The T&OD team are happy to share the details for their upcoming Belong and Grow week, which will be coinciding with Learning at Work week, running 16 -20 May.

The main aim is to encourage you to take time during the week for your personal development and wellbeing, and we have created a programme of events that we hope you will find interesting and inspiring.

Full details of everything we have going on during the week can be found on their SharePoint site, which they will keep up to date with any changes to the programme.

You will find a blend of in person and virtual sessions, which cover a range of topics such as Tai Chi, creative writing, staff networks and CV writing skills. It will also include the return of the popular Coffee with a Mystery Colleague scheme, where staff have the opportunity to be matched with someone across the University who they may not normally get the chance to network with.

We hope to see lots of you join us for the week, and if you have any questions, please get in touch with the team at ldev@kent.ac.uk

Over the course of an hour, WHIST takes you on an interactive journey, merging physical theatre with Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and an art installation, for a truly immersive experience.

Gulbenkian co-commissioned WHIST in 2017 and it premiered in the Colyer-Fergusson Hall in April that year before going on to tour the world. Now AΦE return to Gulbenkian Arts Centre as Associate Artists and WHIST returns with them as an international hit.

Inspired by the work of Sigmund Freud and Japanese artist Shuji Terayama, WHIST invites you on a journey into the unconscious mind, through the dreams, fears and desires of a fictional family. WHIST blurs the boundaries between consciousness and the unconscious, reality and fiction, the physical and the virtual.

When:

Wed 4 May –  Sun 8 May, times vary.

How much:

Tickets are normally £10 each – but Kent students and staff will receive a discount of £7 per ticket.

How to book:

To book your ticket for this virtual experience visit the Gulbenkian website.

From Catherine Morris | Sustainability Manager

Happy Earth Day 2022!

This year’s Earth Day theme is “Invest in Our Planet”. This day looks to engage everyone, from individuals to businesses and governments to recognise our collective responsibility and help accelerate the transition to an equitable, prosperous, sustainable economy for all. The campaign is focussed on reframing the conversation, accelerating action, and bringing us together to understand that this is within our reach if we work together.

For the University of Kent, this year’s Earth Day also marks 6 months since the launch of our Strategy for Climate Action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),so I have been reflecting on what we have achieved since the launch event last year.

Often when you are engrossed working on something, it isn’t until you take a step back and assess that you can see how far you have come. This webpage talks more about some of the major achievements of the last 6 months but I would also like to take some time to celebrate the little actions.

For every exciting news-worthy project we are taking hundreds of small, incremental actions and nudges that collectively have a huge impact. Whether that’s replacing a high carbon footprint dish with a lower one on a food outlet menu, turning down an office’s heating by 1°C, installing a new recycling bin, or recruiting another staff sustainability champion, we are taking action every single day.

Wherever in the University you live, work or study, these little visible and invisible changes will be contributing to reducing our impacts and helping you to do the same. Collective responsibility and working together is at the heart of our sustainability agenda and I have been so encouraged over the last 6 months to see how staff, students and the local community are coming together to take action and build a new sustainable future.

We have some fantastic projects, events and initiatives planned for the next 6 months which we will be sharing as we go, so please watch this space.

If you would like any more information or would like to get in touch than please visit www.kent.ac.uk/sustainability or email sustainability@kent.ac.uk

This one-day conference will provide an opportunity for all research and innovation staff, across the University of Kent, to share their expertise and experiences.

Time and place

The conference will take place on Tuesday 5 July on Canterbury campus. Book your place via  EventBrite Research & Innovation Support Network Conference from Tuesday 3 May 2022.

Why now?

We’ve all experienced unprecedented challenges over the last two years, with many of us adjusting to new teams or ways of working, but there is also a lot to celebrate and be proud of.

We want to provide an opportunity to share these experiences, learn about the practical approaches being taken to support research and innovation, share ideas and resources, spark debate, understand if there are opportunities to collaborate and better support each other, and strengthen existing and develop new networks.

Submit a proposal 

We want to feature voices from research and innovation professionals across the university. Submissions are encouraged from colleagues at all career stages – from individuals who have never presented or run a session at a conference or event before, to more experienced voices from our community.

Below is a list of suggested topics, but we also welcome proposals outside of this scope:

• Balancing roles and competing priorities
• Current issues, challenges and problems addressing them
• Inclusive research and innovation
• Implementing external policies and innovation in a complex research environment
• New tools and technologies: what, why and how of adoption and implementation
• Research and innovation in a global environment
• Reward, recognition, and career progression.

To submit a proposal please complete this Form.

The closing date for proposals is Friday 20 May at 12 noon.

Contact us

Email the organising committee with your comments or questions.

Professor Sally Kendall, ARC KSS Research Capacity Lead, is pleased to announce the programme for this year’s Research Week which reflects equality, diversity and inclusion in all its forms. The week also highlights how it is important for applied research, researchers across all professions and disciplines and engaging with the public.

The week includes a line-up of learning and development events, research insight talks and presentations aimed primarily at early career researchers, PhD students and independent researchers. It has been designed to help bring people together across academia, health and social care.

All events are free, with virtual events taking place 20-22 June and an in person all day symposium on 23 June at the University of Sussex.

The programme includes a range of presenters from ARC themes, as well as some external presenters who will be sharing their work and expertise on topics such as inclusive research, visual communication and personal exploration/reflection.

• Here’s an overview of the week
• Take a look at the Research Week programme
• Register for the Research Week events

We are excited to announce that our Discovery Planet Ramsgate Shop (47 High Street) is now available for community outreach activities.

An open event is being held on the 29 April and we invite you to come and take a look at the venue, its amenities and its location in the hope that you could run an engagement activity in the space.

The shop will be open between 10:00-14:00 for you to come and have a look, chat with Discovery Planet and experience how we run our activities.

If you would like to attend, please sign up using this form.

If you are unable to make this date, we will look to run something similar in the summer and we are also recording some video footage at our next event in April (21, 22, 23) which will give an idea of the venue to anyone interested.

We have organised a photoshoot to get new, fresh photography for both our Canterbury and Medway campuses and are looking for volunteers!

Our photographer will be taking realistic, candid shots to encompass life at Kent, so you don’t need to worry about posing. You will also receive £10 on your KentOne card/Medway equivalent as a thank you and we’re sure you will have a lot of fun in the process.

If you would like to participate, please fill in this form. We will get back to you with the exact times and further details. Here are the available slots:

Canterbury campus: Tuesday 26 April AM 
Canterbury campus: Tuesday 26 April PM
Canterbury campus: Wednesday 27 AM
Canterbury campus Wednesday 27 PM

Medway campus: Thursday 28 AM
Medway campus: Thursday 28 PM

The University of Kent is teaming up with Kent County Council to support the local community in becoming comfortable with using digital technology.

As part of KCC’s Digital Champions campaign, the University of Kent is encouraging students and staff to volunteer for an hour or two to support people in accessing the digital world. Your efforts could help save people time and money, make people feel more connected and better informed. Despite this, many people have never been online.

A Digital Champion is someone who helps others to understand the benefits of being online and can spend some time showing them how. Digital Champions do a range of simple things like:

• Teaching someone to use Google or a web browser
• Showing a beginner how to set up an email account
• Helping someone to use the internet to research and plan care
• Explaining computer terms and internet jargon

In return you’ll get:

• The opportunity to develop your own skills and knowledge about digital technology
• Free online training so you know better how to work with others and what sort of things you could teach them
• The chance to part of a community of Champions who can help each other and share ideas
• Rewards and awards! You’ll receive a Certificate and an online Open Badge for each Digital Champion course you complete – you can put it on your CV and show others what you’ve done
• Immense satisfaction that you’ve made a difference to someone else

What are we looking for?

You need a good level of basic computer skills, but you don’t have to be an IT genius. Much more important is having enthusiasm and patience to spend some time helping others to get online.

To find out more, join the introductory zoom meeting on Tuesday 26 April between 16:00-17:00

For more information, please feel free to contact James Corbin on J.I.H.Corbin-2@kent.ac.uk

Our ever-popular half-price membership offer for students, staff, and members of the public will be returning soon! You’ll be able to take out a half-price Premium Plus membership for one month at a time, between 19 April and 16 June 2022, which will give you access to all the modern sports and fitness facilities on the Canterbury campus including:

• Access to our extensive, air-conditioned gym for cardio and resistance/weights sessions
• A full timetable of the most popular fitness and dance classes
• A wide range of indoor and outdoor sports
• Use of our brand-new Indoor Tennis and Events Arena, featuring four acrylic tennis courts
• Participation in social sports sessions** with our ALL Active team

Once you purchase a membership, you’ll need to create an online account in order to book sessions and activities.

Our prices have also been frozen from last year, so there has never been a better time to take out a Kent Sport membership:

• University of Kent staff – £13 per month
• Juniors* –  £18 per month
• Alumni and public – £37 per month and includes a plus one

You can purchase your membership online or by visiting the Sports Centre and The Pavilion receptions. Half price membership offer is available for purchase from 19 April to 16 June 2022 inclusive and is for use for one month from the purchase date. Membership terms and conditions can be found at kent.ac.uk/sports/membership.

*To apply for the junior rate, you must be aged 16 to 18 years old. Proof of age will be required when purchasing a Junior membership. **Starting in term 3.

For Kent Sport news, events and special offers, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter UniKentSports.

Order Up! is our new catering app for mobile ordering. It allows you to order food and drink from your favourite cafés, bars, and restaurant on our Canterbury campus.

Veggie or Vegan? We have dishes with you in mind! Why not try Origin’s Smoky Vegan Bean Chilli served with rice and guacamole? Or if it’s meat you crave how about our Hut 8 Big Stack Burger filled with a 1/3 beef patty, bacon, and cheese? Those options and so much more you’ll find on our  various catering outlets and their menus.

We have 4,900 people who use our Order Up! app and counting! As a student, staff member or visit of Kent, you too will enjoy all our app’s features and services.

How do I use Order Up!?

When you use our app, you’ll choose from the features we offer:

• Order and pay at table
• Order for collection or delivery
• Use our contactless payment

You can also:

• Browse through our menus
• Look at your order history
• Select our meal deals

How do I get Order Up!?

Download our app from the Apps Store or Google Play and you’ll order food and drink from your mobile wherever you are.

Want to order from your PC or laptop? No problem! Use our Order Up! web app on Safari, Chrome or any web browser.

Where do I order from?

Visit our Catering website and you’ll find a list of all our catering outlets to order from when you use our Order Up! app.

What have we achieved?

We’re very proud to have recently won the Marketing Award at the 2022 Public Sector Catering Awards for our Order Up! app. The award celebrates marketing campaigns that prove to be successful and exceed expectations. To make sure it was easy for you to use our Catering team spent many hours building the app and testing it by using the back our house software system.

To find out more about our award, read through our Staff News story.