KENT. The Magazine for the University of Kent. Autumn 2004 No 43 As we prepare this new magazine for Kent, the students are arriving for the start of term. Construction work is progressing well on the new Medway campus and the numerous building projects on and around campus -particularly the new accommodation at Tyler Court and improvements to the Gulbenkian Café - are complete or nearly so. The International Office has been frantic, organising coaches and cars to collect students from the airports. Academics, back from conferences, research projects, finishing books, are once again at the end of their phones. Student registrations are flooding in by internet and the first mailing for the November graduation ceremonies is out. In the Alumni Office, plans for the 40th Anniversary Reunion weekend, 8-10 April 2005,are taking shape. This new look for the Bulletin - the first official redesign for ten years - is in honour of the University's 40th (2005). We hope you like it. Please let us know if you do - and if you don't! The spring 2005 KENT will be a special 40th Anniversary issue. It will feature Kent 'families' where, for example, parent and child, husband and wife or aunt and niece are Kent graduates. We know of over 3,900 'family' alumni, but are sure there are more. Please write to us if you're from one at kent-the- mag@kent.ac.uk or by post at the address below. Universities have been much in the news recently, mainly because of the tuition fees debate. From 2006, Kent will charge £3,000 for its undergraduate degrees, but the University is committed to enabling financially disadvantaged students to continue to come to Kent. Huge thanks to all those among you who have already responded favourably to our requests for donations, and also to those who help Kent in other ways - by volunteering on Court, at the Careers Fair, at Education Fairs across the world, by spreading the good word about Kent to your colleagues, friends, families. The new biannual KENT will be sent to alumni worldwide who stay in touch with us - through email, returning a carrier sheet, a phone call, a note or a visit - and to University staff and Friends. We hope you enjoy this issue. Please let us have your suggestions, your letters, your news and, if you move, your new contact details. We hope we can look forward to seeing you during the 40th Anniversary year if not before. Killara Burn Posie Bogan Editors Design Third Eye Design, Tel.0141 332 3335 www.thirdeyedesign.co.uk Printers Broglia Press, Tel.01202 621621 Special thanks to Chris Lancaster and Lesley Farr in the University Print Unit; Sarah Kovandzich, freelance journalist; Karen Bayfield, Katie van Sanden and Hilary Saunders in C&DO Editors Killara Burn and Posie Bogan Communications & Development Office University of Kent Canterbury CT2 7NZ Tel.01227 824345/823581 Fax.01227 827912 Email: kent-the-mag@kent.ac.uk www.kent.ac.uk/alumni KENT replaces the Kent Bulletin and is published in spring and autumn every year for alumni, staff and friends of the University of Kent. It is sent to all alumni worldwide who regularly update or confirm their contact details with us. KENT the magazine for alumni, staff and friends of the University of Kent - Issue 43 Autumn 2004 CONTENTS News Development news Riding the waves of change Business links Shaping the world: alumni profiles New frontiers Work, your flexible friend Keeping up with Kent graduates: accountants Who's what where Making a difference Events NEWS Education Secretary praises Transmanche Education Secretary, Charles Clarke, has commended the development of the University of the Transmanche. Speaking at a conference for university vice- chancellors, he said it was an excellent example of how universities in the UK should be developing in other countries in order to widen their international appeal. The Transmanche is an innovative partnership project developed by the University of Kent together with the three Lille Universities and the University of the Littoral. Its first students started their studies this term. Vice-Chancellor Professor David Melville welcomed Charles Clarke's comments, saying 'We have created a truly trans-national organisation. This endorsement by the Education Secretary confirms that we are leading the way in the university sector.' Under the leadership of Academic Director Professor Roger Vickerman the University of the Transmanche offers innovative, interdisciplinary, bilingual, double degree programmes which this year include a range of courses at Masters level. Students have been recruited to all their programmes, which include Conflict, Peace and Identity: France, Britain and Europe; Palliative and Chronic Illness Care; International Management; and International Mobility, Globalisation and the Law. Undergraduate courses are scheduled to run from next year and there are also plans to introduce lifelong learning initiatives and professional development programmes. Kent Law Clinic wins legal awards The University's Kent Law Clinic has won two of the six awards at the Solicitors Pro Bono Group 'Attorney General's Awards' for pro bono legal work by law students. The University won second prize in the Institution Awards and postgraduate Law student Samantha Loader won third prize in the Student Awards. Kent was the highest placed university entrant in the Institution category, and the only one to have award winners in both categories. The awards were presented at a reception at the House of Lords by the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith QC, to Samantha Loader and the Kent Law Clinic's Catherine Carpenter, Lorna Collopy and John Fitzpatrick. The judges included Cherie Booth QC; the Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP, the Solicitor General; Michael Mansfield QC; Matheu Swallow, Deputy Editor, The Lawyer; and the Rt Hon Lord Woolf, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. According to the panel 'Kent Law Clinic is of enormous benefit to members of the local community and significantly enhances the legal education of students involved in it.' Building work under way at Universities at Medway Building work has now started on the £50m Universities at Medway initiative, which is at the heart of the strategy to bring economic prosperity to Medway. A partnership led by Kent and the University of Greenwich, together with Mid-Kent College and Canterbury Christ Church University College, the scheme is supported by the South East England Development Agency, Medway Council, the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The initiative is a key project in the North Kent section of the Thames Gateway regeneration programme and will see student numbers rise to 6,000 by 2007. It will have a major impact on the region's economy, contributing £10m of additional expenditure and creating more than 600 direct and indirect jobs. Contractors Laing O'Rourke are working on a new four-storey academic building for the University of Kent and Mid-Kent College and the refurbishment and development of the Grade II listed Drill Hall which will provide a state-of-the- art Learning Resource Centre. The joint centre will also provide teaching space as well as library and ICT facilities, with some public access. The second phase of development includes plans to convert the former naval canteen to house a lecture theatre, retail and catering outlets and Students' Union facilities. School of Pharmacy welcomes first students The first students at the new Medway School of Pharmacy have now settled in to their studies. Over 70 UK trainee pharmacists and 11 from overseas have enrolled at the Medway School of Pharmacy, a shared project of the Universities of Greenwich and Kent. The number of new recruits is 50%higher than anticipated, due to unprecedented demand and the quality of applicants. Professor Clare Mackie, Head of School, said 'We are thrilled to have recruited so many able, well-qualified candidates, which has got the new School off to a flying start. We could have taken a lot more, so this is a really good sign for the future success of the School.' The students are studying on a four-year MPharm degree programme, leading to professional registration as a pharmacist. The Medway School of Pharmacy is set to grow substantially over the next six years and student numbers are expected to rise to over 30 by 2010. The School's first-class facilities include new research and teaching laboratories, state-of-the-art pharmaceutical equipment and a new training dispensary which will give students the chance to gain practical experience in a retail setting. The creation of the School has been backed by the international pharmaceutical company Pfizer Ltd, which is providing sponsorship of £500,000. Minister visits Mexican conservation project Researchers at the University's Durrell Institute of Ecology and Conservation (DICE)and the Universidad Autonóma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico, met with the UK Environment Minister Elliot Morley when he recently visited one of DICE's Darwin Initiative projects in Mexico City - a recovery programme for the axolotl. One of Latin America's rarest amphibians, the axolotl is now confined to the remnant channels of Lake Xochimilco. The project seeks to maintain the wild stock by promoting the axolotl as a flagship species for nature tourism and conservation education initiatives. Elliot Morley was accompanied by the British Ambassador to Mexico, Denise Holt, a keen supporter of the project. They were very impressed with just how much the project is achieving, particularly as it is sited in one of the world's most densely populated cities. DICE's Dr Ian Bride, project officer for Aztecs and Axolotls: Integrating Tourism and Conservation, Xochimilco, said 'We hope that we will be able to continue and build upon our good work by being awarded a project extension in due course. We were very pleased that the Minister and the Ambassador took the time to visit, and engaged so fully with the spirit of the project and its focus on empowering local people to value, protect and promote their own wildlife resources.' Honorary degrees 2004 Author and historian Antony Beevor and cartoonist Gerald Scarfe were among those who received honorary degrees from the University this summer, joining the 2,000 students who graduated during the three days of degree ceremonies at Canterbury Cathedral. Honorary degrees were also awarded to Sir David Ramsbotham, formerly Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons; artist Fred Cuming and scientist Dame Julia Higgins. In addition they were awarded to Sir Ron Cooke, formerly Vice- Chancellor of the University of York; Daniel Boucher, President de l'Université du Littoral; Edwin Boorman, Chairman of the Kent Messenger Group, and Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Director of the European Environment Agency. This autumn Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, the 106th Bishop of Rochester, will receive an honorary degree at the ceremony being held at Rochester Cathedral. The degree ceremonies at Canterbury Cathedral will see honorary degrees being awarded to writer A S Byatt and the Director of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, Alan Tuckett. Also at Canterbury Cathedral, the University will be showing its appreciation of The Brodsky Quartet by awarding each member - Andrew Haveron, Ian Belton, Paul Cassidy and Jacqueline Thomas - an honorary degree. The science of dance University Maths undergraduate, Quincy Kendell Charles, has been giving a series of high profile performances of kathak dance - India's answer to ballet. As well as dancing amid the floodlit fountains of Somerset House, he performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. In December he will be at the University's Gulbenkian Theatre where he will be dancing alongside his Guru Jayashree Acharya, a senior disciple of the legendary Sri Pt Birju Maharaj. Over the years, Quincy has found that 'science is ever present in Indian classical music and dance because the artist must have absolute rhythmic mastery over complicated and sometimes uneven time cycles. 'This scientific approach is balanced by the artistry of mythological stories portrayed through kathak, where ancient legends and gods come to life. 'When the two meet and merge, something unique and wonderful happens in a desire to achieve excellence and, ultimately, perfection.' Student meet Tony Blair Earlier this year, students from Kent took part in the celebration of the centenary of the entente cordiale alongside Prime Minister Tony Blair and the French President Jacques Chirac. The eight were among 100 British students who travelled to Paris to take part in a question and answer session with Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac at the Elysée Palace. The group then went on to attend a garden party hosted by the French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. According to Mathieu Freville, who is studying English and French Law at Kent, 'This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I couldn't believe I was actually there. It's not very often you get the chance to ask the Prime Minister questions in person!' Mapping the origins of space The University hosted a three-day international meeting of astronomers who were making plans for the launch and use of a powerful new space telescope, ASTRO-F, which will make a map of the sky in far-infrared light. The most extremely luminous objects in the cosmos will be detectable to ASTRO-F and it will see 90%of the way back to the Big Bang, as well as charting the birth of stars like the Sun. Lecturer in Astronomy Dr Stephen Serjeant said 'The most gripping questions in science are questions about our origins: how stars like the Sun and its solar system came to be created, and how the first galaxies were born. Often these things are invisible even to the Hubble Space Telescope, but ASTRO-F is designed to detect them even at the edge of the observable Universe. This will give us important new insights into the formation of the first things in the Universe and this telescope will be one of the most important international observatories of the decade.' The development of the telescope was led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), with UK involvement at the University of Kent, Imperial College and Sussex University, and involvement from the European Space Agency. Professor Glenn White, head of the University's Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, is Project Manager of the UK-NL ASTRO-F team. Striking the right note Students Gerard Collett and Samantha Case are joint winners of this year's Canterbury Festival Music Prize. The prize is awarded to final-year students who have made an outstanding contribution to musical life on campus. The University is grateful to the Canterbury Festival for its continued support through this prize. Gerard, who is reading History & Theory of Art and Philosophy, is a baritone and conductor. He receives a Music Bursary to study singing with David Lowe. English student Samantha is a talented flautist and plays principal flute in both the University Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. She has also been very involved in the running of the University Music Society, assisting with concerts and publicity. The University Music Prize, awarded to a returning student, goes to Mitesh Khatri, a second year reading Computing Systems Engineering. Mitesh receives a Music Bursary to study singing and is a member of the University Chorus and Chamber Choir. A new award, the Colyer-Fergusson Music Prize, for a student who has made a major contribution to organising music at the University, went to final-year French and German undergraduate, Elizabeth Cope. As well as playing the clarinet, Elizabeth had a key administrative role and this prize recognises her hard work behind the scenes. Director of Music, Susan Wanless, said 'We have a flourishing programme of music making at the University and, because Kent has no academic music course, all students have the opportunity to get involved in the wide range of activities and events. This year's prizewinners reflect the breadth of musical talent we have here and the extraordinary energy and enthusiasm of our students.' Grass snakes uncovered A population of grass snakes near Canterbury has been the subject of an ongoing study by one of Canada's leading snake experts. Professor Patrick Gregory from the University of Victoria, who is working with Kent's Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, has had a long-standing interest in grass snakes. Since 1999 he has been making an annual trip to Canterbury to monitor the colony in its lakeside habitat. The grass snake, one of three species of snake in the UK, is fairly common but according to Professor Gregory surprisingly little is known about it. 'We are not even sure about the exact lifespan - it's somewhere between 10 and 15 years - or even the hibernation habits.' What is known is that the snake seems to have fairly plastic reproductive behaviour - egg-laying times seem especially variable. This is perhaps one of the reasons for the species 'success at relatively high latitudes. Professor Gregory describes it as a 'nervous animal', which keeps its distance. This makes it difficult to monitor but after five years of visiting the site, Professor Gregory feels he has a solid base on which to further the study. His aim now is to work with Dr Richard Griffiths, Reader in Biological Conservation at Kent, to set up a research project which will give a far greater understanding of the life and times of one of Northern Europe's most elusive animals. A good read If you're looking for a good read, why not try the new book by Kent graduate Francis Cottam. Described as 'a fascinating historical novel, a poignant love story and a chilling ghost story' Slapton Sands strongly features the University. To sum up, it's 1976 and American postgraduate history student Alice Bourne is writing her thesis on an event which took place 32 years earlier at Slapton Sands, a beach on the south Devon coast used by the Americans during WW2 to prepare for the Normandy landings. The rehearsal went disastrously wrong and 1,500 marines lost their lives but the truth about exactly what happened has never been discovered. The novel opens at a tutorial party on the slope of the hill descending from Eliot College to Canterbury and as Francis says 'In those days this location offered a view of the cathedral now obscured by mature trees that were saplings then.' Slapton Sands is Francis's third novel and is published by Simon and Schuster. New Migration and Social Care centre The University recently launched the European Centre for the Study of Migration and Social Care (MASC). Led by its director, Dr Charles Watters, MASC has been established in recognition of an expanding range of activity in relation to migration, social care and mental health. MASC has already established an international reputation, forming an increasing number of research partnerships with universities and key service providers across Europe. The Centre will also offer a range of teaching programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals working with migrants and refugees. Speaking at the launch about why MASC had been set up and what it hopes to achieve, Charles Watters stressed that the term migration should be seen as including various forms of forced migration such as internally displaced people, undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and settled minority ethnic groups. Other speakers were Peter Gilroy OBE, Strategic Director of Kent Social Services and John Horekens, Director of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Geneva). Ethnobiology at Kent Professor Sir Ghillean Prance opened the Ninth International Congress of Ethnobiology which took place at the Canterbury campus earlier this year. This is the first time the Congress has met in Europe and delegates were joined by members of the Society for Economic Botany and participants from the International Congress of Ethnopharmacology. The theme of the conference was Ethnobiology, Social Change and Displacement. Over 350 people from over 50 countries attended the conference, which this year had a European focus. Roy Ellen, Kent's Professor of Anthropology and Human Ecology, was Chair of the Organising Committee. He said 'Up until now, most work in ethnobiology has been guided by assumptions about global loss of knowledge and biodiversity. However, ethnobiological knowledge is not a finite resource which we simply try to salvage, but rather a dynamic set of practices and ideas which are constantly adapting -even under high-tech industrial conditions. This conference looked at how ethnobiological knowledge is transformed under conditions of rapid social and technical change, through globalisation, and in particular how it adapts in situations of socio-ecological change.' DEVELOPMENT NEWS Alumni postgraduate scholar 2004 Emma Silvester was awarded a BSc in Maths from Kent in 2000. Her plan was to take a break from studying to have a family, but she missed maths so much that, even while raising her young children, she undertook and was awarded an MSc at the Open University. Emma's love for her subject is apparent to her teachers. According to her PhD adviser, Dr Elizabeth Mansfield, 'While her friends were buying clothes, Emma was buying mathematics books; she has the unquenchable curiosity needed for success in research. 'Her final-year dissertation was entitled 'Black holes and general relativity'. With the help of the Alumni Scholarship, Emma will study applied mathematics, specifically 'moving frames', a classical technique to solve equivalence problems in differential geometry that has potential modern applications. The criteria for selecting the Alumni postgraduate scholar include a good Kent degree and the ability both to communicate enthusiastically and clearly about their project and to convince non-experts of its value. Getting ready for the phonathon As we go to press, the student callers for the next phonathon are being interviewed. Nearly 150 students applied for the 24 places. The successful candidates will be telephoning 2,400 former Kent students, asking them to make a gift to the Annual Fund, for feedback on the University and the Alumni programme, and just to chat. Student callers are matched by subject to the person they're calling so they have a lot in common even before they start talking! All the students being interviewed are enthusiastic about Kent, articulate and bright, and a pleasure to speak with. All have good thing to say about Kent - from a great library, to incredibly helpful staff, to the great diversity of students, the beautiful green campus and the friendliness of - well - everyone. When asked why they came to Kent, the answers are almost invariably the course, the staff and students they met on their Open Day visit or, of course, the pleasant environment. Music bursaries Following the first Music Bursary Concert, held in March this year, a number of donors have contributed to the scheme, resulting in 12 more music bursaries this year. These bursaries are a wonderful resource for the University as they attract talented musicians who wish to study subjects other than music, while continuing with their music tuition and participating in numerous performing group. Music is truly one of Kent's strengths, and donations such as these help keep it so. Legacy update Sir James Colyer-Fergusson sadly died earlier this year. A thoughtful and generous man, he was a good friend to the University who not only created an endowment to help young humanities scholars, but he also made a very large gift to the University to fund an annual concert. During the summer, the University was thrilled to learn that, thanks to his extraordinary further generosity, Sir James also left a very substantial legacy to music at the University. This good news was further compounded in September when the University learned that a former German literature student wished to make a gift to the University to ensure that others would have the opportunity to come to Kent as he had gained so much during his time here. If you would like further information about any of the projects mentioned here or if you would like to find out how to make a donation to the University's Annual Fund, please contact Killara Burn, Communications &Development Office, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, email J.K.Burn@kent.ac.uk RIDING THE WAVES OF CHANGE 'Another area of development is the University of Kent at Brussels, which now has students from 55 countries' University Vice-Chancellor Professor David Melville The pace of change currently under way in higher education is unprecedented. Already this autumn we have seen the recommendation by a government task force that students should be able to make their university choices after their A level results and, at the time of going to press, the Tomlinson Committee was preparing to reveal its plans for a shake-up of 14 to 19 education and the Education Secretary, Charles Clarke, was ready to unveil an international education strategy. And underpinning all of this is the continuing debate over the introduction of top-up fees in 2006. University Vice-Chancellor Professor David Melville, a member of the Working Group on 14-19 Reform and the government's Foundation Degree Task force and Chair of the Universities Vocational Awards Council, discusses Kent's position in this fast-pace environment. KENT magazine: Why is higher education so firmly at the top of this government's agenda? I don't recall it being so much of an issue for previous governments. David Melville: Well, there are several reasons. The main one is that ministers have identified universities as having a purpose within government aims, much in the way that schools have. These are broadly related to the big issues of economic development and social inclusion. Another contributing factor is the increase in central control by government. Km: Do you think that being under the spotlight in this way is for the better? DM: As publicly-funded bodies we should be accountable to the nation. As an individual institution we have to learn to take best advantage of the directions determined by government within the framework of what we want to be. It's important to work with policy makers, not against them, in order to help them achieve their objectives whilst ensuring our own core objectives are sustained. Km: You have an extensive and long-standing involvement with further education. In particular, I'm thinking about your former ole as head of the Further Education Funding Council for England and as a member of the 14-19 Working Group. Do you think this influences how you approach your work here at Kent? DM:I think it gives me a viewpoint to look at the education system as a whole. One example of the way things have changed at Kent has been the increase in the number of partnerships with other institutions - and they are not confined to those in higher education. This has become a key feature of the way we now work. It's an approach that is helping us to maintain our position as a research-led university while developing new initiatives to broaden our base. An important part of this is supporting our Associate Colleges to do what they are good at whilst we focus on our own strengths. Km: Kent is planning to charge its students £3,000 tuition fees, the maximum amount allowed. Are there plans to introduce bursaries to help students and where will the extra income be spent? DM: We are already drawing up plans for a wide range of bursaries which we hope to support from a combination of University funds and private donations. Our aim is to spend any extra fee income generated on improving student and academic facilities. However I don't see that top-up fees will generate sufficient additional funding and we will have to continue to look to other sources of income. Km: Like many universities, Kent has an increasingly powerful regional role. Does this regionalisation in terms of planning and funding hinder development on a wider scale? DM: That's a good question. We undoubtedly have a clear responsibility to the region. Just consider the impact of the Universities at Medway initiative, which incidentally is a great example of just how successful working in partnership can be. The University of Kent, working with the University of Greenwich, Mid- Kent College and Canterbury Christ Church University College, has developed this £50m scheme which is at the heart of the strategy to bring economic prosperity to Medway. A key project in the North Kent section of the Thames Gateway regeneration programme, it will add £10m of additional expenditure and create more than 600 direct and indirect jobs. However, its core purpose remains the provision of high-quality teaching and research for its 7,000 students. There is no doubt that our many strengths come from having a location in a unique region. However, the very nature of higher education means we have to have a national and international focus. Our mission is clear -we will work to develop and maintain a national and international reputation for our teaching and research quality. Km: But isn't it becoming increasingly difficult for UK universities to compete on a global scale? DM: You're right - current figures show that the UK's share of the international student market has declined recently, even though actual numbers are rising. However, the good news is that Kent has been identified as leading the way in developing initiatives that will stem the tide. In fact, the Education Secretary, Charles Clarke, recently commended the development of the University of the Transmanche, which he said was an excellent example of how universities in the UK should be developing in other countries in order to widen their international appeal. Again, this is another partnership scheme - a trans- national project developed by Kent together with the three Lille Universities and the University of the Littoral. Its first students started their studies this autumn. Another area of development is the University of Kent at Brussels which now has students from 55 countries. I see our campus there as being something that will grow significantly over the next ten years. Coming back to your question, I think one of the most important things to remember is that our presence in Europe is not just about attracting European students to the University, but also those from overseas who will see what we are doing as a unique opportunity. Km: One of the things some politicians - and others - say is that we are simply over-educating the workforce. What is your response? DM: As far as Kent is concerned, we have one of the highest percentage of graduates going into graduate jobs. Nationally, the recent number of graduates entering into the job market is simply bringing us into line with our competitor countries. However, I do believe there is a need for more young people to be educated with technical skills to encourage those who currently opt out of education to stay in the system. It's also important to remember that universities have always been involved with vocational education. At Kent we recognise that skills alone are not enough - whatever the course. Our aim is to ensure that our graduates are equipped with the ability to acquire new knowledge -and the capacity to use it. Km: But surely the increase in student numbers must mean a reduction in the quality of education Kent, and other universities, are providing? DM: All universities have grown, many much more rapidly than Kent. The changing nature of the student population - for example we have more students studying closer to home - means change is inevitable for all of us who are providers of higher education. The picture is that we have shifted from an elite system of university education for a very small percentage of the population to one that compares with other countries. Undoubtedly, we are taking a wider range of students but our A level point scores haven't significantly changed in the last ten years. One thing that has changed is that we have more mature students. Often they are without traditional qualifications but often they are more successful in terms of degree results. I would say that the student population at Kent, although more diverse nationally and culturally, has not fundamentally changed. I also think it's worth mentioning that during the last 12 months alone we have made more than 20 external appointments to Chairs. They come from a wide range of other universities, and together with the recent internal professorial promotions, will make a significant contribution to the University's research activities. And of course, our position in the league tables is improving. We were pleased to see this year's Sunday Times league tables flagging up our good unemployment rate, our flexible degree programmes, our European activities and our internationalist approach. I have been pleased to hear that that the changes at Kent have been generally welcomed by our alumni, many expressing their support by the contributions they are make to our fundraising efforts. It's good to see that people who obviously appreciated their time at Kent and the benefits it brought them once they graduated want to see it opened up to more and more people. BUSINESS LINKS Gear change The launch of the new Kent Business School (KBS) signalled a change in gear for the University's business activities. Increased research activity, a stronger portfolio of under- and postgraduate courses and the creation of the new Chatham-based European Business Institute in partnership with the University of Greenwich are just some of the key elements of this increasingly dynamic University department, formerly known as the Canterbury Business School. Its new identity was launched at a two-centre event held in Medway and Canterbury. Speaking at the launch, Vice-Chancellor Professor David Melville said KBS was on track to be a great regional business school as well as an national and international player. He also spoke of the School's ambition to offer a world- class MBA, accredited by the Association of MBAs and the recent launch at Bluewater of a new foundation degree in retail management developed in conjunction with Canterbury College and the John Lewis Partnership. His comments were endorsed by Chancellor Sir Crispin Tickell, who said 'This particular part of the country really needs to have a vibrant business school. 'KBS Director Martyn Jones emphasised the importance of a strategic approach to business education. 'We need to be very clear about what we do - and do it well. 'The School has established an advisory group led by Chair Helen Bostock, Vice- President of JP Morgan Chase Bank and Kent graduate. The next year will see the development of three new applied research centres in Medway and in September 2005 the new campus will become the base for a new executive MBA programme. Expansion is also planned for the existing undergraduate programmes. Leading from the top Three new and dynamic leaders have joined Kent Business School (KBS). Martyn Jones is now the School's Director, Professor Paul Phillips is Deputy Director and Professor John Mingers is Director of Research. The three have come to Kent from the business schools at the universities of Wales, Surrey and Warwick respectively. Between them they have a wealth of experience that combines the academic with the business world. Paul, who is also Professor of Strategic Management, was a management consultant with Price Waterhouse before joining the University of Wales, Cardiff and the University of Surrey, where he held the Charles Forte Chair of Hotel Management. Martyn was a colonel in the Royal Army Educational Corps before moving to Cranfield, where he headed up the MBA programme, and Wales, where he was director of the business school. John spent 15 years at leading business school Warwick and was a management scientist with Unilever. All three see KBS as a place of great potential with a unique geographical position. It is, as Martyn says, a young organisation which has now reached its next stage of development. 'The School has been developing well in several respects. It's a good recruiter, students get a full educational experience and the University is serious about establishing a good international business school. Such success has now generated a number of options and the challenge will be to decide which options to follow.' £2.2m business boost The University has been awarded £2.2m as part of the Government's funding awards given to support knowledge transfer from universities to business and the wider community as part of its drive to boost the UK's innovation, performance and productivity. The scheme is a major part of the Government's strategy to increase prosperity and provide high-quality job opportunities. Vice-Chancellor Professor David Melville said, 'We were very pleased to receive this award which will enable the University to reinforce its partnerships and support for business in Kent.' The grant is three times the level of funding previously allocated and the University is now in a very strong position to accelerate its enterprise activity. Managing IT IT systems have an increasingly crucial role in almost any business. However, for many small and medium size businesses, technical IT management is a financial nightmare. As part of its enterprise activities, the University has set up the Kent IT Clinic to help solve the problem. Through the skills of student consultants, the Clinic offers a range of services from upgrading computers and providing training to giving advice on how to network computers and the internet. Most have gained first-class working experience with major organisations like Sun Systems, IBM and Microsoft and are mentored by trained IT systems professionals to ensure standards are of the highest. SHAPING THE WORLD The University of Kent makes a key contribution at a regional, national and international level. A thriving organisation, its mission is to develop and maintain its reputation for teaching and research quality. Building work is now under way on the £50m Universities at Medway campus, a ground-breaking initiative led by Kent and the University of Greenwich. Inaugurated by the Queen, the campus will welcome its first students in 2005.The first students are now at the University of the Transmanche, an innovative partnership project developed by Kent together with the three Lille Universities and the University of the Littoral. UK Education Secretary has praised the University of the Transmanche as an excellent example of how UK universities should develop overseas in order to widen their international appeal. The University of Kent at Brussels set to expand significantly over next ten years. New Pharmacy School now open. A shared project between Kent and the University of Greenwich, student numbers are 50% higher than anticipated. Kent Business School. This new name signals increased research activity, a stronger course portfolio and the creation of the new European Business Institute in partnership with Greenwich University. Kent attracted the highest percentage increase in government funding for universities in the UK in 2004. Kent awarded £2.2m government funding to boost business support. Kent's close collaboration with Harada has led to research success. Kent receives £90,000 to attract overseas investment into region. £100m of capital investment at Kent planned over the next four years. Kent has one of the best graduate employability records of any UK university. 17 out of 23 departments at Kent have achieved research grade 4 or above with Social Policy awarded 6*, the top grade. 81% of Kent research staff work in departments which contain research of national or international excellence. 23 new professors appointed over last 12 months at Kent. Kent has a thriving cosmopolitan community with students of all ages and over 120 different nationalities. Kent has had a 21%increase on overseas students from 2002/2003 to 2003/2004. 16% of Kent's full-time students are from overseas. Shaping the world. Graduates from the University of Kent can be found in all walks of life, making a contribution in a huge variety of ways. KENT magazine talks to a few of them. Andrew Macnair E87:BSc,MSc,PhD in Physics, Professional singer (tenor) and performer, London How did studying at Kent help you in your current work? As a freelance opera singer my three degrees in physics from Kent don't have a direct impact, but I learned useful skills, such as analysis and problem solving, which can be especially handy when it comes to DIY. Having said that, my studies did give me self-confidence, something you need a lot in my profession. What's your favourite memory of those student years? I have an awful lot of wonderful memories from my time at Kent. To name a few: the views of Canterbury from the campus, the candlelit carol services in the Cathedral, Sunday lunches in country pubs, performing in numerous shows in the Gulbenkian, and most of all the wonderful friends that I made there, many of whom I still see. Describe a 'typical' day. I don't really have a typical day, which is one of the best things about my job. Fortunately, whatever I'm doing usually doesn't require getting up early. I either have rehearsals during the day or a show in the evening - sometimes both. On Sundays I sing in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, a lovely place to spend a day. What do you think is the best thing about the University of Kent? While I enjoyed studying, it was music that kept me there so long. At Kent Music isn't an academic department, but there is a lively and varied music programme in which students, staff and professionals participate. Making music is open to students of any subject, and is of a very high standard. Because of a legacy for music tuition at Kent dating from the early 1980s, and a number of donations since then, Director of Music Susan Wanless is able to award bursaries for excellent musicians to continue with private tuition on their instruments. It is this commitment to music at Kent that got me started on the road to becoming a professional singer. How do you think the University of Kent contributes to the region, the nation, and the world? The region benefits immensely from the music and drama that is performed both on and off campus. Putting Kent's contribution into a wider context is more difficult, but I do know that it has sent out many well-rounded graduates that work in a huge variety of professions, from film and TV to science and finance. Their contribution to the region and the country must be immense. mail@andrewmacnair.com and www.andrewmacnair.com. Mary Starck E65:BA History, Teacher and bookkeeper, Adelaide, Australia How did studying at Kent help you in your current work? At Kent I learnt to be thorough and methodical, which helped me as a business analyst and, later, as a teacher. (My teaching career is on hold just now due to a painful illness.) What's your favourite memory of those undergraduate years? Waking up early in Rutherford College and watching the dawn break over Canterbury. Describe a 'typical' day. A keen investor, I listen first thing to the stock market reports from London and New York and then, as I'm learning Italian, I watch the news from Italy on our multi-language TV channel. A 'typical' working day involves producing reports and budgets, maintaining taxation records, and doing the banking. I have ample leisure time for numerous interests and dine out with friends at least once a week. In 2001 my father and I moved from exciting Sydney, with its heavy traffic and pollution, to laid-back Adelaide to live near my brother and enjoy a relaxed lifestyle. My house is very near an enormous lake, home to pelicans and cormorants, and a dune-fringed beach, where I go walking every day. What do you think is the best thing about the University of Kent? The collegiate system. Even living at home the first year, I dined in college mid-week and went to college functions before catching the last bus home. Being a member of a college contributed considerably socially and academically to my university life. I'm looking forward to a weekend of college life at the April reunion! How does the University contribute to the region, the nation, the world? After 30 years in Australia, I cannot comment on the second two points, but I lived near Canterbury as a child and many people I went to school with had to move or travel daily to London to find work. The University now provides much- needed career opportunities for local people. Eva Malisius R99 International Relations at Kent's Brussels School of International Studies, Office of the International Mediator for Bosnia and Herzegovina Berlin How did studying at the University of Kent help you in your current role? Having studied international relations, I see a lot of them functioning (or not) at the Office of the International Mediator for Bosnia and Herzegovina in Berlin, where I currently work. I am also trying to finish my PhD. What's your favourite memory of Kent? Picking one favourite memory is almost impossible as I am still quite attached through my PhD and through the alumni network that we created at Kent's Brussels School (BSIS). But I'd say people and friendships. BSIS's annual dinner brings current and former students together with faculty and staff and in a way those gatherings are my favourite times. Please describe a 'typical' day. If it's a Mediator day I am involved with writing the Final Report on the Ten- Year Mandate, which ends in December. If it's a PhD day, I am at the moment writing a chapter on human cloning and how it is regulated in Germany. What is the best thing about the University of Kent? The Kent student body is extremely international and diverse. This continues after graduation and it is amazing how often you encounter 'Kent people' all over the world! The worst? One day we all have to leave. How does the University contribute to the region, the nation, the world? The University does a great job in making people ready for the world out there, no matter what careers they pursue and in which directions they choose to continue. Kent always stays with them and that is its greatest contribution. Chirag Sheth K98:BSc Microbiology, 2003 Alumni Postgraduate Scholar at Kent. Trying to determine what it is that turns Candida albicans, an otherwise non life- threatening organism, into one that can kill if its hosts are undergoing chemotherapy or suffering from HIV. How did studying at Kent help you in your current work? I received strong grounding in a wide range of techniques and disciplines as an undergraduate, which meant I had great freedom of choice as to further study or work. What's your favourite memory of those undergraduate years? Winter evenings with friends in Keynes bar, followed by the obligatory trip to the Venue. Please describe a 'typical' day. I have today returned from giving a talk at a conference at Warwick, but normally I begin work around 8:00am, planning experiments. My day is spent executing and analysing these experiments. Sometimes discoveries are made and quick decisions required! Work in our multicultural lab (with over five nationalities) requires diplomacy, tolerance, and a sense of humour, and makes for a stimulating environment. I supervise undergraduate practical sessions and carry on with my experiments. At around 5:30pm, I leave the lab and play squash to wind down. Evenings are usually reserved for friends, though sometimes I bring reading home. What is the best thing about the University of Kent? The great diversity of students of different nationalities. As an undergraduate, I had close friends from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, which experience has already helped me socially and in my work. How does the University contribute to the region, the nation, the world? Kent provides valuable life training as well as high-quality education. It thereby contributes to the skills base of Kent and the UK. And these contributions extend globally as international Kent graduates return home and become influential decision makers there. And through collaborations such as the Transmanche Partnership. What's the worst thing about Kent? No swimming pool on campus! Sue Ball E75:BA History, Head of Fundraising, Friends of the Elderly, London How did studying at Kent help you in your current work? One course left me with an enduring interest in local history. I'm using that at the moment, linking Worcestershire Sauce and Friends of the Elderly in a centenary fundraising campaign based around the Perrins family home, Davenham, in Malvern, which was left to the charity and which we run as a residential and nursing home. The grounds contain a rare collection of trees brought back from their travels by the Perrins family in the late 19th century. What's your favourite memory of those student years? Painting silver crowns on a series of sculptures on campus coinciding with celebrations for the Queen's Silver Jubilee! Your worst? Arriving at a tutor's home for drinks and being the only student who turned up! Please describe a 'typical' day for you. A caffeine injection starts the day -that never changes! My fundraising staff and other colleagues come in and out of my office with ideas and problems to solve and it's a buzz I really enjoy. I'm on the phone to managers of our care homes and community-based projects involving as many local people as possible in our fundraising activities. I'm out a lot too, learning about the new world (to me) of the charity sector after a career spent almost entirely in academia, or visiting companies and wealthy individuals, persuading them to support Friends of the Elderly with a donation or sponsorship. I attend loads of Board meetings at head office in Belgravia, where I'm based, and smaller meetings, usually about our celebratory centenary events in 2005,one of which will be hosted by our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen. The Chief Executive often pops into my room with something urgent to do. At night I say goodbye to Margaret Thatcher (her study is across the mews from my office window) and without fail have a G&T when I get home! What do you think is the best thing about the University of Kent? Increasing its presence in the county of Kent through partnerships of all kinds and also its worldwide activities. How does the University of Kent contribute to the region, the nation, and the world? In the region as an employer and purchaser of goods and services, boosting the local economy, nationally and internationally providing top graduates (!) and leading-edge research. RESEARCH FOCUS - NEW FRONTIERS New £1m research centre A £1m Research Centre for the study of Law, Gender and Sexuality has been launched at the University. The first research centre to focus on these areas in the UK, it is the result of a partnership between Kent, Keele and Westminster Universities, and will bring together academic expertise to develop understanding of the relationship between gender, sexuality and the law. The Centre, led by Director Professor Davina Cooper, is administered from Kent. The Associate Directors are Sally Sheldon from Keele and Rosemary Auchmuty from the University of Westminster. It is primarily funded for five years by the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) with additional support from the partner institutions. Research already under way at the Centre includes equality and anti- discrimination law, sexual violence, support services for Irish women seeking abortion, cohabitation and property rights, HIV/AIDS and gay rights in Southern Africa, male reproductivity and reproductive rights, and the relationship between lesbian and gay urban communities and British local government. Rising sons A study led by Kent biological anthropologist, Dr Sarah Johns, has revealed that contemporary British women who believed they had a longer time to live were more likely to give birth to a son than women who thought that they would die earlier. This may be because it requires more effort to be pregnant with, give birth to, and raise a son to adulthood. The study suggested that the sex ratio even in a relatively affluent, Western setting can be influenced by how a woman views her future health and environment. Earlier studies of developing countries showed poorly-nourished mothers were more likely to give birth to girls. The findings are a result of a survey of British women who had recently become mothers and was funded by the ORS Awards Scheme, the University of Bristol, and from a grant received by Gloucestershire's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. The end of early retirement According to a new University study, the era of mass early retirement is over. Research by Professor Sarah Vickerstaff, Professor John Baldock, Jennie Cox and Dr Linda Keen has found the expectation of retiring early on a comfortable pension has disappeared among older employees and their managers. Yet it has not been replaced by any new certainty or predictability in the timing of retirement for most people. Happy Retirement? The impact of employers' policies and practice on the process of retirement, published by the Policy Press in association with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, examined how people working for three organisations have been affected by the interaction of their employers' policies and their own personal choices. Sarah Vickerstaff, Professor in Employment Policy and Practice, said, 'What workers need most is more organised career planning, in which they gain greater control and understanding of the retirement process.' High-flyer A new research project in the University's Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) is looking for genetic evidence of a historical population bottleneck in the Seychelles kestrel by analysing DNA extracted from museum specimens estimated to be 100-150 years old. Dr Jim Groombridge, a Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation, has £14,600 funding from the Royal Society to carry out this work. Museum collections throughout the UK, Europe and the US are contributing samples for DNA analysis from their preserved kestrel specimens, which were collected on the Seychelles by early Victorian naturalists. The aim is to interpret temporal changes in genetic variation in the Seychelles population alongside historical records of population size to help improve understanding of genetic bottlenecks in conservation biology. UK welfare policies lead European countries vary considerably in their response to the 'new social risks' resulting from changes in patterns of work and family life. Britain's places it firmly at the forefront of current directions in EU welfare policy, according to research by Kent's Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby. European welfare states developed when the main social risks were to do with loss of income or the need for health care. Now people also face needs arising from the changing work-life balance and from much greater insecurity in employment. While New Labour has expanded child care, family-friendly employment, tax credits, minimum wage and other new social risk policies, the EU's attempts to harmonise old social risk policies have been largely unsuccessful and it now seeks to co-ordinate national policies in these new areas. Peter Taylor-Gooby comments: 'The UK is often seen as an outsider in EU debates. However, here is a real opportunity for Britain to establish itself at the forefront.' All eyes on Kent A new non-invasive technique for high resolution optical imaging of the eye pioneered by researchers at Kent is receiving global acclaim. Funded by the Toronto-based company Ophthalmic Technology Inc (OTI), Kent's Applied Optics Group is currently working with university hospitals in New York (USA), Osaka (Japan), Asahikawa (Japan), Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Milan (Italy)to carry out preliminary clinical trials. By combining two high- resolution imaging technologies, the new technique provides doctors with 3-D images of the retina, macula and the optic nerve. Such high-resolution images provide clinicians with capabilities for early diagnosis and treatment of common ocular diseases such as glaucoma, diabetes and age-related macula degeneration. OTI is planning in the near future to extend the clinical research to other leading university medical centres in Japan, the USA and Europe. The Kent team is the only research group in the world carrying out this type of work. Co-ordinated by Professor Adrian Podoleanu, it operates out of two laboratories. One is in the UK at the University's Canterbury campus and the other is in the United States at the New York Medical College, where Adrian Podoleanu is a Visiting Professor. Other members of the team include Professor David Jackson, Dr John Rogers, a former Kent PhD student, now the director of OCT Research at OTI, and lecturer George Dobre. Adrian Podoleanu explained: 'At Kent we created a very cost-effective imaging system which simultaneously produces optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) images. Its early potential was immediately realised by OTI, who commissioned the assembly of several prototypes to be tested in different clinics worldwide before embarking on commercial exploitation of the invention.' The first clinic to test the new instrument was at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Since the first installation, OTI, the Applied Optics Group in Kent and the Retina Research Lab in New York have worked together to further improve and enhance the performance of the technology. Dr Richard Rosen, Director of the Retinal Imaging Laboratory, said 'The simultaneous presentation of images drawn from two technologies, developed by the Kent group, has opened several exciting avenues in imaging the eye, giving us access to a world of minute details not possible to be visualised by the more conventional imaging technologies.' Fighting hospital infections Researchers from Kent and the University of Lille are working together to find out how yeasts such as Candida cause infections among hospital patients. Dr Fritz Mühlschlegel, Reader in Medical Microbiology at Kent, and Dr Daniel Poullain, Consultant Medical Microbiologist in Lille's Medical School, have been awarded 315,106 euros under the EU's Interreg Programme to study the mechanisms by which fungal pathogens cause disease. Fritz Mühlschlegel said, 'Hospital- acquired infections pose considerable health and economic problems - fungal disease can affect patients over a large range of clinical disciplines.' Daniel Poullain added 'We pay a high price due to the steady rise of these infections. We are not managing them at an acceptable level because the way in which these organisms cause disease is not fully understood.' Computing Shakespeare Paul Mutton, a PhD student in the University's Computing Laboratory, has an entirely new take on Shakespeare. He has developed software called Shakespeare Social Networks that can produce visualisations of the relationships between the characters in the plays. By feeding PieSpy, a tool he developed to infer and visualise social networks on Internet Relay Chat (IRC), with the entire texts of Shakespeare plays, Paul produces drawings which show how characters are connected. For each play, a sequence of several hundred drawings are produced which can be pieced together to form an animated 'Shakespeare social network', which will help us to understand the entire social structure of the set of characters within a few minutes. WORK, YOUR FLEXIBLE FRIEND Tell your boss you need to get home to say good night to your child and your boss might understand. But say you're rushing off to a guitar lesson or the gym and you'll probably be struck off the promotion list. Sarah Kovandzich spoke to Diane Houston, Professor of Psychology. Preferably an employee should have no interest outside work but if they do, it should be a child,' says Professor Diane Houston about research she and a graduate student, Julie Waumsley, have just completed. Diane first joined Kent's Department of Psychology in 1989 as a PhD student and worked as a lecturer at the University of Sussex, before returning to Kent in 1993.This year, she became one of the University's youngest-ever female professors. Work-life balance has been a major part of her research work. She is currently on secondment to the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI)-a post she took up on condition that she could work flexibly. She is mother to a 13-year-old and two-year-old twins. Diane spends two days a week at the DTI's Women and Equality Unit in London and two days working from home. She still works one day a week in the Psychology department where she will return full- time next year. She knows she has been lucky to negotiate such an arrangement: 'Kent's Vice- Chancellor has had a lot of involvement in Whitehall and the DTI has a commitment to work-life balance, so I was asking the right people.' Last year, the government introduced legislation giving parents of young children the right to ask to work flexibly. 'We know people won't ask if they don't think they'll get it,' Diane says. 'But the more that do ask, the more the ethos changes. My personal mission is to encourage people to think about having a family and a career.' Diane sees a future in which everyone has a right to flexible working, one of the key topics in her forthcoming book Work-Life Balance in the 21st Century. The publication presents research from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)'s Future of Work Research Programme. Diane and her graduate student, Gillian Marks, had two research grants in this programme. 'I was intrigued how mothers made decisions about family and work. With the two grants we were able to do a longitudinal study of first-time mothers, starting when they were pregnant and following them up to their child's third birthday.' Diane considers the study to be one of her greatest achievements. Before she had even published her findings, she got into the Minister for Women's office. 'The work clearly showed that more women want to work, or want to work more, than actually do. The message for government was, you are missing out on a proportion of women who want to work but do not do so - for reasons such as a lack of good quality part-time work.' The study also highlighted that employers play an important role in whether women return to work. Those women who had developed a clear plan about how they would return to work, and had a supportive employer, were much more likely to do so. At the DTI, Diane is now involved in research into gender segregation in work. 'One reason women stay at home after they have children is that they work in jobs that pay less than their partners,' she points out. According to DTI figures, in 2003 women earned on average 18% less than men. Diane says that while working families are now commonplace, men still work more than women and women make compromises in their work. However, she believes the climate is changing: 'We are moving very slowly towards a society in which men and women take more of an equal share in working and caring.' But with this come other issues: 'There's increased pressure on men to be not just good earners but to take time for their children. And the pressure is even greater on women - they have to demonstrate to society that they are prioritising their role as a mother.' Diane has found her time at the DTI invaluable. 'Most academics never step out of academic life. I don't see myself being a research professor for the next 25 years - I want to continue to develop my career. But it has confirmed to me that I want to be an academic, not a civil servant!' So does Diane believe she has work-life balance? 'I'm really a terrible example as I do nothing but work and look after my family - I do hardly any exercise. But I love doing research that has clear 'real-life' relevance and being able to get the findings across to the people that matter. I wouldn't give that up for four hours in the gym.' KEEPING UP WITH KENT GRADUATES ACCOUNTANTS In the first of a new series, KENT magazine finds out what some of our graduates have been up to since they left university, starting with Accounting. Next issue Did you study Actuarial Science at Kent? We'd very much like to hear from you, for the next issue of KENT. Where did your degree in Actuarial Science take you since you graduated, and what are you doing with it now? As you can see here, a degree in Accounting from Kent gives students a wide- ranging education which not only enables them to follow a career as a qualified accountant but also equips them to work in a elated field. Tom Griffin K67 (Accounting) did not go into accounting. However, his understanding of company accounts was very helpful in his work as a statistician in the UK government. Many economic statistics depend on sample surveys addressed to businesses, the data for which usually come from company accounts. Tom was Director of Statistics at the UN in Geneva from 1992 to 1999,but is now back in the UK and is a statistical consultant. He is MD of The Statistics Partnership Ltd (www.TheStatisticsPartnership.com), which provides statistical services to governments, including the UK and USA, and to international agencies including the UN and EU. Abdul Bhanji E69 (Accounting) used his degree to join PricewaterhouseCoopers from where he has recently retired, having been a Senior Partner. He is now a consultant with them. He has a portfolio of activities which include: Chairman, Aga Khan Foundation UK; Member, Marshall Commission; Member, SOAS Governing Body; Member, CBI London Region Council; and; Charter Member, the Indus Entrepreneurs. Howard George D74 (Accounting) writes, 'After Kent I spent four years in London qualifying before taking up a two-year contract with Price Waterhouse in Auckland, New Zealand. For almost 20 years I have held a variety of financial and general management roles in various businesses, before setting up as an independent consultant, primarily in the IT sector. My qualification has given me the opportunity to participate in executive management in many different businesses, from margarine manufacture to boat building to lingerie.' Charles Wigoder R78 (Accounting and Law) is Chief Executive of Telecom plus plc which supplies gas, electricity, fixed telephony, mobile telephony and internet services to around 200,000 households throughout the UK. He writes, 'My Accountancy and Law degree from Kent, combined with my subsequent qualification at KPMG, were invaluable in helping me establish and retain control of several fast-growing consumer facing businesses over the last 15 years. One doesn't always know the answers in business, but my accountancy training helped enormously in knowing which questions to ask.' Colin Adams E82 (Accounting) is Group Finance Director for Bloomsbury Publishing plc, a quoted company publishing fiction, non-fiction children's and reference books. He writes, 'I have been with the company for nearly 11 years in the same role where the work has ranged from mainstream accounts preparation to group strategic development and company acquisitions.' Dan Meinertzhagen E87 (Accounting and Economics) is a Relationship Manager within the Global Transaction Services division of Citigroup Inc, a global financial services provider. He writes, 'The accounting knowledge I gained at Kent through my degree gave me a firm foundation in the numbers behind business. The relationship management culture at Citigroup encourages us to fully understand our customers' business to the extent that I am viewed not only as their banker but also a 'trusted advisor'. I need to have an acute understanding of my customers 'needs, many of which are driven by accountancy issues, and this approach undoubtedly helps us to stay at the forefront of the highly competitive world of global financial services. Given the rapidly changing regulatory and business environment we and our customers face today, not only does my accountancy training at Kent give me credibility on my CV, I have also drawn on the knowledge I gained at University almost constantly throughout my 11 year career at Citigroup.' WHO'S WHAT WHERE Mandy Boursicot's (RH '77) work is rooted in the contemporary context of Canadian multiculturalism. Canadian society tolerates and encourages the different practices of the cultural groups which have migrated there. Mandy is trilingual and from a community whose origin rests on a 500-year history of European and Asian fusion although she was educated in Europe. Her personal heritage combined with her celebration of cultural diversity, and a passion for art are the three factors that fuel her artistic production. e:aboursicot@shaw.ca The complete 3W is updated on www.kent.ac.uk/alumni monthly. These are just a tiny selection. Key D Darwin, E Eliot, K Keynes, R Rutherford, T or M Information Technology (including Maths), N Natural Sciences, A Science, Technology and Medical Studies, H Humanities, S Social Sciences, U Foundation year or short-term studies. The location at the end of entries is from your mailing address - if it's in parentheses, we think you're not actually living there but it's the only mailing location we have for you. Year: we place you under the year you first came to Kent - not the year you left. Please let us know if any corrections are needed! 1960s Phillips, Colin (EH '65) One of the 'First 500' who graduated in 68. I work in forensic psychology and am a United Methodist Pastor. I have spent many years working with domestic violence and sexual abuse, including writing a doctoral dissertation on the subject. Peace is found in the Big Bend region of SW Texas where I hike yearly. Baltimore, USA. (22 Mar '04) Lewis, Miriam (RT '67) Still living in Kent and working for the same firm of chartered accountants - I got my 25-year presentation in '01. These days I am cutting down my work to make more time for other more interesting things, in particular travelling around the world to go to opera. Kent. (5 Apr '04) Simpson, Peter (RH '67) Still living in the USA, on the banks of the Niagara River. Keeping very busy as a consultant to the healthcare industry and starting various consulting companies, as well as landscaping and enjoying village life with Donna. I would love to hear from any and all old friends and acquaintances psimpson@segmedica.com. Lewiston, USA. (1 Apr '04) Dawson, Jill (DH '68) Series Producer at the BBC in factual programmes. Spend much of my time travelling overseas to developing countries making films about the work of international charities. Always interested to hear from anyone who was at Kent in my time. jill.dawson@bbc.co.uk.London. (26 Aug '04) Doughty, Stuart (KH '68) At the beginning of 2004, after having worked in television, radio and theatre since leaving Kent, I gave it all up to run a hotel in Bingley, West Yorkshire. Hard work, much less income, but an exciting change of lifestyle. Check out the hotel at www.five-rise-locks.co.uk. West Yorkshire. (1 Jul '04) 1970s Dubroff, Henry (KH '70) I was named Small Business Journalist of the Year by the Los Angeles District Office of the US Small Business Administration in May. My company celebrates five years of publishing the weekly business journal for the Santa Barbara- Ventura-San Luis Obispo region of California in 2005.USA. (6 Jul '04) Shaw, Linda (DS '70) After 25 years in social work, I took the plunge and took up multi-tasking, which led me through the European Social Fund, Adult Education, TESOL and community work, to my current post as manager of the Volunteer Centre North Somerset. lindawithani@hotmail.com. Somerset. (23 Aug '04) Collins, Rosaleen (KS '71) Criminal Barrister. Married; three children. Life successful, happy and very busy. Email me at rosaleen.collins@guildhallchambers.co.uk. Bristol. (28 Jun '04) Meyrick, Mark (KS '75) Never quite got away from Kent, living near Maidstone, married a Kentish girl; two children. Spent a number of years trading in various markets and still an old hippy at heart. Play cricket and soccer (thanks Mike Wilkins!) although should really have given up by now. Contact me at mark.meyrick@btinternet.com. Kent. (2 Jun '04) Cox, Janet (ES '76) Living in Cornwall with my husband and two cats. Working part-time as a Health Promotion Officer with the Healthy Schools team. Life is good, even at the age of 46. I have no regrets about leaving London. Cornwall. (9 Jun '04) Robathan, Barbara (KS '76)Teaching at North Devon College after taking a gap year and travelling around the world. Still together with Martin K76 and living in Devon. Martin is working for DfES. Our daughter Clare completed a degree at Kent and is now studying for an MA at Sussex. Devon. (28 Jun '04) Snaydon, Sarah (RH '76) Still teaching in Broadstairs and sending the next generation to Kent! Our lives were turned upside down in 02 as Geoff R75 died very unexpectedly, from a brain tumour. I miss him dreadfully, as do our daughters Rachel and Katie, but we are coping. Would love to hear from anyone who remembers fighting the catering subscription scheme and other highlights of the 70s.Kent. (23 Aug '04) 1980s Landaeta Benavides, Gilberto (RT '80) I am looking forward to hearing from all the friends I met at Kent '78-'81, those who shared with me at the Electronics Laboratories, my Latin American friends, my friends from the UK, France and many other countries. We founded the Latin American Society and had quite a few parties. Contact me at gilbertolandaeta@hotmail.com. Edo Miranda, Venezuela. (26 May '04) Southall, Tina (K '81) Still teaching in an inner city comprehensive, and enjoying it. Two marriages, two divorces, 2 live-in partners; one son, 12. Would love to hear from anyone who knew me back in the early 80s. Email me at tsouthall44@hotmail.com. London. (23 Aug '04) Ogon, Edward/Fast Eddy (DS '82) Now a practising lawyer specialising in intellectual property at my own law firm in Lagos. Also a member of the Federal House of Representatives. Married; 3 children. It would be interesting to hear from anyone who knew me. Contact me at agashog@hyperia.com. Abuja, Nigeria. (14 May '04) Evans, Dave (DH '83) After studying with the Fransiscans '90-'94 and Kent '93-'95, life has blossomed. I left the Catholic priesthood and returned to nursing. I now work as an educational consultant in sexual health and am working towards a doctorate. I would like to hear from old friends from Kent - wonderful days. Contact me at davidtevans@btopenworld.com. London. (7 Jul '04) Penman, Andrew (RT '84) Left Canterbury for London after a couple of years in the tax office (and indeed the George &Dragon). Still here, living in Camden Town, working near Oxford Circus in the dizzy heights of the world of personal tax. Still in contact with Jill Sutherland (Carlen) R84, Dominic Cox R85 and Dave Morpurgo R84.They still have not figured out it was us, not The Anarchists, who painted Craddock's window black .... London. (9 Aug '04) Rainbird, Caroline (DH '84) Still at ABN AMRO, 10 years this year! I am now CFO of our Global Group Shared Services business. Recently moved house to North London and am getting married in October. I have also taken up triathlons - have completed two already. London. (5 Jul '04) Nisargand, Julie (EH '86) Hello to all my Kent friends. I have a new novel out, An Exaltation of Larks - hopefully it will be migrating to Amazon.com's UK site soon. Not married, not a Republican but writing and publishing whenever I can. I would love to hear from anyone from 86/87.Contact me at Julie_nisargand@hotmail.com. Beverley Hills, USA. (8 Apr '04) Collye, Sarah (DH '87) Still happily married to Robin K87 and mother to three children. Living in rural Wiltshire. I am working part-time as a supply teacher and Robin is in IT sales. Wiltshire. (6 Jul '04) Sydney, Adam (EH '88) Masters in Screenwriting (American Film Institute). Spent several years at an ad agency and then decided to return to the UK to study screenwriting (again) at Royal Holloway College. Will be moving to London in September and would love to hear from old friends. Lake Worth, USA. (28 Jul '04) 1990s Brelet, Georges (RT '92) Been working as a management consultant in Paris for over 5 years, mainly in the transport and telecom industries. Started rowing this year and enjoying it. Happy to hear from anyone from '92 or around. Contact me at georges_brelet@hotmail.com. Saint Germain-en-Laye, France. (23 Jun '04) Wolch, Amanda (KS '92) Joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in '97 and moved to Ottawa with my husband Don. Then spent three years at the Canadian Embassy in Washington DC dealing with trade issues and 9/11. Now back in Winnipeg on secondment and looking forward to being shipped abroad again, likely to Europe or the Middle East next summer. Winnipeg, Canada. (7 Apr '04) Hossein, Caroline (ES '93) Salut du Niger. I am living and working in West Africa with an international development organisation. Getting married in Barbados in April. I would love to hear from old friends; Abdullah Qahtani D91, Ondrej Morris-Okeke R93,Oxana Alexandrouna Dolbish E92 and Jamal. Email me at carolinehossein@yahoo.com and chossein@crsniger.org. (Baltimore, USA.)(19 Mar '04) Gad Attay, Gad (DA '95) After graduation I returned home to Egypt and am now working as an Assistant Professor (Lecturer) in the Department of Statistics at Cairo University. I would love to hear from my former study mates and anyone who remembers me. Contact me at hagas10@hotmail.com. Cairo, Egypt.(28 Jul '04) Welfare, Victoria (D '95) I'm retraining as an osteopath, due to qualify in 2005. Also getting married to (Nicholas) Julian Davies K93 who did his PhD under Richard Burns. It would be great to hear from anyone who knew us! Julian is now Principal of an independent VIth form college, and co-founder of a theatre group called One-Off, which does touring productions of popular plays and shows. Cambridgeshire. (26 Jul '04) Haigh, Richard (DA '96) Married Kristina Sarning D97 in July 2004 (Bob Eager said it would happen). We married in Knebworth and honeymooned in the Maldives. Hertfordshire. (8 Sept '04) Varley, Mark (DS '96) After graduating I worked for an internet start-up in Edinburgh, travelled for a year in Asia, Australasia, South America and then moved to London in 2002 to work as a Management Consultant. Posted to Madrid in 2003 where I have been living and working. Moving back to UK in August to Liverpool - nice! Still in touch with Lee Reynolds D96 and all of the Harkness Boys - Stu Wilson, Matt Johnson, Dave Harris, Steve Bartlett, Robin Oakley, Alex Tilson and Edwin Chan (all D96). Also see Annabel Wilkin, another ex-Kent Accenture Android, in the office from time to time. If anyone remembers me, drop me a line at mark.varley@accenture.com. Kent. (26 Jul '04) Harper, Elizabeth (DH '97) I lived and worked as a community development worker in rural Tanzania for 16 months after completing my MA at Kent. Back working and living in London, but due to fly off again soon! Essex. (16 Aug '04) Kaufmann, Matthias (DS '97) I worked in Hamburg as a journalist for the Der Spiegel publishers and am now writing my thesis in Politics, supported by a scholarship of the Friedrich- Ebert-Stiftung. My topic is still related to British politics and discourse strategies and successes of German and British Social Democrats. Hamburg, Germany. (23 Aug '04) Schultens, Leonie (RS '98) MA (Graduate Inst of International Studies, Geneva). Now living in Jerusalem, trying to survive on meagre NGO jobs and commencing a PhD at Tel Aviv University in September. Anyone interested can reach me via email. Shalom and Salaam. Germany. (22 Apr '04) 2000s Mupemo, Flavian (ES '00) Returned home after my time in Kent, started working for my former employer, the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA). I was appointed as Manager to the Department of Extension Services. I am responsible for implementing the Community-Based Natural Resources Management programme in Zambia (CBNRM).Our major focus is wildlife management both in protected areas and open areas while involving local community interests. I am so happy that my DICE days are as alive as ever in this field. It is like I left Kent yesterday! I salute my former lecturers and all the support staff who opened my eyes to a myriad of complex practices and experiences in community-based conservation. Thanks to you all. Zambia. (26 Jul '04) Elias, Melkiad (ES '01) I work for the Prevention of Corruption Bureau in Tanzania and I head the Legal and Prosecution Section. Given another opportunity, I look forward to doing my PhD at Kent Law School. I miss my lecturers, Dr Deborah Cheney and Prof Steve Uglow. Contact me at melkiadelias@yahoo.com. Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. (2 Aug '04) Silfverstolpe, Caroline (RS '01) Currently working for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo in Pristina. Still together with Rafael Peralta R01 who is also with UNIMIK. We have been extremely lucky to be able to stay together and find work together. Sweden (27 May '04) Beaumont-Frenette, Genevieve (RS '02) Moved to Montreal after my graduation, with Karl, where we live happily. Worked for a year in a youth employment centre. Start an internship at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels (from Sept 04/Sept 05) so I shall be going back to Europe for a while! Quebec, Canada. (16 Aug '04) DEATHS Since the last issue of the Kent Bulletin was published, we have learned of the deaths of the following former Kent students. If you would like to be put in touch with the families or friends, please let us know. We may be able to help. Peter Sebastian Graham Jones EH '65,Nicholas Hadgraft EH '73,Jane Redfern (née Straw) RS '73:MA, Alistair M Ross EN '80, Angela M Gibson KH '81:MA, Dar en White KN '81,Andrew P Lynn DH '82, Ronald M Denny RS '84:MA, Adam J Rose RN '91,Takako Cheyne (née Axazu) RN '97:MA We are also saddened to have to announce the deaths of the following members of staff: Peter Burgess; Lorne Hulbert; David Morgan and Dr Barbara Morris. MAKING A DIFFERENCE Katie Abbotts E93 I graduated in 1996 with a degree in Communication & Image Studies and no career plans. I was interested in media and advertising but had no knowledge of the realities, so initially I tried for work experience. My first job was as a public relations assistant in an agency in London. We worked hard hassling journalists to write about our clients' products, drafted press releases and helped to plan how they could market themselves. I think I worked for about ten dot.coms that never made it to profitability, though I had thought each one would make me rich. After five years of this fast-paced work, I began to see life as a conveyor belt to clothes shops with expensive shoes and bags. In 2000 I heard about a mentoring scheme. I had been growing bored and disenchanted with my life, plus I was finding the gangs of kids hanging around street corners in my area increasingly scary. I applied and successfully trained to be a mentor to young people. During one amazing session, in one room all the mentors wrote down their hopes and dreams and in another the young people wrote down theirs. Both groups came up with the same list: a home, a family and some financial security. I was matched with a 15-year-old girl from Camden. We would meet each week at McDonald's. We'd drink a milkshake in Regent's Park and talk about life. Except that I wasn't flunking my GCSEs and I wanted to quit smoking where she still thought it was cool, we had the same concerns. Many of the young people being mentored had been excluded from school, had drink or drug problems or had trouble with the police, and they were quite often isolated from their families so the impartial friendship of a mentor could make a difference. This led to my career change to PR consultant at Oxfam. Here, each day is different. One day I emailed Bishop Desmond Tutu to ask for his support on a campaign and received a reply in seconds. My colleagues are driven and committed to bringing about change. Last year I organised a charity music CD featuring donated music from bands such as REM and Coldplay. I travel regularly and expect to go to Sudan later this year. We want to raise more awareness of the crisis in Sudan and continue to deliver aid to the people who need it most. www.oxfam.org.uk EVENTS These are highlights of a very full and diverse programme of events across the University over the next few months. For full listings please visit individual websites. ONGOING UNTIL 17 DECEMBER 2004 Rutherford Exhibition. Paintings by Roy Oxlade and Rose Wylie, daily between 9am and 10pm. Free. 2 DECEMBER 2004 Quincy Kendell Charles dances Kathak. Undergraduate Quincy performs India's answer to ballet with special guest Jayashree Acharya and musicians and dancers from India, Holland and the UK. Tickets £12 Conc £10.Indian menu available. Gulbenkian Box Office 01227 769075 For further information www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian 3 DECEMBER 2004 Open Lecture by Dr David Hornsby. Lecturer in French, University of Kent, and Charles Giry-Deloison, Université d'Artois '(Mes)entente cordiale'? Celebrating the world's oldest love-hate relationship Brabourne Lecture Theatre, Keynes College at 6pm.Admission free.(The next series of Friday evening talks will begin on 4 February 2005 in the Brabourne Lecture Theatre.) 11 DECEMBER 2004 Choral and Orchestral Concert University of Kent Music Society Chorus and Symphony Orchestra. Leader Jeremy Ovenden: Conductor Susan Wanless. Brahms Schicksalslied, Opus 54;Kodaly Missa Brevis;Brahms Symphony No.2 in D major, Opus 73. To book call 01227 378188/827335 18 DECEMBER 2004 7.45pm Gulbenkian Theatre, New Scorpion Band Traditional music for the Christmas season, featuring historical and folk carols, instrumental music for midwinter and seasonal readings from a selection of writers. Tickets £11 Conc £9. Christmas menu available Box Office 01227 769075 For further details www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian 28 JANUARY Just East of Jazz 7.45pm Gulbenkian Theatre. A dominant presence on the UK jazz scene, they captivate audiences with their intimate live performances. The band integrates jazz and East European-influenced melodies and rhythms. Tickets £12 Conc £10. Box Office 01227 769075 FRIDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2005 The University Concert and Big Bands Gulbenkian Theatre. Keep an eye on the website for further details www.kent.ac.uk/music 25 FEBRUARY 2005 The University Chamber Choir Canterbury Cathedral Crypt. Keep an eye on the website for further details www.kent.ac.uk/music 13 MARCH 2004 Seeds for Africa Charity Fun Run 5km run on the University of Kent campus, open to adults and children. To take part contact Alison Foley on 01227 823202 or email info@seedsforafrica.org For more information on the charity www.seedsforafrica.org 40TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMME These are just some of the events being held to commemorate the University's 40th anniversary next year. More information about the celebrations will be in the next issue of Kent magazine. 26 JANUARY 2005 Commemorative Thanksgiving Service in Canterbury Cathedral 2.30pm service officiated by the Dean, preceded by gowned procession of University dignitaries. This service signifies the start of the University's 40th anniversary programme. More details of this programme will be posted on the website nearer the time.www.kent.ac.uk 5 MARCH 2005 The Colyer-Fergusson Concert Verdi's Requiem. Keep an eye on the website for further details www.kent.ac.uk/music 8-10 APRIL 2005 60s Alumni Reunion Weekend Stand-up comedy at the Gulbenkian Grand Dinner.Live music from Hullabaloo. And much more!! Keep an eye on the Alumni website for more details and an online booking form www.kent.ac.uk/alumni/ 28 MAY 2005 Students' Union Summer Ball 4 JUNE 2005 Open-air evening concert with fireworks finale MID-OCTOBER 2005 Alumni London reception: House of Lords NOVEMBER 2005 The Future of HE - symposium