Student News: Turner Broadcasting System Sponsors Dare To Be Digital

Turner Broadcasting System Inc. sponsors UK premier video games design competition – Dare to be Digital

16 January 2008
Dare to be Digital 2008 has secured sponsorship from one of the world’s biggest media giants, Turner Broadcasting System Inc.

Dare is the UK’s premier competition for young computer games designers, attracting students and recent graduates from all over the world in 2007.

Turner Broadcasting System Inc, owners of major news network CNN and part of the Time Warner group, is the first new sponsor to be announced for Dare 2008.

The company’s sponsorship comes soon after confirmation that the University of Abertay Dundee, originators and promoters of Dare, would continue and increase its support for the competition this year.

Paul Durrant, Director of Dare to be Digital, welcomed Turner Broadcasting System Inc. as the first new sponsor for 2008, saying: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with TBS this year.

“Their support is a huge boost to our plans to raise £1 million to support Dare to be Digital for the next two years, and a measure of how seriously the contest is now regarded by major creative and media businesses around the planet.

“We plan to greatly increase the scope of this year’s competition, with almost twice as many students as in 2007, taking part in several host centres across the UK and perhaps even overseas as well.”

Turner Broadcasting System Inc. is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

Casey Harwood, Senior Vice President for Digital Media at Turner Broadcasting System Europe said, “We’re delighted to support ‘Dare to be Digital’ and any initiative that fosters talent and diversity within our industry. Gaming is a particularly high growth area, complementary to our own target audiences and digital output, and this sponsorship presents us with yet another opportunity to build on our understanding of the format and the range of emerging digital platforms.”

Acclaimed by the UK government as an example of best practice in linking universities and the games industry, Dare to be Digital is a proofing ground for young talent. In its eight-year history, Dare has generated five companies, two product deals and seen 80% of its participants get hired by high profile employers in the video games industry. One of the winning teams, Voodoo Boogy, won a BAFTA award Ones To Watch in 2007.

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Movie News: iTuesday Hosts Dolphins Film Premier at Cineworld

iTuesday hosts Dolphins film premier at Cineworld. Independent film-maker, Mark Jay is inviting film buffs to attend the premier of his first feature film, Dolphins at Cineworld on Tuesday 29 January.

iTuesday - Tuesday 29 January at Cineworld, St Margaret’s Rd, Cheltenham, GL50 4DU. Contact: 0871 220 8000 Screening starts at 7.30pm

The director’s cut screening is part of the iTuesday film programme, hosted by the University of Gloucestershire in partnership with the Gloucestershire Media Group and Cheltenham Cineworld.

The former BBC documentary maker will be bringing along members of the cast and crew to take part in question and answer session at the end of the event.

Dolphins is a gritty, modern fairytale teen romance set in the seaside town of Brighton inside the edgy and dangerous world of the Boy Racer gangs and Indie Punks the town is famous for. In the week before Christmas, a strangely beautiful and emotionally super-charged love story unfolds between two kids from opposite ends of the town; a Romeo and Juliet for the 'too fast to live' generation.

The young cast includes former Emmerdale star, Karl Davies, Lauren Steventon, Layke Anderson and Jason Maza. Frank Harper (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Bend it Like Beckham, Football Factory) has a supporting role along with Hip hop superstar, Roots Manuva in his first screen role. Source music is supplied by Brighton's Skint Records and includes tracks by Fatboy Slim and Lo-Fidelity All-stars. The original score was composed by Sacha Puttnam and Border Crossing.

“Dolphins is a low-budget British movie shot on HD and made with the passion and commitment of a highly skilled cast and crew drawn mainly from the South East region,“ said Mark Jay.

“The script evolved through a process of work-shopping with local kids and actors many of whom came from the gangs and subcultures depicted in the story. It has been made with the kind assistance of RIFE Screen South. We would like to thank the University of Gloucestershire and iTuesday for giving us this opportunity to present our movie.”

Tico Romao, event organiser and field chair in film studies at the University of Gloucestershire added, “We are delighted to present the UK premiere screening of Dolphins as part of the iTuesday series. And we are especially glad that the filmmaking talent behind the film will also be present at the screening to talk about its production. This will be a big bonus to our film production students and anyone interested in the British independent film scene.”

The iTuesday film takes place on the last Tuesday of every month at Cheltenham Cineworld and is open to all. Tickets are £4 and are available from Tuesday 22 January onwards from the box office. Telephone 0871 220 8000 for details.

For more information on iTuesday please join the iTuesday open group on Facebook Facebook

Music News: Aardvark Records & VOEVEO Announce Music Competition Winner

www.voeveo.com and Aardvark Records are pleased to announce London-based act Riveraire as the grand prize winner in the audio category of the voeveo incubator competition.

voeveo’s incubator programme is all about supporting and helping creative people learn skills to build their mobile business.

The winning mobile full track was “Down To The Ground”, a rousing acoustic pop track with a bitter sweet lyric. Riveraire wins global digital distribution and promotion with the Cornwall-based independent record label Aardvark Records as part of the audio Grand Prize. Aardvark will license the winning track.

Alex di Savoia, Head of Communications at Aardvark Records, said; “As far as we’re aware this is the first deal of its kind in the music industry. A label scouting and working with an artist based on the strength of their audio productions for mobile telephones shows just how much the music industry is changing.”

Annabel Youens, Community Director of voeveo said: “It's been quite amazing to see the Incubator succeed. It was always our vision to help independent artists form new relationships and build their skills by partnering them with industry mentors. We built voeveo to empower bands, musicians and other creative artists to manage their business how they want and tap into explosive mobile market. It's been a real pleasure to see Riveraire win and connect with Aardvark Records. Congrats!”

Riveraire’s Caroline Loftus said: “We’re really thrilled and excited about winning the Incubator Competition and for the opportunity to connect with a wider audience with the help of voeveo and Aardvark Records. As independent artists, it’s fantastic to receive mentorship and support at a grass roots level. It feels like a real boost for us and fellow independent artists who are striving to make their mark in the mobile and digital arenas.”

Riveraire is an accomplished acoustic pop songwriting trio, bringing together the talents of London based Australian writer and performer Caroline Loftus and British songwriters Paul Carr and Paul Nolan. Their name harks back to the two Pauls’ northern roots and the river Aire in Yorkshire. Since meeting in London seven years ago, the team has been carefully crafting a catalogue of songs that combine soaring melodies, heartfelt words and Caroline’s rich and luscious vocals.

“Down To The Ground” will be distributed globally through Aardvark’s digital distribution network, including iTunes, MSN, Napster, eMusic and numerous other household digital music brand names.

University News: University of Kent Physicist Awarded an MBE

A University of Kent physicist is awarded an MBE. Dr Cyril Isenberg, a key figure in the University of Kent's School of Physical Science, has been awarded the MBE in the New Year's Honours List.

A physicist with a national and international reputation, he was awarded the Institute of Physics' Bragg Medal and Prize in 1994 for significant contributions to physics education and innovative contributions to the teaching of physics. He has held numerous positions within the Institute, including Chairman of the London and South East Branch.

Dr Isenberg is well known for his science communications activities, and delivers a large number of popular lectures to schools and universities across the country. He has also made numerous television appearances and is perhaps best known as the organiser of the British Physics Olympiad. Over 10,000 UK A-level school students participate every year, out of which five are selected to take part in the International Physics Olympiad.

Professor Paul Strange, Head of the School of Physical Sciences, said 'I am delighted that Dr Isenberg's huge contribution to physics in the UK has been recognised with the award of an MBE'.

Although Dr Isenberg retired in 2002, as honorary lecturer he continues to play an active role in the School, including the management of the University's Kent Physics Centre.

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College News: Local MP Visits Lewisham College

Joan Ruddock, MP for Lewisham and Deptford, visited Lewisham College today (11th January) to tour the Deptford campus and meet staff and students.

The tour began in the sports hall where a number of local school children were enjoying their weekly workout session with some Football Academy students. The Year 3 and 4 pupils from Lucas Vale Primary School in Deptford had enjoyed a morning of basketball and hockey and were all very keen to show off their new skills.

The pupils also had the opportunity to meet sporting legend Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, 11 times Paralympic Gold medallist, who was filming a promotional sports video at the College.

Head teacher Alexandra Hardy said: “Our links with Lewisham College are extremely important to the children and this programme really helps to improve their sporting skills, self confidence and enthusiasm for sport. The whole experience helps them develop different skills and the Football Academy students are very positive role models for them.”

After chatting to some of the College’s Modern Apprentices - students who assist staff and students in everything from football to filing – the tour moved on to the Beacon Award winning Trade Union Studies Centre.

The employed students, who are all taking a one year TUC Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, took the opportunity to quiz their local MP on a range of issues, including the importance of having environmental representatives in the workplace.

Mrs Ruddock said: “I was delighted to visit Lewisham College again to see the excellent work they do to develop the skills of our young people. I am always impressed by the students and it is a source of pride that we have such a valuable organisation based in the community.”

Having also been briefed on the College’s redevelopment plans for the Deptford campus she added: “There is no doubt that the redevelopment is an exciting prospect that will add dramatically to the regeneration of Deptford. It will help lift the local economy and offers great potential for small businesses in the community.”

The Principal, Dame Ruth Silver commented: “Lewisham College is brilliantly served by Joan Ruddock and we were delighted to welcome her again. Even as a busy minister she proactively stays in touch with the developments in this fast moving sector and her visits are both welcome and involving.”


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University of Abertay Dundee expertise helps train first generation of Turkish games designers

Abertay expertise helps train first generation of Turkish games designers

Abertay University expertise is helping to train a new generation of computer games programmers in Turkey, thanks to a deal signed with the Izmir University of Economics (IUE).

The articulation agreement links a two-year masters degree at IUE with Abertay’s masters degrees in computer games technology and smart systems

Students on the linked programme will spend their first semester at IUE, then travel to Abertay for two semesters, one of which will include writing a dissertation.

After spending most of a year at Abertay, the students will return to Izmir to complete their IUE masters degrees.

The first group of 20 students to take part is expected to arrive at Abertay in January 2009, and the partners are planning to increase overall numbers on the linked courses to 50 within five years.

Professor Lachlan MacKinnon, Head of the School of Computing and Creative Technologies, said:  “We are delighted to have secured this new partnership with IUE.  It is part of a network of links we are building up around the world, and the IUE link joins similar successful links we already have with universities in China and Canada.

“We are all looking forward to welcoming the first students onto our courses, and I am sure they will find the Abertay experience a very valuable and significant component of their learning journeys.”

Mr Ekrem Demiritas, President of the Board of Trustees of Izmir University of Economics said: “This is a very significant agreement for UIE and I’d like to thank the University of Abertay Dundee, SQA and Dundee College together with Scottish Development International for all their hard work in getting this excellent education entity up and running.”

 
Hadi Fawzy, Senior Executive at Scottish Development International said; “This deal is an excellent illustration of the very healthy international demand there is for Scottish skills and knowledge. Scotland’s educational establishments are world leaders in many fields and being able to trade knowledge in this way is having an increasingly positive impact on the Scottish economy and the country’s international links and reputation.” 

For further information please contact Tracey McNeish on 01382 308935.

University Of Dundee Running researchers present cheque for Diabetes campaign

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE

Dundee.

Running researchers present cheque for Diabetes campaign

A group of researchers and other staff from the College of Life
Sciences at the University of Dundee have raised over £1500 for the
Diabetes Research Campaign, which hopes to raise funds to support the
world-class research being carried out into the disease at Dundee.

The group of 15 â€" ranging from Professors to technical staff - all
took part in the Dundee Half Marathon earlier this year. They decided to
run in support of the University’s Diabetic Research Campaign, which
is raising funds to expand clinical research facilities in Angus, Perth
and Dundee.

“It was great to see the staff involved in the run and then to
realise we had raised such a nice amount of money,” said Professor
Dario Alessi, who took part in the run and is also Director of the
Dundee Diabetes Research Centre.

“Special mention must go to one of one of our technical staff, Maisie
Hawkins - she isn’t the fastest runner but she was ahead of all of us
in terms of raising money, which was by far the most important thing.

“Two years ago Maisie completed the Dundee half-marathon in 3 hours
20 minutes, last year in 3 hours 10 minutes, and this year we are all
supporting her and hoping to see her break the three-hour mark. Everyone
was stunned as Maisise finished in the amazing time of 2h 45 min!
Exercise is our greatest weapon in tackling diabetes. That doesn't mean
you have to be running half-marathons every week, but just taking some
regular exercise will have a real effect."

Michael Archibald, chair of the charity campaign, and Professor Andrew
Morris, one of Scotland’s leading clinicians on diabetes, will accept
the cheque for £1519 from Professor Alessi and some of the other runners
on Tuesday December 18th at 9.30 am in the Wellcome Trust Building.

The Diabetes Research Campaign was launched last year to raise
£3million to support research into diabetes at the University of
Dundee, including the establishment of state-of-the-art outpatient
clinical research facilities in Angus, Perth and Dundee, enabling
scientists and doctors to work together to undertake research from "the
cell to the community".

University of Kent computing students help international airline solve scheduling problem

University of Kent computing students help international airline solve scheduling problem

 

More than 100 second-year students from the Computing Laboratory at the University of Kent are gaining valuable work experience by helping XL Airways solve a scheduling problem.

 

XL Airways, a leading and award winning UK charter airline based at Gatwick, operates a complex timetable to over 50 charter destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America from 11 airports in the UK. Consequently, it needs to ensure that it has enough pilots to meet its timetable requirements and that its timetabling operation runs as efficiently as possible, taking into account both human resources and legislation. For example, it needs to ensure that not only are its pilots in the right place at the right time but that the rules and regulations concerning flying hours are strictly adhered to.

 

Working in small teams, the University’s computing students are now constructing solutions to the scheduling problem using processes and methods for software design and development which they are learning in their module Software Engineering Practice. They also have the opportunity to continuously refine their understanding of the problem by interrogating XL Airways via an online forum.

 

The project ends in early January.

 

Professor Simon Thompson, Director and Head of the Computing Laboratory at the University of Kent, said: ‘It is difficult for any university department to provide realistic problems for their students as typical industrial problems are complicated and large-scale. However, it is precisely this sort of problem that XL Airways has to solve and we’re extremely grateful to them for passing this on to our students.’

 

Daniel Hiller, Group IT Business Architect for XL Airways, a graduate of the University of Kent and the originator of the project, said: ‘This is a really exciting opportunity for our industry to work with academia and the University of Kent’s undergraduate population, which I see developing into a long-term partnership. By gaining an insight into XL’s business we hope that students will gain an appreciation for the leisure industry that could develop into future employment opportunities. I hope in this way that we can both benefit from this innovative approach to problem solving.’

 

Tony Hunter, a computing student at the University of Kent, said: ‘The XL Airlines project is an excellent introduction to working in a software team on a real world product, with a real world customer. We are fortunate and grateful to have been given this opportunity.’

 

University of Abertay Dundee workshop to learn about helping those who hear voices

Dundee workshop to learn about helping those who hear voices

Hearing voices in your head is much more common than many Scots think, and may be better dealt with by coping strategies than with medication, a workshop taking place in Dundee today and tomorrow will be told.

The University of Abertay Dundee and the Fife-based mental health consultancy Working to Recovery Ltd, co-directed by Ron Coleman and Karen Taylor who have an international reputation for their work in recovery and psychosis, are collaborating on a two-day workshop entitled “Talking to Voices” (12/13 December).

The workshop will introduce mental health workers to the relatively new technique of ‘voice dialogues’, which aims to help people who find their voices distressing to learn to live with and manage their voices rather than wasting time in an often fruitless quest for a ‘cure’.

Dutch research suggests that as many as one in 25 people hear voices or other ‘auditory hallucinations that have no physical origin in the outside world’. For some, the phenomenon is not linked to mental illness and can sometimes be a pleasant or reassuring experience.

However, for others the voices can be threatening or disturbing – creating anxiety, despair and fear. Often the voices carry some personal significance for the hearer, usually related to some intense emotional event in their past, such as sexual abuse in childhood. Voices can therefore have a great deal of power over the hearer.

Examples include victims of sexual abuse who hear the voice of their abuser or the voice of a screaming child that represents the abused’s inability to scream out their pain at the time they were abused.

Voice dialoguing focuses on helping voice-hearers to explore the history of their voices, and to identify the individuals their voices represent and the things that trigger them. Having done this, the voice hearer is encouraged to engage with their voices in a way in which they, not the voices, are in control. For some people, this can result in the voices going altogether. For others, the voices become less distressing and more manageable.

This week’s seminar will give mental health workers in Scotland a rare chance to hear international expert Dr Dirk Corstens, who works in the Hearing Voices Project of the University of Maastricht and is involved in treatment for voice-hearers. Dr Corstens developed the treatment programme, ‘Working with Voices’, and is an active researcher in this field.

The workshop also features Clinical Psychologist Rufus May from the Bradford Assertive Outreach Team. He has an interest in promoting self-help and recovery processes in psychosis. His ideas and thinking are influenced by in his own experiences of being a psychiatric patient when he was 18 years old.

Ron Coleman, Dirk Corstens and Rufus May will also be keynote speakers in a public “Hour of Power” seminar this evening (12 December), at Abertay University’s main building in Bell Street, Dundee, starting at 7pm.  Tickets are available on the door, priced £10 (£5 for students and the unwaged).

Professor Sue Cowan of Abertay’s Tayside Institute of Health Studies said: “For people who hear voices that are distressing, finding a way of dealing with them is empowering and can be an important part of their recovery process. ‘Recovery’ in this context does not mean ‘getting back to the state you were in before’. It is not about cure, but rather about recovering a satisfying, optimistic and contributing life, even within the continuing presence of mental illness. For each person, recovery is a unique and individual journey.”

HIGHER BIOLOGY CHRISTMAS SYMPOSIUM

HIGHER BIOLOGY CHRISTMAS SYMPOSIUM

Photo opportunity - 10.30 pm, Tuesday December 11th                                 New Teaching Block (Old Hawkhill)  The College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee is hosting students from local schools this week at a Christmas Lecture Symposium.  On Tuesday 11 December 2007 (in the Large Lecture Theatre in the New Teaching Block) and Wednesday 12 December 2007 (in the Tower Extension/D’Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre, Tower Building, Nethergate) students from 16 schools in Angus, Perthshire, and Tayside will be attending a series of lectures especially designed for the Higher Biology Secondary School audience and delivered by top lecturers and scientists from the University of Dundee.  Dr James Elliott, Learning and Teaching Dean of the College, will give the Welcoming introduction. Dr Hilary-Kay Young will then deliver a presentation entitled ‘Superbugs’ – the science behind the headlines” which will explore the ingenious ways bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics.  In “Battle of the Sexes”, Dr Steve Hubbard will address the complex and unexpected ways in which the conflict between the sexes is resolved in nature. Finally in “Human identification - Who are you?”, Dr Patrick Randolph-Quinney (Tuesday) and Professor Sue Black (Wednesday) will consider the concept of human identification and look at some real forensic cases relating to identification and consider the importance of returning identity to the deceased.  SCHOOLS ATTENDING THE CHRISTMAS SYMPOSIUM:  Arbroath High School Forfar Academy Webster's High School Baldragon Academy Braeview Academy Craigie High School Grove Academy Harris Academy Lawside Academy Menzieshill High School St John's High School St Saviour's High School High School of Dundee Kinross High School Glenalmond College Strathallan School  University Of Dundee     

HOT CHIP - Dundee Students Association

 

 

Dundee University Students’ Association

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

SEEK AND HIDE PRESENTS… HOT CHIP (dj set)

+ Residents Neil Smith and DIGIMAK

 

Seek and Hide brings Hot Chip to The Union on Sat 9^th December.

 

HOT CHIP

Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, Al Doyle, Owen Clarke and Felix Martin are the men behind this electropop Casiotone-hop group. They formed in 2000 and self–released records until they were signed in 2003. They released their debut album, "Coming on Strong," later stating that they wanted it to sound like a home-made version of the Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique."

In 2006 they released their second album, “The Warning” to great acclaim. The album was short-listed for The Mercury Prize. Two singles were released from the album and both “Over and Over” and “Boy from School” were well received.  In that same year Hot Chip were hired to provide music for the in-game stereo within the Sims.

Hot Chip make use of toy trumpets and kazoos to get their sound just right, but no laptops and no backing tracks.

Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor has provocatively boasted that he is "like Stevie Wonder, but can see things."

Recent festival appearances include Dour Festival, Glastonbury, Sónar, Benicassim, Electric Picnic, Bestival, Lovebox, the Reading and Leeds Festivals, the Summer Sundae festival and the Big Day Out and Splendor In The Grass (2007) in Australia. They released a DJ Kicks compilation in 2007, which included a new song called "My Piano", also released as a 12".

The band will release their third studio album, Made in the Dark, on February 4 2008. The first release out of it was "Shake a Fist" which was released as a limited one-sided 12" in September 2007, the first single will be "Ready For The Floor" in January 2008.

 

Seek and hide have previously brought Pendulum, Mylo and others to the Union

 

The party will take place in the student’s union in Mono kicking off at 10pm and lasting till 2.30am, with organizers expecting a sell-out.

 

Tickets are priced at £7

Available from the Dundee University Students’ Association

 

 

 

 

 

For more information, please contact:

David MacLeod

Vice-President Communications

Dundee University Students' Association

Airlie Place

Dundee

DD1 4HP

t -  (01382) 386003

f -  (01382) 386016

m - 07739964572

e -  vpc@dusa.co.uk

 

 

David MacLeod         Vice President Communications  email:  vpc@dusa.co.uk

Dundee University Students Association Airlie Place, Dundee, DD1 4HP Phone: 01382 386003      Fax: 01382 386016

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