The Estates Helpdesk will be closed from 12.15 – 13.45 today. If there are any emergencies please contact Campus Security on 01227 823300.

All other enquiries will be processed when the Helpdesk re-opens.

The University of Kent Players will be back at the Gulbenkian on the 28-30 September with Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ adapted by David Edgar.

We will be holding auditions on the 23 May in GS3 (Grimond Building) and on Thursday and 25 May in GS1 (Grimond Building) at 17.30. No experience is necessary, we are a group made up of all ages and abilities and are very welcoming.

We are always looking for new members both on stage and off stage and so if you are interested in being involved in this production in any way then please contact us on players@kent.ac.uk The University of Kent Players are the amateur dramatics group for staff at Kent. We put on two shows per year at the Gulbenkian. Our latest productions include Wyrd Sisters, Pride and Prejudice and Comic Potential.

For more information on the group visit www.universityofkentplayers.co.uk or like us on Facebook (uokplayers).

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Kent Business School has provided us with the data we need in discussions with Government about the practical implications of leaving the customs union. In his presentation at KBS’s Soundbites event on Thursday 11 May, Port of Dover CEO Tim Waggott was unequivocal about the benefits his organisation had gained from cooperation with the School: “KBS has helped us to meet the increasing business challenge of handling record freight volumes, equating to £119bn of the UK’s trade. Their service has been first class”.

The Soundbites presentation was centered on the invaluable work carried out by the KBS’s Management Science group, a team of leading academics looking at improving business efficiency through quantitative analysis of, for example, supply chains and logistics networks. Case study presentations by Mr Waggott and Priority Freight’s Managing Director Neal Williams showed how the application of business analytics had considerably cut operational costs and improved future planning.

Dr Jesse O’Hanley , stressed that quantitative business analytics can be applied to virtually every industry, citing examples of the NHS Blood Service and the tourism sector: “Our work is very tailor-made. Our initial talks and analysis often help a business to understand where the real problem lies. We may start with problem A but end up solving problem B – some companies have completely changed their operational procedures as a result of working with us”.

Businesses attending the event came away inspired. “I found the evening extremely interesting” said a representative of South East Water “and will definitely come again”.

We hope you will, too. For more information on our Soundbites event, please keep an eye on our KBS business page or email us to sign up for our business E newsletter: kbsbusiness@kent.ac.uk.

We are looking for volunteers to help with a variety of duties at this July’s graduation ceremonies.

The ceremony dates and times are available here: https://www.kent.ac.uk/congregations/ceremony-dates/index.html

This is a special day for all of our students and staff so any help you can offer at any of the ceremonies would be appreciated as we aim to make the day as memorable as possible for all our guests. We would not be able to achieve the success of Congregations without your help.

Any helpers who volunteer at two consecutive ceremonies in one day will be provided with refreshments.

We offer full training for your roles and members of our team will be there on the day to support you.

We have a variety of roles and if you’d like to help or need further information please email congregations@kent.ac.uk with the dates and times that you are able to help.

If you have never volunteered at congregations, then this year is your year!

Staff and students are invited to attend the U3A and University of Kent Research Showcase on Tuesday, 23 May from 11.30am in the Gulbenkian Foyer.

The University of Kent is welcoming over a hundred members of the Canterbury and District branch of the University of the Third Age to campus for the research showcase. We will share research projects, posters and performances, as well as finding out more about areas for future partnerships.

It will be fast-paced, fun and wide-ranging, with a strong contingent of postgraduates presenting their work in an accessible format, and input from academic staff from across all three faculties and an array of disciplines.

12.00-13.15: Research Showcase #1

• Gulbenkian Theatre: War, Reflections, and Representations
• Gulbenkian Cinema: Music and Making Voices Heard

13.45-14.45: Performing Together

• Colyer-Fergusson Hall: U3A choir, Moving Memory and Moving Well

15.15-16.30: Research Showcase #2

• Gulbenkian Theatre: Health and Memories
• Gulbenkian Cinema: Culture, Heritage, and Ecology

16.30-17.30: Looking Forwards

• Wine reception, prizes, Gulbenkian Youth Theatre demo, signing of memorandum of understanding, conversations.

Click here for the Research Showcase Final Programme

So if you are looking to take a break from exams or marking, need caffeine, have your own research ideas or just want to come and see what’s on display, then please do join us for whatever part of the afternoon you can. You can further support your peers by filling out the odd feedback form, which would be much appreciated.

Discover how to enhance your professional knowledge and skills at this free professional development event run by Kent’s Centre for Professional Practice: Power Dynamics at the Workplace.

The workshop taking place on Wednesday 24 May 2017 will focus on the principles of power in relation to working practice and will give you an opportunity to reflect on techniques relevant to your own workplace.

Programme of the event:
14.30-14.45 Arrival and refreshments
14.45-15.00 Welcome by Dr Claire Parkin, Programme Director
15.00-16.00 Workshop: Power Dynamics at the Workplace, Tania Hopper, Programme Director
16.00-16.30 Development opportunities with the Centre for Professional Practice
16.30-17.00 Networking and wine reception

Who should attend?
The event is open to all members of the University staff and students who would like to attend.

Book your place now
For more information or to book a place please email or call 01634 88 8929, or visit our webpage.

The Centre for Professional Practice offers part-time, flexible work-related programmes. Our BA/BSc Top-up or MA/MSc in Professional Practice programmes and short courses including Introduction to Masters-Level Study have been specifically designed to meet the needs of working professionals who wish to develop their academic ability while maintaining their professional role. Students may be eligible for loans or staff fee remission for both undergraduate and postgraduate study (subject to eligibility criteria).

After the workshop you will have an opportunity to hear about our flexible, work-related programmes. The event aims to give you a taste of what you can achieve with the Centre for Professional Practice – an opportunity to study part-time to a degree or Master’s level focusing on your world of work.

The event will take place in:
Darwin Boardroom, Darwin College, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NS

For more information contact:
cppmarketing@kent.ac.uk
01634 888929
www.kent.ac.uk/cpp

In partnership with Kent Union, the University is setting up a new project for local alumni and students to volunteer together. Kent Gives Back enables graduates and students to work together for a local community cause and help people and projects that matter to them. The first event will be held on Saturday 20 May from 11.30 to 15.00 at the Catching Lives Day Centre in Canterbury, where volunteers will help prepare meals and undertake social activities to support homeless people in Kent. Can’t make the whole day? Come along for a few hours! Register here or find out more by emailing alumni@kent.ac.uk or visiting the Facebook group.