JANUARY 2018
CONNECTING THE ALUMNI COMMUNITY
Designed by The Gatehouse Design and Print Agency
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contents Alumni in Focus P6 RGU’s alumni community grows with winter graduations
P8 Capturing the graduation celebrations P10 RGU alumni help to raise £13k on RGU #GivingTuesday to widen access to higher education
P12 RGU Graduate secures intership in Vietnam P14 RGU alumni launch series of Bonnie Beasts children’s books
P16 RGU projects benefit from alumni support P18 Alumni making a difference at RGU
with mentoring
P20 RGU alumni launch Swiss Association P22 Your Global Community
RGU in the Community Built anywhere but belong nowhere P24
Professional Spotlight P36 RGU launches world-first decommissioning simulator
P38 OPINION: Taking control of the “Wild West” of social media
P40 RGU head of school honoured with prestigious fellowship
P42 Top Scottish author receives honorary degree
from RGU
P44 RGU researchers to help with rural transport carbon reduction
P46 Professorial Lecture: The Water Alchemist P48 OPITO and RGU launch UKCS skills study P50 Professor Gammie appointed to global accountancy standards board
P52 Talent Exchange honoured at higher education awards
Minister commends RGU’s widening access agenda P26 RGU’s Streetsport triumphs at National Pride of Sport Awards P28 RGU researchers working to help develop Aberdeen as a ‘Smart City’ P30 Aberdeen Boat Race to Make Waves in 2018 P32 Gray’s exhibition to showcase work of renowned photographer P34
A WORD FROM
THE PRINCIPAL A very happy New Year to all graduates of Robert Gordon University, and your families and friends. May 2018 bring you success and happiness.
As we head into the new year, RGU is looking forward to exciting new developments and opportunities. We will be launching our new strategic framework in the spring. We will also be developing some of our key strategic partnerships, in Scotland and internationally. We will be launching new courses involving work-based learning (Graduate-Level Apprenticeships). And we will be recruiting new colleagues who will in particular lead some of our research priorities. We were enormously proud, in 2017, to be recognised for our teaching excellence with the Gold ranking in the government’s
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Teaching Excellence Framework. We will build on this and ensure that we continue to pursue world class excellence, putting our students at the heart of all that we do. There are of course always challenges, too. But RGU is ready for them, and we will ensure that, in 2018 as in all previous years, you can be proud of your university. We hope that you will continue on this exciting journey with us, as valued members of the RGU family. Ferdinand von Prondzynski Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski
RGU’s alumni community grows with winter graduations
RGU celebrated the success of its latest graduates at its winter graduations last month.
The latest cohort of alumni took to the stage in front of a packed audience to collect their degrees at the university’s graduation ceremonies held over two days at the Beach Ballroom.
in engineering roles but decided it was time for a change and pursued a degree in oil and gas law through the distance learning route. Find out more about Brian’s change in career.
Among those who graduated were a local couple who celebrated their degree success together. Graham Gordon and Elaine Anderson were on top of the world, graduating on the same day with degrees in oil and gas management and project management just two months after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro together. Read more about their story.
Iain Beddall also decided on a change in career paths, swapping accounting for engineering to graduate with a MEng in Mechanical and Offshore Engineering - a subject in which he excelled throughout his time at university. Read more about Iain’s graduation.
They were joined by RGU alumnus Brian Gorn who decided to change his career after spending more than three decades in the oil and gas industry. Having graduated from RGIT with a degree in engineering technology, Brian spent many years
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Madeleine McNally’s graduation marked her celebrations of landing her dream job as a midwife, having returned to university to study a Bachelor of Midwife after taking time out to focus on her own family life. Find out more about Madeleine’s path to graduation.
Madeleine McNally
“We were lucky enough to be taught by the most inspiring tutors, who prepared us well, not only with their teaching but stories from their own practice and all their help in the Clinical Skills lab.”
Graham Gordon and Elaine Anderson
“It is difficult to put into words how amazing it feels to have successfully completed my studies at RGU and climbed the world’s highest freestanding mountain.”
Iain Beddall
“I made the decision to change to engineering because I have always had an interest in that field and thought it would challenge and engage me.”
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
Capturing the Graduatio
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on Celebrations
Marie Airth, second year Architecture student was a recipient of a scholarship from last year’s #GivingTuesday fundraising efforts.
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ALUMNI IN FOCUS
RGU alumni help raise 13k on rgu
#Giving Tuesday
to widen access to higher education The university’s appeal received support from alumni across the globe, with donations made by individuals from countries including the UK, USA, Canada, Sweden, Dubai, Iraq, Kazakhstan and Oman, which will make a lasting impact on the lives of exceptional students. RGU alumnus, Bisi Ogundele, who graduated in 2010 with an MSc in Project Management, was inspired to support the appeal this year. He said: It is an honour to support RGU. I am proud to be an RGU alumnus and I am very willing to support other students in achieving their dream of a better education.” It was the second year that the university joined the global day of giving, which is led in the UK by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) to harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organisations to encourage philanthropy and celebrate generosity worldwide. Through the RGU Foundation, the university’s philanthropic fundraising arm, RGU used the day to fundraise for access scholarships and bursaries to help talented individuals from under-represented backgrounds, particularly those from deprived areas, achieve their ambitions through higher education. Last year’s appeal sparked a 42% increase in donor support and inspired donations from across the RGU community including its alumni, staff, governors, honorary graduates and friends of the university.
RGU is celebrating the success of its #GivingTuesday appeal after raising £13,000 to support talented students from under-represented backgrounds.
RGU’s Principal, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, said: “The global support from our alumni community has been overwhelming and I am extremely grateful to all those who have chosen to give back in support of the appeal. “It is inspiring to be able to celebrate a hugely successful appeal. We are seeing a shared appreciation of the importance of delivering high quality education, and support of our vision to inspire individuals to realise their full potential. “RGU has been shaped by the generosity of our alumni and friends, and in giving back, our supporters continue a tradition that serves to add value to the university, to create opportunities and raise the aspirations of future generations of talented students.” The money raised from this year will create a number of access scholarships and bursaries, supporting RGU’s commitment to widening access to higher education and promoting inclusion, equality and diversity on campus. Marie Airth, a second year Architecture student was awarded one of the scholarships from last year’s #GivingTuesday fundraising efforts. She said: “As well as the financial support, the scholarship has provided mentoring, summer internships and a variety of workshops that have served to build self-confidence, my presentation skills and other qualities that will remain valuable to me throughout my life.” Find out more about what the scholarship support has meant to Marie: http://www.rgu.ac.uk/casestudy/mairie-airth
RGU graduate
secures internship in Vietnam
RGU graduate Tom Dryburgh
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ALUMNI IN FOCUS
A recent graduate in Architectural Technology from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment is putting his skills to use on a six-month internship in Vietnam. Tom Dryburgh, who is originally from Inverness, graduated from RGU in July 2017 and is now using what he has learned during his time at university to develop his skills with BSBG, a Dubai-headquartered Architecture firm which recently opened an office in Ho Chi Minh City. Tom, who had planned to go travelling in Asia after graduation, was alerted to the opportunity by his course leader and felt it would be a great chance to continue with his plans while gaining invaluable work experience. He began the internship at the start of September in BSBG’s Dubai office, before heading over to Vietnam to commence his working role where he is embracing the culture and settling in with his new colleagues. “My plan after university was to do some travelling in Asia, more specifically, in Vietnam,” he said. “So, when the advertisement for an intern architectural technologist in Ho Chi Minh City came up, I saw it as the perfect opportunity - a chance to travel and get some experience working abroad. “My mum is from Vietnam so I was pretty familiar with the country after visiting it many times when I was younger, yet it's still a massive culture shock to me. It's a long way from the Highlands. I knew it would take some time to adapt to living here but I also knew it would be great fun.” Tom is three weeks into his internship and is enjoying the variety of work and being given the chance to broaden his experience, working on major international projects. “The work has been great so far. I've been doing some interior designing for an office in Ho Chi Minh City where I've learned a lot about modern office cultures. Later I will be working on a new super mall in Dubai, so there is a wide variety of projects to get involved in and gain some experience in, not just projects in Vietnam. “I'm also very excited to get involved in the company’s' own plans for the future, we are looking to collaborate with my profession's institution, the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists, and a Danish international university, University College of Northern Denmark, to help promote Architectural Technology in Vietnam.”
gray’s alumni launch
series of Bonnie Beasts children’s books
A pair of talented illustrators who studied at Gray’s School of Art have created a series of colourful children’s books about mythical beasts which live in and around the Granite City.
Gray’s School of Art Graduates Shirin Karbor and Rachel Logan have hosted an exhibition of their work from the ‘Bonnie Beasts’ books at the Seventeen gallery on Belmont Street in Aberdeen’s city centre. The exhibition features a number of prints from the books, a limited copy of the books for the public to read and an interactive area with a game and activity sheets, where children and adults can create their own Bonnie Beasts. The inspiration for the six loveable beasts comes from the Aberdeen Bestiary, a 12th century illustrated manuscript, which is housed at the University of Aberdeen and includes a variety of real and fictional animals. Shirin and Rachel created the characters in the Bonnie Beasts books by mixing up the different animals and monsters featured in the Aberdeen Bestiary. Each character featured in the books - The Prickly Lion, The Vratch, The Fitsat, The Dinnaken, The Affa Kerfuffle and The Howker – has its own adventure set in the city of Aberdeen. Shirin commented: “We both studied communication design at Gray’s and found that illustration was something we really enjoyed and were quite good at.
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“When the opportunity came up, we got our heads together and tried to think about a nice local interest angle which would let us create something fun and full of characters– and that’s when the Aberdeen Bestiary sprang to mind. “We both gave each other a brief of three Bonnie Beasts, created by fusing two of the animals from the Bestiary together and writing a short story on them and their adventures in Aberdeen.” Rachel added: “We thought this type of book and exhibition would really grab the attention of both children and adults, because the books are based around very familiar locations in the city. “The feedback we have received so far has been great and the aim is to try and raise enough money to do a small print run so that members of the public can buy the series, or just their favourite.”
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
Sarah Dingwall, RGU Foundation Development Manager, said: “We are extremely grateful to all those alumni and friends of RGU who through donating have made a commitment to the university and to it students. Their generous foresight has allowed us to support ground-breaking projects and excellent services across the university.” This year the following projects have been awarded funding:
RGU projects benefit from
Alumni support
• Access bursaries – to support talented students from backgrounds that are traditionally under-represented at university. • Student-led Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme – an opportunity open for all current RGU students to achieve an award for extra-curricular learning volunteering and skills development. • RGU Nightline – a student-led non-judgmental anonymous listening service that allows students to speak through their problems
Projects ranging from researching the feasibility of producing electricity from solar chimneys to improving access to education are among the beneficiaries of this year’s Annual Fund Awards announced by the RGU Foundation, the university’s philanthropic fundraising arm. Launched in 2015 to enhance all areas of the student experience and to add value to new initiatives at RGU, the aim of the fund is to inspire donations which will make an immediate impact by supporting innovative projects that would not receive funding through any other channel. Since its launch, financial support has been given to 22 new and enterprising developments at RGU. The funds are raised from alumni, staff and friends of the university to create opportunities for current and future generations of staff and students. RGU Alumnus and donor Kevin Davidson, Managing Director at Ducatas Partners, graduated with a BA (Hons) in 1994. “Gaining a degree from RGU has allowed me to pursue a fulfilling career,” he said. “I am pleased to make a positive contribution to my alma mater by giving back and by doing so create opportunities for current and future generations of talented RGU students.”
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ALUMNI IN FOCUS
• Research Students Showcase – A first of its kind event run by the Research Students Association that will serve to highlight the varied research projects being carried out at RGU and inspire and encourage future research. • Inter-professional Learning Award in Healthcare – a student award that promotes best practice collaborative learning in healthcare • Hatch project – to support creative projects associated with the Hatch creative projects space set up by students from RGU’s Gray’s School of Art
• Resilience conference – to support a one day conference, organised in partnership with Reslife, to promote mental wellbeing and resilience, a life skill which supports student retention and progression, individual mental wellbeing and graduate employability. • Research project – Support for a research project being carried out by a member of staff at Scott Sutherland School to analyse the potential and the efficiency of using solar chimneys in parts of Scotland to produce electricity.
Making a Difference at RGU
with mentoring
There are many ways our alumni have supported RGU; often the impact of their support has been transformational. Launched in 2016, our postgraduate mentoring programme is one such initiative that is helping our students to make more informed decisions about their future careers. The programme provides a wonderful opportunity for students to explore potential career paths, develop employability skills, and build their professional networks. The mentee benefits from the knowledge and experience of their [thoughtfully matched] mentor; gaining a fresh perspective, new insights, confidence and a little inspiration and aspiration too.
Q&A with a mentor Find out more in a Q&A with current mentor Bob MacDonald, CEO of Specialist Technical Solutions at Wood, who talks about his volunteering experience with RGU: www.rgu.ac.uk/Bob-MacDonald-mentor-interview
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Would you like to become a mentor Our mentors are from all walks of life and at various stages within their own careers – from newly qualified practitioners to CEO’s! The majority of our mentors are alumni but the programme is open to all. To find out more about RGU’s mentoring opportunities and what it involves, please get in touch with our Career Programme Officer, Chloe Bruce, tel: +44 (0)1224 262037 or email c.m.bruce@rgu.ac.uk Also, visit our website to find out about how others are Making a Difference by supporting RGU in various ways.
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
RGU alumni
launch Swiss association
The global presence of RGU alumni continues to grow with the launch of an exciting new alumni association in Switzerland.
Established by a group of former students and lecturers, the association provides a formal platform to connect the alumni community in Switzerland through social networking, events and workshops on trending topics. The association held its first event earlier during the autumn in Zurich, which was attended by Mark Sollis, RGU’s VicePrincipal for University Advancement, who personally welcomed the newly formed Swiss arm of the RGU alumni community. The event, which was the first in a series planned for the Swiss contingent, was themed ‘Mobility’ and featured guest speakers Francesco Romano, CEO of Iveco Switzerland, and Patrick Eigenmann, Head of Communication for pioneering Swiss car-sharing cooperative Mobility. Both speakers shared latest insights and company reactions to Mobility, which was founded 20 years ago with the basic idea of using rather than owning cars, and has since surfed the wave of the digital revolution and new paradigms of convenience and status to capitalise on this business idea with innovative, far-sighted services.
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The event concluded with an insightful discussion and a networking opportunity where local alumni, both Swiss and expat, reconnected and shared stories. The association is keen to grow and would love to hear from more of the RGU alumni community in Switzerland.The next event, to be held on 13th March , explores global expansion and is being led byHead of Consultancy Switzerland Global Enterprises, Alberto Silini. Visit rgu-alumni.org for further details.
ALUMNI IN FOCUS
Your Global Community
Alumni Support and Benefits
As an RGU alumnus, you can continue to access the full range of advice, information and support from the Careers and Employability Centre team. This service includes: • Sourcing jobs and opportunities • Connecting with employers • CV and job application support • Interview preparation • One-to-one careers guidance You can also continue to access the following online resources*: • My Career Jobs - Search for a variety of jobs and connect with employers • My Career Toolkit – Explore a series of online career and job related interactive learning topics
Connect with the Careers and Employability Centre: Web: www.rgu.ac.uk/mycareertoolkit Tel: +44 (0)1224 262110/262113 Email: careers@rgu.ac.uk Facebook:/rgucareers Twitter: @rgucareers Daily drop-in sessions and pre-booked appointments are available for graduates. We can also provide career support via email, telephone, web chats and Skype.
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• Course Specific Information – Gain career-related information, job opportunities and employer insights related to your course specific job area *Log into My Career Toolkit using your university username and password – contact the IT helpdesk (ithelpdesk@rgu. ac.uk) / +44(0)1224 262777. Further Study Opportunities In such a competitive job market it is essential to keep developing your knowledge and expertise to increase your employability prospects. The university provides extensive lifelong learning opportunities designed to support your professional development and further enhance your employability throughout your career. As an RGU graduate, you now receive 20% discount off course fees too. Other Alumni benefits include: Free lifetime library membership All alumni are entitled to: • A borrowing entitlement of 3 books and 3 journals • Access to the library tower based in the Sir Ian Wood building, Garthdee • Reservation options For further information, visit the library website www.rgu.ac.uk/library
ALUMNI IN FOCUS RGU SPORT alumni discount
Would you like to become a mentor?
RGU SPORT will help you achieve your fitness goals and keep you motivated throughout 2018. From rowing to cycling, running or weight training, the gym area has all the very latest equipment you will need. There are also dedicated studios that offer an extensive range of classes, including LES MILLS group fitness programmes, yoga, BSPT Bootcamp and Zumba. You can also enjoy a swim in the 25 metre pool.
Launched in 2016, our postgraduate mentoring programme is an initiative that is helping our students to make more informed decisions about their future careers.
For further information, visit the RGU SPORT website: www.rgu.ac.uk/rgusport Alumni Network Card Do you have your Alumni Network Card to access our oncampus facilities, including RGU SPORT and the RGU Library? To receive the card, simply get in touch with us at alumni@rgu. ac.uk. All we need is your name, address and date of birth to verify your alumni status – we’ll then pop one in the post to you. Alumni Volunteering Volunteering as a graduate is a fantastic way to stay connected while making a huge difference to improving the experience for students at RGU. The generous support of our alumni is helping our students get the most from their time at university, and succeed after graduation. Visit www.rgu.ac.uk/alumni-volunteering-opportunities to find the latest volunteering opportunities we have available. If you would be interested in volunteering with us in the future, please get in touch with our Volunteering Programme Officer, Tracy Ewing, tel: +44 (0)1224 262211 or email alumnivolunteering@rgu.ac.uk
Our mentors are from all walks of life and at various stages within their own careers – from newly qualified practitioners to CEO’s! Visit www.rgu.ac.uk/career-programming to find out more about the mentoring scheme, and please get in touch with our Career Programme Officer, Chloe Bruce, tel: +44 (0)1224 262037 or email c.m.bruce@rgu.ac.uk if you would like to become a mentor. Keep in touch There are many ways you can stay connected with RGU and engage with other alumni. Join the alumni ‘Robert Gordon’ LinkedIn Group to network with over 10,000 RGU graduates. Like the RGU Alumni Facebook page to find out all the latest from the Alumni Team, including university news, new alumni programmes and engagement opportunities. PLEASE do try and remember to keep your home and business details up-to-date with us, as we would love to keep in touch with you too. This can be easily done on the website at www.rgu.ac.uk/alumni (Update Us). Please also do get in touch at any time; whether it is to share your successes with us or if you need any help or advice – email us at alumni@rgu. ac.uk
Do you think that current affordable housing design could be detrimental to Scottish tourism? Yes, I do. We must stop building housing where the layout has been dictated by mass-house developers or road engineers, which has led to cul-de-sac formats where a lack of integration with landscape and surrounding neighbourhoods are becoming the norm. Unfortunately, these uninspiring housing developments are dotted around rural Scotland and the islands. These are the homes which can be built anywhere but belong nowhere. This could have serious impact on Scotland’s tourism industry as visitors to the country do not come to see kit houses or so-called ‘affordable’ standard boxes; they come to see the landscape, its history, its natural beauty.
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Why has the problem arisen? At a time when the Scottish Government, the house building industry, economists, homebuyers, councils and renters are all concerned about whether we are building enough new homes in rural Scotland, it might seem odd to suggest the issue is ‘quality’ rather than quantity. We need to bring forward sites that enable small developers and community groups to design, deliver and invest in good quality housing design and be brave enough to recalibrate the way we measure value. We think we know the cost of everything, but, as the saying goes, we know the value of nothing.
RGU IN THE COMMUNITY
Built anywhere but belong nowhere
a conversation with Professor Gokay Deveci Recently Nexus caught up with Professor Gokay Deveci from the Scott Sutherland School to discuss the implications of ‘ugly’ affordable housing on Scottish tourism.
Is there anything that can be done to remedy this?
How is RGU helping to address the problem?
The house providers and planning departments need to raise their ambitions and insist on good quality design. Why can’t the value of homes be measured on the quality of volume, space, light, character, detail and energy efficiency, none of which is taken into account in standard property valuations?
The Scott Sutherland School represents the most northerly provider of architecture education in the UK. The primary aim of the school is to make meaningful contributions to society - as architects - through our buildings and landscapes. For example, final year students are currently working in collaboration with councils and community representatives from Aviemore and Orkney.
Most of Scotland’s housing stock has not been designed by architects - as a nation, we have left this important process to developers, leading to a housing market which believes it has reflected the tastes and aspirations of new buyers by delivering budget homes in high volumes. Most houses appear more like an object on a landscape, as opposed to being part of the landscape. Good design must involve an understanding of the place at many levels - landscape, culture and identity. By protecting our local environment and enhancing places, we will see the economic benefit of good design. Finally, architecture is a physical manifestation of culture and identity, and housing is an important part of that. We need a new and emerging architecture in rural Scotland to regain the country’s sense of culture and to take an ethical stance towards creating homes with dignified and appropriate design.
This represents a unique opportunity for the university and students working together with the planning departments to produce positive proposals which may be incorporated into future plans for the region.
Minister commends
RGU’s widening access agenda
RGU’s commitment to widening access to higher education was the focus of a recent ministerial visit.
The university welcomed Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, to its Garthdee campus where she met with students and staff to learn more about RGU’s work in improving educational opportunities for all learners in the North-East. RGU is committed to widening access to learning, transforming people and communities. The university’s strategy provides a commitment to breaking down barriers in the learning environment, and to creating opportunities and support for individuals from under-represented groups. During the visit, Ms Somerville learnt more about RGU’s strategic projects, partnerships and services that are specifically designed to widen access to higher education and enhance the learner journey. The Minister said: “Widening access to higher education is a key priority for this government and we are committed to implementing the recommendations of the Commission on Widening Access in full. “This is not just about widening access to freshers fayres, but supporting students through to graduation and the careers opportunities that follow. The commitment from RGU to drive forward the widening access agenda is to be commended.
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Shirley-A
nne Som
erville M
SP, with
RGU’s P rincipal,
Professo r
Ferdina n
d von P rondzyn
“Initiatives such as the ACCESS RGU team, who deliver outreach activities with schools and communities in the region, and the support the university offers for care experienced learners is really helping to make a difference. “It is also the close collaboration of the university with North East Scotland College that helps to facilitate an extensive portfolio of articulation routes for students – and supports the performance and retention of students progressing to the university. “This type of close working between the further and higher education sector is to be encouraged and should be considered an example of good practice for effective working between Scottish colleges and universities.” Ms Somerville met with senior representatives from RGU, including the university’s Principal, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, and its Director of Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Access, James Dunphy, as well as learners who have benefited from the university’s support.
ski,
RGU IN THE COMMUNITY
, Liz Mc
Intyre, P rincipal
of North
East Sco
tland Co
llege an
d stude
nts.
Liz McIntyre, Principal of North East Scotland College (NESCol), also attended the visit to discuss RGU’s collaborative partnership with NESCol, which provides an extensive portfolio of articulation routes for students through Degree Link programmes. RGU’s Principal, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, said: “RGU fully supports The Scottish Government’s intention to combat educational disadvantage and promote inclusion.
are committed to enabling access for individuals from a range of backgrounds, ensuring every student has the opportunity to reach their potential through higher education. “As a university we strive to provide an environment in which diversity and equality are seen as supporting a rich and rewarding experience for individuals, regardless of background or circumstance.”
“Breaking down barriers to learning is a strategic priority for RGU, and through a number of initiatives and partnerships we
RGU IN THE COMMUNITY
RGU’s Streetsport triumphs at
National Pride of Sport Awards The Denis Law Legacy Trust and RGU’s Streetsport initiative has won a prestigious accolade at the 2017 National Pride of Sport Awards.
Streetsport came out as the winner of the TSB Community Partner award, which recognises a group of people who have worked together in partnership as a force for good in their local community, to improve the lives of people around them through sport, supporting young people to thrive and to bring communities together to make a difference. The Streetsport programme, run by the Denis Law Legacy Trust and RGU in partnership with Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, is a non-profit initiative which aims to reduce instances of youth crime and anti-social behaviour while helping develop the employability and aspirations of young people in Aberdeen. Streetsport volunteers have helped provide free of charge sport and creative activity sessions for young people throughout Aberdeen City by deploying mobile activity arenas directly into local communities and operating during peak times of anti-social behaviour.
“Our main aim is to support and empower young people to be confident, capable, independent and responsible citizens within their own communities and to be given this award shows we have made tremendous headway.”
In 2016 there were over 12,500 participations from young people throughout Aberdeen.
The Streetsport team was recognised earlier in the year when they picked up a The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the equivalent of an MBE for voluntary groups and the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities.
Streetsport Chief Operating Officer, Mark Williams, commented: “This latest accolade, and to be recognised at a national level, is a massive tribute to all the work our volunteers do every day across Aberdeen.
The Pride of Sport awards are all about ‘celebrating and recognising the unsung heroes of grassroots sport’. The national awards highlight people who have contributed to sport at a local or national level, across all walks of life.
“Our various programmes are a success only due to the commitment and effort our volunteers put in and we are all very proud and thankful for their contributions.
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Streetsport Chief Operating Officer, Mark Williams and Filippo Antoniazzi, Director of Student Life at RGU
RGU IN THE COMMUNITY
RGU researchers working
to help develop Aberdeen as a ‘Smart City’
Researchers from Robert Gordon University (RGU) have been working with Aberdeen City Council and other partners to develop innovative ways of integrating technology to the city’s infrastructure, to improve the lives of residents.
Over the past year, the team has worked with the Council to undertake a large scale scanning and modelling project (Digital Aberdeen), which can be used to help support future developments in community planning and management of the city.
Townhouse modelThe work has seen collaboration across areas of expertise, including architecture and the built environment, creative and cultural business and computing.
This connects with EU-funded work (Civitas PORTIS), which includes innovative work by the City concerning smart monitoring and control of traffic, and creative initiatives to support walking, cycling and more efficient freight movement in Aberdeen and the Shire.
In the coming months, the University plans to establish a digital ‘hub’ at Garthdee, which will bring together equipment and expertise from across RGU, and will be a useful a location for teaching, research, public events and industry collaboration.
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RGU has also just invested in a raft of new digital technology, including portable 3D laser scanning equipment, and plans to bring together expertise and digital facilities from across the whole organisation.
Professor Richard Laing, from RGU’s Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment, believes that the work going on in Aberdeen is at the very forefront of what is happening in the country.
which we were able to develop will now be extended within future collaborations, as well as within the teaching of our undergraduate students.”
“In the last few years, the collaborative work undertaken between Robert Gordon University and Aberdeen City Council has increasingly dealt with issues, themes and practical tasks which we would now recognise as being central to the development of the smart city,” he said.
Richard continued: “Regarding the development of smart transport systems within Aberdeen, our work with the council and other local partners, including colleagues at the University of Aberdeen, through the EU ‘Civitas’ H2020 PORTIS project, will demonstrate and evaluate the impact of new technology in the city.
“When I attended the recent TM Forum ‘Smart Cities InFocus’ conference held in Yinchuan, China, I was struck by the relevance of those collaborations, including a large scale projects involving high definition laser scanning, and ongoing work concerning the development of smart transport within city.
“The City has an opportunity to lead the way in how we can use emerging technologies to improve life in our communities, and this kind of collaboration between the University, City and private industry is an excellent model for how this can be made to happen.”
Richard Laing 2015“The activities which have been undertaken in Aberdeen, and which will continue to happen in the coming years, place us at the forefront of new city development.
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen and Civitas Portis champion Councillor Barney Crocket said: “RGU’s new Digital Hub is an exciting development for the city and fits in to our aspirations transforming Aberdeen into a leader of digital technology.
“Last year, we undertook a collaborative digital scanning project, which resulted in a very large and highly detailed dataset which recorded building facades throughout the city centre of Aberdeen. This can now be regarded as an important step towards the development of an interactive digital model, which could be useful within community planning, public engagement, the arts and urban simulations.
“The Citivas Portis project is looking at existing and future transport infrastructure needs for the city and wider area including how digital technology can be used, while encouraging people to think about using alternative forms of transport such as walking or cycling.
“That work has already been presented at international conference (LC3), and both the data and the methods
“We need to continue to work hard and make new IT transportation systems meet the pace of change and work best for Aberdeen, its people and its port.”
Aberdeen Boat Race
to Make Waves in 2018
Longstanding rivals will clash oars on the River Dee in March, as Aberdeen’s two universities return to the water once again for the Aberdeen Boat Race. RGU Boat Club’s Erin Wyness (left) delivered the challenge to Aberdeen University Boat Club’s Ruth Grant ahead of the Aberdeen Boat Race, sponsored by Aberdeen Standard Investments, on 17 March 2018.The Aberdeen Boat Race takes place for the 23rd year on Saturday 17 March 2018 at 1.30pm, thanks to the continued support of global investment group, Aberdeen Standard Investments. In 2017’s nail-biting race, the University of Aberdeen clinched victory over the 3.5km course in a time of 7 minutes 03.4 seconds, winning by four lengths and ending Robert Gordon University’s five-year winning streak. The University of Aberdeen also claimed the titles in the alumni and second crew races, marking the first ever clean sweep in the event’s history. Henry Pettinger-Harte (22), president of Aberdeen University Boat Club, knows that last year’s triumph was hard-fought, and he is confident that his crew has what it takes to row to victory again in 2018. The mechanical engineering student
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from Chester says, “Breaking RGU’s winning streak was a huge achievement for the 2017 crew, and we’re determined not to hand the trophy back in 2018. “We train alongside RGU’s rowers for much of the year, however as the Aberdeen Boat Race approaches our traditional rivalries bubble up to the surface. We’re in it to win.” RGU Boat Club president Erin Wyness (21), however, believes that her rowers’ form over the past few months will give them the edge they need to reclaim the title. “The Aberdeen Boat Race is unique in university rowing in the UK, as it’s the only major race which has mixed crews,” says the events management student from Aberdeen. “It adds an unpredictability to the race which is great for spectators, and gives us an extra challenge when picking the crews. I’ve been watching the RGU rowers during training, and they’re looking really strong, so I am confident about our chances in 2018.” The annual boat race – known as Scotland’s equivalent of the Oxford-Cambridge boat race- follows a course from the Bridge of Dee to the finishing line at Aberdeen Boat Club, offering many fantastic viewing points for spectators along the
course to cheer on their crews. Alongside the main event, the race day programme is made up of alumni, second crew and media challenge races. Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, Principal of RGU, says, “The Aberdeen Boat Race has long been one of the highlights of the sporting calendar in Aberdeen and the north-east, and generates much public interest and support. The students in both crews show incredible determination on the water, representing their universities with pride and friendly rivalry. I look forward to cheering on the RGU rowers in March for what promises to be an exciting race.” Professor Sir Ian Diamond, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, says, “The Aberdeen Boat Race is a fantastic event for the north east of Scotland, allowing students, alumni and the public to support the city’s finest student athletes. Every year the race seems to get closer and closer, providing a wonderful spectacle for those watching on the banks of the River Dee.” Martin Gilbert, co-chief executive of title sponsor Aberdeen Standard Investments, comments, “Every year, the rowers
in the Aberdeen Boat Race prove themselves to be worthy ambassadors for their universities. While these students are friends throughout they year, in the weeks running up to the race – and especially in the eight minutes they are on the water – they are the fiercest of rivals, desperate to claim victory for their boat club. We are thrilled to continue our support of the Aberdeen Boat Race again in 2018, and we look forward to another exciting race in March on the River Dee.” For all the latest updates on the crews and their training, follow the Aberdeen Boat Race on Twitter @2018boatrace, Instagram @abdnboatrace and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ abdnboatrace
Gray’s exhibition to showcase
work of renowned photographer
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Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) Gray’s School of Art is to host an exhibition of photography which has been produced using historical and experimental processes, including images by renowned international documentary photographer, Jon Nicholson, and Edinburgh-based filmmaker, Alastair Cook. Jon Nicholson - boy on bikeThe ‘Analogue Dreams’ exhibition will run from January 10 until February 3 at the 17 Gallery on Belmont Street and will feature work by a number of artists associated with Gray’s. As photography has been radically digitalised over the last decade, there has been a recent upsurge in interest for some of the analogue processes, and Gray’s is one of the only places in Scotland which runs workshops in the oil print bromoil process. During the exhibition, staff from Gray’s will hold a taster workshop on bromoil painting, a process which dates back to the 19th century. Anne Campbell, who works at Gray’s and is curating the exhibition, commented: “This exciting exhibition explores a variety of different analogue photographic processes. “Most people only get the opportunity to see such works as digital reproductions, either in books or online, which cannot capture the depth and physicality that such images often possess so we are delighted to have the opportunity to host this diverse body of work in the North-east. “The work includes images from a variety of photographers with connections to the region either through work or study – including international documentary photographer Jon Nicholson, collodion wizard Alastair Cook, Kim Martin’s delicate cyanotypes and Anne Campbell’s Lith processes, with additional contributions from alumni and students from Gray’s School of Art. “There will be opportunities to discuss the work and techniques used during the exhibition and to participate in a taster workshop about the bromoil process.” Anyone wishing to book a place on the workshop or find out more about the exhibition can contact Anne Campbell on m.a.campbell@rgu.ac.uk.
RGU launches
world-first decommissioning simulator
The university has launched a state-of-the-art decommissioning simulator to service the growing sector.
The simulator and the associated software is a world-first and will be used to support decommissioning activities in the UK and other parts of the world.
The simulator can support both oil and gas operators and service companies with the planning and preparation for well P&A, in a similar way pilots get trained and tested on flight simulators.
RGU, in collaboration with funding partners The Oil and Gas Technology Centre, KCA Deutag and Drilling Systems, with technical support from Baker Hughes, a GE Company (BHGE), has established the simulator to focus on well-plugging and abandonment (P&A).
The simulator is a truly unique capability for RGU and for the industry and it has the potential to significantly enhance the safety, improve the efficiency and reduce the cost associated with decommissioning oil and gas wells.
P&A is an area which is forecast to cost the UK more than ÂŁ8 billion over the next decade, with around 2,500 wells expected to be decommissioned across the UK, Danish, Dutch and Norwegian Continental Shelves.
RGU’s partnership with The Oil & Gas Technology will also create new opportunities to develop and test technologies, accelerating new solutions in collaboration with the industry and technology providers.
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Professor Paul de Leeuw, Director of RGU’s Oil and Gas Institute, believes the development of this unique decommissioning simulator will have numerous benefits for the industry. He said: “By providing this facility at RGU to simulate well decommissioning, we will ultimately be able to enhance safety and reduce the cost of well P&A. “Operators and drilling contractors will be able to use the simulator to develop the technical and non-technical skills and capabilities of their rig crews for decommissioning wells, while improving team performance.
“This has been a collaborative approach between RGU, The Oil & Gas Technology Centre, KCA Deutag, Drilling Systems and BHGE, all of whom we have worked extremely closely, which has ensured the smooth delivery of this truly innovative facility.” Students will also benefit from training and development on the simulator. For more information on the work being done at RGU’s Oil and Gas Institute, please visit http://www.rguoilandgasinstitute. com/
PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT
OPINION:
Taking control of the "Wild West" of social media
The Scottish Law Commission has launched an attempt to introduce more control over the ‘Wild West’ of social media, where anything no longer goes. Its new proposals put forward a number of important changes to the Scots law of defamation, reflecting the growth of the Internet and social media over the last twenty years. Sarah PedersenThese changes recognise how quickly defamatory statements can spread through social media and the absence of editorial controls online, meaning that the potential for damage is high. It is claimed that the changes are the most substantial proposed reforms of defamation law in Scottish legal history, making it ‘fit for the Internet age’. To an extent, the law is playing catch-up with the Internet. Anyone who has used social media, and in particular Twitter, must be aware of the vast amounts of malicious and downright abusive material published online every day. The anonymity apparently afforded by social media means that people feel free to engage in offensive behaviour that few would dare to undertake in the real world. In 2016, Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter, acknowledged the harassment and misuse that takes place on this service, including racial abuse, contempt of court, libel and death threats, and the failure of Twitter to deal with these issues. Earlier this year, the English High Court issued a guide to Twitter as part of its ruling on the libel case brought by the food writer Jack Monroe against the columnist Katie Hopkins. The judge, Mr Justice Warby, said that, while Twitter was
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widely used, not everyone knew the details of how it worked. In this case, Jack Monroe was awarded £24,000 in damages after suing Hopkins for tweets in which she implied that Monroe had defaced a war memorial. Hopkins had confused Monroe with another writer. Despite Hopkins deleting the tweet and explaining that it had been a case of mistaken identity, the judge found against her. In her defence Hopkins tried to claim that Twitter was like the Wild West, where anything goes, but this is increasingly becoming untrue. One interesting aspect of the proposed changes to the Scots law of defamation is that only the originator of an online statement should be sued, not anyone who repeats it, for example in a retweet. Whilst this is probably a sensible approach at managing the workload of the courts, it might be argued that it is only through retweeting that a libel is allowed to spread so far and so fast. Lord McAlpine certainly thought this in 2012 when he threatened to seek damages from a number of high-profile Twitter users who retweeted false reports linking him to sexabuse allegations. In the event, he only sued the originator of one tweet – Sally Bercow, wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow. The case was settled at the High Court with Bercow agreeing to pay undisclosed damages and apologising for her irresponsible use of Twitter. In addition, McAlpine reached an agreement with the writer George Monbiot, who had tweeted on the case, and the comedian Alan Davies, who had retweeted a tweet making the connection between McAlpine and sexual abuse. Davies
agreed to pay damages and apologised for his irresponsible use of Twitter, warning about the perils of retweeting, while Monbiot agreed to carry out charity work as compensation.
action. The Scottish government has pledged to examine the Commission’s proposals thoroughly, and it will be interesting to see its response to this issue.
In this case, Lord McAlpine evidently considered that the retweets of prominent Twitter users, who were also influential offline, were as damaging as an original tweet. It is here that the proposed changes to Scots law might be problematic. One could imagine a future case where the libellous tweet of someone with a small number of followers was only spread widely because it was retweeted by someone with a much greater number of followers. Under the proposed reforms, the influential retweeter would be likely to escape court
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/ lifestyle-columnists/1376722/prof-sarah-pedersentaking-control-wild-west-social-media/ Sarah Pedersen is a Professor of Communication and Media and the Director of Research in Communication, Marketing and Media
RGU Head of School honoured with prestigious fellowship
A senior physiotherapy expert at RGU has been awarded a prestigious honour by a national society.
Liz Hancock, Head of RGU’s School of Health Sciences, has been selected to receive a Fellowship of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), the professional body and trade union for physiotherapists across the United Kingdom.
physiotherapy Masters level programme, which was the first in the UK to receive recognition from the CSP and the Commission for Accreditation of Physiotherapy Education (CAPTE).
Fellowship is the highest award that the society can make to individuals, and Liz is being recognised for her outstanding contribution to the development of the profession in Scotland through her leadership of the CSP Scottish Board and her continuing innovation in physiotherapy education.
Liz would then lead the creation and innovation of RGU’s Doctoral qualifying programme in physiotherapy, another first in the UK, which enabled the university to retain accreditation by CAPTE.
Liz has a longstanding commitment to the Scottish Board, having joined in 2002 as an education representative and being elected to the position of Chair from 2007 to 2016. During her tenure, she reviewed and restructured the Board to ensure its membership was inclusive of all sectors and reflected the physiotherapy across Scotland. The impact of her work has been increased effectiveness, a closer relationship with the Scottish Government and a thriving Board with active young members continuing to promote and develop the profession into the future. Over the course of her time as a leader in physiotherapy at RGU and Head of the School of Health Sciences, Liz’s efforts were fundamental in developing the first pre-registration
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Under her leadership, the School of Health Sciences has grown into a leading multi-discipline department and its physiotherapy courses have recently been ranked as number 1 in the UK University Times Subject Ranking 2018. Speaking on her fellowship, Liz said: “I am delighted and flattered to have been awarded this honour by CSP, a body I have had a long and productive relationship with. “I would like to thank all my colleagues for their support, dedication and commitment over the years, without which I could not have reached the levels I have in my career.”
PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Top Scottish author receives
honorary degree from RGU
Stuart MacBride, the number one Sunday Times bestselling author of the Logan McRae and Ash Henderson novels, received an honorary award of Doctor of Literature (Hon DLit) from RGU. The Chancellor of RGU, Sir Ian Wood, confered the award at the university’s winter graduation ceremony in recognition of Mr MacBride’s contribution to the creative industries and close links to the North-East. Stuart has been nominated several times for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, has won the 2007 CWA Dagger in the Library, and was named Best Breakthrough Author at the 2008 ITV Crime Thriller Awards.
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Stuart MacBride, top Scottish author and honorary gradua
He is a regular presence at writing festivals and championed Aberdeen’s first crime fiction festival Granite Noir earlier this year. Stuart took up writing in his mid-twenties after encouragement from friends, ultimately securing the publishing deal that delivered his Logan McRae debut Cold Granite in 2005. His work has been described as “hard-hitting prose” and the believable characters depicted in the Logan McRae series are set against a backdrop of Aberdeen City and Shire.
ate
Not content with his many accolades in writing he took the crown at the World Stovies Championships in 2014 and won Celebrity Mastermind earlier in 2017. He still resides in the North East with his wife Fiona and a seemingly ever-growing vegetable plot of weeds. RGU’s Principal, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, commented: “Stuart is a hugely respected and admired author here in the North-East of Scotland and world-wide, having sold more than 3.5million books, and his writing has been recognised with several awards.
“Most people will be familiar with his DS Logan books, but Stuart has also published a number of other works including a near-future thriller, a short story collection, novellas and latterly a children’s picture book, demonstrating his significant talent for writing across many genres. We are very proud to be able to recognise him in this way.”
PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT
RGU researchers to help
with rural transport carbon reduction
Researchers from RGU and a consortium of 12 other partners from across Europe have been awarded funding of € 1.95m to take forward a project on green transport in rural areas. RGU CampusThe G-PaTRA – Green Passenger Transport in Rural Areas – project, which will run until 2021, will be led by RGU working in collaboration with partners from UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Belgium. The funding was awarded by the European Union Interreg North Sea Region programme to support its “green mobility” priority. G-PaTRA will promote green transport and mobility by enhancing the capacity of authorities to reduce CO2 from personal transport in remote, rural and island areas. It will embed more zero emission vehicles in rural transport systems and improve available passenger transport resources. “Rural public transport is high carbon, subsidy intensive and struggles to provide a viable alternative to the car,” said David Gray, Professor of Transport Policy at RGU’s School of Creative and Cultural Business, who is one of the researchers leading the project.
“Together with urban transport carbon reduction strategies rarely being transferrable to rural areas, innovations in green rural transport are sorely needed to help governments meet ambitious carbon reduction targets.” At the consortium’s inception meeting at the RGU campus in Aberdeen the partners established some of the lighthouse projects which will provide the basis for the project. These include the trialling of a zero emissions bus in the Highlands and the incentivisation of informal car sharing for teenagers in Denmark. Richard Laing, Professor of Built Environment Visualisation at RGU said: “The inception meeting provided a fantastic start to a valuable project. To see collaboration from rural areas across the European Union is exciting and will result in real transnational learning.” The next meeting of the G-PaTRA partners will be at project workshops to be held in Aviemore during January 2018.
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Professorial Lecture:
The Water Alchemist
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A professorial lecture delivered by Professor Linda Lawton, Professor of Environmental Microbiology at Robert Gordon University.
Many of our activities poison the very water that we are so dependent on. As populations grow and our climate warms we need to use our water resources more wisely and develop methods to ensure that it is safe to drink.
Professor Lawton joined RGU in 1994 where she established her research group, CyanoSol, which works to develop sustainable solutions for algae related problems in the aquatic environment in parallel with the exploitation of their diverse biosynthetic capabilities.
This lecture will explore the value of water, what happens when things go wrong and our new discoveries which will bring sustainable solutions. What’s more, the murk and slime of polluted waters have a silver lining as they produce chemicals which are ten thousand times more valuable than gold.
With a research career spanning over 30 years, Professor Lawton has been instrumental in developing methods to detect toxins and purify them, and has collaborated worldwide on innovative research, informing government, industry and NGOs. Water is essential to all life on earth, however there is surprisingly little suitable for human use. In addition to the several litres of fresh, clean water we individually consume to live every day, we each use hundreds of litres a day in the home and thousands of litres in farming, manufacturing and other industries.
The lecture will be followed by a Q&A and refreshments. To book a place at the lecture please email Professorial. Lectures@rgu.ac.uk
OPITO and RGU
launch UKCS skills study
Professor Paul
A major new in-depth labour market analysis of the oil and gas industry is to be carried out to determine the conditions of the sector and to shape a new skills strategy for the continued success of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) over the next 20 years. Led by safety, standards and workforce development organisation, OPITO, the project will be carried out by RGU’s Oil and Gas Institute. The intelligence will be used to deliver an overarching plan that identifies and supports the skills requirements for the industry over the next two decades to ensure the workforce of today and tomorrow has the necessary expertise to fulfil the potential of the North Sea.
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de Leeuw, Dire
ctor of RGU’s O
il & Gas Institute
According to the latest figures available from Oil & Gas UK, in 2016 over 330,000 jobs supported oil and gas production in the region, of which around 186,000 were direct posts. The new high level assessment will forecast the expected job roles required to service the industry by 2035 by using technology and industry trends to evaluate how some of the positions will change. Representatives from operating companies and supply chain firms from across UK businesses will take part in the data gathering exercise. The review will assess the current number of jobs directly supporting the sector in the UK, identify common roles and categorise these into broad job families.
OPITO will work with the Scottish Government through SDS and with the UK Government through the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to ensure alignment with government objectives. Director of RGU’s Oil & Gas Institute, Professor Paul de Leeuw, said: “We have completed different types of skills reviews for a number of countries and we now look forward to working with OPITO to deliver this important project for the UK. The project is aimed at helping the industry to successfully develop a skilled, well-trained workforce to meet the needs of the next generation of activity in the UKCS.
“It is anticipated that some of the report’s high level findings will be delivered in time to support the oil and gas industry’s sector deal submission later this year.” PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Professor Gammie reappointed
to global accountancy standards board
Professor Elizabeth Gammie, Head of Aberdeen Business School
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An intern profess appointmen this is alig our commit Aberdeen B School to wo with profe bodi
national sional nt such as gned with tment at Business ork closely essional ies
Professor Elizabeth Gammie, Head of Aberdeen Business School, has been reappointed to the prestigious International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB). The Board sets accounting education standards for all the professional accounting bodies around the world and its 18 board members come from across the globe. Through its activities the IAESB enhances education by developing and implementing International Education Standards which increase the competency of the global accountancy profession. Professor Gammie, who was first appointed in 2015, will now serve a second three-year term. During her first term of office she led a task force to provide support materials to the global membership for the implementation of International Education Standard 1: Entry Requirements to Professional Accounting Education Programmes which was published in 2016. She is currently contributing to a task force which is examining professional scepticism. Chris Austin, Chair of the IAESB, said that Professor Gammie had already made excellent contributions to the Board, in particular the white paper which she crafted following the work carried out by the task force.
“The finished paper was the first of its kind for the Board – a peer-reviewed academic standard paper written in plain English. This will help broaden the pathways into professional accounting education and thereby enhance the quality of the profession as a whole. “Elizabeth has contributed substantially in the Board’s deliberations about how to ensure professional accountants acquire, enhance and demonstrate professional scepticism throughout their careers. “We have much to do on this topic and the Board’s wider work programme. I am confident Elizabeth will continue to play an active part and I am delighted she has been reappointed for a second three-year term.” The Board meets three times a year, primarily at the International Federation of Accountants HQ in New York, but also elsewhere around the world. Professor Gammie currently holds a wide range positions in a variety of professional bodies and institutions. “I am delighted to be reappointed to the Board for a second term of office,” said Professor Gammie. “An international professional appointment such as this is aligned with our commitment at Aberdeen Business School to work closely with professional bodies to ensure that all our courses reflect current professional thinking. “On a personal level it is hugely gratifying to contribute to the enhancement of the accounting provision through the setting of education standards and supporting less developed nations in their quest to meet these standards.”
PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Talent Exchange honoured at
Higher Education Awards Talent Exchange, an RGU project to widen and extend the pool of work related experience opportunities available to students, has been successful at The Herald Higher Education Awards.
The project also benefitted from support internally and working closely with the placement offices, academics from schools, alumni relations and the communications team to increase engagement with enterprises and convert opportunities into work related experiences.
The project was named as the winner for Outstanding Employer Engagement in Universities.
During the life of the project, this process generated an additional 808 work related experience opportunities for students across the university and the overall feedback from students has been that they have enhanced their skills and boosted career prospects. Academics were similarly positive, valuing the contributions made towards their course aims.
Since its inception, Talent Exchange has worked to engage efficiently with small and medium size enterprises to provide access to new talent to address their needs and at the same time enhance the employability of RGU’s students. The project was made possible thanks to funding from SFC and a partnership with three industry bodies: Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC), the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), and the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI).
Feedback from businesses, 83% of which were new to working with the university, was equally positive, with many citing the benefits of working with fresh talent to achieve their business objective and to grow. Yvonne Cook, Talent Exchange Project Manager, said: “Enhancing student and graduate employability is a key objective for the university and it is very pleasing to see that the project’s impact has now been recognised with this success at the Higher Education Awards. “The Talent Exchange project has now been completed and engagement with SMEs to secure work related experience opportunities is continuing to be delivered by the recently formed Employability and Professional Enrichment Department.”
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Dr Janet Brown (Chief Executive, SQA), RGU’s Yvonne Cook and James Dunphy and Jennifer Reoch (STV).
PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT