Hand in glove success for Bedford College

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

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

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

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

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

spirits company which is attention grabbing, impactful and hard

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

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

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

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

injuries from lacerations from broken glass, heat burns and chemical

burns.

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

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

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

members, will be distributed to workplaces throughout the country.

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

Aberdeen Students Set For Taste Of Chinese Real Estate Market

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June Creative Café At The University of Northampton Welcomes Leading Brand

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

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

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

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

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

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

University of Dundee Arts Students Land Dream Jobs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Computer gamer blasts out a new future - University Of Wolverhampton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

University Of Northampton - Discover your potential at June Open Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conference tackles issue of non medical prescribing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Wildlife trade bans can increase trading

Banning the commercial trade in specimens of endangered species of wildlife can perversely increase trading, argue a group of conservation scientists from Paris and University of Kent in this week's Nature. Writing in the run-up to next month's Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the researchers provide evidence that when CITES plans to uplist a species to a more restrictive appendix that bans trade, this can lead to an increase in legal trade. Therefore, once the ban is in place, this may drive illegal trade underground.

The researchers suggest instead that more proactive, swift and flexible species management is in the interests of both traders and conservationists.

‘Uplisting is associated with a spike in trade volumes,’ say Philippe Rivalan and his co-authors from Paris and from Kent’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE). A ban generally takes effect 240 to 420 days after submission of a proposal, leaving a year for traders to acquire specimens or clear stocks.

The new analysis shows that legal volumes of imports can increase during this transition period, although further field work is needed to assess how such spikes might affect the harvested populations of different species. Concerns were first raised in 1985 that uplisting could make species more commercially valuable. Until now there had been no wide-ranging analysis to support this idea. ‘At the very least, our findings suggest that CITES authorities will need to use extra vigilance in controlling permits during transition periods and in adhering to quotas’, comment Rivalan and his co-authors.

‘Some proactive measures that CITES is considering were discussed by the CITES Secretary General at the DICE Annual Lecture in February 2007. These include ensuring that local livelihoods are not affected by restrictive listing, and using CITES permits as a form of certification,’ adds Dr Alison Rosser and Professor Nigel Leader-Williams of DICE.

Journalism course receives BJTC accreditation

The broadcast journalism degree course at the University of Gloucestershire has gained professional accreditation from the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC)

The BJTC is a partnership that consists of employers in the UK broadcast industry, the National Union of Journalists, Skillset and the Sector Skills Council for the audio visual industries.

A panel of representatives from the BJTC watched students participating in TV and radio workshops at the University’s Pittville Studios.

Paperwork, teaching methods, and marking processes were also scrutinised and staff and students were interviewed before the accreditation was awarded.

Jim Beaman, course leader for broadcast journalism said, ‘We are delighted to have received the seal of approval from the BJTC. ‘The process has been useful for everyone concerned and means our students will have received proper training, development and experience which will benefit their future careers.”

The University of Gloucestershire is now one of 10 institutions with the BJTC accreditation for its teaching.

Bath Spa Graduates “Hatch Out” at the Egg

Bath Spa University’s Department of Drama prepares to launch its Class of 2007 with a showcase of graduate work at the Egg, Theatre Royal Bath, (June 4 -8), and a special one-off performance at the Battersea Arts Centre in London (June 1).

Following their three years of training, many performing arts graduates are choosing to remain in Bath and benefit from the growing opportunities for artists in the region.

Emma Gersch, Senior Lecturer in Drama says “We have chosen to showcase the strength and range of their work by bringing this selection of work to the Egg. In all cases, the students have found their own voices and breathed new life into classic material. We hope this showcase will launch the careers of this vibrant new group of performers.”

The graduation season features three shows: Agamemnon: Stripped. Re-loaded. Re-told, a radically reinvented version of Aeschylus’ classic, brought to life with original music, text and ritual movement; Wonderland, Club of Hearts, set in a nightclub, giving Lewis Carroll’s’ tales of Alice a thoroughly modern context; and Tennessee William’s classic play A Streetcar Named Desire, oozing with heat and passion.

Gunduz Kalic, Head of Department says “Our 30 Performing Arts graduates have enjoyed an intensive three year training on the BA (Hons) Performing Arts programme, developing a portfolio of performance skills. Ensemble is at the heart of our work here at Bath Spa, and our students have been nurtured to be playful and generous in all areas of their practise. The class of 2007 is a particularly talented, vibrant and dynamic group.”

Under the banner of the Department’s resident Full Tilt Theatre Company the students have had exciting and valuable opportunities to work in a professional context, and have toured work to the Bristol Old Vic and the Minack Theatre in Cornwall.

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Show information

Egg Theatre: all shows play at 7.30pm, and are suitable for ages 12+

- Agamemnon – Stripped, Re-loaded, Re-told plays on Monday 4 June

- Wonderland, Club of Hearts plays on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 June.

- A Streetcar Named Desire plays Thursday 7 and Friday 8 June

Battersea Arts Centre, Friday 1 June

Agamemnon plays at 1pm and 8pm, information and tickets from Emma Gersch

For tickets, Egg Theatre Box Office, 01225 823 409

£100K science scholarship scheme for EU students

The University of Aberdeen has announced £100,000 worth of new scholarships for science students from the new EU Accession States.

One hundred bursaries worth £1000 each have been released for full time students - classed as home/EU for the purpose of tuition fees - beginning a BSc degree in September 2007. Students from recently acceded Eastern European countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Lithuania are all eligible.

“We are keen to attract the brightest students to Aberdeen,” said Jenny Fernandes, Head of the International Office at the University of Aberdeen. “And our experience shows students from Eastern Europe to be excellent students who work hard and make a very positive contribution to our student population. We’re delighted to now be able to offer these new undergraduate bursaries.”

The scholarship announcement comes ahead of a trip to Poland by University staff members, who will visit both Warsaw and Gdansk this week to meet with students and answer questions about studying in the Granite City.

The University has also confirmed a range of innovative scholarships for home/EU students considering a postgraduate degree in the College of Life Sciences and Medicine. The new bursary package includes £1000 towards fees for one year of full-time postgraduate study, one months rent and a two month bus pass. Courses where the bursary package applies include MSc Occupational Medicine, MSc Clinical Pharmacology, MSc Human Nutrition and Metabolism, and MSC Biomedical Physics.

In addition, the College of Physical Sciences continues to offer home/EU students the opportunity to take advantage of funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. This amounts to the equivalent of the postgraduate tuition fee for EU students. Courses where the CTA package applies are MSc Safety Engineering, Reliability and Risk Management, MSc E-Science Technology, MSc E-Commerce Technology, MSc E-Health Technology, MSc Energy Futures – Oil and Gas, and MSc Energy Futures – Renewables.

“The University has a student population of around 14,000 and a large international community of students drawn from 120 different countries,” added Mrs Fernandes. “By visiting Poland we hope to take another step towards enriching the diversity of our student body by building stronger ties with students from Eastern Europe.

“The University already has an excellent reputation for teaching quality and research, and we remain committed to freeing up significant funding to help students taking courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.”

For further details on sources of University funding for postgraduate study visit:

Arts and Social Science: www.abdn.ac.uk/cass/graduate

Life Sciences and Medicine: www.abdn.ac.uk/cism/graduateschool

Physical Science: www.cps.abdn.ac.uk/graduate-studies.php

University excellence recognised in Guardian League Tables

The latest 2008 Guardian University League Tables have seen The University of Northampton race ahead of its regional higher education competitors in a number of teaching areas, with particular honours going to Business, Engineering and Computing. Coming in at 92 on the latest Guardian list The University of Northampton was placed ahead of numerous other competing universities within its core student recruitment areas, including Derby, Bedfordshire, De Montfort and Wolverhampton.

The Northampton Business School (NBS) is now ranked 72 from 109 business schools. NBS also ranked fourth equal in the UK for ‘value added,’ emphasising excellent improvements in learning and advancement for students.

The University’s Engineering division within its School of Applied Sciences was ranked sixth out of 30 with a Guardian score of 75.6 (out of 100). It also received 10 out of 10 for job prospects, a better figure than any other university listed in the General Engineering category. Also within Applied Sciences the University’s Computing division came in joint first for value added and joint third for teaching in the Guardian table.

The Guardian listing for The University of Northampton also noted the institution’s substantial investments in campus facilities and an ongoing £80 million plan for future improvements through to 2015. Frank Burdett, Pro Vice Chancellor at The University of Northampton, commented: “We are delighted with the detail found in many aspects of the survey, which highlights areas of significant improvement.

“In particular the results in Business, Engineering and Computing are testament to our good employer links through our partnership scheme and the University’s approach to widening participation. Both are key aspects of the University’s mission. We will continue to work hard to improve all areas of the University’s performance.”

Poetry Slamming from Bath Spa University

Staff and students from Bath Spa University are taking the performance poetry slamming scene by storm.

Creative Writing lecturer Lucy English has gained a place in the semi finals in the coveted BBC Radio 4 National Slam, after slamming against 16 other poets and finally winning a place in a heated and dramatic tie break showdown.

She will be one of two poets from the South West going to the semi finals in London on Sunday 1 July. The semi finals, at the Drill Hall, Bloomsbury, will be broadcast live by BBC Radio 4 - the first time a UK slam has been broadcast on Radio 4. The finals will take place at the Arnolfini, Bristol, on Saturday 8 September during the Bristol Poetry Festival.

Not to be outdone, five students collectively forming the Bath Spa Poets will be performing at the Battersea Arts Centre in London at the invitation of Apples & Snakes, the UK's leading performance poetry agency. Gordon Egginton, Tracy Wall, Emerson Leese, Ed Parshotham and Jason Curley will be performing a set at a showcase evening on Friday 29 June alongside some big names in the poetry world.

Head of the School of English and Creative Studies, Professor Tim Middleton commented: “Bath Spa University is the only UK university to run a performance poetry module as part of its curriculum. Lucy English is one of the country’s leading performance poets and her success at the Radio 4 competition is well deserved. And I’m sure that our student poets will impress the audience with their energy and talent in their first performance on a London stage.”

Student Finance: Are All Students Due Income Tax Back?

As a student, are you due income tax back? It is a commonly held belief that if you are in full time education you do not have to pay tax.

This is sadly wrong and it makes no difference if you are 3 or 33 you still have to pay income tax if you earn over your tax free allowance (currently £5,225)

There is however a happy ending to this story. If you are a student and your are working, it is quiet likely that you may be due a tax refund. The reason behind this is the fact that most student who do work will not earn below their personal allowance. Many employers will tax you regardless of how much you have earned, either because they are lazy or because they do not have the correct paper work. If you have paid too much tax, you can forget about the Inland Revenue contacting you to tell you.

Students are one of the poorest people in society as they earn very little, if anything at all. Therefore don't let the government take the small amount of money that you do earn. Check to see if you are due any tax back, you have nothing to loose and could be in for a big windfall.

The year you go into the real world to find a job you will have only worked for part of a tax year, another factor which will help secure a tax refund. Remember you can claim any tax back up to six years ago, so think about any summer jobs or holiday worked you might have had.

Tax Fix operates the most affordable Tax Refund Service. Why not check to see if you are due Tax Back today? They work on a 'No tax back, No Fee' basis.

Related Links
Tax Fix Website

Training for the NHS workforce

The Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills today
announced arrangements for the management of NHS training budgets by Strategic
Health Authorities in England in 2007/8. Funding of £4.3 billion has been
allocated for the training and development of the NHS workforce. This
represents an increase of 3.6% over 2006/7 (excluding student grants).

A new service level agreement has been put in place between the Department of
Health and the SHAs, setting out the priorities for investment of training
funding. SHAs and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will be expected to
work in partnership to ensure investment is effectively planned and based
on long term workforce need.

Health Minister Lord Hunt said:

"This agreement represents a significant commitment to the training of our
next generation of healthcare professionals. It is important that the NHS
has the freedom to manage training so that workforce development reflects the
healthcare needs of the local population. However we expect this agreement to
put training plans on a much firmer footing so that the investment we have
made will enable Strategic Health Authorities and their local universities
to work together to produce a well-trained NHS workforce that can deliver
improved patient care.

"We now have an agreement which links funding of training much more
closely to workforce planning needs and gives greater long term security to
universities. We expect future changes in training commissions to be based
on an assessment of services required by patients and that SHAs will work
in partnership with their local universities to achieve this.

Bill Rammell, Minister for Further and Higher Education said:

"This agreement underlines the importance of close partnership working between
the NHS and HEIs. We know that some HEIs may still be feeling the effects of
the savings which had to be made last year. We will expect SHAs to consider
the impact of their decisions on the financial viability of HEIs, and to
work towards implementing the agreed benchmark prices for their contracts
with HEIs. In the longer term the service level agreement will lead to a
more stable funding position for HEIs.

"I believe we now have an agreement where SHAs and Higher Education
Institutions can work together to plan and provide high quality healthcare
education for the NHS of the future.

Realtime Worlds signs sponsorship deal with Dare to be Digital

Realtime Worlds Ltd (RTW), Scotland’s leading independent video game developer, has become a key sponsor of Dare to be Digital, the UK’s premier games design competition for students.

RTW and Dare, both based in Dundee, hope that the agreement will boost the city as Scotland’s hub for games excellence.

RTW will contribute to the development and expansion of Dare to be Digital both financially and through providing mentors and speakers to the contestants during the 10-week competition, which starts next month.

In addition, RTW’s CEO and creative director David Jones will become a Patron of Dare to be Digital and will join the judging panel for the grand finals in August.

RTW launched its first title, “Crackdown”, on Xbox 360 earlier this year, breaking records for more than one million downloads of the demo version, selling 850,000 units of the finished version within the first two months of it going on sale, and still being one of the top selling Xbox 360 games after more than three months.

Part of the sponsorship deal with Dare to be Digital will see “behind-the-scenes” features about making Crackdown going on show at Dare ProtoPlay – a unique exhibition of this year’s entries scheduled for Edinburgh in August as part of the Edinburgh Interactive Festival.

David Jones commented: "Talent is a key factor behind the success of every game, and Dare to be Digital makes a big contribution to spotting and developing high quality talent for the industry each year.

“I have been closely involved with Dare to be Digital’s organisers, Abertay University, for many years, advising them on course structure, lecturing to students, and benefiting from already having had many Dare graduates join RTW over the years.

“I am delighted to take that involvement and commitment to another level through this sponsorship and through becoming a Patron of Dare. We are employing 150 people at our Dundee office and would like to expand to near 200 by end of this year. Partnering with Dare will help attract more talent to our production hub in Dundee. We also have plans to work with Dare on our international expansion.”

Paul Durrant, Director of Dare to be Digital, commented: "Our involvement with David Jones as a Patron is a dream come true for Dare. We have been inspired by the international reach developed by David and his team at Realtime Worlds and we plan to build on our international involvement in Asia as the Dare brand becomes associated with talent and innovation in video games development around the world.

"We are also excited about the mentoring support on offer from the Realtime Worlds team and the opportunity to feature behind-the-scenes footage of their work, at Dare ProtoPlay."

2007 is a significant year for Dare to be Digital, as the competition takes place in three hosting centres across the UK instead of just one as in previous years. A total of 12 teams will gather in Dundee, Belfast and Guildford in early June, to spend the first nine weeks of the 10-week competition designing and building fully functioning prototypes of their video game idea, and receiving financial support and mentoring from games developers while they are in the competition.

In the 10th week of the competition, all the teams will travel to Edinburgh to take part in “Dare ProtoPlay”, a three-day showcase of all their work, at which the general public and industry experts will be able to play the games and vote for the winners as well. This year, the three winning teams will become the shortlist for a new “Ones to Watch” award at the BAFTA Video Games Awards in October.

Dare to be Digital 2007 has assembled an impressive list of sponsors, including London Development Agency, Nesta, Electronic Arts, AMD, NCR, Tiga, the Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Dundee City Council, the Digital Hub in Dublin and Belfast City Council with the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s Building Sustainable Prosperity Programme and Intertrade Ireland.

Student Film Review: The Lives of Others By Matt Arnoldi

The Lives of Others (15)
Dir: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Starring: Martina Gedek, Ulrich Muhe, Sebastian Koch & Ulrich Tukur

Deserved winner of the Foreign Film Oscar for 2007, The German film The Lives of Others is set in 1984, East Germany, it’s a tense and gripping thriller about the suspicions of the repressive GDR regime which sought to ensure that its subjects were towing the party line and not thinking of defecting to the West.

Its incredible to think such a world existed across the Berlin Wall and also that it was alive and kicking only 23 years ago.

In terms of the plot, Lt Col Grubitz (Ulrich Tukur) heads the Culture department at the State Security and he invites his chief security captain Gerd Weisler (Ulrich Muhe) along to see a new play by a talented but bohemian playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch). Minister Hempf (Thomas Thieme) is also at the performance and at the party afterwards, he takes a shine to Dreyman’s girlfriend, lead actresss Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck). Following the performance, Hempf decides he wants to bed Sieland and wants Dreyman out of the picture so he asks for him to be put under round-the-clock surveillance in the hope of finding Dreyman has broken the Party rules and can disappear into the prison system.

His top man Weisler is put in charge of the surveillance operation and having seen the ruthlessness in which Weisler operates, you feel Dreyman is going to have to tread carefully to avoid detention and interrogation but gradually you begin to observe a slight weakening in the resolve of Weisler, a questioning of the party line and the methods employed by the State.

Meanwhile you also follow Dreyman who does want to consort secretly with those from the West especially as he suspects his girlfriend is having an affair.

The Lives of Others is an excellent thriller which opens the door on the Eastern block during the time of the Cold War, how in East Germany, an all-powerful Communist State was keen to preserve its artistic talents but also anxious to ensure they towed the party line. There are minor weaknesses in the plot, but they are minor. This is a long film (at 137 minutes) but the time passes quickly which is a mark of how riveting the story is, and the pay-off in the final moments is particularly rewarding. It will please a great many people looking for an intelligent film on the circuit and the performances particularly from Ulrich Muhe and Sebastian Koch are first-rate.

Reviewed by Matt Arnoldi

Basketball Team Are National Champions

A basketball team featuring University of Wolverhampton students is celebrating after being named league champions.

The Black Country University of Wolverhampton Men’s team are National League Division 3 champions.

They beat London Towers in the final 79 – 75. The team is a mixture of University students and players from the local community.

The team were runners up in the Division three (North) regular season. They overcame Brixton Topcats 90 – 78 in the quarter finals and beat Cardiff Celts in the semi finals 88 – 82 to set up the final against the Towers.

The team rose from the ashes of the Walsall Wizards who played in National League Division 3. At the suggestion of Nick O’Leary, Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in PE and England Basketball Senior Coach, the Wizards joined forces with the University. In the next two seasons, coached by Nick, the team made good progress in Division 3, reaching the play offs last season.

Nick O’Leary said: “This season coached by Tony Simms, an ex England international and current PE student, the team has gone from strength to strength culminating in the honour of being crowned National Champions. We expect the team to play in National League Division 2 next season.”

Meanwhile, Black Country basketball club also has a women’s National League team who play in Division 2. The ladies also made the play offs this season but were defeated in the semi finals by UWIC Stealers 74 – 55. It is hoped the Athletic Union can support this team in the future and provide a stable financial footing to allow it to develop still further.

And in other news, the Wolverhampton Rhinos, who play National League Division 1 wheelchair basketball, are playing at the University next year and will become part of the Black Country Club. The team also plays European Super League basketball and contains several international players.

Nick O’Leary said: “I am in discussion to bring some of these players to the University to study various degrees and assist with their playing careers.”

The Black Country Club is hosting a summer basketball camp at the University’s Walsall campus for 11 – 18 year olds to improve basketball in the area and further develop the relationship between the local community and the University. The event will take place between Tuesday, August 28 and Saturday, September 1. For details contact Nick O’Leary on 01922 692115.

A Successful Season for the University of Northampton's Golf Team

Photo Caption: The University of Northampton’s student golf team: (From left to right) Rob Charter, Mark Harrington, John Dexter, Matty Landers and Captain, Shaun Carway are presented with £1,000 from Vice Chancellor, Ann Tate.

After a successful season, the golf team at The University of Northampton were presented with £1,000 from the University in recognition of their outstanding sporting achievements.

The team, made up of students Shaun Carway, Matty Landers, John Dexter, Rob Charter, Adam Tarbox and Mark Harrington, finished second in their regional league qualifying them for the national knock-out. Their success continued as they progressed through three rounds of the national knock-out, beating regional league winners, Bournemouth. This victory meant they were invited to compete at the national final, which was recently held at Hoylake Royal Liverpool, last year’s venue for the British Open.

Captain, Shaun Carway, said: “This donation is a great recognition of the team’s achievements. In the four years I have been playing for the University golf team, we are the only University team that have reached a national final.”

“Five members of the team, including myself, will be graduating this year, so this was a memorable send-off for all of us.”

There are currently 25 competitive sports teams at the University and 20 societies ranging from the RSPCA society to the Ski and Snowboard society.