Tag Archives: Campus online

EDA launches Mechanical Engineering courses as part of STEM expansion

The University of Kent is proud to promote its undergraduate course in Mechanical Engineering (available to apply for via the UCAS website), which marks a major development for the University as it broadens its offerings to students.

Two streams of Mechanical Engineering are offered: a three-year stream and a four-year stream that includes a year in industry. The course has been designed in response to the growing demand in the UK workforce for graduates with STEM skills such as robotics, driverless vehicles and renewable energy systems.

The course provides a solid grounding in statics and dynamics, properties of materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, mechatronics, control, instrumentation, mathematics, electronics, and programming. Students also work on a variety of hands-on projects combining mechanical design and control systems, supervised by specialist academics.

There is a focus on employability and career development activities offered across all the engineering degree programmes at Kent, including industrial interaction and placement opportunities.

The course is part of a wider focus within the University to expand its STEM offerings, including the Kent and Medway Medical School and the Institute for Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, as in line with the growing demand for STEM skills. It is open to applicants now, with the first cohort beginning their studies in September 2020.

Decolonising the curriculum expert is University of Kent inspirational speaker

The Founder and Director of Black British Academics is the inspirational speaker for a University of Kent workshop in Medway that will reflect on the decolonisation, democratisation and diversification of the UK curriculum.

Dr Deborah Gabriel will lead the 3D Pedagogy Workshop on Wednesday 27 February 2019 from 14.00-15.30 in the Rochester Building at the University’s Medway campus.
Dr Gabriel, a senior lecturer at Bournemouth University, has carried out extensive research into the experiences of black academics and the challenges of decolonising the curriculum. She is well known for her expertise on racial inequality in higher education and disparities in pay and progression.

The event aims to equip participants with a basic understanding of critical race pedagogy (a theoretical took applied to understand racism impacts on teaching), social justice pedagogy and critical reflective practice, enhancing educational practice by increasing cultural competence.
The event is part of the Student Success Strategy in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences (SSES). Head of the School, Professor Claire Peppiatt-Wildman, said: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from Dr Gabriel. Our focus in on inclusive teaching and by targeting education practice, we enhance the outcomes for students of colour and enrich the learning process for students of all ethnic backgrounds.’

The event is free and open to all. To book please visit the event’s dedicated booking page here.

Note-Taking session available

Learning and Development’s full catalogue of courses is now viewable via Staff Connect. We still have places available on our Note Taking session, running on the 21st November, 9.30am-12.30pm. Please use Staff Connect to see further information and to book a place.

We are running a number of drop in sessions to demonstrate the training and appraisal modules, and dates can be found on our website.

Freecycle event

Staff and students are invited to donate unwanted items for a freecycle event taking place on the Canterbury campus in early November.

Items including clothes, books, shoes, bags, crockery, pots, pans, homeware (excluding electricals and sharps) can be dropped off at the Student Activities Centre on Thursday 8 November from 15.00 to 17.00. The freecycle event takes place the following day, Friday 9 November, from 1pm on the plaza. Staff and students can take any of the items in return for an optional donation to Kent RAG, who are supporting Movember. The event will end as soon as all of the items are gone, so it works on a first-come-first-served basis. Be there early to avoid missing out!

KirCCS Public Engagement event on Cyber Security

Kent Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Cyber Security (KirCCS) at the University of Kent will host its first Public Engagement Event in Cyber Security at the Canterbury campus on Wednesday 5th December 2018 from 13.00 to 18.00.

The event will be opened by Professor Karen Cox, the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University, at 14.30 after a buffet lunch reception, together with posters, stands, and demonstrations on various topics in Cyber Security.

The event will also include a talk by Professor Philippe De Wilde, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Innovation, on the University’s activities, achievements and future plans in research and innovation. There will be an introduction to KirCCS, followed by a number of invited talks given by external speakers from government, industry and academia.

KirccS is representing the University of Kent as a UK government recognised ACE-CSR (Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research).

Please book your place at this event as places are limited.

Writing with Impact workshop for professional services staff

The Learning and Teaching Network has arranged a Writing Workshop for Professional Services staff on Wednesday 21 November, 13.15-16.15, Cornwallis North West Seminar Room 6. The session will be run by Susan Barker, a novelist with extensive experience as a writing facilitator.

The ability to write well is an indispensable skill that most people wish they could improve. This inspiring workshop will explore techniques you can use to become a more efficient and persuasive writer. The workshop will include many practical tips and fun activities to strengthen and energise your writing.

Whether composing an email, a letter or a report, Writing with Impact will help you tap into your creativity to become a more confident and effective writer.

Places are limited on this workshop. To book a place please use the online booking form.

Engage the public with your research: KMTV and Kent Alumni

For all engagers!

Interested in using KMTV as a platform for your research and to connect with our region? Want to know more about how to connect with our alumni as a potential audience for your research? Fancy a sandwich and a chat with others at Kent who are interested in public engagement with research?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, come along to Keynes Seminar Room 4 at midday on Wednesday 31^st October and talk with:

· KMTV Development Officer Cordelia Mason: discover how to use KMTV as a tool for sharing Kent research and a platform for engagement

· Alumni Relations and Supporter Engagement Manager Julia Baxter: opportunities to connect with our Alumni on Kent research

Please email Maddy Bell at peresearch@kent.ac.uk if you plan to come along. All are welcome but space (and more importantly sandwiches!) will be limited – please pass this to any colleagues you think may like to join us and ask them to get in touch.

This is the first in a new series of lunch sessions for sharing news and best practice, and providing information on how other departments can support offer support or resources for engagement with research practice.

CSHE seminar – Applications of Concept Mapping to Higher Education Research

Colleagues are invited to the Centre for the Study of Higher Education seminar taking place on Thursday 25 October, from 13.00 to 14.00 in the UELT Seminar Room, Canterbury.

The seminar, on ‘Applications of Concept Mapping to Higher Education Research’, will be presented by Professor Ian Kinchin, Department of Higher Education, University of Surrey.

Concept mapping (as developed by Joe Novak) has been used as a student study aid since the 1970s. Applications of concept maps have been shown to help students to understand complex ideas and integrate their learning to build a coherent knowledge structure. Concept mapping has also been used as a research tool as it provides a method to collect and present rich data.

Its origins in science education have resulted in a bias towards quantitative analysis of maps and has resulted in various ways of scoring maps. This seems to mask much of the benefit of producing a map in the first place. Qualitative analysis of maps can reveal unique perspectives that might be lost by other data collection techniques. Whilst the qualitative analysis of maps can be messy, it can be a more effective way of eliciting personal views of research participants.

he application of concept map-mediated interviews can facilitate the visualisation of these personal views. This seminar will introduce participants to the pros and cons of this approach, and initiate discussion about the appropriateness of the tool for academic professional development.

Please confirm your attendance by completing the online booking form.

Launch of a new sustainable food strategy

The University of Kent recognises its responsibility to carry out its procurement activities in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, and the considerable influence we have in using our buying power to encourage healthy and sustainable food production and consumption. With this in mind, the University launches its first sustainable food strategy on 1 October 2018.

The strategy is a road map for increasing the sustainability of our food offering from field to fork and beyond, and has been co-written by Kent Hospitality, Kent Sport, The Gulbenkian and the Estates Department, along with the Kent Union Environment Officer and student and staff reps. The strategy supports the University’s aim to embed the Sustainable Development Goals into our operations.

Highlights include:

Reducing overall meat consumption across our campuses and improving the welfare standard of the meat we serve
Reducing the miles our fruit and veg travels and increasing the seasonality of our menus
Incorporating food grown on campus into our menus
Carrying out a full review of the amount of single-use disposables we get through
Pursuing options for food composting

Read the full strategy and find out more about sustainable food at the Sustainability web pages or email sustainability@kent.ac.uk.

U.N.I (You and I) Protect workshops

Places are now available on U.N.I (You and I) Protect workshops running in October 2018.

All of us can take action to protect each other and the wider University community to help promote a culture of dignity and respect at Kent. This programme will help you recognise and challenge problematic and harmful behaviour, such as abuse or sexual harassment.

On completion of the course participants will understand what a ‘bystander’ is and be empowered to be able to intervene in situations safely and with confidence.

There will be two sets of workshops running in October 2018. You can attend on either Monday or Friday mornings from10.00 to 11.30 during weeks 3, 4 and 5. All students who complete the course will receive 15 Employability Points.

If you want to take part or simply want to find out more please visit the Study Plus website. The module code is KE148. Places are limited so please sign up as soon as you can.

Further information about the course can also be found on the Student Services website.