Tag Archives: Medway

Inaugural hearing of the Airspace Tribunal in London

Kent Law School Professor Nick Grief will be sharing his expertise in international airspace law and human rights at the inaugural hearing of the Airspace Tribunal in London.

The Airspace Tribunal is an innovative research collaboration between Professor Grief https://www.kent.ac.uk/law/people/academic/Grief,_Nick.html and visual artist Shona Illingworth https://www.kent.ac.uk/smfa/staff/staff-profiles/fineart/3Illingworth.html (Reader in Fine Art at Kent’s School of Music and Fine Art). Its aim is to consider a new human right to protect peoples’ freedom to exist without physical or psychological threat from above.

The Airspace Tribunal is inviting representations from experts across a broad range of disciplines and lived experience, such as human rights, contemporary warfare, new media, environmental change, neuropsychology, conflict and forced migration. Together with Professor Grief and Shona Illingworth, speakers will include: Martin A Conway, cognitive neuropsychologist and expert on human memory and the law; Conor Gearty, professor of human rights law who has published extensively on terrorism, civil liberties and human rights; Andrew Hoskins, media sociologist known for his work on media, memory and conflict; Maya Mamish, psychologist researching integration and well-being of Syrian youth affected by armed conflict and displacement; and William Merrin, a specialist in digital media and author of Digital War.

The Tribunal’s inaugural hearing in September will also see the launch of Topologies of Air, a body of work by Shona Illingworth (commissioned by The Wapping Project) that features an immersive, multi-screen sound and video installation examining the impact of accelerating geopolitical, technological and environmental change on the composition, nature and use of airspace.

The event, supported by the University of Kent, The Wapping Project and Doughty Street Chambers, will be held at Doughty Street Chambers in Doughty Street from 10am – 4.30pm on Friday 21 September. Anybody interested in attending is asked to register online via the Eventbrite page (places are very limited).

Continued success for Kent’s European Summer Schools

The University’s 2018 European Summer Schools, at its postgraduate centres in Paris and Brussels, have reported another successful year.

Launched in 2013, the two-week summer school programme is built on Kent’s specialist knowledge and international reputation as the UK’s European university by offering a number of undergraduate students and external applicants the opportunity to participate in academic sessions and cultural activities in these two world-renowned European capitals.

This year, students at the University’s Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS) explored the theme of ‘Europe and the World’, which drew upon the academic strengths of the school. Within this context, various sub-themes were also covered; these included migration and the refugee response, the European Union’s (EU) relationship with emerging powers, and its response to the global economic crisis. Students participated in a series of guest lectures, seminars and debates delivered by academics, policy-makers, diplomats and European civil servants.

 Students at Kent’s Paris School of Arts and Culture, located in historic Montparnasse, explored the theme of ‘Revolutions’. This allowed them to gain a greater understanding of how French culture has long been at the centre of innovation in the fields of architecture, film, literature, art and philosophy

 Students spent two weeks in Paris in an interdisciplinary environment, attending seminars given by expert academics from Kent and visiting important sites and museums related to the programme. These included the Pompidou Centre, the Picasso Museum and the Jardin des Plantes.

Sophie Punt, Summer School Co-ordinator at the University, described this year as ‘one of the best to date with more students than ever before signing up’. It was successful in many respects she said but ‘overall this year’s schools have provided students with not only enhanced intercultural and analytical skills, but also provided them with an opportunity to see Europe and its role in the world from a range of different perspectives’. Looking ahead we are hoping to run a summer school at our Rome centre for 2019 which will draw on the expertise in Arts and History-based studies in the eternal city.

We would like to extend our thanks to the generous supporters of the schools including the Student Projects Fund for their generous contribution towards the scholarships.

 

 

Student Services CARE Awards winners 2018

We are delighted to share the winners of the Student Services CARE Awards 2018, which recognises the achievements and excellence of staff members who embody the values of Student Services. This year’s winners across the five awards categories are:

Empowerment and Innovation Award: Anna Edgar-Chan (Counsellor, Student Support and Wellbeing), for her outstanding contributions to Student Support and Wellbeing including introducing e-therapy options and reducing waiting times for students.

Student Focussed Award: Hannah Greer and Jen Davey (Work-Study Scheme, Careers and Employability Service), for the Work Study Scheme, providing employability skills training, one to one mentoring and employment opportunities for students.

Partnership Award: Careers and Employability Service Team, for organising the Employability Festival at the Canterbury and Medway campuses, enhancing the employability of Kent students via links with graduate employers and developing students’ employability skills.

Spirit of Student Services Award: Cathy Myers, Specific Learning Difficulties Adviser, for her dedication to supporting staff and students during the period of industrial action and adverse weather conditions.

Team Excellence Award: Medway Master’s Office Team, for organising fundraising for the Molly McLaren Foundation.

You can read more about this year’s winners on the CARE Awards website.

Athena SWAN Charters Award Ceremony 2018

The University attended the Advance HE’s Charters Awards Ceremony on 17 July at the new Swansea University’s Bay Campus in Swansea, Wales, together with 120 colleagues across the Higher Education sector in the UK.

 With these awards, Advance HE’s Athena SWAN Charter and Race Equality Charter recognises and celebrates the commitment and hard work that’s being done at the Institutions and Departments in advancing good practices in these fields.

Kent was successful in renewing its Institutional Athena SWAN Bronze award.The redacted version of the submission can be accessed here.

In addition to the Institutional Award, three of our Schools got their departmental awards; the School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Actuarial Science collected their Athena SWAN Silver award. SMSAS is the first department at the University of Kent to hold a Silver award. The School of History collected their Athena SWAN Bronze award. The School of History is the first department in the Faculty of Humanities at Kent to hold an Athena SWAN award.

The Athena SWAN Team also collected the Medway School of Pharmacy’s Athena SWAN Bronze. The Athena SWAN Team and the University of Kent know from experience that these awards are not a given and that getting an award is just the beginning. However, we would like to take this moment to celebrate the success, but also acknowledge that there is still a lot of work to do in advancing Gender Equality and in creating a fair work environment for all.

 

 

 

 

Pay Gaps and Thigh Gaps: SMFA graduating Fine Art students exhibit in London

Between 6th – 10th July, Pay Gaps and Thigh Gaps, an exhibition by a group of graduating SMFA Fine Art students was on at Old Truman’s Brewery in Brick Lane, London, as part of Free Range – A season of Graduate Art & Design Exhibitions.

Established in 2001 to showcase the work of emerging creatives, thousands of students have exhibited at the shows, taking over Old Truman Brewery spaces each summer and connecting with a London audience. It aims to celebrate talent and provide a platform for UK artists beyond education. The show was extremely successful, with an amazing turn out.

SMFA Students featured were:

BA (Hon) Fine Art

Amanda Nsubuga, Alexandra Aldham, Ayesha Chouglay, Angel Obi and Rachael Willis

MA Fine Art

Deborah Abbott

About Pay Gaps and Thigh Gaps:

There seems to be a growing precedent that in order to be recognised as a female artist you must limit your practice to being ‘feminist’. But why can’t a woman speak beyond her gender to gain recognition? We are a group of proud feminists who would like to share varying concerns beyond our genitalia (and possibly surrounding our genitalia- we would like the option). From, childhood imagination, to personal illness, we come together with uniquely different practices, to support each other as artists… who happen to be female.

More at http://www.free-range.org.uk/cgi-bin/exhibition.pl?yearID=27&exhibitionID=1443  and Instagram at pay_gapsandthigh_gaps

 

 

 

 

The Festival of Dangerous Ideas launched

The Festival of Dangerous Ideas launched at our all-staff BBQ’s on the Medway and Canterbury campuses.

Over the next few months, we want your ideas on how to make Kent into the best workplace it can be. No idea is too risky or too radical- and every submission counts. At the festival next year, the best ideas will be judged by the Executive Group and will be put into action.

It’s time to speak up. We want your most dangerous ideas.

You can view some of the ideas your colleagues have submitted, and submit your own online.

Alternatively, boxes and submission cards are available. Please email dangerousideas@kent.ac.uk if you would like one for your office!

Follow the Festival and see what your colleagues would like to change on Twitter: @UniKentFODI and Instagram: /unikentfodi

Kent Hospitality Housekeeping success at the annual BACHE Awards

Many congratulations are due to the Kent Hospitality Housekeeping department who won the ‘Cleaning Supervisor of the Year 2018’ Award at the British Association of Cleaning in Higher Education (BACHE) Awards in May.

By recognising the importance of professional cleaning activities in higher education institutions, BACHE aims to standardise training for cleaning staff, improve cleaning standards, and professionalise the delivery of cleaning and associated services on campus. This year the BACHE awards were held during the annual conference at Aston University.

With only three nomination categories, the team were delighted that Amanda Intrieri, Housekeeping Supervisor in Park Wood won the ‘Cleaning Supervisor of the Year 2018’ award, recognising her efforts and professionalism in performing her role. Kent were also given honourable mentions in the two other categories; the ‘Best Practice Award 2018’, distinguishing teams who continually develop their procedures to enhance the delivery of cleaning services on campus, and the ‘Cleaning Operative of the Year 2018’ award for Hayley Dyer, who works in Eliot College.

Gary Sayles, Executive Housekeeping Manager at Kent Hospitality said: ‘We are thrilled at our success at the BACHE Awards. To be recognised by this national association for our team’s consistent hard work is fantastic, with special congratulations to Amanda Intrieri who won the award. We are proud to deliver a consistently high standard of service here at the University, and to be acknowledged in all three categories is particularly rewarding.’

Don’t miss the Kent Sport Christmas party

Kent Sport is thrilled to announce that all University of Kent staff are invited to our Christmas party on Friday 7 December 2018.

Start the holiday season off on the right foot and celebrate with Kent Sport by trying your luck with casino tables and celebrating with a live band for the evening.

 Tickets are £6 which includes a welcome drink, Christmas buffet plus an acoustic set from   Tischa from 6pm and a full force funk from Project F  who will rock the house at 9pm – all LIVE in the Pavilion Café Bar. Numbers are limited, so don’t miss this opportunity and purchase your tickets early!

The party will feature:

  •  A cash bar
  • Casino tables
  • Christmas photo booth
  • Themed competitions with prizes to be won

It’s a party you won’t want to miss!

Tickets available now to book through the online store.

We’ll also be offering a raffle* filled with spectaculars prizes to win (from Gulbenkian vouchers to personal training sessions, tablets and Fitbits and much more).

Dress code: Smart
Doors open: 6pm
Carriages: Midnight

 Venue address:
Pavilion Café Bar
University of Kent
Parkwood Road
CT2 7SR  

*All proceeds will go towards Mike Wilkins Sports Scholarship fund which helps support future sportsmen and women at Kent.

We look forward to seeing you there!

teaching award image from university image library

University Teaching Prizes 2018

Once again the University is celebrating excellent teaching and learning support with the announcement of the 2018 University Teaching Prizes.

This year’s winners are:

Barbara Morris Prize for Learning Support

1st Prize – Hannah Greer and Jen Davey (Work-Study – Careers and Employability Service) for a sustained and impactful effort to improve employment possibilities for students from a WP background.

Joint 2nd Prize – Charlene Earl (CEWL) for a sustained and impactful effort to enhance intercultural awareness at the University of Kent.

Joint 2nd Prize – Hannah Uglow (Kent Law Clinic) for a sustained and impactful effort to positively enhance the sense of Academic Community within Law at the University of Kent.

Humanities Faculty Teaching Prize

1st Prize – Dr Ruth Herbert and Dr Richard Perks (SMFA) for their work on Music Performance.

2nd Prize – Dr William Rowlandson (SECL) for his success and commitment in teaching over a number of years at Kent.

Social Sciences Faculty Teaching Prize

1st Prize – Dr Triona Fitton (SSPSSR) for her work on the design, production, and teaching of a distance learning MA in Philanthropic Studies.

2nd Prize – Professor Amanda Perry-Kessaris (KLS) for her work on design-driven teaching, learning, and research methods.

The prizes will be presented by the Vice-Chancellor at a lunchtime ceremony on Wednesday 3rd October 2018, from 12.30-14.00 in Darwin Conference Suite. Everyone is welcome. If you would like to attend, please email cpdbookings@kent.ac.uk