Dr Simon Kirchin, Reader in the Department of Philosophy and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, has been interviewed for the website What Is It Like to Be a Philosopher?

The site is run by Dr Clifford Sosis, Lecturer in Philosophy at Coastal Carolina University in the US. The site aims to ‘dig deeper into the psychology of philosophers’, asking about their broader personal experiences and what their backgrounds bring to the discipline.

The interview with Simon explores his life, including growing up in the Black Country. He discusses such diverse topics as his Protestant work ethic, hymns, the Sinclair 48k, performing at the Oxford Review, and how his teaching and his personal life inform his research, amongst (many) other things.

The interview was posted today, 1 June 2018, here.

Stamatina Liosi, a PhD student and Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy, has just contributed a piece to the latest edition of Philosophy Now magazine, issue 126, June/July 2018.

Philosophy Now aims to showcase the discipline as exciting, worthwhile and comprehensible. The magazine began in 1991 and is now the most widely read philosophy periodical in the English language.

Stamatina’s article is entitled ‘Our Duty to the Dead’ and enlists the help of philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) to discover why we have a duty to treat the dead with dignity.

‘For those of us who think that intuitions or widely held beliefs aren’t enough to explain why things should be done in a certain way, deeper reasons must be found,’ explains Stamatina in the article.  ‘So let’s ask ourselves, why do we have the duty to treat the dead with dignity?’

The full piece can be accessed here.

Peter Nicholls, Dean of KentHealth, invites you to attend an all-staff briefing about the Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS).

The briefing is open to any member of staff who is interested in the development of KMMS and would like to find out more.

Two forums will taking place, one in Medway and one in Canterbury. The Medway forum will be on Monday 18 June, in R2-09, Rochester Building at 14.00. The Canterbury forum with be in Woolf Lecture Theatre on Tuesday 19 June, 12.30-14.00.

There will be an opportunity at the forum to ask questions about the Medical School, what the course will look like and how you can get involved.

Following on from Learning at Work Week, our Kent Experiences have been advertised and we have already received some great feedback from the first Special Collections tour which took place last week by Information Services.  We have a variety of different experiences now available, with our Estates Department having added 3 NEW activities.

You can view a brief descriptor of all the current opportunities by clicking on this link and then register your interest by following the outlined instructions or by completing this poll. Once your interest has been registered you will be contacted with more information and details of who to contact to finally agree your activity date and time

Most experiences can be arranged on a date and at a time which is suitable for you and they are a great opportunity for you to learn more about the organisation and areas of the University you wouldn’t normally get involved with.

Regrettably, today’s outdoor Billhook Nook concert has been cancelled  due to the muddy conditions and weather forecast. The concert will now take place in the Colyer-Fergusson Foyer at 13.10 on Wednesday 6 June.

The University has been a proud sponsor of Canterbury Pride for the last two years, and members of the LGBT+ Staff Network and student society have again joined forces to organise Kent’s representation in the parade on Saturday 9 June.

All colleagues and students are invited to join the group to fly the flag and show support for LGBTQIA people. To join the team please register online and bring your printed ticket to the event.  Guests, friends, partners, children etc are welcome. You will not be allowed entrance if you (and your guests) do not have your printed ticket.

The parade starts at 11.30 and you will need to be outside the Marlowe by 10.45 to register. Kent organisers will have a large banner (like the image above) so you should be able to spot them.

Contact the LGBT+ Staff Network  for more details. View the event on Facebook.

PS – don’t forget to check out the LGBT+ Staff Network’s exhibition on LGBTQIA role models and allies at the Templeman Gallery, which is on display until 6 July.

Message from Professor Karen Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President:

As part of my commitment to meet as many colleagues as possible and get their views on the University, I have spent the past few months visiting schools and professional service departments, having open conversations with staff.

In addition, I planned two Open Forums for anyone to ‘drop in’. The first of these took place at Canterbury campus in March and the second will be held at Pilkington Lecture Theatre, Medway, on Friday 6 July from 10.30-11.30. These forums are open to all University of Kent staff, to share with me their thoughts on the University: what works; what doesn’t, and how they would like to see things done differently. This will all help to shape the review of the University strategy and priorities over the next few years.

If you are able to attend the Medway Open Forum, please register your attendance here.

There is still time to register for this year’s Learning and Teaching Conference taking place on Wednesday 20 June, 9.00-16.00, Keynes Lecture Theatre 1 and Atrium Foyer, followed by a drinks reception.

This year’s theme is Promoting Powerful Student Learning Experiences In and Out of Class.  The theme interprets learning holistically, encompassing both curricular and co-curricular activities that support students’ growth while at university.  The morning sessions highlight partnerships between professional services staff and academics in enhancing students’ learning.  Those sessions will be relevant to a range of professional and frontline student services staff who support students’ learning.   The afternoon sessions feature examples of innovative teaching that blur the boundaries of the classroom.

The event is an opportunity for the University of Kent community to come together around the shared goal of supporting student learning.

The event is free and all staff are welcome to attend.

Please book your place by emailing cpdbookings@kent.ac.uk.

To view the draft programme please see https://www.kent.ac.uk/cshe/news-events.html?tab=learning-and-teaching-conference-2018

A final programme will be sent to those who have registered shortly before the event.