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/

A huge well done to all those who donated at the appeal at the University Carol Service, which raised £2,004 for the local homeless charity, Porchlight (including the Gift Aid element).

Revd Dr Stephen Laird FSA FHEA, University Chaplain and Honorary Lecturer says: ‘Thank you, Sasha, for doing the speech! And thanks to others for the high standard of their active contributions’

Dr Henrik Schoenefeldt and the Kent School of Architecture and Planning (KSAP) hosted an event at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on Thursday 5 December to launch the new film by Dr Henrik Schoenefeldt, titled Restoring the Palace of Westminster.

The film, based on Dr Schoenefeldt’s research project Between Heritage and Sustainability for the Restoration and Renewal Programme was followed by a panel debate led by KSAP Head of School, Professor Gerald Adler, ‘Can Victorian architecture be sustainable?’

Panel guests included:

-Hannah Parham, member of the Historic Building Consultancy team at Donald Insall Associates
-Edonis Jesus, BIM4Heritage
-Sebastian MacMillan, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
-Richard Lorch, Editor-in-chief, Building and Cities
-Fionn Stephenson, Chair in Sustainable Design (University of Sheffield)
-Henrik Schoenefeldt, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Architecture (University of Kent)
-Adam Watrobski, Principal Architect at Houses of Parliament

The event was live streamed on YouTube and is available to watch online.

About the Kent School of Architecture and Planning: 

With its innovative programmes, studio-based teaching, professional links and excellent facilities, KASP creates an inspirational learning environment. Students benefit from one of the most advanced learning environments in the UK. As well as a creative studio culture, they gain experience in using the latest facilities and equipment, which prepares them to work in the industry or further study.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and what better time to get into the festive spirit and do something charitable?

A research group at Kent, led by Professor David Wilkinson, has pioneered and shown the amazing potential benefits of therapeutic neurostimulation. This is a technique to stimulate the brain from the outside (i.e. no surgery), using tested devices developed in our laboratory.

In order to raise £165,000 to establish a free service for those with neurodisabilities to receive experimental neurostimulation, please buy these wonderful charity season’s greetings cards and help them get a step closer to achieving their vision.

The cards, which feature a snowy view of the cathedral from campus and a snowy sheep, are available for a suggested donation of £3.50 for a pack of 10 or three packs for £9 from the School of Psychology Reception, G22 in Rutherford Annexe or by contacting K.A.Barnsdale-65@kent.ac.uk. All proceeds will go towards supporting this vital research.

Carbasse Implant and Dental Centre, a family run dental practice based in Whitstable, has kindly sponsored charity season’s greetings cards to sell in aid of our World of Discovery Campaign.

The Practice Manager at Carbasse Implant and Dental Centre said “I have personal experience of the impact a brain injury can have on an individual and their family. As soon as I heard about this groundbreaking research I knew I wanted to get involved to potentially help change the lives of those living with neuro-disabilities.“

For more information about the campaign please visit https://giving.kent.ac.uk/discovery/neurostimulation.

For more information about Carbasse Implant and Dental Centre please visit https://carbassedental.co.uk/

“Let me introduce myself. My name is Rianna and I’m the founder of Dominica Dementia Foundation, we are the only Dementia Foundation in Dominica and the only foundation in the Caribbean. In 2017 I was very lucky to visit Buckingham Palace where I was awarded with the Queens Young Leaders award by Her Majesty the Queen. I also got to speak on BBC1 with Prince Harry about the work I do in Dominica.

“I have been a TEDx speaker and have previously spoken at the University of Kent. In 2017 I was was also honoured to win the Youth in Volunteerism and Professional Development award by the National Youth Council of Dominica. Now I am the membership officer of the Northern District Toastmaster Club and am also part of the Royal Commonwealth Society Network and Young Leaders of the Americas (YLAI).

“I am currently in the process of producing a documentary film on dementia. The idea of launching an organisation came as a memory of my grandfather who passed away with dementia in Dominica. My grandmother passed this year May. I want to share my story with the world in an effort to rewrite the narrative of those with dementia.”

The Queen’s Young Leaders: 

The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme was established by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, in partnership with Comic Relief, The Royal Commonwealth Society and The University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education, in honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

Over the past four years 60 awards have been given to exceptional young people aged between 18 and 29 to honour those addressing the urgent challenges facing their communities – including mental health, education, climate change, employment opportunities and gender equality.

Quantum technologies range from more efficient computers, to better and more accurate measurements and images, to faster and more secure communication.

The School of Computing is celebrating a £445,000 grant award for research into quantum physics. Professor Julio Hernandez-Castro and Lecturer Carlos Perez Delgado will research into quantum random number generators (QRNGs) as part of the EPSRC Quantum Communications Hub.

Joining the project’s Hub Leadership Executive, that will oversee the management and delivery of the project, Julio explained, “Our grant is basically to investigate QRNGs, and to analyse, improve and develop new statistical tests of randomness leading to new certification schemes that would help in guaranteeing the ‘quantumness’ and security of new QRNGs. We are hoping to flood the market with new and better extensively tested products over the next five years or so. This will enable the UK to become world market leaders in this promising new way of commercialisation for quantum technologies

“We are a small part of a much larger project, and together with Queen’s University Belfast we will investigate the security of the products the physicists will develop, including against side-channel attacks.”

Carlos’ main area of work has been to further our knowledge of the advantages and limitations that quantum theory conveys to communication, computation, metrology, and security.

He explained, “Quantum physics is a mathematical theory of the universe that is extremely successful. It however, predicts behaviour that is wildly non-intuitive. Some of this surprising behaviour has permeated into pop-culture. Most have heard of Schrödinger’s cat, which can be alive and dead simultaneously, and of photons that act as both particles and waves.

“For decades, both scientists and philosophers have tried to better understand this behaviour. In the last few decades, however, we’ve begun to try exploit this behaviour in the form of quantum technologies. These technologies range from more efficient computers, to better and more accurate measurements and images, to faster and more secure communication.”

The UK is poised to become an international leader in quantum technologies. As part of its strategy it has funded four Quantum Hubs where universities and private entities have come together to develop these technologies. The University of Kent is now part of the Quantum Communications Hub, which focuses on a more efficient and secure communication using quantum effects including random number generators.