Dr Patricia Novillo-Corvalán, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Comparative Literature, has just published an article in the latest edition of Woolf Studies Annual, Volume 23 (2917).

Woolf Studies Annual is a journal dedicated to advancing the study of the author Virginia Woolf (1882-1941).

In her article, entitled ‘Empire and Commerce in Latin America: Historicising Woolf’s The Voyage Out’, Patricia seeks to recuperate the overlooked Latin American contexts that inform Virginia Woolf’s first novel, The Voyage Out (1915).

Integrating archival research and a historicising approach, the article uses documentary evidence drawn from the research notes that Virginia Woolf made for Leonard Woolf’s study Empire and Commerce in Africa (1920) namely, empirical data relating to political-economic issues in Latin America and, more specifically, to countries such as Argentina and Brazil.

In so doing, Patricia demonstrates that Virginia Woolf puts the complex issue of Great Britain’s neo-colonial domination in Latin America squarely on the cultural agenda of The Voyage Out. In particular, she suggests that the archival documents (housed at the Leonard Woolf archive, University of Sussex) acutely illustrate the extent of Britain’s disproportionate economic control of Argentina through the development of the meat industry that turned the Argentine Republic into the abattoir of the British Empire. The article argues that this documentary evidence complements and complicates the overall political message of The Voyage Out, whereby Woolf mercilessly denounces Britain’s attempt to gain economic control of the continent through the predatory character of Willoughby Vinrace.

For more details about the journal, please see the publisher’s page here.

On Monday 10 April – Thursday 13 April 2017, essential fire alarm testing will be carried out in the Ingram / Stacey building.

Each test will last no longer than 2 minutes and will be silent testing under controlled conditions. All rooms will need to be accessed, as this testing is a legal requirement.

The testing will be carried out in-house by the Estates department fire alarm engineer.

Due to the importance of this work your co-operation will be appreciated and we apologise for any inconvenience. If you have any queries please contact the Estates Helpdesk on Extn 3209.

The University has received a legacy from the estate of the late Antony Copley, a member of the School of History.

Anthony passed away in July 2016 and his legacy will support the Copley Prize, which was founded during his lifetime and provided an annual prize to reward the best final year history dissertation.

Antony saw active service during the Suez Crisis, then studied at Oxford and taught at Bangor before joining the University of Kent in 1967. He specialised in 19th century French and Indian history and retired in 2002 as a Reader. In 2008, Anthony joined the newly-formed Former Staff Association and served as a member of its Liaison Group for a number of years.

Following his retirement, Antony continued to be an active supporter of the School of History, attending events and continuing to research and to write books, including Music and the Spiritual: Composers and Politics in the 20th Century (2012). He also enjoyed judging the entries to the Copley Prize and presenting the prize itself. In 2014, in recognition of his publications, his steadfast support for the School and his contribution to its intellectual life, Antony was granted an honorary professorship.

Antony’s legacy will ensure that the Copley Prize continues and that future generations of students are rewarded for their achievements.

Alison Coles, Director of Development said: ‘We are hugely thankful for Antony’s decision to remember the University in his will. The Copley Prize will commemorate his life and continue his commitment to students in the School of History.’

To learn more about leaving a legacy to the University, see www.kent.ac.uk/legacies.

International Partnerships was delighted to host the University’s inaugural Go Abroad Awards on 30 March 2017, celebrating the efforts and achievements of students who have undertaken a study or work placement abroad.

All nominees received official recognition for exceptional achievements attained through their engagement with Go Abroad. Each had demonstrated exceptional engagement with their Go Abroad experience and contributed to enhancing Go Abroad opportunities and benefits for fellow students, staff and their wider communities. Visit www.kent.ac.uk/awards to view the list of 2017 winners and runner-ups.

Winners were awarded a cash prize alongside their certificate of achievement. Alexander Stylianoudis, winner of the Go Abroad Best School Ambassador award, noted, “I would like to thank the University for allowing hundreds of students like myself to discover the world. I would also like to thank Miss Summer Bishop for making me discover the most beautiful places on earth…I would have never met her had it not been for the University of Kent study abroad programme”

Since 2001, International Partnerships has supported over 4500 students in engaging with a Go Abroad experience as part of their studies. We believe that these experiences provide invaluable opportunity for students to grow in self-confidence, make friends, and develop a more profound perception of the world having gained first-hand experience of other countries.

Following the ceremony, James North remarked, ‘The Go Abroad Awards was such a fantastic occasion to celebrate the diverse nature of the University of Kent’s Go Abroad Scheme…Though winners were selected, in a sense all in the gala were winners as Go Abroad continues to become more and more successful. The event was amazing and the atmosphere was electric. I cannot wait to hear about the continued success of the scheme.’

Congratulations again to all winners and runner-ups!

Full story: https://www.kent.ac.uk/global/partnerships/news.html?view=518

The Templeman Library has a staff wellbeing books collection, covering the latest ideas on topics including:

-managing change
-dealing with stress
-mindfulness
-managing happy staff
-productivity
-inspirational classics

You might be interested in reading these for professional development, or to help make your working life easier.

The collection includes over 40 books and e-books. If you’re a member of University staff, you can borrow up to 32 items from the Library at once.

Where do I find them?

Browse the whole collection on the reading list. Click on a title and you’ll be able to see if it’s a physical book or an e-book, whether it’s available to borrow, and where it is in the Library.

[Finding books by their classmark]<http://www.kent.ac.uk/library/librarysearch/help/classmarks.html>

Looking for more wellbeing books?

We also have a Wellbeing and Self Help reading list aimed mainly at students. It contains a wealth of reading on a wide range of subjects useful to everyone.

What should we add next?

Do you know a great book that promotes wellbeing? Recommend it to us we’d love to know about it so we can develop the collection.

During the spring vacation period our team is expecting to welcome over 2,500 delegates/guests to the campus for various internal and external conferences and events taking place between Saturday 8 April and Friday 5 May.

2017 is the busiest spring vacation for a number of years and a lot of the events are for returning clients which is a real testament to the quality of service we provide.

Our team is also gearing up for a great summer and would love to hear from you if you are thinking about holding a conference or event at the Canterbury or Medway campus.
Get in touch today by calling 01227 828000 or email conferences@kent.ac.uk or visit our website www.kent.ac.uk/conferences