Hand in glove success for Bedford College

Students from Bedford College have been awarded first prize and runner-up prizes in a British Glove national competition - looking at safety gloves.

Przemyslaw Pencak on the National Diploma Graphics Course was first and Claire Deacon, on the same course, was runner-up. Przemyslaw will receive £300 and Claire £100 at a luncheon to be hosted at the Worshipful Company of Glovers of London at Plaisterers' Hall, One London Wall, London on 4 July.

The competition, which is open to all UK graphic design students, is

a key component of the British Glove Association's on-going campaign in support of safety of hands and fingers in the work place.

Entrants were required to design a poster campaign for a beer and

spirits company which is attention grabbing, impactful and hard

hitting. The campaign is required to make employees aware of the

serious hand injuries that can result if they do not wear gloves and

to raise the profile of health and safety at work and how wearing

gloves is an essential part of this. It should highlight the risk of

injuries from lacerations from broken glass, heat burns and chemical

burns.

According to the Health & Safety Executive, over one milion people

suffer an injury at work each year and many of these are hand injuries.

The winning posters will also be printed and, with the help of BGA

members, will be distributed to workplaces throughout the country.

The work of Bedford College students will on display in an end of term exhibition in June

Aberdeen Students Set For Taste Of Chinese Real Estate Market

Two University of Aberdeen business students will travel to the Far East this summer after being chosen to take part in a prestigious real estate programme.

Emma Byrne, a third year property student and Ian Austin, a second year, are set to spend several weeks getting to grips with the Chinese Real Estate market – the fastest growing in the world.

The Aberdeen pair have both been selected for the UK/China Exchange Programme run by major international real estate company CB Richard Ellis and the UK’s Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – beating off competition from across the country. Only six students from the whole of UK will make the summer-long trip.

Emma has been assigned to CB Richard Ellis’s Beijing office and Ian to its Shanghai HQ. Each will spend six to twelve weeks in general practice work experience, after which they will submit a short research paper. Their flights, accommodation and living costs are all covered by the programme.

Ian (19), who has just completed the 2^nd year of a degree in Property and Finance, said he was “thrilled” to have been selected to go China.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m looking forward to the challenges and the doors that will be opened for me,” he said. “China’s real estate industry is developing at an incredible rate and the programme will allow me to gain priceless experience that will be invaluable when I graduate and look to secure a job in a big property firm like CB Richard Ellis.”

He added, “By having a successful career I hope to fund my main ambition - owning and piloting a light aircraft!”

Dr Deborah Roberts, Property Programme Director at the University of Aberdeen Business School, said both students were in for a “fantastic” experience.

“The Chinese Real Estate Market is the fastest growing in the world and Emma and Ian will be thrust into the thick of it over the summer,” she said. “It’s hugely exciting for them, and it’s also wonderful for the Business School to have two of our students winning places on the CB Richard Ellis/RICS programme.”

This is the first year that the scheme has operated. It is hoped it will run for five consecutive years giving eligible students the chance of general practice work experience in CB Richard Ellis offices within Greater China, with a view towards permanent recruitment of overseas educated graduates.

June Creative Café At The University of Northampton Welcomes Leading Brand

Book a date in your diary this Friday, 8 June, when the Portfolio Innovation Centre’s popular Creative Café welcomes Mike Skidmore, a leading brand and business strategy consultant to talk on ‘Promoting and selling creative services’.

Mike has a background in marketing and brand communications, running his own London based consultancies with roles such as creative, managing & strategic director, supporting clients in the creative and professional service sectors. A Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers and at one time on the national council with responsibility for developing and training design best practice, Mike will cover:

• Positioning and differentiation – standing out in the market ‘noise’.
• Understanding the client buying cycle – building relationships and knowledge in preparation for ‘the sale’.
• Presentation strategy – effective presentations that differentiate and build empathy.

Running from 10:30am, the Café is based at Avenue Campus’s Portfolio Innovation Centre, the successful base for new start up creative businesses in Northamptonshire and surrounding counties. There are currently 14 tenants based in the Portfolio Innovation Centre in a range of creative industries including fashion design, photography, product design and IT development.

To register for the Creative Café, please email: sasha.findlay@northampton.ac.uk

The University of Northampton’s Portfolio Innovation Centre has been part-funded by the European Social Fund and is also supported by the Northamptonshire Partnership and Arts Council England.

University of Dundee Arts Students Land Dream Jobs

A Dundee art student, and three graduates who studied in the city, have landed dream jobs at one of the world’s most famous art festivals.

Gyl Rae who is currently a student at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art at the University of Dundee, and Stuart D.Fallon, Emma Prat and Lottie Gerrard, graduates of the same college, have been appointed Invigilators for Scotland and Venice 2007 - the Scottish exhibition at this year’s Venice Biennale of Art.

The four, whose role as invigilators will provide a crucial link between visitors and art works by helping to promote the exhibition and ensure artwork on display is secure, will spend two and a half months working in Venice.

Hosted by the Scottish Arts Council, National Galleries of Scotland and British Council Scotland and curated by Philip Long, Senior Curator, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, the Scotland and Venice 2007 will be open to the public from Sunday 10 June until Friday 2 November 2007 at the Palazzo Zenobio, in the Dorsoduro district of Venice.  The exhibition features new work by artists representing Scotland, Charles Avery, Henry Coombes, Louise Hopkins, Rosalind Nashashibi, Lucy Skaer and Tony Swain.

Recognised as the world’s largest and most prestigious international showcase for contemporary visual art, the Venice Biennale of Art takes place every two years. More than 65 countries participate in the five-month event, with each country hosting an exhibition or pavilion dedicated solely to the work of its chosen artists.

On hearing of his appointment, Gyl said: ‘I'm due to graduate from Duncan of Jordanstone only a week before I fly out to Venice. I can't think of a more exciting and inspiring way to start my art career, working at the foremost contemporary art event in the world.  Without a doubt, working at the Scottish Pavilion, with some of Scotland's most exciting and interesting  art will definitely have a huge impact on my practise.’

Lottie Gerrard, who graduated in Fine Arts, in sculpture, from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and who has worked at a number of galleries, including the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, the Dean Gallery, and the Talbot Rice Gallery, said: ‘This is an incredible opportunity for me at this stage in my career to be around such exciting artists, to see the exhibition being installed and also to respond to visitors' reactions. It's a unique chance to be part of such a significant event and I cannot wait to get out there and see it all!’
Jenny Brownrigg, Curator of Exhibitions Department, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art at the University of Dundee, said: 'DJCAD places much importance on the professional as well as creative development of our students during their studies here. It is therefore with much pleasure we see that these four DJCAD students and graduates have been successful in becoming invigilators for the Scottish exhibition at this year's Venice Biennale.’

Amada Catto of Scottish Arts Council said: ‘It is hoped that the exceptional opportunity which is being offered to these young fine art graduates will enable them to further develop their professional skills and networks within the unique context of the Venice Biennale.

‘Their knowledge of Scotland’s position within the international art scene and their insight into the work of each of the artists on show at the Scotland and Venice 2007 exhibition, will provide visitors with an enriched experience of Scotland’s participation within the world’s most prestigious contemporary visual arts festival.’

Six Invigilators and two Senior Invigilators have bee appointed. The Invigilators will be divided into two groups, each led by a Senior Invigilator. The first group will begin work in Venice in June and help assemble the exhibition. In August they will be replaced by the second team, who will help dismantle the exhibition in November 

Computer gamer blasts out a new future - University Of Wolverhampton

The first female student to complete a course in computer games design at the University of Wolverhampton will be among those showcasing their work at a Degree Show.

The BA Degree Show at the School of Art & Design will take place from Monday, June 11 until Thursday, June 14.

The event is an opportunity for members of the public to see displays of animation, ceramics, glass, furniture, digital media, photography, fine art, textile design and others created by students as part of their degrees. It also allows people interested in studying a course at the School to see the kind of work they could produce if they were to join the University.

Among those set to display their hard work is Naheed Akther, 20, who is in her final year of a BA (Hons) Computer Games Design at the University of Wolverhampton.

Her computer game, Arabian Star’s Revenge, is a 2-dimensional asteroid type game where the player has to avoid the fast bouncing zombie cowboy asteroids in a space environment. The player only has a limited amount of time to blast the zombie cowboy asteroids out of the galaxy.

Naheed, who came into art and design by chance while making her choices for higher education courses, said: “I enjoyed the three years of this course and I learned many things about the industry and the different software used for certain areas of game production.

“Many people associate computer games as a predominately ‘male’ hobby. However this is not true and is only a stereotype. But this male dominance was seen on the course with the ratio of boys overtaking the girls. Now that I am in the final year, I am the only female student left.

“However this didn’t turn me off from progressing in the course, rather it encouraged me and was a way of motivation for myself to succeed and become the first female graduate on my course.”

The show is open to the public from 10am to 4pm, from June 11 to 14, at the School of Art and Design next to the Molienuex Stadium on the Ring Road, Wolverhampton.

Students who have completed courses in 3D Design, Graphic Communication, Journalism and Editorial Design, Interior Design and Video and Film Production will also exhibit their work at the Degree Show.

University Of Northampton - Discover your potential at June Open Day

If you have always thought you would like a career working with children, want to go into graphic design or see yourself as a future midwife or engineer, The University of Northampton’s Open Day this weekend could be the first step to achieving your goal.

The University opens its doors on Sunday, June 10, giving potential students the chance to find out more about the hundreds of courses on offer.

Visitors will be able to speak to tutors, see demonstrations of typical lecture activities and hear about student finance, as well as take a look inside the University’s Halls of Residence.

They will also be able to see the top quality equipment and talk to staff in the University’s brand new Sports Gym, which opens later this month.

Studying at University is not just a three-year course option, living away from home – many students study part-time and carry on working whilst living at home and there’s also the option to do a degree in two, or even four, years.

So there’s plenty on offer and University staff will be on hand to help visitors enjoy the day, while getting all the information they need.

Registration takes place at both Avenue Campus in St George’s Avenue and at Park Campus in Boughton Green Road, 10-11am and the Open Day is on until 3pm. A free bus service between Campuses is available to everyone who wants to visit both Campuses.

Potential students can register for the Open Day in advance, please contact 0800 358 2232

Conference tackles issue of non medical prescribing

Over 90 delegates from healthcare from across the UK are attending a conference at The University of Northampton next week which explores issues around the practice of non medical prescribing, an area of nursing which has seen rapid development over the last decade.

From June 2006, appropriately educated and experienced nurses have been able to prescribe all licensed drugs and a range of controlled drugs from the British National Formulary following successful completion of the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) approved Nurse Independent & Supplementary Prescribing (NISP) Course.

The NISP course offered by the School of Health at the University enjoys an established reputation for providing a quality programme for experienced nurse practitioners working in the Northamptonshire catchment area. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is now very much high on the agenda in healthcare for continuing excellence in this area of practice.

The University will welcome some prestigious keynote speakers to Park Campus next Wednesday, 6 June, including Liz Plastow, Prescribing Lead from Nursing & Midwifery Council, Professor Molly Courtenay, RCN Joint Prescribing Adviser and Professor Matt Griffiths, Visiting Professor for The School of Health, RCN Prescribing Adviser. The conference will be jointly opened by Dr Sue Allen, Dean, School of Health and Louise Proctor, Managing Director of the Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust, as a partnership initiative.

Geoff White, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader, Teaching for Non- Medical Prescribing, School of Health, The University of Northampton, commented:

“Our NISP course is extremely challenging. On completion of this course nurses are qualified to prescribe medicines within their professional scope of practice to complement the care they deliver. The initial evidence suggests that nurses who successfully complete this course demonstrate improved nursing outcomes for the patients they serve, whilst gaining additional knowledge, skills and competencies as part of their personal and professional development.

“Non medical prescribing is very topical and we are pleased to host this conference in partnership with NTPCT aiming to support future continuing professional development here at The University of Northampton”.