Yearly Archives: 2015

MOOCs and beyond: exploring opportunities for Kent

An event to explore opportunities for MOOCs at Kent will take place on Tuesday 10 February in UELT Seminar Room on Canterbury campus.

The ‘K-MOOCs’ Beacon Project aims to explore the feasibility of offering Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to showcase and promote expertise, scholarship and research at Kent for a global audience.

MOOCs are online courses with open access; prestigious institutions worldwide have developed MOOCs with providers such as Coursera, edX and FutureLearn. At this event, we will draw on the experience and expertise of leading MOOC providers to explore the potential value of MOOCs for the University and the possible wider impact on our teaching and learning, outreach, and professional development.

Speakers will include W Michael McCracken from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Helena Gillespie from the University of East Anglian, and Amy Woodgate from the University of Edinburgh.

The event takes place from 12.30, starting with a buffet lunch and ending with a drinks reception. For the full programme and further details, and to book your place, please see the UELT News webpages.

Beacon Projects are part of the University’s 50th anniversary celebrations. The initiative consists of 12 innovative projects which will explore areas where the University might be able to go forward in new and enterprising ways; and help to shape its trajectory over the next 50 years. You can find out more at: http://www.kent.ac.uk/ovc/beaconprojects/

Live Music at Cargo

Jack Allum, She Sinks Ships and Onur will be performing at Cargo on Friday 30 January.

Performances will start at 8.30pm and finish at 10.30pm. DJ will play until 1am.

Free entry for all.

Student ID required after 11pm.

This event is brought to you by Medway Music Society.

For more information email sd261@kent.ac.uk.

Like Cargo on Facebook.

Postgraduate Research Festival

The fifth Annual Postgraduate Research Festival is taking place in Grimond Building on Monday 22 June 2015 and is open to all postgraduate students.

The festival is a great opportunity for postgraduates, both taught and research, to showcase their research to fellow students and staff through academic posters and three-minute research presentations.

Registration opens on Sunday 1 March.

Do you have a great idea for a postgraduate event?

Apply for funding through the Postgraduate Experience Awards and it could turn it into reality!

Funding of up to £1,500 can be awarded for applications to run events or projects which have an interdisciplinary and/or external focus and will enhance the postgraduate experience at Kent.

All events or projects must take place at Kent and be held by the end of the academic year.

Deadline for applications Friday 27 March.

Want the chance to win £1,000?

Bright Ideas competition

The Graduate School, in partnership with Kent Innovation and Enterprise, is holding a competition for all postgraduate students and are asking students to submit a business plan by 9am on Wednesday 18 March 2015.

Eliot Chapel refurbishment

As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, Housekeeping, Estates, The Chaplaincy and Eliot Master’s Office have run a joint project to refurbish Eliot Chapel, the first such refurbishment for over 25 years.

The Chapel has been transformed into a bright, airy and welcoming place of worship, and a place of tranquillity where students, staff and visitors can simply sit, reflect and contemplate.

We are holding an opening event in the Chapel on Friday 30 January at 5:30pm. There will be some messages of dedication and thanks, music, drinks, and canapés. The event will finish around 7pm. All are welcome to attend.

Stephen Burke, Master of Eliot

Telephone campaign – sign up now!

This is an exciting and rewarding post; you will be an ambassador for the University, engaging alumni in conversation to update them on University news and activities, establish a good rapport and ask for donations.

You will effectively communicate Kent’s vision, development and accomplishments, represent the University in a professional manner and handle each phone call with courtesy, tact and sensitivity.

You will update alumni details with accuracy and confidentiality, and work effectively with other members of the Calling Team.

Please refer to the job advert for more information.

Application deadline: Tuesday 10 February.

Every year the Development Office runs a telephone campaign and recruits about 34 students.

Parenting Culture Studies Spring Forum

SSPSSR’s Centre for Parenting Culture Studies (CPCS) holds twice termly forums designed as an opportunity for colleagues in and around Kent to come together to discuss parenting culture.

Introduced by Dr Jennie Bristow, the forum will discuss Deborah Lupton’s ‘The Social Worlds of the Unborn’, focusing on the ‘Introduction’ and Chapter 5 ‘The Endangered Unborn’. We hope that the forum will foster some interesting cross-disciplinary conversation, and lead to collaborative events in the future.

The forum will be on Wednesday 11 February, 15.00-17.00, in Cornwallis North West, Seminar Room 10. All are welcome.

Find out more and book.

More information about CPCS and upcoming events can be found on the Centre’s blog.

For more information email hva@kent.ac.uk.

Major news coverage for School of Anthropology and Conservation

Less than a month into 2015 and the University has received widespread international coverage with research from the School of Anthropology and Conservation (SAC) being at the forefront.

SAC has received almost 200 pieces of print and online coverage in territories such as the USA, China, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Australia, India and many European countries.

SAC press releases can be viewed here: http://www.kent.ac.uk/news/environment

Colleagues wishing to engage with the media, or discuss media opportunities and media training, should contact the University’s Press Office.

David Nicholls at Creative Writing Reading Series

David Nicholls, critically acclaimed author of One Day, will be opening the spring season of the Creative Writing Reading Series on Wednesday 28 January.

David’s recent novels include Starter for Ten (2003), The Understudy (2005), One Day (2009) and Us (2014). David is also a successful screenwriter and has written screen adaptations of several of his novels, most recently One Day, which was made into a film starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. He has also written adaptations of Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Far From the Madding Crowd for the BBC.

David will be reading from recent work, taking questions and signing books in Keynes Senior Common Room at 6pm on Wednesday 28 January (entry £2). All welcome.