King's College London newsletter

STUDENT RECRUITMENT - NEW MARKETRESEARCH FOR KING'S

The College's third Presentation Celebration was held on 30 September. Here one of the1,000 King's graduates who attended is congratulated by Sir James Spoon er, Chairman ofCouncil Full C07Jerage ofthe day is given in the four page supplement enclosed, and staffmay order their own prints ofthese and other photographs taken. The full contact sheet ofphotographs can be seen in the Press and Publications Office at Cornwall House, and orderforms are available from Pat Gray in this office.

Last year the External RelationsDepartment commissioned Penny Mesure,an expenenced market research consuuant,to study the characteristus and attUudes ofthe appbcants for undergraduate courseswho accepted and rejected places at King'sthIS year. Here Ms Mesure describes herfindmgs and indicates their relevance for theCollege's recruitment policy.

Again t a background of increasingcompetition for students, particularly inphysical sciences, King's is working on aneffective recruitment strategy for the future,and market research has been conducted toaid development of this strategy.

The main focus of the research was aquantitative survey among applicants whohad accepted or rejected places at King'sduring the 1990/91 academic year. Although'rejecters' are of most obvious interest in thecontext of the survey, the 'accepters'provided valuable insight into the reasonswhy people do accept places at King'S.

Cost considerations dictated the use of theoften-maligned self-completion method fordata collection. However, response rates inboth cases were very high, yielding sampleswhich matched their respective universesvery closely.

The survey results contained somesurprises, including the crucial influencewhich parents have over the applicationdecision. Previous research has shown thisinfluence to be hotly denied, a year on, byfreshers. However, when the decision ismade, parental views are admitted to bemore important than those of subjectteachers, careers advisers or friends.

At the application stage, university choice istypically dictated by academic reputation,course content, entrance requirements andlocation. Acceptance of an offer willadditionally be motivated by the 'friendlyatmosphere' experienced via visits to thecampus.

The research found no obvious reason whyphysical scientists are more likely than otherapplicants to reject places at King'S.However, a significantly higher proportionof them seem to do o. What we can say isthat scientists who accept places at King'stend to be firmly committed to Londonitself.

The 'London factor' certainly exists. King'sbenefits from association with highacademic reputation, good career prospectsand the general 'buzz' of life in the capital.

However, London is also associated withaccommodation and travel difficulties andwith expense. The University of London asa whole receives most of its applicationfrom people living within easy reach.King's is not unique in this respect.

In terms of current recruitment activity, thesurvey showed the General Prospectus to bevital. In addition, interviews, open days andother campus visits all provideopportunities for applicants to experiencethe all-important 'friendly atmosphere'which i such a strong feature of King'S.

Copies of the research summary andconclusions have been widely circulated; thefull report, together with tabulated data, canbe borrowed from the Schools and CollegesLiaison Office in Cornwall House Annexe,ext 3003.

STAFF NEWS

Over the summer there have been variouspersonnel changes, which are listed below.

Vice-PrincipalProfessor Arthur Lucas, Head of the Schoolof Education, has been appointed Vice­Principal (Academic Planning).

Head of SchoolProfessor Roy Pike (of Physics) succeedsProfessor Stanley Earles as Head of theSchool of Physical Sciences andEngineering. Professor Robert Hill (also ofPhysics) is the new Deputy Head of School.

Heads of Departmen tThere are two changes: Professor AlanRogers is now Head of Electronic andElectrical Engineering (taking over fromProfessor Ted Deeley); and ProfessorStanley Earles is Head of MechanicalEngineering (taking over from ProfessorMichael Tindal).

ew Appointments and Promotions

Appointment to ChairsProfessor Peter McNaughton is the newHalliburton Professor of Physiology andtakes over as Head of the Department ofPhysiology. He joined the College at thebeginning of September from Christ'sCollege, Cambridge, where he was Directorof Studies in Medicine.

Professor Jeremy Pearson has beenappointed to the Chair of Vascular Biology,effective from 1 October. He joins theCollege from the Medical Research Council.

Professor Michael Silk of the Department ofClassics has been appointed to the Chair ofGreek Language and Literature, effectivefrom 1 October.

Professor John Thomes has been appointedto the Chair of Geography and will be Headof the Department of Geography from 1January 1992. He joins King's from theUniversity of Bristol.

Promotion to ProfessorFrom 1 October the following have hadpersonal professorships conferred uponthem:

Dr Michael Bazin of the Division ofBiosphere Sciences has become Professor ofMicrobiology.

Dr Richard aftalin of the Division ofBiomedical Sciences has become Professorof Epithelial Physiology.

Dr Reinhard Strohm of the Department ofMusic has become Professor of HistoricalMusicology.

Or Anthony Warnes of the Department ofGeography has become Professor ofGeography.

Or John White of the Department ofGerman has become Professor of Germanand Comparative Literature.

Appointment to ReaderOr Gary Martin was appointed Reader inPharmaceutics on 1June. He joined King'sfrom Brighton Polytechnic where he was asenior lecturer.

Promotion to ReaderFrom 1 October the following have had thetitle of Reader conferred upon them.

Or Alan Coil ins is Reader in ExperimentalPhysics

Dr Michael Dockrill is Reader in WarStudies

Dr Charles Hall is Reader in PhysicalOrganic Chemistry

Dr Thomas Sanders is Reader in Nutrition

Or Michael Yianneskis is Reader in FluidMechanics.

Academic Staff Development Co­ordinatorOr Michael L1ewellyn, Division ofBiosphere Sciences and Director of theRogate Study Centre, has suceeded DrRobert Poller (of Chemistry) in the abovepost.

Honorary DegreeThe University of Surrey has conferred anhonorary degree of Doctor of theUniversity (DUniv) on Professor PaulBlack, Centre for Educational Studies, onthe nomination of the RoehamptonInstitute. The degree was conferred at adegree ceremony on 19 July 1991.

FAREWELLS

Alan Fisher, Deputy Bought LedgerSupervisor, at his leaving presentation inSeptember. He had been at King's for 9years.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I wish to record my grateful thanks for thegreat 'send ofF given to me on myretirement, and also for the munificent giftswhich I received, which were unexpectedand overwhelming. My wife also wishes to

thank you for the magnificent bouquet offlowers presented to her.

I have enjoyed every minute ofmy time atKing's, due to the marvellous people whom Iworked and associated with, and I wishthem every happiness and success in theyears to come.

Sincerely,

Alan Fisher

Assistant Finance Officer Mike Harris at hisleaving presentation on 26 September. Mikehad been employed at King's since 1957.

Dr e7Jille Marsh, Alumnus Relations 0f[u:er, and his wife Alison at che leavingPresenCal.lOn In che Committee Room.

NEVILLE MARSH LEAVES FOR AUSTRALIA

Dr eville Marsh, formerly of the Departmentof Physiology at King's, and for the last threeyears in charge of the College's Alumnus Office, has left King's to take up a post at theUniversity of Brisbane. At a farewell presentation to him on 25 September, Vice-PrincipalJohn Muir paid tribute to Or Marsh's building up of King's Alumnus operation into one ofthe most active and comprehensive in the country. Dr Marsh chose as his farewell gift someof the Dartington crystal that he had himself commissioned for the College.

WOLF MENDL RETIRES

Wolf Mendl, Reader in War Studies, will be retiring from the College at the end of thisSession, after 29 years at King's as both staff and student. He joined the College to doresearch with Michael Howard as his supervisor, was appointed Lecturer in the newly­formed Department of War Studies in 1965, and became Reader in 1971. Between 1977 and1981 he was Head of Department.

On 8 July a reception attended by many past and present friends and colleagues was held inhis honour. One of the gifts he received was a Times World Atlas. It is, he says, not hisintention to be merely an armchair traveller!

(From Left to right) Professor Sir Michael Howard, Dr Wolf Mendl,Professor Lawrence Freedman at the Reception for Dr Mend!.

Obituary

Professor Sir Jarnes FaweettProfessor Sir James Fawcett, formerProfessor of International Law (1976-8 ,Emeritus 1980-91) at King's CollegeLondon, died on 24 June 1991. Sir Jameswas most widely known for his notablecontribution to the field of human rights,serving as a member of the EuropeanCommission for Human Rights for 22 yearsand as its President for nine years from1972. He was Chairman of the BritishInstitute of Human Rights from 1977 to1981 and President of the ImmigrantsAdvisory Service from 1985. He wasknighted in 1984.

Dictionary ofNeo-Platonic terms

Or Lucas Siorvanes has been appointed theDirector of the Dictionary of Nee-Platonicterms, which is funded by a BritishAcademy Major Research Grant, and by theRoyal Society. Neo-Platonism is thedominant philosophy of Late Antiquity andearly Byzantium. It is also an invaluablerepository of Classical Greek thought, andChristian (Augustine) and Islamic (Al­Farabi) philosophers and theologians drewon it. Influential beyond philosophy andscience, Neo-Platorusm saturates the poetryof the British Romantics including Blakeand Shelley.

Dr Lucas Siorvanes will be teaching a classon The Neo-Platonists and Christians onThursdays at 3pm. For further informationcontact him in the Department ofPhilosophy, ext 2231.

Simon O'Dwyer Russell PrizeSimon O'Dwyer Russell, an MA graduateof the War Studies Department, died in1990 at the age of 29. Through thegenerosity of his friends, colleagues and hisemployers, the Sunday Telegraph, a prizehas been endowed in his name. On theevening of 17 July, several members of theWar Studies Department travelleddownriver to the Daily Telegraph buildingto attend a reception at which a cheque wasformally handed over.

There will be prizes for both undergraduateand MA students, and it is hoped that thefirst award will be made this autumn.

Research at King's RAM-KCL New Course

Professor A rthur Lucas, Head ofthe Schoolof Education, was appointed a Vice­Principal ofthe College in July. He hasspecial responsibility for academic planningand is Chairman ofthe Research StrategyCommittee. Here he reviews the issuescurrently facing King's with regard to

research, against the background ofgeneraldevelopments in this area ofhighereducation.

Funding of time for individual research bymembers of staff by government grant isabout to disappear as the binary line isremoved, with separate and distinct fundingfor research and teaching in both sectors ofhigher education expected soon. The lasttwo UFC 'Research Selectivity Exercises'were the gentle beginnings of selectivelydistributed research funding, and theresearch ratings of departments wereapparently used by the UFC in allocatingresearch postgraduates in the distribution ofstudent numbers and funds last March.

Achieving recognised research excellence is,therefore, a critically important componentof the process of academic planning inwhich the College is currently engaged. Wemust, rapidly, create a College that has nodepartments with below average researchratings, and we should be aiming to achieveratings of four and five for all areas as soonas possible.

Achieving that aim will require investmentin some areas, to stabilise already highratings or to increase the relative standing ofothers. The majority of that investment willhave to come from savings in recurrentexpenditure as the College moves itself fromprojected deficit to financial balance.

The Research Strategy Committee has a partto play. By 1990, under the Chairmanshipof Professor Ron Burge, it had added anexecutive function to its role of reporting onresearch policy issues: it uses its budget toselectively support projects that cannot befunded by individual departments. Itfavours projects that will enhance thechances of outside funding, especially from

the Research Councils and the BritishAcademy, because such grants carry a greatdeal of weight in the UFC's researchratings. There have been improvements inthe average Research Council grants peracademic staff member, but Education,Creative ArtS and Language-based Studiesare the only 'cost-centres' above thenational average on this criterion. (Withrespect to total research income peracademic staff member, the followingadditional cost centres were above the UKaverage in 1989/90: CLinical Medicine,Pharmacy, Nursing, Other BiologicalSciences, Electrical and ElectronicEngineering, Geography, Law, Other SocialStudies and Humanities.)

The presence of the College ResearchStrategy Committee has stimulated thecreation of strong School ResearchCommittees, and it will soon be necessaryto re-examine the role of the ResearchStrategy Committee, to take into accountthe work of the School's committees. In thecoming round of funding applications to theResearch Strategy Committee, Schools willselectively submit bids to the CentralCommittee.

The. Research Strategy Committee mustdecide what mechanisms are needed as weprepare to meet the challenges to fundingfor research after the binary line has gone.We will need to prepare the College'sresponses to government research fundingproposals. We will have to advise theCollege on the difficult problems that willarise if some Departments receive greatlyreduced funding for research: shouldresearch funds achieved by others be top­sliced to fund competitive bids that couldgive low-rated deplrtments a chance toimprove their ratings? How far can theCollege interfere in the operation of whatMerton in 1968 called the 'Matthew Effect'in research reputation (Matthew XXV:29)?

Views of members of the College are soughton these and any other research policy issue.Contact your School Research Committee,or Professor Arthur Lucas in the School ofEducation.

King's is once again at the forefront ofacademic development with its new degreein Performance Studies. At the beginning ofthis session 70 talented new musiciansembarked on a course that is unique inhigher musical education.

The Bachelor of Music degree inPerformance Studies, run jointly with theRoyal Academy of Music, will for the firsttime ever enable talented young musiciansto integrate high-level training asperformers with an academic study ofmusIc.

The newly established Centre for AdvancedMusical Performance Studies aims to bridgethe gap between the conservatoireexperience and a university-based study ofmusic. Gifted youngsters will no longerhave to choose between the two quitedistinct approaches, which have beencharacteristic of music education in the UKuntil now.

The course runs over four years, leading toa BMus degree of the University of London.The programme of work will beindividually tailored to the abilities andaspiration of each student and all the studies- from early music to jazz - will be speciallyrelated to the needs of performers.

The joining together of the two collegesprovides students with the best of bothworlds - the practice and performingfacilities of the RAM combined with theability to study other Humanities subjectsat King's, access to the Library andadvanced courses in the Music Department,plus the full range of student services ­accommodation, welfare, careers andmedical care.

The course director is ]onathan Freeman­Attwood of the Royal Academy, and theDean of Undergraduate Studies is ProfessorArnold Whittall of King's.

To celebrate the establishment of the courseand the Centre for Advanced PerformanceStudies a concert will be held in the GreatHall on Friday 29 November at 7.30 pm.The Royal Academy of Music Sinfonia willplay a programme of music by Rossini,Nielsen and Beethoven.

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TRAININGCOLUMN

MAC SYfCem - Banes 4. for tho e withlittle or no experience of the AC.7 ovember 9.3 - 16.3

copyright restrictions) to individualmembers of a College.

ta interest in training has come a longway in the past two years, and the demand

I or the ull range of courses from allcate orie 0 staff is overv.·helming

Health and Safety CoursesThe following half day courses will takeplace this term:

At King's we have agreements for:

Stati tical packages: initab (PC and ac£55 including manual)

Because 0 this high demand and limitedbud ets we have had to establish priorities.DOl release, safety and first aid courses,legal obligations and induction training willreceive the highest priority. The rest of theprogramme will concentrate on reinforcingan important theme in the College, 'thedelivery of a quality service'.

Departmental Safety OffICers' Meeting23 October

Working with radioactive substances,30 October

Testing elearical equipment11 ovember

A graph ploner: CricketGraph (PC andac £35 including manual)

Bibliography software: Papyrus (pC £25including manual)

Programming languages: Fortran (PC £40including manual), Pascal (PC £25 includingmanual)

COMPUTINGCENTRE NEWS

The main cycle of safety courses will beginin January 1992, which will cover safety inoffices and labs, and a general Introduction£0 Safety.

Training Office LibraryOur library books, ca settes, video andcomputer-based learning disks have provedto be very popular. The subjects range from'How to deal with difficult people' to'Understanding Databases' and are allpresented in a straightforward style. Wewelcome enquiries about these facilities andare aiming to increase our resources(EXCEL and WORD PERFECT 5.1 havejust been ordered).

A series of modules which integrate Copingwllh 5£ress at work, Time management, andAsseTllveness skills have been planned, andare offered to all staff.

Coping wllh 5£ress at work19 ovember, Chelsea

AsseTllveness skills10 December, Kensington

Time managementearly December

Details of course will be sent to thosedepartments that identified specific trainingneeds in the summer survey.

A joint Supervisory Skills course has beenorganised with Imperial College from 21-29

ovember and 5-6 December. The costwill be £20 per successful applicant.

Computing Courses1BM System basics 5.0 for those with littleor no experience of Word.25 October 9.30 - 16.30

Ken Bromfield Ext 2803

A terminal emulator: EmuTek (PC £5,manual £6)

Database, concordance, mathematical andmanagement programs (Ingres, Micro­OCP, AG Workstation, Project ManagerWorkbench) are also available at prices tobe arranged.

Details of licences held by KCL areadvertised, mainly in the Computing Centre

ewsletter, throughout the year. Furtherinformation may be obtained from JeanDavey at Kensington (tel ext 4260, e-mailj.davey@hazel).

CHEST also publishes a Directory listingsome 800 products which are available atspecial education discounts. Copies of theDirectory are sent to all departments andare available in Computing CentreAdvisory Offices at the Strand andKensington.

Take Note!

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Always open9.00 - 20.009.00 - 20.309.00 - 20.309.00 - 20.459.00 - 20.45

Since the Starting the Session Commentwas published the opening hours of thefollowing terminal rooms have beenchanged:4A (Chesham)12B (Chesham)22DA (Main)22DB (Main)24AA/AF (Main)Reception 23A (Main)

The Computing Centre is now able to offersubstantial discounts on a range of softwarefor educational use on PC (and compatible)and Macintosh microcomputers.

The low prices are mainly due to sitelicences arranged by CHEST (theCombined Higher Education SoftwareTeam). CHEST provides informationabout computer software and negotiatesspecial prices, often in the form of SiteLicences, enabling copies of microcomputerprograms to be sold (with standard

MAC System, Experienced Beginners 4.0, anoverview of basic Word facilities followedby more complex tasks eg mail merge, tablesand columns, outlines and formatting styles.24 October 9.30 - 16.30

1BM System, Special Topics 5.0, for thosewho have mastered the basics and want to

learn more complex tasks, eg mail merge,tabs and tables, style sheets and other tipsand trick to get the most out of your WP.1 ovember 9.30 - 16.3015 ovember 9.30 - 16.30

NUFFIELD COUNCIL OF BIOETHICS

Professor Ian Kennedy, Executive Director of the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics atKing's College has been appointed as one of 14 members of the newly created uffieldCouncil of Bioethics.

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The Counci~which is to be Chaired by Sir Patrick airne, was established in response torecent developments in biological and medical science which present ethical issues of greatpotential difficulty and increasing importance. The terms of reference of the Council are:

1. To identify and define ethical questions raised by recent advances in biological andmedical research in order to respond to, and to anticipate, public concern.

2. To make arrangements for examining and reporting on such questions with a view topromoting public understanding and discussion; this may lead, where needed, to theformulation of new guidelines by the appropriate regulatory or other body.

3. In the light of the outcome of its work, to publish reports and to make representations, asthe Council may judge appropriate.

Other members include Professor Sir David Weatherall, Regius Professor of Medicine atOxford; Dame Margaret Turner-Warwick, President of the Royal College of Physicians;Professor Onora O' eil~ Principal-elect of ewnham College, Cambridge; Sir DavidWilliams, Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University and Professor Gordon Dunstan,Emeritus Professor of Moral and Social Theology at King's and a founder Director andcurrent member of the Board of Advisers of the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics.

PIMRC 91 Symposium Dinner

PIMRC?If you visited the Strand Campus from 23 to25 September, a plethora of posters anddirection signs could well have made youask 'what on earth is a PIMRC?' Theanswer is that it is an acronym standing forPersonal, Indoor and Mobile RadioCommunications. PIMRC 91 was asymposium around these subjects hosted bythe Electronic and Electrical Engineers andsponsored by the Institute of-Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE), in associationwith the Institution of Electrical Engineers(lEE).

Professor Kennedy's appointment, together with that of Professor Dunstan, will keep the~entre of Medical Law and Ethics at the leading edge of discussion surrounding bioethicalIssues.

Anglo-Portuguese Society

The Anglo-Portuguese Society Prize for thebest undergraduate student in PortugueseStudies was awarded to Rupert Maitland, aSingle Honours BA Portuguese andBrazilian Studies finalist this year. Rupertreceived a cheque for £200 from Mr DonaldCape, the Chairman of the Anglo­Portuguese Society, at a presentationceremony in the Committee Room atKing's College on Wednesday 19 June..

The Anglo-Portuguese Society, based inCanning House, was founded in 1938 withthe aim of fostering the historic relationshipbetween Britain and Portugal. TheDepartment of Portuguese and BrazilianStudies is honoured to have been chosen toreceive the first annual prize in recognitionof the contribution King's has made to theteaching of Portuguese in this country. Theprize will be awarded in rotation touniversities in the UK where Portuguese istaught, with the aim of encouraging the

Rupert Maitland receives his prize fromDonald Cape, Chairman ofthe Anglo­Portuguese Society

teaching of the language, history, literatureand culture of Portugal, especially now ithas become a fully-fledged member of theEC, and Portuguese an official language ofthe European Community.

The symposium was chaired by TomRobottom, Director of BT-Laboratoriesand opened by our Principal Dr J DBeynon. The symposium concentratedmainly on the technical future of personalcommunications but also covered thecommercial consequences of these advances.Monday was devoted to tutorials and onTuesday and Wednesday over 60 paperswere presented in three parallel sessions.The presenters represented companies andcolleges from 19 countries and some 200delegates attended the event from aroundthe world.

Special thanks are due to the many peoplewho helped make PIMRC such a hugesuccess, particularly the students and staffof the Electronics Department who made itall possible and to: Joe May and the porters,Bob Redmond and Erica Brooks in CentralServices; Richard Longhurst in the VacationBureau; ick Bugg and all AVSU; RoyMason and his lads in Reprographics and ofcourse Denis Alien and all his team fortimely refreshment and a banquet that wastruly impressive.

In 1992 PIMRC moves to BostonMassachusetts (12-14 October).

Glyn JH BakerCommunications Research Group

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LIBRARY NEWS

Library Security

Many people et off the library security system in error. fortunately few do so in a seriousattempt to steal library books. Although always unpleasant, it seems worth recording thatin recent weeks a student tore an article from the current issue of a periodical and wastrapped by the system while trying to remove it from the Library. The penalties for this aresevere and the library has no hesitation in imposing them. Such mutilation of currentjournals is not a new problem, but in the end it is the other library users who suffer, ratherthan the library itself, and it is for this reason that we will continue to impose sanctions inthe fullest measure on those who are caught.

Library Staff ChangesFollowing the departure of Dr Ann Knock to South Africa, a number of changes havetaken place in the senior management of the Library.

Peter Walsh has become Sub-Librarian with responsibility for the Life Sciences. He willhave charge of the Kensington, Chelsea and Biophysics branch Libraries, includingresponsibilty for the store at Manresa Road and the stock disposal programme.

Pete Sudell becomes Sub-Librarian in charge of Technical Services, bringing together BookAcquisitions, Serials, Cataloguing and the Library Systems Office.

Vivien Fletcher becomes Sub-Librarian in charge of Reader Services, with responsibilityfor all reading rooms and public services to readers.

Other duties performed by Dr Knock have been taken over by either the Librarian orDeputy Librarian

Closure of the French LibraryThe French Library in rooms 1, 10 and 17 South West Block will not reopen in October1991. The bookstock has been transferred to a new area of the Old Library, where it isnow available on E floor. The periodicals have moved over to the Strand Building Library,where they are now part of the Languages Periodicals.

It was hoped that the 'new' library area for French would be available at the beginnning ofsession, but essential building repairs have forced us to postpone the opening of this areauntil 14 October. Once open, the stock will be available for many more hours than before,and in what we hope will be an improved layout.

All returns and renewals of French books should now be carried out at the Old Library. Ifyou have any other queries about the move of the French materia~ please contact AnnLeas, ext S2186..

NEW SHOPPING MALL FOR STUDENTS

The first floor of the Macadam Building has been transformed over the summer and nowhouses the' King's Mall' providing the College's students with many useful services. TheUnion Shop has been doubled in size and now has two tills to reduce queuing. A newfeature is an incorporated 'Computer Shop', where trained staff can advise on and supplymost students' hardware and software needs. Also in the Mall are a reception area forenquiries about student clubs and societies; Endsleigh Insurance; STA Travel shop; BarclaysBank and cashpoint; the Welfare Office and Information Centre run by the Union;telephones; a photo booth; an amusement arcade, and vending machines for coffee and softdrinks.

Sea Shells, Insect Husks andSliced Ginger: East meetsWest in Pharmacognosy atChelsea

The Chelsea Department of Pharmacy,King's College, already boasts one of thefinest collections of crude drugs in thiscountry. Over 5,000 specimens are storedin a collection built up over the years and itsrichness is largely due to the work of MrDC Harrod, a former curator and long­serving member of staff.

The collection has recently been augmentedby 250 samples of Chinese herbal drugs.These are the generous gift of East-WestHerbs, a company based in Oxfordshire,who import Chinese herbal medicines. Thepharmacognosy section of the PharmacyDepartment intend to use the collection as areference base for enquiries concerning theidentity of Chinese herbal medicines.

The collection includes many drugs derivedfrom plants but also materials such as seashells and the discarded exoskeletons ofcicadas - items not usually found in Westernpharmacies!

Chinese herbal medicine often uses complexmixtures of up to a dozen 'herbs'. These aredispensed as cut or whole crude drugs andso identification is not too difficult ifreference materials are available. Themixture is commonly used to make aninfusion which is then drunk regularly.

Enquiries into the drugs present in suchprescriptions have increased in recentmonths as more people are using suchpreparations. This has meant that hospitalpharmacists and physicians have becomeconcerned about possible drug interactionsin patients who have been taking suchmixtures.

Drs Amala Ramam and Peter Houghtonhope that the new collection will enablethem to deal more effectively with suchenqulnes.

Dr PJ HoughtonChelsea Departmen t of Pharmacy

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RESEARCH NEWS

New awards from Agricultureand Food Research Council

The Agricultural and Food ResearchCouncil ( FRC), like other ResearchCouncils, is operating under considerablefinancial constraint at present. Despite thisthe Food Structure Group, a newly-formedresource group within the BiomolecularSciences Division, has had considerableuccess recently in attracting research

funding from AFRC.

In the latest round of awards announced inAugust, Professor David Schofield has beenawarded a grant of £77,5 for a two-yearstudy of the molecular species in wheatflour respon ible for gas retention in breaddoughs. Variation in gas retention has animportant influence on bread quality.Re earch i already in progress on anotherAFRC sponsored project awarded toProfe sor Schofield last year, valued at£177,000 over a three-year period. Thataward is for research on the molecularmechanisms controlling flour millingquality variation in wheat.

The new award from AFRC includesfunding for a Post-Doctoral ResearchAssociate, as well as for some equipmentand consumable costs. It will allow furtherexpansion of the research effort in the FoodStructure Group.

Total external funding obtained by theFood Structure Group over the last twoyears comfortably exceeds £400,000. Thisincludes part sponsorship by Dairy CrestIngredients (£100,000) of the new Chair ofFood Rheology (Professor Simon Ross­Murphy). The Group is soon to move intorefurbished laboratory accommodation inthe Atkins Building, Kensington. We arecontinuing actively to seek further researchfunding to build upon our recent successesand to ensure the establishment of a 'centreof excellence' in food biomolecular science.

SERC FundingDr Yianneskis and Dr 1 JTindal havebeen awarded a research grant of £45,532 bySERC to investigate flows in internalcombustion en ine manifolds. The wor isa continuation of another SERC-fundedre earcb programme which was completedlast August and involves collaboration withDr A P atkins of 1ST, Ford otorCompany Loo and Perkins Technology.Additional industrial funding of £1, toextend the work has already been agreed.

£1/2 million from SERCFollowing on from the success of theCommunications Research Group, the twoother research groups in the Department ofElectronic and Electrical Engineering havejust been awarded a further £321,000between them. In total these grants placethe SERC funding for the Department thisyear in excess of £614,0 0: a majorachievement in these difficult times, andsurely evidence of the strong and growingreputation of the Department's research.

The Central Research Fundhas been in tituted for the purpose ofmaking grants to member of the University(other than present undergraduate studentsand those registered for a taught Mastersdegree) engaged on specific projects ofresearch, to assist with the provision ofspecial materials, apparatus and travel costs.Applications are considered each term andthe next closing date for applications is 7December 1991. Forms of application andfurther particulars may be obtained fromthe Central Research Fund Section, SenateHouse, Room 2la, Malet Street, LondonWC1E 7HU. TeI: 071-636 8000 ext 3147.

Awards made by the CentralResearch Fund Committee ­Summer Term 1991

E Arweck (Centre for ReligiousMovements): £600 towards a study of themedia and new religious movements inWestern Europe.

SA Coomber (Plant Molecular Biology):£1,500 towards a study of the molecularbasis of root development in Arabidopsislhaliana.

DH Davies (Immunology): £1,000 towardsa study of cell mediated immunity to viralneoplasia.

J urphy (Immunology): £1,5 towards astudy of signal transduction and earlyreponse gene expression in B Iyrnphocyteactlvatlon.

AA Rezazadeh (Electronic and ElectricalEngineering): £4, towards a study of lowohmic contact to gallium aresenidesemiconductor for device applications.

J Ridden (Postgraduate Student, KCL):£5 towards a study of Richard Bourkeand early liberal ideas in England, Irelandand Australia, 18205 - 195 s.

FR Trombey (Classics): £700 towards studyof Greek cities of the Byzantine 'Dark Age'580 -850 AD

SA Velastin (Electronic and ElectricalEngineering): £2,5 towards a study ofreal-time sensor integration for industrialrobots using the blackboard model.

MRC Training Awards in AidsEpidemiology

The Medical Research Council is currentlysupporting a broad programme of researchin the field of AIDS epidemiology, chairedby Professor E Day (MRC BiostaticsUnit, Cambridge).

For further information please contactDr DWG Cox or Dr REM Ward at theAIDS Secretariat, MRC Head Office, 20Park Crescent, London Wl 4AL (Fax4366179).

The Royal Society GuestResearch Fellows SchemeThe object of this scheme is to assistoutstanding leaders in scientific research inthe UK to invite as guests scientists ofproven ability, normally resident overseas,to come and work with them for periods ofbetween four months and a year.Applicants must be working in departmentsof science ( including agriculture, medicine,mathematics, engineering and technology)in universities or research institutions in theUK. Applications should be made on formsobtained from the Executive Secretary(LUM), The Royal Society, 6 CarltonHouse Terrace, London SWl Y SAG, andreturned by 31 October 1991.

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NEWS UPDATEAppointed to UFCVice-Principal Professor orma Rinsler hasbeen appointed a member of theUniver ities Funding Council (UFC) for atwo and a half year period (in the firstinstance) up to March 1993. She will be theonly member of the UFC who is from aLondon institution. In addition tomembership of the Council she has beenasked to chair one of the newly-createdregional sub-committees (her sub­committee will be responsible for Reading,Southampton, Surrey, Sussex and KentUniversities). She will also be a member ofthe orthern Sub-committee, which is to bechaired by former King's professor, JohnBarron.

(From left to right) Mr Richard Turner-Warwick, Dame Margaret Turner-Warwick,President of the Royal College ofPhysicians, Dr Roger Williams, Director of the Institute ofLiver Studies, Mr lan Gainsford, Dean ofKing's College School of Medicine and Dentistry

Institute of Liver Studies25th Anniversary Dinner and Symposium

Professor Rinsler comments: 'The next 12months will be extremely busy, as this newsystem will have to be played in at the sametime as the UFC and the Polytechnics andColleges Funding Council are beingbrought closer together. It won't be dull!'

Chairman of CouncilAppointed to UniversityCourtThe Chairman of the Council of King's, SirJames Spooner, has been appointed as aCrown member to the Court of theUniversity of London. The Court has some24 members and is the University's mostsenior decision-making body on financialand strategic planning issues. Sir James'sappointment, which was made by the PrivyCouncil, started on 1 September 1991 andwill last for five years.

Council supports studentsThe Council of King's agreed unanimouslyat its meeting on 1 October to support amotion from the Students' Union callingupon the Government to reinstate students'right to claim housing benefit, incomesupport and unemployment benefit.

The motion comes at a time when casualwork for students is increasingly hard tofind because of the recession, while housingand other costs continue to rise. TheStudent Representatives on the Councilpresented evidence demonstrating that astudent relying only on a grant andgovernment student loan is considerablyworse off than an unemployed IB-year-oldable to claim benefits.

On 16 September the Institute of LiverStudies held a 25th Anniversary dinner inthe Great Hall at the Strand. The eveningwas part of a programme of anniversarycelebrations which have included theopening of new intensive care facilities byHRH the Duchess of York, and a two daysymposium entitled 'Liver Disease in the1990's' held on 16 and 17 September.

Two years after he opened the Liver Unit atKing's College Hospital in 1966, Dr RogerWilliams joined forces with Professor SirRoy Calne to launch the first livertransplant programme in the UK, and SirRoy continued this spirit of co-operationwith an address to the symposium. Nearly200 peakers and 'old boy' of the Unjttravelled from all over the world to takepart in the meeting and attend theAnniversary Dinner.

The principal guest at the djnner was DameMargaret Turner-Warwick, President of theRoyal College of Physicians, who paidtribute to the vision and drive of RogerWiJliarns in creating an internationallyrenowned centre of excellence. Otherspeakers included 'old boys' Dr RThompson, Dr I Murray-Lyon and Dr PSmith, who also alluded to the drive of DrWilliams, although they good-naturedlyreferred to this as 'slave-driving'!

Other guests at the dinner includedProfessor Willis Maddry, President of theAmerican College of Physicians; Mr IanGainsford, Dean of King's College Schoolof Medicine and Dentistry; Lord Goodmanand Sir David Innes-Williams.

Dr Helen Hudson, newly-elected PresidentofKCLA, at the Annual KCLA Dinnerearlier this year

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9

SEMINARS

Age Concern Institute of Gerontology. .

emmar enes:Tuesdays 16. - 17. , Seminar Room 3/8

Cornwall House Annexe

22 OctoberCan we learn from the super-normal?Dr David Weeks, Royal EdinburghHospital

29 OctoberThe home treatment team: a randamisedconLTol trialDr Finbar Martin, St Thomas's Hospital

5 ovemberOlder people as volunteersDr Justin Davis Smith, The VolunteerCentre

Department of ComputingColloquia:These will take place on Wednesdays at13.15 in Room 3D, Strand Building

23 OctoberProgram Transformation, Part 2Ari Laakkonen

30 OctoberCompiling a lazy functional language to CSimon Croft

6 ovemberIdeas on the Qualitative simulationsimulation ofobject orientated requirementsmodels, Wing Lam.

Geography Research Seminar Series:All seminars take place at 17.00 in thelounge (Room 102), orfolk Building,Surrey Street

22 OctoberChanges in traditional farming in GambiaDr Kathy Baker, Department ofGeography, SOAS

29 OctoberProspective winners and losers in Europe'srush for wealthDr Martin Frost

5 NovemberUse ofcement types In the palaeoen'Vlronmenr.a1 interprer.a£lon ofcoasr.aldepositsDr Sue cLaren12 ovemberTrends in geographl£al moTlall£Y differencesDr Sarah Curtis, Department ofGeography, QMW

Department of History and thePhilosophy of Sciencel Seminars:Thursdays at 2.15 in Room 10C

17 OctoberThe nineteenth-century revolution inmathematical ontologyDr Jeremy Gray, Open University

24 OctoberDescartes' Geomhrie and revolutions inmathematicsDr Paolo Mancosu, Wolfson CoUegeOxford

31 OctoberThe integration ofvision and actionDr BiU Brewer, King's CoUege Cambridge

7 NovemberOn the lack ofgrounds for the mechanicalphilosophy in the seventeenth centuryProfessor Alan Chalmers, SydneyUniversity

Institute of Advanced Musical StudiesColloquia:Wednesdays at 17.00 in Room GO 1,Department of Music, 152-153 Strand.Admission Free, all are welcome

23 OctoberThe composer and theoryAlexander Goehr, University of Cambridge

30 OctoberBritten's letters and diariesDonald MitcheU, University of London

London Medieval MSS Seminar:

Thursday 24 October, 17.30

The development of the Captic uncial handDr Dominic MonserratPalaeography Room, University Library

LECTURES

Public Lectures

Thursday 31 October 1991, 18.All the world's a mapby G R Peter Lawrence, Department ofGeographyRoom 2B 8, Strand campus

Thursday 24 OctOber, I7.30Neo-nominalism and the humanist traditionProfessor George KaneRoom 1B23, Strand campus

Thursday 31 OctOber 1991,17.30Jesting Pilate: Scholarship and the varietiesoftruthProfessor George KaneRoom lB23, Strand campus

Thursday 24 OctOber 1991,18.00The Proto-Helladic shipwreck at Dokos: theworld's earliest shipwreckDr G Papathanasopoulos

ew Theatre, Strand campus

A Michaelmas AKC Course for students inthe Department of Theology and ReligiousStudies has been devised by the Departmentof Classics and is entitledThe Gods of the Greeks: an introduction toPaganism.

The lectures will be held in the CollegeChapel at 12.00 on Mondays.

12 ovember 1991, 13.00 - 14.00The European Court ofHuman Rights: howsuccessful has it been in protecting civilliberties?Dr Conor Gearty, Senior Lecturer in Law,Director of the Civil Liberties ResearchUnit, King's College London

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Royal Society Lecture

THE WILKINS LECTURE

LADY DAVISFELLOWSHIPTRUST AWARDS

Wednesday 23 October 1991 at 17.30 in the Great Hall, King's College London

Bishop John Wilkins, FRS (1614-1672): Analogies ofthought-style in the ProtestantReformation and early modern science

This lecture will be given by Professor Stephen Mason, FRS, of the Department of Historyand Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge (also Emeritus Professor, Departmentof Chemistry and Honorary Research Fellow, Department of History and Philosophy of

Science, King's College London).

Chairman: Sir Michael AtiyahPresident, The Royal Society

Copernicanism was widely accepted before the daily and annual motions of the Earth wereestablished scientifically. Wilkins and others used Calvanistic-style arguments to

popularize the Copernican theory, and thus change concepts of cosmic government fromthe hierarchical to the absolute, and then to the constitutional. The theory of the

circulation of the blood first appeared in Europe as an expression of Unitarianism withServetus (1511-1553).

Lady Davis Fellowship Trust - Awards for

study, research or teaching on graduate,post-doctorate or professorial levels at the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem and theTechnion- Israel Institute of Technology,Haifa, for the 1992-93 Academic Year.

Lady Davis Fellows are selected on the basisof demonstrated excellence in their studies,promise of distinction in their chosen fieldsof specialization as well as qualities of mind,intellect and character.

The Fellowships are tenable for a period ofone year, but Fellows may apply for anextension for a second year. The grant isintended to defray the cost of the Fellow'stravel and tuition (where applicable) and tomeet reasonable living expenses.

TO LET

SMALL ADSEQUIPMENt FOR SALE

Graduate candidates may apply in their finalundergraduate year, or after they haveundertaken study in a graduate school.

Wire handles for the above 85

Maximum-rninimun environmentthermometers 50

Hand-held magnifying glasses(magnification x 10) 50

Urine-temperature measurementbottles (with funnels andsub-clinical thermometers) 100

Post-doctoral candidates may apply at anearly stage of their professional career (tothe Hebrew University not later than threeyears after completion of their doctoraldissertation). All awards are subject to thecandidate's being accepted by the respectiveinstitution.

Visiting Professorships are intended forcandidates with the rank of Full orAssociate Professor at their own institution.They are tenable for one or two semesters.The grant includes a professional salary andtravel.

Application forms, which should becompleted by 30 November 1991, areavailable from The Secretariat of The LadyDavis Fellowship Trust, PO Box 1255,Jerusalem 91904, Israel. Requests forformsmust state category of Fellowship.

QuantityItem

The Age Concern Institute of Gerontologyhas a quantity of equipment (purchasedwith the aid of a Central Research Fundgrant) which is no longer required. Anydepartment interested in aquiring any of theitems should contact Ann Salvage at theInstitute (Cornwall House Annexe, Ext3039), preferably at the end of October.

EW COLLEGE FOLDERS

Quiet, secluded, 2 bedroom cottage (c1820),Sydenham, South East London. Fullyfurnished, gas central heating, garden andparking. Suitable for visiting academiccouple. £400 per calender month pluselectricity, gas and phone bills. 20 minutestrain to Charing Cross and Victoria.Available end October 1991 onwards.Contact Lindsay Elliot, ResidencesManager, Kensington Campus on 071-3334255 (day) or 071-333 4226 (eve).

A bright red, A4-sized, glossy folder, withthe College crest on the front and a pocketinside, suitable for conference papers etc,

has now been produced by the Press andPublications Office and is available fromStationery: price 50p each.

Copies have been sent to School Offices ifyou want to inspect one. They provide asmart and attractive way of presentingdocuments.

Hurry while stocks last!

The photograph (left) shows studentsattendmg thIS summer's Pre-SessumalEngbsh Language Course at the of[zaaJcourse receptum held on 29 August In theCounal Room.

A total of 146 students enrolled on thecourse: they came from all 07Jer the worldand 36 nacumaliIzes were represented. TheTTUljority of these students intend studying atcolleges ofthe Umversity of Londonmcbding sizeable contingents bound for theLonlhn School of Economus, Imperial andUniversity College as well as King's CollegeLonlhn. Other destinations included theuniversities of Oxford, Cambridge,Newcastle and Hull.

Anyone requiring inforTTUltion about nextyear's Pre-Sessional English LanguageCourse should contact Jennifer Jackson,External LiaISon Officer, ext 3027.[orfurther details.

CONTINUINGEDUCATIONRETURNS 1990/91

Each year the College is obliged to make areturn of CE activity to the Universities'Statistical Records and we are now in theprocess of collecting this information for1990/91. The forms (purple) have been sentto Schools administrators for distributionand have already reached many departments.It would help enormously to have themreturned to us as and when they arecompleted. ie please do not wait until all theforms for the year have been completedbefore sending any of them to the CE Unit.

199 /91 marks the start of CE monitoringby the UFC and we shall have to make areturn to them by the end of 1991. The bulkof information will come from the CEReturns to the USR. so it is increasinglyimportant that these are comprehensive.The UFC has stated its intention of referringto these data before confirming or amendingthe indicative amounts announced recentlyfor development funding of CE over thenext three years. We do not want to see theamounts allocated to King's reduced becauseour CE work appears to be on the low side.

May I therefore urge you to return all theappropiate activity for 1990/91. Pleaserecord all continuing education events.remembering that not only short coursesbut also conferences and teachers'workshops should be included (as long asthey were not free), as should non-degreestudents paying to sit in on individual partsof undergraduate or postgraduate courses.If in doubt please telephone me.

Valeric Davies

DirectorContinuing Education UnitCornwall House Annexe (eX! 3055)

Citizenship in Britain Today

A new book series on Citizenship and theLaw. which will address questions ofpolitical liberty, civil rights and freedoms,and social and welfare rights, will belaunched soon. Ideas and proposals forinclusion in the series are welcome, andshould be sent to the Series Editor. DrRobert Blackburn, School of Laws.

Comment is the College's regular staffnewsletter, issued by the Press andPublications Office (telephone 53202) threetimes a term, with special editions ifrequired. Contributions are welcomedfrom any member of staff of the College.These may take the form of, for example,news of events or people, views on Collegematters, photos, items for sale. If possible,please send your piece on an AppleMacintosh 3.5· Micro Floppydisk, usingMicrosoft Word programme.

The next Comment will be published inmid- ovember and contributions shouldbe received by 1 November.