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SPRING 2017 CONNECTING THE ALUMNI COMMUNITY
D e s i g n e d b y : Th e G a t e h o u s e - D e s i g n & Pr i n t A g e n c y a t R G U
Welcome from the Vice-Principal
RGU Students take on the dragons
Architecture & Occupational therapy students join forces
Pharmacy QS Ranking
Architecture Students and Haudagain Roundabout
Aberdeen Youth Games Launch
Award success for RGU students
Keith Grammar top in annual ROV competition
Powered by Purpose
Modernism in Scotland Exhibition
Inspiring Entrepreneurship
New Chair of Governors
Graduate Level Apprenticeships
Center of Excellence
The Rise of Anit-Science
RGU Welcomes the World
Sky is the Limit for Grays Graduate
Alumni Network
RGU's MBA one of the Top
RGU Alumni in Focus
Access RGU Scholarships
RGU Events
RGU Streetsport initiative recognised
Welcome from the Vice-Principal
First, let me introduce myself: I’m the new Vice-Principal University Advancement for Robert Gordon University, focussing on alumni engagement, fundraising, communications, and strategy & planning. I’m returning to the UK after a long, long spell in Canada -- and I’m thrilled to now be up in Scotland, and enjoying the first few months settling into life in the North East. And, let me also say thank you for welcoming me into the RGU community. Since I arrived last December, folks across the university, in the alumni realm, and in the broader community have all taken the time to help me settle in – and reinforced time and time again how fortunate I am to be at RGU. The university is absolutely committed to building stronger connections with its alumni. We see graduation not as the end of the journey with us, but an important milestone in a lifelong relationship. I know many of you are already engaged back with your alma mater – volunteering, attending activities on campus, and spreading the RGU story among your networks and in the community. Thank you. Many others stay connected through following the happenings at
RGU – through this publication – or various other means. Thank you too for taking an interest and staying on top of this special institution. Going forward, we hope to give you many more reasons to get involved with your RGU. We’ll be building slow, but we want to grow the volunteer base and connect alumni back with students on campus where there is an interest. We want to increase our ability to support alumni in career and professional development, and bring more lectures, panels, and digital talks for you to consider. We’ll continue to support alumni in building connections – some in your local communities and many more online. It’s a challenging time in higher education – but, an exciting one too. And, together, we can continue to build the strong community support and connections that are so integral to alumni and university success. Thank you for your continued support – and thank you again for welcoming me to RGU. I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming months and years.
Mark
Mark C. Sollis, Vice-Principal, University Advancement
RGU students take on the dragons
Aberdeen Business School’s MBA students faced their own set of “dragons” when they took part in an Investment Den exercise supported by Energy Ventures and Simmons & Co. Over the course of two days five teams, comprising 21 students on the MBA programme, were tutored on investment appraisal techniques by Anoop Poddar, Senior Partner and President of Energy Ventures and RGU alumnus, before being given time to prepare presentations on hypothetical business scenarios. They then had to pitch their business proposal to an investors’ panel and negotiate a deal. The winning team – Thuy-tien Le Guen Dang, Hector Martin and Prasanna Chandran – impressed the panel with their presentation on a drone technology business. To mark their success they were presented with a glass trophy commissioned by the late Richard Selwa, a former judge at the annual event. Anoop, who graduated from RGU in 1997 with an MSc Offshore Engineering degree, led the panel of judges. It also comprised Rajat Maheshwari, Energy Ventures, Andy Blues, Simmons and Co, and Ian Broadbent and Farooq Ahmad, of RGU, said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Ian, the MBA Director
at RGU and this highly experienced and motivated group. I was very impressed with the students’ ability to pitch an opportunity as well as negotiate a deal with the investors.” There are currently more than 270 students on RGU’s MBA programmes, one of which offers an MBA in Oil & Gas Management. Ten percent of the students study full time on campus with 90% studying on a part-time basis on campus or around the world on a distance learning basis. Ian Broadbent said: “This is an annual event which gives participating students the opportunity to learn from and engage with experts in their field and to work on a project with a practical application and which they could expect to encounter in the real world – indeed, previous participants have stated that they have continued to use the techniques from this workshop in their careers. “Industry engagement forms a main pillar of our approach at Aberdeen Business School and we are grateful for the support of Anoop, Andy and Rajat.”
RGU’s Architecture and Occupational Therapy students join forces to design for dementia Groups of architecture and occupational therapy students have joined forces for a collaborative learning opportunity focusing on the needs of individuals with dementia in relation to their living environments. The joint teaching and learning sessions were developed as an innovative way to support these third year students and encourage future colleagues to collaborate, learning with and from each other. The project has enabled a better understanding of building design and interpreting plans for the occupational therapy students, while the architecture students have gained awareness and knowledge of the needs of this particular population. As Dawn Mitchell, subject leader in Occupational Therapy, explains, there are huge challenges for people with dementia when it comes to carrying out simple everyday tasks around the home. “Individuals with dementia frequently experience challenges in their daily life due to cognitive impairment such as memory loss, disorientation or visual impairments,” she said. “These challenges can make finding their way around the environment or carrying out new or even familiar activities difficult. Through their unique understanding of
these difficulties, occupational therapists can inform and influence design and building of inclusive environments. “This process enables older people to remain active participants in society by allowing individuals to continue to participate in their chosen occupations while maintaining independence through reducing risk and building confidence. “Collaboratively the students have considered how the environment could be created or modified to reduce potential barriers. “It is anticipated this shared learning will increase the students’ knowledge which they will use in their chosen careers and also support their understanding of each other’s roles and future collaborative working.”
Neil Lamb, with a group of Architectural and Occupational Therapy students
Neil Lamb, subject leader in Architecture, added: “This an invaluable experience for our student architects as they are learning to design more adaptive environments that allow people to remain independent for longer.
“This collaborative approach to teaching and learning made perfect sense for us, as the students could gain great insight from each other and ultimately it could lead to the improvement of living conditions those with dementia.
“Once they started chatting with the OT students, it became clear that some established design practices needed to be re-thought as they can present real difficulties for those with dementia.
“The students worked incredibly well together and we are looking forward to developing this concept, given the success of the pilot and the positive feedback from both sets of students.”
RGU’s Pharmacy degree rated amongst the world’s best
RGU’s MPharm degree has been ranked as one of the top Pharmacy courses in the world. The latest QS World University Rankings by Subject have been released by leading higher education analysts, QS Quacquarelli Symonds. They are designed to help applicants identify the world’s strongest universities for each discipline and evaluated over 4,400 institutions, finally ranking the top 1,117. RGU was ranked in the top 250 universities for Pharmacy and Pharmacology. This latest accolade continues to build the worldwide reputation for the university’s School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, which has also been ranked as the top Pharmacy school in Scotland in The Guardian University Guide, as well as being
in the UK top 20 in both The Guardian and The Complete University Guide. Professor Donald Cairns, Head of the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, said: “Our constant goal is to offer one of the best Pharmacy programmes around and help our students be a positive force for society and the healthcare industry. “I believe that the pharmacists of tomorrow will have an important role to play as approachable experts in drugs and medicines and it is important that they receive the best possible preparation. “With the help of our expert staff and fantastic teaching facilities, we work hard to ensure our degree is of the highest standard and I’m pleased that we’ve been recognised in the latest QS rankings.” Professor Donald Cairns, Head of the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
Architecture students look to foster sense of community around Haudagain development
Architecture students at RGU have been tasked with developing ideas to promote a sense of neighbourhood in two Aberdeen communities surrounding the new Haudagain Roundabout development.
They will be expected to come up with at least five ideas which will help to promote a sense of neighbourhood and encourage social interaction.
As part of the project, led by urban design and architecture lecturer Dr Quazi Mahtab Zaman, the third year students will focus on Logie Avenue and Manor Drive while investigating the regeneration of healthy space by landscape design.
Dr Zaman said: “Haudagain Roundabout development and its new de-routing will create an opportunity for the students to investigate the implications this may have in terms of new urban conditions, such as, new neighbourhood, public realm, connectivity to the rest of the neighbourhood, economic and recreational land uses.
The students, who have been split into different groups, have conducted site visits and will produce urban audits of each area alongside a photographic survey before starting to develop regeneration ideas.
“The roundabout has a long history of traffic congestion, with visible deficiencies in land scape, responsive places for children and elderly, easy access to retail and other necessary amenities.
“Our year three Architecture students will be investigating these deficiencies and propose a new urban design vision that includes social, economic and physical spaces to enhance the liveability and health and wellbeing of the community in new land to be adjusted by the dual carriage bypass. “This is a unique opportunity for the students of architecture to work closely with the Aberdeen City Council by looking at a real scenario of how parts and parcel of Aberdeen could be redesigned to make it sustainable in the long run.” The project is being run in partnership with Aberdeen City Council. An aerial of the new Haudagain Roundabout development
Aberdeen Youth Games returning for biggest games yet
The 2017 Aberdeen Youth Games programme launched at RGU last month and promises to be the biggest one yet. For the first time since its initial launch, every primary school in Aberdeen City will be getting involved in the programme, which is delivered in partnership by RGU, Sport Aberdeen and North East Scotland College (NEScol). The launch event saw 200 pupils from Kaimhill Primary School participate in a morning of coaching delivered by RGU’s BSc (Hons) Applied Sport and Exercise Science students.
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RGU and Sport Aberdeen recently signed a contract of agreement committing to working event more closely together to deliver the Aberdeen Youth Games, with the second year Applied Sport and Exercise Science placement being at the heart of this.
Science at RGU said: “The contract of agreement demonstrates the importance that both organisations place on not only delivery of the Aberdeen Youth Games but also the benefits that effective partnership working can have for the local community.
Also part of the agreement is the establishment of a unique and innovative assessment procedure. Active Schools Coordinators will assess the second year students on placement and students will be offered contracts as paid coaches should they pass the module.
“Our students being able to gain employment following successful completion of the module is a unique and exciting prospect.
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In relation to the benefits of this arrangement for students, Bryan McCann, lecturer in Sport and Exercise
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“This will provide the local community with a new cohort of community coaches, but also provide the students with invaluable paid employment which is relevant to their career aspirations.” Launched in November 2013, the Aberdeen Youth
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Games has engaged thousands of pupils at 42 primary schools and 11 secondary schools across the city who have participated in a number of sporting, health and cultural activities. The project culminates in May each year with a 'Festival of Sport' at Aberdeen Sports Village which this year is hoping to see more than 1,500 pupils try a number of different skills based sporting activities. This year the event will take place on Friday 26th May 2017 and will focus on team sports such as rugby, basketball and hockey. Olympic gold medallist Dr Katherine Grainger CBE and Chairman of The Wood Foundation, Sir Ian Wood CBE, have been ambassadors for the Aberdeen Youth Games since its launch.
Award success for RGU students Two students studying International Tourism Management and International Hospitality Management at Robert Gordon University (RGU) have won prestigious industry awards in their final year of study. IPeigi Rodan (right) won the Tourism Management Institute’s (TMI) David Hughes Memorial Award and Leonora Ramos Brebner (left) was the winner of the Council for Hospitality Management’s (CHME) Young Guns Award. Both awards are presented to students for the outstanding quality of the reports they prepare following their third year placements. Peigi spent a year in Santiago in Chile, working for a tourism company specialising in city bike tours and bike and vineyard tours. She also worked for the sister company which leads
IPeigi Rodan (right) and Leonora Ramos Brebner (left)
walking tours of Chile. Leonora spent a year in the USA, working in two private country clubs in upstate New York and in Key Largo, Florida. "It really has been wonderful to see the great efforts of Leo and Peigi being recognised with these awards,” said Craig Leith, Subject Leader for Hospitality, Tourism and Events at RGU’s School of Creative and Cultural Business. “Both Peigi and Leo were up against strong competition from across the UK but the feedback from TMI and CHME made it clear that both were very worthy winners. “This confirms once again the extremely high calibre of students we have on the International tourism Management and International Hospitality Management courses at the School. I’m really looking forward to seeing Peigi and Leo go on to further successes throughout their careers."
This is the second year in a row that an RGU student has won the David Hughes Memorial Award which is awarded to a student on a TMI recognised course. The judges praised Peigi’s passion and enthusiasm for people, her selfmotivation and awareness of how the skills and knowledge she gained during her placement could be used across the wider industry. Young Guns awards are presented annually to recipients selected by judges as shining examples of today’s hospitality students who will be champions for the industry. Candidates are asked to demonstrate how their skills and the knowledge developed throughout their placement can impact on their careers. In many cases, winners of Young Guns awards are offered employment with a high profile hospitality business as a direct result of their success in the awards. STACK T-shirt printing workshop
RGU’s Streetsport initiative recognised at the Scottish Police Excellence Awards work between the partners within the Community Safety Partnership Hub, Torry Community Policing Team and the Denis Law Legacy Trust’s Streetsport initiative which is based at RGU.
RGU’s Streetsport has been honoured at the annual Scottish Police Excellence Awards. The awards recognise excellence and innovation in Scottish policing and are sponsored by Police Mutual with the support of the Scottish Police Authority and the Scottish Government.
In partnership with Torry Community Policing and Aberdeen Community Safety Partnership, the Police Scotland North East Division scooped the Greatest Contribution to Policing Priorities Award for their efforts with ‘Operation Smallwood’ in reducing ongoing anti-social behaviour by youths in public spaces in the Torry area of Aberdeen. Throughout the operation a number of issues were addressed by effective partnership working and a range of preventative, pro-active and diversionary activities that were put in place. Cameron Craddock, Co-founder of Streetsport and Communication Design Course Director at Gray’s School of Art, said: “Streetsport was launched 10 years ago by Communication Design staff and students at Gray’s School of Art in partnership RGU Sport, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service. Designing out Crime is a programme of activities supported by the UK Design Council and as such the course has been exploring the role of the designer in reducing crime and anti-social behaviour whilst encouraging wellness, health promotion and social integration.
“Gray’s has an established reputation for engagement within our local communities and this project had enabled successive students to contribute to a wide range of creative activities in collaboration with a variety of project partners, sponsors and stakeholders. Existing impact measures of the Streetsport programme are notable and in some instances we have helped reduce reports of youth crime; anti-social behaviour and wilful fire-raising by over 80%.”
volunteers and RGU staff and students. The award recognises the remarkable levels of dedication, creativity and enthusiasm displayed by every member of the team.”
Streetsport’s Chief Operating Officer Mark Williams said “Partnership work aimed at tackling around anti-social behaviour is making huge difference in many local communities around Aberdeen and we were proud to play a part in Operation Smallwood as we continue to work in partnership with Aberdeen’s Community Safety Hub and other stakeholders across the city.
Councillor Martin Greig, Chair of Aberdeen Community Safety Partnership, said: “Streetsport has contributed a great deal to the wellbeing and safety of our city. The scheme provides a very well run set of leisure activities which have proven to be enormously popular and effective. This gives young people an excellent opportunity to be involved in sport in their local areas. The project is fun and enjoyable for the participants and an important additional consequence is the benefit to the community as a whole. Streetsport makes a considerable and positive difference around the city. I am delighted that their splendid work has been recognised”.
“We are delighted to be recognised for our contribution to this award and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank everyone involved in this community initiative including our sponsors, delivery partners,
Inspector Jason Carrigan, Community Safety Partnership Hub commented: “As a team we were delighted to be recognised for our work around Operation Smallwood. The Excellence Award recognised the strength of partnership
“In the last year it was our ambition to not only reduce offending and antisocial behaviour by young people in the Torry area, but to identify what support we could provide as a group to improve the aspirations of young people and help them to reach positive destinations. The Operation was geared around prevention and longevity for the area and designed to feed into work currently being undertaken with Locality Planning in Torry, whilst also being set against a robust set of strategic aims. “As a team we are not complacent and although we have achieved success in our work with Operation Smallwood we are already looking forward, examining how we can enhance our collaborative service and improve the future outcomes of young people in Torry”. Gordon Riddel, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service said: “I am delighted that the Streetsport initiative has been recognized for their contribution to Operation Smallwood. The initiative has played a key role in reducing anti-social behavior across the City and the commitment and flexibility of both staff and volunteers has to be applauded. “A measurable impact for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has been one of a positive reduction in wilful fire-raising across the City. “This is a fantastic example of collaborative working at its best and is certainly well worthy of recognition."
Keith Grammar come out on top in annual ROV competition Keith Grammar School has come out on top in an annual competition which sees pupils from across Scotland put underwater robots they have designed and built to the test. The Scottish leg of the MATE ROV competition, co-ordinated and hosted by RGU, saw eight schools put their ROVs through a series of challenges at RGU Sport. The Keith Grammar School team emerged victorious, after a panel of industry experts scored the teams on how well they completed the missions, as well as taking into consideration the technical reports, poster displays, and engineering presentations the pupils were required to produce. Robert Gordon’s College placed second, with Portlethen Academy in third, while Keith Grammar also triumphed in the technical prize for safety protocol. Alford Academy was awarded the Encouragement for Future Development award and Inverurie Academy picked up the teamwork award. The major STEM initiative aims to inspire future engineers through hands-on experience of designing (ROVs) used underwater in the oil and gas, defence, oceanology and marine renewables industries. It is one of 24 regional heats held around the world by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Centre in California and will see Keith Grammar School travel to compete in this year’s international final which will be held at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California. Neil Gordon, chief executive of sponsor Subsea UK, who attended the prize giving and handed over the award to the winning team, said: "As the body representing the country's subsea sector, it is important that we support the development of the next generation of subsea engineers.
“MATE ROV engages with students in a compelling way and uses marine technology to inspire and challenge them to think creatively in order to solve real-life scenarios. It empowers them to apply their STEM knowledge and skills to enhance their learning experience of the underwater environment. It's crucial that we continue to support those whose skills and ingenuity will drive the industry forward for decades to come." To date, Scottish MATE ROV has worked with more than 500 pupils from over 40 schools over the past 10 years. BP North Sea has been a major sponsor of the competition since its launch and Subsea UK and ROVOP this year continued their support of the competition along with the inkind support of many industry organisations which provided judges on the day. Tim Smith, Vice President Communications & External Affairs for BP North Sea, said: “The ROV design competition continues to be a great highlight in the Aberdeen engineering calendar and BP is delighted to once again support RGU with this excellent initiative. “The MATE ROV challenge offers pupils a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the oil and gas industry and supports BP’s strategy to develop capability and talent in the STEM subjects.” Doug Middleton, operations director at ROVOP, said: “Initiatives such as ROV Mate are an excellent way to encourage interest in ROVs and subsea sector at an early age. The recruitment and development of young talent is key for the industry and, as a high growth company, an integral part of ROVOP’s key focus. As such, we are pleased to provide our local support to what is a fantastic competition.”
RGU partners to host 'Powered by Purpose' RGU has partnered with a leadership development company to bring the biggest one-day leadership event in the world to Aberdeen.
absolutely delighted to be involved in this year’s Leadercast Live event.
Leadercast Live 2017 brings together some of the most recognised and respected global leaders in the world and this year, Total Perspectives has partnered with RGU.
“The event brings together some of the most recognised and respected global leaders around the world and Aberdeen itself has a rich history of producing innovative and successful entrepreneurs who have made an impact on a global stage.
Leadercast Live, organised by Total Perspectives, will create avenues for leaders to learn about cutting edge principles and concepts in leadership.
“At RGU we aim to inspire our students to explore the world of entrepreneurial opportunity and to develop their enterprising mindsets.
The 2017 event will feature both local and International speakers. The live broadcast from Atlanta is streamed to over 100,000 leaders around the globe in hundreds of locations around the world each year.
“The students of today will drive the economy forward so it is important that they get the opportunity to hear from industry as part of their academic learning, helping them to build the strength of character needed to make a success of their business ideas.”
The speakers for this year’s event, which will be held on May 5 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC), include; Bob Keiller, Chairman Scottish Enterprise; Ray Riddoch, Nexen UK MD & SVP Europe; Jennifer Young, Chairman and Partner, Ledingham Chalmers; Gavin Oattes, Aberdeen Host and MD Tree of Knowledge; and Kris Bachoo, Aberdeen Co-Host and Learning Programmes Director [Scotland], QA. Elizabeth Gammie, Head of Aberdeen Business School at RGU, said: “We are
Edosa Akioya, Director at Total Perspectives, said: “We’re excited to bring this unique event to Aberdeen for the 3rd year running. This year, we’ve expanded it to a full day event, with a strong line up of both local and global leaders, including more time for delegates to network. “At this year’s conference, we’ll be exploring what can happen when purpose connects teams and individuals, creating strong organizational culture with intentional leadership that inspires extraordinary results”
Elizabeth Gammie, Head of ABS
Architecture Students showcase Modernism in Scotland Exhibition
A group of Architecture students hosted an exhibition to showcase their work at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment. The exhibition, titled Modernism in Scotland, is a culmination of work produced by the fifth year Architecture students and features 34 Modernist buildings from post-war Scotland, presented through photographs, drawings and models. Following work produced for a study of the history of Modernism in Scotland, it was decided to create an exhibition and book to collate and document the information. The exhibition and the book focus on evoking the style of publications and exhibitions from
the period in question, particularly the work of Peter Willis. Speaking about the exhibition, Architecture student and co-organiser of the event, Stuart Dilley, said: “This exhibition is a culmination of a lot of hard work by the year group, and we are delighted with the result, particularly with the beautiful models that are now on display.” The buildings featured in the exhibition are divided into categories of residential, religious, recreation, leisure and educational. The projects featured range from famous Scottish icons such as St Peter’s Seminary and the Forth Road Bridge, to the variety of
houses designed by Morris and Steedman. The accompanying 160 page book goes into further detail about each project, and it is hoped that this will form a valuable learning resource for current and future students. Fellow student and organiser, Neil Mair, also spoke passionately about the project: “One of the most important things to do with this piece of work was to make sure that it was formally recorded in some way so that it can and will be beneficial to others in the future. “With that in mind, I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to bring the information presented in the exhibition together in the form of a substantial book which the school can be proud of.”
Inspiring entrepreneurship at RGU
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The RGU Careers and Employability Centre teamed up with RGU’s Centre for Really Innovative Businesses (CRIB) and Surge Aberdeen to hold the three-day entrepreneurial event aimed at inspiring students to consider starting up their own enterprise. Chloe Bruce, Careers Information and Systems Co-Ordinator at RGU, said: “At RGU we aim to inspire our students to explore the world of entrepreneurial opportunity and to develop their enterprising mindsets.
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“Local entrepreneurs play a vital part in the economy and we are thrilled to have had such a high calibre of speakers and events open to our students to help equip them to make a valuable contribution to the growth and sustainability of the business sector.” Chris Burnett, Founder at Surge Aberdeen, added: "I started up
Surge Aberdeen after graduating from RGU, with the aim to inspire more innovative activity in the city. On the back of these events, I’m hoping we can have more students considering entrepreneurship as a viable option to kick start their career paths.” The programme kicked off with a Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) Idea Generation Workshop. SIE offered attendees the opportunity to explore, experiment and develop their innovation skills in a safe, interactive and experiential live innovation lab. That evening, five local entrepreneurs shared their experiences and knowledge with students. Duncan Skinner, chairman at Social Stuff; James McIlroy, co-founder and CEO of Eurobiotix; Michelle Clark, owner at Melt; Yekemi Otaru, managing director at YO! Marketing and Hamish Blythe, founder and managing director of Twigd all shared their entrepreneurial journeys throughout the event.
An Enterprise Fair was held the following day where budding entrepreneurs met with support organisations who will help develop new business ideas such as Converge Challenge, Elevator, Federation of Small Businesses, Scottish Enterprise, RGU Careers and Employability Centre and more. A Pitching Workshop was also held by Converge Challenge to provide students with a template and tips on how to test the strength of a business idea and the opportunity to practice pitching it. The third and final day of the programme featured an open day at RGU’s own business incubator. A subsequent ‘Inspiring Entrepreneurship’ evening took place on the 11th April and attracted over 100 alumni and students to the event. Amongst the speakers was RGU alumnus and oil industry veteran, Dave Grant, who is the founder of Aberdeen-based microbrewery Fierce Beer. A huge thank you to Dave for the delicious beer he kindly brought along too!
RGU appoints new chair of governors to its Board
The Board of Governors has elected a new Chair of the Board, and has welcomed two new Governors to its ranks.
new role as the university delivers its ambition to build on its reputation as a transformational university in the UK and internationally.
Mike Fleming, who has been a Governor for the past three years, has been elected as the new Chair for the next three years.
Mike has a 30 year oil & gas industry career, previously holding leadership positions in several technology companies. He is a former Head of Oil & Gas at Scottish Enterprise, and was a founding member of Venture Production Plc. He currently holds two non-executive appointments in the upstream sector and serves on the board of the recently established Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC).
The university has also appointed Tricia Walker, a partner specialising in employment law at the Aberdeen office of law firm Burness Paull LLP, and Maggie McGinlay, Director of Energy at Scottish Enterprise, as new Governors. Mike, who is an alumnus of the university, brings a wealth of expertise in technology commercialisation and leadership processes to the Board. He takes up his Mike Flemming, Chair of The Board of Goveners
Commenting on his appointment, Mike says: “RGU is an ambitious, progressive university set in a world class campus, operating successfully in a very challenging environment. I am excited to
be taking up the role as Chair of the Board, helping to steer the university to achieve its aims and full potential.” Tricia Walker is a highly respected lawyer in her field, having worked with Simpson & Marwick solicitors in Aberdeen developing a specialism in employment law before moving to Burness Paull LLP as a partner in 2009. Maggie McGinlay leads Scottish Enterprise's support for the growth of the energy sector in Scotland. Having worked in the field of economic development for over 20 years, she has significant experience in strategy development and implementation. Commenting on the appointments, RGU’s Principal, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski,
says: “I am delighted to see Mike as the new chair of our Board and warmly welcome Tricia and Maggie as Governors. They each bring qualities, expertise and experience which are of great value to the university. “We are honoured to have attracted such a dynamic and diverse Board, whose members contribute generously and with great effect to the quality of what we do, delivering a high quality educational agenda and student experience, while playing a leading role in the region and building a growing reputation for doing smart business.” Find out more on RGU’s Board of Governors
RGU first to confirm graduate level apprenticeship offering RGU is the first university in Scotland to confirm the structure and content of its new work-based learning degrees. The university has approved the delivery of its two Graduate Level Apprenticeships (GLAs), which it has established with funding from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to address the national digital skills shortage. Following a validation process, the university has delivered a detailed overview of the GLAs, which are confirmed as a BSc (Hons) IT Management for Business and a BSc (Hons) Software Development for Business.
The confirmation of our GLA structures marks a major milestone for the university and for workbased learning opportunities in Scotland
The GLAs enable participants to earn their degree while working and will be delivered in partnership with their employers over the course of four years with learners completing four modules per year, each worth 30 credits per stage. RGU’s School of Computing Science and Digital Media will match learning outcomes with specific skills requirements and practical experience, linking with workplace projects and supported through RGU’s state-of-the-art virtual learning environment. Professor John Harper, Deputy Principal at RGU who has overseen the approval process, says: “The confirmation of our GLA structures marks a major milestone for the university and for workbased learning opportunities in Scotland. “Graduate Level Apprenticeships represent an innovation across teaching and learning.
We’re therefore excited to be at the forefront of confirming the degree structures, which are built around the value of time in the workplace as a learning environment.” The university is offering 30 fully-funded places across the pioneering degree programmes and is currently seeking employers interested in taking advantage of the opportunity, which is set to begin in May. Graduate Level Apprenticeships have been developed by SDS in partnership with employers, universities and colleges and professional bodies to create stronger links between industry and education and increase graduate employability skills. Jonathan Clark, Director of Service Design and Innovation at Skills Development Scotland said: “We are delighted to see the first university in Scotland confirm their Graduate Level Apprenticeships structure and congratulate RGU for its leading work in helping us to develop the skills employers need.” Employers interested in securing places or looking for more information should contact Sally Charles, RGU Business Development Manager via s.charles3@rgu.ac.uk or call 01224 262218.
RGU and UoA to develop Centre of Excellence We believe that the creation of the OGTC provides a powerful mechanism to increase the technology and innovation focus in the North East of Scotland Professor Paul de Leeuw, Director of RGU’s Oil and gas Institute, looks at how the university can support the new Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC). On the back of the recent announcement of the Aberdeen City Region Deal and the creation of the new Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), RGU and the University of Aberdeen (UoA) have been looking at ways in which we can use our combined capabilities and expertise to support the work of the OGTC, which was officially launched this month. As a result, RGU, UoA and the OGTC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will see the creation of a new Life Extension and Decommissioning Centre of Excellence (CoE) for the oil and gas industry in the city. This capability does not exist anywhere else in the UK and, as such, it provides us with a great opportunity to develop the core research and development offering to support the Life Extension and Decommissioning agenda. The MoU is the first step in a collaborative process to establish a world class facility in the North East of Scotland, which will act as a key contributor to delivering the Maximising Economic Recovery (MER UK) agenda. The new CoE, which is envisaged to be in place by the end of 2017, will work with industry, government and trade associations to ensure that technology and innovation for Late Life and Decommissioning is developed in a timely and efficient manner. We believe that the creation of the OGTC provides a powerful mechanism to increase the technology and innovation focus in the North East of Scotland and that this collaboration between the two local universities, the OGTC and industry will significantly enhance the technology infrastructure and capabilities in the area. Professor Paul de Leeuw, Director of RGU’s Oil and Gas institute
The rise of anti-science
Professor Donald Cairns, Head of the School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, explores a pharmacist’s place in a world where anti-science is on the rise, in his first opinion piece. We are witnessing a rise in anti-scientific thinking. For example large sections of the media regularly publish articles promoting ‘natural’ non-evidence based therapies, such as homeopathy, acupuncture and massage therapy. What has this to do with pharmacists? Well, unless they have another type of scientist as a friend or in the family, the only scientifically literate person the public encounter on a daily basis is their local pharmacist. If you disagree, remember it wasn’t that long ago that Boots ran an advertising campaign describing the pharmacist as the “Scientist in the High Street”. This places a responsibility on pharmacists to provide not only excellent pharmaceutical care, but to be the voice of reason and to speak with authority on matters of scientific interest.
It is important in these digital days of instant knowledge retrieval that pharmacists know a little bit more about a topic than the person with Google on their smartphone. As students, every pharmacist studied physical and biological sciences as the foundations for their practice. This knowledge should not be forgotten after qualification and should provide the evidence base for all clinical practice. But science is more than a list of facts to be learned for exams. It is a way of thinking about issues and problems, by applying a set of principles requiring every hypothesis to be confirmed by rigorous experimentation and review, before it is accepted as genuine. Pharmacists have all been trained in this discipline while undergraduates and were required to demonstrate their proficiency by examination, viva or OSCE. Some aspects of science are difficult to grasp. I, for one, still can’t get my head round immunology, for example. However, only by promoting a scientifically rigorous view of the world are we going to provide the best care for our patients.
Professor Donald Cairns, Head of School for Pharmacy and Life Sciences
Sky is the limit for Gray's graduate
Gray’s graduate Xanthe Bodington
A recent Gray’s School of Art graduate has secured a place on a unique course at the National Film and Television School (NFTS), in partnership with Sky TV.
“After graduating I worked on a few freelance projects such as rebranding, logo designs and graphics for Aberdeen walking app. I then travelled to Calgary in Canada in September as part of the Creative Travel Award awarded to me by the City Council,” she said.
Xanthe Bodington, who graduated with a degree in Communication Design in 2016, started the ‘Graphics and Titles for Film and Television’ course this month, where she hopes to gain the expertise to work in the niche area of the industry.
“While I was in Calgary I was lucky enough to have a friend pass on details about a unique course at the NFTS in Beaconsfield for Graphics and Titles for Television and Film in partnership with Sky TV.
Xanthe, who spent 12 weeks studying in Calgary as part of the Creative Travel Award awarded by Aberdeen City Council, will develop the skills she learned while studying at Gray’s where the focus of her dissertation was on film and TV graphics and titles. The Greece-born freelance designer has also been working to create an instillation for the upcoming SPECTRA festival, which runs February 9-12.
“Literally a day after I got back from Canada I went down from Aberdeen for an interview and was offered a place on the course. I am very excited to start it as this area of design is what I am really interested in, thanks to doing a project on my course at RGU based on title designs. “My dissertation topic was on film and TV graphics and titles as well so I see this course at NFTS as a way to pursue my passion with an opportunity to work with Sky TV.”
Xanthe believes the artistic community in Aberdeen has a lot to offer the upcoming talent in the city. “I found the best work I produced was in my final year and I think it was down to reaching out to others to help with my ideas or working collaboratively. “The artist community in Aberdeen is a lot bigger than I thought. I found that by putting yourself out there and showing you are willing can reward you with fantastic opportunities.” Cameron Craddock, Course Director for Communication Design at Gray’s, added: “We are delighted to see the progress that Xanthe has made within the early stages of her design career. “Students develop a wide range of skills and graduate attributes whilst studying on this course and Xanthe is applying many of them across a range of activities. We wish her well in her future endeavours.”
RGU’s MBA is one of the top full-time programmes around the world RGU has been identified as providing one of the top 250 full-time MBA programmes around the world. RGU’s MBA is listed in the new edition of the QS Global 250 Business Schools 2017 for its ‘superior research and employability’. Since the early 1990s, QS have produced a list of top global business schools which serves as a guide to the world’s most reputable institutions where you can study a full-time MBA. RGU’s MBA programme, which is taught at Aberdeen Business School, has been featured in various lists from QS in recent years, and has now been listed in the latest edition of the Global 250 Business Schools category which identifies the top 250 full-time MBA programmes around the world, in 36 different countries. Dr. Ian Broadbent, MBA Director at RGU, said: “Our mission at Aberdeen Business School is to develop professionally relevant and highly employable individuals by engaging in business-connected learning, teaching
and impactful research, and we are delighted that our MBA programme has been recognised in this way. “We offer an MBA programme that provides an education grounded in practice, and develops managerial skills and behaviours. A key element is having industry play a leading role in shaping the degree. “The MBA programme is accredited by AMBA, the premier MBA industry body, and this assures the degree is of direct relevance to the real world of business as well as meeting the highest international standards.” To compile the results, QS considers responses from the largest MBA employer survey ever conducted – 12,125 MBA employers. These global employers provided insight into the best full-time MBA programmes for graduate employability. In addition, QS considered responses from the largest survey of academics ever conducted – 76,798 academics of which 8,376 are experts in the fields of business and management, providing insight into the business schools which are producing the best academic research. (The full methodology is
available on topmba.com) This year, each programme is classified into one of four quadrants based on its strength in employability and research excellence and Aberdeen Business School has been listed in the ‘superior research and employability’ category. RGU’s MBA programme is designed with students’ aspirations and industry demand in mind and focuses on academic underpinning and ethical practice, behavioural skills, career mentoring, personal development and industry engagement through guest lectures, projects and networking events. The university has over 1500 MBA alumni and approximately 300 students currently studying on the programme. Courses are delivered through flexible study options of full-time, part-time and distance learning. Locally-based students in full-time employment can attend classes via a series of weekend workshops, designed to allow study alongside work commitments. Students from as far afield as Alaska and New Zealand to London and Glasgow have completed an MBA at RGU via online distance learning.
Dr. Ian Broadbent, MBA Director at RGU
Promising students awarded ACCESS RGU scholarships
RGU works hard to ensure that all students can achieve their full potential and these scholarships show how committed each of our generous donors are to helping us in this goal. The students with Rhona McComiskie (DELTA), RGU’s Principal Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski and Deputy Principal Professor John Harper
A number of talented RGU students have been awarded scholarships, as part of the university’s commitment to widening participation and supporting groups that are traditionally under-represented in higher education. This support has been secured by the RGU Foundation, which exists to inspire and steward philanthropic support of RGU’s strategic aims. The ACCESS RGU scholarship opportunities have been made available through the generosity of the donors to the RGU Foundation and are accessible to students who demonstrate academic merit, motivation and ambition.
This year, a total of 89 applications were submitted for the five scholarships, which have been supported by The Budge Foundation, The Barrack Charitable Trust, Baillie Gifford, The Crerar Hotels Trust and CNR International. Each of these awards provide financial and academic support to undergraduate students for the duration of their studies at RGU. Sarah Dingwall, Development Manager at the RGU Foundation, said: “We are honoured to receive support for our ACCESS Scholarships, which allow RGU to continue to attract a diverse body of students, create opportunities and help remove financial barriers that exist between a student and achieving their potential.”
Applied Social Sciences student Liga Valentinas was selected to receive a scholarship funded by the Budge Foundation, a foundation run by RGU alumnus Bill Budge and his wife Lorraine which focuses on the wellbeing and education of children and young people. Dawn Findlay, studying Social Work, was selected as the first recipient of the Barrack Charitable Trust Scholarship, which is committed to supporting organisations and individuals within the local community. Contemporary Art Practice student Courtney Barr was awarded a scholarship funded by Baillie Gifford & Co., an independent investment partnership headquartered in Edinburgh which has made a multi-year
pledge to support young people who wish to study at Gray’s School of Art. Catherine Sinclair, currently studying International Hospitality Management, was selected to receive this year’s Crerar Hotels Access Scholarship, which was made available through a donation from The Crerar Hotels Trust to provide support to undergraduate students studying a discipline related to leisure and tourism. Valerie Forbes, studying Finance and Accounting, has been chosen as the recipient of this year’s CNR International Barbara Rae Memorial Scholarship, which provides students with funding support of up to £2,500 per year, in addition to a mentorship programme.
All of the students who are selected for a scholarship are also provided with support from the university’s Department for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Access (DELTA), to help facilitate both academic and personal success. James Dunphy, Director of DELTA, said: “RGU works hard to ensure that all students can achieve their full potential and these scholarships show how committed each of our generous donors are to helping us in this goal.”
RGU helps Scotland welcome the world RGU is taking part in a global campaign to promote and celebrate the European and international students and staff which make Scotland’s universities diverse, multicultural and inclusive places to be. Led by Universities Scotland, the ‘Scotland Welcomes the World’ campaign aims to send a message of inclusivity, openness and value to international students, parents, influencers and stakeholders around the world. RGU has enlisted the help of 12 international students who are acting as champions of the campaign and attended a special launch event in Edinburgh. The event was themed an international Burns Supper and was opened by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who celebrated that a fifth of Scotland’s students come from outside the UK. She said: “It’s a huge compliment to Scotland and it demonstrates that our universities really are world-class. But it isn’t simply that international students choose Scotland as a result of our universities being excellent, they are one of the reasons why our universities are excellent.” As part of the campaign a number of RGU’s champions shared their thoughts on living in Scotland and why they chose to study at RGU.
RGU’s Scotland Welcomes the World Champions with the university’s Principal
Benneth Nnadi, who relocated from Nigeria to study pharmacy at RGU, took part in a video case study for the campaign and celebrated Scotland’s higher education system. He says: “Scotland has a world class education system and as a country I definitely believe that it welcomes the world. It is very multicultural and is easy to settle in as the people are really welcoming.”
is enjoying studying in Scotland. She says: “My experience of studying and living in Scotland has been hugely positive. I’ve immersed myself in the Scottish culture and am enjoying the Scottish way of life.”
Lillian Small, who is from Canada and is currently studying an MSc in Digital Marketing, was also filmed as part of RGU’s campaign engagement and
The campaign’s official launch video, which features RGU Management with
View the students’ videos on RGU’s campaign page
Marketing student Katie Summers, can also be viewed online. The university has shown enthusiasm for the campaign throughout its launch, with RGU Principal, Professor Ferdinand Von Prondzynski, stating: “In a world where we find social and geographical boundaries are becoming ever more prevalent, this campaign helps to promote what is at the very core of the RGU ethos – inclusion and multiculturalism.”
The campaign has a strong digital focus with many students and staff posting messages of welcome on social media. We would love our alumni to join RGU’s champions by sharing messages of welcome with the hashtag #ScotlandWelcomesTheWorld and tell why you found so special about studying in Scotland.
Your ALUMNI NETWORK Library Membership Alumni Network members are entitled to free library membership under the External Membership Scheme. This m embership entitles you to: • • •
A borrowing entitlement of 3 books and 3 journals Access to the new Library Tower based at Riverside East, Garthdee Option to reserve material
For further information, visit the library website here.
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RGU Foundation in Houston
Join our RGU Alumni LinkedIn group to network with thousands of RGU graduates, like the RGU Alumni Facebook page to find out the latest alumni news and activities and keep upto-date with university news on Twitter (@RobertGordonUni).
Over 40 RGU alumni from over three decades of study gathered at a Business Breakfast hosted by the RGU Foundation and international Law firm Pinsent Masons on Friday 28th May in Houston, TX.
Postgraduate Study Opportunities – 20% discount off courses
During the event alumni had the opportunity to hear from Principal Ferdinand von Prondzynski on "Creating a knowledge economy in the north east of Scotland" and from Bob Ruddiman, Partner and Global Sector Head, Energy Pinsent Masons who addressed “Developments in an Ever-Changing World.”
In such a competitive job market, it is essential to keep developing your knowledge and expertise within your specific field to further increase your employability prospects. RGU offers a range of full-time, part-time and online learning postgraduate study opportunities. As an RGU alumnus, you are eligible to a recently increased 20% loyalty discount to.
RGU: SPORT boasts modern world class sporting facilities. As well as a swimming pool, climbing wall and three gyms there are a range of classes on offer for people of all fitness levels. As an RGU Alum, you can enjoy significant discounted membership rates:
The event also gave attendees the chance to catch-up and to network. Sarah Dingwall Development Manager said, "We were delighted that so many alumni from varying backgrounds were able to join us for the event and it was such a pleasure to meet with so many of our US based graduates"
Career Services
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Reunions and Events
Whether you have found a graduate job, are considering some time out or are busy job hunting, our career services can help you to further develop your career and employability skills, network with graduate recruiters and secure employment.
Do you have your Alumni Network Card to access our on-campus facilities including RGU: Sport and the RGU Library? To receive this 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.
Organising an event is a great way to get back in touch with old friends, meet new people and reconnect with the university. If you would like to explore your event ideas with us we would love to hear from you. Email alumni@rgu.ac.uk
To find out more about the range of services available to help you to succeed, please click here.
Remember to keep your home and business details up-to-date via our website and please keep in touch. The Alumni Team looks forward to helping you stay connected.
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annual fee with reduced usage fees for all facilities;
To view our extensive range of facilities, simply visit our website and pop into the Centre based on the Garthdee campus.
RGU alumni in focus RGU graduates are achieving incredible things all over the world. For the Spring season we wanted to highlight two ambitious alumni who have become successful in their respective industries because of the love they have for their work and the determination to be the best they can be.
Aim high and always strive for excellence
Dreams are those that don’t let you sleep
Stuart Common
Anoop Poddar
Stuart graduated from RGU with a BA (Hons) Management degree in 2008. He first joined Mackies on a placement year and, just a few years on, is now the youngest member of Mackie’s management team. His varied remit includes management of several of Mackies largest customer accounts for both ice cream and chocolate – with sole responsibility of turnover of over £5millon.
In 1997 Anoop graduated from RGU with an MSc Offshore Engineering degree and for five years worked for Schlumberger as a Drilling Engineer.
Stuart also enjoys working to develop Scottish Food and Drink as exemplified by his active role in Grampian Food Forum and his appointment, again as the youngest member, to the ONE (Opportunity North East) Food and Drink & Agriculture Board. Stuart’s impressive accomplishments were deservedly recognised in the 2016 Northern Star Business Awards where of the ‘Rising Star’ Award 2016 winner. If you have alumni you want us to shout about, we would love to hear from you – email alumni@rgu.ac.uk
He then returned to education and studied for his MBA at Harvard and returned to the UK following his appointment as vice president in the corporate finance division of the investment bank Simmons & Co. Three years later he was appointed to the Board of the independent private equity firm, Energy Ventures as a partner. In 2008 he was CEO and the founding member of the private equity firm, Energy Growth Momentum LLP. He then re-joined Energy Ventures in 2017 as Senior Partner & President – Houston.
A look ahead at RGU events
5 MAY
Shaping the Future: being the best w e can be Come along to the free 'Shaping our Future' conference which is aimed at final year social w ork students and newly qualified social w ork alumni.
11 May
‘Future Practice: Architectural Horizons’ Professor David McClean w ill discuss a w ide range of emerging developments to Scott’s alumni in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
19 May
The Big Crit Come along to THE BIG CRIT, an annual public event organised by Scott’s to celebrate the best of the students’ w ork.
19 May
Joanna Briggs Collaboration European Symposium Come along to the Joanna Briggs Collaboration European Symposium which is being hosted by The Scottish Centre for Evidence-based Multiprofessional Practice.
24 May
Professorial Lecture: Let Food Be Thy Medicine: Did Hippocrates Get It Right? A professorial lecture on 24 May which w ill discuss how diet acts mechanistically to prevent human diseases, the concepts of personalised nutrition and the implications of ‘optimum nutrition’ for the prevention of cancer.
31 may
The School of Nursing and Midw ifery Annual Postgraduate Research Symposium This is a free event to be held on the 31 May where postgraduate students from the School of Nursing and Midw ifery w ill be providing oral and poster presentations as w ell as having external invited speakers.
17-24 June
Gray’s School of Art Degree Show 2017 The Degree Show is an annual highlight in the arts calendar, showcasing the w ork of our graduating students. Many of our graduates have gone on to become leading names in art and design, so the show is a great opportunity to view the w ork of tomorrow's creative stars today.