Universities’ framework for collaboration

The University of Nottingham and The University of Birmingham have announced a new framework for collaboration. The partnership will see the research-led universities working together for mutual success in areas including research initiatives, student experience, business engagement and internationalisation.

The universities have many complementary strengths and an established and successful record of research collaboration. Both share characteristics of scale, history, outstanding research, high quality student experience and international engagement. Creative approaches to developing intellectual capital are at the heart of the partnership, which will offer a distinctive approach to working together, where it is in both universities’ mutual interest. Prof David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, said: “This is an opportunity for us to send a much stronger signal about collaboration within our institutions – to build on existing links and develop new ones. There are significant opportunities to leverage each other’s strengths.”

Ethiopian Minister visits the University

A delegation of senior Ethiopian diplomats — led by the Education Minister of the Ethiopian government, His Excellency Demeke Mekonnen — visited the University to further strengthen the very strong relationship that has developed between the University and universities in Ethiopia over the past eight years. Nottingham graduate Dr Ignacio Villar is a lecturer at Addis Ababa University and Dr Pete Licence, Associate Professor and Reader in Chemistry at Nottingham, is Adjunct Professor in Addis. The Minister was accompanied by His Excellency Berhanu Kebede, the Ethiopian Ambassador to the UK, and senior figures from the Ethiopian embassy. Nottingham has set up five new scholarships for Ethiopian students and is to look at setting up twinning programmes.

I should cocoa!

A study which hopes to establish the health benefits from cocoa and vitamin C is looking for volunteers. Researchers needs healthy men – ten aged 18–28 and 30 aged from 65–75. The £270,000 Chocolate Orange Study, funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust, is being run by Beth Philips, a postgraduate research associate in the Department of Clinical Physiology. Each volunteer will have to have a health check before taking part and will receive a £150 inconvenience allowance.

Mobile ‘journalism’ is fast-moving

Mobile phones will dramatically shake up the global news industry, as they increasingly become a basic consumer essential and users upgrade their handsets with greater frequency.

Citizen journalists are expected to increasingly use their mobile phones to compete with the world’s biggest broadcasters, first for footage at news scenes and then in the race to get coverage transmitted. This growth is likely to be led by Asia, which has about half of the world’s cellphones compared to the estimated eight per cent in circulation in the US, according to respected international media analyst Prof Stephen Quinn of The University of Nottingham Ningbo, China (UNNC) in his book, MoJo – Mobile Journalism in the Asian Region.

UNNC is hosting an important conference on “China’s media in a global context” at its campus in Ningbo, Zhejiang, in May. The event has attracted some of the world’s top media scholars.

Dress for success

The Centre for Careers Development and the Students’ Union held a fashion show to demonstrate how to dress in a professional environment. Students also had the chance to chat with major employers about their expectations. For photos, visit: www.flickr.com/photos/uonottingham/sets/72157625921799149/