Are research and teaching conflicting priorities?

Research-led teaching (RLT) is supposedly definitional of higher education, and yet research and teaching are often treated as conflicting demands upon staff time. How can we pursue these practices in an integrated and authentic way? How can we explain to senior managers, prospective students and their parents – and actual students – what the value of RLT is for learners and teachers alike?

Featuring speakers from Kent and further afield (China, Australia, Wales) this conference will equip attendees to develop and articulate research-led teaching in their professional practice.

Attendance is free. You are welcome to come for all or part of the day. Please sign up here by Friday 31 January to indicate which aspects of hospitality you are likely to require – tea breaks, lunch, closing reception etc. If you make a last-minute decision to attend, that’s fine.

You can also attend the event remotely. Please email resledteach@kent.ac.uk f you wish to do so.

When:  Wednesday 26 February (week 19/reading week at Kent)

Time: 10.00 – 17.00

* 10.00 – 13.00 in Keynes Lecture Theatre 2
* 14.00 – 17.00 in Grimond Lecture Theatre 3
* lunch in Aphra Foyer 13.00 – 14.00

For more details please check the  conference website for the latest news and details/timings of papers so you can drop in and out

We look forward to seeing you there.

The Dean for Internationalisation, Dr Anthony Manning is pleased to invite you to the University’s annual Global Showcase Event (formerly known as the Internationalisation Forum), which will take place at both the Canterbury and Medway campuses this January.

Canterbury Showcase:

When: Wednesday 15 January 2020

Where: the Darwin Conference Suites

Time: 09.30 – 12.30

Sign up for Canterbury here

Medway Showcase: 

When: Friday 24 January 2020

Where: Medway Campus (Room TBC)

Time: 10.00 – 11.30

Sign up for Medway here

For further information please contact:

T: 01227 823908

E:deaninternational@kent.ac.uk

www.kent.ac.uk/global

New Year – new decade – time for a change?

It’s that time of the year when many of us start to think about what changes we can make to enrich our lives. We’ve had a long break over Christmas and New Year and often this triggers us to consider what we can do to be healthier, fitter, more ethical, or more relaxed. We’re all different and follow our own rhythms in life so, if we’re considering new initiatives to make us feel better, it’s worth taking time to focus on what’s best and most sustainable for us.

There are five categories of activity that wellbeing and mental health organisations recommend to help us all increase our feelings of wellbeing:

*Connect – with the people around you ie family, friends, colleagues, neighbours or in your local community
*Be active – go for a walk or run, cycle, play a game, garden or dance
*Take notice – be observant, look for something beautiful or remark on something unusual
*Keep learning
*Give.

Whatever changes you may be considering, you can connect them to one of these five steps to Wellbeing. Attach your New Year’s aim or resolution to this wider concept and you may find it easier to maintain!

The University of Kent Wellbeing Zone has lots of material to help guide you with any new resolution. Take a self-assessment of your wellbeing to get an idea of your starting point and plan some goals to track your improvements. There are recipes for health eating, exercise plans to increase activity and a variety of articles including sleep, mental health, Dry January and yoga at your desk. The resource is free and totally confidential.

So, whatever your plan is, think about using the Wellbeing Zone to help you achieve it. For more information visit the Wellbeing Zone website

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with an abundance of festive events on the run up to Christmas! From cabaret to classic films the Gulbenkian has something for everyone this December.

You’ll find there’s plenty of festivities to take your fancy:

The Snow dragon – Wednesday 11 – Sunday 22 December
RHOH: The Nutcracker (recorded) – Wednesday 18 December at 19.15
The Albion Christmas Band – Wednesday 18 December at 19.30
It’s a Wonderful Life film – Saturday 21 December at 18.00
Family Film: Home Alone – Sunday 22 December, 11.00
Family Film: Frozen II – Friday 20 December – Sunday 5 January 2020

Feeling peckish? Then why not dine in their café and indulge in the evening menu with a special festive twist? The younger ones needn’t miss out as there’s a festive-inspired children’s menu too!

For more details on what’s on please go to the Gulbenkian website

If music is sure to get you into the celebratory mood then don’t miss out on these atmospheric concerts:

Caritas Chamber Choir a Choral Christmas – Saturday 21 December at Colyer-Fergusson Hall, 19.30
Celebration for Christmas with Kent Music – Sunday 22 December at Colyer-Fergusson Hall, 14.00

For more details click on the University of Kent Music website

Dr Olly Double, Reader in Drama in the School of Arts, features in the the latest episode of the podcast Jokes with Mark Simmons.

Every week Mark Simmons and a guest share jokes they’ve written that just haven’t worked – because they’re too long, too stupid, too clever, too groanworthy or just too rubbish.

Olly is the author of Stand-Up! On Being a Comedian (1997), Britain Had Talent: A History of Variety Theatre (2012), and Getting the Joke: the Inner Workings of Stand-Up Comedy (2nd edition, 2014). Among the modules he teaches at Kent are Stand Up Comedy and Popular Performance.

In the episode, he talks about teaching students comedy, double acts, and the art of making stand-up comedy look spontaneous. ‘Stand up is a pretence, like it’s just a conversation. You play it like it’s off the cuff, and don’t put any effort into it.’

To listen to the podcast, please see the page here

As we start a new year looking forward to how we can be successful within ourselves, we also take inspiration in those around us. We each choose to be successful in certain areas of our lives whether it’s in our studies, work or extracurricular activities.

In 2019, we spoke to four individuals who shared their fitness journey with Kent Sport. From injuries to championships to getting back to sport, each person’s story relayed how they enriched their lives further through sport and fitness.

Rebecca Barton-Hagger
Kent Sport scholar – Karate
Rebecca Barton-Hagger’s story is all about her journey through the karate world and her time at the University of Kent. She’s gone far and wide to gain her international reputation within karate. View her story here.

Oliver Daws
Kent Sport scholar – Golf
After suffering a traumatic injury, Oliver has endeavoured to keep his sporting career moving forward. View his story here.

Shun Chang
From Let’s Play to Premium Plus member
Shun Chang was a frequent Let’s Play participant that wanted more from his university experience. View his story here.

Patrick Stillman
Kent Sport scholar – Fencing
Discovering fencing at a fairly young age, Patrick Stillman has made the most out of his university experience by juggling his studies and his passion for sport. View his story here.

Share your journey with us
Whatever your triumphs are, share your fitness journey with Kent Sport – we want to hear it all!
If you’d like to share your stories, please get in touch with our Marketing team at sportsenquiries@kent.ac.uk. Or drop us a DM on our various social media channels @UniKentSport.

Want to learn all about the history of the University of Kent and Gulbenkian arts centre?

As Gulbenkian celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, a youth-led project named Radical Roots and Dangerous Ideas (with support from Barbican Centre) delves into the archives of the theatre, where plenty of fun facts about its heritage is discovered.

To find out all about their fascinating finds take a look at their blog – Radical Roots and Dangerous Ideas: Archives and Gulbenkian’s Heritage https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/specialcollections/