Regrettably, today’s outdoor Billhook Nook concert has been cancelled due to the muddy conditions and weather forecast. The concert will now take place in the Colyer-Fergusson Foyer at 13.10 on Wednesday 6 June.
Places available on pre-retirement seminar – 4 or 27 June
Learning and Organisational Development have places available on a pre-retirement seminar taking place on either Monday 4 June or Wednesday 27 June, from 9.00 to 16.30.
The seminar will provide you with an introduction to the issues affecting your retirement and help you to plan both financially and emotionally for the next phase of your life.
It will include sessions on:
- financial planning including investments and taxation
- your occupational pension benefits
- your state pension entitlement
- adjusting to and planning for retirement
To secure a place on 4 June please email the Learning and Organisational Development team ldev@kent.ac.uk.
To secure a place on 27 June, please make a booking via the Learning and Development events calendar.
Kent students, staff and alumni to march at Canterbury Pride – 9 June
The University has been a proud sponsor of Canterbury Pride for the last two years, and members of the LGBT+ Staff Network and student society have again joined forces to organise Kent’s representation in the parade on Saturday 9 June.
All colleagues and students are invited to join the group to fly the flag and show support for LGBTQIA people. To join the team please register online and bring your printed ticket to the event. Guests, friends, partners, children etc are welcome. You will not be allowed entrance if you (and your guests) do not have your printed ticket.
The parade starts at 11.30 and you will need to be outside the Marlowe by 10.45 to register. Kent organisers will have a large banner (like the image above) so you should be able to spot them.
Contact the LGBT+ Staff Network for more details. View the event on Facebook.
PS – don’t forget to check out the LGBT+ Staff Network’s exhibition on LGBTQIA role models and allies at the Templeman Gallery, which is on display until 6 July.
VC Open Forum at Medway – Friday 6 July
Message from Professor Karen Cox, Vice-Chancellor and President:
As part of my commitment to meet as many colleagues as possible and get their views on the University, I have spent the past few months visiting schools and professional service departments, having open conversations with staff.
In addition, I planned two Open Forums for anyone to ‘drop in’. The first of these took place at Canterbury campus in March and the second will be held at Pilkington Lecture Theatre, Medway, on Friday 6 July from 10.30-11.30. These forums are open to all University of Kent staff, to share with me their thoughts on the University: what works; what doesn’t, and how they would like to see things done differently. This will all help to shape the review of the University strategy and priorities over the next few years.
If you are able to attend the Medway Open Forum, please register your attendance here.
Learning and Teaching Conference 2018 – Wednesday 20 June
There is still time to register for this year’s Learning and Teaching Conference taking place on Wednesday 20 June, 9.00-16.00, Keynes Lecture Theatre 1 and Atrium Foyer, followed by a drinks reception.
This year’s theme is Promoting Powerful Student Learning Experiences In and Out of Class. The theme interprets learning holistically, encompassing both curricular and co-curricular activities that support students’ growth while at university. The morning sessions highlight partnerships between professional services staff and academics in enhancing students’ learning. Those sessions will be relevant to a range of professional and frontline student services staff who support students’ learning. The afternoon sessions feature examples of innovative teaching that blur the boundaries of the classroom.
The event is an opportunity for the University of Kent community to come together around the shared goal of supporting student learning.
The event is free and all staff are welcome to attend.
Please book your place by emailing cpdbookings@kent.ac.uk.
To view the draft programme please see https://www.kent.ac.uk/cshe/news-events.html?tab=learning-and-teaching-conference-2018
A final programme will be sent to those who have registered shortly before the event.
Condolences for Jacqueline Hill
We are saddened to learn of the death of Jacqueline Hill (née Marchand) on 28 April this year, at the age of 89. With her husband John, she was a founder of the original University of Kent Language Centre from 1966. She taught French language within what was initially the Institute of Language and Linguistics (ILL) and later the Board of Applied Languages and Linguistics (BALL) before her retirement in 1992.
As someone directly responsible for preparing students from a wide range of disciplines for study in Europe, she played a key role in building ‘the UK’s European University’.
Cellular Dynamics to feature at Cheltenham Science Festival
Cellular Dynamics – a collaboration between the School of Biosciences and the Music Department – will be one of the opening events of the Cheltenham Science Festival on Tuesday 5 June at 20.30 in the Parabola Arts Centre.
Cellular Dynamics merges cutting-edge biological research with live musical performance. It explores fundamental biological processes and concepts – such as cell growth and division, neural development, and synthetic biology – through projection of images and video derived from research undertaken at Kent. Curated and presented by Dr Dan Lloyd from the School of Biosciences, the performance features musical repertoire for piano – including Satie, Debussy, Glass and others – selected in collaboration with Daniel Harding, Deputy Director of Music, and performed by pianist and composer Matthew King.
The Cheltenham Science Festival is described by Professor Brian Cox as “the premier science festival in the UK”. Cellular Dynamics will also be featured at the Norwich Festival of Science (October) and the Hong Kong Festival of Ideas (January 2018).
Prestigious Inner Temple scholarship for Kent student
Kent Law student Andreas Malekos is one step closer to achieving his ambition of becoming a barrister after being awarded a prestigious scholarship of almost £20,000 by the Inner Temple.
The Inner Temple BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course) Scholarship of £19,700 will help support Andreas during his year of vocational training. The BPTC is designed to equip Andreas with the skills, knowledge, attitudes and competence to prepare for pupillage, the next stage in his professional training.
Andreas was interviewed at the Inner Temple, one of four Inns of Court that aspiring barristers are required to join, in March. After being taken to the Inn’s magnificent library, he was given half an hour to read an unreported case from a choice of three in his chosen area of law. He chose a criminal case involving psychoactive substances (legal highs), a topic he had studied in Public Law 2 the previous year.
He was then interviewed by a panel of four Inner Temple barristers, two of whom were Queen’s Counsel. Andreas said: ‘The panel members were incredibly charming and I immediately felt more at ease. I was first asked to analyse the case which I did by summarising the arguments made and the decision given. I was then asked for my opinion on the case – I criticised the judge for the lack of expert evidence referred to when reaching the decision that nitrous oxide (laughing gas) was not a medicinal substance.’
Andreas plans to begin his BPTC at City Law School in September. Although his main interests currently lie in both Criminal Law and Property Law, he says he is yet to come across an area of law that he doesn’t enjoy and will approach the BPTC with an open mind.
SMFA Fine Art students interviewed live on KMTV
School of Music and Fine Art students Olu Taiwo (MA Fine Art ) and Lynn Smith (BA Fine Art) were interviewed live on KMTV to talk about their 2018 degree shows.
Lynn Smith’s work explores nature and the spirit of place, investigating the landscape through sculpture, and using traditional craft within fine art.
Olu Taiwo’s work is concerned with memory – how we access and discard memories – experienced through his immersive art.
The 2018 Degree Shows, which feature work from graduating students studying Fine Art and Event and Experience Design, are open to the public every day from 10.00 to 17.00 until 26 May and are free to enter.
Find out more about the artists in the Fine Art Degree Show or book your ticket.
Kent to host festival on Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression
The Department of Religious Studies will host the Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression Workshop and Festival over the weekend of 2 and 3 June.
The two-day event is open to students, staff and members of the public, and the programme is as follows:
2 June 2018
Performing Blasphemy – a panel session chaired by award-winning director Shakila Mann. Other panelists include Christa Harris (director of documentary Inside Pussy Riot) and feminist activist Inna Shevchenk.
Blasphemy, Colonialism and the Politics of ‘World Religions’ – a panel session chaired by Yasmin Rehman from the End Violence Against Women Coalition and the Centre for Secular Space. Other panelists include writer and journalist Gita Sahgal and Professor Richard King from the Department of Religious Studies.
Sticks and Stones: Why Words Still Hurt – A talk by Maureen Freely from the University of Warwick.
Film screening: Stewart Lee’s 90s Comedian – A screening of Stewart Lee’s comedy performance 90s Comedian.
3 June 2018
Law, Blasphemy and Censorship – A panel session chaired by Professor Maria Drakopoulou of Kent Law School. Other panelists include Shakila Mann and Clara Connolly, lawyer and activist.
Speaking Out on Sexual Violence within Sikh Communities: An Interview with Gupreet Kaur Bhatti – Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti is a British Sikh writer who writes for stage, screen and radio. Her play Behzti [Dishonour] was controversially cancelled by the Birmingham Rep after violent protests. Her most recent play is Elephant. She will be interviewed by Sukhwant Dhaliwal.
Blasphemy and Comedy – A discussion with comedians Daphna Baram, Giacinto Palmieri, Ravi Holy and Sameena Zehra, chaired by Dr Shaun May of the School of Arts.
Stand-Up Blasphemy – A comedy session in the Gulbenkian, performed by Daphna Baram, Giacinto Palmieri, Ravi Holy and Sameena Zehra.