From John Sotillo | Director of Information Services 

Following the disruption to our IT services last week, I’m pleased to confirm that the majority of our systems are now back online across the University. The outage was the result of a detected cyber-security incident and the necessary steps we took as a precaution to manage this. For some colleagues, the recovery from the original incident will take some time and we are working closely with affected Divisions to manage this process.

What happened  

Earlier in the week our security systems detected a security breach in a specific area of the Kent network. As a result, IS and Divisional colleagues took prompt action to contain the initial situation and to prevent the attack from spreading more widely across Kent services and systems. We then progressed to more significant protective actions in order to counter the threat we had identified.

What we have done

As part of measures taken, we isolated the School of Engineering domain from the rest of the University network and reset some 1,000 affected users’ passwords. A consequence of taking these necessary measures was the loss of authentication for Wi-Fi, wired network connections in student accommodation and student PCs on campus. IS worked swiftly to restore the authentication system, with most services back online within 24 hours.

We are pleased to report that services are now restored across campus, with the exception of the Jennison building, which hosts the School of Engineering domain IT infrastructure. Work to mitigate the impact on Jennison continues and will take some time.

What you can do

We have strong security procedures and protocols at Kent but we all need to remain vigilant so that we can continue to work safely and securely online. There has been a rise in cyber-attacks on UK public sector / education sector organisations in recent weeks and these attacks have been intense, persistent and disruptive.

With your help, we can reduce our risk of further attacks. Please read our latest advice and guidance about staying safe online and use our online resources to stay educated and stay alert.

We are continuing our work to ensure that University services and systems remain secure. If you experience any problems or have any issues, please contact IT & Library Support.

I’d also like to thank colleagues across the University for their rapid response to managing this issue.

With thanks,

John

John Sotillo | Director of Information Services

The University is continuing to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine through a variety of initiatives. An update on the contributions from the University, staff and students is detailed below.

Council for At Risk Academics

The University has increased its contribution to the Council for At Risk Academics (CARA). CARA has reported that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is “having a devastating effect on millions of innocent people…among them, many university academics, and their families”. This increased funding will directly help the organisation to provide opportunities to more Ukrainian academics and their families.

If you know of any Ukrainian academics who may be at risk, please contact ukraine-support@kent.ac.uk and we will pass on the details to CARA. They will ensure the information will reach the relevant people as quickly as possible.

Homes for Ukraine

You may have seen that the Government has launched the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme. This scheme allows individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to offer refuge to an individual or family from Ukraine who are fleeing the war. To find out more, please visit the Government webpage.

Hardship Fund

If you know of any students from Ukraine, Russia or the wider region who have been impacted financially by the tragic events of the last few weeks and require financial support, please ask them to get in touch with our Financial Aid Office and see the Emergency Funding webpage.

Bake and Book Sale

Yesterday’s Bake and Book sale in the Colyer-Fergusson raised around £1,000 for the Red Cross emergency relief fund for Ukrainian refugees. Many thanks to those who made cakes, contributed books, and of course to everyone who attended and generously donated.

Kent Global Showcase

A final reminder that Kent’s forthcoming Global Showcase will take place today (16 March) from 14.30-16.00. More details can be found on our staff news story.

Please continue to let us know if you have any ideas as to how the University community can support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and the wider region by emailing ukraine-support@kent.ac.uk.

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

Due to the stabilising situation of Covid, they’ll be doing a side-range of webinar topics. Here’s the schedule for two weeks:

Week commencing 21 March 2022

Monday 21 March – ‘What is short term solution focussed counselling’ – This webinar provides further information on short term solution focussed counselling and ‘in the moment’ support.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Wednesday 23 March – ‘How Care first can support you’ – A webinar for awareness and how to access the EAP service provided by Care first.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Friday 25 March – ‘Debt Awareness Week’ – This webinar looks at the impact debt has on people’s mental health and details the support and advice that is available to individuals contacting Care first.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Week commencing 28 March 2022

Monday 28 March –‘Care first Management Support’ – This webinar provides an overview of the support available for managers and also the mental health first aiders of organisations through the EAP.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Wednesday 30 March – ‘How Care first can support you’ – A webinar for awareness and how to access the EAP service provided by Care first.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Friday 1 April – ‘Walk to work day – In association with Move More Month’ – This webinar considers the positive impact staying active can have on your general wellbeing, in line with Move More Month.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up 

Applications are invited for an exciting collaboration between the University of Kent, School of Arts and National Youth Jazz Collective.

The project addresses the changing profile of UK women jazz musicians in the 21st century, barriers to progression (educational and professional) and the relationship between artistic voice, gender and professional identity.

This is a unique opportunity to work closely with a prestigious national music education portfolio organization (NPO) and its network of partner arts organisations. Applicants will have an interest in women performer-composers, contemporary jazz, inclusive practices and socio-cultural issues. Relevant professional experience is also welcome.

The successful applicant will have autonomy to shape the project based on their interests. They will receive research training, benefit from academic knowledge exchange and gain public engagement experience. They will also benefit from first-hand experience of arts management, invaluable for those aiming to develop a career in the creative arts sector.

Project supervisors will be Dr Ruth Herbert (Dept of Music & Audio Technology), Professor Nicola Shaughnessy (Arts) and Issie Barratt, (Artistic Director of the National Youth Jazz Collective), identified by BBC Radio 4’s Women in Power List in 2018 as one of the 40 most influential women in the music industry.

Applications for this studentship must be made via the University of Kent’s application form for a PhD in Music. Informal enquiries to Dr Ruth Herbert (Music and Audio Technology) r.herbert@kent.ac.uk

Written by Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura

Every year for over a century 8 March has marked International Women’s Day. The day has a political foundation, to promote collective action for the advancement of gender equality. Over the years the reach has expanded, and the day provides global opportunities for celebration, reflection, and challenge.

A theme this year is to #BreakTheBias. This is a powerful call to action and across the world, people will be hosting events, ceremonies, speakers, conferences, and protests to highlight the ways to break the bias, and why urgent action is still needed. Bias is at the core of inequality; it is conscious and unconscious and results in stereotypes and discrimination which are mostly systemically ingrained. Yet change feels sluggish, and progress is slow. How can we accelerate work to #BreakTheBias? I think part of the puzzle is to think of meaningful change as a journey which is effortful, collective, and requires leadership.

The bias women experience is not unidimensional. To break the bias, we need to take individual accountability and to spend the time and energy to understand lived experiences. This means providing safe and open spaces for sharing, with kindness and humility. It means keeping informed, updating our knowledge and skills, and continuous communication. It means recognising and addressing the intersectional structural discrimination that members of our community face, including ableism, transphobia, racism and homophobia. It takes effort. We can be more confident we are still on the right journey when we make the effort to understand what equality means for all women.

The collective and effortful nature of our journey towards gender equality will be advanced with leadership. To fast-track progress to break the bias will take distributed shared leadership, empowering individuals and teams, and recognising

leadership practise in day-to-day activities and collaborations. For example, this might be the leadership of a network event, organising a celebration of women’s work, publishing a report, calling someone out, developing a new call to action. It is the practise of leadership in everyday life, meaning wherever we are on the journey we are aiming to get further along but reaching out to hold the hands of those behind us, hopefully bringing new people in to join us. Especially in times of wider change and uncertainty shared leadership – and the recognition of this leadership – will be essential to drive change.

Every chip to #BreakTheBias matters. On the 8 March I will cross my arms to symbolise we need to break the bias as per the IWD call to action. But I will do so with an energy that means I can open them even wider ready to listen, collaborate, take action, lead and follow. I encourage you to join me.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on the 8 March, we want to highlight some of the amazing and inspirational stories of our female staff, students, and alumni. We are proud of all our women at Kent and wish we could mention them all, but here’s a glimpse into just some of their wonderful achievements and where they all #BreakTheBias.

Dr Beth Breeze receives OBE

Dr Beth Breeze

Dr Beth Breeze, Director of our Centre for Philanthropy, was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) “For services to Philanthropic Research and Fundraising”.

Dr Albena Azmanova wins book award

Dr Albena Azmanova

Dr Albena Azmanova, in our Brussels School of International Studies, received the Michael Harrington Book Award for her book Capitalism on Edge: How Fighting Precarity Can Achieve Radical Change Without Crisis or Utopia.

Glory Oluwaseun is honoured for her work

Glory Oluwaseun

Kent student, Glory Oluwaseun was recognised for her contribution to citizenship by winning a Young Black Achievers Award from Medway African and Caribbean Association (MACA).

Professor Emily Grabham awarded Philip Leverhulme Prize

Professor Emily Grabham

Kent Law School Professor Emily Grabham achieved international recognition for her research over the last ten years, gaining multiple national prizes, including a £100k Philip Leverhulme Prize in Law.

Filipa Paes created Consent. Get It. Full Stop.’ campaign

Filipa Paes

As part of our new Kent Star campaign, Law student Filipa was recognised for her inspiring work on the ‘Consent. Get It. Full Stop.’ campaign.

Dr YolanDa Brown – award-winning saxophonist

Dr YolanDa Brown

Our alum YolanDa Brown is truly an inspiration – from being a double MOBO award-winning saxophonist to a broadcaster and author, YolanDa’s talents have no bounds.

Susannah Townsend – Olympic-winning field hockey play

Susannah Townsend

Our alum Susannah Townsend who still regularly trains on University campus, has previously been named Hockey Writers’ Club Women’s Player of the Year and achieved a gold medal in her first Olympic Games.

We love to hear about our amazing people at Kent, so if you have any inspirational stories you’d like to share email us at stories@kent.ac.uk!

The Creative Access Showcase as part of Creative Careers week will be taking place on Monday 7 March from 17.00-18.00.

This virtual high visibility event will include a panel of creative professionals and alumni from Creative Access, who’ll share their creative journeys, what their current roles entail, top tips and guidance. The event is designed to appeal to all students, not only candidates from Black, Asian and diverse ethnic groups, disabled people or those from lower-socioeconomic backgrounds.

The event will be made up of speaker introductions, panel discussion followed by Q&A.  

Find out more about the creative professionals involved:

April Brown – Programme Manager, Creative Access

April specialises in developing and managing inclusive, multi-disciplinary programmes for emerging creatives. She holds an MA in Arts & Cultural Management from King’s College London and has worked with a range of organisations including Somerset House, Tate, LIFT and Theatre Royal Stratford East.  She is committed to supporting diverse talent to flourish.  

Rami Kadri, Digital Marketing Manager – MUSIC   

Rami is a Digital Marketing Manager with over eight years’ experience in the music industry and runs her own digital marketing agency – Two Tabs Social. She has led on a number of ground breaking social campaigns including two of the biggest and most successful artist campaigns across the Sony Music group for Little Mix. More recently she has worked with artists such as Ms Banks, Pa Salieu, Potter Payper, Loski and Ivorian Doll as well as companies including Warner Music, 0207 Def Jam, LiveNation and Since93. Rami studied Criminology and Social Policy at the University of Kent.  

Lydia Hamilton-Morl, Programme & Digital Editor, ITV News – TELEVISION 

  Lydia has spent eight years working in television news, travelling around the British Isles with ITV, after studying Journalism at the University of Kent. She currently produces ITV Border’s flagship six o’clock news programme, Lookaround, leading a team of journalists to create bold and distinctive TV news programmes and online content. She strives towards creating an inclusive workplace and providing her audience with diversity in storytelling.  

Alisha Artry, Neighbourhood Theatre Producer at Young Vic – THEATRE   

Alisha is a Creative Producer from South London and advocate for change through the arts. She has been working in Theatre since graduating from the University of Kent with a Drama and Film degree. She has worked in Participation at the Lyric Hammersmith, Frantic Assembly and is currently the Neighbourhood Theatre Producer in the Taking Part department at the Young Vic. Alisha is the Co-Founder of the producing company Sculptress working with talent to cultivate new and exciting stories to share with audiences.

To take part follow this  Zoom webinar link 

Webinar ID: 860 1511 6629

Passcode: 973854  

Living with Covid

Following the recent Government announcements on ‘Living with Covid’, all legal Covid-19 restrictions in England have now ended. However, this doesn’t mean that Covid has gone away – we continue to encourage all staff to keep the health and safety of each other in mind, particularly those who are vulnerable or who have close friends or relatives who are shielding.

That means:

• Staying at home if you have Covid-19 symptoms until you have had two negative lateral flow tests 24 hours apart – you can work from home during this period if you feel able to
• Wearing a face mask in crowded indoor spaces as we have been
• Getting tested regularly if you can when you are coming onto campus

Where can I get test kits?

Test kits can be ordered online and can also be sourced from a number of community locations such as pharmacies and libraries. Unfortunately, as part of the recent Government updates we are no longer able to distribute test kits ourselves due to changes to the licences for universities.

“Responding to the impact of Covid-19 has taken an enormous effort across the University and everyone has really pulled together to help us through the worst of it. The recent Government changes move us into a different phase, with fewer restrictions in place across the country. However, lots of people will understandably have concerns around this, particularly vulnerable staff or students – it’s up to all of us to keep on thinking of others and doing the things we can to keep each other safe.” 
Martin Atkinson, Director of HR & Organisational Development

From Martin Atkinson | Director of HR and Organisational Development

Last night the Prime Minister outlined the Government’s ‘living with Covid’ plan, including an announcement that all legal Covid restrictions in England will end this Thursday. Further changes to testing provision will also follow from 1 April.

This will have a number of implications for us at Kent, with keeping our campuses safe still our key focus as it has been throughout our response to Covid. While we work through the Higher Education-specific guidance, for now all of our current recommendations remain in place – including testing regularly, isolating if you have Covid symptoms, and wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces.

I will be in touch with a further update shortly once we are clear on any changes we need to make in the weeks and months ahead.

With all good wishes,

Martin

Martin Atkinson | Director of HR & Organisational Development