Tonbridge Centre have launched their new programme of inspiring non-accredited short courses for the Spring and Summer terms.

The programme mainly focuses on Art History, Creative Writing, History and Literature as well as Classics and Self-development. Read the full programme on the Tonbridge Centre website,

If you’re new to the programme, and would like to be included in email alerts regarding Tonbridge short courses, please email tonbridgeadmin@kent.ac.uk .

Staff may be eligible for a discount: for further details, please contact the Tonbridge Centre by email to tonbridgeadmin@kent.ac.uk or call extension 4990.

Keynes College is delighted to present their latest exhibition ‘Pleasure in Painting’, by local artist and alumna Elizabeth Akehurst, which is on display on two levels in the Atrium until 8^th April 2020.

Elizabeth is particularly thrilled to be returning to Keynes once more, as she last exhibited back in Keynes in 2004 and will be showcasing her impressive paintings spanning over the past 16 years.

When: Friday 24 January 2020 from 17.00 – 19.00

Where: Keynes Atrium

All are very welcome to the the Private View.

Elizabeth explains: “Painting is not where I began.  I came to this University in 1969 to study mathematics and it was here I met my       husband Andrew Akehurst (Eliot 1969-1972) who was studying English.  Three years later I left with a first class  degree and went on to postgraduate studies at Cambridge, part of the first cohort of women admitted to King’s  College Cambridge. After I completed an MSc at Newcastle we came back to Kent in 1976 and I went into teaching.  However, a strong interest in painters and paintings has always formed an integral part of my life and having children and giving up full time work provided space.

I began to paint in the 1980’s, first in watercolour, then as the opportunity allowed, in oils. By the 1990’s I was exhibiting widely and able to drop many other commitments and declare myself a professional artist.  I have been with David and Dawn Lilford in Canterbury at the Liford Gallery  since 2000 and they have represented my work at Art Fairs in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. I have exhibited at other galleries across   England and Scotland.

 My paintings are in the collections of the University of Kent, Canterbury and Medway Council and in private collections both in England and abroad.  I was presented with a Kalaimaiyam International Art Award in 2019.

I had a solo show here in Keynes in 2004 so it is real pleasure to have another. This has given me the chance to show work from the last sixteen years.” – Elizabeth Akehurst

Boats in the Early Morning

All artworks are available to be purchased by emailing keynesmastersoffice@kent.ac.uk or by contacting the artist directly on akehurst@btinternet.com. A price list is available from Keynes Reception.

Want to start 2020 feeling refreshed and relaxed? Here’s your chance with this fabulous offer from the Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic. From 20 January to 28 February you can enjoy 20% off a 30-minute massage to help you get rid of those nagging aches and pains.

Massage has a number of physical and psychological benefits, these include:

• Lifting your mood
• Relaxing tense muscles
• Reducing stress
• Relaxing the mind
• Improving circulation
• Increase the overall feeling of well-being

Here at Kent Sport Physiotherapy Clinic, we treat people from all walks of life, from all occupations, of all ages, and across every scale of physical activity – even those who answer “nothing!” to that last part! We treat athletes and weightlifters, footballers and lacrosse players, but one of our most frequent patients is the office employee due to the role often requiring them to sit for long periods of time and the impact of being sedentary.

So whether you are a University of Kent student or staff or a member of the public, you can book an appointment by calling the clinic staff on 01227 824375, visiting reception at the Sports Centre, or email physio@kent.ac.uk.

What better way to kick off the new term than with a bit of music at lunchtime?!

The Music Department’s Lunchtime Concert series sees in the new term on Weds 22 January with the award-winning ‘Trials of Cato,’ a blend of guitar, mandolin, bouzouki and vocals that won Best Album in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2019.

Admission is free, suggested donation £3.

To find more details please visit the Music at Kent website 

Kostas Gravanis, who is undertaking a PhD in History and Philosophy of Art in the School of Arts, has won a Samuel H. Kress Research Fellowship in Renaissance Art History from the Renaissance Society of America.

Kostas’ PhD project is provisionally entitled ‘Sources, Functions and Meaning of Imagery in the Vatican’s Raphael Rooms’. His PhD supervisors are Professor Tom Henry and Dr Ben Thomas.

The funding will support research for the last chapter of his thesis, based upon the Sala di Costantino – one of the Raphael Rooms in the Vatican Palace.

To read more about the grants and awards from the Renaissance Society of America, please see their website 

The University of Kent will be hosting a monthly walking netball session at the Canterbury Campus Sports Centre.

When: All sessions will take place on a Wednesday, from 10.00 – 11.00

The dates are:

Wed 22 January 2020

Wed 5 and 19 February 2020

Wed 4 and 18 March 2020

Wed 1 and 15 April 2020

Where: All sessions are indoors at: University of Kent Sports Centre, Canterbury Campus,

Who: The sessions are aimed at 55+. No experience is necessary. Please wear suitable clothing and footwear for indoor activity and don’t forget your water bottle!

How: A minimum of Kent Sport Community ‘Pay to Play’ Membership is required, with £4.50 per session (plus annual £5 membership fee. See website for all membership options.

Pay and display parking is available at the back of the Sports Centre (£2 parking fee can be refunded at reception).

No need to book, just come along. The sessions are an ideal opportunity to be active in a fun, enjoyable and social environment.

You can see what is involved by watching this Youtube video 

Please join us for some well-earned refreshments in the Sports Centre Café after the session.

For further information call 01227 816391 or email: sportsdevelopment@kent.ac.uk

As part of the Discover STEM@Kent lecture series the School of Computing will be hosting two lectures, open to students, staff and the wider community, looking at technology and the modern world.

In the first lecture Dr Tomas Petricek will discuss ‘Making Data Relevant in an Age of Fake News’

When: Monday 20 January at 15.00-16.00

Where: Cornwallis Central Lecture Theatre 1

Governments and journalists have access to increasing amounts of raw data about the world, making it possible to produce factual reports based on solid evidence. At the same time post-truth politics means that data and facts are becoming less relevant in public debate. Can more transparent, open and engaging ways of working with data reverse this dangerous trend? In this talk, Tomas will discuss how novel research on tools for data exploration and data visualization can help. Along the way, he will show a number of fun examples, looking at data about the UK government spending, Olympic medals and financial markets. Open to all, just come along.

In the second lecture Dr Colin Johnson will deliver a lecture entitled ‘Will a Robot take my Job? Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work’.

When: Wednesday 5 February at 17.00-19.00

Where: Grimond Lecture Theatre 3.

A new industrial revolution is upon us, as intelligent machines take the place of humans across the economy. The impact of this could be vast – from increasingly sophisticated robots carrying out manual work, to artificial intelligence doing work in the law and accounting, through to robots working in the most human of jobs such as health and social care. This talk will examine whether the hype around AI is justified, which areas of work this will revolutionise, and which jobs will be untouched.

Please book for this event via the Eventbrite website