and an orphanage. Each evening we performed a series of musical theatre standards in one of Sun International’s Zambian hotels, the Zambezi Sun, which was also our accommodation for the week. The memories and experiences we’ve taken from Livingstone are simply unforgettable.

We then travelled north to Lusaka, Zambia’s capital city, where we would spend the rest of our trip.

Although our time was initially spent in meetings organising future placements, we soon found ourselves on the doorstep of Barefeet Theatre, who coincidentally were hosting their annual festival whilst we were there. The seven of us slotted into various roles within the festival, with most of our time spent with the Art Facilitators, helping them to conduct workshops. With Barefeet, I worked with three different children’s centres across the city – each centre was tasked with creating an original piece of drama outlining the problems in their community. The centres I worked with did an exceptional job, and I felt so proud watching them perform their final pieces.

Three afternoons a week were spent at Fountain of Hope, an orphanage based in Lusaka. Sitting in on drama workshops, mentoring sessions and the occasional baby clinic, we offered our help wherever and whenever it was needed.

Getting to know the children at Fountain was one of the undisputed highlights of the trip.

Their effervescence, vitality and sense of humour kept us smiling through each visit.

All in all, the trip provided us with a host of experiences and memories to last a lifetime.

Culturally, we threw ourselves into Zambian life, trying (mostly unsuccessfully) our hand at traditional African dancing as well as negotiating the bustling and perplexing world of Lusaka public transport.

We may not have been building schools or saving lives, but I do believe we made an overwhelmingly positive contribution whilst out there – we are taking the project in the right direction, and have begun to formulate a blueprint for the trip’s future successes. With 2013 only the second year since its inception, the future of the Durham Student Theatre Zambia Project is looking very rosy indeed.

Simon Lynch, PGT student, Durham University Business School.

17

Experience Durham...

Durham University has a longstanding tradition of student theatre, and the drama scene is vibrant, varied and thriving.

Durham Student Theatre (DST) acts as both the umbrella organisation for the 34 currently affiliated theatre companies and as the union for over 800 members.

It provides theatre companies with props, set, tech, box office staff, marketing assistance, and guidance, as well as offering numerous opportunities to actors, directors and producers. From Shakespeare to Sondheim, and Pinter to Porter, there’s something for everyone at DST. Durham Student Theatre is unique among student theatre societies, being housed in a fully functional 220-seat theatre in an 18th century building, which is completely student-run. As well as a diverse programme of shows at the Assembly Rooms, performances take place in a host of other venues, such as college chapels, the Gala theatre, the Castle’s Senate suite and Durham Cathedral. During the summer holidays, DST also offers students the opportunity to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and to volunteer to teach drama in Zambia.

Find out more...

ZAMBEZI SUN DRAMA PROJECT 2013 A group of seven keen team members of Durham Student Theatre travelled to Zambia to participate in the Durham / Zambia Student Theatre Project. They spent their time working with the Sun International group on many projects in and around Livingstone, providing a different and challenging experience.

See page 16 for an article from one of the team members about his experience in Zambia or read the student blog entry with more about their trip at www.durham. ac.uk/experiencedurham/theatre

DURHAM THEATRE AT THE FRINGE This year Durham Student Theatre took nine shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, ranging from devised physical theatre to Shakespeare, with over sixtyfive students taking part in the shows in both performance and production team roles. It was a great opportunity to experience a great variety of theatre and be involved in one of the biggest drama festivals in the UK. All shows reviewed received a four-star rating with three of the nine achieving the coveted five-star review. These shows included a devised piece by FULLfuse Theatre entitled Speak No Evil.

This production, led by Chris Blois-Brooke was said to be “simply staged, beautifully written and outstandingly delivered” and a piece that “ought to be heard”. DULOG’s 2013 Fringe Musical, The Pirates of Penzance, was said to “gallop with a joy and energy that would have made Gilbert and Sullivan proud”. The final five-star review went to Island State, “a perceptive and heart-rendering image of human nature in extreme situations”. Island State was written by Durham graduate Dom EverettRiley and was one of two new pieces of writing taken to the Fringe this year by members of Durham Student Theatre.

The other piece was A Hundred Minus One Day and was written by Idgie Beau.

This piece received a National Student Drama Festival commendation for writing.

The show is a touching comedy about Jen and her imaginary friend Daphne, who unexpectedly returns when Jen is 20. A story that is part fantasy, part comedy, part tragedy, is fundamentally about life, and living it to the full; ultimately it’s about being a kid again.

IMAGES: Left, A DST actor in Tartuffe. Centre, The production of 39 Steps. Right, Students performing hits from musicals to hotel guests in Zambia.

Supported by:

visit www.durham.ac.uk/experiencedurham

Museums and attractions ROBOT An Exhibition of Robots, Cyborgs and Androids Palace Green Library 23rd November 2013 – 27th April 2014 Robots come in all shapes and sizes. Some are friendly, others helpful and a few are simply scary. This exhibition brings some of the metal stars of the big screen together with books, comics and toys that for decades have activated the imaginations of young and old alike.

Some of our researchers are working on a wide range of projects involving robots and robotics, from the fictional robots familiar from classic books and comics to the real robots that are making a difference every day to industry and in the home.

Visit our website for more details of our exhibition opening hours, admission charges and ROBOT related events. www.durham.ac.uk/palacegreen/whatson

MUSICON CONCERT SERIES 2013/2014 CEOL NUA! Three evenings of new Irish Music Friday 29th November until Sunday 1st December 2013 Join us for what promises to be a fascinating three-day concert series focussing on the new music of Ireland: Ceol Nua!. Featuring works from established composers such as Kevin Volans, Gerald Barry, Deirdre Gribbin, and Donnacha Dennehy, the series also shines a spotlight on a brilliant younger generation of composers including Andrew Hamilton, Dave Flynn, Garrett Sholdice, and Eric Egan.

Tickets for each concert: £10, Students £4, Under 18s £1 Box Office: Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham.

Tel: 03000 266600

NEW GALLERIES OPEN AT THE ORIENTAL MUSEUM The Gallery of Korea The first in the museum’s history - includes calligraphy, ceramics, furniture, and musical instruments. Researchers from the Music Department have worked with curators to provide recordings of the instruments so visitors can hear as well as see them.

The Gallery of Japan The only one of its kind in the north of England. Created in direct response to visitor interest in contemporary Japan, it mixes historic material with 20th and 21st Century objects.

See samurai swords, kimono and woodblock prints alongside street fashion and contemporary art.

IMAGES: Clockwise from left, 1. Nariko Kawai. © Youji at Alia. 2. Ives Ensemble. © Mark Kohn. 3. Smith Quartet. © Taskypriando. Main image, Samurai armour at the Oriental Museum’s new Gallery of Japan.

19

Event Durham, Retail & Catering

Event Durham Event Durham is currently working hard to help organise and promote the Durham City Christmas Festival, which takes place on Friday 6th, Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December.

Catering FUSION, THE GLOBAL LOUNGE After months of tasting and tinkering, the Business School’s new catering facility ‘Fusion’ opened on Monday 19th August.

The menu celebrates food from around the globe and at lunch customers can choose from international inspired dishes such as Nam Jim Steak or Thai Green Vegetable Curry, or they can try something

closer to home with traditional fish & chips and mushy peas with bread & butter on the side. The restaurant will be open 8am – 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Rise and shine to enjoy a speciality coffee with a croissant or for those cooler mornings a full English breakfast. In the afternoon you can treat yourself with a choice of homemade scones and cakes.

The Festival will feature a wide range of festive entertainment for all the family in and around the World Heritage Site.

The huge, heated Craft and Gift Marquee on Palace Green features over 190 stalls and will be open across the three days of the event. In the Cathedral Cloisters, a Local Food Producers Market featuring another 30 traders will operate on both Friday and Saturday. In the Cathedral itself, Carols for all services take place on both Saturday and Sunday.

Weekend entertainment will include live reindeer, a static falconry display, juggling and balloon-modelling, a lantern precession and St Nicholas children’s service, the Seven Stories reading chair and performances from a wide range of local entertainers and musicians throughout the city centre.

Retail After an eventful summer the Retail Office is readying itself for the winter months.

Keep warm during the cold weather with our Durham University branded outerwear; we have chunky hoodies, gilets and 100% wool scarves as well as wellington boots for those rainy days!

We are also busy preparing for some upcoming events; Christmas Festival in December and Winter Congregation in the New Year. Please come along to our pop-up shops at these events to see a

Find out more...

Visit the online shop..

www.durhamchristmasfestival.com

www.durham.ac.uk/shop

selection of gifts, clothing, stationery and our local interest collection.

If you are planning your Christmas shopping, how about visiting some of our visitor attraction shops? Try the Botanic Garden for some beautiful Christmas decorations or Palace Green Library for some unusual book themed gifts. If you are looking for something extra special we can recommend paying a visit to the Oriental Museum, with its new range of stunning authentic Korean ceramics and gifts it won’t disappoint.

Durham University Retail Office @DurhamUniRetail

HR news...

Members of staff may be aware that the Government has reduced the amount of tax relief on pension savings.

Further Information is available at www.durham.ac.uk/hr/paypensions reward/pensions

If you are already a long standing member of the USS and/or have received a substantial salary increase in recent years, it is important for you to ensure that you are aware of the impact of any increase in the value your pension and any potential tax implications.

HMRC guidance is also available: www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensionschemes/ understanding-aa.htm (Annual Allowance). www.hmrc.gov.uk/pensionschemes/ understanding-la.htm (Lifetime Allowance).

LOOKING AHEAD: FRAMEWORKS FOR CHANGE Dr Jennifer de Vries facilitated two excellent events at the University in early October which were attended by 90 senior colleagues from across the University.

In the first event she drew on her recent research examining the position of academic women within a STEM faculty in a research-intensive Australian university. Using this as her starting point she discussed the multifaceted nature of building more gender equitable workplaces, and the contribution that men, women, leaders and programs can make in achieving change.

In particular Jen proposed two frameworks, the ‘bifocal approach’ based on her own research, and Joan Acker’s ‘gendering processes’ as a way of reviewing current progress and discussing future directions.

Following this opening address, attendees had the opportunity to discuss several areas of particular interest with their colleagues. At the end of the afternoon each person developed a greater understanding of what constrains change, and left with ideas as to how they personally and collectively could contribute to creating a more gender equitable university.

Jen ran a subsequent session as part of our Inspiring Women’s series of networking events where she focused more on what she calls a ‘bifocal approach’ whereby mentoring can address the short-term goal of assisting mentees to thrive in the current workplace, while pursuing the long-term goal of building an organisation where all can thrive.

These events form part of a number of activities that have taken place within the University recently which are helping to raise the issues of gender equity and the challenges being faced by our staff but more importantly opening up a dialogue on how to address these issues.

Find out more... visit Dr de Vries’ website www.jendevries.com or contact Sarah Winship, Diversity Adviser, on ext. 46528 or email: sarah.winship@durham.ac.uk

STAFF BENEFITS BROCHURE Working at Durham University brings many benefits.

You can find out more in our new, online staff benefits booklet, a link to which can be found at www.durham. ac.uk/hr/paypensionsreward To find out more about specific benefits, click on the links in the booklet.

21

Procurement

Welcome to the Procurement Service’s third Dialogue update. In this feature we’ll bring you information, hints and tips, and introduce you to key people.

VIATOR

SUPPLIER RECOGNITION EVENT

PURCHASING CONFERENCE

Viator has now replaced paper travel forms for confirming travel insurance cover. To access the Viator online system and Guidance Notes please go to the Travel and Risk Assessment page of the Insurance Service website.

In September the Procurement Service hosted the University’s first Supplier Recognition Event. The event recognised suppliers who have made an outstanding contribution to the University during the course of the year. Nominations were sought from staff to recognise the input across a number of categories covering all aspects of supply and service. Supplier feedback has been extremely positive.

The Conference on University Purchasing took place in September at the BT Convention Centre, Liverpool, hosted by the North West Universities Purchasing Consortia.

MEET THE INSURANCE TEAM There are three members of staff within our busy Insurance Service.

Claire Robinson – Insurance Manager Claire has responsibility for the overall management of insurance for the University.

This includes managing and reviewing the covers, handling the larger property insurance claims, implementing the Viator travel system and arranging specialist covers when appropriate. Claire is qualified as an Associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Contact Claire on ext. 49266 or at claire.robinson@durham.ac.uk

Jim Manley – Insurance Assistant

Darren Fickling ARCO “It was an excellent event and a fantastic way to reward your suppliers for their efforts. This was a very unique event. It was also a great opportunity to meet with University contacts I may struggle to see on occasion. I hope to be invited next year!”

Richard Barksby STATEX “Fantastic event to remind everyone the true value of partnerships in business. Very proud to be a loyal partner with the University and to help promote the University and of course the region. Great people to work for.”

Alison Holmes, Director of Procurement, Laura Watson, Deputy Director of Procurement and David Armstrong, Category Manager, represented Durham University along with hundreds of other procurement practitioners. There was an opening address on the Vision for Collaborative Procurement in light of the Diamond Review from Professor Nick Petford, Vice Chancellor at the University of Northampton and chair of the newly formed Procurement UK. Other speakers included Professor Paul Cousins from Manchester Business School (Strategic Procurement in a Challenging Environment) and Professor Bob Doherty, from the University of York (Fair Trade and Social Enterprise within Higher Education.There were numerous seminars and workshops including specification writing, procurement maturity assessments, the pursuit of ethical procurement and the role of ‘laughology’ in the workplace.

Jim deals with motor fleet issues, property claims, property insurance queries, liability claims, travel queries and claims, Viator travel requests, queries on the University’s liability covers and all insurance matters for Durham Student Organisations.

Contact Jim on ext. 49299 or at d.j.manley@durham.ac.uk

Barbara Dick – Insurance Assistant Barbara deals predominantly with travel insurance queries, claims, Viator travel requests, small property claims, the annual asset register exercise and queries on the University’s liability covers. Barbara is a qualified Associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Contact Barbara on ext. 49267 or at b.k.dick@durham.ac.uk

IMAGE: Above, Representatives from the University’s network of suppliers deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to the University attended the recognition event in September.

We welcome all constructive feedback on how we can improve our communications.

Please email alison.holmes@durham.ac.uk or laura.watson@durham.ac.uk for further details.

Dialogue 32 | November / December 2013

RICH GEOLOGY OF BRITISH ISLES CAPTURED IN NEW SCULPTURE A sculpture of the British Isles representing three billion years of the geological age of the Earth has been set into the ground near the junction of South Road and Stockton Road, at the entrance to Lower Mountjoy.

The map, called What Lies Beneath Us, is the first of its kind in the country and is made of different rocks representing the geology of the country.

It is made in a mosaic style with the vast majority of the stone used having been sourced from the parts of the country featured on the map, from the Scilly Isles in the far South West to the Shetland Isles in the North.

The sculpture, created over 18 months by Dorset-based stonemason/artist John de Pauley, is being funded by a £100,000 donation from The Banks Group, via its Banks Community Fund, and further funding from Salamander Energy. Work to install the map was carried out by local companies Miller Construction, Wynn Construction and Nufins.

The rocks used contain the wide variety of fossils, remnants of life, and minerals found throughout the British Isles, such as pre-historic coral or the fossils of

360-million-year-old worms found in the rock of Southern Ireland.

Dr Darren Gröcke, (Earth Sciences) came up with the original concept and Professor Bob Holdsworth (Earth Sciences) advised on the rocks making up the geosculpture. Unveiled by Professor Iain Stewart, President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in October, the sculpture will be used as a teaching resource for our Earth Science, Geography and History students, as well as being an important part of our educational outreach work with schools.

People are invited to take their photographs on the map by standing on Durham City to show where they are in the country or by standing on their home towns or cities. Photographs can be Tweeted to @durham_uni #GeoSculpture.

IMAGE: Below, Members of the Arthur Holmes Geological Society with the Geosculpture. The group are standing on the part of Britain they are from.

New Bamboo Bike Shelter at Botanic Garden A new bike shelter made from natural bamboo and funded by Durham County Council’s Local Transport Plan, has been constructed at the Botanic Garden, to attract more cyclists.

In keeping with the character of the Botanic Garden, Mike Hughes (Head Gardener) suggested making a shelter from bamboo.

The design of the shelter was approved by Simon Watt (Senior Project Manager) and Matthew Wright (Estates Surveyor) and allows parking for up to eight bicycles.

Additional Sheffield stands are also available at both entrances to the Garden.

The entire structure has been built using split bamboo for the side walls and half round sections for the roof and sits in a living bamboo grove. Bamboo is a fraction of the weight of other building materials, yet in many applications it’s more durable, economical, and more aesthetic than concrete, steel, and wood.

Mike said: “The staff at the Botanic Garden are really happy with the shelter as it really fits in with the Garden and is already proving popular with visitors.”

By taking this initiative, the Botanic Garden has become part of the City’s cycle offer.

County Councillor Neil Foster said “Durham County Council is delighted to fund this project which will encourage more cycling visitors to the Botanic Gardens. It’s great to see innovative and functional infrastructure around the City being developed to promote sustainable travel and tourism.”

23

Greenspace...

LOCAL FOOD CHARTER Professor Tim Burt, Dean for Environmental Sustainability, signed the County Durham Food Charter on behalf of the University on 19th September.

Food charters are a statement of how organisations and individuals will work together to develop more sustainable, healthy food systems. This charter is unique in that it has taken a countywide approach. Partners who signed the charter include Durham County Council, Durham Wildlife Trust and Durham Rural Community Council.

This year’s Green Move Out has been a huge success thanks to the hard work of numerous staff and students across the University.

4,429 bags of students’ unwanted items were donated to this year’s Scheme – almost 800 more than in 2012.

Items including food, bedding and clothing, were gratefully received by a range of local charities but the majority of goods were made available for reuse by students via a number of Reuse Events throughout Induction Week.

These Events not only save students money and divert thousands of items from general waste, but they also raised over £2,300 for local charities. A huge thank you to all involved in making this year’s Scheme such a success.

Find out more... www.durham.ac.uk/greenspace/ greenmoveout

ENVIRONMENT WEEK The University’s 5th Environment week ran from the 11th -17th November.

During Liftshare Week in October, Greenspace promoted the University‘s car share scheme. Car-sharing can be used for any type of journey at any time, making it the cheapest and most flexible form of transport around. Car sharing makes driving more efficient and sustainable by filling empty seats.

If you are a car driver or looking for someone to car share with, why not register your details? Previously the scheme allowed members to add a car share if they were the driver only. Now it is possible to ‘request’ a car share.

The week was an opportunity for all students and staff to engage with environmental issues, to celebrate our environmental progress to date and to explore what we can do to further improve our environmental sustainability. Thank you to everybody who took part in the Week, from visiting the Environment Fair to asking questions and making suggestions.

Benefits of car sharing include: reduced fuel costs; reducing the impact on the environment, and making journeys more sociable and fun!

One of our car sharers went so far as to say, “I commenced car sharing in February this year and wished I had started it earlier. The 35 minute journey now seems to take all of 10 minutes,

I can see a saving of approximately one week’s fuel per month and having someone with you in case anything should happen during the journey is very reassuring”.

Find out more... visit www.durham.ac.uk/ greenspace/travel/ carshare

/durhamuniversity

@Durham_Uni

DurhamUniversity

November

Under investigation Nuaim Ahmed

Technical Analysist, CIS

Have you got any pets?

I don’t have any pets at present as they take up too much time but I used to keep chickens and pigeons in my younger days.

What are you reading at the moment?

Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell.

What would you like you epitaph to be?

“Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your old age, Your health before your sickness, Your wealth before your poverty, Your free-time before your preoccupation and Your life before your death.”

– Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Which historical figure would you most like to be?

There have been so many great people in history that it is difficult to pick one out.

What was the first record you bought?

I’m not into music that much but the first cassette tape I bought was Thriller by Michael Jackson.

What achievement are you most proud of?

Entering University to study Theoretical Physics.

What was your best subject?

Physics.

When was the last time you laughed and why?

This morning when I was chatting to my CIS colleague Stuart McNulty because he makes me laugh!

What did you want to be when you were a child?

An Aeronautical Engineer.

Where will you be going for your next holiday?

Morocco. I always wanted to visit the Atlas Mountains and I love Moroccan food.

What skill or talent would you most like to acquire?

A great public speaker/orator.

Give me a picture of your ideal day: Sailing around tropical Islands such as Mauritius on a sunny day with my family.

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you care what other people think of you?

8-9, a bit too much to be honest.

What’s your greatest vice?

I love gadgets; I can’t get enough of them and waste too much money on them.

What’s your favourite film?

The Shawshank Redemption.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever done?

Filing documents all day and every day in a warehouse.

What’s your favourite place in the world?

Istanbul, Turkey. A beautiful city and the food is amazing too. hat’s your greatest indulgence?

Lamb Bhuna with freshly baked Tandoori Roti while watching Match of the Day.

A Future for Classical Music: Sir Thomas Allen in Conversation with Prof Jeremy Dibble Castle Lecture Series Wednesday 20th November, 7:45pm Great Hall, Durham Castle Join our Chancellor Sir Thomas Allen and Professor Dibble for what promises to be a lively discussion on the future of classical music.

ROBOTS! Saturday 23rd November – Wednesday 23rd April 2014.

Palace Green Library Discover robots, cyborgs and androids and meet some of the metal stars of the big screen face to face in Palace Green Library’s exciting new exhibition.

Pharmacy & Public health: we are good but could we be better?

Wolfson Annual Lecture Wednesday 27th November, 12:30pm Ebsworth Building, Queen’s Campus Professor Claire Anderson from the University of Nottingham will present a brief history of pharmacy’s public health role.

Murder Mystery Friday 29th November – Saturday 1st December Durham Castle Durham Castle gets plunged back into Victorian times for this classic ‘whodunnit’.

This promenade theatre production will bring in you into the labyrinth that is Durham Castle, going on a journey of investigation, deliberation and suspicion.

December

Pass the buck: Finally, who would you like to see in the hot-seat?

Durham City Christmas Festival Friday 6th – Sunday 8th December

Mr Michael Forster who is an E&B Manager.

Palace Green & Durham city centre Durham’s award-winning, annual Christmas Festival returns with a wide range of festive entertainment for all the family in and around the World Heritage Site of the Cathedral and the Castle. Come along to join in the festivities from carol singing to Christmas shopping.

For more information on University events go to www.durham.ac.uk/whatson