As some of you will know, we are working at the moment on plans to bring all University of Kent activity on the Pembroke Campus into the Medway Building. This follows discussions with our university partners on the campus on how we can make best use of the space and should hopefully help bring more activity to our area of the site.

The move is currently scheduled to start following the end of this term, with most work taking place outside of term time. Your exams will be programmed into the Medway building. However, Journalism exams will take place in the existing newsrooms on the first and second floor of the Gillingham Building.

The Gillingham Building’s third and fourth floors will not be available from the start of the Easter vacation, and staff based on these floors will move to join colleagues on the second floor.

For all students returning in September, your future timetables will confirm where your classes will take place and from this time all staff will be based in the Medway Building, with specialist equipment and facilities incorporated into the new space as required.

Help us shape the new Oasis Lounge

As part of this we will also be recreating the Oasis Lounge in the Medway Building over the Easter vacation so that you still have a dedicated social space. Initially this will be transferred over more or less as is – however, over the summer we want to work with you on how we can improve it.

We’ll share more details on this in a few months but in the meantime do let us know your thoughts on what we could do with the space in the future by emailing csespaceplanning@kent.ac.uk

Thanks all – and do get in touch with me or one of your tutors if you have any further questions on this.

Helen Holland
Assistant Director Estates Planning

From the 07:35 service on Monday 11 March 2024, there will be a slight timetable change to the Canterbury to Medway Campus Shuttle service.

The expected arrival times at the Pier Quays and Historic Dockyard stops on the Canterbury to Medway service will now be 5 minutes earlier. See the updated timetable. (Make sure you click the hyperlink ‘view new timetable’ in the black box at the top!)

Why is this change being made?

Based on tracking data and driver feedback, there is excessive time allocated between Canterbury Campus and Pier Quays, leading to the bus frequently waiting at the Piers Quay stop.

To reduce waiting time and enhance service efficiency, 5 minutes will be deducted from the scheduled journey between Canterbury and Pier Quays.

How to get in touch

You can follow @CampusShuttle on X (formerly Twitter) for service updates. However, if you have any questions or feedback you will need to contact the 24/7 Customer Care Team 0330 808 3306 or email csteam@zeelo.co

This week marks the start of Worldfest, our celebration of cultural diversity at Kent, as well as International Women’s Day.

Plus, don’t forget to vote in the Kent Union elections between Tuesday 5 March and Thursday 7 March (closes at 17:00). You’re voting for your full-time Officers who will represent you for the next academic year.

Find out what’s on this week:

Monday 4 March: PGT presentation skills and mindfulness colouring

If you’re a PGT student, you can join this presentation skills online workshop which offers practical advice on how to prepare and deliver an effective presentation.

On Monday evening you can join ResLife Ambassadors in Keynes for a quiet environment where you can do some studying mixed with some mindfulness colouring to help you unwind.

Tuesday 5 March: Coffee with a Security Officer and LinkedIn photos (Medway)

Would you like to have a chat with our friendly Security Team? Each Tuesday lunchtime you can pop in to speak to one of the officers and ask any questions about the Safezone app, the role of Campus Security or for advice. And you can get a free cup of tea or coffee to enjoy while you chat.

Are you interested in pursuing postgraduate study in business? Even if you are not currently studying a business-related subject, you might be able to study a Master’s in Business. Find out more at the Ask the Experts: Kent Business School drop-in session in Nexus, Templeman Library. See all postgraduate study events.

Do you need a better LinkedIn photo? You can get a professional portrait taken by Matt Cook Photography free of charge in Medway building on Tuesday.

Wednesday 6 March: Graduation Launch event (Medway) and Worldfest international dishes and using GenAi in your studies

In your final year at Medway? You’re invited to the Graduation Launch event in Rochester Building where you can find out your graduation ceremony date and ask any questions you may have. You can also try on caps and measure your height for your gown, as well as write a message to your supporters to be displayed on the screens during your graduation ceremony.

As we celebrate Worldfest, enjoy a taste of Japanese and Arabic Cuisine. Our World language tutors will provide you on a journey to learn how to cook some of your favourite international dishes from Japanese and Arabic cultures.

Find out how you can use GenAI legitimately in your studies at this in-person workshop in Canterbury or you can join online.

Thursday 7 March: Canterbury Graduation Launch and how to network (Medway)

In your final year at Canterbury? You’re invited to the Graduation Launch event in Darwin Conference Suite where you can ask all your questions and find out the individual School dates for the 2024 graduation ceremonies. There are opportunities to try on caps and measure your height for your gown and write a message to your supporters to be displayed on the screens during your graduation ceremony.

Learn how to network effectively at this Aspire workshop in Medway building, plus you can grab some free pizza.

Friday 8 March: International Women’s Day events and katsu cooking class

To celebrate International Women’s Day on Friday, you can join various inspiring talks with successful Kent alumni; Balancing Acts: Navigating the Workplace as Women of Worth in Keynes, In conversation with: Elouise Mitchell, Senior Planning Consultant  in Keynes and Female Changemakers: In conversation with Bethany Matthews, Access Coordinator at ITV Studios which is taking place online.

As part of Worldfest, learn how to make Japan’s katsu curry from scratch from Chef Benjamin Elsbury, so you can get together with friends and re-create at home.

Sunday 10 March: Howletts trip and gallery hopping

If you live in on-campus accommodation, you can join the ResLife Ambassadors for a trip to Howletts Wild Animal Park where you can see elephants, gorillas, rhinos and much more. (£10 which covers coach and entry fee).

Join the ResLife Ambassadors for some gallery hopping in Canterbury City Centre. Canterbury has lots of galleries and museums to explore including The Beaney and Canterbury Roman Museum.

Opportunities

• Looking for housemates? On the Umii app you can now add a signifier to show you are looking for someone to live with.
• If you’re based at Medway campus, make the most of Medway Move, a series of free exercise classes including yoga, Jiu Jitsu and social badminton.

KentVision will be unavailable on Monday 11 March, from 08:00-12:00, due to planned maintenance.

If you need to view your timetable during these times, you can integrate your timetable with a personal calendar (e.g Outlook or Google calendar) on a mobile or computer through iCal. Please go to the my study webpage and click the cog in the top right-hand corner to see the subscribe to calendar options.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused while this essential work is carried out.

Should you have any concerns or queries please contact helpdesk@kent.ac.uk

Join this year’s WorldFest celebrations taking place from 4 – 15 March 2024.

WorldFest aims to showcase the cultural diversity, talents and knowledge of our students and staff and builds on from Cultural Celebration Week in the Autumn term.

There are a range of events, activities and classes across the university for you to get involved with, including:

• Go along to Rutherford Dining Hall to try a different WorldFest dish each day, chosen by our student Global Officers.
• Sign up for a cooking class to make pizzas or katsu curry. Places are limited.
• Join a cultural food talk from our World Language Tutors to find out more about the traditions, history and relationship of Katsu, Noodles and Falafels to Japanese, Chinese and Arabic cultures.
• Come along to our free language taster sessions in Japanese, Arabic,  German, Spanish, Italian and French. At the sessions you can also learn about adding a Year in Languages to your degree next year and other options available to you to develop your language skills.
• Step into Ukrainian culture at our English Speaking Club with our Ukrainian twin, Kherson State University. These run online every Tuesday throughout term time.
• Get your passport and travel around the world exploring various cultures at our Global Hangout on Monday 11 March, 14:00-17:00. Join in with various games and activities to earn ‘stamps’ in your passport for prizes.
• Get a team together and join in with our World Quiz night which aims to be a fun evening to test your worldly knowledge.
• ResLife are putting on some creative craft events including Origami and Chinese Scroll Painting.
• If you are looking to find out how you could spend your summer break abroad, either through summer schools, internships or volunteering opportunities, come along to our Go Abroad Bitesize talk on Thursday 14 March to find out how you can apply for funding to support you.

If all the above has inspired you to put on your own event to share your culture or celebrate a multi-cultural event, then you can apply to our WorldFest Bitesize Fund.

As part of our WorldFest celebrations, we also asked Kent staff and students to share with us their recommended reads, either from their favourite international author, or a book which teaches us something about other cultures.

Share your photos from WorldFest and follow us #WorldFest24

This month’s Kent Star is Jack, Environmental Social Sciences student, who was named the 2023 BBC Countryfile Young Countryside Champion! Jack won the award for the horticultural work and public engagement initiatives he is involved in. Alongside running his own horticulture business, Jack works closely with his supply chains and customers. Hear from Jack:

Video transcription below.

“I’m Jack Scott. I study Environmental Social Science at the University of Kent in my last year, four more months to go. I also grow vegetables at Nonnington Farms, as well as being a farm advisor for Farming Wildlife Advisory Group South East.

An interesting fact about me is I won the BBC Countryfile Champion Award for 2023. BBC Countryfile came to the farm in August. We picked vegetables and delivered them up to one of our Michelin starred restaurants, Angela’s in Margate, so the TV crew could experience the whole farm to fork process. The awards ceremony was in late October and November in Newport in Wales.”

How did you feel about winning the 2023 BBC Countryfile Young Countryside Champion award?

“It felt weird being on national TV. It felt good too. Getting recognition for something that you’re attempting to achieve, the food to fork scheme, better knowledge, bringing education into it with children coming on to the farm through school visits.

We don’t just grow vegetables, we have the soil we look after. We’ve also got hedgerows we look after and we’ve got the nature element we try to incorporate. So sunflowers bring in the pollinators and supply bird feed for the winter months. So that just element there, you’re not just producing food that goes to someone who eats it, you’re also providing a habitat, you’re providing food for nature. So the two in harmony it makes me more joyful.”

Do you have advice for other students?

“So I think just give it a go. The university runs quite a few initiatives for students to get involved in, such as the gleaning project. If you look at the university campus, on the north side, you’re surrounded by farms; go and ask them for a job. There’s loads of farmers out there wanting fruit pickers and general farm hands. Just get involved -you never know where it could lead.”

What are your plans for next year?

“We are a small agricultural business. We just finished our trial year where we experimented on what we can grow, if the market wants it and whether it’s profitable or suitable for the ground. So we’ve done that on one acre this year and it’s going really well.

For the future it is scaling up, so if we can increase our scale, we can start doing some of our larger orders and, we can start pick up a bit more the market in turn that should allow us to bring in employees or apprenticeships and business further financial sustainability.”

What does the Right to Food mean to you?

“For me, the Right to Food is the right to food. So it’s having access to food, having the access to seeing how food is produced or reared. I think it’s just the enabling of better communications and generally just being involved, seeing it and buying more local. So buying it within five miles of the campus, it for me is vital to food and awareness.”

Find out more about the Right to Food project.

Do you know an inspirational student or student group? Let us know.

Learn more about the Kent Stars campaign.