Campus News
The Professor and the punks
January 21st, 2013
A University professor came to the rescue when what was to become a landmark album in popular music became mired in a legal case.
The Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2012 with the release of a limited edition box set. But back in 1977 the album’s name caused an obscenity row.
Record shop owners were warned they faced prosecution for indecency if they displayed the posters.
In Nottingham, record shop manager Chris Seale ignored warnings to cover up the allegedly offensive word and was taken to court. The case was heard by Nottingham magistrates on 24 November 1977. Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, who had released the album, employed the QC, the late John Mortimer, to present his case.
Sir Richard recalls: “He (Mortimer) told me that we needed a linguistic adviser, a professor of English who could define the exact meaning of ‘bollocks’ for us. Since the case had been brought in Nottingham I called up Nottingham University. ‘Please can I speak to your professor of linguistics?’, I asked. ‘That would be Professor James Kinsley,’ said the lady on reception.”
Professor Kinsley, the Head of the School of English at the University from 1961 to 1984, agreed to appear as a witness.
Professor Kinsley told the court that the word had been used in records dating back to 1,000 AD and meant ‘small ball’ in Anglo Saxon times. He said it appeared in medieval bibles and veterinary books to describe small things of an appropriate shape. The word was used colloquially for centuries and as a nickname for clergymen who talked ‘nonsense’ in their sermons.
Mortimer made an impassioned plea to the magistrates that we should be proud of our Anglo Saxon heritage and of having a strong and virile language. The magistrates “reluctantly” found Chris Seale not guilty.
Professor Kinsley died in 1984 and his contribution to not only the Department but also the University was recorded by the British Academy in 1988.
The current Head of the School of English, Professor Julie Sanders, said: “The story of Professor Kinsley’s involvement in the Sex Pistols case is wonderful proof that the School of English has a long and proud history of engaging with topical issues through innovative applications of its research.”
Tags: Professor James Kinsley, Professor Julie Sanders, The Sex Pistols
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Diamond Wood event attracts hundreds
January 21st, 2013
More than 200 volunteers turned out for a tree planting session as part of a community project to create a Diamond Wood near Sutton Bonington.
The wood is being created as a joint project between the University and the Woodland Trust to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Professor Karen Cox, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “It was a huge privilege for the University to be selected and so closely involved with this special project.
“In the days, years and decades to follow, we hope that the wood will be a great resource for the University and local community in terms of both public engagement — as the planting day shows — and as an educational resource.”
The Woodland Trust also organised tree planting sessions with local schoolchildren.
Georgina McLeod, director of Jubilee Woods at the Woodland Trust, said: “Not only is this a chance to celebrate the Queen’s reign, it’s also a chance for communities to come together and, of course, tree planting is great fun for kids!
“More trees mean cleaner air, better water quality, more homes for wildlife and more green spaces to visit, play in and pass on for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”
Professor David Greenaway, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, unveiled two plaques — one from the Woodland Trust and one from the University — as well as planting a tree himself.
He was joined by Dr Ron Haylock, Ambassador for the Woodland Trust, Stuart Holm, Woodland Creation Advisor, and Julian Wiseman, Head of the Sutton Bonington Alumni Association.
Sharon Clancy, Head of Community Partnerships at the University, said: “The site is going to be an ongoing, sustainable resource for the people of Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire — not just the Sutton Bonington area.
“It has already been suggested that there may be further events and activities organised down the line, so that people can see the results of the planting and remain involved in the project — the planting day is definitely not being seen as a one-off.”
Ms Clancy is looking forward to watching the wood establish and mature.
She said: “I was genuinely knocked out by the site. It is a huge area — panoramic views, very beautiful, odd trees dotted about. It looks like some rural idyll! It seems like a great choice as people will want to come to it.”
For more information about the Jubilee Woods project, and to apply for free tree packs for community groups and schools, visit: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk.
Tags: Community Partnerships, Diamond Wood, Julian Wiseman, Professor Karen Cox, Sharon Clancy, sustainable, Woodland Trust
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Bulletin Board
January 21st, 2013
Life Cycle 2’s £250,000 to widen access to university
Life Cycle 2 — the University team who cycled the length of Britain — raised more than £250,000 to widen access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The 14-day, 1,100-mile challenge was on behalf of Nottingham Potential, the University’s commitment to transform the lives of young people.
During a community day on the Lincoln to Nottingham leg, 47 volunteers accompanied the team, while more than 100 people walked or cycled around University Park, raising £5,000.
Vice-Chancellor Professor David Greenaway, who led the cyclists, said: “I am very proud of what the Life Cycle 2 team have achieved in raising more than a quarter of a million pounds for Nottingham Potential. The funds raised will help transform lives.”
Airlines chief Walsh guest speaker at Business School
Businessman Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of International Airlines Group, gave a talk at the Business School. Mr Walsh, the former chief executive of British Airways, appeared as part of the School’s Business Leaders Series.
Dr Sophia Taylor, External Relations Manager at the Business School, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for our MBA students to hear from one of the world’s top business leaders and a unique chance for our alumni, business associates and visitors.”
Other scheduled speakers include Korneel Koster, Director of Safety and Operations at Virgin Atlantic, on February 11, fashion designer Sir Paul Smith on March 20, Mark Ovenden, Managing Director of Ford UK, on May 1, and Dr Peter Poon, Chief Executive Office of Romax Technologies.
From bellyrobics to zumba, students try healthy lifestyle
Students enjoyed exercise taster sessions — including touch rugby, zumba and bellyrobics — and got advice on bike schemes, sports centre membership, the counselling service, and sexual health testing as part of HealthyU week.
The event encouraged students to be healthy during their time at Nottingham — and reminded them that wellbeing is not just linked to exercise and diet – it’s about sexual, emotional and mental health too.
Diane Hardwick, Deputy Director of Sport, said: “It is really important that students maintain a healthy lifestyle whilst they are at university. Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression and dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in later life.
“We are pleased that so many people took up the chance to come to the free taster classes and be active over the HealthyU weeks and we hope they may convert this into a regular exercise opportunity in the future.”
Death of former Lecturer in Accounts Rodney Mitchell
Rodney Mitchell, a former Lecturer in Accounts, has died. He was 69. Mr Mitchell graduated from Bristol University in 1964 and spent five years at LSE before joining the Industrial Economics Department at Nottingham.
After his retirement, he spent much of his time on campus in the Social Science Library and pursuing his passion for all things French. Mr Mitchell, who died on 30 November 2012, will be missed by all those who knew him.
Tags: Deputy Director of Sport, Diane Hardwick, Lecturer in Accounts Rodney Mitchell, Life Cycle 2, Nottingham Potential, Sir Paul Smith
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Lewis captures Saturday Night and Sunday Morning
January 21st, 2013
These images of a rain-soaked Nottingham city centre were taken by Lewis Stainer, an audio-visual assistant at the University, as part of the 4am Project, which collects photographs taken around the world at 4am.
Lewis joined 40 photographers who met outside the Council House early one Sunday morning to capture the streets at a time when most of us are asleep.
The event tied in with Saturday Night and Sunday Morning: The Authentic Moment in British Photography, an exhibition at the Djanogly Art Gallery.
Lewis said: “I really enjoyed it. Considering what time it was, everyone was really bubbly. It wasn’t great that it was so wet, but the reflections actually helped with the pictures.”
Lewis, 21, joined the University in September 2012 on its apprenticeship scheme. He helps edit and upload images to the University’s database. Working with Image Editor Lisa Gilligan-Lee, he takes photographs at University events and captures campus life. He also spends a day a month studying Business Administration at New College Nottingham.
“I’m really enjoying it,” he said. “I’m learning to shoot in a way that reflects the University’s style — you have to think about how the photographs will be used, leave space for text, and use lines to draw the viewer in.”
Lewis previously studied TV and Film at New College Nottingham and leapt at the opportunity of a year-long apprenticeship because he wanted to apply his passion for photography in a working environment.
He was one of 17 young people offered an apprenticeship when the University launched the scheme in September. All apprentices are working towards an NVQ at college.
The Saturday Night and Sunday Morning exhibition celebrates the novel by Nottingham’s Alan Sillitoe and the 1960 film starring Albert Finney as Arthur Seaton, while exploring social change in the late 1950s and early 60s.
Arthur worked at the Raleigh factory, which once sprawled across Jubilee Campus, but he lived for Saturday night. So it was somehow fitting that the 4am photographers should meet early on a Sunday morning, when revellers are on their way home.
The 4am Project was created by Birmingham-based photographer Karen Strunk who was struck by how different city streets look in the early hours. She began staging events so other photographers could share the 4am experience. In April 2009 4am became a global project, and photographers from more than 50 countries have since uploaded around 7,000 images to a dedicated website.
Karen was commissioned to stage a 4am event in Nottingham by Anna Douglas, the co-curator of the Saturday Night and Sunday morning exhibition.
Karen said: “It was really interesting to host the event in another city — and it tied in so well with the exhibition. I was really pleased with how well it was supported — when it’s wet you normally get a fall-off.”
The exhibition runs until 10 February at Djangoly Art Gallery. For more on the exhibition, visit: UoNSaturdayNight
To see a slideshow of the photographs taken in Nottingham, please visit: 4amproject.
Tags: 4am Project, Anna Douglas, Karen Strunk, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning: The Authentic Moment in British Photography
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Cheers to China
January 21st, 2013
The University is helping 20 micro-brewers across the East Midlands to develop bottle-conditioned beers for sale in China and South East Asia.
Experts from the Brewing Science department joined the Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network) to help the microbrewers develop bottle-conditioned beers for export.
In 2004, China became the world’s largest beer market. Competition is fierce but there is niche demand for prestige ales from microbrewers, a significant number of which are based in the Midlands.
When the conditioning of beer takes place in the bottle, quality can vary. The University team is working with the microbrewers to achieve consistency, stability and quality and identify best practice.
Anthony Hughes, Managing Director of the Lincoln Green Brewing Company, in Hucknall, said: “The Routes to Market initiative came at just the right time for us, as we had just started looking at bottling with a view to exporting in the future. As a result of the University’s support, we have been reseeding the beer with an additional yeast strain, to stabilise the beer. An expert from the University even came out to help us reseed the first batch of beer so that we could see how it should be done.”
The University’s Asia Business Centre will also be providing analysis of the Asia market for the microbrewers.
Dr Jerry Avis, who is managing the project, said: “The microbrewers we are working with are extremely enthusiastic about the Routes to Market programme. They recognise that we are able to help them improve the consistency of their products, reduce their costs and find new, innovative ways of offering their products to customers.”
Mike Carr, Director of Business Engagement at the University, said: “With the technical expertise we have in the brewing sector and our unrivalled links and knowledge of China and South East Asia, we really can help to give microbrewers in the Midlands a massive competitive advantage.”
Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Food and Drink iNet provided £19,750 for the Routes to Market project. Based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, the iNet is a consortium including the University that co-ordinates innovation support for the food and drink sector in the East Midlands.
Food and Drink iNet Director Richard Worrall said: “There is a growing appetite for prestige ales in areas like China and South East Asia, and we hope this project that we are funding will help East Midlands brewers to compete more effectively in this highly competitive market by not only tackling the product and packaging issues, but also considering market understanding and distribution with the support of UKTI.”
Tags: Asia Business Centre, Brewing Science department, Dr Jerry Avis, Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network), Routes to Market
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Passive smoking link to child meningitis
January 19th, 2013
Women who smoke while pregnant can triple the risk of their child succumbing to a cause of meningitis, research has found.
University researchers have contributed to studies which found a link between exposure to secondhand smoke and invasive meningococcal disease in children.
Dr Rachael Murray and Dr Jo Leonardi-Bee from the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies at the University reviewed 18 previous studies. Several suggested that exposure to secondhand smoke doubled the risk of invasive meningococcal disease. For children under five this risk was even higher, and for children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy the risk increased three-fold.
Dr Murray explained: “We estimate that an extra 630 cases of childhood invasive meningococcal disease every year are directly attributable to secondhand smoke in the UK alone.
“While we cannot be sure exactly how tobacco smoke is affecting these children, the findings from this study highlight consistent evidence of the further harms of smoking around children and during pregnancy, and thus parents and family members should be encouraged to not smoke in the home or around children.”
Invasive meningococcal disease is a major cause of bacterial meningitis and can also cause severe illness when bacteria invade the blood, lungs or joints. Meningococcal disease is particularly prevalent in children and young adults, and nearly one in 20 affected individuals will die despite medical attention. One in six will be left with a severe disability, including neurological and behavioural disorders.
The study, Secondhand smoke exposure and the risk of invasive meningococcal disease in children: systematic review and meta-analysis by Dr Rachael Murray, Professor John Britton and Dr Jo Leonardi-Bee, has been published in BioMed Central’s open access journal BMC Public Health.
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Market is cream of the crop
January 18th, 2013
The student-run Sutton Bonington Farmers’ Market has been named Market of the Year in the BBC Radio 4 Food Awards.
Dubbed ‘the Oscars of the food world’ by Jamie Oliver, the awards showcase some of the UK’s most exciting food and drink businesses.
The market, held once a month at the University’s Sutton Bonington Campus, was visited by judges Kath Dalmeny — Sustain’s Policy Director — and TV chef Valentine Warner.
Valentine said: “I was incredibly impressed by the market. It offered an impressive variety of produce to the students — some of which I was surprised to see, but delighted to know they were buying.
“The Sutton Bonington Farmers’ Market was well organised, very friendly and very forward thinking — a fun day out as well as a good place to learn more about ingredients.”
The market has more than doubled in size since it was launched in May 2011 and attracts more than 35 local food producers.
Adeel Khan, President of the Sutton Bonington Farmers’ Market Society, said of the award: “It’s a real honour, we’re over the moon. This win will really spur us on to make the market the best it can be for our customers and stall holders.”
Tags: BBC Radio 4 Food Awards, Kath Dalmeny, Sustain, Sutton Bonington Farmers’ Market, Sutton Bonington Farmers’ Market Society, Valentine Warner
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Spotlight
January 18th, 2013
Archeologist back home for Vikings’ last battle in Britain
Dr Jon Henderson journeyed back to his roots to present a BBC TV documentary, The Last Battle of the Vikings.
The Battle of Largs in 1263 marked the beginning of the end of Viking power in Scotland, where they had established the longest-lasting Norse presence in the British Isles.
Dr Henderson, from the Department of Archaeology and a member of the University’s Centre for the Study of the Viking Age, grew up near Largs in West Kilbride.
He said: “The Battle of Largs in 1263 was the last time Norse invaders fought on our soil — it was the final twist in a relationship that was centuries old. It may have marked the beginning of the end for Norse power in Scotland, but the Viking influence remained — part of a new nation, part of us.”
University’s top award for leading way in sustainability
The University has won one of the most prestigious awards in UK higher education — the Times Higher Education Award 2012 for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development.
Judges praised the University for embedding sustainability in everything from designing new buildings to the way energy is generated and used on campus.
The University’s Carbon Management Plan saw more than £1.5m invested in 71 carbon reduction projects in its first year.
In 2012 Nottingham — ranked the most sustainable university in the world in the Greenmetric league table — achieved a reduction in its carbon emissions for a second successive year, despite growing student numbers and an increase in the number of buildings.
Locking up rival city gangs together ‘increased violence’
A youth offending facility has been criticised in a report for taking criminals from rival gangs in Leicester and Nottingham.
The research, led by Dr Richard Simper of Nottingham University Business School, said Glen Parva Young Offenders Institution’s policy of taking criminals from both cities led to an increase in violence and inter-gang tension.
Dr Simper, an Associate Professor in Financial Economics, says that rival young offenders should be separated, and called for a new facility to be built in the East Midlands.
The study, the Economic Efficiency of Rehabilitative Management in Young Offenders Institutions in England and Wales, was published in the journal Socio-Economic Planning Services.
Dr Simper also dismissed plans to increase the size of Glen Parva, from 800 inmates to 1,160. The “smallest YOIs were the most efficient in the management of rehabilitation of young offenders,” he said.
Low-salt ingredient wins international accolade
A low-salt ingredient, developed by a University subsidiary company and marketed by Tate & Lyle, has won a prestigious international award.
Tate & Lyle’s SODA-LO™ Salt Microspheres won the Most Innovative Health Ingredient of the Year at the NuW Excellence Awards 2012.
SODA-LO™ was developed by the University’s Eminate business, which works alongside the Technology Transfer Office to develop research from University academics for commercially viable products and services.
The SODA-LO™ Salt Microspheres have been created using a technology that turns standard salt crystals into free-flowing crystalline microspheres. These smaller, lower-density crystals efficiently deliver salty taste by maximising surface area relative to volume, this enables salt content to be reduced in food without loss of flavour or structure.
Tags: Carbon Management Plan, Centre for the Study of the Viking Age, Department of Archaeology, Dr Jon Henderson, Dr Richard Simper, Economic Efficiency of Rehabilitative Management in Young Offenders Institutions in England and Wales, Eminate, Greenmetric league table, SODA-LO™ Salt Microspheres, sustainability, The Battle of Largs, The Last Battle of the Vikings
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How your small change can help save lives
January 18th, 2013
Staff donations through the Small Change: Big Impact scheme will this year support the University’s research into the early detection of cancer.
The net monthly pay of staff who subscribe to Small Change: Big Impact is rounded down to the nearest pound, with the pennies automatically going to a project supported by the University’s Impact Campaign.
Last year the initiative supported HeartLight, a sensor developed at the University which monitors the heartbeat of newborn babies. The pennies collected from the pay packets of more than 500 staff resulted in around £300 a month being donated to HeartLight by the end of 2012. Many staff have also chosen to continue their support for HeartLight by setting up a monthly direct debit.
Following a consultation with staff towards the end of last year, Cancer: Early Detection was overwhelmingly chosen as the 2013 beneficiary of Small Change: Big Impact.
Like HeartLight, Cancer: Early Detection is one of the projects supported by Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, which aims to raise £150m over five years in aid of projects that will change lives, tackle global challenges and shape the future.
Cancer: Early Detection will have a genuine impact on the quality of life of patients in the UK and worldwide and will save more people who might otherwise die from cancer.
By 2030, cancer cases are expected to have doubled worldwide. The most common forms of cancer are lung, breast, colon, stomach, prostate and liver. For lung, breast and colon cancer, early detection and treatment significantly reduce mortality.
In 2011, the University established the world’s first Centre of Excellence for Autoimmunity in Cancer (CEAC). Here researchers are developing blood tests for early detection of cancer by looking for antibodies produced by an individual’s immune system in response to cancer.
Early detection blood tests can detect breast cancer up to four years earlier than a mammogram and can detect lung cancer significantly before patients present with symptoms.
Professor John Robertson, Director of CEAC and Professor of Surgery, said: “We’re delighted that Cancer: Early Detection has been chosen to receive support from across the University community.
“Early detection is the Holy Grail of cancer treatment and we plan to use the technology to identify autoantibodies that are present in breast cancer before rolling this out to tackle other solid cancers.
“We need to raise significant funds to enable us to exploit this research to maximum potential and have a real impact on cancer sufferers worldwide.” It is hoped that staff will continue to be as generous in supporting Cancer: Early Detection as they were in giving up a few pennies every month in aid of HeartLight.
Simon Buttenshaw, Head of the Campaign’s Regular Giving team, said: “The response from staff to Small Change: Big Impact in its first year has exceeded all expectations.
“It’s difficult to check, but I have a good feeling that it is the biggest payroll-giving initiative of any UK University, in terms of numbers signed up. I’m incredibly pleased to see so many staff wearing the distinctive donor pin badges, because we knew when we launched Impact: The Nottingham Campaign that success would only come if it was supported across the whole University community: alumni, students and staff.”
If you have already signed up to Small Change Big Impact, donations will automatically continue, but from January’s pay packet will now go to Cancer: Early Detection.
If you wish to sign up to Small Change Big Impact, and help save lives by supporting research into the early detection of cancer, please do so via the staff portal, click into the Other Services tab and follow the instructions.
Tags: Cancer: Early Detection, Centre of Excellence for Autoimmunity in Cancer (CEAC), Director of CEAC, HeartLight, Professor John Robertson, Small Change Big Impact
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