UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE STUDENTS TACKLE BALKANS CRISIS

Politics and International Relations students at the University of Dundee are today setting their minds to tackling one of the world's major impending international situations - that of a declaration of Kosovan independence.

The fourth-year students are taking part in a Balkan Crisis Simulation game with teams representing France, UK, USA, France, Germany, the UN, and the EU. The game deals with a looming crisis over Kosovan independence, an issue which is already exercising the minds of diplomats around the world.

"This is very much a real issue and one which is going to test the international community once again," said Professor Alan Dobson, Director of the Institute for Transatlantic European and American Studies at the University.

"Our game is based on real information tracked until Monday, after which the students have had to take on the role of the international powers and see how the situation maps out. It is a valuable exercise for the students as this is exactly the sort of thing which is used to train diplomats, and the simulation really does test their mettle."

The game is part of a new module developed under a strategic initiative offered by the University three years ago aimed at encouraging innovative teaching.

The game is due to finish at 3 pm today at which time some of the students will be available for interview and photographs.

NIVERSITY OF DUNDEE DISCOVERY DAYS 2008

Some of Scotland's brightest minds will get the New Year off to a
stimulating start when the University of Dundee plays host in January to
two of the most exciting days in the academic calendar - Discovery Days
2008.

31 of the University's newest Professors will deliver quick-fire
lectures - each lasting 15 minutes - detailing some of the cutting-edge
research and academic activity being carried out at Dundee.

The sweep of Discovery Days covers everything from what happens when
sperm meets egg to the experiences of Italian women in the Second World
War. In between lie explorations of why the dentist's drill could
become a thing of the past, how we can make computers `see' and new
approaches to combatting the problem of coastal erosion.

There is also a strong strand of medical and life sciences research
being presented.

Two of the sessions - which take place over January 10th and 11th -
will be chaired by Mike Gilson, editor of `The Scotsman', and the Lord
Advocate, Elish Angiolini. All sessions are open to the public and are
free to attend.

Dundee first established the Discovery Days format two years ago,
giving a wide range of newly-appointed Professors the forum to present
their research, all in quick, snappy 15-minute mini-lectures.

The format proved an instant hit, making leading academic research
instantly accessible and helping develop links across the University
community. The format provides a unique test for the professors, who are
asked to condense often complex and wide-ranging work into their 15
minutes, but it is a challenge they have constantly risen to. It will be
fascinating to see how this year's cohort present their own ideas.

The days will be accompanied by a stunning exhibition of posters.

All of the Professors are available for interview before, during or
after Discovery Days 2008. There will be images available to accompany
each of the lecture subjects. Please contact the University press office
for further information.

The draft programme can be viewed at:
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/principalsoffice/discoverydays2008.html

Sports and research achievement to be honoured at Abertay graduation ceremony

21 November 2007

The University of Abertay Dundee is to award honorary degrees to Louise Martin CBE, leader of the successful Glasgow bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and Sir Keith O’Nions, director general of Science and Innovation in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, at its Winter Graduation ceremony next week (Friday 30 November).

Louise Martin will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Arts in recognition of her outstanding contribution to sports development in the UK, and in Scotland in particular.  She competed as a swimmer for Scotland in the 1962 Commonwealth Games, reaching the finals of the 100m and 200m backstroke events. 

Since retiring from international competition, she has worked as a teacher and examiner in nutrition, and held a number of posts in sports administration.  As well as leading the Glasgow 2014 bid, she is also currently a board member of UK Sport and the Scottish Institute for Sport, as well as being chairman of the Scottish Hall of Fame Selection Panel.

Sir Keith O’Nions will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of the UK’s academic research base.  After a distinguished career as a researcher in earth sciences, including posts in Canada, Norway, the USA and at both Cambridge and Oxford Universities, he became chairman or member of a number of Research Council committees.

He was a member of the Council of Science and Technology from 1998-2000. He was Trustee and Chairman of the Natural History Museum from 1996 to 2005, and received a Knighthood for services to Earth Sciences in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Professor Bernard King CBE, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Abertay University, said:  “We are honoured to be able to recognise the achievements of two such successful individuals.   Louise and Sir Keith’s careers are eloquent testimony to what the combination of talent, passion and commitment can achieve.

“When they ascend the Caird Hall’s stage next week, I am sure that their examples will inspire the hundreds of other Abertay graduates alongside them.”

Pictures of the Honorary Graduates are available by contacting Jill Dempster on 01382 308223 or j.dempster@abertay.ac.uk.

 
LOUISE MARTIN CBE

Louise Martin became a national heroine earlier this month when Glasgow won the right to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, was elected the Hon Secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation for a second term at the General Assembly in Jamaica in 2003.  The first woman to hold a post on the CGF Executive, she was also the first woman Chairman of the Scottish Commonwealth Games Council, being re-elected for a further term in May 2003. She represented Scotland in the 2012 Olympic Bid Regional Group and was appointed to lead Scotland’s Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Bid from the start.

Louise has been involved in the Games both as a competitor and an administrator, competing in the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia where she made the swimming finals in 100m and 200m backstroke.  She was also a silver medallist in the 1967 World Student Games.

After retiring from her international sporting career, Louise trained in nutrition at what is now Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, and spent some 20 years working as a teacher, examiner, specialist regional adviser and latterly lecturer in home economics and nutrition in Edinburgh, Fife and the Highlands.

Since retiring from competitive sport Louise has held various positions in a number of sporting areas. She is currently board member of UK Sport and also the Scottish Institute for Sport, as well as being chairman of the Scottish Hall of Fame Selection Panel.  She has also served on the boards of Scottish Gymnastics, the Sports Aid Foundation Grants Committee, and sportscotland.

SIR KEITH O’NIONS FRS

Professor Sir Keith O'Nions is Director General, Science and Innovation in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.  He was previously Chief Scientific Adviser at the MOD from January 2000 to July 2004 and Director General, Science and Innovation and Chief Scientific Adviser in DTI from 2004 onwards.

Keith O’Nions was born on 26 September 1944, attended the University of Nottingham, gained a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Alberta and became a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Oslo.

From 1971 to 1975 he was Demonstrator and then Lecturer in Geochemistry at the University of Oxford. He became Professor of Geology at Columbia University in 1975, and Royal Society Research Professor at Cambridge University from 1979, before returning to Oxford as Head of Earth Sciences in 1999.

Keith O'Nions has enjoyed extensive participation in a broad range of academic and technological committees. He became a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 1979, and a Member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in 1980. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (1983), Honorary Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences (1998), Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (2001), and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (2005). 

He has been the chairman, or a member, of a number of Research Council committees over the last 25 years and a member of the Council of Science and Technology from 1998-2000. He was Trustee and Chairman of the Natural History Museum from 1996 to 2005, and received a Knighthood for services to Earth Sciences in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Lewisham College Annual awards celebrate student success

Lewisham College celebrated the outstanding achievements of its students recently with its annual awards ceremony attended by dignitaries from the world of business and politics. Over 150 students were recognised for their accomplishments, all receiving awards from Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham.

 

Douglas Hands, the Chair of Governors congratulated all the students on their achievements and spoke of his pride in Lewisham College’s double Beacon status and reputation as an innovative leader in further education.

 

Award winner Sally Bland said she was thrilled and surprised to win the Dermalogica All Round Beauty Student of the Year award adding: “All my family were so pleased and it makes me feel like I have really achieved something special. It will also look great on my CV!” Having completed her course, Sally is now looking forward to putting her qualification to good use whilst travelling the world.

 

Fashion student Kassandra Forster, who was presented with the School of Performing and Creative Arts Award for Excellent Progress said: “Winning the award really means a lot to me. It is confirmation that I have finally found my perfect niche.”

 

Principal Dame Ruth Silver said that the College’s links with employers gave our students not only the skills and professionalism required for the working world but also the drive to be successful.

 

The award ceremony follows an exceptional year of student accolades for the College including a London Apprentice of the Year award for Painting and Decorating student Megan Parry, from the Learning and Skills Council. Other prizes have included a Millennium Volunteer of the Year award for Care student Kellye Ann Gordon; a silver medal at the UK Skills competition for Beauty student Pirisse Hunt and a Youth Build Young Builder of the Year runners up award for Ramone Edwards.

Falmouth University Exhibition 29 Nov - 8 Dec

Designite

 

Created by 3rd- year students of BA(Hons) 3D for sustainability and Spatial Design, this exhibition explores themes of innovation, community and environment. Featuring drawings, digitals and models, exhibits include conceptual and experimental projects ranging from hand-held items to large scale interiorscapes and landscapes.

 

Venue: The Poly, Church Street, Falmouth TR11 3EG

Date: Thursday 29 November 2007 to Saturday 8 December 2007

Time: 10:00 - 16:00 (closed Sunday)

Admission free 

 

 

 

 

UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE TO HOST BBC RADIO RECORDING

Drugs to treat disease are becoming increasingly sophisticated and it
is possible to treat more diseases than ever before. However, they're
also more expensive, which raises the question, is there a limit to how
much a public health system should spend on treatment per patient? How
do we decide which drugs to pay for and who should get them? Are some
patients more deserving than others?

Members of the public are being invited to air their views on all these
questions as part of a new BBC Radio Scotland programme to be recorded
at the University of Dundee later this month.

BBC Radio Scotland's new series of `In The Balance' is looking at
different aspects of medical ethics. The programme to be recorded in
Dundee will be on `Economics of Healthcare: The price of life: what's
the right way to spend the cash on healthcare?'.

The programme will feature a number of expert commentators joining the
debate hosted by presenter Claire English. The audience will also be
asked to give their views.

The programme recording will take place in the New Teaching Block, Old
Hawkhill, on 29th November from 6 pm to 7.15 pm, preceded by a drinks
reception from 5.15pm. Tickets are available by contacting
events@dundee.ac.uk or from the Tower Reception desk at the
University.

A Letter of Concern From Dundee University Students' Association on SNP budget Announcement to MSP's at Holyrood

The following letter was sent to all MSP’s at Holyrood; it refers to the SNP Budget announcement on Tuesday and the university/ student funding aspect of it. Dundee University Students Association has felt so concerned over the direction that the government is heading in terms of higher education in Scotland that they have felt compelled to email all MSP’s calling for them to review their decision.  Dundee University Students’ Association is working on this issue with St Andrews University Students’ Association and Glasgow University SRC who have also sent similar letters to MSP’s voicing concern over recent budget decisions by the SNP which will affect students first rate education.

 

For more information contact Milan Bogunovic on 07879697076 or 01386386002 or David Macleod on 07739964572

 

Dear Member of the Scottish Parliament
 
As President of Dundee University Students’ Association and elected representative of our student body it is my duty to bring to your attention the disappointment and anger faced by Dundee University students in relation to the recent SNP budget announcement.

 

In May 2007 thousands of students across Scotland voted in the Scottish Parliament elections.  Many were attracted by promises of scrapping student debt and pledges to provide more Government support for Universities. Now, in the light of the budget outlined on Thursday, many students have real concerns about the future funding of higher education in Scotland.   
 
Across the campus in the past two days students have queried just what support they can expect from the SNP Government in the future if this is the way they have been treated so far.  Students are concerned not just about the here and now but also the future of Higher Education in Scotland when stories circulate in the press that Universities will have to reduce student intakes and make potential cuts to services.
 
The financial position of the University of Dundee and the concerns of students about this are well known to many MSP's. Students are asking themselves to what depths will this neglect reach and could the Government not have done more to assist institutions across Scotland that are struggling? The answer among the student body is yes they can, but they choose not to realistically address all aspects of funding in higher education and put their heads in the sand and clam that the problems do not exist.
 
 

For the sake of current and future students in Scotland I urge you to consider your response to this when debates regarding the budget next occur in Parliament. Scottish Universities produce highly skilled, professional and dynamic graduates who contribute so much to the society and economy of Scotland as well as act as ambassadors for Scotland and our universities around the globe.  Do we as a nation want to jeopardise all this? 
 
Yours sincerely
 
Milan Bogunovic

President of Dundee University Students’ Association

 

 

 

 

 

Iraq whistleblower to talk at University of Wolverhampton

Iraq whistleblower to talk at Uni

A former British diplomat and whistleblower on the Iraq war is to visit the University of Wolverhampton to talk about his new book.

Carne Ross spent 15 years at the British Foreign Office and was in charge of the Iraq dossier in Britain’s UN delegation in the run-up to the Iraq war.

It was his job to prepare the evidence on weapons of mass destruction and to negotiate resolutions on sanctions. But, as his new book reveals, the more he worked on the issue the more he realised that Washington and London were engaged in what he describes as a “gross exaggeration of what we knew”.

In September 2004, the 38-year-old highly-rated diplomat resigned, giving up everything - income, power, status.

Now he has published a book about his experiences, entitled Independent Diplomat, and is to make a rare public appearance at the University of Wolverhampton on Tuesday, November 20.

Event organiser and Senior Research Fellow in Conflict and Terrorism, Dr George Kassimeris, said: “In his fascinating new book, Ross writes that as he watched the move to war, he drafted many resignation letters but did not send them. But the suicide of David Kelly - a British weapons inspector and a colleague and friend of Ross’s - appalled and enraged him. In the summer of 2004 Ross gave a scathing testimony to Britain’s “Butler Inquiry” into the use of intelligence on Iraq’s WMD. This evidence was, in effect, his letter of resignation.

 
“In a rare public appearance, Ross will be talking at the University of Wolverhampton about life in the Foreign Office, Iraq and whistleblowing.”

The talk is open to the public and will take place in MC228, in the Millennium City Building at the Wolverhampton City Campus, from 1pm to 2pm on Tuesday, November 20.

Notes 

 
Carne Ross served in the British Foreign Office for more than fifteen years. Between 1997 and 1998, he was speechwriter to the British Foreign Secretary. He then spent four and a half years in the UK delegation on the UN Security Council, where he was the UK delegation's Middle East expert, holding the rank of First Secretary, and later served as Strategy Coordinator for the UN in Kosovo (UNMIK), advising the Secretary-General's Special Representative on diplomatic and political tactics. In 2005, after founding Independent Diplomat, he was named by Britain's Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust as one of its seven “visionaries for a just and peaceful world.”

 
 

University of Kent working with Islamic leaders to improve conservation

University of Kent working with Islamic leaders to improve conservation

 

A unique project from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at the University of Kent is aiming to improve Sumatran biodiversity conservation by raising awareness of Islamic teachings about conservation.

 

The project, led by Stuart Harrop, Professor of Wildlife Management Law at DICE and Deputy Head of Kent’s Department of Anthropology, and Matthew Linkie, a researcher at DICE, also aims to improve local livelihoods through sustainable natural resource use in forest-edge communities and to develop an innovative model for Indonesian community-based conservation.

 

The Indonesian archipelago contains about 10% of the world’s tropical rainforest, which plays a critical role in regional watershed protection, as well as in global efforts to conserve biodiversity and to sequester carbon. However, Indonesia currently experiences one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world and the multiple threats that biodiversity faces in Indonesia show little sign of waning.

 

Indonesia, with its diversity of traditional culture, also supports the world’s largest population of Muslims whose religion has a strong influence on their daily life. Islamic philosophies underpin biodiversity conservation in a number of ways principally through the doctrine of Khalifa (stewardship). Furthermore other traditional belief systems similarly hold a wealth of practices and beliefs that further conservation strategies. Taken together there is much scope for enhancing positive community attitudes for effective natural resource conservation.

 

Professor Harrop said: ‘This project presents a unique opportunity to work with Indonesian Islamic leaders in national Islamic religious institutes and their subsidiary colleges in rural areas, who have been prominent in promoting Islamic ideas and teachings. Working with communities in this capacity provides an ideal opportunity to increase their support for biodiversity conservation through integrating key religious concepts and traditional conservation approaches into conventional management plans and conservation strategies.’

 

Matthew Linkie said: ‘The project will take place around Sumatra’s Kerinci Seblat National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is vital to biodiversity conservation. Kerinci Seblat is surrounded by farming communities who live in close proximity to wildlife, and suffer losses from human-wildlife conflicts, such as crop-raiding or livestock depredation incidents. These conflicts reduce local tolerance towards wildlife and local support for biodiversity conservation. So the Department of Forestry, in partnership with local and international NGOs, has implemented a human-wildlife conflict management strategy for Kerinci, but no formal project, as of yet, has attempted to forge strong links with the local communities. So there is an urgent need to work more closely with the forest-edge communities to improve both local livelihoods and biodiversity conservation prospects.’

 

Their local partners include GreenLaw Indonesia, an NGO that has run community conservation and development projects in Sumatra and elsewhere in Indonesia since 2003. The project is funded by a Darwin Initiative and a Rufford Small Grant for Nature Conservation.

 

Notes

 

(1)

 

DICE (located within the University’s Department of Anthropology) is dedicated to building capacity and undertaking research necessary to conserve biodiversity and the functioning ecosystems upon which people depend. In support of its mission, DICE has now trained postgraduates from over 70 different countries, and many occupy increasingly influential positions in conservation.

 

The Institute’s MSc in International Wildlife Trade and Conservation provides students with the knowledge base to address trade regulation and management at both the national and international levels. The programme provides information on the workings of CITES and how this complements other multi-lateral environment agreements.

 

It also provides students with the knowledge to: minimise the negative effects of trade on species; increase the effectiveness of regulatory and market measures to promote conservation of species in trade and use; ensure that local communities dependent on wildlife products are respected and have their interests taken into account when managing species for use and conservation; and to integrate the planning and management of international trade and biodiversity conservation.

 

The programme is relevant to the work of national management and scientific authorities, international and national NGOs, consultancy firms and contractors, international agencies and donors.

 

Website: www.kent.ac.uk/anthropology/dice/dice.html

 

(2)

 

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Darwin Initiative was announced by the UK Government at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. Its key objective is to provide grants for projects that draw on British expertise relevant to biodiversity to assist local partners in countries rich in biodiversity and poor in financial resources. The Darwin Initiative has supported over 400 projects in 100 countries since its inception, and has a current budget of £7 million per year. The Committee is made up of leaders in scientific fields including zoology, plant science and environmental policy and advises the Secretary of State on which projects the Darwin Initiative should support each year. The Darwin Initiative has supported several projects run by DICE since 1992, which include projects that seek to: reduce conflicts between people and wildlife around the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya; conserve the legendary axolotl in Mexico; and co-ordinate transboundary planning across the Maputaland centre of endemism, which straddles South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland.

 

Website: www.darwin.gov.uk

 

(3)

 

The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation is a private grant-making trust based in the UK. The Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation (RSGs) are aimed at small conservation programmes and pilot projects.

 

Website: www.rufford.org

 

(4)

 

The University of Kent is one of the UK’s most dynamic universities. The first institution within the county to be granted a university charter, it now has over 16,000 students studying at Canterbury, Medway and Tonbridge and is a major educational, economic and cultural force throughout Kent.

 

In the 2007 National Student Survey, the University was ranked not just top in the region for course satisfaction, it was among the top ten nationwide. It also has a strong international presence and, according to the 2007 Sunday Times University Guide, it ‘can claim to be Britain’s only international university’ as a result of recent developments including the University’s expanding Brussels campus and its ‘involvement as one of five partners (and the only non-French one) in the bilingual University of the Transmanche’. The Guide ranked Kent 42 out of 123 participating higher education institutions in the UK, an increase of four places from the 2006 printed edition.

 

More than 80% of research staff work in departments which contain research of national or international levels of excellence and the University’s commitment to its research activities was recognised by the shortlisting of one of its academics for Young Researcher of the Year in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) Awards.

 

The University’s Law Clinic was also shortlisted in the Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community category. Last year, Kent was one of only five UK universities shortlisted for the THES Institution of the Year award.

 

 

Biological Anthropology student at the University of Kent wins Oxford University Press award

 

Jenny Martin, a University of Kent student from Herne Bay, has been awarded the Oxford University Press (OUP) Achievement in Biosciences Award.

 

The aim of the Award, which is presented to students who have shown exceptional promise in experimental work, exams or their studies in general, is to encourage students in their study of the biosciences. The winners receive £100 worth of OUP books.

 

Jenny, who is studying for a BSc in Biological Anthropology at the University’s Department of Anthropology, was nominated by the Department’s Biological Anthropology Research Group because of her consistent dedication to the programme and for achieving the best aggregate marks in her course.

 

Jenny Martin said: ‘I was surprised to receive the Award, and very grateful for the recognition of my achievements. I have chosen some great books that will be useful during the remainder of my time at the University of Kent.’ 

 

Dr Sarah Johns, Lecturer in Biological Anthropology at Kent, said: ‘We are so pleased that Jenny has received this award as it is a reflection of her hard work over the past two and a half years, and her dedication to becoming a biological anthropologist. The Award will strengthen her CV and the book prize will also assist with her studies in the final year of her degree.’

 

Biological Anthropology is the study of human adaptation, evolution and variation. A relatively new subject at the University of Kent it includes ecological, archaeological, psychological and forensic methodologies in its research and teaching. Its research group members are engaged in exploring a diverse range of topics such as male-female aggression in chimpanzees, the evolutionary advantages of teenage motherhood and life history events as evidenced in human skeletal remains.

 

 

The University of Kent is one of the UK’s most dynamic universities. The first institution within the county to be granted a university charter, it now has over 16,000 students studying at Canterbury, Medway and Tonbridge and is a major educational, economic and cultural force throughout Kent.

 

In the 2007 National Student Survey, the University was ranked not just top in the region for course satisfaction, it was among the top ten nationwide. It also has a strong international presence and, according to the 2007 Sunday Times University Guide, it ‘can claim to be Britain’s only international university’ as a result of recent developments including the University’s expanding Brussels campus and its ‘involvement as one of five partners (and the only non-French one) in the bilingual University of the Transmanche’. The Guide ranked Kent 42 out of 123 participating higher education institutions in the UK, an increase of four places from the 2006 printed edition.

 

More than 80% of research staff work in departments which contain research of national or international levels of excellence and the University’s commitment to its research activities was recognised by the shortlisting of one of its academics for Young Researcher of the Year in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) Awards.

 

The University’s Law Clinic was also shortlisted in the Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community category. Last year, Kent was one of only five UK universities shortlisted for the THES Institution of the Year award.

 

Human health, agriculture and the environment to benefit from bioengineering project at the University of Kent

Human health, agriculture and the environment to benefit from bioengineering project at the University of Kent

 

Martin Warren, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Kent’s Department of Biosciences, has been awarded over £750,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council for a study into biochemical pathways that could ultimately lead to improved health benefits for humans, as well as the development of important new technologies and products for agriculture and bioremediation (the use of plants or microorganisms to clean up pollution or contaminated material).

 

Elderly people, those with a vitamin B12 deficiency – a state that is associated with neurological disorders, megablastic anaemia and developmental problems in unborn babies – or anyone on a strictly vegetarian diet may benefit substantially.

 

This study will investigate biochemical pathways, how they are controlled and how they can be engineered to enhance the metabolic ability of the host cell. It will explore the limitations and consequences of engineering complex metabolic pathways (the chemical reactions carried out by a cell) into different organisms, such as taking the genetic software that allows bacteria to make vitamin B12 and transferring it into bacteria that are unable to make B12.

 

Professor Warren said: ‘Vitamin B12 is unique among the vitamins in that it is the only one whose synthesis is restricted solely to bacteria. We plan to take the genetic software that allows bacteria to make vitamin B12 and transfer it into bacteria that are unable to make B12, as well as into yeast and a higher plant, thereby conferring upon these organisms the ability to make this essential nutrient.’

 

For this project Professor Warren and his team will take advantage of the latest developments and technologies in metabolic engineering.

 

-

Professor Martin Warren went to Southampton University where he read Biochemistry as an undergraduate. He stayed on in the Biochemistry Department to do a PhD, which initiated his interest in the genetics and biochemistry of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. After completing his PhD studies, he moved to Texas A & M University, where he worked as a research associate on vitamin B12 biosynthesis.

In 1991 he took up a lecturing position in the School of Biological Sciences at Queen Mary, University of London, where he stayed until 1995 when he moved to a Senior Lecturer position at the Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London. He was promoted to Reader of Biochemistry in 1998 but then moved back to the School of Biological Sciences at Queen Mary in 1999 to take up a Personal Chair. In 2005 he moved to the University of Kent, where he is Professor of Biochemistry.

He has published numerous articles on tetrapyrrole biosynthesis and the biochemistry underlying inherited retinopathies, as well as co-authoring a popular book on the link between tetrapyrrole biosynthesis and the madness of George III.

Professor Warren is a member of Kent’s Protein Science Group. The Group consists of several research teams who share a common interest in proteins: their structures and functions; their synthesis, folding and modification in the eukaryotic cell; their interactions with cells and tissues; and their production and biomedical applications. The Group exploits a wide range of methods (biophysical, chemical, molecular biological and genetic) and utilises advanced proteomic, mass spectrometric and NMR techniques to study a wide range of proteins; for example, fungal prion proteins, motor proteins such as myosin and molecular chaperones and protein folding catalysts.

(2)

 

The University of Kent is one of the UK’s most dynamic universities. The first institution within the county to be granted a university charter, it now has over 16,000 students studying at Canterbury, Medway and Tonbridge and is a major educational, economic and cultural force throughout Kent.

 

In the 2007 National Student Survey, the University was ranked not just top in the region for course satisfaction, it was among the top ten nationwide. It also has a strong international presence and, according to the 2007 Sunday Times University Guide, it ‘can claim to be Britain’s only international university’ as a result of recent developments including the University’s expanding Brussels campus and its ‘involvement as one of five partners (and the only non-French one) in the bilingual University of the Transmanche’. The Guide ranked Kent 42 out of 123 participating higher education institutions in the UK, an increase of four places from the 2006 printed edition.

 

More than 80% of research staff work in departments which contain research of national or international levels of excellence and the University’s commitment to its research activities was recognised by the shortlisting of one of its academics for Young Researcher of the Year in the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) Awards.

 

The University’s Law Clinic was also shortlisted in the Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community category. Last year, Kent was one of only five UK universities shortlisted for the THES Institution of the Year award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cooking project a recipe for success in communities

 

A team of health and nutrition experts at Leeds Trinity & All Saints have launched an exciting new project designed to create the perfect recipe for promoting community cohesion through cooking.

 

The “Cooking Communities” project, based in Leeds, will offer after school clubs where “cooking champions”, older people recruited locally, will teach practical cooking skills to pupils who will be encouraged to share their new found skills by cooking for their families and neighbours.

 

In the longer term, the project team will develop a toolkit to enable teachers and volunteers to roll out the cookery clubs across the city, and will promote initiatives to bring people together to share food from different cultures and communities.

 

The All Saints Educational Trust, which supports work in nutrition education, is funding the project through its All Saints Saxton Fellowship. Dr Judy Donnelly and Dr Rosie Connell of Leeds Trinity won the fellowship, worth £125,000 over three years, in a highly competitive bidding process.

 

Rosie and Judy were inspired to put in a bid after their pilot scheme “Cool Cooks” drew a positive response from the children involved, who clearly enjoyed cooking and consuming the fruits of their labours. The fellowship has funded the appointment of nutritionist and research fellow, Lisa Gatenby, to expand the original idea.

 

For Lisa, who has worked in the food industry and nutrition education for many years, the project is the perfect opportunity to use her experience to really make a difference to people’s lives.

 

She said, “I first got interested in cooking when I was about 13 and started cooking for my family. I’m thrilled to be working on a project that will bring cooking skills to today’s youngsters and promote healthy eating for life.”

 

The project was officially launched to an invited audience of representatives from local primary care trusts, education services and community groups, whose partnership in the project will be central to its success.

 

Jo Odu, Extended Services Network Leader working in schools in the Meanwood area of Leeds, said, “This exciting project has huge potential and sits very well with our work in extended services, by bringing generations together within communities and filling the gaps in children’s knowledge about ingredients and cooking.”

 

For more information about Cooking Communities, contact Lisa Gatenby on 0113 283 7100 ext 351, or email l.gatenby@leedstrinity.ac.uk

 

 

 

 

IBM, Universities Collaborate On Technologies for the Aging Workforce

IBM, Universities Collaborate On Technologies for the Aging Workforce

The University of Dundee has formed a collaboration with IBM and the
University of Miami to develop new software technology tools to
accommodate the needs of older workers and help them adapt to and remain
productive in the changing workplace of the 21st century.

Workforces in developed countries are ageing and the available pool of
younger workers is shrinking at a fast rate. High percentages of skilled
workers are approaching or reaching retirement age by the end of the
decade. And as these workers retire, they take with them valuable
skills, experience, training and knowledge.

As this trend continues, companies can use this opportunity to
innovate-and even gain competitive advantage-by ensuring skilled older
workers have the tools they need to be effective and by offering
advantages to promote retention. One way to support maturing workers who
have age-related disabilities is to find new ways to increase their
comfort level and ability to use technology.

For many organizations, the answer is accessibility - the development
and integration of structures, systems, tools, and processes that
facilitate the inclusion of more people - irrespective of their age,
abilities or personal challenges.

The collaboration between the School of Computing at Dundee, IBM and
the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami will focus on
issues related to training and worker communication, especially in
environments where there is a multigenerational workforce.

"IBM strives to aid companies in developing solutions to accommodate
the maturing workforce, as well as prolong and increase productivity,
said Vicki Hanson, Manager, Accessibility Research for IBM and
Leverhulme Visiting Professor at the University of Dundee.

The aim is to develop `open source' software tools that can be shared
easily among developers and the people who need them most.

"This collaboration is a superb opportunity for our group in Dundee
to apply our wide experience of research with older people, and of
developing better ways of accessing technology, in an exciting new
transatlantic partnership with IBM and the Miller Medical School in
Miami," said Professor Peter Gregor, Head of the School of Computing
at the University of Dundee.

"The open source focus makes the challenges particularly rewarding
because it means that knowledge gained and systems developed will be
available freely to the people who need them and to other
developers."

The collaboration team is comprised of researchers from the IBM T.J.
Watson Research Center, Professor Gregor and colleagues at the
University of Dundee, and Professor Sara Czaja from the University of
Miami Miller School of Medicine. The project will target both training
and collaboration technologies, with an eye to the unique needs of older
workers.

The IBM Research team, lead by Dr Hanson, has worked for the past
several years on website usability for older adults. Through Corporate
Citizenship partnerships with key organizations serving older adults,
the IBM researchers have created software deployed worldwide that
addresses many needs of older users. (For more information on the
available solutions, please visit:
http://www3.ibm.com/able/solution_offerings/research.html)

At the University of Dundee, within the Assistive and Healthcare
Technologies Group, there are eight faculty, including three full
Professors and Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellow, Dr Anna Dickinson, who
have a focus on older people and assistive technologies. The university
take a multidisciplinary approach to the problem with researchers not
only from the School of Computing, but also from Psychology, and from
the Schools of Media Arts & Imaging and Design in producing
visualizations and interaction scenarios.

At the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the collaboration
will build on research conducted at
The Center for Research and
Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) and the Center on
Aging. CREATE is a multidisciplinary, cohesive Center of research and
education on aging and technology funded by the National Institutes on
Aging. The team at Miami, led by Dr. Sara Czaja involves researchers
from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Industrial
Engineering and the Center on Aging. An emphasis of the research
program at Miami is on technology in work/employment settings.

"Older workers represent an extremely valuable resource," said
Professor Czaja. "However they need to have tools available to them to
be able to compete in today's technology-driven workplace. We are
excited about the opportunity to collaborate with IBM and Dundee as it
provides us with a unique opportunity to have the results of our
research efforts translated into actual products and tools. It also
provides a wonderful opportunity for our students."

NOTES TO EDITORS

About IBM

The work is part of IBM's Open Collaborative Research (OCR) program -
an initiative designed to foster research connections between IBM and
universities. OCR projects are designed to focus on topics that are
deemed especially important or difficult and where open collaboration
would benefit the academic and industrial research partners involved and
the world at large.

By design, the IBM OCR program accelerates the innovation and
development of open software across a breadth of areas, thus enabling
the development of related industry standards and greater
interoperability, while managing intellectual property in a manner that
enhances these goals.

Under IBM's OCR program, results developed between IBM Research and
top university faculty and their students for specific projects will be
made available as open source software code and all additional
intellectual property developed based on those results will be openly
published or made available royalty-free.

To remain competitive, businesses and governments worldwide must evolve
and adapt by creating strategies that maximize the potential of every
worker, regardless of their age or physical abilities. IBM believes that
accessibility can play a critical role in helping companies maximize the
skills and knowledge of maturing employees, while creating a meaningful
connection to younger generations of workers.

For more information about IBM, please visit www.ibm.com.
For more information about IBM's Open Collaboration Program, please
visit XX

Press contact:

Steven Tomasco, IBM Media Relations, 914.945.1655, stomasc@us.ibm.com

UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE & THE OCR PROJECT

Dundee's role in the project
We will develop a series of software tools specifically designed to
improve the ability of older people to continue to continue to take
part
fully in employment and make a unique contribution to the workforce.
The development process will rely on substantial user involvement
throughout along with support from our partners in Miami and at IBM.

Relevant work already done at Dundee in this area
We have developed software tools for people with cognitive
difficulties
to improve communication and allow better access to information,
simplified interfaces for training purposes for older first-time
computer users, and explored innovative techniques for requirements
gathering about the use of technology by older people.

Advantage of working with IBM
Working with IBM will assist in the immediate transfer of our ideas to
those who can benefit from them, particularly with the open source
approach. It will also provide us with access to the thinking and
innovative ideas of people working within IBM. IBM has also brought
us together with expertise from the University of Miami Miller School
of Medicine.

Pam Ann Competition

Pam Ann, Come Fly With Me is available to own on DVD now!

Following the hugely successful sell out tour earlier in the year, Sassy, kitsch, glitzy and glamorous A-list air hostess to the stars, Pam Ann is about to release her debut DVD - Come Fly With Me. Celebrity fans of Pam Ann include Cher, Elton John and Madonna. For anyone who has ever traveled by plane - this DVD is for you.

A night with Pam Ann is guaranteed to be the most unforgettable "in flight" experience of your life. Pam Ann - Come Fly With Me captures the air hostess with the mostest at her outrageous best and was filmed during her sell-out one night only spectacular appearance in London's West End. Pam Ann was joined by her gorgeous dancers - Pam's People, and together they performed an extraordinary show with glamorous costume changes and sparkling participation from the audience, culminating in a standing ovation. All this plus extra features including Pam Ann's Safety Video, Global Alliance and The Air Strip are available for the first time on this fabulous DVD.

Pam Ann never stops working. She has just performed a sell out run at the Edinburgh Festival throughout August and will be performing her live show in November at The Shaw Theatre, London, followed by four nights in New York at the prestigious Joe's Pub. Pam Ann also recently appeared on Britain's Next Top Model as a judge and mentor, Project Catwalk (as a mentor) and has recently filmed a major viral campaign for British Airways (which launches in October).

Pam Ann - Come Fly with Me is released on DVD by Starz Home Entertainment on Monday 29th October 2007. RRP: £19.99 Cert: 18.

We are giving away 3x Pam Ann - Come Fly With Me on DVDs. For your chance to win simply complete the following:

:

Enter Competition

Competition closes on the 13th Dec 2007. Winners will be selected at random from all correct entries

DELL PC COMPETITION

KALYPSO, THE KINGS ON CAMPUS

Kalypso Media today tossed its mortarboard skywards to cheer the announcement of lifesim title Campus, for PC out now. Combining elements from RPG and adventure genres,Campus takes us back (or forwards) to the heady days spent walking the university halls, and stops to buy us all a pint in the union on the way back.

Players begin their university careers in merry ol' England as a humble 'fresher', but will travel across the globe, throughout the course of the game, to a variety of countries to complete their education. Picking up friends along the way is key to furthering your objectives and helping you deal with problems encountered on the way. The ultimate goal of the game is to achieve a career in science, but the pace of this game is very much up to the player.

Click Here For More Info

------------------------------------

The Student Zone Competition

The Dell Computer Prize

To get your hands on this great prize, all you have to do is recommend 5 of your friends and get them to register by clicking on the link below.

Register Here

It's that simple!!

Don't forget that your 5 friends MUST register to The Student Zone - Failing to register will result in your entry being invalid.

Once we have verified that your friends have signed up before Midday on Saturday 15th December 2007, you will be entered into the prize draw

The Prize*

1 x Dell Inspiron - 530s PC
1 x Kalypso, The Kings On Campus

Once your friends have registered to the site, they too can be entered into the draw if they sign up five of their friends.

The prize draw will be randomly selected on
Saturday 15h December 2007

Please check that your friends have registered and then email us (below) your name and your 5 recommended friends names and email addresses for us to verifiy for your chance to win this Dell Inspiron - 530s PC .

contact@thestudentzone.com

HURRAH - A YEAR OF TA-DAH Competition

HURRAH - A YEAR OF TA-DAH

The nation's favourite pop stars release their new DVD Hurrah A Year of Ta-Dah on November 12 through Polydor.

As you''d expect from the New York band, this is no run of the mill music DVD. Featuring a 90-minute live spectacular shot at London's new O2 arena in front of 20,000 adoring fans and a 60 minute documentary filmed around the world since last summer, plus a whole load of exclusive DVD extras, Hurrah gives a unique glimpse into the crazy and colourful world of Scissor Sisters.

The DVD also includes a live concert filmed at London's 02 that captures the high-energy hysteria during of the band''s sold-out Kiss You Off tour of this summer. You get to see the show close up and witness what The Independent described as "the venue being transformed into the biggest disco in the world." The DVD captures the carnival atmosphere of the tour, from the amazing stage set to the barely-there costumes to the fantastic light show, not to mention the small matter of an (already) impressive collection of hits.

In the documentary you see what happens when the band travel the world, from Australia to America and everywhere in between, promoting their multi-million selling album Ta-Dah. As well as the highs, you get to see what life is really like on the road with Scissor Sisters.

There is behind the scenes footage ranging from their guest role in American daytime soap opera Passions, to the She's My Man video shoot with celebrated Japanese artist Nagi Noda.

Extras on the DVD include an acoustic gig filmed for GCap at an intimate venue, where the band perform rarely-heard stripped down versions of four of their biggest hits and all 4 music videos from Ta-Dah.

We are giving away 3x Scissor Sisters DVDs. For your chance to win simply complete the following:

Competition closes on the 15th Dec 2007.

Winners will be selected at random from all correct entries.