The University of Derby Magazine (issue 9)

The University of Derby

MAGAZINE Issue 9 • Winter 2018

THE QUEST FOR EQUALITY

INSIDE: Pro Vice-Chancellor – External Affairs, Professor Judith Lamie, Deputy Chief Executive and Finance Director, Hari Punchihewa, and Pauline Latham OBE MP.

derby.ac.uk

Contents 4 FEATURE

26 MY VIEW

What does it mean to be a modern civic university?

7 OPINION

Interim Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, Sajeeda Rose

8 FEATURE

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We’re always on the lookout for interesting people to interview for future issues, so if you’ve got a good story to tell please get in touch – editor@derby.ac.uk This publication has been sent to provide key information and updates from the University of Derby only.

If you wish to stop receiving these communications please contact development@derby.ac.uk

Breathing new life into the thin blue line

32 5 MINUTES WITH…

Pauline Latham OBE MP

34 RESEARCH ROUND-UP 36 FEATURE

Professor Judith Lamie, Pro ViceChancellor – External Affairs, on the importance of having a global outlook

16 THE GREAT DEBATE

Bigger bodies: a cause for concern or a reason to celebrate?

"This needs to stop!"

Rosie Marshalsay, Kelly Tyler, Sam De Vere, Rob James, Emily Bishton and Katie Martin

Stephen Muessig

28 FEATURE

12 OVER TO YOU

Editorial:

Design:

LGBT+ in Engineering

Hari Punchihewa, Deputy Chief Executive and Finance Director, on the role the University of Derby has to play in the region's future prosperity

Connecting with nature, the urban way

38 ALUMNI PROFILE 42 STUDENT SUCCESS 44 OUR CITY, OUR COUNTY, OUR COMMUNITY

BARBIE 'CURVY ADDS 'TALL BODY S ' & 'PETITE' ', TYLES

MEN AFFECTED BY E BODY ISSUES AR OUT FINALLY SPEAKING

20 SPOTLIGHT ON…

Climate change

22 FEATURE

Writing back: breaking down sport's gender bias

46 LAST WORD

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“Universities help to enrich society, bringing together brilliance from across the globe, and supporting those aspiring to do great things.”

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he impact that universities make, not only on the students that they teach, but on the communities they are part of, is currently a hot topic of discussion in the sector and the media.

Recent research1 has found that the level of understanding around what universities actually do, aside from teach, is limited, so this naturally has an impact on people’s willingness to positively speak out about the benefits that universities bring to society as a whole.

If you work in a university then it’s easy to advocate for them – they’re melting pots of ideas and innovation, they’re educators, knowledge sharers, collaborators and game changers. Universities help to enrich society, bringing together brilliance from across the globe, and supporting those aspiring to do great things.

However, outside of university walls it’s understandable that people who don’t have a connection with them know little about what they do and the difference they make.

This is why at Derby we’re proud to be part of Universities UK’s national public impact campaign #MadeAtUni, which has been designed to bring to life the everyday impact that universities have on people, lives and communities in every part of the UK. 1 https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/facts-and-stats/impact-higher-education/Pages/ universities-what-the-public-thinks.aspx

The campaign launched earlier this month, with the publication of the UK’s Best Breakthroughs – an inventory of inventions, discoveries, projects and initiatives to come from universities which have benefited individuals, communities and society, and which the University of Derby is part of.

This issue further builds on the theme, and on reading it you’ll discover more about the impact that Derby has. We explore what being a modern civic university means, take a closer look at nature connectedness and the impact it has on wellbeing and conservation behaviours, and find out how our Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship is equipping officers with the skills to help keep communities safe.

As readers of this magazine, you are an important and engaged group of stakeholders, who no doubt recognise the value that the University of Derby adds to the city, county and communities within it. Please be advocates for us too, and help support the drive to get our university more widely recognised for the hugely valuable work that takes place here every day.

Rosie Marshalsay

To find out more about #MadeAtUni follow and engage with the campaign on twitter @MadeAtUni or visit MadeAtUni.org.uk

Editor’s letter 3

WHAT DOES IT MEAN

TO BE A MODERN CIVIC UNIVERSITY? Writer: Kelly Tyler

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an people talk about the university in their city with pride and awareness? If so, it is almost certainly civic1.

This is the view of the UPP Foundation Civic University Commission – a major new independent inquiry into the future of the civic university, set up to determine how universities can successfully serve their place in the 21st century.

“There is a hierarchy between local and global prestige in universities,” he adds. “While universities are keen to talk about their global role, they should also prioritise communicating the positive impact they have on their towns, cities and regions.

“We have found there to be quite a reluctance from some universities to tell the story they play in their communities, which could be related.”

According to research by the Commission2, which polled local people in 10 cities across the UK, 58% of people said they were proud of their local universities, with just 7% saying they were not. A further 28% said they were indifferent to their home universities.

Professor John Goddard OBE, Deputy Chair of the UPP Foundation Civic University Commission and Emeritus Professor at Newcastle University, said another challenge for universities in being civic institutions was in developing quality, mutually beneficial partnerships.

Yet despite universities being “a prized national asset, with a well-deserved global reputation, [which] contribute to our society through education, by creating opportunity, through their research, and through the vital civic role they play in communities around the country”3 – in the words of Universities Minister Sam Gyimah – an average of 35% of people are unable to name a single thing that their local university has done to engage the local community4.

“If you’re going to work with civil society, you need longterm, trust-based relationships, and they are difficult to build, especially under many of the project funding mechanisms that are around. Universities may receive a grant from one research council or business and it’s very quick – in and out.

What exactly is a civic university and how easy is the role to define?

The ‘civic’ institution is not a new phenomenon – in fact it dates back to the Victorian period when the first civic universities were introduced. Owens College Manchester and Queen’s College Birmingham were ‘pioneering provincial colleges’, founded by local philanthropists, not the state5. In Manchester in 1880, a second version of Owens College became a fully chartered university in its own right, with a rapid expansion in civic universities following in the late 1880s and early 1900s6. Fast forward to the modern day, and the civic university still very much exists.

“A civic university must be truly local,” the UPP Foundation Civic University Commission states in its October 2018 Progress Report, which sets out to understand what a modern civic university is and what it should do.

“While there are a number of different types of universities, the one thing that connects them all is that they are rooted in a city or town, and the role they play there is key to its civic role,” says Richard Brabner, Director of the UPP Foundation.

“A civic university must be willing to accept that there are some people it prioritises – namely those who grow up, live and work in the area. A civic university should be active in shaping and leading the decisions that affect the people in the locality.”

“A lot of this development, and that with the community, relies on long-term commitments; it doesn’t happen overnight.”

The key to ensuring civic activity is co-ordinated and impactful is through adopting a clear strategy – a key recommendation from the UPP Foundation Civic University Commission’s Progress Report.

“Every university is able to list a menu of what would be considered civic activities, which they conduct in their towns and cities, whether that be supporting local museums, student volunteering programmes, development of culture and arts, access to university facilities such as sports centres for local people, or whether it’s more rooted into the core of the university in terms of its research and teaching,” says Richard.

“But to be truly civic, universities need to have a clear strategy that is informed by close partner engagement and an objective analysis of local needs.

“For universities, another big challenge is what to prioritise within their community. Universities are not local authorities or public sector organisations, so there are some challenging strategic questions for all universities to ask about what and who they support.”

If civic universities have been in existence for centuries and many are already conducting civic activities, why is so much attention being paid to it in society today?

“There has been a re-emergence for many institutions in making their civic responsibility a priority,” says Richard.

However, one of the challenges for universities is ensuring they promote both the local and global impact they have on society, says Richard.

1 The UPP Foundation Civic University Commission Progress Report 2 Ibid.

3 Universities Minister Sam Gyimah, statement on dispute over changes to university staff pension scheme (March 2018) 4 The UPP Foundation Civic University Commission Progress Report 5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

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“The narrative around higher education over the past two years has been relatively negative and, in some cases, hostile around certain issues, including tuition fees, the value of going to university, vice-chancellors' salaries, student mental health and so on.”

“The whole notion of the university as a facilitator of developing quadruple helix local partnerships to address societal challenges, such as ageing, is incredibly important. They are global challenges but they are also place-based challenges.”

John, who is also author of The Civic University: the Policy and Leadership Challenges, agrees, adding that the university sector is “under heavy political pressure”.

The University of Derby recognises that the role it has to play in the long-term prosperity of the region, and communities within it, is very much a civic one.

“Unless universities take their civic responsibilities seriously and not only tell the stories of what work they are doing, but build on this and strengthen their civic relationships, we are going to find a loss of political support,” he adds.

“The critical issue with politics is that it is place-based – members of parliament represent places, so universities need to be fully supporting their local communities and economies.”

Professor Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, said: “The University is a significant heartbeat in our city, and our region, and we take seriously the responsibility we have to drive the economic, social, cultural, educational and environmental prosperity of our home.

“Working with others, and with the full commitment of staff and students, we continue to focus on raising aspirations and Professor Kathryn Mitchell improving the education, skills, health and wellbeing of current and future generations Currently there is no recognised metric to across our region. In my role as Chair of the Opportunity measure a university’s civic impact, and this is of concern Area, our city is taking great strides to improve outcomes to the higher education sector. for young people and so I am very proud, as the Vice“The metrics of this are extremely problematic,” adds Chancellor, that the University takes on the role which John. enriches our connectivity within the region, and relish the civic responsibilities it brings.”

“The only way you can do it, in my view, is by a process of self-evaluation – assessing whether the strategy you One area of the University which is already making have implemented is working. There have been various a real positive impact is the work of the Equality and attempts to do this at an international level, and in many Social Mobility Unit, Widening Access, and Schools and Nordic countries there is a statutory legal responsibility Colleges Liaison teams. To help address the issue of for universities to be civic. However, in the UK there is social mobility, and break down the barriers that prevent no overarching body responsible for civic engagement, young people from accessing higher education, the teaching and research, so there’s a major obstacle.” teams work closely with local schools and colleges, and last academic year engaged with over 35,000 students Adding metrics would be a complicated process, says through the delivery of 700 events.

Richard, who admits there is no one right method to measuring a university’s civic impact.

“Being a civic university is about being a good neighbour, but it’s also much more than that. We are the fabric of our “There could be measurements added to national city – not just economically but culturally and socially,” schemes such as the Teaching Excellence Framework says Krisha Bainham, Head of the Widening Access Unit (TEF) and Knowledge Excellence Framework (KEF) to at the University of Derby. demonstrate civic impact. However, universities would then just do what the metrics are telling them to. A civic “For many of our students, they are the first of their role has to take a local-needs approach to what you families to go to university and for many people coming are doing, which contradicts national incentives and to events at the University is the first time they have ever measurement.” set foot on a university campus.

John said universities should map their activity against “Universities are inherently collaborative and share the Quadruple Helix Model – an approach for tackling knowledge. We need to look at how we can take grand societal challenges by bringing together university, these skills and work with each other to address some business, government and civil society – as a way of of society’s biggest challenges, ensuring we all fully monitoring its civic work. embrace our civic responsibility.”

“What is now emerging in the world of social innovation is thinking about citizens not just as consumers, but as co-producers of knowledge,” he says.

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Opinion Sajeeda Rose Interim Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership

There’s an old saying about ‘not being able to get a quart (that’s two pints) out of a pint pot’ – an indication that the impossible is being asked of someone, perhaps to complete a task in too short a time or with too few resources?

An idiom that dates back to the 19th century, and possibly beyond, but which reflects a very modern concern of business and government – productivity.

Productivity is the measure of how much product or services are being gained versus the resources, materials or labour you put in; a key factor for any successful business.

On average, UK workers produce less in a working week than most of their European partners in the G7 group of nations, something that’s been true for a while.

Theories abound as to why this is, and there are as many solutions put forward.

Addressing this ‘productivity gap’ is a chief concern of our government.

and community and voluntary services providers, which covers the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire areas.

LEPs use their in-depth local knowledge of an area to recognise its particular strengths and help promote those key sectors and create new ones.

Like its fellow LEPs, D2N2 draws heavily on the expertise of university partners in its area with regards to skills provision – employees having the right skills is vital to any company’s growth – those universities links with current industries, and as generators of new firms and expanding sectors (Derby city is a growth area for games development companies, for example).

Professor Kathryn Mitchell, the University of Derby’s Vice-Chancellor, is a member of the D2N2 LEP Board, which is (along with D2N2 officers) currently crafting a ‘refreshed’ version of the LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan (SEP). This will map out how the LEP intends to steer the development of its area’s economy into the next decade, looking at required infrastructure, key sectors development, skills, business growth and, of course, productivity.

It has launched its new Industrial Strategy, aimed at boosting productivity by backing businesses to create jobs and increase people’s earning power by investing in skills, industries and infrastructure.

Whatever shape the new-look SEP will eventually take, it will need the drive and energy of partners such as the universities to make its objectives a reality.

The UK’s 38 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are seen as the driving force of this Industrial Strategy.

There is a chance here to make a real difference to our area’s economy, and the prosperity and wellbeing of all its communities.

LEPs were set up (mostly during 2010/11) to promote the economies of, and directly help business in, specific geographic areas, and granted EU and UK funding to lever in private investment to fuel economic development.

A much more realistic option than getting a quart out of a pint pot.

For more information, and advice, visit www.d2n2lep.org

The D2N2 LEP is the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers,

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Writer: Kelly Tyler

What would you do if your sector was losing a potential ÂŁ11 billion a year through loss of productivity, but fewer than 9% of organisations within it were taking action to address the issue?

This is the current situation facing the engineering industry, which is failing to fully support LGBT+ workers.

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he UK engineering sector needs to recruit more than 200,000 engineers every year between now and 2024 in order to meet demand. Yet talented and skilled individuals who identify as LGBT+ are being put off entering the industry for fear of discrimination, and many already working in the sector feel they are forced to remain in the closet, resulting in an estimated productivity loss of billions of pounds to the UK economy each year.

Of almost 7,000 engineers surveyed by the Royal Academy of Engineering, just 4% identified as LGBT+1, and according to a survey carried out this year by the Institution of Engineering and Technology2, 29% of the participants in the LGBT+ community would not consider a career in the engineering profession for fear of discrimination.

1 Royal Academy of Engineering, Creating Cultures Where All Engineers Thrive 2 The Institution of Engineering and Technology: www.theiet.org/policy/media/press-releases/smashstereotypestobits.cfm

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Why is this the case?

“There is an inter-culture of homophobia in engineering professions,” says Professor Warren Manning, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University of Derby.

“A study by Construction News found that 28% of LGBT+ workers in the construction industry had experienced inappropriate and offensive comments about their gender or sexuality in the workplace, which is staggering.

“The culture in the engineering industry is one of the reasons why high-quality engineers feel they are not able to come out of the closet. There is a stereotype that engineering is a macho industry, which is most prolific in the construction sector. Offensive comments or ‘banter’, as it is often seen as, does happen and is often swept under the rug.

“One of the starkest facts for me is that having been in academia for 25 years, working with close to 500 people in engineering, I have never met an open LGBT+ engineering academic during that period of time.”

Hayley Barnden is a Safety Engineer at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S). She came out as a lesbian in the first year of her apprenticeship but said she was concerned her sexuality would create a barrier to career progression, and was fearful she would be bullied.

“I was afraid that if my supervisor had an issue with my sexual orientation, they could have a major impact on my career, by either not giving me good work for my portfolio, or by providing a bad report at the end,” explains Hayley.

“As an apprentice, I moved teams a lot, so forming good working relationships to get the best opportunities was important. I was afraid other team members would have a problem with me being gay, and would prevent these working relationships from forming.

“And then there was the fear of being bullied and called names, and all the other homophobic things that occur elsewhere in LGBT+ people’s lives.”

Surveys have shown that around half of LGBT+ people employed in engineering are now choosing to remain closeted3, and that the side effects of the stress that is felt when trying to disguise sexuality can take up to 12 years off an individual’s life4.

And not only is there a psychological case for the issue of diversity to be addressed in the sector, there is a serious business case too.

The Royal Academy of Engineering found engineers who feel included are 80% more likely to report increased

motivation and 68% increased performance5.

In 2015, a report by Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke, co-authored by Dr Mark McBride-Wright, co-founder of InterEngineering6, estimated that the industry is losing a potential £11 billion a year, owing to a 30% loss in the productivity of LGBT+ engineers who feel forced to remain in the closet.

Warren says this is a “severe risk” to the industry. “There is a shortage of engineers across all levels nationally and the gap is growing, so there has never been a greater need to have engineers in the UK,” he explains.

“The doors should be open to recruiting the best quality engineers and creating environments where people can be themselves and work to their full potential.

“If we are going to come through Brexit and have a more powerful economy, we need to be tapping into our best talent.”

Jo Foster, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, agrees.

“The UK engineering industry needs to recruit approximately 203,000 skilled engineers, every year between now and 2024, to meet demand,” she explains.

“The shortfall doesn’t help, but it does emphasise the importance of embracing equality, diversity and inclusion, and showing that the profession is inclusive and promotes equal opportunity for all.”

So, what can be done to help tackle the situation?

Mark, who is also Managing Director of Equal Engineers – a company which works to create inclusive engineering and technology organisations by increasing the diversity of the workforce and improving stakeholder health and wellbeing – said organisations need to understand the numbers of LGBT+ staff they employ to determine how effective their current equality and diversity polices are.

“We do not know exactly how many people are LGBT+ in the engineering industry; what we find is anecdotal data.

“In no other scenario – whether that’s environmental, safety or quality management – would you make decisions based on no research or figures. How do you know how many people you are dealing with? This is a fundamental problem.

“Companies are nervous and confused about what they can collect data-wise and then what to do with the data. They need to become more comfortable asking the uncomfortable questions, and have confidence in incorporating diversity into their business strategies.

3 House of Commons and InterEngineering, Engineering Action: Tackling Homophobia in Engineering 4 Ibid.

5 Royal Academy of Engineering, Creating Cultures Where All Engineers Thrive 6 House of Commons and InterEngineering, Engineering Action: Tackling Homophobia in Engineering

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“The engineering industry is trying but not hard enough.

It’s going to take the current and future engineers really pushing it for it to be taken seriously. As the issue is hard to quantify, people have difficulty in knowing how to address the situation.”

“The engineering industry needs to be more active in engaging the LGBT+ community: show up and sponsor your local Pride events, attend LGBT+ events and careers fairs, use social media, and talk about LGBT+ History Month and other key awareness days.

According to the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Skills and Demand in Industry Survey, fewer than one in 10 businesses (9%) take particular action to encourage underrepresented groups into their workforce.

“The onus is very much on our industry to get out there and challenge the current perception that engineering isn’t LGBT+ inclusive.”

Engaging supply chains and smaller businesses so they are raising awareness of equality and inclusion is a key starting point, says Mark.

“We need to be more collaborative and joined up.

Companies need to engage with their supply chains and encourage them to do more diversity and inclusion work.

It may not be that they do not have intent – they may not have capacity.

“However, a lot of work needs to be done at a higher government level in order for the UK to see a culture change.

“When the government’s green paper for the Industrial Strategy was announced, I searched for the words diversity, equality and inclusion and there was not one mention, yet the word innovation was included 125 times.

How can you have such a fundamental paper but diversity does not appear?

“This is not an isolated case; there is a whole plethora of missed opportunities in policy papers and parliamentary manifestations.

“So, do we force companies to legislate and make diversity happen, or do we try and encourage them to be proactive and make pledges where there is no real accountability?”

The Stonewall Workplace Equality Index is the definitive benchmarking tool for employers to measure their progress on lesbian, gay, bi and trans inclusion in the workplace. Currently, no engineering firms appear in the Top 100 Employers for 2018.

Hayley said role models are needed to address the issue.

“As a female engineer, I still struggle to find senior role models,” she says. “As a lesbian engineer, I can probably only name one or two people who I see as representative of me and where I would like my career to go.

“It’s not a secret that the engineering industry has a lack of diversity in many areas, such as the small amount of female professionals operating within this industry; however, other areas have been more actively and publicly tackled than LGBT+ diversity.

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Encouraging children to take up science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects at an early age is key to promoting equality and diversity in the engineering sector, adds Jo. “The earlier a child can be introduced to STEM, the more chance there is for them to consider that option as a career choice. Studies show that children start to make decisions regarding gender roles from as young as three.

These decisions may impact what career a child may go into when they are older."

To be able to fully support LGBT+ in the workplace, a transparent environment needs to be created. The University of Derby has an active LGBT+ Allies staff network, and hosted a regional LGBT+ conference, with network partners, earlier this year.

“Organisations have to create an environment where people feel they can come out and be comfortable,” says Warren.

“Universities should be leading on this. We need to make sure that students don’t go back into the closet once they leave university. It’s one thing helping people to come out, but we have got to make sure that remains when they go into work.”

There are strong examples of companies across the sector who are addressing LGBT+ issues and adopting policies and strategies. The Institution of Engineering and Technology has recently developed an Equality, Diversion and Inclusion strategy, which aims to promote inclusivity within engineering and equal opportunities for all.

“Some companies really are doing amazing work,” said Hayley. “Airbus, Rolls-Royce, BuroHappold, DE&S, Babcock, and BAE Systems are just a few of the organisations I’ve worked with in the last year on promoting LGBT+ awareness.

“While initially I was afraid, I would say that every fear I’ve had about coming out at work has proved to be unfounded. I’ve never faced any negative reactions because of my sexual orientation and when other people have had issues, my organisation has always been very supportive.”

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Professor Judith Lamie, Pro Vice-Chancellor – External Affairs Writer: Sam De Vere

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he University of Derby’s international strategy, which has been in place since February 2017, has three overarching aims: recruiting international students, developing strategic international collaborations and enhancing the quality of our student experience.

I spoke to Professor Judith Lamie, Pro ViceChancellor (PVC) – External Affairs, about how the strategy has strengthened our global impact and the benefits it brings to our students – and how it is helping us prepare for the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

“Our international approach is already showing an impact across the institution,” explains Judith. “We’ve got a clear strategy and, as a university, we’re working collaboratively to drive it forward. We’re now one of the top 1,000 universities in the world, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019, and this year we were included in the top 250 Young University Rankings globally for the first time.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in our number of international students, developed key strategic partnerships overseas and further internationalised

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our student experience, offering a wider variety of opportunities for students to develop their international perspective.”

The impact of our international partnerships, at a university as well as business level, has also increased.

Creating impact on an international stage is a key part of Judith’s remit – she has recently returned from trips to Japan, China and Hong Kong. There, she met key figures including Hong Kong’s Consul General, the Head of the British Chamber and the Director of the British Council, and looked at developments across the arts, humanities and education disciplines.

Maintaining close links with Japan is a key element of the international strategy: “This year, as a city and a university, we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the twinning of Derby and Toyota City. Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK is on our doorstep and we are part of the Toyota City Partnership Board with the county and city councils, as well as other tertiary education

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institutions including Burton & South Derbyshire College and Derby College.

“Colleagues across the University are developing connections to help us advance our opportunities with Japan. Dr Chris Bussell, our PVC Dean of the College of Life and Natural Sciences, and colleagues in his college, are engaging in joint research into nature connectedness and nature networks, while Professor Keith McLay, PVC Dean of the College of

"We're now one of the top 1,000 universities in the world, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019."

Arts, Humanities and Education, is forging links in the areas of education, fashion, textiles, art and design.

“Within Derby, we are working closely and collaboratively with Toyota in terms of what we can do as a civic university. Derby is proud of its local heritage and works well together as a city and a region, but we can also be strong on an international stage. The only way we can do that effectively is to work together across the institution and the city, because – and I’m sure people will forgive me for saying this – not everybody across the world has heard of Derby. We need to get out there and shout about what we’re good at.”

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One of those areas of strength is applied research. The University is working with some of the biggest and most well-known organisations in the world, including on a Big Data project with CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research. Derby has also developed a strong and impactful research collaboration with Tongji University in China, one of the top 500 universities in the world.

For Judith, this international approach has many advantages. “There’s the obvious economic benefit to the University, the city and the region that international students, staff and their families bring, but there’s also a cultural benefit – that vibrancy you can only get when you have access to people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. We learn from each other and, in doing so, we create something new.

“Partnership development allows us to not only physically exchange students and staff, but also take advantage of an intellectual knowledge exchange – our pedagogy – and how that can be shaped by our international partners.

“Attracting students and companies from other countries only adds to what we are doing here in Derby. It also helps us drive forward our own skills agenda, accelerating aspects in the city of our industrial strategy – and it’s much more powerful if you can work collaboratively on an international stage, as well as a local or national one.

“These collaborations really illustrate to me that Derby can go toe-to-toe with some of the best institutions and 14

senior people globally, because we’ve got an excellent brand to deliver. Not only that, but our excellence in learning and teaching, the applied nature of our research and offer and, as importantly, our connection with business and industry, helps shape our curriculum and gives our students the best opportunity for the future.”

She sees internationalising the student experience as a two-way process. “It’s important that we give all our students some form of international opportunity.

As well as embedding internationalisation into the curriculum, its content and pedagogy, we also need to give our students the chance to study, work or volunteer overseas.”

As someone who lived and worked in Japan in her early twenties, Judith has first-hand experience of how enriching this can be. “Stepping outside your comfort zone is where you really learn. I know myself, having come from a very working-class background, how it can open your eyes to a different way of doing things. At the time I didn’t think too much about the enormity of the situation – and it was before the internet, Skyping and mobile phones, so it really was a big step for me – but not for one second have I regretted it. It was a fantastic

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“It’s important that we give all our students some form of international opportunity. As well as embedding internationalisation into the curriculum, its content and pedagogy, we also need to give our students the chance to study, work or volunteer overseas.”

opportunity. I ended up staying in Japan for over two years, and have gone backwards and forwards to the Far East ever since.

“Spending time overseas gives you an opportunity for personal reflection – it’s not just what you learn about your subject, it’s also what you learn about yourself. In some ways, it made me even more proud to be from the UK. I’m half English and half Scottish, so I’m proud of both aspects of my heritage, but when you go and live and work overseas, those aspects of who you are actually come to the forefront even more. You tend to reflect more on yourself – why you do things, why you think certain things. It also opens your mind to the possibility that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. Our role as an institution is to give our students that opportunity.”

While the international picture looks positive for the University, the next few years will undoubtedly bring challenges. “Externally, there’s a lot of uncertainty on the horizon: challenges around Brexit, and the perception overseas, not only of the UK, but also of its higher education system in terms of how welcoming it

is for international students and academics. In Derby, we have three of the biggest global companies on our doorstep – Toyota, Bombardier and Rolls-Royce – and Brexit will have an impact on everybody.”

For Judith, however, this uncertainty can also bring opportunities. “We don’t know yet what’s going to happen but, for me, this uncertainty means that we need to do even more beyond those European borders and continue to expand our international outlook.

“My vision is to position Derby on a wider global stage, and I think we are in a good position to do that. We have the right leadership, across our professional services and colleges, and we’re developing that capacity and capability to ensure we can continue to compete internationally.

“The best way we can do that is by working together to take things forward, as a university as well as working with local government, businesses and agencies – and that’s the aspect of our international strategy I’m most proud of. Where we’ve created most impact is when we’ve worked as a collective, to improve outcomes for our students, our staff, our city and our county.”

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The University of Derby Magazine

BIGGER BODIES A cause for concern or a reason to celebrate?

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besity has long been a concern for health professionals. According to NHS digital, in 2016-2017 there were around 617,000 obesityrelated NHS hospital admissions in the UK1.

This was an 18% rise on the previous year, and over 130,000 more admissions than those due to smoking2 (484,700) and drinking3 (337,000). Individuals’ health issues are just part of the problem; in 2017 GOV.UK estimated that the overall cost of obesity to society will reach £9.7 billion by 20504.

This is a troubling trend for our healthcare system and society as a whole, and one that is contributing to the mental health crisis, as issues such as poor body image and selfesteem are known to negatively impact mental health. This situation isn’t helped by the bombardment of images featuring unrealistic bodies through films, TV and social media, fuelling our quest for perfection. A recent BBC 5 Live survey of 2,000 adults showed more than half of 18-34-year-olds feel that social media and reality TV negatively impacted how they viewed their bodies5.

So, what impact are these messages, statistics and trends having on our minds, and consequently our bodies?

“Obesity can occur due to a poor nutritional diet, a lack of physical activity, or more likely, a combination

Writer: Emily Bishton

of the two,” says Dr Clare Roscoe, Lecturer in Physical Activity and Health at the University of Derby.

“Not exercising regularly has been reported to increase the risk of types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes, which are now occurring at much younger ages. Obesity from preschool age to adulthood is an increasing problem, and research shows that those who are inactive as children generally follow this trend into adulthood6.”

Dr Jacquie Lavin, Slimming World’s Head of Nutrition and Research, recognises the link between excess weight, diet and activity in her work.

She says: “The members that come to us often suffer from a range of physical health conditions because of their excess weight. They also struggle with day-to-day activities, like playing with their children or walking upstairs, due to feeling out of breath or having difficulties with their mobility.”

The majority of patients admitted to hospital with obesity-related problems in 2016-17 were between the ages of 35 and 64, but Jacquie has seen an increase in younger people joining Slimming World.

“Eleven to 15-year-olds can come to a group free of charge with the support of a parent or guardian, and follow a tailored programme which was developed due to high customer demand.”

For Jacquie, it’s important that mental health is prioritised alongside physical health. “So many emotions are wrapped up in food, and it’s sad to know some people feel so ashamed about their size due to the social stigma of being overweight.

We really focus on improving selfesteem and confidence, because you can’t lose weight successfully if you are constantly telling yourself you are going to fail. Our first step is to help members believe that their worth is not their weight.”

Fiona Holland, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby, recognises the danger of this societal stigma: “In parallel to the well-reported increase in the number of people being classified as overweight and obese in the past 20 years, there has also been an increase in the stigma and discrimination of people who are labelled in these ways7. This labelling and associated stigma does not help and can lead to increased levels of depression, body image disturbance and lower self-esteem.”

As an Associate Academic in the Department of Psychology at the University, Dr Matthew Hall specialises in body image and how this can affect an individual’s selfesteem.

He says: “Body image can be central to identity. The desire to obtain the ‘ideal’ body means some people resort to, or develop, unhealthy behaviours such as anorexia and bulimia, taking performance-

1 https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-obesity-physical-activity-and-diet/statistics-on-obesity-physical-activity-and-diet-england-2018 2 https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-smoking/statistics-on-smoking-england-2018/content 3 https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-alcohol/2018 4 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-obesity-and-the-food-environment/health-matters-obesity-and-the-food-environment--2 5 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45006627 6 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph17/documents/promoting-physical-activity-for-children-consultation-on-the-evidence2 7 Latner JD, Stunkard AJ. Getting worse: The stigmatization of obese children. Obes Res. 2003;11:452–6.

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The University of Derby Magazine

"This n to sto eeds p!"

GGLES OF MAN SHARES STRUOTIONAL 'BEING FAT' IN EMD TWITTER THREA

GROWIN to look perG PRESSURE fect

My Doctor fat-shamed me - and I'm not the only one

WOMEN CR themselves

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of eight tim

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', L L A S 'T E' D D E A 'PETIT I B R BA VY' & S 'CUR Y STYLE BOD

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The University of Derby Magazine enhancing substances, consuming slimming aids or having cosmetic surgery.”

positivity movement aims to help people have self-compassion rather than focusing on self-criticism,”

Anti-fat messages are common in the UK and can be perpetuated by the media, promoting stigma and discrimination, explains Fiona.

Fiona adds. “Feeling compassionate towards ourselves and others is a key ingredient in a culture that fosters wellbeing for all. Research we conducted with women who experience life in fat bodies clearly showed that they had consistently dealt with a lack of compassion from others, including healthcare professionals9.

“In the UK, we live in a world where we approach fat people as though they have somehow failed. Blame is often cast upon individuals to change their shape and size.

However, studies clearly show that there are so many non-controllable aspects to obesity. It’s simplistic to assume that ‘eating less and moving more’ will change everything.”

A survey of more than 2,500 members of Slimming World showed that over 40% had previously experienced some form of humiliation, judgement or criticism at least once a week due to their size.

People had been ignored by retail staff, mocked by passers-by, filmed or photographed by strangers and experienced verbal abuse8.

So, what can be done to combat this widespread hostility towards people whose bodies appear to be outside of the ‘ideal’ aesthetic?

“The ‘body positivity movement’ confronts narrow Western beauty ideals that idolise muscular lean bodies for men and lean slender bodies for women (often white, young, cis-gendered and able too),” says Matthew. “It challenges this exclusionary culture by advocating for the visibility of bodies that do not fit mainstream beauty norms.”

“On an individual level, the body

“There should be less body shaming and less body focus (including positive comments and celebrations of thinness and the current standard of beauty), and more focus on our talents and strengths.”

Fiona acknowledges that the majority of body image research to date has focused on women. Traditionally, women’s main value was based around their aesthetic, leading to increased external scrutiny and selfcriticism if their bodies were deemed ‘undesirable’.

Matthew’s research, however, points out that: “Body image and related behaviour, such as dieting, is conventionally associated with femininity but, given the health warnings of being overweight, many men do try and manage their weight. However, it is often framed in traditional masculine markets such as doing it to build muscle, aid sporting success or sexual prowess.”

year we are seeing more men joining groups. We are seeing far younger men join, with reasons including the desire to get a partner, feel confident on holidays with their friend, buy off-the-peg clothes or for health concerns.”

“Once, a man’s identity was largely drawn from work, sports and family, but now men have the opportunity to choose from a variety of different identity discourses which can often be related to health and body image,” adds Matthew.

“Men’s increased concern with body image has also been fuelled by manufacturers searching for new markets in late capitalist consumer societies. Men, like women, are now encouraged to engage with their body as a project to develop the ideal ‘look’.”

Fiona agrees that the body positivity movement is relevant for all: “Body positivity seeks to move beyond defining people by their body and helps to support a platform for social justice that doesn’t marginalise anyone. It promotes a culture where everyone feels empowered to be an agent for themselves.

“Our world view is challenged by the body positivity movement, and we are asked to consider what we would lose and gain by taking a more inclusive approach; perhaps it might make us more human.”

Jacquie also sees this reflected in the Slimming World membership.

She says: “The majority of our members are women, but year on

8 https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/press-articles/weight-discrimination-show-heart.aspx 9 Holland, F, Peterson, K & Archer, S. (2018) Thresholds of size: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of childhood messages around food, body, health and weight.

Journal of Critical Dietetics. February, 4 (1), 25-36

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UNIVERSITY OF BREAKING NEW GROUND Discover postgraduate research opportunities

Book your Open Event derby.ac.uk/opendays 19

SPOTLIGHT ON...

CLIMATE CHANGE Writer: Sam De Vere

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ver the summer, daytime temperatures in parts of the UK reached over 30°C (86°F) between the end of June and mid-August, making it the country’s joint hottest summer on record. But was the heatwave and lack of rainfall just part of natural cycles in the weather, or a symptom of bigger issues for our planet?

The Earth’s climate has changed continually throughout its 4.5 billion-year history, driven by a variety of largescale factors, with the most significant currently being the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The difference now is that human activities are speeding up the rate of change, according to NASA’s Global Climate Change team: “The current warming trend is significant because most of it is extremely likely (greater than 95% probability) to be the result of human activity since the mid20th century, and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia.

“The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 0.9°C since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by

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increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere. Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years, with the five warmest years on record taking place since 2010.”

Richard Pope, Reader in Climate Change at the University of Derby, agrees: “We are in the geological timeframe known as the Anthropocene – the name reflects the profound changes that humankind is bringing about. If we look at these changes over a longer timeframe, patterns emerge. Extreme climate events are becoming part of the cycle; we’re seeing more of these events in areas like the Mediterranean, with shorter but more extreme rainfall, storm surges and sea level changes.”

Our rapid consumption of the planet’s resources is interfering with its carefully balanced systems, as Sian Vollum-Davies, the University’s Head of the School of Environmental Sciences, explains: “Greenhouse gases are part of the carbon cycle – without them, our planet would be too cold for us to live on. But by extracting and burning coal and oil in massive quantities, we’re converting fossil fuels to their carbon-based gases far more quickly than would happen naturally. These

The University of Derby Magazine

HOW TO MAKE AN INDIVIDUAL IMPACT: • Consider the resources you use – how you eat, travel, what you buy, reuse or recycle • Make informed lifestyle choices – walking or driving?

Putting on a jumper or putting on the heating?

• Reduce your use of plastic – plastic is a non-renewable oil-based resource and our overuse of it contributes to the conversion of fossil fuels into greenhouse gases

Because of this unpredictability, it can be difficult to mitigate against the impact of climate change. Richard’s research is currently looking at archaeological sites in the northern Aegean, trying to model how they might be affected by climate change over the next 50, 100 or 200 years.

“The cultural heritage of these sites can be vital to the local tourism economy, so my research is trying to estimate their preservation potential against the backdrop of climate change. Last year’s Medicane – Mediterranean hurricane – brought extreme rainfall, and the site we were investigating was severely damaged. In the cruellest of ironies, our research had to be temporarily put on hold because an extreme climate event had made the site unsafe for us to work on.”

In this country, work is underway to prepare for such extremes. “Flooding is one of the key risks facing the UK from climate change,” says Gemma Holmes, Senior Analyst at the Committee on Climate Change’s Adaptation Sub-Committee. “Surface water flooding occurs when the volume and speed of rainwater exceeds that which is able to filter into the ground and drain through the sewage networks. The problem gets worse when the ground is dry and baked hard.

“On average, damage due to surface water flooding exceeds £300 million every year. With a growing population and climate change expected to increase the intensity of heavy bursts of rainfall, the cost of associated damage could rise by about 40% by the 2050s.”

gases accumulate in the atmosphere, causing increased temperatures due to the way they interact with incoming and outgoing radiation.”

The devastating impact of such rises in temperature was spelled out in the recently published Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report1, written by over 90 global experts. An increase of 1.5°C, which we could see by 2030 if warming continues at the current rate, is expected to lead to significant consequences including substantial coral reef loss, more heat-related deaths, and losses of coastaldependent livelihoods.

But when scientists try to pinpoint the impact of climate change on specific areas, complex interconnections make it harder to predict. “By increasing air temperature, we’re also changing rates of evaporation and precipitation, impacting the hydrological cycle,” says Sian. “Some areas will be drier or wetter, depending on where they sit within the global atmospheric circulation in terms of rising or descending air.

On a smaller scale, with warmer temperatures you might see more intense rainstorms, leading to flash floods.”

Public and political awareness of the need to reduce our carbon footprint is increasing, but there needs to be a collective move forwards, as Sian explains: “In January 2018, the government introduced a 25-year plan for the environment, and the low carbon economy is a key part of its Industrial Strategy. Policy is trying to catch up with what we already know about climate change but there are distractions, such as Brexit. I also think that individuals can play a role in the purchasing and lifestyle decisions they make, but it will need more than individuals to make a real difference.”

The University’s School of Environmental Sciences is currently looking at ways to transition some of its postgraduate provision relating to the oil industry to sustainable energy, focusing on technologies such as geothermal energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

According to Sian: “We only really have a couple of options: we can mitigate, keeping carbon emissions and greenhouse gases as low as possible; or we can adapt, accepting climate change is happening and trying to change with it.

That’s a much scarier prospect.

“Realistically, it should be a combination of the two. People are already having to adapt, especially in subsistence communities whose livelihoods are connected to the natural world. Unfortunately, these are also the people least equipped economically to do so.”

1 http://www.ipcc.ch/

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Writing back

Writer: Rob James

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The University of Derby Magazine

R

emember Naomi Osaka’s stunning US Tennis Open victory in September?

Even if you don’t, there’s a fair chance that you’ll recall the sexism debate sparked by the on-court row between her opponent Serena Williams and umpire Carlos Ramos.

Williams had claimed that a male player would not be penalised as she had been for allegedly being coached from the side of the court during the match, and then for breaking her racquet in frustration.

Whether that’s the case or not, the debate resounded across the globe days after Osaka had banked her $3.8m winner’s cheque, which was precisely the same amount received by the men’s tournament winner, Novak Djokovic.

For nearly 50 years, tennis has been one of the more enlightened sports when it comes to prize money parity.

Golf, another sport noted for its lucrative prize pots, is a long par-five away from raising the equality flag in terms of pay, but then it has frequently been in the eye of the sexism storm, notably around club membership and access.

In the summer, one of the world’s leading female golfers, Derby’s own Mel Reid, put the focus on commercial sponsors who seek the endorsement of the game’s male players almost at the exclusion of the female stars, and called on companies to be “brave enough” to have women as the “face of golf1”.

In the UK, most sport is still watched through free-to-air channels, such as ITV and the BBC, which has a female Director of Sport – former Olympic gymnast Barbara Slater – and a commitment to ensure that 30% of her department’s output is coverage of women’s sport.

The study concluded that the persistence of individual journalists and strong allies in the media is key to women’s sport achieving greater coverage in the UK, and this is perhaps where the University of Derby has an influential role, having launched the UK’s first Football Journalism degree three years ago. The University has also established a scholarship in partnership with Derby County Ladies FC, which enables a limited number of players at the club to study football journalism.

When the University began to develop a reputation for promoting women in football journalism, as well as women’s football, the response was a mix of intrigue and a little scepticism, says lecturer Pete Lansley.

"Women's sport accounted for no more than 10%, and as little as 2%, of all sport shown on TV."

As if to prove her point, during a lean 2017 when, while recovering from injury, the male American golfer Tiger Woods Women in Sport played just one tournament all year and collected a conviction for reckless driving, he still received off-field (non-playing) earnings estimated at $42m. The CEO of one of his major backers, Bridgestone Golf, has reportedly claimed that Woods’ endorsement alone – the ‘Tiger Effect’ – increases sales by 30%, even if he's not playing2.

Sport’s profile is undoubtedly at its highest through TV, and two leading UK charities have published studies in recent months which together paint a contrasting picture of the coverage of women’s sport.

Women in Sport, which aims for equal opportunities through sport, surveyed coverage in five European countries and found that women’s sport accounted for no more than 10%, and as little as 2%, of all sport shown on TV. Almost a third of ‘Pay TV’ channels broadcast male sport only3.

However, the sport’s governing bodies were receptive to how it could help to promote the women’s game, which in turn generated real opportunities for all of the sports journalism students, male and female.

“FIFA were brilliant and helped us to get to the U20 Women’s World Cup in France,” said Pete.

“UEFA came to us and said, do you want to help us cover the U17s European Championships? And now the FA have come back to us and said ‘Euro 2020 – how can we get involved? How can we team up?’ So that is amazingly exciting.”

There are also plans to cover the women’s World Cup in France next year, which may also be facilitated by the enthusiasm of the powers that be. These are clearly enviable opportunities to develop a very impressive CV for any sports hack, never mind one who is still effectively in training. Following graduation though, the course’s female graduates are likely to find for some time yet that sports journalism is still very much a male-dominated environment.

Undergraduate Molly Jennens, who also works as Press Officer for Birmingham City Women FC, notes that the inequality is most starkly illustrated when “you walk into a press box and there can be 20 men and you’re the only woman,” but she doesn’t feel her gender needs to be an issue which dominates her career.

1 ‘Mel Reid tells all on golfsixes, growing women's golf, new coach and UL international crown’, Bret Lasky, www.lgpa.com, 9 May 2018 2 'Tiger Woods is still the highest-paid golfer on Earth—here's how much he makes', Abigail Hess, www.cnbc.com, 10 August 2018 3 ‘Where are all the women?’ www.womeninsport.org 18 October 2018

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“I think it’s about character more than anything,” she said.

“If you’re quite ballsy and determined, you’re going to make it and nothing’s going to put you off, and that’s the attitude that I’ve tried to have.”

More female sports journalists, no matter how determined, doesn’t necessarily mean a proportionate increase in the coverage of women’s sport, however. That also requires decisions made by broadcasters and publishers about their sports agenda and what the audience, and advertisers, are likely to want.

A 2018 study, carried out by data firm Nielsen Sports and the Women’s Sport Trust, which aims to increase the visibility and impact of women’s sport, claimed that 59% of the UK population have an active interest in women’s sport, presenting what it describes as “a massive and largely untapped opportunity for brands and broadcasters”.

Sky Sports reported that viewing figures for its coverage of women’s sport – cricket, netball, hockey, rugby and golf – increased by 23% in 2017.

“All the indicators point to it being a very good time to invest in women’s sport,” suggested Nielsen’s Lynsey Douglas4.

While this was clearly targeted at British-based commercial and media organisations, there had already been some significant developments elsewhere.

In 2017, A&E Networks, the US parent company of the reality TV channel Lifetime, noted for shows such as ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey’, concluded an agreement to show weekly National Women’s Soccer League matches, as well as providing the league with

live-streaming, mobile apps and social media services.

It certainly seemed to fit Lifetime’s stated position as “a female media brand”5.

In Australia, Fox Sports made a commitment in March to “provide more platforms for female athletes to prosper across more sports”, including rugby league and Aussie rules football6.

The University of Derby football journalism degree’s first graduate will be a female student. Holly Percival is graduating early in order to pursue her journalistic dream in the USA, where she can see more doors opening for her in broadcast sports journalism particularly – and not just because of the greater number of TV stations that extend from sea to shining sea.

“Over there, women dominate the industry,” she notes.

“You’ll have the classic ‘this is an ex-player and so he’ll come and do punditry’, but in terms of acceptance there are a lot more female sports journalists over there.”

While academic research seems to bear out the claim that the UK’s sports desks are still beset by sexism, there is a note of optimism here at Derby7.

“We’re running the only football journalism degree course in the English-speaking world that we know of,” says Pete Lansley.

“And it may be that there are girls who love football and like writing, but don’t even think of football journalism because there are so few role models out there.

“But that situation is improving.”

4 'There is a real and growing demand for more women’s sport in the UK', www.womenssporttrust.com, 6 August 2018 5 ‘The Most Powerful Women in Sports: 35 Executives and Influencers Winning Over the Next Generation of Fans’, T.L. Stanley, Adweek, 25 June 2017 6 ‘Fox Sports opens more pathways to women’s sport with expanded coverage’, Amanda Lulham, The Daily Telepgraph (Australia), 27 March 2018 7 'A sporting chance for women? Gender imbalance on the sports desks of UK national newspapers', Deidre O'Neill (Huddersfield), Suzanne Franks (City of London), 2016

"We're running the only football journalism degree course in the English-speaking world."

Pete Lansley

Right: Holly Percival and Molly Jennens interviewing England and Chelsea Women's goalkeeper, Carly Telford

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Coming up at Derby Theatre Hansel & Gretel Sat 30 Nov Sat 5 Jan

Noughts & Crosses

Goldlilocks Tue 4 Dec Sat 5 Jan

The Worst Witch

Fri 1 Sat 16 Feb

Mon 18 – Wed 20 Feb

Avenue Q

The Jungle Book

Mon 18 Sat 23 Mar

Box Office 01332 593939 Book Online derbytheatre.co.uk

Sat 6 Sat 20 April

Derby Theatre is part of

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Hari Punchihewa Deputy Chief Executive and Finance Director

I

read with interest the recent research undertaken

by Britain Thinks for Universities UK. It found that while 48% of adults in the UK think positively towards universities, only 11% are likely to advocate for them because they have little idea of the benefits of universities beyond undergraduate teaching, indicating there is more engagement required between universities and the general public.

This is timely, as the civic role universities play and the impact they have, aside from educating thousands of students, is gaining prominence, so much so that it is now a key strategic priority for many universities.

Having worked at the University of Derby for 15 years, I have seen first-hand the transformational impact our university has on people. The UK’s universities are said to be the envy of the world, so how can there be so little understanding about the benefits they bring to so many?

At Derby, teaching is at the heart of what we do, and our commitment to teaching excellence remains steadfast, but there’s so much more to the institution than that, and the impact we have extends far beyond that we make as educators.

We are in the privileged position of being the only university in the city and county. In addition to providing high-quality education to thousands of people, we also play a huge role in driving forward the area’s overall prosperity, through research, innovation and knowledge exchange, championing social mobility, and contributing to its cultural vibrancy, recreation (sports) and diversity.

dependent on the University’s activities, and this provision of jobs to local people has a substantial impact on the local and regional economy.

In addition, our combined (staff, students and the University) annual spending power across the county is £368m, and our total economic impact is £659m.

Bridging the skills gap We know that the UK is facing a skills shortage in numerous fields, from nursing to STEM professions, and the fourth industrial revolution is driving comprehensive change in technology, the nature of work and the demand for skills. The jobs of the future are more likely to require higher level skills, and the supply of these skills will be critical to future success.

The University is playing an important role in bridging the skills gap by working closely with employers and collaborators to develop partnerships and flexible learning options to provide what businesses need. We are proud to be pioneering practical Higher and Degree Apprenticeships, designed in conjunction with employers to embed new skills and grow talent in the workplace.

Economic impact1

Applied research is a growing area for the University, and through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and research partnerships we are developing innovative solutions for local businesses. The creation of new student placement opportunities across local business communities supports closer higher education institution-business working, while the seamless transition of graduates into employment within our host communities provides businesses with a highly skilled workforce.

As a major employer, we have a staff base of almost 3,000, spread across our sites in Derby, Buxton, and Chesterfield, as well as at Buxton and Leek College, in Leek. A total of 3,903 full-time equivalent jobs in Derby and Derbyshire are

We also support the growth of local and regional businesses, providing funding through the Invest to Grow scheme, of which I am Chair of the Board. It has helped create more than 1,000 jobs in the region.

1 The University of Derby’s Economic Impact report (Prospect Research Ltd)

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The University of Derby Magazine

"The jobs of the future are more likely to require higher level skills, and the supply of these skills will be critical to future success."

Opening doors

Social

As champions of social mobility, we want to open doors and create opportunities for anyone who wants to access high-quality further and higher education, regardless of background. We are making great strides; nearly 21% of our full-time undergraduates are from the lowest higher education participation neighbourhoods and are often the first member of their family to go to university, and UK-domiciled black and minority ethnic students make up 20.8% of our undergraduate body.

Our staff and students undertake a host of activities that give directly back to the local community. Our annual Volunteering Fair provides an opportunity for organisations to recruit motivated volunteers and to network with other charities and not-for-profit organisations. The University’s Futures Award actively encourages students to gain volunteering experience and recognises their contribution on their Higher Education Achievement Record, which they receive when they graduate. The Union of Students Raise and Give (RAG) society donated more than £71,000 to local and national charities this academic year, and the University’s Community Fund, and Vice-Chancellor’s Ideas Forum, provides additional funding to support community groups and initiatives.

In addition to this, our work with the Derby Opportunity Area, whose partnership board is chaired by our ViceChancellor, Professor Kathryn Mitchell, is having a significant impact on young people across the city, as is the work many of our staff do to support local schools to raise the aspirations of, and outcomes for, their students.

Cultural diversity The University is a much-loved second home to more than 1,000 students from over 100 different countries, so not only do our students, and staff, bring direct economic benefits to the city, county and wider region through their spending power, they also make the areas in which we live, work and socialise more culturally rich and diverse.

The University is also an integral part of the arts and cultural scene of the city, supporting and working collaboratively with organisations such as QUAD, Deda and Derby Museum. We own Derby Theatre, which has been acknowledged as a ‘pioneer’ by the Arts Council and as “increasingly the most crucial theatre in the region because of its emphasis on learning, nurturing and nourishing,” by renowned theatre critic Lyn Gardner.

In addition, our communities make use of the specialist facilities we have, such as our sports centre, and staff volunteers sit on local boards and panels to give support and provide specialist knowledge as necessary.

The term ‘town and gown’ is used to describe how local communities can feel disconnected from a university or concerned that its presence and expansion threatens the fabric of its neighbourhoods. I don’t believe this to be the case with Derby, and writing this I feel proud about the continuing efforts made by our University to integrate itself into and support the city and county.

We’re going to continue to do this and, as a UK university, we are working closely with our counterparts to help shift the overall narrative around universities, and to shout more loudly, and proudly, about the long lasting-positive impact we have, not only on the thousands of students who come to Derby to study, but on the local communities, businesses and individuals who benefit too.

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BREATHING

NEW LIFE INTO THE

THIN BLUE LINE Writer: Rob James

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The University of Derby Magazine

F

rom the moment the austerity starting pistol was fired by former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne back in 2010, the police service has found itself losing ground in a race that has no visible finishing line.

Since then, the Home Office has cut back grant funding by half a billion pounds and forces have haemorrhaged frontline officers and support staff.

The service has been placed "under extreme strain", according to the Police Federation, which represents all officers below the rank of superintendent in England and Wales.

“In comparison to 10 years ago, we are 20,000 police officers down, whereas the population has increased,” explains the Federation’s Professional Development Lead, Dave Bamber.

“Crime hasn’t decreased, no matter what figures you look at. It has probably increased, with fewer resources to be able to deal with that.”

And yet, despite these challenges, as well as the risks of dealing with some pretty unsavoury characters and incidents, and the frequent bad press the service has had to stomach, applicants with a clear sense of that ‘duty to serve’ have never been in short supply when forces have been hiring.

Policing has had to change as crime has changed in recent years. Cyber-enabled crime, online exploitation and modern slavery were terms few, if any of us, had heard when the Coalition government began the squeeze on public services in 2010.

One other thing we hadn’t had eight years ago was the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner. PCCs were brought in as directly elected representatives of the public, charged with holding senior police officers to account and setting the direction of policing in their force areas.

"I think we need four to five hundred more officers to really get to a position where we are able to provide a good service across the piece, without spreading ourselves as thinly as we are doing at the moment."

Hardyal Dhindsa

PCCs, like Hardyal Dhindsa – the second person to hold the office in Derbyshire – have also had to work furiously with their senior officers to fend off the prospect of their forces becoming unsustainable as the cuts compelled them to shed thousands of officers and staff. Derbyshire has lost 800 personnel, a huge hit for a force of its size to absorb.

Four years ago, the then-Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, Neil Rhodes, wrote to the then-Home Secretary, Theresa May, warning that funding arrangements for his force would mean that by 2018, it would, in effect, 'fail' to provide the service.

Fast forward to 2018, and Lincolnshire still has a functioning police force and Mrs May, as Prime Minister, is talking openly about an end to the austere years, but police chiefs are not so sure. Derbyshire’s own Chief Constable Peter Goodman, speaking to the BBC in November1, described current budget levels as comparable with the 1970s, warning: “There are cracks in the delivery of policing.”

So what does it take to pull policing back from the brink? Reductions in Derbyshire had gone “too far”, according to Hardyal Dhindsa. Even so, maybe the force doesn’t have to bounce all the way back to its pre-2010 establishment.

“In my opinion, going back to that level may not be needed and, realistically, may not be possible,” he says.

“However, to make a robust, resilient police force that can serve the communities of Derbyshire, fighting crime and protecting victims and communities, I think we need four to five hundred more officers to really get to a position where we are able to provide a good service across the piece, without spreading ourselves as thinly as we are doing at the moment.”

‘Smarter policing’ has been a buzz phrase in the service for some time, largely to refer to how policing is done, whether that is improved use of technology, or the creation of new processes and systems to compensate for the loss of officers and staff. It may not, when it was first coined, have referred to the required qualifications for recruits, but the College of Policing, responsible for the training of all officers, has decreed that by 2020, all new recruits will have to achieve a degree in policing.

Hardyal Dhindsa

The University of Derby is the first in the country to offer a Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA). It gives students an 80/20 split

1 Interview with Ian Skye, BBC Radio Derby Breakfast Show, 6 November 2018

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Gary Knighton

Tony Blockley between practical experience and classroom learning, spending blocks of four to six weeks on attachment with each of their force’s teams and departments.

“This is what makes this programme unique,” says the University’s Head of Policing, and former Derbyshire detective, Tony Blockley.

Dave Bamber raising with us,” confirms Derbyshire Deputy Chief Constable Gary Knighton, who welcomed the new PCDA cohort at his force headquarters as they set out on their studies in September.

“It’s a big step to contact the police. The quality of what you do for victims, how you treat victims and make them feel, will remain with them for the rest of their lives.”

“What the students are getting is an insight into all the areas of the force that they are operating in, which is very different from the traditional probationary constable.

Representing the communities you serve is also important, says Hardyal.

“One of the things that appealed to the students at interview was the fact that they were going to get to see a whole lot of the organisation in order to inform their future decisions about what they wanted to do.

“Based on the principle that ‘the police is the public and the public is the police’, you need to make sure that the diversity of the population that the police serve is reflected in the workforce.

“So, they’ll go to neighbourhood policing, to response, intelligence, to CID. There are a lot of things that the students will do which, ordinarily, officers wouldn’t have the opportunity to.

“That’s not just diversity in terms of ethnic origin, but in geography, gender, sexual orientation and disability.

Hopefully, the degree apprenticeship will help to move us in that direction.”

“The whole point of this programme is around professionalisation; to create an individual who is comfortable at challenging, who is thinking about the future and about continuous improvement and development.

There remains a question, however, about whether forces regard undergraduate officers as “deployable from day one” to attend incidents. Forces acknowledge it is an issue, and the Federation is clear that there needs to be a consistent approach.

“Policing changes on a daily basis, so you need forwardthinking people who are able to use critical analysis in a positive way to improve the service. Some of them will go on to be chief officers because they understand the value of what they are doing.”

“The investment in training time, and in protected learning time, is a key to the success of [degree apprenticeships] in the future,” says Dave.

Ultimately, in a society which is policed by consent, that value comes from securing public confidence and trust.

“We want our officers to serve the public in a caring, thoughtful and intelligent way; in a way that the public actually feels we care about the issues that they are 30

“There may be short-term issues for forces to deal with, but the long-term benefit of training your staff appropriately should pay dividends in the end.”

For more information, visit www.derby.ac.uk/ undergraduate/criminology-policing-courses

APPRENTICESHIPS Cultivate talent in your workplace with a postgraduate apprenticeship.

We offer apprenticeships tailored to fit your business needs including: • Senior Leader Master's Degree Apprenticeship • Postgraduate Engineer Degree Apprenticeship • Process Automation Engineer Degree Apprenticeship We can also help with access to funding and advise you how to make the most of the apprenticeship levy.

For more information call 0800 001 5500 or Visit derby.ac.uk/apprenticeships 31

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MINUTES WITH...

Pauline Latham OBE MP

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rom being recently appointed as the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Kenya, to championing mental health and the performing arts, MP Pauline Latham OBE has a portfolio of campaigns she is supporting. We speak to the Conservative MP for Mid-Derbyshire about her priorities for the next 12 months.

You were recently appointed the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Kenya. How important is the UK’s relationship with Kenya and what role will you play in supporting the existing ties between the two nations?

I was delighted to be appointed to this role, and will be working to build on the UK’s existing relationship with Kenya – maximising bilateral trade and generating long-term benefits for both countries. I am a passionate believer in Africa’s potential, recognise the particular strengths of Kenya and believe that our strong trading relationship should continue to go from strength to strength.

You recently agreed to become an ambassador for the University of Derby’s Youth Work and Community Development programme. Why is this of importance to you and how do you plan to champion youth work?

I am very pleased to have become an ambassador as I am passionate about the impact that young people can have in their local and wider community, particularly if they have the necessary guidance and are empowered to reach their full potential. It is clear that this programme has the ability to make a positive impact and I am very impressed by the high quality of teaching and mentorship that the University has to offer.

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An avid supporter of theatre and the arts, you were recently appointed Parliamentary Ambassador for the Performing Arts. Despite the creative industries being worth £92 billion for the UK economy, the value of an arts education has been challenged – what’s your response to this?

I have always been an avid supporter of theatre, ballet and music, as well as the creative arts, and therefore, I was happy and privileged to accept the role of Parliamentary Ambassador for the Performing Arts. In this role, I will act as their champion for the sector and work to foster relationships between representatives of the industry and parliament and government.

I welcome the recent report by the University of Derby that highlighted how the performing arts teaches us to express our culture, emotions and beliefs, as well as helping educate us about the world we live in. It rightly highlights that the performing arts have a significant benefit to the economy, thanks largely to the millions who listen to music, go to the theatre or watch television every day.

You recently held an event at the University of Derby to raise awareness of mental health. How important is this issue? How do you think the stigma of mental health can be challenged?

Mental health awareness is crucial. So many people are affected by mental health issues and we will all know someone who has struggled with this. It is vital that we remove any stigma and make our society more forwardthinking and kinder. The stigma can be addressed through acknowledgement and discussion; mental health awareness should become a common part of our everyday dialogue. It is also fundamental that people know where to get the help they need, whether this be from health authorities or charities.

The University of Derby Magazine

"The performing arts have a significant benefit to the economy, thanks largely to the millions who listen to music, go to the theatre or watch television every day."

What other key campaigns are you currently supporting, and why?

I introduced the issue of raising the legal age of marriage from 16 with parental consent, to 18 for everyone, via the Parliamentary mechanism of a Ten Minute Rule Bill.

The age of 18 is widely accepted as the start of adulthood, but those one or two years younger occupy a strange twilight zone where young people are given many freedoms and responsibilities but denied others.

This includes permission to marry aged 16, with the consent of parents. I believe this is a situation which needs changing. After all, children have to remain in education or training until they are 18 now, unlike when the permission to marry at 16 was brought in, when children often left school at 14 to go into employment.

I am also supporting the government’s continued work to reduce single-use plastic and would implore them to go even further. We are all guilty of using too many singleuse plastics: coffee cups, drinking bottles, straws and cotton buds. Too often, we casually throw such plastic away as though it is a disposable material, but as a result of our actions, tonnes of plastic materials are clogging the world’s oceans, with documentaries such as the BBC's Blue Planet highlighting the catastrophic effect they are having.

What are your priorities for the next 6-12 months?

My first priority is always representing my constituents effectively. I seek to answer and address casework enquires and take up any relevant issues with my Parliamentary colleagues.

In terms of government policy, in the coming months Brexit is the biggest issue. We are quickly reaching crunch time. I remain committed to ensuring that the government delivers the Brexit that my constituents democratically voted for. This is a difficult period, however, I am excited about the many opportunities available on the other side.

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Writer: Sam De Vere

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ur aim at the University of Derby is to produce research that can influence more people, address more issues and bring more benefits to the world around us. It is a fundamental part of our identity as an academic institution, and we ensure that our work has a real impact, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Here is a snapshot of just some of the research currently taking place at the University.

LEADING THE LOW CARBON AGENDA

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s part of the University’s Centre for Business Improvement, the Sustainable Business and Green Economy research cluster is leading the low carbon agenda through research and its direct impact on the region’s business community, environment and economic strategy.

Earlier research collaboration with Derby City and Derbyshire County Councils led to partnership on an energy efficiency and low carbon business development project that secured £220,000 in EU funding to create the Low Carbon Business Network. The Network helps small and medium-sized businesses to strengthen their competitiveness and grow their business by supplying more low carbon goods and services.

Russ Gratton, from Recon Electrical in Chesterfield, said: “The Network has helped us become more engaged with other companies – and work with other potential suppliers.”

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Wendy Baird, from Carriages Café in Newark, added: “Anyone who cares about the environment and is in business should be part of the Network.”

Outcomes and recommendations from another study into the skills needs of the local low carbon sector, which was funded by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, are being used by the LEP to inform its Strategic Economic Plan (2019-2030) and forthcoming Local Industrial Strategy.

Find out more about the Network at www.lowcarbonbusiness.net

The University of Derby Magazine

RAISING AWARENESS OF OUR HISTORIC GREEN SPACES

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rofessor Paul Elliott, the University’s Research Lead in Humanities, has been carrying out studies on landscape and environmental history, which have had a considerable impact upon public and professional awareness and perceptions of our historic green spaces.

Over almost two decades of academic studies, publications and community activities, Paul has promoted public engagement with historical research, forging close working relationships with a range of organisations including Derby and Nottingham City Councils, local museums, media organisations, the Chartered Institute of Foresters and friends groups of public parks.

His work has achieved a number of key impacts, including enriching people’s awareness and engagement with historic green spaces and woodland, and their understanding of the relationship between place, landscape and the sciences. His work has also fostered community history projects on historic green spaces and the First World War centenary, and informed the

preservation, restoration and management of public green spaces.

Hazel Thompson, who participated in sewing the ‘Derby Green Spaces, World War One’ tapestry project, said: “This sort of activity can be so therapeutic, as I have experienced, but there isn’t enough recognition given to it in regards to people’s wellbeing, its value for the coming together of community, and people recognising the past.”

THE IMPACT OF COMPASSIONFOCUSED THERAPY ON WELLBEING

FORMAT - THE UK'S LARGEST PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL

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he Mental Health Research Unit (MHRU) – a joint project between the University and Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust – is developing compassion-focused therapy, which can be used to treat depression and anxiety by reducing shame and self-criticism.

The University has contributed £12,000 annually since 2003 towards the running costs of the unit, and offers training courses for therapists in compassion-focused therapy. Many joint activities are underway, including project work, PhD student supervision and research grant applications.

Professor Paul Gilbert, along with colleagues at the MHRU, is also a member of the University's Centre for Psychological Research. Professor Gilbert has made a significant contribution to public understanding and awareness of mental health issues, and of the role of compassion-focused approaches, through national and international media appearances, including on BBC Radio 4, in The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, and internationally. In January 2011, he was awarded an OBE for services to mental healthcare.

he FORMAT International Photography Festival, a collaboration between the University and the QUAD Independent Cinema & Media Arts Centre, was established in 2004 to share research and practice in photography.

The Festival advances the development of the photographic medium and confirms Derby as a major centre for photography in the UK, with an international reach, reflecting the University’s reputation and heritage in the area of photographic research and education.

The research explores the contemporary landscape of photography, film and art installations, through exhibitions, publishing, public debate, conferences and commissioning new work.

FORMAT is now considered to be the largest photography festival in the UK, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, and delivering an estimated cumulative net economic impact to Derby of around £1 million.

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CONNECTING WITH NATURE THE URBAN WAY

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e’re all familiar with that invigorating feeling when we manage to tear ourselves away from our smartphones to step out into the garden or take a walk in the sunny park. Spending time in nature has long been heralded as a popular pastime to banish our urban-living blues but, in our increasingly hectic lives, is there a way to really connect with the natural world around us? And what kind of long-term benefits could this provide?

Writer: Emily Bishton

"Everything we do and have depends on nature, and it should be everybody's right to have access to wildlife-rich habitats every day."

For Miles Richardson, Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby, there are five different ways we can connect to the natural environment, known as the Five Pathways to Nature Connectedness. These are: Contact – the act of engaging with nature through the senses. Examples could include listening to birdsong, smelling wild flowers or watching the sunset.

Beauty – taking time to appreciate beauty in nature and trying to capture it through art or in words.

Meaning – taking time to consider the meaning of nature and what the signs of nature mean to you.

Emotion – finding happiness and wonder within nature or making an emotional bond.

Compassion – thinking about what you can do for nature.

Miles leads the University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness Research Group, the first of its kind to focus on this emerging topic. He says: “Exposure to nature is widely accepted as beneficial, however research shows that developing a deeper connection with nature is more important for mental wellbeing. Nature connectedness also leads to proenvironmental behaviours, which is good for both individuals and the planet as a whole.

This is a relatively new construct and we are still finding new and unexpected benefits1.”

The National Trust has adopted these pathways and uses them to inform its programme of activities for its 25 million visitors each year. The Wildlife Trust has also embraced this work, tying it in to its 30 Days Wild programme. For three successive years, this approach has led participants to feel happier, healthier and has encouraged them to do more for nature conversation, even two months after taking part2.

Dominic Higgins, Nature and Wellbeing Manager at the Wildlife Trust, says: “Everything we do and have depends on nature, and it should be everybody’s right to have access to wildlife-rich habitats every day.

"30 Days Wild shows that nature isn’t ‘over there’; it isn’t some far-off thing. It’s about people noticing the everyday nature that’s all around them. Urban areas are like green jungles; the trees are bursting with life but sometimes you just need to take a moment to notice it.”

2018 was a record-breaking year for the 30 Days Wild project, with a 40% increase in participants from the year before. The project ran in June, and it was estimated that if every person who signed up carried out ‘30 Random Acts of Wildness’ that month, then there would have been over 10 million special moments with nature.

1 Lumber R, Richardson M, Sheffield D (2017) Beyond knowing nature: Contact, emotion, compassion, meaning, and beauty are pathways to nature connection. PLoS ONE 12(5): e0177186.

2 Richardson, M., Cormack, A., McRobert, L. & Underhill, R. (2016). 30 Days Wild: Development and Evaluation of a Large-Scale Nature Engagement Campaign to Improve Well-Being. PLoS ONE 11(2): e0149777. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0149777 Richardson, M., & McEwan, K. (2018). 30 Days Wild and the Relationships Between Engagement With Nature’s Beauty, Nature Connectedness and Well-Being. Frontiers in Psychology, 9.

Richardson, M., McEwan, K., & Garip, G. (2018). 30 Days Wild: who benefits most? Journal of Public Mental Health, 17(3), 95-104.

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The University of Derby Magazine

Developing small ways to connect with everyday nature has become increasingly important, as we don’t often live in areas with close proximity to green spaces. According to the United Nations, by 2050, 66% of the world’s population will live in urban areas3.

which involved physical work like cutting down branches, clearing spaces and tying knots. Along with the physical skills they were practising, it also helped them develop risk management skills and confidence in interacting with the environment6.

Jenny Hallam, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby, talks about how this can impact children’s connection with nature: “Access to green space has reduced significantly. In 1991, it was reported that there was a 90% decrease in areas around urban homes in which children could roam freely, and it is unlikely to have improved much since then4.

“Because the children had been working collaboratively, they were developing new social connections which carried over into the school environment. There was a real sense of pride in what they had achieved which, along with their new support network, really impacted their wellbeing.

“Even where there is accessible land for children, there are growing fears around child safety. Parents often don’t feel comfortable with their child engaging in those spaces unsupervised, due to who they might meet or what activities they might engage in, such as breaking bones climbing trees or falling into rivers or lakes. These concerns are very real and justified, but could be working to prevent children from engaging with nature.”

Feral Spaces5 is a project led by Laurel Gallagher, who works with disadvantaged urban communities to reclaim disused public spaces for creativity, adventure and play.

Jenny worked with Laurel, looking into how children can connect with the ‘mundane’ nature around them and the benefits this can provide: “The children were taken to a largely disused, semi-wild space near their school and were asked to come up with a vision and how they could improve it for community use. They built dens and swings,

“Traditionally, in nature connectedness research there is a focus on going out into the wild and connecting with ‘big’ nature. I think this potentially presents quite a narrow view, as nature is everywhere. Visiting national parks or areas of established natural beauty can be very resourceintensive, in terms of time, money and transport. It can be inaccessible to a lot of people.

“Big nature, and the knowledge-based activities often encouraged in these areas, such as identifying trees or birdwatching, can sometimes feel quite alien to children.

They may not be able to relate to it on an emotional level.

The everyday mundane nature they see around them is freely available and offers the opportunity for connection for all children, regardless of their background.”

Miles agrees, noting: “The crises of climate change and biodiversity loss show that our traditional relationship with nature has failed and there is a need for a new relationship with the natural world. Nature connectedness, and the pathways to it, provide a basis for that new relationship.”

3 https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/publications/files/wup2014-highlights.pdf 4 Gaster, S. (1991) ‘Urban Children’s Access to Their Neighbourhoods: Changes Over Three Generations’. cited in Louv, R. (2005) Last Child in the Woods, p.123. 13 5 www.feralstate.com 6 Hallam, Howard, Gallagher (under review) An investigation into young people’s engagement with a semi-wild, disused space and their well-being. Environmental values

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Alumni Profile Jeanette Stevenson

Course and year graduated: LLB Law (Hons) with Criminology.

I graduated in January 2012 with a 2:1.

What attracted you to the course?

Prior to studying law, I worked for some years at Derbyshire Constabulary, firstly as a Special Constable and then full time in their police control room. It was within this role that I realised my ambition to attend university and study law. I was attracted to this course in particular because I could combine a qualifying law degree with my interest in criminology, and specifically my insights into the causes and consequences of crime.

What are you doing now?

I am now a barrister at Cornwall Street Barristers based in Birmingham. They are a great set of chambers practising in a number of different areas of law, such as civil, family, immigration and crime. We celebrated our 50th anniversary this year. More recent success has seen four members of chambers become circuit judges and join the bench. I practise mainly in criminal law, completing all manner of different cases, from drugs to private driving matters. I defend and prosecute cases on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service and other bodies such as the Royal Mail and National Probation Service. In more recent times, I have started to develop my practice into other areas of law, such as regulatory, immigration and employment law.

How did the University help you achieve your goals?

Without doubt, the main help for me was the scholarship the University awarded me in partnership with the Derby Telegraph. I was lucky enough to have my law degree paid for, without which I have no

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doubt that getting a place at university and paying to study would have been, at that point of my life, near impossible. By way of a short explanation, I had lost my parents at the age of nine and was fostered by my aunt and uncle. Having made the choice at 16 to leave their care, I was in the position where I had to choose the reality of finding a full-time job and accommodation, in place of studying A-Levels. If it was not for the University some years later seeing the potential in me and offering me the opportunity to study law for free, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Did you face any challenges along the way?

Oh yes! The first hurdle to overcome was starting the course in the first place. When I was informed that I had won the scholarship and received a place on the course, I found out that I was expecting my second child. My little girl, Helen-Louise, was only nine months old at the time. I had already decided that with hard work and determination, I could juggle family life and full-time study. However, discovering I was expecting again was quite out of the blue. I decided, much to my family and friends' surprise, that I was determined to continue with my dream. I enrolled as planned and never looked back. It was difficult, especially being heavily pregnant during my first-year exams (I even went into labour during one of them!).

What do you think the future holds?

Ongoing success and achievement, I hope. I am not sure at this point where my career may take me. I am very proud to have achieved what I have so far, as the work I do is varied and challenging. I hope to be able to work hard and add many strings to my bow along the way – who knows where my skills, determination and hard work may take me?

If you had a chance for a ‘do-over’, is there anything you would do differently?

Of course, there are always things people think they could have done differently; we wouldn’t be human if not. But I am a firm believer that the choices we make and the path we take is never the wrong one. It is from the choices we make that we learn. Apart from perhaps choosing commercial instead of criminal law, and making lots of money (joke), then no, I wouldn’t do anything differently.

The University of Derby Magazine Do you have any advice for our current students?

My favourite piece of advice to students is ‘think outside the box’. Think of ways in which you can learn and grow that will make you stand out from the crowd. This is certainly the case for law students. Students wanting training contracts and pupillages face tough competition.

For instance, the feedback I received when applying for pupillages was that I stood out. I had struggled to pay for childcare when I did the bar course, so instead of giving up I applied for a TV game show and won the money I needed! I am not suggesting you need to go on TV to get the job you want. There is always a solution to resolve any problem – just think outside the box to find it!

It is never too early to start preparing your CV to make it the best it can be. Find yourself a unique selling point that nobody else has, and make yourself stand out.

"I am a firm believer that the choices we make and the path we take is never the wrong one. It is from the choices we make that we learn."

Jeanette Stevenson

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UNIVERSITY OF AMBITION There is no better time to be involved with the University of Derby. With a growing reputation for teaching and research excellence, a strong student base and superb industry connections, our future is looking bright.

Our commitment to providing opportunities for all is stronger than ever and, with your help, we want to offer students the opportunity to broaden their world view and expand their ambition, perspective and focus.

Supporting the University of Derby with a donation will directly benefit the individual experience and future of our students. By funding a Student International Travel award or Scholarship, from just £2,000, you can make a difference to someone’s life.

Student International Travel Awards support opportunities to work and study abroad, enabling

students from all socio-economic backgrounds to experience the world without financial limitations.

Scholarships can make the biggest difference for those students who show exceptional promise but need financial assistance to further their studies.

Wherever our students come from, wherever they are heading, we are the university to get them there.

To give or to find out more about how you can support our students please contact the Development and Alumni Relations Office.

T: 01332 591368 E: development@derby.ac.uk

The University of Derby Magazine

EVENTS AT DERBY Our extensive annual programme of events opens the doors to the wealth of expertise across many and varied subject areas, and is open to the public.

For further information about our events programme, sign up to our monthly e-newsletter at derby.ac.uk/events

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STUDENT SUCCESS "Jamie is an excellent PhD student – he has worked tirelessly on his project from the onset and his passion for coral reef husbandry and conservation is clear."

Professor Michael Sweet

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The University of Derby Magazine

PhD student's commitment to coral conservation

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any children grew up keeping cats and dogs as pets, but Jamie Craggs, a current PhD student at the University of Derby, preferred to look after tropical freshwater aquariums.

In the last 20 years, Jamie has worked continuously in the public aquarist industry, currently focusing on his role as Aquarium Curator at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London. Jamie’s passion grew when, in his early 20s, he volunteered in the Philippines on a conservation programme. Fascinated by seeing all of the tropical fish in their natural surroundings, Jamie took up a career in aquarist diving on his return.

Jamie said: “One of the goals for all aquarists is to breed your own animals. Therefore, the reproduction of corals had always been something I wanted to focus on. It was this thinking that led to the creation of Project Coral.”

Project Coral was born six years ago, with the original goal of the project being to understand the triggers that stimulate broadcast corals to spawn in the wild, then replicate those conditions in an aquarium setting.

Within eight months, the team had their first reef-building corals, releasing eggs and sperm into the water. The project has enjoyed great success, with the researchers now able to replicate different geographical regions across the world. By successfully creating this programme, Project Coral has set the foundation for multiple research opportunities, such as understanding the ways in which we can support coral reef restoration efforts. The techniques developed in London are now being used for the active conservation of critically endangered coral species in the Caribbean.

“With the pressing issue of climate change affecting coral reefs around the world, there is still so much to do, but that inspires me and my team to continue exploring the possibilities of ex-situ coral spawning and making new discoveries.

“I would certainly like to see more of that as we develop the research strategies in the future.”

The University has supported Jamie by encouraging extensive research into Project Coral, while also providing a wider scientific platform for the programme to reach.

Michael Sweet, Jamie’s supervisor and Associate Professor of Life and Natural Sciences at the University, said: “Jamie is an excellent PhD student – he has worked tirelessly on his project from the onset and his passion for coral reef husbandry and conservation is clear.

“He particularly likes a challenge and his studies have tested his skills in project design, experimental set-up, photography, scanning electron microscopy, assisted evolution and metabolomics – giving Jamie a great allround skill set to move forward in his research career.”

Jamie’s work has been internationally recognised, receiving the Marine Aquarium Societies of North America (MASNA) ‘Aquarist of the Year 2018’ title for his continuous contributions to the aquarium industry.

The MASNA award was an incredible personal achievement for Jamie, as he regards the previous winners as mentors who have inspired and supported him throughout his career.

But the success doesn’t stop there. In 2017, Jamie won the ‘Best Student Presentation Award’ at the European Coral Reef Symposium at the University of Oxford, a threeday celebration of 20 years of Reef Conservation UK. He puts his success down to years of hard work and constantly keeping himself up to date in his area of research.

Jamie said: “Volunteering is a great option when it comes to diversifying your skill set and can be invaluable when going into marine sciences.

“By running your own aquarium as a hobby, you can learn so much in the way of practical skills, which over time will develop into an innate understanding of the species in your care. It’s really important to have a well-rounded outlook and be confident in yourself.”

Jamie and his team are working tirelessly to explore new ways to combat climate change and its effects on conservation.

“As a global society, we have some big challenges facing us in the near future as a result of climate change and the way we live. We all need to take personal responsibility and action for the things we do in our everyday lives. As consumers, we vote with every purchase we make for the type of world we want to live in.

“There are many sources of information and campaigns around, from reducing single-use plastics, to saving species. Get informed, get involved and encourage others to do the same.”

For more information, visit: www.horniman.ac.uk/ about/our-staff/people/jamie-craggs

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City, County, Community The University of Derby is continually looking for ways to support the city and county, as well as the local communities within it. This year has certainly been a busy one! Here are just a few examples of the work we’ve been doing and the projects we’ve been supporting.

Legal Advice Centre

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n October, we launched the Student Legal Advice Centre, which will be run by our LLB (Hons) Law students, providing members of the public with free legal advice on a range of areas of law.

The Centre, a student-led project instigated by Head of Law Sue Jennings, has been designed to provide students with clinical legal practice education and deliver free advice to the community. The Centre will be based at the University’s Law School and will officially open to the public in February 2019.

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The University of Derby Magazine

Community Fund

Pavilion in the Park

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ive Derbyshire organisations have benefited from the University’s Community Fund since the summer, which offers local clubs, societies and organisations the opportunity to apply for funding, to help support their projects or good causes.

Derwent Stepping Stones Childcare and Early Education received a £982 funding boost to help build a creative forest garden environment to support the children’s development and capture their imagination.

Autism East Midlands received £1,500 to help resource the Chesterfield base of its successful Family Support Hub programme, which provides monthly drop-in sessions for families affected by autism.

Volunteering Fair

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n October, the University welcomed 70 charity and not-for-profit organisations to the annual Volunteering Fair, offering various opportunities to our students and graduates, as well as staff and the local community.

The Fair gives local organisations the opportunity to promote their business and gain motivated and talented students who are keen to experience real-world situations, while making a positive impact in our local community.

econd-year architecture students worked alongside pupils from Buxton Junior School in October, to create an exhibition of concepts for a new community pavilion.

The architecture students were each partnered with a Buxton pupil to create a concept, with just one collaborative idea being chosen in the final. The structure will be built in 2019, before moving to its forever-home at Buxton Junior School.

Good Things Derby Wellbeing App

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n a bid to understand and improve wellbeing in urban environments, the University developed a £1 million wellbeing app, Good Things Derby, which prompts users to notice, rate and photograph their surroundings and map the good things in and around the city.

The app was a result of a research project, developed in conjunction with the University of Sheffield and the Improving Wellbeing through Urban Nature project.

Derby City Council, town planners and developers will be able to use the research findings to understand what kind of green spaces offer the most benefit to people’s wellbeing, so that these spaces can be optimised in the city.

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Last Word I

n August, I was proud to become Chair of Governing Council at the University of Derby. This is a genuinely exciting time to be taking up the reins, as we look to build on the tremendous success we have had as an institution over the last few years.

We are now a Top 30 university in the highly regarded Guardian University Guide, feature in the Top 1,000 in the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings, and are Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold-rated for our teaching quality.

Our task is now to continue this momentum, and the University has developed a forward-thinking and innovative Strategic Framework which will guide our future plans. I have been impressed with how this has taken shape, combining ambition with practical steps and measures to track our progress.

It acknowledges the increasingly competitive higher education market in which we operate, as well as the more rigorous regulatory regime the sector will have to comply with through the newly established Office for Students.

Delivering a great student experience is our principal aim, and to further assist this, our policy of engaging with and involving students in many of the key strategic and decision-making forums works very well.

Alongside our primary focus on students, the University plays an increasing civic role. We already contribute and lead on a wide range of local initiatives through our expertise and resource. Our recent success and growing reputation also mean that we are a fundamental component of the city and county’s proposition to external stakeholders and interested parties, be

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they investors, employers, government or prospective new students choosing their university.

We will continue to invest in our estate, creating and maintaining attractive and well-specified facilities that will enhance the learning experience enjoyed by our students, as well as adding to the cityscape and improving connectivity between the University and city itself.

Working together with industry means that the University is able to help accelerate business growth through innovation, new ideas and development programmes, as well as closely linking employer skills needs with work-ready graduate capabilities, thereby improving employment prospects.

There are many more elements to our Strategic Framework, and the Executive team, led by ViceChancellor Professor Kathryn Mitchell, is highly capable and focused on really helping the University to achieve its full potential.

Governing Council comprises external lay members and both staff and student representatives, all of whom bring with them not only excellent skills but also a true passion for the University.

My job as Chair of Governing Council is to support the Executive team and help achieve the key objectives in the Strategic Framework, most notably to ensure we deliver a great student experience, excellent employability for our graduates, and a highly successful university we can all feel very proud of.

Stephen Smith Chair of Governing Council

1947-2018

This issue is dedicated to John Kinsey, photographer and educator, who taught at the University of Derby for over 40 years and who is sadly missed by all who knew him.

A retrospective exhibition in John’s memory will be held in 2019 at the University’s Markeaton Street campus.

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