Play explores the impact of dementia

Simulation allows for practice before entering the real world of care most advanced skills environments for teaching and learning nationally, ensuring that students’ learning experiences evolve in collaboration with developments in modern healthcare delivery.

The Clinical Skills Centre, located at the heart of Coach Lane Campus, is a focal point for Health and Life Sciences students. A centre devoted to excellence in health related professions, it is a place where Northumbria students can develop practical skills in a simulated and safe hospital environment. The Centre is the result of the University’s continued commitment to creating an interactive environment that will equip students with a diverse range of skills.

Academics from Northumbria have brought to life research exploring the impact of dementia with the theatrical production, Jack and Jill & the Red Post-box.

The quality of life here is very good providing residents with a safe lifestyle that’s full of variety and culture. It’s easy to get around, with many attractions well within walking distance for students and staff - especially around our City campus. There’s also a real ‘zing’ to the city, thanks to the regeneration of the waterscape along the Tyne, and the huge cultural scene that we’re probably most famous for. I certainly think Newcastle is the buzziest of the big Northern cities.

Approximately 35,000 students from over 130 different countries study with Northumbria. What do you think attracts them to the UK?

There is a saying “In Britain, 100 miles is a long way but in the US, 100 years is a long time”. Students coming to the UK do appreciate the North East’s sense of history and our connectedness. London is only 2 hours 40 on the train from Newcastle meaning that you can explore many of the country’s attractions from our North East base.

Northumbria is home to awardwinning architecture including City Campus East and Sport Central. It also boasts one of the top ten architecture programmes in the country. What are your favourite pieces of architecture in the region?

Durham Cathedral is astonishing, as is Hadrian’s Wall and its history. However, moving forward to more modern architecture, the truly iconic buildings of the Quayside have added to the region’s international profile, including the BALTIC, The Sage Gateshead and the Millennium Bridge. Of course, I also have to mention Northumbria’s City Campus East development that houses our business, law and design programmes. It is symbolic of the central role the University plays in raising the City’s capability and confidence and marks us out as an institution that is truly civic in its roots.

The University was recently awarded the Times Higher Education Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Arts. Why is collaborative working so important to Northumbria?

Northumbria’s design graduates include Sir Jonathan Ive (the genius behind the iPhone and iPad) and Rob Law MBE (founder of the Trunki). What’s the one gadget or product that you can’t live without?

Without doubt it has to be the iPad!

It’s transformed my life. It’s amazing to think how many Northumbria students must own a Jonathan Ive gadget. And can’t wait to see what the next world-changing design from one of our future graduates will be.

Northumbria works with over 560 employer partners. What are your top tips for students to give their CV a competitive edge and impress future employers?

It’s important that students graduate with experience and knowledge but also with flexibility and the ability to continue learning. Work placements, internships or volunteering are important. Additionally, postgraduate studies are becoming increasingly important to employers, and research shows that those with a master’s degree, coupled with relevant industry experience, really stand out from the crowd. Northumbria is proud to be in the top 10 nationally for the number of graduates entering professional employment, and we will continue to open up additional opportunities for our students to ensure they graduate with a truly competitive CV.

What are you looking forward to most as Vice-Chancellor?

We’re making real strides in building our research, and using this to benefit our students and to drive excellence in everything that we do.

I’m also looking forward to seeing the effects of our new IT strategy. For our people, this strategy will give them the tools they need to succeed, while for our students it will support and enhance the delivery of learning wherever and however they study including the use of podcasts, video lectures, distance and online learning. It will also further improve our connectivity to our international sites such as Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong. am incredibly excited by the huge amount of activity under way to shape our future as a new kind of excellent university. What am I most looking forward to? Well – the fact that the best is yet to come!

For more information, enjoy a virtual tour of the Centre by scanning the code

Health and performing arts students were invited to watch and reflect on the performance – a collaboration between Northumbria University, Edinburgh University and Skimstone Arts – to benefit their studies through practical assignments and Q&As. The production, which is continuing to tour in the region, encourages the audience to think about how they live and work alongside those in their communities who have a diagnosis of dementia. It is hoped that the story will support both families and healthcare professionals who may be dealing with some of the issues raised.

Dr Cathy Bailey, one of a team of researchers from Northumbria University involved in the production, said: “This is an important project for Northumbria as it builds on our long-term ambition to achieve Dementia Friendly Community status, identifying us as having high awareness of the implications of dementia and being more inclusive for those living with the condition. This status would be a first for the region and we are delighted that we have the will and support of organisations such as the Alzheimer’s Society and the North East Dementia Action Alliance.

“With Prime Minister David Cameron’s 2012 ‘Dementia Challenge’, there is a political will to make life better for people living with dementia. Additionally, initiatives such as the Alzheimer Society’s ‘Dementia Friends’ training aim to give people an awareness of how they can make a positive difference”. The original research and premier performance was funded by NHS North of England Commissioning Support Unit.

Discover More

Jack and Jill & the Red Post-box will tour to Stockton and Gateshead from 27 February. For further details, and information about future performances, please visit www.skimstone.org.uk For more information about Health at Northumbria University, visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/hces Anyone requiring

The University has invested £30m in Sport Central – a flagship sports facility based in the heart of city campus. Why is sport important to Northumbria?

Sport promotes health and wellbeing, and our flagship Sport Central facility is accessible to our staff, students and the wider community. A lot of our student volunteering connects with sporting and wellbeing activity. Sport Central also houses cutting-edge research facilities for students and academic staff which will drive excellence in our sports degree programmes. What I look forward to is seeing how this research changes the way we live. Cutting-edge research in health and sports science has the capacity to shape the way in which we all live, work and play.

We play an active role in the region’s cultural sector, which in turn creates greater academic and industry opportunities for our students and staff. Owing to our investment in partnerships in this area, particularly in relation to BALTIC, Northumbria was recently one of only 18 centres in the country funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. This funding will create a number of studentships resulting in lifechanging opportunities for some of the nation’s most talented new researchers in the arts.

The Council’s award is an indicator of our growing research strengths in arts disciplines, building on our award-winning collaboration with BALTIC, and will significantly enhance our interaction with the creative economy.