Monthly Archives: February 2016

Clare Saunders (centre) with friends Caroline Davies and Sara Whenman

The sky’s the limit for Clare!

Clare Saunders, Communications Officer in Enrolment Management Services, is taking to the skies in aid of charity.

Clare (pictured centre) will be joining two of her best friends, Caroline and Sara (also pictured), for a ‘wing walk’ on 4 June. The walk involves being harnessed to the top of a plane while it’s in flight and includes zooms and climbs at speeds up to 130mph!

The three friends are taking part in the wing walk in support of Mind, the mental health charity. The challenge is in memory of Caroline’s step-brother Duncan, who was killed by a train last year in a tragic accident.

Clare says: ‘Duncan was a fantastic guy – he was a black belt in karate, he surfed and ran a youth group. He also waged a courageous battle against mental illness. We feel it’s so important for people to have access to mental health support, know that help is available and where to find it. That’s why we’re looking to raise as much awareness and money as possible.’

You can find out more about Clare’s airborne challenge and register your support on the friends’ Just Giving page: www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/InMemoryofDuncan

 

Condolences for Shaukat Khan

Rutherford College is flying its flag at half mast in fond remembrance of local artist and writer Shaukat Khan, whose funeral took place today (Thursday 18 February).

Shaukat was a valued Honorary Senior Member of Rutherford College and a keen supporter of the charity Seeds for Africa. The University has hosted some of his art exhibitions in the past.

Our thoughts are with Shaukat’s family at this time.

Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ to form the centrepiece of Minerva Voices’ Crypt concert next week

Vivaldi’s enduringly popular ‘Gloria’ forms the centrepiece of the annual Crypt Concert at Canterbury Cathedral next week, in a performance for upper-voices by Minerva Voices.

The University’s auditioned upper-voices chamber choir will bring the Crypt to shimmering life on Friday 26 February with Vivaldi’s masterpiece, in a programme that also explores repertoire from the medieval to the present day. The first half of the concert will include works by Hildegard von Bingen, Mozart and Brahms, as well as Veljo Tormis’ filigree ‘Spring Sketches’ and Bob Chilcott’s radiantly colourful ‘Song of the Stars.’

Join us on a voyage charting choral music across the centuries and Vivaldi’s crowning glory, in the magical surroundings of the Cathedral Crypt on Friday 26 February at 19.30. More details online.

 

Mungo’s Mad March Massive

If anyone knows how to party, it’s the Irish, and to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Mungo’s Massive will be returning with one last lively, emerald-themed party of the academic year.

Join the celebration on Friday 18 March, Eliot College Dining Hall, 20.00 til 02.00, where you can dance the night away to contemporary chart anthems and club classics from DJ’s Tommy A and Guy Mitchell.

For more information and updates from Mungo’s Bar & Bistro visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MungosBarBistro

May the luck of the Irish be with you!

Apply for funding to attend a summer school at one of our Partner Universities in Europe

Attending a summer school overseas is a great way to experience another culture, gain a global perspective, enhance your studies and make friends from around the world.

The Partner Universities Summer Schools Fund has been established to enable University of Kent students to apply for a financial award of up to £1000 to attend a summer school at one of our partner institutions. For a list of the summer schools you are eligible for, please see: https://www.kent.ac.uk/goabroad/opportunities/summer-schools-fund.html

Deadline for applications is midnight on 15 March 2016.

Participants sought for study to develop quality of life measure

The University of Kent, the London School of Economics, the National Institute for Health of Welfare in Finland, and the University of Economics and Business in Austria are conducting a study assessing differences in long-term care services and their impact on the lives of older people using these services and their carers across these three countries. As part of this study researchers at the University of Kent are interested in knowing how people answer questions about their preferences for social care outcomes.

We are carrying out a survey using a technique called Best-Worst Scaling, where we ask people to choose the quality of life situation they consider to be the best and worst from a list of different situations. We are inviting students and staff to take part in interviews to help develop the survey. We want to know what you think about when you complete the survey, and we want you to give us feedback on the Best-Worst Scaling task and how it is presented.
Researchers from the University of Kent are seeking male and female participants aged 18 years and older.

There are two parts to this study.

  •  Phase One will involve a simple, short online questionnaire asking questions about you, such as your age, gender and education level. This will only take a few minutes to complete. Based on your responses, you may be asked to take part in Phase Two of the study.
  • Phase Two will involve an interview in which you will be asked to complete the survey on the computer. A member of the research team will then discuss with you your understanding of the Best-Worst Scaling task. You will receive a £20 Boots voucher for your participation in Phase Two of the study.

For further information, please contact Laurie Batchelder at L.Batchelder@kent.ac.uk.

Re-imagining Loneliness Seminar – 22 February

A Re-imagining Loneliness Seminar, focusing on ‘The contribution of the arts, literature and the humanities’, will take place in Darwin Conference Centre, Canterbury campus on Monday 22 February 2016

The seminar, part of the ESRC Seminar Series, focuses on how perspectives from the arts and literature can help inform our understanding of loneliness. Although loneliness is a commonly addressed topic in the arts, these insights do not always feed into research, policy or practice.

Drawing on research and practice from music, dance, performance and literature, this event promises a meeting of minds from a range of disciplines and perspectives. The event is free of charge and is the third in the Re-imagining Loneliness seminar series: an ESRC-funded programme of events run jointly by Brunel University and the University of Kent.

To view the programme, please follow this link https://www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/news-events/events.html?eid=16565&view_by=month&date=20160226&category=&tag= and to register your place please email sspssrmedwayevents@kent.ac.uk

University of Kent Summer Schools – Brussels, Canterbury and Paris

We have launched our University of Kent Summer Schools for 2016 in Brussels, Canterbury and Paris and would like to ask University staff to please help us advertise our courses to your contacts/collaborators in other countries who may be able to pass information on to their own students.

These specialist Summer School courses are designed for students (or professionals) thinking about studying on a postgraduate degree programme in the UK or at our specialist postgraduate centres in Paris or Brussels on our European Summer Schools.

  • Canterbury – European Security and Foreign Policy
  • Canterbury – Exploring Visual Cultures
  • Canterbury – Skills in Molecular Biology
  • Canterbury – Medieval Canterbury
  • Canterbury – Investigating the Social Mind
  • Paris, European Summer School – Revolutions
  • Brussels, European Summer School – Europe and the World

Our courses allow students to expand their professional, academic and social networks providing an opportunity to enhance their appeal to potential employers and for postgraduate study.

We have a range of discounts and scholarships available.

Find out more | www.kent.ac.uk/summerschools

Contact Us | E: summerschools@kent.ac.uk

Applicant Day 17 Feb 2016

There is a large Applicant Day on Wednesday 17 Feb 2016; this means that 220 parking bays will be reserved for this event in the Giles Lane Blue Zone car park.

Please remember, that it is likely that other car parks in the centre of campus may be full. The University’s Traffic Regulations do state that we do not guarantee a space to park, however there is normally parking available in Park Wood Courts;

Parking enforcement will remain in operation, please ensure that you park in marked bays only within the car parks valid for your permit.