Campus News
Nottingham Confucius Institute partners on Dinosaurs of China exhibition
May 3rd, 2017
The University of Nottingham and Nottingham City Council have welcomed the Nottingham Confucius Institute as a partner on the world-exclusive Dinosaurs of China exhibition.
Along with a donation for the Heritage Lottery Fund and funds raised through Nottingham Lakeside Arts’ crowd-funding campaign, The Nottingham Confucius Institute’s contribution will enable the University of Nottingham’s Lakeside Arts to:
- Commission a unique animatronic puppet feathered dinosaur (a baby Alxasaurus) that will have permanent home at the Nottingham Lakeside Arts and will be used to teach children about dinosaurs both during and after the exhibition
- Create a permanent ‘Dino-Dig’ in Highfields Park, with dinosaur bones buried near the existing playpark that children will be able to excavate and experiencing what it’s like to be on an archaeological dig and feel the excitement when they discover dinosaur bones for the first time
- Help children create their own dinosaurs on iPads, projecting them onto the wall at Lakeside as part of the exhibition.
Dinosaurs of China is a collaboration between Nottingham City Council and the University of Nottingham, who have worked closely with the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing and the Long Hao Institute of Geology and Paleontology Inner Mongolia. The Nottingham Confucius Institute’s involvement in the project further enhances the cross cultural collaboration, fuelled by the University’s strong connections in China, which have proven vital to bringing the prestigious world-class exhibition to Nottingham.
The exhibition takes place from 1st July to 29th October 2017 over two sites – Wollaton Hall in Nottingham and University of Nottingham’s public art centre, Lakeside Arts.
Tickets for Wollaton Hall are now on sale, priced £7.70 for an adult and £5.50 for a child. There is a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) for £22.00. Children under five go free and the event welcomes school parties at a reduced price. Entry to Lakeside is free of charge.
For more information about the exhibition, visit www.dinosaursofchina.co.uk.
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Portal maintenance work affecting exam timetables
May 3rd, 2017
Essential maintenance work is taking place on the portal during Spring Semester exams.
On Sunday 14 May and Sunday 21 May, students will not be able to see their exam timetables online from 9am – 10am on both days.
For more information or any queries, please contact Student Services.
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Helping young people into university for 5 years
May 2nd, 2017
A partnership that helps breaks down the barriers to higher education is celebrating its 5th anniversary.
Building on an existing programme of outreach work, The University of Nottingham joined forces with IntoUniversity in 2011. In that time this partnership has enabled an additional 9,100 local young people to receive support and encouragement to do well at school and go on to university.
Three community learning centres set up in Nottingham provide 7-18-year-olds with after-school support, university-student mentors, workshops and direct experience of university life. They help to address the fact that families from Britain’s poorest backgrounds face a considerable educational disadvantage and are far less likely to aspire to or attend university than other families.
The success of the programme has seen it extended for another three years.
Dr Penelope Griffin, Head of Widening Participation and Outreach at The University of Nottingham, said:
“By working in partnership with IntoUniversity, we have more opportunities to inspire children and show them how to get results from hard work and commitment. We have been able to expand our reach into more primary schools and to work alongside more families in local communities.
“Teachers tell us that the activities young children do with IntoUniversity help to show the link between achievement at school and getting a good job. After-school Academic Support helps young people to feel confident about their school work and their future. We look forward to working together to support even more young people in the coming years.”
Dr Rachel Carr OBE, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of IntoUniversity, said:
“IntoUniversity is delighted to be celebrating five years of partnership with the University of Nottingham.
“From our three local learning centres based at the heart of the communities we serve, we have reached thousands of children and young people across the city of Nottingham, supporting them from a young age to aim high and achieve their educational potential.
“We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the University of Nottingham and watching our students thrive in the years to come.”
Achievements over the last five years have seen 393 young people link up with a university student for mentoring sessions and 114 Focus weeks take place. Focus weeks involve Year 6 classes attending a centre for a week to learn around a curriculum-related topic, from electricity to Macbeth, as well as finding out what university is. It involves input from students and academic volunteers, a trip and ends with a visit to The University of Nottingham for a ‘graduation’ ceremony complete with gown and mortar board.
Tags: community, community engagement, community learning, education, IntoUniversity, mentoring, students, young people, young students
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Leading Universities welcomed to Universitas 21 Annual Network Meeting by The University of Nottingham
May 2nd, 2017
In the first week of May 2017, the University welcomed senior leaders from Universitas 21 for their Annual Network Meeting and Presidential Symposium.
Universitas 21 is the leading global network of research-intensive universities from 16 different countries, that work together to promote global citizenship and innovation through research-inspired teaching and learning, student mobility, connecting staff and students and wider advocacy for internationalisation. Collectively, Universitas 21 members enroll over 1.3million students and employ over 220,000 staff.
The Universitas 21 conference is hosted by a different member each year. During the three-day meetings, University Presidents, Vice-Chancellors and senior international staff, come together to set the forthcoming U21 agenda.
May 2017’s meeting represented only the second occasion when the annual meetings have been held in the UK. Hosting the conference has been a privilege for Nottingham, providing representatives of the 25 member institutions the opportunity to see our world-class facilities, including our recently opened GSK Carbon Neutral Laboratories for Sustainable Chemistry on our Jubilee Campus.
During the visit, the VIPs heard from keynote speakers at a Symposium including our Chancellor – Sir Andrew Witty. The Symposium considered ‘21st Century Global Anchor Institutions: universities, cities and the international talent economy’.
Also during the week, the University planted 25 trees, one to represent each of the U21 member universities. The avenue, which sits in front of the David Ross Sports Village, will subsequently be named ‘Universitas 21 Avenue’ in celebration of the last 20 years of collaboration with partner institutions.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir David Greenaway said: ‘Nottingham was one of the founding Members of U21, and we have been enthusiastic partners since then. Over the past twenty years, thousands of our students have benefited from mobility opportunities, and a range of research partnerships have been created. I am delighted that we were selected as the host University for the 20th Annual Meetings, and look forward to welcoming our partners’.
The winners of the Universitas 21 Global Ingenuity Challenge – an online competition which challenges teams of undergraduate students to come up with solutions to real-life issues – were also announced during the week. This year the GIC attracted entries from fifteen teams from nine universities participating in the challenge, including two teams from Nottingham.
The group ‘You Only Cook Once’ (YOCO) were awarded joint first prize, alongside a team from the University of Amsterdam. YOCO were also awarded the Peers Choice Award, which is voted for by fellow competitors. YOCO is an app which brings together people from different cultural backgrounds.
A broad theme is selected each year that allows for an interdisciplinary approach to solutions and analysis, so that it appeals to a wide range of students and disciplines. This year’s theme was ‘Promoting Cultural Inclusiveness in Society’.
Tags: research, symposium, Universitas 21, Vice-Chancellor Professor David Greenaway
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Cafe Remedy in the Medical School is closing
April 28th, 2017
From Monday 1 May Café Remedy will be closed for business.
Café Remedy is currently located on B Floor of the Medical School. It will be closed from Monday 1 May so that the School of Health Sciences facilities currently located on A Floor can be moved into the space that is currently occupied by Café Remedy.
The reconfigured School of Health Sciences area will be complete by Monday 31 July, at which point the old office space will be closed to make way for a new restaurant, which will open at the beginning of the 2017/2018 academic year.
During this period Café Oasis (located on E Floor) will be opened to staff, students and visitors. Café Serenity on A Floor will also remain open. A schedule of the works can be found below:
Monday 1 May: Café Remedy on B Floor closes
Monday 1 May: Café Oasis on E Floor opens to staff, students and visitors
Monday 31 July: Remodelled School of Health Science offices on B Floor open
Beginning of 2017/2018 academic year: New restaurant opens on A Floor
Tags: cafe, cafe remedy, catering, Medical School, QMC
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Big wins at Student Nursing Times Awards
April 28th, 2017
Our student nurses and staff are celebrating after scooping four awards at the prestigious Student Nursing Times Awards 2017 – almost a quarter of the total awards presented nationally.
The awards are seen as the ‘Oscars’ of the world of nurse and midwife education in the UK and this year the University’s School of Health Sciences won a record 20 nominations across the 18 different categories.
Claire Vinter was given the award for Student Midwife of the Year, Abigail Baxter won Student Nurse of the Year for Learning Disability, a teaching project ‘Peer-Led Clinical Skills’ won Teaching Innovation of the Year and the Pre-Registration Nursing Programme run by the School was the first ever winner of the new award for Student Experience.
Professor Joanne Lymn, Head of the School of Health Sciences, said:
“These awards, and the finalist nominations, are the icing on the cake for us, having this week also celebrated our jump to number 9 for nursing and midwifery in the UK in the new Complete University Guide 2018 league tables. I am absolutely delighted for the students who have had their passion and excellence recognised by these awards and would like to thank my staff for creating an environment which engages and empowers students so effectively.”
The School of Health Sciences at Nottingham achieves 100% graduate employment for nursing, midwifery and physiotherapy. 86% of its research was ranked as internationally excellent or world leading by the REF (Research Excellence Framework), with Times Higher Education ranking Nottingham joint 6th for research impact.
Tags: awards, midwifery, nursing, School of Health Sciences, School of Nursing
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[Updated] Learn about Office 365 at campus roadshows
April 28th, 2017
A series of roadshows will take place in early May, where you can learn more about Office 365.
[Update:] Please note a change of date and venue to the Sutton Bonington event, plus the addition of an event on Thursday 18 May.
Each roadshow will consist of a short presentation, followed by the opportunity to get hands-on with Office 365 features. Information Services staff will also be available to answer questions.
Initial sessions are aimed at staff (sessions for students will be held later in 2017).
Roadshows will be held across our UK campuses and there is no need to book – just turn up on the day.
Here’s the schedule of events:
| Date | Time | Location |
| Wed 3 May | 10:00-12:00 | University Park Portland Building, D138 |
| Wed 3 May | 14:00-16:00 | University Park Humanities Building, Foyer |
| Thu 4 May | 10:00-12:00 | Derby School of Nursing Room 308 |
| Thu 4 May | 14:00-16:00 | City Hospital Clinical Services, A103a |
| Fri 5 May | 10:00-12:00 | Kings Meadow Campus A4 |
| Tue 9 May | 10:00-12:00 | Jubilee Campus Exchange Building, B35a |
| Thu 11 May | 10:00-12:00 | Queens Medical Centre School of Nursing, C1070 |
| Thu 18 May | 10:00-12:00 | University Park Hallward Library, Screening room |
| Fri 19 May | 10:00-12:00 | Sutton Bonington Campus Lecture Block, B01/02 |
To find out more about the Office 365 rollout, read this blog or keep updated via nottingham.ac.uk/go/office365.
Tags: campus roadshows, Information Services, Office 365, roadshows
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Russell Group Vice-Chancellors write to President Tusk ahead of European Council meeting
April 28th, 2017
Ahead of the European Council meeting of the 27 EU leaders on Saturday 29 April, four Russell Group Vice-Chancellors, representing all the nations in the UK, have written to President Tusk.
In their letter they say “both UK and EU science will be stronger if we continue to work together”.
They add their support to his intention to make reciprocal rights for EU and UK nationals a priority and urge him to work to continue existing ties and protect working relationships in order to ensure continued research collaboration.
The full letter can be read below:
Dear President Tusk,
As Vice-Chancellors representing research-intensive universities in every nation of the UK, we write on behalf of the Russell Group of universities regarding the start of formal Brexit negotiations.
Russell Group universities are world leaders in science and research. In 2015, our members were responsible for nearly 20 per cent of the most highly cited research papers in the EU28.
Our message to you ahead of the European Council meeting is simple: both UK and EU science will be stronger if we continue to work together.
The UK has a lot to offer and we do not want our contribution to end when we leave the EU. We will continue working with our European partners as closely as possible.
The UK government has made clear it wants to maintain close collaboration on science and innovation. We would urge the Council to take a similar approach, building on a long history of strong and positive cooperation between the UK and the EU on science to ensure this can continue.
Russell Group universities have established around 7,000 collaborative links with partners in other EU member states through Horizon 2020 alone. We would encourage you to give full consideration to options that would allow UK higher education institutions to participate in future EU research and innovation framework programmes based on excellence.
We note your intention to make reciprocal guarantees for the rights of EU and UK citizens and their families one of the first items for discussion during talks. We fully support this approach and hope an agreement can be reached as soon as possible to give certainty to the millions of people who will be affected, including the 61,000 students and more than 24,000 employees of other EU nationalities at Russell Group universities.
Changes to the UK’s current relationship with the EU are inevitable. New barriers that would prevent the free flow of ideas and restrict international research collaboration are not. There are a number of ways we could maintain existing ties and protect working relationships after the UK leaves the EU and these should be explored fully, and as a priority, as negotiations progress. In Northern Ireland the land border with the Republic of Ireland is a unique and important issue. It is vital that freedom of movement across both jurisdictions continues unimpeded in order to sustain and enhance current north-south collaboration.
Any Brexit settlement which makes it more difficult for universities to work together across international borders would be harmful for all of us. We would encourage all parties to do everything they can to avoid such an outcome.
With kind regards,
Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice Chancellor of the University of Nottingham and Chair of the Russell Group of Universities
Professor Patrick Johnston, President and Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast
Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University of Glasgow
Professor Colin Riordan, Vice-Chancellor, Cardiff University
Tags: Brexit, EU, european council, Russell Group, science
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Nottingham Impact Accelerator: Hermes Call 13 now open
April 27th, 2017
The first call has been issued for Expressions of Interest for Hermes Fellowships under the Nottingham Impact Accelerator.
The 13th round of Hermes awards continues with the themes of Innovation, Business Engagement and Outreach.
Expression of Interest forms can be downloaded from the Hermes section of the Nottingham Impact Accelerator workspace, and completed forms should be submitted by 9am on Monday 15 May.
It is strongly recommended that applications within the Innovation stream liaise with their appropriate IP Commercialisation Manager in advance of submission.
For further details please contact david.southall@nottingham.ac.uk or telephone on 0115 8467246.
Tags: fellowships, Hermes, hermes fellowship, Impact Accelerator Fund, research, scholarship
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The University of Nottingham in top 20 universities in the UK
April 26th, 2017
The University of Nottingham is in the top 20 universities nationally according to TheCompleteUniversityGuide.co.uk’s 2018 rankings, published today (Wednesday 26 April).
Following its jump of four places last year, Nottingham has risen by three to rank 18th, second place in the East Midlands region.
The University recently celebrated being ranked in the top 20 for the Times Good University Guide as well as being named best in the UK for graduate employment according to the 2017 The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide.
Dr Paul Greatrix, Registrar at The University of Nottingham, said: “We have long been recognised as one of the world’s top universities for the quality of our teaching and research.
“We believe we offer an excellent experience both academically and outside of studies. This coupled with our strength in graduate employment provides a strong offering for students so I am delighted that we have performed so well in this league table.”
The Complete University Guide league table takes into account nine measures; student satisfaction, research quality, research intensity, student: staff Ratio, spending on academic services, spending on student facilities, good honours degrees, graduate prospects and completion.
Dr Bernard Kingston, Chairman of TheCompleteUniversityGuide.co.uk, said: “This year there is a considerable degree of stability at the upper end of the league table, as in the past. This stability, while it may not attract the headlines, demonstrates that the rankings fulfil our principal objective – to provide credible and freely accessible information for individuals seeking a university place.
“The Government has said that applicants need access to robust, timely and objective information, based on criteria that are straightforward and easily understood.
“We believe that TheCompleteUniversityGuide.co.uk meets these criteria and more and we intend that this will remain the case for the next decade – and beyond. Indeed, we use the same three metrics which the Government plans to include in its much-heralded Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).”
The league table, full methodology and other information are available at www.TheCompleteUniversityGuide.co.uk.
Tags: Complete University Guide, student satisfaction, teaching and learning, university rankings
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