Monthly Archives: May 2021

Estuary 2021

We are excited that Estuary 2021, a key element of Creative Estuary opens this coming weekend, bringing over 90 artworks and events to the 107-mile trail of the Thames Estuary between 22 May and 13 June.

The festival has been curated in response to the Thames Estuary and the lives, landscapes and histories found there. A mix of large scale and intimate visual art, literature, music and film, it celebrates culture, creativity, recovery and renewal. Conceived to be enjoyed for free, outdoors and in a COVID-19 secure way, the festival invites visitors to take an epic walk along the stunning shorelines of South Essex and North Kent encountering contemporary artworks, storytelling and performance within the estuary’s landscape, historic sites and coastal towns.

Gravesend Pier

The programme for the ambitious online opening weekend of specially commissioned artworks and discussion exploring the three festival themes of climate, rebellion and imperial legacy has been announced.

An Unknown Earth – 22 May – 23 May

This Unknown Earth event has been curated by four artists all of whom know the Thames Estuary as home:

Jas Dhillon is a multimedia practitioner inspired by the people, script, language, symbolic objects, and poetic experiences, of the love and identity imprinted on her as a first-generation Indian female raised in Kent.
Elsa James is a British African-Caribbean, conceptual artist and activist living in Southend-on-Sea. Recent projects Forgotten Black Essex (2018) and Black Girl Essex (2019) explore the historical, temporal and spatial dimensions of what it means to be black in Essex.
James Marriott, writer, artist, activist and naturalist lives on the Hoo Peninsula and works as part of Platform. He is co-author of the forthcoming book Crude Britannia, which tells the story of Britain’s energy past, present and future with a focus on the Thames Estuary.
Lu Williams who, through Grrrl Zine Fair, has been amplifying marginalised voices with a focus on DIY culture, workshops, intersectional feminism and working class culture since 2015.

Nadav Kander, Water3 III, part 1,2 and 3, (Shoeburyness towards The Isle Of Grain), 2015

Alongside the festival, the Associated Programme offers a rich range of events, installations and digital content, and includes work commissioned as part of Creative Estuary Co-Commissions: Ebb and Flow, Precarious Straights and Siltings

Find out more about the full programme on the Estuary Festival website.

Creative Estuary is supported by The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and led by the University of Kent on behalf of a consortium of public sector and cultural organisations.

Subscribe to our daily Scoop.It! newsletter

Did you know that colleagues were mentioned today in the Financial Times, The Guardian, Fox News, Hindustan Times and more?

If you are interested in keeping up to date with the latest University mentions in the news, then why not subscribe to our daily Scoop.It! newsletter. Each morning we circulate a selection of coverage from around the University – a great way to keep up to date what our colleagues are working on. Our newsletter will allow you to read articles (excluding subscription publications) and listen to broadcast clips.

Last year staff, students and alumni contributed to nearly 10,000 pieces of coverage (print and online) and were heard over 2,000 times on TV & Radio.

To subscribe to the daily newsletter, simply email Karen Baxter in the Press Office.

Entries open for Research and Innovation Prizes 2021

Entries are now open for the University’s Research and Innovation Prizes 2021.

The annual prizes are designed to celebrate the achievements of academic and professional services staff across a range of areas – especially activities that have had a transformative effect, created new knowledge, benefited a particular community and/or supported others in the research and innovation ecosystem.

This year’s prizes include:

Starting Research Prize
Consolidator Research Prize
Advanced Research Prize
Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Prize
Technician of the Year Prize
Professional Services Support of the Year Prize
The 2021 Kent Research and Innovation Community Prize

Entry deadline is 12.00 on Friday 28 May. To find out more about the categories and how to apply, please see our Research webpages.

Effects of the pandemic on physical activity – European research project

As part of a large European research collaboration, we are seeking to understand how your usual physical activity behaviour may have been affected by the pandemic.

Only first year undergraduate students are eligible to take part in this research.

To do this, the research leads (based at the University of Lille, France) have developed a questionnaire which is being circulated amongst students in a number of European universities. Using the responses to this questionnaire, we aim to identify the most promising factors/behaviours in different cultures so that strategies can be developed to better promote these to others.

To take part in this research project, we invite you to complete the 20 minute questionnaire.

Learn more about the project, including details of the ethical approval.

Definition of Antisemitism – student consultation

We strive to be an organisation where everyone feels welcome, supported and can take pride in who we are.

We are committed to taking action against all forms of racism at the University and beyond.

As you are aware, we are currently considering whether we should join a number of other universities in signing up to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. The IHRA definition was created in response to evidence of rising antisemitism and seeks to build an international consensus around a non-legally binding definition of what antisemitism means to help tackle the rise in hate and discrimination. In the UK, the Home Affairs Select Committee added some modifications to address some of the concerns raised.

Feedback from a previous consultation raised some concerns over some aspects of the IHRA definition being open to misinterpretation, but a strong feeling that Kent should have a commitment in this area. Recently, the Jerusalem Declaration of Antisemitism (JDA) has been suggested as an alternative. The authors of the JDA definition have stated that their aim in writing this was to offer a clearer core definition to assist with tackling discrimination against Jews, while protecting space for open debate on the future of Israel/Palestine.

Signing up to a definition of antisemitism would be an important statement of our solidarity with the Jewish community in recognition of the hurt many are feeling due to rising discrimination. With that in mind, we would welcome the views of all students on the approach we should take to help inform our response to Council. Please see the following briefing paper that sets out more of the background to the issues explored in the survey.

Share your feedback now

Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura
Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Academic Strategy, Planning and Performance

Aisha Dosanjh
Kent Union President

Kent bids for first year of Turing funding

The University has submitted its first funding application to the Turing Scheme – the UK’s new global programme for study and work abroad.

The application has been submitted by our International Partnerships team, who will manage the University’s activities within the Turing scheme, in consultation with Divisions and other relevant parties across the University. We will receive the outcome of our bid by the end of July 2021, allowing us to support students going abroad in 2021-22.

In this first year of the Turing scheme, we have bid for funding for Kent students going on a term/year abroad outside Europe and, if successful, additional grants will be available to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Those going to Europe will continue to be covered by Erasmus funding during 2021-22.

We have also bid for additional funding to support students taking part in shorter-term, co-curricular activities abroad such as summer schools. Priority will be given to students from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented groups.

We look forward to sharing the results of our bid in July and working with colleagues in Divisions and professional services to promote and support the opportunities available to Kent students.

For more details, please contact internationalpartnerships@kent.ac.uk or visit the Turing Scheme webpages.

Care first webinars w/c 17 May 2021

Our official Employee Assistance Programme provider, Care first offers a numbers of services and provide useful advice and support, including weekly webinars.

This week’s (Monday 17 May – Friday 21 May ) webinars are as follows:

Monday 17 May 2021 – ‘How Care first Can Support You’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Tuesday 18 May 2021 – ‘Understanding the new COVID-19 guidelines and things to consider’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Wednesday 19 May 2021 – ‘Easing of Lockdown Anxiety‘
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Thursday 20 May 2021 – ‘The benefits of Nature on our Mental Health’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Friday 21 May 2021 – ‘Things to consider when returning to the Workplace’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

ARC KSS Researcher’s Week – for applied health and social care researchers

Calling all applied health and social care researchers – the Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) KSS Academy is running a Researcher’s Week from Monday 12 to Friday 16 July 2021. Over the course of the week, there will be a varied programme of workshops and presentations from ARC KSS colleagues and external speakers in the areas of capacity building, co-production, Public and Community Involvement and Engagement (PCIE),and Implementation.

The full programme of events and booking details are available

As part of Researcher’s Week a poster competition is taking place for outstanding contributions to research.

The aim is to recognise and celebrate the contributions that applied health and social care researchers have made, over the last 12 to 18 months.

The competition is open to any applied health and social care researchers working in Kent, Surrey and Sussex including academics, health care professionals, social care professionals or anyone who works to support health and social care in our region.

Closing date is 17.00, 18 June 2021

Find out more on the NIHR website

Need somewhere to stay for #KentSummerFest?

What is Kent Summer Fest?

Kent Summer Fest is a fun-packed fortnight of events taking place 21 June- 2 July, arranged jointly with the University, Kent Union and GKSU.

Come together for Kent Summer Fest to socialise, relax and experience what Kent and experience our campuses have to offer after such a difficult year for everyone.

You can look forward to outdoor screenings, live music, street food from around the world and more! This includes lots of evening events so you may wish to stay on campus to make the most of what’s on.

Can I stay on campus during Kent Summer Fest?

Don’t miss out on all the fantastic activities taking place during Kent Summer Fest. On-campus accommodation is now available to book for commuting students or those who have their off-campus accommodation contracts ending soon.

Canterbury students

Self-catering rooms in Darwin Houses are available to book from Saturday 19 June to Friday 2 July to allow you to make the most of everything going on. You can pick the dates which best suit you and the rooms include bed linen and towels with cutlery and crockery in the kitchen for your use.

Rooms cost just £30 a night which you can book online using the promotion code ‘KentSummer’ subject to availability. You must book between a minimum 3-night stay and a maximum 14-night stay, with payment due at the time of booking. If you need to arrive before the 19 July you can also take advantage of our exam accommodation offer.

Medway students

We have rooms available in Pier Quays too, so if you’re not currently living in Pier Quays and would like accommodation during Kent Summer Fest please email stay@kent.ac.uk with their required dates of stay, and a member of the team will respond to your enquiry.

Living in one of our Canterbury campus rooms already?

There’s still time to register for your free accommodation extension meaning you don’t need to move out until Saturday 3 July. Just follow the registration link emailed to you by the Accommodation Office (will be sent on Tuesday 18 May) if you haven’t already. Deadline to register is Friday 21 May.

So stick around, enjoy yourself and take part in all the activities taking place on your doorstep as part of #KentSummerFest

Covid-19 update: plans for Autumn 2021

From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

As we move into the final term of this academic year, and on behalf of all our University staff, I would like to take a moment to thank you for the resilience you have shown throughout the pandemic. I know this has been a difficult time for many of you and I, along with the rest of the University, have been humbled by your tenacity and dedication to your studies.

After many months of uncertainty, I am pleased we can now look ahead to the next academic year at Kent and plan the experiences you will be able to look forward to.

The government’s roadmap out of lockdown gives us every reason to be optimistic though, whilst we anticipate that we will return fully to campus as usual from September and will be preparing for this, we are also planning for other possibilities should there be any delays to that roadmap.

Campus

We are getting ready to open our campuses from September 2021 and look forward to welcoming you back to Kent.

There will be plenty of opportunities to make the most of our beautiful spaces and meet with other students, with a range of creative events, activities and ways to get together. Our venues, bars and cafes will be open, following any safety guidance that is relevant at the time.

We will be providing a broad range of events at both Canterbury and Medway, allowing you to reconnect with other students and to make the most of your University experience. Our events will include both face-to-face and online opportunities, ensuring all Kent students can get involved no matter where they are in the world.

Teaching

We are determined to give you the highest quality education and having listened to both you and our staff, are planning our teaching around ways that will best enable your success.

Most lectures will continue to be delivered online in the Autumn term, so that we can timetable as many small-group teaching sessions (eg, seminars, lab classes and studio sessions) for face-to-face delivery as possible. These are the sessions in which you can most effectively share and discuss ideas directly with our staff and your fellow students.

For the whole of 2021/22, summative assessments and exams will remain online, with only a small number of exceptions.

Planning in this way means we will be able to adapt our plans quickly as and when government guidelines give us more flexibility.

Whilst we look forward to welcoming you all back in person, we know that might not be possible for some of you. For those of you unable to return, remote study will remain an option for most courses.

Later this term, as plans progress, your school/department will email you with more details on how your subject will be taught from September and will provide advice for those requiring remote study.

Support

In the past year, we recognise that your studies have been disrupted and you have had to adapt to different ways of learning during the pandemic. We will continue to offer a wide range of support for your academic studies and good mental health, through our academic advisory sessions and services including those from Student Support and Wellbeing and Student Learning and Advisory Service. We are keen to ensure you get the most out of your time at Kent, so we are here to support you throughout your journey.

Along with colleagues from across the University, I will be providing a general update for the Summer Term as part of our series of Kent Student WebChats on Friday 21 May, 13.00-14.00. Please do sign-up online and add and any questions you would like to have answered.

Further information about our plans for the 2021/22 academic year, as it becomes available, will be added to your Coronavirus Student Information pages.

If you have any questions, please email CovidSupport@kent.ac.uk.

With my best wishes,

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience