An international research network for PhD scholars with a shared interest in thinking about law will be launched at a conference to be held at Kent on Friday 15 June.

The new Interdisciplinary Legal Studies (ILS) Network, an initiative of academics at Kent Law School, seeks to engage doctoral students and early career researchers across all disciplines in a critical exploration of legal research.

The network’s inaugural one-day conference on ‘The Uses and Futures of Interdisciplinary Legal Studies’ will be hosted by the Law School on Kent’s Canterbury campus. Scholars are invited to submit a brief, 200-word summary of their doctoral research project together with a 200-word summary of their experience of/reflection on interdisciplinary legal research to KLSResearch@kent.ac.uk by Thursday 15 March.

As an alternative to the conventional pattern of papers and plenaries, the conference will provide opportunities for collective discussion in small groups and wider discussion with the support of six guest scholars: Professor Diamond Ashiagbor (Institute of Advanced Legal Studies); Professor Kate Bedford (University of Birmingham); Professor Emilios Christodoulidis (University of Glasgow); Dr Emilie Cloatre (University of Kent); Professor Marieke de Goede (University of Amsterdam); and Professor Ambreena Manji (University).

Law Schools already subscribed to the ILS network include: Kent Law School, Westminster Law School, Birkbeck Law School, Warwick Law School, Universidad de los Andes Law School, Melbourne Law School, LSE Law School, Science Po Law School, and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Law School.

The registration fee for the conference is £35. More details, including arrangements for travel and accommodation, are available on the conference website.

Any queries can be directed to conference organisers Dr Thanos Zartaloudis and Professor Donatella Alesandrini.

Information Services are working hard to minimise the risk posed by Spectre and Meltdown CPU vulnerabilities. Please expect some disruption to services while we apply updates. You may also experience slower response times from IS teams and delays to one or two IS projects as we focus on the extra work involved.

Advice for your device

For your own devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones etc.) please keep the operating system and other software updated as you are prompted. Pay special attention to updates for web browsers.

If your device is no longer receiving security updates or is too old to support them then it needs to be replaced.

The BIOS/firmware will also need updating on many devices, however updates are still being finalised by CPU manufacturers. We’ll issue further advice once the situation is clearer.

Kent Sport are hosting an exciting new competition where one lucky winner will bag themselves a brand new mountain bike, simply by completing challenges and taking selfies!

Members just need to participate in as many Kent Sport activities as possible. Each selfie counts as one entry; the more entries the higher the chance of winning. Just keep your eyes peeled across all of Kent Sport’s social media platforms for locations and clues and join in with the challenge. Go on the hunt to find out where that location is and take a selfie while participating in the activity referred to in the clue.

Activities will range from enjoying a fitness class to checking out what the Cycle Hub has to offer. Each selfie will then need to be uploaded and tag the appropriate Kent Sport social media platform, alongside with the hashtag ‘kentsportselfiehunt’ for us to find it.

It’s a fantastic opportunity for Kent Sport Gold, Silver and Bronze members to make the most of all the amazing facilities and activities included with their memberships, while having the chance to win a fantastic grand prize! Each week a participant will also stand the chance of winning a meal and soft drink for two at the Pavilion Café Bar. The grand prize is a Scott mountain bike – the same top quality brand available for hire (free to Gold and Silver members) from the Cycle Hub at the Pavilion. Winners will be chosen based on the number of likes a selfie gets, so make sure to keep sharing your selfies to get all your friends and family to like them!

For information about Kent Sport memberships visit www.kent.ac.uk/sports/membership. Alternatively, you can speak with a member of staff at the Sports Centre or Pavilion receptions.

Colleagues are invited to attend the Learning & Teaching Network session taking place on Wednesday 31 January, 13.15-14.30 in the UELT Seminar Room, Canterbury.

Presented by Dr Edd Pitt on ‘The Anonymous Marking Debate in HE’.

In light of the current anonymous marking debates, the Assessment and Feedback Steering Group at the University of Kent requested that institutional data from students and experiences of staff engaged in anonymous marking should be explored in order to inform future policy based decisions. Results from an exploratory study will be discussed and future directions explored. In particular, the focus will be on practical and logistical implications of anonymous marking alongside the potential affects upon the student learning experience.

To book a place please email cpdbookings@kent.ac.uk

At Kent Union we value your opinion and we’re always looking for ways to make you more employable.

The Graduate Attributes are a set of qualities or features regarded as characteristic of the Kent Graduate which has been developed and embedded during their time at Kent. We’d like to gain your opinions about the current Graduate Attributes website and possible logos. Your contributions will make a real impact.

The discussion will last no longer than 30 minutes and you’ll receive a voucher to be redeemed at the Library Café!

All the sessions will run in the Meeting Room in the Student Media Centre. Below are the drop-in dates and times:

• Thursday 25th January 2018: 3 – 4 pm
• Friday 26th January 2018: 12 – 1 pm and 2 – 3 pm
• Monday 29th January 2018: 12 – 1 pm
• Tuesday 30th January 2018: 1 – 3 pm
• Wednesday 31st January 2018: 2 – 3 pm

Come along and have your say!

The next Pub Night is NEXT TUESDAY 30 January with the theme of business start-up. This will be a great opportunity to network with a range of alumni and current Kent students so don’t forget to register here to receive your first drink free.

The Kent Hub for Innovation and Enterprise will be joining us. Find out how you can start your own business and what help the University can give students, staff and alumni.

You’ll also get the chance to hear from and speak to Kent graduate, David Browne, who started his own business with help from the University so it will be great for those who are not sure where to start or those just starting. David founded Convert Energy, a renewable energy design and project management company based in Canterbury, with his business partner Ben Glancy.

We will be at the Miller’s Arms in Canterbury on Tuesday 30 January from 18.00 – 20.00. Please come along even if you aren’t thinking of starting your own business to meet with current students and fellow alumni! Contact alumni@kent.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Just because you don’t run doesn’t mean you can’t. If you can walk for half an hour, chances are that you can pick up the pace and give running or jogging a try.

The University of Kent is bringing you the Couch to 5K programme. It has been especially designed for people who have done little or no running.

You will work on your running and by the final week you will be running for half an hour, or approximately 5K.

And you won’t be on your own as we have our enthusiastic Run Leader, Barry Hopkins, who will be with you every step of the way to help you achieve your target.

This challenge builds in time and effort, so you’ll constantly be impressed with what you can do if you push yourself a little.

Every Wednesday through to 21 March 2018, 12.00-13.00. Please note the one hour session includes warm up, cool down, stretches and you therefore won’t be active for the full hour.

No need to register just turn up and meet at the Sports Centre Reception and Barry will welcome you.

Comfortable clothing and footwear advisable.

The sessions are £1 per person or free for Gold and Silver members. Any questions please contact: sportsdevelopment@kent.ac.uk