Campus News
Hello Dollies…
March 8th, 2011
Four new Dolly the Sheep have been created at the University by Professor Keith Campbell, the scientist behind the original breakthrough 14 years ago.
Frozen cells taken from the mammary gland used to clone the original Dolly were obtained from the Hannah Institute in Scotland. These were thawed, cultured and then used to clone the four animals in Prof Campbell’s laboratory in the Animal Sciences Division at the University. The Dollies were born at the University to recipient mums. They are now fully grown and thriving along with eight other cloned sheep.
Prof Campbell, from the School of Biosciences, is a cell biologist and embryologist working under a Home Office licence. His research is focused on improving the nuclear transfer techniques of manipulating eggs.
Prof Campbell said: “The new Dollies are living proof that the original problems of cloning animals have been resolved and there has been a significant increase in the efficiency of live offspring.
“These Dollies have got the life of Riley; they potter around and get fed. They’ve got a paddock and a stable and a barn in the winter. We are not doing anything to them, they have no health concerns and they show none of the signs of developing the arthritis that Dolly had.”
There are 12 healthy cloned sheep on the University farm but only four — now over three years old — are identical to the original Dolly.
Prof Campbell said: “There are many benefits to understanding the development of clones. This research gives us an insight into the normal development of embryos and the way cells specialise – an area which plays a key role in stem cell research.”
His research continues in the hope of gaining a better understanding of the cloning process and development of embryos which has great implications for human development, animal development and stem cells. There are also agricultural applications of the cloning process, including genetic alteration for production of disease-resistant animals, altering the metabolism of animals to reduce environmental impact – should future legislation allow it.
Prof Campbell said: “In my opinion the use of these technologies in agriculture is an essential addition to maximise production, improve health and reduce environmental impact. In essence genetic alteration is organic farming.”
Tags: Animal Sciences Division, clone, Dolly the Sheep, embryos, genetic alteration, Professor Keith Campbell, School of Biosciences
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Talent Builder wins national accolade
March 8th, 2011
A third of all graduate jobs this year will be filled by candidates who have worked as interns, according to a report from High Fliers Research, The Graduate Market.
The University’s nationally commended career development scheme — Talent Builder — recognised this. The programme, which ran from July 2009 to December 2010, has just been Highly Commended in the Best New Placement Scheme category of the National Council for Work Experience Awards 2009-2010.
Talent Builder was funded by the University and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and organised paid internships for more than 300 graduates. While the original £1m funding has ended, the University’s Centre for Career Development (CCD) has developed an alternative programme.
Stephen McAuliffe, CCD Director, said: “This scheme has been a unique opportunity to apply the entrepreneurial spirit of students and graduates to completing projects during a difficult economic time. Talent Builder gave interns real responsibility from day one. They utilised their skills and knowledge as graduates to steer a project, giving fresh insight and energy to solving problems.
“Internships are about benefits to the organisation as much as the individual. Our programme is built around student interest across all sectors and company needs — including charities, not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, SMEs and multinationals — a real collaborative effort to bring real experience to graduates and real benefits to organisations.”
From 253 responses to the final evaluation survey, every host and 99 per cent of interns would recommend the programme; 98.5 per cent of hosts said the intern was a benefit to their team, and 96 per cent of interns said they benefited. Of 53 interns who completed a follow-up survey, 76 per cent had found a job within six months of completing their internship.
“I’ve been offered a graduate trainee role at a large multinational company,” said Chris Forrest, whose 16-week project with a University department included a trip to China to support an international network and conference. “I believe that it was my placement, courtesy of the University, that was fundamentally responsible for helping me begin my career.”
“The Talent Builder scheme has been invaluable to Headway over the past year,” said Luke Griggs, Communications Manager at the brain injury charity. “We have been fortunate to have had the support of several highly-talented graduates who assisted us on varied projects across departments.
“The work of each of the interns has been of an excellent standard, minimising the amount of time required to train and supervise them. In addition, the willingness of the interns to learn and develop new skills has been very impressive. We rely on voluntary support to help us achieve our targets.
The scheme has enabled us to embark upon and complete a number of important projects that may otherwise have
been delayed.”
Potential hosts should email Becky Blunden at internships@nottingham.ac.uk, call +44(0)115 846 7173 or visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/careers/internships.
Tags: Best New Placement Scheme, CCD, Centre for Career Development, High Fliers Research, Higher Education Funding Council for England, National Council for Work Experience Awards, Stephen McAuliffe, Talent Builder, The Graduate Market
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Double success in green awards
March 8th, 2011
Green technologies developed at the University have been recognised among the finest examples of new innovations aimed at reducing global warming and tackling climate change.
The University won two prizes at the Rushlight Awards for innovations that will improve access to clean drinking water for people in the developing world and help to make homes of the future more eco-friendly.
The Rushlight Awards, which were awarded at a Westminster gala event attended by around 300 leading figures from the clean technology industry, showcase the very best new sustainable technologies in development in the UK and Ireland.
Saffa Riffat, Professor in Sustainable Technology in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at the University, and head of its Institute of Sustainable Energy, said: “The University is a major centre for energy and clean technology research and is committed to the development of new, cost-effective energy solutions, from renewable sources.
“The awards were the perfect shop window for Nottingham’s research expertise and as a result of our success we have already been approached by a number of leading companies interested in exploring knowledge transfer partnership opportunities.”
The University collected the Rushlight Solar Energy Award for a unique water purification system that potentially could protect people in the developing world from the risk of serious illnesses such as cholera and dysentery. The simple, portable and low-cost solar-powered device uses a unique honeycomb core to filter the water. The University is seeking industry collaboration to begin manufacturing the device.
The University was recognised alongside its industry partner Roger Bullivant Ltd, the Burton-on-Trent-based specialist civil and structural engineering company, taking the Ground and Air Source Power Award for its revolutionary foundation system. The system is a quick, no-dig solution for building foundations, with a steel frame that can be constructed by two people in just a day. Combined with special energy piles driven into the ground, which take geothermal energy out of the ground, the system can be used as an off-grid solution for heating the home in winter and keeping it cool in summer. The foundation system has been successfully used for the Creative Energy Homes project, which has seen the construction of seven zero-carbon homes on Nottingham’s University Park campus.
Professor Chris Rudd, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Knowledge Transfer and Business Engagement, said: “We’re delighted to receive this accolade for our groundbreaking work in low-carbon technologies. This is a space where great science meets with environmental responsibility and great business opportunity. It sends a powerful message to our staff and students that University of Nottingham researchers continue not only to make important technological breakthroughs but that they connect with communities and markets to improve lives and help to preserve the planet.”
The awards are yet further recognition for Nottingham’s green credentials – last month it was awarded second place in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, the league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions.
The position reflects Nottingham’s commitment to putting the environmental agenda at the heart of its activities. Nottingham launched an environmental strategy last year, managed by an Environmental Steering Group, using the Go Greener Week. The week involved eco-house tours, environmental talks, local food markets, a vintage clothes sale and bike clinics. The University’s strategy has been underpinned by a range of initiatives including green gardening practices on its award-winning parkland campuses, the use of innovative architecture and sustainable design, reducing the environmental impact of its IT use and introducing sustainable procurement practices into contracts with a growing number of major suppliers.
Staff and students have been encouraged to make their own pledge to becoming more eco-friendly through a University-wide Go Greener campaign, by switching off PCs or lights when not in use, leaving their car at home and using public transport and the University’s fleet of inter-campus ‘hopper’ buses with new lower-emissions diesel engines.
This year’s Go Greener week will be held from Monday 21 March. Visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/gogreener/gogreener.aspx for details in the coming weeks.
Tags: Creative Energy Homes, environmental strategy, Go Greener, Ground and Air Source Power Award, Institute of Sustainable Energy, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Knowledge Transfer and Business Engagement, Professor Chris Rudd, Professor in Sustainable Technology in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Rushlight Awards, Rushlight Solar Energy Award, Saffa Riffat, UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, water purification
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Advantage scheme hits 1,000 mark
March 8th, 2011
Nottingham’s Advantage Award scheme has notched up its 1,000th student.
Pharmacy student Sue Siow Swen, who has come from Nottingham’s Malaysia campus to complete her degree here in the UK, is the 1,000th person to sign up.
The award, which requires students to complete three extra-curricular modules during the course of their degree, is designed to develop student skills, employability and personal and academic development – to help them stand out in an increasingly competitive jobs market.
Sue said: “I am taking part in the Nottingham Advantage Award because I want to know what recruiters will be looking for when I graduate from the School of Pharmacy.
“In the short term I hope that the work experience module will help me to recognise the skills I am going to develop through my summer placement.”
The work experience module is one of 34 that students are able to choose from to help tailor the award to suit them. Other modules include career planning, community work, travelling abroad, mentoring and developing skills for the workplace.
Will Bickford Smith, Education Officer for the Students’ Union, says every student should sign up for the award.
He said: “While having fun and doing well in your course is of central importance for all students at the University, ultimately this means little if you are not prepared for the next stage of your life when you graduate.
“We want University of Nottingham graduates to continue to be amongst the most sought after in the country, and the Nottingham Advantage Award is here to help that happen.”
To find out more about the award, which is now available at the Ningbo campus in China and the Malaysian campus from next semester, please visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/careers/students/advantageaward/index.aspx.
Tags: Advantage Award, Education Officer, Students’ Union, Will Bickford Smith
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Praise for Any-Body initiative
March 8th, 2011
A University initiative has received a national award for its commitment to Olympic and Paralympic values.
One of only a handful of projects in the East Midlands to receive the Inspire 2012 Mark, Any-Body Month– which runs throughout March – encourages people of all abilities to enjoy sport, while promoting the core Olympic and Paralympic values: excellence, respect, friendship, courage, determination, inspiration and equality.
Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, said: “Any-Body Month is encouraging students, community members and those with a disability to fulfil their potential. I am proud that partners such as The University of Nottingham are delivering on our vision to use the power of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to boost participation in sport no matter what a person’s abilities.”
Last year’s Any-Body Month – the first – attracted more than 100 people and received the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Diversity in Sport Award.
This year’s event has signed up coaches from national governing bodies and regional sports groups to work with the University to deliver coaching and work to make the University’s clubs more inclusive.
Sports on offer include horse riding, wheelchair rugby and Tai Chi (Sutton Bonington, 12 March), Powerchair football, judo and pilates (Jubilee, 19 March), and tennis, badminton and aqua fit (University Park, 26 March).
Other universities and community representatives are also invited along to see how they could initiate similar events. If successful, BUCS plans to roll out the initiative with higher education providers nationwide.
Hannah Webber, Sports Disability Officer, said: “This event aims to fill that gap by educating the University sports clubs on how to make their offering more inclusive; through the delivery of bespoke sessions that are tailored to address some of the barriers to participation; and by clear pathways and exit routes into continued activity beyond the Any-Body Month event.
“The event is designed to provide all students with a number of positive experiences, which will give them a more complete experience of University life. They will also benefit through volunteering opportunities and gain a greater understanding of the barriers faced by disabled people playing sport.”
Athletic Union Officer Dave Heads said: “The Students’ Union is committed to providing opportunities for all students, whatever their interests or abilities, to get involved in University life and to demonstrate their skills and potential. Any-Body Month is a brilliant event, as it gives everyone the chance to access sporting activities in a supportive environment where the aim is simply to have fun and try something new.”
Any-Body events are free, thanks to funding from the University’s Annual Fund, Sport Nottinghamshire and the Student’s Union Disability Students Network. Visit: www.nottingham.ac.uk/sport/anybodymonth.php.
Tags: (BUCS), Annual Fund, Any-Body Month, British Universities and Colleges Sport, Disability Students Network, Diversity in Sport Award, Hannah Webber, Inspire 2012 Mark, Paralympic Games, Sebastian Coe, Sport Nottinghamshire, Sports Disability Officer, Student’s Union
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Nine students per place
March 8th, 2011
The University of Nottingham is the third most popular university in the UK, according to latest application figures.
More than 49,000 prospective students applied to study at the University this year – around nine applicants for each of the 5,500 places available for first-year undergraduates.
Figures from UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, show that applications to Nottingham are up 7.6 per cent on last year: an additional 3,500 student applications.
Nottingham is one of only a few in the Russell Group – the UK’s 20 elite research-intensive universities – to experience an increase in popularity on last year.
The rise in applications comes in the wake of a string of major successes for Nottingham, including its best score in the National Student Survey (NSS), which measures overall level of satisfaction with their degree course and the institution.
The recent QS World Rankings saw Nottingham climb 18 places into the Global Top 75, making it the fastest-rising UK university in the prestigious Top 100.
It was also named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ and second in the world in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions.
Dr Paul Greatrix, Registrar, said: “We’re delighted that so many prospective students have applied to study at The University of Nottingham this year.
“The student experience on offer here is second to none, not only in the quality of teaching and learning, but also in a beautiful campus environment, unique opportunities for overseas study, the breadth of student societies and activities and the excitement of having a vibrant city like Nottingham on the doorstep.
“We’re currently investing £90m in new facilities for teaching, learning and research on campus, to ensure the University continues to offer the world-class education for which it has become known.”
Nationally, UCAS reported an increase in applications of just over five per cent. Commenting on the national picture, Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK said: “The increase in applications shows that demand for higher education remains steady. A university education is clearly still recognised for the enormous benefits it provides. Undoubtedly, gaining specialist higher-level skills gives graduates an edge.”
Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester are the two most popular UK universities by application numbers, according to today’s figures, with Leeds and Sheffield Hallam in fourth and fifth place.
Tags: applications, Global Top 75, National Student Survey, NSS, QS World Rankings, Russell Group, UCAS, UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, Universities UK
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Issue 45 / February 2011
February 4th, 2011
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Saddle soar
February 4th, 2011
At least one in five horses used for leisure is overweight or obese.
A pilot study, by the University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, showed that rates of obesity among horses are likely to be just as high as they are among people.
The study, by third-year veterinary student Helen Stephenson, from Lydney, Gloucestershire, assessed the prevalence of obesity among horses whose owners were registered with Oakham Veterinary Hospital — one of the School’s clinical associates specialising in the treatment of horses.
Researchers in Scotland has already shown a prevalence of obesity in pleasure riding horses but this is the first time a study has been done in England. Questionnaires were sent out to 500 owners, none of whom kept horses for breeding, livery, riding stables, or competition. Of the 160 questionnaires returned, one in five showed that their horses were either overweight or obese.
The research was supervised by Dr Sarah Freeman, a specialist in veterinary surgery. Dr Freeman said: “This provides the first snapshot of the prevalence of obesity in horses in the UK and an insight into owners’ management of weight.
“Obesity is linked to a number of different diseases, including arthritis, laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome. A larger study would be useful to establish the prevalence and risk factors for equine obesity in different horse populations across the UK.”
Each owner was asked to score their horse’s weight from zero to five, with a score over three indicating excess weight.
The researchers assessed 15 randomly selected horses to see if owners had under or overestimated weight. They assigned an average score that was significantly higher for these horses; eight of the owners had scored their horse at least one grade lower than the researcher.
The authors estimated that the true prevalence of overweight/obesity was likely to be 54% rather than the 20% indicated by the questionnaire responses.
Helen said: “Increasing incidence of obesity is a multi-species problem, affecting both humans and their companion animals. I feel that addressing this issue is an important role for the profession, and I hope to do my part when I go into practice.”
Tags: Dr Sarah Freeman, Helen Stephenson, obesity, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
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Tango Siempre
February 4th, 2011
Date: Wednesday 9 February
Time: 8pm
Venue: Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park
Admission: £20, £18 concessions,
£15 restricted view
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2010: A Space Oddity
February 4th, 2011
Date: Thursday 10 February
Time: 8pm
Venue: Djanogly Theatre,
Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park
Admission: £12, £9 concessions,
£6 restricted view
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