Every August, the Bioscience department, in the School of Natural Sciences, hosts a Bioscience Work Experience Week for students in year 12 and above. The role of this week is to give the students hands-on lab experience, learn about coming to university and discover what it is like to study a bioscience subject in higher education. Daisy Shaw, PhD in Microbiology and postgraduate helper, shares her experience of supporting this annual event.

‘The outreach week has been running since 2017, and was originally set up by Professor Ben Goult, Dr Rosalyn Masterton and Dr Anastasios Tsaousis. For the last two years Dr Rosalyn Masterton has organised it alongside Dr Emma Hargreaves and Dr Dave Beal. All five of these academics have worked incredibly hard to provide the students with an enriching experience, with support from Dr Katrine Solvaag, who co-ordinates student recruitment and engagement in advance.

‘Many students who attended past work experience weeks have gone on to enrol at Kent for their undergraduate degree, with some even continuing on to undertake a PhD. My fellow postgraduate demonstrator, Matt, is one of those ‘success stories’,  having attended the first ever Bioscience Work Experience Week in 2017.

‘So, what did the students get up to? Well, they started the week with an introduction to their five-day project; to genetically engineer E. coli bacteria to express different fluorescent proteins, then extract, purify and characterise this protein. This technique is commonly used by scientists to visualise the movement of proteins in cells, understand how they work and identify new drug-delivery pathways which could lead to the development of new treatments for disease.’

Day 1: Setting up the experiment

‘On Monday the students learnt the basics of working in the lab, such as how to maintain a lab book, using a micropipette and working aseptically under a Bunsen burner. They also made bacterial growth media and set up agar plates, then introduced the DNA which produces fluorescent proteins into the E.Coli cells, before leaving them to grow overnight on the agar plates.’

Day 2: Troubleshooting the problem

‘The next day, the students learnt how to observe bacterial growth using a spectrophotometer which measures how much light is absorbed when passed through a sample. Up until this point, their E. coli was happily growing, but their protein of interest wasn’t being produced, so they added a special chemical called IPTG which allows the bacteria to start producing large amounts of their protein. Even just a few hours after induction, their fluorescent proteins were becoming visible! They left these to grow overnight, and the next morning were greeted with super colourful cultures.’

Day 3: Extracting proteins

‘Their task on Wednesday was to extract and purify their proteins of interest. They did this by separating the bacterial cells from the media using a technique called centrifugation. The cells then underwent sonication, which breaks open (or ‘lyses’) the bacterial cells using high frequency sound waves, releasing all the proteins within them. To isolate the fluorescent proteins alone they used a technique called nickel ion affinity chromatography.’

Day 4: Sorting the proteins.

‘The following day, they separated proteins by size using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, producing an SDS-page gel and an immunoblot.’

Day 5: Sharing the outcomes of their experiment

‘On the final day, students learnt about one of the most important parts of science – dissemination! They spent the first part of the day producing posters of their methods and results, ready to show these to their parents in the afternoon.

‘They also had the chance to be creative with some agar art. The agar plates acted as their canvas, and the bacterial cultures containing the fluorescent proteins acted as their paint. The results were fantastic, with designs including jellyfish, flowers, stars, a turtle and even Walter White! A shortlist was made and the final 10 were voted on by the students and their parents in the closing ceremony. Students were also encouraged to take interesting pictures throughout the week in the lab, and a winner was selected from these too.

‘This was my fourth year helping with this event, and as a postgraduate helper, my role is to guide the students with their lab work, provide demonstrations and answer any questions they might have about the university or pursuing biosciences further. I get a lot out of this week every year, but most of all it is rewarding to see the students grow in confidence in the lab as the week goes on.’

This month, Kent proudly welcomed 55 Year 10 students (aged 15 and 16) for a three-day residential summer school, an inspiring introduction to university life. Delivered by the Outreach team and supported by academic schools and student ambassadors, this annual event is designed for students from local schools, particularly those who may face barriers to accessing higher education. 
 
‘The aim is to convey as much of a university experience as possible, to give young people who, due to systemic barriers, may not have previously considered that higher education was for them,’ explained Claire Allison, Head of Outreach and Widening Participation.
 
Participants are immersed in every aspect of student life, from academic workshops and seminars to social events and independent living. The packed timetable began with icebreakers and a campus tour, followed by a range of hands-on sessions, including The Maths Behind Game Shows, Film Production, Blackout Poetry, and BioBlitz Bingo. Students then collaborated on a group creative project, which culminated in a showcase for their parents and carers on the final day. 
 
Of course, university is as much about community as it is about study. Evenings featured society taster sessions, a lively quiz night at Woody’s—our popular campus sports café—and a formal dinner followed by a disco at the Sports Pavilion. Outreach staff and ambassadors joined the dancefloor fun before ensuring everyone was safely back in halls for lights out at 11pm. 
 
Participants were also encouraged to practice independence and budgeting: while breakfasts and dinners were provided, each participant received a KentOne card with a set allowance to spend on lunches, giving them a taste of real campus life. 
 
‘Most of the students arrive feeling a bit nervous or unsure what to expect. By the end of the summer school we see a real transformation in their confidence and the belief that university can be for them,’ Outreach Officer Nicola Ballantine said. ‘A large key to the success of the Year 10 Summer School is the connection that our Ambassadors build with the students over the course of the week.’  

This year, one of those Ambassadors, Owen Craycraft, was once a Year 10 Summer School participant himself. Owen who is now a Kent Computing student, returned to the same programme he experienced as a teenager as a Kent ambassador, paying it forward to the next generation as well as gaining valuable experience for his CV. These ambassadors work on a variety of residentials throughout the summer months, such as the ‘’Ambition to Succeed’ Year 12 programme currently being enjoyed on campus this week by 60 students from local schools and colleges. Providing young people with a taster of university life is evidenced as being really impactful in supporting their progression to Higher Education, by developing both their sense of belonging and confidence, and broadening their academic horizons.

One participant summed up the impact of the experience perfectly: 
 
‘I didn’t want to go to uni —I wanted to go straight into an apprenticeship. But I came here, and after the tours, and after the seminars and everything, I felt comfortable. When we learnt about breaking barriers, I took that all in because it helped me. It showed you the perspective of breaking barriers in life, in general. And that was really good.’

From new friendships to newfound aspirations, Kent’s Summer School continues to open doors —and minds—for young people across our region. 

On 8 July, Kent’s Vice Chancellor and President Georgina Randsley de Moura, together with the University’s Outreach & Widening Participation team, hosted a special performance of Generation FOMO by Isabelle Defaut, followed by a panel Q&A. Generation FOMO, a verbatim play created from authentic interviews with young people aged 11-25 about their relationships to phones and social media, was devised by one of Kent Drama’s Graduate Theatre Companies, Portrait Theatre.   

Clare Allison, Head of Outreach & Widening Participation, told us: ‘There has been a huge amount of discussion recently around the use of mobile phones and social media, and the impact that this is having on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The event was designed to gather educational leaders in the region to galvanise discussion and collective action to address the issues raised in the performance. There was real electricity in the room and having such important people sitting up, taking notice and engaging in the discussion was fantastic.’ 

The play has been expanded to include ‘The Social Experiment’, an ongoing piece of research devised by Isabelle Default (writer and producer of Generation FOMO), and led by Dr Lindsey Cameron in the School of Psychology. To take part young people (and their teachers) volunteer to swap smartphones for ‘dumb phones’ – a simple Nokia model and a Dictaphone, to record their feelings for a week. Dr Cameron interviews all participants before and after, and is collating their responses to be published at a later date. The play and related social experiment has gained a lot of press attention.

‘Excellent performance, really powerful and important piece of work … I hope the work inspires continued open and honest conversation in all schools, families and communities!’ 

The post-performance panel featured insight from Dr Lindsey Cameron, teachers Stefan Peto (Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys) and Emma Ritchie (The Whitstable School), representatives from the parent led group Whitstable Unplugged, a Year 12 student who had participated in The Social Experiment, along with perspectives from writers and actors from Portrait Theatre. Chaired by Clare Allison, the panel had a rich and wide-ranging discussion about the development of the play, the importance of modelling regulated mobile phone use in the home, along with practical ways that parents and teachers can support young people navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape. 

Outreach & Widening Participation have invested in both the play and associated research, and there are plans to continue the important conversations that this event started, by way of a conference in the 25/26 academic year.  Isabelle Default, Artistic Director of Portrait Theatre, said: ‘I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the University of Kent’s Outreach Department. Their support has been instrumental in helping us reach such a wide audience in just 12 months. Without them, this simply wouldn’t have been possible. Generation FOMO is currently in the process of booking its third tour of the show this year!  We will be continuing the work we are doing with secondary schools around Kent and beyond, in September.’  

Article by Katherine Moss, PR Campaigns Manager 

Adipat Virdi, who is studying a PhD at the University’s School of English, is bringing his exhibition “I Am, Other” to the Canterbury campus. What began as a immersive theatre production at the Edinburgh Fringe is now evolving into a bold cultural movement on campus; a journey of voices long unheard, stories long overlooked and empathy long overdue.

The exhibition uses performance artefacts, video installations, interactive audience reflections and 360° headset experiences to invite visitors into the uncomfortable, often invisible realities of systemic bias and racial injustice in everyday places and situations. It is currently open in the Templeman Library Archive Space between 9:30 – 21:00 daily and is free to attend.

There will also be a live BAME performance with an ensemble comprised of students, alumni and community voices on 22 May between 18:00 – 21:00 which is also free to attend. This. walk-through exhibition and an immersive theatre experience will start at the Colyer-Fergusson Hall and finish in the Templeman exhibition space itself. Structured as a guided experience, audience members are drawn into intimate moments of migration, microaggressions and intergenerational struggle.

Following next week’s event, Adipat will premier “I Am, Other: Sharaf’s Journey” – a companion immersive experience focused on the Syrian refugee experience and Britain’s asylum process. Rooted in real testimonies and framed through a participatory lens, Sharaf’s Journey continues Virdi’s groundbreaking approach: blending immersive theatre, academic research and community dialogue to tackle the complex nuances of identity, exclusion and resilience. These shows will take place on 4 and 5 July at 13:00 and 19:30. For prices and other details, visit The Gulbenkian website.

For younger audiences (and the young at heart), this summer also brings a touch of mystery and magic with The P.I. Chronicles: Kaia and the London Stone: The LARP, an immersive storytelling adventure designed for BOING! Festival. Set in and around the University’s historic buildings, this experience invites families to step into an alternate version of Kent’s past, where secrets are buried beneath stone and spectral clues hold the key to saving the future.

Blending local lore, interactive gameplay and a deep focus on curiosity and collaboration, the experience is a playful counterpoint to Virdi’s more hard-hitting work but no less powerful in how it engages empathy, critical thinking and a sense of shared discovery. The key focus being how to get children in touch with their inner superpowers.

Talking about his work, Adipat Virdi explains: ‘We didn’t want to create something that simply performs oppression. We wanted to create something that transforms it. These experiences aren’t just about watching, they’re about witnessing and about recognising that the lived experiences of bi-racial children, BAME students in academia, Syrian Refugees and children getting in touch with their emotions are not exceptions; they are the rule. This isn’t theatre that ends with applause. It ends with questions. With reflection and, for many, with action.’

Kent has been shortlisted for ‘Higher Education Institution of the Year’ at the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) Awards 2025.

The NEON awards provide a platform to celebrate the successes and accomplishments in supporting learners from underrepresented groups to access and succeed within higher education.

Kent has been recognised for its commitment to widening access for underrepresented groups throughout the student lifecycle, and for successfully embedding this work across the institution from the outreach work delivered in the region to  senior management actions. The award shortlisting also acknowledges the diversity of Kent’s student body, demonstrated through its innovative teaching and learning approaches as well as student support.

Kent’s regionally focussed and collaborative outreach work was acknowledged as sector best practice, particularly the evidence-based and impact-assessed attainment raising work, co-created and delivered in collaboration with local schools.

Kent’s approach to careers advice and support for students from underrepresented backgrounds, as well as evidence of progress made in widening access also impressed the judges.  The dedicated employability scheme for widening participation students, with bursary support, ensures financial barriers do not hinder professional growth. Kent’s Empower Scheme also enhances employability for underrepresented students, improving continuation and completion rates.

Clare Allison, Head of Widening Participation and Outreach at Kent, said: ‘We are delighted to be shortlisted for this prestigious award. Kent is deeply committed to widening access and ensuring that all students can succeed, regardless of background, and we are proud to be recognised for this. By embedding accessibility, student-centred policies, and robust career support into our core operations, we go beyond widening access – actively removing barriers to success. We look forward to the awards ceremony in June and wish our fellow nominees the best of luck.’

Award winners will be announced at the NEON awards ceremony on Thursday 5 June at the Palace of Westminster.

Last week student volunteers from across the University were presented with certificates on completion of their training as East Kent Mind Ambassadors. East Kent Mind, who run the Community Oasis Garden (COG) in partnership with the University, have developed the Ambassador scheme as part of a newly launched East Kent Mind Society, which will run with a strong affiliation between the society and its parent charity to give support. To become an ambassador an individual completes a training package and takes on an element of social action volunteering for the charity.

Simon Dolby, Development Lead at East Kent Mind told us: ‘So far 30 students from the University of Kent have completed their ambassador training and are now planning social action to support the work of East Kent Mind, but we are keen for more potential ambassadors to come forward.’ 

Students who were a mixture of COG Ambassadors, student volunteers and Res Life Ambassadors received their completion certificates from Professor Iain Wilkinson and were inducted to take part in EK Mind Social Action Projects. These include creating supporting East Kent Mind’s Wear It Blue campaign during Mental Health Awareness Week in May, encouraging positive conversations around mental health wider community, a fundraising fun run, as well as volunteering in the wider community for example, at Mind’s Revival Cafe in Whitstable. 

Earning their East Kent Mind Wellbeing Ambassador status with the charity, were third year students Katie Whitewood and Rosie Hawkins, Co-Presidents of the new society who helped create the initiative along with Simon Dolby.

Katie explained her motivation for getting involved: ‘Mind is all about connections and helping others feel seen and supported. I want to help strengthen our links with East Kent mind and really make sure that students are aware of our support off-campus.’ She added: ‘We are looking to expand our outreach, particularly to students at Canterbury Christ Church University, where bridging connections between universities is an important step in supporting mental health universally.’

Rosie told us why she feels this initiative is so important saying: ‘Mental health should always be top of our priority list. It is a given that Uni adds to mental health stresses, with deadlines, presentations and exams – it’s not easy. But one of our driving motivations is to create a safe space so you fell you have a shoulder to lean on, whether you need advice, guidance or a chat.’ 

There is also invaluable experience to be gained too. Wellbeing Officer, Reiss is thinking about this path for his ongoing career: ‘I hope to be able to take my training forward, as I go through a masters’ and hopefully a PHD.’

The full list of East Kent Mind Wellbeing Ambassadors are as follows:  

Katie Whitewood 

Gellian May Legaspi 

Reiss Cordrey 

Alisa Chin 

Neive Wright (external to Uni)  

Daisy Gower 

Tabi Oyewumi 

Mashaal Chughtai 

Eren Newham 

Balpreet Kaur 

Ikeoluma Modebelu  

Franco Brichetti 

Neemisha Das 

Dacian Stan 

Nehi Eigbefoh 

Preston-Paris Ingold  

Zarine Zafar 

Emily Catlin 

Hayley Blackburn  

Ria Groz 

Rosie Hawkins

Parvathy Rajeev

Kerriva Kent-Ramotar

Chloe Birkett

If you are interested in the East Kent Mind Society email ( society@eastkentmind.org.uk ) Rosie’s. If you would like to apply to become an East Kent Mind Ambassador contact the East Kent Mind Society ( ambassador@eastkentmind.org.uk ).