MAJOR PLAN TO TRANSFORM THE CENTRE OF THE CAMPUS

Planning permission was granted this week for a major project which will transform the heart of the campus.

Newcastle Borough Council planning committee approved plans for the redevelopment, which will include the repaving and reconfiguration of the Union Square plaza, providing new seating, tree planting and a central sculpture.

The project, designed to provide an external social hub at the centre of the campus, will be suitable for both informal and formal events designed to enhance the student, staff, resident and visitor experience. Works will also include paving and new access steps at the Students Union main entrance. The Chapel plaza will also be repaved and associated boundary wall modified and repaired.

New paths, new bus lay-bys, shelters and a pedestrian crossing will be installed between Darwin and Students' Union buildings.

The main construction works will commence in late January and be complete by September 2012.

KEELE LECTURER WRITES FOR THE GUARDIAN

Dr Nicholas Reyland, Music and Film Studies, contributed an article to The Guardian's website this week. As part of his research into recent Polish culture, Dr Reyland has just completed a book on Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colours trilogy (one of the major achievements of late twentieth-century European film).

The newspaper asked Dr Reyland to write an audio-viewer's guide to Blue, White and Red, focusing on the contribution of Zbigniew Preisner's music to what Stanley Kubrick described as the Kieslowski collaborations' great achievement: the creation of films which dramatise ideas, rather than merely talking about them. Dr Reyland's article stimulated discussion surrounding this week's streaming and liveblogging of the trilogy on the Guardian's website and can be read at http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/nov/14/three-colours-zbigniew-preisner-music . His substantial Kieslowski and Preisner study is one of two books by Dr Reyland to be published in early 2012: Zbigniew Preisner's Three Colors Trilogy: A Film Score Guide (Scarecrow Press) and the edited collection (with US scholar Michael Klein, Temple University) Music and Narrative since 1900 (Indiana University Press).

AUSTRALIAN ACADEMIC TOUR
 
Dr Luis Lobo-Guerrero (SPIRE/Emerging Securities Unit/ Research Institute for Social Sciences) gave a keynote address at the University of Sydney to an interdisciplinary conference on Biosecurity, Resilience and Government last week.

The presentation drew on the latest moves by the global reinsurance industry to securitise mortality and longevity in the capital markets as a way to hedge against events such as pandemics and extended lives. The case was used to analyse the implications such moves have for the livelihoods and lifestyles that insurance is expected to promote and protect. The presentation was based on research conducted as part of a Leverhulme Trust funded project entitled 'Capitalizing Security Through Life Insurance in the UK'.
 
As part of a Parsons Visiting Fellowship from the same university, Luis engaged in dialogue with researchers in socio-legal studies, history, international relations and political economy to discuss the potential of interdisciplinary and international insurance research. Completing the tour, he gave a public lecture at Macquarie University in which he talked about his book trilogy on insurance, security and power.

MUSIC CRITICISM IN INTERWAR FRANCE

Professor Barbara Kelly has recently returned from Canada where she jointly organised an international workshop at the University of Ottawa with Canadian colleague, Dr Christopher Moore.  The workshop, which focused on Music Criticism in France in the Interwar period, was generously funded by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and another from the University of Ottawa, which enabled Kelly and Moore to invite 14 leading experts from Europe and North America.

The event consisted of individual papers and group discussions.  Professor Kelly presented a paper on 'Paul Landormy, La Victoire and New French Music' and chaired a workshop session on source material relating to the death of Erik Satie.  The workshop will lead to a publication on music, the press and radio in interwar France.

UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOSIS

The North Staffordshire Early Intervention Team this week delivered a training session, titled Psychosis - Understanding the Condition, at the Keele Sustainability Hub.

This extremely important session was attended by staff from across the institution and provided invaluable insight into a condition that affects 1-2 people in every 100, with first episodes of psychosis usually being experienced when a person in is their teens or early twenties.

The team will be coming back to Keele to deliver training later in the year to residential tutors, who provide support to students living in University accommodation.

MEET AND GREET EVENT

The Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Directorate of Planning & Academic Administration this week held a "Meet and Greet" event at the Keele University Sustainability Hub.  The event was arranged for administrative staff in the faculty to meet colleagues from the directorate.  Over forty staff attended the event, which included presentations by Dr Simone Clarke, Director of PAA, and Ximena Canter, Faculty Business Manager in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.  

The presentations included an overview of structures and functions, as well as key priorities for each area over the coming year.  Staff then had lunch and an opportunity to network with colleagues.  Ximena said: "We very rarely have the chance for staff to meet colleagues from other sections of the University, so we were extremely pleased that so many staff were able to attend.  It seemed an opportune time to hold the event given the creation of the new directorate in May this year.  We hope that it will assist staff in both areas with knowing who to contact and given the positive feedback we've received from today we will investigate holding a similar event for FNS with other directorates."

AFRICAN STUDIES WORKSHOP AT KEELE

The African Studies at Keele (ASK) group met for a stimulating and productive workshop in the Claus Moser Building. ASK heard papers given by Rachel Bright, Emma Anderson, Reuben Loffman, and Nicolas Long. Julia Roberts also gave a presentation introducing the 'Embrace' charity that cares for refugee women, most of whom are African, in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent. Jennifer Congrave also came to give a presentation introducing the Africa Research Institute (ARI), based in London.

Reuben Loffman has a selection of publications by the ARI, so if anyone is interested in this material, written by a range of experts on countries such as Malawi and Zimbabwe, please get in touch with him. ASK thanked staff in the Claus Moser for helping make the event a success and to all the panellists for their thought-provoking contributions. ASK is planning another event early next year and all with an interest in African studies will be invited to attend.

KEELE INTERNATIONAL VISIT

Keele International this week hosted a visit for Marieke Farchi, of Vrije University Amsterdam, pictured centre right, with Dr Annette Kratz, Paul Davies and Miriam Mason.  Marieke, as International Coordinator for the Social Science Faculty, is the main contact for the staff and student exchanges which have ran successfully over the last ten years.  KI staff were grateful for the opportunity to discuss the organisation and development of the exchange.  She explored accommodation options with Julie Best, met with Vrije students studying here and found out about their academic support with Russell Clarke in his role of Institutional Co-ordinator for Vrije.

INSPIRED LECTURING

Inspired Film and Video in IC2 on Keele University Science and Business Park are helping to strengthen the ties between the Keele curriculum and industry. Project Director, Ryan Lloyd, who holds an MA in Broadcast Journalism, is lecturing on a twelve week module called "Making the News", which is part of the Media, Communications and Culture degree course at Keele.
 
Inspired are a corporate film production company based in IC2 who are already working with the University's Research & Enterprise Services team to produce a series of employer case study films. Rosi Monkman, Business Support Manager on the Science Park, said: "We are delighted to see Science Park companies enhancing the student experience by bringing practical knowledge and valuable experience to the lecture theatre."

STUDENT FINANCE DAY

Staff in Student Support and Development and Widening Participation this week worked together to provide information and advice about 2012 funding for prospective students and their influencers on National Student Finance Day.

A special Student Finance edition of the Keelelink E-newsletter was sent to partner schools and colleges and on Monday, from 3pm until 6.30pm, staff and student ambassadors took part in a live twitter chat answering a variety of questions about the funding arrangements for 2012 undergraduates.

The day was established by the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information, headed by the broadcaster Martin Lewis.

Staff with questions or training requirements concerning 2012 student funding can contact Helen Johnson, Head of Student Financial Support.

MOSCOW LINK

Professor Dmitry Shirochin, Dean of Computing and Mathematics at Moscow Mining University, has visited Keele to discuss the possibility of his students taking the MSc In Environmental Sustainability and Green Technology.

After meeting with staff running the course, he visited the Sustainability Hub where a memorandum of understanding was signed to enable research collaboration to be taken forward.

SCIENCE LEARNING CENTRE RE-OPENS

Following a recent refurbishment, the Science Learning Centre is pleased to welcome both science teachers and Keele science PGCE students to the facility.

The laboratory and teaching spaces have been enhanced to provide improved facilities for visiting teachers undertaking continuing professional development courses and teaching spaces for students of the Keele Education department.

There will be an informal open-day on 16 December, when University staff and students are welcome to drop-in to see the centre and join the team for a coffee and a mince pie.

NEW APPOINTMENT

Mark Fudge has this week been appointed as Head of Counselling and Emotional Wellbeing in Student Support and Development Services.

Mark has worked at Keele for a number of years and brings with him a wealth of knowledge, ideas and experience.

NEXT WEEK

Dr Ambreena Manji, who is on secondment as Director of The British Institute in Eastern Africa, pictured above, will be delivering the Institute's Annual Lecture, at the British Academy on Thursday, 24 November.

The lecture is titled 'Alimentary Satire and the Politics of Corruption in Kenya'.

"Ever wondered what happens to your rubbish when you throw it away?" Keele University Sustainability Hub is holding a Really Rubbish Week between Monday 21 to Friday 25 November, from 9am to 5pm.

Admission to most workshops and activities is free and all ages are welcome.  You can join in the activities or you can just drop in and see the exhibits.

Keele's annual Christmas Market, held in association with the Douglas Macmillan Hospice, takes place on Sunday, 27 November, from 11am – 4pm in Keele Hall. The market will have over 70 stalls and children will be able to visit Santa in a grotto.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service will be providing students at Keele with advice on vehicle maintenance and winter driving on Thursday, 24 November, as part of National Road Safety Week. They will get advice on how to adapt their driving to severe road conditions and free scrapers and de-icer will be available.

A Music Society wine and cheese evening featuring Keele Big Band takes place next Friday, 25 November, at 8.30 pm in Lindsey Studio 2. Tickets £2. (The invite says bring your own drinks and dress to impress).

CONCERTS AT KEELE -

Pantagruel -Wednesday, 23 November, 7.30 pm. Since its formation in 2002, Pantagruel has been delighting audiences across Europe with its semi-staged performances of renaissance music.Westminster Theatre, Chancellor's Building.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Seventeen years ago –

Astronaut Helen Sharman spoke at one of two lectures presented by the Chemistry Department. 15 November 1994.