Network 2017 by University of Westminster alumni

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

THE ART OF SATIRE

AWARD-WINNING POLITICAL CARTOONIST BEN JENNINGS

INNOVATION IN LEARNING

HOW THE UNIVERSITY IS LEADING THE WAY IN TEACHING TECHNIQUES

MEET THE WESTMINSTER ENTREPRENEURS MEET THE ENTERPRISING ALUMNI ACHIEVING THEIR CAREER DREAMS

WELCOME FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT

WELCOME I’m delighted to welcome all alumni, and particularly the class of 2017, our newest cohort of graduates, to the latest edition of Network, the magazine for alumni of the University of Westminster. It’s exciting and encouraging to realise that Network is being read and enjoyed by our 180,000-strong alumni community in more than 180 countries. Global engagement has always been an essential element of the Westminster ethos, and that focus has again been recognised during the past year, when we were placed in the top 30 in the world – and fourth in the UK – for international outlook, in the latest Young University Rankings. While such accolades are pleasing to receive, the real benefits of our emphasis on global engagement are felt most strongly by our students and alumni, and the communities in which they volunteer, study or work. Two initiatives featured in this edition of the magazine – the Changing Lives Programme, enabling students to volunteer in Jordan, and Working Cultures, giving students an invaluable insight into professional life in different countries – highlight the impact of that approach. But our international outlook is not restricted to projects and initiatives – it is an integral part of the way we do things at Westminster, and in the activities of our staff, students and alumni. For example, the research news featured in Network explores the efforts of our staff and students to find solutions to health issues and improve well-being around the planet – from tackling viruses such as Ebola, Lassa and Marburg, to combatting childhood obesity in Mexico. It’s also evident in the stories of our alumni entrepreneurs featured in this edition of Network – from Rahat Kulshreshtha, who took the skills he gained at Westminster back to India to “play a part” in the growth of his

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

country, to Lucy Earl, who helps other students around the world to learn English, and perfected her own language skills by studying Italian for three years as well as completing a year’s placement in Spain alongside her Marketing Communications degree. Politics is one area of modern life where it’s impossible to escape the impact of international actions – and again, the University of Westminster is at the forefront of current developments. Professor Graham Smith, Director of our Centre for the Study of Democracy, is working with colleagues in America to bring back open-minded democratic discussion to the broken landscape of online debate. Meanwhile Illustration BA Honours alumnus Ben Jennings, an award-winning political cartoonist, is eloquently and skillfully using satire to bring the debates surrounding some of the key political figures and issues to the widest possible audience. I hope, as members of our global alumni community, you enjoy 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 – thank you. I hope many of you will have the opportunity to strengthen your relationship with the University, through events such as Westminster Talks, networking opportunities, and the various alumni reunions. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible throughout the coming year. Professor Geoffrey Petts Vice-Chancellor and President

CONTENTS

CONTENTS 4

IN TOUCH

News, views and comments from our alumni around the world, and a welcome from the Alumni Team – plus all your alumni benefits

NETWORK NEWS

All the news from across the University, including Westminster’s global engagement, and the activities and achievements of our alumni

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

From a life-changing initiative in Jordan to working life insights in Hong Kong and London internships, the Westminster experience is exceptional

RESEARCH NEWS

Some of the latest research advances made across the University, including how Westminster teams are taking action on global health

THE 125 FUND

MEET THE WESTMINSTER ENTREPRENEURS

Network speaks to four successful alumni entrepreneurs who share their stories, their struggles and some valuable advice

INNOVATION IN LEARNING Examples of how identifying and incorporating innovation in teaching and learning is at the heart of everything Westminster does

THE STRESS TEST

THE ART OF SATIRE

How students have been able to reach their potential, supported by grants from The 125 Fund – thanks to the generosity of alumni, friends and supporters

Award-winning editorial cartoonist and Illustration alumnus Ben Jennings talks about big breaks, tight deadlines, Trump’s hands, and whether life can become too ridiculous to satirise

Alumnus and award-winning travel writer Neil Matthews explores the history of the Polytechnic Touring Association, the forerunner of travel giant Lunn Poly

Professor Graham Smith is helping to rebuild the broken landscape of online debate and bring reasonable, fair and open-minded discussion back to democracy

THE POLYTECHNIC TOURING ASSOCIATION

DEMOCRACY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

Westminster’s Centre for Resilience is leading the fight against burnout in doctors, and teaching leaders to turn adversity into growth

ALUMNI IN ACTION

Many of you are taking the time to support the University and our students through offering your time, ideas, stories and expertise

CLASSNOTES

A selection of just some of the updates we have received

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017 Consulting Editor: Keith Potter Chief Editor: Heather Ridal Contributors: David Brooks, Laura Garman, Alyssa Martin, Bridey Swarbrick Schwarz. Thanks to all alumni, staff, students and supporters who have contributed to this issue.

Print: Belmont Print A charity and a company limited by guarantee. Registration number: 977818. Registered office: 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW 8360/07.17/MS/B

Development and Alumni Relations Office University of Westminster Cavendish House 101 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6XH T: +44 (0)20 3506 6245 E: alumni@westminster.ac.uk

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

IN TOUCH

IN TOUCH @

These past few days were so memorable. It really was terrific reconnecting with everyone. My time at the Poly has remained a reference point throughout my working life. Forty years is a long time, but sharing this time with you all telescoped it down to nothing, and I’ve found it very inspiring.

HELLO FROM THE ALUMNI TEAM A huge thank you to all of our alumni who have volunteered this year. I am immensely grateful to those of you who give your time to support our students, whether it be speaking about your career, mentoring a student, or providing work placements. Together you make a real difference to the lives and career prospects of our students. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to introduce new opportunities for our students to experience other University of Westminster cultures and develop their skills. The Alumni Association AlSadi Changing Lives Programme enables students to participate in community projects in Jordan, while @uw_alumni Westminster Working Cultures gives students the chance to experience University of Westminster professional life in another country. Alumni Association Our alumni have been essential to the success of these programmes, westminster.ac.uk through hosting students at their workplace or welcoming them at alumni receptions. Get in touch if you’d like to @ alumni@westminster.ac.uk find out more about volunteering; together we can help even more Development and students succeed. Alumni Relations Office I hope you enjoy reading this edition Cavendish House of Network.

Bruno Sorrentino (Photographic Arts BA, 1976) and his former classmates at a reunion in the Regent Street Cinema

GET CONNECTED

Chris Smith Director, Development and Alumni Relations Office

101 New Cavendish Street London W1W 6XH

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

Very inspirational evening at the Break the Glass gender equality event, thank you @uw_alumni for putting this on! Zehnab Hamid, @Bella_CrayZay (European Legal Studies LLB, 2016), joined us for our Break the Glass event in March to celebrate International Women’s Week

IN TOUCH

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST ALUMNI!

Nice event tonight, thanks to the University of Westminster alumni association for organising this event in Hong Kong. Marc Guyon, @MarcGuyon (Language Exchange, 2008) after our Hong Kong alumni reception in April, pictured with Chris Smith, Director of the Development and Alumni Relations Office (left) and Professor Alex Hughes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) (right)

It’s been a great three years at @UniWestminster officially a graduate! #WestminsterGrad #MAD #journalist Sajid Hassan, @sajid_hassan96 (Journalism BA, 2017)

I’m a #WestminsterGrad now, along with my lovely lovely friends! Charis White @glitterbug2502 (English Language and Linguistics BA, 2017)

@ Thanks for giving me the opportunity to take part in Break the Glass. It was very insightful for me and I learnt a lot from the workshop experience. As Operations Manager at Access UK, a charity focused on BAME unemployment and increasing diversity, I hope that Break the Glass helped young students and graduates to find their voice. Chris Ankobia (Purchasing and Supply Chain Management MSc, 2015), Operations Manager, Access UK, after leading an activity for our Break the Glass event

When dreams come true ... #PRAdv #WestminsterGrad #graduation Vanesa Carralero, @VanesaCarralero (Public Relations and Advertising BA, 2017)

Huge congratulations to Motti Orenstein on getting a 1st class honours! #WestminsterGrad @uw_alumni Motti Orenstein (Real Estate BSc, 2017) with @RachelLubinsky

YOUR EXCLUSIVE ALUMNI BENEFITS Did you know that as an alumnus you can take advantage of exclusive benefits? Our alumni enjoy events, opportunities, discounts and news updates. You can: • visit the campuses and libraries with a free alumni card • further your studies with a 15% discount at Westminster

• kick-start or enhance your career with free careers support for three years after graduation • enjoy interesting lectures, networking events, career talks, and interactive workshops • keep up to date with regular e-newsletters and our annual alumni magazine, Network

• save money with discounts on Regent Street Cinema membership, gym membership, room hire and summer accommodation • develop your skills through public speaking or mentoring opportunities Make the most of your alumni benefits: westminster.ac.uk/alumni-benefits

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

NETWORK NEWS

A GLOBAL COMMUNITY THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER HAS CEMENTED ITS REPUTATION AS A TRULY GLOBAL UNIVERSITY AFTER BEING RANKED IN THE TOP 30 – AND FOURTH IN THE UK – FOR INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK.

CANADA TORONTO: Our first alumni meet-up in Canada took place in March 2017

Our international outlook is supported by partnerships across the world, globally engaged research and by the international cultural exchange and employability trips we offer our students. Here is just a selection of activity led by the Development and Alumni Relations Office over the past year.

USA 6,792 alumni in the USA

BRAZIL SÃO PAULO: In October 2016, Brazilian alumni shared their memories over drinks

We have

6,000 41,000 30% international international students across alumni across 165 countries 180 countries

KEY 6

EVENT

international ambassadors international staff and committees mentors around the world

#WESTMINSTERSUCCESS

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

STATISTIC

VOLUNTEERS

STUDENT TRIP

NETWORK NEWS

FRANCE There is a new Alumni Ambassador for France

GREECE 2,334 alumni in Greece

CHINA JORDAN Three groups of students so far have visited Jordan with the AlSadi Changing Lives Programme (see page 16)

The Beijing Committee is the biggest Westminster international volunteer group

HONG KONG

AFRICA 1,413 alumni in Africa

SAUDI ARABIA Faisal Abbas was awarded the Social Impact Award for Saudi Arabia in the 2017 British Council Awards (see page 14)

Fifty guests joined Professor Alex Hughes, Deputy ViceChancellor (Global Engagement), for our annual Hong Kong Reception in April 2017 Our first Westminster Working Cultures trip took 14 students to Hong Kong for ten days (see page 17)

INDIA NEW DELHI: Forty guests joined us for our annual reception in January 2017 MUMBAI: Fifty-three alumni attended our Mumbai Reception in January 2017 Sameer Pitalwalla was awarded the Entrepreneurial Award for India in the 2017 British Council Awards (see page 14) 1,273 alumni are part of the Westminster India Alumni Network Dedicated volunteers run the New Delhi Committee An Alumni Ambassador in Mumbai aims to increase activities in the region

NEW ZEALAND The first Alumni Ambassador for New Zealand was appointed in August 2016

Spotted a gap in the map? If you are an international alumnus and would like to become a mentor or volunteer your time to support activity in your region, then email alumni@westminster.ac.uk, tweet #supportwestminster or visit westminster.ac.uk/about-us/ alumni/international-alumni

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

NETWORK NEWS

DAME LIZ RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE Dame Liz Forgan, former Chair of the Scott Trust (which owns the Guardian and Observer) and the first female Chair of Arts Council England, has received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Westminster for her services to journalism and the arts. Dame Liz spent her early career in print journalism, firstly on the Tehran Journal, then with the Hampstead and Highgate Express, the London Evening Standard and the Guardian. She was part of the founding team at Channel 4 Television, later becoming Director of Programmes before moving to the BBC as Managing Director of Network Radio. In 2006 she was awarded her DBE for services to Radio Broadcasting, following her OBE, which she received in 1998.

Dame Liz brings a wealth of knowledge in the arts, media and policy and will be an invaluable and unique mentor to the University of Westminster’s community. Accepting her award, she said: “Nothing is more inspiring than seeing

young people celebrate this amazing academic achievement as they are on the threshold of becoming the people they will be in work and in public life. It is pivotal for them, and for me it is an enormous honour to be present at this most wonderful occasion.”

UTC OFFERS CUTTING-EDGE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEENAGERS A groundbreaking state sector college offering ambitious, high-achieving 14 to 18-year-olds an entirely new educational opportunity is set to open in September this year, backed by the University of Westminster in partnership with six leading industry employers. The Sir Simon Milton Westminster University Technical College (UTC) is a world-class facility that uniquely integrates excellent academic, technical and practical learning in a state-of-the-art environment. The College, which is based in a cutting-edge, architect-designed building in London’s Pimlico (just a five-minute walk from Victoria), is supported by the University of Westminster and the Sir Simon Milton Foundation, who will offer

student mentors as well as a number of scholarships and bursaries. Students will be able to take GCSEs and A levels in science, technology, maths, engineering and English, while also developing project management, problem-solving and technical skills by working with real companies. They will be able to work directly with members of the Employer Alliance – including industry giants like Network Rail, Transport for London, Crossrail, Alstom, BT Fleet, Land Securities and Sir Robert McAlpine. The curriculum at Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTC has been designed in partnership with the University of Westminster and the Employer Alliance, to ensure students have a

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

clear line of sight to higher education and apprenticeships. They will be supported in applying to top universities, while employer partners have committed to prioritising suitable UTC students for relevant apprenticeships and job opportunities.

The College is now looking to recruit students onto the GCSE and A level courses. Do you have, or know, any teenagers in Year 9 or Year 11 interested in a science or technology focused education? You can find out more about the College and future open evenings at westminsterutc.co.uk

NETWORK NEWS

BAFTA WIN FOR WESTMINSTER TRIO Under the Shadow, a horror film resulting from a Westminster alumni collaboration, took home the award for Outstanding Debut at this year’s BAFTAs. The film also picked up three British Independent Film Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress and the Douglas Hickox Award (Debut Director) after being nominated in six categories, and was selected as the British entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the film received rave reviews, with streaming rights snapped up by Netflix. The Guardian called it “this year’s unarguable horror standout”, while IndieWire praised the film as “the greatest horror movie of the year”. Director Babak Anvari, Executive Producer Patrick Fischer and Director of Photography Kit Fraser all met at the University of Westminster while studying for the BA in Film and Television Production. After graduating in 2005, Babak and Kit went on to work together on the BAFTA-nominated short film Two&Two.

Kit Fraser (with camera) and Babak Anvari (right) on the set of Under the Shadow

On his time at Westminster Babak said: “Kit and I met in the first term at University and we have worked together ever since. We loved working together and have now been collaborating for 13 years. The best

thing about Westminster was getting the chance to meet lots of like-minded people. You also get the opportunity to experiment and shoot, as well as learn about aesthetics and film analysis.”

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO… In an astounding achievement Westminster alumni have won the Best Live Action Short Film award at the Oscars for the second year in a row. This year Director Kristóf Deák (Directing Film and Television MA, 2010) and Bex Harvey (Screenwriting and Production MA, 2012) took home the trophy for short film Sing. This follows on from last year’s success, in which Shan Christopher Ogilvie (Film and Television Production BA, 2009) won the award for his film Stutterer. Sing, a 25-minute film about an award-winning school choir with a

dark secret, had already received international recognition, winning Best Short Film at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, Grand Prix at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2016 and Best Short Fiction Film at the Olympia International Film Festival.

Kristóf said: “My time as a student on the Directing Film and TV MA course and then as a teaching assistant at the University of Westminster gave me so much. One of the best days of my life was our final project screening, held with a full house in the University’s Regent Street Cinema.”

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

NETWORK NEWS

ALUMNUS TEJ JOINS THE DRAGONS’ DEN Business pitch show Dragons’ Den will have a new face among the potential investors when it returns to UK screens, as University of Westminster alumnus Tej Lalvani becomes the latest recruit to the Dragons’ team. Tej is the CEO of Vitabiotics, the largest vitamin company in the UK and one of the most innovative nutrition companies in the world. Founded in 1971 by Tej’s father, Professor Kartar Lalvani (who remains chairman of the business), Vitabiotics has experienced phenomenal growth

over the past 20 years, with Tej, driving the company’s expansion to sell its products in over 100 countries, and turn over £300 million annually. Tej, who studied at Westminster Business School from 1992 to 1996 on the Business Studies BA Honours sandwich course, has worked in every department of the company; starting as a forklift truck driver in the warehouse. Alongside his goal to build Vitabiotics into the largest specialist vitamin company in the world, he is hugely passionate about supporting vital

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

educational campaigns and health awareness initiatives, including Bliss, a charity dedicated to supporting premature and sick babies, and Wellbeing of Women, dedicated to improving the health of women and babies across the UK. Tej and fellow Dragons’ Den newcomer Jenny Campbell will join existing Dragons Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden and Touker Suleyman for the 15th series of the show, due to be broadcast by the BBC at the end of the summer.

NETWORK NEWS

ALUMNA WINS EMMY FOR GAME OF THRONES CASTING

CODING THE WAY TO SELF-CONFIDENCE A social enterprise founded by Westminster alumna Müjde Esin (Media Management MA, 2015) has reached 250 girls from under-privileged and migrant communities to teach them code, winning an award for Innovative Corporate Social Responsibility from the United Nations and the Woman Educator of the Year title for Müjde at Microsoft’s Women Leaders of Technology awards. KizCode currently operates in Turkey and England and teaches computer

programming and digital technology to girls aged 7 to 15 through workshops designed to give greater self-confidence and financial independence in adulthood to those who suffer cultural, social and economic exclusion. Müjde said: “Our goal is for KizCode to serve as a path towards a more equal and just society by seeking to give women the tools, techniques and crucially the self-confidence to wrest their freedom.”

Alumna Carla Stronge won her second Emmy for Outstanding Casting of a Drama Series in 2016 for her casting of background actors in Game of Thrones. After graduating from the Film and Television Production BA in 2002, Carla set up Northern Ireland’s first background casting company, The Extras Dept, with business partner Siobhan Allan. As well as casting for all seven seasons of Game of Thrones, The Extras Dept has cast for BBC Two’s The Fall, starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, and Stephen Spielberg’s The BFG. Carla said of her time at Westminster: “You simply can’t beat studying film making in London. With all the opportunity to get out there while studying and crew on low to no budget shorts and music videos – I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the industry I work in and love.”

ASIF KAPADIA NAMED ONE OF MOST INFLUENTIAL LONDONERS Oscar-winning director, Asif Kapadia, was recognised as one of the most influential Londoners in the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 list of 2016. The list celebrates those who are helping to shape the city for the future from across the spectrum of science, business, art, politics and

technology, and includes notable figures such as Prince Charles and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Kapadia was selected as one of 40 leaders in the world of film for his documentaries Senna and the Oscar-winning Amy. He graduated from the Film, Video and Photographic Arts BA in 1994.

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

NETWORK NEWS

WESTMINSTER DESIGN COMPETITION TRANSFORMS 100 DISUSED SPACES ACROSS SOUTH ASIA One hundred disused spaces have been transformed across South Asia in just 150 days thanks to the Westminster Design Competition, an innovative design challenge set up by the University of Westminster’s Latitudes network. Through the competition 1500 undergraduate architecture students from 87 local colleges brought to life otherwise derelict or unused spaces in 42 towns and cities across South Asia, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Calicut, Chennai and Madurai. Recycled materials were used to create children’s play areas and pocket parks beside train stations, give footpaths and streets a makeover, and even bring a pop-up open-air library to a New Delhi bazaar. Some larger scale projects involved transforming entire villages. The public was then invited to vote on the shortlisted entries on the Westminster Design Competition Facebook page. Project Brick by Brick was voted the winner for creating a vibrant children’s play area out of overgrown and abandoned ground enabling local children and children from a neighbouring deaf school to play together safely.

Latitudes, a global network that engages students in the challenges of designing for climate change, launched the Westminster Design Competition in collaboration with Massive Small and the National Association of Students of Architecture, India. Darshana Gothi Chauhan, Founder of the Westminster Design Competition and

CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND WORK OF RICHARD GILBERT SCOTT Acclaimed architect and alumnus of the Regent Street Polytechnic (the predecessor institution of the University of Westminster) Richard Gilbert Scott, passed away on 1 July 2017. Richard was best known for designing the Guildhall Art Gallery in London and Our Lady Help of Christians Roman Catholic Church in Birmingham. He belonged to the fourth generation of a world-renowned

architectural dynasty started by his great-grandfather, Sir George Gilbert Scott, who was famous for building the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens and St. Pancras Station. Richard’s father, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, designed the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. After dying at the age of 93, Richard will be remembered for his distinctive, modernist style.

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MA Urban Design alumnus, said: “The intention of the competition has always been to inspire and bring together the creative energy of students and local communities to work towards a common vision, use design as a catalyst of change and scale up the impact of small but effective local transformations to make a massive difference at a regional level.”

NETWORK NEWS

CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY ON BREXIT TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

SUPPORT FOR CARE LEAVERS BOOSTED THANKS TO DONATION The support offered to students who have previously been in care or are estranged from their families has been enhanced thanks to the generous support of the Unite Foundation. The new partnership with the University of Westminster will provide accommodation scholarships for three years of undergraduate study to help students in need achieve their full academic potential. This will help to eliminate the financial burden of accommodation – the largest cost a student needs to meet outside their tuition fees and a particular challenge for those studying in London. The Unite Foundation is a charity that supports care leavers with academic ability into higher education. Helen Arber, Manager of the Unite Foundation, said of the partnership: “We are happy to work with the University of Westminster to help increase the support available to care leavers and estranged students

so that they’re able to make the most of the educational opportunities available to them.” The University currently offers care leavers bursaries towards living expenses, dedicated career mentoring, counselling, mental health advice and a range of pastoral support. Our Christmas programme also provides free accommodation, a three-course meal and activities in central London for 25 students during the holiday period. If you are inspired by the aims of the project you can make a huge difference by donating just £65 to provide a positive festive season for a young person without family or a home to return to in the holiday. Get in touch on 020 7911 5741 or development@westminster.ac.uk to find out more.

The University of Westminster’s Centre for the Study of Democracy is helping to make your voice heard on the contentious issue of Brexit by holding a Citizens’ Assembly, a pioneering method to encourage citizen participation and ensure that public opinion is listened to on major policy issues. The Citizens’ Assembly on Brexit, taking place over two weekends in September, will be the first opportunity of its kind for members of the public to engage in meaningful and thoughtful debate on what form the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU should take. Around 45 members will spend the weekends learning from experts representing both leave and remain positions about the different options and trade-offs available. At the end they will make recommendations that will be delivered to government and parliament. Participants will be selected in a UK-wide survey conducted by ICM to broadly reflect the UK electorate across gender, ethnicity, social class, location and whether they voted leave or remain. Professor Graham Smith, Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, is Co-Investigator on the Economic and Social Research Council funded programme, along with academics from University College London and the University of Southampton. The project is also partnered by the Electoral Reform Society and Involve. Professor Smith said: “The Brexit referendum last year was an example of decisive public opinion in action. While there was a decisive vote to leave the EU, it left us confused about the public’s views on the actual form that Brexit should take. The recent general election result confused the matter even further. The Citizens’ Assembly provides an important mechanism through which informed public opinion on Brexit can influence the UK government and parliament.” You can find out more information at citizensassembly.co.uk.

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

NETWORK NEWS

WESTMINSTER’S GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT RECOGNISED IN YOUNG UNIVERSITY RANKINGS

Westminster’s continuing focus on global engagement and worldwide outreach has led to further recognition in the higher education sector, with the Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2017 placing us at 29th in the world for international outlook, and fourth within the UK. The rankings, which list the world’s best universities aged under 50, also placed the University in the top 200 worldwide. This latest accolade follows confirmation last year that Westminster was the most internationally diverse university in the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, in the

Hotcourses Diversity Index. In the same year we were also ranked at 118 for International Outlook across all universities worldwide by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Westminster has a student body comprising over 165 nationalities, including over 6,000 international students, and 30 per cent of our staff members come from outside the UK. That cultural and geographical diversity is reflected in our alumni community of 180,000 alumni in over 180 countries around the world, with active alumni committees in China, Hong Kong and India, and Alumni Ambassadors in six countries.

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2017

TWO WINS FOR WESTMINSTER AS BRITISH COUNCIL AWARDS CELEBRATE GLOBAL TALENT The outstanding achievements of our international alumni were celebrated at this year’s British Council Study UK Alumni Awards with two alumni taking home the prestigious awards and five reaching the finals. Faisal Abbas was announced as the winner of the Social Impact Award for Saudi Arabia for his tremendous achievements in building bridges between cultures and addressing misconceptions of the Middle East. Faisal graduated with an MA in Marketing Communications from Westminster Business School in 2010 and is now Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, the Middle East’s leading English-language daily newspaper. Faisal said: “I was very lucky to be blessed with not merely lecturers but life mentors at the University of Westminster and I especially wish to thank Westminster Business School’s Jonathan Pike and Trevor Wright.” In a second win for the University, Sameer Pitalwalla (Media Management MA, 2006) was awarded the Entrepreneurial Award for India for his innovative digital media company, Culture Machine, which hosts a network of India’s most watched media brands. The British Council Study UK Awards recognise alumni who have used their UK education to make a positive contribution to their communities and showcase the value and impact of a UK higher education. Are you an international alumnus who has gone on to exceptional success? Apply for the British Council Study UK Alumni Awards 2017/18: britishcouncil.org/ education-uk-awards.

NETWORK NEWS

UK UNIVERSITY GIVING AT RECORD LEVELS Philanthropic giving to UK universities has reached record levels, surpassing the £1 billion-ayear milestone for the first time – aided by half a million pounds in new funds secured in the 2015/16 financial year by the University of Westminster. In the last academic year, Westminster secured gifts from over 300 of its alumni to support a range of activities including student bursaries, academic scholarships, research projects, and the outreach work of the Regent Street Cinema. Chris Smith, Director of Development and Alumni Relations at Westminster, said the support of alumni and friends was “absolutely essential” for the University and students. “We are truly grateful for the support of those who have given financially, and have given their time and expertise to further enhance the student experience at the University of Westminster,” he added.

ROYAL FAMILY BACK HUSSAIN MANAWER’S WORLD RECORD SETTING MENTAL HEALTH LESSON Hussain Manawer has set a new Guinness world record for the largest mental health lesson. Backed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, he organised the event in conjunction with Dame Til Wykes, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation at King’s College London. Over 500 school-children from across the UK aged between 13 and 18 took part in the 30-minute lesson at the Hackney Empire. The interactive session was designed to encourage debate and conversation around the

difficult topic of mental illness, and covered issues such as depression, stigma, where to get help and how to maintain good mental health. Hussain graduated in 2012 from the Quantity Surveying BSc course and has gone on to become an advocate for greater awareness of mental health issues through his YouTube channel Hussain’s House. In 2018 he will become the first British Muslim to go into space, having won the Kruger Cowne Rising Star Programme in 2015.

Hussain Manawer (centre) at the Hackney Empire

Hussain told us: “I organised the world’s largest mental health lesson because the taboo of a subject exists due to our lack of knowledge about it. The lesson was education mixed with entertainment – it’s something I’ve always wanted to do and keeping it in East London is something I’m equally passionate about.”

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STUDENT EXPERIENCE

AN EXCEPTIONAL WESTMINSTER STUDENT EXPERIENCE Undergraduate and postgraduate study opens up a whole new world of learning and knowledge. But being a member of the University of Westminster student body is about so much more than academic learning. We know that the real benefits Westminster brings are as much to do with a student’s own personal development, and the experiences, activities and achievements outside of the classroom and the lecture theatre. It’s about the individual and professional skills acquired through volunteering activities, mentoring initiatives, internship programmes, and opportunities abroad which prepare our students for life after university, whatever path they decide to take. This year has seen a number of exciting developments which will help us to further enhance the Westminster student experience – from the launch of the Westminster Working Cultures and the Changing Lives overseas programmes, to new internships, and the growing focus on our Distinctiveness Awards. Many of these initiatives are only able to take place because of the crucial role our alumni community plays in making them happen. Thank you again for your support, and with your help we look forward to continuing to create a truly exceptional University of Westminster student experience. Professor Roland Dannreuther Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience)

LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES IN JORDAN A group of Westminster students are preparing for a life-changing opportunity volunteering in Jordan and learning about the country’s rich culture and heritage, as part of the University’s partnership with the Majid AlSadi Changing Lives Programme. The latest visit in September is part of an ongoing cultural exchange programme to Jordan, organised with the generous support from donor Dr Majid AlSadi, one of the country’s leading philanthropists. Working with a number of charitable organisations, the Programme enables students to develop valuable new skills by taking part in community projects,

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volunteering activities, group workshops and historical site visits. Students have the chance to make a difference to the lives of children and refugees living in Jordan, while developing skills that will prepare them to operate in an increasingly interconnected world. Holly Patrick, a Journalism BA student who took part in the first trip to Jordan last year, said: “This was the best experience I have had while attending Westminster. I feel so privileged to be a part of this trip. I’ve met some incredible people, and I’m so grateful to Dr Majid AlSadi for making this experience possible.”

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME IN WEST END HEARTLAND

RARE INSIGHT INTO WORKING CULTURES A new initiative giving students the opportunity to travel abroad and experience professional life in cities around the world was launched by the University of Westminster in June. In the first Westminster Working Cultures trip, 14 students from the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment travelled to Hong Kong to take part in work shadowing, seminars and workshop activities offered by our architecture and construction alumni. A second trip to Hong Kong is due to take place in September, with future visits under the programme offering

students the chance to experience working life in cities such as Mumbai, Beijing and Washington, D.C. Professor Alex Hughes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement, said the Hong King trips would give students “the rare opportunity to gain insight into working life in one of the busiest urban hubs in the world”. She added: “Industry-related international experience is of enormous benefit to students preparing for graduate working life, and offering our students this sort of experience – highly valued by graduate employers – is a central priority for the University.”

DISTINCTIVENESS AWARDS FOR STUDENTS AND SUPPORTERS Students, alumni and partner employers were recognised for their achievements and support at the latest Westminster Distinctiveness Awards, hosted by the University’s Career Development Centre. In the 2016/17 academic year, alumni and partners mentored 356 students in a variety of different sectors; 1,547 students were placed into short-term and year-long accredited

The University of Westminster, working with the Regent Street Association and Santander Universities, has launched a new internship programme linking Westminster students with Regent Street businesses. The Regent Street Association is made up of 350 members – including 100 retailers, 50 restaurants and bars, 11 hotels and many office-based companies – who can now register with the University to offer student internship opportunities on one of the most famous streets in the world. Santander Universities (part of Santander Bank) is backing the partnership by offering students a bursary to support their studies after the successful completion of their internship. All internships will last for a minimum of three months, beginning in early June, and students will be paid at least the national minimum wage.

placements across all faculties, and the dedicated Careers team also contributed to place 98 students in 44 schools to gain valuable teaching experience. Based on the principles of employability, global engagement and sustainability, the Westminster Distinctiveness project aims to develop key attributes in our students so that they become well-rounded graduates. Among those receiving awards on the day were alumnus Chris Ankobia, who won the Alumni Volunteer of the Year award for his great support and dedication, and Najmul Haque, winner of the Student Volunteering Award.

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RESEARCH NEWS

MONSOON CITIES A cutting-edge research project that could have far-reaching effects on how we design cities around ecological systems has been awarded €1.5m in funding from the European Research Council Starting Grant. Monsoon Assemblages, led by Dr Lindsay Bremner, the University of Westminster’s Director of Architectural Research, will explore the impact of changing monsoon climates in three of South-East Asia’s fastest-growing cities: Channai, Delhi and Dhaka. With climate change and extreme weather events resulting in water shortages, outbreaks of disease, damage to property and loss of life in many parts of the globe, the future of urban living is in doubt. Monsoon Assemblages will challenge the dominant view of the monsoon as a natural meteorological system that is distinct from society and deliver a groundbreaking new approach to the design of cities by treating the monsoon as an organising principle of urban life.

COULD GOSSIP SAVE THE NHS? A research paper by Dr Kathryn Waddington, Head of Psychology at the University of Westminster, has argued that gossip could be used as an early warning indicator of failure in healthcare organisations such as the NHS. The paper, published in the Journal of Health Organization and Management, looked at cases of neglect and poor care in hospitals where gossip and rumour were ignored along with formal complaints by staff, families and patients.

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Instead, gossip should be viewed as a useful source of information that can help identify areas of poor practice as well as improve communications with employees. Viewing all gossip as toxic – trivial or harmful rumours – could harm organisations in the long run by removing an opportunity to predict potential failures. Dr Waddington said: “This picture is replicated widely, nationally and internationally, where warning signs of failure are discounted and knowledge about problems becomes fragmented in a culture of silence and secrecy.”

RESEARCH NEWS

DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS FAKE? A BBC iWonder guide entitled ‘Why does social media seem fake to some people?’ has highlighted the academic specialism of the University of Westminster’s Faculty Research Director and Professor of Psychology Tom Buchanan. Presented by broadcaster Konnie Huq, the guide explores the rise of social media, why news feeds are not necessarily a reflection of real life and how we curate our online lives for others. Professor Buchanan shared his expertise on cyberpsychology and how people behave and present themselves in online spaces. Professor Buchanan said: “For many – perhaps most – people, life is now a continuous blend of the physical and the virtual, mediated by devices such as mobile phones. This of course has both advantages and draw backs. It’s important to understand both how people use social media, and how social media can shape aspects of our everyday lives. The BBC iWonder piece helps by publicising some of these ideas.” You can explore the BBC iWonder guide at bbc.co.uk/guides/zgnr39q.

BOOST YOUR ATTENTION SPAN AND MEMORY WITH A DRINK OF WATER Just 300ml of water can increase your attention span and memory by almost 25 per cent, a study by the University of Westminster and the University of East London has found. In the study, memory and attention tests were carried out on a group of young adults and a group of children aged between seven and nine before drinking water, after drinking 25ml, and then after drinking 300ml. It was shown that children had an astonishing 31 per cent increase in their attention after only 25ml of

water, while young adults experienced a 12 per cent increase. There was also a 20 per cent improvement in the young adults’ mood. Dr Mark Gardner, Principal Lecturer in the Department of Psychology and part of the team conducting the research, said: “This study shows how drinking water can make a difference to cognitive performance. We are interested in the practical implications of this work, and continue to research the causal mechanisms underlying these findings.”

EXPLORE SPACE WITH WESTMINSTER The University of Westminster is inspiring the next generation of space scientists with £21k of funding from the UK Space Agency. Space Explorers is a series of twelve YouTube videos in which experts explain the real science behind famous computer games. ‘Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’, ‘Space Engineers’ and ‘Mars 2030’ are just three of the games given the treatment.

In each video scientists and experts are projected against the live playing of a computer game as they give commentary on the scientific accuracy and possibility of the games. Planetary scientists, planetary geologists, medical doctors, space engineers and theoretical astrophysicists were among those invited to share their expertise. The project aims to engage young people and children in science and

raise awareness of space-related careers and the UK’s space exploration programme. Lewis Dartnell, an award-winning science writer, author of The Knowledge: How to rebuild our world after an apocalypse, and Professor of Science Communication at the University of Westminster, is behind the project. You can see all twelve videos on YouTube: bit.ly/2uW71ZE.

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RESEARCH NEWS

WESTMINSTER TAKES ACTION ON GLOBAL HEALTH THROUGH OUR OUTSTANDING RESEARCH AND TALENTED COMMUNITY OF INNOVATORS, SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS, WESTMINSTER IS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING HEALTH AND WELLBEING AROUND THE PLANET. HERE ARE FIVE WAYS WE ARE TAKING ACTION ON GLOBAL HEALTH.

WE ARE COMBATTING CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Pandemics resulting from emerging viruses have led to thousands of deaths worldwide, economic collapse in developing countries and severe consequences for survivors.

Childhood obesity is a global epidemic that continues to grow, putting the future health of the world’s population at risk.

The University of Westminster is tackling emerging viruses head-on with two new research projects that will secure the reputation of Dr Edward Wright (Senior Lecturer in Medical Microbiology) and his team as leaders in the field. Supported by a two-year grant from the Medical Research Council, Dr Wright’s research group will study infected bat populations to understand how viruses such as Ebola can live in the animals without causing death and disease, yet they result in lethal outbreaks among humans. A second award, from Innovate UK, will fund a collaborative project to develop a single vaccine that can protect against three viruses – Ebola, Lassa and Marburg – in a way that is economical, easy to produce, temperature-stable and readily deployable.

WE ARE LEADERS IN EMERGING VIRUS RESEARCH

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The University of Westminster’s Research Centre for Optimal Health (ReCOH) and King’s College London have collaborated to combat childhood obesity in Mexico. By sharing cutting-edge techniques in the study of obesity and its impact on childhood cognitive development, local scientists and clinicians will be able to develop their own research in Mexico. The Medical Research Council funded the exchange with a grant from the Newton Fund, a UK government initiative to strengthen research and innovation partnerships between the UK and emerging economies.

RESEARCH NEWS

WE HAVE DEVELOPED THE WORLD’S FIRST BODY VOLUME APP Weight distribution and fat around the organs is not visible to the human eye, but can lead to serious health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. A new Body Volume Indicator (BVI) developed in a ten-year collaboration between the University of Westminster, Mayo Clinics and BVI America can now help health professionals more accurately estimate a patient’s weight distribution than the current measurement standard, Body Mass Index (BMI). This research has been incorporated into BVI Pro, the world’s first professional app for body volume. Using 3D Body Volume Imaging technology, the app can measure total body fat, visceral fat, waist-to-hip ratio, abdomen volume and BMI, providing a unique BVI health indicator number. This will allow doctors, health practitioners and fitness professionals to identify and manage health risks in a cost-effective and precise way, as well as keeping detailed records of patient measurements to monitor changes over time. BVI has been patented in the US and 28 European countries.

WE ARE CALLING ATTENTION TO GP BURNOUT

Austerity, NHS reforms and the cutting of hospital services has led to GPs burning out and threatening a future GP shortage. A study by the University of Westminster published in the British Journal of General Practice, has revealed that GPs are exposed to so much pressure that it affects their ability to practise safely and many are considering leaving the profession. In a series of focus groups and one-to-one interviews, GPs spoke of their workplace challenges and how work-related stress has led to mood changes, sleep disruption, anxiety and tension with family and loved ones. Although many GPs used resiliencebuilding techniques – such as mindfulness, yoga and exercise – it was acknowledged that the crux of the problem could only be resolved by the NHS itself.

WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT ONE IN FIVE OF US HAS FATTY LIVER DISEASE

Fatty liver disease is a condition caused by a build-up of fat in the liver, usually in the overweight or obese. It can cause serious liver damage and cirrhosis, and increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. An astonishing 20 per cent of the population – or one in five – has fatty liver disease, the University of Westminster and the University of Oxford have revealed, after the biggest study of its kind. New technology was used for the study with the LiverMultiScan Discover™, an MRI scanner that can painlessly and quickly diagnose liver disease with a 15-minute scan, reducing the need for invasive biopsies. This will allow doctors to make quick and accurate diagnoses and reduce distress to patients. Now, the University of Westminster’s Research Centre for Optimal Health, along with the University of Exeter and Brunel University, has been awarded £234,607 by the British Heart Foundation to define the genetic factors that determine where fat is distributed in the human body and why it is deposited in the liver. This is a unique opportunity to determine the extent that genetic make-up determines an individual’s risk of developing a fatty liver and eventually type 2 diabetes.

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THE 125 FUND

YOUR GIFTS IN ACTION IN FEBRUARY 2017, THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER AWARDED 92 STUDENTS WITH OVER £78,000 FROM THE 125 FUND TO HELP THEM REACH THEIR TRUE POTENTIAL. Since then, students have been able to purchase new equipment, develop a project that is relevant to their studies or help them with their personal and professional development. The success of The 125 Fund has only been possible thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends of the University who have ensured our students are equipped with the life skills and professional experience they need to get ahead and succeed, and for this, we thank you. The impact of The 125 Fund has been significantly enhanced this year thanks to the Quintin Hogg Trust, which matched every donation we received, creating a truly transformative fund for the benefit of our students.

KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE Studying for a Masters, holding down a part-time job, being a single mum and starting your own business is not easy. But Sasha Pinnock studying MA Fashion Business Management has combined her passion for fashion, entrepreneurial flair and involvement with her daughter’s primary school to start a unique business, with a little help from The 125 Fund. Sasha’s project involves creating fashionable, reflective safety jackets for primary school children that also feature an optional tracker allowing parents to see the location of their children when they are on school trips. Sasha explains how she turned her dream into a reality with a grant from The 125 Fund: “The grant has helped me to produce prototypes and professional promotional materials to take the project further. It has allowed me to hire and identify the right market 22

to sell the safety jackets, but more than that, it has given me the confidence to believe in the project and to create something that not only makes profit but will also make a real difference in young children’s lives and help parents keep their children safe.” Sasha has been working with the Headteacher of St Stephen’s Primary School in Shepherd’s Bush; the local MP for Hammersmith and Fulham, Andy Slaughter; and parents of children at the school to develop her prototype, which she plans to launch in September 2017. “I would like to say thank you to everyone who donated to The 125 Fund for making a huge difference within my life and for truly believing in me when others did not. You have given me the necessary tools to turn a concept into reality.”

THE ICE CREAM MACHINE Through a grant of £1,400 Ben Loveitt, BA Business Management with Entrepreneurship, has set up his own business, Kalt, a market stand which sells quick-freezing, rolled ice cream, inspired by a new trend sweeping countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia. Unlike most ice creams made ahead of time in an electric ice cream machine, rolled ice cream is made to order by pouring a base of sweet milk on an extremely cold steel surface until it is frozen solid. Customers can then choose which flavours and toppings are added before the mixture is spread thinly and scraped at an angle to create rolls of ice cream. This business venture has landed Ben a six-week pitch at Maltby Street Market

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in London whilst providing him with the practical skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur: “The 125 Fund allows for students to have so many more options to do something they normally would not be able to do. It enhances their personal, professional and university life and broadens students’ horizons. For me personally, getting Kalt ready as soon as possible was essential and not something I could do six months later. It has made me a self-motivated self-starter with skills which are very sought after by other businesses, and I can use Kalt as proof of my ability to apply these skills. “Knowing that others had a vested interest in the success of my business helped to spur me on to make sure I did see the idea through.”

FIGHTING MALNUTRITION IN GHANA Undertaking a PhD in Public Health Nutrition, Jolene Azagba-Nyako applied to The 125 Fund seeking support for her public health intervention project based in Ghana.

THE 125 FUND

“KNOWING THAT OTHERS HAD A VESTED INTEREST IN THE SUCCESS OF MY BUSINESS HELPED TO SPUR ME ON TO MAKE SURE I DID SEE THE IDEA THROUGH” caterers, mothers and school-children as potential agents of change in the fight against malnutrition. This essential training has improved the food situation in a poor community by enabling more people to plan healthier meals for their children using foods found in their immediate environment. Jolene explains why this funding has been so important to her: “Through The 125 Fund, I have experienced first-hand the University of Westminster’s relentless effort towards global research excellence and developing students who apply their knowledge and expertise to address global issues. As the cost of university projects and training are daunting for most students, receiving additional funding to lessen this burden has become essential to ensure brilliant and talented students don’t miss out on training opportunities that are crucial for future career prospects. It is imperative to understand that contributing to The 125 Fund is vital to ensuring excellence in research and student development.” The experience Jolene has gained during her research project has inspired her to pursue a career within her home country: “In the future I want to become a leading name within public health nutrition in Ghana, and at the forefront of conducting cutting-edge research that affects the lives of local communities across West Africa.”

The project aims to improve the efforts of the current Ghana School Feeding Programme, which fights malnutrition among school children by developing food-based solutions that utilise available indigenous food.

A grant from The 125 Fund allowed Jolene to directly support her research by covering the costs of organising nutrition education training sessions for key stakeholders in the district. These sessions were targeted at empowering

The 125 Fund will re-open for applications in early 2018 when we hope to support even more students. If you are inspired by the aims of the Fund and would like to make a donation, please visit: westminster.ac.uk/the-125-fund

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THE POLYTECHNIC TOURING ASSOCIATION

THE POLYTECHNIC TOURING ASSOCIATION THE STORY OF THE REGENT STREET POLY TRAVEL AGENCY THAT BECAME LUNN POLY THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER IS GIVING MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL ABROAD AND BECOME THE NEXT GENERATION OF GLOBAL CITIZENS. BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT WESTMINSTER’S PREDECESSOR, THE REGENT STREET POLYTECHNIC, WAS INFLUENTIAL IN PROMOTING ACCESSIBLE AND EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL OVER 100 YEARS AGO? The Polytechnic Touring Association (PTA) has a rich history, from its philanthropic beginnings providing students and members of the Polytechnic with educational trips abroad, to its evolution into household name Lunn Poly, one of the largest high street travel agencies of its time. Neil Matthews, alumnus of the University of Westminster and awardwinning travel writer, delved into the University of Westminster archives for his PhD thesis, piecing together the forgotten history of the PTA. He tells us its unique story, beginning with the story of the first PTA holiday in 1888. 24

“Legend has it that Robert Mitchell, the Director of Education for the Polytechnic, stopped to listen to a geography lesson one day and heard the boys being taught about the Swiss Alps. And he asked if anyone in the room had actually been to the Alps to see the mountains, glaciers, torrents and waterfalls being described and, of course, they all said ‘no’. So the story goes that he decided there and then to organise a trip.” Mitchell sent a party of 60 boys and three masters to Belgium and Switzerland for 27 days where, according to Ethel Wood, Quintin Hogg’s daughter, their geography lesson “came to life before their eyes”. The seeds of the PTA had been sown. The next year the Poly’s travel activities expanded, with 2,500 PTA members visiting the Paris Exposition, and tours of Ireland and Scotland

followed. Houses were rented in Clacton-on-Sea and Hastings. And in Switzerland, a house was bought in “lovely Lucerne”, a place that would become the heart of the PTA. By making travel affordable, the PTA helped the poor or lower-middle class students and members of the Polytechnic visit places they may never have been able to go. Many would not have been on a holiday before. And – although fun – the trips were also educational in nature, designed to broaden the minds of those who took part. In European capitals, cathedrals, churches and historical sites were visited, while in the countryside of Switzerland and Norway, natural wonders such as glaciers, waterfalls and mountains were seen. However, many of the travellers did not see it entirely this way. In the archived collection of the Polytechnic Magazine,

Language students at PCL were some of the first in the UK to be given the opportunity to study abroad in China. Were you one of those students? If so, the Archive team would love to interview you! Contact us at archive@westminster.ac.uk for more information.

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THE POLYTECHNIC TOURING ASSOCIATION

tales of high jinks and horseplay abound. As Neil says, “There are one or two incidences of them being, what I would call, slightly naughty.” In 1895, anonymous writer ‘M’ described how a party in Berlin got on the wrong side of the law when blowing a whistle to keep the group together, while on the way back from a trip to Boulogne the Poly came out on top in a scuffle over a pork pie in an understocked refreshment room. Perhaps the most colourful incident involved every horse in the Norwegian town of Odde, the German Emperor, and a rousing sing-song. In due course, the Polytechnic allowed people from outside the Poly community to buy places on the holidays, and by 1905, an incredible 13,000 people annually were travelling with the PTA. However, this commercial success ultimately fed back into the educational work of the Polytechnic, with up to £50,000 donated from the PTA between 1882 and 1914. The PTA continued into the twentieth century, acquiring independent legal status in 1911, surviving through two world wars and the 1930s depression. Then, in 1962, it was sold to aviation entrepreneur Harold Bamberg. Neil explains: “Some years after he bought the PTA, Bamberg acquired another travel company called Sir Henry Lunn

“AS A MEANS OF EDUCATION, SUCH A VISIT IS UNPARALLELED. THE ONLY TEXTBOOK REQUIRED IS A PROSPECTUS OF THE TOURS, AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF ITS INVITATION SECURES AN ENTRANCE TO A VALUABLE COURSE OF STUDY IN GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY AND ECONOMICS.” WGL, AUTHOR OF SEVERAL REUNION REPORTS, 1905. Ltd. He put the ‘Lunn’ and ‘Poly’ together and that’s where you get Lunn Poly from. So the ‘Poly’ in Lunn Poly is actually this Poly”. Lunn Poly went on to become the largest chain of travel agents in the UK and a fixture on many high streets, famous for its “Lunn Poly? Get away!” adverts. And for many years a link to the Poly continued, with an agreement signed to pay the institution £1,000 a year for seven years from 1 August 1963. Reflecting on what made the PTA different from all the other travel firms springing up at the time, Neil draws on the spirit of entrepreneurship that was embraced by the Poly, and continues today in the University of Westminster. “The PTA is unique because it springs from within what at the time was a new thing – England’s first Polytechnic. And the PTA does deserve credit as one of the companies that helped to make tourism,

particularly abroad, more affordable for many thousands of people each year.” Neil’s book Victorians & Edwardians Abroad: The Beginning of the Modern Holiday can be bought from pen-andsword.co.uk and Educating Mind, Body and Spirit, a University of Westminster publication which tells the story of the Polytechnic can be bought from store. westminster.ac.uk. Visit polymags. westminster.ac.uk for the archive of Polytechnic magazines. Has reading about the PTA’s adventures got you thinking about your next holiday? Donate to The 125 Fund at no extra cost by booking your holiday through the link Booking.com/UniversityofWestminster. Booking.com will make a generous donation which will then be matched pound for pound by the Quintin Hogg Trust.

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MEET THE WESTMINSTER ENTREPRENEURS

MEET THE WESTMINSTER ENTREPRENEURS EVERY YEAR OUR ALUMNI LAUNCH HUNDREDS OF NEW BUSINESSES AROUND THE WORLD; NETWORK SPOKE TO FOUR SUCCESSFUL WESTMINSTER ENTREPRENEURS WHO SHARED THEIR STORIES, THEIR STRUGGLES AND SOME VALUABLE ADVICE.

LUCY EARL American educator, businessman and writer Steven Covey – author of best-selling early entrepreneur’s bible, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – once wrote: “The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” It’s hard to imagine anyone who has invested more wisely than Lucy Earl. A year after graduating from her Marketing Communications BA Honours course at Westminster, her English teaching YouTube channel, English with Lucy, has more than 500,000 subscribers, gaining anywhere between 1,500 and 2,500 new ‘Lucyfers’ a day, with videos being viewed by around 2.5 million people every month. That growth, which she herself describes as “mindboggling”, has enabled Lucy to concentrate on her YouTube channel full-time, working with brands such as Nespresso, Italki and Lingoda. “I launched EWL because I couldn’t find the tools that I would want if I were learning English as a foreign language,” explained Lucy, who admits to being passionate about languages and teaching. “Initially, I didn’t see it as a business, it was more of a hobby, but I always envisioned what it could become if I put the work in.” That work ethic, and a very effective time-management approach, were evident throughout Lucy’s time at Westminster where, alongside her 26

course, she also studied three years of Italian through Polylang, completed both a semester and a placement year in Spain, and organised a number of internships. “When I left university, I didn’t just leave with a degree – I left with two additional languages and four years of work experience, which really set me up for graduate life.” And alongside all the studying, Lucy was also teaching English and preparing to launch her YouTube channel, which went live half way through her final year. “That’s the beauty of the courses at Westminster,” she said. “Once you have your timetable, you can look at your week as a whole and work out what you can fit where. My studies always came first, and every week I would define my goals and prioritise my tasks. I learnt a lot about time management through my degree, which is such an important skill to have. It was a challenge, but if you are passionate enough about what you do, you can make it work!” She continues to put those timemanagement skills to good use; having identified that she’s most productive in the morning, her day now starts at 4.30am with a run before work, and finishes at 4pm, leaving evenings free. Lucy has also learnt some valuable lessons in her first 18 months – including that saying “no” can be more important than saying “yes”, and that it’s important to disconnect your ego from your business success.

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So what advice does she have for other entrepreneurs? “If you don’t ask, you don’t get, so be sensible yet fearless with your requests – and remember, receiving a ‘no’ is NOT the end of the world,” she said. “Taxes are not fun – but they are much more simple if you start as you mean to go on. And you don’t need huge investment to start a business. I started with a £500 business loan from my dad (which I paid back with interest!) Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

SAMEER PITALWALLA Even in the fast-moving digital media sector, securing a position as a director of an industry giant such as Walt Disney by the age of 25 is some achievement. But Sameer Pitalwalla, a 2006 alumnus of Westminster’s Media Management MA course, carved out a career of notable early successes, including skipping college classes to review new technology for the Techtree website, and becoming Business Head for a digital section of Times Television Network at the age of 21. So it was perhaps no surprise that, after two and a half years as Director of the interactive division of the Walt Disney India Company, Sameer teamed up with engineer Venkat Prasad to launch Culture Machine. The company is home to some of Asia’s largest digital

MEET THE WESTMINSTER ENTREPRENEURS

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writer,” he explained. “The Masters helped me study these in detail and form my opinion on the nature of these forces. Having a year to think and learn about them does help in creating a foundation you can build off in your professional career.” Sameer, who this year won a British Council Entrepreneurial Award for UK alumni, is confident of an even brighter future. “Advertising-supported Video on Demand will only become bigger in terms of volume and viewership. I see us becoming India’s largest digital media network, and then expanding our footprint globally using our technology infrastructure.” Citing “persistence, humility, hard work and luck” as some of the key attributes for any entrepreneur, Sameer also had the following advice for those looking to succeed in their own business roles: “Spend the time to truly find what you love doing, think big, work the details, and build a team that is better than you.”

PETER PADUH

“SPEND THE TIME TO TRULY FIND WHAT YOU LOVE DOING, THINK BIG, WORK THE DETAILS, AND BUILD A TEAM THAT IS BETTER THAN YOU” SAMEER PITALWALLA

media brands, and licenses technology to advertisers, media companies and agencies the world over. It also has a network of more than 350 YouTubers, with 22 million subscribers and half a billion views per month. So what gave Sameer the drive to launch a new enterprise? “Disney is the gold standard of a media company, but the remit is mostly traditional media driven, given that’s what drives financial success,” explained Sameer. “Digital at that point of time wasn’t the driving force at the company. While they were very supportive of new initiatives and business models, big companies tend to move slowly on such initiatives. So it made sense to build a new kind of media company from the ground up.” And Sameer has no doubt that his Masters played a key part in his future business and entrepreneurial success. “The crossroads of technology, creativity and media had been running themes even during my time as a

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Peter Paduh came to the UK as a 14-year-old child refugee from the Balkans, with very little money and no English, but a fierce desire to succeed. That determination saw him complete his schooling and a Computer Science BSc Honours at Westminster, launch several successful businesses (as well as survive the occasional business failure),

MEET THE WESTMINSTER ENTREPRENEURS

and eventually establish social enterprise SocialBox.Biz, the organisation he chairs today. SocialBox.Biz currently has two major IT initiatives running – one to provide laptops for homeless people, and another providing laptops for young refugees. So what help did Peter get as a youngster living in a children’s home in a foreign land? “I am immensely grateful for every opportunity given to me as a child refugee,” said Peter. “When I came to study at Westminster we still had student grants, and it was great to get a helping hand; that is what inspired me to start a social enterprise and give something back.” Peter had already run his own business back home as a small boy; was he destined to become an entrepreneur? “Yes – I didn’t really know what to expect and I only spoke a handful of words of English, but I knew one thing, which was to try and start a business. I tried working for some IT companies, but I was clear about my plans to run a business and try to do something a bit more purposeful.” While a student at Westminster he launched his own web-hosting company, rejecting a take over bid for the business, which eventually failed. Peter now views that failure as “an integral part of learning and making progress towards some kind of success”, although financial gain is not his main measure of achievement. “Now I’d say that as long as someone is doing what they love they are already very successful. I’d like to think that there are other things than just profit that motivate people who work for and run businesses. More firms are taking CSR seriously. “I launched Socialbox.Biz in 2015, with the aim of re-investing the majority of its earnings into socially beneficial initiatives. We want to continue those initiatives, and are aiming to reach the 1,000-laptop milestone by 2020.” Unsurprisingly, Peter believes determination is essential for any would-be entrepreneur: “It’s not for everyone, but if you decide to launch your own business then keep trying… once you start a business you owe it to yourself to keep trying and not give up.”

RAHAT KULSHRESHTHA Among the advice that successful Indian businessman Rahat Kulshreshtha would give to potential entrepreneurs, two things are particularly relevant to his own career journey: “Be okay with change... and don’t stop learning!” Rahat graduated from the Media Studies – Television Production BA Honours degree in 2010, with a clear career goal. “I knew from 6th grade that I wanted to be a film-maker,” said Rahat. “Finished school and still wanted to be a film-maker. Applied to college only for film-making courses, worked in the British film industry for two years, but within less than five years of leaving University, I was not a film-maker anymore and I still absolutely love what I do!” Rahat runs Quidich, one of India’s largest drone companies, which provides mapping and tower inspection services, as well as working in the film sector. The inspiration to switch career paths came from the opportunity to “make a difference” when he moved back to India five years ago. “What really excited me was the belief that I might have a small part to play in the growth of my country. Today we are converting the geography of India into 1’s and 0’s, using drones. We are digitising mine sites, helping in

precision agriculture, in the construction of roads, and in the monitoring of railways. The possibilities are endless and the prospect really excites me!” Rahat admits the transition from film-maker to entrepreneur was “one of the hardest decisions of my life”. “It took me through a rollercoaster of emotions. I loved every part of being an aerial cinematographer. I was shooting for the biggest productions in India – delivering imagery that clients were incredibly impressed with and travelling to a new city, even a new country, every week. Then to consciously take a decision, despite being my own boss, to get into an executive job was a giant step. But it’s where my real conversion to the entrepreneurial religion began.” Today, Quidich is a booming business, although Rahat admits that the film-maker he trained to become while at Westminster “is still very alive”. And his learning journey is ongoing – from building a drone from scratch and making it fly, to understanding how roads are built, mines are planned, and cell phone towers are networked and maintained. “No matter what I’m doing in life, all this learning is going to contribute to my being and give me an edge in whatever I choose to do.”

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THE ART OF SATIRE

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THE ART OF SATIRE

THE ART OF SATIRE AWARD-WINNING EDITORIAL CARTOONIST AND WESTMINSTER ALUMNUS BEN JENNINGS TALKS TO NETWORK ABOUT BIG BREAKS, TIGHT DEADLINES, TRUMP’S HANDS – AND WHETHER LIFE CAN BECOME TOO RIDICULOUS TO SATIRISE.

Tucked away off a quiet corridor of a municipal building in the pretty little Hertfordshire market town of Berkhamsted is a shared space that would make anyone with an artistic heart tingle. Office is the wrong word for it; this is a room of mildly chaotic creativity, of easels and fine art, graphics and artefacts, pens and paints, books and screens. And it’s home, during working hours at least, to one of the country’s leading political cartoonists, Ben Jennings. It’s here that Ben, who graduated from the Illustration BA Honours course at Westminster in 2012, draws the exaggerated faces and physical traits of national and global leaders, with an often-savage sense of satire. His caricatures of everyone from Trump, Boris Johnson and Theresa May to Putin, Gaddafi and Kim Jong-un have appeared on the pages of newspapers and magazines around the world. Not bad for someone who, little more than a decade ago, was selling his cartoons in the school playground for pocket money. “I knew I wanted to be a cartoonist by the time I was 15,” explained Ben. “I started selling caricatures at school – I was drawing one of my maths teachers when I should have been drawing Venn diagrams! People got to see them and liked them, so I began doing others and selling them for about £3 each. By the end of the year I was selling some to teachers as well as

students, and I managed to get the top price up to about £10. “I’d always loved drawing. I was an only child, which is kind of a common thing with cartoonists specifically, and throughout school I knew I wanted to do something where I could draw, but I didn’t know what until later in my school life.” At 16, Ben was introduced to satirical cartooning, and the work of Gerald Scarfe and Ralph Steadman, by one of his graphics teachers. From then on, he was “pretty stubborn” that being a cartoonist was the career for him. Taking A levels in art, graphics and media studies, he followed his school introduction to illustration with a year-long art foundation course at Watford College. And when it came to decide where he wanted to study for his degree, he felt the University of Westminster was “a fairly easy choice”. “Once I started looking I knew I wanted to be in or near London, and I liked the tutors on the course – some of them were people I’d heard of and I liked their work. When you’re a student and you’re looking at people who do what you want to do for a living, you hold them in such high regard, so that was partially the reason for choosing Westminster. Studying at Harrow also meant I could live at home.” Ben described his approach to studying for an arts degree as more pragmatic than bohemian. As much as

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THE ART OF SATIRE

he loved the process and practice of drawing, he also knew that he wanted to make it work as a profession – partly so he could prove to people that he could make a living out of doing something he loved. From the time he started on the course, Ben kept a blog with examples of his illustrations, and sent it out to people in the hope of getting work. Guardian cartoonist Martin Rowson was one of those to receive his work: “It was just when they needed some cover for Steve Bell, who was going away for six weeks,” explained Ben. “They decided to do a bit of a showcase, and asked six of us who hadn’t been published before to have a go at it. “It was a real learning curve, particularly being thrown in with that sort of deadline; a tight deadline at uni is a couple of weeks, so being given a few hours is a bit different. “It was a bit of luck that they were looking for cover at that time. Martin has been a bit of a mentor since then, and is a good friend now, but I was lucky that he sent my work on to the Guardian.” Ben knew the Guardian was a very big scalp to get so early in his career: “Looking back at the work I did for them is incredibly embarrassing now; that can be the downside of getting published quite early – you’re going to have work out there that you don’t really like. But it was great to get published in the Guardian at that stage.” It also paved the way to another major achievement – landing one of the biggest prizes for political cartoonists while still in his final year at Westminster. Following on from his early success, Ben continued covering occasional dates for the Guardian. As the net closed in on Libyan dictator-inhiding Muammar Gaddafi, Ben submitted his Gaddafi Treasure Map cartoon – a map of a country that was descending into violent chaos, complete with treasure chests, oil fields, Nato planes and a grim ‘X marks the shot’, all overlaid across the contours and features of Gaddafi’s face. It won him the prestigious Political Cartoon of the Year Award for 2011, having been nominated alongside such established figures as Rowson and Bell. “That 32

helped to get me a bit more profile as well, so by the time I left Westminster I had weekly work for the i newspaper, which I still do now,” said Ben. “It meant that I didn’t have the pressure of trying to get a job immediately, and I was also able to get some studio space and spend time developing my work.” Almost five years down the line, and alongside that weekly appearance in the i and another weekly slot in the Financial Times supplement, Ben continues to do a regular illustration for the Guardian once a fortnight. Most of his work for other clients is done on an ad-hoc basis, although the list is equally impressive – GQ magazine, New Statesman, the Observer magazine, Prospect magazine, the Radio Times and Newsweek (Japan) are just some of the publications Ben has drawn for, while organisations including Amnesty International, the Index on Censorship and the Professional

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Footballers’ Association have all commissioned his work. “I had to develop another way of working when I left Westminster, because there is only so far you can go with the caricatures and the political cartoon styles,” said Ben. “I had to show that I could respond to other briefs, so the first year or two after uni was about learning to be more malleable with the work I did.” While political cartoons and caricatures are Ben’s first love, he now finds himself equally excited to be given briefs for other areas of work, and the processes can be just as challenging. “With some of the illustration work – such as for the Guardian – it’s the same tight deadline. But rather than going with my own opinions of the news, I’m sent an article – or the outline of an article which hasn’t yet been written – and I need to pick out the

THE ART OF SATIRE

“WHEN YOU’RE A STUDENT AND YOU’RE LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO FOR A LIVING, YOU HOLD THEM IN SUCH HIGH REGARD, SO THAT WAS PARTIALLY THE REASON FOR CHOOSING WESTMINSTER.”

issues which I can use to encapsulate the article in the illustration. So I like the deadline, and I also like the variety. “It still means coming up with roughs and sending them to the editor, and it can be quite hard when you’ve got to get an illustration done by six o’clock, and at four o’clock you’ve sent over your ideas and they’ve been rejected… sometimes at four o’clock they are still deciding exactly what’s going on the page. “Some days it can be incredibly chaotic, and it definitely takes a few of those to learn how to cope under that sort of pressure. I think the tightest deadline I’ve had with, for example, the Guardian, is around an hour – from getting an idea approved to getting it finished. It means you develop a style where you know you’re going to be happy with the end product, but it also needs to be quick to turn around. Finding a way of

working that’s quick and that you’re happy with is important.” If Ben puts his big break at the Guardian down to luck, his timing in joining the ranks of the country’s leading political cartoonists couldn’t have been better. “After Brexit, Trump and everything that’s happened since, you start to wonder if it’s the end of satire. As a cartoonist I’ve just been enjoying it – it’s been fun – although as a citizen, at times its been awful. There is a worry that things become so ridiculous, how on earth can you satirise them, but I think there’s still fun to be had, things to play with, and you’re not constantly trying to find the story – at the moment the story is always there!” So which figures provide the basis for the best caricatures – and who does Ben enjoy drawing most? “Trump just lends himself nicely to it, because there’s so much stuff to play with in his physical appearance – the small hands, the red tie that seems to just keep on growing – and because it’s been so heavily rendered now in public, you can be a bit more playful with it. So now, just drawing that blond hair or the small hand is enough, whereas duller politicians don’t lend themselves to that. “Drawing someone like Nick Clegg was a lot harder, because he appeared incredibly plain. I never felt particularly confident drawing him. “So obviously, I enjoy drawing Trump. I used to love drawing Farage, and he always keeps cropping up anyway, he’s not going anywhere soon. I’m starting to get comfortable drawing Theresa May, although it took me a little while to get there with her. It’s a bit of a learning curve, you just have to keep drawing someone and you learn more each time you draw them, so I’m starting to enjoy drawing her now. And of course Boris, now and again.” When not working on paid commissions or for regular clients, Ben

still finds time to draw for himself – “To sit and doodle for a day can feel frivolous, but actually what comes out of that can be much more important” – as well as looking to hone new skills; animation is one area which he hopes to develop further. He also recently returned to the University of Westminster, to share some of his knowledge and experience with current students. “They were doing a module on political work, and the tutor got in touch to see if I would give a talk; it was a bit daunting, and it was the first one I’ve done, but I thought, why not. It was strange going back, and quite weird being there but not being a student.” How does he feel about students viewing his work now, in the same way that he would look at the work of Bell and Rowson when he was studying? “That’s strange. I mean, as an individual I’d never think that people would look at my work in that way. But I do get emails from students with questions and things, and I always try and get back to them, because I can remember sending out emails when I was studying. I think when you’re a student you can hold people up in quite high regard – maybe too high – because I get emails about how to get work and I think ‘Well, I’m still sitting here day-to-day worrying about getting enough work too!’” At the moment though, any fear of that work drying up seems misplaced. The commissions keep coming in, Ben’s reputation continues to grow, and his passion for political caricatures and editorial illustration is as strong as ever. From the relatively quiet creative chaos of his Berkhamsted shared studio, Ben looks set to satirise those political figures on the global stage for some time to come. You can find out more about Ben Jennings at ben-jennings.com

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DEMOCRACY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

DEMOCRACY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD IT’S BREAKING NEWS. IMMEDIATELY THE WORLD BEGINS TO REACT ON NEWS SITES, ON FORUMS, AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOUR FACEBOOK FEED HAS BECOME A FRENZY OF OUTCRY, OPINION AND FIERCE DISCUSSION. BUT AT WHAT POINT DOES CONSTRUCTIVE DEBATE BREAKDOWN INTO DYSFUNCTION?

Fake news, trolling, social media ‘echo chambers’ where our opinions are endlessly reflected back to us, and the increasing intolerance to difference have all contributed to a toxic online culture and the polarisation that we can see with both people and politics. Now, the University of Westminster is helping to rebuild the broken landscape of online debate and bring reasonable, fair and open-minded discussion back to democracy as part of a $3 million collaborative research programme sponsored by the University of Connecticut and the John Templeton Foundation. Professor Graham Smith, Professor of Politics and Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, has been awarded $225,000 to lead a largescale field experiment into how the design of online spaces and psychological interventions can affect our online behaviour. In the first experiment of its kind, two innovative platforms – Deliberatorium and Pol.is – that curate online debate in exciting new visual ways will be put to the test, alongside a ‘treatment’ devised to induce empathy in participants. Professor Smith explains: “What has been missing in the discussions around online behaviour is the importance of design. How you design a platform has enormous effects on the way that people engage. In some ways it is not surprising 34

that at times it has all gone a bit mad, a bit out of control, around political issues as we haven’t created the spaces that promote more reasonable and thoughtful conversation.” In contrast to most online debating forums, which organise content chronologically, Deliberatorium and Pol.is both curate content by topic instead of time. Deliberatorium allows participants to pose questions on controversial issues, such as climate change, and then structures the contributions into a map or network of ideas and arguments. Pol.is, on the other hand, asks participants to agree or disagree with a statement and then a machine-learning algorithm generates a map of the shape of agreement around a particular issue, allowing people to see where they sit in relation to others. “It looks like these build a much more reasonable form of engagement because you see the argument, not the person,” says Professor Smith. “In some ways, you are depersonalising the arguments – which might not sound like a good idea – but these platforms bring the argument to the fore rather than the individual. A lot of flaming is very personal – ‘you are a woman, you are from an ethnic minority’ – but with an argument map you don’t see that.” Flaming is the term for the hostile, offensive interactions that escalate in online forums and often take the form of

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vicious, personal attacks. According to Professor Smith this happens, in part, due to the limitations of online space. The things that help us in our day-to-day interactions are absent in the online world; we can’t read body language or facial expressions, we don’t see the immediate effect that our behaviour has on others, and the social consequences that would stop us from behaving badly in public are not there. This is where ‘empathy treatment’ comes in. Empathy treatment is a psychological intervention that asks participants to consider the perspectives of others before posting comments. This is a technique that has been developed by psychologists, and although it sounds simple, just reminding people to think about others seems to have a huge impact on online behaviour.

“Our project is significant because it will be the first field experiment to compare and contrast the performance of different online designs for comments platforms alongside empathy induction, to create space for more thoughtful, reasonable and intellectually humble discourse about pressing issues of public concern.” Over an eight-week period, five to ten thousand people – who have been allocated to groups based on characteristics such as gender, age, education and intellectual humility – will be assigned to participate in one of three simulated online newspaper discussion forums. These will be either a control platform that mimics the current discussion forums used by newspapers such as the Guardian and the New York Times, an adaptation of the Deliberatorium platform, or an

adaptation of the Pol.is platform. Half of each of the three groups will receive the empathy treatment. The hope is that, once tested, these platforms will have a wider application and can help to re-engage people with democracy and democratic debate, reminding us of how to discuss with humility, empathy and thoughtfulness. Already, Pol.is has been tested by the Labour Party before the election and used by a social movement in Taiwan, while Deliberatorium was used by the Italian Democratic Party to debate proposals for electoral reform. Ruminating on the far-reaching impact that the project could have, Professor Smith sums up his thoughts: “Democracy isn’t easy. Democracy isn’t something that you just ‘swipe’. It requires engagement; it requires thought. So this is part of a broader

“WESTMINSTER IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF DEVELOPMENT IN THIS. IT’S GOOD TO BE AT THE LEADING EDGE.” movement to create online spaces for more meaningful participation. “Surely we can create spaces where people can be constructive, can be reasonable, can engage across lines of difference in a collaborative endeavour rather than just shouting at each other. “And Westminster is at the forefront of development in this. It’s good to be at the leading edge.” For more information about the programme visit: scholio.net

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INNOVATION IN LEARNING

INCORPORATING INNOVATION IN LEARNING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER’S VISION OF CREATING A VIBRANT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE CAN HELP TO BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION OF HIGHLY EMPLOYABLE GLOBAL CITIZENS, THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFYING AND IMPLEMENTING INNOVATION IN TEACHING IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO.

This year saw the official launch of the Westminster Centre for Teaching Innovation (CTI), a new hub to champion professional development in learning and teaching across the University, while also working with academic and research communities at a local, national and international level. A key element of the Centre’s approach is a focus on working in 36

partnership – and through the Students as Co-Creators Project, our student body has a vital role to play in enhancing learning and teaching at Westminster. The Project gives students an opportunity to share their perspectives and ideas, shape their learning experiences, build networks, and develop skills in teamworking,

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leadership, communication, research, giving presentations, and managing projects and budgets. Projects undertaken so far have included work on the impact of online learning, assessment briefs and exam stress, and language skills in the professional world. You can find out more about the Centre at cti.westminster.ac.uk, and below are just a few examples of the innovative approaches to teaching and learning currently being taken at the University of Westminster.

COMPUTER GAMING LEADS TO CRIMINAL LAW LEARNING University of Westminster academics from the Department of Computer Science and Westminster Law School (WLS) are working with our law students to pilot a computer game that uses virtual reality (VR) to deliver real-life learning in criminal law. The award-winning REVRLaw project will test the effectiveness of the game in helping to deliver specific modules on the Bachelor of Law and the Integrated Masters in Law courses.

INNOVATION IN LEARNING

The students will be able to explore a real case scenario using VR technology, discovering important pieces of evidence to decide whether a crime is a murder or not. The game-based platform immerses them through VR, to give the perception of being physically present in a nonphysical world. The pre-release testing of the game will involve computer games development and law students in an interdisciplinary collaboration with academics. Markos Mentzelopoulos, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, said: “We hope that this proposed platform will bring a new immersive learning experience to law students, providing them with a completely different perspective from understanding law entitlements.”

RELOCATING LEARNING ON AN INTERNATIONAL STAGE Students from Westminster travelled to Vietnam to join students from Hanoi University for a ‘Learning in an International Environment’ module delivered jointly by staff from both institutions. The module, covering domestic, regional and global dynamics of Vietnamese politics, society and economics, was delivered in a twoweek short-burst style for 20 students from the Department of Politics and International Relations, and their Vietnamese counterparts. As well as lectures and seminars, the module included visits to local museums, day trips to local villages, to Halong Bay and to the British Embassy, and concluded with a conference on the New Asian Century. Professor Dibyesh Anand, Head of the Department, said: “Running a module in a foreign country is a challenging task, but because of the commitment of our colleagues, enthusiasm of our students, and full support from the host institution, this was a big success. We will continue to run such modules to enhance our students’ learning experience and to support our University’s commitment to being a globally engaged institution.”

3D MEMORY PALACES FOR LANGUAGE LEARNERS Students and staff from Westminster’s Department of Computer Science have been working with training company Linguisticator to develop a VR software prototype which uses ‘memory palaces’ to teach languages. A memory palace is a mental library for learning new subjects, using our inherent spatial and visual capacity to learn, retain and recall large amounts of information quickly and effectively. Linguisticator approached Westminster to help develop the technical side of the new learning platform, called Macunx VR. Andrew Freebrey, a graduate of the Computer Games Development BSc Honours course, was able to apply his studies to a real-life project while at university. With Course Leader Markos Mentzelopoulos’s guidance, Andrew developed the alpha version of the Macunx VR memory palace. Users can create their own 3D memory palaces on the Macunx VR platform; by using a VR headset, they can take virtual walks and learn spatially and visually. Markos said: “The Macunx VR project is a fruit of our commitment to provide students with real-life practical experience of the industry before and right after they graduate.”

OPEN LANGUAGE MODULES BOOSTING STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY The University of Westminster’s open language Polylang programme is boosting graduates’ professional employment prospects, according to the latest figures. The Polylang programme allows all students to learn a foreign language by choosing it as an elective module. Every year more than 1,100 students sign up for Polylang, with the number of students registered increasing year on year. The 2014–15 Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey shows that taking a Polylang module at Westminster significantly increases graduates’ chances of professional employment, with 85 per cent of those

embracing the opportunity entering professional roles. Students can choose from eight languages – Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish – taught from beginner to advanced levels. Dr Julio Gimenez, Head of Westminster Professional Language Centre, said: “Polylang modules provide students with an opportunity to learn not only a language but also the culture of the country where the language is spoken. They also develop skills such as effective communication, critical thinking and collaboration, which they can utilise in their future work environment in both their own language and the foreign language they studied with us.”

LEARNING LANGUAGES – ONE TWEET AT A TIME! Westminster Modern Languages Lecturer Mahammed Bouabdallah has been harnessing the learning power of social media by using Twitter to teach his students Arabic. Mahammed publishes a photo or a link on Twitter, and asks students to comment on it in Arabic. He also runs a Twitter poll about events happening in Arabic-speaking countries and discusses the results in class – sometimes using Twitter’s built-in translation tool and judging its accuracy. When speaking about his modern take on interacting with the students, Mahammed said: “They have to tweet outside the class, and we discuss it inside the class.” His research found that 80 per cent of surveyed students responded positively to the use of Twitter; shy students in particular can benefit, as they may prefer to be active online rather than in class. Twitter can also help fill a gap in Arabic-English teaching resources for students with more specialised interests, especially those who struggle to find relevant textbooks in subject areas such as business, media or medicine. You can find out more about the Westminster Centre for Teaching and Innovation online, at cti.westminster.ac.uk

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THE STRESS TEST

THE STRESS TEST THE WESTMINSTER CENTRE FOR RESILIENCE IS LEADING A FIGHT AGAINST BURNOUT IN DOCTORS, PUTTING STRESS TO THE TEST IN THEIR LAB, AND TEACHING LEADERS HOW TO TURN ADVERSITY INTO LEARNING AND GROWTH.

“I have had a career-long interest in the well-being of doctors,” says Professor David Peters, Director and Founder of the Westminster Centre for Resilience. “As things stand, women doctors are at least twice as likely to commit suicide as the general female population and 50 per cent of doctors say they are at some stage of burnout. There is a huge problem and I would like the Centre to contribute something to changing that.” The Centre has gone a long way towards achieving this ambition. In the last three years over 800 NHS staff have been through the Centre’s resilience training, including more than 200 staff from the Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust, 400 GPs from the Royal College of General Practitioners and 200 new Foundation Year doctors from the Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust. The workshops teach evidence-based techniques to help people make better decisions, handle challenges, self-care and perform well without burning out. GPs, midwives, community psychologists, psychiatric nurses and district nurses have all benefitted from the training in a sector which has to

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU WHEN YOU ARE STRESSED? Our view of the world becomes distorted Survival mode emotions arise in the body and activate different regions of the brain, guiding what we pay attention to. If we are feeling scared, the world can seem more dangerous than it really is. Our social skills decline Our parasympathetic nervous system, the ‘brake pedal’ that triggers the organs of social engagement – the facial muscles, the muscles in the inner ear which allows you to tune to the human voice, the muscles on the larynx which give our voices

musicality – turn off, making us appear closed and unfriendly.

Stress is also associated with the risk of coronary heart disease.

We find it harder to read people ‘Mirror neurones’ in the brain help us to pick up on subtle facial cues and body language. Under stress these don’t work as well, making it harder to read people and we are more likely to interpret ambiguous expressions as hostile.

We make poor decisions Stress makes us less sharp-witted, more error-prone and unfriendly. We find it difficult to take in new information, memory is impaired and concentration is affected.

We become ill Persistent stress causes structural changes in the prefrontal cortex, preparing the way for chronic illness.

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We lose empathy When we are under high levels of stress we don’t feel safe enough to feel affectionate, caring and kind. This leaves us feeling cynical and callous towards others.

THE STRESS TEST

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO BE MORE RESILIENT

“BURNOUT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME AND SPACE TO RECOVER FROM THIS; YOU CAN ONLY SPEND SO LONG IN THAT STATE OF HIGH AROUSAL BEFORE YOU BECOME EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED.”

cope with suffering and distressed patients, high levels of responsibility and increasing workloads. A recent study conducted by the Centre and published in the British Journal of General Practice found that GPs are being exposed to unprecedented levels of stress. Issues cited were the reduction in hospital services, rigid ten-minute patient slots and the pressure of the NHS Quality and Outcomes Framework. In one-toone interview and focus groups, the GPs reported feeling detachment from their patients and colleagues, had problems processing emotions and could not practise safely as the stress left them unable to think clearly. “In medicine, when we’re overstressed we try to do more. We keep pedalling harder, and the harder you pedal the less well you are able to do your job,” explains Professor Peters. “We have evolved emotions to seek safety and avoid threat. And we have also evolved to be active – to seek shelter and food – and to be still – to rest, form relationships and nurture offspring. With stress, we are highly activated but not feeling safe. “Burnout happens when you don’t have the time and space to recover from this; you can only spend so long in that state of high arousal before you become emotionally and physically exhausted.” The Centre is also at the forefront of developing new ways of combatting burnout among leaders in the business world. CEOs and directors from

Microsoft UK, the Grosvenor Group and UCI cinemas have all undergone the ResilienceLab 360 experience to gain a fascinating insight into the body’s unique physiological reaction to stress. Through an in-depth and intensive series of tests and assessments – including measuring carbon dioxide levels in the breath, heart rate variability (the time interval between heartbeats), stress hormone levels in the body and 72-hour digital monitoring – the participants are able to discover their individual stress and recovery patterns. Resilience coaching then equips the executives with tailored tools and techniques to cope better with pressure and the challenges of leadership. But how can we define resilience, and how is this something we can practise when we are so often not in control of our working environment? “You can talk about resilience being the capacity to learn and adapt in a positive way to the changing environment,” says Professor Peters. “When things aren’t working, resilience is about how you come to terms with that and what you need to do in order to cope better. “Adversity isn’t an option. At times we all run into situations we don’t have the resources to cope with. Resilience is about learning from adversity.” If you would like to know more about the Westminster Centre for Resilience visit centreforresilience.co.uk

Mindfulness When we become absorbed in our emotional inner conversation it can distort our view of the world, ourselves and other people. Mindfulness is highly evidence based and simply says notice if you are stressed or unhappy. In the noticing, something changes about how attached we are to that emotional state. Build your cave and take it with you In evolutionary terms, the cave is where we feel safe enough to reflect, build relationships and communicate. Build more ‘cave time’ into your day to be more creative and empathetic. Learn how to self-sooth Find out what moves you from stress into recovery. For some this might be keeping a diary, for others a high-energy social engagement. Organise your life Resilience is less about technique and more about life style. Introduce changes into your routine to do the things that help you rest or refocus. Breathe Regulate your breathing. Many people with chronic stress overbreathe and have low levels of carbon dioxide when they breathe out. Apps are available that can teach you slow-breathing techniques and monitor your heart rate. Move Exercise is the number-one antidepressant. Even going for a ten-minute walk at lunchtime can help – although exercise late at night is bad for you. Sleep Sleep is incredibly important. Using a laptop late at night can spoil your sleep, and alcohol may knock you out but you will be sleeping with the ‘accelerator pedal’ down all night.

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ALUMNI IN ACTION

MENTORING Alumni mentors provide invaluable coaching to our students. Like Jack Wootton (Mobile Computing MSc, 2006), who has spent the past year mentoring a final year student through their studies. Jack has even given his student mentee a glimpse inside the Google offices, where he works. Mentoring can be a great way to hone your coaching skills, understand emerging trends in the education sector, and to network with fellow alumni who can help you in your own career. You can now apply to be a mentor for the September 2017 – August 2018 academic year.

THE GENEROSITY OF OUR ALUMNI VOLUNTEERS NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE US. MANY OF YOU ARE TAKING THE TIME TO SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY AND OUR STUDENTS THROUGH OFFERING YOUR TIME, IDEAS, STORIES AND EXPERTISE. Whether you graduated this year or a little longer ago, no matter what you studied or where you live, there are many ways in which you can get involved with the University’s alumni volunteering programme. Volunteering can be a great way to grow your professional network and skills too. Here are some of the opportunities available to you.

OFFERING INDUSTRY INSIGHTS Work experience and exposure to industry contacts can make all the difference in securing a job after graduation. Our alumni can play a huge role in helping our students to ‘stand out from the crowd’ in this way. Wai Tang (Architecture Diploma, 1995) has carved out a successful architecture career in Asia since his days at Westminster. This year, he welcomed a group of our students to his studios in Hong Kong, opening their minds to the possibility of working abroad and the understanding of what it’s like to be an architect in Asia. If you could offer work-shadowing or full-time graduate roles in your place of work, we want to hear from you. In return, you can expect access to fellow professional contacts, talented students and networking opportunities.

BLOGGING It can be daunting for our international students who are coming to the UK for the first time to study at Westminster. Our excellent alumni bloggers are doing a great job of bringing humour, top tips and alternative insights to students settling into London living, like Susana Byun (Marketing Communications MA, 2016) who blogs about student and alumni life from her home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 40

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ALUMNI IN ACTION

ADVISING ON WHAT IT TAKES Lucy Earl (Marketing Communications BA, 2016) started up her own YouTube channel just last year. Now, she has over half a million subscribers. You can read Lucy’s full story on page 26. Lucy is also going to be sharing her journey with students and alumni in a public talk at the University this autumn, called ‘What it takes to be a YouTube star’. We’re looking for more volunteers who can share their stories and wisdom as part of our ‘What it takes...’ public speaker series. Perhaps you know what it takes to ace an interview? Or what it takes to overcome anxiety in the workplace? Or what it takes to travel the world as part of your job? These are just some of the topics that matter to today’s students. If you have some wisdom to share and would like to hone your public speaking skills in front of a willing audience, then do get in touch.

SHARING STORIES ONLINE Contributing an alumni profile is a fantastic way to support the University of Westminster. Your profile could encourage a prospective student to study at Westminster, inspire a new graduate to make a decision about their career choice, and overall, enhance the reputation of the University in the UK and overseas. Rachel James (Fashion Design BA, 2014), who started her own menswear fashion label after studying at Westminster, is one of the many graduates to have shared her story and top tips with our students.

ALUMNI VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Chris Ankobia (Purchasing and Supply Chain Management MSc, 2015) was awarded our Alumni Volunteer of the Year award in June. Over the past year, Chris has returned to campus to lead a workshop on overcoming gender discrimination in the workplace, mentored a Westminster Business School student through their studies, shared advice on working in the charity sector, and blogged exam tips to support students with their revision. Thank you and congratulations to you, Chris!

SUPPORTING AS AMBASSADORS Raminta Winzeler (Business Economics BSc, 2009) who is based in Switzerland, is the latest graduate to join our network of Alumni Ambassadors around the world. Raminta is on hand to answer any questions about the University from prospective students in Switzerland, and to support the UK Alumni Office with any activities in the country. Could you represent the University in your country or region? Whether you wish to organise a reunion in Russia, a quiz night in Quebec, or a Facebook group in Finland, we are open to all offers of regional volunteering.

HOW TO VOLUNTEER Interested in any of the listed opportunities? Please contact alumni@westminster.ac.uk

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CLASSNOTES

CLASSNOTES THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER HAS A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF MORE THAN 180,000 ALUMNI IN OVER 180 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. CLASSNOTES IS JUST A SELECTION OF THE UPDATES WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM ALUMNI. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR CAREER AND LIFE SINCE YOU LEFT WESTMINSTER, SO PLEASE SEND YOUR NEWS ALONG WITH ANY PHOTOS TO ALUMNI@WESTMINSTER.AC.UK. DR MICHELLE ULYATT POLITICS BA, 2002

DR HOSSEIN REZAI-JORABI

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING PhD, 1984

I am the founding director of Web Structures in Singapore, with offices in Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and London too. I teach on a part-time basis at the National University of Singapore, as well as at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. I have supervised a masters student at the Politecnoio di Milano too. My research work has generated a number of technical papers in the Structural Engineer (UK), the American Concrete Institute Journal and the Journal of the Singapore Institute of Architects. I have been on the Master Jury of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in its 13th cycle in 2016. I am also the first and only engineer to receive the coveted title of Designer of the Year from the President of Singapore in 2016 under the President’s Design Award.

After completing my studies at Westminster I returned to higher education and now have a PhD in Modern History. I didn’t start the course immediately after my undergraduate degree for financial reasons, but started my postgraduate studies four years later. The idea of returning to study after a gap was a bit daunting, but it’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I am currently working as PR Manager for one of Europe’s largest shipping and logistics companies, DFDS. My daily role involves media relations, internal communications, reputation management, managing social media and advising senior executives on media issues. I am also running my own business on a part-time basis, providing freelance public relations support to small businesses in Kent.

DAVID LeBOFF

TRANSPORT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT MSc, 1987

I have worked for almost thirty years for London Underground, acting in the role of sponsor for major station upgrade and line extension projects. This involves my working closely with project teams to set objectives and requirements, develop business cases, secure funding and ensure that benefits are realised. Achievements to date include major upgrades of Wembley Park (for the rebuilt National Stadium) and Green Park and Stratford stations (for the 2012 Olympics), along with securing the powers to extend the Metropolitan and Northern lines. I have recently been made a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. I’ve had three books on the Underground published and regularly give talks on the subject. 42

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ROGER MAVITY

PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIES MA, 2007

I am a speaker and a writer, with two books published successfully, two more completed, and another recently commissioned. In my business career I became an expert on presentation skills, which led to me writing an international bestseller, Life’s a Pitch, on the subject. I did the MA Photographic Studies degree at the end of my career, not the beginning, so I was not looking for help in my career. I was looking to expand my mind – which was achieved happily.

MICHAEL WADOOD

BUILDING CONTROL SURVEYING BSc, 1995

I am a Director within a building control company, which itself is part of a consulting engineering group. Our company employs 90 members of staff who are based within 12 regional offices including an office in Dublin. The group employs over 500 staff based in 14 offices. In 2014 I was inaugurated for one year as the National and International President of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers. This professional body has over 6,000 members who are based in at least 50 countries.

CLASSNOTES

MARK JACKSON

RADIO PRODUCTION BA, 2007

REENA BOONCHANASUKIT

I lead a team at Fujitsu that enables existing staff to continually develop their career and find new opportunities in our organisation across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa regions (EMEIA). I also engage junior talent to enable them to find their fit in our business, whether that is on the graduate, placement, or apprenticeship scheme in Fujitsu. Since graduating I have worked for the BBC, a European air traffic control agency, and now a Japanese technology company!

CONFERENCE AND EVENTS MANAGEMENT MA, 2011

I am working for a trading company in Thailand as an events and marketing manager. I handle all the internal and external company events along with the creative aspects of the company. Since I have been back home in Thailand I founded another brand under the company and it has received a lot of appreciation. Moreover, I get to manage internal events on my own which gives me the opportunity to be creative.

LI DONG

MEDIA MANAGEMENT MA, 2010

I’m a civil servant now, working in China in the Market Division of Film Bureau, State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. My job responsibilities include the supervision of market orders, putting on record the increase in cinemas, research of the major film markets, etc. People see me as a person with many work experiences, from college teacher, journalist, Olympic project manager, PR consultant to civil servant.

PHILIP LILLIEFELTH

POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BA, 2009

RITIKA JAIN

PHOTOJOURNALISM MA, 2011

My career graph has taken interesting turns since I graduated from the University of Westminster in 2011. I completed stints in Hanoi and Cairo, documenting daily lives, before finally shifting base from Mumbai to Delhi. My first job in Delhi was as the top photographer for Time Out (Delhi). I then switched over to MSN, where I was part of the team curating content for photo galleries. I finally changed tracks and went back to my first love – writing! I started working with national daily, DNA. I covered city news for the team and now I cover legal affairs focusing on the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Law and Justice.

DENAE D’ARCY

INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM (BROADCAST) MA, 2008

After graduating from the University of Westminster, I was hired as a full-time television news anchor at KVAL-TV in Eugene, Oregon. I then moved to a larger market and worked as an anchor and reporter at WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee. There, I decided to return to graduate school and earn my PhD and I taught at university level for four years. I continue to conduct academic research and write non-fiction books.

I am a tech entrepreneur and technology investor. I am also a start-up consultant working with pioneering tech companies from seed funding stages to growing businesses organically. We help fund and provide incubator solutions for rising tech talent.

BENJAMIN LANCASTER-NOGUEIRA JOURNALISM BA, 2012

I am working as a digital consultant, which means working with clients to help them meet their digital needs through websites and mobility. The skills I learnt from university actually enabled me to start my own company for a short while – I was able to offer digital marketing advice and services to small companies using my InDesign, Photoshop and Final Cut Pro skills that I picked up from my course. This is something that I am considering developing in the future.

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CLASSNOTES

AIZHAN KONYSBAYEVA

BUNSHRI CHANDARIA

MARKETING MANAGEMENT MSc, 2013

LISA ULLRICH

MUSIC BUSINESS MANAGEMENT MA, 2014

I am working as a digital marketing account manager at a digital/social media agency called Influence Digital in central London. My clients are mostly from the music and film industries. Apart from that, I’m a freelancer in music, event management and digital marketing. I am working with bands, at concerts and festivals and for a global organisation called Sofar Sounds which curates live gigs with both newcomer acts and established artists in intimate spaces such as living rooms, warehouses, art galleries and office spaces.

DIALA GHANDOUR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MA, 2015

I am helping organisations bring happiness and more productivity to their business through my role as HR Business Partner in Gingko People. I work with managers and help them support their staff, and also work directly with the staff to help them explore and develop their potential and competencies and be themselves!

Having finished my Masters at Westminster with distinction, I found a temporary job at QS who later gave me a work permit and I’ve been working in London since then. In my first year I did purely marketing, then my responsibilities extended to online marketing and joint projects with IT. I then transitioned to the IT department and now work as an Agile Project Manager. I find my marketing background very valuable in what I do and greatly enjoy IT projects.

ANNA KLESSE GLOBAL MEDIA MA, 2014

I am working as a Communication Manager in the Research and Knowledge Transfer Office at Middlesex University, where I am responsible for communication with 2,000 academics, publishing weekly newsletters, creating website content and managing social media channels. Additionally I am preparing my own research in new media manipulation. I am also a weekend-passionate CEO of my own new media company, which builds marketing campaigns, new media graphics and deals with product photography.

ANAM RAJA

PSYCHOLOGY BSc, 2012

Following my undergraduate degree at Westminster, I completed an MSc in Applied Social Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. I am working as a researcher for a research charity that brings science and evidence to bear on policy and practice in children’s services to improve the health and development of children and young people.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BA, 2015

I am a freelance photographer, volunteering for a charity by offering my photographic and filming experience to help make a short film. I am also helping a film-maker produce a feature documentary about our Oshwal community, homing in on the effects of migration. In 2011, in collaboration with Macmillan Cancer Support, I published 10,000 copies of a photography booklet called Embracing Life After Cancer. I was invited to 10 Downing Street as an acknowledgment of the charitable work I do.

KRISTINA KAASIK

EVENTS AND CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT MA, 2016

I work for the GSM Association, known for organising Mobile World Congress, which gathers over 100,000 people from the mobile industry. I am part of the Ministerial Programme team. This programme runs alongside MWC and brings together ministers of communication, finance and health from all over the globe as well as the leaders of large operators and vendors.

CLASSNOTES

ELEANOR JAMES

ANNA BEECHER

TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING MA, 2012

I work on international projects with Picnic, a brand innovation agency. We build brand identities and cultures, and create meaningful actions to bring them to life. I also volunteer as a director for the Open Horizons Foundation supporting young entrepreneurship, and as a secretary for the Inclusive Technologies Association (for e-health start-ups). I mentor start-ups at the European Institute for Entrepreneurship (where I was manager for the past three years), and I am involved in three start-up projects in my free time. My work with CISV really helped broaden my horizons in terms of cultural immersion and contact with people from other backgrounds and nationalities.

GIORGIA TOBIOLO

PHOTOJOURNALISM MA, 2014

I am a freelance documentary photographer with a conceptual and intimate approach to photography. My work concentrates on the research of people’s daily lives, looking and focusing on a different aspect of what we call the everyday, continuously looking at people with a different viewpoint, aiming to challenge social stereotypes and judgements. I am based in London and besides my MA in Photojournalism at the University of Westminster, I have completed an internship with Magnum Photos.

CREATIVE WRITING WITH ENGLISH LITERATURE BA, 2014

Since graduating with a First in Creative Writing with English Literature, I have worked as a playwright and poet, presenting work at venues including the Young Vic, Brighton Festival, artsdepot, Vault Festival, Battersea Arts Centre, Latitude and the Edinburgh Fringe. I’m currently finishing my first novel. This summer I’ll be moving to America to embark on a new adventure as I have been awarded a fully funded place on the prestigious Fiction MFA programme at the University of Virginia.

SHANA TING LIPTON

GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN LAW, 2014

As a long-time journalist who had always been intrigued by the law, I set out to obtain my legal degrees mid-career because I thought it would augment my skills in the media realm and also offer me an alternative to journalism – should I choose to pursue it. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Understanding the nuances of the law has changed my life for the better, positively altered the way I think, and opened up new avenues in my career – although not at present directly in the legal field. After incorporating legal/business writing into my work (I completed the Legal Practice Course in 2016 with Distinction and the GDL in 2014 with Commendation), an opportunity to work with CNN’s international brand studio came up. So I now mostly work on corporate branded content for them, while continuing to write for consumer publications in the travel, lifestyle and business arenas.

SIMONA MARINKOVA

TOURISM MANAGEMENT MA, 2013

I am originally from Bulgaria, and moved to Canterbury, Kent, where I studied for a BSc in International Relations and Tourism. Then I decided to move to the big city and focus on tourism. I decided to sign up for Westminster as the Masters programme covered my major interests (marketing and airlines planning). Soon after I submitted my dissertation, I started working as a market specialist for a holiday transfers company (A2B Transfers). Several months after this, I moved to the dating site Match.com as a digital marketing executive and then an online marketing manager. I enjoyed my time at the University of Westminster and I am grateful for the support from the academic staff.

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STUDY WITH PROFESSIONALS

MBA, WESTMINSTER BUSINESS SCHOOL

LEAVE A LEGACY TODAY TRANSFORM LIVES TOMORROW A LEGACY IS ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS OF MAKING A LASTING GIFT TO THE UNIVERSITY WHICH HELPS SUPPORT FUTURE STUDENTS. To find out more about remembering Westminster in your will, contact our Development Office on +44 (0)20 7911 5741 or at development@westminster.ac.uk

CHANGING THE WORLD

Study with us and you will immerse yourself in the real world of business from day one. You will learn from industry-leading experts who understand today’s complex commercial challenges. You will also gain a wealth of practical experience and make invaluable contacts. What better way to become a successful leader of tomorrow. Discover more at westminster.ac.uk/mba

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.* Find out more and apply: westminster.ac.uk/courses/professional-and-short *Please see individual course descriptions for details

OPEN DAYS

Cavendish • Harrow • Little Titchfield Street • Marylebone • Regent If you or someone you know is thinking about higher education, visit us to find out more about the opportunities available at the University of Westminster.

UNDERGRADUATE OPEN DAYS 14 OCTOBER 2017 8 NOVEMBER 2017 6 DECEMBER 2017 (Media, Arts and Design only)

POSTGRADUATE INFORMATION EVENING 15 NOVEMBER 2017

westminster.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/open-days

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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

WESTMINSTER

TALKS LECTURE SERIES 2017/18

MONDAY 9 OCTOBER 2017, 6PM IN CONVERSATION WITH THE BARONESS LAWRENCE The Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE

WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2018, 6PM WHERE THERE’S WASTE…THERE’S OPPORTUNITY Professor Malcolm Kirkup

TUESDAY 31 OCTOBER 2017, 6PM QUEERING NATIONS, DECOLONISING STATES Professor Dibyesh Anand

WEDNESDAY 14 MARCH 2018, 6PM EXPERIENCING 19TH-CENTURY MIGRATION TO THE USA Professor Andrew Linn

WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2017, 6PM THE KNOWLEDGE: HOW TO REBUILD OUR WORLD FROM SCRATCH Professor Lewis Dartnell WEDNESDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2018, 6PM A BUG’S LIFE – HOW PLASTIC PRODUCING BACTERIA COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE Professor Ipsita Roy

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 from individuals who graduated between 1992 and 2005. For more information about the project, visit westminster.ac.uk/oral-history

DO WE HAVE YOUR EMAIL? Stay connected with the University of Westminster to hear about the latest news and events, professional development opportunities and discounts on further study. Update your email address at your.westminster.ac.uk/form/connect or email alumni@westminster.ac.uk

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

ENJOY 15% OFF YOUR MASTERS OR PhD* University of Westminster alumni are entitled to a 15% discount on full- or part-time Masters and PhD courses at the University. All those who hold a Bachelors degree with honours, a Masters degree, or have completed a minimum of one semester of study as a study abroad or exchange student from the University of Westminster are eligible. New Postgraduate Loans of up to £10,280 are also available from Student Finance England to help you finance your studies. For more information please contact our Course Enquiries Team at course-enquiries@westminster.ac.uk *Terms and conditions apply.

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DO WE HAVE YOUR EMAIL?

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss out on the chance to make new memories at the University of Westminster. Your lifelong journey with the University truly begins after you graduate. Make sure that we have your correct email address so that you hear about all of the latest events, activities and offers available exclusively to you as an alumnus. Update your email address here: your.westminster.ac.uk/form/connect or contact alumni@westminster.ac.uk quoting your alumni ID in the subject line (this can be found on the cover sheet enclosed with this magazine). Ask your friends to update their details too, so that you can all stay connected.