Kent magazine december 2013 by University of Kent

Staff

KENT The Magazine for the University of Kent | December 2013

Green outlook Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anniversary Prize

Welcome Dear colleagues, The University of Kent rests on the twin pillars of research and teaching, with these two activities in a fine balance. I hear from students and alumni about their excellent teaching at Kent at the same time that our submissions to the Research Excellence Framework reaffirm for me the power of the research undertaken across the University to make a positive difference to lives in Kent, and across the world. In particular, I thank everyone who has worked to bring together the materials for submission to the REF this term. In recent weeks, the richness and variety of our activities have been recognised and celebrated. We marked the fifth anniversary of the Centre for Philanthropy (see p9), which has led research to understand donors’ motivations. Our own philanthropic activities have reached new levels with the Kent Law Campaign launched officially in November (p10) at a reception held at 30 St Mary Axe – the Gherkin – in the City of London. The campaign for the Law Clinic is proceeding well, with the student committee organising a 5k fun run on campus to raise money for the new teaching and community facility. We have had continued success in the cross-institution partnerships, which are particularly important for accessing funding through the Research Councils. The recent award of £17m to our ‘CHASE’ doctoral training consortium in the Arts and Humanities (p9) will allow us to lead postgraduate research student education in the region. I was delighted to learn that, in November, the University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize (see right) recognising the excellence of the Tizard Centre in developing community care and support for those with learning difficulties. This is a highly prestigious award and one that rightly recognised the Centre’s many achievements. As we look towards the winter break and a new calendar year, I hope that we can build on these many successes and look forward to celebrating more in 2014.

Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow Vice-Chancellor

3 News 6 Feature: Green outlook 8 Research 10 Feature: Making an impact 11 Enterprise 12 Staff profile 13 EDI 14 Kent in the news/Sport 15 People 16 What’s on Special thanks to: Lesley Farr, University Design & Print Centre. Photographs by Denys Andrianjafy, Zoe Davies and Matt Wilson.

News

KENT We have set up a new group for staff to have their say on all aspects of internal communications, including KENT staff magazine. If you would like to become a member, please get in touch with us via communications@kent.ac.uk Editorial team: Wendy Raeside (Editor), Karen Baxter and colleagues in Corporate Communications, University of Kent. To contact us or submit a story, email kentmagazine@kent.ac.uk Next issue: the deadline for the next issue is 13 January with a publication date of 4 February 2013.

Online version KENT staff magazine is also available online at www.kent.ac.uk/campusonline/kentmagazine The online version contains additional media, as indicated in the icons below. Please email communications@kent.ac.uk if you would prefer not to receive a printed copy.

Web link

Sound

Picture

Video

University awarded Queen’s Anniversary Prize The University has been awarded a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for the work of the Tizard Centre. The official announcement took place at St James’s Palace on 21 November. The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes are awarded, within the honours system, for exceptional contributions by institutions in the higher and further education sectors and will be presented by The Queen at Buckingham Palace on 27 February 2014.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow said: ‘I am delighted that the Tizard Centre should receive such an accolade. It is a tribute to the outstanding work of the staff and students at the Centre and to the difference they make to the lives of people with disabilities and their families.’

For more than 30 years, the Tizard Centre has worked to improve the lives of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and their families, focusing on the relationship between policy, management and practice. The Centre has an international reputation for its cutting-edge research and practice, has trained hundreds of practitioners, and regularly advises government on issues relating to challenging and offending behaviour, profound multiple disability and sexual abuse among people with IDD.

Centre Co-Directors, Professor Glynis Murphy and Professor Peter McGill, said: ‘The Prize not only acknowledges the work of both the staff and students at the Centre, it reflects the legacy of its founder, the late Professor Jim Mansell. It is also recognition at the highest level that people with IDD deserve the best possible quality of life. All too frequently, they are at a real disadvantage in society with nine out of ten experiencing disability hate crime. We hope this award signals the need for a step change by policy-makers and the wider society.’

Crit Building wins Facade of the Year Award

six students and tutors to interact on each screen and contribute to ‘crit’, or critique, presentations.

Scan me for the latest KENT magazine on your mobile

Follow us on… twitter.com/UniKentStaff facebook.com/UniversityofKent tinyurl.com/kentlinked youtube.com/user/UniversityofKent flickr.com/photos/universityofkent/

The KSA (Kent School of Architecture) Crit Building has won World Architecture News’ Facade of the Year Award.

Staff

KENT The Magazine for the University of Kent | December 2013

Green outlook Queen’s Anniversary Prize

Cover story Kent Union Environment Officer Tom Currie keeps an eye on Kent’s bees (see p6).

Launched in 2012, the Crit Building on the Canterbury campus provides the University’s architecture students with one of the most advanced learning environments of its type in the UK. Designed by Guy Hollaway Architects in association with KSA, it boasts eight 70-inch UTouch screens with HD resolution, enabling up to

However, it was the facade that caught the attention of the judges at World Architecture News. In a category ‘which drew a staggering array of entrants ranging from grassroots, small and sustainable building shells to hi-tech motorised monoliths gleaming in the desert’, it was KSA’s ‘intelligent and graceful’ design ‘that won the hearts and minds of the panel’. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6af2R89bni0 KENT Magazine

News

Triple EU funding success Kent’s School of Politics & International Relations (POLIR) has been successful in all three of its applications for a Jean Monnet Award 2013. The school’s success will fund the establishment of a: • Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence combining the expertise of Kent’s recently launched Global Europe Centre (GEC) with leading expertise from four Asian Pacific partners to investigate the idea of Normative Power Europe in relation to Asia • Jean Monnet Chair within the GEC for Professor Elena Korosteleva • Jean Monnet Multilateral Research Group (MRG) led by Dr Tom Casier, Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS). The MRG will seek to create a durable platform for developing innovative approaches and models in the study of the interaction between the EU and Russia, and create synergies between the research of Jean Monnet Chairs in four different countries. Launched in 1989, the Jean Monnet Programme aims to stimulate teaching, research and reflection in the field of European integration studies at the level of higher education institutions within and outside the EU. The programme is now present in 72 countries with 3,700 projects on European integration studies established between 1990 and 2011.

Kent students attract top graduate employers International companies such as Toyota, Coca Cola Enterprises, Sky and Fujitsu joined over 80 organisations from across the UK at the University’s annual Careers Fair. The Fair was part of the University’s newlycreated Employability Week (4-8 November). It attracted nearly 2,000 students, many of whom spoke with representatives from international, national and local organisations looking to recruit Kent graduates. Co-ordinated by the University’s Careers and Employability Service, Employability Week involves a University-wide week of events to help students get experience and gain skills for work while they are studying. As well as the Careers Fair, the week also involved presentations from

KENT Magazine

visiting alumni, interactive workshops by graduate employers, skills sessions and competitions.

New sport facilities opened by karate world champion Nine times world and European karate champion, Wayne Otto OBE has officially opened the University’s new sports facilities. Representatives from Canterbury City Council, local sports clubs, and young sporting stars from across the region attended an opening event which showcased the £4.8m upgrade of facilities available to students, staff and the general public. The upgrade includes a new fitness suite, multipurpose fitness and dance studio, and indoor tennis centre. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony at the University’s Canterbury campus on 25 September, Wayne Otto, who is also a Kent alumnus, paid tribute to the role of Kent’s sport facilities in securing his world titles. He said: ‘I thoroughly enjoyed my experience while studying at Kent and even back then I had access to sporting facilities which helped me progress in my chosen sport. However, the new facilities available are quite incredible. I’m delighted to see how far the provision has come and the opportunities for students and aspiring young athletes to excel in sport.’

Internationalisation activities focus of Chinese Embassy visit Kent’s collaborative work in China and its longterm internationalisation strategy were highlighted at a meeting between Mr Shen Yang, Minister Counsellor for Education at the Chinese Embassy (London), and University representatives. During his visit to Canterbury campus on 30 September, the Minister Counsellor was particularly keen to learn about the opportunities for exchange placements between Chinese and UK students. He also expressed an interest in Kent’s fundraising and Hong Kong/China Portal projects, and its links with universities in those territories, as well as the large number of Kent students undertaking exchanges between the two regions. Kent currently has over 500 Chinese students studying a variety of courses, from International Foundation Programmes to PhD level.

First creative writing exchange with Russia The University has become the first UK institution to offer students from its Creative Writing programme the opportunity to undertake a dedicated exchange with a Russian counterpart – the Gorky Institute in Moscow. The two-week exchange, which included a visit to the University’s centre in Paris, was designed to give students from both institutions an opportunity to experience the way creative writing is approached in another country, as well as to encounter fellow students and authors from different cultures. Over a two-week period, the ten students were immersed in literary culture, including a visit to the Festival des Écrivains du Monde, an international literary festival in Paris which brought together over 30 world-renowned authors, including Salman Rushdie, Catherine Millet and John Banville.

Epstein bust of TS Eliot bequeathed to University A bust of TS Eliot (1888–1965) by internationally acclaimed sculptor Jacob Epstein was presented to the University on 26 September 2013 – the anniversary of Eliot’s birth. Bequeathed by the poet’s late widow, Valerie Eliot, the bust will sit alongside the University’s portrait of TS Eliot by Patrick Heron. The bust was the first of a limited edition of just nine cast from its mould. Modelled in clay and cast in bronze, the bust’s likeness is rooted in observation but features an expressive approach to its form and texture. The style used by Epstein is often described as a way to evoke the physical and psychological presence of the sitter.

News 1 Wayne Otto OBE opening Kent’s new sports facilities 2 Epstein bust of TS Eliot bequeathed to University

Stephen Burke, Master of Eliot College, said: ‘Valerie Eliot was a long-time friend of the University; she supported the annual TS Eliot Lectures, and also the Eliot College Poetry Prize. I am delighted that Valerie chose to remember us in her will by making such a generous bequest. I know that this bust meant a lot to TS and Valerie Eliot, and I will ensure that it is displayed for the enjoyment of our community, and as a most fitting memorial to them.’

Kent more than double national average for increased student mobility The number of Kent students taking up offers to study or work at its partner institutions across Europe via the Erasmus programme increased by nearly 20% during 2012/13. In comparison, recent figures provided by the British Council, which manages the Erasmus programme in the UK, show that the number of UK students studying or working in Europe for the same period rose by 7%. The rise in Kent’s participation rates is a reflection of its active commitment to student mobility, an institutional priority that recently received increased support from the UK Government with the launch of its new Outward Student Mobility Strategy (July 2013). This strategy, which has received initial funding from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), aims to ‘boost the number of UK students gaining vital international experience from overseas study and work placements, allowing them to compete in the global race for jobs and skills’.

Students’ IT solution for Canterbury Food Bank

Students learn from Bookernominated Kent alumnus

Kent students have developed a new computer system to help Canterbury Food Bank meet increasing demand from people in need across the region.

Internationally renowned author and Kent alumnus David Mitchell returned to the University in October to speak to students from its School of English.

The four students from the School of Computing have worked together to create a new online system to enable the food bank to manage distribution of its supplies more effectively. The new site can be updated in real-time from each of the charity’s distribution centres, as well as having the capability to manage its stock. This includes indicating when perishable items are reaching their best-before date, thereby reducing waste. The new system replaces an outdated and inefficient Excel spreadsheet method.

The school invited students from all programmes to hear readings from David’s unpublished works, and participate in a comprehensive question and answer session.

The work with the charity forms a final-year project conducted by Computing students which aims to apply their skills to provide new computer solutions for organisations in the area. The team for this project is studying at Kent for one year as part of the Brazilian Government’s Science without Borders (SwB) programme.

Public invited to contribute to commemorative canoe project A 12-foot Canadian canoe covered in messages written by the public is the centrepiece of a new project at the University exploring British colonial history and the recognition of indigenous rights. The ‘Treaty Canoe II’ project aims to symbolise treaties made between the British colonial territories and their indigenous peoples. It takes place during the 250th anniversary of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which determined the terms of future negotiations between settlers and indigenous peoples in British North America. Led by the University’s Centre for American Studies in collaboration with the Department of History and American Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University, the project was launched via a public event at the Beaney Institute’s Learning Lab, Canterbury on 7 October. This was followed by construction of Treaty Canoe II on the University’s Canterbury campus (Keynes Atrium), which was also open to the public. www.treatycanoe.ca.

David Mitchell, who studied literature in the School of English from 1987 to 1991, has enjoyed great success as an author since graduating. His first novel Ghostwritten was published to critical acclaim in 1999. Both of the novels that followed, number9dream (2001) and Cloud Atlas (2004) were shortlisted for the Booker Prize. David Mitchell received an honorary degree from the University in 2006. https://soundcloud.com/inquirelive/ interview-with-david-mitchell

Launch of Kent Arts Network A new network connecting representatives from museums, galleries, archives and other arts and culture organisations locally, nationally and internationally has been launched at Kent. Created by the University’s School of Arts, the Kent Arts Network brings together representatives from arts and culture organisations to share their knowledge, skills and contacts. The network consists of a calendar of events for members to attend and opportunities for collaboration between peers in the same field. Other benefits include: keeping up-to-date on research and developments at Kent; sharing and discussing ideas within an arts-specific community; involvement in School of Arts cultural events; and the opportunity to maintain or establish global arts connections. www.flickr.com/photos/universityofkent/ sets/72157636546682965/

New honorary graduates Details of new honorary graduates during the University’s congregations in November will follow in the next issue of KENT. www.kent.ac.uk/news/stories/BBC-Kenthonorarydegrees/2013 KENT Magazine

Feature

THE OUTLOOK IS GREEN FOR KENT The University was founded almost 50 years ago in Kent, the ‘Garden of England’. Staff and students are working hard to protect our heritage and ensure that Kent has an even greener future by promoting ways of working, studying and living in sustainable ways as part of the Green Academy.

taking part and 169 staff members directly involved. Twenty one students were involved in the scheme which included training recognised by the NUS in Sustainability, Behaviour Change and Environmental Auditing. Seven students received additional Green Impact training and were placed with staff teams in departments across the University as assessors – developing green noticeboards and conducting basic energy audits. The 2012/13 Overall Winners with Gold Awards were Medway Student Services and Mungo’s Bistro, plus Enrolment Management Services.

The first part of this project seeks to raise awareness of initiatives and projects already underway at Kent, and to promote ways in which staff and students can get involved.

If you are interested in having a more sustainable impact within your work environment, Green Impact is a great way of engaging with your colleagues, getting recognised for your environmentally friendly actions and learning more about reducing our environmental impact!

Green Impact For the fifth year running, the University is taking part in the NUS’ Green Impact project which involves implementing practical actions that can contribute to a safer, healthier and more sustainable university. The Green Impact project was a huge success last year, with 26 teams

www.kent.ac.uk/estates/sustainability/ green_impact.html Email: greenimpact@kent.ac.uk

Environmental Campaign In September 2012, Tom Currie (Kent Union Environment Officer) set up an Environmental Campaign with a student-led volunteer group, committed to organising environmental activities

for students. Since then, the group has led 30 activities plus eight speaker events and contributed a total of 270 volunteer hours, with significant benefits for Kent and the local community: • Coppicing in local nature reserves to support local ecosystems by working with environmental groups such as Kent Wildlife Trust and the RSPB • Litter picking has helped to improve relations in the local community and forged links with the local council and resident associations. • Over 2,000 items of unwanted clothing and unused food/toiletries were collected and donated to local charities • EcoLoco Festival (in May 2013) included birdbox building sessions, permaculture workshops, foraging tours and building garden furniture from recycled material for the Darwin Garden project (Gold Standard Green Impact award). The Enviro-Monthly newsletter was launched this September and the first Nature Hotspots walk took place in October, with visits to the campus nature trails, beehives, ponds and outdoor social spaces.

www.facebook.com/#!/EnvironmentCampaign Email: environment@kent.ac.uk

KENT Magazine

Feature 1 2 3 4

Sustainable transport As an integral part of building an effective academic institution, the University has developed a Transport Strategy and Travel Plan to work alongside both the local authority and government policies. The University recognises the importance of reducing single occupancy car use, which will not only help alleviate congestion, but also help to improve the environment and people’s health. Good train and bus links, together with the University’s new BioBuses, car share schemes, Medway shuttle bus, excellent bicycle paths and facilities, as well as beautiful scenic walks, make the University campus perfect for travelling sustainably! www.kent.ac.uk/estates/transport/index.html

Raising standards in environmental management The University has had an Environmental Management System (EMS) for the past six years, and in 2012 was certified to the ISO14001 standard – the International Standard for Environmental Management based on the ‘plando-check-act’ cycle for controlling and continuously improving an organisation’s environmental performance. This enables us as

Nature Hotspots walk Totemic Benches New greener transport on campus Senior staff, students and the project team at the official launch of the Templeman Library Development project

an organisation to identify and control the environmental impact of our activities, products and services; to continuously improve our environmental performance; and to implement a systematic approach to set and achieve environmental objectives and targets. For detailed guidance to managers and online environmental training, visit: www.kent.ac.uk/safety/env/index.html 4

Templeman Library

Join us for Go Green Week Monday 2 to Friday 6 June, 2014 For the second year running, Kent Union will be running Go Green Week at the Canterbury campus. Activities such as litter picking, bush craft and nature hikes will be scheduled throughout the week, alongside guest speaker events and a green marketplace, with stalls from local producers and Fairtrade Groups.

The University’s approach to sustainability and environmental design is highlighted in the Templeman Library extension, which is being designed for long-term use in a way that saves energy in the most cost-effective manner. Passive measures using the building fabric to improve energy performance include: • a below-ground labyrinth to passively cool air in the new lecture theatre • a lower ground-floor archive which uses thick concrete walls and ground mass to create passively cool conditions for special collections and the British Cartoon Archive • high-performance building fabric which is well insulated and airtight to make the library comfortable all year round • solar shading to glazing, which reduces solar gains and glare • opening windows for natural ventilation • exposed concrete ceilings to create thermal mass to passively cool the building overnight • good daylight penetration into spaces to reduce the amount of artificial lighting. Active measures being incorporated to ensure the Templeman Library project will achieve a ‘very good’ ‘BREEAM’ rating include: • low-energy light fittings and terminal units • effective and user-friendly controls • energy efficient central plant and distribution systems. Trees felled for the library extension have been recycled and used to make Totemic Benches in collaboration with Dr Ian Bride and Conservation Society students. There is also extensive landscaping planned which includes mature trees selected from British native species. www.kent.ac.uk/is/templeman/

KENT Magazine

Research

Scientists discover cosmic factory for making building blocks of life Kent scientists have helped discover a ‘cosmic factory’ for producing the building blocks of life, amino acids, in research published in the journal Nature Geoscience. The team from Kent, Imperial College London and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have discovered that when icy comets collide into a planet, amino acids can be produced. These essential building blocks are also produced if a rocky meteorite crashes into a planet with an icy surface. The researchers suggest that this process provides another piece to the puzzle of how life on Earth was kick-started, after a period of time between 4.5 and 3.8 billion years ago when the planet had been bombarded by comets and meteorites. Co-author of the paper is Dr Mark Price, Senior Lecturer in Space Science in the School of Physical Sciences at Kent. He said: ‘This process demonstrates a very simple mechanism whereby we can go from a mix of simple molecules, such as water and carbon-dioxide ice, to a more complicated molecule, such as an amino acid. This is the first step towards life. The next step is

to work out how to go from an amino acid to even more complex molecules such as proteins.’

Heavily logged forests still valuable for tropical wildlife

The abundance of ice on the surfaces of Enceladus and Europa, which are moons orbiting Saturn and Jupiter respectively, could provide a perfect environment for the production of amino acids, when meteorites crash into their surface, say the researchers. Their work further underlines the importance of future space missions to these moons to search for signs of life. The researchers discovered that when a comet impacts on a world it creates a shock wave that generates molecules that make up amino acids. The impact of the shock wave also generates heat, which then transforms these molecules into amino acids.

New research has found rainforests that have been logged several times continue to hold substantial value for biodiversity and could have a role in conservation.

The team made their discovery by recreating the impact of a comet by firing projectiles through a large high-speed gun. This gun, located at Kent, uses compressed gas to propel a projectile at speeds of 7.15 kilometres per second into targets of ice mixtures, which have a similar composition to comets. The resulting impact created amino acids such as glycine and equal amounts of D-and L-alanine. www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ ncurrent/full/ngeo1930.html

According to principal investigators, Dr Matthew Struebig and Anthony Turner from the University’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), these findings challenge a longheld belief that there is limited, if any, value in heavily logged forests for conservation. The research, which monitored bats as an indicator for environmental change on Borneo, is the first of its kind to look at wildlife in forests logged more than two times. The findings are particularly important because, across the tropics, forest that has been intensively harvested is frequently targeted for conversion to agriculture and is perceived to hold little value for timber, carbon or biodiversity. Dr Struebig, Lecturer in Biological Conservation at DICE, explains: ‘Recent studies have emphasised similar numbers of species living in unlogged and logged sites, but what surprised us was just how resilient some species were, even in sites almost unrecognisable as rainforest.’ Only by viewing forest sites along a gradient of logging disturbance, ranging from pristine to heavily degraded, were the team able to detect a gradual decline of some key bat species. The research confirmed the most vulnerable bats were those that tend to live in the cavities of old growth trees. By linking bat captures with vegetation measurements from nearby plots, the researchers were able to reveal how these animals declined as successive rounds of logging took their toll on forest structure, and crucially, the availability of tree cavities. Although logging damage was clearly detrimental to some of the species studied, the findings also offer some hope for forest restoration efforts. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/B9780124171992000033

KENT Magazine

Research

1 Logged forests are still valuable for tropical wildlife 2 Members of the research team who supported EKHUFT’s funding bid

Major boost for arts and humanities research

Kent research staff help hospitals gain major grant

Centre for Philanthropy celebrates first five years

Students applying for arts and humanities doctorates at Kent and six other partner institutions in the south east will share a £17m funding award, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) announced on 15 October.

CHSS researchers at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Design Service South East (RDS SE) at Canterbury campus recently helped the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) win over £2m funding. The grant is one of EKHUFT’S biggest to date and enables the Trust to lead a major five-year project to help improve the treatment and lives of kidney patients.

A research centre at Kent dedicated to the study of philanthropy has celebrated five years of successful partnerships with charitable, public and private sector organisations.

The funding was awarded to CHASE (Consortium for Humanities and the Arts South-East England) – a partnership of seven institutions (The Courtauld Institute of Art, Goldsmiths-University of London, the Open University, and the Universities of East Anglia, Essex, Kent and Sussex) formed to promote excellence in research, postgraduate research training and knowledge exchange in the arts and humanities. The successful CHASE bid was one of 18 successful bids out of 30 shortlisted to be awarded funding from the AHRC. More than 230 students across the seven institutions stand to benefit from the award over five years. The funding will cover fees, maintenance and professional development opportunities.

Rethinking Doris Day Doris Day’s image as ‘maidenly’ was created by the popular media of her time, rather than by Day herself, according to new research at Kent. The research, by Dr Tamar Jeffers McDonald, Reader in Film in the School of Arts, examines why Day has become permanently associated with ‘virginity’ despite being ‘maturely sexual’. Dr Jeffers McDonald combined analysis of Day’s films, such as Pillow Talk, with research into lifestyle magazines, reviews and gossip columns, which helped establish her ‘old maid’ image. The analysis built a picture of the actor struggling to change public perception of her persona, stardom and roles. Dr Jeffers McDonald said: ‘Even now, many years after Day’s final film and television appearances, her name is still associated with virginity firmly maintained until marriage and although this assumption is widespread, close attention to the facts of Day’s own life challenge it... She has a much more complex image than people frequently imagine.’

Annette King, Academic Lead Kent for RDS SE said: ‘We are delighted that this important study has been funded and is now starting. The RDS SE was privileged to support the study proposal through generic project advice, help with statistics, and involving patients and the public in the research. Research Advisor Tracy Higgins provided initial statistical advice and is working as a co-investigator on the project team. We wish the East Kent Hospitals team and research partners across the country every success.’ The new study is funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme. Dr Edmund Lamb, a Consultant Clinical Scientist at EKHUFT and part of the renal research team has worked with the RDS SE before on several successful projects, including two grants from the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit programme. The eGFR-C study will recruit over 1,300 adults with moderate chronic kidney disease from six UK centres and follow them over five years using different blood and urine tests to assess kidney function. The study will focus on people of different ethnic origins to see how the disease progresses between different groups. The study aims to start recruiting in February 2014. The RDS SE is part of a national service supporting research teams to develop and submit high quality applied health and social care grant applications to NIHR and other national peer-reviewed funding programmes. It offers free specialist advice on all aspects of an application, from design to funding sources.

The Centre for Philanthropy is one of a number of research centres within the University’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR) whose work impacts on policy and people’s lives in many sections of society. Led by Dr Beth Breeze, the Centre is at the forefront of national research into how and why donors give to charitable and other philanthropic causes. During a celebratory event on 21 October, invited guests heard how the Centre’s work over the past five years has been characterised by high quality research outputs. These include the recently published book Richer Lives: Why Rich People Give (Beth Breeze and Theresa Lloyd), and, since 2008, the annual Coutts Million Pound Donor Report.

Recent research awards Professor Adrian Podoleanu (School of Physical Sciences), £654,472 from the European Commission for ‘Ultrawide bandwidth photonics devices, sources and applications’. Dr Zoe Davies (School of Anthropology and Conservation), £393,794 from the Natural Environment Research Council for ‘Biodiversity and ecosystem processes in human modified tropical forests’. Professor Mike Geeves (School of Biosiences), £249,405 from the British Heart Foundation for ‘Beta-cardiac myosin mutations: triggers for the development of hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies’. Dr Andy King (School of Computing), £245,526 for ‘Se-Ma-Match: Semantic malware matching’ and £228,823 for ‘Compositional security analysis for binaries’ from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

www.rds-se.nihr.ac.uk KENT Magazine

Feature

Making an impact 3rd Degree quiz show creates a buzz! Three Kent lecturers went up against three of their students when the University hosted the witty BBC Radio 4 quiz show, The 3rd Degree on 11 November. Being a Radio 4 programme, it of course met the most stringent standards of academic rigour – but with lots of facts and jokes thrown in for good measure. Set up in a quiz-show fashion, on a stage and under bright lights, the BBC programme was recorded in front of an enthusiastic audience of staff and students in Darwin Conference suite.

Public launch of fundraising campaign for Kent Law Clinic The University has celebrated the public launch of its £5m Kent Law Campaign to build a new home for its award-winning law clinic. A gala evening at London’s Gherkin building saw 150 alumni, students, friends, donors and staff gather to mark the public phase of the fundraising campaign which began in 2011. So far, £3.4m has been raised, leaving a further £1.6m required to meet the target by 2015. Richard de Friend, Campaign Chair and an alumnus of the Kent Law School, welcomed guests to the event, and David Nightingale, the University’s Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, thanked donors, including major benefactor The Hon Charles Wigoder, who made a £1m donation earlier in the year, and Dr Kennedy Wong, who pledged £0.5m in 2010. The campaign is raising money to build a new home for the Kent Law Clinic, which is part of the University’s Kent Law School. The Kent Law Clinic operates as a partnership between students, academics and practising solicitors and barristers. It provides a public pro bono service for people who need free legal advice and representation but cannot afford to pay for it, while at the same time enabling students to gain experience of the law by working under supervision on cases for clients of the clinic.

KENT Magazine

Work will begin next year on the new building – which will also include a new ‘mooting’ court – with a formal opening due during the University’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2015. Professor John Fitzpatrick, Director of the Kent Law Clinic, said: ‘This exciting new building for our Law Clinic will enable us to expand significantly our pro bono service to the public, which in turn will mean that more of our students will have the opportunity to learn about law through hands-on case work experience. Our new mooting room will also enable students to hone their advocacy skills in a realistic courtroom environment.’ Professor Keith Mander, University Deputy ViceChancellor, said: ‘This campaign has already been very successful with alumni and current students supporting the campaign through donations and fundraising activities… I am sure that the University community and its friends and stakeholders will respond positively to the public launch of the fundraising campaign.’ Law students and alumni have formed two fundraising committees to support the campaign. So far, they have raised a total of £31,000, including the University’s matchfunding, through sponsored events such as a fun run, sky dive and Three Peaks Challenge.

Together with comedian and host, Steve Punt, the show welcomed Kent academics: Professor Tim Luckhurst, Head of the Centre for Journalism; Dr Colin Johnson from the School of Computing; and Dr Sarah Johns from the School of Anthropology. Up against them were students Joe Bennett (Anthropology), Jack Reed (Journalism) and Stephen Farrugia (Computing), all of whom approached the quiz with humour and friendly rivalry. The rounds varied between specialist subjects and general knowledge, quickfire bell-and-buzzer rounds and the ‘Highbrow & Lowbrow’ round cunningly devised to test not only the students’ knowledge of current affairs, history and science, but also their professors’ awareness of television, film, and Miley Cyrus! The head-to-head round, which saw students take on their professors in their own specialist subjects, was particularly lively and offered plenty of scope for mild embarrassment… on both sides! Organised by Corporate Communications, the recording of the show was funny, fresh, and a little bit surprising, ending with an extremely close score – which can only be revealed when the episode airs on Radio 4 in April 2014. Look out for broadcast details in the next issue of KENT... www.flickr.com/photos/ universityofkent/sets/72157637696262165/

Enterprise

Call for successful innovators Do you have what it takes to win an Innovation Award?

New network for women business leaders Kent Innovation & Enterprise is setting up a network for successful women business leaders.

Kent Innovation & Enterprise will once again be hosting the Innovation Awards on 5 March 2014 at the Canterbury Innovation Centre.

Why are we setting up the network? The number of women at the top of Britain’s biggest companies fell last year despite intense political demands to improve boardroom diversity in the wake of the financial crisis. Studies have shown that there are ten times as many male chief executives as there are female.

These awards seek to recognise innovation, creativity and enterprise activity by academics, professional services staff and members of the business community, who can apply for awards in the following categories: Early Career Researcher Enterprise Award; ICE (Innovation, Creativity & Enterprise) Award; and Impact Through Knowledge Exchange Award & Innovation Award. A panel of judges, made up of senior staff at the University and key external business contacts, will shortlist and select a winner for each category according to the criteria outlined in the application forms. In February, shortlisted applicants will be invited to the Innovations Awards evening in March, when the winners will be announced. Last year’s winners included Darren Griffin, Professor of Genetics in the School of Biosciences, who won both the impact and collaboration awards for his research and work in a number of areas, including projects with The London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre and JSR Genetics Ltd; and Chris Barron, of the School of Engineering and Digital Arts, who won the Innovation Award for a project to produce an attendance-monitoring device for students.

Closing date for applications is Friday 17 January 2014. For more information on the Innovations Awards and any queries on applying, email enterprise@kent.ac.uk or visit: www.kent.ac.uk/enterprise/practicalpartnering/innovation-awards.html

We want to extend the University’s commitment to Athena SWAN by supporting women leaders in business. The network will be targeting leaders of large organisations and SMEs. We aim to: • Celebrate successful women business leaders • Inspire women working in business and our students to become business leaders • Connect, share and exchange ideas and support others during challenging times • Set up a mentors’ network to help support the University’s aspiring female entrepreneurs • Create a global women business leaders’ network • Provide a platform for promoting the latest technologies and innovation at Kent • Create a forum to stimulate debate and discussion. We will be organising discussion forums and workshops and an annual conference, open to all business leaders regardless of gender. If you know someone who might be interested in joining the network, please ask them to contact Carole Barron, Director of Kent Innovation & Enterprise by emailing: enterprise@kent.ac.uk

Excellence through Partnerships School and faculty administrative staff are building on the very successful Service Excellence Initiative, which was shortlisted for the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2013 in the Outstanding Departmental Administrative Team category. This year’s initiative will be titled ‘Excellence though Partnerships: finding solutions – breaking down silos’ and its aim is to strengthen relationships and build new

partnerships between administrative, student and academic communities across schools, faculties and central professional services. The initiative will be launched with an all-day conference for all administrative staff in the three faculties in Woolf College on 7 January 2014.

project across boundaries which helped to break down silos and who would be willing to deliver a short presentation or host a workshop which reflects upon those experiences. If you are interested, please contact Chloé Gallien – c.gallien@kent.ac.uk

The design team for the conference would particularly like to hear from anyone in the University who has been actively involved in a KENT Magazine

Staff profile

Sarah Dening LGBT Staff Role Model What would you say to those who may be facing difficulties regarding their LGBT status at work? They aren’t alone. I would encourage them to come along to one of the monthly LGBT staff lunches or network meetings and get to know other LGBT staff. If they don’t feel comfortable arriving alone, they can get in touch and I’m happy to show up with them. They can also join the LGBT Staff network mailing list so that even if they don’t feel comfortable coming to an event right away they are connected virtually with other LGBT people. If they feel that being LGBT is not accepted within their particular work environment, they can talk to the network chair or deputy chair on a confidential basis for support.

Role models challenge stereotypes and provide inspiration to others. The increased presence of LGBT people on television and in public life has played an important role in changing societal attitudes towards LGBT people. In celebration of LGBT History Month 2014, Kent’s LGBT Staff Network is providing our own examples of the successful, full lives that LGBT people have in an accepting academic environment as well as reflecting on the challenges they have faced in getting here. Below is an abridged version of an interview with one of our role models – Sarah Dening:

I joined the University in 2010 and currently work as an Education Support Assistant and Student Mentor within the Student Support and Wellbeing Service. I support students to help them achieve their potential. This involves talking to students about their plans as well as mediating and advocating for them. I do this within a confidential and safe setting that is independent from their lecturers. I give students advice, but mostly try to lead them to their own solutions. You may also see me invigilating during exams. Where did you grow up and what was it like to be LGBT there? I grew up in a small village in Dorset. There were only about 80 people in the village and there wasn’t even a shop. My parents ran the village pub and I sang in the choir. Looking back, I think that I was a bit sheltered there. Around the age of 13, I started to feel different from other girls and noticed that I was attracted to girls. I was curious what this meant so I went to the local library to look up the word lesbian. I distinctly remember reading that the dictionary defined lesbian as involving “deviant behaviour between women”. I’m not sure I knew exactly what that meant, but it certainly made me feel bad and probably delayed me feeling comfortable with myself for a long time.

KENT Magazine

What’s your coming-out story? At the age of 17, I left my home town to join the air force. At the time, being openly LGBT would have caused me to be dismissed from the air force and it seemed largely unacceptable to society so I kept quiet. I married a lovely man who was also in the air force. We had a lot in common including our love of sports. We were married for eight years but I knew that it wasn’t right from the beginning. After we separated, I started to face my sexuality. I told my parents in 1986 at about the age of 31. They nearly disowned me. My sister sent me a bible after she found out. Things were difficult with my family for several years. Eventually, they became more tolerant. Have you suffered prejudice in your job or personal life? Unfortunately yes. The worst was when I left my house one morning and noticed that someone had painted “lesbian” across the front of my house. We had eggs thrown at the door and some name-calling on the streets. At work, it was less direct but still made me feel fundamentally like I couldn’t be honest about mundane things in casual conversation. For instance, a former boss once asked me whether I was a “man hater”. This was back in the 1990s and I believe things have changed enormously for the better now. Here at Kent, things have been totally fine to be out and I know many other members of staff who live happy, open lives here. When you come out and accept yourself that makes a difference.

How do you think your work is affected by being LGBT? I don’t believe my work is affected in any way. It does allow me to serve as a resource for students who may want to talk about being LGBT and gives them a comfortable person to talk to about these issues that may be difficult for them. What can we all do to make Kent a better place for being a LGBT staff member? I think that we just need to continue the work that the Staff Network and the student groups are already doing. For instance, I’d like to see another successful IDAHO awareness-raising event and more involvement of the local community with LGBT History Month on campus.

The full version of this role model interview, as well as others, is available at: http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/lgbtstaff/rolemodels/ You can find out more about the LGBT Staff Network’s activities at: http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/lgbtstaff/ All members of staff, regardless of sexual orientation, are welcome to join in our activities.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI)

Celebrating good practice New members of EDI team Joining the EDI team at Kent are: Adriana TemaliSmith as EDI Adviser (previously Diversity and Development Adviser at Mid Kent College) and Jessica Cockell as Athena SWAN Adviser (previously PA to Professor Alex Hughes).

Athena SWAN update The third annual Athena SWAN Day took place in September with 67 participants, the event’s largest group as well as the most men in attendance to date. Plenary and breakout sessions were well received with talks from several speakers about their experiences in science, including Professor Beatrice Pelloni, University of Reading, who spoke of her career as a mathematician and a keynote address by Kent’s own Professor Sarah Spurgeon, Head of School for Engineering and Digital Arts. An Athena SWAN event will be held for the first time on the Medway campus in April 2014. A sub-team from the Athena SWAN Working Group was set up to meet the Athena SWAN resubmission deadline in November following an initial unsuccessful application. The full Athena

EG EDI Champion profile As part of our series of interviews with individual EDI Champions, Deputy ViceChancellor Professor Keith Mander tells us more about his role as EG Champion for Disabled Staff. How did you become interested in promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI)? I became interested in EDI when I was a postgraduate tutor in a Hall of Residence. One of my tutees was profoundly deaf, but was nevertheless able to discharge fully the duties of Stage Manager for a play that I produced. Later, as a member of academic staff, I became the tutor for many students who were affected by deafness, blindness or mobility problems. I noticed that, almost without exception, each of these students

SWAN Working Group is advancing the University’s action plan, and school groups are implementing their own changes for school-level submissions in 2014 and 2015.

UK Disability History Month Did you know that it is UK Disability History Month from 22 November to 22 December 2013? To mark this celebratory month, the following provides an outline of activities by the Disability Staff Network over the last year. The network has renewed momentum due to the continued passion, drive and enthusiasm of its 26 members, and strong commitment from the Executive Group (EG) Champion for Disabled Staff and EDI Manager. Group membership has increased by 40% and achievements include: • Working collaboratively with Estates to improve accessible parking and signage, and design accessible maps for staff, students and visitors • Working collaboratively with Information Services who have delivered a disability etiquette training programme and set up a ‘Disability Access Guide to Library Services’

had a very positive outlook on life, and excelled at what they did. It motivated me to support them so that they could continue to make a very full contribution to the University and their wider communities. What have you done in your role so far? For many years, a small group of staff and students from across the University have conducted a “Night Walk” to identify improvements to aspects of safety and security across the campus. Since becoming EG Champion for Disabled Staff, I have instituted a “Day Walk” to identify improvements necessary to facilitate access to parts of the campus for students and staff with mobility and other difficulties. How well do you think Kent supports disabled staff? Where we know that staff have a disability, I think we support them well, though access to some of our older buildings remains problematical. But for almost half of our staff, we do not know

• Working with Occupational Health to develop the disability-related information on the Wellbeing website for staff • Researching positive recruitment initiatives that support prospective disabled staff. In addition, members of the Disability Staff Network have been joined by colleagues in a series of “Day Walks”. On the walks, some excellent disability practice has been observed, including: a no-fuss approach to meeting and greeting disabled visitors at Registry Reception; sensory pillows to alert disabled students of danger when in residential accommodation; and improved access to teaching materials and written text in audio format. A key message from the Day Walks is that we can all become more disability aware, and help improve the physical environment for all, by reporting any maintenance problems to the Estates Helpdesk. The Disability Staff Network is open to disabled members of staff, as well as any interested staff. To join, email: equalityanddiversity@kent.ac.uk www.kent.ac.uk/equality/index.html

whether they have a disability or not. I think we would be able to support all our disabled staff better if we had a more complete, but confidential, picture of disability across the University. I hope that our new Staff Connect system, which will replace our current HR/Payroll system in 2014, will help us to do this. What new initiatives are in the pipeline for disabled staff at the University? In addition to supporting the overall work of the University to embed the principles of equality, diversity and inclusivity throughout our work, I am keen that we should get more staff involved in the Staff Disability Network and, along with all EG members, encourage all managers to support staff to engage in EDI initiatives and events. It is important that we all work together to celebrate the work of all our staff in its wonderful variety.

KENT Magazine

Kent in the news

Sport

Kent Sport Kent experts continue to feature strongly in international, national and regional broadcast news coverage. There have been contributions from, among others, the Schools of History, Politics and International Relations, and Physical Sciences. International broadcast coverage of University research and expert comment included: Dr George Conyne, of the School of History, commented on Voice of Russia on protests and prospects in Brazil; Professor Elena Korosteleva, of the School of Politics and International Relations, who was interviewed on TUT (Russia) on how Europeanised the Belarusians are; Dr Mark Price, of the School of Physical Sciences, who was featured on ABC (Australia) on the discovery of a cosmic factory for making the building blocks of life; and Professor Frank Furedi, of the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR), who was interviewed on BBC World Service discussing the rights and wrongs of trials for ageing Nazi war criminals.

National broadcast coverage included Michael Richards of Kent School of Architecture, for BBC’s Inside Out programme, on the regeneration of Margate; Dr Beth Breeze, of SSPSSR, who was interviewed on philanthropy for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme and discussed charitable giving on BBC Radio 4’s The Moral Maze; and Professor Tim Luckhurst, of the Centre for Journalism, who appeared on the BBC’s Politics Show to discuss local elections and the rise of UKIP. Regional broadcast coverage included: Dr Anne Logan, of SSPSSR, who was featured on BBC South East for her project on women’s lives in Kent at the time of World War One; Professor Peter Stanfield, of the School of Arts, who was interviewed on BBC Radio Kent on the demise of independent cinema; and Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby, of SSPSSR, who discussed private rented houses evictions on BBC Radio Kent.

Kent student names 50th anniversary ale Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Keith Mander is pictured with Damyana Stoyanova, secondyear undergraduate student and winner of a competition to name the University’s 50th anniversary ale. The ale will be specially brewed by Favershambased company Shepherd Neame to mark Kent’s 50th year. Students and staff at Kent were invited to name the beer and Damyana’s suggestion of ‘Templeman Ale’ topped a list of 80 names put forward. Damyana, an International Business student who is originally from Bulgaria, won a £50 voucher for her effort. She said: ‘I chose the name Templeman Ale because the Templeman library is the heart of the University. The name had to

Sports Physiotherapy Clinic coming soon Kent Sport is pleased to welcome Vicky Annis to the team as the new Sports Physiotherapist. Kent Sport’s experienced and fully qualified physiotherapy staff will assist with recovery or rehabilitation and treating and preventing pain and injury. Regardless of whether you exercise and play sport to keep fit, or compete from club to international level, the Physiotherapy Clinic may be able to assist you. Enquire at the Sports Centre or Pavilion reception.

Get involved Kent Sport offers staff members a variety of opportunities to get involved in sport in a relaxed and friendly environment. We have a diverse programme of sports varying from more modern adaptions like futsal and dodgeball, to more traditional sports such as badminton and tennis. Staff can attend as individuals or in groups, and sessions are bookable up to seven days in advance by calling 01227 823623 or at the Sports Centre or Pavilion reception. You could also join the Kent Amateur Football League or SoccerZone. What’s more, ‘Parkrun’ will be starting on Saturdays in January around campus. All details are available on the Get Involved page on our website or for further information please contact a member of the Sports Development team: sportsdevelopment@kent.ac.uk

sound like a drink, but also capture the spirit of Kent. I’m delighted to have won the competition and look forward to sampling the ale next year.’ The Templeman Library is named after Geoffrey Templeman CBE, the founding ViceChancellor of the University of Kent.

Small ad Allport Cars Our business is picking up. City of Canterbury Licensed cars, specialising in airport & long-distance travel with competitive prices. All major credit cards accepted. Contact us on: 01227 370 370 or 07720 597 700. Visit the website at: www.allportcarsltd.co.uk or email: allportcars@btinternet.com

Have you got the Xercise Factor? Xercise Factor is back, offering Kent Sport members the chance to be selected for one-toone fitness training and battle it out to earn the title of Xercise Factor Champion 2014. Kent Sport is looking for staff (and student and public) members who think they have the Xercise Factor and want to commit to get fit and change their lifestyle for the better in 2014. Pick up an application form from the Sports Centre or download from our website. Post your form in the fitness suite X-box or email it to o.prior@kent.ac.uk www.kent.ac.uk/sports/

KENT Magazine

People

Appointments and awards Welcome to… Professor Kevin Dawe who has been appointed Head of the School of Music and Fine Art, and Professor of Philosophy Peter Hacker who has joined SECL. Alan Martin has joined the University as Information Compliance Officer. He says: ‘My role is all about helping the University comply with the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act. In real terms, that means responding to information requests and improving how we manage our records. I hope to bring a practical approach to improving records management at the University.’ To find out more, see the information compliance webpages, which include a link to the relevant E-Learning module: www.kent.ac.uk/infocompliance/

Congratulations to… David Herd, Professor of Modern Literature in the School of English, has received praise for his latest collection of poetry. The collection, entitled All Just, has been described as ‘one of the few truly necessary works of poetry written on either side of the Atlantic in the past decade’ by the Los Angeles Review of Books. Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing Patricia Debney has enjoyed continued critical success with her latest collection of poetry Littoral. The collection, which was Highly Commended by the Forward Prize earlier this year, was included in the Sunday Times ‘Poets Corner’ on 10 November.

Dr David Oliver, Honorary Reader at the Centre for Professional Practice at Medway and Consultant in Palliative Medicine at the Wisdom Hospice has been appointed as the Chair for the Clinical Guideline Group on Motor Neurone Disease for the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence. The Group will be looking at guidelines for the care of patients with motor neurone disease and their families throughout the disease progression. Professor Mark Connelly and Professor Ian Beckett from the School of History have a key role in the BBC’s ‘World War One at Home’ project. The nationwide project, to commemorate the centenary of the First World War, aims to bring to life more than a thousand powerful and neverbefore-told stories about the war. The professors are working with broadcast journalists to source, select and showcase stories related to this significant time in history. Thirteen Kent staff (pictured above with the Vice-Chancellor, right) were recognised for their teaching excellence at a ceremony on Canterbury campus on 3 October. The annual Teaching Prize Awards showcase how Kent’s academics develop

new and better methods of delivering their courses to ensure students get the best possible learning experience at the University. Prizewinners were: Humanities Faculty Teaching Prize – Two prizes of £2,500 each awarded to Professor Laurence Goldstein (Philosophy) and Heidi Colthup (English Language and Linguistics). Sciences Faculty Prize – Joint winners were Dr Rowena Paget (School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science) and Dr Peter Klappa (School of Biosciences), each awarded £2,500. Social Sciences Faculty Prize – Awarded to Janie Clement-Walker, sessional lecturer in Kent Law School (£3,500) and Dr Mario Weick of the School of Psychology (£1,500). Barbara Morris Prize for Learning Support – Shared equally between two teams from the School of Arts – Sian Stevenson, Jacqui Double, Dermot O’Brien, Sue Sherwood and Mary McNulty (£2,500); and, from Music and Audio Arts at Medway campus, Dr Paul Fretwell and Ann Howe (£2,500).

Helping others 1 KBS staff, family and friends completed the White City 10k in October to raise over £1,000 for the Porchlight homelessness charity. 2 Six students washed 15 cars at Medway campus to raise £75 for the BBC Children in Need appeal in November.

KENT Magazine

What’s on

Music Wednesday 4 December, Colyer-Fergusson Hall, 1.10pm, Lunchtime Concert. From jazz standards to swing with some Latin thrown in, the KD Jazz and Dance Orchestra will help blow away those winter blues! Saturday 14 December, Colyer-Fergusson Hall, 7.30pm, The University Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Susan Wanless. This concert spans the centuries of Italian music, from the late 17th to the early 20th, featuring Magnificat by Cimarosa, Gloria (Vivaldi), Overture to Nabucco (Verdi) and Suite La Boutique fantasque (Respighi). Wednesday 18 December, Colyer-Fergusson Hall, 5.15pm, Swing-along-with-Santa! The University’s Big Band, conducted by Ian Swatman, brings the term to a festive close with a medley of the cheesiest Christmas Classics. Guest appearances from University vocal groups and plenty of audience carol singing – plus a free glass of mulled wine and mince pies, served with the compliments of Gulbenkian and Kent Hospitality, in the foyer afterwards.

Gulbenkian Theatre Sunday 8 December, 7.30pm, Three Half Pints – A Christmas Carol. What will happen to the Three Half Pints as they travel through the Past, Present and Future of Christmas? We can be certain that in the holiday spirit, Derek will see the error of his ways, Ernie will try and hold it all together and Dick will get over-excited by the tinsel.

Friday 10 January 7.30pm, Punt & Dennis. Life on the road is all rock’n’roll glamour. Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis live the dream as they cruise the contraflow lanes, follow one-way systems, unwrap the pasties and sip the service-station coffees of Britain in their quest to find somewhere to park vaguely near a theatre in your town. Saturday, 11 January, 7.30pm, Jump and jive into January with Goosebumps and Hullabaloo. Friday 17 January, 7.30pm, Ruby Turner, for many years regarded as having one of the greatest voices the UK has ever produced. Wednesday 22 January, 7.30pm, Jonzi D – Lyrikal Fearta: The Letter & Broken Lineage. Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist presents a mixed bill including his acclaimed solo work The Letter exploring the responses to Jonzi being offered an MBE and a rare insight into arguably the best known figure and advocate of UK hip hop theatre. Thursday, 23 January, 7.30pm, actor, writer and comedian Miles Jupp makes a return to stand-up. Friday 24 January, 7.30pm, Sparkle and Dark Travelling Players Killing Roger. A genuinely moving yet humorous tale of life, friendship and death. Followed by post-show discussion. Sunday 2 February, 7.30pm, Folk in the Barn in association with Gulbenkian presents Fairport Convention, hailed as the originators of British folk-rock music and still one of the most entertaining bands on the live music scene.

Gulbenkian Cinema Saturday 7 – Wednesday 11 December, Captain Phillips (12A). Sunday 8 December, Wadjda (PG). Monday 9 December, The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D (PG). Come dressed in your PJs and sing-along for a Christmas PJ party, organised by Gulbenkian and School of Arts Student Association. Thursday 12 December, 7pm, Royal Opera House: The Nutcracker (live). Friday 13 – Tuesday 17 December, Gravity 3D (12A). Friday 13 – Sunday 15 December, Kill Your Darlings (TBC). Sunday 15 December, It’s a Wonderful Life (U). Wednesday 18 December, 4.30pm, Royal Opera House: Parsifial (live). Sunday 22 December, 3pm, Bolshoi: Sleeping Beauty (recorded). Monday 6 – Sunday 12 January, Saving Mr Banks (PG). Friday 10 – Thursday 16 January, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 3D (TBC). Sunday 19 January, 3pm, Bolshoi: Jewels (live). Monday 27 January, 7pm, Royal Opera House: Giselle (live ballet). Thursday 30 January, 7pm, NT Live: Coriolanus. Sunday 2 February, 3pm, Bolshoi: Lost Illusions (live).

Tuesday 10 – Sunday 15 and Tuesday 17 – Sunday 22 December, Long Nose Puppets’ Penguin by Polly Dunbar. A spectacular theatre experience this Christmas for all ages based on the award-winning book by Polly Dunbar.

University Events Calendar To find out more about these and other events across the University, click on: www.kent.ac.uk/calendar