Category Archives: Student Guide

Spend the Summer in India

Fancy spending three weeks in India this summer?

Kent has partnered with Amity University, India to offer up to 20 places for undergraduate students to participate in the UKIERI Study in India Summer School taking place from 15 June – 5 July 2020.

Discover more about India through Academic Sessions, Cultural and Industry visits in this three-week funded summer school.

For further details and to apply online, visit the University’s Go Abroad webpage.

The deadline for applications is 9.00 on Monday 16 March 2020.

Further Information

International Partnerships will be running drop in sessions for anyone who is interested in participating and would like further details or help with their application. These will take place on the following dates:

• Friday 6 March and Friday 13 March at 10.00 – 12.00

• Monday 9 March and Wednesday 11 March at 15.00 – 17.00

Located in the Registry extension, First Floor, Rm 155.

Alternatively, please email Go Abroad for more information.

For more information about other summer school opportunities, please see the Go Abroad webpage

Why Student Data System access was disrupted last term

We take the security of your personal data seriously and have strict systems in place to protect it.

Access to SDS and some other University systems was unfortunately restricted for a few weeks during the autumn term to plug a security vulnerability. Due to the actions we took, no personal data was lost or accessed when it shouldn’t have been.

The risk was related to a third-party tool used by many organisations, which enables users to log into online systems securely. A vulnerability in this tool was discovered by a University in Norway, and once informed, the University of Kent responded with appropriate measures.

The vulnerability would have made it possible for a hacker to impersonate you and gain access to your data in SDS. To prevent this we had to disable the ability to log in using a web browser until logging in could be made fully secure again.
Some staff who access SDS using software on their PC were able to support students with the limited access they had.

To re-secure access, we needed to significantly redevelop the login system very quickly. This required robust testing and validation to make sure it was secure; this was verified by a third party and meets the independently recognised security standards we adhere to at Kent. Our Cyber Essentials certification recognises the strict security standards we adhere to.

We know that students and staff rely on systems like SDS to be there at all times and so any access interruptions are taken extremely seriously and avoided as much as possible, especially during term time. Hopefully this article explains why, on this recent occasion, the interruption was necessary, and that we restored access as quickly as we possibly could.

Events to help you get the job you want

The Careers and Employability Services (CES) are holding a number of events to support your career development, such as:

Finding experience
Where to find jobs
Succeeding in applications
Getting creative with CVs
Video and telephone interviews
One to one practice interviews
Interview/assessments centre

To take advantage of these free events, see the Careers events calendar, or if you are in your final year of an undergraduate programme, you can see the Finalists events calendar and filter by ‘Careers’ to see targeted career events to prepare you for life after university.

‘One Hundred Years of Women in Law’ exhibition at Medway

Discover the “A Hundred Years of Women in Law” exhibition 16-31 March in the Drill Hall Library café gallery. The exhibition features the ‘First 100 Years’ project by Spark21 and ‘Kent’s First Women Magistrates’ by Dr Anne Logan from the University of Kent.

The First 100 Years is a ground-breaking history project, supported by the Law Society, the Bar Council and CILEx, charting the journey of women in law since 1919. The project is powered by Spark21, a charity founded to celebrate, inform and inspire future generations of women in the profession by showcasing positive role models for women in law.

KBS Student has launched Self-Funded ‘Project_Daaylight’

In 2018 while visiting Kenya, MSc Healthcare Management student Martin Daay had the opportunity to visit a rural Massai village in Amboseli near mount Killamanjaro. While touring the village, Martin learned from the elders about fuel and the difficulties they can have obtaining it.

Martin saw the cramped conditions the people were living in and the potential health risks associated with burning fuel in these environments. In these communities, after sunset, many people have no light and are forced to use kerosene lamps. Consequently, these communities have seen millions of children each year get severely burned. Sadly, kerosene is the leading cause of child poisoning in Africa and one of the main causes of respiratory diseases for women in the developing world. It is also three times the cost of electrical energy.

Upon leaving the village, Martin thought of the possibility to introduce solar technology to the village. The use of solar technology could lead to a reduction of issues he witnessed in the village; health hazards, fire safety and spending cost. In August 2018, after returning to the UK, Martin launched ‘Project_Daaylight‘ with the support of his friends in Kenya and the UK. In phase one of the project, Martin self-funded 40 solar lanterns for the village in Amboseli.

Project_Daaylight aims to

Provide scalable solar power solutions to the village to gradually eliminate the use of kerosene lamps
Develop a social enterprise working with young women and men in the village to train them on solar technology
Promote the use of sustainable solutions (health management and Environment management).

In addition to these aims, Project_Daaylight hopes to further contribute to addressing some of the social challenges faced by these communities such as high rates of unemployment and child marriage.

Martin has received positive feedback from members of the Amboseli Maasai village about the impact of his donation; improved light quality for children doing school work at night, improved air quality in the homes and reduction in spending on Kerosene. This humble success has further motivated Martin to develop phase two of his project.

Phase two of Project_Daaylight, which is due to begin in April 2020, will see the introduction of high capacity solar powered systems to the village. Martin plans to install a total of twelve home lighting systems in addition to providing solar lanterns in the village. These systems will allow the villagers to cater to their basic energy needs. Furthermore, Project_Daaylight aligns with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development initiative.

Martin is very passionate about supporting others, whether they are here in the UK or other locations around the world. His vision is to support the Amboseli Maasai village attain 100% of their electrical needs via renewable solar energy.

Prestigious NIHR award for CHSS Director

Professor of Health Policy Stephen Peckham, Director of CHSS has been appointed NIHR Senior Investigator (SI). The award is given by the National Institute for Health Research to outstanding national research leaders.

Stephen, who is Founding Director of the new NIHR Applied Research Colloboration, Kent Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) said ‘This represents only the second ever Senior Investigator award given in our region, so I’m really delighted to be recognised in this way’.

Senior Investigators are among the most prominent and prestigious researchers funded by the NIHR. Collectively, they constitute the NIHR College of Senior Investigators. As senior leaders demonstrating research excellence, they act as NIHR ambassadors, helping to attract, retain and develop a highly skilled health research workforce.

Stephen is currently the only NIHR Senior Investigator based in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

You can find out more on the NIHR website.

Latest issue of Kent magazine now available

The latest issue of the University magazine is out now, available in print on the Canterbury and Medway campuses, and online on Issuu.

This issue includes:

Cover story: An alumni feature by Kami Asamani who writes about her time at Kent and her career path to date.

An introduction to the University’s advancement campaign from the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Karen Cox and the three themes of the campaign – with a case study for each theme below.

A World of Opportunity – “It’s time for action, not excuses, on inclusive theatre” by Alumni Postgraduate Research Scholar, Kasia Senyszyn.

A World of Discovery – A Balancing Act: The Science of Vestibular Stimulation, outlining this pioneering research by Professor David Wilkinson.

A World of Community – Memories of the Gulbenkian, following on from the celebration of their 50th anniversary last year, and information about their name-a-seat appeal.

Staff profile: Sam Ranger, Street Kitchen Chef.

Student profile: Eloise Jack, Music Performance Scholar and BSc Biochemistry student.

Some of the articles have been optimised for mobile devices – on Issuu select ‘Read issue here’ and pick one of the articles listed under ‘What’s inside’.

If you’d prefer a hard copy, you can pick one up from:

Canterbury: Gulbenkian cafe, the Sports Centre, Templeman Library cafe, Keynes foyer.

Medway: The Deep End foyer (magazine stand just inside the door), Gillingham Building and Medway Building receptions, and the Rochester Building foyer.

Kent staff: Alternatively, if you’d like to be sent a copy in the internal mail, please email your name and location to Chris Wenham via alumni@kent.ac.uk

Work has already started on the next issues of the magazine, but if you’ve got ideas, please contact the Editorial Board. alumni@kent.ac.uk

Qualify to teach English abroad with a CELTA course

Thinking about teaching English as a foreign language? The Cambridge CELTA qualification is the gold standard English teaching qualification and enables you to teach English to adults in the UK or abroad.

You can gain your CELTA qualification here at the University’s Centre for English and World Languages from 15 June – 16 July 2020. You will be taught in a small group of up to 12 trainees.

The course is open to anyone over the age of 18 whose English is at least C2/C1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

To find out more and apply online please visit the CELTA website.

Deadline: Apply online by 15 May.

International Women’s Day events at Canterbury

The theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) this year is #EachforEqual which encourages people to actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements.

The 2020 #EachforEqual campaign runs all year long and doesn’t end on International Women’s Day. However, there are a number of events taking place across campus to mark the day:

Kent Union will be marking the day by hosting a number of events; some of which take place before and after the day- keeping in true spirit of IWD.

Kent Uniboob has confirmed a photoshoot for body positivity with the money going towards the National charity on Saturday 29 Feb – Sunday 1 March. The shoot is £10 per person.

There will be a quiz in Woody’s on Sunday 8 March themed around women’s history and iconic women at 8pm.

There will also be a screening of Legally Blonde some free food and boob chat on Thursday 12 March between 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

Templeman Library are hosting a display throughout March from their women’s history reading list in the library café. There will also be a display of women in STEM books from Friday 6 March that will be accompanied by slides of winners of a competition celebrating women in Physics.

Engineering and Digital Arts have a webinar event titled Flexible Working in Project Management: How to make it work, and how not to on Wednesday 11 March, from 12.30-13.30. Book your place via Eventbrite.

This Girl Can is part of The Gulbenkian’s International Women’s Day celebrations. It is a one day event taking place on Saturday 7 March. It celebrates women and equal rights and will be full of dancing, music, talks, workshops and visual arts. All ages and genders are welcome.

Sign up for summer term Study Plus courses now

Looking for things to do when you are not doing exams or revising next term? Look no further! There are some fantastic Study Plus courses and they are all free of charge.

If you have ever thought of working in TV or becoming a journalist, do not miss the chance to get some hands-on experience. TV Production (KE200) takes place from 4-7 May. Run in conjunction with KMTV, this course gives you the chance to have a go at operating TV cameras and broadcast equipment as well as pitching your ideas, scriptwriting and presenting. You will make a TV programme which will be broadcast online and on TV. Read what participants have to say about the course.

On 2 June, you can take part in a one-day workshop, Songwriting Skills (KE204). If you are able to play guitar or piano/keyboard and would like to learn how to write songs (you don’t need to sight-read music, but you do need to be able to play well enough to accompany yourself), don’t miss this chance to learn from a professional musician.

In the final week of term, you have an amazing chance to try your hand at being a journalist. Journalism (KE044) runs for five days from 8-12 June and allows you to learn what professional journalists do and how they do it. You will produce news stories to real deadlines for newspapers, radio, TV and online, while being guided by staff at the Centre for Journalism.

All of these courses take place at Medway, but are open to students from any campus. Canterbury students can travel to Medway for free by booking a place on the campus shuttle.

If you want to improve your career prospects in general, take part in a series of Career Toolkit workshops, (KE198), which will help you write a great CV, perform better at job interviews and gain some experience of assessment centre activities. They take place from 5-26 May at the Canterbury campus and are run by staff from the Careers and Employability Service.

You can sign up for all of these courses in SDS workshops.

For more information, see the Study Plus website.