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 

Executive Education at Dundee for the Energy and Natural Resource sector

The Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law & Policy at the University of Dundee is set to offer a programme of executive degrees aimed at senior managers and leaders in the energy and natural resource sector.

Dr Ian Robson has joined the Centre as Director of Executive Programmes to spearhead the development of the executive degrees project, which is set to come on line soon.

Aimed at senior managers and leaders in the energy, petroleum and mineral sectors, the programmes will reflect CEPMLP’s 30 year history in developing inter and multi-disciplinary approaches in international law, policy, management and economics to issues in these sectors. An executive Masters degree and a professional Doctorate will be offered in the initial stages.

Prof Philip Andrews-Speed, CEPMLP Director, explains, “The energy, petroleum and mineral sectors operate in a fast-changing and demanding climate. There is a definite lack of professional development programmes tailored to hone the management skills for the leaders of these sectors. We will address this shortfall with our executive education programmes by focusing on developing leadership and management skills that will help the captains of industries to make informed decisions in leading their organisations or governments. Dr Ian Robson’s strengths in post-graduate and post-experience programme design as well as his expertise in leadership and innovation will be vital to the development of our executive programmes”.

Dr Ian Robson comes to CEPMLP from the Glasgow Caledonian University where he was the Dean of Business School. Prior to that, Dr Robson was at St Andrews University where he led a strategic initiative to establish the School of Management. In addition, Dr Robson has worked with a range of private and public organisations on knowledge-based products, services and manufactured products. 

In addition to his work at CEPMLP, Dr Robson will also be developing the portfolio of post-graduate programmes for the University of Dundee Postgraduate School of Management and Policy which CEPMLP is a part of. Dr Robson hopes to create a dynamic learning experience that draws from the wealth of knowledge and disciplines in CEPMLP and the Postgraduate School of Management and Policy.

Students Aim To Be Kings of 'The Hill'

A striking design for a unique building being planned for the heart of London forms the centrepiece of the Degree Show exhibit from three students at the University of Dundee this week.

Fifth-year students Lesley McIntyre and Michael Williams, together with third-year Sarah Brown, have all worked on the latest project from acclaimed architect Kathryn Findlay, who is a Professor of Architecture and the Environment at the University.

`The Hill’ is a new public building focusing on sensory experiences which is planned for a site at Potters Field, next door to Tower Bridge. Created for a client, theatre expert Simon Elliot, the plans for the building include a zero gravity room, a mutating maze and slow food restaurant.

Professor Findlay’s new practice, Fieldwork, has a unique position within the University’s School of Architecture. When the practice was commissioned to work on the design for The Hill, Professor Findlay didn’t hesitate to involve her students, who have responded to the challenge in brilliant fashion.

“This has been a fantastic experience for us as students,” said Lesley McIntyre (24), from Portstewart in Northern Ireland. “This is not just a piece of theory we are working on, it is a real project which may well come to fruition, which adds an extra edge to it.”

Michael Williams (23), from Ballymoney in Northern Ireland, added, “The plans we have worked on are for a very complex, pioneering building which offers all sorts of new challenges for us as architects. It has been great for us to be able to bring our ideas to the table for a major project right in the heart of London.”

Professor Findlay said the students were benefitting from the unique positioning of the Fieldwork practice within the University.

“Our set-up here is very unusual in that we have a full working architect’s practice inside the University’s School of Architecture,” said Professor Findlay.

“The work we do as a practice throws up great opportunities for research and teaching, so it makes sense to involve the students in what are real, live projects.”

Sarah Brown (26) from Dundee has visited London and New York on scholarship programmes developing specialist skills in `smart geometry’ through her work on the project, which she has carried out on a year-out from her course.

Professor Findlay said `The Hill’ could be used as a park on the outside and an arts space on the inside. “We’re trying to create free-floating spaces, a very permeable relationship between inside and out,” she said.

Plans for The Hill are on display at the University of Dundee School of Architecture Degree Show 2007 this week.

Degree Show 2007 takes place at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and the University of Dundee School of Architecture from May 19th to 26th. Opening times are 9.30 am to 8.30 pm Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm at the weekend (closes 2 pm Saturday May 26th). Entrance is free and all are welcome to attend. www.dundee.ac.uk/pressoffice/degreeshow07

University of Dundee Professor Elected to the Royal Society

Professor Grahame Hardie, Head of the Division of Molecular Physiology in the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee, has been elected a Fellow of The Royal Society of London, the highest accolade that British and Commonwealth scientists can receive.

Professor Hardie's election to the Society comes in recognition of his discovery over twenty years ago of an enzyme (acronym AMPK) that is a sensor of changes in the energy status of living cells and organisms.

Each year, just 40 people across the UK and Commonwealth working in all branches of science ranging from mathematics to astronomy, chemistry, genetics, botany and medicine are elected to The Royal Society Fellowship. It is the world’s oldest scientific academy founded by King Charles 2nd, and legendary figures of science such as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Frances Crick have been elected as Fellows in the past.

Commenting on the award, Professor Hardie said:

“The AMPK story has been like a fairytale - when we originally found it I had no idea how important it would turn out to be. My election to the Royal Society is an accolade not only for myself but also for the excellent people I have had working in my laboratory over the years. It is also a testament to the superb research environment established in Dundee by Sir Philip Cohen and others in the College of Life Sciences, as well as various University Principals who have supported the College”.

The AMPK enzyme is switched on when energy levels fall, and drives processes that stimulate energy production, while preventing energy-consuming processes. For example, during exercise, when the demand for energy is dramatically increased in muscle, AMPK switches on the uptake and metabolism of glucose and fats to provide the required energy.

The AMPK system is involved in obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, which can be regarded as disorders of energy balance. It is the target for the drug metformin (Glucophage), currently prescribed to no less than 120 million diabetics worldwide. The AMPK system is also being pursued by almost every major pharmaceutical company to develop improved drugs for the treatment of these disorders. Professor Hardie's discovery of this enzyme opened up a whole new field of research that is still growing rapidly. Over 400 research papers on the enzyme were published in 2006 alone, and major conferences on the ramifications of the AMPK system are held worldwide almost every year.

Professor Hardie came to Dundee in 1976 to work as a postdoctoral fellow with David Stansfield in the Department of Biochemistry. In 1977 he was appointed as a temporary lecturer and gained a permanent post in 1983. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1987, Reader in 1990 and Professor of Cellular Signalling in 1994. He assumed the leadership of the Division of Molecular Physiology in 2004 following the creation of the School (now the College) of Life Sciences in 2000. Grahame is married to Lyn, an anaesthetist at Ninewells Hospital, and they have four sons.

The Royal Society - www.royalsoc.ac.uk

University Of Dundee Art Degree Show 2007

The University of Dundee will become one of the busiest gallery spaces in the UK tomorrow night (Friday May 18th) with the opening of Degree Show 2007, the annual showcase for the work of art, design, media and architecture students.

Around 8000 people were estimated to have attended the opening night of last year's Degree Show and the University is braced for another huge influx of visitors to what is one of the showpiece events of the arts calendar.

"Every year our Degree Show seems to become more popular and it is testament to the constently high quality of work which our students produce that so many people regard it as the MUST see show of the year," said Professor Georgina Follett, Deputy Principal of the University and Dean of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.

"Degree Show is one of the most exciting times of the University year and adds a real buzz not just to the campus but to the city as a whole. This year's Show is dynamic, innovative, exciting and bursting with creativity with a show for every taste, where else are you going to see the raw talent, of new creative's placing their work in public view for the first time, it is a fascinating exhibition by more than 200 artists and designers showcasing thousands of new works."

Visitors to the Degree Show tomorrow night will be welcomed by the sounds of Scotland and Brazil. The Scottish band MacUmba will be playing outside the main venue at Duncan of Jordanstone College, showcasing their unique sound which mixes the traditional sounds of Scottish bagpipes with the infectious rhythms of Brazilian percussion.

The Degree Show is hosted by the University's School of Architecture and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, which incorporates the Schools of Fine Art, Media Arts & Imaging, and Design.

Tomorrow's preview opening is open to invites only. After the preview Degree Show 2007 runs from Saturday May 19th to Saturday May 26th. Opening times are 9.30 am to 8.30 pm Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm at the weekend (closes 2 pm Saturday May 26th). Entrance is free and all are welcome to attend.
www.dundee.ac.uk/pressoffice/degreeshow07/

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design is part of the University of Dundee.

Careers Openings In Nursing And Midwifery

The wide variety of career opportunities in nursing and midwifery will
be the focus of an Open Day to be held in the Clinical Skill Centre,
Ninewells Hospital this Saturday (May 19th).

Those attending the event, hosted by the University of Dundee, School
of Nursing and Midwifery, will have a unique opportunity to get 'hands
on' experience using some of the specialised equipment utilised in the
nursing and midwifery education programmes on offer at the University.

Experienced lecturers and clinical staff will be available to give
advice on the various academic and career pathways open to those with an
interest in nursing or midwifery.

"The career opportunities for nurses and midwives are greater now than
ever before," said Heather Marr, Acting Dean of the School of Nursing
and Midwifery.

"Nursing is a very attractive option for people of all ages and appeals
to many seeking a change of career."

The School of Nursing and Midwifery has campuses in both Dundee and
Kirkcaldy and offers a wide variety of flexible programmes to assist
students in achieving their goal.

The Open Day takes place in the Clinical Skills Centre at Ninewells
Hospital on Saturday 19th May 2007 from 11 am to 3 pm. It is open to
anyone keen to find out about careers in nursing and midwifery.

Licensed Practical Nurses
Registered Nurses
Nursing Aides and Psychiatric Aides

Dundee Literary Festival Is Launched

Literary stars Philip Pullman and Jacqueline Wilson will headline the first Dundee Literary Festival, held at the University of Dundee.

David Profumo, Kirsty Gunn and John Fardell will also give readings and take questions at the two day event which is being held at the University of Dundee. Local author Bill Duncan will make an appearance and two of the rising stars of the literary scene, Peter Hobbs and Ben Markovits will read and debate. Tickets are on sale from today.

The festival will also see a group of the most important people in publishing hold a unique discussion on how to get your book printed where attendees will be able to ask about their own work, as well as question the experts generally. The panel will include David Graham, Managing Director of Granta and Will Atkinson, Managing Director of Faber.

The festival will take place on the 21st and 22nd June in the University of Dundee Tower Building, Perth Road, Dundee and is sponsored by the Apex Hotel, Dundee.

The festival takes place during Graduation time in the city when thousands of visitors descend on Dundee - this will be an extra attraction to encourage them to stay a little longer.

Anna Day, Festival Director, says, “Dundee has such a rich literary heritage that it seemed a natural progression for the city to have a literary festival. We’ve got an excellent array of new and exciting writers, as well as some of the most established names in the business, so there really should be somebody that appeals to everybody.

“With writers such as Jacqueline Wilson attending, who created the Tracy Beaker series on TV, we hope that people who rarely read a book will be tempted to attend and then, just maybe, they will be inspired to read more in future.

“Dundee is starting to establish itself as a culture centre for Scotland and this festival will continue its progression to being the complete package for tourists looking for their cultural fix as well as locals who deserve a prestigious festival such as this.

“The University is already a partner in the Dundee Book Prize, which is the most important award for new writing in the country, so this seemed like a great step for them to take.”

The Dundee Literary Festival is sponsored by the Apex and held in partnership with Borders, Dundee.

Tickets will be available from today. They can be purchased at Borders or online at www.dundeeliteraryfest.org where the entire programme can be found. They are also available by calling 01382 384768 or in person, 5th Floor, Tower Building, Perth Road, Dundee.

For more details, please contact Anna Day on 01382 384768

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