Kent Magazine - April 2011 | University of Kent

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KENT The Magazine for the University of Kent | April 2011

Seaside postcard collection goes on show New hope for rare chameleon

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Welcome Dear colleagues, It is inevitable that the main topic of conversation for most of us in higher education centres round the changes currently being imposed on the sector. Although the long awaited White Paper on the proposed changes has been delayed, it is certain that the proposals for the new system of funding home and European undergraduates represent a massive shift from that which we have at present. However, government funding for research appears to be little changed and seems comparatively protected from the cuts.

At the moment, home and EU students have their fees subsidised by the government as they are greater than the amount they contribute through the student loan system. The level of the subsidy varies according to the discipline so that medical and science students, for example, receive a greater subsidy than those either in the humanities or social sciences.

The proposed system will see most of this subsidy transfer from the direct funding of universities to the funding of much higher loans for future students. The aim is to allow students to choose where and what they want to study. Each university in England (Scottish and Welsh universities currently have a different funding system for their students) now needs to decide what fee they will charge new students starting their studies in 2012.

Like other universities, there has been a series of ongoing discussions at Kent, not only about what we might charge, but also the even greater challenges of student expectations in terms of academic provision, non-academic activities, support and facilities. It is expected that Council will make a decision on the fees we propose to set at its meeting of 1 April. In addition to this, we also have to decide, on the basis of our agreement with the Office of Fair Access (OFFA), on our provision for widening participation and fair access under the recently released guidelines. The University has a strong and wellestablished track record for its widening participation activities and, as such, meets most of its benchmark figures. Under the new guidelines, we will be investing even further in this area, particularly in the national bursary scheme. We should know by mid-July whether our proposals are acceptable to OFFA. Like the rest of East Kent, those of us at the University are all too well aware of the implications of the forthcoming closure of the Pfizer site at Sandwich and its effect on vast numbers of people, not all of whom are direct employees of the company.

Many of our colleagues have links with people currently working at Pfizer and we must support those affected during this difficult time. The University has been working with the task force set up by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Kent County Council, which is due to publish its first report very shortly.

In the meantime, both staff and students at the University continue to do great things. Dr Kate Bradley has been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society and Journalism student Tania Steere is the latest winner of the Sky Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship.

Professor Dame Julia M Goodfellow DBE, CBE Vice-Chancellor

3 News 6 Nudge nudge, wink wink 7 Books/Mick Woods’ retirement 8 Research 10 Enterprise 11 Green news/Sports 12 Human Resources 13 Obituaries 14 Kent in the News 16 What’s on/10 Monkeys stand-up comedy festival Special thanks to: Lesley Farr, University Design & Print Centre. Photographs by Matt Wilson, Alison Hollis

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News

KENT We have set up a readers’ panel for staff. Please get in touch if you would like to become a member. We are keen to have your feedback and letters are welcome from all our readers.

Simply email the editorial team at kentmagazine@kent.ac.uk

Winner of prestigious journalism scholarship announced working at the Sky News Centre and having her first-year course tuition fees paid by Sky.

Kent is also available online at www.kent.ac.uk/campusonline/ kentmagazine

Delivering the third Bob Friend Memorial Lecture, Jon Snow told his audience that recent upheavals in the Middle East had again demonstrated the power of social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

Editorial team: Posie Bogan, Acting Director of Communications & Marketing; Colette O’Reilly, Publications Officer; Wendy Raeside, Publications Officer (Communications & Marketing); Fiona Jones, Alumni Relations Officer (Development Office); Karen Baxter, Press Assistant, (Communications & Marketing), University of Kent.

Congratulating Tania, he said a career in journalism was ‘the best job in the world’, with the University’s Centre for Journalism providing a ‘very good academic experience’ for those studying to become journalists.

Next issue: the deadline for the next issue is 3 May, with a publication date of 7 June.

The latest winner of the Sky Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship received her award from Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow at an event on 25 February at the University’s Medway campus.

Former Dartford Grammar School for Girls pupil Tania Steere, pictured above with Jon Snow and Rob Kirk, Editorial Development Manager at Sky News, beat four other shortlisted candidates at the University’s Centre for Journalism to win the prize, which will see her spending a month

Head of the Centre for Journalism, Tim Luckhurst, said: ‘I’m confident that Tania will succeed. She understands popular journalism and her ideas impressed the jury. One day she will be a tremendous reporter. She is already a great ambassador for the Centre for Journalism and Sky News,’ said Professor Luckhurst.

A delighted Tania said: ‘I am overjoyed about this amazing opportunity which will give me invaluable experience and help shape my professional career. I cannot wait to join Sky for my placement – after all, the Sky is the limit!’

The Sky Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship was set up in memory of former Sky News presenter Bob Friend.

Giant radio telescope produces first images of black hole in distant galaxy Astronomers from Kent are among those celebrating the contribution of the UK’s new Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope to the success of the European LOFAR project, which has just revealed a black hole in a distant galaxy in much greater detail than ever before.

Cover story: Seaside postcard collection goes on show British Cartoon Archive, CP0392, postcard by Donald McGill, copyright Greaves and Thomas

The image of the black hole, known as quasar 3C196, also demonstrates LOFAR’s ability to capture a huge field of view in a single frame: in this case, a patch of sky as large as a thousand full moons. continued overleaf...

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News

Launched in September 2010 and located at the Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire, the UK telescope is part of a network of international telescopes designed to study the sky at the lowest radio frequencies accessible from the surface of the earth, with its ultimate quest being to discover more about the birth of stars and galaxies just after the Big Bang.

The UK telescope is owned by the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC), one of the partners in the LOFAR-UK project, along with researchers from 22 UK universities, including Kent as part of the SEPnet (South-East Physics network)-Astro research theme.

Science and art cross paths Science and art will come together at the University with the appointment of a new writer and artist in residence in the Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science (CAPS).

Dr Duncan MacKay is an experienced creative artist and former research fellow in astrophysics.

His appointment, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, gives the University a unique opportunity to develop interdisciplinary perspectives.

CAPS Director, Professor Michael Smith commented: ‘Duncan MacKay’s knowledge of astrophysics means that he really understands the language of a scientist. His new appointment is a great opportunity to stimulate new interest among staff and students within CAPS and, at the same time, help working scientists reach a wider audience.’

Duncan MacKay will explore research within CAPS and translate it into his own visual artwork and creative writing. He will be supported by Professor Smith in fostering a long-term creative dialogue between physical science, English literature and fine arts at the University.

Duncan MacKay has worked in local secondary schools for 20 years and will use his connections to engage students in creative aspects of increasing scientific knowledge. He will promote creative parallels between arts and science through SEPnet (South East Physics network), a collaboration between universities, including Kent, to support physics education, research and outreach activities.

To find out more about research and teaching activities within CAPS, visit www.astro.kent.ac.uk

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Kent Law Clinic shortlisted for an Attorney General’s Award The Kent Law Clinic has been shortlisted for the Best Contribution by a Law School in the LawWorks and Attorney General Student Awards 2011.

Law Clinic solicitors, Lorna Collopy and Elaine Heslop will be joined by two students, Charlotte Brewer and Charlotte Gamble, at the Awards reception hosted by the Attorney General in the House of Commons on 30 March 2011. The Law Clinic has previously won Attorney General awards in the Best Student and Best Team categories.

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Further information on Kent Law Clinic is available at www.kent.ac.uk/law/clinic 2

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The Soviet side of the Cold War Professor Irina Bystrova, a leading researcher at the Institute of Russian History and author of numerous books, gave a public lecture at Kent on Wednesday 23 February. Titled ‘The Soviet side of the Cold War: the history of East-West military confrontation’, the lecture explored how cordial relations between Russia and the Allies during the Second World War were replaced by the hostility of the Cold War – at a diplomatic level and through the experiences of soldiers.

Following the lecture, discussions continued afterwards over drinks at a reception held in the Grimond Foyer.

Terry Kemp and Jayne Mortlock from Estates regularly participate in valuable voluntary work at Strode Park; if you are interested in helping, you can get more information by contacting helen.kemp@strodepark.org.uk

Employee engagement seminar Some of the leading European experts in employee engagement gathered at the University last week to look at how organisations can best relate to their staff at a time of increasing economic uncertainty.

Fundraising for Strode Park

Nearly 100 delegates took part in the seminar on 15 February, organised by the University’s Kent Business School (KBS) at its Medway campus.

Following a successful fundraising drive, members of the Estates Department presented a cheque for the fantastic amount of £1,319 to the Strode Park Foundation, a local charity that provides specialist care and leisure facilities for people with disabilities.

Among those taking part were Professor Wilmar B. Schaufeli from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, Professor David Guest, of King’s College London and Nita Clarke, Director of the Involvement and Participation Association.

Sarah Cooke, Administration Services Manager, said: ‘I would like to thank our generous sponsors for their support. Without them it would not have been possible to raise such a large amount of money.’ Sponsors included: Parkway Heating, Johnson Controls, Compass Communications, Gulbenkian Theatre and the Sports Centre. A full list of sponsors appears on the Estates website, www.kent.ac.uk/estates

Organiser, Professor Katie Truss, head of KBS at Medway, said: ‘This seminar was a great success and I was delighted that some of the leading experts in Europe gathered here to consider some of the issues surrounding this important topic.’

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News 1 2 3 4

Fundraising for Strode Park Winners of the Darwin travel bursary, centre, with Nancy Gaffield and Ann Wood Professor Irina Bystrova: the Soviet side of the Cold War Belalanda chameleon

University of Kent at Paris proves a popular destination Less than two years after it was launched, the University of Kent at Paris (UKP) is becoming an increasingly popular destination for postgraduate students from around the world.

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New hope for one of the world’s rarest chameleons Conservationists from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) have discovered a new population of Madagascar’s Belalanda chameleon.

The discovery took place just days after the team hosted an international conference to assess the conservation status of all Madagascar’s reptiles, three of which, including the Belalanda, are already very close to extinction and have been classified as Critically Endangered. The conference took place in Antananarivo, the nation’s capital, from 24 to 28 January.

Richard Griffiths, Professor of Biological Conservation at DICE and team leader for the project, described the find as ‘very important for this species, which is probably one of the world’s rarest reptiles’.

DICE’s local partner on the project is Madagasikara Voakajy, a Malagasy biodiversity organisation that uses conservation science and community participation to protect endemic Malagasy species – many of which are highly prized within the pet trade – and their habitats.

The DICE-Madagascar project is funded by the UK government’s Darwin Initiative and the British Herpetological Society. DICE is part of the University’s School of Anthropology and Conservation.

This is mainly because UKP offers a unique opportunity to obtain a valuable postgraduate qualification in one of a range of innovative cross-disciplinary programmes while studying at two of Europe’s most historic cities: Canterbury and Paris. Other reasons attracting students include enhanced personal development and career prospects, as well as the opportunity to exchange cultural ideas and information with fellow postgraduates. This year’s cohort includes students from the Republic of Ireland, UK, Japan, Nigeria, USA, Denmark, Portugal and Greece.

Professor Peter Read, Academic Director of UKP, explained: ‘Students who enrol on a Paris programme spend the autumn term at the University’s Canterbury campus and the spring term at Reid Hall, our academic centre in Montparnasse. All the modules taught during the spring term are designed to be specifically relevant to the experience of living and working in Paris, and students are encouraged to integrate the city's cultural resources into their studies. They then write a dissertation on a topic of their choice, established in consultation with a tutor, so as to achieve overall, in one year of study, an internationally recognised Master’slevel qualification.’

For further information go to www.kent.ac.uk/locations/paris/index.html

Darwin travel bursary winners Darwin College offers an annual travel bursary in memory of Mabel Sculthorp, an Honorary Senior Member of the College who generously donated a legacy for the benefit of Darwin College students. The competition for the bursary is open to students affiliated to Darwin College and currently in their first or second year.

Preconceptions of the East’. Caroline Huang, a second-year exchange student from Hong Kong University, was runner-up, receiving a prize of £150 for her plans to explore the language and culture of the UK. The students were presented with their awards by Master of Darwin College, Nancy Gaffield, and her Assistant, Ann Wood.

Upon completion of their travel, the students are required to submit a report of their travel for publication in KENT magazine or Inquire.

Chief Medical Officer launches University health agency On 15 March, the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, Professor Dame Sally C Davies, launched a new University initiative, KentHealth agency, at Maidstone Hospital.

KentHealth agency aims to provide a ‘one-stopshop’ for health care professionals seeking access to academic and research expertise.

KentHealth is being launched following a consultation exercise with the county’s health care organisations and aims to increase the level of health-related research and innovation collaboration between the University and external health partners.

In her keynote address titled: ‘The NHS and research links with universities’, Dame Sally emphasised the importance of university research links with the NHS. KentHealth Director, Professor Peter Jeffries, said: ‘The University is delighted that the Chief Medical Officer is highlighting the importance of university research links with the NHS in her speech at the launch of our new agency.

‘We have consulted widely with health care organisations throughout the region and have received very positive feedback on this new initiative. We are now looking forward to working with a range of different health care partners to collaborate on research and innovation.'

Two prizes were awarded this year: Samuel Grainger, a first-year student studying English and American Literature and Creative Writing With a Year Abroad won the £300 first prize for ‘From Sweden to Syria: A Culture Enquiry into

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Feature

Nudge nudge, wink wink Saucy seaside postcards will be back on public display after being banned in the 1950s.

The postcards, held by the British Cartoon Archive at the University, are part of a collection of 1,300 cards confiscated under the obscenity laws from 1951-1961.

As part of a £150,000 project funded by JISC (part of the Higher Education Funding Council – www.jisc.ac.uk), the collection is being digitised and will be freely available via the internet. The postcards will also feature in two public exhibitions this summer – from 27 May 2011 in the old Magistrates Court in Margate, where many of the cards were first banned, and afterwards in the British Cartoon Archive, based in the Templeman Library at Kent.

The JISC funding will also help to digitise 14,500 British political cartoons from the last ten years, featuring work by well-loved cartoonists from Mac in the Daily Mail to Steve Bell in The Guardian. Both the political and seaside cartoons will be placed online

with a range of teaching aids and interviews with cartoonists.

The British Cartoon Archive at Kent holds the national collection of cartoons of political and social comment published in British newspapers and magazines – more than 120,000 original drawings by over 350 cartoonists plus 85,000 newspaper cuttings. Its website at www.cartoons.ac.uk already provides access to 140,000 catalogued cartoons.

Head of the Archive, Dr Nick Hiley said: ‘We are very pleased to be able to make both these fascinating collections available freely to a much wider audience.

‘The seaside postcards in particular have already created a lot of interest. Not only are many of the cards still amusing, but they represent a landmark in social and legal history. They are a vivid illustration of how our notion of obscenity has changed over time – these postcards were considered offensive 60 years ago, but far more risqué material is now widely available via the internet.’

Copyright: British Cartoon Archive, CP0260, postcard by Donald McGill, copyright Greaves and Thomas.

The British Cartoon Archive The British Cartoon Archive (BCA) is located in the University’s Templeman Library. It was established in 1973 as the Centre for the Study of Cartoons and Caricature and is dedicated to the history of British cartooning over the last 200 years. The BCA holds the artwork for more than 150,000 British editorial, socio-political, and pocket cartoons, supported by large collections of comic strips, newspaper cuttings, books and magazines. The collection of artwork dates back to 1904 and includes work by WK Haselden, Will Dyson, Sidney Strube, David Low, Vicky, Emmwood, Michael Cummings,

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Ralph Steadman, Mel Calman, Nicholas Garland, Chris Riddell, Carl Giles, Martin Rowson, and Steve Bell, among others.

The Archive exists to encourage and facilitate the study of cartoons and caricatures published in the United Kingdom. This is achieved by collecting, preserving, cataloguing, exhibiting, and distributing the work of cartoonists and caricaturists, and by publishing studies of their art.

Facilities for research include a unique computer database containing details of the main cartoon

collections held in the archive which can be searched online. Cartoons can be found under any of the cataloguing terms used (eg cartoonist, publication, date, name or subject).

The computer displays the cartoon’s image and the cataloguing details. For publication purposes, digital images with supporting copyright details can be ordered through the feedback section.

Access to the BCA is free. It is open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm, and its gallery is accessible outside those hours, whenever the University Library is open.

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Books

Violence & Society

An Unfortunate Coincidence: Jews, Jewishness and English Law

Larry Ray, Sage Publications In this compelling and timely book, Larry Ray offers a wide-ranging and integrated account of the many manifestations of violence in society. He examines violent behaviour and its meanings in contemporary culture and throughout history.

Introducing the major theoretical debates, the book examines different levels of violence – interpersonal, institutional and collective – and different forms of violence, such as racist crime, homophobic crime and genocide. It provides readers with a succinct and comprehensive overview of its nature and effects, and the solutions and conflict resolutions involved in responses to violence.

Interdisciplinary in its approach, the text draws on evidence from sociology, criminology, primate studies and archaeology to shed light on arguments about the social construction and innate nature of violence. Engaging, wide-reaching and authoritative, this is essential reading for students, academics and researchers in sociology, criminology, social psychology and cultural studies.

Farewell to green-fingered colleague

Didi Herman, Oxford University Press Professor Herman’s book examines how English judges discuss and depict Jews and Jewishness in the 20th and 21st centuries. It is a study of legal judgments in a range of areas, tracing continuities and discontinuities in representations of Jews and Jewishness over time. The book reveals the part played by racial and religious understandings in legal decisionmaking, addressing the place of a minority with a long history in England and within the English cultural imagination.

Engaging to read and with numerous wonderfully illustrative extracts from legal judgments, the premise of the book is truly original. The book has been praised by academic commentators for its intelligent and sophisticated analysis of its complex and controversial subject matter. Professor Herman explained that, in writing the book, she wanted to ‘hopefully shed some light on the racialised way judges come to their decisions.’

The University’s reputation as a green campus is due in no small part to its Grounds Supervisor, Mick Woods.

Now, after 36 years looking after the Canterbury campus, Mick is retiring and looking forward to spending more time in his own garden.

Mick joined the University on a freezing day in February, 1975. ‘My then boss said that if I could last that winter, I could stay!’ he says.

Promotions to Gardener and Head Gardener followed and Mick has been Grounds Supervisor, responsible for planting and maintenance across the 300-acre Canterbury campus, for the last 11 years. From 2007-2010, he represented nonacademic staff on the University Council.

Over four decades, Mick has seen many changes on campus. ‘In the early days, we had hardly any shrubs or trees and the landscape was a bit bleak,’ he says. ‘Now, the buildings are surrounded by hundreds of trees, themed gardens, hidden courtyards and attractive vistas.’

Mick and his team. ‘More people means more wear and tear,’ he says. ‘But, with careful planning and investment in new machinery, we have continued to enhance Kent’s green spaces.’

Mick is proud of his achievements at Kent. His favourite spots on campus include the George Allen Wing, ‘which is always very tranquil’, the Darwin Rose Garden, ‘a lovely spot to eat lunch during the summer’ and the arboretum below Eliot College ‘which has stunning colours in the autumn’.

In his retirement, Mick is looking forward to spending more time freshwater fishing and working on his own garden. He will also be kept busy planning for his daughter Lisa’s wedding this summer.

‘I’ve helped to create the University’s landscape for over 30 years, but it’s never finished and can always be improved. It’s time for someone else to take up the challenges ahead,’ he says.

Newly-appointed Grounds Manager is Paul Griffiths, previously Senior Groundsman.

The increase in student numbers – from 6,000 to around 19,000 – has also created challenges for KENT Magazine

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Research

UK public spending set to drop below that of USA as in nations which have no alternative, such as Ireland and Greece. This decline, he points out, will result in public spending levels in the UK dropping below those in the USA by 2014 – something that is unprecedented.

‘Of this reduction,’ he says, ‘the government’s plan is to cut public services by £27bn, roughly one fifth of the £166bn budgeted for housing and community, environmental protection, law and order, defence, economic affairs and other public services in 2010. A further £17.7bn will come from the £105bn currently spent on shortterm, housing and disability benefits. UK spend will be 40 per cent of GDP compared to 53 per cent in France, 43 per cent in Germany and 42 per cent in the USA by 2014. It will continue to fall as time goes on.’

Professor Taylor-Gooby also explains that the cuts in public services, together with other new policies – such as much greater use of the private sector in health care, education and social provision; the abolition of common targets and standards in a number of areas; and the localism that devolves responsibility for many services to local community groups – are adding up to a complete restructuring of the British welfare state.

‘What we are witnessing now,’ he says, ‘is the outline of the new British welfare system – one in favour of the private sector.’

The social policy reforms of the coalition government have not only detached the UK from the European family of nations but they have set public spending on a course that will, for the first time, take it below that of the USA. These are the conclusions of new research (drawn from the official statistics of the IMF’s World Economic Outlook database) by Peter Taylor-Gooby, Professor of Social Policy at the University.

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In a paper titled ‘The Cuts: the UK in Comparative Perspective’, Professor TaylorGooby explains that Britain has always been a relatively low spender among European countries, closer to the likes of Spain than to Germany, France or Sweden. However, the economic crisis has resulted in UK spending initially increasing, with bank bailouts, rising unemployment and the stimulus package, but then falling much more sharply than in any other major European economy.

Further, unlike the majority of other European economies where spending is returning to normal levels, UK spending has fallen as steeply

‘The Cuts: the UK in Comparative Perspective’ by Peter Taylor-Gooby is published in In Defence of Welfare (Social Policy Association, February 2011). It is available as a PDF at www.socialpolicy.org.uk/downloads/idow.pdf Professor Taylor-Gooby is a member of the University’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SPSSR) and Director of the ESRC Social Contexts and Responses to Risk Programme. He has advised the UK government on public policy reform.

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Research

the bones and musculature of the human hand and wrist associated with specific gripping and manipulatory capabilities that are different from those of other extant great apes. These features have fuelled suggestions that, at some point since humans split from the last common ancestor of living apes, the human hand evolved away from features adapted for locomotion toward alternative functions.

Now, researchers Dr Stephen Lycett and Alastair Key have shown that the hands of our ancestors may have been subject to natural selection as a result of using simple cutting tools. In a series of experiments that used stone flakes similar to those known from Africa around 2.6 million years ago, they analysed whether variation in the hand size of individual tool users reflects differences that affect the efficiency of these simple tools to cut through a rope.

Policymakers urged to rethink infant feeding policy

takes into account the findings of intelligent, welldesigned research and commentary.’

In a briefing document issued on 28 February by the University’s Centre for Parenting Culture Studies (CPCS), Dr Ellie Lee argues that policy on infant feeding requires a major overhaul if it is to be fit for purpose.

The briefing document, titled ‘Feeding babies and the problems of policy’, can be downloaded at https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/parenting culturestudies/resources/cpcs-briefings/

Dr Lee was motivated to make this call for a fresh look at infant feeding policy on the basis of her own research, that of colleagues in Britain and elsewhere, as well as the many representations she has received in recent years from angry, confused or distressed parents.

For the briefing, she reviewed articles published during the last decade by scholars working in the social sciences and humanities and draws the following conclusions: • Infant feeding needs to be depoliticised • Policymakers should treat infant feeding as an issue in its own terms • Policymakers should aim to promote an ethos and practice whereby choice really means choice.

Of the briefing, Dr Lee said: ‘The public health strategy published recently by the coalition government argues for essentially the same approach to this issue that has been in place for the past 15 years. But there are very good reasons for arguing that this approach has not worked well, and that problems need to be addressed that are currently just not being considered by policymakers. We hope that this briefing will encourage serious discussion that

Stone tools influenced hand evolution in our ancestors New research from anthropologists at Kent has confirmed Charles Darwin’s speculation that the evolution of unique features in the human hand was influenced by increased tool use in our ancestors.

Research over the last century has certainly confirmed the existence of a suite of features in

Their results, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, show that ‘biometric’ variation did indeed result in a significant relationship with cutting efficiency in the experimental task.

Dr Lycett, Senior Lecturer in Human Evolution at the School of Anthropology and Conservation, explained: ‘Darwin proposed that the use of stone tools may have influenced the evolution of human hands. Our research suggests that he was correct. From an early stage in our evolution, the cultural behaviour of our ancestors was influencing biological evolution in specific ways.’

‘Technology based evolution? A biometric test of the effects of hand size versus tool form on efficiency in an experimental cutting task’ (Alastair JM Key; Stephen J Lycett) can be viewed online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2011.02.032

Research awards list Some recent research awards Professor David Chadwick (School of Computing) £57,808 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for ‘My private cloud’.

Dr Gareth Howells (School of Engineering and Digital Arts): £188,979 from the Interreg IV 2 Seas Programme (North) for ‘Autonomous and intelligent healthcare system (SYSIASS)’.

Professor Mark Burchell (School of Physical Sciences): £439,679 from the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) for ‘Evolution of solar system materials and bodies under hypervelocity impact’.

Dr Rachel Forrester-Jones (School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research) £20,078 and Dr David Oliver (Centre for Professional Practice): £4,922 from the Dorothy Kerin Trust for ‘Efficacy of in-patient care of people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) at Burrswood’.

Dr Stephen Loughnan (School of Psychology): £80,489 from the Economic and Social Research Council for ‘The impact of sexualised images on thoughts, perceptions and behaviours’.

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Enterprise

Training for innovation Academic staff from all three faculties attended the first pilot of the newly developed Knowledge Transfer and Innovation training programme last month at Canterbury Innovation Centre.

The programme has been devised by Kent Innovation and Enterprise with consultant, Doctor Colin Wyatt, and aims to give staff the knowledge and tools to apply their research expertise to enterprise activities.

Dr Wyatt previously worked for Imperial College, London and has extensive experience of industry and universities. As course leader of the programme, he looks in-depth at working with industry and collaboration types; identifying

participant’s capabilities and research interests; planning proposals and projects; and sustaining collaboration relationships.

The training uses knowledge and best-practice examples from Kent as well as from other universities. It offers participants tips and techniques on how best to work with external organisations in building successful relationships, which may lead to opportunities for knowledge transfer partnerships, commercial collaboration, continuing professional development, consultancy and technology transfer activities.

If you are interested in the course, further dates will be available in May and June. For more information and to book a place, please email: enterprise@kent.ac.uk or call 01227 827376.

School celebrates their first KTP success The University has been awarded funding of £62,000 for a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science (SMSAS) and KROHNE Limited.

This is the first KTP project for this School.

KROHNE Ltd, part of the KROHNE Group, is in the forefront of world-leading flow and level measuring technology. They have previously worked with Cambridge University on three KTPs. They are working with SMSAS to develop model-based regression methods for calibrating and verifying vibratory measuring devices, in order to improve measurement performance and reduce manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Lecturer in Statistics, Dr Xue Wang said ‘We are delighted to be involved with a world-class company in a two-year KTP. We are particularly pleased to be employing Christopher Eves as the KTP Associate. Chris recently gained a distinction in his MSc in Statistics.’

It is anticipated that the KTP will provide the opportunity to create new case studies with particular relevance for postgraduate teaching.

For more information on Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, contact Lesley Chater email: L.E.Chater@kent.ac.uk or call 01227 827376.

Are you a member of the ICE network?

Prince’s Trust team, left to right: Deep Nagda, Dan Medlen, Ama Guron, Fundraising Manager, Prince’s Trust, Rob Finnerty and James Kent

Kent students reach Prince’s Trust finals

£1000 for charity and were in the top three university teams in the region, competing against 17 other universities.

The University of Kent team for the Prince’s Trust Million £ Makers, attended the regional finals at the Century Club in Shaftesbury Avenue on Monday 28 February.

The awards were handed out by the recent Apprentice show participant – Laura Moore.

The team, all first-year Accounting & Finance students at Kent Business School, set up a minienterprise over one term to raise money through various events. They managed to raise over

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The University’s team are keen to pull a larger team together to compete next year. Student, Deep Nagda said: ‘It has been really hard work, but a fantastic experience and we can’t wait to enter again next year.’

There are many reasons to become an ICE member. It gives you the opportunity to: • Link up with like-minded, innovative people across a range of disciplines • Create a showcase of your research and present it to organisations for potential collaboration • Demonstrate the impact of your work and explore enterprising opportunities.

To find out more and to join the ICE network visit www.icekent.co.uk ICE: Innovation Creativity Enterprise

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Green news

Sports Scholar Success The year has started brilliantly for a number of our University sports scholars.

Getting greener

Susannah Townsend has been offered a training contract with the GB Hockey squad leading up to the 2012 Olympics. Susannah will train at Bisham Abbey and attend a number of tournaments in preparation for next year’s games.

Susannah said: ‘I am delighted to have been offered a GB central contract. I have played throughout the England junior age groups so am very happy to make this progression to the GB training squad. My goal is to compete for England and Great Britain in future Olympics and international tournaments. This unique opportunity has made it possible for me to achieve a lifetime goal.’

In addition, Alex Cooper recently won gold in the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) Novice 67Kg category in Boxing.

Azim Griffith and Caroline Huang came third in the BUCS mixed table tennis and Caroline was a silver medalist in the women’s singles.

Fran Plom has been selected as one of the final 16 for English Universities Netball.

The first Fairtrade olive oil, produced in Palestine, was available for sale as part of Fairtrade Fortnight

February and March were very busy months for ‘green’ events on campus, with our second Go Green Week held in February and Fairtrade Fortnight at the beginning of March.

Go Green Week Following last year’s success, University and Kent Union staff joined forces with a number of student societies including People and Planet, Conservation Society, Amnesty International and Animal Welfare to host a week of events to celebrate People and Planet’s national Go Green Week. Days were themed, for example: Carbon, Recycling, Low Carbon Food, Sustainable Transport and Biodiversity. Highlights of the week included carbon speed dating in Rutherford bar, a local food fair on the Jarman Piazza, Dr Bike maintenance demonstrations and the Can Film Festival whereby entrance was paid in the form of empty drinks cans for recycling.

Environmental Co-ordinator, Catherine Morris said: ‘This is now the second year in which Kent has held a Go Green Week and the week seems to be going from strength to strength. We hope that the activities have helped to raise awareness of environmental issues on campus and encouraged more people to get involved in the future.’

Fairtrade Fortnight This year’s Fairtrade fortnight celebrations received celebrity endorsement with a visit from comedian and activist, Mark Thomas. Mark’s latest tour, Walking the Wall: Extreme Rambling, is partly sponsored by the Fairtrade Foundation and describes his epic journey along the full length of the separation border between Israel and Palestine.

On Wednesday 2 March, Mark took some time out to visit the Gulbenkian café bar along with two Palestinian farmers, Bassema Basalat and Riziq Abu Nasser to highlight the Fairtrade produce grown by them, including the first ever Fairtrade olive oil. Staff from Zaytoun, Fairtrade approved importers of Palestinian produce, were on hand to invite people to taste samples of the oil, olives and a special Palestinian herb mix called Za’atar.

The event was a great success with staff from across campus coming to meet Bassema and Riziq, and to sample and buy their delicious Fairtrade products. Mark Thomas was also on hand to say a few words about his passion for bringing about social change for the Palestinian people.

Other scholar achievements include: Aaron Kwan helping Kent’s Fencing team reach the finals of the BUCS knockout trophy; Azim Griffith and Jean Philippe Chowree helping the Kent men’s team; and Caroline Huang and Priyal Bunwaree helping the women’s team reach the finals of the BUCS table tennis knockout cup.

Well done to them and our other scholars who are working hard to improve their fitness and ability, and achieving great results.

Easter sports academy If your children love cricket, football or hockey and would enjoy getting some professional coaching, University of Kent Sport’s Easter Sports Academy would be ideal for them.

As well as being taught by professional coaches, they will have the opportunity to play with kids with the same sporting interest.

The academy runs on the 11,12,13 and 14 April, from 9am-3pm and costs £85. Late pick-ups (until 5.30pm) are available at a cost of an extra £10 per day.

To book places, download a booking form at www.kent.ac.uk/sports and return, with payment, to the Sports Centre at the University of Kent, Canterbury campus. If you have any questions, contact Mel Clewlow via email, M.Clewlow@kent.ac.uk or call 01227 827673.

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Human Resources

Pilot leadership programme In the last issue of KENT, we outlined the University’s HR Strategy and the need to continue to develop leadership capabilities.

In support of this, the University has developed a leadership programme for administrative managers in professional services and academic schools.

This programme builds on a scheme piloted in the Academic Division in 2010, which has been evaluated by participants. More information on longer-term learning will be gathered via a small focus group that will meet throughout 2011.

The University-wide pilot will be delivered throughout 2011 and will include 4.5 workshop days, interspersed throughout the year with oneto-one development planning sessions and small, mixed-learning groups. The focus is on the themes of professional competence, personal credibility and confident leadership, taking an

integrated approach that blends formal, structured learning with informal knowledge sharing, peer mentoring and self-directed professional development.

Representatives from across the University, including participants from the original pilot and HR, are working together with the Programme Facilitator as a co-design team to adjust the programme to address the leadership and management development needs of the current cohort. The programme also incorporates a co-delivery model, with members of the first programme involved at key points providing ‘living case studies’ and serving as co-facilitators in workshop sessions.

For further information on this pilot programme please visit http://www.kent.ac.uk/hrstaffdevelopment/ldppsmprog.html

Human Resources welcome three new members of staff

Default retirement age removal The default retirement age (DRA) will be removed on 30 September 2011. The DRA currently enables employers to retire employees at 65 provided they follow a statutory procedure. The government has stated that, instead, it considers the dismissal of older workers should be managed either by discussion or by formal management procedures.

Key dates for the changes are: • 30 March: this is the last day on which employers can give proper notice of retirement using the DRA under the statutory procedure; • 5 April: this is the last day on which employers can give short notice of retirement using the DRA under the statutory procedure; • between 6 April and 1 October, only people who were notified before 6 April under the statutory procedure and whose retirement date is on or before 30 September can be compulsorily retired using the DRA; • from 1 October, employers will not be able to use the DRA to compulsorily retire employees. In addition, the exception that allows employers to reject applicants aged 64 and 6 months will be repealed.

Families affected by redundancy Recent announcements of job losses at Pfizer, local government offices and businesses in Kent have highlighted the growing number of local people affected by possible redundancies.

Hearing that the job of a loved one is at risk can be upsetting and can be a difficult time for the whole family. Therefore, HR and Occupational Health are offering a pilot support group for University staff whose families are affected by redundancy, called the FAR Network.

Nikki Hyde

Lisa Harvey

Nikki Hyde joined us in January 2011 as an HR Adviser. Previously Nikki worked as an HR Business Partner at Insight HR and Management Consultancy and the East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust. Nikki brings a wealth of HR experience to the University, including providing management and employee support during periods of change and projects related to recruitment and training.

Lisa Harvey will be joining us as an HR Assistant from mid-April. Having worked at the University for a number of years, including previous roles within HR, Lisa brings with her valuable

12

KENT Magazine

Rebecca Stevenson

knowledge of the University and the HR function we provide.

Rebbecca Stevenson joins us as an HR Coordinator. Rebecca has worked at Kent Business School since 2009.

For further details of the areas supported by these new staff members visit www.kent.ac.uk/ human-resources/staff/index.html I hope that you will join us in welcoming all three to their new roles at the University.

At the initial meeting, staff from HR and Occupational Health will provide informal advice and lead discussions on how FAR could become a self-sufficient support mechanism.

Professionals from the support services at the University will attend future meetings to answer questions raised by the group.

The first meeting of the FAR Network will be in Registry Meeting Room 1, 12noon to 2pm on Friday 6 April 2011. Please feel free to bring your lunch with you. For further details please contact a.j.whelan@kent.ac.uk

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Obituaries

John Martin 1932-2010 John Martin, formerly Director of the Institute of Languages and Linguistics, died on 25 November 2010.

He was born on the 13 November 1932 in Leigh, Lancashire. He attended Leigh Grammar School and won a scholarship to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he read Modern Languages, specialising in German and French. After graduation, he served for two years in the RAF, studied German literature at Princeton University, and then, in 1960, took up the post of Lektor at the University of Göttingen. He was appointed to a Lectureship at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in 1964 and in the following year to a Lectureship at Kent. Later, he became Director of the Language Centre and when the Centre was threatened with closure, with great determination he transformed it into the Institute of Languages and Linguistics, developing new degree-level and graduate courses. As a means of extending the Institute’s scope, he set about learning Turkish and later taught it. He retired from the University in 1993.

When John became interested in the Turkish language, he threw himself into the study of Turkish history and culture and became a champion of all things Turkish. He developed close links between Kent and Bogaziçi University in Istanbul. For a number of years John played a vitally important role in the organisation of the Turkish Area Study Group, becoming its Chairman in 1990. Together with his wife, Sigi, he produced its journal and played a major part in the running of conferences and other events. He was for a number of years an active member of the Kent branch of the Association of University Teachers, and was for a time its Chairman.

John had a passion for music. He played the organ and the piano, he played the cello in the University orchestra, and he taught each of his four children to play an instrument. In 1963, John met Sigrid Wünscher in Göttingen and they were married in 1965 in Vlotho, Sigi’s home town. They moved to Canterbury, where they became known for their extreme generosity and hospitality. It is impossible to calculate the number of dinner parties they have hosted, birthday celebrations, weddings, or just family get-togethers where

friends were welcomed. But most of all, it is as a family that they leave the most lasting impression: John, Sigi, Alice, Ben, Rupert and Tessa, Roddy and Dominika, and a growing number of grandchildren.

Maurice Vile

Alfred William Brian Simpson 1931-2011 Brian Simpson was an internationally renowned legal historian and professor in Kent Law School for a decade from 1973. He also served as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. He sadly died in January 2011.

Born in Kendal in Westmoreland, he attended Oakham School before gaining a scholarship to The Queen’s College, Oxford. National Service intervened, largely spent in West Africa. On his return to Oxford, Brian gained a first class degree in jurisprudence. A junior research fellowship at St Edmund Hall was followed by a fellowship at Lincoln College. It was during this time that he married Kathleen and had two children Charles and Carol.

His reputation as a rising star was cemented in 1961 by the publication of An Introduction to the History of the Land Law. This slim volume, which dealt with the joys of seisin, remainders, and mortmain, (complex legal doctrines evolving at the very birth of the common law), has been described as an ‘exemplification of elegant and accurate legal writing.’

Over the next decade, Brian’s attention turned to the history of the law of contract, with groundbreaking articles. But his life went through several metamorphoses – in the early 1960s, he was a visiting professor at Dalhousie University in Canada. In 1968, he was Dean of Ghana Law School and it was in Ghana that Brian met an archaeologist, Caroline, who became his second wife and mother to Zoë, Jane and Tim. After Ghana, Brian became Professor of Law at Kent and served as Dean. Faculty meetings were not then the calm waters of nowadays – Kent was still a new institution searching for an identity and passions ran high. Brian ruled with good sense and good humour.

During this period, he sat on important government committees on law reform – the Advisory Group on the Law of Rape, as well as the Committee on Obscenity and Film Censorship, chaired by philosopher Bernard Williams. Brian published an account in Pornography and Politics.

In 2001, Brian was appointed as an honorary QC. Lord Irvine, said: ‘He is seen as having created a new genre of legal history through his study of great cases of the past...’. This meant that Brian was renowned for taking a leading case and exploring with meticulous scholarship, its social, cultural and intellectual context. This is known in the trade as ‘doing a Simpson’.

In recent years, Brian immersed himself in human rights, in writing opinions for the European Court of Human Rights and on his account of the birth of the European Convention on Human Rights in Human Rights and the End of Empire. He also advised the AIRE (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe) Centre in London, which works for persecuted individuals in Europe and could be found at the University of Tirana in Albania teaching human rights.

Brian was an inspirational teacher and an international scholar of immense influence. He will be sorely missed.

Steve Uglow

Professor Mark KinkeadWeekes FBA 1931-2011 It is with great regret that the University reports the death of Professor Mark Kinkead-Weekes, Emeritus Professor of English and American Literature, on 7 March 2011. Mark KinkeadWeekes was first appointed to the University as a lecturer in English in 1965 following a previous academic appointment at the University of Edinburgh. Mark was Professor of English and American Literature from 1974-1985 and ProVice-Chancellor from 1974-1977. Mark’s academic distinction was recognised by his election as Fellow of the British Academy in 1992. Mark made a significant contribution to English at Kent, to Rutherford College and to University management. He was much loved by staff and students and will be greatly missed.

KENT Magazine

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Kent in the news

Staff at the University continue to make a strong contribution to international, national and regional news. Over the past few months, there have been contributions from, among others, the British Cartoon Archive, the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), the School of Anthropology and Conservation, Kent Law School, the Centre for Journalism and the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR).

Conservationists from DICE gained worldwide coverage for fascinating research that uncovered a new population of Madagascar’s Belalanda chameleon. Among the news organisations covering the story were USA’s www.Science Daily and Wildlife Extra in the UK. Also in the School of Anthropology and Conservation, a new study by Dr Noreen von CramonTaubadel which challenged previous views of the origins of farming in Europe attracted further coverage from Science Daily, as did another study from the School on how stone tools influenced hand evolution in our human ancestors.

Medway-based professor of journalism Tim Luckhurst featured in a number of broadcast interviews, including those on LBC, commenting on Jeremy Hunt’s decision to allow the News Corp bid for BSkyB, and BBC Radio Surrey on the future of local newspapers.

Also featuring in broadcast interviews was Dr Nick Hiley, of the University’s British Cartoon Archive. His project on the digitisation of seaside postcards formed the basis for a feature that was broadcast on BBC South East, as well as Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Kent, BBC Radio Wales and a number of other regional BBC stations.

Page 14

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Professor Marian Fitzgerald, of the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, took part in a debate about the government’s ‘new’ proposals for tackling anti-social behaviour, and also featured on BBC Radio Berkshire and BBC Radio Oxford on proposed Thames Valley Police cuts.

Kent Law School also featured on both national and regional TV and radio when Dr Robin Mackenzie appeared on BBC’s Inside Out programme and BBC Radio Kent talking about medical ethics.

The University’s plans to build new student accommodation and a hotel and conference centre on land at Chaucer Fields at its Canterbury campus was covered in the Kentish Gazette, while its sponsorship in the Pride in Medway awards attracted coverage in the Medway Messenger.

This is just some of the recent coverage gained by the University. For more information, visit Kent in the News on Campus Online or contact the Press Office at PressOffice@kent.ac.uk

CAR BOOT FAIR Sunday 29 May 2011 Sports Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NL Stallholders 7am £10 per car payable in advance (No caterers) Public 8am-12pm (free admission and free parking, refreshments available) Pitch fees donated to Seeds for Africa http://www.seedsforafrica.org Pre-booking and payment in advance (non-refundable) By phone: +44 (0)1227 823 202 By fax: +44 (0)1227 823 426 By email: info@seedsforafrica.org

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What’s on

Music events

Gulbenkian Theatre highlights

Friday 1 April, 7.30pm Church of St Gregory and St Martin, Wye. The University of Kent Chamber Choir, presents ‘This Scepter’d Isle’, including pieces by Purcell, Skempton and Vaughan Williams, conducted by Daniel Harding. Tickets £5, available from the University Music Office, T:01227 827335 or email: musictickets@kent.ac.uk

Thursday 7, Friday 8 April, 7.45pm Count Arthur Strong, Command Performance – the faded variety star with a failing memory is a cult figure on Radio 4 with his Sony awardwinning sitcom.

Wednesday 8 – Sunday 12 June, Canterbury Campus, ArtsFest 2011.

Details available from mid-April at www.kent.ac.uk/ArtsFest

Tuesday 12 April, 7.45pm, Dan Clark, star of BBC2’s How Not To Live Your Life, brings his unique brand of live comedy on a national tour.

Thursday 14 April, 7.45pm, Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams play their unique blend of rock ‘n’ roll, folk, and quirky Americana.

Thursday 21 April, 7.45pm, Stacey Kent, winner of the BBC Jazz Award for best vocalist and album of the year, performs.

Wednesday 27 April, 8.30pm, The Funny Side Comedy Club.

Thursday 28 April, 7.45pm, Ballet Central present an exciting new programme of ballet, contemporary and jazz.

Tuesday 3 May, 7.45pm, European Arts Company present Chekhov’s Shorts.

Thursday 5 May 2011, 7.45pm, London Contemporary Dance School present EDge 2011. During three full company works, EDge’s 12 dancers transform tender moments, quirky gestures and high level energy into an inspiring evening of dance.

Saturday 28 May, 7.45pm, OperaUpClose present Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (or Salisbury), transported to Jane Austen’s England.

Tuesday 31 May, 2pm, Big Howard, Little Howard present Little Howard and the Magic Pencil of Life and Death (for ages 6+).

For full details of times and ticket availability, please go to www.thegulbenkian.co.uk

10 Monkeys stand-up comedy festival 10 Monkeys is a stand-up comedy festival taking place between 13-21 May at the University of Kent. It will be a celebration of 10 years of the stand-up comedy module, available to students on the Drama and Theatre Studies degree programme. Current students will appear at the Gulbenkian Theatre, alongside alumni, who are now professional comedians. CDs, containing a compilation of clips from 10 years of the stand-up module, will be on sale.

A share of all profits will go to Comic Relief.

Friday 13 May, 7pm, Aphra Theatre, admission free. Ridiculusmus present a ‘preview sharing’ of their latest show, Total Football.

Saturday 14 May, Chatback Comedy host a comedy night in the Parrot Pub in Canterbury.

Details to be confirmed.

Sunday 15 May, 7pm, Jarman Studio 1, tickets £5. MA student Ben Hudson looks at a new side of stand-up. Followed by Quiz in my Pants, the Edinburgh 2010 hit, performed by Kent alumni.

Monday 16 – Wednesday 18 May, 8.30pm, Gulbenkian Café, Monkeyshine’s Last Stand, tickets £5/£4. Three cracking shows from this year’s crop of talented stand-up students.

Hosted by Oliver Double.

Thursday 19 May, 7.45pm, Gulbenkian Theatre, tickets £15/10. In conversation with... Ross Noble, a great opportunity to see a big comedian in a small space!

Friday 20 May, 2pm, Jarman 1 and 2, tickets £7. Workshop from professional improv group The Noise Next Door.

Friday 20 May, 7.45pm, Gulbenkian Theatre, tickets £10/8. Monkeyshine: The Professionals, an amazing line-up of standups and sketches from graduates and friends of the stand-up course, starring Tiernan Douieb, Jimmy McGhie, improv wonders Noise Next Door, and everyone’s favourite sketch troupe, Pappy’s.