Category Archives: Medway Student

Sign up to Medway Talks Open Lecture Series

Medway Talks is a free open lecture series run by the University of Greenwich, University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University.

About this event

What is Medway Talks?

Medway Talks is a new open lecture series run by our academic staff at the Universities at Medway – University of Greenwich, University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church at Medway. There will be 6 talks in total, running from October 2022 until May 2023.

Who can attend?

The talks are open to everyone in the local community, including students and staff at the Universities at Medway. Talks will be free of charge to attend, but registration is required.

What’s on offer?

Talks will run from 6pm until 7pm with refreshments available on arrival.

The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday 26 October 2022: Professor Alex Stevens (University of Kent) – Drugs: what are the problems and how can we solve them?

Professor Alex Stevens has worked on issues of drugs, crime and public health in the voluntary sector, as an academic researcher and as an adviser to the UK government. His talk will focus on the reduction of drug-related deaths and crime, reflecting on the possibilities opened up by the new drug strategy to make progress on these harms.

Wednesday 23 November 2022: Professor Gurprit Lall (University of Kent) – Sleep and our Biological Clock

Professor Gurprit Lall is a neuroscientist based at the University of Kent, Medway School of Pharmacy specialising in mammalian circadian rhythms. In this talk he will discuss how ageing effects the brain’s circadian clock and its impact on our day-to-day routines. We will look at how the clock synchronises our bodily functions, from hormonal fluctuations through to sleeping patterns and why disruption of such rhythms can have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing.

Wednesday 25 January 2023: Dr Noel-Ann Bradshaw (University of Greenwich)- An evening with Florence Nightingale: find out how she used data to save lives

DrNoel-Ann Bradshaw is the Deputy Dean for the Faculty of Engineering and Science at the University of Greenwich. In this talk, Nightingale herself will show how her understanding and management of data influenced policy makers, in the British Army and Government, during and after the Crimean war. Her methods resulted in improved conditions for both soldiers and the working classes, and are as relevant in today’s data-focussed society as they were in Victorian Britain.

Wednesday 22 February 2023: Dr Neil Saunders (University of Greenwich) – Mathematics, Memetics and Artificial Intelligence: An exploration through performance.

Dr Neil Saunders is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Sciences and works in the field of algebra, specifically group theory and geometric representation theory.

Join us for Medway Pride 2022!

Saturday 20 August is Medway Pride and we are excited to announce that we are sponsoring the event alongside the University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christ Church University, under the Universities at Medway banner.

The parade will pass through Rochester High Street at 10:45, and is followed by a star-studded event in the Rochester Castle Gardens from 12:00. Find out more about the schedule and line-up.

Take Part in the Parade

University of Kent LGBTQ+ staff, students, and allies are all warmly welcomed to take part in the parade. We will be walking as a group ‘Universities at Medway’ and you can register through the main Eventbrite page. Please register, choose to get tickets as an organisation member, type ‘Universities at Medway’ into the text box, click it in the drop-down menu and you will be able to register for your tickets. Instructions of where to meet to get wristbands on the day are part of the ticket registration.

We look foward to seeing you there!

Welcome to the Autumn Term

From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

A warm welcome to all of you to the start of the 2021/22 academic year at Kent. I am delighted to see so many of you back on our campuses and to have so much more face-to-face teaching planned after a year and a half of so much uncertainty. You should all be enormously proud of your efforts in getting to this point, and I look forward to following your success with us across the year.

Along with ensuring you have the best possible experience with us, we will need to continue to focus on keeping our community safe as we return this term. Covid has sadly not gone away and we all have a part to play our part in keeping cases low. We are also fully prepared in the event that cases rise significantly.

Face coverings

We are strongly encouraging and recommending that everyone wears face masks in crowded indoor spaces, including teaching spaces or corridors. These are optional, but wearing one can help keep each other safe – we also need to be mindful that both fellow students and staff may be anxious about coming back together, so we need to think of each other in how we behave in crowded areas.

Testing

Remember to keep on testing twice a week as you come onto campus – find out more about how you can pick up a kit and do your bit.

Vaccinations

I am really pleased so many of you have already had your Covid vaccines – we have an NHS bus on our Medway campus today for those that would still like to get theirs, and hope to have one on our Canterbury campus shortly (unfortunately today’s visit has been cancelled). Do watch out for the Government’s Grab A Jab campaign for walk-in vaccine centres too.

Good luck this term

There is plenty to look forward to in the weeks ahead outside of your studies, including our Virtual Employability Fest from 11-22 October featuring the South East Virtual Careers Fair on 20 October. For more information on this and all our events, keep an eye on the Student Guide, our student events calendar and our Kent Uni Student app. I hope you all get a chance to explore the best of what Kent has to offer and wish you all the very best for the rest of the term.

With all best wishes,

Richard

Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

Critical Law TV: A unique partnership between Kent Law School students and KMTV

Critical Law TV is a new and ground-breaking partnership between Kent Law School and KMTV, with law students producing and presenting a series of four documentaries investigating contemporary legal issues.

This exciting project offers law students the opportunity to combine their knowledge of the law with a passion for journalism.

Over a series of four episodes, students investigate the impact of contemporary legal issues within the local Kent community. Supported by Kent Law School academics, they’ve been investigating topics such as:

Surrogacy Law reform
the impact of Brexit on local businesses
the impact of immigration law and policy on Kent refugees
and the property law reforms proposed post Grenfell.

Students have been assisted by KMTV production professionals, journalists and creatives, to produce and present four documentaries for broadcast on regional and digital TV.

Critical Law TV programmes will be broadcast to around 250,000 homes in Kent and Medway on Freeview, Virgin, BT and online as well as feeding into a wider UK local television network of 13 million households.

Critical Law TV: broadcast schedule

Watch Critical Law TV at 19.00 (BST) on:

Friday 6 August: Brexit and Law
Friday 13 August: Property Law
Friday 20 August: Family Law
Friday 27 August: Race and Law

About KMTV

KMTV is a unique partnership between KM Media Group and the University of Kent..

How to watch

KMTV is available on Freeview on Channel 7, with coverage across 236,800 households in Maidstone, Medway, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Sheerness, Sittingbourne and surrounding areas. KMTV broadcasts to the rest of Kent via Virgin Media Channel 159, kmtv.co.uk for On Demand and live streaming, and the KMTV app (available on both Android and iOS)
Download the KMTV app on the AppStore
Download the KMTV Video app on Google Play

Drill Hall Library summer improvement works

This summer the library’s Quiet and Silent Zones will get a fresh new look! The zones will be revamped with a new layout and furniture for a better study experience.
Some of these works may cause some noise disruption in parts of the library so we apologise in advance.

Study spaces
The access to these zones will be sectioned off during July to allow work to take place.
All students can still find plenty of usable study space in the Group Zone.

The Drill Hall library summer opening hours:

Monday to Friday 9:00 – 19:00
Saturday and Sunday 9:00 – 17:00

How can I borrow or access books this summer at the Drill Hall Library?
Whilst we are refurbishing the Quiet and Silent Zones, you won’t be able to access books by yourself after 2nd July, but we can help you!
1. Select items from the library catalogue and complete a book retrieval request form available at the reception.
2. Hand the form to staff at the reception and a staff member will come to assist you.
3. Once you receive the items requested you can add them to your Library account using our self-service machines.

Book moves
Books belonging to the Computing, Sports and Exercise Sciences will move to the University of Kent Templeman Library in Canterbury this summer. There will be periods when access to these books will be limited, but arrangements will be put in place should you require effected items. Please contact your liaison librarian if you have any questions or concerns. Email dhl-librarians@gre.ac.uk

See the Drill Hall Library website for Latest News updates or follow the library on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).

Medway returning students – Pier Quays applications open

Not only are returning student Pier Quays accommodation applications now open, but we can also announce Pier Quay’s new competitive rate for 2021/22!

We’ve been working hard to be able to offer you an accommodation rate that is competitive in the Medway area, and we are pleased to announce that for the next academic year a 39-week contract for a classic en-suite room has been reduced from 2020/21’s rate to just £130 a week for 2021/22. This means you can enjoy all the same great facilities for less as a returning student next year!

So, take advantage and return to enjoy our modern en-suite rooms with fully-fitted kitchens and apply directly through the University of Kent.

Need more reasons to return to Pier Quays than our new competitive rate?

You can apply to live with friends (see our FAQs for more info).
All en-suite rooms with returning students first allocated to phase 2 rooms (subject to availability)
All utilities included (gas, water, electricity, heating and Wi-Fi)
A Premier Sports membership for Medway Park (only included when applying though the MyAccommodation portal)
Contract lengths that match your academic terms beginning for the start of term in September, meaning you won’t have to pay extra rent over the summer months. A Classic en-suite rooms available for just £5,070 on a 39-week contract

If you want to find out more about Pier Quays and returning student accommodation please visit the Accommodation website

So, remove the worry of finding a new place to live, take advantage of our new competitive rate and apply online now and relax knowing you can live with friends and have the great facilities to return to next year.

Many thanks,

The Kent Hospitality team

Asymptomatic testing available at Medway

From Professor Richard Reece | Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Student Experience

I am emailing to let you know the process to follow should you wish to be tested for Covid-19 on our campus prior to travelling during the Student Travel Window (3-9 December 2020).

We have worked with the Public Health Team on a special scheme to provide asymptomatic testing at our Local Testing Site (LTS).

This scheme is specifically for asymptomatic students – those not displaying Covid-19 symptoms.

If you are not currently displaying symptoms of Covid-19 and would like to book a test, please complete our request form by 17:00 Thursday 26 November 2020. Please note if you do have Covid-19 symptoms you should refer to our Isolate, Test, Inform procedure and use the NHS Coronavirus website to book a test.

If you decide to be tested, you will be given a PCR test and your test result will normally be available within 3 days. You will receive a text or email from the NHS confirming whether your test is positive or negative.

If your test is positive, please self-isolate and follow our reporting procedure. There is lots of support available to help you during self-isolation.

If your test is negative, you should travel home as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours.

Any requests for testing received after Thursday 26 November will be accepted however your appointment is likely to be during the latter part of w/c 7 December 2020.

The Medway LTS is in front of the Jellicoe Building in the car park accessed by North Road. It is open 08:00 – 20:00, seven days a week.

The Government is asking all students to travel from their termtime to permanent address during the Student Travel Window (3-9 December 2020). Please do try to travel during this period if you are able and bear these dates in mind when booking a test appointment. We know that some of you have made alternative plans or may be intending on staying at University after the Student Travel Window has closed. We are here to support you whatever your plans and personal circumstances.

For those of you intending to travel internationally, please be aware that some countries require a high level of Covid-19 certification as a condition of entry. This is not available through the national testing programme and you will need to be tested privately to meet this requirement. Please refer to the Government’s foreign travel advice and contact the UK-based embassy of the country you’re travelling to for further information.

Additional information about Covid-19 testing can be found on our Coronavirus website.

FREE online improv comedy event for students featuring The Noise Next Door

Gulbenkian are hosting a special FREE online comedy event for University of Kent Students on Friday 27 November.

The Noise Next Door – the quickest wits in comedy are set to charge onto your screens with a spectacular new show interactive for streaming that will trample your expectations. AND it’s FREE for students to watch! Join the stampede and grab yourself a ticket to watch online on Friday 27 November. Tickets are available to book from the Gulbenkian’s website.

The Noise Next Door are twelve time sell-out veterans of The Edinburgh Fringe and have appeared on BBC One, ITV1, BBC Three and BBC Radio 4. They have also appeared alongside the likes of Michael McIntyre, Katherine Ryan, Romesh Ranganathan and Harry Hill. Members of The Noise Next Door are also alumni from the University of Kent School of Arts.

Student Travel Window Survey for Pier Quays Students

Following the Government’s announcement of a Student Travel Window running from 3-9 December 2020, if you live in Pier Quays accommodation we would like to understand your winter vacation plans so that we can ensure we have support in place for everyone.

Unite Students sent out an email yesterday to all in-house residents on behalf of the Accommodation Team, and if you haven’t already, please spare two minutes to complete the short survey included there.

Thank you to everyone who has already completed our survey! More information about the Student Travel Window is now available.

Halloween Web Hangout

All students are welcome to join this fun, Halloween-themed, Web Hangout on Wednesday 28 October at 12.00!

Meet new students, take part in a fun Halloween-themed quiz, a bingo themed game, plus a chance to test your drawing skills to win points and so much more.

Join us for for a chance to win a voucher of your choice.

Fancy dress is optional!

We look forward to seeing you there.

To sign up fill out this MS Form