The University is continuing to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine through a variety of initiatives. An update on the contributions from the University, staff and students is detailed below.

Council for At Risk Academics

The University has increased its contribution to the Council for At Risk Academics (CARA). CARA has reported that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is “having a devastating effect on millions of innocent people…among them, many university academics, and their families”. This increased funding will directly help the organisation to provide opportunities to more Ukrainian academics and their families.

If you know of any Ukrainian academics who may be at risk, please contact ukraine-support@kent.ac.uk and we will pass on the details to CARA. They will ensure the information will reach the relevant people as quickly as possible.

Homes for Ukraine

You may have seen that the Government has launched the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme. This scheme allows individuals, charities, community groups and businesses to offer refuge to an individual or family from Ukraine who are fleeing the war. To find out more, please visit the Government webpage.

Hardship Fund

If you know of any students from Ukraine, Russia or the wider region who have been impacted financially by the tragic events of the last few weeks and require financial support, please ask them to get in touch with our Financial Aid Office and see the Emergency Funding webpage.

Bake and Book Sale

Yesterday’s Bake and Book sale in the Colyer-Fergusson raised around £1,000 for the Red Cross emergency relief fund for Ukrainian refugees. Many thanks to those who made cakes, contributed books, and of course to everyone who attended and generously donated.

Kent Global Showcase

A final reminder that Kent’s forthcoming Global Showcase will take place today (16 March) from 14.30-16.00. More details can be found on our staff news story.

Please continue to let us know if you have any ideas as to how the University community can support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and the wider region by emailing ukraine-support@kent.ac.uk.

From Martin Carvey | Project Manager

Throughout the opening months of 2022, the KentVision project team has continued to work through prioritisation and management of ongoing helpdesk tickets to clear the path for the major changes that we know are still required for the system to be fully operational. A lot of this work takes place ‘behind the scenes’, ensuring we have the right approach to collaboration across areas and adjusting to a more iterative delivery model with appropriate testing time.

This means that benefits aren’t realised as quickly as many across both the project and wider University would like – my thanks again to all system users and our key stakeholders in particular for their continued engagement with this as I know the impact of the system’s current state remains a real challenge across a number of areas. However, the work in recent weeks is critical to us being able to start delivering regular improvements in a managed way without furthering risk to our regular work.

Roadmap for deliverables

Consultations continue across the University, with an updated roadmap tracking seven deliverables that are currently scheduled, with the balance being assessed against what can be realistically delivered. Priority areas at high level factor in Change of Circumstances, Board of Examiners and Data Quality/Statutory Data, with user stories are being created in each area to ensure we have thought through what the impact of each change will be, and ensure that the appropriate solution can be delivered in each case. A delivery plan for the new training environment has also been established, with both shared with key stakeholders shortly.

Continued engagement

Benefitting from the insight and experience of those in key teams across the University remains central to delivering a product that works as it needs to. In recent weeks we have allocated additional resource to make sure more real time data and reports can be provided, with clarity on progress and risks on key deliverables throughout.

Next steps

With these project improvements in place, our aim remains that people begin feeling the benefit of improvements across the system from this Spring onwards. Using an Agile delivery model, our initial priorities have been agreed with KV Project Board, and KV Operational Group members, ensuring that we have fully tested and delivered changes required ahead of the upcoming exam term and other committed timelines.

This remains a challenging project and I am especially grateful to all of those who are feeding in their on-the-ground experience of how the system currently works, including what they need it to do in future – this is invaluable to the project, and I know it is not easy when people are also impacted by the issues with its current form. By my next update, I am confident that the detailed work in recent weeks will begin to bear real fruit, with improvements across areas that make a real difference to how we work across these initial priority focus areas.

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

After a very challenging two years, we are finally able to look ahead and return to relatively normal operations at our University. Whilst the pandemic has been incredibly difficult for our whole community, I believe it has encouraged us all to be more reflective about what we do here. Now more than ever, the student voice must be at the heart of our institution – by truly listening to our students’ needs, wants and expectations, we can ensure they have a fantastic experience while at the University. 

The pandemic led to many changes across our University, with staff responding admirably to the ever-changing government guidelines and expectations. I would like to thank you all for your dedication during this time and all you continue to do for our students. As we return to ‘normality’, it is important that we do not dismiss all the changes we have made. Some of our new ways of working have improved the experience of our students, such as our implementation of online exams which helped to alleviate pressure on students at such a difficult time. As we make our plans for the future, it is imperative that we continue to listen to, and champion, our students’ voices so we might adapt our offer to suit their needs.  

Listening to what our students care about is so important to the relationship we hold with them. We have seen some great examples of how our students’ voices have helped shape change on our campus, such as our return to face-to-face teaching and the work some of our Student Reps have been doing concerning Consent. As we look ahead to the future at Kent, a culture of listening must be central to our ethos. It is important we continue to promote the NSS, as a valuable tool for our students to share their voices with us.

Our new ‘always on’ Your Uni, Your Say campaign brings together different ways for students to give feedback, making it easier for all students to tell us how they feel. We will shortly be asking students for their feedback on the shape of our academic year at Kent. This follows the consultation with staff that began in 2016/17 looking at how we might change the academic calendar to improve the experience at Kent. By working in partnership to reshape the academic year in the future, I hope we might reduce pressure felt by students and staff as well as improve student performance. We also might help to address issues of student experience in relation to assessment and feedback as well as the complexity of managing students with Individual Learning Plans. I am looking forward to understanding staff feedback on the proposals and will be running a series of online sessions so I can hear your views. Please look out for further information on this in due course.  

I am excited to see our future plans coming together and the hard work taking place across the University so we might deliver an even better experience for our students. Kent prides itself on providing an excellent academic environment and by working collaboratively we can ensure we inspire our students to be the very best they can be, now and in the future. 

Thank you for your dedication and continued support. 

Richard Reece

Our official Employee Assistance Programme provider, Care first offers a numbers of services and provide useful advice and support.

Due to the stabilising situation of Covid, they’ll be doing a side-range of webinar topics. Here’s the schedule for two weeks:

Week commencing 21 March 2022

Monday 21 March – ‘What is short term solution focussed counselling’ – This webinar provides further information on short term solution focussed counselling and ‘in the moment’ support.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Wednesday 23 March – ‘How Care first can support you’ – A webinar for awareness and how to access the EAP service provided by Care first.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Friday 25 March – ‘Debt Awareness Week’ – This webinar looks at the impact debt has on people’s mental health and details the support and advice that is available to individuals contacting Care first.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Week commencing 28 March 2022

Monday 28 March –‘Care first Management Support’ – This webinar provides an overview of the support available for managers and also the mental health first aiders of organisations through the EAP.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Wednesday 30 March – ‘How Care first can support you’ – A webinar for awareness and how to access the EAP service provided by Care first.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up

Friday 1 April – ‘Walk to work day – In association with Move More Month’ – This webinar considers the positive impact staying active can have on your general wellbeing, in line with Move More Month.
Time: 12.00-12.30 – click on this link to sign up 

A Bake and Book sale is being held at the Colyer Fergusson on the Canterbury campus on Tuesday 15 March 12:00-15:00 in aid of the British Red Cross Emergency Appeal for Ukrainian refugees.

Any donations of books and baked goods would be gratefully received. Please take these donations to Lucie Maslin in the Rutherford Extension entrance on Monday 14 March by 5pm, or before 11am on Tuesday 15 March.

All proceeds will go to the British Red Cross DEC Ukraine Appeal.

Please find our latest Continuing Support for Ukraine news story. 

As we continue to view the unfolding events in Ukraine with horror, our thoughts go out to the many bereaved and wounded, those suffering bombardment, homelessness and the destruction of their lives in the region. We express our solidarity with Ukrainian students and colleagues, along with all of those affected by the invasion, and we stand united in unequivocally condemning violence against civilians, hoping that peace can be restored as quickly as possible.  

We also look to how we can help as the humanitarian situation escalates in the country and the wider region. As Dr Olena Nizalova, Senior Lecturer in Economics and a member of our staff of Ukrainian origin, has said in a blog post earlier this week, there are practical ways to help, the critical means being the donation of money. 

National efforts are focussing on the work of the Disasters Emergency Committee which coordinates efforts across a range of agencies working in the region and we would urge students and staff who wish to donate to contribute to DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. 

At the University, we are already engaged in a number of practical steps to support those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.  

For many years we have provided the Council for At Risk Academics (CARA) funding to support refugee and displaced academics with opportunities for study and research at Kent. We have been in touch with them this week to confirm that this funding is available for Ukrainian academics and to explore ways in which we might extend our contribution via this route. We have also been in touch with the worldwide #ScienceForUkraine initiative to ensure that they are aware of our support through CARA and to publicise it through that venue. 

As communicated last week, we have identified several staff and students from Ukraine and Russia and have taken immediate steps to support these individuals. Additionally, we have been supporting students based in both countries to ensure we can get them to a safe place as quickly as possible. Teams are also tracing any further staff or students who have travelled to the regions to make sure they can access the help they need. 

We are working with our students and with Kent Union to organise and promote a range of fundraising activities and would urge all staff to consider supporting these. Further details on this will be shared shortly. 

We are also exploring how our hardship mechanisms can be utilised by Ukrainian students, and whether or not we can enable specific donations to support this provision. We will be communicating with students, staff and alumni about this as soon as we have worked through the practical details.  

After the wide support offered by Kent staff and students at Kent’s Solidarity with Ukraine event, the next opportunity to feedback on our activity will be held within our forthcoming Global Showcase. This will take place on 16 March from 14.30 to 16.00.  

We would very much like to hear about further ideas as to how the university community can support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people at this extremely difficult time for the country, and if you have any thoughts, please do let us know by emailing ukraine-support@kent.ac.uk. 

My thanks to all of our community who have pulled together to coordinate our response to this. 

Yours sincerely, 

Karen 

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President

From Gemma Blackman | Centre for the Study of Higher Education

Universities have a responsibility to serve their societies and communities through access to education, resources, expertise, and consultancy.  Yet within a hypercompetitive global higher education sector that champions internationalisation, local needs can be neglected or deprioritised. This series of seminars from the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) showcases a range of projects exploring higher education institutions’ civic responsibilities towards their wider societies and communities.

Becoming a University of Sanctuary: Lessons from the University of South Wales
9th March 2022 – 15:00-17:00 GMT
Venue: Online – Microsoft Teams

Sign up via Eventbrite.

The University of Sanctuary movement is a national network of university staff, lecturers, academics and students working to make Higher Education institutions places of safety, solidarity and empowerment for people seeking sanctuary. University of Sanctuary status is awarded to institutions that can demonstrate their commitment to creating a culture of welcome for people seeking sanctuary within, and beyond, their campuses.  In this seminar, Dr Cath Camps will reflect on the University of South Wales’ journey towards University of Sanctuary status, and outline number of associated ventures and initiatives at USW that are helping people displaced by war or persecution.  Attendees are invited to join in discussions concerning the University of Kent’s own application for University of Sanctuary status, planned for 2023.

With Dr Cath Camps, Deputy Director of the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching at University of South Wales.

For more details, see here.

Please note: this seminar is only open to University of Kent staff and students.

Reimagining Women Leadership Through Inclusive Community Engagement: Higher Education Resource Services – East Africa (HERS-EA)
23rd March 2022 – 13:00-14:00 GMT
Venue: Online – Microsoft Teams

Sign up via Eventbrite.

Higher Education Resource Services -East Africa (HERS-EA) is a women-centred leadership program for women in 7 African countries: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. In this seminar, the founders will outline how low-resource, engaged scholarship has mobilised researchers in Higher Education to engage with women-specific issues in the community and produce publishable manuscripts, for the benefit of researchers, communities, and policy makers.

With Naomi Lumutenga, mobiliser, activist and public speaker; and Prof. Margaret Khaitsa, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, USA.

For more details, see here.

Problematizing dominant research commitments in Northern Ireland: Underserved local minority ethnic and migrant peoples
11th May 2022 – 13:00-14:00 BST
Venue: Online – Microsoft Teams

Sign up via Eventbrite.

In this research seminar, two academic citizens in Northern Ireland will share and reflect on their recent work with a newly formed think tank, the Migrant and Minority Ethnic Council (MME) and problematize the dominant research commitment of Northern Ireland research-intensive universities which underserve local minority ethnic and migrant peoples. They will share stories and insights from their different perspectives, professional positions, social locations and realms of influence. Their praxes are underpinned by a concern for how universities serve the local good, and the aim of raise consciousness about the (re)productions of inequality, marginalisation, and methodological nationalism and whiteness by UK universities.

With Dr Dina Zoe Belluigi, Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast; and Dr Maurice Macartney, Public Affairs and Campaigns Office at Queen’s University Belfast.

For more details, see here.

Applications are invited for an exciting collaboration between the University of Kent, School of Arts and National Youth Jazz Collective.

The project addresses the changing profile of UK women jazz musicians in the 21st century, barriers to progression (educational and professional) and the relationship between artistic voice, gender and professional identity.

This is a unique opportunity to work closely with a prestigious national music education portfolio organization (NPO) and its network of partner arts organisations. Applicants will have an interest in women performer-composers, contemporary jazz, inclusive practices and socio-cultural issues. Relevant professional experience is also welcome.

The successful applicant will have autonomy to shape the project based on their interests. They will receive research training, benefit from academic knowledge exchange and gain public engagement experience. They will also benefit from first-hand experience of arts management, invaluable for those aiming to develop a career in the creative arts sector.

Project supervisors will be Dr Ruth Herbert (Dept of Music & Audio Technology), Professor Nicola Shaughnessy (Arts) and Issie Barratt, (Artistic Director of the National Youth Jazz Collective), identified by BBC Radio 4’s Women in Power List in 2018 as one of the 40 most influential women in the music industry.

Applications for this studentship must be made via the University of Kent’s application form for a PhD in Music. Informal enquiries to Dr Ruth Herbert (Music and Audio Technology) r.herbert@kent.ac.uk

Written by Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura

Every year for over a century 8 March has marked International Women’s Day. The day has a political foundation, to promote collective action for the advancement of gender equality. Over the years the reach has expanded, and the day provides global opportunities for celebration, reflection, and challenge.

A theme this year is to #BreakTheBias. This is a powerful call to action and across the world, people will be hosting events, ceremonies, speakers, conferences, and protests to highlight the ways to break the bias, and why urgent action is still needed. Bias is at the core of inequality; it is conscious and unconscious and results in stereotypes and discrimination which are mostly systemically ingrained. Yet change feels sluggish, and progress is slow. How can we accelerate work to #BreakTheBias? I think part of the puzzle is to think of meaningful change as a journey which is effortful, collective, and requires leadership.

The bias women experience is not unidimensional. To break the bias, we need to take individual accountability and to spend the time and energy to understand lived experiences. This means providing safe and open spaces for sharing, with kindness and humility. It means keeping informed, updating our knowledge and skills, and continuous communication. It means recognising and addressing the intersectional structural discrimination that members of our community face, including ableism, transphobia, racism and homophobia. It takes effort. We can be more confident we are still on the right journey when we make the effort to understand what equality means for all women.

The collective and effortful nature of our journey towards gender equality will be advanced with leadership. To fast-track progress to break the bias will take distributed shared leadership, empowering individuals and teams, and recognising

leadership practise in day-to-day activities and collaborations. For example, this might be the leadership of a network event, organising a celebration of women’s work, publishing a report, calling someone out, developing a new call to action. It is the practise of leadership in everyday life, meaning wherever we are on the journey we are aiming to get further along but reaching out to hold the hands of those behind us, hopefully bringing new people in to join us. Especially in times of wider change and uncertainty shared leadership – and the recognition of this leadership – will be essential to drive change.

Every chip to #BreakTheBias matters. On the 8 March I will cross my arms to symbolise we need to break the bias as per the IWD call to action. But I will do so with an energy that means I can open them even wider ready to listen, collaborate, take action, lead and follow. I encourage you to join me.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day on the 8 March, we want to highlight some of the amazing and inspirational stories of our female staff, students, and alumni. We are proud of all our women at Kent and wish we could mention them all, but here’s a glimpse into just some of their wonderful achievements and where they all #BreakTheBias.

Dr Beth Breeze receives OBE

Dr Beth Breeze

Dr Beth Breeze, Director of our Centre for Philanthropy, was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) “For services to Philanthropic Research and Fundraising”.

Dr Albena Azmanova wins book award

Dr Albena Azmanova

Dr Albena Azmanova, in our Brussels School of International Studies, received the Michael Harrington Book Award for her book Capitalism on Edge: How Fighting Precarity Can Achieve Radical Change Without Crisis or Utopia.

Glory Oluwaseun is honoured for her work

Glory Oluwaseun

Kent student, Glory Oluwaseun was recognised for her contribution to citizenship by winning a Young Black Achievers Award from Medway African and Caribbean Association (MACA).

Professor Emily Grabham awarded Philip Leverhulme Prize

Professor Emily Grabham

Kent Law School Professor Emily Grabham achieved international recognition for her research over the last ten years, gaining multiple national prizes, including a £100k Philip Leverhulme Prize in Law.

Filipa Paes created Consent. Get It. Full Stop.’ campaign

Filipa Paes

As part of our new Kent Star campaign, Law student Filipa was recognised for her inspiring work on the ‘Consent. Get It. Full Stop.’ campaign.

Dr YolanDa Brown – award-winning saxophonist

Dr YolanDa Brown

Our alum YolanDa Brown is truly an inspiration – from being a double MOBO award-winning saxophonist to a broadcaster and author, YolanDa’s talents have no bounds.

Susannah Townsend – Olympic-winning field hockey play

Susannah Townsend

Our alum Susannah Townsend who still regularly trains on University campus, has previously been named Hockey Writers’ Club Women’s Player of the Year and achieved a gold medal in her first Olympic Games.

We love to hear about our amazing people at Kent, so if you have any inspirational stories you’d like to share email us at stories@kent.ac.uk!