Now and Then #20 by University of East London

NOW The magazine for the University of East London’s Alumni Network

POLITICAL TRAILBLAZER

Preet Kaur Gill MP

PEOPLE’S CHAMPION

Imran Khan QC THE CHANGEMAKER

Jonathan Lofulo

ISSUE 20, NOW AND THEN 2018

New Colleges, New Leadership

THEN

You will find our extended UEL Jobs board, be able to make appointments with career coaches and mentoring officers, hear about our latest events, and receive online support to get the job you deserve. This service is open to all graduates, no matter how long ago you graduated! To find out more about CfSS and what is on offer to you, visit the CfSS website: uel.ac.uk/cfss You can also email the team on CfSS@uel.ac.uk or call on +44(0)20 8223 2424/4321.

UEL Employment Hub

The Centre for Student Success has launched the UEL Employment Hub. The new careers management platform is designed for UEL students and graduates, and gives you access to services designed to support all of your employability needs.

Hello, and welcome to the 20th edition of Now and Then, the official magazine for the University of East London’s (UEL) Alumni Network. It’s been a busy year for UEL. Since you last read Now and Then, we’ve appointed a new Chair of Governors, Geoff Thompson (who just happens to be a five-time karate world champion) and re-structured our seven Schools into three new Colleges. And in September, we welcomed a new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Amanda Broderick, who has exciting plans for the future. Meanwhile, UEL continues to climb the league tables. Times Higher Education described us as a “rising star of Higher Education” this year after praising us as the most improved university in the UK over the past decade for the quality of our student experience. For a round-up of other important news over the last 12 months, turn to page six.

IN THIS ISSUE COVER STORY

This year’s cover story is Preet Kaur Gill MP, who made history last year when she became the first Sikh women to be elected as a British Member of Parliament. Preet took time out from her busy schedule to meet with writer Kiera Hay at Westminster, where they discussed Preet’s time at UEL, her career as a rising political star, and everything in between. Read her full story on page 26. SPECIAL FEATURES

Writer Dan Blackman caught up with Imran Khan, UEL law alumnus and patron of our Legal Advice Centre. Imran was made a Queen’s Counsel (QC) this year, a title bestowed in recognition of his legal achievements as a criminal defence solicitor for over 30 years. To read Imran’s full story, turn to page 18. Dan also spoke to recent Education Studies graduate Jonathan Lofulo at the premiere of a new opera based on Jonathan’s extraordinary life. To read more about Jonathan, the opera and his plans for the future, turn to page 30. REGULAR FEATURES

This edition also features the latest news about our incredible student and alumni athletes, seven of whom competed in the Commonwealth Games in Australia. You can also read about Dr Tim Lomas as he pursues the mysteries of untranslatable words, and much more! If you have any feedback on Now and Then, please send it to the alumni team at alumni@uel.ac.uk

UEL ALUMNI NETWORK EDITOR

Charlie Werren DESIGN

UEL Design & Publications Department COVER

Preet Kaur Gill MP COVER PHOTO

Tom Jamieson PRINT AND DISTRIBUTION

Sure Print Services ©Now and Then 2018

ABOUT

Now and Then is a publication of the Alumni Network at the University of East London. It is a platform for graduates and friends across the globe to stay in touch with their university, and maintain relationships with former classmates and the wider UEL community. We aim to provide opportunities for communication, friendship and involvement.

Alumni Network, University of East London, Docklands Campus, University Way, London, E16 2RD alumni@uel.ac.uk +44 (0)20 8223 2222 uel.ac.uk/alumni

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New Colleges, new leadership UEL news UEL sports round-up Fighting injustice, Imran Khan QC SeqUEL A new face of politics, Preet Kaur Gill MP A night at the Opera, Jonathan Lofulo The mysteries of untranslatable words Being a UEL ambassador Alumni snippets 10 minutes with Helen A Pritchard

New Colleges, new leadership

A new College structure, a new Chair of Governors, a new Vice-Chancellor. It’s been a year of change at UEL but with one happy constant – the University’s steady rise in every national league table. The new-look Colleges came into being in time for the start of the 2017-18 academic year, with the emphasis on promoting inter-disciplinary research and broadening students’ skill-sets to improve their employability prospects. The Schools of Psychology and Health, Sport & Bioscience now sit within the College of Applied Health and Communities, while the Schools of Architecture, Computing and Engineering and Arts & Digital Industries have formed the College of Arts, Technology and Innovation. The Royal Docks School of Business Law and the Cass School of Education and Communities, along with Social Sciences, now make up the College of Professional Services. Continuing UEL’s programme of change, Geoff Thompson MBE FRSA DL took over as Chair of the Board in September 2017, bringing a unique set of credentials as a former five-time world karate champion. After retiring from competitive sport, Geoff established himself as an influential sports politician and administrator. He is also the Founder and Executive Chair of The Youth Charter – a UK-based international charity and United Nations NonGovernmental Organisation that uses sport and the arts to tackle educational non-attainment, health inequality, anti-social behaviour and crime in some of Britain’s most troubled communities.

that UEL was hailed as ‘a rising star of higher education’ by Times Higher Education (THE) for the quality of our student experience. A THE survey examined the ‘student experience’ statistics of universities from 2009 to the present day and found that UEL had made more progress than any other institution. UEL was also among the biggest climbers in the UK in the latest Guardian University Guide league table, rising 19 places in the rankings. The 2018 National Student Survey, which asks final-year university students across the country about their courses, produced another fantastic result for UEL with an ‘overall satisfaction’ score of 85 per cent. This was an all-time record for UEL and was the highest rating among all eight modern universities in London. UEL has now climbed more than 100 places in the NSS league table in the last three years and now sits in the top third. Exciting times.

modern university in London for student satisfaction (National Student Survey, 2018)

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In July this year, Geoff and his fellow Board members appointed Professor Amanda Broderick as UEL’s New Vice-Chancellor in succession to Professor John Joughin. Professor Broderick was previously the Chief Executive Officer at Newcastle University London. The rises UEL enjoyed in 2017 across a range of national rankings have now established themselves into a firm trend – so much so

Psychology student Jessica O-George wins E-Factor 2018 Jessica O-George, founder of holistic wellness company The Art of Life, won E-Factor 2018 – the University’s flagship entrepreneurship competition. Jessica, who is studying for an MA Psychology at UEL, beat four other finalists to take the £6,000 first prize at the London Bishopsgate headquarters of NatWest. The annual Dragon’s Den-style contest attracted more than 200 entries. The Art of Life is a wellness and lifestyle consultancy that brings together experts in health and wellbeing with a common goal of helping women live well. The company plans to offer a range of membership options to suit different budgets. Services will include events, workshops and one-to-one sessions, as

well as the option of having a dedicated lifestyle manager to provide customised nutrition plans, time management advice, and personalised coaching to identify and reach specific health and lifestyle goals. Jessica said, “It’s a 360 degree approach to wellness. The Art of Life provides evidence-based education, lifestyle services and community for women."

UEL NEWS 2018

Thousands of UEL students receive their degrees at inspiring graduation ceremonies Nearly 2,000 UEL students and 7,000 guests celebrated the culmination of years of study and hard work on July 18-19 at the University’s graduation ceremonies at ExCeL London. Over the two days and four ceremonies which marked Graduation 2018, UEL awarded honorary doctorates to leading architect Dr Renata Codello (awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Architecture); local environmentalist Terry Lyle (awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Social Sciences); Catherine Roche, Chief Executive at Place2Be (awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Psychology); and London’s ‘Night Czar’ Amy Lamé, (awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration).

Accounting and Finance graduate Ochuko Okagbare summed up the mood of his peers when he said, “I feel like it’s a new chapter now, and I can move forward and see what opportunities are out there for me.”

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Before the first ceremony on July 18, students were joined by the Deputy High Commissioner of South Africa to the UK, Golden Neswiswi, UEL’s Chancellor, Shabir Randeree, and Chair of Governors, Geoff Thompson, on a mile-long walk to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of South African President Nelson Mandela. Graduating students and academics wore their academic gowns as they walked the ‘Mandela Mile’ on Royal Victoria Dock along with hundreds of family members, friends and UEL staff members.

UEL student sets inspiring example for mature learners UEL fashion student Bernadette Taylor was announced as the winner of Festival of Learning’s Senior Adult Learner Award for her exceptional achievement in adult learning. This award celebrates adults who, through learning, have transformed their own lives and the lives of their families, friends, their communities, and the places they work. Bernadette, aged 72, left school at 16 without formal qualifications. After years of caring for others, both in her personal life and her job as a nursing assistant, Bernadette realised she now had the time in retirement to begin a new learning journey and achieve something for herself. After seeing an advertisement for New Beginnings evening classes at UEL, Bernadette decided it was time to return to learning and realise her dreams. Her inspiring story was featured on London ITV News.

UEL NEWS 2018

UEL student creates winning ‘beach bin’ design to cut plastics A UEL student made media headlines after her striking ‘beach bin’ took first prize in a design competition to help reduce plastic pollution on Britain’s beaches. Laura-Monica Carusato, a first-year Product Design student, won the contest sponsored by environmental charity GreenSeas Trust by designing a bright orange tube similar to the ventilation tubes seen on large ships.

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The waste management company Biffa will make a financial contribution towards the manufacture of Laura’s bin, which is set to be trialled on a beach in West Sussex.

Laura, 19, said, “I picked this design as it’s nautical, so it fits well on a beach. And it’s bright so it can’t be missed. It’s designed so people don’t just place or drop plastic waste in the bin, they throw it in, so it becomes fun, something children and adults can enjoy, like playing basketball.” Judges said Laura’s prototype won for its originality of design, ease of use, and because it would be practical to clean and empty.

New nursing course is heavily oversubscribed The NHS may be facing a nursing recruitment crisis nationally but UEL has had no problems attracting students to its new nursing degree. The University welcomed its first cohort of 60 student nurses in January after being overwhelmed by more than 600 applications. UEL is running the degree course in partnership with the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals and North East London Foundation NHS Trusts. It is hoped that it will address the acute shortage of nurses in east London by training local people for local jobs. UEL's Head of Pre-registration Nursing, Nigel Davies, said, "The enthusiasm and commitment to nursing in east London that we’ve seen when we interviewed the new students has been amazing." He added that UEL students would enjoy a course that contains new and innovative elements.

UEL NEWS 2018

UEL to launch first UK degree in Montessori Education UEL is set to be the first higher education institute in the UK to offer a degree in Montessori Education. The BA (Hons) Montessori Education programme launches in September 2018 at UEL’s Cass School of Education, Communities, and Social Sciences.

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Dr Carrie Weston, Head of School, said,: “UEL is immensely proud to be offering the first full degree in Montessori Education in collaboration with the Maria Montessori Institute. Montessori education represents first-class standards in early childhood learning."

There are several distinct features of Montessori education, most notably the ‘free range’ approach to classroom education. A typical classroom work cycle lasts two and a half to three hours, with the children working individually most of the time and coming together when they wish to at different periods during the day.

The first Montessori school was set up in Rome, Italy, by Italian Maria Montessori in 1907. There are now around 700 in the UK.

UEL celebrates life of Lord Noon with unveiling of commemorative bust A bronze bust of Lord Noon, the former Chancellor of UEL, was formally unveiled at University Square Stratford at a ceremony attended by family members, friends and leading figures from the worlds of academia and politics. Patricia Scotland, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and East Ham MP Stephen Timms were among the guests as Lord Noon’s daughter, Zeenat, and the current Chancellor of UEL, Shabir Randeree CBE, performed the official unveiling. A ‘wall of Noon’ – a series of framed prints telling the story of how Lord

Noon rose from humble beginnings in India to becoming a hugely successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and peer of the realm – was also inaugurated. The bust and prints will be displayed permanently in the foyer of University Square Stratford to inform students about his remarkable life. Lord Noon, who died in 2015, was knighted in 2002. In 2011, he was made a life peer with the formal title of Baron Noon of St John’s Wood. He was appointed Chancellor of UEL in 2013.

UEL NEWS 2018

UEL launches cutting-edge London Centre for Digital Design and Manufacturing

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2018

UEL launched its cutting-edge London Centre for Digital Design and Manufacturing, to provide substantial opportunities for researchers, practitioners and students to make new contributions in areas such as manufacturing, construction and the creative industries. Students and staff who use the centre will have access to the latest technology in fields such as architecture, engineering and design. The tools will enhance teaching and learning and open up new opportunities for students and staff to use materials and methods which reflect the latest developments in the workplace.

IRB robot for 3D production; 3D laser printers; large scale printing facilities; laser replicators for rapid prototyping; plasma cutting machines and laser cutting machines. Industry partners including international robotics firm ABB, Automata, Nagami, LaserLines, and Ai Build helped to bring about the formation of the centre and will have an important partnership role going forward. The centre will be housed in UEL’s Knowledge Dock business incubation centre, placing it at the very heart of UEL’s innovation culture.

The centre boasts a state-of-the-art ABB

BRITISH ATHLETICS

UEL alumni Aimee Willmott and Bianca Williams put the gold into Australia’s Gold Coast as they celebrated memorable victories at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Swimmer Aimee took first place for England in the women’s 400 metres individual medley, while track sprinter Bianca was part of England’s triumphant 4 x 100 metres relay quartet. Former student Ali Jawad completed the medal haul for ‘Team UEL’ by winning bronze for England in the lightweight Para-powerlifting competition. His spectacular, cartwheeling celebration was one of the defining moments of the Games. The trio were among seven former and current students who competed in Australia – UEL’s largest ever contingent at a Commonwealth Games. And the UEL medal total might well have been even larger had not former student Adam Gemili and current student Corinne Humphreys been hit by injuries midway through the competition. Both were forced to pull out of finals. England basketball player Joe Ikhinmwin and Montserrat longjumper Darren Wiafe-Morson also flew the flag for UEL, underlining the University’s reputation as one of the rising stars of higher education institutions in the UK for sport. Overall, UELSports secured its best-ever ranking in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) league table, finishing in 39th place nationally. The University’s high-performance teams were also ranked in the top five in the UK for athletics, and in the top ten for basketball, tennis, volleyball and taekwondo. Not bad considering that, as recently as 2009, the University had no sports staff, no sports facilities and only a couple of recreational sports teams. By contrast, UEL welcomed more than 160 students into its elite sports programme in the last year, while developing new partnerships West Ham Ladies FC, Sport England TASS, The Football Association, the London Lions Basketball Club and Malory Eagles Volleyball Club.

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For good measure, UEL sports scholar Ellie Zoepfl was named West Ham Ladies’ player of the year, while fellow scholar Maya Bruney won the ‘Most Potential’ prize at the Sport England TASS Talented Athlete Awards. Other highlights of the year include Vanessa Wallace’s shot put victory in the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai, Emmanuel Nartey’s third successive judo gold at the BUCS Championships and a second consecutive Cup victory for the UEL women’s football team. The UEL men’s volleyball team also made history by becoming the first UEL team to reach a national BUCS final – eventually losing out to Northumbria University.

IMRAN KHAN BY TOM JAMIESON

INJUSTICE By Daniel Blackman

Visitors to Imran Khan’s office are greeted by piles of legal papers and files, a smattering of thank-you cards and a painting of Guantanamo Bay detainee John Walker Lindh. Imran explains, “It’s an everyday reminder to me of why we do this job, a kind of shocking reminder of how states can operate.” Imran is a UEL law alumnus and patron of the University's Legal Advice Centre. This year he was made a Queen’s Counsel (QC), a title bestowed in recognition of his legal achievements as a criminal defence solicitor spanning nearly 30 years. But Imran is perhaps best known as the solicitor for the parents of Stephen Lawrence, who was killed in a racially motivated murder in London in 1993.

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Imran was a 30-year-old solicitor with just 18 months experience when he was recommended to the Lawrences by a friend because Imran specialised in legal actions against the police. Why did Imran choose this challenging area of law? He explains, “I wanted to defend people wrongfully charged, I didn’t want to let the police get away with it. Back then the police were a law unto themselves. I was even called ‘bent’ and on the side of criminals, because I’d go above and beyond for my clients.” Today, two of the five Lawrence suspects are behind bars. Does Imran think justice has been served?

“ I wanted to defend people wrongfully charged, I was even called ‘bent’ and on the side of criminals, because I’d go above and beyond for my clients.”

“It’s hard for me to say, as I’m not the one who has lost a son,” he says. “If you ask Stephen’s parents, they’ll say no. I lay the blame at the feet of the police, and I’d say we have to be careful, we know there was a group, and we can presume they all had intent, but we can’t be sure. There’s a danger of brushing up those who didn’t have as much of a role.”

The Lawrence case helped bring about needed improvement within the police, yet in January this year, Steve White, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, resigned, citing among other things the influence of Freemasonry as thwarting the career progression of female and minority officers. This comes as no surprise to Imran.

Race and cultural sensitivities were also an issue in Imran’s work on the case of Victoria Climbié, the eight-year-old who was tortured and murdered by her aunt and aunt’s boyfriend. Similar issues have also been cited in recent sexual abuse cases in Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford.

He says, “I know of colleagues in my immediate circle who are masons, with the aim of currying favour with judges in courtroom decisions. It doesn’t take much of a stretch of the imagination to believe much worse is going on in terms of decisions made, police misconduct covered up, and favouritism.

But Imran says these arguments provide the police with a get-out.

“Ethnic minorities and women are joining the police, but the problem is they’re not staying. Freemasonry needs to be completely rooted out.”

He says, “Over the years, police had no problems or fears around racism and sensitivities when it came to robbery or stop-andsearch profiling of young black men, or when it comes to Muslim communities in the name of fighting terrorism. “When the police fail, they cite these sensitives as an excuse, to deflect away from the real issues, like their views on sexual crimes. In the cases of Rotherham and so forth, the victims were seen as troubled teenagers and tear-aways who enticed the perpetrators, so nothing gets done, which is all wrong.” Imran is involved with government inquiries into historic cases of sexual abuse and sees the same problem: the victims were seen as toe-rags and problem children in care homes. Perpetrators were seen as a bit of an anomaly. He says, “The authorities did nothing, they let it happen, and the cultural differences were not there in those cases. It was white men abusing white boys, and it goes back decades, was systematic, and widespread. The problem is how authorities view perpetrators and victims of sexual abuse.”

Imran’s mission to hold the state to account has also led him to defend a number of suspects charged with terrorism offences, which some find hard to reconcile with his beliefs and track record. He says, “It comes back to making sure the state doesn’t go too far. Our terrorism laws are draconian, and suspects are dealt with somewhat outside of the normal criminal justice system. What happens if those laws and practices are next applied to other groups of people?” Khan is a busy man: he is also involved in the current Grenfell Tower inquiry. He says, “I was internally in tears hearing their stories, listening to children who had lost a mum. Law can be hard, there are set-backs, bad days, and late evenings. But meeting victims re-energises me. “It’s when you start personalising and humanising those you help that you start to make a difference and bring about change.”

SEQ UEL ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2018

Our amazing alumni on life after University

PHOTO BY ANDREW NEEL

JAWAND

ANIELLE 22

SEQUEL

Rising star in the literary world

By Karen Burns Creative writing teacher and soap opera screenwriter Danielle Jawando is about to add novelist to her ever-increasing list of achievements since she graduated from the University of East London in 2012. With a two-book deal and a major publisher, Danielle, at 29, has achieved career highlights many would be grateful for after years of working in the literary field. Danielle’s choice to leave her hometown of Manchester and travel to London to study at UEL proved a fortuitous one. With the support of ‘excellent’ teaching staff, some of whom she remains good friends with today, Danielle described her time at UEL as “the best experience”. She earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University.

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After graduating, Danielle began teaching part-time at a college in Hertfordshire. However, she said, “I loved teaching and met some amazing young people but I desperately wanted to write!” She stumbled across an advertisement for script writers for the long-running soap Coronation Street. Danielle said she felt extremely lucky when her application was successful. She felt she had achieved the Holy Grail of northern scriptwriters, and worked on the iconic series for a year. But it was such an intense process that it left Danielle with little time for her own writing.

writers from Black, Asian and minority backgrounds who were interested in writing for young, under-represented groups. It was just the launch pad Danielle needed. Danielle submitted her first manuscript and was invited to London, where she signed with an agent in 2016. Eight months later, the world rights to Danielle’s finished novel were purchased by Simon & Schuster, who offered Danielle a two-book deal. And the Stars Were Burning Brightly will be published in 2020, with a second, stilluntitled follow-up due in 2021. So what does the future hold for someone who has achieved so much before even turning 30? Danielle says she still enjoys writing scripts and hopes to continue to do so. She also plans to continue teaching. She said, “When you are writing, you are by yourself all the time, so it’s also nice to have a job to go to.” In a climate of college-leavers questioning the merits of higher education and anxious about tuition debt, Danielle is a strong advocate of the value of degree study. She said she hated A-Level English at college, where her course was mostly theorybased, but UEL gave her the freedom she craved to experiment with mediums such as poetry, scriptwriting and copywriting. Danielle said the skills she learned at UEL were vital as her career developed.

A friend told Danielle about a new programme called Megaphone. The scheme was designed to help promote

WRIGHT

SEQUEL

7/7 survivor, sitting volleyball Paralympian and UEL graduate

By Karen Burns When 7/7 survivor and sitting volleyball Paralympian Martine Wright MBE published her autobiography Unbroken in 2017, one of its key aims was to connect with people who had also been affected by the worst terrorist attack in British history.

Unbroken: My story of survival from 7/7 Bombings to Paralympic success is a mixture of personal struggles and brutally honest descriptions of Martine’s highs and lows. However, her sense of humour is also clearly evident throughout.

What Martine did not expect, however, was to win Sports Autobiography of the Year at the 16th Sports Book Awards. To be nominated with the likes of racing driver Jensen Button and cricketer Johnny Bairstow was a huge honour and to actually win was amazing, Martine said.

“I’m a glass half full kind of person,” Martine said. “And I really think humour is important in life – we all need some light relief.”

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Martine is adamant that sport helped save her after she lost most of both her legs in an explosion at Aldgate station on 7/7. She took up playing sitting volleyball and built an impressive career that culminated in representing her country, in her hometown, at the London Paralympics in 2012. Martine has strong connections with UEL, having graduated with a BA (Hons) Psychosocial Studies and Communication Studies degree. In recognition of the inspirational way she turned her life around after the bomb attack, UEL also awarded Martine an Honorary Doctorate of Science in 2013.

Although she appreciated the encouraging reviews for Unbroken from fellow sports personalities, Martine said it was the positive feedback she received from ordinary people that really delighted her. Not one to rest on her laurels, Martine’s diary for the next year is already filling up with television commentating gigs, charity work and public speaking events. She even hopes to climb a mountain at some point in the future. It is obvious Martine has no intention of slowing down any time soon! Her book is available through Amazon.

PREET KAUR GILL MP BY TOM JAMIESON

By Kiera Hay

On June 9, 2017, Preet Kaur Gill made history when she became the first-ever Sikh woman to be elected as a British Member of Parliament. Her win for Labour in her hometown of Birmingham Edgbaston was one of the biggest stories of the night. Celebrations ran into the small hours of the morning and Preet became an instant media star, giving interviews to the BBC and overseas media organisations from India to Canada to Zanzibar. It was a thrilling moment, Preet recalled – the culmination of years of hard work. “The area I represent is my home,” she said. “It’s where I went to school. I know it so well. To be able to represent the place where you were born and raised is just a great privilege.” Amid the celebrations, however, someone very important to Preet was missing – her father, Daljit S. Shergill, who passed away in 2014.

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Daljit was an immigrant from India who worked as a bus driver in Birmingham and raised seven children while also finding time to serve as president of his local Sikh temple, do volunteer work abroad and fight for important social causes in the UK. “He was the biggest influence in my life,” Preet said. “He did so much. People always said our house was like a railway station because there were so many people coming through – but that was my dad; he’d tell everybody he could help them in some way. “It’s a shame. It was his dream to see me become a Member of Parliament. I

have a lot to thank my father for in terms of politics.” As her father’s daughter, social justice has been a driving force in Preet’s life, leading her to choose a career in social work and later politics, first as a local councilor and now as an MP. An important part of Preet’s personal development also came during her time as a student at UEL, where she studied Sociology and Social Work and graduated with a first-class degree in 1995. Preet’s focus on making a difference solidified during a tragedy which occurred in her second year. She and her close friend and flatmate, Amandeep Shoker, were driving to see friends in Nottingham when they were involved in a horrific car accident. Amandeep died and Preet was seriously injured. Preet said, “It made me focus and really value my degree. I thought about what I wanted to get out of coursework.” Preet not only studied hard, she took full advantage of other opportunities offered during this time, including working at a summer camp in upstate New York and a kibbutz in Israel. Perhaps most significantly, she spent the second half of her final year at UEL in India, working with street children and UNICEF. Preet said, “It was part of a significant journey in my understanding of social justice and how different governments work and how services are provided to people. It was eye-opening in terms of seeing how injustice exists both abroad and at home.” The experience was the basis of her

“ I've taken a lot of the things that I learned and the experiences I had at UEL with me throughout my whole life”

dissertation on the role NGOs have in delivering welfare systems – a subject she would revisit more than two decades later in her current role as Labour’s Shadow Minister for International Development. After graduating from UEL, Preet gained employment as a social worker. In 2012, she was elected as a Councillor in Sandwell in the West Midlands. As a BAME (Black, Asian, and Ethnic Minority) woman, Preet said she does feel as though she has had to work harder to get where she is today. She recalled how one employer kept turning her down for promotions, despite telling her she was doing brilliant work. Preet said, “I’m sure most women go through something like this. I made peace with it when I realised I don’t need anybody else to tell me my worth. “I was able to accept that, change course and then do something completely different which took me to where I am today. I’m really grateful for that.”

Asked whether she felt like a trailblazer for being the first female Sikh MP, Preet said she understood the momentousness of her election. But she added, “You also don’t want to only be known as the first female Sikh MP. It’s about how you embrace that reference and incorporate it in terms of how you want to shape yourself and what you want to be known for.” Preet said her advice to new graduates would be to make a solid plan about what they want to do, and then find mentors to help guide them. She said, “The world is an exciting place. Just go out there and find out who you are. It starts at university – it certainly did for me. “I got a first from UEL. I didn’t find it easy in any way. I thought it was a fascinating course. My experience there was really positive because of what I put into it and what I wanted to take from it.

“I've taken a lot of the things that I learned and the experiences I had at UEL with me throughout my whole life.”

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2018

A NIGHT

AT THE OPE

ERA

By Daniel Blackman

To say it has been an exciting year for Jonathan Lofulo is something of an understatement. In July, Jonathan watched as hundreds of Newham young people performed an opera based on his life at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. This autumn, he graduates with a Master’s degree in Refugee Studies. And he is about to launch his first company, Choose for Change, which will help young people make good choices in life, rather than those that result in crime and violence. Jonathan says, “I have no high expectations of trying to change the world. But if I can reach out to at least one person and say, ‘Here’s my story’ and have them respond with ‘Why don’t I see if I can follow the same path as him?’ – if I’m able to achieve that, I’d be really happy.” As someone who spent a year in prison for burglary, he knows only too well the consequences of making bad life decisions. “As a former gang member and victim of knife crime, I’m trying to provide solutions,” he says. It’s all a far cry from the first years of Jonathan’s life. Born in wartorn Democratic Republic of Congo, Jonathan fled to England aged 12, with his older brother, who was his sole guardian, after their house was raided. They settled in Newham, but life wasn’t easy. Although Jonathan learned English, he was bullied at school and often wished he could return home. A talented sportsman, he was scouted by Arsenal Football Club’s youth academy, and later West Ham United, but he lacked discipline and was eventually released by both clubs. Jonathan says he began spending more time with friends who “weren’t exactly law-abiding”. “I thought I’d live my life as a so-called gangster,” he admits. A series of bad choices earned Jonathan a three-year prison sentence for burglary. He ultimately served one year. “Do I regret it? I do. I immensely regret it. But I embrace it at the same time because it has helped me become the person I am today,” Jonathan says.

32 “Going to prison was like a reality check. I thought to myself, ‘I want to turn my life around. How am I going to turn my life around?’ And I thought to myself, ‘I could do further education’”. After leaving prison, Jonathan applied to UEL but was turned down because he lacked basic qualifications. Instead of giving up, he completed the requirements and UEL allowed him to enrol on New Beginnings – a short course that helps aspiring students without traditional qualifications progress to degree-level study. Jonathan passed New Beginnings with flying colours and entered the BA Education Studies programme at UEL’s Cass School of Education and Communities.

“ I was very moved by the performance. The students spent months working on this and it all came together really professionally on the night. And it was good to see a full house there to support the event.”

Still, doubts crept in about whether he really belonged at university. “But then I thought, ‘No, I’ve come this far and I want to see this through. What’s the worst that could happen?” he says. Not only did the worst not happen, Jonathan became a star student. He said it wasn’t unusual for him to spend entire nights studying in the library, but it paid off. On the day of his graduation, right after collecting his first-class degree, he appeared live on ITV London News in his graduation gown and mortar board to tell viewers about his life-changing story. His love of learning has led him to pursue a Master’s degree in Refugee Studies at UEL, alongside his full-time job working in sales. “I just want to help people,” he says. “I believe it is futile to have a degree and not use it. What’s the point of getting knowledge if you don’t use that knowledge?” Jonathan’s appearance in the media caught the eye of staff at Newham Music, a charity focused on musical education and performance. They decided they wanted to turn Jonathan’s life into a community opera. After months of rehearsals the opera, ‘Full Circle’ premiered in early July at Theatre Royal Stratford East. It was performed by pupils from Lister, Rokeby, Sarah Bonnell, Upton Cross and Portway schools. Jonathan says, “I was very moved by the performance. The students spent months working on this and it all came together really professionally on the night. And it was good to see a full house there to support the event. “I was struck by the use of song, music, and audio clips to tell the story of my life. It was very artistic. I think opera and theatre lovers would really appreciate how it was put together. I feel inspired to maybe even write my own one day.” His fledgling company, Choose for Change, is on a mission to provide tutorial sessions for young people in schools, colleges and universities. Jonathan explains, “I want to educate them and show them that there is an alternative way of living life and appreciating people around them.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2018

JONATHAN LOFULO BY TOM JAMIESON

By Daniel Blackman

In Iceland, 'hugfanginn' describes being charmed by something. In Hawaii, 'mahalo' means admiration or gratitude. 'Fjaka' is a Croatian term denoting the ‘sweetness of doing nothing’. What do these seemingly disparate words have in common? Literally, they have no match in the English language. For the past few years, such words have been the focus of research undertaken by Dr Tim Lomas of UEL. Dr Lomas said, “It’s the fact that a word doesn’t appear to have an ‘exact match’ in English that makes it so potentially intriguing. Such words pique our interest, and for good reason. They appear to indicate the existence of phenomena that have been overlooked or undervalued by English-speaking cultures. “I was driven by the hope that these words would enrich our understanding of wellbeing – revealing lacunas (gaps), and uncovering valuable new psychological constructs and processes.”

Doctor Tim Lomas

Dr Tim Lomas pursues the mysteries of untranslatable words

Dr Lomas has been a lecturer in Positive Psychology at UEL since 2013, joining the university shortly after earning a PhD at the University of Westminster. Dr Lomas’ doctoral thesis focused on the impact of meditation on men’s mental health, and he has published numerous papers on topics including positive psychology theory, mindfulness, Buddhism, linguistics, and gender. His first research paper on ‘untranslatable’ words was published in the Journal of Positive Psychology in 2015. In the paper, Dr Lomas identified 216 words which he grouped together by themes such as health, freedom and love. The topic gained widespread media attention and has since taken on a life of its own. As a way of expanding his ever-growing list, Dr Lomas’ website houses his ‘Positive Lexicography’ project – an evolving index of untranslatable words related to wellbeing from across the world’s languages. Members of the public are invited to contribute.

Dr Lomas said, “Over the last three years the list has grown – aided in part by generous feedback to my website – to over 600 words. Yet it very much remains an incomplete work-in-progress. “Indeed, out of some 7,000 languages on earth, only 72 are currently represented. As such, I feel like I’m only scratching the surface of a deep and mystifying ocean. But even in its rudimentary state, how fascinating the list is!” When not adding to his Positive Lexicography, writing research papers and articles or lecturing at UEL, Dr Lomas is also an author. His first book, The Positive Power of Negative Emotions, was published by Piatkus in autumn 2016. His follow up The Happiness Dictionary was released in June of this year.

मोक ् ष

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2018

азарт 한 เที ย่ ว 泡沫

Dr Tim Lomas’ Positive lexicography can be found at drtimlomas.com/lexicography Words with no exact translation in the English language: Duende. Spanish / n. / 'dwe̞n.d̪e̞ / de-wendeh. A heightened state of emotion, spirit and passion (often associated with art/ dance) Daggfrisk. Swedish / n., adj. / dæːg.frɪsk / daag-frisk. Lit. ‘dew fresh’; the kind of pure, clean feeling one might have from waking refreshed in the early morning at sunrise Mokṣa/moksha (मोक ् ष). Sanskrit/Pāli / n. / ˈmoːk.ʃə / mok-shuh. Emancipation, liberation, release (e.g. from saṃsāra) Azart (азарт). Russian / n. / æˈzɑːrt / a-zarrt. Heat, excitement, ardour, fervour; to do something with gusto; may also be associated with recklessness and risktaking Han (한). Korean / n. / hæn / han. Sorrow, resentment, regret, possibly with a sense of patiently waiting or hoping for improvement Qarrtsiluni. Inuit, Iñupiaq / v. / kʌːrʒ. sɪ.luːnɪ / kartz-sih-loo-nih. Sitting together in the darkness, perhaps expectantly (e.g. waiting for something to happen or to ‘burst forth’); the strange quiet before a momentous event Utakata (泡沫). Japanese / n. / uːtɑːkɑːtɑː/ oo-tah-kah-tah. Lit. bubbles, foam; ephemerality, transciency Charmolypi (χαρμολύπη). Greek / n. / sɑːməʊˈlɪ.piː / sar-mo-lih-pee. Sweet or ‘joy-making’ sorrow; mourning joy; happiness and sadness intermingled Hiraeth. Welsh / n. / hira.ɪθ / ̯ heerrithe. Longing for one’s homeland, with nostalgia and wistfulness Tîeow (เที ย่ ว). Thai / v. / tiːaʊ / tee-ow. To wander or roam around in a carefree way

HUMEERA DAR BY TOM JAMIESON

Rising fashion star Humeera Dar says her experience as a UEL student ambassador was pivotal to her growth Since completing her degree in fashion design in 2017, Humeera Dar has shown her collection in Malaysia, mentored young women, started the process of setting up her own label and will soon participate in a project to highlight local graduate fashion at Westfield Stratford City. Humeera’s route to success started when her final year collection, a collaborative project she worked on with UEL textiles student Jackie Passy, was selected for UEL’s Graduate Fashion Week show. Exposure on the Vogue website followed, as well as an offer to work for a fashion label in Spain, which Humeera declined. One year later, Humeera is working parttime for the UEL fashion department while pursuing her own dreams of building a fashion brand.

In November, she travelled to Malaysia to take part in a UEL Alumni showcase. She showed her collection at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton Hotel in front of 200 people, and several attendees approached her afterwards to express interest in working with her brand in the future. Humeera is currently working with UEL staff to create a fashion installation at Westfield Stratford City to showcase the work of east London fashion graduates. She also runs a mentoring project, teaching young women to make fashion items to sell at the annual Afro Punk music festival. A pivotal building block for Humeera was the time she spent as a UEL student ambassador during the second and fourth years of her degree. She said, “I would show parents and prospective students around and answer any queries they had about my course. It was great meeting them and talking about my experiences. Being a student ambassador has given me the

confidence to see myself in a leadership or management position and even consider going into teaching. “I would encourage anyone to take on this role as it gives you a sense of achievement and respect. Most of all, it is rewarding when you get feedback on how informative and helpful you have been.” Of her wide-ranging projects, she said: “I am both excited and nervous but these are all exciting challenges and I believe they are great opportunities.”

BEING A UEL AMBASSADOR ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2018

Many of our student ambassadors go on to be alumni ambassadors and continue to help UEL even after they have graduated. If you are interested in becoming a UEL ambassador contact the team on alumni@uel.ac.uk for more information.

ALUM SNIPPETS 38

Alisa Vaseghi dresses the stars with her innovative glue gun designs Fashion Design graduate Alisa Vaseghi received national media attention when one of her creations was worn by TV nutritionist Gillian McKeith. In fact, it was a double dose of publicity for Alisa as Ms McKeith attended the West End premiere of ‘Rise Of The Foot Soldier 3’ with her 17-year-old daughter Afton, who wore another of Alisa’s designs. The McKeiths wore dresses made largely of glue, crafted by Alisa using glue gun techniques she has spent years developing. She is now sponsored by Glue Guns Direct. Alisa, 23, said, “I was always interested in using unconventional materials. I get inspiration from going to hardware shops.” Alisa is destined to go far with her brand, VASEGHIA. In 2018 alone she has won the ‘Britain’s Top Designer’ award at the Fashions Finest London Fashion Week, had her autumn/winter 2017 collection featured on Channel 5’s Extreme Hair Wars and shown her latest collection at the International Style Masters Show 2018 in Barcelona.

ALISA VASEGHI BY TOM JAMIESON

MNI Graduate Omar Rodrigues’ Molex internship leads to JP Morgan job

Former asylum seeker uses her degree to help migrant entrepreneurs

The ongoing problems in Venezuela forced Omar Rodriguez to quit his university studies, leave his family and move to the UK in 2013.

Twenty-five years ago, Indira Kartallozi fled her home country of Kosovo with her husband and newborn son, fearing government reprisals for her participation in protests against state brutality.

Omar enrolled at UEL, studying in the BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering programme. Towards the end of his final year in 2017, Omar benefitted from a prestigious threemonth summer internship in the United States with Molex, a global technical components company. The exciting opportunity arose after Molex CEO Martin Slark, a UEL alumnus, gave a guest lecture at the University in which he offered students in the audience a chance to apply for an internship.

Images left to right: Alisa Vaseghi by Tom Jamieson, Omar Rodrigues, Indira Kartallozi

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2018

Omar went through a rigorous application process, which included a series of interviews with different specialist teams at Molex. Omar graduated last year and, thanks to his impressive combination of rigorous academic study and work experience, he quickly secured a sought-after analyst role with JP Morgan Chase & Co., the bank and international financial services firm.

Now a British citizen and UEL graduate with an MA in Refugee Studies, Indira last year founded Migrant Entrepreneurs International (MEI), a social enterprise which supports migrant entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs around the world. MEI projects include an entrepreneurship academy, an award scheme to recognise outstanding migrant entrepreneurs, and a mentoring programme to match experienced business professionals with aspiring migrant entrepreneurs. Indira said, “My whole adult life has been that of an activist, asylum seeker, and in roles supporting refugees and asylum seekers, so this new venture is the fruit of all those experiences, starting with my own 25 years ago. “My life experience and studies at UEL really opened my mind to the world, which complemented my career.”

Recent UEL Pharmacology graduate Harry Bowden was one of just 14 students in the UK to be awarded a prestigious student prize by the British Pharmacology Society. University pharmacology departments across the country were invited to nominate a final-year bachelor’s or master’s degree student for consideration for the £500 BSc Pharmacology Prize, with students being judged on their performance over the final year of their degree. Harry, 21, who completed a BSc in Pharmacology in 2017, was nominated by his project supervisor, Professor Mike Seed.

Harry’s area of interest was Loin Pain Hematuria Syndrome (LPHS) - an extremely rare and painful disease of the urogenital system. His research project involved exploring the contribution of abnormal ureter contraction to the pain experienced by LPHS patients. Harry not only graduated with a first class degree, he was also awarded UEL’s Alun Morinan Prize, which is awarded each year to a Pharmacology student with the highest degree classification.

Images left to right: Harry Bowden, Dr Caroline McGlynn, Dr Melinda Rees

Pharmacology graduate recognised by the British Pharmacology Society

ALUMNI SNIPPETS

Dr Caroline McGlynn has helped hundreds of students enter UEL

Dr Melinda Rees honoured for successful career change in field of mental health

Dr Caroline McGlynn may not have entered university until later in life, but she more than made up for lost time. After entering UEL as a mature student, she earned a bachelor’s degree followed by a master’s, which in turn led to a PhD and time studying in The Gambia.

Dr Melinda Rees, who studied at UEL for a BSc in psychology followed by a professional doctorate in clinical psychology, has been presented with the ‘NHS-to-Managing Director Transition’ award by the Cambridge Health Network (CHN).

Now, Caroline runs the UEL programme where she got her start: New Beginnings, an innovative course which has helped hundreds of people without traditional qualifications access a university education.

After being awarded her doctorate in 2000, Melinda took up two posts. One was in the NHS to set up and run a primary care service to look after the mental health needs of the homeless, asylum seekers and refugees. The other was as a specialist trauma therapist for the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture (now known as Freedom from Torture).

New Beginnings gives people from all backgrounds and ages a chance to pursue a degree course at UEL, and is part of the University’s commitment to widening access to higher education.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2018

Under Caroline’s guidance, the programme continues to go from strength to strength. UEL recently launched an accelerated version of the course. Caroline said, “The course is about getting people onto undergraduate degrees but it is also about personal growth and individual development. New Beginnings celebrates all the achievements, however big or small.”

In 2014, she made a career switch from clinician to health care management when she left the NHS to become clinical director of Beacon UK – an independent mental health services company that works with the NHS to deliver mental healthcare to patients across the country. She was appointed managing director of Beacon UK last year.

CONNECT

Have you heard about UEL Connect? UEL Connect allows you to re-connect with classmates and expand your professional network by making the most of the University of East London’s secure new platform. Our networking platform has been designed to cultivate a culture of staying in touch and helping each other out. It is easy to sign up quickly by importing your LinkedIn or Facebook profile.

RE-CONNECT Find and reminisce with fellow graduates, see what they have been up to and stay in touch. EXPAND Leverage your professional network to get introduced to people you should know. GIVE BACK Introduce, employ and offer to act as a mentor to our graduating students. ADVANCE Advance your career through inside connections working in top companies.

UEL

So why wait? uel.ac.uk/uelconnect

*If you have already joined we hope you are enjoying the platform if you have any feedback please send it to alumni@uel.ac.uk

10 MINUTES WITH HELEN A PRITCHARD By Lee Pinkerton It might be romantic to say that Helen A Pritchard always knew she wanted to be a visual artist. However, it wouldn’t be true. When Helen moved to London from her native South Africa many years ago, she had no idea what career she wanted to pursue. “They don’t really have a contemporary art scene in South Africa” Helen recalled. “As a child I was always painting and drawing, but I never thought of art as a job. Growing up in conservative South Africa as a female, you’re told you can be a nurse or a teacher or something like that.” Now, having won the 2017 Evening Standard Contemporary Art Prize, Helen is firmly ensconced as a rising star on the London art scene. After finishing school in South Africa in the 1990s, Helen went to work in Bahrain “just to escape and make some money”. In 1997, she found herself in the UK. Once in London, Helen worked a variety of jobs and took part-time art courses until deciding, in 2006, to study for a BA in fine art at the University of East London (UEL).

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2018

Helen graduated from UEL in 2009. Now clear on the art career she wanted to pursue, Helen went on to do an MA at the prestigious Royal College of Art, studying on a Stanley Spencer Scholarship and graduating in 2011. “It was very difficult. I had to continue doing other jobs. I always had an extra job. But after my MA I had a sell-out show, and was able to pay off my debts. That was a break,” she said.

Alongside considerable attention and accolades, the prize came with £10,000. Helen poured all of the money back into her art. She said, “The money was able to go into other projects and it’s been extremely helpful. I was able to make sculptures for an exhibition I was doing afterward. It was the first time I was able to work with bronze since my time at UEL, because bronze is very expensive. “But then you’ve got to try and sell them!” Luckily for Helen, she now has regular clients. “Different kinds of people buy my art. I have people who’ve become collectors. They’ve become friends. One of the people who bought a piece at my UEL degree show still collects my work to this day.” In June, Helen took part in an exhibition at the JGM Gallery in Battersea, and in August she has a solo show at the 1961 Gallery in Singapore. Though it has taken time and work to move up the ladder of success, Helen would not have it any other way. “People forget that you don’t just become a genius right away like Picasso. There is learning. There’s levels. You can’t just become a Basquiat over-night. “I’m quite glad that my peak has been later rather than earlier, because if it had come earlier I would have failed, because I wasn’t as sure of myself. It’s come at the right time.”

Helen got an even bigger break last year, when she won the inaugural Evening Standard Contemporary Art Prize.

Vertical 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Helen A Pritchard