Dec 2010
Queen Mary Student
Photography Competition reveals sparkling talent! There was an overwhelming response from both entrants and voters: some 338 outstanding images were submitted by talented photographers from across the College and more than 1,700 people voted for their favourites. Congratulations to the overall winner – James Edward Miller, a student from the School of Medicine and Dentistry, for his winning image “Sparkling Pride,” taken on Bonfire Night. James, a 25 year old medic in his second year of the 5 year MBBS course, collected the first prize of £400. He said: “Thank you everyone who voted for me! I think the Queen Mary Photography Competition is a great idea, and I am really pleased to have done so well in it! For anyone who is even slightly interested in photography, or happened to grab a good shot randomly, go for it. I will definitely give it another try next year!” Each of the category runners-up received £100 each. For more information see www.photocomp.qmul.ac.uk.
Dear Student, Welcome to this edition of Queen Mary Student. This is your e-newsletter, providing bite-size information on recent news and research from Queen Mary, University of London. If you would like to comment on QM Student or have any news you think is relevant, please email Kate Ashenden: k.ashenden@qmul.ac.uk Above: Runners-up in the 2010 photography competition
Career opportunities in the European Civil Service More than a hundred university officials, language teachers and careers advisors, including Queen Mary’s Head of Careers, Emily Huns, attended an event at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where they heard Foreign Secretary William Hague and Minister for Europe David Lidington outlining the British Government’s commitment to increasing numbers of UK nationals working within the EU Civil Service. To help British graduates understand more about the career benefits and the process of applying to work for the EU, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has published a useful web resource. Visitors to the resource will find information on the application process, and links various social networks run by EPSO (the EU Civil Service recruitment centre) where potential applicants can post questions and meet others who are also interested in careers in Europe. For more information please see www.fco.gov.uk/eucareers
Queen Mary Student: a newsletter for you
Latest News
Mile End Library ground floor re-opens The refurbishment of the ground floor of the Mile End Library is now complete, and the space re-opened on Tuesday 7 December. Library staff are on hand to welcome you and show you around the new facilities. Come and take a look! Some highlights of the new space: The Learning Lounge, Group Study Rooms and Learning Cafe provide a wide variety of conversational learning spaces • The Learning lounge is equipped with new PCs, whiteboards and big screens to plug your laptops into • PCs are no longer in rows, but instead have been arranged to enable students to work together • Power sockets have been provided wherever possible so laptops can be used with the wireless network • Group study rooms are bookable, and are equipped with interactive touch-sensitive screens • Eating and drinking while studying will be allowed in the Learning Cafe • Traditional silent study spaces remain available on the first and second floors, with the newly enclosed staircase helping to prevent noise travelling to the upper floors
• We are intending to manage the user environment on the first and second floors so that the Library can provide a diverse range of study environments to meet all needs. It is important to our users that some floors remain quiet.
• More catalogue kiosks available within this area
Assistance will be available when you need it
• If you can’t find the items you need in the Teaching Collection, please let us know by emailing library@qmul.ac.uk
• Welcome Desk will be staffed throughout Library opening hours
• New DVD playing equipment located in this area • Photocopiers and a self-service kiosk are available within the Teaching Collection
• New Help Zone aims to provide the information students need to support their learning, and will be staffed from 9.00am – 8.00pm during the week, and throughout weekend opening hours
Facilities to support the users of the Library during our long opening hours when other services and amenities on campus are closed:
• At other times, self-help guides and leaflets will be available in this area, and digital display screens will provide basic information and important announcements
• A designated place to eat
The Teaching Collection will make it quicker and easier to find, use and borrow the books and DVDs you need
• Contemplation space, for quiet contemplation, prayer or meditation
• Dedicated area on the ground floor containing course reading list books that are in high demand
• Refurbished toilets, including ablution facilities, inside the access control gates • The Learning Cafe and vending machines provide facilities to purchase refreshments
Queen Mary Student: a newsletter for you
Latest News (cont) Help convey science to school children
Centre of the Cell is open for school visits with the opportunity for students and staff across the College to become involved as STEMNET Ambassadors. If you share our enthusiasm for conveying science and science careers to young people in an interactive way you are welcome to join Centre of the Cell’s STEMNET scheme. You will be needed for just one day a year. During school term time, groups of school children aged from 9 to 18 will be coming to the Centre of the Cell, so we need volunteers to talk about what it is like to be a scientist (if you are one), help facilitate the educational activities in the Centre, and assist the Centre of the Cell floor staff working in the exhibition space to create a great experience for the visiting group. We are working with STEMNET (www.stemnet.org.uk) to provide full training to qualify you as a STEMNET Ambassador. The training is in the form of a two hour training session in the Blizard Institute, familiarisation with the exhibition once it is complete, and a free CRB check. If you would like to take part and become a trained ambassador please contact g.teran@qmul.ac.uk. Training will take place in the Blizard building on Tuesday 11 January (1.30pm - 3:30pm), Wednesday 16 February (1.00pm - 3.00pm) and Thursday 24 March 2011 (1.00pm - 3.00pm). A free lunch will be provided.
Students join Antarctic expedition Two students from the School of Geography, Ginny Bernadout and Amy Ennis, have been invited to accompany Robert Swan’s Antarctic expedition in March 2011. Robert Swan OBE was the first person in history to walk to both the North and South poles and has dedicated his life to the preservation of Antarctica by the promotion of recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change. He takes about 50 students annually from all over the world to Antarctica, and the fact that these students have been invited is immensely to their credit and demonstrates how talented and driven they are.
al b lo g in w s e t a u d G ra ion it t e p m o c s s e in s bu r Yeleche Wolucho 10 graduates 20 y & ar s M es n sin ee Three Qu va (BA Bu tions) g), Irina Kochne ternational Rela (BSc Engineerin In A (B b au St nge vid le Da al d ch an se ), German siness ca a major global bu ropean Business n wo ly nt ce re – Eu fthansa and the organised by Lu e than 300 students from 29 or M t only six teams School (EBS). competition, bu e th d re jury of te en countries eas in front of a present their id to ed vit in re we ls. ess professiona established busin
Queen Mary Farmers Market Every Thursday 9.00am – 2.00pm The Curve, Westfield Way, Queen Mary, Mile End Road
Queen Mary International Exchange Programme All undergraduate students wishing to participate in the College’s International Exchange Programme should note the deadlines for applications is 14 January for all host institutions (other than University of California). For full details of the programme please see www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/exchange/index.html www.qmul.ac.uk/international/studyabroad
Queen Mary IT, what do you think? Help design your future IT experience at Queen Mary and make a difference by signing up to participate in student focus groups this month. For more information please visit http://qm-web.its.qmul.ac.uk/Student/Focus-Groups
Queen Mary Student: a newsletter for you
Research Brief Groundbreaking findings from your top research-led university…
Scientists catch sunburn in whales
Research recently published by scientists from the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), and CICIMAR in Mexico, has revealed that whales exhibit skin damage consistent with acute sunburn in humans, and it seems to be getting worse over time. Researchers studied blue whales, fin whales and sperm whales in the Gulf of California to determine the effect of rising levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on their health. They found that signs of sun damage were more severe in the paler-skinned blue whales, compared with the darker-skinned fin whales, and that in blue whales the symptoms of sunburn seem to be getting worse during the three years the study took place. Whales need to come to the surface to breathe air, to socialise and to feed their young, meaning that they are frequently exposed to the full force of the sun. The team at Queen Mary consisted of lead author and School of Biological and Chemical Sciences PhD student Laura Martinez–Levasseur, her supervisor Dr Rob Knell and Professor Edel O'Toole, from the Blizard Institute of Cell and Molecular Science.
Danger posed by the Real IRA and Continuity IRA at greatest level in over a decade The danger posed by groups such as the Real IRA and Continuity IRA is now at its greatest level in over a decade, and is likely to increase. A new report, Return of the Militants, commissioned by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ICSR) at King’s College London, written by Dr Martyn Frampton from the School of History at Queen Mary, is the most authoritative attempt to date to address the recent resurgence of
violent republicanism. In the recent National Strategic Defence and Security Review, ‘residual terrorism linked to Northern Ireland’ was identified as a Tier One risk to national security. MI5 has raised the official threat level from dissident republican groups from ‘moderate’ to ‘substantial’ and warned against the real possibility of a strike on the British mainland, in addition to the ongoing threat posed to the police, army and security services in
Northern Ireland. Return of the Militants analyses the origins and the nature of the threat posed by violent dissidents, provides a timeline of their recent activity, and an introduction to the various groups associated with the dissident cause. Drawing on the expert testimony of former security service personnel, the report also examines the changing security environment and evaluates potential responses to the increase of the threat.
Queen Mary Student: a newsletter for you
Research Brief Groundbreaking findings from your top research-led university…
Queen Mary discovery offers hope for the prevention of prostate cancer A research team at Queen Mary, led by researcher Dr Yong-Jie Lu, from the Institute of Cancer, has discovered that a high level of ‘androgens’ – chemically related male sex hormones that help the male reproductive system to function properly – trigger a specific genetic change in the prostate that can cause cancer to develop. This promising new research could be the key to preventing prostate cancer, which is the second most common cause of death in men after lung cancer. This genetic change is the fusion of an androgen-driving gene, with a tumour causing ‘oncogene’ gene. When these two genes fuse together they activate cancer development. This gene fusion is a major cause of prostate cancer and has been found in more than half of all prostate cancers. Funded by the male cancer charity Orchid and the Medical Research Council (MRC), this new discovery reveals a critical understanding in the way prostate cancer develops, but also presents an opportunity to prevent prostate cancer occurrence by learning how to control androgen levels.
Mobile phones could be the key to better STI diagnosis Mobile phones could revolutionise the diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by using new technology to give instant results and recommend treatment options. A new £5.7 million project is developing selftest devices that can plug directly into mobile phones and computers, immediately identifying infections. The Medical Research Council – and the UK Clinical Research Collaboration – has given a £4 million grant to a consortium of academic and industrial researchers to improve sexual health through the use of new technology. The consortium, which includes Queen Mary, St George’s, UCL, Brunel University, University of Warwick, the Health Protection Agency and industrial partners, made up the remaining £1.7 million.
The project – called eSTI_ (electronic self-testing instruments for STIs) – is being led by Dr Tariq Sadiq at St George’s, University of London, and Queen Mary’s contribution is being coordinated by Dr Claudia Estcourt from the Blizard Institute of Cell and Molecular Science. The consortium will use nanotechnology – advanced technology on a sub-microscopic scale – to create devices for testing multiple STIs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, similar to pregnancy test kits. These would be available in different settings, such as pharmacies and even vending machines, for users to add their samples and then plug into a computer or mobile phone. Software on the phone or computer will analyse the sample, make a diagnosis and recommend a course of action.
Queen Mary Student: a newsletter for you
International Students
Shine! International Student Awards 2011 The Shine! International Student Awards 2011 is an exciting competition that celebrates the achievements of international students and their contributions to life in the UK. The Awards, now in their 9th year are run by the British Council, the UK's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. It's easy to enter – simply write a letter about your time in the UK and how the UK has challenged and excited you. For further information about the competition and to find out about previous winners visit www.educationuk.org/shine. The closing date for entries is 19 January 2011.
Job interview advice Survey of International Students Just as you receive regular feedback from us as you progress through your studies, we need to receive regular feedback from you. The “International Student Barometer” is your opportunity to tell us what’s working, what’s frustrating and what you think of your university experience to date.
Queen Mary Careers often get asked by international students how to dress appropriately for interviews. You can find all the answers in this blog post from International Futures, the University of London website for international students: http://internationalfutures.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/ interview-wardrobe-crises/
The survey forms part of a wider ongoing study and is independently administered for the University by the International Graduate Insight Group (i-graduate.org). As a thank you for completing the questionnaire, i-graduate offers the opportunity to win a £1,000 cash prize.
There have been a number of well-attended talks for international students this term on applying for UK jobs. If you have missed a talk you can find the slides at www.careers.qmul.ac.uk/students/international under the ‘international student talks’ section.
Your response, together with the response from others, helps us to improve the student experience for current and future students – by listening to what students have had to say in previous surveys we have made changes to many aspects of the student experience at Queen Mary, as a result of which we are now highly regarded in many areas. However, we still want to improve so please respond to the survey to help us make a real difference to you and to students who will join us in the future. If you have responded previously, please do so again now. We recognise that opinions change over time. Equally, if previous concerns remain, we need to know. To enter the survey please click here: http://survey.euro.confirmit.com/wix/p522235304.aspx