WLVdialogue Spring 2011

WLV

dialogue

Spring 2011 | Issue 12 | University of Wolverhampton | www.wlv.ac.uk

CATWALK QUEEN Entrepreneurial student’s designs hit London Fashion Week

AXING ILLEGAL LOGGING New contract to protect African forests

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION Project to support school leaders in the UAE

WELCOME

Welcome to the latest edition of WLV Dialogue.

There are a number of interesting projects under way at the University at the moment. One such programme is led by the Centre for International Development and Training, which is involved in innovative projects around the world.

The team was delighted to receive £1.5 million to tackle illegal logging in Africa and on pages 2 & 3 we look at the issues surrounding the problem and how our experts will be using their skills to help communities and habitats.

The University supports businesses in various ways and has been building close links with Bangalore after signing a trade agreement alongside Wolverhampton City Council. Read about this innovative relationship and its impact on local businesses on pages 18 & 19.

Researchers have also been awarded £620,000 from the European Union to investigate the experiences of women who sleep rough and have suffered domestic violence. Find out more about this pioneering research, which will be conducted with partners from across Europe, on pages 10 & 11.

There is also an interview with Professor Magi Sque, a leading international expert in the social and psychological aspects of organ donation, on pages 8 & 9.

The King’s Speech has enjoyed phenomenal success at this year’s award ceremonies and our academic experts take a look at what this will mean for the British film industry on pages 4 & 5. One of our MA students got a taste of catwalk success when she was invited to showcase her latest collection at London Fashion Week. Read about how Tamara Joseph has launched her own fashion business with support from a scheme for budding entrepreneurs on pages 20 & 21.

We hope you enjoy reading this edition of WLV Dialogue. If you have any feedback for us, please get in touch at: wlvdialogue@wlv.ac.uk Our next magazine will be out in the Summer.

Best wishes Vickie Warren WLV Dialogue Editor

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CONTENTS 1

20

22

4

14

10

PAGE NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

Axing illegal logging – New contract to protect African forests

2

Big screen success – A look at the future of the British film industry

4

Sign of the future – Innovative tool to help Deaf media professionals

6

RESEARCH Leading light – Organ donation research expert Professor Magi Sque Hidden minority – Research into women who sleep rough

10

12

FEATURE Celebrating justice – Annual event to mark administration of justice

Transforming education– Project to support school leaders in the UAE

16

BUSINESS Trade mission – Innovative link with Bangalore

18

Catwalk Queen – Entrepreneur Tamara Joseph hits London Fashion Week

20

8

PROFILE Business leader – Interview with Dean of the Business School Dr Anthea Gregory

6

14

PEOPLE An end to toxic debt? – BBC Newsnight Economics Editor Paul Mason shares his thoughts

22

Graduate success story – Law graduate Jehangir Malik

24

What’s on guide – University events

25

2 NEWS

Axing illegal logging

NEWS 3

When people order a kitchen, choose new flooring or fit out their dining room with new furniture, there are many factors they will take into consideration. Does it match the style of the house, is it the right colour and will it co-ordinate with the rest of the room, are all things that people might mull over. But how many can truthfully say they look into whether the wood used has been legally sourced and imported?

Increasingly, this is becoming an issue for savvy consumers and companies wishing to maintain an ethical reputation. But it is also a consideration for European countries concerned about the timber crossing their borders and the impact illegal logging can have on indigenous communities and habitats.

To try to tackle issues arising from this, the European Commission has funded a four-year project focused on how forests are governed and managed in the West and Central Africa region. The University of Wolverhampton’s Centre for International Development and Training (CIDT) was delighted to secure the £1.5 million (€1.8 million) funding for the project, which will concentrate on Cameroon, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Liberia.

These countries are heavily forested and export timber to Europe. All four countries are engaged in negotiations with the European Commission concerning the banning of illegal timber imports into the European Union market and raising minimum standards in the forest industry.

Head of CIDT, Philip Dearden, says: “We are delighted to have secured this grant, which builds on CIDT’s 30-year track record in tropical natural resource management.

“This project will strengthen African forest governance by promoting greater transparency and accountability within the forest sector.

It aims to support the relevant stakeholders to exchange information and engage with international forest governance initiatives to combat illegal logging.”

What is illegal logging?

Illegal logging is defined as the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber which is carried out in violation of laws. It can cause environmental damage as well as

harming the economy of the producer countries and their communities.

broader international processes taking place that impact on what they are doing.”

Project Leader Richard Nyirenda explains: “Illegal logging doesn’t respect the rights of indigenous communities. Some are being displaced from their land and losing their livelihood. The revenues that accrue from harvesting or forestry don’t accrue to the government of that country, and that means the government doesn’t have this revenue to provide social services to the people living there.

Moving forward The four-year project will be managed by CIDT, who will start by using expertise within the team to analyse what is needed in each of the African countries. They will work with local partners to develop training materials and ‘update meetings’. The meetings, in each of the four countries, will include academics, policy makers, local stakeholders and international experts who will present their work to each other to inform national level policy, practice and awareness.

“Forests are so important in the issue of climate change too, and there is a lot of international attention on that.”

The rigorous application process for the prestigious grant took over a year, and undoubtedly CIDT’s track record and experience in this field was a major factor in securing the grant. The team, which also includes Project Director Des Mahony, put together a consortium of partners to work on the bid, which includes local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who are managing networks in their own countries and industry specialists in the UK. Another factor in CIDT’s success was the ‘Improving Forest Governance’ training course, which ran for the first time last June and is due to take place again this year. The course aims to analyse the reasons for poor forest governance and illustrate how organisations can work together constructively to improve the situation. It is open to 30 participants and there were 90 applications from 18 countries for this June’s four-week course. The training, delivered at the University’s Telford Campus, is a unique opportunity for people at the forefront of tackling illegal logging in Africa, as it is delivered in both English and French. It has attracted interest from a diverse range of people, from those working in the climate change sector to people working for NGOs and even a TV journalist.

Jill Edbrooke from CIDT runs the course.

She says: “There is a lot happening at an international level in the forestry sector and these changing policies will ultimately impact on local people in some of these countries.

It is a challenge for people at the forefront of managing forests to understand these processes. The Improving Forest Governance course tries to help them understand the

Richard adds: “The update meetings are a key element of the project and are very important in terms of fostering open debate and exchange of information and ideas on a sensitive subject in some of these countries.”

Longer term aims for the project include working with tertiary education providers in the countries to support the development of curriculum materials to deliver training.

As Des Mahony explains, an aim of the project is to bring all sides of the argument around forest governance together to engage in constructive debate, in the hope of increasing understanding of different stand-points and needs. In so doing, it is hoped transparency, accountability, civil society voice, free speech and democratic processes will be strengthened to check and reduce the illegal activities and corruption that threaten forest habitats and the livelihoods of forest dependent communities.

“Our individual project is aiming to bring together constituents from various groups, including indigenous communities, the timber trade, the private sector, governments and academics in a constructive way to hear presentations and have an open forum to present and critique each other,” Des says. “We want to enable the different groups to exchange information and argue things out about the situation in their country.

“It is not a one-way dictate of information – it is more an exchange between people who may have opposing positions and trying to find consensus. We hope that in so doing, it may influence policy and assist understanding at each national level.”

4 NEWS

Big

screen success Every few years, a home-grown film comes along that grabs the attention of not only the British public but of audiences around the world. In 2006, it was The Queen, which portrayed the days following the death of Princess Diana. This year, The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth has grabbed headlines for its haul of awards, including Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes. The success of such films highlights the strength of the British film industry at a time when it is facing the challenges of reduced funding.

Dr Stella Hockenhull, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at the University’s School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications, is an expert in British cinema. She explains that British films tend to fall into two categories – raw and gritty films such as Shane Meadows’ This is England or Ken Loach’s Sweet Sixteen, or heritage films such as Pride and Prejudice, A Room with a View and those focused on the monarchy, like The King’s Speech and Mrs Brown. One thing that characterises most British films is that they are low budget, unless they are in the league of the Harry Potter franchise, which is classed as British but is US funded and distributed.

Stella says: “British cinema tends to be less action and more drama, and that is why it is not particularly popular outside of the UK. A lot of the narrative and style of film does not lend itself to anything other than a British or European audience. Hollywood cinema is popular because it is formulaic and there is usually a degree of closure at the end. They have storylines that show the cause and effect and psychologically rounded characters, when often British films won’t bend to the rules.”

But The King’s Speech and The Queen had an appeal to a wider audience than the traditional British middle class or ‘Middle England’ cinema-goer who favours the heritage style of film, as Stella explains.

“The British public like films about the monarchy – they like the side of the story that is about things they believe to be secret. The Queen and The King’s Speech are polished films; they are both very well crafted films. They are also both feel good films, and the monarchy appeals to America too. They have international appeal.”

The success of The King’s Speech raises questions about whether we will see a resurgence in the British film industry. There obviously needs to be funding for this to happen, and the body responsible for distributing Lottery money within the British film industry, the UK Film Council, was abolished last year as part of Government cuts.

Stella says: “One question now being asked is whether the UK Film Council would have been abolished if The King’s Speech had been released earlier. The film has done so well and gained such great publicity for the British film industry that it begs the question was it the right decision to get rid of the UK Film Council?

“There are films being made at the moment but unless the industry is funded there won’t be a massive resurgence. We won’t see the growth of independent film companies unless there is a central fund for them to apply to.”

One of the main criticisms levelled at the UK Film Council before it was abolished was that a lot of films were made and not released, but Lottery funding was also responsible for successful films such as Billy Elliot, Gosford Park and 28 Days Later. Now the onus of managing funds for British films has moved to Creative England and the British Film Institute.

NEWS 5

Stella continues: “I think there will be an impact.

Although a lot of films were made that were not very good, there were a few that really stood out, like The King’s Speech.”

“There is a great deal of talent behind the scenes and I think there is a lot of individual flair that is homegrown. Hollywood operates more on a factory style of production.”

Although Oscar-winning actors like Dame Helen Mirren and Colin Firth tend to be the ones in the media spotlight, there are large teams of people working behind the scenes in a range of roles to make films a box office smash. One such role is in Special Effects, and University of Wolverhampton graduate Peter Bebb brushed shoulders with the Hollywood A-list when he collected an Oscar for his work on the film Inception. Peter graduated with a BA (Hons) Wood, Metals and Plastics (3D Design) from the University in 1996 and has said that his degree introduced him to the world of CGI and the endless possibilities it can achieve. His work included some of Inception’s most iconic scenes, such as inner-city Paris folding in on itself and fight scenes that defied reality.

Graduates from the University’s BA (Hons) Film Studies degree enter a wide range of professions, including the film industry, the media, teaching and lecturing, and film production while some others launch their own businesses. The first year of the course forms the building blocks for film studies, with students undertaking a formal analysis of the film text, focused on editing, cinematography, mise-en-scène and sound, and looking at case studies drawn from Hollywood and European cinema. One module, Raiders of the Lost Archive, looks at the history of cinema, ranging from Soviet cinema from the 1920s to French Poetic Realism in the 1930s and Italian NeoRealism in the post-war period. There is also a visit to the Imperial War Museum film archive so students can see historical films in their original format.

Stella says that the British film industry provides unique expertise for the Hollywood film studios.

Other modules include film genres and storytelling and adaptation, which looks at the process of adapting a book such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula into a film. Second and third year modules include Directors and Stars, the Western, Documentary and Reality TV, European Cinema, New Hollywood, Contemporary British Cinema and TV Drama and Fantasy and Sci-fi. The University also runs an MA in Film Studies and has recently started the supervision of PhDs in the subject.

All the modules use theoretical frameworks to analyse different film genres.

While the future of the British film industry is unknown, it is clear that some films have made a real impact on cinema goers and award judges alike, and homegrown films still have the power to surprise, shock, delight and entertain.

For more information about studying Film Studies at the University, visit www.wlv.ac.uk/film

6 NEWS

Sign

of the future The world of broadcast media offers an increasingly rich source of employment opportunities for Deaf graduates and professionals. However, the constant communication through written English can prove a barrier for sign language users.

Sign Media, an innovative project funded with support from the European Commission, has been launched to design an online learning tool for Deaf people working in the media industry.

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union, the Sign Media project aims to break down these barriers with an innovative and accessible online learning resource, promoting career development and a new level of confidence for Deaf media professionals.

The University of Wolverhampton is leading the Sign Media project, valued at nearly half a million Euros, with partners from universities in Italy and Austria and UK media industry experts.

Director for the Institute of Media Arts at the University, Samantha Hope, is project managing Sign Media, drawing on expertise from across the School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications and School of Art & Design. She explains that sign language in each country is different, but with a similar linguistic structure and that this structure is distinct from written English.

“The media sector, especially with the development of the internet, is driven more and more by the English language.

“Sign Media delivers an interactive learning experience that teaches elements of written English through sign language. Users will encounter a flexible and engaging learning environment, combining elements of video,

animation and game-play. The course will be duplicated in three sign languages; British Sign Language, Italian Sign Language and Austrian Sign Language.”

In addition to communicating with Deaf media professionals in the sign language of their own country, the project will draw on industry relevant information. Samantha explains the team will use real documentation and scenarios from the production process, from preproduction research and scripting through the shooting process to post-production editing, enabling Deaf users to develop language skills that are directly transferrable to their work environment.

“Our target audiences in each country are Deaf media professionals working in the film, video and broadcasting industries. This learning resource will be useful, for instance, to a runner or researcher who wants to progress into production management or an editor or director with aspirations of becoming a producer.

“The aim is to create a learning resource that will benefit Deaf people’s career progression and opportunities within the European media sectors.”

Other colleagues from the University of Wolverhampton include Dr Jim Davis and Tracy McCoy from the School of Art & Design’s Video & Film Production department. From the School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications, Christine Jolly and John Hay from the Deaf Studies department are joined by retired Deaf Studies lecturer Joan Fleming, who will be acting as a consultant. John Hay is Deaf himself and has worked in the media industry, including for the BBC’s See Hear programme.

The concept of the learning tool is new and exciting, and Samantha explains Deaf people will be involved to evaluate the success of the product.

“The European funding was awarded because of the innovative aspects of the project - the design of the learning tool and the process of teaching written English through sign language.

The learning tool will be interactive and we are looking at developing narrative-based scenarios within a production environment, which will engage and entertain the student. In addition

The partner organisations are Klagenfurt University in Austria, the University of Turin in Italy, and Mutt and Jeff Pictures Ltd, UK. Led by the University of Wolverhampton, each partner will be doing their own filming. In addition, Turin will be taking on the dissemination of the project’s findings while Klagenfurt will manage the Sign Media website and aspects of sustainability. Louis Neethling, Managing Director of Mutt and Jeff Pictures Ltd from the UK, is on board to direct the filming and ensure a consistent level of quality across the project.

Louis, a producer/director professional, is himself Deaf, and aware of the need for such a learning resource.

Elana Ochse from the University of Turin and Samantha Hope from the University of Wolverhampton

NEWS 7

we will be creating an online dictionary providing a lexicon of signs.”

The first partner meeting for Sign Media, held in Wolverhampton, was a great success. Further meetings are also planned in Italy and Austria, with a launch event in Brussels at the end of the project. There has already been significant interest in the scheme, with local media coverage and a feature in British Deaf News. The project will be presenting at the UK’s leading Deaf film and TV festival, Deaffest, in May and demonstrating the product at the festival in May 2012, as well as visiting European film festivals.

The aim is to create a learning resource that will benefit Deaf people’s career progression

Samantha adds: “The finished product will enhance the inclusion of Deaf media specialists in the European media industry and help improve their career prospects across Europe. We are delighted to have been awarded this funding, which will enable the University of Wolverhampton with our European and UK partners to make a real difference.”

* This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The need and demand for the new online learning tool is clear. Research by Joan Fleming and John Hay in 2005 highlighted that around 70 per cent of Deaf graduates are working in arts and media related industries, so there is certainly a market for this. But more importantly, the product uses industry relevant terms and scenarios to develop opportunities for Deaf people working in the media.

8 RESEARCH

Leading Light

Magi Sque is Professor of Clinical Practice and Innovation with the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton and the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust. Her career began as a registered nurse at Guy’s Hospital in London, followed by 17 years specialising in oncological nursing. She is now best known for her pioneering research into the psychological and social aspects that underpin organ donation after death, and is a leading international expert in her field.

RESEARCH 9

Magi can pinpoint the moment that transformed her career. During a visit to her native Jamaica 30 years ago, Andrew Sharp, the three-year-old son of a friend, was admitted to a hospital in Miami for a tonsillectomy. He never came out of the anaesthetic. Andrew’s mother made the decision to donate his organs for transplant.

Magi says: “My daughter was around the same age as Andrew and I wondered how Andrew’s mother had been able to make what must have been an extremely difficult decision. Although I was a registered nurse, at that time I knew little about organ donation.

“Something about that event resonated in the back of my mind. Years later in 1991 when I was a nurse teacher at the Dorset & Salisbury School of Midwifery & Nursing, John and Margaret Evans, the founders of the British Organ Donation Society (BODY), a peer support organisation for families and individuals involved in organ donation and transplantation, came to talk to intensive care staff about their experience of donating the organs of their 20-year-old son John who was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Listening to the Evans’ experiences I had a kind of epiphany. I realised that this subject was not well known about and needed investigation.”

Magi was successful in achieving a nursing research studentship from the Department of Health and started a PhD at the University of Southampton in 1993. The work focused on the organ donation experiences of 24 bereaved family members and the organ donation attitudes, knowledge and behaviour of 2,465 UK registered nurses. This was the seed corn for a programme of research that has gained world recognition. Magi’s Theory of Dissonant Loss has contributed to national and international policy on the care of bereaved families with whom organ donation is discussed. Fittingly, Magi’s PhD is dedicated to Andrew Sharp and his family.

Extensive track record Magi has an extensive track record of studies in organ and tissue donation and transplantation, end of life care for individuals and families and post-mortem decision making.

Nationally Magi works with the Department of Health as an expert in organ donation, and internationally she is Chair for the Deceased Donation Working Group of the Ethical, Legal

and Psychosocial Aspects of Transplantation European Platform [ELPAT]. In 2009, the Royal College of Nursing conducted a series of surveys to ascertain the most influential pieces of nursing research over the last 50 years.

Of the 79 papers recorded, five were Magi’s publications.

Her most recent role has seen her appointed as Chair in Clinical Practice and Innovation, a joint post with the University and the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust. In this role, Magi will help to advance the development of multi-disciplinary research to drive forward innovation and enhanced quality in clinical care.

She explains: “Healthcare needs to be evidence-based so that we give patients the best quality of care possible. The way to gain evidence is to carry out research, expertise which lies within the auspices of the University.

The University can support Trust staff to enhance their quality of care by researching with them the questions they identify and what is needed in the clinic.”

Interesting research Professor Sque is currently involved in three interesting research projects. She led a project funded by the British Renal Society titled ‘Life on the list: An exploratory study of the life world of individuals waiting for a kidney transplant’.

Magi and her co-investigators found life on the transplant list was about trying to live life as normally as possible, ‘seeking normality’, a circumstance that was enhanced or constrained by certain factors.

“It is the whole idea of keeping hope alive by keeping healthy, so that if a suitable kidney becomes available you’re ready. We also identified that there appears to be some misunderstanding about the transplant list, which is related to individuals’ perceptions of how a list works, i.e. that it is normal on lists to go on at the bottom and to work one’s way up.

Clarity and transparency could be increased with a move away from use of the term ‘list’ to an alternative term, such as a ‘register’.”

Another ongoing project, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), focuses on increasing the acceptability and rates of organ donation among British ethnic minority groups. Magi explains there is a 40% refusal rate among the general public when asked to donate organs from a deceased relative; this rises to 70% within ethnic minority

groups. However British ethnic minority groups are over-represented on some transplant lists due to a predisposition to diabetes, which can lead to kidney failure.

Magi states the top reasons why people don’t want to donate a family member’s organs are that they knew their relative didn’t want to donate, or the family don’t like the idea of surgical intervention upon the body of their deceased relative.

“This relates to the theory of ‘gift of life’ or ‘sacrifice’. If asked, 90% of people would probably say they think organ donation is a good thing. The gift of life notion is used regularly to promote the idea of donation, but the context changes markedly when the bereaved family is at the bedside of their loved one. Then donation can appear to be more of a personal sacrifice for both the family and the donor and reasons preventing donation arise.”

Barriers Magi is leading on a Department of Health project seeking to further understand the barriers to organ donation and the factors that affect the decision of the bereaved family.

“What is important to families and often why positive decisions are made about donations is that the family is able to develop a rapport with health professionals. They feel their critically ill relative and themselves have been cared for, not only in intensive care but through the whole hospital experience. For example, if there is an unpleasant incident in Accident & Emergency that has sometimes been enough to put them off the whole idea of donation.

“An important aspect is the respect shown to the potential donor and the care given to the family. It can also be important for the family to receive correspondence from recipients so they know their deceased relative’s donation is recognised, valued and will never be forgotten.”

Little research had been carried out into the social and psychological aspects of organ donation prior to Magi’s PhD, meaning there are still many areas to investigate. Magi says: “When I finished my PhD, I was asked what I was going to do with my time now and I replied that I thought I had enough to keep me busy for a lifetime. The more questions we try to answer, the more questions we raise.”

• To join the organ donor register visit the website: www.organdonation.nhs.uk

10 RESEARCH

Hidden minority

RESEARCH 11

If asked to describe a typical person who sleeps rough, many people would depict a middle-aged man sleeping in a shop doorway or a subway in a city, perhaps accompanied by a dog. Few would associate the term with women, and even less with women from a professional background. Female rough sleepers are very much a hidden and unknown minority.

Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Wolverhampton, Kate Moss, explains: “The experiences of women who sleep rough are quite different to men. Women don’t access the existing services available because they are more ashamed of rough sleeping than men, and they hide it more. They are also more physically vulnerable and at risk from sexual behaviour and associated health problems such as HIV. “The reasons why they sleep rough can be different to men, and one of the main reasons is that they have long histories of domestic abuse.

Therefore, the solutions to their problems are going to be different to men.”

Experts at the University are embarking on a pioneering research project to investigate the experiences of women rough sleepers who have suffered domestic abuse. The University’s Central Institute for the Study of Public Protection (CISPP) has secured 720,000 Euros (approx £620,000) from the European Union for the two-year project. Wolverhampton academics will work with EU partners in Spain, Sweden, Hungary and Belgium to research the needs of women sufferers of domestic violence who now sleep rough and to support them back into mainstream society.

Unknown numbers There is little research into women who sleep rough, as investigations have mostly focused on men. It is difficult to even put a figure on the number of women affected in the UK.

Official national statistics released in July 2010 suggested 440 people were sleeping rough in England – but the methodology used has been questioned as it only counted people lying on grass. The Hub, a charity based in Dorset, said last year that the number of women sleeping rough had gone up by 80% in the last five years. But there are clearly still gaps in knowledge.

Professor Moss says: “No-one knows the true figures, and that makes this sort of research even more important. One of the issues from research so far is that women rough sleepers are a hidden body of people because many of them can be professional or ex-professional women who have got into financial difficulties and have been evicted. They end up ‘sofa surfing’ – living on friends and family members’ floors.

“They do not always come from one social class, and there are a lot of women from abusive backgrounds. These are not just intimate partner situations but also sexual abuse from childhood. Often staying in an abusive relationship is the only way of avoiding rough sleeping.”

Active research Each partner in the project will conduct 20 interviews with a range of target organisations that work with women who sleep rough.

Through them, they hope to gain access to the women affected and arrange interviews.

These may be conducted at the organisations or over the telephone, as the researchers will need to be sensitive to how individuals wish to proceed.

Research teams from each country will aim to interview 20 women rough sleepers to provide a sample of 80 in total. The UK team will focus on Wolverhampton and the West Midlands area, the Swedish academics will work in Malmo, the Hungarian experts will be based in Budapest while the Andalucían region will be the focus for the Spanish group. A team from Belgium will also assist with the dissemination of the findings.

Kate explains: “Our theory is that there is commonality across Europe, and therefore it makes sense to share knowledge and best practice. Each country has the same problems, but we deal with them differently.

“Our aim is to increase our knowledge with a view to producing two ‘What Works’ guides for the outward facing agencies and a final report which we hope will help across Europe. There will also be four conferences, one in each of the countries involved, and we will create a virtual hub encompassing training documents and activities so that we can help agencies deal with problems in a more coherent way.”

Top quality bid The successful funding bid, entitled ‘Women Rough Sleepers and Domestic Abuse’, was of such high quality that it was ranked 2nd across Europe from the 82 projects funded by the EU’s DAPHNE Programme Award. The bid was also the highest ranking in the UK, and was awarded one of the highest funding amounts.

The research will be led by Professor Moss, supported by Dr Kate Williams, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Paramjit Singh, Director of Research (Business, Community and International Solutions) from the School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications.

Professor Moss says the applied nature of the research and teamwork was the key to the bid’s success.

“The research is not only an addition to knowledge. It seeks to implement the findings of the knowledge in a practical way to individuals who are some of the most vulnerable in society. It engages with the frontline services to help resolve these issues for people in a more appropriate way.”

While it remains difficult to estimate the number of women sleeping rough, it is not hard to understand the importance and necessity of the research for the people affected.

12 PROFILE

Business Leader Gaining work experience alongside academic studies seems like solid careers advice, but it is an adage that Dr Anthea Gregory knows first hand to be true.

“I did a business degree and partway through I wondered what the relevance was of what I was studying. Then I did a work placement and it all became very clear. It was the opportunity to put into context the theory which made me realise the value of what I was learning,” she says.

Now as the new Dean of the University of Wolverhampton Business School (UWBS), Dr Gregory is keen to ensure real experience forms a key part of the programme of education for today’s students.

“Ensuring businesses are engaged with our curricula will give students a sound understanding of how the theory is applied and the issues businesses are facing in the current, and future, environment. It is that ability to apply what they are learning that will make them stand out when they embark on their careers.”

Familiar ground Anthea took up her post at Wolverhampton in December 2010, but the move marked a welcome return to the city. She was Associate Dean of Postgraduate and Professional programmes at UWBS from 2000 until 2003, before joining the University of Hull as Head of the Scarborough Management Centre in 2003.

She went on to become Director of Learning and Teaching where she had responsibility for taught provision, before assuming the role of Deputy Dean in 2007.

So how does it feel to be back?

“There have been many changes over the last eight years, the key one being the Business School’s move to Wolverhampton city centre.

This makes us more visible and has improved access to facilities for students.

“Working from the City Campus also provides greater opportunities to work with other Schools in order to maximise our impact. Other developments such as the Business Solutions Centre at Wolverhampton Science Park allow the University and its partners to provide access to integrated business services. There is a real focus for business now.”

Complete package The Business School aims to ensure its graduates offer the complete package. The undergraduate and postgraduate portfolios have been revalidated to ensure they reflect the needs and demands of the changing business world. The School also has relationships with professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and wherever possible has sought recognition or accreditation for its programmes to ensure they meet professional standards.

It is difficult to escape tales of the competitive nature of today’s jobs market and the squeeze many businesses are feeling, but Anthea has some clear advice for students.

“Students need to seize all the opportunities they can to build their CV during their time with us. At the University of Wolverhampton there are so many extra-curricula activities students can engage with from volunteering, through to study abroad options, as well as engaging with societies and sports clubs. In this way students can make themselves stand out. It is not just about having a degree any more – it is

about how you build on that while you are at University. It is about being able to demonstrate the skills and competencies, as well as the knowledge, that an employer wants.”

Making the most of the opportunities available also opens up avenues for paid employment, and again this is something Anthea knows from experience. Following the work placement during her BA (Hons) Business Studies degree at Sheffield City Polytechnic, the company took her on as an employee and she went on to become the highest paid graduate from her university that year. The role, working for entrepreneur Chris Finnegan at his cake manufacturing business, inspired her later research interests.

When Anthea moved back into academia to study for a PhD at the University of Leicester, she decided to investigate business start-ups and the reasons for success and failure. Her expertise lies in entrepreneurship and small business management – subjects that continue to interest her today.

“What excites me about the study of business is the real difference it can make to society. If we can improve the practice of management then not only will businesses be more successful but it will improve the quality of people’s lives.

We probably all spend more time at work than with our friends and families, so work has to be a positive experience. It is the practice of management which determines what our experience of work will be. Businesses are not impersonal entities – they impact on communities, customers, as well as employees.”

It is possibly this philosophy that leads Anthea not to name a famous millionaire business mogul as her hero when asked who she admires.

PROFILE 13

“It would be easy to identify someone high profile, but I admire the person whose name I don’t know who has kept a business going through adverse times. Small businesses are the engineers of job creation and innovation.

So my heroes are those individuals who are employing themselves, their families or even 10 or 20 people but who make their businesses work, sometimes against the odds.”

Key themes Looking ahead, Anthea explains there are three key areas for UWBS to focus on. Firstly, she is keen to concentrate on the learning experience, pushing forward the business agenda so students have access to managers and businesses throughout their studies. This will be achieved through guest speakers, internships, live company projects as well as manager/student mentoring schemes such as a current project the School is running with the Institute of Directors (IoD).

Secondly she hopes to broaden business engagement, ensuring the University is providing resources that businesses want, such as training, consultancy and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.

The third strand is research, building on the success of the University in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008, which highlighted a number of areas that are world leading. Anthea emphasises she is keen to contribute to new knowledge that makes the University of interest to business, focusing on applied research that can influence the way companies operate.

Anthea has high hopes for UWBS and the students and staff that people its corridors.

And despite what the news may seem to say about the state of the economy and employment opportunities, Anthea says the future is bright for tomorrow’s hard-working and enthusiastic graduates.

“It is not all doom and gloom in the jobs market, but it is about making sure you are better placed to be the complete package that employers want. If you are going to be the manager of the future, then you have to set your sights on that from the day you start studying.”

• The University of Wolverhampton Business School is keen to work with businesses in a variety of ways. It is seeking organisations and business leaders who would like to contribute to making sure the next generation of managers are developed to the highest standards. If you would like to discuss how you can work with the Business School please call 01902 321789 or email uwbsmarketing@wlv.ac.uk

14 FEATURE

Celebrating The legal profession remains a popular choice for graduates, offering a challenging, rewarding and fascinating career. The University has strong links with the judiciary in the West Midlands and is proud that many of its law alumni have achieved high office after collecting their degree scrolls. There are several Senior Government Law Officers around the world whose careers began in Wolverhampton, and there is a law graduate from the University on every continent of the world.

One of the key dates in the University’s calendar is the annual Celebration of the Administration of Justice, which takes place at St Peter’s Collegiate Church. Judges, barristers, solicitors, magistrates, court staff and police officials join senior University staff including Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline Gipps and Dean of the School of Law, Social

Sciences and Communications Professor Judith Burnett, in a formal procession through the city.

Local dignitaries at this year’s ceremony also included the High Sheriff of the county of the West Midlands, Mrs Anita Bhalla OBE, and the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett.

Martin Cartwright, Associate Dean in the School of Law, Social Sciences and Communications (LSSC), explains the ceremony is an opportunity for the University to showcase its links with the legal profession and its role in the city.

“The University is part of the wider Wolverhampton and Black Country community and it is important for us to show the way we participate in and contribute to the life of the city. This is one example where the University can demonstrate its active participation in the legal and justice system in the region,” he says.

“We offer law degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level and professional

programmes, and we produce qualified lawyers, many of whom go on to practise in the West Midlands. This is a profession that we are heavily involved with, and it is important for us to parade what we do and to celebrate it as well.”

The annual event is organised by The Reverend Prebendary Geoffrey Wynne, who retired last year as Senior Chaplain after 44 years at the University. The ceremony, now in its seventh year, includes an act of rededication, which invites the members of the judiciary present to rededicate themselves to the administration of justice. The Bible readings at the ceremony are chosen as they reflect the service’s focus on the administration of justice.

FEATURE 15

justice Martin Cartwright explains the ceremony benefits students as they can see the connections the University and LSSC in particular have with local solicitors, barristers and the judiciary. One example of this is the Lex 21 group, which aims to put LSSC at the heart of local legal practices in a number of areas including Continuous Professional Development (CPD), recruitment and placement opportunities.

Martin says: “The students can see that they are part of a thriving judicial community. We have other links throughout the academic year, including inviting judges and other members of the practising profession to participate in a number of activities such as presenting talks to students. We have a mooting competition and often the local judges will act as judges, particularly as we reach the final stages. Our

students also spend time on work experience in local solicitors’ practices.”

Among the procession this year was Circuit Judge His Honour Judge Jonathan Gosling, who presides over courts in Wolverhampton and Derby. Judge Gosling was among the first intakes of law students at the University of Wolverhampton and graduated in 1978.

Martin says the University maintains strong contacts with its alumni, and they provide inspiration to the many graduates who follow them into the profession.` “We have a growing number of law graduates who have qualified as judges at various levels. By participating in the justice service, we maintain our links and remind those who have achieved high judicial office that they are graduates of the University of Wolverhampton.

Our alumni are proud that they came from Wolverhampton, and it shows students that coming here can give them the opportunity of achieving a high position in the legal profession too.”

Other than graduation, there are few occasions in the University calendar that require full academic robes, but the annual justice march is one that enables staff and alumni to gather together and celebrate in the form of a traditional procession. For today’s law students, watching the solicitors, barristers and judges taking part in the parade provides inspiration for what they themselves could achieve as they take the first steps into this challenging career.

For more information about studying a law course at the University, visit www.wlv.ac.uk/ lssc

16 INTERNATIONAL

Transforming education The United Arab Emirates is a dynamic part of the world, which has seen enormous commercial growth and development in recent years. Although it is not immediately obvious from the images of the UAE’s skyscrapers and desert landscape, the region has a lot in common with the Black Country, which has also gone through a resurgence following a period of regeneration.

The University of Wolverhampton has been building a presence in the UAE over a number of years, after its International Centre identified it as an area with opportunities, particularly for short courses, training and consultancy. This profile-building has led to the University working on a project with the Ministry of Education in the UAE to support the training and development of school leaders.

The aim is to provide school principals and their assistants with career development programmes and help improve educational and administrative practices in schools.

Professor Sir Geoff Hampton, Deputy ViceChancellor, led the delegation to the UAE to meet officials and believes the University’s reputation in the education field was the reason for the success.

“I think we were successful because of our track record in helping to transform schools in the Black Country, where we have proved we can talent spot appropriately and support people who have gone on to be a success. But what made us unique was that we developed bespoke training which will be free standing.

We are taking the best delivery team possible out there but equally, we are hosting teams over here in schools.”

The project will involve a modular package of training delivered in hub schools in seven of the Emirates which will become beacons of excellence. This will provide a point of contact for the other school leaders involved in the programme who will have peer support for any day-to-day problems they may face after the training is complete. In addition, there will be a second tier of support in the UK. Sir Geoff explains: “It is not just about inputting information, we want to see that a difference has been made. It will be evidence based and revisited every time they take part in training.

The whole idea is to be transformative and that can only be achieved if we embark on a journey together.”

Winning team Also part of the delegation were Jo Gittens, Director, International; Sabah Mushatat, Professor of Architecture, School of Technology; Jan Roman, Director of the Black Country Children’s Services Improvement Partnership; Mick Waters, Professor of Education at the University and Tom Johnston, Headteacher of the Earls High School, Halesowen. Tom will be leading a core team of school teachers from Black Country primary and secondary schools who will be going out to the UAE to share best practice.

The education system in the UAE is a mixture of international schools which cater for some of the employees of global companies, fee paying schools aimed at the wealthy population and state schools. The University of Wolverhampton’s project is focused on the state schools and Tom Johnston explains the emphasis will be on moving from a relatively

didactic approach to one that involves students more.

“Our aim is for the concentration to not simply be on what the teaching is like, but what the learning is like.

“The programme has different levels, which involves working with senior staff in the schools and developing their understanding of leadership for learning and also with good staff on how to make their practice even better. Another strand will look at how we can improve the practice of staff who are at a lower level of development in their understanding of the quality of learning.”

Global strategy Jo Gittens, Director, International, at the University explains the UAE is one element of the University’s new global strategy and expansion plan. The University already recruits students from overseas and delivers degrees in other countries, known as transnational education (TNE). This has been extremely successful and the University now delivers degree programmes in 12 locations all over the world, with almost 1000 enrolments overseas.

All universities are identifying new income streams to meet the shortfall in government funding, but Wolverhampton has been building a presence and a profile in the United Arab Emirates for some time, with support from Professor Sabah Mushatat, who has extensive links with the UAE. Jo explains developing this market began with co-sponsoring the Ajman Urban Planning Conference, followed by the presentation of an honorary degree to Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, last year.

INTERNATIONAL 17

The University’s name and brand is well established in the Emirates. This was a contributory factor in securing an audience with the Minister for Education last year for initial discussions.

in the UAE and beyond, and we can sell this model to other markets. In addition, we are hoping to open a regional office in the UAE in the near future to build on the success of our growing network.

Jo explains that understanding the country, its culture and ways of doing business is crucial in any bid like this.

“This has been part of a planned international growth strategy since 2006 and it is good to see the realisation of that hard work by the team now.”

“Each international market is different and therefore a differentiated approach to markets is essential for success. You also have to ensure you get the offer right and appoint a good team to take the business forward.

“Equally important is patience, responsiveness and adaptability and this is the case in any market we operate in, if we are to be successful!

“On the back of our profile raising, there are now a number of other major projects emerging

As Sir Geoff explains: “It is my personal belief that we can’t pick something up and transport it to a different country. But we can look at the underlying principles and adapt them in an appropriate way. It has to feel different and look different. This won’t be Black Country schools re-emerging in the UAE – it will be adopted but adapted in the UAE to ensure it is fit for purpose.

“If there is a medical breakthrough somewhere

Adopt but adapt But all parties are keen to emphasise that this is not a case of picking up a successful model from the UK and adopting it abroad. The scheme is being developed to meet the cultural and educational needs of the school leaders, teachers and most importantly the students of the UAE.

in the world it is disseminated and celebrated.

In education, we tend to have kept our successes to ourselves but I would like to see these disseminated in the future and perhaps this is one small step towards that.”

18 BUSINESS

Trade mission The city of Wolverhampton has signed an agreement formalising trade links with India. The University is proud to be a key partner in this initiative, and a delegation visited the Indian industrial powerhouse of Bangalore recently to showcase what the city has to offer to businesses.

BUSINESS 19

In today’s challenging economic climate, seeking out new opportunities for business and developing networks are essential to ensure survival. In Wolverhampton, the University and City Council have joined forces and are going the extra mile – or rather 5,000 miles – to make contacts, build relationships and enhance trade and investment.

A Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) was signed during a trade mission to Bangalore

by Wolverhampton City Council Chief Executive Simon Warren, Associate Dean at the University’s School of Technology Professor Richard Hall and Aroon Raman of the Confederation of Indian Industry. The agreement states the partners will work closely together to enhance trade and investment opportunities, offer advice and support to each other as well as businesses seeking opportunities, and promote each others’ regions.

Richard Hall explains the delegation was keen to build links with Bangalore in particular as it is experiencing unrivalled growth and has many similarities to Wolverhampton and the surrounding West Midlands region.

“This is the first time we have gone out with local government on a collaborative, global venture. And that is the difference – we are going out and bringing the business in.

Today manufacturing is global and hence we have to travel to engage with business and governments to bring jobs to Wolverhampton.

“The reason we chose Bangalore is that it has a similar profile to us as a region. It is about the same size as the West Midlands, and they have an aspiration to be the number one city for the aerospace sector in India, while we aspire to be the leading area for aerospace in Europe.

Currently we are within the top ten regions in Europe.

“Bangalore has experienced a nine per cent growth rate this year. This has predominantly been in IT but now the aerospace sector is growing at a similar rate. A lot of companies are putting high value manufacturing in Bangalore.”

Richard explains there are a number of major companies based in Wolverhampton, including

Timken Aerospace, Goodrich, Moog and Hamilton Sundstrand, and three of these four have set-up part of their manufacturing in Bangalore. The University has existing links with local aerospace companies, including Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).

KTPs form a partnership between a company, a recently qualified graduate (Associate) and a university in order to develop and deliver a specific, strategic project for the company.

“We want to create connected thinking. If we can support our partners in the UK better and also abroad, then we can develop our business alongside their growth,” Richard continues.

“By developing a relationship with India we hope to increase opportunities for research and development, collaborative skills development, job creation and also to enhance the outreach of the University internationally.”

An additional benefit of the link will be meeting a skills need in Bangalore. “As they have grown, they have found they need more trained graduates such as engineers, designers, IT specialists and business managers, and there is a shortage. We are trying to tackle that by offering specialist courses focused on aerospace. Our aim is to give them the graduates they need to sustain their growth and as we have similar needs at home, we will be offering these courses in the UK too.”

One of the most exciting aspects of the agreement is the relationship between the University and the City Council. Following the signing of the MoC, a delegation of four top Indian trade bosses travelled to Wolverhampton and spent two days investigating opportunities for investment and co-operation. During the visit, they toured the city’s i54 business park, a 96-hectare site on the northern boundary of Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire which aims to create 6,000 jobs primarily in the high technology sector.

They also looked around the Wolverhampton Business Solutions Centre, a partnership established to have a positive economic impact on the city and West Midlands region by providing access to business services, and toured the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Molineux Stadium.

Richard says: “They were impressed by the quality of the local industry in Wolverhampton and the University’s business engagement.

They went away with ideas of what is working for us and how they can apply it to their own region and community.”

The successful visit was followed by a second trip to Bangalore by delegates from the Council and University, including Professor Ian Oakes, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise.

This visit focused on meeting with the government, identifying potential partners and meeting with existing ones such as companies with bases in both Wolverhampton and Bangalore. The delegation also exhibited at the Air India Show where they met with captains of industry such as Ratan Tata, the head of the Tata empire.

Ian is delighted with the progress of the partnership.

He adds: “We have a well developed aerospace sector and a lot of experience and expertise in Wolverhampton. If we marry those together and create collaborative links we can have growth on both sides. We can grow together in the international market, and it is a win-win situation.

“We hope to build on the success of this agreement between the Council, the University and the Confederation of Indian Industry and create inward investment, research and development opportunities and jobs.”

The agreement offers exciting opportunities for the economic development of the cities of Wolverhampton and Bangalore, and all the partners are enthusiastic and committed to the success of this new venture.

We want to create connected thinking

20 BUSINESS

Catwalk Queen

In any career, there is an achievement seen as the pinnacle of that profession.

It could be becoming a headmaster, captaining a sports team or winning a book prize for a novel. In the fashion industry, seeing your designs on the catwalk at London Fashion Week has got to come high on the list of ambitions. And for fashion entrepreneur Tamara Joseph, this dream came true when her latest collection was selected for an emerging designers’ show this year.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” she says. “I was styling everything backstage so I didn’t get to see the catwalk, but when it finished people started coming up to me – PR people and even someone from Vogue.com – to say they were interested in my clothes.”

Tamara is an MA in Fashion and Textiles student at the University’s School of Art & Design, where she also works part-time as

a Senior Fashion Technician. In 2009, she launched her own business, Catalyst by Tamara Joseph, with support from the University’s Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education West Midlands (SPEED WM) programme. This enables entrepreneurial students to set up their own businesses whilst they are studying, and receive support such as tailored training, mentoring, networking opportunities and a limited amount of financial support.

“SPEED was the start of everything for me.

Launching my own business was something that I had always wanted to do but had never known how to approach it. They really helped me and I’m glad I had that opportunity.

“It boosted my confidence because until then I loved sewing and designing but I didn’t think people were interested or wanted to buy my stuff. The mentors gave me ideas of local designers and that gave me inspiration.

I spoke to someone else on the programme who mentioned a fashion show and this led to others, and that boosted me to do my first collection.”

Things have moved quickly for Tamara. One of the first major fashion shows Tamara took part in was the ITV Fixers show at The Public in April last year to raise funds for UNICEF’s Haiti Earthquake Children Appeal. She didn’t want to do a large, high profile show until she had the right infrastructure within her business.

She explains: “Because of SPEED I had an impressive website and business cards – until then I didn’t want to do big shows because people always ask for your card and it doesn’t look professional if you don’t have one.”

Now she is preparing to do African Fashion Week in August, the online retailer ASOS will soon be selling her garments and a new shop in Birmingham has also expressed an interest in her work.

BUSINESS 21

Tamara has been interested in fashion since she was seven, and says her mum and grandmother were both creative and inspired her passion. Her mother would make clothes Tamara had seen in the shops for her at home, and from this she learnt how to deconstruct and create her own items.

She describes her own designs as inspired by her grandmother’s style from the 1930s to 1950s. The Spring/Summer collection for the emerging designers’ showcase with Fashion’s Finest touched lightly on 1950s daywear for men and women, featuring semi-fitted bodices in chiffon and silks, knee-length pencil skirts in cotton sateen and silks, raw silk and satin shift knee-length dresses with a twist. There were also little driving gloves and straw hats for the women. For menswear, Tamara teamed trilby hats and white cotton/jersey shirts with bold prints of old leaves and thistles in browns and beiges.

Tamara uses her own photography and that of her friends and fiancé in her designs, and her first collection was based on trips she had taken to places like the Eden Project and images of her own shadow. Her second collection was inspired by the M4 at night, using images of bright lights and cars zooming by. Her current collection focuses on blooms and included dandelions in different colours and thistles that have been faded out.

All Tamara’s designs are unique and made to order, although she may use the same image more than once. She always works on more than one garment at a time. For London Fashion Week, Tamara spent three weeks working on eight outfits, but has spent three months working on one Prom dress before.

Her ambitions now, she says, are to become established and successful, and to see her designs in a big store such as Harrods or

She adds: “I would love to see my garments on the New York catwalks or a big stage catwalk at London – seeing people wearing your clothes is lovely.”

Having worked at London Fashion Week, Tamara is even more aware of the pressures and demands of the industry. But she has some words of wisdom for the students hoping to follow her footsteps on to the catwalk.

“It is fierce out there, and you have to have a strong backbone. You also have to push yourself because it is not going to land in your lap.

“I would also say be patient, as it is not going to happen overnight. It didn’t happen overnight for Vivienne Westwood or John Galliano. It is ten years since I left university and it has finally happened, with the help I received through SPEED.”

Harvey Nicholls.

Pictures by Robert Stacey. Front cover picture by Helen Robinson

22 PEOPLE

An end to toxic debt?

A seminar series hosted by the Management Research Centre is attracting some interesting and well-known speakers to provide expert insights into a range of business and employment issues. Topics have included the role of a charity Chief Executive, labour markets and job insecurity and regeneration and corruption. One of the recent speakers was a leading economic commentator, Newsnight’s Paul Mason.

PEOPLE 23

For us today the acid blood is toxic debt in the economy. It has burned the financial system.

Now it is hitting the real economy – output, trade. At the moment only the state is strong enough to hold the acid. Interventions such as the fiscal stimulus and bank nationalisations work to limit the destructive power of this toxic debt. But whether the state can or should be a permanent barrier is still in doubt.

Global view Travelling all over the world for the BBC’s flagship Newsnight programme, Paul Mason can be in Ireland covering the financial crisis one day and in China speaking to officials about the country’s workforce the next.

Before joining Newsnight, Paul was deputy editor of Computer Weekly, and spent a total of nine years covering business in specialist magazines and newspapers before making the move into TV. Prior to becoming a journalist, Paul was a professional musician and lectured at Loughborough University of Technology.

Although clearly an expert in his subject, Paul admits he is not an economist.

“My career has been as a business sector journalist so I hopped from sector to sector, looking at anything from construction, social care and the digital sector to dot com industries and business computing,” he says.

When you think of the global economic situation, the 1979 film Alien may not be the first thing that springs to mind.

But BBC Newsnight Economics Editor Paul Mason uses the film as an analogy for the turbulence in the financial world since 2008. In a talk at the University of Wolverhampton, he likened the crisis to the scene where the alien is stabbed. Its acid blood burns through the floor of the first deck. It burns through the next floor and the question is can it be stopped before it burns through the hull and they are all killed?

“I joined the BBC to report on political economics and ask questions such as why people do certain things and why don’t we know anything about the Chinese workforce?

In 2000, an opportunity arose to become Economics Editor and I was reluctant at first as I thought it would involve lots of press conferences, but I travel all over the world, even covering shootings in Croxteth, and I was in America when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy protection.”

Powerful insights Paul was invited to share his insights into the economy as part of the Management Research Centre’s (MRC) seminar series. Staff, students and members of the public packed into the lecture, titled ‘When will the crisis end?’ at the University. The series aims to offer a look at a diverse range of current issues in the business world. Other speakers over the last two years have included Nigel Winter, Chief Executive of the Vegan Society, member of the House of Lords Baroness Sandip Verma and former Coronation Street star turned investigative journalist Nigel Pivaro.

Professor Mike Haynes, Joint Head of the MRC, organises the lectures and emphasises the broad appeal of the speakers they attract. He says: “We have a visiting speaker programme and what we are trying to do is combine academic speakers with people who can offer us powerful and controversial insights into some of the most exciting issues affecting not merely business but the community today.

“Paul Mason was very enthusiastic and offered a challenging viewpoint of an unstable future in which the fundamental problems of the world’s economy have still not been addressed.”

The insights in Paul’s seminar offered food for thought for the economics and business students present, but he also had some advice for journalism students hoping to follow in his footsteps. He describes journalism as the “writing of history in real time” and has these words for budding economics editors: “Don’t have an inferiority complex. I talk to journalism, business and economics students and I travel all over the world and the Brits are highly respected for a lot of things, but not networking. My advice is get out there and be that person you are trying to be – not the person you need to be.”

For more information about the University of Wolverhampton Business School’s Management Research Centre, visit: www.wlv.ac.uk/mrc

24 SUCCESS STORY

Graduate success story

Jehangir Malik academic guidance. There was a great atmosphere and I met students from all walks of life.”

Jehangir’s experiences also helped shape the person he is today.

“My time at Wolverhampton helped me to grow as an individual, and especially helped me to see the diversity in our society and value it as a strength to be utilised. It gave me the confidence I needed to tackle any challenge and this will stay with me forever.”

Name: Jehangir Malik Course: LLB (Hons) Law Year of Graduation: 1992

Like many students at the University of Wolverhampton, graduate Jehangir Malik was the first in his family to go into higher education. Graduating in 1992 with an LLB (Hons) in Law, Jehangir is today the UK Director at Islamic Relief, one of the largest international relief agencies in the country, and last year was awarded an OBE for his services to humanity.

“Going to university was a major milestone within my community and one that made my family and friends alike very proud of me,” he explains. “The University had a very reputable Law School and I found it to be a very exciting, dynamic and intellectually stimulating place for learning.”

As a first generation university entrant, Jehangir found a lot of support in staff and fellow students during his studies.

“The lecturers were excellent and the support staff provided me with plenty of moral and

It was during his time at Wolverhampton that Jehangir joined Islamic Relief as a volunteer fundraiser. Islamic Relief is an international aid and development charity, which aims to alleviate the suffering of the world’s poorest people. As well as responding to disasters and emergencies, Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities - regardless of race, religion or gender.

Over the next 20 years Jehangir worked his way up the organisation and today, as UK Director, he is responsible for both strategic direction and emergency response, managing a dedicated team of people spread across the country.

“As I write this I am preparing to leave the very next day to the border of Libya and Tunisia where thousands of refugees are fleeing over the Libyan border to escape the fighting. Here Islamic Relief has set up transit shelters to help the displaced people. I love what I do and feel extremely privileged in performing the duties of my job.”

Jehangir also works with government departments and policy think tanks on relief and development. As the UK representative for Islamic Relief, he is often required to attend high profile events such as state functions and ministerial and ambassadorial briefings.

“Managing the UK Operation is an exciting and hugely gratifying day-to-day experience. I enjoy being able to play an active role in helping to bridge the gap and mobilising the British public who are deeply passionate about reducing the disparity between the developed and developing world and tackling poverty.”

In 2010 Jehangir was awarded an OBE

by HRH Princess Anne for his services to humanity.

“I feel extremely privileged and humbled at the same time in receiving this prestigious award.

The OBE was an acknowledgement of the maturity of the organisation, its role in the fight against poverty and its services to humanity.

As the recipient of the award, I hope it will be viewed as a symbol of recognition, inspiration and achievement.”

Looking back at his time at Wolverhampton, Jehangir has the following advice for potential students.

“Having travelled to over 20 countries around the world from Afghanistan and Somalia to Sudan and Iraq, I have realised the phenomenal opportunity that a university education provides to any student of any background. It equips you with the necessary skills to help you meet the exciting challenges that await you. Embrace it with all its glory.”

My time at Wolverhampton helped me to grow as an individual.

WHAT’S ON GUIDE 25

What’s on

Guide May Charity 18 hole golf competition and lunch – in aid of the City of Wolverhampton Mayor’s charities.

News in brief Arts funding boost The University was delighted to receive a boost in Arts Council funding for its arts education development programmes.

Date: Friday, 13 May 2011 Time: Tee off at 9am Location: Perton Golf Club, Wrottesley Park Road, Perton Call: 01902 897031 University of Wolverhampton Open Day – find out about a range of courses, meet the lecturers and current students and tour the excellent facilities.

June School of Art & Design Degree Show 2011 – featuring work by final year students.

Date: Saturday, 11 June 2011

Dates and times: Monday 6 June to Friday 10 June, 9am-5pm; Saturday 11 June 10am-4pm

Location: Wolverhampton City and Walsall Campuses

Location: School of Art & Design, MK Building, Molineux Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DT

Call: 0800 953 3222*

Time: 10am-3pm

Website: www.wlv.ac.uk/opendays

art-design@wlv.ac.uk

Website: www.wlv.ac.uk/artanddesign Call:

The second application came from the University’s Arena Theatre. The Arts Council will provide circa £340,000 over three years, to support and develop community engagement projects aimed at raising aspirations amongst children through arts education.

Commitment to improving access and success in higher education New figures show the University is maintaining its commitment to providing access to higher education for students from under represented groups.

Contact: Bhavna Parmar Email:

The Black Country Children’s Services Improvement Partnership (BCCSIP), operated by the University, successfully applied for funding to develop arts education across the region. The amount to be allocated is circa £3.5m over the next three years.

01902 322058

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Data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for 2009/10 shows the University is 8.5 percentage points above its benchmark figure for recruiting undergraduate students from under-represented groups in low participation neighbourhoods.

WLV

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University of Wolverhampton Wulfruna Street Wolverhampton West Midlands WV1 1LY tel: 0800 953 3222* fax: 01902 32 25 17 web: www.wlv.ac.uk/dialogue

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