The University Chaplaincy’s annual summer day trip to Cambridge, from the Canterbury campus, takes place on Saturday 28 May, departing at 9.00.

There are a few remaining places on the coach, at £15 each. Plenty of time in Cambridge for shopping, sightseeing and museums. Arrive back in Canterbury at approx 19.00.

Please contact the Anglican Chaplain, Revd Dr Stephen Laird, for ticket availability and details.

Image credits
Title: Clare College Bridge, Cambridge
Author: Kosala Bandara
Source: Flickr
License: CC BY 2.0
Link: https://flic.kr/p/bkkQMK

Dr Melanie Caiazza from the School of Arts explores how Game of Thrones has changed how we view medieval history and current social and political issues.

‘The return of Game of Thrones, currently in its sixth season, has reopened debate and interest in its dedication (or not!) to historical authenticity, but this time the endurance of the series has established its very own historical legacy.

‘From its conception, George RR Martin made it clear that he ‘didn’t make it up’ but real places and historical events are at the heart of his re-interpreted vision of the past. In recent articles about the series, it is clear that Game of Thrones has become culturally iconic, with writers, psychologists and social theories using characters and situations from the series as tropes for Machiavellian power and brutality.

‘Game of Thrones prompts us to consider how we see history, rather than what we see. Acts of savagery committed while wearing full medieval-esque armour and involving swords or blades semiotically linked to recognised images of the European Middle Ages are synonymous with what we already agree looks like a medieval knight.

‘Ultimately the past is essentially the present since we know how we want it to look and act in order for us to fully engage with the recognisable fantasy of the historical world. This is especially potent with the Middle Ages, a time of transition; a world on the edge of modernity. Not only has Game of Thrones had an impact on how we look at history, but also how medieval settings are re-visualised for our modern age.’

Find out more on the Kent Extra course

Kent students can discuss this further at Dr Caiazza’s ‘Dirty History’ Kent Extra course on Saturday 14 May.

Kent Extra courses are free of charge to any University of Kent students.

Please email kentextra@kent.ac.uk  or visit the Kent Extra website for more information.

Image credits
Title: Game of Thrones bluray 1
Author: Maria Morri
Source: Flickr
License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Join the EU Referendum debate at an event on campus, including:

• Europe Day on 9 May
• A Portrait of Europe exhibition from 9 – 26 May
• European Union Discussion for staff on 11 May
• Kent’s European Economy on 19 May
• Perspectives on the EU Referendum on 25 May
• UK and EU: Ask the Experts on 31 May

Find out more on the Referendum at Kent webpages.

Monday 9 May, Gulbenkian, Canterbury Campus

Europe Day (9 May) is the annual celebration of peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the historical Schuman declaration, which is now celebrated as a key moment in the creation of the EU.

As the UK’s European university, Kent is committed to the opportunities provided by European engagement. The University supports the ‘Universities for Europe’campaign and is speaking out for continued engagement with Europe in the run up to the Referendum on 23 June 2016. More information can be found on our ‘Kent in Europe’ site.

To mark Europe Day and to celebrate the University’s role within Europe,International Partnerships will be organising various exciting activities on 9 May.

Everyone is welcome so please do come along and celebrate!

View the programme of events.

There are loads of exciting new courses starting this term. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, Kent Extra’s “Dirty History” is for you! You can also try Journalism, Meditation, Music for creatives (linking music to film, drama and poetry), Arabic, French, Japanese, Mandarin or Spanish, or brush up your writing and communication skills. Check out the new Kent Extra courses or find all of the available courses in SDS workshops.

Two Kent students have been selected to take part in the European Innovation Academy (EIA) this Summer. The EIA, taking place in Nice, France, in July, is a 15-day programme of entrepreneurship education which gives ‘every participant the opportunity to be immersed in the extreme international start-up environment’.

Brenda Okandju’s and Mate Tukacs’ selection follows recent success as finalists of the KBS Business Start-Up Journey, where they both successfully pitched to a panel of entrepreneurs and Business School Directors, winning financial support prizes for their respective start-up ideas.

The students said;
KBS student, Brenda (Business Development Manager, Luxsri):
“I’m looking forward to this opportunity that BSUJ is allowing me to encounter; As a finalist of the BSUJ, this is a great chance to network with like-minded people and be in the midst of technical experts from the famous technology cluster – Silicon Valley. This is an incredible opportunity that I cannot take for granted! Thank you BSUJ, I’m excited.”

School of Computing student, Mate (CEO, Playlate.com):
“I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to attend the European Innovation Academy as part of my prize for being a finalist on the Business Start-Up Journey. It is the perfect chance to develop my business and acquire important contacts from all over the world.”