Network Magazine 2015 by University of Westminster alumni

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2015

MARY BENSON TRENDSETTER AND RULEBREAKER

SIAN WILLIAMS: PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID ALUMNI NEWS AND LETTERS

FEATURE HEADER TITLE HERE

I’m delighted to welcome all alumni, and particularly our newest cohort of graduates, the Class of 2015, to the latest edition of NETWORK, the magazine for alumni of the University of Westminster. It’s been another significant year in the continuing development of the University, and one which, following on from the success of our 175th anniversary, has given us much cause for both celebration and optimism. Over the past academic year we have drawn up our blueprint for the next five years and beyond in Westminster 2020, a strategy report which looks to build successfully on that progressive, inclusive and enterprising 175-year history for the future. The report sets out our vision and mission, our aims, and the key themes we need to tackle to make the strategy deliverable at a practical level – and our alumni can play an integral role in many of those areas. The achievements of our students, staff and alumni continue to be recognised at national and international levels. This is another essential element in building a global Westminster identity, and you can read more about some of our success stories in this edition of NETWORK. They include the pioneering work of Dr Edward Wright, who is part of the Westminster team leading the way in developing a vaccine as part of the fight against the Ebola virus. They also include the achievements of our fashion students; the University of Westminster’s fashion courses were recently rated among the world’s top 10 by the influential Business of Fashion website. Amongst the most successful of our recent fashion alumni is Mary Benson, whose designs are already being worn by high-profile international stars. Mary talks to NETWORK about life at Westminster, working for the likes of Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, and marrying creativity with business acumen. There are plenty of other examples in this edition of the efforts and achievements of our students, staff and alumni in helping to create that Westminster identity. From the groundbreaking work on how post-traumatic stress disorder affects reporters and presenters, undertaken by BBC journalist and now University of Westminster MSc graduate Sian Williams; to the campaigning and inclusive approach

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of National Student Pride, founded by Westminster alumnus Tom Guy and hosted again this year (its 10th anniversary) at our University; to the launch of the new cuttingedge facilities in our Fabrication Laboratory Westminster. These achievements, and many more like them, continue to give us plenty of reason to cherish that unique identity, and promote the positive difference we make in the real world. Another cause for celebration was the appointment of successful businesswoman and inspirational education campaigner Frances Sorrell as the new University of Westminster Chancellor. Lady Sorrell, whose passion for education is one of the driving forces behind the Sorrell Foundation, has already spoken of her desire to be a ‘hands-on’ Chancellor, to help promote global engagement and student mobility at Westminster, and to encourage alumni to be part of the wider conversation about our University’s future. As a member of our 150,000-strong University of Westminster alumni network, extending across 180 countries, we hope you enjoy reading about these achievements and other news in this edition of NETWORK. Whatever you studied, wherever in the world you may be, you will always be part of the Westminster family. We are particularly grateful to those of you able to support our efforts to instil the Westminster values in future generations of students; whether through giving your time as mentors or returning as guest speakers, or providing financial backing through scholarships and fundraising, your help is invaluable and very much appreciated – thank you. I hope many of you will have the opportunity to renew or strengthen your relationship with the University of Westminster, through events such as the Westminster Talks, the annual Alumni Reception, and the various alumni reunions. Please do also let us know if you have any suggestions for alumni events around the globe, or if you’re interested in organising an event yourself. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible throughout the coming year. PROFESSOR GEOFFREY PETTS VICE-CHANCELLOR

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2015

AS A MEMBER OF OUR 150,000-STRONG UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI NETWORK, EXTENDING ACROSS 180 COUNTRIES, WE HOPE YOU ENJOY READING ABOUT THESE ACHIEVEMENTS AND OTHER NEWS IN THIS EDITION

NETWORK Alumni Office: Laura Garman, Heather Ridal, David Brooks Consultant Editor: Keith Potter Alumni Office University of Westminster Cavendish House 101 New Cavendish Street London W1W 6XH T: +44 (0) 20 3506 6245 E: alumni@westminster.ac.uk Thanks to all alumni, staff, students and supporters who have contributed to this issue. Design: Kate Roncoroni Print: Gemini Print westminster.ac.uk/alumni A charity and a company limited by guarantee. Registration number: 977818. Registered office: 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW 7313/09.15/KR/GP

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CONTENTS

LETTERS News, views and comments from our alumni and supporters around the world

NETWORK NEWS All the latest news from across the University, including the activities and achievements of our alumni

20 REGENT STREET CINEMA RE-OPENS The historic Regent Street Cinema has re-opened its doors to the public after being closed for more than 35 years

24 MARY BENSON: SUCCESS BY DESIGN Rising fashion star Mary Benson talks inspiration, celebrities and business acumen 28 THE WAR ON EBOLA A new vaccine, an antibody treatment and a diagnostic device: the University is leading an attack on Ebola

32 SIAN WILLIAMS: PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID FOR THE FRONTLINE Veteran reporter Sian Williams tells us about PTSD and why journalists need to be protected 36 A MATTER OF PRIDE This year marked ten years since the launch of National Student Pride. We found out more from founder and Westminster alumnus Tom Guy 40 WAI TANG RETURNS TO CAMPUS Executive Director of Aedas and Westminster alumnus Wai Tang relives his student days at Marylebone Campus 42 CLASS NOTES A selection of just some of the updates we have received from alumni around the globe

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LETTERS

HELLO! FROM THE ALUMNI TEAM

GET CONNECTED University of Westminster Alumni Association @uw_alumni University of Westminster Alumni Association

@ alumni@westminster.ac.uk Alumni Relations Office First Floor Cavendish House 101 New Cavendish Street London, W1W 6XH UK

Have you ever thought about volunteering for the University of Westminster? Perhaps some of the letters on the next page will persuade you! Over the past year, we have been touched by the support our alumni have given to the University and our students. Your kind offers of careers talks, mentoring, alumni profiles and work placements all make a tremendous difference to enhancing the student experience at Westminster. Volunteering can be a great way to grow your own professional network too, and offers the chance to meet like-minded alumni from within (and beyond) your sector. If you think you can volunteer your time to support a student, we’d love to hear from you. In the next year, our modest team of four is set to grow to ten, meaning that we will be able to organise many more opportunities for you to enjoy. In particular, we shall be organising more events for our international alumni, so please keep watching your email inboxes for the latest activity updates from our team.

ALUMNI RECEPTION

This summer, over 100 alumni gathered to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Students’ Union at our Alumni Reception. Thank you for your kind feedback! The Alumni Reception was a wonderful evening and one that reflected the unique nature of the original Royal Polytechnic Institution and The Polytechnic. There was an immense amount of not only achievement and experience but also enthusiasm for the future in the room. Dr Nigel Molden (Sociology, 1970)

Pictured: Dr Nigel Molden with copies of West One magazine, the Students’ Union publication during the 60s

Just to say thank you to everyone who contributed to this very successful event, it was a most enjoyable evening. It was so good to feel I was back in 1965 for a couple of hours, it reminded me how much the three years I spent at the Regent Street Polytechnic changed my life. I shall always be grateful for the opportunity, and I am pleased to be back in touch. Colin Sargeant (Economics, 1965)

Pictured: The Alumni Relations team, (l-r): Agnes D’Souza, Laura Garman, David Brooks and Heather Ridal

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Read more about our Alumni Reception on p8

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GRADUATION

OUR VOLUNTEERS

RECONNECTING IN HONG KONG

Highlights from the July 2015 graduation ceremonies.

I recently returned to the Harrow Campus to give a careers talk to current students in the Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design as part of the annual ‘MADfest’ careers fair. Having pursued a successful career as a recording artist in the commercial music sector since graduating from Westminster, I have a lot of tips to share for breaking into the creative industry. Giving an informal seminar to a group of students was new territory for me, but the event made me realise just how valuable alumni advice can be for today’s students. I strongly encourage other alumni to do the same.

As an alumnus based in Hong Kong, I was surprised and delighted to revive contact with the University of Westminster this year, when a special dinner was held for alumni living and working in the region. It gave me the chance to catch up with alumni and staff from the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment (faces old and new!), and to explore the potential for collaboration between my company and the University. I look forward to many more fruitful get-togethers like this in the future.

We sure all love our selfies. Proud day for me to see everyone do so well. #uwgrad2015 Usman Mahmood (Business Information Systems, 2014) and current VicePresident of Cavendish, via Twitter

Pictured (l-r): Business Information Systems graduates Aseem Natekaa, Hamza Siddiqui and Usman Mahmood

We did it! #MultimediaComputing #uwgrad2015 Jenika Pindoria (Multimedia Computing, 2015), via Twitter

Pictured (l-r): Multimedia Computing graduates Jenika Pindoria and Gurdeep Kalsi

Can’t believe I graduated a year ago, I still feel like I’m at uni #westminsterunirocks #uwgrad2015

David Buffonge (RIBA Part III, 1999)

Dominika Jarzebowska (Commercial Music, 2004), aka Nika Boon

For the last three years, I have travelled from Ipswich to London to volunteer my support at the University’s graduation ceremonies, where I encourage our new graduates to stay in touch with the University and let them know how to make the most of their new ‘alumni’ status. I never tire of the happy faces and jubilant atmosphere within the walls of Royal Festival Hall on those days. My message to new graduates reading this is to never underestimate how powerful your connection with the University can be. Volunteering for my alma mater has certainly broadened my horizons. John Clayton (Business Management, 2012)

Becca Byford (Contemporary Media Practice, 2014), via Twitter

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BUSINESSWOMAN AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNER LADY SORRELL APPOINTED CHANCELLOR A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSWOMAN AND INSPIRATIONAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGNER, LADY FRANCES SORRELL WAS APPOINTED THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER’S NEW CHANCELLOR IN A CEREMONY AT ST MARYLEBONE PARISH CHURCH IN JUNE. “I DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE THE ROLE ON JUST TO IMPROVE MY REPUTATION, BECAUSE I’M NOT PARTICULARLY HIGH PROFILE. BUT I AM INTERESTED IN THE UNIVERSITY, I THINK IT’S GOT A FASCINATING HISTORY AND I REALLY LIKE A LOT OF WHAT I’VE SEEN”

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Lady Frances (neé Newell) made her name in business as co-founder of Newell and Sorrell, and with her husband, Sir John Sorrell, built the company into one of Europe’s biggest and most successful design businesses. In 1999, 25 years after launching the business, the couple went on to set up the Sorrell Foundation, with the aim of fostering confidence and creativity in young people. Everything about her career and campaigning to date suggests Lady Frances enjoys being ‘hands on’, particularly in relation to education; so how does she see her involvement with the University developing, in what is normally quite a titular role of Chancellor? “I did say to Peter Kyle (Chair of Governors) and Geoff Petts (Vice-Chancellor) that I would only do it if I could actually be useful,” explains Lady Frances. “I didn’t want to take the role on just to improve my reputation, because I’m not particularly high profile. But I am interested in the University, I think it’s got a fascinating history and I really like a lot of what I’ve seen. “I’ve met some fabulous people, and you can see that a lot of investment has taken place, but it seems to me that there is something I can help with or encourage, which is around the University’s reputation. A lot of people have heard of it, but they

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don’t know enough about it. There’s such an enormous diversity of things it offers, it’s incredible, and I think even some of the alumni only really know about the departments or faculties they studied in.” Lady Frances’ involvement with and interest in education has been most obvious in her work with the Sorrell Foundation, but her encounters with the education system and young people stem from some of the earliest days of Newell and Sorrell, where one of the first clients was a business providing educational resources. “From there we did lots of educational projects with different organisations, so we’ve had an engagement with young people and with schools all the way through. When we sold the business we had this idea that we wanted to carry on working with kids, but turn things on their head; rather than have the kids do something that we’d designed for them, we wanted them to be in charge, giving them this feeling of enterprise, of confidence, and of discovery.” As the couple’s work with young people through the Foundation grew, the launch of the National Art&Design Saturday Club programme took shape. The clubs offer young people aged 14–16 an opportunity to study art and design for free every Saturday morning at their local college or university. It was an initiative inspired by their own

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Pictured: Lady Sorrell at her installation as Chancellor of the University of Westminster

experiences as children, as Lady Frances explains: “John and I both went to Saturday morning art school. It was a post-war government initiative, part of a policy to improve the quality of products made in the UK, which lasted until the mid-70s; I went in south London, John went in north London, and for both of us – and for a whole bunch of our friends and contemporaries – it was the moment we realised this was what we wanted to do.” The number of clubs will grow to around 55 by next year, with the youngsters coming to London during the year, meeting each other and exhibiting at a summer show at Somerset House; the tutors also come for regular meetings, to share best practice and get inspired. And Westminster looks set to start playing its part in the programme: “In Harrow they are talking about running two clubs, one for art and design and one for science and engineering, and I think there will probably be another science and engineering club in one of the other faculties

too,” says Lady Frances. “People are very positive about the clubs, because they give young people a flavour of a subject matter that they are interested in, and our only rule is that it has to be free of charge. “It links the university with the local community in a way that other things don’t, and it’s a way of helping kids out of the narrowness of the curriculum. The curriculum is by nature quite narrow, so there’s not a lot of room for real discovery or for error. This gives young people a much more relaxed way of finding out about a subject. “I’m absolutely thrilled that Westminster is getting involved. They came along to see our summer show at Somerset House, and met some of the young people, and I think that’s what triggered it.” The whole issue of educational curricula is one which Lady Sorrell has clearly considered, and the Foundation has focused on providing experiences for young people outside of the classroom. But it’s not just younger students who she believes could

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benefit from a wider focus or more expansive experience. At her installation, Lady Frances picked out student mobility and employer engagement as areas that she was particularly looking forward to working on, and she’s a strong advocate for ensuring that higher education courses also enable students to relate what they are doing to the world outside. “The danger with any curriculum is that as a student you get stuck into it, and you then lose your connection to the outside world. So as well as studying hard, you need to be able to work out how what you are doing relates to the wider world. And I think most of all now, to succeed in business you have to be world facing, so I’m very interested in making sure that students, as well as studying hard, are able to keep a link and an open mind to the rest of the world. “But this is a fantastic University, there’s a lot to be celebrated, and we really do need alumni to come back and join in the conversation.”

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NETWORK NEWS

50 YEARS OF THE STUDENTS’ UNION CELEBRATED AT THE ANNUAL ALUMNI RECEPTION Pictured (l-r): Owen Spencer-Thomas (first President of UWSU, 1965), Andy Smith (Chief Executive Officer, UWSU), Rianne Gordon (Vice-President of Harrow UWSU, 2013–15) and Professor Graham Megson (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Knowledge Exchange)

Sabbatical Officers mingle with long-standing alumni

Alumni raise their glasses in front of the special Students’ Union exhibition

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ONE HUNDRED ALUMNI WERE WELCOMED BACK TO THE FLAGSHIP REGENT STREET CAMPUS ON TUESDAY 23 JUNE TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF THE STUDENTS’ UNION (UWSU). The Alumni Reception is held each year to thank those who have donated or volunteered their time to support the University. This year’s Alumni Reception celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the birth of the Students’ Union, an important milestone in the University’s history. A special exhibition showcased the highlights of student life in the last five decades, including the iconic bands who played at the University during its days as the Polytechnic. Owen Spencer-Thomas (Sociology, 1967), who became the first President of the Students’ Union in 1965, was one of the keynote speakers of the evening. Owen shared his memories, from hammering out the UWSU constitution with his A-level in English Law, to student protests, social revolution and performances by Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. Owen said: “These were heady days and there are so many stories to tell. I wish you a future in which you might experience the excitement and joy witnessing the next generation of fledgling artists and scientists that will shape tomorrow’s world.” Rianne Gordon, who has just concluded a two-year term as

UWSU’s Vice-President of Harrow, also gave a speech highlighting what the UWSU of 2015 means to her: “Though we’re celebrating its 50th birthday, I would consider this Union to be in its infancy. The principles from which it was established have continued to thrive; always advocating the rights of Westminster students and working in partnership with the University.” Among the guests was Miriam Hanna (Human and Medical Science, 2012), who said: “The Alumni Reception was great fun. I really enjoyed exchanging anecdotes with other former sabbatical officers like me, and relishing the chance to meet many of the University’s donors and volunteers. The event reminded me of the importance of staying connected with Westminster, where I made so many contacts and memories.”

“I WOULD CONSIDER THIS UNION TO BE IN ITS INFANCY. THE PRINCIPLES FROM WHICH IT WAS ESTABLISHED HAVE CONTINUED TO THRIVE”

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“PASSING THOUGHTS PICKED UP WHILE BLUNDERING THROUGH LIFE” BY BILL BRYSON 1 Take a moment to remember

that you are alive. You have the privilege of existing. Nothing like you has ever existed before in the history of the planet and never will. You’re special.

2 But not that special. Don’t ever

make the mistake of thinking that you are more worthy than anyone else.

3 Be happy. You are young,

bright, live in a first-world country with all its opportunities, and you probably have all of your own hair.

4 But if you can’t be happy, then

don’t whinge. No one will invite you to parties.

5 If you spot someone in front of

you dropping litter… kill them.

Bill Bryson at the graduation ceremony in July

6 But apart from that be good.

BILL BRYSON’S WORDS OF WISDOM

Be compassionate, and say thank you, especially to those who have helped you to get this far.

7 Never sneak up on people

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER WAS THRILLED WHEN WORLD-FAMOUS WRITER, JOURNALIST AND SCIENCE ENTHUSIAST, BILL BRYSON, ACCEPTED AN HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. The award recognises Bill’s contribution to society through the communication of science, and was presented at the graduation ceremony on Monday 13 July. Environment champion Lord Chris Smith, PR executive Roland Rudd, and consumer activist and politician Baroness Hayter also received titles, along with Professor Rikki Morgan-Tamosunas and Carole Mainstone, who were recognised for their distinguished services to the University. In his best-selling A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill brought the wonders of science to the general public in a humorous and accessible way. Through the book, he explores the history of science as well as current theories on often intimidating subjects such as chemistry, astronomy and quantum mechanics. In his speech to the graduating psychologists, scientists and electronic engineers, Bill offered his sincere congratulations, before delivering ten pieces of advice, or “passing thoughts picked up while blundering through life.”

from behind, thinking it would be entertaining to surprise them. It isn’t.

8 Whatever you want to do in

“IF YOU WANT TO BE STRIKER FOR ARSENAL BUT YOUR DAD WANTS YOU TO BE AN ACCOUNTANT, TELL YOUR DAD TO GO INTO ACCOUNTANCY”

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life, just try. Even if you only achieve some of what you set out to, at least you can say you tried. If you want to be a striker for Arsenal but your Dad wants you to be an accountant, tell your Dad to go into accountancy.

9 Buy my books in hardback as soon as they come out.

10 When required to speak

in public, always be brief.

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NETWORK NEWS

BE WELL LONDON CLINIC OPENS

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoffrey Petts (fourth from left) and Regional Manager Anna Bernadska (third from right) with our American alumni

The opening of Be Well London clinic, when over 150 guests received tasters of the treatments on offer

An innovative, affordable new clinic has been opened by University of Westminster staff and alumni in the heart of London. Be Well London’s mission is to help London “become well, be well and stay well”. The clinic is unique in its multidisciplinary approach to medicine, where traditional, modern, Eastern and Western therapies can all be integrated to offer patients completely personalised treatments. The idea for the clinic was born when Professor Jane Lewis (Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology) and Professor Annie Bligh (Head of the Department of Life Sciences) decided to utilise the excellent teaching space that was left empty during the evening. Fourteen of the most talented and academically successful graduates were selected to develop the clinic together with Herbal Medicine Lecturer, Susanne Kaiser. The clinic is run as a co-operative, ensuring that the well-being of the patients remains at the heart of Be Well London. This allows practitioners to select the best combination of therapies for the patient with no bias. Be Well London offers a wide range of complimentary therapies, including herbal medicine, acupuncture, naturopathy, nutrition and massage. Sessions are also run on fertility, eczema, weight loss and stress. All practitioners are educated to BSc level and have accrued up to 500 practical clinic hours. Patients can book a free 15-minute appointment where they will be advised on possible treatment options. See the Be Well London website at bewelllondon.com for opening hours and a list of therapies.

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THE CLINIC IS RUN AS A CO-OPERATIVE, ENSURING THAT THE WELL-BEING OF THE PATIENTS REMAINS AT THE HEART OF BE WELL LONDON

Our American alumni braved freezing conditions and icy weather to attend a reunion in New York in February. The reunion was held at the Jones Wood Foundry, a British-style pub, and was a chance for our graduates across the pond to reminisce and share stories about life since graduation. The event was attended by University of Westminster Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoffrey Petts and other University staff, as well as alumni who graduated in business administration, journalism, marketing, multimedia, computing and visual culture. Fabiola Eyholzer (Business Studies, 1996) commented: “It was such a pleasure meeting you all and I enjoyed the time with you immensely. Thank you for letting me be part of it.” Our American alumni play a key part in enhancing the University’s global profile. We hope that reunions will not only be an occasion for alumni to reconnect to the University and each other, but will provide an opportunity to become involved in important University initiatives, including career support, mentoring and growing our overseas communities.

OUR AMERICAN ALUMNI PLAY A KEY PART IN ENHANCING THE UNIVERSITY’S GLOBAL PROFILE

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WESTMINSTER ALUMNI LAUNCH ELIMINATING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE YOUTH COUNCIL The Eliminating Domestic Violence Youth Council (EDV YC) has been set up this year by a group that includes many University of Westminster students and alumni led by Taiba Razwan (International Relations with Arabic, 2014). The EDV YC is a new initiative of the Eliminating Domestic Violence Global Foundation, an NGO which aims to end domestic violence worldwide. The council is a youth platform that gives young people suffering domestic violence a voice and recruits young people to conduct awareness training projects, in order to instigate social change and provide leadership. One in six men and one in four women will experience domestic violence throughout their lives, with women aged 14–44 more at risk from domestic violence than cancer, malaria, motor accidents or war. Those aged 16–24 are the age group most at risk of violence.

The EDV YC was launched at the House of Lords in September 2014. University of Westminster lecturers, including Dr Frands Pederson and Dr Maria Holt (Politics and International Relations), Mark Cambridge (Criminology) and Hannah Camplin (Law) were invited to speak. Taiba Razwan said: “The EDV YC was a project that began in a diplomacy seminar class while I was at the University of Westminster and now it’s a global youth platform for social change. “I wanted to create something of my own with my peers that enabled us to practice what we had learnt, while giving back to the community. The lecturers and tutors helped us to make EDV YC a reality today.”

Launch of EDV YC in the House of Lords. In the front row (l-r): Dr Maria Holt, Dr Frands Pedersen, Mark Cambridge and Hannah Camplin

For further details of the Eliminating Domestic Violence Youth Council E: youthcouncil@gfedv.org gfedv.org

YOUR GIFT IN ACTION

The prototype PhytoApp in development

Alumni support has enabled researchers at the University of Westminster to accelerate their work into the treatment and prevention of breast and secondary cancers. With generous support from alumni, University of Westminster researchers are developing a web-based application, PhytoApp, for users to monitor their phytoestrogen food consumption, which is linked to preventing breast cancer recurrence. This user-friendly tool will ultimately guide patients to adopt a healthier diet; the long-term aim is to reduce the risk of developing secondary cancers. Computer Science student Nathan Bell, who is working on the project, said: “Thanks to the Alumni Fund, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to develop

the prototype PhytoApp, and to apply and extend my technical and entrepreneurial skills.” The Alumni Fund also supports research into how breast cancer cells respond to different treatments which could help doctors advise individual patients on the best course of treatment for them. These studies offer students the opportunity to gain valuable research experience while helping to create practical applications that could deliver life-changing benefits.

“THANKS TO THE ALUMNI FUND, I’M DELIGHTED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THE PROTOTYPE PHYTOAPP, AND TO APPLY AND EXTEND MY TECHNICAL AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS”

You can make a gift to the Alumni Fund online or by getting in touch with the Development team. T: +44 (0)20 7911 5741 E: development@ westminster.ac.uk westminster.ac.uk/donate

Nathan Bell, Computer Science student

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HITTING THE HEADLINES

PINK FLOYD UNVEIL HERITAGE PLAQUE AT REGENT STREET CAMPUS

WESTMINSTER ALUMNA SET TO BREAK THREE WORLD RECORDS ROWING THE OCEAN

Pink Floyd luminaries, Roger Waters and Nick Mason, unveiled a heritage plaque at the iconic Regent Street Campus in May. The plaque commemorates 50 years of the pioneering rock band, founded by the pair – along with Richard Wright – while studying architecture at the former Regent Street Polytechnic between 1962 and 1965. Pink Floyd began their days rehearsing in a tea room in the basement of the Poly and playing gigs in the common room, but went on to become one of the most influential bands of all time, scoring two of the world’s best-selling albums with The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, and amassing 260 million album sales. Nick Mason said: “Studying at the Regent Street Polytechnic introduced me to some of the key people and biggest collaborators in my career. We are of course honoured to be recognised in this way and I have to add astonished; it was unclear in 1965 that a lifetime of music beckoned.”

Roger Waters and Nick Mason at the unveiling of the plaque by The Crown Estate

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Patron Kylie Minogue with members of the Coxless Crew

A race is on to row 8,446 miles across the Pacific Ocean to raise £250,000 for women’s charities and break three world records in the process. Alumna Meg Dyos (English Literature, 2014) is one of the crew taking on this challenge. The Coxless Crew is a team of six women rowing from America to Australia in a bid to raise money for Breast Cancer Care and Walking with the Wounded’s fund for injured servicewomen. Their journey began on 20

BLINDFOLDED STUDENT SMASHES HIS OWN RUBIK’S CUBE WORLD RECORD Neuroscience student, Oliver Frost, has set a new world record by solving the 4x4 Rubik’s Cube in a staggering two minutes 10.47 seconds. Not only did Oliver break his own previous world record of two minutes 18.65 seconds, but just to add to the challenge, he did it blindfolded. As a third-year cognitive neuroscience student, Oliver was inspired by his studies to master the memory skills needed to perform the feat. Oliver explained: “A lot of competitive blindfolded solvers have optimised their memory techniques using theories from neuroscience and cognitive

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April, and they have so far spent 123 days at sea and rowed 5,344 miles. By the end of their journey they hope to have achieved three world firsts: the first all-female team to row the Pacific Ocean, first team of four to row the Pacific Ocean, and fastest Pacific Ocean row. World-famous singer and patron of the Coxless Crew, Kylie Minogue, who has fought and overcome breast cancer, said of the challenge: “These women are going to face unexpected challenges I cannot even begin to imagine out there on the ocean, and will have to learn how to overcome them.” Meg, who led an expedition to Kilimanjaro while still at university, will be joining the team for the final leg of the journey. Meg says: “I’m absolutely honoured to be given this opportunity and empowering women is something that I feel passionately about.” Follow the Coxless Crew on coxlesscrew.com, Facebook and Twitter, or text DORIS to 70300 to donate £3 to support their fundraising.

research. Myself and others have taken inspiration from semantic encoding, sports psychology and social psychology in order to improve our accuracy and speed.” Oliver was given his first Rubik’s Cube four years ago as a Christmas gift from his brother and began to compete in 2012. At only 21, he has so far broken five world records and 17 national records, and has no plans of stopping. “I may try to break my world record again in the near future,” he added. Oliver Frost with Rubik’s cube and blindfold in hand

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RISING STARS OF FASHION

Mary Benson’s debut collection at London Fashion Week

The University of Westminster has the reputation as a hothouse for the fashion stars of tomorrow and this year was no exception. The year started with emerging talent Mary Benson (Fashion Design, 2014) showcasing her debut collection at London Fashion Week in February. Mary was specially chosen by a panel of fashion experts to show with Fashion East, a Topshop and GLAsponsored initiative which nurtures young designers. Mary won praise from Vogue – “with vinyl embellishments and plenty of make-believe motifs it was a magpie’s raving dream” – and Now Fashion – “a high octane clash between 90s rave culture and 70s hippie sensibilities. The trip was plain gorgeous.” Elsewhere, Ashley Williams (Fashion Design, 2012) accepted the Emerging Designer Award at the Elle Style Awards. In a star-studded ceremony, Ashley – who counts Pixie Geldof and Chanel model Alice Dellal as her friends – won the

award for her colourful designs and kitsch graphics. Her arrival on the fashion scene has sparked strong praise, with Style magazine stating: “It’s safe to say that this up-and-comer has some serious potential.” Ashley has also won a coveted sponsorship award from The British Fashion Council to showcase her collection on the runway at London Fashion Week in September. Alongside her is another Westminster talent, Claire Barrow (Fashion Design, 2012), who received a presentation sponsorship. Both of these awards are a part of NEWGEN, the British Fashion Council’s scheme to recognise and support the best new designers. Recently, the University of Westminster was ranked number three in the UK and seventh in the world in a poll of fashion schools by the influential Business of Fashion website. Find out what Mary Benson has in the pipeline on page 24.

WESTMINSTER ALUMNUS CHOSEN TO ILLUSTRATE NEW HARRY POTTER BOOKS Award-winning illustrator and Westminster alumnus, Jim Kay, is the lucky artist selected to illustrate the beautiful new editions of JK Rowling’s phenomenal Harry Potter books. The Harry Potter stories are the world’s best-selling book series, with 450 million copies sold to date. All seven Harry Potter books will be republished in this new, fully illustrated series, with each hardcover edition featuring up to 100 full-colour images, a ribbon marker and illustrated endpapers. The first in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, will be published by Bloomsbury in October, with one a year to be released thereafter. Bloomsbury has already sold the rights in 23 languages. Jim beat fierce competition to be selected, with JK Rowling herself involved in the process. Jim said: “To be given the opportunity to design the characters, the clothing, the architecture and landscapes to possibly the most expansive fantasy world in children’s literature, well, let’s just say I’m extremely excited about it.” Jim studied Illustration and Visual Communication at the University of Westminster, graduating in 1997. He went on to win the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2012 for his brilliant and eerie illustrations for A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.

Jim Kay reveals his first illustration of Hermione (www.jimkay.co.uk)

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FABLAB GIVES GLIMPSE OF ARCHITECTURAL FUTURE LONDONERS, COMMUTERS AND TOURISTS WALKING DOWN THE CITY’S MARYLEBONE ROAD WILL BE ABLE TO GET A GLIMPSE OF THE HITECH ARCHITECTURAL FUTURE NOW OFFERED ON OUR CAMPUS, AS AN INDUSTRIAL ROBOTIC ARM SWINGS INTO ACTION AS PART OF THE UNIVERSITY’S RECENTLY LAUNCHED ‘FABLAB’ – THE FABRICATION LABORATORY WESTMINSTER.

The laboratory is a major extension of our existing architecture workshops, 3D printers and laser cutters, and includes two purposebuilt spaces offering advanced digital making facilities. The new digital equipment enables design and fabrication processes including ABS and plaster 3D printing, CNC knife cutting, large-scale CNC routing, CNC metal milling and robot fabrication. The collection of robots uniquely includes the industrial robot arm, which runs on a five-metre rail across a window and is visible to those passing by the Faculty. Fabrication Laboratory Westminster was launched in April this year, and was described as “a great piece of progress for future generations of students” by Chris Wilkinson, Architecture alumnus and director of Wilkinson Eyre. Speaking at the launch Chris said: “I’ve never seen so many robots in my life! It’s fantastic to have this department for the students, I think it will be really helpful. All architectural students need to understand about components and fabrication, and here they will have the opportunity to experiment, and to make things. I think it will be a real benefit for the future of architecture, and particularly for Westminster students.” Dr David Scott, Senior Lecturer and academic leader for Fabrication Laboratory Westminster, said the new facilities would enable students to “immerse themselves in

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“THE FABLAB WILL HELP TO STIMULATE A NEW GENERATION OF STUDENTS INTO REAL, INNOVATIVE THINKING IN ARCHITECTURE” and explore” the rapidly expanding field of digital fabrication. “It gives them a fantastic opportunity to produce work of the highest quality, offering new design possibilities and creative outcomes,” added Dr Scott. And Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Petts, was equally enthusiastic about the launch of the laboratory: “We’ve been talking recently about the changes that are taking place, the trajectory of the institution, and there’s lots of exciting things happening. I’m absolutely sure that innovations like the FabLab will help to stimulate a new generation of students into real, innovative thinking in architecture, and we look forward to seeing the outcomes from that.”

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NEWS IN BRIEF

WESTMINSTER JOINS WISE TO PROMOTE WOMEN IN SCIENCE

Westminster has joined the campaign to promote women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers, by becoming a member of WISE. WISE has a mission to inspire women to study and build exciting and rewarding careers in STEM subjects, and aims to get one million more women into the STEM workforce. The Faculty of Science and Technology will hold regular networking events with WISE speakers to share their experiences, give careers advice and raise awareness. Women will be able to build contacts and gain motivation from the events.

DR KELLIE VINCENT NEW DIRECTOR OF THE MBA Westminster Business School has announced the appointment of Dr Kellie Vincent as the new Director of the MBA programme. Dr Vincent was the MBA Director at Oxford Brookes University for almost five years, and before that was with BPP Learning Media and The Open University Business School. Professor Barbara Allen, Dean of Westminster Business School, said: “Kellie is joining the Business School at an exciting time for the University, and will help us to focus on expanding and strengthening our research capacity across the School.”

WESTMINSTER GRADUATE APPOINTED AS CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER FOR TURKEY

WESTMINSTER HELPS BBC DEVELOP AWARD-WINNING APP

Westminster alumnus and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Lefteris Pitarakis, has been announced as the Chief Photographer for Turkey by The Associated Press (AP). Lefteris graduated from the University of Westminster’s highly regarded Photojournalism MA in 2006, and went on to cover wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Gaza strip. In 2006 he was part of a team that were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. AP is one of the largest news agencies in the world and operates in 280 locations worldwide. Lefteris will be based in Istanbul upon taking up the role.

University of Westminster academics have developed a new app in collaboration with the BBC and Loughborough University which won Best News Data App of the Year at the Global Editors Network Awards 2015, and has been used by millions worldwide. ‘Which Sport Are You Made For? Take our 60-second test’ was developed for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow by the BBC News Visual Journalism team, and comprises a quiz where users could rate themselves against 13 attributes to determine which three sports best matched their abilities.

LEADING OBESITY RESEARCHER JOINS FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Professor Jimmy Bell has joined the University of Westminster to direct the new Research Centre for Optimal Health (ReCOH). ReCOH aims to integrate research, imaging, computing and psychology to understand optimal health in adults. Prof Bell will lead the research group at ReCOH to draw together the expertise of the multidisciplinary academics. He is an expert in obesity and metabolism, particularly the interaction between genes and the environment in obesity. He worked for Imperial College London for almost 15 years as Group Head of Metabolic and Molecular Imaging Research.

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PROFESSOR KATHARINE HERON AWARDED AN MBE Professor Katharine Heron had her outstanding achievements recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list when she was awarded an MBE for Services to Architecture and Higher Education. Professor Heron was one of two female architects in this year’s list. The award acknowledged Prof Heron’s transformation of the Department of Architecture under her direction, which she headed from 1997 to 2014, as well as her long-standing advocacy work in architectural education. Prof Heron said: “It was wonderful to receive public acknowledgement for the quality of education, teaching and research at the University’s Department of Architecture, and be able to share a voice in the development of architecture education.”

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RESEARCH ROUND-UP

ARE WORRIED PARENTS RESTRICTING CHILDHOOD FREEDOM?

SLIP OF THE TONGUE Children sticking out their tongues when concentrating is an indication that verbal communication evolved from hand gestures, according to new research. Dr Gillian Forrester, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Westminster, conducted the first study of its kind into tongue protrusions in children and found that children most often stick out their tongues during tasks that simulate the rules of language. The ‘knock and tap’ game was used as an example of a task which requires taking turns, hand gestures and structure rules – the fundamental components of language – where they found that children were most likely to stick out their tongues to the right. Dr Forrester explained: “The most exciting interpretation of the study is that right-biased activity of the tongue and hands during fine motor tasks supports the idea that hand and tongue articulation is governed by shared brain processes. This would have provided a natural bridge for an early communication system to pass from hand gestures to speech in early man.”

CITIES OF THE FUTURE

Parents in England are more restrictive with their children’s freedom than many other countries according to research by the Policy Studies Institute (PSI) at the University of Westminster. The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found that England was ranked seventh in a league of 16 countries, with English parents allowing their children only limited independent mobility and unsupervised play. Finland was the top performing country in the poll, followed by Germany and Norway, with South Africa coming in last. Ben Shaw, the Director of PSI, said: “Allowing children the freedom to get about in their local area unaccompanied by adults has been found to be important for their health and physical, mental and social development. “However, children’s freedom of movement has declined in recent decades and danger from traffic is the main reason parents give for not letting their children out by themselves. We are struck by how this significant danger is routinely accepted, given the health and developmental benefits of independent mobility.” The study highlights that the needs of children must be given greater priority by decision makers in planning, development and transport if the situation is to be turned around.

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Westminster lecturers have predicted the architectural landscape that we will live in 100 years into the future. A panel of award-winning architects and engineers, including Westminster’s Arthur Mamou-Mani and Toby Burgess from the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, offered expert predictions for the future influenced by global warming, the growing population and evolving technology. Two thousand British adults then voted on the predictions they thought most likely to see. The top prediction was super-deep basements, with 41 per cent of the vote. Multi-layered basement extensions can already be seen in the high-value, densely populated areas of London, and future homes are likely to have as many floors below ground as above. This was followed by floating cities (30 per cent) and high-rise or rooftop farms (28 per cent).

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THE FORGOTTEN WOMEN OF WATERLOO BRIDGE The University of Westminster’s architectural historian, Dr Christine Wall, has helped the forgotten women who built Waterloo Bridge be officially recognised for the first time. Dr Wall’s research confirmed that women took part in the construction of the bridge – which is affectionately known as the Ladies Bridge – during the Second World War. The women began to work on the bridge to replace Irish labourers at the outbreak of war, although they were paid far less. By 1944, 25,000 women were involved in the construction industry. The women’s role on the bridge was properly recorded on the National Heritage List for England by Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch, to mark National Women in Engineering Day on 23 June. “The contribution of men in construction is often invisible,” says Dr Wall. “Women, doubly so.” The inclusion on the list and interviews with Dr Wall were widely covered in the national press, including the BBC, Daily Mail, Mirror, ITV London and London Live. The Ladies Bridge, a film directed by Karen Livesey (theladiesbridge.co.uk)

Building Waterloo Bridge

UNDER THE WEATHER A study by the University of Westminster’s Centre for Employment Research has found that weather makes no difference to our long-term happiness. Happiness is in fact driven by income, employment or health, with little correlation between weather and mood. The research by Dr Franz Buscha spans 20 years and used data from the Met Office and well-being figures from the British Household Panel Survey to analyse 5,500 British households. Dr Buscha explained: “The UK population seems relatively resilient at dealing with daily and short-run weather fluctuations. The increase in extreme weather events, such as higher global temperature or more rain, are unlikely to affect the well-being of the UK population directly. “But it is possible that extreme weather events will indirectly affect well-being through droughts, floods or other personal life events. This is an important avenue for future research.”

INVESTIGATING HOW LONDON COPES WITH HEATWAVES The resilience of London’s communities to heatwaves is to be investigated by researchers from the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. The University of Westminster’s Policy Studies Institute has received funding from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to conduct the research into how communities can better prepare for, respond to, and recover from extreme hot weather. Heatwaves are an increasing risk due to global climate change, and London is particularly vulnerable due to its dense population and location. The devastating heatwave of 2003 saw the death toll exceed

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30,000 in Europe, with the elderly most affected. The researchers will work with community groups in Hounslow, Wandsworth and Hackney to identify how to create bridges between community groups and local institutions and ways in which local social networks, for example those relating to the elderly, disability, faith or residents’ associations, can provide support. The resulting ideas will be presented to the local council, emergency services and other public bodies to ensure a lasting legacy for the project through adoption in national and local plans.

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NETWORK NEWS

FILM AND MUSIC NEWS

EMMANUEL ASTOUNDS IN THE VOICE

Emmanuel visited Harrow Campus and performed for his fellow students before The Voice final

Emmanuel Nwamadi has had a meteoric year, from Commercial Music Performance BMus student, to astounding judges and audiences alike on popular BBC show The Voice. With his deep soul voice and contrasting high notes, Emmanuel made it all the way to the finals where he stunned listeners with his original take on Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know and Seal’s Crazy. Although Steve McCrorie went on to win the final, it seems that this is only the start of Emmanuel’s career, with Ricky Wilson stating he has “the grace and voice of an angel”, and will.i.am adding: “I have got a feeling you are going to go very far in your career.”

ALUMNUS ANAND TUCKER’S INDIAN SUMMERS DRAWS HIGHEST VIEWING RATES FOR 20 YEARS The opening episode of hugely popular Channel 4 drama series, Indian Summers, directed by Anand Tucker, drew an astonishing 2.9 million viewers, the highest rates for the launch of a Channel 4 drama in 20 years. Set in 1932, the programme follows the ruling British classes as they gather in the foothills of the Himalayas to escape the hot summer, while the political developments in India begin to infiltrate their world. With a

budget of £14 million, it was the most expensive drama Channel 4 has ever made. The series was directed by University of Westminster alumnus Anand Tucker (Contemporary Media Practice, 1989). Anand is an award-winning director and producer, credited with directing Hilary and Jackie, And When Did You Last See Your Father?, Red Riding, and producing the Scarlett Johansson film The Girl With a Pearl Earring.

ABOVE & BEYOND EN-TRANCES AMERICA

Above & Beyond at their triumphant Madison Square Garden set

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Dance act Above & Beyond have been making waves around the world as they take their innovative ‘anthemic trance’ music global. The trio have been reaching audiences of 25 million from 35 countries with their Ministry of Sound-backed weekly live-radio show, Group Therapy with Above & Beyond. The US, in particular, has become enthralled. They became the first British DJs to headline a sold-out event at the Madison

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Square Gardens in New York. An audience of 18,000 danced away on the night, with tickets exchanging hands for $700. Prior to this, they sold out the Hollywood Palladium in record time. Jono Grant and Paavo Siljamäki met while studying for the Commercial Music BA, graduating in 2001 and 2000 respectively. They founded record label, Anjunabeats, when still students and went on to form Above & Beyond with third member Tony McGuinness.

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ASIF KAPADIA’S AMY WINEHOUSE BIOPIC BREAKS BOX OFFICE RECORDS Asif Kapadia’s film charting the tragic demise of singer Amy Winehouse has broken box-office records as the highestgrossing British documentary ever made, having taken £3.16 million. In the UK, Amy recorded the biggest opening weekend for a film of its type and is the third highestgrossing documentary of all time, behind only March of the Penguins and Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11. The film documents the life of Amy Winehouse, from precocious teenager to Grammy Award-winning artist and tabloid obsession, as the volatile relationships, alcohol, drugs and bulimia lead up to the singer’s untimely death from alcohol poisoning in 2011. Over 100 interviews were conducted for the film, and the drama unfolds through the voices of friends, family and collaborators over intimate home footage and public performances. Amy has won rapturous

JON RONSON’S THE PSYCHOPATH TEST FILM SET TO STAR SCARLETT JOHANSSON The best-selling book The Psychopath Test, by Westminster alumnus Jon Ronson, is set to be adapted into a film starring Scarlett Johansson. The Psychopath Test tells a series of amusingly observed anecdotes as Ronson delves into the world of psychopathy. The psychopath checklist by psychologist Robert D Hare becomes a means of exploring the grey area between ‘normal’ human behaviour and psychopathy, as well as the dangers of judging people by their ‘maddest edges’.

The film is to be produced by Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, with the screenplay written by Kristin Gore, the daughter of former US Vice President Al Gore, and directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers and Meet the Parents). The book was on the UK bestsellers lists for all of 2012 and also appeared on The New York Times Bestseller List. Ronson’s 2004 book, The Men Who Stare at Goats, has previously been adapted into a film starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor. Ronson graduated from The University of Westminster in 1998 with a degree in Media Studies. He has said of his time at Westminster: “I feel a real warmth and emotional pull towards the University.”

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five-star reviews and garnered praise including “compelling, controversial and heart-breaking” from The Independent, and “stunningly moving and powerful” from the Guardian. Asif told us: “I was very proud to introduce my new film Amy to a full house at the Regent Street Cinema on the opening weekend in July. It’s always a nerve-racking moment; thank god the audience response has been incredible around the world. They love seeing the real Amy, the intelligent, funny, brilliant writer and artist that she was. Hopefully Amy still has a long journey ahead.” Asif graduated from the University of Westminster in 1994 with a BA in Film, Video and Photographic Arts, and has since gone on to direct award-winning films, including The Sheep Thief (1997), The Warrior (2001), Far North (2007) and Senna (2010).

ONE TO WATCH Easy Love – a remix of The Jackson 5’s ABC by Westminster graduate Sigala – has all the makings of a hit. At the time of going to press, the dance anthem has peaked at number one on Spotify, number three on Shazam Top 100 UK singles chart, has been played over 1.2 million times on YouTube, is creeping up the Top 50 in UK Radio Airplay, and has made Radio 1’s ‘Track of the Day’ and Vevo’s track of the week. Sigala, otherwise known as Bruce Fielder, graduated with First Class Honours from the University of Westminster’s Contemporary Music BA in 2013. The single was released in the UK on 4 September by Ministry of Sound.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2015

FEATURE: CINEMA RE-OPENS

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FEATURE: CINEMA RE-OPENS

REGENT STREET CINEMA RE-OPENS THE HISTORIC REGENT STREET CINEMA RE-OPENED ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC IN MAY THIS YEAR, AFTER BEING CLOSED FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS.

Situated in the heart of London’s West End within our Regent Street headquarters, the Cinema was the venue for the first performance of moving images to a paying British audience, in 1896. Created by the Lumière brothers these early films were shown in London following their Paris debut in 1895. This important event paved the way for a century of cinematographic innovation, and films continued to be shown regularly at Regent Street until 1980, when the Cinema was turned into a student lecture hall. In 2012 the University launched a major fundraising campaign to restore the Cinema to its former glory, reinforcing the University’s position as a leading global centre for excellence in the arts and film production. Funding for the restoration has included significant support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with a £1.5 million grant, and a £2 million donation from the Quintin Hogg Trust. Further funding has been secured through our ‘Name a Seat’ campaign, and contributions from a number of organisations and charitable trusts as well as individual

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THE UNIVERSITY LAUNCHED A MAJOR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE THE CINEMA TO ITS FORMER GLORY, REINFORCING THE UNIVERSITY’S POSITION AS A LEADING GLOBAL CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE ARTS AND FILM PRODUCTION

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FEATURE: CINEMA RE-OPENS

alumni and supporters. The ongoing fundraising campaign has enabled the Cinema to once again take its place in the heart of the UK film industry and to offer an enriching community and education programme based around its heritage. The reinstated Regent Street Cinema offers the best repertory programming, serving as a unique arts venue for quality world cinema as well as lectures, screenings, workshops and events. Above all, the Cinema brings together students and industry professionals, nurturing future talent and providing a platform for the University’s outstanding film students and faculty members to showcase their award-winning work. It will also play a key role at the centre of the community, with school programmes, hands-on learning, debate and discussion. From practical film-making workshops for children and older people, to mentoring and work placements for homeless people, the Regent Street Cinema will connect our communities and provide opportunities for participation and learning.

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To celebrate the opening, the University of Westminster held a Gala Evening at our Regent Street headquarters in June this year. We were delighted to welcome guests including producer and Cinema Advisory Board member Tim Bevan, artist Jonathan Yeo, photographer Alistair Guy, designer Patrick Grant, actor and comedian Roy Hudd, TV presenter Matt Johnson, writer and broadcaster Janet Street-Porter, and architect Piers Gough, as well as Culture Minister Ed Vaizey. A number of our notable alumni also attended, including Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, film producer Paul Trijbits, and BAFTA-winning documentary director Asif Kapadia. The evening included a special dedication of the cinema given by Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoffrey Petts, London Committee member of the Heritage Lottery Fund Jenny Cousins, and Asif Kapadia, who shared their thoughts on the Cinema and what it means for London and future film students at the University.

To celebrate the renovation and re-opening of the Cinema, its long and fascinating history has been told for the first time in a book, The Magic Screen – History of Regent Street Cinema. The book is available to buy for £20 at the Box Office or by contacting archive@ westminster.ac.uk. Staff, students and alumni can claim a 20 per cent discount on this price.

FEATURE: CINEMA RE-OPENS

THE REGENT STREET CINEMA The first public screening at the reopened Cinema was a premiere of Lambert and Stamp, which tells the story of how two aspiring film makers set out to make a documentary about dissatisfied youth and instead discovered and became managers of The Who. The Cinema also hosted the UK premiere of Still, followed by a Q&A with actor Aidan Gillen, and a preview of Amy, Westminster alumnus Asif Kapadia’s documentary of singer Amy Winehouse. The Cinema has many more exciting events planned for the future. Its regular programme also includes distinctive double bills and Kids’ Kino Club screenings on Saturdays for £1.75 a ticket. Highlights of the autumn programme include: • London Spanish Film Festival 25–28 September • Georgian Film Festival 1–6 October • Irish Film Festival 18 November • Korean Film Festival November The Cinema is also available for private hire; its fully licensed bar has a beautiful ambience and is the perfect place to hold a reception before or after a screening. To find out more about the upcoming programme, free alumni membership, signing up to the newsletter and how you can support the ongoing fundraising for our activities, visit regentstreetcinema.com

Clockwise from top left: Actress Alice Eve at the launch; Janet Street-Porter with Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason; Artist Jonathan Yeo; Vice-Chancellor Geoff Petts with actress Olivia Hallinan; (l-r) director and producer Ian Potts, former University of Westminster film course leader Joost Hunningher, and award-winning director Asif Kapadia; (l-r) Chair of the Court of Governors Peter Kyle, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey, and Vice-Chancellor Geoff Petts

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SUCCESS BY DESIGN

FEATURE: MARY BENSON

IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT WHEN FASHION DESIGNER AND WESTMINSTER ALUMNA MARY BENSON SHOWED HER GRADUATION COLLECTION LAST YEAR, IT TOOK THE FASHION WORLD BY STORM. SINCE THEN HER DESIGNS HAVE BEEN WORN BY RITA ORA, PALOMA FAITH AND ELLIE GOULDING, ALTHOUGH WHEN COMEDIAN NOEL FIELDING CHOSE ONE OF HER GRADUATION PIECES, MARY ADMITS SHE HAD A BIT OF AN ‘I’VE MADE IT’ MOMENT.

“He actually wore one of my skirts as a cape. I loved that. I thought it was really, really funny,” says Mary. We’re sitting in a café near Mary’s London studio where the Leeds-born designer is taking a break from working on her Spring/Summer 2016 collection. Her response to Fielding’s unusual adaptation of her clothing is typical of her relaxed approach and easy humour. It is a little over a year since Mary burst onto the fashion scene with her graduation collection. With its shimmering, holographicinspired ball gowns topped with headpieces featuring giant scissors and birds in flight, it is easy to see why her clothes have caught the eye of celebrities and fashion industry leaders alike. Following the show, Mary was selected by influential Fashion East director Lulu Kennedy to debut her Autumn/Winter 2015 collection at London Fashion Week in February this year. The prestigious Fashion East, seen as a springboard for new designers, chooses designers to showcase their collections to the international press and buyers. Mary was picked alongside Ed Marler and fellow alumna Caitlin Price. Now currently in production, Mary refers to the A/W 2015 collection as her “own surrealist world”. The motifs have a

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FEATURE: MARY BENSON

MARY IS BUILDING AN IMPRESSIVE REPUTATION FOR STUNNING SIGNATURE PRINTS WHICH ARE INFLUENCED BY STAINED GLASS, PRE-RAPHAELITE AND ART NOUVEAU MOTIFS TRANSLATED INTO ETHEREAL IMAGERY

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Dali-esque feel to them with a clock face dripping through a hand. A cascade of gold coins and a golden bambi spewing rabbits are visually stunning. The overall effect is sumptuous and certainly lives up to its title, ‘Gorgeous’ – a word that frequently crops up in Mary’s conversation. “Women want to feel gorgeous and beautiful and sexy. If I want to go out and find a cool slinky dress I don’t just want to go to Miss Selfridge because that’s the only place where I know I can find it. I want to find something that has an edge to it, something that makes me look good and feel good.” Mary is building an impressive reputation for stunning signature prints which are influenced by stained glass, Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau motifs translated into ethereal imagery. Her inspiration comes in many forms, not least the music she is listening to at the time. Kate Bush, who she describes as “very womanly and beautiful”, inspired her graduate show. Her Spring/ Summer 2015 collection features 70s-inspired sexy, denim two-piece outfits with more than a hint of ABBA and Boney M. The print is inspired by the Beatles animation Yellow Submarine and is a psychedelic feast with colourful, glittery acid-trip clouds on the sleeves and hems. Mary’s next collection, which she describes as “a bit more rough and ready”, is influenced by Patti Smith. Mary’s friends also play an important role in the creative process and her studio wall is adorned with photographs of them. “My friends inspire me because they all dress differently. We’ll go out and it’s like ‘what have you come as tonight?’” Despite graduating just over a year ago, Mary’s clothes have already received considerable press attention and she is delighted that celebrities such as Rita Ora, a favourite of hers, have chosen some of her pieces. Those she would still like to dress include the Fanning sisters and Katy Perry. “I really love Elle and Dakota Fanning. I think they are really classy and have such different vibes from each other. I would love

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to dress them in a shoot together. I also like Katy Perry. She doesn’t take things too seriously. I like to dress people I have a connection with.” Although her ethereal designs highlight her incredible imagination, 24-year-old Mary displays impressive business acumen. She opened her first pop-up shop at just 16. At 17, she appeared on television alongside Mary Portas in Mary, Queen of Shops. At 18, her third shop, Pieces of Eight, employed not only herself, but seven other designers. She formed her self-named label in 2012 – two years before she graduated. It is hardly surprising she sees herself as much a businesswoman as a creative. “The business side of things is really important. From an early age, I was dealing with the money side of things as well as designing the clothes. I had to pay wages to the other designers at Pieces of Eight, but I was still at college myself. It’s the reason why I wanted to learn how to do PR because I feel like I come in at all different angles: the designing, the money side and the PR.” Mary’s passion and drive also meant that, for a year while studying at the University of Westminster, she spent every weekend working as an intern for the biggest names in fashion, including Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Richard Nicoll. The experience, she says, was invaluable. “I was a bit shameless as I used to just approach people. I think you can get away with it when you’re young. I’m a bit more reserved now, but I don’t think there is any point being at university if you don’t make contacts with the industry. It wasn’t difficult. I just Googled people and got some brilliant internships.” Mary decided to study a BA in Fashion Design at Westminster on the advice of one of her college tutors, and she looks back on her time at the University with fondness. “Westminster definitely gave me a head start. My tutor on my foundation course at Leeds College of Art said I needed to be guided and Westminster was the best place for that, because the tutors give you all the

FEATURE: MARY BENSON

help you need and all the facilities are here. You’re in every day and there is a purpose. It is really structured, but in a good way. If I had gone somewhere else I don’t think I would have had that guidance.” Mary was also inspired by her lecturers, many of whom have since become friends and remain a supportive influence in her life. “Andrew Groves (Course Director) was just amazing. He still comes into the studio when I’m doing my collection to check I’m okay. He just wants to see me do well, which is great. Stephanie Cooper and Robert Leach were also amazing. If I’m really stuck looking for a particular zip, I can just give Robert a text or a call and he’s always there to help.” Where, once, Mary was the intern gaining vital experience, she is now in the position of being able to offer others the opportunity to work alongside a fashion designer. She takes interns from all institutions, but is particularly complimentary of the Westminster intake. “They’re all really good. They work really hard and they have the same work ethic as me. They get it. They’ve been taught.” She also believes Westminster fashion design graduates are more than holding their own in the competitive world of fashion. “Recently, it‘s been getting a really good name for itself with the number of new designers coming through Westminster. It used to be about St Martin’s with people like John Galliano, but now there are fresh new designers coming from other places, like Westminster. There are now similar students applying to both.” Life is busy at the moment, although not too hectic as Mary is between shows. She also likes to be organised and work consistently: “The long hours tend to happen in the months before a show when I can work a 12-hour day and end up catching the last train home. I don’t do all-nighters. I don’t think it’s fair or necessary. We’re working hard now so we don’t have to do them.” A typical working day begins with dealing with interviews as well as tackling emails

and other administrative tasks. This is followed by working with the interns on the creative side which could include pattern cutting and sewing. Music plays in the studio as they work with everyone taking it in turns to choose their own tunes, although Mary admits she’s been banned from playing Temples as she has a tendency to play the same thing every day. She also admits to playing a lot of ABBA, T. Rex, Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac. “It’s what I grew up with and it’s comforting, I guess, when I’m feeling the pressure of making a collection.” Mary says she is always “working towards the next thing”. She currently has a high-fashion collection in the pipeline and work on her Spring/Summer 16 collection is underway. Her Autumn/Winter 15 is in production and, of course, there are always one-off commissions. The young designer has come a long way in a short time, but says she still has so much to learn. “I am always learning new things about the business, especially to do with money. Money is a major deal. If I had any advice for others, I would say be organised and be prepared. Set yourself things to do on a day and don’t let them slip to the next day. Just work hard and be nice to people.”

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MARY’S NEXT COLLECTION, WHICH SHE DESCRIBES AS “A BIT MORE ROUGH AND READY”, IS INFLUENCED BY PATTI SMITH

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2015

FEATURE: WAR ON EBOLA

SINCE ITS OUTBREAK IN MARCH 2014, THE EBOLA VIRUS HAS SWEPT ACROSS WEST AFRICA, DEVASTATING COMMUNITIES AND DOMINATING HEADLINES WORLDWIDE. WITH 27,000 REPORTED CASES AND 11,000 DEATHS, THE EPIDEMIC QUICKLY BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY AND THE MOST CATASTROPHIC OUTBREAK SINCE THE VIRUS WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED IN 1976. THROUGH ITS WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH, PIONEERING ACADEMICS AND DEDICATED STUDENTS AND GRADUATES, THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER HAS FOUND ITSELF AT THE HEART OF THE FIGHT AGAINST EBOLA.

THE WAR ON EBOLA WHAT IS EBOLA? From developing a new vaccine and an antibody treatment to a portable diagnostic device, the University of Westminster is responding to the ongoing Ebola epidemic with a programme of cutting-edge research. Dr Edward Wright, Senior Lecturer in Medical Microbiology, is a central figure in the University of Westminster’s fight against Ebola. An expert in emerging zoonotic viruses – viruses which can be transmitted between animals and humans – Dr Wright’s years of experience in researching deadly diseases such as HIV and rabies have given him a unique insight into the shocking impact that Ebola can have. “The virus itself has the potential to cause a huge number of deaths and great devastation across the countries where these outbreaks occur,” says Dr Wright. “Not just health wise but also socially and economically. Outbreaks of the size seen in West Africa can set countries back years.” The current outbreak is by far the biggest yet seen. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been more

reported cases and deaths in the current outbreak than in all the others combined. Fortunately, it is beginning to abate with instances dropping dramatically since the start of the year. However, intermittent eruptions continue and the death in July of a healthcare worker in Sierra Leone highlights the ongoing risks. According to Dr Wright, Ebola is not going to go away. “Without a doubt, we will see further outbreaks. The virus is thought to circulate and persist in bats and it is not possible to eradicate the virus from these animals. That is why we have had outbreaks for years and we are not going to be able to stop them occurring.” When the Ebola crisis broke out and became the front cover of every newspaper, Dr Wright found himself working on several projects simultaneously. With the death toll rising and media interest snow-balling, the pressure grew to develop new technologies in order to prevent the spread of the disease and to reverse the soaring death rate.

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Ebola virus is a serious, infectious disease which progresses rapidly, and has a high fatality rate. Initial symptoms include a fever, headache, muscle pain and a sore throat, which is then followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash, and internal and external bleeding. The virus is not airborne, but is transmitted through contact with an infected person’s body fluids, such as blood, diarrhoea and vomit. The incubation period can be up to 21 days. Ebola originated in central Africa in 1976, near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo from which it gained its name, and is thought to have been originally transmitted to humans by contact with infected fruit bats or primates. The current outbreak, centred in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, has seen more than six times the fatalities of all the previous outbreaks together.

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FEATURE: WAR ON EBOLA

WESTMINSTER GRADUATE VOLUNTEERS AT THE EPICENTRE OF THE EBOLA OUTBREAK

Dr Babak Afrough working in the diagnostic laboratory in Guinea

University of Westminster graduate, Dr Babak Afrough (Biomedical Sciences PhD, 2009), is volunteering in a newly set up diagnostic laboratory at the heart of the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, West Africa. Dr Afrough is working with European Mobile Labs and Public Health England on a three-month mission to eradicate the disease. During his short visit home, he spoke to the University of Westminster about his experiences. What did you do in Guinea? Public Health England is a member of the European Mobile Lab Consortium. They have developed a laboratory that packs in suitcases that can rapidly diagnose Ebola, which will help clinicians to separate infected patients as soon as possible. I was based in Coyah, which at the time was the epicentre of the outbreak in Guinea. Coyah is a collection of isolated villages, and when we started, the closest diagnostic facility was two hours away. We would receive blood samples, wash the outer container with bleach and inactivate the virus in a containment box that is under negative pressure. Once we inactivated the material, we could test it to see if the sample was positive for Ebola.

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How did it affect you on a personal level that you could catch the virus? That’s always a thought that’s lingering at the back of your mind, but the specific training, protocols and equipment makes the work very safe. And it’s our job so we have to get on with it. When you are out there in the field and you realise what the local people are going through... Hopefully our work is not in vain. What were the biggest challenges? The hardest part is having to work continuously for long hours and having to be very focused on every sample that you process. There were times when it got really hard but we always knew that we were all in it together. When there is real humanitarian work required, it’s wonderful to see all these nations coming together. You meet different people, different backgrounds and different skills and every day is interesting. It’s really fulfilling. What was your most touching experience? The best part of it was seeing patients who had recovered knowing that the lab and the treatment centre helped. There is little chance of survival without these. So seeing that someone walks away from that experience with a chance to get back to their family and get back to their life was particularly rewarding.

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“Ebola cases were increasing exponentially and there was real concern over how this outbreak was going to play out. A vaccine trial normally takes eight to ten months to arrange, but now had to be organised in six to ten weeks. The laboratory work also had to be done within a much shorter timeframe so there was a huge demand on everyone’s time.” Developing the EbolaCheck A crucial factor that makes Ebola so deadly is that it is difficult to diagnose. The current procedure includes collecting relatively large volumes of blood with syringes, which then need to be sent to a laboratory. Testing can take up to eight hours. This is a long process, and one that is potentially dangerous for healthcare workers, who come into contact with the patient’s body fluids and therefore risk contamination and further spreading the disease. That is where the University of Westminster’s EbolaCheck will come in. In November 2014, the University was awarded £620,000 by the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Wellcome Trust to develop a portable diagnostic device to test Ebola in the field. Led by the University’s Dr Sterghios Moschos, Reader in Industrial Biotechnology and Biochemistry and Director of Westminster Genomic Services, in collaboration with Dr Wright, EbolaCheck has the potential to have a huge impact on Ebola testing. “The key advantage of EbolaCheck is the speed with which it can make a diagnosis, and quick testing is vital to controlling the disease,” explains Dr Wright. “An infected person can be diagnosed within ten minutes, and a negative person within 40 minutes, over eight times quicker than existing techniques. This will allow faster treatment to those who need it, and those that don’t can be removed from the risk of exposure to infected patients.” In addition, EbolaCheck is designed to be small and highly transportable to reach inaccessible regions in rural Africa, and is

FEATURE: WAR ON EBOLA

also battery-powered for areas that may have limited electrical supplies. It will operate a bit like a blood glucose meter. “Unlike current testing devices, it only requires one drop of blood, straight on to the machine, although in the future we hope to use saliva and urine to make the process even safer.” The Ebola vaccine A second strand of Westminster’s research is the development of a new vaccine. Dr Wright is involved in a clinical trial being run at the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, with a £2.8 million grant from the Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council and the Department for International Development (DFID). The vaccine is comprised of a harmless virus that has been engineered to express a single protein from the Ebola virus. To test the immune responses stimulated by this vaccine a disabled version of the Ebola virus is generated, which can be used to detect antibodies stimulated by the vaccine. Dr Wright explains that these new technologies have the potential to revolutionise the response to future outbreaks. “Being able to immunise and provide protection to healthcare workers who are at a high risk of infection will have a major impact on both saving the lives of those caring for victims and of containing the disease the next time we see another outbreak.” A cure for Ebola? Perhaps the most significant project that the University of Westminster is undertaking is the production of an antibody to combat the virus in individuals who have already been infected. The University, in partnership with Public Health England and biotechnology firm Kymab, has been funded £350,000 by the Wellcome Trust to develop an antibody-based therapeutic drug that will help infected patients to fight the disease. The antibody is generated by exposing the immune system to the disabled version of

Ebola virus. Antibodies that can bind to the virus and inhibit further infection can be isolated and optimised. This would offer hope to those infected by the disease, which currently has a death rate of around 53 per cent. The future The Ebola virus was one of the most widely reported stories last year, catching the attention of the media above all the viruses and diseases that exist in Africa. While this coverage was instrumental in garnering support for Africa, to Dr Wright this is a reminder that we must not forget the other epidemics that still grip Africa. “If you had a league table of infectious diseases then Ebola would actually be relatively low down. Year in, year out, HIV, tuberculosis, respiratory diseases and malaria all kill millions of people. But the haemorrhaging and horrific deaths associated with Ebola – like a virus in a horror film – caught the attention of the media and public.” Thanks to the hard work of Dr Wright and the other University of Westminster staff and students involved in the research, all three projects are nearing completion. After extensive clinical testing in the UK on healthy patients, the vaccine has been cleared to be trialled in West Africa at the heart of the outbreak, while EbolaCheck is being assessed by collaborators in the UK using the live virus. It is hoped that it will soon be ready to be shipped out to laboratories in Ghana and West Africa. “While we can’t prevent further outbreaks, we should be able to contain and control the spread of the disease and prevent another outbreak of the level that we have seen with this one. The sooner we get things ready, the sooner we can limit further outbreaks. If anything good can be taken from this, it is that it has accelerated the progress of treatment and vaccines.” Hopefully the next outbreak won’t be nearly so devastating, and that in part will be down to the University of Westminster.

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“THE MORE THE HUMAN POPULATION EXPANDS INTO TERRITORIES AND ECOSYSTEMS WE’VE NOT BEEN BEFORE THE MORE WE WILL BE EXPOSED TO ANIMALS THAT HARBOUR UNKNOWN DISEASES AND THE MORE WE WILL SEE OUTBREAKS SUCH AS EBOLA AND SARS”

“THE VIRUS ITSELF HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE A HUGE NUMBER OF DEATHS AND GREAT DEVASTATION ACROSS THE COUNTRIES WHERE THESE OUTBREAKS OCCUR”

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FEATURE: SIAN WILLIAMS

PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID FOR THE FRONTLINE SHE IS A VETERAN REPORTER OF COUNTLESS WAR ZONES AND DISASTER AREAS, BUT IT WAS AN INTERVIEW WITH A BRITISH POLICE OFFICER WHICH PROMPTED BBC JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER SIAN WILLIAMS TO QUESTION THE IMPACT JOURNALISTS HAVE ON OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES, AND THE EMOTIONAL TOLL THEIR STORIES CAN TAKE ON THEIR OWN.

Sian had been despatched to interview David Rathband, a Northumbrian police officer shot and blinded by Raoul Moat in 2010. The hour-long interview was edited to 15 minutes for BBC Radio 4, but the experience had a profound and lasting effect on Sian, especially as, within a year, PC Rathband had taken his own life. “My interview with him made me think differently about how we handle people’s lives and stories. He did a very emotive interview and I was constantly asking myself questions such as, should I have pushed him that far? Did I mine too deeply for the story impact? What were my responsibilities as a journalist?” Sian, an MSc graduate from the University of Westminster, has worked for the BBC for 30 years. Growing up she had always wanted to be a journalist. Her father had

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worked on Fleet Street where she found the atmosphere exciting and unpredictable. She wrote for her student newspaper as well as broadcasting on student radio. After graduation, she applied to the BBC not expecting to get in because, as she says: “I went to a Poly and in those days Poly people didn’t get into the BBC.” As it happened, Sian was accepted on to the BBC Local Radio Training Scheme and, despite reversing her Metro into the programme manager’s car in her first week, her career flourished. She became network editor on BBC Radio 4 and was then asked to join the BBC’s then-fledgling rolling news channel – BBC News 24 – looking after four hours of output. From there, Sian was asked to step in front of the camera where she has been ever since.

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FEATURE: SIAN WILLIAMS

“JOURNALISTS ARE NOW SEEN AS PART OF SOMEONE ELSE’S PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN”

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She says of her job now: “The most straightforward part of my job is writing the scripts, dealing with things going wrong, breaking news, a failing autocue, wrong information and reports not ready in time.” There are, of course, times when Sian’s job is much more challenging. She has covered many of the big stories including the Asian tsunami in 2004, the Pakistan earthquake in 2005 and the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989 where 96 football fans were crushed to death. Sian’s job, as with many journalists, means she is often witness to other people’s horror. As she says, she is there “to hear their voices”, but providing a window on other people’s pain can put that person’s mental health at risk, which is what she feared had happened following her interview with PC Rathband. Although a close friend of the police officer later told Sian he had enjoyed the interview, she felt that “other things had built up” in terms of how some of the stories she had covered had affected her and her colleagues. “Watching other people suffer makes us suffer because we can walk away and they can’t. Journalists witness trauma and experience horror, helplessness and guilt, but these are normal feelings that pass. The problems occur if these feelings don’t go away or if the person is shutting down emotionally or not coping with normal life. Then they need to seek help.” This led Sian to consider the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on those working in the media, although she is keen to stress that most journalists don’t get PTSD. The condition is thought to affect between eight to 28 per cent of journalists, with war correspondents the most at risk. The nature of journalism has also changed and the dangers are greater than ever, says Sian; 400 journalists have been killed in the last decade. “It’s getting riskier. We get there faster, we’re closer [to the action], but it’s even more dangerous than that. Journalists are now seen as part of someone else’s

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propaganda campaign. Journalists are not just observers anymore – they’re participants in war. We are legitimate targets. But how can we report the truth when our own lives are at risk?” Despite the horrors that many journalists witness throughout their career, recognising the emotional price they have paid doing their job is not easy. “It’s quite hard for people to acknowledge as we are witnesses to other people’s trauma, and to acknowledge any emotional hurt that we experience just seems selfish when other people are going through the most intense visceral experience. “Journalists are good at saying ‘I can handle this, I’ve been doing this for years, I don’t need help’. The more experienced are recognising there is an emotional cost. We need to look after ourselves as well as other people.” Sian’s own experience led her to train as a trauma assessor to help others affected by their work. It is the emotional cost of working in the media that she chose to explore further as part of her MSc in Psychology at the University of Westminster. For her studies, she conducted numerous interviews with journalists which revealed the depth of the horror some people had faced in the course of their careers. One person had filmed a man chopping up people with a machete in Rwanda and estimated they had seen 5,000 corpses in just one day. Another photographed a mortuary in Aleppo that was full of dead children who had been torn apart from artillery fire or air strikes. Sian says it is no wonder that, for a minority, these kinds of experiences can have a lasting and devastating effect on their lives. “You have a Kevlar vest to protect you in a war zone, but what – or who – protects your mental health?” Post-traumatic stress disorder is not, however, confined to war zones. Of her own experiences, Sian adds: “It’s not just war. It’s child abuse stories. It’s road traffic accidents. It’s gun crime. It’s knocking on the door of another family whose relative has recently died violently. I’ve lost count of the number of

FEATURE: SIAN WILLIAMS

relatives I’ve interviewed. Not one of them the same, not one of them was anything other than harrowing.” Research suggests that journalists watching online coverage can also experience symptoms of PTSD. Staff often need to monitor images that won’t ever be shown, but must still be viewed and logged. Sian interviewed one journalist whose job was to monitor images coming out of Syria. Her PTSD score was among the highest of all the interviewees. “She told me: ‘It stays with you, and you can’t shift it. You can try to put it to the back a little bit, but it’s still there, and you can try and shut that door, but it never goes away.’” Studying for her MSc enabled Sian to explore the effects of trauma on journalists. However, having been out of education for many years, returning to it was a daunting prospect for the mother of five. “I hadn’t looked at the prospectus with the care that I would have if I was researching a story. I hadn’t realised there would be so much statistics. Doing a science subject is hard and challenging if, like me, you don’t have a science background. “I was sitting listening to a lecture about quantitative statistics. It made no sense. I had to go back to my boys and start from the beginning by asking ‘What is the difference between the mean, median and mode?’ It wasn’t a steep learning curve. There was no curve – it was vertical!” Despite her nervous start, Sian describes her experience of studying for her MSc as “fantastic”. “It was liberating. It made me think differently. You’ve been going down one road and you suddenly come off it and read different things and mix with different people who don’t give a fig about what you do. “I was really proud of myself. I was an average student at school. Coming back as a mature student, I had picked up tips to deal with exams. I responded differently as a 48-year-old and benefited as a result.” So, having returned to education, what advice does Sian have for her 18-year-old

self? “I would say don’t be frightened of what people think. Just use your own voice because you might actually be listened to.” Sian enjoyed the experience so much she would like to do a PhD when the time is right. As well as presenting the latest series of Sunday Morning Live on BBC One, Sian is currently collaborating with a former colleague on developing ways to build resilience in an organisation, and working on a BBC Radio 4 series about the brain. “That came from my studies at Westminster. I was fascinated by neuroscience and how we can change our brain; how we can inform and mould it.” Ultimately, she says she would like to give advice where it is needed. “I know the things that help build resilience, such as strong support networks, talking to colleagues, having a sense of belonging, acknowledging vulnerability and the impact it has on you – all things that are quite helpful for the next time.”

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Sian Williams delivered her lecture entitled ‘Journalism and post-traumatic stress – how do we protect our reporters’ in March this year, as part of the Westminster Talks Lecture Series 2014/15. For more information about this year’s Westminster Talks series, turn to p45

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FEATURE: PRIDE

A MATTER OF PRIDE NATIONAL STUDENT PRIDE IS ALWAYS A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION. THE ANNUAL THREE-DAY FESTIVAL MANAGES TO COMBINE A PARTY ATMOSPHERE WITH POLITICAL DEBATE AND POWERFUL CAMPAIGNING, PROMOTING THE RIGHTS AND ISSUES RELEVANT TO LGBT STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

“WE FELT WE COULDN’T SIT BACK AND DO NOTHING, SO WE DECIDED TO HOLD AN EVENT TO COUNTERACT THE SORT OF SENTIMENTS THAT HAD BEEN PUT FORWARD; WE INVITED EVERY UNIVERSITY IN THE COUNTRY TO ATTEND, SO THAT WAS REALLY THE FIRST STUDENT PRIDE EVENT” Tom Guy

“EVERYTHING WAS SO WELL ORGANISED, THE SPEAKERS WERE GREAT, THE CAREERS FAIR WAS MASSIVE... IT WAS SUCH A GREAT DAY! AND THE PARTY AT HEAVEN WAS SO MUCH FUN – BEST NIGHT I’VE EVER HAD THERE. IT WAS ALL BRILLIANT” Law student, UCL

Opposite: Musical performances were among the highlights at this year’s National Student Pride Photograph: Fiona Waltje

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But this year the event also reached a significant milestone, marking ten years since it was launched at Oxford Brookes University. It’s been a decade of substantial growth for National Student Pride, now the biggest LGBT student event in the country; that growth was one of the main reasons the event moved home from Brighton to London last year, to its new base at the University of Westminster. And the links between Student Pride and Westminster go much further than just location. Tom Guy, the founder and President of the organisation, is himself a Westminster alumnus – one of eight University of Westminster students and alumni who made up the 24-strong team behind this year’s event. So what was the driving force behind the launch of the first Student Pride back in Oxford in 2005? “The Christian Union used to do weekly talks which were quite small events,” explains Tom, who at the time was an Architecture student at Brookes. “They decided to do one on homosexuality and the Bible, and changed the venue from the usual small room to the main Students’ Union. About 350 people went along, and one of the speakers was a trainee priest who basically stood up and said, ‘you can’t be gay and Christian, it’s wrong’. It was such a one-sided, hate-filled talk. “We felt we couldn’t sit back and do nothing, so we decided to hold an event to counteract the sort of sentiments that had been put forward; that was in the March, and we invited every university in the country to attend in the May, so that was really the first Student Pride event. And it was seen as a Pride event from day one.”

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Having run successfully at Oxford for two years, the intention was that National Student Pride would move to different universities or cities. But moving the event to Manchester in the third year proved less successful, despite a big student population attending three major universities, and left the event with a £3,000 debt which Tom settled. The Manchester failure prompted a rethink – and even a consideration of whether the event should be shelved – before a successful relaunch in Brighton in 2009 led to five successful years and significant expansion. EY (previously Ernst & Young) were one of the first big corporate sponsors, but many more have joined to support the event since. A change in funding arrangements at the Brighton Dome (the home of Student Pride in the city) meant that two years ago the organisers began looking for an alternative venue in London. At the time Tom was completing Part 3 of his Architecture degree at Westminster – so did that have any influence on the decision to bring the event to the University? “No, that really was purely coincidental. We looked at a lot of universities and venues in London, and Westminster came out top for a lot of reasons.” But a natural consequence of the move was that a lot more Westminster students became involved in the event, both as attendees and on the organising team. One of those is Jamie Wareham, who completed his Radio Production BA Honours course last year, gaining a First. “I’ve been coming to Student Pride the entire time I’ve been at university, but I’ve actually been involved in

FEATURE: PRIDE

Pictured (from top): the organising team and volunteers at this year’s National Student Pride; an attendee signing the Pride wall; this year’s Politics Panel, featuring (l-r) Simon Hughes MP, journalist Owen Jones, Newsnight’s Evan Davis, Mike Freer MP, Lord Michael Cashman, and Deputy Green Party Leader Amelia Womack; and this year’s TV and Film Panel, featuring (l-r) Attitude Editor Matthew Todd, Executive Producer Dominic Treadwall-Collins, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, and actors Alicya Eyo and Heather Peace. Picture credits: Beth Hill, Charlie Orchard

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the running of the event for the last two years,” says Jamie. “All of the team are volunteers, so we are juggling that voluntary role with full time jobs or courses. The organisation of the event is stressful, but I love it. I’ve always been involved in student activism, and I did a lot of things with the NUS, but I moved over to get involved with Student Pride because I felt what it was doing was really positive. And now I’ve graduated it’s very difficult to let go. There’s a group of us in that situation, who want to continue helping to make sure the event succeeds. It is really driven by the students, but some of us are there to give a bit of guidance and support.” “In some ways it’s just too big now for it to be run on an ad-hoc basis by a group of students,” continues Tom. “I was working for a group of architects up to February last year, and that always meant that I had to be in work as well as working on Student Pride. But now I’m working for myself I’ve been able to juggle projects around a bit – although it did mean that I got very little work done in the six weeks leading up to the event.” More than 100 colleges and universities now take part in Student Pride each year, and this year’s event at the end of February saw more than 1,500 students, speakers and supporters attending over the three days. The move to London has certainly boosted the numbers attending the event, but it has also helped to strengthen the relationship between the organisers and the increasingly impressive list of sponsors and corporate partners. “And they’ve stayed with us too,” says Jamie. “EY have been a sponsor for five years now. The jobs fair plays a key part in that; it’s now the biggest LGBT jobs fair for students in the country. There are some very big employers alongside EY, such as Google, BP, the RAF and others, and for them it’s a great way to access a group of students, and demonstrate to students that they are a positive brand to work for if you are LGBT. So they get quite a lot out of their sponsorship.”

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Alongside the partnership with sponsors, the relationship with Westminster has also grown and strengthened. “Westminster look after us very well,” says Tom. “They have been very supportive, fantastic really, since we moved the event here. They’ve treated us more like a student group than an external organisation, which is really important.” While Tom’s involvement in student life at Westminster was relatively limited – lectures for the Architecture Part 3 course take place in the evening, balanced around working life – Jamie had the full Westminster student experience. “I loved Westminster; I was based up at Harrow Campus, and there’s a real community feel up there,” he explains. “As an activist I’m all about improving things, so I was quite vocal on campus, petitioning the Students’ Union to do more for LGBT students. But I think I would have been like that whichever university I was at. “Homophobia is a problem on every campus and every university. The problem students have being gay or being trans at Westminster are replicated at universities across the country, so I’m not pinning it just on Westminster. One of the things I did at Westminster was to write a report about how many people had witnessed or experienced homophobia on campus; the figure for members of the LGBT Society was around one in three, which was not very different from the situation found nationwide. “Over the years I was there, the more we stood up and said ‘this is an issue’, the more that people listened. So the situation certainly improved, and by the time I left Westminster they were taking things seriously. They had taken on board the things we highlighted in the report, and they had put in place a hate reporting system.” So if the situation for LGBT students has improved in recent years, is homophobia still a big problem for students nationally? “I think on a day-to-day basis it is,” says Jamie. “I believe that, across the country, things are slowly getting better, although it’s not an issue that should be dismissed just because people are talking about it and aware of it.”

FEATURE: PRIDE

“And that’s one area where Student Pride has an important role to play,” says Tom. “A lot of people come out when they are at university; they are away from home and school, they are in a different atmosphere, and Student Pride can help to give them the self-confidence they need to be themselves. Particularly if you are a student at a small university or college where there isn’t much of an LGBT support network. When you come down to National Student Pride and see all these companies saying, ‘come along and work with us, it’s a great career and it doesn’t matter that you’re gay’, or they see LGBT MPs and celebrities at the event, or just people up on stage discussing issues that are relevant to them: that can be really important, in terms of giving students confidence.” “There’s also the issue that you come to university and everything is alright, everybody is accepting and it’s a bit of a utopia, but then when people experience homophobia that bubble can burst a little bit,” adds Jamie. “Student Pride is one way to recreate that bubble; we talk about mental health and how important it is, we talk about trans issues, we talk about the things that just don’t get discussed anywhere else. That’s one of the things which is most important about Student Pride. Some Pride events are all about the march, all about the protest; ours is less about that, but more about the space to work things out.” With the continuing growth and success of the event comes an increasing workload for those involved in running it. So this year will see the appointment of the organisation’s first paid member of staff,

working one to two days a week, to take some of the burden off of those balancing their organisational roles with studies or careers. This follows on from the launch in 2012 of the National Student Pride steering committee, which meets regularly to help guide and develop the event. The committee includes a number of high-profile and experienced members including Matthew Todd, the Editor of Attitude; lawyer Gemma Sullivan; and Michael Salter, the chair of Pride in London and, until July, the Prime Minister’s Head of Broadcasting, based at 10 Downing Street. “It’s a group of older and wiser heads who are looking at what we are doing, and where we are going in the future,” says Tom. “One of the things we’re considering going forward is looking to do more with the revenue we have coming in, setting up a Student Pride fund where we could work in partnership with organisations like the Albert Kennedy Trust, which supports young LGBT people who are homeless.” With sponsorship and corporate support secured, a growing popularity among students, and a strong relationship with the University of Westminster, the future for Student Pride should be one of continuing celebration, but Tom, Jamie and the team have no plans to rest on their laurels – or miss an opportunity for building the event further. “The job fair really is an important part of everything we’re doing, and it would be great to hear from any alumni or anyone else interested in supporting the event,” says Tom.

Dustin Lance Black, Oscar-winning screenwriter of the film Milk, and singer Lucy Spraggan, were among the guests taking part in this year’s event. Photographs: Beth Hill

You can find out more at studentpride.co.uk

Jamie Wareham

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“I LOVED WESTMINSTER; I WAS BASED UP AT HARROW CAMPUS, AND THERE’S A REAL COMMUNITY FEEL UP THERE. AS AN ACTIVIST I’M ALL ABOUT IMPROVING THINGS, SO I WAS QUITE VOCAL ON CAMPUS, PETITIONING THE STUDENTS’ UNION TO DO MORE FOR LGBT STUDENTS. BUT I THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE THAT WHICHEVER UNIVERSITY I WAS AT”

“STUDENT PRIDE WAS AMAZING, CAN’T WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR!” French and Music BA student, Royal Holloway University

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FEATURE: RETURN TO CAMPUS

WAI TANG RETURNS TO CAMPUS

Wai Tang (Architecture Diploma, 1995) returns to Marylebone Campus

“I THINK I EVEN SLEPT IN THE ARCHITECTURE STUDIOS WHEN UP AGAINST THE DEADLINES”

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“Wow. This is a very special place. It’s been 20 years since I left this Department, but the DNA is still the same.’’ Jet-lagged and fuelled on a double macchiato having flown in from Hong Kong that morning, Wai Tang’s delight at returning to the Department of Architecture is invigorating. Since graduating with a diploma in Architecture in 1995 (now known as a Masters of Architecture), Wai Tang has carved out a successful career in Hong Kong, where he works as Executive Director for Aedas, a world-leading architecture practice. Today, he has made a special trip to the University of Westminster’s Marylebone Campus while in the UK on business, to give a guest lecture to our architecture students. But before the big talk, there’s time to explore the famous

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architecture studios, where he lived and breathed his University days. “I used to work in that very corner!” says Wai Tang. “This is the space I claimed as my own during those gruelling 16-hour sessions when I was working on my diploma project. I think I even slept here when up against the deadlines.” The hard work paid off. Wai Tang’s diploma project led to him being runner up for the RIBA Silver Medal for Part 2 in 1995. Success has followed Wai Tang ever since; or, perhaps more accurately, Wai Tang has generated success through his passionate, goal-getting, ‘live fast, sleep later’ approach to work. Wai Tang’s excitement and enthusiasm for the Department of Architecture (“London academics, the famous buildings,

FEATURE: RETURN TO CAMPUS

“STUDYING AT WESTMINSTER WAS A COMPLETE GAME CHANGER FOR ME”

Wai Tang meets current architecture students in the studios, (from l-r): Wai Tang, Laylac Shahed (Architecture, 2016) and Luc Sanciaume (Architecture, 2015)

WOULD YOU LIKE TO RETURN TO CAMPUS?

Wai Tang shows Professor Harry Charrington, Head of Architecture, photos of the Department between 1993–1995 (“the DNA is still the same”)

the studios!”) couldn’t have come at a better time for our students, who, at the time of his visit, are due to sit their final exams. Gathered in a lecture theatre, Wai Tang’s words of wisdom are greeted with nods of agreement. “You can’t get any better than a Londonbased architecture education, and you should be proud to be here,” he tells them. “Push yourself to the limit; sometimes you will surprise yourself. And be open-minded. If a tutor, peer or client criticises your work, see it as an opportunity to develop your project, so that it becomes even better than it was before.” If anyone is qualified to tell our students this, it’s Wai Tang. Through his illustrious career, he has designed and completed several award-winning design projects. He is currently developing the prestigious

Hongqiao World Centre in Shanghai, which is due for completion in 2016; a project which he discusses at length with our students today, sharing exclusive site plans and photos. “Studying at Westminster was a complete game changer for me. When I came here, I knew about the fundamentals of design, but I didn’t know how to pitch my projects to potential clients. In this very building, I learnt how to tell a story with my designs, and how to illustrate my ideas so others would share my vision. This has since won me many contracts.” And with that inspiration and an influx of questions from our students, Wai Tang concludes his guest lecture. He is only in the UK for four days: the term ‘flying visit’ is particularly apt.

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Wai Tang is one of the many alumni who are regularly supporting students through providing careers advice, mentoring or employment opportunities. In particular, our alumni in Hong Kong have given exceptional support to current students in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment in recent months. Would you like to return to campus to give careers advice to our students? Please contact alumni@ westminster.ac.uk to talk it through with one of the team.

ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2015

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CLASSNOTES

The University of Westminster has a global community of more than 150,000 alumni in over 180 countries around the world. Classnotes is just a selection of some of the updates we have received from alumni. We would love to hear about how your career and life has developed since you left Westminster, so please send your news along with any photos to alumninetwork@ westminster.ac.uk

CHRISTINE QUICK ADVERTISING AND FASHION, 1964

In 1964, I started working for a photographer in Guildford; this gave me the best grounding for my career. In 1965, I moved to studios in Hatton Garden working directly for large blue chip companies. BEA advertised for a photographer in 1971 and I was thrilled to be selected. Concorde was a once in a lifetime experience. By 1982, British Airways decided to close the unit and QFT Photography was born. Now retired, I’m in the British Airways Museum, scanning old images for publication.

I studied at Regent and Cavendish campuses. After graduation, I acquired professional qualifications through memberships of Institutions of: Engineering Designers, Mechanical Engineers, Engineering & Technology, and Chartered Management Institute, Graduate Engineering-City & Guilds London Institute. I worked in various organisations starting as

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ALUM BATI GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LAW, 1979

JOHN DUTTON FILM, VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS BA, 1987

SIMON WINSTANLEY ARCHITECTURE, 1971

MOHAMMAD KHALEEL CHOWDHREE ENGINEERING HNC, 1971

development engineer and retiring chief engineer-director in 2006. I was elected Chairman of the Institution of Engineering Designers (1999–2002).

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After qualifying I spent four years in London working for Colquhoun + Miller then moved to Scotland to teach at the Mackintosh School of Architecture for six years. From 1983 I have been in private practice, now as Simon Winstanley Architects. We have won many awards including a RIBA Award in 2011 for my own house. KEVIN DESMOND LAW, LANGUAGES AND COMMUNICATION, 1973

I obtained my Diploma in Communicaton Studies at the PCL in 1973. As Intake 3, I feel proud to have been one of the guinea pigs in what today is known as Media Studies. Since then, I have worked as a freelance journalist and historian. Check out my 28th book, Gustave Trouvé, French Electrical Genius. Search online for further information.

Having obtained a Graduate Diploma in Law, I went on to do the Bar exams. Eventually, I ended up in Baku, Azerbaijan, where I have been practising law for 21 years and was Honorary Legal Adviser to the British Ambassador. I am now semi-retired and spend my time writing. I have published two novels, both thrillers set in the Ottoman Empire. Harem Secrets was published a few years ago and its sequel, Caravan to Paradise, was published earlier this year. NICK STAVELEY STANLEY MBE PHOTOGRAPHY, 1984

I founded a grassroots racing club called Covkartsport, a low cost, non-profit making organisation that attracts over 100 competitor drivers to every event. I formed Covkartsport because it allowed anybody to have a crack at an affordable form of motorsport. In 2013, I was awarded an MBE which was presented to me by HRH Prince Charles. It is unusual in the world of motorsport to receive a royal honour if one is not connected with an F1 champion team!

I emigrated to Montreal, Canada and was hired first as a video editor for a major TV series, then as a live TV director for a music television station. Ten years later I moved into advertising as a creative director with my own boutique agency and then as a freelance copywriter. I write for clients such as Cirque du Soleil and have also written novels, screenplays and a stage play. LINA LI MODERN LANGUAGES, 1991

In the 24 years since I graduated I have experienced the whole spectrum of graduate job hunting, working in an IT sales role with European travel, illness, unemployment and back into full-time employment again. Until February of this year I had been unemployed for two years after being made redundant and used the opportunity to fully recuperate from illness while all the time being thankful that I had squirrelled away enough funds to tide me over and keep up with mortgage payments.

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KASSIANI KOLYDA CONTROL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING BSc, 1992, DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING MSc, 1993

At the age of 25 I was managing multi-million telecommunications accounts. My clients included BT, Telstra, and Deutch Telecom. I have over 20 years of international business experience working for major multinational companies in senior executive positions and on major EU projects. I am the founder and CEO of StraDia Coaching, an international company empowering women to raise their profile in male dominated arenas, develop a unique personal brand, and not settle for less than they are worth! JAVIER CALVAR APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH MA, 1995

run by the Stanford Graduate School of Business. I have very fond memories of the University of Westminster and remain in touch through their mentoring programme – every year I take great pride in mentoring one of our students. JULIET COOMBE FILM, VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS BA, 1991, MEDIA STUDIES MA, 1996

After a highly successful career in journalism I now run Sri Serendipity Publishing House in Galle Fort, Sri Lanka. During Asia’s longest civil war in 2005 I wrote Around The Fort in 80 Lives, which has become an unbelievable bestseller on the unique heritage of Asia’s largest living fort through the people’s eyes. I am currently researching 101 Unforgettable Experiences — Sri Lanka island guide, my 12th book on the Island. ALEXIS STAMATIS FILM AND TELEVISION STUDIES, 1998

I did a PhD at Middlesex University, and was sent by my employer (WPP) to China. Thirteen years later, I am still in China as Chief Operating Officer for Albatross Global Solutions. I am also a pro-bono adviser on the SEED programme

This year I’ll be publishing my 14th

novel and my seventh play will be staged. My novel, Bar Flaubert, has just been published in Bulgaria. In 2007, the US publishing house Etruscan Press won the first International Literary award by the US National Endowment for the Arts to publish my novel American Fugue. My tour included around 15 universities all over the country including Harvard, Yale, etc. In 2013 my one-act play Innerview was staged at Southbank Centre (Purcell Room). SIMON WILLIAMS TRANSPORT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT MSc, 1999

I have pursued a varied and interesting career with London Underground and Transport for London. I continued to work in commercial business development until 2005, taking responsibility for LU’s commercial facilities. I then moved into project management of change and transformation, including preparations for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I am now Head of Business Change Project Management, leading a team of 40 transforming the customer proposition, for example through the introduction of 24-hour Tube services.

CONSTANTINE LOUIS HISTORY WITH ITALIAN, 1980, INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES (HISTORY WITH ITALIAN), 2000

pharmaceuticals sector. I am now working as Senior Product Manager at one of Turkey’s leading pharmaceutical companies.

pictures. We have started an initiative called ‘Every City is a Story’ where the city becomes the character and the architecture an accomplice to the story. Right now we are working on Bangalore and are hoping to take this around India, and who knows, the world!

JOANNA ORLAND AUDIO PRODUCTION MA, 2003

After a teaching spell in Southern Europe I returned to the PCL. I was elected president of the Continuing Education Society and had a terrific time, meeting regularly with other students at the Bolsover bar. Then I started the Amnesty International Society of Westminster but had to discontinue my studies to care for my youngest son, who had developed problems. Somehow I managed to further my studies, which include counselling and I am now mentoring students at Middlesex University. GULSAH KOKEN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT MA, 2002

My studies at the University of Westminster provided me with a practical and intensive foundation in business administration. It also gave me an advantage when I applied to the University of California to start a Marketing Diploma Programme, and then successfully continued my career in the

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ISABEL GUIOTE GONZÁLEZ CERAMICS BA, 2005

I began my career with EA Criterion, then moved to Sony as their senior sound designer. My back catalogue includes the awardwinning Wonderbook: Book of Spells, Diggs Nightcrawler, God of War 3 and demos for Project Morpheus. I have now had my contribution to the gaming world recognised by being named as one of the Top 100 Women in Games by MCV, the international video game industry’s leading magazine. JAIDEEP UNUDURTI INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM (BROADCAST) MA, 2003

When I graduated, I first worked as a teacher in workshops in Spain, then took the management and decoration of a hotel full of art, oil paintings and my artistic ceramic pieces. The hotel has small spaces with sculptures and every Friday the hall is enriched by cultural thematic evenings. In 2013, I conducted a masterclass in Ireland, this year I participated in an exhibition of contemporary art, and I’m still forming and merging my hotel Arabeluj ceramic workshop. NWAMAKA IYIZOBA JOURNALISM (BROADCAST) PGDip, 2005

I have started Syenagiri, a studio focusing on graphic narratives and animation in India. My days at the University of Westminster devouring graphic novels were not wasted. I learnt documentary making, meaning I understood telling stories through

After my degree I worked at a little production company

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and then at the BBC, most interestingly on The Culture Show. I moved back to Germany and have changed my career path completely. I am currently a singer/ songwriter and jazz vocalist performing around Europe. If you want to know more, visit amakamusic.com NICOLETA FOTIADE COMMUNICATION MA, 2006

Soon it will be ten years since I started my MA. Lots has happened since. The latest news is that last year I co-founded the first association dedicated to media literacy education in Romania: Mediawise Society. I discovered the realm of media literacy education back in 2003 in Bucharest. At the University of Westminster I got hooked on it. Like all grassroots initiatives in a place where the field of media education is very limited, the Mediawise community grows slowly but steadily. ROHIT PRADHAN AUDIO PRODUCTION MA, 2006

After graduating, I set up an audio postproduction studio in Mumbai. I had my first break with Balak

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Palak, an internationally acclaimed film. In 2014 I was awarded an IMFFA award for sound design for the film Yellow. Also, I worked as sound designer for Mitraa, which won the National Film Award for Best Short Fiction Film. I have worked as a supervising sound editor/designer on films like Rege, Timepass 1 and 2, and Bioscope. DAN RICHTER HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE MANAGEMENT PGDip, 2006

I have set up a social enterprise to tackle gambling addiction. We have used crowdfunding to set up Better Futures for Gamblers C.I.C. which we are piloting in Wiltshire and hope to roll out across the UK in early 2016. Our model is innovative, as we are effectively a broker between the local church and gamblers. I have really used the skills I learnt in my studies to analyse the market and develop solutions. betterfutures.uk GHAIDA HASSAN FATANY APPLIED SOCIAL AND MARKET RESEARCH MA, 2007

My degree gave me the qualification I needed to

have my own practice and enhanced my knowledge. Getting the degree helped me build the strength and confidence to open my own business and work with amazing clients and big names over the years. I have my own business consultancy firm for social and market research. It is not a very common career but very exciting – not a routine career and you are always learning something new! AMY FITZ DOYLEY COMMERCIAL MUSIC BA, 2009

KHAWAJA FAWAD LATIF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MA, 2009

Having left the University of Westminster in 2009, I pursued a career in teaching in Pakistan. I started as a lecturer in the Department of Management Sciences, City University. I am currently working as assistant professor at Abasyn University, Peshawar and also pursuing my PhD. MIKA LAIHO ENGLISH LITERATURE BA, 2009

SOPHIE METCALFE MEDIA STUDIES (JOURNALISM) BA, 2009

ÖZGÜR HEMDIL TRANSPORT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT MSc, 2012

I’ve worked for UKRD at Stray FM for over three years now and in January I became manager of Stray Extra, the company’s DAB station. I produce daily talkshows, and facilitate sponsored content from nearly 70 local businesses in North Yorkshire. I am proud to be part of ground-breaking local commercial radio, which is turning heads in the industry.

After studying I felt creative and confident in my field of study on a very global scale that would also pave the way for my career. Thanks to my lecturers I attended regular meetings of the Transport Economists Group in London. The global network of alumni and industrial links of the University can provide many career opportunities. I am now working as Transport Analyst at the Turkish Statistical Institution.

NICHAPHAT DARIN PHONGSUWAN MUSIC BUSINESS MANAGEMENT MA, 2010

Since leaving the University of Westminster I have been lucky enough to be accepted onto Roots & Routes – an agency organising training courses, master classes, performances, events, exchanges and mobility programmes for young music, dance and media talents in over ten European countries. I have also trained in London as a music leader and facilitator with Spitalfields Music and I am now in the process of setting up my own music educational programme, supported by Abi Associates. Image: farbanomalie.de/

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I am a postgraduate researcher at the Department of Geography as a Human Geographer researching the practice of EU policy-making and its implications for the Arctic region. I am an affiliate researcher at the Durham Energy Institute, while continuing to communicate my personal views on EU-Arctic energy and climate security relations. You can read more about my research in the Spring 2015 edition of the DEI Review.

I am glad I did a Music Business Management MA with the University of Westminster. I am currently working as Marketing and Communication Manager at the College of Music, Mahidol University, as well as PR Manager for the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra for two years. The course packed me with all I need to lead the music industry and music education in my homeland.

ELLA DICKINSON PHOTOJOURNALISM MA, 2013

I have been a freelance photographer since graduating, sometimes combining this work with other jobs. This year I have a contract working for an NGO called Compassion UK. I was recently awarded the opportunity to travel to Chad to document communities affected by famine and food insecurity. I was able to put to use everything I had learnt during the course and produce images that I was really proud of.

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THE WESTMINSTER TALKS SERIES FEATURES A DIVERSE MIX OF SPEAKERS WHO ARE PROUD TO HAVE A SHARED HISTORY AND AN EXCITING FUTURE WITH US. OUR GROWING ASSOCIATIONS ARE EMBODIED IN THE 2015/16 SERIES, WHICH CONTINUES THE UNIVERSITY’S HERITAGE OF EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.

WEDNESDAY 7 OCTOBER 2015, 6PM LEADING CULTURE – A DYNAMIC CHALLENGE Hilary S. Carty, Independent Consultant, Co-Creatives Consulting Ltd WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2015, 6PM THE SECRETS OF A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR Kirit Patel MBE, CEO, Day Lewis Group WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2015, 6PM THE BBC, NATIONAL ASSET IN A GLOBALISED WORLD Professor Jean Seaton, Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2015, 6PM DO WE HAVE FAITH IN THE NATION? The Very Reverend Dr John R Hall, Dean of Westminster WEDNESDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2016, 6PM FLYING HIGH: PASSENGER RIGHTS, EUROPEAN DEMOS AND LEGITIMACY OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE Professor Adam Lazowski, Westminster Law School

WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2016, 6PM WHY PROFESSIONALISM IS AS IMPORTANT TO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AS IT IS TO MEDICINE James Wates CBE, Chairman, Wates Construction WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2016, 6PM IN OR OUT OF EUROPE? WHY THE FORTHCOMING VOTE MATTERS Roland Rudd, Chairman, Finsbury and Business for New Europe WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2016, 6PM OPTIMAL HEALTH: THE NEW PARADIGM Professor Jimmy Bell, Faculty of Science and Technology WEDNESDAY 9 MARCH 2016, 6PM BOMBAY BEFORE BOLLYWOOD: FILM CITY FANTASIES Professor Rosie Thomas, Westminster School of Media, Arts and Design

For further information and to book your place for any of the lectures, please contact:

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW

PAULA CADENHEAD E: p.cadenhead@westminster.ac.uk

westminster.ac.uk/westminster-talks

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UNDERGRADUATE OPEN DAY If you know someone who is looking to embark on higher education, invite them to start their journey at the University of Westminster Cavendish, Harrow, Little Titchfield Street, Marylebone, Regent

10 OCTOBER 2015 11AM—3PM 4 NOVEMBER 2015 2PM—5PM westminster.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/open-days

PROFESSIONAL AND SHORT COURSES The University of Westminster has an extended portfolio of programmes for continuing professional development (CPD), and offers short courses in a number of subject areas. Alumni receive special discounts for selected courses, and your attendance may count towards CPD with professional bodies.*

FREE MEMBERSHIP OF THE REGENT STREET CINEMA

THE HISTORIC REGENT STREET CINEMA IS NOW OPEN AGAIN – SHOWING A SELECTION OF REPERTORY PROGRAMMING INCLUDING CLASSICS, CULT FAVOURITES, DOCUMENTARIES, INDIE FILMS, WORLD CINEMA AND PREMIERES.

Find out more and apply:

westminster.ac.uk/courses/professional-and-short Please see individual course descriptions for details

LEAVE A LEGACY TODAY TRANSFORM LIVES TOMORROW

ALUMNI CAN GET FREE MEMBERSHIP (WORTH £40) BY ENTERING THE DISCOUNT CODE ‘ALUMNI’ WHEN THEY SIGN UP ON THE WEBSITE. A LEGACY IS ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS OF MAKING A LASTING GIFT TO THE UNIVERSITY WHICH HELPS SUPPORT FUTURE STUDENTS

www.regentstreetcinema.com

To find out more about remembering Westminster in your will, contact our Development Office: T: +44 (0)20 7911 5741 E: development@westminster.ac.uk

CHANGING THE WORLD

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TAKE FIVE ALUMNI, ARE YOU TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THESE SPECIAL BENEFITS?

SHARE YOUR MEMORIES We are inviting alumni to tell us about their student days and help us compile an oral history of life at the University and its predecessor institutions. We want to hear from participants from any period of our history, but particularly individuals who attended between 1992 and 2005.

For more information about the project, visit westminster.ac.uk/oral-history

• FREE ALUMNI CARD: Provides access to University campuses,

wi-fi and library.

• SOCIAL AND NETWORKING EVENTS: We’re planning even more

for 2016 – join Alumni Online for priority invitations.

• DISCOUNTS ON FURTHER STUDY: New grads can get up to

15 per cent discount on postgraduate studies.

• SUMMER ACCOMMODATION: Discounts of up to 25 per cent for

alumni who stay at University sites. Time to book that trip to London?

• SPECIAL RATES FOR ROOM HIRE: Lecture theatres, conference space

– we’ve got it all covered with a discount of 25 per cent for alumni.

Join Alumni Online to take advantage of all these perks: westminster.ac.uk/alumni

ALUMNI: PAY LESS FOR YOUR MASTERS OR PHD

15% DISCOUNT

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER OFFERS ALUMNI AN EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT ON ITS FULL- AND PART-TIME MASTER’S COURSES* AND PHD COURSES. Alumni are entitled to: • 15 per cent discount on tuition fees if you graduated with a Bachelors degree with Honours, or a Master’s degree, from the University of Westminster in the last three years, or you completed your study abroad or exchange experience within the last three years; and • 10 per cent discount on tuition fees if you graduated with a Bachelors degree with Honours, or a Master’s degree, from the University of Westminster in the last five years, or you completed your study abroad or exchange experience within the last five years. Terms and conditions apply.

For more information please contact our Course Enquiries Team: course-enquiries@westminster.ac.uk

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ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2015