The next meeting of the University’s Honorary Degrees Committee will take place in November 2021 and we are looking for nominations for the award of honorary degrees for the consideration of the Committee.

Anyone can put forward a nomination and to ensure the award of honorary degrees across a broad range of academic disciplines and subject areas it would be helpful to receive a number from each Division (for example one from each School/Centre). You can find all the necessary information, including the nomination form on the honorary degree nominations webpage. Nominations should be returned by 25 October 2021 by email to councilsec@kent.ac.uk

Public Orator Suggestions

The Committee is also looking for suggestions of Public Orators, if you have any, or indeed if you wish to put yourself forward, please do email councilsec@kent.ac.uk by 25 October 2021 and these will be discussed at the Committee and where appropriate put forward to Senate for approval.  Information about the role can be found on the Honorary Degree Web page .

Professor Rachel McCrea, Professor of Statistics at the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, has been invited to participate in the 4^thWorld Laureate Forum (WLF) as a Young Scientist.

The WLF is the foremost global scientific gathering of prize winners, including laureates of the Nobel Prize, Wolf Prize, Lasker Award, Turing Award, Breakthrough Prize, and Fields Medal as well as hundreds of academicians of the Chinese Academy of Science and Chinese Academy of Engineering and outstanding young scientists worldwide. Professor McCrea was nominated to take part by the Royal Statistical Society.

Professor McCrea will present at the Ecology, Economics and Statistics session alongside Laureates Angus Deaton, (2015 Nobel Prize in Economics), Alessio Figalli (2018 Fields Medal), Simon Levin (2005 Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences), and Eric Maskin (2007 Nobel Prize in Economics), as well as fellow Young Scientists Maurizio Porfiri, Mark Christiaan Veraar, and Shuaian Wang.

The WLF runs from Thursday 30 September to Sunday 3 November in Shanghai, with Professor McCrea participating remotely.

Further details about the WLF are available on their website.

Thank you to all our presenters and everyone who was able to join us for our Staff Conference week last week! It was great to highlight a variety of interesting and important topics showcasing what Kent is all about.

Over the week we had over 600 sign-ups to the sessions, with many more listening again online – including 300 colleagues taking in Vice-Chancellor Karen Cox’s welcome and update on Kent’s 2025 Strategy and Mid-Term Review session.

We’d love to hear what you thought of our first Staff Conference Week! Please share your views by  completing this short form by Friday 29 October.

Throughout the year we’re putting together a programme of Webchats and will be asking for your input of what you’d like us to focus on. So please share your thoughts and ideas, by emailing communications@kent.ac.uk.

If you missed any of last week’s sessions, then not to worry as we have all the recordings for you to listen to listed below:

Monday’s sessions

Welcome – An update on Kent 2025 Strategy & Mid Term Review
Listen to the recording.

Spotlight on Sustainability at Kent 
Listen to the recording.

The history of Kent – from Farm to University Campus
Listen to the recording.

The Turing Scheme: International placements: a whole new (virtual?) world
Listen to the recording.

Tuesday’s sessions

Research and Innovation Strand
Listen to the recording.

The Medway strategy
Listen to the recording.

QA-ccessibility
Listen to the recording.

Wednesday’s sessions

Civic Mission Strand
Listen to the recording.

Global Challenges Showcase 
Listen to the recording.

Qualitative findings from the BAME Staff Network all-staff survey
Listen to the recording.

Thursday’s sessions

Learning and Teaching and the Student Experience
Listen to the recording.

A Virtual Tour of Special Collections and the Archives
Listen to the recording.

Two highlight sessions from the Medway Festival of Learning and Teaching
Listen to the recording.

 Friday’s sessions

Implementing an anti-racism strategy for the University
Listen to the recording.

Outreach to schools – our widening participation strategy
Listen to the recording.

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 13 September –  Friday 17 September) webinars are as follows:

Monday 13 September 2021 – ‘How Care first can support you’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Tuesday 14 September 2021 – ‘Benefits of a good night’s sleep’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Wednesday 15 September 2021 -‘Care First – Management support’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Thursday 16 September 2021 – ‘Budgeting for Christmas’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Friday 17 September 2021 -‘Mental Health in young people’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar lin

Engaging, flexible and interactive, our evening Language Express courses will make you progress in your chosen language in no time. By focussing on conversational skills, our classes are recommended for students, staff, and anyone else wanting to learn a language from beginners’ level.

On Friday 24 September 2021, the Gulbenkian will host a performance by Linton Kwesi Johnson, whose influential and radical voice made him the first black poet to have his work included in Penguin’s Modern Classics series.

Gulbenkian’s Artistic Director, David Sefton, says; “Linton Kwesi Johnson’s is one of the most important voices in 20th and 21st century spoken word. It is fantastic to think of him performing here in Canterbury, and I am sure our audiences will grab this opportunity to watch a true legend in action.”

University of Kent Drama and Theatre graduate Taylor Sonko-Garvey will support the legendary reggae poet and social activist Linton Kwesi Johnson in a performance at Gulbenkian Arts Centre on 24 September.

Taylor developed her performance poetry on two modules, starting with Popular Performance in her second year and using Johnson as an inspirational subject throughout her studies.

About Linton Kwesi Johnson

Linton Kwesi Johnson’s work has always been political, vital and necessary, drawing attention to topics like systemic racism, police abuse and National Front attacks, calling for government, institutions and society to be held to account.

The legendary reggae poet and social activist was born in Jamaica before moving to London. He was a member of the Black Panthers and the poetry editor of political magazine Race Today, using the platform to introduce important ideas and new voices to the British public.

In 1974 Race Today published Johnson’s first collection of poetry: Voices of the Living and the Dead. In 2002 became only the second living poet and the first black poet to have his work included in Penguin’s Modern Classics series.

Johnson’s first album, Dread Beat An Blood was released in 1978, and since then he has released 14 more albums made with long-time collaborator, dub producer Dennis Bovell. He has been running his own record label, LKJ Records, since 1981, bringing new artists to the attention of wider audiences.

Tickets for the event are £15 (£10 Student/Under 26) and can be bought online