express issue 16 autumn 2012

National Student Survey

Union of Brunel Students ranked top in London

London 2012 Round Up

Kate Walsh brings home bronze

University of the Year?

Brunel nominated for major THE award

Graduation Week

Class of 2012 goes out in style

AUTUMN 2012 :: Issue 16

Made in Brunel 2012Former record-breaking sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur tells Express about her interest in design and her bold ambitions for a sustainable future

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ExpRESS TEAM

Editor Rachel Turvey

Features Emma Filtness, Joe Norman

Design Andrew Hill

photography Sally Trussler, Neil Graveney, Mark Shearman

print Brunel University Press

CoNTACT US

Communications Team

[email protected]

01895 265588

Express is available to read and download on our website:

brunel.ac.uk/news/express.

Extra printed copies are available from the Communications Team.

3 Round up: National

Student Survey and

2012 league tables

4-5 Feature: London

2012 round up

6-7 Latest news from

across campus

8-11 Feature: Graduation 2012

12-13 Feature: Strategic plan 2012-2017

14-15 photo feature: Introduction to the Eastern Gateway Building

16-17 Student and graduate news round up

18-19 Feature: Made in Brunel 2012

20-21 Interview: Dame

Ellen MacArthur

22-23 Staff news round up

24-26 Research news round up

27 Feature: International

pathways and

Language Centre

28 The Gallery

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Brunel earns significant improvements across the university league tables

The University has been delighted to record dramatic improvements across all the major UK university rankings published in the last year, with significant jumps in a number of individual subject areas.

The Good University Guide (published in The Times)An improvement of 77 places for student satisfaction elevates Brunel to 17th in the UK, and the University rises 8 places overall to 43rd. Art and Design is 6th out of 79 institutions and Sports Science is 17th out of 78.

The Guardian University GuideBrunel is the biggest climber of any University, jumping from 82nd to 44th place and with 19 of the 22 subject areas ranked higher than in 2011. Social Work programmes are ranked 1st out of 77, Art and Design is 2nd out of 81, and Brunel is in the upper quartile for History and History of Art, Anatomy and Physiology, Sports Science, Music and English.

The Complete University GuideBrunel is 41st overall, up nine places since 2011 in the biggest positive rank move of all last year’s top 50 universities. Art and Design is ranked 5th out of 78 and Sports Science is 10th out of 76. There are also significant rank improvements in Nursing, Social Work, Business Studies and Drama.

The Sunday Times University GuidePublished in September 2011, the latest Sunday Times ranking sees Brunel climb 10 places to 39th. Art and Design is ranked 2nd out of 73, while History and Archaeology, Biology and Business are also in the upper quartile. There are significant improvements for Management (up 50), Media Studies (up 45), Sociology, Social Policy and Anthropology (up 25), Biology (up 20) and Business (up 20).

Time Higher Education Top 100 Under 50Brunel is ranked top in London, 6th in the UK and 35th in the world in the first world ranking of the top 100 universities founded in the last 50 years. The University is 6th in the world, 3rd in Europe and 2nd in the UK for international outlook.

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NSS 2012: Brunel Students’ Union voted best in LondonBrunel has maintained a good performance in this year’s National Student Survey, with outstanding success for the Union of Brunel Students (UBS) whose members are the most satisfied in London and the fifth most satisfied in the UK with their Union’s work.

As an institution the University has sustained the remarkable performance achieved last year. The percentage of students satisfied with their experience at Brunel has improved in five out of the seven categories surveyed, and we achieved an overall student satisfaction rate of 86%. In this category and in five others Brunel is ahead of the sector average, and overall we remain in the same band of institutions as last year.

Students’ satisfaction with their Union was a new theme for 2012, and Brunel students’ responses mean that UBS is ranked 5th in the country, and top in London.

The outstanding result rewards an exciting year at UBS. The Union was one of only 14 in the country to achieve a Gold award for the quality of its Olympic-related student activities, and one of only 16 to receive funding to run Student-Led Teaching Awards.

UBS President Promise Phillips said: “We are delighted with the NSS results for 2012 both for the University and for UBS, which demonstrate the value our members place on the quality of services we provide. We work very hard every year with the University to ensure that our members receive the best environment for studying, the highest levels of academic and pastoral support, and a student experience that rivals any in the country. We are delighted to be in the company of other prestigious Unions and are proud to have achieved this result on a significantly lower budget.”

Further survey highlights for the University include a second successive year ranked 13th in the country for students’ satisfaction with learning resources, and a 10-place climb to 30th for satisfaction with the University’s organisation and management.

At the time of going to press, subject specific rankings were not available: check the web at www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events for full details of the NSS 2012 results.

The NSS is a national survey including all institutions and all subject areas, in which students report on their experiences at university. All final year undergraduate students (Home/EU and international) are eligible to participate.

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London 2012 round up The nation was gripped by olympic fever over the summer of 2012, and on campus at Brunel we were right at the heart of the action.

Crowds on the concourse cheered the olympic Torch Relay in July, and as the olympic and paralympic Games unfolded we kept on cheering for our eleven student and graduate competitors, our staff and student volunteers, and for those athletes from around the world who had trained at Brunel.

on these pages we celebrate their achievements, and look back on a summer that many have seen as one of Brunel’s best.

Kate Walsh captains GB hockey team to olympic bronze

Brunel graduate and honorary fellow Kate Walsh withstood a horrific injury to captain Great Britain to bronze in women’s hockey.

Kate (pictured left, front row, far right) fractured her jaw in the opening game of the competition, undergoing surgery to fit three titanium plates before returning just six days later to lead the team. After losing their semi-final to Argentina, Team GB went on to beat New Zealand 3-1 in the bronze medal match.

The British hockey team have overhauled their training, lifestyle and culture in recent years in a bid to reach the top of the international game, and their success marks the end of a 20 year medal drought in the Olympics.

The fourth most capped Englishwoman in history, Kate has been captain of England and Great Britain for nine years. She graduated with a BSc in Sport Sciences in 2003.

photo credit: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

Golden success credited to Brunel training

Athletes and staff from Korea, Canada and the Caribbean who trained at Brunel in the lead up to the Games have been united in their praise for the campus facilities and the welcome received from staff and students.

Triple Olympic Champion Usain Bolt and his training partners Yohan Blake and Warren Weir (pictured right) won gold, silver and bronze in the men’s 200m, capping a glittering Games for

Racers Track Club which is based at Brunel each summer. Speaking to the BBC, Bolt said: “Brunel is awesome! The University has done great for us. We come here every summer and we get a lot of support from everybody there, so thank you guys.”

The Chief Delegate of the Korean team echoed the Jamaican star’s praise, highlighting their pre-Games training at Brunel and in the London Borough of

Hillingdon as the most important factor in achieving an outstanding fifth place in the medal table. Quoted in The Korea Times, Lee Kee-Heung said: “This is the best thing we have done at these Olympics. The training base allowed athletes to train with proper partners, served them delicious and nutritious Korean food, and offered medical care. We will open a similar camp for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.”

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Torch Relay brings crowds to campus

The olympic Torch made its way through Brunel on Tuesday 24 July, carried by DJ and producer Mark Ronson and singer Katy B.

Students and staff and their family members enjoyed the sunshine and live music on the Quad, alongside visitors from the local community and local schools who lined the concourse and the surrounding streets. The Torch’s arrival also coincided with day two of this year’s Graduation week, creating a truly celebratory atmosphere on campus.

The relay finished at the Olympic Stadium at the Opening Ceremony on Friday 27 July, where it lit the spectacular cauldron that burnt throughout the Games.

Brunel volunteers and performers take centre stage

Staff and students from across the University were selected as volunteers to help make the Games happen.

More than sixty Brunel students were selected as specialist Games Makers, and a number of talented staff and students auditioned for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as performers or marshals.

Express talked to Emma Winchester, Brunel’s Active University Co-Ordinator, who took part in both ceremonies.

How did you get involved?

I applied after seeing an open advert. After the first audition I got a call back for a role on drums, and it was then a long wait until January 2012 to find out if I had been selected. Luckily I was!

What were the rehearsals like?

Rehearsals started in May, and it was a massive commitment. At the first rehearsal I found out that I’d be part of the ‘pandemonium’ drumming during the Industrial Revolution segment of the Opening Ceremony, and then acting as a marshal during the athletes’ parade. Danny Boyle presented his vision for the Ceremony to the group, and explained how we would fit in. We practiced on up-turned buckets, sometimes in the pouring rain.

How did you feel on the night of the Ceremony?

It was really hard to take everything in. We’d been practicing for so long, and to think that billions of people were watching us was hard to comprehend.

What was your highlight?

I had a great view of the cauldron being lit as I was marshalling the parade, and it was great to meet so many of the athletes. It is something I will never forget and I feel very lucky that I was a part of history.

Brunel makes the shortlist for University of the Year 2012 Brunel University has been shortlisted for the prestigious Times Higher Education University of the Year award for 2012.

The nomination comes on the back of strong improvement in the annual university league tables throughout 2012, alongside teaching and research highlights such as the launch of 40 new academic posts, the arrival of household names including Will Self and Benjamin Zephaniah, and the award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize.

Outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Jenks commented: “This is a great testament to the hard work done across the institution in recent years. We have a clear vision to become a research-intensive university and to have the benefits of this cascade down to influence teaching, employability and student experience. It is great to see this all coming together with the University performing better than ever.”

Shortlisted in three categories overall, Brunel was also nominated for Best Business School and Outstanding Student Support.

Advances in Brunel’s Business School have included the development of the ‘Business Life’ employability programme, the growth of the MBA and the School’s doctoral programmes, and significant improvements across the subject-based league tables. The Student Support nomination recognises the support provided to students by Brunel University Library, particularly the creation of the Academic Skills Service (ASK) which offers flexible and varied study support.

The winners will be announced at an awards dinner in London on 29 November.

rent a car on campus from only £5.50 an hourStudents and staff can now hire one of a range of cars from the University Car Club’s expanded fleet.

Membership of the scheme is free, and it takes just a few minutes to sign up. You can then can book online, over the phone or using a smartphone, and hire a pay-as-you-go vehicle from only £5.50 (Fiat 500), £6 (Ford Fiesta), £6.50 (Ford Focus), or £7.50 (Alfa Romeo MiTo) per hour. Rates include insurance, tax, 20 miles of fuel, congestion charge and VAT.

Cars are accessible 24/7 via a key fob.

By hiring a car only when you need it, you can save money, avoid parking difficulties and help reduce the number of cars used in and around Brunel.

To join, you must have a driving licence valid for the UK and be over the age of 19. Under 21s must be a named driver on an insurance policy and have driven accident free for at least one year, and will also pay a £2 per hour surcharge.

To join, call 08708 454545 or visit www.hertzondemand.com. Quote promotion code 1085 to ensure free membership.


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LEE FRoM STEpS TEACHES SUMMER SCHooL STUDENTS SELF-DEFENCE

Hillingdon school students attending this year’s Widening participation Summer School had a surprise assistant instructor for their self-defence session – Lee Evans from the pop group Steps.

A keen martial artist and kickboxer, Lee assisted regular instructor Dave Gentry from Streetwise Fitwise in running a taster session, before signing autographs and posing for photos with his fans.

The session was part of a three-day programme, designed to give Year 9 students who have no family tradition of higher education a taste of the range of academic and recreational activities available at university.

The students also attended workshops in areas such as critical thinking and problem solving, and an academic lecture by Professor Heinz Wolff.

BRUNEL WELCoMES NEW VICE-CHANCELLoR

professor Julia Buckingham took up her post as Brunel University’s new Vice-Chancellor and principal on 1 october 2012.

Professor Buckingham joins Brunel from Imperial College London, where she was Pro-Rector for Education and Academic Affairs. A specialist in Pharmacology, Professor Buckingham is currently President of the Society for Endocrinology and a Trustee of the Royal Institution and the Society of Biology.

Express wishes Professor Buckingham a warm welcome and we look forward to working with her in the coming months.

Brunel has also bid farewell to its outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Jenks over a series of events in September.

Professor Jenks left the University at the end of September after eight years, including six as Vice-Chancellor. He oversaw a hugely successful period for Brunel including Royal visits, international research acclaim and a continued rise up the university league tables, and his final lecture was a fitting opening for the new, state of the art Auditorium at the heart of the Eastern Gateway Building.

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What’s onHighlights for the Autumn Term on campus

inaugural Lecture seriesWhen? Tuesday 2 October, 23 October and 13 November, and Thursday 6 December

Where? Hamilton Centre

What is it? Inaugural Lectures let our community experience the range of research carried out at Brunel. Book your place at www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/lecture

Brunel FireworksWhen? Monday 5 November

Where? Kingston Lane Pitches

What is it? Brunel’s annual fireworks display returns following 2011’s Olympic-themed event. Details to follow at: www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events

Production: The Best Little Whorehouse in TexasWhen? 6 December

Where? Howell Theatre

What is it? Brunel Music Theatre Workshop presents a new musical about small-town vice and politics in Texas. Tickets available online:

www.brunel.ac.uk/artscentre

Stay up-to-date with all the latest events on IntraBrunel

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Graduation 2012The 2012 Graduation Ceremonies coincided with a week of hot, sunny weather and the arrival of the olympic Torch Relay on campus.

As well as the traditional bands, birds of prey and the moving Brunel statue which returned this year to entertain graduating students and their guests, Brunel was buzzing with anticipation during Graduation Week in the build up to the Olympic Games. Members of the Korean Olympic team could regularly be spotted enjoying the campus atmosphere, and the arrival of the Olympic Torch Relay on Tuesday was one of the highlights of this year at Brunel.

As ever, the Events team and all the staff and students that supported them made sure everything ran smoothly and ensured that one of the busiest weeks in Brunel’s history went without a hitch.

These pages give you a flavour of Graduation 2012, as well as introducing this year’s Honorary Graduates and Fellows.

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professor John Brewer

Awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Social Sciences

Sociologist and academic who has taught reconciliation workshops in Sri Lanka, advised on policing reform in South Africa, and worked on the Northern Irish peace process.

professor Conor Gearty

Awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws

Practising barrister and academic who lectures and acts as an advisor to judges, public authorities and practitioners in the field of human rights.

professor Rajiv Hanspal

Awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science

Specialist in rehabilitation medicine who led the development of the Alderbourne Unit at Hillingdon Hospital and founded the Amputee Medial Rehabilitation Society.

The Rt Hon Baroness Hayman GBE

Awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws

Founded the charity Maternity Alliance and held senior roles in healthcare, before becoming the first elected Lord Speaker of the House of Lords in 2006.

Dr Robert John oBE

Awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering

Metallurgist and Director General Emeritus at TWI, the renowned research and engineering institute which now has a fruitful relationship with Brunel via the Brunel Innovation Centre.

Judith Knight MBE

Awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities

Founded of Artsadmin, an internationally recognised company initiating and supporting some of the UK’s most innovative arts projects.

Rory Sutherland

Awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters

Vice-Chairman of the advertising, marketing and PR group Ogilvy UK, proponent of behavioural economics and author of The Spectator’s ‘Wiki-Man’ column.

Thomas Webb

Awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of the University

Highly successful former MD of the London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau, who served as Chair of Brunel University Council until 2011.

As well as celebrating the achievements of our students, Graduation Week gives us the opportunity to recognise others who have made outstanding contributions to the community or to the University.

Honorary Graduates Brunel awards Honorary Doctorates in recognition of outstanding scholarly achievement, outstanding service to the local, national or international community, or outstanding service to the University.

Lee Mack

Awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities in recognition of his outstanding services to the arts

Receiving his honorary doctorate marked a happy return to Brunel for alumnus Lee Mack, who graduated in Drama with Film and TV studies in 1996. He commented that his time at University literally changed his life; not only did it inspire him to take the plunge into comedy, but Brunel was also where he met his wife Tara.

Talking about his time at Brunel, he said: “It was during my time as a student at Brunel that I started performing stand-up comedy. I was worried that my ambitions wouldn’t fit in with the ethos of such an academic institution, but they couldn’t have been any more supportive, regularly letting me turn part of their building into a stand-up comedy club where I performed many of my early gigs. I am proud to have been honoured by and associated with such an institution.”

Lee first came to prominence in 1995 when he won ‘So You Think You’re Funny’ at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He has since appeared on TV and radio shows both in the UK and the USA, including the BBC One sitcom Not Going Out and popular panel shows such as Have I Got News For You and Would I Lie to You.

He has also performed at the Royal Variety Performance, and a recent highlight was his appearance as a compere at the star-studded Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace.

Lee still lives in west London with his wife and their three children.

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Honorary Fellows Brunel awards Honorary Fellowships to local people or others who have established a close working relationship with the University, and have thereby made a significant contribution to its development.

This year’s Honorary Fellows included long-serving former members of staff Marianne Bevis, Denise Bufton, Sue Curley and Bob Westaway, former member of Brunel Council Robert Lougee, and Brunel’s Visiting Professor of Corporate Communications from Harvard Business School, professor Stephen A Greyser.

In addition, a number of this year’s Fellowships celebrated Brunel’s partnerships with businesses and external organisations. These were awarded to: Carol Bagnald, HSBC’s Regional Commercial Director who spearheaded the bank’s corporate relationship with Brunel; John Thirkettle, Vice-Chairman of the Hillingdon Federation of Community Associations and founder of Brunel Sports Centre’s over 50s’ programme; education law specialist John Hall, who was Eversheds’ client partner for Brunel for many years; and former student peter Hall, Trustee of the Water Conservation Trust which offers two bursaries to Brunel MSc students.

New strategic Plan guides Brunel through to 2017 Brunel’s new Strategic plan will launch this Autumn after 18 months of planning and preparation, forming a framework to take the University forward to 2017.

The Plan is founded on a commitment to evolution, not revolution, and aims to help us to build on the successes achieved so far. Its key tenet is that Brunel should remain a self-determining University which aims for quality in all aspects of its academic provision. It also focuses on making the University more outward-looking by opening up internal and inter-institutional boundaries, building new partnerships, and encouraging both staff and students to reach out into our community.

“The plan is characterised by our desire to consolidate

our strengths”

The Plan’s introduction outlines its underlying ethos:

“Driven by our dedication to excellence and quality in everything we do, this Strategy for 2012-2017… has been designed to confirm Brunel’s place in the top third of UK Higher Education Institutions, as a University with a robust plan of development, a strong aspiration to greatly improve its educational and research activities, and a clear sense of self-determination. The pathway that runs through the Plan is characterised by our desire to consolidate our strengths, to integrate further our research and educational activities, to optimise our infrastructure and accelerate our success.”

Agreed by Council in July, the Plan has been through a development process involving extensive consultation, drawing in the views and opinions of students and staff from across

the University. It will now be used to inform new three year plans for all Schools and administrative departments, as well as a series of supporting plans concerning key topics such as learning and teaching, research, academic profile, and the University’s estate. Supporting plans for staff and students are also being developed.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Strategy, Development and External Relations Professor Dany Nobus commented: “Over the past five years, Brunel has gone from strength to strength as a broad-based, research-intensive higher education institution, and this is evidenced by our greatly improved position in the university rankings.

“Although the higher education landscape is constantly changing and the uncertainties in the current marketplace of education will need to be carefully managed, Brunel’s 2012-2017 Plan is indicative of our confidence and it shows our determination to build on our recent successes. It will inspire all staff and students to work together on enhancing our academic profile and our international reputation, taking Brunel through its fiftieth anniversary in 2016 and onwards.”

Find out more about

the Strategic plan

Professor Nobus will be visiting Schools and departments during the Autumn Term to bring the University’s Strategic Plan to its staff and students.

The University is also building a Strategic Plan website to launch in the Autumn. The site will be interactive, with videos, podcasts, images and information available for download. Staff will be encouraged to build this content into their own external facing materials.


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Strategic priorities for the coming years

The Strategic Plan is founded on three major Priorities, each of which comprises a number of Objectives.

n Advancing Excellence in our Academic provision

• Building on our research successes to meet global challenges of the 21st century

• Securing the benefits of a research-led education for our students

• Improving the quality of learning opportunities for all our students

• Competing more effectively

n Crossing Institutional Boundaries on the Basis of open Innovation

• Expanding our reach

n organising for Success

• Providing an enabling culture in which all students and staff feel that they can excel

• Ensuring the University is an attractive, safe and inspirational place

• Communicating our successes

• Ensuring the University is financially and environmentally sustainable and beneficial to society

Mission, Vision and Values

The University’s Mission and Values have changed to reflect the momentum created over the last five years, while the overarching Vision remains unchanged.

our Mission

To create knowledge and advance understanding, and equip versatile graduates with the confidence to apply what they have learnt for the benefit of society.

our Vision

To be a world-class creative community that is inspired to work, think and learn together to meet the challenges of the future.

our Values

Quality | Ideas | Integrity | Clarity | Empowerment | Community | Sustainability | Partnership | Self-determination

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Photo Feature:

eastern Gateway BuildingThe Eastern Gateway Building creates a stunning entrance to the campus on Kingston Lane. It houses Main Reception (top left), a cafe (middle left) and a a circular zinc-clad auditorium (bottom left) around which are wrapped the academic offices of the Brunel Business School.

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Creative Writing student secures international book dealSchool of Arts research student Liesel Schwarz has been offered a spectacular three-book international publishing contract by Random House.

The contract, for Liesel’s belle époque steampunk trilogy The Chronicles of Light and Shadow, is one of the most impressive in British publishing this year. The deal is the first international signing for a Brunel student and includes publication in the UK, USA and Germany.

“I am absolutely delighted,” said Liesel. “As an author one hopes against all hope to be published one day and I am humbled by the amazing feedback I’ve had so far. It has exceeded my wildest expectations.”

Opening with A Conspiracy of Alchemists, The Chronicles of Light and Shadow is a series of fantasy novels set in an alternative Europe in 1903 and focusing on the adventures of airship pilot Eleanor Chance. The series has been described as a fast-paced romantic adventure within a richly textured and complex world, where the forces of Shadow and Light battle for power.

Liesel began writing the first book during her MA in Creative Writing at Brunel, and is currently working on the second book for her PhD.

“I am a lifelong fan of 19th century Gothic fiction and steampunk,” she said. “One day I was travelling home on the tube past Baker Street when the characters in the book suddenly appeared inside my head. They were having an almighty row and I just had to write it down. The scene I wrote was part of my MA Elements of Fiction coursework and following the feedback I had from that, I developed the novel. The first draft of the book was also my MA dissertation.”

Random House will publish A Conspiracy of Alchemists in November 2012.

“I was on the tube when the characters in the book suddenly appeared inside my

head. They were having an almighty row and I just had to write it down.”

Vp Student Activities elected as national student officer Gary o’Brien, the Union of Brunel Students’ Vice-president for Student Activities, has been elected one of the four national student officers for British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS).

The role involves representing over 160 BUCS-affiliated universities by ensuring that communications are transparent and in depth and meet the needs of the UK’s students.

“After giving the National Union of Students a lot of attention in my first year of office, I wanted to turn my priorities to BUCS for my second year,” said Gary. “I relish the challenge to enhance and develop the outreach of BUCS to its membership and to the community.”

BUCS is the national governing body for higher education sport in the UK, and aims to enhance student performance, competition and participation. Over 100,000 students regularly compete in BUCS competitions, leagues and events in 50 different sports.

Brunel is currently second out of 29 institutions in London in the overall BUCS rankings.

“I relish the challenge to develop the

outreach of BUCS to its membership and to the community.”

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Hard rock band Terminal Gods, led by MA student RoBERT CoWLIN, topped the European Alternative Charts over the summer with their single Electric Eyes, overtaking acts such as the Foo Fighters and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. “It’s nice to know that people care enough about our music to place it highly in their weekly rankings,” said Robert. The Chart is based on votes submitted by DJs and music industry representatives across the continent.

The Language Café returns this October, giving international students a chance to showcase their language and culture, including authentic snacks and drinks. Organised jointly by the Graduate School and Brunel International, the Language Café takes place every last Tuesday of the month – the next event is on 30 October (open to all Brunel students and staff). A different group of student hosts leads each evening,

and there are plenty of opportunities to chat with like-minded language enthusiasts. Email [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.

Multimedia Technology and Design graduate MINA NISHIMURA won a New Designers Associate Prize for her final-year project ‘Shopstar’, a time and money saving personal shopping assistant in the form of a web application. The judges praised the project’s excellent user experience, and Mina’s prize included a Raspberry Pi credit card-sized computer and three months’ work experience with the digital agency Cyber-Duck. Prizes are awarded each year to the most talented new graduates that take part in the New Designers exhibition.

Brunel celebrated the success of students who combine work with study at the annual Student Employee of the Year Awards, part of a UK-wide competition run by the National Association of Student Employment Services. Twenty-two exceptional students were nominated from across Brunel and by external employers. Congratulations to our Student Employees of the Year: THIAN HoNG (International Student Category); SUSAN MCGoWAN (Job Shop Category); and pETER BRooKS (On Campus Category).

Emily Danvers, Manager of the Academic Skills Service, ASK, won the inaugural Ken Darby-Dowman Memorial prize this summer in recognition of her exceptional work to help Brunel students improve their academic and study skills.

The ASK team are at the frontline of enabling student learning, and provide vital support to students throughout their Brunel careers. Emily (pictured centre, with the ASK team) was selected for her work in leading and developing this service and for her absolute commitment to improving the experience and skills of Brunel’s students. She received nominations from across the University praising her commitment, energy, drive and enthusiasm.

The annual Prize recognises Brunel staff who are committed to improving the student experience at Brunel – a value that was personified by the work of our much missed Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Darby-Dowman who sadly passed away in 2011.

outstanding support for students rewarded with inaugural prize

Pictured: Peter Brooks with Director of Academic Services Chris Chang.

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dame ellen MacArthur launches Made in Brunel’s seventh successful show Dame Ellen MacArthur addressed an audience of students, staff and industry specialists at this year’s Made in Brunel design and engineering showcase in June.

Formerly a record-breaking sailor and circumnavigator, Dame Ellen launched the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2012 to inspire a generation to re-think, re-design and build a positive future, after five years of research into the global economy and its reliance on finite resources. She presented some of the Foundation’s ideas at Made in Brunel’s Pecha Kucha event on Thursday 14 June, before which she spoke to Express about her work and her lifelong interest in design (see page 20).

Around 300 innovations were presented and demonstrated to consumers, producers and service providers over the course of the annual showcase, which is run by Brunel’s graduating design and engineering students. Returning to the dramatic Bargehouse on London’s Southbank, the exhibition also included: workshops such as the Masters Creative Workshop, in which participants visualised and solved design challenges using Lego; alumni networking events bringing together students past and present; and numerous opportunities for students to discuss their work through presentations and seminars.

Among the designs vying for attention this year were a chocolate pen and 3D chocolate printer, a device which recycles water wasted when running the hot tap, and an intelligent toy for cats which moves away on approach. Other concepts included the development of new sustainable roofing technology, a process which enables HIV positive mothers in sub-Saharan Africa to see that their breast milk is safe before feeding their babies, and a study looking at the potential construction of a Thames Estuary airport.

Creator of Made in Brunel Paul Turnock revealed the thinking behind this year’s theme, ‘journeys fuelled by ideas’. “The journeys our students make through their degrees are what shape their outlook as graduate designers and engineers,” he said. “For 2012, ‘journeys fuelled by ideas’ represented our aim of sharing the process and development that goes into all of the projects, the progression of the students and Made in Brunel itself. The students worked exceptionally hard to get their products and concepts ready for public exhibition.”

Traditionally, Made in Brunel provides an excellent opportunity for Brunel students to find employment. Last year’s cohort landed design and engineering jobs at companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche Design, Dyson, Chanel, Hasbro, Burberry, Reiss and lastminute.com, with some also setting up their own businesses upon graduation.

‘Journeys fuelled by ideas’

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…the most detailed designs ever made for a Thames Estuary airport hubWith the UK’s air traffic capacity currently a hot topic, a group of final year Design students were inspired to create a detailed engineering and design masterplan for a new airport to improve London’s global transport connectivity.

Bedir Bekar, Marshel Weerakone, Adam Greenland, Baltej Sidhu and Volkan Yildirim exhibited a physical architectural model of the Thames Estuary international airport hub at Made in Brunel. Their extensive masterplan – the most detailed ever produced around this topic

– takes construction methods,

environmental impact mitigation and economic growth into account on an equal footing.

Explaining the idea, Weerakone said: “London is the economic heart of the United Kingdom and a fulcrum of the global economy. However, with London airports operating at 99% capacity, the economy will suffer if the increasing demand for air travel is not met.

“We have produced a construction scheme for a working artificial island platform upon which airport infrastructure can be built.

This has been done effectively in other parts of the world such as Hong Kong.

“The benefits of this plan, as opposed to the expansion of Heathrow Airport, are huge. Not only would it provide much needed employment and economic growth around the Kent and Essex area, but it would also make the most of the UK’s specialist engineering knowledge and intelligence. We believe this scheme would have a similar impact to the Olympics in terms of benefits for the architectural and engineering industries.”

…a low-cost household device to stop water wastage Design student Mitch Gebbie’s water saving device could help households reduce waste and save money.

Gebbie’s small, low-cost and easy-to-retrofit design recycles wasted cold water that cools in the pipes after the hot tap is used, and then flows from the tap when it is next turned on while the user waits for the water to heat up. Sitting below the sink, it diverts the cold water back into the storage tank until sensors detect that the temperature has risen.

The working and proven device guarantees a saving of almost 10 litres of water per day for the average household, halfway towards the 20 litre daily reduction which Defra has pledged to achieve by 2030.

Gebbie’s inspiration for the device, called ‘Waste Not’, stems from growing up in a large rural Victorian home where he worried constantly about the amount of water he and his family wasted while waiting for the hot tap to warm up. He is keen to see the project through to manufacture and adoption across the UK.

“This is a timely solution to the UK’s water shortage and responds to the need for households to take control,” says Gebbie. “As the impacts of climate change are felt across the ever-more connected and shrinking global village, the Western world is effectively pouring desperately needed water down the drain.”

on show...

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Made in Brunel 2012: ellen MacArthur praises Brunel as a national “design hub” Before taking part in the Made in Brunel pecha Kucha event, in which she explained some of the principles behind the work of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Dame Ellen spoke to Express about the development of her interest in design and her bold ambitions for a sustainable future.

How and when did your passion for sailing evolve into a passion for design?Design has been a theme in my life ever since I was a kid. I got really passionate about sailing after I first sailed when I was four years old – I used to save my school dinner money for boats. From the ages of eight to seventeen I went through three different boats, but I never had much money so everything I needed to improve them I made myself.

I spent all my time designing bits for boats – on the bus going to and from school I’d be there with a notepad designing things. I spent all my time in my dad’s garage working with wood and glass fibre, and putting things together with screws and joints.

When I left school at 17 I sailed round Britain with a little boat that I’d done a lot of work on. It worked! It didn’t look that beautiful, but it worked

– and it’s still working now.

As the sailing project progressed I got involved in the design of the boats themselves. I worked with the boat designer to plan the layout and how things would work, and I’d be messing around with CAD drawings for 12 hours at a time!

I still love making things. I even built a house three years ago which I designed with my partner, and it was really interesting. I’m fascinated by design.

Were you concerned with sustainability when you started sailing?No, not at all. I was involved in the design of boats in their entirety, from the electrical

system, computer system and autopilot system right through to the form, layout and sail plan of the boat, but all these aspects had only one object, which was to break a record or win a race.

When you sail round the world, you take with you everything you need to survive. You have all the food you need and all the diesel you need for the generator, and if you run out of something you’re 2,500 miles away from the nearest town. There’s no more, and you learn what ‘finite’ means. I had never translated that to life on land, but at the end of the second trip round the world I started to think about the nature of the resources that we have available to us.

About six years ago I started to do some research and collect evidence from educators, scientists, CEOs, farmers and designers, to understand how we use resources. I have always been passionate about design but now I absolutely believe that design is the key to the future. We have finite materials and we need to design business models, systems and manufacturing processes to establish a whole system for the biological and technical cycle of nutrients. [See the information box on the Circular Economy, right.]

What do you think is the role of students and young designers, like the students exhibiting at Made in Brunel, in creating a sustainable future?It’s absolutely key. Walking round the exhibition you see all the stages of the product – it’s a journey of evolution, but right from the beginning when that first prototype was made, when that first line was put on

a piece of paper, the designers knew exactly what they were trying to achieve. When you see a student or young person have an idea and then follow it through, it’s so inspirational.

Your long voyages were very individual endeavours but now you focus on joined-up thinking and collaboration. How do you balance individual aspirations with team thinking? I wouldn’t say that the sailing projects were individual at all! Physically on the boat I was on my own, but I spent a year and a half working closely with

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the designers and builders. It is very much team-driven, and when I think back to my last round the world race, the strongest memory I have is the amazing team that worked together to make it happen.

Sailing is all about systems thinking. You have to think about keeping the boat running, keeping the batteries charged, rationing food, keeping the boat the right way up in the water, keeping the boat going as fast as possible. Every single decision you make is vital – if your batteries ran flat you would be upside down in five minutes.

Then as well as managing the boat system you’re also connected to a system that is much bigger all around you: the weather, the elements, the water temperature, the icebergs. This whole bigger system affects the smaller system that you are managing. And that’s exactly how the economy works. The economy is about our system within a much bigger system.

This year’s Made in Brunel is inspired by journeys and you’ve had a long and interesting one to get to where you are now. do you have any advice for our graduating students on reaching their goals?Just believe that anything is possible. When I first sailed when I was four years old, I knew there and then that I wanted to sail around the world, but I never thought I would be doing what I am doing today. You don’t always end up at the destination you intended but you’re still on a journey.

What’s your greatest achievement – your sailing records, or this project? I believe that your greatest achievement is always in front of you.

The Foundation brought out an economic report in January this year that we worked on with our founding partners and with

the management consultants McKinsey and Company, which highlighted a huge economic opportunity of $630bn for Europe through transition to the circular economy. By September next year we’re aiming to get to 2,200 secondary schools in the UK with the materials we’ve been writing, piloting and testing for the last 18 months. In universities have developed a postgraduate certificate which is now running at Bradford University, and we’ll have a MBA next year. The idea is to train up as many people as possible with the idea of the circular economy and spread it as quickly as possible.

That’s why I’m here at Made in Brunel. Brunel is such an amazing design hub university in the UK – ‘university’ is almost not a broad enough word these days, because it’s just a mass of energy and ideas, a creative centre. To bring the circular economy in here and challenge a few people’s thought process

– that’s what I want to do.

The Circular Economy

The circular economy is a generic term for an industrial economy that is, by design or intention, restorative. In this model, there are two types of material flows: biological nutrients, which are designed to re-enter the biosphere safely; and technical nutrients, which are designed to circulate at high quality without entering the biosphere.

The circular economy is characterised by a shift from selling goods to selling performance, and towards renewables and recognising the value of diversity and whole system design. Find out more at

www.thecirculareconomy.org

Ellen MacArthur was speaking to Express editor Rachel Turvey

WILL SELF’S UmbrElla MAKES BooKER SHoRTLIST A new novel by Brunel’s professor of Contemporary Thought Will Self has been shortlisted for the Man Booker prize.

The Booker aims to promote fiction from the UK, the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland, and is considered the most prestigious award for literary fiction after the Nobel Prize for Literature. This year’s winner will be announced on 16 October.

Self’s novel, entitled Umbrella, begins when the psychiatrist Zack Busner finds a successful treatment for encephalitis lethargica, or sleeping sickness. It weaves together incidents from the life of one of Busner’s patients, Audrey Death, and of her brothers Albert and Stanley, and was inspired by psychiatrist Oliver Sacks’ 1973 text Awakenings, in which he describes his attempts to rouse encephalics.

Using an analogy from nuclear physics, Self describes the process of drawing together ideas when planning a novel: “They become like a kind of fissionable lump – like the critical mass of plutonium. When you’ve got enough of a chunk it goes boom, and then it’s really happening. All the time as a writer you’re pushing things together, and seeing if they reach a critical mass.”

pCC staff dedicate 200 hours to Harlington Hospice

As part of Brunel’s staff volunteering initiative, staff from the placement and Careers Centre (pCC) have dedicated a combined total of over 200 hours since March 2012 to support Harlington Hospice.

Kate Croucher, Acting Director of the PCC, said: “Many PCC staff are already active volunteers in their communities, but we wanted to come together as a department to support a local project. Brunel’s staff volunteering policy has enabled us to do this.”

Work completed by the 15 staff members has included redecorating the hospice’s treatment and counselling rooms and staff offices, as well as gardening and preparing for their summer garden party.

“As a group we were able to make much more of an impact for an extremely valuable and under-resourced project,” said Kate. “It has also been a great team building exercise, and great fun! The work we have done is just the start and we are keen to build on our relationship with the staff and service users at Harlington Hospice.”

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starters and LeaversExpress says goodbye to some of the staff who have departed from Brunel this summer, and greets some new faces.

Welcome to…Richenda Brewer Admissions Manager | professor Graeme Evans Chair in Design | Emma Filtness Publications Officer | Sue Henshaw Staff Development Trainer | Caroline Kenealy PA to Pro-Vice-Chancellors Professor Dany Nobus and Dr Mariann Rand-Weaver | Aash Khadia Deputy Director (Academic Profile), Planning | Ross Lennon Senior Examinations Officer | Dr David Machin Reader in Journalism | Lynn Martin Senior Timetabler | Leanne Moseley Development Officer (Trusts and Funds) | professor Shyama Ramani Chair in Entrepreneurship | professor Frank Skinner Chair in Corporate Finance | Joanna Steele PA to the Director of Academic Services | phil Thompson Interim Human Resources Manager (Systems)

Farewell to…Andrew Aanonson BURA/Research Manager, Library | Linda Attram Equality and Diversity Manager | professor Rachel Brooks Professor of Education | Vikki Cannon Admissions Manager | Mary Cunning Learning Environment Manager, Library | Barry Edwards Reader in Drama | Niki Khoroushi Marketing Manager (Publications) | professor Andrew Lyddiatt Professor Associate, Brunel Institute of Bioengineering | Rachana patni Course Leader, Social Care | Rachel Russell PA to Pro-Vice-Chancellors Professor Dany Nobus and Dr Mariann Rand-Weaver | Karthikeyan Shanmugam Senior Web Systems Officer | Charlotte Taylor Marketing and Recruitment Manager, Law School | Lindsay Topham Volunteer Services Manager | Santanu Vasant eLearning Technologist | professor Adrian Woods Foundation Chair in Management Studies | Dr Mark Young Reader in Design

Covers a selection of starters and leavers between April and August 2012

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ACADEMIC pRoMoTIoNSThe Committee for Academic Staff promotions is pleased to announce that Council has approved the following list of promotions for the academic year 2011-12.

Promotion to senior Lecturer School of Arts Dr Elizabeth Evenden | Brunel Business School Dr Afshin Mansouri | School of Engineering and Design Yunting Ge, Dr Atanas Ivanov, Dr David Smith | HERG Dr Subhash Pokhrel | School of Information Systems, Computing and Mathematics Dr Laurence Brooks, Dr Dmitry Savin, Dr Allan Tucker, Dr Veronica Vinciotti | Brunel Law School Dr Maurizo Borghi

Promotion to reader Brunel Institute for Bioengineering Dr Svetlana Ignatova | School of Health Sciences and Social Care Dr Mark Pook

Promotion to Chair School of Social Sciences Dr Matthew Hughes | School of Information Systems, Computing and Mathematics Dr Julie Barnett | Wolfson Centre Dr Karnik Tarverdi (Promotion to Chair (Enterprise))

IN BRIEFBrunel London 2012 Gold Medal awards have been presented to staff who made an outstanding contribution to the success of Brunel’s Olympic and Paralympic activities. Michael Bak, Simon Carroll, Steven Exley, Helen Fisher, Gwyn Jones, Sheila Killen, Jeung Lee, Iain Liddell, Karen Moseley, Sally preece, Matthew Ralph, Chris Stock, Liz Woodward and Neil Young all received individual awards, alongside a number of teams and departments across the University.

Brunel has achieved an Athena SWAN Bronze Award for its efforts to promote the equal representation of female academic and research staff in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine. Brunel is one of only 42 universities to have received a bronze award.

professor Saeed Vaseghi cycled from London to Belfast in May 2012 in aid of the ovarian cancer charity Angels of Hope. Professor Vaseghi, who lost his partner to cancer earlier this year, aims to complete another charity bike ride in 2013. Find out more or donate at www.justgiving.com/saeed-vaseghi

A new book on academic essay writing by Blackboard Learn Project Manager Alex osmond will be published by SAGE in spring 2013. Academic Writing and Grammar for Students focuses on clear, accessible, and practical advice around good writing techniques and practice.

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BEAM 2012: high-tech music brings the festival spirit to Brunel

The second annual Brunel Electronic and Analogue Music (BEAM) festival gave music-lovers another fascinating weekend on campus in June, exploring the physicality and live creation of electronic music.

International aficionados of electronic music, including cutting-edge musicians, academic researchers, amateur hackers and coders and emerging artists, turned the Antonin Artaud building into a playground for strange and exciting sonic experimentation.

This year’s guest curator was professor Atau Tanaka, professor of Media Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London. “What I like about BEAM is the community that comes together here,” he said. “We’ve got all the facilities to turn an academic discipline into a festival.”

“The computer itself becomes the instrument”

Describing his vision for this year’s event, professor Tanaka explained that he wanted it to “cover the whole spectrum from popular electronic music to academic study,” and “connect the beginnings of electronic music with the latest developments, where the computer itself becomes the instrument.”

This new level of electronic music was exemplified by Benoît and The Mandlebrots, a German band specialising in ‘live coding’. This innovative performance practice combines algorithmic composition – using algorithms to create music without human intervention – with improvised, interactive computer programming by a live ‘laptop band’.

Many artists also use electronic interfacing to manipulate the sound of acoustic instruments using a laptop. This can create new instruments that go on to be successful in the public sphere as commercial musical instruments, such as the Reactable, which has been used by Bjork ( www.reactable.com).

BEAM attendees were privileged to experience the premiere performance of the Hackspace Big Band, who used digitally-altered acoustic instruments to perform a long, varied instrumental piece with accompanying visuals, generated live using a turntable-mounted projector.

Kaleidoscopic, impressionistic and fluid, the visuals perfectly complimented the diversity and spontaneity of the band’s music, which developed from grandiose cinematic montages of uneasy-sounding strings, punctuated by electronic bleeps and glitches, and swelled to a crescendo of howling feedback and surging noise. The finale, dropping from a maelstrom of computer destruction to a fragile percussive ambience, showcased the potential of such an unusual musical collective.

https://london.hackspace.org.uk

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Visualising sound

Lewis Sykes showcased his Augmented Tonoscope project, an attempt to build “an instrument to visualise sound in such a way that what you see and what you hear are analogues of each other.”

The Tonoscope is based on cymatics, a term derived from the Greek word for ‘wave-like’ and which describes the effect that sound and vibration have on materials. Sykes uses sound to vibrate a drum skin covered with sand: the sand shifts into specific geometric shapes and patterns at certain frequencies.

Explaining the purpose of the project, Sykes stated that by connecting visual and audio aspects, the Tonoscope may shift our perception of sound and image so that we can “see/hear an object/sound simultaneously”.

Drawing upon the results of his experiments with the Tonoscope, he aims to produce an interactive installation in which a certain tone corresponds to a specific pattern or shape.

http://blog.lewissykes.info http://vimeo.com/lewissykes

Natural soundscapes: a BEAM sleepover

From midnight on Saturday for 12 hours, the main room of the Antonin Artaud building turned into what Tanaka described as a ‘black box space’, where delegates spent the night immersed in the natural soundscapes of Norwegian sound artist Jana Winderen.

Winderen’s work takes her to some of the most beautiful and remote corners of the globe to capture ‘unseen sources of sound’, such as the ‘audio topography’ of the ocean under the Norwegian glacier Brenndalsbreen, and

‘the depths of ice crevasses’ from the icefjord Kangia, Greenland.

Tanaka praised as the unique sleepover format of the concert as increasing our awareness of the ubiquity of sound:

“We can close our eyes when we sleep but we can’t close our ears – we sense sound and hear in a different way.”

www.janawinderen.com

SYNTH-A-SKETCH: creating sonic drawings

Raphael Arar’s SYNTH-A-SKETCH is based on the Etch A Sketch drawing toy, but with its mechanical functions rendered digitally.

The similarities between Raphael’s device and the Etch A Sketch mean that operation is intuitive for anyone who has enjoyed the original toy. The user creates images by turning knobs and shaking to clear, and the SYNTH-A-SKETCH produces changing sounds alongside the images drawn, creating ‘sonic drawings.’

Arar describes his work as centring on ‘the synthesis of nostalgia and novelty, resulting in sonic alloys indebted to the past’, and this idea is exemplified by the SYNTH-A-SKETCH. The installation is intended as a comment on the transience of modern society, as none of the user’s sonic drawings can be saved.

http://raphaelarar.com ‘playing’ the piano: open call performances

The festival culminated with a slot reserved for those artists selected from the Open Call for proposals, where home musicians and professionals alike vied for a chance to perform. Highlights included a performance by Tychonas Michailidis, who played a grand piano without striking the keys: instead, he used haptic (touch) technology, placing computer-linked motors onto the strings and affecting their vibrations by moving a special glove over the piano. The resulting composition was as elaborate and graceful as the performer’s gestures that created it.

Collaboration with the British Film Institute explores how film shapes culture and community

Dr Sarita Malik, from Brunel’s School of Social Sciences, is collaborating with the British Film Institute (BFI) to explore the ways in which film shapes audiences’ ideas and values about ‘community’.

Dr Malik’s project, entitled ‘Diasporic Film in Communities’ and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, examines the relationship between screen culture, stakeholders and communities, and seeks to better understand the concept of community in the modern, multicultural world. It focuses on how postcolonial, diasporic audiences – consisting of people belonging to one culture which has been dispersed from an original location – consider film to have shaped their ideas and values about community.

Events so far have involved African-Caribbean, South Asian and Chinese audiences and have included film screenings, Q&A sessions with directors and screenwriters, and cultural celebrations such as a martial arts workshop and calypso singing. Audiences and community partners have discussed screen culture and how it shapes their values: for example, the Chinese group described the way in which particular films build up their sense of pride in ‘being Chinese’. Groups also expressed interest in the significance of how their culture or community is represented in film, and in the draw of film itself as a medium that mobilises communities.

Dr Malik completed her PhD at the BFI, examining the history of black and Asian representation on British television. She said: “I’m really thrilled to be working with the BFI again. The Institute is central to how we develop cultural knowledge about our visual history – not just as researchers, but also as a society.”

“The project focuses on how postcolonial, diasporic audiences

consider film to have shaped their ideas and values

about community.”

Will Self re-imagines the literary essay for the digital age

Brunel’s professor of Contemporary Thought Will Self has developed a new form of literary essay re-imagined for the digital age.

“Kafka’s Wound”: A Digital Literary Essay is an examination of Franz Kafka’s work through the lens of one of his stories, A Country Doctor (1919), and in particular through the aperture of the wound described in the story.

The project, commissioned by the London Review of Books, brought together a team of web developers, editors, researchers, academics and artists, led by Self. They explored the possibilities offered by digital media to fashion a new kind of literary essay, interspersed with music, animation, film and text inspired by Kafka’s story and to document the creative process.

“The literary essay is a strange mode,” explained Self. “It’s not like an academic, critical essay, nor is it purely entertainment – it’s somewhere in between. We had just twelve weeks for the project, so we invited people along and they pitched to be involved.”

A host of Brunel staff and students were among over 70 contributors to the essay, which includes readings by Professor Johannes Birringer, a game designed by Professor Tanya Krzywinska, and art created by the School of Engineering and Design’s Professor Akram Khan and artist-in-residence Jayne Wilton. Self described the result as “a collectivisation, rather than a collaboration. The standard of work produced at Brunel was very high.”

The essay is available online and through smartphone, tablet and connected TV, and will be exhibited at The Space, a new digital arts platform developed by the Arts Council in partnership with the BBC.

“The literary essay is a strange mode. It’s

not like an academic, critical essay, nor is it purely entertainment

– it’s somewhere in between.”

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“I came into the world with a beautiful wound”, by Jayne Wilton

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international Pathways and Language Centre: what’s on this term? The International pathways and Language Centre (IpLC) provides Academic English support for Brunel students whose first language is not English, as well as Modern Foreign Language tuition for students and staff.

The International Admissions team recommends applicants to the IPLC if they have yet to meet the English language requirement for their course. Students are introduced to British academic culture as well as improving their knowledge of English for Academic Purposes, through the Pre-sessional English or English@Brunel programmes, or the International Foundation/Pre-Master’s in Engineering. Courses last from six to 50 weeks, and students can then continue to develop their language skills via the In-sessional English programme which runs throughout term-time.

During the last academic year, 962 students attended In-sessional English courses and more than 1,000 students benefited from one-to-one academic consultation sessions.

In-sessional English

In-sessional Programme Leader David Jones and his team provide academic English support for all students whose first language is not English.

“The most important classes are academic writing in term one and dissertation writing in term two,” said David. “We are here to help students bridge the gap between being able to write a 300 word IELTS essay and a 3,000 word academic essay.”

David also organises specific classes tailored to the needs of particular courses and Schools, as well as one-to-one sessions where students meet with a teacher for individual advice on the English in their written assignments and job applications. Both these services are provided free of charge.

The following In-sessional classes and courses are on offer in the Autumn term: Academic Writing; Academic Speaking and Listening Skills; Academic Grammar with Vocabulary; Professional English; Academic English for Research Students; and Pronunciation and Social Conversation.

Booking for In-sessional English courses opens during the week of 1 october and students can enrol online at www.brunel.ac.uk/international/current-students/insessional-english

Modern Foreign Languages

The IPLC also offers Foreign Language programmes for Brunel staff and students, which provide useful transferrable skills and open doors to new cultures.

Karin Hayes, Head of Modern Foreign Languages, and her team offer an extensive Modern Foreign Languages programme, with classes taught by qualified, native speakers. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a Certificate of Achievement.

Registered Brunel students can attend these classes free of charge, and there are two free staff places on each course. Once free places have been allocated, other staff applicants will be offered a discount on the course fees.

The following courses are available in Terms 1 and 2: Modern Standard Arabic; French; German; Italian; Japanese; Mandarin; Portuguese; Russian; and Spanish. A taster course in Polish will run in Term 2.

Booking for foreign language courses is now open at

www.brunel.ac.uk/international/foreignlanguages

Classes start on 8 october 2012.

A British Council inspection

of the IpLC in February

2012 recognised eight areas

of strength at the Centre,

including teaching, course

design and quality assurance.

136920B 240912

See your photos here!

Want to see your images published in Express? Submit your best pictures of anything Brunel and you could see them in the Express gallery. Email your high resolution photos (ideally 1MB+) to [email protected] or submit them on Brunel’s Flickr or Facebook pages.

THe GALLerYThe Korean olympic team and Canadian paralympic athletics team held their pre-Games training camps at Brunel over the summer of 2012. Both teams held open sessions to give the media both in the UK and back at home a taste of life on campus.

1 Korean media representatives surround members of the Olympic Boxing team. The training camp at Brunel attracted huge media interest in the Republic of Korea, with a number of top TV channels and newspapers covering the team’s arrival and preparations on campus.

2 The Korean Olympic Handball team practice in Brunel’s sports hall.

3 Taekwondo players train in the Sports Centre. Taekwondo is the national sport in the Republic of Korea, and the team went on to win a gold and a silver medal at the London Games.

4 Canadian Paralympic wheelchair racers practice on the outdoor athetics track. Racer Michelle Stilwell won gold in the T52 200m and silver in the T52 100m in London.

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express issue 16 autumn 2012

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