'From Salford' - alumni magazine 2016

Salford From

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

INTRODUCING PEEL PARK QUARTER

From Salford

to Rio

STARTUP SENSATION

JAMIL KHALIL

Expert knitter Jim Giles

CAR SHARE’S

SIAN

GIBSON

+

Your alumni updates and much more

Salford Alumni

STAY

CONNECTED As a Salford graduate you are a valued member of our global alumni community of over 155,000 alumni. Your University is committed to supporting you throughout your life and career by providing continued access to a variety of on-campus benefits and services, such as:

we are In 2017 the 50th ity! ng ti ra b cele Univers of your y and ar rs f events annive be lots o ni, so look ill w e um Ther al ur o for over the activities rmation rther info nths. fu r fo out mo coming d love to we woul emories eantime, In the m your favourite m you ut es hat mak hear abo w d an d. rd fordGra of Salfo be a #Sal proud to get in touch!

Please

• Lifelong access to the University’s careers service

• Access to a range of online journals and resources

• A calendar of social and networking events

• Volunteering opportunities

• Reduced rates for the University’s leisure facilities • Continued use of the libraries on campus

• Use of meeting rooms and conference facilities • Competitive discounts for postgraduate and CPD courses

Update your contact details to be kept up-to-date on all these exclusive offers and more:

WWW.SALFORD.AC.UK/STAYCONNECTED Your alumni team: t: +44 (0)161 295 4265. e: alumni@salford.ac.uk w: www.salford.ac.uk/alumni

IN THIS ISSUE ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

FEATURES 6 Our new student residences and the graduates who work there 18 International news - meeting our alumni in Hong Kong and China 20 Quays News – our student-run news platform 26 The Road from Salford to Rio 42 Ways for you to stay connected with us 46 How your generosity impacts our current students 50 A day in the life of Scotland’s national poet and our Chancellor, Jackie Kay MBE

SALFORD STORIES

FROM YOUR ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT MANAGER Welcome to the 2016/17 edition of ‘From Salford’, your annual alumni magazine designed to keep you updated with news from the University and your community of graduates. I would also like to extend special congratulations to the class of 2016 – the latest members of our global alumni network.

This year’s cover features Salford alumna Sian Gibson, star of BBC comedy Car Share. You can read more about her journey to starring in the show on page 24.

It was as a student at Salford that Sian met Peter Kay, her co-star and the writer of Car Share.

In 2017, we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Salford receiving the Royal Charter that saw it become a University in 1967 –so look out for some special events and activities for our alumni. As we celebrate this landmark, we’d love for you to share your favourite memories of the University, and what makes you proud to be a Salford graduate by emailing us at alumni@salford.ac.uk or on twitter by using #SalfordGrad.

I hope you enjoy this year’s magazine and will join us at a future event, as well as making use of some of our services for graduates (see page 48). Remember to keep your contact details updated and stay in touch.

Best wishes

12 The Big Life Group’s Fay Selvan 16 Social media entrepreneur Jamil Khalil 24 Cover story – Car Share’s Sian Gibson 34 Award winning photographer Barrie Williams

Gareth Pettit Alumni Engagement Manager

35 Expert knitter Jim Giles

OUR REGULARS 8

School of the Built Environment

10 School of Health Sciences 14 Salford Business School 22 School of Arts & Media 28 School of Computing, Science & Engineering 30 Alumni Achievement Awards 2016 32 School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work 36 School of Environment & Life Sciences 38 This year’s Honorary Graduates 44 Alumni events 48 Benefits and services available to you 49 Your updates

Perspectives 39 Is gossip in the workplace therapeutic or damaging?

40 Introducing SAM – the sports super computer Editor: Paul Butlin Thanks to all our contributing alumni Cover image courtesy of Tony Blake

YOUR VICE-CHANCELLOR It’s been an exciting year at Salford, with the launch of our new Vision and single strategic priority – Industry Collaboration Zones (ICZs). The ICZs promise to transform what we offer, building on our excellent relationships with industry partners to create a dynamic student experience of teaching, learning and research fit for the 21st century.

Our campus is transforming too with our landmark New Adelphi building opening in August – providing the latest recording studios, performance spaces, a show-stopping atrium, theatre and outdoor amphitheatre just waiting for those world class student performances, stunning catwalk displays and glorious fanfares as well as providing flexible teaching space for all to enjoy.

This year saw us attract more students than ever and we’ve been recognised in the top ten most improved universities by the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2015-16. Proof no doubt of the investments we’ve made in delivering what our students want – a prime example being our new AskUs facility – a unique one-stop-shop for all student enquiries, something which other universities are taking an enviable interest in.

You may have read in the news too that our Chancellor Professor Jackie Kay MBE has recently been appointed as Scotland’s new national poet or Makar. It’s a tremendous honour and we at the University know only too well Jackie’s determination and commitment to be an outstanding Chancellor. I know she is already a tremendous inspiration to the students she has already met.

At Salford, we don’t have our heads in the clouds. We keep it real. We dare to be different.

You will see in this magazine how our university community is making a positive difference to the lives of so many across the globe. Be proud to be one of them! I share your pride.

Best wishes

Professor Helen Marshall Vice-Chancellor @SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

SALFORD HIGHLIGHTS It’s been a great year at Salford and we’re excited to share our news and successes with you. Here are just a few of our highlights from the past 12 months.

The New Adelphi building, our state-of-the-art home of creativity on campus, is now built and will open for the first time to students starting in September 2016. The space has been designed to inspire and motivate curious minds.

The University nked in has been ra proved st im top 10 mo imes s by the T universitie 15ucation 20 d E r e h ig H e Experienc 16 Student ll ra h an ove survey, wit 12 places ranking of n last higher tha year.

Almost 5,500 new undergraduates began their degrees with us in September 2015, a 23% rise on the previous year, making us one of the fastest-growing Higher Education destinations in the UK. 4

@SalfordAlumni

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

We’ve b as one een ranked of the w 200 m ost inte orld’s rnation univer Higher sities by the T al Educat imes ion, rec the div o g e n body a rsity of our st ising nd how udent o collabo ur academics r a te interna tional c with olleagu es.

The University has teamed up with Greater Manchester Police to help the force meet their future research needs, working with and for local people to make their communities safer.

For the second year running, Architecture/Built Environment at Salford has been ranked amongst the world’s top 50 universities by QS World University Rankings.

In November we sponsored Shelagh Delaney Day, with events at MediaCityUK celebrating the Salford dramatist and screenwriter who wrote the iconic and groundbreaking play A Taste Of Honey.

Chancellor Jackie Kay has been announced as Scotland’s new Makar, the country’s National Poet. Jackie will create new work and promote poetry throughout Scotland, encouraging young people to engage with the art form. @SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

MOVINGUP

MOVING IN,

Peel Park Quarter opened to its first residents in September last year, raising the bar for campus living with seven blocks of luxury accommodation.

C

omplete with gyms, mini-cinemas and Sky TV, Peel Park Quarter is perhaps a far cry from the more utilitarian surroundings of Castle Irwell (RIP).

Unsurprisingly, it’s received fantastic feedback from students and has even been shortlisted for an award.

The vision behind Peel Park Quarter was to create a living space that gives its residents the best possible experience, not just in terms of socialising and relaxing, but also integrating them into Salford life and getting the best out of their studies. Campus Living Villages (CLV), the acclaimed global provider of student accommodation that manages the Village, wanted it to reflect their core values of community, trust and enthusiasm, which we think has been achieved perfectly.

Building the future Our long-term partnership with CLV has recently evolved in an exciting way, with the launch of their Graduate Trainee Scheme, which two Salford graduates are currently undertaking. The scheme focuses on building business acumen by giving graduates experience in several different placements within the company, whilst at the same time helping them to gain the personal skills that employers look for.

Rosie Allen and Mazen Bashraheel, the graduates in question, gave us their account of the experience so far.

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@SalfordAlumni

Rosie and Maz

Having real responsibility and being treated like any other employee has allowed the pair to make meaningful contributions to the company, as Rosie explained, “It doesn’t matter what your position is because the company is still growing. If you have an idea, they say ‘run with it and show us how it works.’”

Expect the unexpected

Real responsibility Right from the start of the two-year scheme, Rosie and Maz were thrown in at the deep end, with the aim of stretching them to really develop their professional skills.

Maz described the challenges of his first placement: “I was working on a project to come up with a way of looking at all the activities that the company was doing, and finding a better way to manage our resources. So it was a huge project to work on, and you’re made to feel like you’re making an impact from day one.”

Dealing with this pressure and getting to grips with the working world has been challenging, but has taught them valuable lessons about overcoming adversity. “There’s been quite a few setbacks and things that have gone wrong that I wouldn’t have imagined to go wrong, so I feel like expecting the unexpected has taught me a lot,” said Maz. Despite the stresses, he’s enthusiastic about his time there and hopes to stay on after the programme comes to an end.

Trust and equality Alex Mayes, Corporate Responsibilities and Communities Manager for CLV, runs the graduate scheme with support of the HR and learning and development functions, and selected Rosie and Maz. For Alex, finding the right candidates was more about who they were and less about what they’ve done. “We really wanted the graduate programme to represent our values of trust and equality. I made a questionnaire

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

which was a bit quirky, but it was designed around culture and less about experience,” he said.

Rosie agrees that the way the scheme has been designed and delivered is different from many others. “I’ve done another graduate scheme before this, and just kind of felt like a number,” she said. Maz added, “One of the main values of CLV is community, and you do get a sense of community when you’re working here, you never feel left on your own.”

Alex is keen to continue the success they’ve had this year and is looking forward to welcoming the next cohort. He’ll be keeping it to just two candidates again to make sure they can take full advantage of the scheme. “By having a small number you can put lots of time into them, they are given key business projects to work on, which will make a real difference in how our business operates,” he explained.

YOU’RE MADE TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE MAKING AN IMPACT FROM DAY ONE

‘Just go for it’ Maz’s advice for future applicants is to just be yourself: “It’s not about being the best achiever academically or past work experience; it’s about you as a person, so I’d say just go for it.”

Alex has a word of warning to lazy applicants, however: “One of the questions was, “What’s unique about CLV?” A lot of people used artistic licence from our website, which showed resourcefulness but really I want to know what you really feel about a CLV community. I know what the website says…I want to know what you say!”

Rosie and Maz found their placements through one of the Alumni Office’s regular e-bulletins.

Remember to keep your details up to date so you don’t miss out on any opportunities, and of course you can always access our Careers & Employability service by visiting: www.careers.salford.ac.uk @SalfordAlumni

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BUILT ENVIRONMENT NEWS From Salford

JEREMY CORBYN VISITS ENERGY HOUSE

E

nergy House, a full-scale terraced house rebuilt inside a laboratory, is being used as a test facility for the Pendleton Together project. The project is working to regenerate the area by building over 1,600 news homes and refurbishing a further 1,250, as well as creating new green spaces, sports pitches and even a city farm.

So far, the project has created 250 jobs and has had a major impact on the quality of life of the local people.

Rebecca Long Bailey MP, a leading advocate of Pendleton Together, recommended Energy House as a ‘must-see’ during Mr Corbyn’s visit to the area. She said, “I wanted Mr Corbyn to hear about the Partnership and the collaborative research we are delivering.

The Energy House is unique in the world and we thought it would be a point of

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@SalfordAlumni

In March, we welcomed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to the University’s Energy House to tell him more about Salford’s role in the regeneration of the city.

“THIS IS A REMARKABLE RESOURCE WHICH IS IN CONSTANT DEMAND”

interest especially with his interest in housing, green issues and fuel poverty.”

Mr Corbyn was shown around by SOBE Professor Will Swan and Senior Lecturer Richard Fitton, who have been leading the pioneering research and enterprise work.

Professor Swan told Mr Corbyn, “This is a remarkable resource which is in constant demand. Like our 1920s replica, the UK’s ageing housing stock does not perform well and this facility gives us data much quicker than is possible out in the field.”

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

Peter Graves BSc Quantity Surveying Contracts director, Workspace Design and Build At just 27 years old, Peter has been appointed as contracts director for Workspace Design and Build in Manchester. In this exciting and challenging role, he will be overseeing contracts across a number of clients at a time of fast growth for the business. Peter says, “It’s great to have the chance and be part of the success story of Workspace. It’s a very reactive role and I can’t wait to get started.”

ACCELERATED DEGREES TO BENEFIT STUDENTS AND THE INDUSTRY New accelerated degrees for the School of the Built Environment are set to launch this September. These programmes will allow students who may not have otherwise been able to commit to studying, the opportunity to gain their qualifications faster and access a career in their chosen field sooner.

This is great news for both students and the sector, as students will benefit from reduced fees by studying for two years rather than three, and the industry’s increasing demand for high quality graduates will be met. John Williamson of Redrow Homes Ltd said: “The University of Salford is clearly demonstrating that it is responding to the changing learning requirements of today’s construction industry.”

SALFORD TO SHARE ‘SMART CITY’ EXPERTISE WITH CHINESE PARTNERS Lisa Tudor MSc in Quantity Surveying Chartered Quantity Surveyor, Jones Bros Civil Engineering Lisa’s time is split between the site and the office, with her most enjoyable project so far being the Pen y Cymoedd Wind Energy Project in South Wales, helping to create renewable energy. She’s keen to change the perception of quantity surveyors as ‘brick counters’, as she explains: “You need to have the expertise of a lawyer, an accountant and a professional negotiator, while having a good understanding of the technical aspects and challenges of the job.”

Our experts will be working with engineers and technicians in the Chinese city of Haimen, passing on their knowledge to create China’s newest ‘smart city’, an urban area that will meet future economic, social and environmental needs.

With the UN predicting that 66% of the population will live in urban areas by 2020, harnessing digital and telecommunications technologies for the benefit of communities and businesses is increasingly important.

Manchester has already started to benefit from smart city planning in the Oxford Road ‘Corridor’ and elsewhere. Professor Hisham Elkadi, Dean of School, said: “Smart Cities is one of the big ideas for the future and one we, here at Salford are very much at the forefront of.” @SalfordAlumni

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HEALTH SCIENCES NEWS From Salford

FORMER NBA STAR INSPIRES EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL HEALTH STUDENTS

In February, undergraduates of Exercise and Physical Health were treated to a visit from ex-NBA basketball star John Amaechi OBE, who spent an hour sharing his unique outlook on sport, coaching and personal development.

“IF YOU HAVE GOALS, DON’T BE DETERRED, BE BOLD”

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@SalfordAlumni

N

ow retired from basketball, John has a PhD in Psychology and is an academic, author, broadcaster and highly regarded motivational coach. Seeking to inspire the students, he recalled his experiences of growing up in Stockport and his determination to follow his dream of becoming a basketball player, despite the derision of his teachers and peers. “If you have goals, don’t be deterred, be bold. If people laugh it’s often because they don’t want you to achieve something they never will.”

He also spoke to the students about corruption in sport, the blandness of sports ‘stars’ and suggested that sport often failed in its responsibility to young people. As many of our students will be considering careers in coaching, John advised, “You have power to plant footprints in young people’s minds which stay around for life. Make those footprints positive, motivating messages and erase the negative, unconstructive ones.”

Lecturer in Psychology Ailsa Parsons invited John to meet the students after chatting to him on Twitter about his views on coaching psychology. She thought he could have a positive impact on the students as they enter the working world: “I think the students took a lot from him about developing self-awareness in order to exploit your strengths and passions, and being serious and declarative about what you want to spend the rest of your life doing.”

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

NEW FACILITIES FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENTS

Dan Buchanan Students of Occupational Therapy will now be able to practice the daily tasks that they will be carrying out in their future careers in the University’s new Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Suite, which opened in February.

The ADL suite consists of a lookalike living area with a range of independence aids, plus a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom containing several hazards that put many people at risk in their own homes.

Julia Scott, CEO of the College of Occupational Therapists visited the facility: “These facilities undoubtedly provide the occupational therapist students with a learning environment that is as close to the real thing as possible.”

BSc Sports Rehabilitation, 2003 Soft Tissue Therapist, GoPerform Since graduating from Salford in 2003, Dan has had an exciting and varied career, working for Reading FC, Derby County, Argentina’s rugby team during the World Cup and the dance team Diversity. Now, he’s opened his very own clinic in Reading which is going from strength to strength. Dan says, “It’s been really good, I’ve been working with a really diverse group. I didn’t really know what to expect. I just wanted to be busy and I guess I have been!”

SALFORD LAUNCHES UK’S FIRST MSC IN PODIATRY This year, the University launched the UK’s first MSc course in podiatry, with the aim of increasing students’ employability and career development in the field. The new programme will allow students to gain the skills required to obtain Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration at the same time. Heads of the NHS podiatry services in the North West were also supportive of the course.

Three postgraduate students have just completed their first semester and, having passed their pre-clinical assessment, are now able to treat patients in the School’s Podiatry Clinic.

One of the students, Sarah Bailey, said: “Although I am gaining professional and theoretical knowledge on a daily basis, by reading research and applying this in the clinical context, it is enabling me to challenge and ask pertinent questions.” @SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

“W

e bid for the millennium commission and they sent us a letter saying our project stood no reasonable chance of success, so when we opened it five years later it was like, “’yes, up yours!’”

Since graduating with an MSc in Strategic Leadership from the University of Salford in 2001, Fay Selvan has been giving opportunities to those with the least, through her social enterprise The Big Life Group. The group offers primary healthcare, self-help, childcare, family support, employment and training to ordinary people from Liverpool to Grimsby, and resulted in Fay winning the Social Enterprise Leader Award in 2011.

Fay started with a small health and wellbeing centre, but her course at Salford was the turning point that helped her to see the direction for the group more clearly. “I wanted to then think about how we could really use the social enterprise model so we weren’t reliant on that constant grind of going after a national lottery bid, getting it, delivering the project for three years…. Then funding coming to an end and having to find new funding, it’s awful.”

“We chose when we were forming the group to say that our mission was ‘to change the world’. That was pre-Barak Obama saying it, so I think he stole it off us!”

Now, the group employs around 500 staff,

and is driven by Fay’s passion to empower people to help themselves. Her proudest moments are seeing service users thrive: “One of our staff started as a vender of the Big Issue, and now they’re delivering our services in one of the towns. He is suffering quite serious physical health problems, but now has a sustainable family and a home and a job, and has just completely turned his life around.”

Fay advises graduates entering the social enterprise sector to use their own personal experiences to empathise with others and help break down barriers. “You have to be quite brave and courageous to talk about the issues you’ve dealt with yourself, but for an

Fay’s line of work can be a great place for women in leadership roles, as she explains, “because the social sector is very female dominated, it’s slightly different to if you were in a traditional business area. Being able to tailor your work around your needs as a single parent was fantastic.”

Staff satisfaction at the group is high, with an impressive 98% recommending them as an employer, due in part to Fay’s flexible approach. She recognises the value of flexibility in helping her employees succeed when faced with today’s reality of balancing work and caring responsibilities. “I’ve created an organisation that can be more flexible, particularly to women or carers. It

“WE CHOSE WHEN WE WERE FORMING THE GROUP TO SAY THAT OUR MISSION WAS ‘TO CHANGE THE WORLD’. THAT WAS PRE-BARAK OBAMA SAYING IT, SO I THINK HE STOLE IT OFF US!” organisation like ours that’s something that has great value.” Having a thick skin is also vital, “because people do behave badly, they kick off… and you have to be able to go ‘that’s not about me, that’s about where they’re at in their lives’”.

But for those who are up for the challenge, Fay has no doubts that the rewards are worth it. “If you’re looking for something exciting, something to be passionate about and that you can say you’ve made a difference, then this is the world to come into”.

used to be about children but now it’s also about ageing parents.”

When looking back at her time at Salford, Fay recalls the diverse backgrounds of her peers and their shared experiences that helped them to form a tight-knit group. “We always used to think three days sat in a room with professors would be stultifying as there were only 8 of us, but it was great. There was a very mixed, varied group but it was great to see the connections.”

CHANGING 12

@SalfordAlumni

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

THE WORLD WITH FAY SELVAN, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR

@SalfordAlumni

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SALFORD From Salford BUSINESS SCHOOL NEWS

SALFORD LAW STUDENTS GIVE LEGAL HELP TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES Students from Salford Law have stepped up to help those who can’t afford legal representation, as part of the Community Legal Outreach Collaboration (CLOCK) project.

D

ue to government cuts to legal aid, a study of court activity in Greater Manchester revealed that 90% of participants did not have access to legal services in possibly serious cases involving the loss of a home or children.

Salford Law students will help the most vulnerable and defenceless people navigate the often bewildering legal system, helping to explain confusing legal language and assisting in what to say and when to say it.

Claire Porter, one of the students taking part in the programme, said: “Article 6 of the European Court of Human Rights is right to a fair trial; it’s important that everyone who needs to go through that system has the same rights fulfilled.”

At the same time, our students have also worked to remove the discredited ‘McKenzie Friend’ from the legal system, a practice named after the McKenzie vs McKenzie case in 1971 which decided that a litigant in person could receive assistance from someone who was not a qualified legal professional.

Unfortunately, this has allowed unscrupulous individuals to charge fees to the vulnerable and desperate.

This is an excellent example of how we continue to serve our local community and we are extremely proud of the vital work our students are carrying out.

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@SalfordAlumni

“THE STUDENTS WILL HELP THE MOST VULNERABLE AND DEFENCELESS PEOPLE NAVIGATE THE OFTEN BEWILDERING LEGAL SYSTEM”

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

NEW DEAN OF SALFORD BUSINESS SCHOOL

CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR EVENT RETURNS TO SALFORD In November, the School held its second successful Creative Entrepreneur event at MediaCityUK, bringing together the University’s different business centres of Digital, Social and Sports, with a mix of students, staff and industry professionals.

The evening consisted of a series of sessions on different topics, kicked off by Cindy Krum, CEO of mobile marketing consultancy MobileMoxie, who shared

stories of her top tips on being a successful creative entrepreneur.

Event Producer, Alex Fenton said: “After a really successful event last year, the event has grown once more, with a fantastic attendance from staff, students and local companies. We want to continue to grow and give even more students and companies a world class experience at MediaCityUK.”

This year, we welcomed Professor David Spicer to Salford as our new Dean of School. David joins us from the University of Bradford, where he made significant strides in strengthening the School’s reputation, overseeing the enhancement of its programmes and developing research rankings and accreditation.

David’s expertise in organisational development and change will be invaluable in helping to develop Salford Business School, as well as playing a key role in the ambitious strategic direction of the wider University.

David says, “There is some great work already going on within the school which I hope to be able to build on to develop Salford Business School as an internationally recognised centre of excellence for industry focused business and management education.”

Jiten Makan Ph.D., “Understanding Trust and Confidence in Web Behaviour”, 2015 Jit has completed his bachelors, masters and most recently his Ph.D at Salford Business School, for which he was awarded Ph.D Student of the Year 2015. Jit says his time at Salford gave him “insight about how the wider world ‘actually’ works. If you give it time and patience, you will learn how to persist with challenges and divert your energies and focus to the places that matter.” He is currently managing director of Makan Limited, which owns and operates the largest non-corporate Subway franchise in Greater Manchester.

@SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

Salford graduate TO START-UP SENSATION WITH JAMIL KHALIL

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@SalfordAlumni

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

S

ince graduating from Aerospace Business Systems in 2003, Jamil Khalil’s career has taken off: from travelling around the world, to the Airbus graduate scheme and now setting up his own social media platform, Wakelet, hotly tipped as the next big thing.The company has received several million pounds in backing from UK and US investors, and in 2015 he was awarded an Alumni Achievement Award. Jamil has volunteered his time to the University, delivering talks to current and prospective students to motivate and inspire them.

We spoke to Jamil to find out more about his journey from Salford graduate to internet start-up sensation.

Why did you decide to study at Salford?

The University had a new and interesting course that was created to solve a real world problem. Engineers normally lack business know-how and managers lack technical skills. The University wanted to bridge the gap by developing people who had good know-how in both areas. I felt this course would be perfect for me and would help put me in a good position in my career.

I also heard great feedback from a number of people about the University, lecturers and success rate of people getting good jobs after their degrees.

How did you get from studying at Salford to where you are now in your career?

After University I wanted a break, so I decided to go travelling around the world. When I returned to the UK, I joined Airbus’s graduate programme working in Landing Gear Systems Procurement. I progressed pretty fast within Airbus to become the Head of Sourcing & EADS Coordination.

In December 2013, I left Airbus to set up Wakelet. From the problems I faced on the Internet whilst studying, travelling and working, I wanted to create a social media product that gives people the freedom to organise and share any content on the web, the way they want it.

In December 2014, Wakelet raised £1.1m of investment, including backing from the original publishers of Angry Birds, and is now being used by students, athletes, travellers, bloggers, brands and businesses.

“EMBRACE YOUR PASSIONS AND NEVER SHY AWAY FROM CHALLENGES THAT ARE OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE”

What did you most enjoy about your university life at Salford?

For me I think it came down to the people. Like me, a number of them had wild dreams and ambition and they were always willing to help others out. The lecturers were also great, very knowledgeable and helpful. I had a few difficult moments during University and they helped me get through them. They always found time for us and that makes a big difference.

What did you most enjoy about your course?

I really enjoyed the balance between academic teaching, coursework and practical activities. The heavy emphasis on group activities and ability to frequently present helped me develop the confidence and people skills that have helped me do well in my career.

What words of encouragement would you give to a prospective student considering studying at Salford?

Embrace your passions and never shy away from challenges that are outside your comfort zone. The time spent at university is a unique life experience - you really only get to do it once, and you'd be surprised at how much you can accomplish. If you build useful contacts and surround yourself with people who encourage your success, then your time at University can be one of the best and most productive of your life.

What is your biggest professional or personal achievement to date?

Funnily enough, I never feel like I’ve achieved anything significant. It’s been all small achievements, which have helped me develop, progress and stay hungry. If I had to list one, it would probably be leaving my Airbus job to set up my start-up. I had a great job and was progressing really well, so leaving when times were great was quite challenging, but I had to follow my dreams.

What tips would you give to current students and recent graduates who are entering the workplace?

Extra-curricular interests and activities count for a lot more than most people think, and you are much more likely to get a job you enjoy if you display passion and an eagerness to learn. I'd also recommend a shift of thinking; instead of looking for anywhere that will hire you, start looking for places that you would enjoy working at the most. This makes you feel more confident in your abilities and gives you a greater sense of purpose to when it comes to job hunting and performing in interviews.

Why do you choose to stay in touch with Salford?

I think it's important to stay in touch with the people and places that have had a positive impact on your life. My university experience at Salford helped prime me for "the real world", and I feel that by getting involved in what the University is doing now, I can give back and help others on their road to success.

@SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

RECONNECTING WITH OUR ALUMNI IN NIGERIA

IN THIS ISSUE, WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS WITH OUR PARTNERS IN MAURITIUS, AND CATCH UP WITH OUR ALUMNI NETWORKS IN NIGERIA, HONG KONG AND BEIJING.

In March this year the University hosted an event in Nigeria for our alumni living in the region. Held at the La Mango Restaurant and Lodge in Lagos, the event was an opportunity for our graduates to reconnect with each other and the University, which was represented by members of the International team.

With over 30 attendees the event was a great success and we hope to host many more events in Nigeria in the future, as well as elsewhere in the world.

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@SalfordAlumni

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

NEW MASTERS COURSE TO BOOST SKILLS IN MAURITIUS

SALFORD VISITS HONG KONG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

We’re proud to announce that our highly successful Masters course in Project Management in Construction will soon be available for students and professionals in Mauritius. The course, accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), will be delivered by Salford academics with the support of the Rushmore Business School in Mauritius. The School of the Built Environment has seen growing demand for courses, with this programme achieving a 100% employment record of graduates going into relevant fields. The launch was celebrated with an event in March, where the School’s Dean, Professor Hisham Elkadi, gave an inspiring lecture on ‘Smart Cities for a bright, sustainable future.’

Dr Nittin Essoo, Director of the Rushmore Business School (RBS), said: “Our professionals have been waiting for a postgraduate course to upgrade their skills and move into managerial positions.

Mauritius has a unique position with its good infrastructure to establish itself as a learning hub in the region, so the need for cutting-edge education and training at specialist level is high.”

Our Hong Kong alumni group is one of our most long-standing and successful associations, with a community of around 160 members who regularly hold their own events.

The group is run by Louisa Ng, who graduated from Salford Business School in 1993 and has been president of the association for 20 years.

In March, a group of representatives from the University visited Hong Kong and met the association at the Harbour Plaza North Point Hotel. This was a great opportunity for the members to meet our Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Stephenson, and discuss Salford’s future strategic direction. They also discussed how the University could continue to support them in future and help ensure the long-term growth and success of the association.

The association are always happy to welcome new members, so if you’re based in Hong Kong and would be interested in joining, contact Louisa at lnco@on-nets.com, who will be delighted to hear from you.

If you are keen to establish a local group for alumni networking and ambassadorship in your region, please get in touch at alumni@salford.ac.uk.

UNIVERSITY OPENS NEW LAUNCHPAD OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD In April, the University alumni office and the regional Launchpad in Beijing hosted a networking event at the Kerry Hotel, giving recent graduates an opportunity to meet and connect with each other.

The China launchpad is a new international initiative, which was set up earlier this year.

University of Salford staff are now based in launchpads in three key regions, to bring the University’s internationalisation strategy to life. The offices are based in China, India and the United Arab Emirates. The new approach to Salford alumni networking will focus on building associations within these countries, and we hope that this investment will encourage more alumni networking events in the region.

If you are based in any of these regions, our colleagues would love to hear from you: Mumbai office, India: M.Sharma1@salford.ac.uk Abu Dhabi office, UAE: info-abudhabi@salford. ac.uk Beijing office, China: Y.Bi@salford.ac.uk

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From Salford

Quays NEWS

OUR REVOLUTIONARY STUDENT LED NEWS SERVICE 20

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ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

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irst launched alongside the opening of our facilities at MediaCityUK in 2012, Quaysnews.net is an online news platform run by a dedicated team of journalism students. The newly revamped site gives students a live channel to develop and hone their reporting and content production skills, reporting on stories predominately in and around Salford and Greater Manchester.

As well as the website, the students also produce Quays TV, an online news channel that’s streamed across the campus and on YouTube on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Last year, the students took part in a 15 hour live marathon challenge, creating a full day’s content and broadcasting it live. This feat demonstrated just how much the students’ teamwork and dedication had paid off, as TV and Radio alumna Michaela Roy explained, “Comparing Quay’s first live broadcast to the 15 hour live marathon it was clear that in the space of roughly 8 months we have come very far in terms of journalism and our technical output, none of which could have been done without the entire team.”

The channel is run by just two members of staff, with the rest of the team made up of students from various media courses, meaning the content and production is truly student-led. However, this can sometimes mean that during especially stressful periods such as exam week, volunteers can be a bit thin on the ground. Michaela remembers, “We have definitely managed to scramble together programmes with a team of around 6 in the past!”

“THE CHANNEL IS RUN BY JUST TWO MEMBERS OF STAFF, WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM MADE UP OF STUDENTS FROM VARIOUS MEDIA COURSES, MEANING THE CONTENT AND PRODUCTION IS TRULY STUDENT-LED” Michaela has since gone on to build herself an impressive CV, working on shows such as ITV’s Xtra Factor and currently as a junior researcher on The Jeremy Kyle Show. She believes her success is due in part to the invaluable exposure she received whilst working on the channel, as she says, “Quays is a great place to get to know a lot of faces.”

With many universities developing their own student news platforms, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. Michaela believes Salford’s industry-leading facilities give Quays News the edge over competitors.

“Quays News isn’t the only student led TV programme in the UK. However, I can confidently say it will be up there with the best. The University of Salford is home to some of the most incredible kit to learn on, equipment that juniors in industry could only dream about getting their hands on within the first five years of their career.”

We love watching Quays News and the students who run it go from strength to strength. The students have built a community where they can make new friends, learn from their mistakes and from one another, grow their confidence and gain the practical skills they need to be successful in the working world.

To check out what they’re working on at the moment, visit www.quaysnews.net @SalfordAlumni

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ARTS & MEDIA NEWS From Salford

MANCHESTER UNITED HELPS KICK OFF CAREERS FOR JOURNALISM STUDENTS S

The University of Salford has teamed up with Manchester United to give journalism students first-hand experience of sports reporting.

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ports journalism has become an extremely competitive and difficult industry for graduates to break into, so this experience will give the students a much needed boost on entering the working world.

The students will get the exciting opportunity to work inside a press box where journalists report live from matches, and will also be able to interview some of the club’s first team stars.

Third-year Journalism undergraduate, Jordan Eyre, was one of the lucky participants: “Having the opportunity to be involved with a club like Manchester United is fantastic for me. I’ve really benefitted from learning different skills in a live environment; ones which I believe can serve me well in later life. It has been a real joy to be involved.”

James Tuck, Manchester United’s International Websites Editor, is equally enthusiastic about the partnership. He says, “The students are gaining valuable experience working at one of the world’s biggest sporting organisations and they are an asset to our editorial team on match days.

So it has been mutually beneficial and we look forward to it continuing.”

The partnership is set to continue with a selection of postgraduate Journalism students taking part in the University’s MA Community project, where they will spend two days a week at Old Trafford writing news stories and match previews for ManUtd.com.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

CONCERT MARKS 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF BAND MUSIC AT SALFORD In May, we marked four decades of the University’s Musical Arts Programme with a special concert at Peel Hall.

The Musical Arts Charity Concert, which raised money for multiple sclerosis, included performances of students’ work by the University’s brass band, symphonic wind band and Adelphi choir.

The Musical Arts Programme originally known as Band Musicianship - trains musicians studying a variety of genres, from classical brass to big band jazz and popular music, and has produced graduates who have performed and conducted around the world.

The landmark concert welcomed special guest Eilir Williams, an alumnus from the programme who has gone on to play with the prestigious Yorkshire Building Society Brass Band – which won the European Brass Band Championships eight times and is now known as the Hammonds Saltaire Band.

Dr Brett Baker, Programme Leader for Musical Arts at the University of Salford, said: “This concert is all about celebrating the talent we have here in Salford, as well as the legacy of this programme.

“We were the first in the world to start a band musicianship course, and it was very much underrated when we set it up 40 years ago, but now a lot of the leading universities, such as James Madison and Princeton in the US, are following our model and it’s become incredibly popular in the UK and abroad.”

SALFORD STUDENTS LEARN FROM A TRUE MASTER OF FASHION DESIGN The Italian fashion designer Romeo Gigli, once described by the LA Times as ‘singlehandedly changing the course of fashion’, spent a morning talking about his work to students from the University’s fashion design programme.

The one-time mentor to Alexander McQueen gave an exclusive VIP masterclass event at the MediaCityUK campus, co-hosted by British fashion designer Betty Jackson CBE. Attendees were treated to an exclusive film showing his past collections, and were able to create their own designs alongside him.

Programme leader Bashir Aswat said, “Our students benefited from a truly unique experience when they were able to meet him, hear his advice and listen to him talk about his creative process and inspirations.”

Katie Dickinson NCTJ Diploma in Journalism, 2014 News Reporter, Westmorland Gazette Since graduating, Katie has swept the board, winning the 2015 Pamela Meyrick Award for the best National Qualification in Journalism candidate; the Ted Bottomley award for her performance in the media law and practice exam; and the NCTJ Trainee of the Year prize. On receiving the Pamela Meyrick award, Katie said, “I am absolutely made up to have won this award. It has come as a complete surprise, but a welcome one”.

Holly Rowan Hesson MA, Contemporary Fine Art, 2013 Artist and Marketing Consultant Holly is a visual artist, creating abstract works that derive from the photographic capture of colour, surface, shadow and light in specific architectural locations. She recently had a residency at the &Model gallery in Leeds, where she took hundreds of photographs of the building. By manipulating her camera whilst shooting these photographs, she created images which are blurred, bleached and saturated with colour. The result is tangible yet uncanny, like a dream image that doesn’t ‘look’ like a room, but rather ‘feels’ like a room.

@SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

Sian

GIBSON

Sian Gibson is the co-writer and co-lead of Bafta and NTA winning BBC1 sitcom, Car Share, alongside fellow Salford alumnus Peter Kay. Sian met Peter whilst studying Performing Arts at the University, and had roles in his other TV projects including That Peter Kay Thing, Phoenix Nights and Britain’s Got the Pop Factor.

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He can’t just bring his mate in, surely? I was so scared of letting him down. I think the BBC thought, ‘who is she?’

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efore her phenomenal success with the series, Sian had all but given up hope on acting, after a string of small parts failed to develop into anything more high profile. She admits she had doubts about her ability to make the role a success. Speaking in an interview with the Independent, Sian said: “About a week before we started filming it, I said, ‘I don’t mind if you want to ask Suranne Jones or Sheridan Smith, you know, one of those really good actresses, to do this.’ I thought, he can’t just bring his mate in, surely? I was so scared of letting him down. I think the BBC thought, ‘who is she?’”

Thankfully, those fears were misplaced, and now she feels her lack of fame has actually had a positive impact on the reception of her character. “The reason people have taken to Kayleigh is because no one knew who I was,” she explains. “Everyone believed in her because no one had seen me before.”

Another secret to the success of the show has been the chemistry between Sian and Peter, who have known each other for over twenty years, having met whilst studying performing arts at Salford. The genuine friendship between the pair can be felt throughout the show.

“Everything was on camera. Peter wanted to keep it really natural so if we were driving around and something funny happened out of the window, it wouldn’t be odd,” she says. “I was thinking, will other people find this funny? It’s two people in a car, laughing at each other’s jokes.”

Like Peter, Sian never took herself too seriously. “I always wanted to be an actress. I don’t think I’m ever going to be Judi Dench or anything like that, I just like making people laugh.” This shared sense of humour sometimes came at the expense of Salford’s teaching staff, however. She

recalls how during a student production of the Greek tragedy Elektra, Peter’s performance in an inexplicable Northern Irish accent and eyerolling had a somewhat inappropriate effect on the audience: “The whole place erupted laughing. Our drama teacher was furious.”

Car Share has been recommissioned for a second series, which is currently in production and features locations from across the Greater Manchester, such as Salford, Trafford and Bolton. In the meantime, Sian has been busy with other projects, starring alongside Tom Hollander in BBC Radio 4’s drama series School Drama, and Catherine Tate in the one-off UKTV Gold comedy Do Not Disturb. As well as comedy, Sian says she’d love to branch out into drama. “I’d love to do a bit of a Broadchurch, you know. But I’m really loving doing the comedy. And that’s what being thrown at me at the moment.”

What can audiences expect from the next series? “We’ve got loads of ideas. We know what we want to happen.” The question on many fans’ minds will be whether we’ll see Kayleigh and John get together. “If they do, will that be the end of it? I don’t know... Them getting together wasn’t the central thing to us, we had other things that we’d concentrate on.

When people have focused on their relationship, it’s mad because we really didn’t set out to write it. It’s just the chemistry between us.”

Sian certainly isn’t taking her success for granted, as she understands how competitive the industry can be. “I just want to take the opportunity while it’s here, just grab it and do whatever I can. I’ve been there before, where it doesn’t last. I’m not so naive to think that it’s going to be like this forever.” We don’t think she needs to worry, though; we can’t wait to watch her when the series airs next year.

@SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

THE ROAD FROM SALFORD TO

I RO

This summer, the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games.

A number of Salfordians share their hopes and ambitions for the Olympics with us, as we wish them the very best of luck.

Hannah Russell, student of Sports Science and Paralympic Swimmer Hannah started swimming at five years old at her local pool in Woking, and since then has been unstoppable; by 16 she had won silver in the 100m backstroke at the IPC European Championships, and silver and bronze at London 2012. Now at 19, she’s focusing on success at Rio: “It’s been one of my dreams since I was very young. I can’t wait to see what happens. I’d love to win gold, to come away as a Paralympic champion.”

Being partially sighted, Hannah is presented with a number of practical challenges when swimming, and now there’s the added pressure of studying for her degree. Her passion for the sport and the support of her friends and lecturers has helped her to succeed; in fact, she says her impairment can play to her advantage. “It’s quite good not being able to see anyone else because it means I just concentrate on my own swim.”

In a guest blog on the Student Union’s website, as part of the #ThisSalfordGirlCan campaign, Hannah writes about what inspires her and gives her own words of support to women and girls who want to engage more in sport. “Being scared or worried is a natural thing; take that anxiety and turn it into determination to face a new challenge. I am a visually impaired woman, who fully embraces the ‘I can’ philosophy. If I can, so can you!”

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ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

Niki Birrell, Business Studies graduate and Paralympic Sailor For sailor Niki Birrell, Rio 2016 will be his third Paralympic games. He and crewmate Alexandra Rickham will be competing in the SKUD 18 class this year, after winning bronze together in London four years ago.

He’s putting everything into securing gold this year, as he says, “We’ve been working really hard to make sure our place in the boat was beyond any doubt. I’m proud to be part of the team, and I’m ready to face the competition in Brazil – I can’t wait to start racing there.”

This year may be Niki’s final chance to complete in a Paralympic games, as sailing has been removed from the programme for Tokyo 2020. However, he’s still focused on the future and has ambitions to use his Business degree from Salford to set up his own company.

SALFORD

Rio Reunion In a strange twist of fate, table tennis tournaments at both the Olympic and Paralympic games this year will be refereed by Salford graduates: CK Chan from Hong Kong and Stuart Sherlock from Blackpool.. Since graduating, CK’s love of the sport has given him exciting opportunities to umpire and referee at international events around the world, which he says has been “like a snowball growing bigger and bigger over the years”. Stuart has also kept his passion for table tennis going, refereeing at the 2002 and 2014 Commonwealth Games. We wish them both the best for the games and hope they have a great time swapping Salford stories!

Lee Herrington, Senior Lecturer, Sports Rehabilitation It’s not just athletes who make the Olympic Games a success; Dr Lee Herrington, senior lecturer in Sports Rehabilitation, will be jetting out to Rio in August to join Team GB’s physiotherapy department. He’ll be responsible for the health and wellbeing of Britain’s athletes throughout the games, scoping out the Olympic park to ensure that the team members are fully prepared for their new surroundings.

Dr Herrington is especially looking forward to watching the next generation of athletes flourish: “The journey the youngest members of the team will make during the tournament will be fascinating to observe. It’s always nice to see the more experienced athletes passing on their experience and advice to the newest additions. It’s one big team effort.”

This first-hand experience will also benefit Dr Herrington’s students when he returns from Rio in September, as he will be able to really bring his lectures to life with stories from the games. Kay Hack, Dean of School, said, “We are extremely proud of Lee’s role within Team GB, it shows just how well he is respected within his field”.

HONG KONG

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COMPUTING, SCIENCE & ENGINEERING NEWS From Salford

NEW DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP LAUNCHED WITH SIEMENS In January, we joined forces with Trafford College and global engineering giant Siemens to develop education and training programmes for school leavers to degree level, to help keep up with the growing demand for advanced engineering apprenticeships.

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ogether we have outlined a new Degree Apprenticeship which, part-funded by the government, allows people to study whilst working and achieve higher qualifications without accruing large student debts. This will allow company recruits to study block release at Trafford College and the University of Salford, working seamlessly from Higher National Certificate/Higher National Diploma to Bachelor of Engineering level.

Mike Houghton, Divisional Director of Process Industry and Drives at based at Siemens, Manchester, said: “Siemens

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has 500 trainees at any given time, so this is a fantastic opportunity to add value to their careers and the region’s higher skills base.”

Professor Paul Rowlett, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Salford said: “We are thrilled to be working with Siemens and Trafford College as a university which prides itself on its industry collaborations. This is an exciting partnership model which we hope will generate excellent options for engineers who want to further their careers and strengthen engineering in the UK.” We look forward to seeing the first graduates from this exciting collaboration in 2018.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

ECOVALVE TECHNOLOGY ACHIEVES FIRST EUROPEAN SALES

The EcoValve team winning THE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Innovation & Technology in 2014 Our ‘next-generation aerosol’ technology has been picked up by Italian aerosol manufacturer BM, which will be using the valve for its TamTam, Splendida and Fresh Aroma household aerosol brands. This is the first major commercial usage in Europe for EcoValve, which was invented

by Professor Ghasem Nasr and his team in the School of Computing, Science and Engineering.

Massimo Macchini, BM’s managing director, said that trial batches of the product have “sold well and have performed successfully”. The company’s long-term goal is to phase out high volumes of hydrocarbon propellants (LPGs) from its supply chain and claims EcoValve offers “the first clean, non LPG system we’ve seen, which does not compromise performance.”

SALFORD PHYSICISTS PROVE NEW POTENTIAL FOR SILICON CHIPS A partnership between physicists at the University of Salford and the University of Surrey has resulted in a novel discovery that will help develop faster, cheaper telecommunications. They showed that light can be generated by an electron ‘jumping’ directly between silicon and ‘rare-earth’ metals.

Rare-earths usually give off light at very specific colours or ‘wavelengths’, and silicon doesn’t usually give off any light at all.

However, the physicists implanted the rare-earth elements cerium, europium and ytterbium into silicon and found that not only did it give off light, but the wavelengths emitted by the rare-earths had been shifted to those that can be used in optical fibre. The shift in wavelength showed that there must have been a jump or ‘transition’ of an electron from silicon to the other elements.

Khalid Tayan BSc Computer Software Engineering, 2015 Founder and CEO of Sixty Bid Khalid Tayan and a group of fellow Salford graduates have launched a new entertainment site that fuses online shopping and auctions in a very creative way, allowing subscribers 60 chances per day to bid on designer items. David McTear, operations director for The Landing at MediaCity where the company is based, said: “Khalid and his team are a great example of how The Landing can support young, homegrown tech talent in Salford.”

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From Salford Anna Heinamaa MA Film Screenwriting, 2013 Anna Heinamaa is a Finnish screenwriter, awardwinning novelist and visual artist. Her impressive work to date includes novels, short stories and radio plays, for which she has been given the Finnish government award for literature.

Whilst studying at the University of Salford, Anna wrote the screenplay for the film The Fencer, which has been nominated for a Golden Globe – the first Finnish nomination in sixty years. She has already sold her next two screenplays, both of which are now in production, with historical drama The King of Finland due for release in 2017.

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 30

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ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

Jamie Donoughue BA Television & Radio, 2003 Jamie Donoughue is a British film director, producer and writer.

He is best known for directing the short-film Shok, which earned him critical appraisal and several awards, as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film at the 88th Academy Awards.

Shok is a short film set in Kosovo during the occupation of the 90’s, where the friendship of two boys is tested to its limits as they struggle to survive during the war.

This is the greatest success in Kosovo’s film history to date and has opened doors for other Kosovan films to be given attention and critical acclaim.

Furat Ahmed Mahmood Al-Faraq DPhil Civil Engineering, 2015

Jian S Dai DPhil Mechanical Engineering, 1993

Dr. Al-Faraj is well renowned as an international water expert. Recently, he was assigned to lead a short mission to strengthen Iraq’s capacity programme for Sustainable Management of Water Resources.

Dr. Al-Faraj’s work has provided enormous help to the internally displaced people in Iraq, who were forced to leave their homes due to the terrorist threat by Daesh (often referred to as ISIS). He has the ability to effectively resolve conflicts and handle other difficult situations with remarkable patience and admirable diplomacy.

Professor Dai is a Fellow of the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) and of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He was awarded the Mechanism and Robotics Award from ASME in 2015, an honour that is given to engineers known for a lifelong contribution to the fundamental theory, design and applications of mechanism and robotic systems.

Jian is a pioneer in many aspects of research in mechanisms and robotics and an international leading figure, whose work includes establishing the field of reconfigurable mechanisms and the sub-field of metamorphic mechanisms. He is currently the Head of the Centre for Robotics Research at King’s College London.

Osman Ali Gema Eshag

Ayoola Kassim

MA Project Management, 2015

MA Television & Radio, 2007

Osman Ali Gema Eshag works for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He is based in a remote field office in Habillah, in the West Darfur region of Sudan, an area of armed conflict where threats of kidnapping and carjacking are constant.

During the time Mr Eshag studied Writing Effectively for UNHCR, he travelled frequently on field missions to assess significant influxes of refugees, writing insightful reports that are often subject to round-table strategy discussions.

Through his assistance with refugees and displaced persons communities, Mr Eshag has clearly shown his passion for education and desire to improve conditions for the most vulnerable and desperate people.

Ayoola is the head of programmes at Nigerian TV station Channels Television, after joining in 1999 as an intern. Most of her work has been in production, including Sunrise, a Saturday morning magazine-style programme, and the 2015 general elections coverage in Nigeria. Ayoola is also a reporter and presents Earthfile, Channels Television’s awardingwinning environment programme.

In 2014, Ayoola won the Nigerian Media Merit award for Television Reporter of the Year, for her report on the poor conditions of the Ikeja Police Training College. Her reports and programmes have shaped policies and focused attentions on neglected areas across Nigeria.

SAVE THE DATE Join us on THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER as we present this year’s winners with their awards at our annual Winter Celebration event.

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NURSING From Salford& MIDWIFERY NEWS

SALFORD MIDWIVES AWARDED HIGHEST MARKS IN THE UK

BY UNICEF O

ur commitment to supporting breastfeeding and parent-infant relationships was reinforced this year as Salford’s Midwifery Directorate retained its UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation, achieving the UK’s ever highest mark.

We have been accredited by UNICEF since 2012, but this year the organisation introduced an examination aiming at improving communication between parents and children, which the University had to pass to keep its accreditation.

Final year students were assessed one on one, and despite initial nerves they made us proud by achieving an overall grade of 93 per

“WE NOW HAVE OTHER UNIVERSITIES, WHO ARE ALSO SEEKING THE SAME ACCOLADE, COMING TO US FOR ADVICE ON HOW WE CONDUCT OUR TEACHING” cent. This means that Salford is now the UK’s first higher education institution to pass the new standards first time around, and with the highest ever mark. UNICEF praised the knowledge, skill and enthusiasm of the midwifery staff and students.

Anne Leyland, lecturer in midwifery, said: “We are incredibly proud to have retained our UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation as not only will it raise the University’s profile in the health sector, it will also, more importantly, give our graduates a boost when they search for full-time employment.

“We now have other universities, who are also seeking the same accolade, coming to us for advice on how we conduct our teaching so that they can transfer our skills to their own, and that speaks volumes as it shows the qualities of our course are being recognised by our peers.”

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ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

CHILDHOOD DRAWINGS USED TO HELP OTHERS UNDERSTAND AUTISM Dan Redfearn, lecturer in Nursing and Social Work, has been working closely with local mum Helen Larder and her daughter Hayden to create a training pack to help families and professionals understand autism.

Drawings from Hayden’s childhood have been used to form a set of ‘postcards’, showing characters in situations that they find ‘too loud, too bright, or too confusing’. They have created a pack for care providers, schools and charities, plus a separate book for families adjusting after a child has been diagnosed with autism.

Dan said: “There is a real absence of good quality training enabling staff to effectively support people with autism, and I’m hoping this will fill that void and provide a useful tool.”

SALFORD BECOMES FIRST UNIVERSITY TO GAIN ACCREDITATION FOR SIMULATION NURSING WARDS In March, we became the first higher education institution to gain prestigious accreditation for our simulation nursing wards from the North West Simulation Education Network (NWSEN), which recognises the facility as a centre of teaching excellence.

As you may remember from your time at Salford, the simulation suite in the Mary Seacole Building contains replica hospital wards and a mocked up flat, plus lifelike mannequins for students to practice complex procedures on.

Amanda Miller, Clinical Simulation Development and Innovation Lead at the University, said : “We are all thrilled and honoured to receive this accreditation. This will mean that all our courses and programmes for students are automatically accredited and recognised as the gold standard in simulation education.”

Agimol Pradeep, PhD Transplant Recipient Co-ordinator, Manchester Royal Infirmary As part of her PhD study, Agimol has been speaking at events across the country, as well as engaging with local communities, religious leaders and GPs to educate South Asian people about the benefits of joining the donor register. This demographic is three times more likely to need a kidney transplant than the general population, but donor numbers are low. As a result of her work, she has recruited an amazing 3,000 new donors, which could save 25,000 lives.

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From Salford

LIFE ON THE EDGE WITH BARRIE WILLIAMS I n September we were thrilled to hear that Salford alumnus Barrie Williams had won the British Wildlife Photography Award for his stunning images of seabirds in Scotland. After completing his first degree in Applied Marine Biology at Heriot-Watt University, Barrie gained his MA in Wildlife Documentary Production in 2014 at Salford, and has since worked for the BBC, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Edinburgh Zoo. The winning shot, entitled ‘On the Edge’, shows northern gannets in the Shetland Isles, and represents a body of work which began as a dissertation project for his MA. Barrie shot a short film about the breeding season of seabirds on the Isle of Noss, which allowed him to use an array of skills in research, pitching, budgeting,

Barrie Williams: On the Edge, Northern Gannets, Noss, Shetland Isles, Scotland Image courtesy of the photographer: www.barriewilliams.com

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scripting, risk assessment, filming, editing and sound production. Of his win, Barrie said, “All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the MA Wildlife Documentary Production Course.”

Barrie describes himself as a ‘saltwater junkie’ and can be found regularly snorkelling, surfing, and hiking along the shores of the UK. “What I love most about film is capturing the personality of the contributors - whether they are people or puffins - and sharing their stories.

Photography excites me as it poses the challenge of capturing those same personalities in a single frame.”

To see his other fantastic shots of birds, insects, mammals and landscapes, visit his website: www.barriewilliams.com

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

JIM GILES “THE SCARF EMBODIES WARMTH, SECURITY AND COMFORT”

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im Giles has to be one of our most unique alumni: after a long and successful career as a photographer and artist, he graduated with a MA in Contemporary Fine Art from Salford at 83 years old.

Jim is also a keen knitter, and after being struck by inspiration in the middle of the night, he set himself the task of knitting a 400m long scarf in which to wrap up Victoria Square, the building he calls home. Victoria Square opened in 1894 in order to help clear Manchester’s slums, and now provides a unique home for around 170 residents.

Jim had previously completed a knitting project as part of his final piece for his MA in which he crafted two scarves to represent

Manchester’s opposing football teams, City and United, but this project was on a whole new scale. After getting local knitting clubs and even volunteers from America to knit squares for the scarf, he managed to create the masterpiece he had envisioned.

With the help of over 100 people holding the scarf, a fire engine, the NHS and hundreds of viewers, on 18th October his creation was wrapped around the building that he loves so much. He said: “It was such a lovely thing to do as it embodied my feeling for this building, I absolutely love this building. It saved my life, when I first came here I’d lost my home, I’d lost my partner and this became my home. The scarf embodies warmth, security, comfort, all those things. That’s how it came to be.”

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ENVIRONMENT & LIFE SCIENCES NEWS From Salford

SIR WALTER BODMER OPENS NEW £3M LABORATORY I “THE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT DEMONSTRATES THE UNIVERSITY’S COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING THE BEST POSSIBLE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS”

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n February, we were excited to welcome back Sir Walter Bodmer to open the new £3m stateof-the-art Environment and Life Sciences laboratory, which has been named in his honour.

Known informally as the ‘Megalab’, the new laboratories in the Cockcroft Building are equipped as a world-class teaching facility, and feature an AV system that allows lecturers to be linked visually and audibly with interconnected labs.

Sir Walter, whom some of you may remember as University of Salford Chancellor from 19952005, was one of the proposers of the Human Genome Project in the 1980s. Considered the most significant advancement in biosciences in a century, the project mapped 3 billion pairs

of genes which make up our DNA and led to Sir Walter receiving his knighthood in 1986.

The opening of this new laboratory shows how the School is continuing to thrive, following the our impressive NSS results earlier this year which saw overall student satisfaction climb 9 percentage points to 87 per cent.

Professor Judith Smith, Dean of School of Environment and Life Sciences said: “The significant investment demonstrates the University’s commitment to providing the best possible experience for our students in biomedicine, genomics, zoology and environmental health and monitoring by developing outstanding facilities with cutting edge technical equipment.”

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

Tom Taylor BSc Wildlife Conservation, 2015 Wildlife Friends Foundation, Thailand Wildlife Conservation graduate Tom Taylor has been heavily involved in the recent exposure of the cruelty behind Thailand’s Buddhist-run Tiger Temple, a tourist attraction which kept 147 tigers in inhumane conditions. During the raid, the

HUMAN ACTIVITY CAUSE OF BEE VIRUS New research involving the University of Salford has found that the Deformed Wing Virus that is currently decimating global bee populations is man-made and driven by the European honeybee. The findings suggest that human trade and transportation of bees for crop pollination is driving the spread of the disease.

Millions of honeybees have been wiped out in the past decade, threatening the global food supply that relies on these insects for pollination. Stephen Martin, professor of social entomology at Salford, said, “This is a true pandemic and it’s only due to beekeepers that the honeybee has survived in the northern hemisphere in many areas since feral populations have almost disappeared.”

bodies of 40 dead tigers were found and now the process of removing the living animals has begun. Tom said, “We are hugely relieved the authorities have finally allowed ourselves and our partners to act to end this practice.”

SALFORD RESEARCHERS USE DRONES TO ASSESS FLOODING Geographers from the School have found that the floods that devastated Cumbria last winter were made much worse due to the breakdown of the natural symbiosis of rivers and floodplains, which they say are “probably the most degraded natural environment seen in Britain.”

Dr Neil Entwistle and Dr George Heritage used drones to film in the Eden river catchment, to highlight how the technology can quickly assess the potential role of upstream floodplain storage on the Eden and its tributaries.

Dr Entwistle said: “Instead of water naturally inundating valley bottom areas, where it would pond and flow more slowly downstream, it is draining and flowing downstream much quicker on account of the vegetation being largely managed grassland.” @SalfordAlumni

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HONORARY GRADUATES JOSH WEINSTEIN Doctor of Arts, honoris causa

Each year we are proud to recognise the contribution made by an esteemed selection of individuals to the society and culture in which we live, by awarding them with an honorary doctorate.

FARIDA ANDERSON MBA Doctor of Letters, honoris causa

Josh Weinstein is best known for his work as a writer on The Simpsons, penning classic episodes including “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” He was also writer and co-producer on Futurama and created his own cult-favourite animated show, Mission Hill.

Weinstein is awarded in recognition of this, and of his latest work on the CBBC show Strange Hill High, which is made by Altrincham’s Factory Transmedia. He’s been splitting his time between L.A. and Manchester, and recently visited to talk at the Salford International Media Festival, saying, “I’m obsessed with Manchester. People here are so open and funny.”

MARC RILEY Doctor of Arts, honoris causa Manchester born Marc Riley is awarded in recognition of his work in radio. Since 1990 he has worked on various stations and is currently a presenter on BBC 6 Music.

PROFESSOR JAMES POWELL OBE Doctor of the University, honoris causa Professor Powell is a former Pro Vice-Chancellor at Salford. He is awarded in recognition of his most recent initiative, Smart City Futures, which aims to keep Greater Manchester at the forefront of policy, strategy development and decision making within the UK and as a model for regions throughout the World. Find out more about the University’s work with Smart City Futures on pages 8-9.

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Farida is an entrepreneur and businesswoman, and is awarded in recognition of her work at the Farida Women’s Centre in Oldham, to support women offenders and their families.

DANIEL DOCHERTY Doctor of Letters, honoris causa Daniel is awarded in recognition of his work as a board member of Pathways Associates, supporting people with learning disabilities across the North West. He is also the SPICE group leader at Future Directions Community Interest Company.

JOY WATSON Doctor of the University, honoris causa Since her diagnosis with young onset dementia, Joy has surprised herself and her family with her impressive achievements. She has become a Dementia Associate at Salford, teaching on the M.S.c Dementia: Care and Enabling Environments, and working as a specialist advisor to the Salford Institute for Dementia.

Joy is awarded in recognition of this inspirational work, which she hopes will enable her to pass on important messages to the next generation, helping them better understand the disease and care for those affected by it.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016

Research and enterprise at the University of Salford The University’s research and enterprise activity continues to have a huge impact on the local, national and international communities we serve.

Does hot gossip lead to cold workplace relations?

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nformal, casual conversation about others not involved in the conversation, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true”, or ‘gossip’ as it’s more commonly known, can be found in practically all work environments. Many believe gossip to be harmless fun that can help bond teams together, but are those chats at the water cooler as benign as we think?

A new paper published by the University’s Human Resources research team may prove a worrying read for managers, suggesting that gossip could be damaging morale, making staff more cynical and lowering productivity for around a sixth of all workers.

The paper, published in the peer review journal International Journal of Human Resource Management, analyses survey data from 362 employees from 26 businesses across a range of industries. The team identified two types of gossip: non-work related, which was found to cause no harm to productivity, and work-related, which caused increases in

cynicism. More than 52% of the employees engaged with job related gossip, while 45% engaged with non-job related gossip, meaning this negative gossip is more prevalent in the workplace.

About 33% of the people who engage with the negative job related gossip were found to have cynical behaviour against their organisation and colleagues. This means up to one sixth of employees could be having their performance affected by gossip at work.

Previous studies have found that employees with a higher level of cynicism are more likely to doubt a manager’s strategies and to question their intentions, therefore negatively

affecting productivity.

Kirk Chang, Professor of Human Resources management and one of the authors of the study, issues a word of warning: “I would advise managers to be cautious about gossip in the workplace as we found it can cause cynical behaviour among employees and it is clear that it can have damaging effect on morale and therefore productivity.”

But managers shouldn’t be too hasty in clamping down on all workplace chatter: “You might think that gossip about non work matters might harm productivity, but we found that the opposite. Gossip about nonwork related things had no impact.” @SalfordAlumni

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t’s an oft-recurring argument between football supporters: who had the best side of all time? Was it Alex Ferguson’s Man United in 1992; Arsene Wenger’s 2004 Invincibles; or Jose Mourinho’s 2006 Chelsea squad? Now, at least statistically speaking, this argument has been settled by SAM. SAM isn’t a football pundit but a super computer, whose name stands for Sports Analytics Machine. It’s the creation of Ian McHale and the new Centre for Sports Business team, which opened earlier this year at Salford Business School.

The centre’s mission is to be a global leader in Sports Business Analysis. Headed by Professor Chris Brady, the centre aims to innovate in the world of performance analysis, and provide advice and research into analytics, sports law, finance and economics.

Ian, a Professor of Sports Analytics, has used SAM to develop some exciting research projects. By looking at every English Football League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup match played from 1888 to 2012 - which totals a whopping 206,843 games - he has identified the best decade of maximum strength for each team, which can be compared with any side from any era.

Professor Ian McHale

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It’s a real testament to the consistent excellence of United under Sir Alex Ferguson throughout the nineties and the early 21st Century

The result is Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United team of 1992-2002, which won eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one League Cup. The side saw the meteoric rise of players David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Phil and Gary Neville, who inspired the next generation of football stars.

core

Gary Neville wasn’t surprised by the results, saying, “I’m really pleased to see United coming top of the pile for the 1992-2002 period. It’s a real testament to the consistent excellence of United under Sir Alex Ferguson throughout the nineties and the early 21st Century, dealing with Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United in the early years and an impressive Arsenal under Arsene Wenger later on.”

This research has been judged worldleading at REF14, with panel feedback commending the work as being “outstanding in terms of reach and significance”, showing the real-world impact that our researchers continue to achieve.

SAM has also been used to create the EA Sports Player Performance Indicator (PPI), the official player rating system of the Barclays Premier League, which measures a player’s contribution to the success of his team.

Although supporters may believe that their team’s striker is the best in the league, with

Ian’s system personal opinion counts for little.

Instead, proven statistical measurements, which become more accurate as the season progresses, are used to determine who the most formidable player really is.

The indices are: winning performance, player’s performance per match, appearances, goals scores, assists, and number of clean sheets. The results this season suggest that Tottenham’s forward Harry Kane has come out on top, with Leicester’s Riyad Marez and Jamie Vardy in second and third place respectively.

But of course, the beautiful game isn’t all about statistics, and SAM can’t account for the aesthetics of a team or player. So, the argument as to who plays the best-looking football remains unresolved.

Professor Ian McHale was the speaker at our most recent London alumni lecture. Find out more about our events on pages 44-45.

@SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

STAY

CONNECTED

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ne of the most valuable aspects of your alumni network is that it provides Salford graduates with the ability to connect with, support and learn from a global network of over 150,000 peers with a shared educational experience.

We can help you to track down former classmates through our ‘find a friend’ service and even support you in organising a reunion. We can arrange campus tours, provide a central location, and offer complimentary tea and coffee. We can also organise a range of chargeable hospitality options, such as buffet lunches.

Please contact your alumni team for further details: t: +44 (0)161 295 4265. e: alumni@salford.ac.uk w: www.salford.ac.uk/alumni

Remember to keep your details up to date if you move house or change your job (www. salford.ac.uk/alumni/update). If you’d like to tell us how the University has impacted your career, complete our testimonial form at: www.salford.ac.uk/ stayconnected.

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ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

GET

INV LVED Salford’s alumni community holds a vast amount of knowledge, experience and insight that represents an essential resource for the University and our current students.

SUPPORTING YOUR UNIVERSITY There are many ways to get involved: speaking at Open Days and recruitment fairs; sitting on panels at applicant visit days and careers fairs; and giving testimonials to accreditation panels. We are also keen to hear from alumni who may be interested in joining or establishing a local group for alumni networking and ambassadorship.

SUPPORTING CURRENT STUDENTS Why not support the next generation of Salford students through volunteering your time, sharing your knowledge and helping to create opportunities for them? This makes a huge difference to individual students and it also provides you with the chance to help inspire future leaders and professionals. From sharing your specialist knowledge in a masterclass to joining a careers insight panel, if you are interested in providing practical advice to students, to help them improve their professional skills and understanding, please get in touch.

WORK-BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Work-based learning opportunities significantly enhance Salford graduates’ employability and benefits industry by helping to create a well-trained pool of talent that is equipped to meet their needs.

Opportunities to support this work, include offering work placements like the one undertaken by Tamara Karim (opposite), as well as providing live-briefs and even recruiting Salford graduates.

PROVIDING A STUDENT PLACEMENT: ALUMNUS-LED FIRM RECRUITS SALFORD STUDENT TO LAUNCH SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME Headed by Salford alumnus Tamara Karim Bob Hope (BSc Construction Management, 1992), leading architecture and engineering consultancy SSH launched their new summer internship programme with the recruitment of BSc Architecture Design and Technology student Tamara Karim.

Committed to supporting the next generation of industry professionals, SSH wanted to provide an opportunity for a talented individual to develop their skills. Tamara’s passion and dedication was credited with landing her the position.

She says, “The placement was a great opportunity to get experience abroad and work on a Norman Foster building, so I applied. I was so happy when I was successful.”

“WORKING WITH ALUMNI HELPS STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE AND WORK TOWARDS ONCE GRADUATING, AND COMPANIES GAIN SKILLED AND MOTIVATED INDIVIDUALS.” During the placement Tamara developed wide-ranging practical experience, from architectural sketching to presenting conceptual ideas to clients. Karen Mort, SSH’s Business Development Director, said: “With new skills, international experience, and several largescale projects in her portfolio, Tamara has made a really positive impact on her future”.

Since returning to Salford Tamara has shared her experiences, encouraging other students to consider placements themselves: “The University has many hard working students who are passionate and highly skilled in their respective fields. Working with alumni helps students to understand what they can achieve and work towards once graduating, and companies gain skilled and motivated individuals.”

Interested in offering a placement? The careers service can provide detailed information, guidance, and support with recruiting a student.

For further details, see: www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/ workplacementprovider Or contact: alumni@salford.ac.uk

If you are interested in supporting current Salford students, please contact us at alumni@salford.ac.uk, or on 0161 295 4265 @SalfordAlumni

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ALUMNI EVENTS From Salford

SALFORD WINTER CELEBRATION 2015

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Alumni illusionist Barrington Powell with Prof Kirsty Fairclough

n December, we held a special Winter Celebration for our alumni to celebrate and showcase the extraordinary achievements of our graduates.

Alumni Achievement Awards were presented to a number of our esteemed graduates, including ITV News Central presenter Sameena Ali-Khan, social media entrepreneur Jamil Khalil and wildlife documentary film-maker Luke Blazejewski – all of whom were nominated for the awards by their fellow alumni.

The evening’s entertainment was provided by a host of home-grown Salford talents, including stand-up comic and Salford alumnus Karl Lucas, best known for his appearances on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and The Voice, as well as appearing on Peter Kay’s spoof series Britain’s Got the Pop Factor.

Barrington Powell, a professional illusionist who donates much of his spare time to performing in hospitals for sick children, gave a mesmerising magic display involving sawing in half Professor Kirsty Fairclough from the School of Arts and Media. Fortunately, Professor Kirsty was put back together before the end of the evening.

This year’s rugby league varsity match against Manchester University saw a number of alumni join us for a special reception at the AJ Bell stadium where they cheered on their Salford team from the stands. After a hard fought and well matched game Manchester were the victors… until next year.

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JAVED KHAN LAUNCHES NEW ALUMNI LECTURE PROGRAMME In March, alumnus Javed Khan, Chief Executive of Banardo’s, delivered the inaugural Annual Salford Alumni Lecture. This event marked the establishment of a new tradition where a Salford graduate will be invited to deliver a talk in their area of expertise each year, as part of the University’s Public Lecture series.

Javed, who graduated with a BSc in Mathematics in 1984, gave his lecture ‘No Child Left Behind – Transforming Life Chances For 150 Years’, which examined the differences and similarities in the issues facing vulnerable children over the last 150 years, against a backdrop of changing public policy.

Brian Boag, Dean of Salford’s School of Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work & Social Care, said, “It was wonderful for so many of our Salford family to meet a former student who has helped make a difference.”

The School researches ways to improve the support available to local vulnerable children, whilst donations from our alumni help to fund programmes such as the Salford Advantage Bursaries scheme.

ALUMNI RECEPTION AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS In March, some of our most influential alumni and donors were invited to an intimate event at the House of Commons.

The evening was an opportunity for alumni to meet Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Marshall and learn more about her strategic direction and vision for the University in an on-stage interview with Sameena Ali-Khan, alumna and ITV news presenter. The event was hosted

by Rebecca Long Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles and also saw the renewal of our partnership with Santander Universities.

RECOGNISING OUR DONORS AND SUPPORTERS In April, we said thank you to around 100 of our donors and supporters at our annual reception, celebrating the impact of philanthropy Salford.

The Chancellor, Professor Jackie Kay and Pro ViceChancellor (Academic) Professor Paul Rowlett outlined the difference alumni generosity makes on campus. Donors had the opportunity to meet some of the beneficiaries of their support, including first-year student Yasir Alrufaee, who spoke about the impact of his scholarship.

Alumna Sameena Ali-Khan with VC Helen Marshall

LONDON ALUMNI LEARN MORE ABOUT SAM

Professor Ian McHale In May, Professor Ian McHale from the Centre of Sports Business visited our London-based alumni at the prestigious venue The Royal Society, where he gave a fascinating insight into the world of sports analytics. The subject is currently hitting the sports headlines as traditional pundits’ predictions are being beaten by this new analysis. The talk proved to be very popular, with around 80 attendees keen to hear about Professor Ian’s work with SAM, the Sports Analytics Machine, in determining the greatest football team of all time.

To find out more about SAM and the team behind it, see our research supplement Perspectives on page 40.

@SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

THE IMPACT OF YOUR

GENEROSITY

Through regular giving, our generous alumni continue to help us change lives. Your donations fund scholarships for gifted individuals who would not otherwise have the opportunity to study; support cutting edge research with global impact and enhance the lives of current students through campus improvement initiatives.

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his year, the Salford Advantage Fund has gone from strength to strength, with nearly £100,000 of donations. Current projects benefiting from donations include the Clifford Whitworth Library development project, which will improve facilities for all users; and the Student Hardship Fund which supports students through unforeseeable financial difficulties, ensuring they continue with their studies.

One of the campus initiatives that benefited this year was Shock Radio, the University’s radio station run by students, for students. Our student calling team met Shock Radio Station Manager Paul Jones at the newly-refurbished studios to find out how alumni gifts were making a difference.

What drew you to get involved with Shock Radio?

I’d done a little bit of radio before, but Shock was one of the main reasons I applied to this university. I wanted to be part of a society where I knew I’d have fun every time I came into it, also I’m a massive radio nerd so this was perfect for me.

What is it about Shock Radio that makes it such an important part of the Salford experience?

People who want to join Shock are, I think I can say this, a little weird.

Joining a society where everyone is then a little bit weird is great because you can make some really good friends here and that’s what I did. You can come in every week and do something different with your show and you can’t do that with any other society.

What was Shock Radio able to purchase with the money donated by our alumni, and why was it so crucial?

We were able to put some money towards our broadcast desks which are probably the most important part of the station. The money also helped us finish the studio move, it helped get the bits of equipment that otherwise we wouldn’t have.

How has this equipment made a difference?

The broadcast quality has enhanced since the move so we now sound better than we ever have before. The shows are able to do things that professional stations can do and to have that experience before going into the industry is just so important. Shock prepares people not just for careers in presenting but a number of other roles that are available in industry.

Why do you think that alumni should support student projects, like Shock Radio?

Honestly the alumni funding was crucial for Shock Radio and the move to the new studios. The work that went into the studio build was huge but was worth every sleepless night. This project has helped put us ahead of the pack for a long time and is the best student station in Manchester by miles. Shock is so important to so many people’s university experience that if projects like this aren’t supported it would be such a shame, because people can use this as a stepping stone in their careers and personal development.

Following their visit to the studios, one of our student callers, Amber, said, “There are so many projects around campus that gifts from alumni are supporting, but I am aware just how many opportunities Shock Radio offers budding broadcasters, and the information and entertainment that it provides the whole campus with. I look forward to chatting to alumni about the studio visit in the future.”

If you would like to make a difference to our students, campus or research, please visit: www.salford.ac.uk/alumni/giving-to-salford for more details.

Alternatively, if you would like to arrange to catch up with a Student Caller about the latest from Salford, please email Lauren Girling l.girling@salford.ac.uk @SalfordAlumni

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BENEFITS SERVICES No matter where life takes you, you’re never far away from the Salford community. We’ll update you on our latest news and events, and let you know about opportunities for you to get involved and stay connected with us

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here are many benefits of being part of our alumni network, with services that you can access to help support you in your personal, professional and academic development: Libraries: Use any of the reference books, quiet spaces and study rooms and take out up to four books at a time.

Sports centre: Alumni have full access to the University’s Sports Centre at competitive rates. Facilities include a swimming pool, sauna, spa and fitness classes.

Find out more at: www.sports.salford.ac.uk Intramural sports: Salford’s Intramural Sports programme offers students, staff and graduates the opportunity to play semi-competitive sports in a fun, social league. Find out more at: www.salfordstudents. com/intramuralsport

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To find out more about all of the alumni benefits and services available to you, please visit our website www.salford.ac.uk/alumni, or contact us at alumni@salford.ac.uk or 0161 295 4265.

Your careers service You can access the University of Salford Careers service on campus, online, via telephone or Skype. Our careers advisers offer confidential and impartial advice to help you with a wide range of issues.

You can also continue to use our exclusive jobs portal: www.careers.salford.ac.uk/jobs Business support Our Enterprise Team have range of services to help you set up and grow your own business, and develop the skills and competencies to succeed. To find out more, visit: www.careers.salford.ac.uk/enterprise Employers We offer a range of services for employers and can help you advertise and recruit students and graduates for your vacancies: www.salford.ac.uk/business/employ-students

CLA S Look out for the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey

2016 OF

Health clinics: Many of the School of Health Sciences’ facilities are available to our alumni at very competitive rates, including: Podiatry Clinics, Running Performance Clinics, and Sports Injury, Exercise & Rehabilitation Clinics. Please visit: www.salford.ac.uk/health-sciences/facilities

As a Salford graduate, you are eligible for a 25% loyalty discount on postgraduate study.

Graduates are also eligible for a 1015% discount on continuing professional development courses (CPD) offered by Salford Professional Development. Please visit: www.salford.ac.uk/onecpd

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Alumni House: Use the meeting at Alumni House to catch up with emails, meet old friends or hold your business meetings. There’s free tea, coffee and wifi.

Fee discounts

Coming your way six months after graduation, the survey helps us find out what you’ve gone on to do now that you’ve completed your course. The information is anonymised and helps to inform prospective students and higher education policy.

Careers fairs Our careers fairs provide the perfect opportunity for students, graduates and employers to network, make valuable industry contacts and find out about the talent and opportunities on offer.

To find out more about all the careers services available to you, visit us at www.careers.salford.ac.uk.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2016/17

YOUR UPDATES We are always delighted to receive updates from alumni telling us about their weddings and new arrivals.

We also take the time to remember those who are no longer with us.

Please email alumni@salford.ac.uk to share your update.

CONDOLENCES ALLAN COWNIE We were saddened to hear of the passing of Dr Allan Cownie, a much valued former member of staff at the University. Allan was a distinguished academic and scientist, who also became one of Manchester’s most respected artists. He had a wonderfully eclectic and successful career, becoming a senior lecturer at the University, which he eventually left to pursue his love of art. He was commissioned to paint portraits, including Salford’s first vice-chancellor, Clifford Whitworth.

He is survived by his wife Cynthia; their children, Philippa, David and Fiona; and seven grandchildren, James, Edward, Lily, Tom, Joe, Max and Ella.

The University extends its deepest condolences to Allan’s family.

HITCHED Congratulations to all our alumni who have recently married

SARAH WILSON

CHIOMA UCHENNA-EMEZUE & OGECHUKWU CHUKWURA We met Chioma Uchenna-Emezue and Ogechukwu Chukwura at an alumni reception in Nigeria in March this year. We were delighted to discover that they met while studying at Salford and were getting married two weeks after the event.

Chioma said “I met the love of my life at a friend’s party in Matthias Court in 2008. I remember we danced and then I asked him what it would be like to spend the rest of my life with him. We became friends and after seven years we are getting married.”

Ogechukwu added “I loved my time at Salford. Not only did I meet my spectacular wife to be, I also loved the International Student Society, particularly the trip to the Peak District as well as the orientation programme.”

Sarah Wilson (nee Garner) married husband Colin in May last year in her hometown of Darlington. Sarah studied HND Business and Finance at Salford from 1996-1999. Congratulations to Sarah and Colin!

@SalfordAlumni

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From Salford

A DAY IN THE LIFE…

… OF OUR CHANCELLOR AND WRITER IN RESIDENCE, JACKIE KAY

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So what does the writer in residence role involve?

It involves me using poetry across the University, and I do this by collaborating with many different departments. For example, I wrote a poem for our graduating students called ‘Dear Graduates’. There’s going to be a statue of the philosopher Friedrich Engels’ beard outside New Adelphi building, and I wrote a poem about him that’s going to go onto the top. I also want to write a poem for the Energy House. Earlier this year I became Scots Makar, which is Scotland’s national poet.

Makar means ‘maker’ and I like the idea of going into the Engineering students, making a poem and having it printed on various textures from plastic to tin to steel.

You can put poetry into anything can’t you?

Exactly, I’m really interested in making a ‘poetic map’ of the campus because poetry is the language of being human and it touches people’s lives in different ways.

It’s really interesting how your poetry will have a longstanding impact on the University.

I hope so. I hope that it has a sort of legacy.

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I’m sure that because you weren’t expecting it you value it more though? You were chosen for such an amazing role so you must have a lot of significance to the University.

I think they thought I would be a good ambassador for the University, and that’s what I’m passionate about. Salford is a brilliant place full of good hearted and innovative people.

It’s a diverse place to be! So what would you say are your favourite parts of the job?

Meeting people. I love meeting people who are in a discipline that I might not know anything about. They often have really interesting stories.

t Salford we are incredibly fortunate to have Scotland’s national poet Jackie Kay as our chancellor and writer in residence. Her presence is felt throughout the campus as a beacon of positivity and creativity.

But what does a chancellor and writer in residence do? We sent first year journalism student Amber-Lily Goulden to find out.

Amber: Jackie, tell me about your role at the University.

Jackie: I’m chancellor and writer in residence.

Both parts of the role are equally important to me. In fact it doesn’t feel like there’s a separation.

going to lunch for, and he just said “how would you like to be chancellor of the University?” I was so surprised. I didn’t eat any of my lunch I was so surprised!

You must really love what you do?

You’re right, I absolutely love it. I’m really lucky because there’s no two days the same.

I’m often on the move. I love it when I can come into my office in Peel Building, which I think is the most beautiful building in the whole University.

Salford’s been brave having a poet as chancellor and Manchester University have a poet as chancellor too. We’re two neighbouring cities that both have poets as chancellors and that’s quite a strong thing.

What is it that you do as a chancellor?

That’s a brilliant question, because nobody knows! Different chancellors approach their role very differently. To me, it’s very important to be a hands on chancellor and for people to see me around the place. That’s why I’m also writer in residence, because it gives me a chance to get to know people in different departments and disciplines. The chancellor is traditionally from the royal family so they’re not usually ordinary people from a working class background. I wear the robes at graduation; I congratulate the students on getting their degree; I give out awards. There are all sorts of different things that you do as chancellor. I guess a chancellor is a nominal head of the University.

So did you always have in your mind that you wanted to be a chancellor? How did it come about?

No, the previous vice-chancellor just invited me to lunch one day. I had no idea what I was

The most historic as well!

Definitely, I love days when I’m based here and can see everyone who works or studies in the building. I usually head over to Salford Museum and Art Gallery for lunch and say hi to all the women there, who I know pretty well now. Then I say hi to the staff downstairs Handyman Mike and Deep cleaning John.

Is that your own nicknames for them?

They introduced themselves to me like that!

I love Salford!

Me too! It’s fantastic! Then I’ll have a walk down to the University library or to the Working Class Movement Library. There are days when I’m always on the move. I’m also the national poet of Scotland so half of my time is spent in Scotland. I’m actually going to Edinburgh today, I’m at the Houses of Parliament tomorrow.

You’re so busy!

I think because people have been excited about me becoming the Makar, its sparked imaginations! I also have to find the time to write. That’s the most important thing for me, that I have that creative time for myself. We all have busy lives and it’s just about finding that time to yourself.

Book your meeting or event at the University and benefit from a 10% Alumni discount. We have a range of facilities to suit every event from meeting facilities and lecture theatres to TV and Radio Studios at our MediaCityUK site.

As well as benefiting from a discount for being a former student you would also be giving a helping hand to current students! We are the first Social Business conference venue in the North West and all the profit made is donated to a scholarship fund, creating a real social impact.

CONFERENCING @

SALFORD

Please visit our website: www.salford.ac.uk/conferencing-at-salford for further information or call us on 0161 295 5374 and quote ALUMNI2016

SALFORD

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Salford Professional Development helps delegates to achieve their career goals through lifelong learning and development programmes that draw upon over 100 years of educational excellence. Continued professional development (CPD) is fundamental to career progression, helping people to learn new skills, keep up with the changing demands of the workplace and gain valuable qualifications in the process.

LEADERSHIP WITH SALFORD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

WHAT YOU CAN STUDY We offer a comprehensive range of professional development services across the following sectors:

The Certificate in Executive Business Administration (CEBA) serves as a gateway to the full MBA, it is an ideal option for executives who are seeking to improve their knowledge across a wide spread of advanced skill sets, delivered at Salford Business School, University of Salford, Business School of the Year 2014.

• Education

• Business and Law

• Health and Social Care

• Built Environment

We have a limited amount of part funded places to attend the CEBA throughout 2016.

To find out more about funding please contact Paul Bolton on p.bolton@salford.ac.uk

• Media and Digital

• Public Services

www.salford.ac.uk/onecpd | 0161 295 3000

WE OFFER 25% OFF POSTGRADUATE TUITION FEES FOR OUR GRADUATE ALUMNI. IF YOU’RE AWARDED A 2:1 OR ABOVE IN YOUR UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE, YOU’LL RECEIVE A MINIMUM OF £1,500 OFF THE COST OF YOUR QUALIFICATION – AMOUNTS VARY DEPENDING ON THE COURSE AND FEES.

YOU CAN ALSO APPLY FOR A POSTGRADUATE LOAN OF UP TO £10,000 TO COVER FEES AND LIVING EXPENSES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:

WWW.GOV.UK/BROWSE/EDUCATION/STUDENT-FINANCE

CHOOSE FROM A RANGE OF COURSES IN: ARTS AND MEDIA BUSINESS AND LAW ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENT AND LIFE SCIENCES HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

FIND OUT MORE: WWW.SALFORD.AC.UK/STUDY/POSTGRADUATE