Mini News Stories 6

Activist Group Protest UoN Careers Fair

Student activist group ‘Demilitarise UoN’ disrupted a University of Nottingham (UoN) engineering careers fair over the University’s alleged ties with 18 companies involved in the arms trade.

The group staged a ‘die-in’, where they laid in the middle of the fair in lab coats and clothing covered in fake blood. They held up a large banner that said: “UoN has blood on their hands.”

Protesters spoke into a megaphone, saying of those 18 companies: “They approach us during our degrees with offers that look immediately rewarding, while they downplay their role in creating and sustaining globally destructive conflicts. That is an underhanded and deeply unethical method of recruitment, and the University of Nottingham knows this.”

In response to the protest, UoN commented: “The University does not invest in the arms trade or conduct research into weapons.”

“We were content to facilitate peaceful protest which minimised disruption for the many students who were attending the careers fair to consider their future careers with a wide range of national and global employers.”

“The University does not invest in the arms trade or conduct research into weapons. We have partnerships with global engineering companies that bring major benefits to students’ studies, research, and employment prospects. However, these are limited to specific projects such as sustainable propulsion systems and energy storage.”

In a statement on their Instagram, Demilitarise UoN protesters said: “We want ethical, green, sustainable careers that Nottingham could be leading the higher education landscape in, instead we are pushing students into jobs that harm others.”

Worried Students Quiz Politicians About Cost Rises

Nottingham students have quizzed university officials on the cost of living crisis at a UoN Cost-of-Living talk. Many issues were raised, including concerns about the unequal effect that the cost of living crisis is having on international students, due to language barriers and many other factors. The event took the form of a ‘Question-and-Answer’ session with two panels.

The student audience were given an opportunity to address key challenges caused by the cost of living, which were outlined by the SU Community Officer, Daisy Forster. Concerns surrounding maintenance loans and increased reliance on parental funding were discussed throughout. The first panel - consisting of Lilian Greenwood MP, Alex Norris MP, and Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis. It was chaired by the Students’ Union’s (SU) current Union Development Officer, Sultan Chaudhury. The panel was asked about problems affecting students such as exploitation by landlords, affordable housing for students, racial biases in housing accessibility, and the unfairness of the triple-lock for young people.

The second panel - with Mark Bradley (the current University Associate “Pro-Vice Chancellor’’), Janette Alvarado-Cruz, (Associate Director of EDI initiative), Robert Peck (Senior Manager for Funding and Financial Support), and Sultan Chaudhury - focused more closely on the steps that the University is taking to increase support to students. NSTV’s Creative Director, Olivia Conroy, hosted the panel.

By Hannah Walton-Hughes