A two-day intensive research Sandpit, held by the Future Human Signature Research Theme (SRT) in November, has resulted in two PhD Studentships and two seedcorn funding projects.

The Sandpit event brought together academics from five Divisions, who participated in facilitated discussions aimed at developing new inter-disciplinary research ideas and projects relating to human augmentation.

On the first day, participants discussed their hopes and aspirations for the Sandpits, introduced their experience and expertise, and exchanged initial ideas about exciting themes to develop. On the second day, the group prioritised research themes and spent much of the day refining these and working towards well-shaped projects that were shared with the wider cohort and benefited from their feedback.

From the two-day Sandpit, ten project proposals were developed and pitched to a selection panel comprising of the Future Human Theme Leads and Dr Tim Hopthrow from the Graduate and Researcher College. The standard was amazingly high, with all ten of the pitched projects demonstrating huge potential and exciting opportunities for follow-up.

The Panel identified two of the project teams to receive the two Future Human PhD Scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year, and a further two teams to receive seedcorn funding to run more contained projects. The projects are:

Future Human PhD Studentships

Decision design ecology and deciding whether or not to treat Simon Bailey, Larry Duffy, Raza Mikelyte, Connal Parsley, Daniel Soria

Taking a combined technology driven and patient-centred approach to the development of next-generation bladder cancer treatments Michelle Garrett, Jennifer Hiscock, Katrina Taylor

Future Human Seedcorn Funding projects

Exploring the use of static transport: its role in the life of the future human Samuel Smith and Katrina Taylor

Establishing user-led priorities for use of immersive technologies in palliative care Project team: Jim Ang, Rasa Mikelyte, and Samuel Smith

Quotes from Sandpit participants

‘As a new member of staff at the University of Kent, I was excited to be selected to take part in the Sandpit days. It was a great opportunity to network, and I enjoyed hearing first-hand about diverse areas of research colleagues at Kent are engaging in. Through the sandpits, I have become part of an interdisciplinary team, researching within a field I hadn’t imagined a few weeks ago. The Sandpits encouraged me to think outside the box and explore ways to apply my interests and expertise beyond my own academic discipline.’

‘As an interdisciplinary researcher, I often wonder if there are colleagues across the University who I could be collaborating with on ‘big questions’ beyond our individual fields. The Sandpit offered a concrete process for finding those colleagues and identifying questions in common. Over the course of two days, I ‘went with the process’ and became part of a collaborative group with diverse expertise, but a clear set of shared research interests—enabling us to frame a PhD project in the multi-dimensional way that is so important today. I also met many people I would like to talk to more in the future.’

Find out more

The Future Human Theme Leads will be running another research Sandpit, specifically for Early Career and Mid Career Researchers on 4 and 5 May 2022. More seedcorn funding will be available for the teams and projects formed at this Sandpit.

Please watch out for further communication and watch for updates on our website. The Future Human Blog provides more details about the projects that were pitched at the November Sandpit.

Dr Lex Mauger, Dr Sarah Hotham and Professor Aylish Wood |Future Human Leadership Team

The University was very sorry to hear of the death of Clive H Church, Emeritus Professor of European Studies.

Clive joined Kent from the University of Lancaster in 1981 as Senior Lecturer in European Studies, affiliated with the then European Studies unit in the School of European Culture and Languages. He was promoted to a professorship in 1992 and became a member of the Department (now School) of Politics and International Relations in 1996. Upon his retirement in 2003, he was appointed Emeritus Professor.

A historian by background, Clive became a leading scholar of Swiss history and politics and of European integration. Among his numerous works are The Politics and Government of Switzerland (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004), Understanding the European Constitution (Routledge, 2006 – with David Phinnemore), A Concise History of Switzerland (Cambridge University Press, 2013 – with Randolph Head), and Political Change in Switzerland (Routledge, 2016).

He was an active member of the Channel Tunnel Research Unit from 1986-1993, a co-founder of the Kent Centre for Europe (a Jean Monnet Centre), which was in operation from 2000-2010, and of the Centre for Swiss Politics, in operation from 2003-2016. He remained very much active past his retirement and was planning to write on external views of Swiss politics at the time of his death.

Outside academia, Clive was much involved in the local community. He was the founder of the Alliance of Canterbury Residents’ Associations, an organisation which is still important and active today. He was also a key member of the Campaign for Democracy in the Canterbury district, where his understanding of political issues and processes made a valuable contribution. As the same time he was active in Thanington, the part of Canterbury where he lived, writing a history of the area and contributing to the parish council.

He will be fondly remembered by all those who knew him.

We express our deepest condolences to his daughters, Hilary and Joanna, and partner, Clare, and their families.

Dr Paolo Dardanelli | Deputy Head of School of Politics and IR

Picture shows: Clive with his granddaughter, Claudia

From Brenda Brunsdon, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team Manager

The winter can be a difficult time for us human beings. Short days and long nights mean that we have less time in the daylight. This is made worse by the weather being cold so we’re not so inclined to venture out or spend time outside. Being out in the daylight is known to boost our mood and help us fend off depressive thoughts by stimulating our bodies to produce serotonin, one of our ‘happy chemicals’. Sunlight also helps boost the production of melatonin which helps us with sleep quality.

And then there’s Christmas. A winter festival that should help us relax, enjoy ourselves and have a positive effect on our wellbeing. And hopefully, that is what Christmas will be like for you this year. However, it also means a time when people spend too much money and party too hard. The intense atmosphere can give rise to arguments with family and partners; divorce solicitors know they will experience a spike in enquiries almost as soon as their services are open for business after the festivities.

Professionals working in the field of domestic violence acknowledge that Christmas is a particularly difficult time for those living in abusive relationships as the extended periods spent within the family can lead to more opportunity for aggression and cruelty. In addition, those with no family or friends to celebrate with can find themselves being overwhelmed by feelings of loneliness, longing for someone to talk to.

Our Employee Assistance Programme

If you find yourself affected by any of the issues outlined above, you should know that University staff can access support 24 hours a day through our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This scheme is managed by Sodexho/Care first and provides easy access to expert help with both workplace and personal issues. You can phone Care first/Sodexho, free of charge, on  0808 168 2143 and get free and confidential advice from an information specialist or accredited counsellor.

You may prefer to access services through the Care first website. To log-in, use the username: uokent and the password: university. The website contains information on a host of subjects relevant to how we live our lives and the challenges we face. There is even an AI interaction available for those who are drawn to technology.

The EAP is not just for Christmas and New Year; it’s there any time you need help; contact details are exactly the same. Please, keep this information handy so it is there if you need it.

Brenda Brunsdon | Occupational Health and Wellbeing Team Manager

Due to ongoing Covid restrictions, we are anticipating a larger than usual number of students remaining on campus over the winter vacation.

Many of these students were planning to spend the vacation away from campus and they will now need to extend their food budgets for a month longer than planned. Some students may also experience situational hunger or insecurity, while this period may cause others to demonstrate chronic hunger or insecurity and a need for continued support. Our on-campus Foodbank provides short-term support to students who find themselves in need of supplemental food.

Regardless of circumstances, no student should have to choose between food and other basic needs. Over this period, Kent Union will be making special arrangements to provide this service to students in need – but they need your help! Volunteers will organise, run and distribute the food to students in need – they need donations in order to do so!

What to donate

Anything! Apart from alcohol.

It must be:

• in date,
• unopened
• not need to be refrigerated

Major needs

• Breakfast items such as cereals/porridge
• Pasta sauce jars
• Sweets, crisps and chocolates
• Pasta
• Rice
• Noodles

Christmas Bonus!

While these items are welcome all year, sharing something as a treat would be very welcome:

• Toiletries
• Chocolate
• Sweets
• Crisps

How to donate

Permanent Foodbank donation points are located at the Kent Union Reception in the Mandela Student Centre, Keynes Atrium, Plaza Co-op and Parkwood Co-op. Please drop your donation into the easiest location for you.

Thank you for donating. The difference this makes to individuals cannot be underestimated. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the volunteers for all the work they are doing to provide this service through the vacation.

Find out more

Find out more about the Foodbank, what you can donate, where and when on Kent Union’s website.

The Marsh family are back again with a new song, this time singing and swinging for a leading men’s health charity.

Teaming up with Prostate Cancer UK, Ben, Danielle and their four children Alfie, 15, Thomas, 13, Ella, 12, and Tess, 9 have released a song that they hope ‘will raise awareness of a disease that will affect 1 in 8 men in our lifetime’.

A sparkling new video of their adapted version of the swing classic ‘Mack the Knife’ was launched this week (on 6 December). You can view it now on YouTube (or see link below). 

Titled, ‘Mack the Knife’ (prostate cancer – facts of life)’, the lyrics written by Ben have been adapted to feature some facts about Prostate Cancer.

This single is particularly poignant as it comes after Danielle’s father, John Burn, was diagnosed with the disease in 2018.

In a Kent Online article, Danielle says: ‘We were so lucky with my dad but even he nearly left his concerns too late. We hope the lyrics will make people smile but also make them start discussions with loved ones about actions that they may need to take.’

The Marsh family will be donating all profits from downloads of this song to Prostate Cancer UK.

Kent Hospitality has launched a new survey, aiming to hear about student, staff and visitors’ experiences at their catering outlets on the Canterbury campus.

The survey, which asks questions about value for money, customer service and food/drink quality, gives customers a chance to provide feedback after each visit.

Customers who leave feedback are entered into a monthly prize draw to win a £20 catering voucher to spend on campus, and each month presents a new opportunity to enter into the prize draw! The feedback received will help Kent Hospitality to maintain and improve their services.

The participating catering outlets are: Bag It, Create, Dolche Vita, Gulbenkian Café, Hut 8, K-Bar, Mungo’s, Origins, Rutherford Dining Hall, Sibson Café, Sports Café and The Street Kitchen.

Have you visited one of Kent Hospitality’s catering outlets recently? Leave feedback on the survey.

Our new Kent Rainbow Lanyard celebrates and promotes our work around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Wearing one shows your commitment to providing a safe and comfortable environment for all of our LGBTQ+ staff and students. It also shows LGBTQ+ people that they can ‘bring their whole selves’ to you without fear of judgement or an unsupportive reaction.

Designed by our LGBTQ+ Staff Network, and based on the Inclusion Flag, the Kent Rainbow Lanyard is a symbol that you are aware of the hardships marginalised members of the community have faced and continue to face, and that you are committed to supporting our LGBTQ+ staff and students by being a friend, advocate and a safe space, otherwise known as an Ally.

Designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018, the Inclusion Flag includes pink, blue, black and brown chevron stipes alongside the rainbow flag to represent the trans community and people of colour within the LGBTQ+ community and places a greater emphasis on inclusion and progression than previous iterations. There are three different types of Rainbow Lanyard available – one for staff, one for students, and one for Student Ambassadors. The lanyards are available in most outlets and reception desks across our Canterbury and Medway sites.

Being an Ally

We know that being an Ally is not always easy, and like any skill it takes practice, awareness and education, which is why we have developed resource pages to help support anyone who wants to enhance their Allyship knowledge and skills. We would encourage anyone wearing a lanyard to explore these resources and self-educate to ensure that they feel confident in their allyship abilities.

Wearing a lanyard and displaying symbols of Pride at our sites is an important way to remind our LGBTQ+ staff and students that they belong here in our community, and should always feel safe, supported, and able to bring their whole selves to work and study with us.

Wear yours with Pride!

Becky Lamyman | Student EDI Officer

Marketing, Outreach, Recruitment and Admissions (MORA) are excited to announce the launch of a brand-new cinema advert, hitting big screens very soon.

Filmed in October, the new advert captures hyper-real scenes from across the Kent student experience and wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of MORA staff and colleagues and students across the Divisions. The advert forms a key part of our undergraduate recruitment strategy for 2022.

Here’s a sneak peek of the video:

We’ll be promoting the video across our social media on Thursday 9 December.

The advert can be seen across Sky Ad Smart from 29 November and in cinemas from 17 December before the new ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ film.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to:

• Academic, professional services and technical support staff in Psychology, CEMS, Law, ASPIRE and MORA
• Estates for arranging collection and return of a mannequin leant to us by M&S!
• IS support
• Gulbenkian Arts Centre
• Chatham Historic Dockyard
• All the University of Kent students who took part in filming

Congratulations to Medway Security Guard Toby Owen (age 26), recently took part in The Men’s Physic Championships held in Maidenhead, where he became the new British Champion whilst also achieving his Pro Athlete card, both significant in their own right.

This natural competition celebrates the hard work and determination competitors put into achieving the very best for their body.

Toby puts his win down to hard work, complete discipline and persistence to attain the best possible results.

Toby not only has this mind-set with his sport but mirrors this in his work ethic as well. He is wished the very best for future competitions.

As we enjoy the lead up to Christmas, our Music department is delighting us with a festive two weeks filled with concerts and cheer.

ALL concerts this autumn term is by ticket only (free for the Lunchtime Concerts) and tickets must be booked in advance. Here’s a few highlights of the events that we can look forward to:

University String Sinfonia – Tuesday 7 December

Directed by Florian Peycelon, the String Sinfonia in an hour-long programme including works by Rutter, Elgar and Kalinnikov. Join us at 19.00.  

Chorus/Orchestra Christmas Concert – Saturday 11 December 

University Chorus and Orchestra, Simon Thorpe (bass) in a seasonal programme with works by Tchaikovsky and Vaughn Williams.  

Carols Around the tree – Monday 13 December 

Open to all staff, students and alumni, come along to the communal carols with the Brass Group on the Registry lawn at 16.50.

Big Band Christmas Swingalong! – Wednesday 15 December 

Get into the swing of things and come along to the annual cracker of a gig with the Big Band conducted by Ian Swatman at 17.15.