Campus News
Diaspora academic leading UK-Indonesia partnership
October 18th, 2018
Dr Bagus Muljadi, Assistant Professor in Chemical & Environmental Engineering has recently established a unique partnership between the University of Nottingham and the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education in Indonesia.
Recently invited by the Indonesian government to contribute to the provision of new public policies in higher education, as part of the World Class Scholars Symposium in Jakarta, Bagus’s commitment to establish a model where government funded PhD students are jointly-supervised by both UK and Indonesian-based scholars has been praised as a pioneering partnership with Indonesian interest and values in heart.
An Indonesian national, he also sees a key part of his role at the University of Nottingham in bridging the two countries together – an outlook captured in recent interviews with the Jakarta Post and national press.
Emphasising the importance of his role as a diaspora academic in the UK, Dr Muljadi said: “Knowledge exchange (KE) is key to Indonesia’s transition to a knowledge-based economy. Diaspora academics must exploit their position abroad, and act as agents that catalyse transfers of knowledge into the country. The University of Nottingham is a proud partner of the Indonesian government in providing training and scholarships for the country’s future scientists, engineers, and lecturers. ”
With the University’s support, in particular CPD Services, Dr Muljadi is leading a wide range of collaborative programmes with the Indonesian government and universities. One of the priorities is to establish an Indonesia Doctoral Training Partnership (IDTP) at the University of Nottingham, bringing together the government’s desire to develop its research base and the University’s global reputation for research and impact.
The defining principle driving the creation of the Indonesian Doctoral Training Partnership (IDTP) is a shared vision and commitment with the Indonesian government to foster a new generation of champions to tackle world challenges. IDTP will provide Indonesian scholars with the technical and theoretical competences to equip them for a leading career in academia. IDTP offers an opportunity for Indonesian PhD scholars to undertake integrated training focusing on identified priority areas which will help them to develop the research and transferable skills they need. Initially the IDTP will focus upon areas including but not limited to: engineering, health, food security and energy security. It is expected that IDTP scholars will also initiatiate and lead UK-Indonesia research collaborations through significant commitment from all levels at the University of Nottingham.
Tags: Dr Bagus Muljadi, Indonesia, Indonesian Doctoral Training Partnership, knowledge exchange
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Honorary Degrees — nominations open
October 18th, 2018
Nominations for Honorary Degrees are welcome from all members of the University community.
The University is looking to recognise the achievements of people from a diverse range of backgrounds so if you have a suggestion please put it forward.
Further information (including criteria) and nomination forms are available on the Registrar’s Department webpage.
The deadline for nominations is Thursday 8 November 2018.
Tags: Honorary Degrees
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RIS programme update and the use of RIS in the next REF Readiness Review
October 18th, 2018
In December the REF Readiness Review of Output will begin using the Research Information System (RIS). This is the first year of using RIS for REF readiness and the first review since the comprehensive guidelines on the structure of REF were published.
Behind the scenes the RIS team are busy preparing for this activity. The REF module is being tested and in the live system we are importing output information from e-prints and the e-staff profiles systems.
The import from e-prints has gone well and RIS is now used exclusively for deposition of new outputs. The import from e-Staff profiles has proven difficult, because of poor data quality within the old system. The Library team are working hard with IS to make the RIS record of outputs as good as possible.
In November we will send out instructions for all academic staff to check their publications in RIS to ensure all University authors are linked to their correct papers. We only need to do this check once, but it will require a community effort to get the RIS record perfect. At this stage if you check your outputs they will probably be incomplete. Please don’t worry about this at present as the checking process will help to address any missing records.
In the past month we have launched a new RIS Repository and introduced a Contracts module, which is now being used by the Contracts team to organise their work and interface with Faculties. The Impact module is also live and we will be exploring how to make best use of this as the REF Readiness Review progresses.
Further training sessions on how to make a deposition through RIS will also be taking place in October and November. Sign up for a place on one of these courses here.
Tags: REF, Research Information System, RIS
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Staff invitations to the winter graduation ceremonies
October 18th, 2018
Invitations to the winter graduation ceremonies will be emailed out to staff on Monday 22 October 2018.
Staff are invited to attend the ceremonies and sit on the stage to celebrate our students. The dates and times for each ceremony can be found on the graduation webpage.
The email will contain information on how to log in and order a gown from Ede and Ravenscroft. If you are expecting to receive this invitation, please ensure that you check ‘junk mail’ and ‘clutter’ folders. If you do not receive this email but wish to attend, please email the Graduation team at your earliest opportunity.
The deadline for staff gown hire is Thursday 22 November 2018.
If you are a staff member who is also expecting to graduate in the upcoming ceremonies, please email graduation@nottingham.ac.uk as soon as possible.
Tags: graduation, winter graduation
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Nottingham Impact Accelerator: Internal funding
October 18th, 2018
Expressions of interest are now being welcomed for the next round of Hermes funding under the Nottingham Impact Accelerator (NIA).
All expressions of interest should be sent to NIA@nottingham.ac.uk by noon, Wednesday 31 October 2018.
For further details please see the NIA workspace, or contact David Southall.
Tags: Hermes, NIA, Nottingham Impact Accelerator
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University secures Athena SWAN Silver Award
October 17th, 2018
The University has secured Silver in the Athena SWAN awards which promote gender equality in higher education. A new guide is also published today to support staff in ensuring diversity in recruitment practices that will help the University to build on this achievement and recruit an increasingly diverse workforce.
Commenting on the Athena Swan award, Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West said:
“I am delighted that Nottingham has achieved an institutional Athena SWAN Silver in recognition of our efforts and plans to promote gender equality. Our commitment to gender equality is one strand of work in our drive for equality, diversity and inclusivity throughout our University
“Of course, there remains much to do to tackle pay gaps, accelerate career progression for early and mid-career colleagues, and increase diversity in key leadership layers.
“However, it is our steadfast ambition to be an inclusive, agile and modern institution where diversity is valued and gender, or any protected characteristic, is not a barrier to achievement. We want to play a leading role in promoting these values nationally as well as on the global stage.”
The University’s Athena Swan Report sets out the measures taken in recent years to improve institutional policies to ensure a culture of fairness, flexibility and opportunity. It also reports on key progress indicators including 45% women on the University’s Executive Board (UEB), up from 30% in 2012; gender parity in our Senior Leaders Forum of 130 members; and nearly double the number of women applying for promotions.
The report also sets out a new action plan to improve recruitment practices by reducing the influence of unconscious bias; further refine promotions and performance management processes; and ensure, flexible working practices are supported appropriately and do not impact unfairly on career progression.
The University’s Diversity in Recruitment report also published today sets out wide-ranging measures to support all staff in recruiting an increasingly diverse community of staff. The result of a task group and staff consultation led by Professor Marion Walker, the report’s recommendations have been endorsed by the UEB. Measures include further work to improve recruitment and selection training; better promote career development opportunities; extend the use of anonymised applications; and include diversity targets when using recruitment agencies.
Tags: Athena SWAN, edi, Equality Diversity and Inclusion
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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Nottingham
October 17th, 2018
Professor Sarah Sharples, the University’s first Pro Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion announces that the University has secured Athena SWAN Silver for the institution as she sets out her first priorities in her new role.
The importance of securing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for everyone in our staff and student community could not be more important at this time.
The last month has seen major publications in this area, including a report by the 1752 Group on sexual misconduct, views from Higher Education institutions on the Race Equality Charter, advice on how to build engagement with research for BME communities, and Advance HE’s latest statistics on diversity in staff and students.
Together, these reports show us not simply how we can improve practice across the university sector, but also the value and importance of doing so. Delivering equality, diversity and inclusion across our University is not simply a good thing of itself, although that should not be underestimated. Good EDI practice creates stronger communities, more effective workforces, and greater ideas and opportunities for our staff and our students – today and for the generations to come.
In my first few weeks in role, I have already learned about some excellent EDI practice here at Nottingham. As a result of the hard work of many colleagues led by Professor Marion Walker, today I am delighted to announce that the University has secured Silver in the Athena SWAN awards which promote gender equality in higher education. I am also publishing the University’s new guide to Diversity in Recruitment that will help us to build on this fantastic achievement in recruiting an increasingly diverse workforce.
I have been truly really impressed by the quality of all of the activities that have taken place, from short-term working groups looking at specific staff and student communities, to initiatives which develop training or to increase the diversity within our student curriculum.
However, it is clear that because there has not been an overarching EDI portfolio for staff and students, some of these activities have become ‘lost.’ We have not taken the opportunity to share good practice, or to ensure that these small group activities inform our practice across the University.
Over the next few months, I will be inviting staff and students to help me to shape our EDI strategic delivery plan, which will continue our journey towards excellence in equality. It will be informed by two themes: to ensure that Nottingham is recognised by everyone as a diverse, inclusive and supportive environment; and to ensure that we are providing equality of experience for all.
There are many challenges: the gender pay gap in our staff community; the attainment gap for our black and minority ethnic students; recruiting a more diverse workforce; or tackling bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct for staff and students.
Rising to these challenges means we need to recognise that we all start from different perspectives, influenced by different types of experience and levels of privilege. It follows that considering the diverse needs and the different characteristics of our community means that achieving equality of experience will not be delivered by the same solution working for all.
However, it will take all of us in our community to deliver the solutions and I am delighted that so many colleagues have volunteered to join the new UEB Committee for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion. There will be more opportunities to support some critical EDI task and finish activities over the coming months.
I have established a dedicated EDI webpage so that you can keep up to date with our latest activity. I have also set up an email address edi@nottingham.ac.uk so that individual staff and students can contact me in complete confidence to raise any specific issues that they may have encountered or think it would be helpful to reflect in our new strategy.
I look forward to working with you all in this essential endeavour.
Tags: Athena SWAN, Diversity and Inclusion, edi, equality
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University to commit to further reduce carbon emissions
October 17th, 2018
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Long is joining a select group of universities in being the first to publicly pledge further reductions in their carbon emissions.
Attending a ceremony with Higher Education Minister Sam Gyimah in mid October 2018, Professor Long will commit the University to the government’s Clean Growth Strategy target for the higher education sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% in 2020/21 against 2009/10 levels.
The University’s research has a well-deserved reputation for supporting a more sustainable planet in developing greener sources of energy, food supply and construction and significant work is underway to ensure campus activity is increasingly sustainable.
The University recently announced it is fully divesting from investments in fossil fuels and the Get Involved and #WasteNott campaigns outline individual measures that all staff and students can take to make our campuses more sustainable.
More information on the University’s action on climate change is set out in the annual sustainability report.
Tags: emissions, sustainability, WasteNott
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Trent Building to go red for anti-racism campaign
October 16th, 2018
The University of Nottingham’s Trent Building will be lit up in red floodlights on the evening of Friday 19 October, to mark Wear Red Day.
The University Boulevard side of the historic building will be illuminated from 6pm, Friday 19 October to about 4am, Saturday 20 October – with the light visible to travellers on University Boulevard and passengers on the tram line.
The display coincides with Wear Red Day – an anti-racism campaign that takes place on Friday 19 October in England and is organised by education charity Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC). The Trent Building joins other iconic buildings nationwide that will be lighting up red on the day – from the Liver Building to Newcastle’s Millennium Bridge and the Nottingham Council House.
Organising charity SRtRC delivers anti-racism workshops to more than 50,000 young people every year in schools throughout England, Scotland and Wales, as well as providing training to teachers. The charity’s educational work is crucial in challenging racist attitudes in society and breaking down barriers within communities. It aims to combat racism through enabling role models, who are predominately but not exclusively footballers, to present an anti-racist message.
The light display follows a visit by the England Football Ladies to the David Ross Sports Village on Sunday 7 October, during which the Lionesses showed a red card to racism.
On Thursday 25 October SRtRC will host a free, open event at the University of Nottingham where a screening will be shown for the new ‘Show Racism the Red Card Film’. This event will feature a range of inspiring speakers discussing how we can end racism in sport and wider society – and will include two ex-professional footballers, Chris Iwelumo and Chris Freestone, who have pledged support to the campaign.
Ged Grebby, Chief Executive at SRtRC, said: “Show Racism the Red Card have been overwhelmed with the amount of support we have had for Wear Red Day 2018. At a time of growing Race Hate Crime across the UK it is important that anti-racist assert that we are in the majority and we will step up our efforts to oppose all racism.
“Thanks to the University of Nottingham for showing solidarity with our campaign and lighting up the Trent Building. We urge all anti-racists to ‘Wear Red’ on Friday and make your stand with the education work we do.”
The lighting of the Trent Building has been organised with the support of Lenford Vassell, Equality & Diversity Officer within UoN (Unite) and the BME Network. The events are also taking place during Black History Month, which is being celebrated throughout October. The University has a programme of events taking place for Black History Month – more details can be found on the People and Culture blog.
Professor Sarah Sharples, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Nottingham, said: “We are proud to get involved in this important campaign. Equality, diversity and inclusion is a crucial and central pillar in all we do at the University of Nottingham and we are very pleased to be able to highlight our support for Wear Red Day.”
Want to get involved in Wear Red Day? You can attend an event, tweet using the hashtag #WRD18 or show your support by donning a red outfit on Friday 19 October. Don’t forget to look out of pictures of the illuminated tower on Twitter this Friday evening!
Tags: Equality Diversity and Inclusion, people and culture, racism, Show Racism the Red Card, Wear Red Day
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UoN to host BUCS Big Wednesday during centenary year
October 16th, 2018
BUCS Big Wednesday will return to the University of Nottingham in 2019. Not only does this mark the centenary of the event, but it’s the first time a university will have hosted the event two years in a row.
The event will take place on Wednesday 27 March 2019.
BUCS is the largest multi-sport organisation in Europe, and BUCS Big Wednesday is the pinnacle of the team sport season. To celebrate, University of Nottingham Sport and BUCS will be pulling out all the stops.
Last year saw 104 teams, 55 universities and 14 sports descend upon the University of Nottingham for the event.
Dan Tilley, Director of Sport at the University of Nottingham, expressed his delight in hosting the event during the centenary of university sport:
“As one of the ten founders of the Higher Education sports leagues back in 1919, we are delighted to be chosen as the venue for BUCS Big Wednesday for the centenary year.
“We are very proud to have recently won the Good University Guide University of the Year for Sport, which is testament to the hard work of the University of Nottingham Sports staff and hosting BUCS Big Wednesday provides us a further platform to promote and celebrate our sporting offer, whilst also helping the sector mark 100 years of university sport.”
The announcement comes just after the University was awarded Sports University of the Year by the Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019.
BUCS CEO, Vince Mayne, concludes: “With the University of Nottingham being awarded Sport University of the Year by the Times, I cannot see a better place to host BUCS Big Wednesday 2019.”
Want to volunteer at BUCS Big Wednesday 2019? Find out about the roles available: https://bit.ly/2yucSq7.
Tags: BUCS Big Wednesday, department of sport, sport
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