Spring 2014 by University of Leicester

Spring 2014

ANNUAL REPORT EDITION 2012-13

Elite without being elitist

www.le.ac.uk

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Contents Vice-Chancellor’s introduction Professor Sir Robert Burgess

Brief Exchanges Short stories from the University of Leiceseter

Study for free – anywhere, anytime… Leicester launches first MOOCs

College Court: Open for business

3 4

The University of Leicester’s state-of-the-art conference centre

The University’s visit to Kufa University, Iraq

The Interview Hate Crime Q&A with Dr Neil Chakraborti

Leicester provides answers in mysterious murder case The Alec Jeffreys Forensic Science Institute use forensic DNA analysis

Leicester shows how access to HE courses can transform lives Research into access programme completers

Forging relationships with universities worldwide

The Vaughan Centre: Leicester’s evening university

Leicester’s Alzheimer’s breakthrough

Leicester’s rich history of adult education

Could this be the “turning point” in the fight against this disease?

Better healthcare at a click Online consultations leading the way with training the doctors of tomorrow

14 26

Annual Report timeline 2012-13

Personalia and statisitics 2012-13

A selection of stories from the past year

Degree honours, awards and key figures

Front cover: Leicester researchers help discover how to halt death of brain cells, opening a new pathway for future drug treatments. Find out more on page 22. © University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH · www.le.ac.uk · Email: rh283@le.ac.uk If you wish to be removed from the database of this publication, please email rh283@le.ac.uk or ring 0116 252 2160

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“Our approach has been to remain focused on our core objectives – producing world-class research; delivering inspirational teaching and learning; and providing a high quality student experience.” Professor Sir Robert Burgess, Vice-Chancellor

A year of remarkable achievement Foreword by Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Robert Burgess. This Annual Report edition of LE1 illustrates that the last year has been one of great success and that Leicester is well positioned to face the many challenges that are confronting the higher education sector. Our approach has been to remain focused on our core objectives – producing world-class research; delivering inspirational teaching and learning; and providing a high quality student experience. We strive to develop a successful university which is regularly placed among leading UK institutions in the media and in league tables. Whilst the challenges facing the sector are real (cuts in funding, and a more competitive market), it is reassuring that Leicester is responding and continuing to deliver outstanding achievements during such turbulent times. The fact that the University makes an outstanding contribution to higher education was a view shared by the judges of The Times/ Sunday Times Good University Guide who praised our “remarkable year” which secured Leicester the accolade of ‘University of the Year’ runner-up.

At Leicester we seek to share the benefits of our work with the wider world. You can read how the University is working with partners in Iraq with the aspiration of establishing a world-class English Language Centre where Leicester staff will help to develop curricula, assist teachers, deliver teacher training, and provide quality assurance.

how to hold online consultations using the world’s first fully patient-controlled online medical records system. The range of stories featured in this edition clearly demonstrates the strength and breadth of our research base and outlines why Leicester consistently features in QS’s top 20 British universities for research impact.

The Leicester Hate Crime Project is Britain’s biggest ever study of hate crime victimisation. This is a two year project, exploring the experiences of people who have been victimised simply because of who they are. Led by Dr Neil Chakraborti from Criminology, initiatives like these continue to ensure that our research has an impact in a wide range of communities locally, nationally and internationally.

As we enter 2014 the challenges for higher education remain significant. But achievements such as those that you read about in this Report and the previous Reports I have introduced make me confident that Leicester is well placed to prosper as a consequence of the hard work and commitment shown by all members of the University community.

The University’s Medical School is putting online consultation at the heart of its teaching curriculum for first year medical students – a first for any university in the UK. This means that the University’s Department of Medical and Social Care will be teaching all its first year students

As this is my last Annual Report, I wish to thank all of my splendid colleagues for the team effort across the years for which I am most appreciative. I shall look forward to seeing the University building and enhancing its success in future years.

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Brief Exchanges

Professor Abbott‘s team have developed new wood-based products from natural sources including potatoes.

New recyclable MDF could help solve UK waste problem A new biodegradable and recyclable form of medium density fibreboard (MDF) has been created that could dramatically reduce the problem of future waste. Developed by Professor Andrew Abbott and his team at the University, the new type of MDF has been awarded the Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation 2013. The award is a scheme for scientists who wish to develop an already proven concept or prototype into a near-market-ready product for commercial exploitation. Almost one million tonnes of MDF is produced in the UK every year. However, MDF cannot be recycled and has to be incinerated or ends up in landfill. The use of a material which can either be recycled or composted would be a significant benefit to an industry often criticised for the amount of waste it generates. Professor Abbott and his team at the Department of Chemistry have developed a new wood-based product similar to MDF that uses a resin based on starch from completely natural sources, including potatoes. Professor Anthony Cheetham, Vice President and Treasurer of the Royal

Society said: “It is impressive to see someone take a material that is commonplace in all of our homes and solve its key limitations. Professor Abbott has managed to re-invent MDF, transforming it into a product that has much more relevance in an environmentally conscious society.” MDF is made by breaking down bits of wood into wood fibres, which are then pressurised and stuck together with resin and wax. The resin is currently composed of urea and formaldehyde (UF), the use of which is restricted due to health concerns. Professor Abbott’s new resin means that the use of UF is avoided and therefore so too are the associated concerns. With the aid of colleagues at the Biocomposites Centre, Bangor University and the Leicestershire-based retail design company Sheridan and Co., his team have produced starch-based boards which have been made into retail display units. The practical studies were led by Dr Will Wise who said: “It has been a technological challenge to develop material with the correct properties, but it is a great thrill to see the finished boards which look identical to the MDF which is so commonly used.”

The new material is easier to manufacture than existing MDF; end-user feedback suggests it is also easier to work with than currently available MDF boards. On receiving the Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation, Professor Abbott said: “The Award is fundamental in enabling us to take this project forward to the next stage; it means we can now scale up our process from laboratory to the full scale manufacture of a product that I hope will revolutionise industries dependent on MDF and provide them with a more environmentally-friendly alternative.” Professor Abbott will receive £172,347, which will be used to bring the four collaborators together to create a supply chain to create prototypes for the pointof-sale market. Professor Abbott and his group are also developing new fillers for plastics based on orange and banana peel, and eggshell. These waste materials can lead to improved strength, hardness and cost benefits.

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New calculations show how the University boosts regional economy by £729 million

The annual economic benefit of the University of Leicester on its city and the region adds up to £729 million, new calculations have shown. A £279 million yearly turnover at the University is amplified to be worth £668 million to the local and regional economy, while international students add another £61 million.

Yearly turnover

£279 million

Amplified turnover

£729 million

£61

million international students

> £144

Queen’s Anniversary Prize for University spent on weekly living expenses

25%

in city after graduation

The University directly employs nearly 3,500 staff – among whom over 1,200 are highly skilled researchers – and it indirectly supports a further 4,351 jobs. The figures were revealed as the leaders of universities from across the UK gathered in September at Leicester’s campus for the Universities UK annual conference. Further research shows that the 23,000 students studying at the University of Leicester spend an average of £144.10 a week on rent, groceries, clothes and transport, benefiting the local economy even before tuition fees are taken into account. Six months after graduation, a quarter of the University’s students are still

The University of Leicester has received Royal recognition with the award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. The award was for interconnected research and expertise in history, heritage and archaeology, highlighted by the discovery of Richard III. The announcement was made by the Royal Anniversary Trust by kind permission of Her Majesty The Queen, at a reception at St James’s Palace. The prestigious biennial awards are part of the UK’s national Honours system and are the highest form of national recognition open to a UK academic or vocational institution.

living in the city, strengthening the local workforce with their higher level skills and talents. Local and regional businesses also benefit hugely from the vital expertise and innovative approaches of Leicester’s academics. The University has successfully partnered with numerous businesses in the East Midlands through projects such as Innovation Partnerships, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Since 2009, the University has secured over £7 million in grant funding with additional match funding provided by the University to work with regional companies. Professor Sir Robert Burgess, the University of Leicester’s Vice Chancellor, said: “The University drives innovation in business and industry and supplies a highly skilled workforce for many professions. Our technological innovations mean we are constantly finding new ways of working with regional business and industrial partners, ensuring that the creation of knowledge at the University is translated into business intelligence.”

This is the third time in two decades the University of Leicester has won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize – the previous Awards to the University were for work in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and for work in Genetics. “Leicester is one of only a handful of archaeology departments in the UK that still maintains a professional archaeological unit alongside the academic staff. Under the direction of Richard Buckley OBE and Patrick Clay, the unit has been part of the School since 1995. The award is thus recognition of nearly 20 years of ULAS (University of Leicester Archaeological Services) work,” added Professor David Mattingly, Acting Head of the School of Archaeology and Ancient History.

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Brief Exchanges

Leicester experts create UK’s first cat DNA database University of Leicester forensic scientists have created the UK’s first cat DNA database – which has already helped convict a killer.

down Dr Jon Wetton who had created a similar database of UK dogs while working with the Forensic Science Service (FSS).

The database was used to demonstrate the likelihood that cat hairs found on the torso of Hampshire man David Guy belonged to “Tinker”, a cat owned by main suspect David Hilder.

“I was approached by Hampshire Police, who wanted to know the evidential strength of the match. I explained that could only be determined with reference to a database of UK cats,” adds Dr Wetton.

“This is the first time cat DNA has been used in a criminal trial in the UK. We hope to publish the database so it can be used in future crime investigation,” said Dr Jon Wetton, who led the project. Hampshire Constabulary sent the hairs to California where the scientists examined the cat’s mitochondrial DNA. The results showed not only a match with the suspect’s cat but also that the same DNA type had not been seen among 493 randomly sampled US cats. Keen to know if the type was equally rare in the UK, Hampshire police tracked

With PhD student Barbara Ottolini carrying out the lab work, 152 cats from England were tested. Only three of the samples obtained matched the hairs from the crime scene, confirming that it was indeed an uncommon type in the UK. This evidence formed part of the prosecution case successfully convicting David Hilder for manslaughter. “The FSS closure has massively reduced forensic research capacity. It will increasingly be universities that will

have to take up the slack, but funds are needed,” said Dr Wetton. “One of the missions of the University’s Alec Jeffreys Forensic Science Institute is to source such funds, so that larger-scale research projects can be undertaken in the future at the home of DNA fingerprinting.”

Dr Jon Wetton, Department of Genetics

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Leicester benefits from new postgraduate funds

Leicester will benefit from a £350 million fund which will be used to train over 3,500 postgraduate students in engineering and physical sciences. Leicester is the lead institution in the new Centre for Doctoral Training in Innovative Metal Processing (CIMP), part of the UK’s largest investment in postgraduate training in engineering and physical sciences which brings together world-class metals research teams. The University will also play a key part in £100 million of new investment in fifteen Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) which specialise in training environmental science PhD students. The University is part of the Central England NERC Training Alliance (CENTA) consisting of seven partners. It is not only engineering, physical and environmental sciences where Leicester will prosper; Leicester is also part of the new Midlands3Cities Consortium. This Doctoral Training Partnership will will bring together six universities in

Literary Leicester 2013

Amitav Ghosh, Credit: Ulf Andersen

Literary Leicester is unique among literary festivals. As a free festival, it offers the general public access to renowned writers without compromising on quality. Academics also lead stimulating fringe festival events on cutting-edge research. The main festival celebrates literary innovation in all genres of writing, including children’s literature. For many Literary Leicester is a unique chance to hear from world-class authors of best-selling novels, and offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ask them questions about their work and wider topics of debate. Now in its sixth year, the festival is well-established. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Christine Fyfe said of the event: “Since 2008, Literary Leicester has successfully brought major international literary figures to the University to the delight of large public audiences. The festival has

the cities of Leicester, Birmingham and Nottingham. The consortium has secured a £14.6 million grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council – and with match funding from the consortium universities, the project will provide funding and training for 410 PhD student places over five years. The new funding follows last year’s announcement that the University would be receiving a share of a £67 million investment by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The University is part of The Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) which will receive £4.5 million from the BBSRC. Match funding will enable the partnership to fund up to 90 four-year PhD studentships over the next three academic years in important biological fields such as food security, industrial biotechnology and bio-energy.

become a highlight of the literary scene and we look forward to it going from strength to strength.” This year’s festival, Literary Leicester 2013, did not disappoint. It showcased award-winning authors from Michael Frayn to Amitav Ghosh. The festival is accessible to people of all ages, inviting audiences to engage with popular writers and discuss their love of literature. A fun drawing and storytelling workshop, run by illustrator Reg Cartwright and his wife Ann, stimulated the minds of younger members of the audience. College students were given the opportunity to direct a dramatic reading of Richard III. Literary Leicester continues to meet the demands of an ever-expanding audience, making the University an important centre for contemporary literary debate.

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Study for free – anywhere, anytime… Leicester launches first MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a recent addition to the world of online learning. The term was first coined in 2008 to describe an open online course to be offered by the University of Manitoba in Canada. Since then they have been run by a variety of public and elite universities, especially in America. The free online study programme is designed to be studied by large numbers of participants. In addition to traditional course materials – video lectures, reading material, coursework and tests – MOOCs provide interactive forums that help students and tutors access a huge and diverse online community. Courses cover a range of topics under a theme and normally require two to three hours of study per week. Participants can either choose to complete the whole programme, or elect to dip into particular topics of interest as and when time allows. FutureLearn, the first UK-led provider of MOOCs, unveiled its first set of courses from leading UK and international universities late last year. Owned by the Open University, Futurelearn offers free MOOCs in partnership with 26 UK universities including Leicester and three international institutions, along with the British Museum, British Library and British Council.

Universities and Science minister David Willetts cited the launch of FutureLearn as ‘a very important moment in the development of British education’, adding: ‘access to education online is such a powerful opportunity’. There are now 36 courses available on FutureLearn.com, in a wide variety of topics for you to choose from. These include literature, history, social sciences, computing and IT, environment and sustainability, marketing, psychology and physical science, to name just a few. Leicester’s first venture into MOOCs (November 2013) was a roaring success with over 10,000 sign ups. ‘England in the time of King Richard III’ builds a picture of the England that Richard III inhabited in the 15th century – and comes from the scholars in archaeology, history and literature who helped uncover the monarch last year. The six week course covers a different feature of Richard III’s England through video, audio interviews, images, texts and activities each week including The War of the Roses and Medieval Warfare, Medieval food, Literature and Literacy and more. Interest in the course has been so high that similar numbers are expected for the second release in mid-2014. “We think we’ve developed a course that will really enhance your interest

and understanding of the period,” said Deirdre O’Sullivan, Lecturer in Medieval Archaeology in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History. “At Leicester we’ve got a lot of experience in delivering distance learning courses. We run a full set of programmes at postgraduate and undergraduate level, and we’ve been doing this for a long time, so we think we understand the needs of distance learning students.” The University’s second offering in cooperation with FutureLearn is, ‘Forensic Science and Criminal Justice’ and will start on Monday 31 March 2014 and last for six weeks. It will entail around two hours of study per week and will be taught by staff from the Department of Criminology. “This course will give learners the opportunity to explore how science helps police to solve crimes, and goes one step further by encouraging participants to consider some of the controversies and issues associated with the use of science by the law,” said Dr Lisa Smith, Department of Criminology. The course begins with an introduction to the historical context of forensic science and how the police use it during criminal investigations. It aims to give students insight into the real world use of forensic techniques and dispel some of the myths about

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“At Leicester we’ve got a lot of experience in delivering distance learning courses. We run a full set of programmes at postgraduate and undergraduate level, and we’ve been doing this for a long time, so we think we understand the needs of distance learning students.” Deirdre O’Sullivan, School of Archaeology and Ancient History

‘Destrier’ member Andreas Wenzel playing King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Reenactment 2013

forensic science perpetuated by fictional portrayals.

student experience can be further improved on future courses,” said Alex.

Many of the University of Leicester’s corporate services have been supporting the design, development, implementation and presentation of the MOOCs. The Academic Practice Service (APS) educational designers, Nichola Hayes and Alex Moseley have been leading on the curriculum design and managing the projects from conception through to evaluation.

“The MOOC design and development process has been challenging at times, but nothing that couldn’t be overcome by our interdisciplinary team approach. The academics have given a lot of time to these developments to ensure that our first step into MOOCs is a successful one and representative of our high quality teaching and student experience,” adds Nichola.

“It’s fascinating to see how large numbers of students respond to particular materials or activities – which is helping us to understand how the

“Leicester is one of the UK’s leading providers of distance learning, and has been providing flexible distance and online courses for 25 years. We are

committed to being at the forefront of innovative developments in teaching and learning; and to providing a high quality experience for all our learners. MOOCs have a role to play in this and they also provide an opportunity for opening up some of our course content and knowledge to a wide range of individuals, some of whom will not have experienced a university course before,” said Jackie Dunne, Dean of Distance Education.

To enrol on a Leicester MOOC please visit www.FutureLearn.com or follow on Twitter #FLRichardIII or #FLForensicsLeic

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“We take our role as the current custodians of a Grade II listed building very seriously. …I believe [College Court is] a welcome addition to the city’s offering when bidding for national, international and large conferences.” Steve Crawford, College Court Conference Centre Director

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College Court: Open for business After an investment from the University of Leicester of £17.5 million, the Grade II listed former halls of residence has been transformed into a state-of-the-art conference centre. Translating the history of the Grade II listed buildings for a modern audience and revitalising the original design that acclaimed architects Sir Leslie Martin and Trevor Dannatt created in the 1960s, College Court offers truly cuttingedge facilities that have built upon the heritage and design of the building itself. The tranquil location, just minutes from Leicester’s vibrant City Centre, has seen a gradual evolution since the building’s original construction. The newest incarnation of the space and the surrounding gardens has been designed to reflect the history of the area, as well as College Court’s substantial offering for modern day hospitality.

A brilliant blend of history, design innovation, creativity and excellent service, College Court is Leicester’s newest events, conferencing and hospitality venue. The venue has already secured bookings that have been previously held in other UK cities such as Birmingham, Nottingham and York. Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Robert Burgess was delighted to be able to open the new conference centre; something that he has been keen on developing at the University for a number of years. “It brings new people to the University and the City which will help the local economy and create over 50 new jobs. The University is renowned for its high quality and College Court is no exception. I am very proud of what

we have developed and the potential it brings for us all,” he said. Guests are able to benefit from a wide range of different conference spaces, fine dining in the College Court Restaurant and a restful and relaxing stay in one of the 123 bedrooms, all designed with the business visitor in mind. Centre Director, Steve Crawford is delighted to have been able to bring College Court back to life. “We have gladly embraced the architecture of the 1960s and we take our role as the current custodians of a Grade II listed building very seriously. “From my first visit to College Court when it was very much a building site, it is truly exciting to see the end product we have created. As much as the journey of developing the centre has been great, by far the greatest joy has been the building of a brand new team. We have created 55 new positions with many of our staff local to Leicestershire. “We look forward to developing a strong repeat customer base. As the only dedicated conference centre in the city, I believe we will be a welcome addition to the city’s offering when bidding for national, international and large conferences.”

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University of Leicester Registrar, Dave Hall, greets Professor Akeel A Yasseen, President of the University of Kufa.

“The Kufa centre will be the first of many Leicester hopes to build with Pearson in countries suffering from devastation… Iraq is quickly developing its higher education system and looking to the UK, not only for support but also as a model for the future.” Dave Hall, University of Leicester Registrar

Left to right: Alaric Rae, Global Business Development Director, and Emma Stubbs, Senior Vice-President, Language Testing (Pearson); Dave Hall, Registrar, and Roger Smith, English Language Teaching Unit Director (University of Leicester).

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Forging relationships with universities worldwide University of Leicester strengthens global ties with first visit to an Iraqi university in a quarter of a century. Academics and senior members of staff from the University continued Leicester’s history of helping to develop courses overseas when they joined the first delegation of its kind to visit an Iraqi university for 25 years in 2013. In collaboration with the education company Pearson, Leicester is establishing an English Language Centre at the University of Kufa in Najaf, south of Baghdad. The Centre will start by preparing Iraqi undergraduates for Pearson’s English language proficiency test. “This was the first delegation of its kind to Iraq from the UK for at least a quarter of a century so the symbolic value alone cannot be overstated,” said Dr Michael Green, Leicester’s Director of Strategic Partnerships. The Centre will help students gain the level of fluency needed to take advantage of scholarships being offered by the Iraqi government for international education as the country re-builds its higher education system, decimated during the rule of former leader Saddam Hussein. It will also go on to offer courses for pre-university students. Leicester has previous ties with Kufa’s Medical School and visited at the University’s invitation to look at ways of strengthening the relationship. In June, following the discussions,

Leicester and Kufa signed an agreement to cooperate on staff and student exchanges, split-site PhDs, academic training and development and mutually beneficial research. The visit faced logistical, security and procedural challenges but, once there, the team from Leicester and Pearson were warmly welcomed. They were even given a police escort to smooth their path through the congested streets. Red-tape was cut to a minimum to speed up the visa process through the efforts of the Iraqi cultural attaché, Professor Al Mosawe, the former President of Baghdad University. “Professor Al Mosawe is a strong supporter of capacity building partnerships between UK and Iraqi universities and arranged for visas to be personally signed off by the Ambassador,” Dr Green added. “The Kufa Centre will be the first of many Leicester hopes to build with Pearson in countries suffering from devastation or isolation, such as Libya, Afghanistan and Syria,” says Dave Hall, Leicester’s Registrar, who was part of the delegation. “The tripartite system brings together Leicester’s intellectual expertise in curriculum development, Pearson’s secure testing and recognised awards and the infrastructure provided by the local institution,” he said.

TURKEY

SYRIA

IRAN

IRAQ

Kufa

SAUDI ARABIA

Kufa is a city in Iraq, about 170 kilometres south of Baghdad, and located on the banks of the Euphrates River.

“It’s true that Baghdad is still dangerous but we were able to travel freely around the Najaf region. The biggest challenge is the lack of infrastructure. Universities have been hard hit by their enforced isolation from the international academic community and the lack of investment in higher education under Saddam’s rule. “There are political sensitivities but everyone I met was grateful for the overthrow of Saddam. Iraq is quickly developing its higher education system and looking to the UK, not only for support but also as a model for the future.”

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The Interview

Q&A with Dr Neil Chakraborti When University of Leicester criminologist Dr Neil Chakraborti launched Britain’s most comprehensive ever study into hate crimes in Britain, some of the real-life stories of hate he found were shocking. We caught up with Neil to find out more…

What is a ‘hate crime’? The term hate crime refers to crimes or incidents where the victim is targeted specifically because of their identity or perceived ‘difference’. This can include acts of physical violence as well as other forms of harassment, such as being called an abusive name, being spat at or being bullied through social networking sites.

How common are hate crimes? Every year tens of thousands of people in Britain are victims of hate crimes. The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates that as many as 260,000 people fall victim to hate offences each year, and only a relatively small proportion of cases are reported to authorities. IMAGES: Stills from the film The Harms of Hate, based on the stories of eight victims. The film will be distributed to community groups and organisations to raise awareness of hate crime.

How is the Leicester Hate Crime project different to previous studies in this area? The study is designed to investigate people’s experiences of hate, prejudice and bigotry in Leicester. We have sought to make our sample of hate crime victims the largest and most wide-ranging of any single study of hate crime and we have used a deliberately broad definition in order to capture the experiences of anyone, from any background, who feels that they have been victimised specifically because of who they are.

Why is Leicester a good forum for investigating hate crimes? In a city as diverse as Leicester, the range of potential targets is very large indeed. Whilst the city has a well-deserved reputation for fostering tolerance and understanding, we are not immune to the problems that give rise to hate offences, and this makes Leicester an ideal site for this study.

Why is hate crime an important area for academic study? Hate crimes affect all kinds of people from different backgrounds, age-groups and walks of life. They cause severe emotional damage, not to mention physical pain to victims, their families and wider communities. By understanding these emotional and physical harms we will be able to identify better ways to support victims.

Who is taking part in your study? We have been working with a much more diverse range of groups than is often the case in conventional studies of hate crime. Victims we have spoken to include the homeless, refugees and asylum seekers, Gypsies and travellers, new migrant communities, people with mental health problems, and those belonging to alternative subcultures, amongst many others. Whilst these minority groups are often perceived as ‘hard

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“Hate crimes affect all kinds of people from different backgrounds, age-groups and walks of life.” Dr Neil Chakraborti, Department of Criminology

to reach’, they are in fact just ‘easy to ignore’ communities. We have attended hundreds of different social drop-ins, community events and organisational meetings across the city in order to engage and connect with people.

How is your study developing? We have used an online and hard-copy survey which has been translated into eight different languages, in order to explore victims’ experiences of hate crime. We have already received responses from more than 1,000 victims, which gives us an excellent baseline of evidence. We have also conducted more than 250 face-to-face interviews, with more planned over the coming months.

Can you tell us some of the experiences you have uncovered as part of your research? Hate crime is not a niche problem affecting a small minority of people. We

have heard countless harrowing stories from people who have been victimised because of their ‘difference’, whether this be getting their nose broken for being gay, being spat at for dressing as a goth, being beaten up for being homeless or being harassed for wearing a veil.

Are there any emerging themes you can share with us? Yes – some interesting themes are starting to emerge from the study. The term ‘hate crime’ itself seems problematic with many victims unfamiliar with both the label and with the various campaigns and reporting schemes set up to challenge hate crime. It is also sad to hear that experiences of hate crime are often normalised to the extent where they become a routine part of people’s lives and that these offences are often carried out by somebody known to the victim.

What are the expected outcomes of your research? Our findings will be released in September via a final report, including a full analysis and a series of recommendations. We will also be issuing executive summary versions, a Victims Manifesto and briefing papers which will be outlined at the end of project conference in September 2014. We are also producing a short film on The Harms of Hate; based on the stories of eight victims and distributed as an educational resource. Our work on hate crime will not stop when the project finishes as we will be producing a string of academic publications and launching a new Centre based at the Department of Criminology – the Leicester Centre for Hate Studies – which will offer continuous professional development opportunities to professionals working within this challenging and hugely important field.

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Leicester provides answers in mysterious murder case Scientists from the Alec Jeffreys Forensic Science Institute use forensic DNA analysis to try and identify victim of Blazing Car Murder of 1930. In November 1930, the charred remains of a man were found inside a burnt-out Morris Minor in Northamptonshire. Now University of Leicester scientists have helped make a huge step forward in helping to solve the remaining mystery in this infamous cold case. All that is known of him is how he died – as an unwitting pawn in another man’s attempt to stage his own death and start a new life.

The victim had been knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, bundled into the driver’s seat and burned to death when the car was set on fire. The car’s owner, Alfred Rouse had hoped police would assume the charred body was his, but justice caught up with him and he was convicted and hanged for the crime, taking the identity of his victim with him to the gallows.

At the time, the local Herald newspaper suggested that the identity of Rouse’s victim ‘would likely remain a mystery forever’. Around the same time the crime was committed, William Briggs left his family home in London to attend a doctor’s appointment, and was never seen or heard of again. More than 80 years on, attention has once again turned to his disappearance. Relatives of Briggs approached Northamptonshire Police to verify earlier generations’ belief that their ancestor may have been the anonymous car murder victim.

The murderer Alfred Rouse Wikimedia Commons

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“…the fact we have obtained a full profile from this slide opens the door for material from other cases to be tested and, who knows, we might be able to help other families with missing relatives in the future.” Dr John Bond, Alec Jeffreys Forensic Science Institute

Victim’s sample on a slide prepared by Sir Bernard Spilsbury in 1930

A team, led by Dr John Bond OBE from the Department of Chemistry and Dr Lisa Smith from the Department of Criminology, who founded the Alec Jeffreys Forensic Science Institute at the University of Leicester, worked with colleagues from Northumbria University, Northamptonshire Police and The Royal London Hospital Museum to investigate the mystery. A tissue sample, taken from the victim at the time of the incident by pathologists, was released from the archives in order to be examined and the team considered whether there might just be enough mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) left on the slide to get a profile to compare with mtDNA from William’s family. Mitochondrial DNA is wholly inherited from the maternal line so it is essential to have an unbroken maternal line of descendants to test. The University of Leicester worked with the Northumbria University Centre for Forensic Science to carry out DNA analysis on the samples to see if there was a match from the sample and the relatives. Fortunately, the scientists obtained a full single male mtDNA profile from the slide to compare to the family.

The results of DNA analysis have confirmed that family members of William Briggs did not have mtDNA consistent with the tissue on the slide. Therefore William Briggs has been excluded as the source of the tissue from the autopsy of the blazing car murder victim. In addition, the results show that the DNA from the tissue sample is that of an uncontaminated male profile, opening the possibility that a match could still be identified with further investigation. Dr Bond from the University of Leicester stated: “It is obviously very disappointing for the family that the victim is not their missing relative. For the family, the unknown continues and they will now probably never know what happened to William. “However, from a scientific perspective it is fantastic that we have been able to obtain mitochondrial DNA from a microscope slide over 80 years old and we now have the full mtDNA profile of the victim. So there is still the possibility of identifying the victim if other families with a relative who went missing around November 1930 can be traced. “In addition, the fact we have obtained a

full profile from this slide opens the door for other material from other cases to be tested in a similar way and, who knows, we might be able to help other families with missing relatives in the future. “It’s very important that, in complex investigations such as this, the police can rely on expertise at leading research universities such as Leicester to provide scientific insight and expertise. This investigation was both significant and appropriate for the Alec Jeffreys Forensic Science Institute and represented the Institute’s first real opportunity to assist police investigations in a groundbreaking way.” Dr Smith from the University of Leicester said: “We had obviously hoped to be able to provide some closure for the family after all of these years, however the identity of the murder victim and the whereabouts of William Briggs still remain a mystery. “From a historical perspective, it has been very rewarding to work on such a famous, local murder case and we remain hopeful that one day we may be able identify the victim now that mtDNA has been successfully obtained from the pathology slide.”

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Leicester shows how access to HE courses can transform lives Little is known about the adult learners who seek to go to university through Access courses, despite the fact that widening participation in higher education has been an important pillar of government policy for 15 years. As many as 40,000 learners attend further education (FE) colleges on Access courses each year in the United Kingdom – and many are successful in getting to university. But there has been limited research into how this group of people fare once they have completed their Access programme. Now, thanks to a piece of research carried out at the University of Leicester, light is being shed on this subject, providing some heartening findings about how Access courses are transforming the lives of adult learners, many of whom are struggling against the odds to get to the starting post for university entry. Conducted by Dr Hugh Busher, a Senior Lecturer in Leicester’s School of Education and Dr Nalita James, a Senior Lecturer at the University’s Vaughan Centre for Lifelong Learning, the research was based on a survey of 365 learners at seven further education colleges in the East Midlands as well as on 21 focus group interviews. The majority of students were in work and most did not have A-levels. In all seven FE colleges except one the majority of students received offers of a university place after completing their course. The study examined how Access to higher education courses changed people’s attitudes towards themselves, their families, friends and the world at large. It also looked at how the courses developed the skills and knowledge the learners needed to enter university.

It found that the Access courses boosted learners’ self-confidence and enabled them to fulfil themselves at work. They gained transferable skills and a better understanding of themselves as learners where before they lacked confidence in their abilities. Many of the students had to endure financial hardship in order to reap these benefits, however. They found it tough juggling the many demands of work, family and study: the money to pay tuition fees had to be found, for example, while losing wages to make time to attend college. For many, it was difficult to secure the welfare benefits they needed. Yet, all the while they were responding to government exhortations for a better qualified workforce. “It’s a story of struggle, and the tightening of the economic and policy framework has made their lives more difficult,” says Dr James. “We have students here who want to do what the government is asking, which is to go back and get better qualified while still in employment, yet they are being impeded and inhibited from doing so.” The students’ main motive for embarking on an Access course was to gain more satisfying and fulfilling employment, the study found, not necessarily to gain higher pay. The learners wanted to better themselves by improving their lives. One student said: “I’ve been working in customer service for a long, long, long time. I figured maybe there must be more to this, more to work and do

something that I feel has more value than just serving people.” Another said: “I was unhappy in my current job and I wanted to sort of do better than I was doing before.” The drop-out rates from Access courses can be high, up to 20 per cent on some courses. The three main reasons students in this study gave for dropping out were finance, family-related problems and “not being able to handle it”, which was usually related to the heavy workload and not achieving high enough grades for university entry. Students who had been on the verge of dropping out said that excellent tutor support and an individual, flexible approach by staff kept them on the course. Staff in the FE colleges gave extra tutorials, marked students’ work quickly and gave them feedback on how they could improve. Tutors gave up a huge amount of time for this, according to Dr Busher, but the benefits to students were clear. “Their lives were transformed by skilled tutors – teachers who adapted their teaching of skills and knowledge to meet students’ needs and gave them the feedback they needed immediately. “The fact that the teachers respected the students and treated them as adults with busy schedules and family commitments helped the students to develop as learners.”

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Opening Doors to Higher Education – Access to Higher Education Students’ Learning Transitions is by Dr Nalita James and Dr Hugh Busher. Dr Anna Piela was the research assistant on the project. Articles are being considered by the British Journal of the Sociology of Education and British Educational Research Journal (2014)

“The fact that the teachers respected the students and treated them as adults with busy schedules and family commitments helped the students to develop as learners.” Dr Hugh Busher, School of Education

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The Vaughan Centre: Leicester’s evening university Adult education in Leicester has a rich history stretching back over 150 years. The Vaughan Centre is proud of its distinctive origins as an institution set up by the people of Leicester for the people of Leicester. The Vaughan Centre for Lifelong Learning encompasses a range of activities including adult learning, professional development, research, and social, cultural and artistic events, as well as the counselling and psychotherapy programme.

but they all share a passion for learning. Loans for part-time students have opened up all sorts of new possibilities, especially for those who have never studied in HE before, yet have always wanted to,” says Dr Clive Marsh, Director of Lifelong Learning.

has always been a crucial part of higher education, but it can be even more important for people later in life. Many people remark that they would simply have been ‘too young’ to study at 18. They ‘weren’t ready for it’ or say ‘it means more now’.”

The Centre works closely with partners in the region, including further education colleges, private companies, public sector organisations and voluntary bodies, to meet their education and training needs and to disseminate research findings.

“People sometimes want to study simply because they want to stretch themselves, or prove wrong someone who said to them earlier in life ‘you’re not an academic’ or ‘you’ll never be able to get to university’. Or they want to improve employment opportunities. A University of Leicester course will help them develop skills and discover more about themselves in the process.”

There is also a social dimension to learning. One thing students are sure to do whilst studying on a course is meet new people; people who, like them, have chosen to study a subject that they find interesting and beneficial.

The Centre is perfectly placed to help everyone, in the city, county and beyond, encouraging people to delve deeper and explore what their university can do for them. It has also opened up the resources of the University to many people who may not have otherwise considered higher education. People with work, family or other commitments that may prevent them from studying full-time during the day are able to study for undergraduate certificates, diplomas or degrees on a part-time basis.

Courses are taught in a friendly and relaxed setting by tutors who are specially trained and experienced in adult learning. Staff are committed to helping adult learners achieve their potential and know how to use the richness and wealth of experience adults themselves can bring to learning. Tutors are able to bring out the best in students and help them develop their knowledge and skills regardless of what they study.

“The Vaughan Centre is Leicester’s evening university. When the young people leave each day, students of a different kind appear in the evening. Some may have a few more grey hairs

Clive adds: “Many students describe the support and friendship of tutors and other students as one of the most rewarding aspects of their time at the Vaughan Centre. Personal development

“We find the deepest friendships are often formed in our learning groups. It’s fun to meet up with people with the same passion for a subject one evening a week.”

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David Wilson Library. Credit: Martine Hamilton Knight

“Many students describe the support and friendship of tutors and other students as one of the most rewarding aspects of their time at the Vaughan Centre… Many people remark that they would simply have been ‘too young’ to study at 18. They ‘weren’t ready for it’ or say ‘it means more now’.” Dr Clive Marsh, Director of Lifelong Learning

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Alzheimer’s disease. Credit: Hans-Ulrich Osterwalder/Science Photo Library

“We’re still a long way from a usable drug for humans… But the fact that we have established that this pathway can be manipulated to protect against brain cell loss means that developing drug treatments targeting this pathway for prion and other neurodegenerative diseases is now a real possibility.” Professor Giovanna Mallucci, Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit

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Leicester’s Alzheimer’s breakthrough The discovery of the first chemical to prevent the death of brain tissue in a neurodegenerative disease has been hailed as the “turning point” in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester have used an orally-administered compound to prevent neurodegeneration. A neurodegenerative disease is one in which the cells of the brain and spinal cord are lost. These cells cannot be regenerated, so the effects of disease are ultimately devastating. Neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s. When a virus hijacks a brain cell it leads to a build-up of viral proteins. Cells respond by shutting down nearly all protein production in order to halt the virus’s spread. However, many neurodegenerative diseases involve the build-up in the brain of faulty or “misfolded” proteins. These accumulating misfolded proteins activate the same defences, but with more severe consequences. The team had found that the buildup of misfolded proteins in the brains of mice with prion disease switches off the production of new proteins. The continued build-up of misshapen proteins keeps the switch turned ‘off’. This is the trigger point leading to brain

cell death, as the key proteins essential for nerve cell survival stop being made. The researchers studied mice with prion disease because these currently provide the best animal representation of human neurodegenerative disorders in which the build-up of misshapen proteins is linked with the death of brain cells. In the new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers gave a drug-like compound to prion infected mice orally, hoping to block the off-switch and restore protein production. The compound was able to enter the brain from the bloodstream and halt the disease. It is the first time that any form of neurodegeneration has been completely halted by a chemical, so it is a significant landmark. It shows that the process being targeted has serious potential for developing new treatments for these diseases. If this can be successfully developed, which is not guaranteed, the outcome would be world changing. Side effects are an issue as the compound also acted on the pancreas, meaning the mice developed a mild form of diabetes and lost weight. Any human

drug would need to act only on the brain. However, this gives scientists and drug companies a starting point. Professor Giovanna Mallucci, who led the team, said: “We were extremely excited when we saw the treatment stop the disease in its tracks and protect brain cells, restoring some normal behaviours and preventing memory loss in the mice. “We’re still a long way from a usable drug for humans – this compound had serious side effects. But the fact that we have established that this pathway can be manipulated to protect against brain cell loss, first with genetic tools and now with a compound, means that developing drug treatments targeting this pathway for prion and other neurodegenerative diseases is now a real possibility.” Professor Hugh Perry, chair of the MRC’s Neuroscience and Mental Health Board, said: “Despite the toxicity of the compound used, this study indicates that, in mice at least, we now have proof-of-principle of a therapeutic pathway that can be targeted. This might eventually aid the development of drugs to treat people suffering from dementias and other devastating neurodegenerative diseases.”

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Better healthcare at a click Leicester is leading the way with training doctors of tomorrow in how to make the best use of online consultations. Preparing medical students to be tomorrow’s doctors is not just concerned with teaching them about disease identification and treatment. It is also about developing their communication skills, both verbal and written, instilling in them the importance of professionalism and also the need to work effectively with colleagues. It is also important that we consider how the use of technology might shape patient care in the future, including the use of technology to facilitate online consultations. To help prepare students for this future, Leicester is the first UK medical school to provide the opportunity for students to participate in online consultations. Currently a total of 176 University of Leicester medical students are engaging

with ‘virtual patients’ – ordinary people who simulate live consultation scenarios by posting a range of health related questions on a web-based facility called ‘Patients Know Best’. For Dr Ron Hsu, Innovation Lead and Senior Teaching Fellow at the Medical School, the latest move by Leicester places us at the cutting edge of medical training in Britain. He said: “We see that technologies that enable online consultation with patients are going to play an ever increasing role in the careers of doctors. GPs and specialists alike are going to need to know how to communicate and interact with patients using these technologies. Our hope is that by putting online consultation early in our undergraduate teaching, we will not only prepare our students for the future but

help them improve the level of care they provide to patients.” From the student perspective this approach is providing an opportunity to apply their learning to a clinical situation and to develop skills for the future around doctor-patient communication. George Dovey, a first year medical student who has been engaging with a virtual patient said: “The project allows us an introduction to patient consultation that helps develop our communication skills and how we approach questions from patients in a low-pressured but realistic way.” The ‘Patients Know Best’ facility being used by the students to engage with patients is the world’s first fully patientcontrolled online medical records system. It is founded by Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli,

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a physician, programmer and expert in IT in healthcare. He said: “The biggest barrier to doctors conducting online consultations is that no-one taught them how to do so. Leicester’s approach is world pioneering and we are proud to make ‘Patients Know Best’ available to help train its students. Together we will create a curriculum and make it available to other medical schools through an open access licence.” Commenting on the value of the project, he added: “Patients need the ability to consult online. Half a day off work for a 10-minute consultation is a high price to pay when technology already allows the 10 minutes to happen at a patient’s home or work. For some patients, the travel to an appointment is harmful. I have seen patients with physical disabilities in pain from the long distances they had to travel to see their specialist. In a few cases, the appointment itself has risks – cystic fibrosis patients can give each other infections when sitting together in the same waiting room. “No patient should be forced into using online consultations – but many want to be offered the option. Switching just a small proportion of these face-to-face consultations to online consultations can make a big difference for patients. Furthermore, online consultation allows more efficient and more frequent interaction with a specialist and the advice received is available for sharing with the local GP. This completes the circle of care and means patients can access the best care wherever they live.”

“Leicester’s approach is world pioneering and we are proud to make ‘Patients Know Best’ available to help train its students.” Dr Mohammad Al-Ubaydli

Developing the doctors of tomorrow The ‘Patients Know Best’ project, which is being closely evaluated by the University, has now been running for almost two months and will continue into 2014. Dr Hsu envisages that students’ interactions with their virtual patients will evolve as they progress through their course, helping to develop their skills as scientists, practitioners and professionals.

The doctor as a scientist Virtual patients can ask for explanations of facts, concepts, media articles, etc. linked with conditions or symptoms that the ‘virtual patient’ may experience, see or hear about. This will enable fundamental sciences to be linked contemporaneously with their teaching and explicitly with clinical situations.

The doctor as a practitioner Virtual patients can initiate clinical consultations which would explore history taking based on clinical reasoning, the undertaking of investigations (test results and imaging can be created in real time as well as historically) and the creation of a management plan with therapeutics.

The doctor as a professional Virtual patients can precipitate ethical and professional dilemmas which the students will need to be able to recognise and react to.

Leicester’s medical students use tablet computers for online consultations

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Annual Report timeline 2012-13 August to October 2012

n Groundbreaking research at Leicester’s Hospitals identified a promising new treatment for patients suffering with severe asthma. A team of medics led by Professor Ian Pavord, from Glenfield Hospital and Honorary Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Leicester, identified a subgroup of patients who might respond to a new antibody therapy called Mepolizumab. More than 600 patients from 13 countries were involved in the DREAM Trial.

n The University of Leicester and Leicester City Council, in association with the Richard III Society, joined forces to begin a search for the mortal remains of King Richard III. On Saturday 25 August 2012 – five hundred years after King Richard III was buried in Leicester – the historic archaeological project began with the aim of discovering whether Britain’s last Plantagenet King lay buried in Leicester City Centre. The project represented the first ever search for the lost grave of an anointed King of England. n Evidence from the University of Leicester played an important part in a key Government-commissioned report on social mobility in higher education. ‘University Challenge: How Higher Education Can Advance Social Mobility’ was published by former Labour MP Alan Milburn. The report, which looked at how open universities are to pupils from poorer backgrounds – as well as the outcomes open to students once they leave university, featured data submitted by the University. It found that most employers target the universities with the highest proportion of relatively well-off students.

Researchers found that there were 50 per cent fewer asthma attacks when patients were treated with a monthly injection of Mepolizumab. Importantly, patients who were given this innovative treatment did not report any adverse effects. Professor Ian Pavord said: “This is an important finding which raises considerable hope for the 5-10 per cent of patients with asthma who have severe disease not responding to currently available treatments. This is likely to be the first new drug treatment option for patients with severe asthma for at least 15 years.”

n Generous donations from eye charities allowed the University of Leicester to buy a unique piece of retinal imaging equipment – the first one of its kind in the UK. The handheld retinal scanner will enable new research into eye disorders such as nystagmus, a condition that causes involuntary twitching movements of the eyes. The device is particularly useful for studying the eyes of young children, who often miss out on diagnoses because standard equipment is unsuitable for use with infants. Nystagmus in children is currently poorly understood, but research in the area is difficult because of the challenges involved in taking complex visual images of the eyes of babies and small children. The University’s new equipment will greatly improve research into infantile nystagmus, providing valuable new insights into the condition that could help sufferers of all ages.

n A national survey of student satisfaction placed the University of Leicester among the top 10 of English universities for the eighth year running. Leicester was the top university in its region for satisfaction levels and nationally only narrowly behind the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Bath, according to full-time undergraduate students in England who responded to the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS). The results meant that Leicester has held its top 10 position for satisfying students at English universities since the NSS began in 2005.

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n A report recommended the introduction of a new system for recording students’ achievements during their time in higher education. The final report of the Burgess Implementation Steering Group recommended that, from autumn 2012, all students entering undergraduate degree programmes of study in UK higher education institutions will leave with a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) as well as a degree certificate. The HEAR is a single document that will provide more detail about academic qualifications including module marks and assessment methods, as well as more information about extra-curricular activities, experiences and responsibilities such as employability skills, work placements and volunteering. Following the piloting of the HEAR at a wide range of universities across the UK since 2008, more than half of the higher education institutions in the UK report that they are now going ahead with arrangements for its implementation. Professor Burgess said: “The HEAR is designed to encourage a more sophisticated approach to recording students’ achievements in the 21st century. It will benefit students, employers and higher education institutions themselves.”

The East Anglian Fens, where the new centre is running a project on greenhouse gas emissions. Credit: Ross Morrison

n The University of Leicester’s new Alec Jeffreys Forensic Science Institute was formally launched on 19 November 2012. The new Institute is a multi-disciplinary centre which will help police forces with some of the requests previously handled by the former Forensic Science Service (FSS).

n University of Leicester scientists launched a new centre to predict the effects climate change and land use change will have on landscapes. The Centre for Landscape and Climate Research will measure the effects of climate change on ecosystems around the world as well as assessing the impacts of severe droughts and flooding.

The Institute aims to be a leader, innovator and agenda setter in the field of forensic science and is named after the world renowned University of Leicester scientist, Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, of the University’s Department of Genetics, who pioneered techniques for DNA profiling and fingerprinting which are now used globally by police forces.

The centre will use satellite data to study ecosystem and water cycle changes in the past 30 years and hope to be able to forecast how landscapes respond to the changing water cycle by the end of the current century. The researchers aim to help companies deliver relevant information services and to provide recommendations to policymakers including local authorities and the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

n Some of the biggest names in the literary world descended on Leicester for the University of Leicester’s annual celebration of the written word. Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Booker Prize-shortlisted novelist Will Self, acclaimed biographer Claire Tomalin and former politician and journalist Chris Mullin were some of the leading figures who appeared at the University’s fifth Literary Leicester festival. The four-day festival featured a variety of talks and events for all ages around the University’s main campus and Embrace Arts at the Richard Attenborough Centre.

November to December 2012

Carol Ann Dufffy

Left to right: Professor Robert Hillman, Dr John Bond and Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys

n The former Archbishop of Cape Town and Honorary Graduate of the University of Leicester, Archbishop Tutu, returned to the University of Leicester on 14 November to give the Provost Derek Hole Annual Lecture 2012 ‘Public faith in a secular age’. Archbishop Tutu, the South African social rights activist gave an inspirational and moving lecture to two packed lecture theatres, where he talked about topics such as climate change and the youth of today.

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January to February 2013 n The University of Leicester confirmed that it had discovered the remains of King Richard III. At a specially convened media conference, experts from across the University unanimously identified the remains discovered in Leicester city centre as being those of the last Plantagenet king who died in 1485. Rigorous scientific investigations confirmed the strong circumstantial evidence that the skeleton found at the site of the Grey Friars church in Leicester was indeed that of King Richard III.

n A former student of the University of Leicester who devoted his life to public service returned as Chancellor – the first time that this has occurred in the history of the University. The Rt Hon the Lord (Bruce) Grocott of Telford is the sixth Chancellor of the University of Leicester, succeeding Sir Peter Williams who stepped down in 2010 after five years of sterling service. Lord Grocott said: “I could never have imagined when I graduated from Leicester with a politics degree in 1962 that I would return fifty years later as the University’s Chancellor. For me, it is a great honour, mixed with a real sense of pride, to be re-joining such a fine and successful university.”

Richard III’s grave at Grey Friars

n The University launched a major new European project to gather information and prepare materials to inform best practice for learning and the ageing society.

n Britain’s biggest ever study of hate crime victimisation was launched in Leicester by a specialist research team based at the Department of Criminology.

The University hosted the launch of the new European project called MATURE which stands for Making Adult Teaching Useful, Relevant and Engaging. It will last until late 2014.

The Leicester Hate Crime Project – a two year study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council – is designed to examine the nature and impact of hate crime and victims’ expectations of the criminal justice system and other local support agencies.

MATURE is a European multilateral project funded by the European Union. It aims to research and develop the best ways of realising the benefits of learning for older people and of reaching out to isolated older people to enable them to take part in adult education opportunities. The co-ordinator, Professor John Benyon, from the Vaughan Centre for Lifelong Learning said: “A key goal of MATURE is to find ways to overcome age-related barriers to learning, in particular those caused by health, dependency, cultural and/or attitudinal factors.”

Professor John Benyon

Using a large-scale survey and faceto-face interviews, the research team is accessing the widest range of victim groups ever covered by a single hate crime study. Dr Neil Chakraborti, Reader in Criminology and Principal Investigator on the project, said: “We have already heard from more than 1,000 victims including people targeted because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity, as well as groups which are often overlooked within hate crime research and policy – such as gypsies and travellers, asylum seekers, people with mental health issues and the homeless.” When the findings are released in September 2014 it is anticipated that they will have a major impact upon hate crime victimisation policy and practice.

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March to April 2013 n The University of Leicester achieved the highest rating possible in a new assessment of university performance. Leicester scored a 5-star rating in the new QS Stars Assessment process placing it among the world’s elite in terms of teaching, research, internationalisation, facilities, innovation and access. n An international team of scientists led by the University of Leicester finds new evidence that links faster ‘biological’ ageing to the risk of developing several age-related diseases – including heart disease, multiple sclerosis and various cancers. The study involved scientists in 14 centres across eight countries, working as part of the ENGAGE Consortium. The project studied a feature of chromosomes called telomeres. Professor Nilesh Samani, British Heart Foundation Professor of Cardiology at the University of Leicester and Director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, who led the project said: “Although heart disease and cancers are more common as one gets older, not everyone gets them – and some people get them at an earlier age. It has been suspected that the occurrence of these diseases may in part be related to some people ‘biologically’ ageing more quickly than others.” Professor Nilesh Samani

n A new Centre for Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits to explore the building blocks of complex traits and disease was opened with the return of Prof Ed Louis as Director. One of the big problems in Biology today is determining the nature of the genetic causes underlying these complex traits, including disease. Using the ‘Model’ model organism Baker’s yeast, the problem of ‘missing’ heritability will be tackled. The new centre will improve our understanding of evolutionary aspects of adaptation in populations, the nature of disease, and will help to build tools for use in other disciplines. It is the fifth new Research Centre to be established at the University of Leicester, reflecting the University’s commitment to research excellence and ensuring that Leicester will be known for its expertise in these areas.

Ed Louis, Director, Centre for Genetic Architecture of Complex Traits

n Archaeologists from the University uncovered one of the biggest groups of Iron Age metal artefacts to be found in the region – in addition to finding dice and gaming pieces. A dig at a prehistoric monument, an Iron Age hillfort at Burrough Hill, near Melton Mowbray, has gave archaeologists a remarkable insight into the people who lived there over 2,000 years ago. Staff and students from the University’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History and University of Leicester Archaeological Services were involved in the project, now in its fourth year. Top left to right: a reaping hook, a cauldron suspension hook and a spear head. Right: an Iron Age bead

n A study finds that charged-water ‘rain’ from Saturn’s rings falls across large swaths of the planet. The study tracked the rain of charged water particles into the atmosphere of Saturn and found there is more of it and it falls across larger areas of the planet than previously thought. The study, led by the University of Leicester with observations funded by NASA, reveals ‘ring rain’ alters the compostition and therefore the intensity of emitted light from parts of Saturn’s upper atmosphere. Modified version of an original image by NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

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May 2013 n Award-winning poet Daljit Nagra and Man Booker-shortlisted author Alison Moore spoke at the launch of The Centre for Creative Writing. The Centre Director, Dr Corinne Fowler said: “We will promote excellence in creative writing teaching, as well as commissioning and resourcing new writing.” n The University announced support for a major community heritage project to learn about the history of the local area. The Leicestershire Victoria Country Heritage Trust was granted £363,700 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to carry out the four year-long Charnwood Roots project, based in the University of Leicester’s School of History. The heritage project is the first of its kind in Leicestershire, and is exploring the history of thirty-five towns and villages in and around Charnwood Forest and Loughborough.

n University of Leicester researchers contributed to a landmark study which has revealed a new way to treat strokes caused by bleeding inside the brain.

n Work started to remove a wall at a city council car park to make way for a new archaeological dig at the site where King Richard III was buried.

The study found that intensive blood pressure lowering in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage, the most serious type of stroke, reduced the risk of major disability and improved chances of recovery by as much as 20 per cent.

Archaeologists from the University of Leicester want to extend their excavation to discover more about the Church of the Grey Friars.

The study involved more than 2,800 patients from 140 hospitals around the world.

June to July 2013 n Following Leicester’s long tradition in the field of forensic discovery, the University announced a new way of detecting and visualising fingerprints from crime scenes using colourchanging fluorescent films. This could lead to higher confidence in identifications from latent (hidden) fingerprints on knives, guns, bullet casings and other metal surfaces. The technique was the result of a collaboration between the University of Leicester, the Institute LaueLangevin and the STFC’s ISIS pulsed neutron and muon source. n Heart researchers at the University have received an investment of £2million from The British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Mountsorrel: (top) view towards the Butter Market; (bottom) Medieval earthworks © Leicestershire Victoria County History Trust

This included the establishment of a new BHF Chair in Cardiac Surgery and funding for a linked research programme. We are now the only University in the UK to have BHF Chairs in both Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery.

n Top NASA officials met University of Leicester scientists to see instruments and technologies that could be used on a future Mars rover mission. The visit, organised by the UK Space Agency, aimed to highlight potential contributions from the University of Leicester amongst others within the UK to NASA’s follow up mission in 2020 to the Mars Curiosity rover mission. n The University of Leicester climbed six places in the Guardian University Guide to 13th. The University become the topranking institution in the East Midlands – and one of only two from the region to appear amongst the top 20. 14 of the University’s departments featured in the UK’s top-10 for their subjects, including Archaeology and Ancient History which spearheaded the discovery of King Richard III.

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n An AHRC-funded £822,000 editorial project, The Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh, is launched at the University of Leicester. Alexander Waugh, Waugh’s grandson, is the General Editor and Senior Visiting Fellow; Professor Martin Stannard of the School of English is the Principal Investigator and Co-Executive Editor. The Oxford University Press (OUP) will publish. This ambitious five-year project will produce the first scholarly edition of Waugh’s works, using cutting-edge Digital Humanities technology, and, at 42 volumes, is likely to form the largest ever scholarly edition of a British author.

n The University of Leicester's annual 'Sculpture in the Garden' exhibition opened in June 2013 curated by Almuth Tebbenhoff FRBS. The exhibition was titled 'A Change of Heart'.

Grade 2 listed Engineering Building

n The European Investment Bank and Barclays PLC agree to provide £55 million to fund investment in academic and campus development at the University of Leicester to match world-class academic excellence. The record investment will contribute towards to new energy-efficient building projects across campus including improving the iconic Grade 2 listed landmark Stirling-Gowan Engineering Building, funding several new academic research centres and enhancing sports facilities.

'A Change of Heart' was the twelfth annual Sculpture in the Garden exhibition. The event attracts around 30,000 people every year, and has hosted more than 400 sculptures since its inception.

n Scientists led by the University of Leicester set a new record for the most cosmic X-ray sources ever sighted – creating an unprecedented cosmic X-ray catalogue that will provide a valuable resource allowing astronomers to explore the extreme Universe. Artist’s impression of the XMM-Newton spacecraft, launched in 1999, which was used to compile the catalogue using its sensitive X-ray cameras developed by a team in which University scientists played a leading role. © ESA/D. Ducros

Diane Maclean, Ovum, Stainless steel and cast aluminium, painted gold

n The University is to play a key role in a world-first Cancer Research UK study that will unlock lung cancer’s secrets. The project, involving experts from the University of Leicester and Leicester University Hospitals, will track how lung tumours develop and evolve in real time as patients receive treatment. One of the largest ever studies of lung cancer patients globally, it will examine exactly how lung cancers mutate, adapt and become resistant to treatments. The nine year, £14 million, UK wide study – called TRACERx (Tracking Cancer Evolution through Therapy) and launched by Cancer Research UK – will receive one of the single biggest funding commitments to lung cancer.

32 LE1 · THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER · SPRING 2014

Personalia 2012-13 Dr Becca Wilson (Space Research Centre) was one of ten scientists who won a 2012 British Science Association Media Fellowship, the first to be held by the University of Leicester. Dr Alan Cann (Biology), Dr Raymond Dalgleish (Genetics), Dr John Goodwin and Dr Glynne Williams (Management) achieved the status of Senior Fellows of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) Professor Eric Hope (Chemistry) starred in the famous Christmas Lectures broadcast on BBC Four with an exciting demonstration of the reaction between caesium and fluorine. George Fisher-Wilson, an undergraduate student from the School of Management, won the ‘Management Undergraduate of the Year Award’ at the TARGETjobs Undergraduate of the Year Awards.

Professor Martin Barstow (Pro-Vice Chancellor, Head of the College of Science & Engineering) was elected President of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2013 and will assume the position, the leading representational role of the astronomy and geophysics community in the UK, in May 2014. Rob Bean (Executive Head Chef) won a coveted Craft Guild of Chefs Award in the year the Guild, the annual benchmark of brilliance, celebrates its 20th anniversary. Professor Hilary Burgess (Education) and Alex Moseley (Academic Practice Service) were awarded National Teaching Fellowship Awards. This brings the total number of Leicester recipients of the awards to 11. Maleene Patel (Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine) was awarded a Norman Williams IA Fellowship by the Royal College of Surgeons.

Dr Alan Cann

Dr Glynne Williams

Dr Raymond Dalgleish

George Fisher-Wilson

Dr George Don Jones

Dr John Bond

Dr Maciej Tomaszewski (Cardiovascular Sciences) won the Young Investigator Award in Clinical Research from the European Atherosclerosis Society. Emeritus Professor Alan Wells was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sir Arthur Clarke Awards. He was given his award by UK astronaut Tim Peake. Ruth David (Honorary Associate member of The Stanley Burton Centre) was awarded with the German Verdienstkreuz for her dedication and commitment to peace and to confront the Holocaust. The Centre is a non-profit teaching and research centre within the School of History and it is the oldest Holocaust research centre in the UK. Professor Steve Milan (Physics and Astronomy) won the Royal Astronomical Society’s Chapman Medal recognising investigations of outstanding merit in solar-terrestrial physics. Dr John Goodwin

Michael Attenborough

Michaela Butter

LE1 · THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER · SPRING 2014 33

Professor Artur Jaworski (Engineering) was presented with a prestigious Industry Fellowship by the Royal Society for his work harnessing the power of sound as a form of energy conversion.

The Division of External Relations received six HEIST awards including the top award of Marketing Department of the Year, in a national competition showcasing marketing excellence.

Dr George Don Jones (Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine) was appointed President of the European Radiation Research Society (ERRS).

The University of Leicester Students’ Union was named the best university students’ union in the country at the National Union of Students awards.

Dr John Bond OBE (Chemistry) the inventor of a revolutionary technique to lift fingerprints from bullets was invited to join the Forensic Science Special Interest Group (FoSci SIG) Steering Group of the government’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB). Dr Alexander Korb (History) was awarded the Herbert Steiner Prize, the Andrej-Mitrović-Prize, and three other prizes, for his book In the Shadow of the World War: Mass violence by the Ustaša against Serbs, Jews and Roma in Croatia, 1941-45. For the seventh successive year The University of Leicester won a Times Higher Award – it is the only university in the country to enjoy such a sequence.

Maleene Patel

A team led by lecturers from the School of Medicine won a prestigious award at the BMJ Group Improving Health Awards. The team, based at Leicester’s Hospitals and led by Professor Sue Carr (Medical and Social Care) won the Excellence in Healthcare Education award. The Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, School of Psychology and the Department of Physics and Astronomy received Bronze Athena SWAN Awards. The Athena Swan Charter recognises and celebrates good employment practice for women working in science, engineering and technology (SET) in higher education and research.

Professor Hilary Burgess, left, and Alex Moseley

Queen’s New Year Honours Michaela Butter (co-director of Embrace Arts at the Richard Attenborough Centre) received an MBE for services to the Arts in the East Midlands.

Queen’s Birthday Honours Michael Attenborough (Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University in 2009), the son of Richard Attenborough (and grandson of the University’s last Principal, Frederick Attenborough) was awarded a CBE for services to the Theatre. Hilary Devey (Honorary Doctor of Laws) was awarded the CBE for services to the Transport Industry and to charity. Others associated with the University who were honoured were: Riaz Ravat received the British Empire Medal for services to Interfaith Understanding. Phelim John Joseph Brady received an MBE for services to Further Education. Danielle Brown received an MBE for services to Archery. Penelope Jane Egan received a CBE for services to international education Dr Alan Hatton-Yeo received an MBE for services to Promoting Intergenerational Practice Dr Vina Mayor received an MBE for services to the NHS. Ms Carolyn Robson received a CBE for services to Education. Iain Tuckett received an MBE for services to Architecture and Regeneration. Lisa Vernon received an MBE for services to Learning and Skills. Professor Muriel Anita Robinson received an OBE for services to Higher Education.

Dr Alexander Korb

Rob Bean, second left, won a Craft Guild of Chefs Award

34 LE1 · THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER · SPRING 2014

Degree Celebrations 2013 Danielle Brown

Vladimir Ashkenazy

JULY

Jon Culshaw

Dr Laurence Howard

Professor Stephen Ball (Doctor of Letters): Karl Mannheim Professor of the Sociology of Education at the Institute of Education, University of London; widely published in the field of education policy analysis.

Dr Laurence Howard OBE (Doctor of Laws): Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland and alumnus of the University of Leicester: has served the community and the University in a range of capacities, including as a Lecturer in Physiology and Sub-Dean of the Medical School.

Honorands 2013

Nicola Benedetti

JANUARY Ms Danielle Brown MBE (Doctor of Laws): Gold medal-winning Paralympic athlete and former University of Leicester student. Ms Diana Garnham (Doctor of Laws): Chief Executive of the Science Council and former University of Leicester student.

FEBRUARY Mr Vladimir Ashkenazy (Doctor of Music): The Philharmonia Orchestra’s Conductor Laureate, regarded as one of the greatest pianists to have lived.

Ms Nicola Benedetti MBE (Doctor of Music): Classical violinist and previous winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year. Mr Richard Brucciani OBE (Doctor of Letters): Chairman of hygiene products manufacturer Pal International Ltd, and a prominent figure in local community life in Leicestershire. Mr Jon Culshaw (Doctor of Laws): Impressionist and comedian, who has made contributions to the BBC’s The Sky at Night to promote astronomy to young people. Professor Eric Dunning (Doctor of Letters): Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester and a pioneer of the sociological study of sport and leisure.

Professor Dame Olwen Hufton FBA (Doctor of Letters): Historian and a pioneer of social history and of women’s history. Mr Ian Imlay (Distinguished Honorary Fellow): Organist at St Nicholas Church, Leicester, who is renowned nationally and locally and has performed at every University of Leicester Degree Ceremony since 1983. Dr M Qasim Jan (Doctor of Science): Geologist, previously Vice-Chancellor of three universities in Pakistan and now Professor Emeritus at the University of Peshawar.

Professor Ken Pounds, CBE, FRS (Distinguished Honorary Fellow): Astronomer, known for his discovery of black holes at Leicester, and now Emeritus Professor of Space Physics at the University of Leicester. Sir Peter Scott (Doctor of Letters): Eminent social scientist, Professor of Higher Education Studies at the Institute of Education and previously editor of The Times Higher Education Supplement. Ms Almuth Tebbenhoff (Doctor of Letters): Internationally exhibited sculptor; curator of University of Leicester’s Sculpture in the Garden exhibitions in 2012 and 2013. Professor Sir John Tooke (Doctor of Science): Head of University College London Medical School, former Chairman of the Medical Schools Council and researcher focusing on diabetes and its vascular complications. Mr Peter Welton (Doctor of Letters): Leicester-based artist and formerly Professor of Fine Art at Leicester Polytechnic.

LE1 · THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER · SPRING 2014 35

Statistics 2012-13

Visitor Her Majesty the Queen

Officers and Senior Staff 2012-13

STUDENT NUMBERS 2012-13 Total registered students

21,775

Undergraduate

11,263

Postgraduate Taught

8,276

Postgraduate Research

1,893

Other (Occasional/Excange)

343

Distance learning

7,748

Distribution of full-time students Home/EU

9,759

Overseas

3,940

Chancellor Rt Hon The Lord Grocott Pro-Chancellors R H Bettles, BDS, DDH, LDS, MCD, DDPH P Bateman, BSc Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Robert Burgess, DL, BA, PhD, AcSS Treasurer Dr B E Towle, CBE, DL, BA, LLD, FRSA Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor

STAFF NUMBERS 2012-13

Professor M P Thompson, LLB, LLM

Total 3,788

Full-time non-clinical academic staff

704

Part-time non-clinical academic staff

Full-time clinical academic staff

Part-time clinical academic staff

Full-time research staff

389

Part-time research staff

Full-time academic-related staff

629

Part-time academic-related staff

129

Full-time support staff

881

Part-time support staff

851

INCOME 2012-2013 (Total £281,435,000) Funding body grants £55,055,000 (20%) Tuition fees and education contracts £120,910,000 (43%)

Pro-Vice-Chancellors Ms C Fyfe, BA, MA, MBA Professor K Schürer, BA, PhD, AcSS Pro-Vice-Chancellors and Heads of College Professor M A Barstow, BA, PhD, CSci, CPhys, FInstP Professor E Murphy, MA(Hons), MSc, PhD Professor D Tallack, BA, MA, DPhil Professor D Wynford-Thomas, MB BCh(Hons), FRCPath, DSc, FMEDSci Graduate Dean Professor S V Hainsworth, BEng, PhD, CEng, CSci, FIMMM Registrar and Secretary Mr D E Hall, BA Librarian Ms C Fyfe, BA, MA, MBA

Research grants and contracts £55,206,000 (20%) Other income £49,434,000 (17%) Endowment and investment £830,000

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