KEELE RESEARCHER AWARDED HIGH ACADEMIC HONOUR

Dr Richard Luther, Convenor of the Keele European Parties Research Unit, has been awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, one of the Austrian state's highest honours, created to recognise "persons from Austria and abroad who have distinguished themselves by virtue of their contribution to the sciences or arts".

The medal was presented on behalf of the Austrian Federal President by the Austrian Ambassador, Dr Gabrielle Matzner, at a decoration ceremony and reception hosted at her London residence. The international guest list included Keele's Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Rama Thirunamachandran, and four of Dr Luther's SPIRE colleagues. In her speech, the Ambassador described Dr Luther as "an outstanding expert on contemporary Austrian politics … highly appreciated in academic and in political circles in Austria".

The laudatory address was given by Professor Wolfgang Müller of Vienna University, who referred to Dr. Luther, pictured above at the ceremony, as "a fine scholar who has done a significant amount of excellent research [on] Austrian politics". Having reviewed in particular Dr Luther's work on Austrian federalism, consociationalism and political parties, he said: "Dr Luther is not 'just' a specialist on Austrian politics, but has made significant contributions to the discipline of Political Science more generally, providing many and important collective goods to the discipline". A "first rate academic", he was "a significant political scientist in a much broader sense".

DEGREE CEREMONIES AT KEELE

Degrees, diplomas and certificates were awarded to nearly 400 students at graduation ceremonies in the ballroom in Keele Hall yesterday (thurs).

Graduands and those receiving awards, and their guests, attended two ceremonies at which postgraduate degrees and diplomas, undergraduate degrees and postgraduate certificate awards were presented by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Janet Finch.

MICHAEL MANSFIELD QC TALKS ABOUT CAREER

One of Keele's most famous alumni, Michael Mansfield, QC, returned to the University this week to speak about his high profile legal career.

The barrister, who studied History and Philosophy at Keele in the early 1960s, has represented clients in some of the most controversial legal cases the country has seen, including the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, shot by the Metropolitan Police in 2005.

He spoke of his early days at Keele and his career to a capacity audience in Keele Hall's ballroom. Earlier in the day he held a Q&A session with staff and students in the School of Law and enjoyed a nostalgic tour of campus with alumni officer John Easom.

ESRC SEMINAR SERIES

Fifteen established and early career academics gathered in Keele last week for the first of five ESRC-funded seminars on 'The Socio-Politics of Biosecurity: science, policy and practice'.  Co-organised by Professor Andrew Dobson (SPIRE), Dr Sarah Taylor (Life Sciences) and Dr Kezia Barker (Geography, Birkbeck College, London), the seminar focused on the contemporary case of the 2009 Swine 'Flu Outbreak by commissioning an exciting range of interdisciplinary contributions from leading academics, commentators and policy-makers at the forefront of biosecurity.

Four themed sessions, 'Practising Preparedness', 'Knowing Responses', 'Producing Inequalities' and '(Dis)Connecting Bodies', drew together allied aspects of biosecurity analysis from different disciplinary perspectives and the debate that ensued was lively and stimulating.  The seminar series has been designed to minimise carbon emissions where possible, and one participant, Professor Andrew Lakoff, gave his paper via videoconference from San Diego, California, saving four tonnes of CO2 - three times the per capita annual sustainable allowance.

The second seminar will take place at Keele in June 2010, on the topic of 'The Science of Biosecurity and Biosecuring Science'.

LECTURE ON CRIME SCENE EXAMINATION

Warrant Officer Marc Forterre, of the French Gendarmerie of Amiens, gave a lecture to final year forensic sciences students and later a workshop on crime scene examination with students majoring in forensic science, during a visit hosted by The School of Physical and Geographical Sciences. Former Keele Forensic Science and French students, Paul Stephens and Lami Tagoe, who had worked in Amiens with Marc Forterre on the reconstruction of a crime in a village as part of their year in France, came back to Keele specifically for the event.

The interaction between the forensic science students and Marc Forterre was very positive and it transpired that approaches to crime scene investigation in France and in England can differ quite remarkably. It is hoped that this visit will be the start of collaboration between Keele and the Gendarmerie of Amiens. The picture shows from left to right, Dr Chrystelle Egger (Forensics), Warrant Officer Marc Forterre, Paul Stephens, (former Keele Forensics student).

KEELE ITMB FINALISTS ARE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

A team of second and third year Keele students studying for a BSc in Information Technology Management for Business (ITMB) have been crowned national champions, with a cash prize of £500, at the second leg of 2009 ITMB student competitions organised biannually by e-skills UK. The students, pictured above, role-played pitching their arguments on how to cut £2b (5%) from the education budget over four years before a government panel. The competition, at King's House Conference Centre in Manchester, included participants from all current ITMB universities.

At the same event, Keele first year ITMB students were close runners-up to UCL in a poster competition. Their presentation addressed some effective communication strategies that should be deployed by employers in order to engage the younger generation of undergraduate students. These competitions are part of the ITMB student development process, focusing particularly on getting them ready for the rigours of IT Management for Business.

e-skills UK is the Sector Skills Council that provides strategic leadership for the ITMB programme in collaboration with major graduate recruiters in the IT and Business sector. Together, they provide summer placements, internships and graduate careers.

KEELE LECTURER SPEAKS AT HASTINGS BIOETHICS (USA)

Dr Roger Worthington, School of Medicine, has returned from the USA after a visit to Yale University in support of the medical student exchange programme that operates with Keele. Whilst there he gave a research presentation on Cross-cultural Perspectives on Medicine, Ethics and Education at the Hastings Centre. The Centre, which attracts researchers from all over the world, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, making it the oldest centre for the study of bioethics. Roger also guest lectured for the Medical Humanities programme at Yale and for the New Jersey School of Medicine and Dentistry, where he spoke on a similar theme on Ethics, Standards of Professionalism and Questions of Culture.

FUTURE-PRO NETWORKING EVENT

The Careers Service in collaboration with Finest and Future Finest, business groups from the Chamber of Commerce, held a networking event with buffet supper for Keele students in the Management Centre.   Students from a variety of degree disciplines heard presentations on graduate skills and opportunities in North Staffordshire from established professionals and also young professionals, who were more recent graduates.  Companies represented included Wardell Armstrong, Co-operative Bank, Knights LLP and Ad/Gifts OnLine and the students spent time networking with professionals from areas including accountancy, environmental consultancy and HR.

A series of workshops were offered before the event by the Careers Service to ensure the students were well prepared to make the most of this opportunity. The students impressed by taking the initiative in using the opportunity to find out more about specific roles, employers and career skills, as well as making valuable contacts for their future careers.  The evening ended with the Finest and Future Finest groups saying they felt that it had been a most valuable use of their time and they offered to repeat it next year. The picture shows from left to right, Kelly Thelwell, Finest Administrator, Daryl Williams, Finest Co-ordinator, Tony Altham, Ad Gifts OnLine, Sarah Longwell, Careers Adviser.

TOP PRIZES FOR KEELE MEDICAL STUDENTS

Two of Keele's final year Medical students have won prestigious prizes at regional meetings.

James Rigby won the prize for the Best Overall Presentation at the Midlands Gastroenterology Meeting in Walsall beating Specialist Registrars and research fellows from East and West Midlands. His presentation on "Are patients 'at risk' of malnutrition being identified in hospital?" presented data from his fourth year project option, undertaken in summer 2009, at UHNS with Dr Fiona Leslie.

Jocelyn Male presented "The use of cavity biopsies makes the assessment of margins safer after breast conserving surgery" at the West Midlands Surgical Society meeting in Wolverhampton and won the trainee prize for the best presentation at the meeting, beating specialist registrars from around the West Midlands region. Jocelyn and Beth Squire had analysed 18 years of breast conservation surgery data for Robert Kirby.

BRIGHTON BOMBER SPEAKS AT KEELE

Keele First Year Politics and IR students studying the compulsory 'Why Politics Matters' module had the unique experience of meeting an IRA activist and the daughter of one of his victims during a lecture at the University.

Patrick Magee came to be known as the 'Brighton bomber' for his attack on the Grand Hotel in Brighton during the Tory Party conference in 1984.  Five people were killed that night, and one of them was Sir Anthony Berry, a minor minister in Margaret Thatcher's government.  Jo Berry, his daughter, decided to meet Magee to try to understand why he had resorted to violence to pursue his political ends.

Berry and Magee have now met over 60 times, carrying their message of peace and reconciliation around the world. The 'Why Politics Matters' module began with students watching a documentary of Magee and Berry's first meetings, followed by lectures and seminars on themes of disobedience, violence, democracy and power.

The appearance of Magee and Berry gave students the opportunity to ask them informed and searching questions on issues raised by the module.

Magee and Berry also spoke at a packed specially arranged World Affairs lecture, run by Owen Powell, MBE.

CONVERSATION BETWEEN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCHERS ON AGEING

A symposium at Keele, entitled 'Humanities Discourse and the Passing Life', organised by Professor David Amigoni, pictured, and Dr Lucy Munro (English, Research Institute for the Humanities) provided a national conversational forum for researchers from humanities and social science disciplines who have a common interest in understanding the ageing process and intergenerational dynamics.

The symposium marked the beginning of Keele's NDA funded project, 'Ages and Stages: the Place of Theatre in Representations and Recollections of Ageing' (PI, Professor Mim Bernard, Centre for Social Gerontology), collaborating with the New Victoria Theatre.

Professor Alan Walker, Director of the NDA programme, spoke at the event, along with Dr Helen Small (Pembroke, Oxford), Dr Alastair Williams (Music, Keele) and Professors Gordon McMullan (English, King's, London) and Sam Smiles (Art History, Plymouth).

KEELE HALL CHRISTMAS MARKET SUCCESS

Keele Hall staged a spectacular Christmas market last weekend, which brought festive cheer to more than 2,000 visitors. Held in association with Douglas Macmillan Hospice, the market included exhibits and stalls which provided gift ideas for all the family.

Guests were able to enjoy Keele's live festive cookery demonstrations and enjoyed the sounds of a pianist and a traditional choir, with refreshments being served throughout the day.

RAISING MONEY FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

Staff and students at Keele did their bit for Children in Need last week raising hundreds of pounds by a variety of ways.

Keele's Men's Rugby Club put on their make-up and best frocks to raise more than £1,600.  They toured the campus gathering cash and even hitch hiked into Newcastle in search of more donations before heading to the Students' Union for a night in drag.

The Medical School raised £300 as staff and students ate their way through a pile of cakes, while Physiotherapy students at SHAR raised more than £120 by selling cakes they had baked and taking part in a sponsored day in pyjamas.

Janice Carr and Mark Hayward, Academic Registry, donned fancy dress, Batgirl and Sumo man, to raise £110.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

28 November 1986

The University won an award under the Newcastle-under-Lyme Civic Award Scheme for the restoration of the Victorian garden by Keele Hall, on the site occupied for many years by a prefabricated hut.