The centenary of women’s formal entry into the legal profession in the UK and Ireland is celebrated in a unique new scholarly anthology co-edited by Kent Law School Professor Erika Rackley and Professor Rosemary Auchmuty (University of Reading).

Women’s Legal Landmarks: Celebrating the history of women and law in the UK and Ireland (Hart Publishing) is an anthology of 92 key legal landmarks written by over 80 feminist legal and history scholars, all of whom are participants in the Women’s Legal Landmarks Project led by Professor Rackley and Professor Auchmuty. Between them, the book’s contributors address almost 2000 years of history of women and feminists’ engagement with law and law reform. Topics covered include the right to vote, sex discrimination, surrogacy and assisted reproduction, rape, domestic violence, FGM, equal pay, abortion, and the life stories of a number of women who were the first to undertake key legal roles and positions.

Professor Rackley said: ‘Women’s formal entry into the legal profession was – of course – a key legal landmark for women. But it was not the first. Nor was it the last. Women’s legal history in the UK and Ireland is full of landmarks, turning points in law’s response to women’s lives and experiences.

‘Feminists have long had recourse to law as a key means of achieving equality. From “Votes for Women” to #repealthe8th, from the East End of London to Greenham Common, women, feminists and women-led organisations have been there campaigning and making the arguments for change.’

The book will be launched at Matrix Chambers in London at the end of January. This will be followed by a series of ‘Conversations’ hosted by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies throughout 2019.

It is with the greatest regret that we learnt of the death of Dr Lewis Ryder, former member of staff in the School of Physical Science, on 17 December.

Lewis joined the University of Kent at Canterbury in 1967 as one of the first cohort of Physics staff and, despite retiring in 1997, he continued to play a key role in the School and the University until very recently, including frequently playing the organ for University degree ceremonies in Canterbury Cathedral. He will be remembered with great affection by his colleagues and many former students.

The funeral service for Lewis will be in the Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral at 11.00 on  Monday 14 January, with a reception in the Cathedral Lodge to follow at 12.00. His family have kindly said that all are welcome to attend.

Lewis pursued his entire career at the University, designed much of the Modern Physics aspects was the author of three books on ‘Elementary Particles and Symmetries’; ‘Quantum Field Theory’ and an ‘Introduction to General Relativity’. These texts became classics in the field and were used by literally thousands of students over many decades (all are available on Amazon!).

He was also a very gifted musician, becoming an Associate of the Royal College of Organists and a Deputy Organist at Canterbury Cathedral.

‘I’m a Scientist’ and ‘I’m an Engineer’ events are running 4-15 March 2019 alongside British Science Week. Anyone from Postgraduate Research to Professor level at Kent is eligible to apply to take part.

These online events allow researchers to answer questions from school pupils all over the country with the chance to win £500 to fund more STEM engagement. It’s a great opportunity to be challenged over research and its meaning.

It’s a simple application process based around a one sentence description of the research, with a deadline for applications of 28 January 2019.

The events take place 4–15 March for British Science Week 2019:

Apply for I’m a Scientist

Apply for I’m an Engineer

(and apply for both if your role fits!)

The events are split into ‘zones’ including: drug development, psychology, nuclear physics, water science, organs, space engineering, energy engineering and some general science zones.

If you are successful in applying, please contact Maddy Bell, Research Impact & Public Engagement Manager at m.r.bell@kent.ac.uk. Please email peresearch@kent.ac.uk to join a mailing list for Kent Public Engagement with Research news.

In the latest episode of the Nostalgia podcast series, Dr Chris Deacy, Reader in Theology and Religious Studies in the Department of Religious Studies, speaks to Olly Double from the School of Arts.

In this week’s episode, Olly and Chris talk about ghosts and Scooby Doo; having a Dr. Who book signed by Tom Baker; the difference between public and private profiles and personae; being an anti-hierarchical person in a hierarchical profession; watching The Boomtown Rats on ‘Top of the Pops’; queuing up in the rain to see Planet of the Apes; how The Omen made Olly rethink what he’d grown up believing in the Church of England; and we share our experiences of going to see Jim Davidson on stage.

Future guests will include the Vice-Chancellor and President, Karen Cox, and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) April McMahon. For all the other interviews in this series, please see here.

2019 is Gulbenkian’s 50th birthday and all University staff are invited to a very special open day on Friday 18 January, from 11.00-14.00.

• Meet our team and see behind the scenes in our backstage tour (and be one of the first to sit in our brand new theatre seats)
• Find out what is coming up this year in theatre & cinema and the bOing! International Family Festival
• Learn about staff discounts
• Help us chose our new coffee supplier. Meet local suppliers and taste coffees – we want to know what you think!
• Unleash your own creativity and join a creative workshop
• Discover the brilliant Arts Council funded work we do with children and young people across Kent
• Find out how you can hire our spaces, volunteer, or become more involved with your arts centre here on campus

It’s very informal and you can drop in anytime between 11.00 and 14.00.

Please RSVP to boxoffice@kent.ac.uk so we have an idea of numbers.

Many people resolve to reduce their alcohol intake after the excesses of Christmas and New Year. Many also take part in Dry January and give up booze for 31 days. So, here are some tips to help keep your units down…

• Talk to someone – If you talk about your goal of drinking less with a trusted friend, or even through social media, you’ll increase your chances of becoming successful at cutting down.
• Don’t drink on an empty stomach – If you drink on an empty stomach, the alcohol will be absorbed faster, and cold drinks will accelerate this. Alcohol can affect the parts of the brain associated with impulse control and decision-making – too much alcohol and we make bad decisions and that can include drinking a lot more than we planned to.
• Alternate a non-alcoholic drink with an alcoholic one – Having non-alcoholic drinks in-between could reduce your alcohol consumption by half and help to hydrate you in the process.
• Beware of rounds – Drinking in rounds can be expensive, dangerous (if it means keeping pace with the fastest drinker in your group), and a nightmare (if you’re trying to cut down on alcohol). Stay in control, and save cash, by opting for smaller rounds with only a couple of friends within your group or giving rounds a miss.
• Eat up – A healthy meal before you go out, and snacks between drinks, can help to slow down the absorption of alcohol and help you stay in control. With less alcohol inside you, you’re also less likely to be tempted by late-night fast food!
• Small or lower strength is better – Make your units go further by having bottles of beer or halves instead of pints, and choosing a smaller glass for your wine. Buying spritzers will also help keep the unit count down and try switching to lower strength drinks.

The University of Kent Wellbeing Zone is a free tool to help you learn more about all aspects of wellbeing and you can use it to better manage your own health and wellbeing.

Logon today at www.kent.wellbeingzone.co.uk
Or create an account by clicking ‘Register’ and using the following organisation Code : KENT1

Sport, fitness and recreation is back and starting the New Year off with a bang! What better way to get those New Year’s resolutions off on the right foot than with our recently reduced Kent Sport student membership.

Gold student membership is now £164 and Silver £140, for use until 31 August 2019. Student membership is available to all undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Canterbury campus.

Student membership offers a huge range of benefits including access to the fitness suite, to all fitness and dance classes and access to facilities for club training. Membership also includes free rental of bicycles from the Cycle Hub and discounts on fitness services. So whether you enjoy keeping fit in the gym, dancing at Zumba, playing badminton with friends, participating in competitive sports, or access to special events such as UV Sports Night, DJ in the Gym, Fitness Fest and Xercise Factor, there is lots to enjoy at Kent Sport.

Join us, make friends, get active and discover more! Buy your membership online or at the Sports Centre and Pavilion receptions.

To stay up to date with the latest news, special offers and activities, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter UniKentSports. 

Students can face many challenges while studying at University, particularly for those with a disability or ongoing condition that may impact on your learning.

One way in which support is provided is through Inclusive Learning Plans (ILPs), that can be implemented to support a student and help to make reasonable adjustments to assist with your learning.

Following a recent Disability History Month forum held by Kent Union Vice-President Welfare Omolade Adedapo with Kent Union Students with Disabilities Officer Lucy Doey, student trustee Lily Dedman and final year Student Philip Crooker, there were issues raised about how ILPs are working for students.

Kent Union wants to make sure Inclusive Learning Plans are meeting your expectations and providing you with the support you need to succeed here at Kent.

So let us know what works or what doesn’t work well, if you have had an ILP, or how you would like to see ILPs improved by taking two minutes to fill in Kent Union’s online feedback tool Digital Rep.

Post by Kent Union Vice-President Welfare Omolade Adedapo

The Dean for Internationalisation, Dr Anthony Manning is pleased to invite you to the University’s annual Internationalisation Forum, which will take place at both the Canterbury and Medway campuses next term.

The Canterbury Forum will take place on Wednesday 23 January in the Darwin Conference Suites 1 and 2, from 09.30-12.30. Register here for the Canterbury Forum.

The Medway Forum will be held on Tuesday 29 January, from 14.00-15.30 in Room R2-09, Rochester Building. Register here for the event.

The aim of these events is to provide an overview on the progress of the University’s internationalisation activity and to share good practice, linking to the Internationalisation Strategy.

The full programme will be published shortly.

All staff are invited to attend and there will be representation from the student body.

We very much look forward to seeing you at one of the events.