West Magazine Autumn 2011 by University of the West of Scotland

the magazine FOR alumni of University of the West of Scotland

Alumna Irene Barkby explains how her EMBA has helped her meet new challenges / 18 Bill Elder, OBE - Living the American Dream / 12 issue 3 autumn 11 Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Riots - Commentary / 8 Professor Malcolm Foley interview / 15 Ewan Morrison - Pros and cons of ebooks / 23 PLUS CAMPUS NEWS / 4 STUDENT PLACEMENTS / 5 TOP INTERVIEW TIPS / 7 UWS ALUMNI BENEFITS / BACK COVER

CONTENTS

INSPIRING ALUMNI

Contents

foreword A warm welcome to the third edition of ‘West’, the magazine to inspire alumni of University of the West of Scotland. I cannot believe that another year has passed, and so much has happened. The alumni database has grown from 12,000 records to over 18,000, as the University continues to focus on building a worldwide community. During the year, we have successfully launched the first edition of an electronic alumni newsletter and feedback from this has been very positive. Plans for the coming year are to publish another two issues in Spring and Summer 2012. We have also successfully embraced social networking sites, expanding our network of LinkedIn members and launching a UWS Facebook site for alumni. I would also like to encourage alumni to consider giving something back to the University, whether you can help with providing careers advice and support to our current students, work placements, job opportunities for graduates or even a monetary donation. If you would like to contribute to the University’s continued success, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to continuing to implement the University’s strategy for developing alumni relations and wish you all a very successful and prosperous year ahead. Enjoy reading this issue of West. Crawford Wilson Marketing Manager Alumni and Development T: +44 (0)141 848 3293 F: +44 (0)141 848 3333 E: alumni@uws.ac.uk

issue 3 autumn 11 Published by Alumni and Development University of the West of Scotland Paisley Campus Paisley, Scotland PA1 2BE

UWS Alumnus Sports Scientist Craig McGinlay is working hard behind the scenes to ensure club success.

ARTICLES & Features Stephanie Brickman Olga Wojtas Professor Ross Deuchar Photography Mark Seager Adrian Searle Lesley Follan Mike Brooke Design Freight Design

fsc logo University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity. Charity number SC002520. This publication is available electronically and in alternative formats, if required.

2 / CONTENTS / UWS Alumni Magazine

Words Stephanie Brickman | Photography Mark Seager

MAIN ARTICLES

Irene Barkby

Bill Elder

Irene Barkby

Bill Elder

Making A Difference - One of Scotland’s most senior nurses, Irene Barkby, on how studying at UWS has helped her meet the challenges of modern nursing.

The Energetic Entrepreneur - Bill Elder, OBE and Honorary Doctorate, on the Scottish work ethic and positive thinking.

Pages 18-19

Pages 12-14 Jennifer Graham

Student Placements The Right Stuff - Boosting business with UWS student placements, a win-win situation.

Page 05

Resourceful - How a UWS qualification in Human Resources, kick-started the career of Jennifer Graham, now a Careers Adviser, Skills Development Scotland.

Pages 06-07

Perfect Match Recovering After Injury - The life of Craig McGinlay, Sports Scientist for St Mirren Football Club.

Page 03

Innovative Research Bricks and Mortarboards - UWS Environmental Psychologist Eddie Edgerton looks at the impact that buildings have on pupil performance.

Page 11

Regulars Campus News Page 04

Alumni Profiles Pages 10, 16, 17

Feature Articles Pages 08-09, 20-21

A Look Inside Page 22

University Profile Page 15

Lifestyle Page 23

Alumni Benefits Back page

UPDATE Your Details & Win a Kindle The University is very keen to make sure we’ve got all the right contact details for you. Whether you are a new graduate from 2011, or are already in the database, we need to have the latest details on your profile. If you have moved house, changed jobs, got married or recently completed a new qualification, we would like you to let us know. Please use the Contact Details form enclosed with this copy of “West,” and return in the freepost envelope supplied with this magazine. All forms received by Tuesday 31st of January 2012, will be entered into our Free Prize draw to win 1 of 5 Kindles. See www.uws.ac.uk/alumni for more details. Good Luck!

Perfect Match for St Mirren Football Club Having loved sport since his early childhood, it was natural for Craig McGinlay to aspire to become a professional sportsman, with rugby his first choice. “I was training twice a day and working very hard on speed and fitness and managed to get into the Scotland Rugby Under 18s and 19s teams,” he says. But a dislocated shoulder sadly cost him his career as a successful sportsman. The shoulder dislocated a further 20 times and Craig had to undergo two gruelling operations to correct the injury. But the old cliché: ‘where one door closes, another one opens’, rings especially true for him, because his injury sparked a passion for Sports Science, particularly injury prevention. “I went to college in Largs after school and studied an HNC/HND, then moved into my third year at UWS studying sports science,” he confides. “I chose the sports injuries and prevention option and went on to graduate with Honours in Sport Development in July 2008.” He uses many aspects of the course in his job, particularly the injury prevention modules, and says it has been massively important in terms of liaising with physiotherapists and other professionals. After graduating, Craig did voluntary work for the West of Scotland Institute of Sport, which turned out to be a good investment in his future career.

“I undertook some courses in training and conditioning and just kept topping up my experience and opportunities popped up for me,” he quips. “I was working long, long hours, because I was so keen to get myself a good CV and get as much experience as I possibly could.” He worked with many athletes going to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. And when the job with St Mirren Football Club came up, Craig jumped at the chance, having been born in Paisley, brought up in Paisley and still living in Paisley. There were more than 100 applications from all over the world, but home-grown qualifications, talent and experience won. “Throughout my childhood, I went to two or three football games at St Mirren most seasons with family: my Dad, uncles and brothers,” he remembers, which made him particularly proud to be offered the job. “I’m very happy with the job at St Mirren and enjoying working with the first team,” he explains. “The Youth Academy at the club is also coming on in leaps and bounds and it’s very rewarding seeing them develop their skills. I get on very well with the Manager, Danny Lennon, and I’m not looking to leave, but there might come a day when I want to work in another sport or another football club. I’m very ambitious, very determined and a very self-motivated person and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that in trying to develop your career and achieve your full potential.”

Craig’s Weekday Diary 07.30 / Get into work and set up player evaluation forms in the Dressing Room. These forms give a score of 1-10 of how the players are feeling that day and assess their muscular fatigue levels. 08.00 / Set up the bottles for random urine tests twice a week on all players, to check on hydration levels. Dehydration leads to injury, so optimum hydration levels are very important to players. 08.45 / Meeting with Manager 09.00-10.00 / Training sessions with individual players. Some players have specific programmes for injury prevention, called prehab. 10.00-10.45 / Players go out for a training session with Craig. 10.45–12.00 / Players train with Manager and Assistant Manager. 12.00-18.00 / Specific skills are worked on in the afternoon, depending on what individual players need. Following this, Craig works in his office reviewing readings from heart-rate belts the players wear and checking their hydration levels, in order to evaluate the day’s training. 18.00–21.00 / Four days a week, the Youth Academy players come in for training. www.saintmirren.net

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INSPIRING ALUMNI

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issue 3 autumn 11 Published by Alumni and Development University of the West of Scotland Paisley Campus Paisley, Scotland PA1 2BE

UWS Alumnus Sports Scientist Craig McGinlay is working hard behind the scenes to ensure club success.

ARTICLES & Features Stephanie Brickman Olga Wojtas Professor Ross Deuchar Photography Mark Seager Adrian Searle Lesley Follan Mike Brooke Design Freight Design

fsc logo University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity. Charity number SC002520. This publication is available electronically and in alternative formats, if required.

2 / CONTENTS / UWS Alumni Magazine

Words Stephanie Brickman | Photography Mark Seager

MAIN ARTICLES

Irene Barkby

Bill Elder

Irene Barkby

Bill Elder

Making A Difference - One of Scotland’s most senior nurses, Irene Barkby, on how studying at UWS has helped her meet the challenges of modern nursing.

The Energetic Entrepreneur - Bill Elder, OBE and Honorary Doctorate, on the Scottish work ethic and positive thinking.

Pages 18-19

Pages 12-14 Jennifer Graham

Student Placements The Right Stuff - Boosting business with UWS student placements, a win-win situation.

Page 05

Resourceful - How a UWS qualification in Human Resources, kick-started the career of Jennifer Graham, now a Careers Adviser, Skills Development Scotland.

Pages 06-07

Perfect Match Recovering After Injury - The life of Craig McGinlay, Sports Scientist for St Mirren Football Club.

Page 03

Innovative Research Bricks and Mortarboards - UWS Environmental Psychologist Eddie Edgerton looks at the impact that buildings have on pupil performance.

Page 11

Regulars Campus News Page 04

Alumni Profiles Pages 10, 16, 17

Feature Articles Pages 08-09, 20-21

A Look Inside Page 22

University Profile Page 15

Lifestyle Page 23

Alumni Benefits Back page

UWS Alumni Magazine / INSPIRING ALUMNI / 3

CAMPUS NEWS

PLACEMENT FEATURE

New Ayr Campus: Liz’s 5-Year Journey

NEW LIFE FOR THE HEART OF PAISLEY The heart of Paisley is being transformed, thanks to a multi-million pound investment in student accommodation by the University. A spectacular £13.6 million purpose-built residence, on Storie Street, will house 336 students from September 2012. The landmark four-storey building will be visible from Paisley’s High Street. Its steel frame will be covered in render and stone in harmonising shades, with windows running from the top of the building to the bottom. Sandy Jamieson, the University’s Capital Works Projects Manager, says: “The architecture and aesthetics of the new building are quite stunning.” The University has been very conscious of being a good neighbour, and local residents will have appreciated the unusual quietness of the building site. The work, being carried out by Graham Construction, has used the latest construction methods, with components being brought into the site on flat-bed lorries. Walls are then bolted to floors. “It’s very quick and very quiet,”says Sandy. “It doesn’t disrupt the neighbourhood.” And the students will enjoy superb facilities. The residence will be divided into five-bedroom apartments, each bedroom with its own en-suite bathroom pod containing a shower, wash-handbasin and WC. Each apartment will have a living and dining area and there will be 13 accessible bedrooms on the ground floor. In a £3 million refurbishment project, blocks of UWS-owned tenements on George Street and Lady Lane have also been restored to their Victorian splendour. Restoration and refurbishment specialists CCG Contractors, transformed the 93 flats in the B-listed buildings, in time for the new academic year. Sandy says the blonde sandstone of the Lady Lane tenements and the red sandstone of George Street will now enrich the area for decades to come. The flats will house 160 students. “All the flats are a very good size, says Sandy, with upgraded bedrooms, new carpets, new vinyl floors and new kitchens.” “We’ve really transformed them,” he says. “And without doubt, we’re visually improving the neighbourhood as well.”

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The University’s stunning new £70 million Ayr Campus on the banks of the River Ayr opened in August 2011, on time and under budget. “I can’t take all the credit for that,” insists Liz Kennedy, Campus Director of the Ayr Campus. “It’s not a one-person show. It would not have happened without the considerable contribution of many others, including partner organisations. A fair number of individuals have gone that extra mile.” But despite her modesty, there is no doubt that Liz has been pivotal in keeping the five-year project on track. Experience gained in her previous career has helped in meeting the many challenges of establishing a new campus. “Challenges are there to be met,” says Liz. “My background disciplines have been within nursing, education and management and these have provided me with transferrable skills, all of which have contributed to letting me function positively within my role.” She became involved in Nurse Education within the NHS, moving into the then University of Paisley, when the College of Nursing and Midwifery of Ayrshire and Arran Health Board became part of the University’s School of Health, Nursing and Midwifery in 1996. “I’d transferred 50 staff, 600 students, furniture and equipment from the College of Nursing and Midwifery into the University campus in Ayr, but this project has involved approximately 280 staff, 50 from the Scottish Agricultural College, and 3,500 students,” she says. The environmentally-friendly new campus was developed, on the site of an old garden centre, and designed in consultation with Historic Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The project has taken into account the environmental surroundings of the campus the plants and wildlife including trees, birds, bats and fish.

“We made a commitment to a beautiful campus,” says Liz. “The local community was assured that we were constructing a building which would enhance the local environment, as well as providing a prestigious learning environment.” The sensitive design means that although the campus is on four levels, it is unobtrusive amidst attractive woodland and parkland and the classrooms and communal areas have spectacular views of the greenery and riverbank. Central to the new building is an airy and spacious atrium, which Liz wants to see being used by staff and students for work and learning, as well as for socialising, or to go for a coffee and a sandwich. “People don’t always need to be in their offices or classrooms to talk to and learn from each other,” she says. “It’s a social learning space.” Next to the new building is a £10 million, 200 place student residence, comprising en-suite and social faciities. “The old building had reached its useful end,’’ says Liz of the former Ayr Campus. “The outside didn’t reflect the quality of the education inside. This looks like and is a university building.” She has already received a number of emails from staff, entitled simply “Thank you.” And what is her favourite bit of the campus? The answer is easy, Liz laughs. “I love all of it. I think it’s fantastic!”

Anne Campbell, HR Manager with Chivas Brothers, weighs up the benefits of UWS student placements Words Stephanie Brickman Photography Mike Brooke

A WIN-WIN

SITUATION

The students can bring in a bit of competition and share new practices and fresh ideas… it’s good to stimulate your current staff.

If you, as an employer, or your organisation, are able to help the University with undergraduate placements or opportunities for our graduates, please contact: Jean Beggs (Placements) on 0141 848 3370 Margaret McLachlan (Graduate Opportunities) on 0141 848 3806

You’d expect Anne Campbell to be UWS friendly - she’s a graduate of the former Paisley College of Technology herself (Class of 1990), and her husband is a Lecturer in Marketing. On top of all that, having been HR Manager with Chivas Brothers in Paisley, since1994, work placement students from the University have been part of the company throughout that period. Could this be favouritism for her alma mater? Not at all, according to Anne, taking students on placement makes great business sense. “It’s an extra pair of hands,” says Anne. “But more importantly, it’s an experienced pair of hands. When the students first come in, we know we’re getting someone who has got the enthusiasm and the knowledge base that enables them to learn very quickly. We manage to get a good return on our investment based on work we might otherwise have to allocate to temporary staff.” Chivas Brothers has been taking students on placement from the University for more than 20 years, and many of these have successfully secured permanent employment with the company. The students typically work in the Finance Department and are given experience of working in different areas of this function, such as accounts payable or business analysis. Students are taken on for a year, and paid a competitive salary. The benefits for students in terms of work experience are clear for their future career, but the employer also gains significant benefits.

And the business case for placement students goes further than an extra pair of hands. From an HR point of view, existing staff benefit as well. “We also know we’re giving the opportunity to some of our more junior members of staff here to actually manage someone,” explains Anne. “It’s very good for coaching staff in line management, in a protected situation. They get experience of the recruitment process of the students from selection and interviewing, to when an offer goes out to a candidate. They then get to plan their training and development needs for the whole year ahead.” “In this particular economic climate, I think it’s a valuable option for employers,” confides Anne. “At a reasonable cost, you’re investing in some bright and committed individuals. When they know they’re only there for a short period of time, it’s easy to motivate them, and you’re only committed for 6 months to a year. At the same time, you may discover that you’ve found someone who is a bit of a gem and you might have the opportunity to keep them on.” Anne has also noticed that working alongside student placements can bring extra motivation to existing staff too. “The students can bring in a bit of competition and share new practices and fresh ideas,” she says. “It’s good to stimulate your current staff.” “At Chivas Brothers, we know that when we take on a UWS student placement we’re investing in the company’s future. It’s a win-win situation.”

or visit www.uws.ac.uk/ employability

UWS Alumni Magazine / PLACEMENT FEATURE / 5

CAMPUS NEWS

PLACEMENT FEATURE

New Ayr Campus: Liz’s 5-Year Journey

4 / CAMPUS NEWS / UWS Alumni Magazine

Anne Campbell, HR Manager with Chivas Brothers, weighs up the benefits of UWS student placements Words Stephanie Brickman Photography Mike Brooke

A WIN-WIN

SITUATION

The students can bring in a bit of competition and share new practices and fresh ideas… it’s good to stimulate your current staff.

or visit www.uws.ac.uk/ employability

UWS Alumni Magazine / PLACEMENT FEATURE / 5

INSPIRING ALUMNI

Alumna Jennifer Graham staked everything on going to UWS to obtain a qualification in Human Resources to kick-start her career Words Stephanie Brickman

Thrills & SKILLS

INSPIRING ALUMNI

Jennifer Graham knows what it feels like to take a risk. This vivacious, native Glaswegian, left school at 16, with a clutch of Standard Grades, worked in retail, and then had a child. Then one day, a combination of ambition and self-belief led her to sell her house and put everything on the line, to return to University to get a qualification. “I decided I was probably capable of achieving a bit more and I wanted to challenge myself academically,” she explains. “So I decided to sell my house, move back into the family home and go back to college. Once I’d got my HND in Human Resource Management (HRM), I gained advanced entry into UWS - into the third year of the HRM degree course.” “I suppose it was my experience in retail management that, initially, attracted me to Human Resource Management,” she explains. “I really enjoyed getting involved in recruitment and selection, induction, as well as learning and development. There was a natural interest there with the subject area and also with career guidance.”

Having successfully graduated with her degree with distinction, Jennifer decided to just keep on going, subsequently graduating with a postgraduate Diploma in Career Guidance, again with distinction, after another year of study at UWS. “The postgraduate course was a packed year full of amazing experiences, both academically, but also out in industry. We gained placement with Careers Scotland, as it was then known - it’s now Skills Development Scotland. We learned what the job was actually like. It wasn’t just an academic qualification, there was a real vocational element to it, as well, and that was probably one of its biggest selling points. The placement gave you a unique opportunity to demonstrate the quality of the work that you could do. Not many courses offer that type of opportunity.”

Jennifer’s Tips for

succeeding

at an Interview

> Be fully prepared - know the organisation inside out and prepare as much as you possibly can for the type of questions you may be asked about it. > Find out what type of interview you are going to. Is there a panel? Is there a presentation involved ? Is there a personality questionnaire to be completed ?

Indeed, Jennifer is convinced that it was, thanks to her placement experience, that she was employed by Skills Development Scotland as a Careers Advisor, straight from university in November 2006. “At first, I undertook a variety of roles,” she explains. “I worked as a School Careers Advisor, and then advising people on how to deal with the reality of redundancy. Then, in September last year, I was promoted to Team Leader and I really enjoy the responsibility. It’s a very challenging and demanding role.” “The combination of my degree course and postgraduate study, coupled with my experience prior to university, prepared me very well for my current role. The management part of the degree and managing experience of people and understanding the different ways in which people respond to different styles of management was really useful.” “At Skills Development Scotland our aim is to help individuals to develop the skills they need to manage their career at any time of their working lives. In the case of UWS graduates, the University’s Employability Link offers support to gradutes for two years after graduation, but after that time we can help whether you’re employed or unemployed.”

Employability Link offers free careers advice for 2 years after graduation to all UWS alumni. They can help with a range of services including career planning, graduate recruitment, placement, part-time work, summer jobs and volunteering. Call 0141 848 3806 to find out more. www.uws.ac.uk/employability Skills Development Scotland contact 0141 357 6250. www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk

> Show them you’ve got what they’re looking for - if they’re looking for a, b and c skills, there’s no point telling them you’ve got x, y and z. > Lastly, don’t be late and make sure your mobile phone is switched off! Image: Staff at Skills Development Scotland, Byres Road, Glasgow

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INSPIRING ALUMNI

Alumna Jennifer Graham staked everything on going to UWS to obtain a qualification in Human Resources to kick-start her career Words Stephanie Brickman

Thrills & SKILLS

INSPIRING ALUMNI

Jennifer’s Tips for

succeeding

at an Interview

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FEATURE article

UWS Professor Ross Deuchar explores why it didn’t happen in Scotland Words Ross Deuchar

England’s summer of riots

8 / FEATURE article / UWS Alumni Magazine

FEATURE article

It was mad … it was good, though … we’re just showing the rich people we can do what we want. The callous and defiant words of two young girls who took part in the youth riots in Croydon this summer came as a shock to many. As we watched the devastating violence and looting in London spread into Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol and Nottingham, those of us in Scotland held our breath. But as we waited, our fears about Glasgow being the next location to go up in flames turned to surprise when no Scottish rioting emerged. There have been many debates about the causes and possible consequences of the English riots. Some feel that youngsters were driven to the violence as a result of the lack of opportunities for jobs and recreational pastimes that blight their communities. Others simply blame mindless criminality, opportunistic greed and – most commonly – an increase in urban gang culture. However, the question that has been on many people’s lips is this one: if the root causes underpinning the English riots can really be attributed to social disadvantage and the presence of gangs - why didn’t copycat riots erupt north of the border, given that Scotland has an abundance of these same social problems? Since 2008, my research has taken me into the most deprived housing schemes in the west of Scotland in my quest to explore the reasons underpinning gang violence and the operational elements of the gangs themselves. My insights have shown me that many youngsters in these communities feel disempowered by their lack of income, status and identity and also demonised by the wider public. For some young men, gang membership provides them with a means of accruing compensatory social capital, with opportunities for gaining a sense of bonding and social recognition. But, unlike the gangs that David Cameron has declared war on in England, our youth gangs are not generally driven by serious criminal intent. The main aim of most gang members in the west of Scotland is to engage in ‘recreational’ violence with those who are seen to be part of rival territorial schemes. Many of the young guys I work with talk to me about the ‘buzz’ and enjoyment of going for a drink and a smoke on a Friday night, followed by a gang fight. They experience a surge of adrenalin when they chase rival gang members out of their housing scheme. Although knife crime can emerge from these territorial disputes, gang members are generally more interested in fighting each other than participating in organised riots. In contrast, the gangs in cities like London and Manchester tend to be more Americanised: conflict is highly organized around the dominance of the drug trade, violence is characterised by the use of firearms and membership is hierarchical and focused on the pursuit of criminal activity. The geographical location of the housing schemes in Glasgow may also have played a part in preventing the rioting emerging here. Whereas English cities like Manchester, Birmingham and London suffer from inner-city deprivation, cities like Glasgow suffer from outer-city deprivation.

Young people living in communities like Easterhouse, Pollok, Govan or Drumchapel live remotely from the affluence of the city centre and therefore don’t tend to see visual evidence of the inequality that exists in Scotland. The lack of social mobility that emerges from territorial disputes prevents youngsters from travelling into other housing schemes, let alone travelling into the city centre to engage in high street looting. Looking beyond the social dynamics, there is also a strategic reason that may have prevented widespread youth violence from erupting in the west of Scotland this summer, in the shape of the pioneering work of our national Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). In the past two years, the VRU’s Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) has resulted in a near 50% drop in violent offending among gang members engaged in the project. Inspired by the Boston Ceasefire and a similar initiative in Cincinnati, USA, young gang members are regularly invited into Glasgow Sheriff Court and given a strong enforcement message by Strathclyde Police. But they are also given opportunities to be fast-tracked into a range of educational and social services, if they are prepared to leave the violence behind. In my recent research, I have come across many reformed gang members that have found their way back into education, training and employment. This has been because of CIRV and the partnership between police, social services, youth workers and schools has been a big factor in its success. But, while David Cameron has recently cited CIRV as a blueprint for progress with the gang problem in England, police in Scotland have warned that it should not be seen as a panacea; John Carnochan, head of the VRU, rightly argues that you need ‘local relevance’ and that the model itself is only as good as the people on the ground that make it work. Whatever our views on the riots or the extent or relevance of the gang problem, the success of CIRV highlights one crucial factor in responding to the issue of urban unrest: the need for building positive relationships with young people. Tackling youth disorder and gang culture requires a sustained multiagency approach, and we simply can’t jail our way out of the problem. Instead of supporting delinquent development through punitive interventions, we need more diversionary initiatives that enmesh young people in supportive relationships characterised by the building of reciprocity and trust. In so doing, perhaps we can reach out to youngsters like our two young commentators quoted at the beginning of this article. Tackling the issues of gangs, riots and urban unrest might depend upon it.

Ross Deuchar is Professor of Research at University of the West of Scotland, School of Education, Ayr Campus.

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FEATURE article

UWS Professor Ross Deuchar explores why it didn’t happen in Scotland Words Ross Deuchar

England’s summer of riots

8 / FEATURE article / UWS Alumni Magazine

FEATURE article

Ross Deuchar is Professor of Research at University of the West of Scotland, School of Education, Ayr Campus.

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INSPIRING ALUMNI INSPIRING ALUMNI

Innovative research

Samuel Cudjoe is putting his degree in Waste Management to work in his native Ghana Words Stephanie Brickman Photography Lesley Follan

Building for Better Education

Samuel, left, with fellow graduate Cecil Buekor

From the Goldmine to the Rubbish Dump Most of us either don’t think about waste management, or smile as we remember it being a euphemism for Tony Soprano’s illicit mafia business empire. But the management of waste is a big issue for any developed society and Samuel Cudjoe has decided to make it his business. Originally from Prestea on the Ankobra River in south-west Ghana, Samuel graduated from UWS in summer 2011, with a Master of Science in Waste Management with Environmental Management, and has been snapped up immediately by an employer. “I have a job in a newly established waste management consultancy firm,” says Samuel, enthusiastically. “I’m going to be working in different areas, sometimes working with industry and other times with the community.” And Samuel is joining the Ghanaian waste management sector at a time when his country certainly needs him. “Ghana faces huge challenges in terms of management of both household and industrial waste. One such challenge is the issue of recycling/composting,” explains Samuel. “With regards to household waste management, there are vast quantities of organic waste that could be recycled/ composted and used in agriculture.

“A lot of these waste materials are currently dumped into nearby rivers and streams. This leads to contamination of drinking water for other communities. The impact on health is severe and it has contributed to recent outbreaks of cholera. On the industrial front, key issues such as mine tailing spills and rock waste management are of much importance and concern.” Samuel is well placed to deal with mining companies, having started out his career working in a goldmine after studying for a BSc Agricultural Engineering, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. But increasingly, he found it wasn’t the gold he found most interesting. “At first I thought there was something weird about being interested in waste, but actually it’s a very important aspect of any operation. I decided to look for postgraduate courses in the UK, and after some research I came across the UWS course, which was very attractive.” Samuel was not only offered a place at UWS, he was also one of only two students to gain a coveted Commonwealth Scholarship. He’s clear the course has stood him in good stead and he’s now keen to put the degree to good use.

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“The course was very good and very comprehensive, the course leaders were like a father and mother to me,” he confides. “The class was made up of 80% of students from overseas countries, and so it was a diversified, rich environment with students viewing the subject from lots of different cultural perspectives.” Despite leaving friends and family so far behind, Samuel quickly felt at home in Paisley. “I really enjoyed my time in Scotland, Scottish people are very friendly. I also had the opportunity of meeting some Ghanaians studying at the University as well as people outside.” Does he have any advice for overseas students who want to study in the UK? His answer is simple: “I think overseas students should look at Scottish universities more often, because they offer a very high standard of education.”

I think overseas students should look at Scottish universities more often, because they offer a very high standard of education.

Dr Eddie Edgerton investigates the influence of architecture on learning Words Olga Wojtas Photography Adrian Searle

Today, there are frequent debates about pupils’ poor behaviour and performance in school, with the finger of blame generally pointed either at a lack of discipline from teachers or poor parental control. But UWS Environmental Psychologist Dr Eddie Edgerton has come up with alternative radical new findings, showing that pupils’ behaviour, self-esteem and academic achievement can improve because of their school building environment. Environmental psychology, looking at how we react to our surroundings, has become increasingly popular and topical in recent years: “It deals with everyday problems.” says Eddie. Billions of pounds have been invested in new school buildings across the UK, but nobody has had any idea of the impact this has had on pupils. So when Eddie discovered East Dunbartonshire Council was embarking on a £100 million project to build six new secondary schools, he asked if he could research the impact of this huge investment. He praises the Council for agreeing, since it could not predict what the outcome would be. He carried out the first large scale study of its kind in the UK, gathering the views of more than 12,000 pupils. These included first year pupils, who were new to the school, third years, who were midway through their secondary education, and fifth years, who were on the verge of leaving. After a series of focus groups, Eddie and his team drew up a questionnaire, which went much further than previous studies. These had looked narrowly at academic performance, for example, whether noise levels affected pupils’ reading ability.

But Eddie wanted to get a much bigger picture, in line with Scotland’s new Curriculum for Excellence, which as its core objective aims to encourage motivated, confident learners. The buildings themselves had one main entrance with a reception desk and lockers for the pupils, so that they felt their belongings were safe, with much brighter and wider areas to move around in than the traditional narrow dark corridors, which Eddie points out could be a source of conflict between classes. There was now plenty of social space, with pupils able to find a quiet area, if they wanted to chat to friends about something personal. “All credit to East Dunbartonshire,” says Eddie. “I’ve seen schools where space was a method of crowd control and nothing else - a big massive hall with 700 pupils in it, while teachers patrolled a gantry above. It was like the American prison system – all that was missing was the guns. And it was a recipe for disaster.” Eddie found a dramatic improvement in self-esteem among the pupils, which meant they were more likely to volunteer to participate in activities within the school. They studied harder and got their homework in on time. They were also much less likely to get into trouble, and there was significantly less littering, vandalism and skipping of classes. Eddie says this suggests that the environment in which pupils learn needs to be taken into account as a key factor in obtaining success in the educational system. “While the results are very, very positive, there’s the possibility of the ‘new paint’ effect, and the only way to answer that is to go back in three or four years and see if the results are as positive,” he says. “But I’d be surprised if they weren’t.”

…a dramatic improvement in self-esteem among the pupils, which meant they were more likely to volunteer to participate in activities within the school. They studied harder and got their homework in on time.

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INSPIRING ALUMNI INSPIRING ALUMNI

Innovative research

Samuel Cudjoe is putting his degree in Waste Management to work in his native Ghana Words Stephanie Brickman Photography Lesley Follan

Building for Better Education

Samuel, left, with fellow graduate Cecil Buekor

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I think overseas students should look at Scottish universities more often, because they offer a very high standard of education.

Dr Eddie Edgerton investigates the influence of architecture on learning Words Olga Wojtas Photography Adrian Searle

UWS Alumni Magazine / INNOVATIVE RESARCH / 11

INSPIRING ALUMNI

Living the

American Dream

Bill Elder, OBE on entrepreneurship, positive thinking and the Scots Words Stephanie Brickman | Illustration Derick Carss

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INSPIRING ALUMNI

Here I am, late in my career and my life, having a lot of fun, and I’m really excited about the future of this company.

Bill Elder has just got back from a business trip to Japan to find his home-base of San Jose, California unseasonably wet. “This year, we’ve had a tremendous amount of rain,” he exclaims. “It reminds me of Scotland.” Indeed, the rainfall is one of the few things that haven’t changed since Bill, who holds an OBE (Order of the British Empire) and an Honorary Doctorate, from the University of Paisley (now UWS), left his native Glasgow in 1968. “I was born in Possilpark, in the north side of Glasgow. I went to Possilpark Senior Secondary School and always enjoyed my school life. Maths and Geography were my favourite subjects and to this day my mental arithmetic skills, that came from Scotland, blow my own boys’ away,” he laughs adding: “I can calculate quicker in my head than they can with a calculator.” After school, his love of cars led him to become a mechanic and when a factory opened in Linwood, near Paisley, he joined as a Senior Mechanic. “With that I got exposed to the Work Study Department,” he explains. “And that’s when I got excited about studying again. They sent me to what was then Paisley Technical College, (now UWS) on a day a week programme, for four years. It was an IWSP (Institute of Work Study Practioners) Diploma, which is really equivalent to what would be called industrial engineering today.” “We were a typical working-class family,” he explains. “My mother was delighted when I was offered an apprenticeship and became a mechanic, that was a big deal to her. But, I never stopped my quest to improve myself.” Bill was the first in his family to go to university or college and once he’d got his diploma and those letters after his name, he packed his things and went off to the USA. And so, the Glasgow boy with the big ambitions found himself in California at the time when Silicon Valley was just beginning to establish its name as a hub of electronics and technology. “I was fortunate to be in San Francisco at the time having joined California Blue Shield as an Industrial Engineer. After six months, I was running the company’s Industrial Engineering Department, after another six months, I was promoted to Director of Administration running the entire administration group in charge of all the computers, manual systems and office procedures but I still missed the thrill of manufacturing.” After reading more and more about silicon and semiconductors and what was happening down in ‘the valley’, he decided to try his fortunes in the semiconductor industry, becoming a Manufacturing Industrial Engineer for Fairchild Semiconductors in 1970. The next ten years saw numerous promotions, culminating in him being Plant Manager of a factory in Hong Kong for 2 years.

“That’s when the seed of running or starting my own company was planted,” he explains. “I took that job with the purpose of getting the experience of running a factory, and an operation where I didn’t have my boss two doors down from me. The boss was an ocean away, so I succeeded or failed on the basis of what I was doing. Hong Kong was a wonderful experience for me both personally and professionally.” After ten years in the semiconductor industry, Bill realised his strength lay in repairing, understanding and problem-solving manufacturing equipment. The semiconductor equipment industry had grown into a very significant industry, yielding great opportunities, so he became President of a small equipment company that was part of Eaton’s Semiconductor Equipment operation. “I spent two years there taking the company from loss to profit. Then by 1981, actually I remember it was St Andrew’s Day, I incorporated Genus Inc. as a California Corporation.” “From 1981 to 2005, I started Genus, took it from my living room table, to getting it funded, building the company, taking it public, through an Initial Public Offering (IPO), and then eventually selling it to a bigger company that made sense from a consolidation point of view.” Genus is undoubtedly the biggest achievement of his career so far, and despite being in his early 70s, he’s not done yet. Indeed, he’s bounced into his new enterprise ‘Maskless Lithography’, with the energy of a twenty year-old as well as the advantages of decades of experience. “I sold Genus to a German company called AIXTRON in 2005. I stayed on for three years to make sure Genus was successfully integrated into AIXTRON’s culture and management structures, and I was also on the Board of Directors of a small start-up company called Maskless Lithography.” “I think the Board saw me playing too much golf and racquetball and heard all these great travel stories at the Board meetings and they said: ‘Bill – it’s time you went back to work, you’re having too much fun!’ So a year and a half ago, I became the CEO of Maskless.” Maskless Lithography, is a young company with a very exciting new technology using digital printing for circuit boards instead of contact printing. This eliminates many manufacturing steps. “So I’m now at a very exciting stage of my life again,” he confides. “Here I am, late in my career and my life, having a lot of fun and I’m really excited about the future of this company. I’m driving it towards a potential public offering in the next few years.” You might be tempted to interject “lucky Maskless Lithography”, but he’s quick to say: “No, lucky me!”

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INSPIRING ALUMNI

Living the

American Dream

Bill Elder, OBE on entrepreneurship, positive thinking and the Scots Words Stephanie Brickman | Illustration Derick Carss

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INSPIRING ALUMNI

Here I am, late in my career and my life, having a lot of fun, and I’m really excited about the future of this company.

UWS Alumni Magazine / INSPIRING ALUMNI / 13

INSPIRING ALUMNI

“I think one of the traits of the Scots is the tremendous work ethic that we have, he continues. “I’m still as energetic and active as I’ve ever been and I love to work. It’s not because I need it financially, but because I need it mentally and physically - the challenge of getting up early in the morning, and driving a young company to success.” Continuing to compete on the global stage is exciting and challenging, and wonderful motivation for anyone willing to meet the challenge.” “The USA is great (and Silicon Valley, in particular) in that it fosters a young start-up mentality within the community. I can remember back in the 1990s when I’d go to the University of Paisley (now UWS) and give talks. I was living and breathing Genus in those days and getting ready to take it public. I can always remember at one of those dinner meetings, with the corporate business partners, I told my story of how I started Genus and how I got $9.5 million from venture capitalists. None of that money to start the company was mine, but I provided equity in the company, in return for this financial support. This young individual in the audience got up and said he couldn’t believe it. He went on to explain how he’d had to mortgage his house and put money into the company, and that was the only way he could get the bank to give him any backing. It was an amazing contrast between what you had to do to start a company in Scotland and what I had to do in the US.” Much as Bill would like to see Scotland make changes to create a more fertile environment for enterprise, Bill Elder has no lack of confidence in Scottish entrepreneurship. “I don’t think there’s a country in the world where I’ve visited, and I’ve visited many, where there’s not a Scot in a senior management position. That’s true of China today, Taiwan and Korea. Wherever you go, you’ll find a Scottish accent.

UNIVERSITY PROFILE

In fact, if you call my office, you will be welcomed by a very rich Scottish accent and it’s not mine!! My Personal Assistant, this past 10 years, Irene Dunlop, is also from Glasgow, and neither of us has lost the Scottish accent. We Scots are adventurous people and it’s that work ethic that separates us from the rest.” Indeed, it was that love and deep respect for his roots that led him to become the first Honorary British Consul to Silicon Valley in the late 1990s, earning him an OBE and a trip to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen. But his first award came in 1995, in the form of an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Paisley. “The Honorary Doctorate was the first award I’d got from anybody, and it was quite an honour for me. I was thrilled to go back to Paisley and receive it from Professor Richard Shaw, who was Principal at the time.” Bill is hoping to find time in his busy schedule to visit UWS again, and bring Gloria, his wife of 30 years. He has a powerful urge to give something back to his native land. “Over the years my motto has always been: ‘If I think I can achieve something, I will.’ I have always had a positive attitude in life and a drive to succeed. Your attitude in life is so important- you need to be positive all the time, so that this drives you forward. Negative thinking only raises fear, uncertainty and doubt in your mind.” “And it’s also true of my personal life. I have a wonderful life with my wife and sons, I’ve been healthy all my life and I’ve never had any ailments. My advice to any alumni would be just live your dream, and go make it happen!! I feel I have lived the American dream.”

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I don’t think there’s a country in the world where I’ve visited, and I’ve visited many, where there’s not a Scot in a senior management position.

CONFIDENCE IN THE

FUTURE

Malcolm Foley, Vice Principal (Learning & Teaching) and Executive Dean of Business & Creative Industries, outlines the University’s focus on its students Words Olga Wojtas | Photography Mark Seager

rofessor Malcolm Foley, Vice Principal (Learning & Teaching) and Executive Dean of Business & Creative Industries came to UWS in 2009, and was immediately impressed, he says, by UWS’s commitment to looking after its students. In Malcolm’s new role he found himself facing one of the most challenging tasks for any institution, preparing for the arrival of a high-powered review team from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) for an Enhancement Led Institutional Review (ELIR). This was arguably even more nerve-racking, since it was the first visit since UWS was created through the merger of University of Paisley and Bell College in 2007. The QAA monitors the quality of Higher Education provision provided by all of Scotland’s universities, assessing academic standards and the student learning experience. And in 2011, there were two lengthy visits to the University from a top-level team, which included three senior UK academics, a senior academic from Sydney, a student reviewer from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, a senior administrator from England, and an Assistant Director from QAA Scotland.

The review began with a morning of University presentations, normally expected to start with senior staff, but Malcolm wanted the student view to feature equally strongly. “We decided to have the Principal interviewed first and then the Student President, Susan Duncan.” “The University wanted to make a clear statement. We have good leadership, but the students are equally important. We were giving students their place at the heart of the University and in the whole process,” he says. The review team also talked to around 100 staff and 50 students. “We were proud that there was such a good turn-out of students,” says Malcolm. UWS leads the way in Scotland in having more than 40 per cent of its students studying parttime, as well as having a large proportion of mature students. It was a big commitment for many of the students to participate during the working day.“ he added. “We had a lot of informal feedback about our students’ enthusiasm.” He is delighted that the Students’ Association has launched 21st Century Teaching Awards, through which students nominate inspirational staff, and that these are attracting large numbers of votes. The review team was also intrigued by UWS’s new Learning Manifesto, which begins with the radical statement: students and staff are equal as learners.

Learning is a two-way process, says Malcolm, and staff can learn a lot from student feedback and find out whether they need to lecture in a different way. “It’s not comfortable for a lecturer to hear that something didn’t work, but our students are committing a lot in order to study, and if it isn’t delivering, we have a responsibility to make sure it works for them.” The QAA review has given UWS top marks, awarding it the highest possible “confidence” rating. The merger has gone well, with a shared sense of purpose and vision for the new University. It praises the University’s commitment to widening participation in Higher Education, with 16 per cent of students coming from Scotland’s most deprived areas. And it says UWS has forged successful and productive links with professional, business and local communities. The University has no plans to rest on its laurels, says Malcolm: managing quality is a continuous activity. But there is no doubt about the message from UWS. “Our students can have full confidence in the standard of the award they receive, when they graduate, and we are committed to a continous progamme of enhancement to take things forward.”

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INSPIRING ALUMNI

UNIVERSITY PROFILE

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I don’t think there’s a country in the world where I’ve visited, and I’ve visited many, where there’s not a Scot in a senior management position.

CONFIDENCE IN THE

FUTURE

Malcolm Foley, Vice Principal (Learning & Teaching) and Executive Dean of Business & Creative Industries, outlines the University’s focus on its students Words Olga Wojtas | Photography Mark Seager

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ALUMNI profiles FEATURE

ALUMNI PROFILES

Life-changing ALUMNI PROFILE Harmeet Singh BEng Engineering Management , Class of 2010 When Harmeet Singh was planning to leave Delhi, to study abroad for his higher education qualification, he could have gone to Australia or Canada. But he never had any doubt where he was heading. “Scottish Education is one of the best in the world. Scotland, for me, was the only option.” He arrived in Scotland in 2007, although he had already visited London and knew it well. “I knew there would be a different attitude and culture in Scotland. I like it. It’s more down to earth.” I jokingly ask how he has coped with the weather, but his serious reply is a reminder that while we, in Scotland, always complain, we have little to complain about. “In India, people die because there is no water. It’s one of the good things, Scotland has so much rain and the countryside is always green.” For the past 30 years, Harmeet’s family has been involved in battery manufacturing in India, expanding into re-conditioning of batteries, for all sorts of vehicles and power tools, with excellent results. This is an area which is in its infancy in Europe, but Harmeet points out that apart from the financial savings, there is a huge reduction in hazardous waste.

I knew there would be a different attitude and culture in Scotland. I like it. It’s more down to earth. “You can recondition up to 70% or 80% of old batteries,” he says. And this can be done for a wide range of vehicles, from buses and vans, to forklift trucks and golf buggies.” As a small boy, Harmeet began a lifelong love affair with cars and vintage motor bikes; his father had his own garage before setting up his new business. Harmeet began his studies with an HND in Automotive Engineering at Clydebank College. To help support himself during his studies, he worked for a book distributor in Cambuslang, just outside Glasgow, where he learned the importance of products being in the right place at the right time.

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This inspired him to take the UWS BEng Engineering Management course following his HND, and he graduated last year. “It was a really good course – I just loved it. I’m very good with cars, as well as mechanical and electrical systems, and this course was all about learning about specialised tools and computers. If something’s not working, you don’t have to check everything. This means you can focus on identifying the problem, which saves the customer, and you, time.” Everything Harmeet studied and learned at UWS was preparing him towards his ultimate goal of setting up his own business. With some financial backing from his father, the 24 year-old has now established Glasgow Car Detailing Garage Ltd, bringing a pioneering green technology to Scotland. He praises UWS for having given him the knowledge and skills to run his own business. “You have to consider so many things – how to source your materials, decide how much you should spend on promotion, as well as make a contribution to the environment. The UWS course really taught me a lot – I’m aware of everything I do, and it’s all down to my UWS education,” he says. “The hardest thing to manage is people. I learned people management skills at UWS, how to motivate staff and keep them happy.” He gives particular thanks to Lecturer Eddy Dempsey. “He is an amazing person. He always told me to adopt a positive attitude to business at all times, and said even if something goes wrong, you should always remember you always learn. Next time you deal with the same problem you will in a better way.” Harmeet’s enthusiasm for UWS led him to encourage his sister-in-law, Charan Jeet Kaur, to take a Masters in Advanced Computer Systems Development at Paisley Campus, and he hopes she will achieve her goal of pursuing a website design career. Is he planning to return to India? “Establishing my successful company has been very hard work, but really rewarding. I have invested so much time, money and effort in it, that I don’t want to go anywhere else – I want to continue to give it everything I can and stay in Scotland.”

Alumni Profiles The University’s aim is to give our students the best start in their future careers. Here’s how these graduates have got on.

Craig Smith Kyle Devine BA Economics with BA Events Management Marketing, Class of 1994 with Marketing and Enterprise Studies, I lived in Glasgow for the first 18 years of my life and went to university straight Class of 2009 from school. It was exciting going to university and the people I lived with in halls of residence, were a great bunch from all over Britain. We still keep in touch. When I graduated, I obtained a graduate traineeship in store management. After I’d learned the ropes, I got placed in a superstore in North London and within a year of graduation I was in charge of the sales floor and up to 150 people. Then I started to get homesick, so I came back to Scotland. I joined IBM as a contractor in 1998, and I’ve been there ever since. Currently, I’m selling software. The classes I took in organisational behaviour at the University have proved valuable. It’s something you can recognise in the corporate world and in large companies. You can see the theory in practice. The marketing I learned is also useful in my work in sales, in terms of how customers respond to the promotional messages you put to them. It’s also been good to have a broad understanding of macroeconomics, although it’s not something you use every day. As for the future, IBM is a global company and doing very well which means there are lots of opportunities, so we’ll see what happens in 2012.

Gordon Ralph BA Business and Management, Class of 2001

I chose the Business and Management course as it had the option in year 3 to go on The course was good and the tutorials really an industrial placement. I felt that was going helped me. It was theory based, but I can to be a significant part of my degree and see why I need that knowledge base. Now, help me to stand me out from the if I’m involved with the organisation and crowd when it came to job hunting. marketing of an event, I feel as if I have the It was a nice surprise to me to find the knowledge and skills to make sure lecturers were regularly in the newspaper or on everything runs to plan. TV providing expert opinion. I’m now part of the marketing team The degree itself gave me an awareness of at Renfrewshire Leisure. I have an overall having a transferrable skillset and I have been responsibility for events and also the running fortunate to use this to help increase my and promotion of the fitness suites. We try options in the job market. I did do a placement and market in different ways to different year, organised by the university, I worked for audiences, so it’s not just the handing out of 12 months with Compaq Computers in Erskine. posters and leaflets. In planning to promote Since graduating, I have moved between our services, there is always a need to sales and procurement. I now work for BAE undertake market research to understand our Systems, buying parts for two new aircraft clients’ needs, to make sure we provide the carriers that are being built. After the Olympic right service to them and promote this in the Games it’s the biggest project in Britain and the right way. project of a lifetime for me. UWS really helped me to understand Currently, I’m studying again now to get my how to undertake research. I can look at chartership. It’s called CIPS, which stands for competitors and what they’re doing. It’s an Chartered Institute of Purchase and Supply. interesting job, and every day is different. It’s Apart from that I just hope to get promoted as the variety that makes it so exciting; that’s much as possible while seeing the carriers what really gets me out of bed in the morning. through to their launch.

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ALUMNI profiles FEATURE

ALUMNI PROFILES

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Alumni Profiles The University’s aim is to give our students the best start in their future careers. Here’s how these graduates have got on.

Gordon Ralph BA Business and Management, Class of 2001

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INSPIRING ALUMNI

She’s hit the top of her profession, but Irene Barkby is still looking for challenges Words Olga Wojtas | Photography Mark Seager

Irene Barkby • Registered Nurse – 1982 • Registered Midwife – 1984 • C ertificate of Clinical Nursing Studies (Neonatal Intensive Care) – 1985 • BA Nursing, Bell College – Graduated 1998

Aiming

• N urse Director, NHS National Services Scotland - 2009

high W hen Irene Barkby was in primary school, her teacher told her she was top of the bottom half of the class. “I was quite offended – not even bottom of the top half!” says Irene, who is now one of Scotland’s most senior nurses – Executive Nurse Director of NHS National Services Scotland. This summer, she also graduated with an Executive MBA (Master of Business Administration) from UWS. But Irene admits, she wasn’t an academic high flyer, even though her mother had been a dux medallist at school. Born and bred in Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, Irene grew up in Eddlewood, “not one of the poshest council estates.” She had to work hard to get good grades throughout her time at Hamilton Grammar School. “I was probably one of those children who just plodded along and didn’t do either really well or really badly.” But her dream was always to become a nurse. As her mother had multiple sclerosis, she learned early, the qualities needed for this career of empathy, compassion and practicality. She decided to stay on for a fifth year, even though she wasn’t sure of securing the five O Grades necessary for nursing. “I ended up getting six O Grades, and two Highers, which allowed me to enter the Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Glasgow,” she says. “I’ve never once regretted my career choice. But I must admit, I am a bit of a selfdoubter and I’ve always wondered whether I was capable of achieving the next level, which is probably why it took so long to commit to the EMBA qualification.”

While Irene may have doubted herself, her ability and potential were always obvious to those she worked with. She was encouraged to take on increasing responsibility and moved from her work as a nurse and midwife into leadership roles. She became Senior Midwife at the William Smellie Memorial Hospital in Lanark, moving on to be Head of Midwifery before taking up 24-hour management responsibility for the Women and Children’s Directorate at Law Hospital Trust in Lanarkshire. But she was not driven by a desire for personal success. “For me, going into nursing was about caring for people, making a difference,” she says. “Obviously, in the early part of your career, it was about making a difference for individuals from a pain or suffering perspective, or just making it a bit more tolerable for families and staff. But when you start to progress, you notice the impact your work has on those around you, and you change from worrying about a small group of staff to thinking this system could be better for everyone.” Her high-powered posts, include being seconded in 2006 to the Scottish Government to tackle the notoriously problematic area of nursing workforce planning. Irene has made her name in the NHS by leading the development of a unique formula to calculate the number of staff required in any ward or clinical area in Scotland: requirements can vary dramatically, she points out, between a care of the elderly ward or a surgical day care unit. As a direct result of using this formula, Scotland is now leading the UK, with a nationally consistent approach to workforce planning.

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• E xecutive Masters in Business Administration, UWS – Graduated July 2011

During this time, she worked for Paul Martin, then Scotland’s Chief Nursing Officer and Director for Health Workforce, whom she found an inspiring mentor. Paul is now Vice Principal (International) and Executive Deanof the Faculty of Education, Health and Social Sciences at UWS. Ten years previously, Irene had graduated with a BA Nursing at the former Bell College in Hamilton (now UWS), and had considered further study. But it had seemed too much to juggle this with career responsibilities and family commitments (she has 16 year-old twin daughters). “However, Paul encouraged me to think from a more personal perspective, about the value to me as an individual of studying and attaining this particular qualification, saying there was always something very valuable to be gained from any learning experience.” Irene went to an information session at UWS and was struck that other applicants weren’t all youngsters, but people who had been managers for years. The two-year course, which she started in November 2009, was gruelling, with self-study late into the evening and Saturday attendance once a month. Because of this commitment, Irene thought it would be crazy to change job while on the course. However, four months later, she moved to her present post, with the backing of her colleagues in NHS Lanarkshire and the Scottish Government team. NHS National Services Scotland provides both business and health support to all the other health boards in the country and Irene firmly believes enhancing her business knowledge and understanding, through the EMBA, has made her a much more valuable asset to it.

For me, going into nursing was about caring for people, making a difference. Her fellow students came from a wide range of backgrounds: the pharmaceutical industry, nuclear plants, private business, and even UWS staff. “You didn’t just get classroom tuition. The shared learning we got from each other was really valuable. When someone from another industry challenges your viewpoint, it makes you reflect from a wider perspective, and consider that maybe your thinking hasn’t been as robust as you thought.” Nursing has completely changed since she first entered it, when it was a case of “get the bedpan, make the bed, put the flowers in the vase,” she says. “There wasn’t a lot of thinking about the implications of your actions for the patient or the psychological impact it would have on them, it was just get the task done. Now, it’s all about the actions you take your accountability to make the best clinical assessment of patient needs, applying evidence towards a solution and above all, to challenge things regardless of who’s around you, if you feel something’s not as good as it should be.” And Irene Barkby, as always, will continue to be committed to making things better.

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INSPIRING ALUMNI

She’s hit the top of her profession, but Irene Barkby is still looking for challenges Words Olga Wojtas | Photography Mark Seager

Aiming

• N urse Director, NHS National Services Scotland - 2009

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• E xecutive Masters in Business Administration, UWS – Graduated July 2011

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feature article

UWS is attracting a growing number of international students, but what is it like for these students when they turn up in a new country for the first time? Words Olga Wojtas Photography Mike Brooke

East, West, UWS IS BEST

International students tell West what they think of Scotland

...tried another local delicacy, fish & chips, and is planning to add it to his repertoire. Jiao Ru

WS is attracting a growing number of international students, but what is it like for these students when they turn up in a new country for the first time? Hungarian Eszter Dolgos, a Masters student in the Faculty of Economics, at Corvinus University of Budapest, says the UWS website convinced her to sign up for the Business School’s postgraduate programme in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. “But there had been no students from my university here before, so I couldn’t ask anybody about life here in Paisley and in Scotland. Maybe the strangest thing I notice, is the traffic being on the other side of the road. It’s very difficult to get used to it, and I still look in the wrong direction,” she laughs. “Another thing I sometimes have difficulties with, is buying food from my country. We don’t have so much prepared food, and sometimes it’s hard to find suitable ingredients, if I want to cook something.” On the other hand, she says, there are some things she really enjoys buying, in particular Cadburys chocolate fingers and hot chocolate. They cheer up a rainy day, she says, but she came prepared for changeable weather and it doesn’t dampen her enthusiasm for Scotland. “I haven’t eaten haggis yet, but I really want to try it during my stay.” She had heard about bagpipes and kilts, and was delighted when the Students’ Union recently began a Scottish evening with a bagpipe recital.

“It wasn’t horrible, it was nice to hear.” She has also observed a number of men in kilts. “I find that strange because in my country men don’t wear them,” she confesses. “So for girls, it looks funny, and we always smile when we see it. But it’s a nice tradition, and it’s good to see that Scottish people wear traditional clothes.” When she returns to Hungary, she has no doubt that she will be recommending UWS to other students. “I’m really happy, that I chose to study here. I think that one of the most important things is to have an open mind, to be interested in different people from different cultures and to make friends. And I think UWS is a perfect place to do that.” Jun Chen, UWS Senior Marketing Co-ordinator for overseas marketing, says that for students from China, there can be a particular culture shock. “Studying at University in China, they have a course or class leader to help them settle into university life, classes and teaching. But when they come to UWS, they need to find out most of the things for themselves,” she explains. “In my experience, international students really need a bit of support when they arrive in this country. We can be a big help with things from opening a bank account to registration, and we also organise an annual ceilidh.”

Jiao Ru, who is from Beijing and studying an Honours degree in Business and Economics, is coping well with learning to cook in his flat. Like Eszter, he hasn’t yet tried haggis, but fully intends to do so. But he has tried another local delicacy, fish and chips, and is planning to add it to his repertoire. He is very much looking forward to Hogmanay and seeing how the Scottish New Year celebrations compare to the traditional Chinese celebrations of dumplings and fireworks. International students naturally miss home, family, friends and food, he says, but it’s also fascinating to see so many new things and experience new culture. “Many Chinese students are attracted by Scottish architecture, because we do not have buildings like that at home,” he says. But admiring the architecture probably wasn’t on Jiao’s mind, when he first started his course. “In my first week at the Paisley Campus, I always got lost on my way to lectures. Every time we had a class, I had to check the campus map carefully to make sure I was heading in the right direction and to the right building.” he laughs. “I am getting more used to the layout of the campus now. It just takes time.”

I’m really happy, that I chose to study here. I think that one of the most important things is to have an open-mind, to be interested in different people from different cultures and to make friends. And I think UWS is a perfect place to do that. Eszter Dolgos

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feature article

UWS is attracting a growing number of international students, but what is it like for these students when they turn up in a new country for the first time? Words Olga Wojtas Photography Mike Brooke

East, West, UWS IS BEST

International students tell West what they think of Scotland

...tried another local delicacy, fish & chips, and is planning to add it to his repertoire. Jiao Ru

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A LOOK INSIDE

LIFESTYLE

The Revolution will not be Selfepublished

The eBook’s rise to the top of the pile • eBooks are estimated at 11% of the total UK book market. • The UK eBook market increased by 38% in 2010 to £180m. • Between August and December 2010 Amazon sold 400,000 Kindles in the UK. • In the last three months of 2010 Apple sold 7.3m iPads worldwide. • In the UK laptops and desktop computers are the most popular device for reading ebooks (45%).

Inside A Look

Words Olga Wojtas | Photography Mike Brooke

Centre for Engineering Excellence providing real skills to students for the industry Many students on practical engineering courses expect to have to go out on company visits to see how products are designed and manufactured in industry. However, UWS’s Design and Motorsport Engineering students have access to industry-standard facilities within the University itself, thanks to the £2.5 million investment in the Centre for Engineering Excellence at the Hamilton Campus. Senior lecturer Peter Griffin says: “This is one of the best facilities in Scotland, rivalling most in industry.” The Centre, which was opened in 2008, by the University’s Chancellor, Lord Smith of Kelvin, Chairman of major engineering company the Weir Group. These new premises and the machines in it provided a new state-of-the-art manufacturing workshop, a four-bay motorsports workshop, and a plastic injection moulding workshop, equipped with two industry-standard injection moulding machines.

“This new equipment helps everyone from first year students just beginning their BEng degree, to members of staff carrying out consultancy work,” says Peter. “The researchers can develop a device from scratch and the moulding machines can then produce two thousand of them, with the students able to follow the whole process as a case study for their course.” “They don’t need to visit a company – they can see products that somebody has designed and then manufactured right here on these premises,” he says. Students are thrilled to have the opportunity to get so much hands-on experience. “In many universities, says Peter, obtaining these practical skills is rare for first year engineering students.” “But you can’t learn real engineering skills just sitting in a classroom, and the feedback we get from students is very positive and they want to be involved in practising real skills for their future career.”

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In the dedicated motorsports area, students can obtain skills building (from scratch) a single-seater racing car. The UWS BEng Honours degree in Motorsport Engineering is unique in Scotland, and many students have taken part in the International Formula Student Competition: to design and build a real racing car, and then compete against other universities in the UK at the Silverstone Racing circuit. Peter adds, that as well as 200 students on full-time engineering degrees, there are around 80 part-time students on the Engineering Management degree, for which he has responsibility. Many already work in industry, and travel from up to 50 miles away, from blue chip companies such as Burton’s Foods, BAE Systems, Philips, Rolls Royce, Terex, McVities, William Grants and Diageo, to attend the course. “We use very modern teaching and learning facilities, where they can work in teams rather than in classrooms,” Peter says. “It’s like a mini-conference centre, and the students love it.”

Acclaimed novelist Ewan Morrison recently hosted a debate on the future of the book at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Here he gives us his personal take on the pros and cons of ebook self-publishing. People ask me, ‘Have books got a future in the digital era?’ and I always have to answer ‘Well it depends on who you are’. By this I mean, if you’re a reader then you’re going to have a great time; your new electronic ereader will open up a cornucopia of books that you can consume for mere pennies, in fact, for free. But if you’re a writer, who hopes to get paid for their work, then you’re in trouble. Why? You might ask - isn’t the digital revolution making it easier for writers to self-publish? All it takes is a PDF file and an hour of your time on Amazon and hey presto, you’ve published your first book on Kindle. Not only that, but you can set your own royalty rate as high as 70% - a glorious profit margin way beyond the measly pittance of 12% that is the publishing houses’ standard. Yes, well, at first glance this does look very exciting. But when you see what happens in reality, the self epublishing bonanza looks more like a disaster. Here’s what happens: Writer A selfpublishes on Kindle and sets the price at £3.99. After a week, he has sold forty books to all of his mates and family; he then puts out requests to buy his book to friends-offriends on Facebook and he blogs about his writing and tries to get other bloggers to review the book.

What he’s lacking here is the entire marketing and promotion network that publishers set up over a century; those links between publishers, critics, booksellers and marketing people. Apart from his chums, no-one knows that his book exists. After a few weeks of exhausting self-promotion, Writer A decides to lower his cover price to encourage buyers. He learns that most of the books in the Kindle top 20, retail at around 99p (even less in the US at 99c). So with a few clicks he cuts his own price by 300%. He manages to sell a few more copies by word of mouth, but he does not manage to break through into a market that extends beyond his online social network; his book is not in any shops and no-one is reviewing it. This is because he has overlooked one important factor. In his brilliant idea to self epublish he was not alone. His ebook is not the new release of the month or week or day or even hour. It is just one self-published Kindle in the vast and ever growing stockpile of unread ebooks sitting on some hard-drive owned by Amazon. His ebook is literally one in a million. So what can he do? Well, in a last ditch attempt to get a buzz around his book and to get people blogging about it, he decides to put his cover price down to 10p on Kindle and also to make it available on his blog as a free download.

• 14% of UK eBook buyers use Kindles, 12% use iPhones, 6% use Sony e-readers and 5% use iPads. • 72% of all UK eBook sales are for academic and professional titles. * Source: The Global eBook market by Rüdiger Wischenbart published by O’Reilly Media

Win 1 of 5 Kindles, see Contents Page 2 for more details As soon as he does this he realises that no-one will ever pay the 10p because he’s given them the option of getting the book for free. Finally, after a few months, and after having only sold fifty or sixty copies of his book, he gives up epublishing forever. Or he decides to try again next year, once he’s written another book, for free. This is a negative and gloomy picture, you might protest. Surely, I should be encouraging young writers to believe in themselves! Well, lets put it this way, Amazon doesn’t have to believe in writers, it doesn’t even know who they are - Kindle is an anonymous automated service. Amazon is more than happy for Writer A to sell only sixty books at between £3.99 and 10p, because it makes its 30% cut. Although in the case of Writer A this only comes to £30, with half a million wannabe writers doing the same thing as Writer A, that comes to £15 million. Not bad as a business model. So yes, all of this is great for Amazon, but for writers? Maybe it would be best to be a consumer, that way you at least get something for your investment. Ewan Morrison is the author of the acclaimed novels Swung, Distance and Ménage. His story collection Tales from the Mall will be published in 2012.

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A LOOK INSIDE

LIFESTYLE

The Revolution will not be Selfepublished

Inside A Look

Words Olga Wojtas | Photography Mike Brooke

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BENEFITS for UWS Alumni s a member of our Alumni Association A you can benefit from: > up to 2 years free careers and CV advice after graduation > free access to the UWS campus libraries > special rates for University sports facilities > discounted rates on University accommodation > special holiday deals with Barrhead Travel > discount rates in selected hotels in west and south-west Scotland and the UK > deals on musicals and shows throughout the UK For details visit www.uws.ac.uk/alumnideals If you graduated from one of our former institutions before University of the West of Scotland was formed in August 2007, you can still join the UWS Alumni Association. Check out www.uws.ac.uk/alumni for instructions Join our Alumni network on LinkedIn by searching for University of the West of Scotland Alumni (Official Group) or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Likeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ UWSAlumniNetwork