CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR KEELE

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nick Foskett, delivered a University Assembly for staff and students yesterday on the theme of " Moving Forward: The Challenges and Opportunities for Keele in the New Economic Environment".

His presentation, to a packed audience in the Westminster Theatre, focused on the impact of the Browne Review and the Comprehensive Spending Review, both for the HE sector and for Keele. The Vice-Chancellor also looked to other challenges to the HE sector, such as the Health White Paper and the reorganisation of the NHS, the reduction in NHS commissions, pensions, pay and job security.

The Vice- Chancellor set out the key priorities for the University:

1. Financial Stability
2. Responding to the Browne Review and the Comprehensive Spending Review
3. The review of the University Strategic Plan

And the themes to be at the heart of the University Strategic Plan were identified as:

• Keele to be a "comprehensive University"
• A balance between Education and Research
• Research priorities
• Curriculum and the Student experience
• Internationalisation
• Keele's local and regional role
• Raising Keele's profile

INTERNATIONALISATION AT KEELE

An open-discussion on the topic 'Internationalisation at Keele' will be held next Thursday (4 November) in the Exhibition Suite at the Chancellor's Building.  The event will be facilitated in a world-cafe style forum, where those taking part can engage in informal conversations with other participants over free lunch or a warm drink.

Doors open from 11am and the event runs until 3:30pm.  All students and staff are welcome.  For more information contact Dr Emee Vida Estacio (e.v.g.estacio@psy.keele.ac.uk)

FROM KEELE TO KOREA

Ben Ambrose, School of Health and Rehabilitation, presented an invited keynote at the 8th Annual Korean Seoul Physical Therapy Association Conference.

His presentation, entitled 'Physical Therapy; Past, Present and the Global Future' introduced the audience to the development of Physiotherapy as a profession in the UK. Along with the UK, South Korea and Japan are facing the economic and social challenges associated with an ageing population.

Ben, pictured above, argued for continuing development of Physical Therapy education to address these challenges and explained how promoting greater professional autonomy for physical therapists can result in improved health outcomes and economic savings.

During the week, Ben held meetings with six Korean Universities to establish educational collaborations as part of the internationalisation agenda for the School and the University.

WEIRD OR WHAT?

A documentary featuring the work of Dr Gordon Rugg, Computing and Mathematics, on the mysterious Voynich Manuscript has been showing this week on the Discovery Science channel in the UK. The 240-page manuscript, which featured in the "Weird or What?" programme, dates from the 1400s and was so strange that for centuries it was thought it was unlikely to be in any human language. However, painstaking work by the Keele computer scientist, pictured, demonstrated that the manuscript could only contain meaningless gibberish, produced as a hoax using ancient technologies. See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpzLhmH0UYs&feature=youtu.be

OVERSEAS CHALLENGE THAILAND

VE @ Keele this week hosted two special guests, Nueng and Pongsri, from the Chiang Rai region of northern Thailand. Nueng and Pongsri are both involved in the VE @ Keele Overseas Challenge Thailand Student Volunteer Programme and were keen to visit Keele during a three week trip to the UK, to learn about student and academic life here.

A busy timetable was organised, including a talk to TESOL learners, and a guided tour of KUSU and the Keele campus. Staff from the PGCE department hosted a meeting to discuss and share information about education in the UK and Thailand. Nueng and Pongsri, pictured with Fay Harris and Becky Wardell, VE @Keele, also visited the Chapel and met with a number of staff and students. Thanks go to everyone who participated in this cultural exchange.

MAKING WAVES - INAUGURAL LECTURE

Professor Jonathan Healey, Applied Mathematics, pictured, this week gave the second lecture in the University's programme of Inaugural Lectures for 2010/11. In this lecture, "Instability; making waves", he introduced the ideas of stability theory and surveyed some typical applications where issues concerning the stability of fluid flows are important.
 
The other lectures in the series are: Tuesday, 16 November 2010, Professor Val Wass, Medicine, "Globalisation: the educational challenges of human diversity"; Tuesday, 7 December 2010, Professor David Shepherd, Cultural Theory, "The Theory of Culture and the Culture of Theory"; Tuesday 18 January 2011, Professor Nadine Foster, Primary Care Health Sciences, "Challenges and Choices: Musculoskeletal Health in Primary Care"; Tuesday, 22 February 2011, Professor Gordon Ferns, Medicine, "A fire that burns within: the impact of free radicals in health and disease"; Tuesday, 15 March 2011, Professor Clare Holdsworth, Social Geography, "'A degree isn't enough anymore': Student experiences and orientation to HE"; Tuesday, 10 May 2011 Professor Krysia Dziedzic, Primary Care Health Sciences, "Best evidence for best therapies in osteoarthritis".

SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR

The focus of the School of Nursing and Midwifery Learning and Teaching October seminar was on the University's and School's international strategy. There were presentations from Wynne Thomas on the international strategy, the School's current international developments and plans for 2011.

Student Nurse, Lauren Chesworth, Adult Branch, who had an elective placement in Perth, Australia, and Gemma Tidyman, Child Branch, who had an elective in Ghana, gave an overview of their experiences and the similarities and differences between nursing practice in Australia, Ghana and the UK. In addition, Senior Hospital Manager and International Student Mentor, Phyllis Dunn, from the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, presented an insight into the role of mentoring an international student, the specific support required and the cultural differences between the Turkish and Swedish student. Phyllis and her mentorship team recently supported students from Ankara University, Turkey and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

CHILDREN'S HUMOUR AND THE PROBLEM OF BULLYING

Dr Claire Fox, Psychology/ Research Institute for Life Course Studies, pictured below, has been awarded £123,266 from the Economic and Social Research Council for a 15-month project to examine the links between children's humour styles and the problem of bullying in schools.

The project, in collaboration with Dr Simon Hunter, from the University of Strathclyde, will commence in August 2011.

SUSTAINABILITY TALK AT THE HOUSE OF LORDS

At the invitation of the Earl of Sandwich and the Development Education Association, Professor Andrew Dobson, School of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, spoke at the House of Lords on Tuesday in a workshop on 'Nudge, think or shove? Shifting values and attitudes towards sustainability'. 

Professor Dobson, pictured above, spoke on the topic of environmental citizenship. 

He has just completed a review of this topic for DEFRA, and it will be launched at the Royal Society in London on 15 November.

SECOND EDITION

The second edition of "Biosynthesis in Insects" by Emeritus Professor David Morgan, of the School of Chemistry and Physics, has been published by The Royal Society of Chemistry. The book describes how insects make the various hormones, pheromones, defensive secretions, pigments and other substances distinctive to insects and their near relations.

The original small book, designed for students, has been greatly enlarged for researchers in the rapidly advancing fields of chemical ecology, pest control and agriculture.

Pictured above, Professor Morgan, who retired 15 years ago, is still actively working and publishing.

REEL MADNESS

Dr Beth Johnson, Lecturer in Film and English Studies, pictured below, introduced and a held a discussion at Stoke Film Theatre, in relation to the screening of the film 'Girl, Interrupted' (Dir, James Mangold, 1999).

The screening was part of a season entitled 'Reel Madness', which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues in the local area in association with the NHS.

CENTENARY CELEBRATION FOR GIRL GUIDES
 
Newcastle girl guides hosted their centenary vision event at Keele Hall.

The gathering was part of a national programme, which involved more than half a million guiders, who celebrated the end of Girlguiding UK's Centenary.

The Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor Ann Heames, joined the 450 attendees who took part in the event.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

This week eight years ago –

25 October 2002

Professor Alex Danchev, Head of the School of Politics, International Relations and the Environment, was interviewed on BBC Radio Stoke during a special programme on the 40th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Professor Danchev was asked for his expert comment and analysis of the crisis of October 1962, which was one of the turning points of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.