Network News

The top news stories from across the Westminster community this year.

ALUMNA NOMINATED FOR TURNER PRIZE 2022

Former student Ingrid Pollard, who completed her PhD in 2017, has been nominated for the Turner Prize for her solo exhibition, Carbon Slowly Turning, a project which reflects on geological time in relation to human time.

Working mostly in photography and printmaking, Ingrid’s work focuses on Black experience and the British countryside, on nature, nurture and the construction of a sense of place. Her work also questions our relationship with the natural world and interrogates ideas such as Britishness, race and sexuality.

Ingrid is one of the 20 founders of Autograph ABP (Association of Black Photographers), a non-profit-making photographic arts agency which assists in the career development of black and culturally diverse photographers.

UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER MAKES FURTHER PROGRESS ON BLACK LIVES MATTER COMMITMENTS

In the two years since setting out its Black Lives Matter Commitments, the 15-point plan is now firmly established within the University community with students, colleagues, alumni, businesses and higher education partners all playing their part.

One of the Commitments taking shape is a collaboration between students and colleagues to remove bias and improve balance in learning. The Pedagogies for Social Justice podcast and Decolonising the Curriculum Toolkit are co-created by students and colleagues, and encourage critical thinking.

Meanwhile, a new PhD Pathways initiative has been designed to provide peer-to-peer support for students from underrepresented backgrounds. Three Black PhD researchers received full funding to start their PhD in the School of Social Sciences in 2021/22. Extending that to the entire University, ten doctoral studentships funded by the Quintin Hogg Trust were created for UK students from the backgrounds least represented in academia – Black British, Pakistani British and Bangladeshi British.

The University also continues to provide a platform for conversations and cross-institutional exchange. During the 2022 conference ‘Toward an Anti-Racist University’, a panel of Westminster PhD students presented their paper on the topic of Researching While Black.

Speaking about Westminster’s progress towards the commitments, Professor Alexandra Hughes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement and Employability, says: “The implementation of our 15 Commitments is critical to our wider work on equality, equity, diversity and inclusion: itself a core priority, and one that is woven throughout our institutional strategy, Being Westminster.

“We are determined to continue to deliver against the Commitments, building on current initiatives and growing in new directions,” she adds. “This work, at Westminster, enriches and empowers the lives of us all.”

NEW GENOME ENGINEERING LABORATORY INTERNSHIPS INTRODUCED THROUGH GENEROUS ALUMNUS DONATION

Westminster’s Genome Engineering Laboratory is launching a new Research Internship Programme, named Discover to Recover. It will give interns an opportunity to work alongside experts at the University’s School of Life Sciences’ lab as they aim to create novel CRISPR-based diagnostic platforms for infectious and non-infectious diseases.

The programme is made possible by a £10,000 donation from Westminster alumnus Raj Sitlani. Raj, who studied Modern Languages at the University before having a successful career in finance, was struck by the passion of the Genome Engineering Lab team at an alumni event in 2018.

Speaking about his hopes for the Research Internship Programme, he said: “If I can help a few hard-working, bright students develop their research career paths or set them off on a better trajectory for something greater in the future, then I will feel that my support has been effective and worthwhile. I would like to think that for the selected students, my support can be critical in helping them stand out from the crowd.”

UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER STUDENTS TAKE PART IN PROJECT TO INSTALL THE FIRST GREEN WALL ON CAMPUS

Students from the School of Architecture + Cities used funding from the Green Fund scheme to create the first hydroponic ‘Green Wall’ at the entrance to Westminster’s Marylebone Campus.

The Green Wall was funded through the Green Fund as a pilot scheme, with the aim of providing opportunities for student and staff co-creation under the umbrella of sustainability. It also provides Westminster with a helpful tool to communicate its commitment towards creating a more circular and sustainable food system on campus.

FUTURE READY MENTORING SHORTLISTED FOR TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION AWARD

The University has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2022 Times Higher Education Awards in the Outstanding Support for Students category for its Future Ready Mentoring programme.

Designed as an inclusive programme with a range of opportunities to support mentors and mentees from every background, industry and career level, Future Ready Mentoring connects Westminster students with employers for graduate career success.

Recently, Future Ready Mentoring has seen a substantial expansion, from supporting just over 500 mentoring relationships in the 2018/2019 academic year to over 1,000 relationships just two years later.

FASHION ALUMNUS WINS THE 2022 LVMH PRIZE

Steven Stokey-Daley (Fashion Design BA, 2020) has been announced as the recipient of the 2022 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers.

Cate Blanchett, the Oscar-winning actress, announced the winner at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris. The LVMH Prize comprises €300,000, plus a year of coaching from experts from the LVMH brands, which include Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Loewe and Kenzo.

Steven graduated from Westminster in 2020, having already interned at Tom Ford and Alexander McQueen. Several garments in his graduate collection were made from deadstock fabrics donated by Sarah Burton, creative director at Alexander McQueen, through the BFC’s Colleges Council. Steven’s clothes quickly gained high-profile fans after debuting as part of the Westminster runway show at London Fashion Week in February 2020, including Harry Styles, who wore them in his Golden video, and actors Sir Ian McKellen and Josh O’Connor.

WESTMINSTER ALUMNI WIN BIG AT BRITISH COUNCIL’S STUDY UK ALUMNI AWARDS

Several Westminster alumni were named finalists and winners at the Study UK Alumni Awards 2021–22 at ceremonies around the world.

Study UK is a global campaign that promotes the UK as the first-choice study destination to international students. Award winners and finalists are leaders in their fields who have used their experience of studying at a UK university to make a positive contribution to their communities, professions and countries.

The Alumni Awards celebrate and showcase the value of UK higher education and raise the profile and reputation of UK alumni, their former universities and the whole of UK education.

The Culture and Creativity award was presented to Xie Yi, (Art and Media Practice MA, 2012) at the national ceremony in China. Yi is a pioneer in the immersive entertainment industry in the UK and China, and a representative in China for the Society of London Theatre (SoLT).

The Social Action award was presented to Anil Singh Rana (Construction Project Management MSc, 2012) at the national ceremony in Mauritius. Anil has supported others in the construction industry through webinars and mentoring. Rockson Igelige (Entertainment Law LLM, 2012) from Nigeria and Kamila Alimdjanova (International Business and Management MA, 2013) from Uzbekistan were finalists in this category at their respective national ceremonies.

The Business and Innovation award was presented to Khurshid Kodirov (Business Administration BA, 2016), who is also from Uzbekistan, at the national ceremony in Tashkent. Khurshid studied at Westminster International University (WIUT) in Tashkent and has been recognised for his work on building projects. Angelitta Trofimova, who studied the Economics with Finance BSc at WIUT, was a finalist in this category at the national ceremony.

Speaking about the number of Westminster winners and finalists at the national ceremonies, David Brooks, Alumni Relations Officer (Alumni Experience) said: “We’re thrilled that so many Westminster alumni around the world have been recognised for their achievements. We’re proud to be a truly international community, and this year’s finalists and winners demonstrate the range of successful paths that our alumni take after studying at Westminster.”

ALUMNA NAMED JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR 2022

Manisha Ganguly (Multimedia Journalism MA, 2017), who is currently a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Westminster, has been named Journalist of the Year 2022 by One Young World.

The Journalist of the Year Award recognises five of the world’s most outstanding journalists who are using their stories to create a positive impact on people in their communities and countries. The awards focus on candidates who have highlighted the importance of having diverse voices in the media.

Manisha is a multiple award-winning independent conflict journalist and filmmaker, who uses open-source techniques to investigate human rights abuses under conditions of war.

When asked what the award means to her, Manisha said: “To be recognised as a young leader in journalism is an immense honour, and I am so grateful to One Young World for it. On a personal level, it does massively help me cope with my imposter syndrome!”

WESTMINSTER RANKS IN TOP 10 PER CENT OF UNIVERSITIES WORLDWIDE

The University of Westminster has been ranked in the top 10 per cent of 19,788 universities worldwide, according to the 2022–23 edition of the Global 2000 list by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR).

CWUR publishes the most extensive rankings of global universities. The rankings are unique in that they assess the quality of education, employability, faculty and research, instead of relying on surveys and university data submissions.

For example, the Education performance is measured by the number of a university’s alumni who have won major academic distinctions relative to the university’s size. The Employability indicator is measured by the number of a university’s alumni who have held top executive positions at the world’s largest companies relative to the university’s size.

JON RONSON LAUNCHES FUNDRAISING EVENT SERIES FOR THE SOHO POLY PERFORMING ARTS SPACE

As part of Westminster’s fundraising efforts to restore the historic Soho Poly theatre, bestselling author Jon Ronson (Media Studies BA, 1988) and musician Emmy the Great (Contemporary Music BA, 2005) were invited to perform in the space.

The University called upon these leading artistic alumni to celebrate the heritage of the Soho Poly, and demonstrate its potential to guests from the arts industries and key Fitzrovian community members. Guests were able to witness first-hand the vision for the Soho Poly and how it needs support to be able to deliver crucial artistic programmes, as well as provide a unique community space for the local area.

Talking about the event, Dr Matthew Morrison, Course Leader of the Creative Writing BA courses at Westminster, said: “This night was what the Soho Poly is about. Our principle is to ‘disrupt your everyday with arts and culture’, and we hope in the future the Soho Poly is the place you can come to do this. We want there to be no barriers to participation; it is all about providing plays and gigs for those who cannot always gain access to the arts.”

UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER EXCELS IN RESEARCH EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK ASSESSMENT

Westminster has been identified as the UK higher education institution which made the most significant impact in the field of Art and Design during the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 assessment period.

157 UK higher education institutions made submissions for REF assessment. These were evaluated by panels of experts who produced an overall quality profile for each submission.

Westminster research submitted to the Business and Management category also gained the second highest impact score nationally, and the University’s Politics and International Studies research scored fourth highest.

Andrew Linn, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Westminster, said: “Supporting and developing our people and doing research that has tangible impact in the world are what we do and what we have always done, and it is gratifying that the quality of our work has been so roundly endorsed. “I believe that if researchers are nurtured and valued and supported in their ambition by the institution, they will thrive and do great work. The evidence of the REF has borne this out.”.

GEORGE THE POET PERFORMS AT WESTMINSTER

Spoken word performer George the Poet performed at Westminster to celebrate Black History Month as part of the University’s Black History Year event series.

George the Poet is a London-born spoken word performer of Ugandan heritage. His innovative brand of musical poetry has won him critical acclaim both as a recording artist and social commentator and has seen his work broadcast to billions of people worldwide.

The Black History Year Group welcomed George the Poet to perform some of his spoken word pieces, where he also joined in with the audience discussions and answered any questions they had.

Speaking on the importance of the event, George the Poet said: “What excites me the most about this chapter in history is the conscious acknowledgment that there is an important conversation that has been live for a long time. I remember at the beginning of my career I was often met with the response that problems of today are more of a class nature as opposed to a racial nature. In a very short space of time the conversation has recalibrated.”

WESTMINSTER RESEARCHERS RECEIVE FUNDING TO STUDY THE IMPACT OF LONG COVID WITHIN ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS

Led by the University of Westminster, the new research, titled ‘Hearing from the unheard: impact of long COVID in minority ethnic groups in the UK’, will reveal the lived experiences of people with long COVID specifically in ethnic minority groups.

The researchers will explore people’s symptoms, healthcare, wider support and treatment needs, the impact of long COVID on their daily lives and challenges to accessing support.

Funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the aim of the research is to improve the health and wellbeing of users of the NHS and social care services who have long COVID.

WESTMINSTER AWARDED SOCIAL ENTERPRISE GOLD MARK FOR SECOND YEAR

A year on from becoming the first London university to be awarded the Social Enterprise Gold Mark, the University’s award has been renewed for a second year.

The Social Enterprise Gold Mark is an internationally recognised accreditation, which provides an independent guarantee that the University of Westminster is operating a genuine social enterprise committed to creating positive social change.

Since being awarded the Gold Mark, Westminster is already building on its achievement by developing a range of ambitious social enterprise projects. Through partnership, training and public engagement, the University aims to support the social enterprise activities and requirements of communities and organisations in London and beyond, at a challenging moment when the needs of society must feature in any business model.