Alumni News Autumn Edition 2023 by University of Suffolk

ALUMNI NEWS Autumn Edition 2023

Contents

ONTENT

Contents

Forward

Welcome to the Class of 2023

Graduation 2023

Alumni Survey

News

Supporting the University

Civic University Project

Opportunities and Events

Our Amazing Alumni

Welcome

DID YOU KNOW?

The University of Suffolk secured a silver rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) — a national benchmark for quality of teaching, learning and student outcomes.

Welcome to the latest edition of Alumni News! As Head of Careers, Employability and Enterprise at the University of Suffolk, as well as a very proud alum of the University of almost 10 years, I’m very honoured to have been asked by the Alumni Relations and Development Team to welcome you to this edition of your alumni newsletter. A particularly special welcome goes to our newest members of the alumni community, the Class of 2023!

The Enterprise and Careers Zone is located within the same building as our Library and Students’ Union, ensuring it is at the heart of the student experience and easily accessible whenever students need it. Designed to be welcoming and inclusive, the Zone is open all year round for events, one-to-ones and casual conversations about ideas and plans for the future. The Zone is enhanced by our online platforms FutureMe and Handshake, which ensures that support

It was fantastic to see so many of you cross the stage and collect your awards, and to be able to celebrate your special day with you.

is available to all students and graduates 24 hours a day through things like our CV360 AI feedback tool and our Jobs Board. Alumni can still access these platforms, so email us at careers@uos.ac.uk and we can give you more information about how to do this.

This edition has lots of updates for you, including on our most recent graduation ceremonies, a further opportunity for you to complete the alumni survey and tell us your views, our latest university news stories, some inspiring stories from our amazing alumni, and updates on lots of exciting things you can get involved in in 2024 — including the next Connection Week! Lots has been happening at the University in recent months, and whilst I might be a little biased, one of the things we are most proud of is the launch of a brand-new Enterprise and Careers Zone on our Ipswich campus. The Zone opened on Wednesday 13 September, complementing the investment we have made to triple the size of our Careers, Employability and Enterprise team, and has welcomed many students and graduates through the door in the first two months. We would love to welcome graduates to visit, so get in touch with us if you’d like a tour or to join us to promote opportunities within your own organisation.

Forward

FORWARD

For so many of you, coming to the University of Suffolk was motivated by a desire to follow a career goal, whether it was to pursue a specific job or sector, or to build a deeper knowledge of your chosen subject area. However, we know the world is constantly changing, which brings with it countless new opportunities; with the traditional career ladder now mostly something of the past, we want to support you in navigating these many twists and turns. To help, we are able to offer you, our alumni community, support for life, meaning we’re here when you need us, wherever your future might take you.

Amy Carpenter Head of Careers, Employability and Enterprise careers@uos.ac.uk uos.ac.uk/careers

WELCOME TO THE CLASS OF 2023 A huge warm welcome to the Class of 2023. You are now part of a global network of thousands of like-minded graduates and we are so proud of your achievements. You now have access to a wide range of benefits and services, and we hope that you will stay connected to the University through reading our newsletters, social media and taking advantage of the opportunities we offer our graduates.

Welcome to the Class of 2023

All alumni have access to the following: Lifelong support from the Careers, Employability and Enterprise team Access to the online Jobs Board Discounts on CPD and Postgraduate Study Continued access to the library Invitations to exclusive events Discounted membership to Innovations Labs and support with business and start-up needs Alumni reunions and networking opportunities 3 x newsletters each year to keep you up to date with university news We value our Alumni Community greatly and hope that you will keep in contact with us. Remember to keep your contact details up to date and send us your news. We are proud to share the successes of our alumni and although your career journey is likely to take many different paths, staying connected and involved with your university equips you for your future and gives future generations the benefit of your experience. For more information, please visit uos.ac.uk/alumni

Welcome to the Class of 2023

DID YOU KNOW?

The University of Suffolk was rated 5th for Career Prospects by the WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2023

GRADUATI 2023 One of the most exciting weeks of the year, Graduation 2023, took place from 13-19 October with hundreds of students celebrating their achievements with family, friends and staff.

Graduation 2023

Graduation began in Great Yarmouth on Friday 13 October where students based at East Coast College were given their degree certificates in a wonderful ceremony in the Minster. They were joined by honorary graduate Zeb Soanes, the Classic FM presenter, children’s author and former BBC 4 presenter. On Saturday 14, St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds hosted ceremonies for University of Suffolk at West Suffolk College graduates, while at the Ipswich campus ceremonies began on Saturday morning and were held across the weekend,

including students based at the London School of Commerce, Suffolk New College, those on teacher training programmes and Ipswich-based students. The ceremonies continued in Ipswich throughout the week and were held in our graduation marquee on the Waterfront. It was fantastic to see our graduates crossing the stage and we hope that the Class of 2023 enjoyed their celebrations. If you were unable to attend your ceremony, we hope that you celebrated with family and/or friends to mark your achievements in style. The University welcomed five new Honorary Graduates throughout Graduation Week, all with strong Suffolk roots and celebrated for their fantastic contributions to our county.

You can read more about our Honorary Graduates here.

Graduation 2023

Our 2023 Honorary Graduates included Hamil Clarke MBE, Charlie Haylock, Ann Osborn, Cathy Ryan MBE and Zeb Soanes.

All graduation photo albums can be found here.

ION

ALUMNI SURVEY 2023 By now you will have received your link to the Alumni Survey 2023 via email. The survey opened on 26 October and closes on Friday 1 December. It is your chance to give us your views on the service we offer and the benefits you have access to, helping us to shape the future of Alumni Relations at the University of Suffolk to best meet your needs. There is still time to fill it in and by completing the survey you have the chance to be included in our prize draw to win one of five £100 Amazon gift cards. Thank you to all of you who have completed the survey so far. If you have not received the link via email, please contact us at alumni@uos.ac.uk or via the Update Your Details Form to edit your information.

DID YOU KNOW?

COMPLETE THE SURVEY

The University of Suffolk has six research institutes, representing both our current strengths and future areas of opportunity.

News

NEWS Third Book Published by MA Student Writers Suffolk Reflections is the third book written by our MA Creative and Critical Writing students. The latest volume joins previous anthologies — Suffolk Folk and Suffolk Arboretum — in a collection of original short stories which are based on Suffolk and published by the University's very own publishing house, Talking Shop press. It was wonderful to see so many alumni present at the book launch on 3 Octobe 2023r. An interactive map has also been created by lecturer and alum, Laura Polley, so readers can find out more about the landscapes featured in each story.

"I love Suffolk and to be able to introduce other people to this beautiful county is quite an honour. I wrote about Pin Mill as it’s a place that has a real pull and I get a lot of inspiration from the lapping water and stillness there, so to create a story based on that place was an unexpected and most welcome opportunity." — Jeni Neill Author

READ THE FULL STORY

University’s Commitment to Research Recognised The European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award from Vita has been retained following the University’s six-year review, giving public recognition for its commitment to its researchers. This award shows the University of Suffolk has demonstrated long-term commitment to the career development of its researchers.

"We are delighted that our thriving research culture has again been recognised and rewarded. The University of Suffolk both endorses and supports the principles of the UK Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and this is exemplified by the many activities undertaken across the university." — Professor Emma Bond Pro Vice-Chancellor Research

READ THE FULL STORY

Aspiring Business Owners Invited to Boot Camp Budding entrepreneurs were invited to sign up to a Business Start-Up course at the University of Suffolk run by the Careers, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Team. Launching in October, the session offered participants a chance to network and hear start-up stories.

"This boot camp is a great opportunity to turn a business idea into reality with the support of university lecturers and industry experts who will encourage and advise at every step." — Hannah Page Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Officer

READ THE FULL STORY

University of Suffolk Continues Ranking Rise The University has performed strongly in two UK university rankings across areas including employability and student experience, as well as for the delivery of individual courses.

"Our students benefit from our focus on skills development and employability, and this is reflected in the number of Suffolk students working in graduate-level jobs 15 months after graduation or returning to higher education."

Suffolk climbed one place to 68 out of 122 universities based on factors such as teaching, assessment, spend per students and employability. History and Graphic Design courses were the highest rated, both ranking in 7th place.

— Professor Mohammad Dastbaz

DID YOU KNOW?

Deputy Vice-Chancellor

READ THE FULL STORY

News

The University of Suffolk rose 42 places in the latest English Social Mobility Index and now sits 37th in the table.

The University of Suffolk is a charity and receives donations from alumni, friends and staff. Launching its fundraising activity in 2016 with the primary aim of maximising the student experience, we have raised thousands of pounds through generous donations from our growing community of supporters.

Supporting the University

SUPPORTING THE UNIVERSITY Contact us You can get in touch by emailing giving@uos.ac.uk or you can visit uos.ac.uk/giving Donate today

By donating to the University of Suffolk you are investing in futures, supporting independence of thought and helping to transform lives through education. Recent projects made possible by generous investment of our supporters and funders are: The DigiTech Centre at BT’s Adastral Park, delivering cutting-edge information and communications technology, teaching and research The new Health and Wellbeing Building, housing our Integrated Care Academy – the first of its kind in the country Activities supporting and enhancing student wellbeing and mental health Projects promoting and celebrating diversity, equality and inclusion within our university community and across the region We hope that you feel you have benefitted from philanthropic giving during your studies, through the vast improvement in facilities available to you or perhaps through a funded project which had an important impact on your student experience. We hope that you or your families may consider donating to the University either now or in the future, supporting us in our mission of transformation through education.

CIVIC UNIVERSITY PROJECT The University of Suffolk was created to address the needs of Suffolk and we pride ourselves on being a Community Impact Institution. Civic University Agreements are a recognised mechanism for formalising the relationship between a university and its community and for assessing the impact of its work. We are working towards Civic University status and, as our valued alumni, we would like to invite you to complete this online survey to share your opinions about community engagement activities and to help us understand ways in which we can make a meaningful Civic University pledge to our community. Please complete this survey here.

Civic University Project

*Please note that this is a completely independent survey to our main Alumni Survey and is therefore not included in the prize draw.

DID YOU KNOW?

The University of Suffolk climbed 20 places in the Complete University Guide 2024, rising from 100 to 80, following a 26-place rise in the same guide in 2023.

Opportunities and Events

OPPORTUNITIES AND EVENTS New Enterprise and Careers Zone is Open to Alumni In September the Careers, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Team opened the Enterprise and Careers Zone (ECZ) on the Ipswich campus. Open to students and alumni, this is a one-stop shop for all of your career advice needs. You can visit the hub in L0.92, right next to the SU shop in the Library Building, or contact the team at careers@uos.ac.uk to arrange an appointment. The ECZ houses soundproof pods for confidential conversations, space to hold online interviews and one-to-ones. You will also have access to a featured jobs board, meeting tables and a cosy resource corner.

If you don’t live nearby, you can still access support by contacting the team and arranging an online appointment, accessing online support and/or joining their webinars. As graduates you have access to lifelong support from our Careers team, whether you need it now or in the future. Find out more about what the team can offer you here. You can also learn about careers events here.

PhD Study Many of you have requested further information on PhD study. You do not have to have a Master’s qualification to do a PhD at the University of Suffolk and you can access a 25% Alumni Loyalty Discount. Financial loans are also available. If you don’t live nearby, you can still access support by contacting the team and arranging an online appointment, accessing online support and/or joining their webinars.

You can access all the information you need here including: PhD subject areas and supervisors Applying for a PhD PhD funding and scholarships Information about support and the Suffolk Doctoral College Contact Kerri Stevenson, Postgraduate Research Academic Coordinator in the Suffolk Doctoral College, on 01473 338272 or email suffolkdoctoralcollege@uos.ac.uk for more information.

See what our PhD students think

Postgraduate Opportunities While you may think that you can only start postgraduate qualifications in September, the University of Suffolk is able to offer a selection of our postgraduate taught programmes with an additional entry point in January 2024. Business and Management Courses Suffolk Executive MBA MSc International Business Management MSc Strategic People Management Computing Courses MSc Advanced Computing MSc Applied Cyber Security Professional Health Courses MSc Adult Nursing MSc Diagnostic Radiography Find out more about postgraduate study at the University of Suffolk here.

"I chose to study at the University of Suffolk because of their innovative teaching; the block-and-blend approach means you can get a greater understanding of each module and the subject area." — Deepli Thakur MSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

Events All events can be found on our website. SAVE THE DATE: Research Community Seminar Series — 5 December 2023, 1.00–2.30pm at The Hold SAVE THE DATE: Connection Week 2024 — 29 April to 3 May 2024 Children and Childhoods Conference 2024 — 10 July 2023 SAVE THE DATE: Spring Careers Fair — 12 March 2024

Opportunities and Events

‘Your Future’ Weekly Webinar Series These interactive, online webinars will be held in collaboration with a wide variety of organisations and the Careers Team throughout the academic year, so keep checking the Events Section on our new online platform, Handshake, to find out

what’s coming up. All sessions are also recorded so if you can’t attend on the day, you can catch up with them at a later date.

Ipswich Entrepreneurship Network These fun networking events aim to combat the isolation of business start-up life by fostering a sense of community. Join the Enterprise Team, students and alumni for networking, advice and an opportunity to collaborate. The next session will be held on 30 November at MIX Café + Bar on the Ipswich Waterfront, after which they will take place once a month. You can simply just turn up or book here.

We are proud to share real-life stories from our inspirational graduates. If you would like to share yours, please contact us at alumni@uos.ac.uk

Our Amazing Alumni

OUR AMAZING ALUMNI The University is also affordable and its location is close to London where I have a few relatives — I wanted to be close to family. Additionally, the modules for the course also cover most of the significant data science and AI tools, which means they could help me achieve my career goals. I am really glad I chose the University. I believe that the University’s partnership with local businesses and organisations to provide opportunities to students is one of its main strengths. I benefited from that while studying by taking up part-time opportunities with a few organisations (including Sizewell C, Guided Innovation and Innovation Labs). Particularly, the Careers, Employability and Enterprise team did (and still do) a great job in that regard. I think the University deserves more credit than it’s currently getting.

Emmanuel Afolabi MSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Class of 2023 The University of Suffolk ticked all the boxes of most of the criteria I was looking out for in a university. Particularly, the university’s motto – ‘A University for a Changing World’ – struck me the most. The business world is changing, so I wanted to study and learn the tools needed for data analytics to upskill and fit into the changing business landscape. That’s why I could relate to the motto.

I think the main strengths of the course (MSc Data Science and Artificial Intelligence) are the module tutors. They were legendary, always willing to listen and ready to help. The module selection is also a strength as it touches on all major data science and AI aspects. My experience as a student was very interesting; I was practically everywhere. From my first week in the UK until I finished my studies, I was engaged in several activities. I am glad I did, because they helped me enhance my leadership, communication, networking, people management and problem-solving skills. I volunteered for at least six activities within the University, including my involvement

in the University’s Process Improvement Academic Workshop held in February 2023 where I participated in the design thinking process to improve students’ academic journey. I was the Postgraduate Officer with the SU. These activities and engagements earned me four award nominations at the annual SU awards, and I won three awards out of the four – Outstanding Contribution Award, Inclusivity Champion Award and Volunteer of the Year Award. In terms of support services, I utilised the Personal Academic Coach (PAC) scheme and my PAC was particularly amazing, same for most of the module leaders. I had an issue in which I had to defer one of my module assessment submissions and I did not only get guidance from my PAC, module leader, and course leader, but my PAC and module leader also provided separate letters of support for my deferral application, and it was approved. I am grateful for that because I probably would have otherwise failed or had my grade capped.

Our Amazing Alumni

My overall student experience has further enhanced my personal and professional development. I now work for the NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol (University Hospitals Bristol and Weston), as a Digital Services Project Manager. The role entails managing all aspects of Digital Services projects from initiation to closure including regular reporting and analysis of progress and performance. I also manage local project teams drawn from Digital Services and wider user populations and operate within a matrix management environment to ensure the successful delivery of the Trust programme and its constituent projects. My degree really helped me develop the technical skills and abilities required for this role. Part of my work requires making datadriven decisions and managing technology services for the NHS, and I honed many of those skills during my time at the University.

My leadership and management skills were mostly developed through the extracurricular activities I engaged in while studying; I was the Postgraduate Officer with the Students’ Union and was also appointed a member of the University’s International Committee. Through these activities, I was responsible for the affairs of all postgraduate students and I represented their interests. My participation in the International Committee also enhanced my C-Suite skills. These are all helpful in my new role.

DID YOU KNOW?

The University of Suffolk came 6th overall for supervision in the national PRES student survey which demonstrates our high standards of support for PhD students.

Luke Pyett Founder of Luke James Creative BA (Hons) Graphic Design, Class of 2016

After working at a marketing agency for over four years, I applied the knowledge and experience I'd gained and started my own business. In June 2021 I founded LJC (Luke James Creative) and now offer videography services, including video production, video editing and animation. I soon gained a positive reputation for my honest, professional approach working with clients like Vanguard, FMC and the University of Suffolk.

Our Amazing Alumni

Suffolk, with a strong work ethic and the confidence to pursue a career that reflected my chosen degree.

lukejamescreative.co.uk

The knowledge combined with the portfolio of work I gained from my degree helped open the door to my first design job, working at a creative marketing agency in Ipswich as a junior designer. It gave me the confidence to apply for a job I could only dream of having before starting the course. The course initially caught my attention due to the small class sizes; this gave me confidence that I'd receive dedicated oneto-one support from my tutors. After my first interview with Nigel, the course leader, I was impressed with the calm and inspiring environment I'd be learning in. I built confidence in myself and my academic ability throughout the three years. The course was well structured and encouraged me to think about my future career prospects. Throughout the three years, alumni were invited back to talk about their journey after completing the course. It was great to listen to their advice and ask them questions, giving me a fantastic insight into working life after university. I was encouraged to actively think about my career in my final year of studies and the type of work I wanted to pursue. I felt well-equipped when I left the University of

uos.ac.uk/alumni