KEELE UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL STUDY CENTRE OPENS

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Rama Thirunamachandran, unveiled a plaque at a special ceremony yesterday to mark the official opening of the Keele University International Study Centre (KUISC).

The new Centre, opened in a joint partnership between leading international education provider, Study Group, and Keele, is the first of its kind in the region and offers international students an exciting opportunity to prepare for degree and masters studies in Business and Management, Computing and International Relations and Politics at Keele.

The students are based on the University campus and benefit from access to all on-campus facilities, within a supportive environment. Following the official opening, which was attended by Nick Rhodes, Strategic Development Director of Study Group UK and John Davies, Academic Development Director, the ISC opened its doors to members of the University, giving them the opportunity to meet ISC staff and students and find out more about the centre.

The picture shows the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Nick Rhodes at the unveiling.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT CENTRE OPENING

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Janet Finch, yesterday  officially opened the new Centre for Professional Staff Development. The Centre has relocated to 59 The Covert and during the past year has been redeveloping its programme in collaboration with colleagues in various parts of the University.

The opening was attended by members of Vice-Chancellor's Committee and during the event Mrs Claire Appleby, Director of Human Resources, Organisational Development and Student Support, launched the University's new Staff Development Strategy. Those attending were able to view the new dedicated training facilities and the online booking and staff training records system, demonstrated by staff from Management Information and Information Technology Services. The formal opening was followed by an open afternoon during which University staff were invited to view the facilities and discuss their training needs with members of the Centre's staff.

The picture shows the Vice-Chancellor and Claire Appleby with the Staff Development team.

IN-SPIRE JOURNAL OF LAW, POLITICS AND SOCIETIES RE-LAUNCHED

Staff and postgraduate students from the Research Institute for Law, Politics and Justice attended the re-launch event for In-Spire Journal of Law, Politics and Societies, at the KPA clubhouse this week. The event was supported by the School of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy and the Research Institute for Law, Politics and Justice. The event celebrated the journal, which has been in operation since 2003.

In-Spire is a peer reviewed, multi-disciplinary journal of social sciences engaging in critical political thought on contemporary societies. The journal publishes original research on a broad range of topics, enabling interaction and the exchange of new perspectives between and beyond disciplines. Postgraduate academics at Keele form the editorial team for In-Spire.

NEW INAUGURAL LECTURE SERIES

Professor Bulent Gokay, International Relations, this week gave the opening lecture in the University's programme of Inaugural Lectures for 2009/2010. The title of his lecture was "TECTONIC SHIFTS AND SYSTEMIC FAULTLINES: A Historical Perspective on the 2008-2009 World Economic Crisis ".
 
His analysis of the roots of the present financial crisis found that historical change has affected the structures of the present system in ways that its original design did not anticipate, and argued that these changes are long-term trends that cannot be mitigated by regulatory reform but could be accommodated through structural adaptations that recognise emerging political, economic and environmental realities that cannot be contained by Euro-American global capitalism.  He titled his lecture "Tectonic Shifts and Systemic Faultlines" as a metaphor for the historical processes that have acted over time like tectonic plates, which move not smoothly but suddenly as crises that cause shifts within the structure of the global economy.
 
Keele's programme of Inaugural Lectures are given by newly established professors within the University and aim to give an illuminating account of the speaker's own subject specialism.

The other lectures in the series are:

Tuesday, 10 November, Professor Karen Hunt, History, "Telling the many stories of Dora Montefiore (1851-1933): history and lifewriting"; Tuesday, 8 December, Professor David Hoole, Biology, "From fish to chips: understanding fish diseases"; Tuesday, 16 February 2010, Professor David Maxwell, History, "Researching the Luba Soul: The Production of Colonial Knowledge in Belgian Congo"; Tuesday, 30 March 2010, Professor Coel Hellier, Astrophysics, "Discovering new planets"; Wednesday, 12 May 2010, Professor David Shepherd, "The Theory of Culture and the Culture of Theory".

FIRST RESPONDERS IN ACTION

Keele's first responders team attended 14 Category A emergency calls during last week as students returned to the University.  The team's lottery funded response car was used to great effect and it didn't stop at the weekend as two team members carried out their 'blue light' driving practical course with Minding Driving. This will enable them to respond more efficiently both off and on campus and was kindly funded in part by the University alumni.

The team, consisting of medical students and local residents, aims to provide a 24 hour service covering Keele and the surrounding area.  It offers an unparalleled opportunity for medical students to gain first hand experience of pre-hospital care which, it is hoped, will spur them on to gain further qualification and volunteer for BASICS when they are qualified as doctors. Five more volunteers are due to join the team of 14 in the New Year, helping to boost the number of hours covered.

NEW APPOINTMENTS

The following academic appointments commenced in post this week:

School of Medicine

Dr Lucy Ambrose,   Director of Clinical, Communication and Information Management Skills Development - Senior Lecturer,  who was previously Assistant Clinical Professor at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick. 

School of Pharmacy

Mrs Kay Lengyel, Academic Clinical Educator, previously a Practice Pharmacist, Derby County PCT.

School of Physical and Geographical Sciences

Mr Paul Simpson, Lecturer in Human Geography, previously a PhD Student, University of Bristol.

NEW DEPUTY LIEUTENANT FOR CHESHIRE 

Professor Pauline Ong, OBE, is one of seven new Deputy Lieutenants appointed by The Lord Lieutenant for Cheshire, William Bromley Davenport.

Professor Ong, Professor of Health Services Research, Arthritis Rheumatism Campaign National Primary Care Centre at Keele, is Chair of Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust, having previously been Chair of Central Cheshire PCT. She is also a Member of the National Clinical Audit Advisory Group.

Keele Honorary Graduate, Dame Jo Williams, DBE, who is Chair of the Prison Reform Trust, Chair of In Control and Chair of the Learning Disability Coalition, is also one of the new appointees. Dame Jo, who was Chief Executive of MENCAP, was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters during this summer's degree ceremonies in recognition of her contribution to social work and disability services.

KEELE MEDIEVALIST IN AHRC FUNDED RESEARCH NETWORK

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has awarded £25,000 to the Church, Law and Society in the Middle Ages (CLASMA) research network, whose secretary is Keele medievalist, Dr Kathleen Cushing (History/Research Institute for the Humanities). CLASMA is a network of historians from Keele, Southampton, Kent, York, Aberdeen and Cambridge that seeks to promote the study of medieval canon law in its social, political and intellectual contexts. The grant will enable CLASMA to establish regular discussion to enhance collaboration between historians of law, government, lay piety, heresy, sexuality, etc., and also to hold a series of colloquia over two years addressed principally to graduates and early-career historians, in order to build future capacity in the field.

KEELE'S TOP CHEFS PERFORM AT FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

Two of Keele Hall's award winning chefs demonstrated their skills at Stone's Food and Drink Festival last weekend. Allan Jones, Taste of Staffordshire's Master Chef of the Year 2009, and Luke Staton, Taste of Staffordshire's Young Chef of the Year 2009, entertained visitors by preparing a mouth watering gourmet meal as part of the on-going demonstrations that took place throughout the three day event.

The success of the chefs in the Taste of Staffordshire competition was formally recognised at an awards dinner held at Staffordshire County Showground on Monday.

AUTUMN WEDDING FAYRE

Keele's Autumn Wedding Fayre welcomed more than 200 visitors to the Chancellor's Building last weekend where they were able to view a wide range of exhibitors, including floral displays , wedding cakes, stationery, wedding cars and even a harpist.
 
Our wedding organisers were on hand to answer questions in the newly refurbished Comus restaurant, which was set up for a wedding breakfast, whilst visitors were also able to see the options available at Keele Hall.

FUTURECHEF MENTOR

Executive Chef, Peter Walters, has judged Madeley High School's Springboard Futurechef Competition. The national competition was set up to encourage young people to cook. Six pupils from the school took part and had to prepare two main course meals of their own choice in an hour from scratch.

The overall winner was Gemma Haysted, who cooked a very tasty Thai Chicken Curry. Mentored by Peter, she now goes forward to a county cook off at Stafford in a bid to win a place in the Midlands heat.