Campus News
Try something new at the GO TRI Duathlon
November 2nd, 2015
Take part in the Go TRI Duathlon, a run-bike-run event for everyone.
Registration £5, inclusive of a £1 donation towards supporting dementia research with Life Cycle 5. This is a non-competitive event just for fun, so go ahead and give it a try!
1pm, Wednesday 4 November, Sutton Bonington Campus. For more info and to buy tickets, visit the Facebook event page.
Tags: community, GO TRI UoN Triathlon Engage, Life Cycle, Life Cycle 5, sport, Sutton Bonington, triathlon, University of Nottingham Sport
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Wattbike Challenge – race for charity
November 2nd, 2015
Can you race 500 metres in the quickest time to raise money for dementia research?
Join in the Wattbike Challenge, taking place across the Nottingham and Ningbo campuses. £1 per attempt. For more information about the cause, visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/lifecycle
10am-4pm, Friday 6 November in the Portland Building, University Park
Tags: bike, Campaign and Alumni Relations Office, CARO, charity, dementia, exercise, Life Cycle, Life Cycle 5, research, sport
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Have you spotted the #BeastsofUoN?
October 30th, 2015
A University groundskeeper is showcasing his wildlife photography skills and has produced a charity 2016 calendar of wild birds which were all taken on our UK campuses.
Ian Chetwynd, a groundskeeper in the Estates department, has been taking photos of wildlife around the Jubilee, University Park, Sutton Bonington and Kings Meadow campuses for the last 18 months.
After impressing one of his managers with his photography skills, the decision was taken to produce a calendar of the images to raise money for the University’s Impact Campaign.
Rare birds
The calendar, which contains 12 images, some of which are of extremely rare birds – will be available to buy in the shops on each of the University’s campuses at a cost of £5 from 2 November 2015.
Images in the calendar include a Barn Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Kestrel, a Nuthatch, a Reed Bunting, a Tree Creeper, a Peregrine Falcon, a Green Woodpecker, a Yellow Wagtail, a Sparrow Hawk, a Little Owl and a Kingfisher.
Ian said: “It’s wonderful to see my photos in print. I am really grateful to the University for allowing me the opportunity to make this idea a reality. I really hope we can raise a lot of money for the charity. I believe the University is unique in the diverse habitats and species of wildlife it has to offer. The images in this calendar only represent one quarter of one per cent that is out there.”
#beastsofUoN
If the calendar is successful, then the team in the Estates Department hopes to make the item a regular product, potentially opening up the chance to provide pictures to staff from across the University.
Andy Nolan, Director of Sustainability at the University and the man behind the idea for the calendar, said: “When Ian showed me the images he’d taken from across our campuses I was really impressed. I wasn’t even aware myself that we were home to such a diverse range of birds.
“Not only is this a great opportunity to make some money for a really important cause, but it is also a fantastic way to show off the beautiful creatures we have on our campuses. The hashtag ‘beastsofUoN’ is already trending on twitter, and we’d like to further promote that to the public, and we want to encourage other people to see the beauty on our doorstep. Ian has done a fantastic job of these images.”
The calendars can be bought at the Portland Student’s Union Shop (University Park Campus), the Student Union Shop on the Jubilee Campus, in the Atrium at Jubilee, in the catering office at the Portland Building (University Park Campus) and at the Sodexho Shop at Sutton Bonington Campus.
The Impact Campaign was launched in 2011, it is the University’s biggest ever fundraising campaign and supports a vibrant range of projects which are already changing people’s lives, shaping the future and having a global impact.
Tags: #BeastsofUoN, Andy Nolan, animal, environment, Estates, Ian Chetwynd, sustainability, wildlife
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Highlights from our best Black History Month yet
October 30th, 2015
Black History Month 2015 officially finishes on 31 October, and what a month it’s been!
A range of educational, entertaining and sometimes challenging events have made this year’s celebrations our best yet. Schools and departments from across the University, local groups and experts came together to offer public events including lectures, film screenings and live music.
But don’t take our word for it – read our final blog post for a summary, highlights and thoughts on the month from Val Watson, Chair of the BME Staff Network, Vincent Wilson and Claire Henson.
Finally, a huge thank you to all involved. Plans for Black History Month 2016 start now, and we would love for you to be a part of this. If you have any thoughts to share or want to get involved directly, please contact Claire Henson (Equality and Diversity Co-ordinator) or Val Watson (BME Staff Network Chair).
Tags: Black History Month, Black History Month 2015, BME, BME Network, culture, Department of American and Canadian Studies, equality and diversity, history
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Take part in study with BBC Two’s ‘Trust Me, I’m a Doctor’
October 30th, 2015
After age 30, you can lose up to 5 per cent of you muscle mass every decade. Are you interested in how to slow/stop this loss of muscle?
BBC Two’s Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, in conjunction with the University’s School of Medicine, need volunteers aged 50 to 79 wanting to get more exercise to take part in an experiment. You will be needed for two filming days in Nottingham/Derby at the begininning of November and a the end of December – dates TBC.
All you’ll need to do is a set of fun exercises for a few weeks, designed to fit in with your daily life. No gym required!
If you fit the criteria and would like the chance to be on TV then the team would love to hear from you – please email trustme@bbc.co.uk or call 0141 422 6959.
Tags: BBC, exercise, health, staff, study, take part, television, Trust Me I'm a Doctor
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Dr Bike dates for November
October 30th, 2015
Appointments are now available for next month’s Dr Bike maintenance service.
Please use the links below to book yourself into a free 30-minute slot.
- Monday 9 November Portland Building, University Park
- Tuesday 10 November Jubilee Campus
- Wednesday 11 November King’s Meadow Campus
- Friday 13 November Sutton Bonington
- Friday 27 November Coates Road, University Park
Tags: bike, cycling, Dr Bike, free, maintenance, sustainability, transport, travel
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Tram named after Nottingham’s Nobel Laureate and co-inventor of the MRI scanner
October 29th, 2015
Nobel Laureate Sir Peter Mansfield, one of the world’s most celebrated scientists, has had a Nottingham tram named after him.
Sir Peter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2003 for his role in the development of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – an honour he shared with Paul Lauterbur. Much of that pioneering work was carried out here at The University of Nottingham.
Sir Peter unveiled his name at the Wilkinson Street tram depot in the presence of the Sheriff of Nottingham and Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham. Sir Peter said: “I am truly honoured and very proud to have a Nottingham tram named after me. This ceremony is the city’s recognition of the groundbreaking research that put Nottingham on the map as one of the world centres for MRI research”.
For more information, videos of the day and interviews, visit the News Room blog.
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Exploring TV, film, comics and more – the Popular Culture Lecture Series strikes back
October 28th, 2015
This November marks the return of the free public lecture series with a twist.
From Taylor Swift to heavy metal, professional wrestling to Harry Potter, and genetically-engineered dragons to James Bond, there’s something for everyone in this year’s Popular Culture Lecture Series, taking place at The University of Nottingham.
In this weekly series, academics from subject areas across the University will deliver a unique perspective on a range of unconventional subject areas, covering high-profile cultural phenomena from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Each talk then concludes with a Q&A in which the audience are invited to offer comments or questions on the topic.
Tackling subjects from Swift to Superman
Launching on Wednesday 4 November with ‘James Bond, masculinity and the Mother Land’, the series will end on Wednesday 4 May 2016 with ‘From author to authority: J.K. Rowling and brand guardianship in Harry Potter’. Other highlights from the programme include a look at the future of genetics in science fact and fiction, queer voices in Young Avengers, location and myth in the Batman and Superman series and ‘Taylor Swift’s Deleuzean repetition and affirmation of love’ in her music.
This year’s series follows on from the first season of the Popular Culture Lecture Series, the success of which demonstrated the high level of public interest in academic views of popular culture.
Mathieu Donner, postgraduate researcher in the School of English and organiser of the series, said: “Students and members of the general public all consume popular culture on a daily basis yet very few of them actually know you can study it at an academic level.
“The lecture series was born from my own interest in the field and from a desire to both showcase what The University of Nottingham had to offer in terms of potential for the study of popular culture and to open potential new pathways for future research. I think this year’s programme clearly demonstrates the large scope popular culture offers for study and, hopefully, some of our attendees will feel inspired to take on their own share of the work and develop new amazing research projects of their own.”
Licence to thrill
Dr Nathan Waddell, who launches the series on Wednesday 4 November with ‘James Bond, masculinity and the Mother Land’, said: “James Bond is one of those fascinating cultural phenomena that reveal where we’re headed as a civilisation – often implicitly, from what the books and films deem socially ‘threatening’, for instance, to the matter of who gets to play which roles in the film series over time.
“It’s a pleasure to be able to talk about Bond in a way that, I hope, will make audiences in and beyond the University reflect on how popular culture embodies our unspoken assumptions about the world, the legacies of empire, and the appropriateness of the spy thriller genre in the face of increasingly insidious threats to civil liberty.”
Don’t miss it
The Popular Culture Lecture Series occurs at 5.30pm every Wednesday during term time. All talks will take place in the Physics Building on University Park — building 22 on the campus map. For a full programme and more information, visit nott.ac.uk/popularculturelecture
You can also find the Popular Culture Lecture Series on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates.
Image: art by Harlis Grundmanis
Tags: event, James Bond, lecture, Mathieu Donner, pop culture, popular culture, Popular Culture Lecture Series, staff, student
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The University of Nottingham contributes £1.1bn a year to UK economy, report says
October 28th, 2015
The University contributes £1.1bn a year to the UK economy and supports around 18,000 jobs across the country according to a new report.
‘The Economic Impact of The University of Nottingham’ – outlines the wider economic, social and cultural impact the University has on the city of Nottingham, the region and the nation.
According to the report, the University is one of the East Midlands’ most significant institutions, with 92 per cent of its workforce living in the region, and one in every 24 jobs in Nottingham being reliant in some part on the University. The total economic impact generated across the East Midlands each year by the University is £781m, and along with its £500m research portfolio, the University is at the heart of the Midlands Engine for Growth.
Driving economic growth
The University’s expenditure on the goods and services provided by over 660 city businesses; the economic boost created by students and the visitors it attracts; and from the spending of staff living locally, all add-up to an extra economic impact of £667m a year to the city of Nottingham. This means that five per cent of Nottingham’s entire economy is driven by the University.
Every student studying and living in Nottingham is worth £10,933 of extra annual economic benefit to the local economy, with international students alone contributing £129.7m to the Nottingham, East Midlands and UK economies through their spending off-campus.
Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor said: “At the heart of the University is our commitment to the people who live and work in and with our six campuses, which stretch over five regions, three nations and two continents.
“It is this talent which creates the economic impact detailed in this report. It is their work, their research, their study, their volunteering, their relationships and their connections with our communities in the city of Nottingham and across our global network of campuses that amplify our impact.”
Thriving businesses
Home to one of only four prestigious Government University Enterprise Zones, the University’s Jubilee Campus is the base for over 60 businesses, employing over 600 people.
Nottingham is ranked in the top two UK universities for collaborative research development and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with businesses. The recently announced £5.2m Technology Entrepreneurship Centre will bring together budding entrepreneurs from the city with researchers working at the cutting-edge of technology and innovation.
There are 1,800 business members in the University’s Ingenuity Network for local enterprises, and the University’s support for BioCity (the UK’s largest bioscience incubation centre) has meant that Nottingham is now regarded as the largest and most attractive life-science business destination in Europe.
Britain’s Global University
The report details the many ways in which the University’s status as ‘Britain’s Global University’ underpins its contribution to the UK
The £129.7m of economic impact created by the University’s international students, supports 2,200 extra jobs in the UK. The £88.5m of fees they bring to the University helps support Nottingham to provide courses in science, medicine and engineering.
With 250,000 of the University’s alumni living in over 195 countries across the world, the University provides the city with a global network of ambassadors – with over 78 per cent of graduates now living abroad saying they would recommend studying and living in Nottingham to their friends and family.
The presence of the University’s ground-breaking overseas campuses in both China and Malaysia is also having a significant impact, generating an estimated annual value to the University of £35m from its presence in Malaysia, and £80m due from its presence in China.
Cllr Nick McDonald, Executive Member for Jobs, Growth & Transport at Nottingham City Council said: “The University of Nottingham’s global reach and incredible reputation overseas (as well as its quality both for teaching and research) is absolutely fundamental to the city’s brand, and to attracting inward investment, supporting trade and developing our city’s cultural diversity. What the University has achieved in developing its overseas presence is remarkable, and it is one of the city’s key assets.”
Supporting the community
Forty-two per cent of the University’s graduates in Medicine and Education stay in Nottingham, working as the city’s doctors, nurses and teachers. The University’s students and staff are also active in the community, accounting for 6,450 hours of time spent volunteering in projects coordinated by the Community Partnership Team, and 2,300 students have been engaged in volunteering activities in 2013/14.
With the University offering 72,000 places on its sector-leading widening participation and outreach activities in 2013/14, young people across the region are being helped to raise their aspirations, attainment and to get in to University.
Nottingham Lakeside Arts, which is based on the University’s award-winning University Park campus, provides a hub of culture for people from all over the city, and over 173,200 people attended social and cultural events at the University in 2013/14
Professor Sir David Greenaway adds: “From the outside, universities can be seen as complicated places – with the economic and social impact they have on wider society sometimes underestimated. I am, therefore, particularly delighted to see that our ongoing commitment to making a significant contribution to the prosperity and wellbeing of our local, civic and regional communities is so effectively demonstrated by this report.”
To view a full copy of the report visit http://goo.gl/BLv8Fj.
There is also an Economic Impact website, which includes a section to submit your own impact stories.
Tags: commuity, David Greenaway, economics, economy, jobs, Nottingham, Nottingham City Council, staff student, The Economic Impact of The Universityof Nottingham
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