NEW: Rich Aroma 21 food truck

Have you tried out the new Rich Aroma 21 food truck yet? They offer hot drinks, fresh cakes, sausage rolls and more. Find them outside the Medway Building on Tuesdays and Thursdays 08.30-14.00. Check out Rich Aroma 21 on Facebook and Instagram.

Other places to eat on Medway campus

• The Deep End, The Hub
• Pilkington Café, Pilkington Building
• Archibald Hay Mess café, Drill Hall Library
• Pembroke Café (Starbucks), Pembroke Building
• Touchdown Café, CCCU Building

Did you know, as a Kent student you can get a 10% student discount at The Mess Deck and The Wagon Stop restaurants at the Dockyard?

We hope you find a tasty treat next time you’re on campus!

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

Yesterday evening the University and College Union (UCU) informed us that the Kent UCU branch will be taking three consecutive days of strike action from Wednesday 1 December to Friday 3 December due to the ongoing disputes over national changes to Pensions and over Pay and Conditions. This follows their mandate secured in the recent ballots. 

I know this may be concerning news for many of you and want to reassure you that we are actively working to put plans in place to minimise any disruption to your studies or research as far as we can. 

What this means for you 

On Wednesday 1 December, Thursday 2 December and Friday 3 December, it is likely that UCU members at Kent will not be working, which means that teaching or research activities on those days will probably be disrupted. There could also be disruption to some of the other services you use across the University. 

How to find out if this affects you 

While we know the days when strike action is due to take place, we won’t know in advance which members of staff will be taking part. This means that we won’t always be able to let you know ahead of any classes being cancelled – please check Moodle, any online course groups and your emails regularly in the run-up to the strike days for updates which we will share wherever possible. 

How we will support you 

We are here to support you throughout this period and we know how important it is that your studies continue as smoothly as possible. We will shortly share student webpages with information on what we will have in place to support you throughout any strike activity, along with the opportunities you will have to ask questions about this and who to contact with any queries. 

We are also continuing to seek open and constructive dialogue with the Kent UCU branch to make sure we do all we can to avoid this planned action from taking place. I will keep you posted of any further developments throughout. 

With all good wishes, 

Richard 

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

Every year there is a magical candle-lit University Christmas carol service at Canterbury Cathedral which will be at 20.00 on 6 December 2021.

Entry is by ticket only, and you can get up to 3 free tickets per student.

To collect your free ticket to attend this year’s candle-lit University Christmas carol service at Canterbury cathedral, please bring your student ID to Grimond foyer at one of the times stated:

• Monday 15 November 12.45 – 14.00
• Tuesday 16 November 17.45 – 18.30
• Monday 29 November 12.45 – 14.00
• Tuesday 30 November 17.45 – 18.30

Tickets will be distributed on a first come first served basis. If you are unable to collect a ticket in person due to disability, please email Reverend Stephen Laird at s.c.e.laird@kent.ac.uk to ask for other arrangements to be made.

For people of all faiths and none, the University of Kent aims to be a place of dialogue, discovery and celebration.

The University of Kent is somewhere that cultural, religious and non-religious or similar philosophical beliefs of all are respected. We have lots of communities of faith and belief which are active on our campuses, which can be great ways to meet new people, explore the area together and dialogue about ideas. 14 – 21 November is Inter Faith week, and is an opportunity to build and strengthen connections between people of different faiths and beliefs, and as we adjust to the world in a time where COVID-19 has changed some of our habits, finding new ways to make connections is vital. The nationally celebrated in the UK. The aims of this are to:

• Strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels
• Increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, in particular celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society
• Increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs

Get involved in Inter Faith Week: Listen to the ‘Kent Voices: Faith and Belief at University’ podcast hosted by journalism student Charlie, who spoke to University Chaplain, Reverend Stephen Laird, and Mantra, director of The Big Drum about what faith means to them, how they lived it as students, and what they offer to Kent students now. How does faith affect our views on different topics? On Wednesday 17 November at 18.30 in Grimond join a free discussion and dinner on ‘Faith and Health’, with perspectives from different faith leaders and students at Kent, and the opportunity to share your views and a free buffet afterwards if you wish. Check out #InterFaithWeek on social media, and follow @UniKentCCL on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter for the latest events and meetings of worship that you can join. University Chaplain Stephen says: “Some people are not religious at all; others are too busy following their own faith to spend time hearing about what others do and believe. Inter Faith Week is a reminder that – whoever we are and whatever our heritage or beliefs – we share our planet, and our lives, with people with different and diverse perspectives and we owe it to one another to air and share and celebrate the things that are important to us.”

The 2022 Studentship Competitions for CHASE, SeNSS, ARIES and SoCoBio are now open. Kent is proud to be part of several prestigious Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) offering extensive programmes of training and development for doctoral researchers.

ARIES – Advanced Research and Innovation in the Environmental Sciences

Studentships are available in the environmental sciences including ecology, marine, atmospheric and climate science, geosciences and microbiology. Application deadline: 23.59 12 January 2022. For more details visit the ARIES webpage.  

CHASE – Consortium for the Humanities and the Arts South-East England

Studentships are available in the Arts, humanities and creative practices. Application deadline: 23.59 Tuesday 7 December 2021. For more details visit the CHASE webpage. 

SeNSS – South East Network for Social Sciences 

Studentships in the social sciences, including economics, PoI IR, business and management, linguistics, sociology, psychology and socio-legal studies are now available. Application deadline:  23.59 Sunday 2 January 2022. For more details visit the SeNSS webpage. 

SoCoBio – South Coast Biosciences Doctoral Training Partnership

Studentships are available in biosciences linked to living systems, sustainable agriculture and food, renewable resources and clean growth and health. Application deadline: 13.59 10 January 2022. For more details visit the SoCoBio webpage. 

Visit the Doctorial Training Partnership website for details of each competition:

Your Progress Profile is a web-based report which tracks your academic progress and is updated daily. It presents information such as your module marks and attendance and presents it in a way that makes it easier to see how you are doing.

Why are they important?

Students have told us that sometimes it can be hard to know how well their studies are going. We created Progress Profiles to give our students a clear understanding of their performance across every stage of their degree journey. Every undergraduate will have their own Progress Profile. Academic Advisers can see the reports of all their advisees. It is important for students to have regular conversations about their studies with Academic Advisers and Progress Profiles can help focus these conversations.

Progress Profiles can be accessed directly from the top banner of the Student Guide.

Need Help?

A short video providing a detailed explanation of how Progress Profiles work can be found in the ‘About’ tab on the report page.

For any queries relating to access to, or content of, Progress Profiles, please contact the Information Services Helpdesk: helpdesk@kent.ac.uk

For further information or to provide feedback on Progress Profiles please contact the Student Success Team studentsuccessproject@kent.ac.uk.

Banco Santander is currently celebrating 25 years of Santander Universities and its commitment to higher education. In line with this, and to celebrate its anniversary, Banco Santander has launched 2 new exciting programmes: Becas Santander | Digital Business – The University of Chicago and Becas Santander Tech | Emerging Technologies Programme by MIT Professional Education. Applications for both opportunities are now open via the Santander Scholarship Platform – see further information on each programme below and via the individual hyperlinks.

Becas Santander | Digital Business – The University of Chicago (access via Google Chrome)

Applications open: 07/10/2021

Applications close: 11pm 15/12/2021

Aimed at: individuals aged 18 and over who are nationals and residents of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Uruguay, USA or the United Kingdom

Together with the University of Chicago, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Santander Universities is offering 1,600 places on this new and exciting course to celebrate its 25^th anniversary. Participants will receive a unique training experience based on problem-solving and mastering the necessary tools to turn knowledge and ideas into high-impact action.

The programme will provide participants with the opportunity to improve their professional career by training in new technologies and management models. Successful applicants can choose one of four online courses to complete, each lasting 7 weeks. The 4 courses available are:

1. Fintech
2. Building and Managing Resilient Teams
3. Artificial Intelligence and Data Science for Leaders
4. Digital Marketing

The training courses will begin on 22 February 2022 and will be online with some live sessions.

Becas Santander Tech | Emerging Technologies Programme by MIT Professional Education (access via Google Chrome)

Applications open: 05/10/2021

Applications close: 11pm 10/01/2022

Aimed at: individuals aged 18 and over who are nationals and residents of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Uruguay, USA or the United Kingdom

In collaboration with MIT Professional – a global leader in innovation, education, and digital transformation – Santander Universities is offering 400 scholarships geared at courses related to in-demand technologies such as blockchain, AI, and cybersecurity in a job market dominated by digitalization and upskilling. Participants will gain hands-on experience that can help boost their employability and their career paths.

Participants can choose one of 5 online courses, lasting 8-9 weeks. The 5 courses available are:

1. Digital Transformation: Technologies and their Practical Applications
2. Machine Learning: Leveraging Data Insights
3. Designing High Impact Solutions with MITdesignX: Framing
4. Designing Product Families: From Strategy to Implementation
5. Management of Technology: Road mapping and Development

Most courses do not require any specific prior knowledge or professional background linked to technological or digital functions. Upon completion, participants will receive an accreditation certificate by MIT Professional Education.