Nexus OT students deliver workshops in Craiginches

Absoft lecture

New members appointed to the Board of Governors

Spring 2010

C o n n e c t i n g t h e U n i v e r s i t y c o m m u n i t y

Fashion Design students at Gray’s School of Art have embarked on a project to create a corporate tartan for Trump International – Scotland.

Intended to complement the existing Trump family tartan (Macleod), the new design will be produced in association with leading Scottish manufacturers and local mills, with a view to it being used within the club house and hotel interiors at the site in Scotland. It may also be incorporated into

brand, Trump ancestry and the Trump golf vision. Their brief is to take inspiration from Donald Trump’s golf vision and passion for Scotland, using colours that reflect the North-east coastline, Trump’s worldwide portfolio and 500 years of golfing heritage.

Sarah Malone, Executive Vice-President of Trump International – Scotland, explains, “Gray’s School of Art’s particular emphasis on the design and application of tartan within their fashion and textiles department prompted this partnership. We will commission a Trump corporate tartan in the future and are keen to engage up-and-coming designers working in the North-east in this process.” Daniel Crozier is one the students taking part in the project. He headed to the firms Balmedie headquarters recently to show off some of his previous work on tartan. Daniel says, “When we found out which organisation we were going to be working with, we were definitely in a state of awe! I think that it is fantastic that we have been given the opportunity to work with an international company, and that they see the value in working with local students. They obviously want to give something back to the community.”

Kim Eason, Programme Leader for Fashion and Textiles at Gray’s, adds, “There is a growing emphasis on the demand for tartan around the globe and we are delighted to be working with such a prominent worldwide brand. Bringing this fabric to the attention of the next generation of designers is an excellent investment for the future of both the Scottish textile and tourism industries, and I thoroughly enjoy being part of it.”

Trump tartan: Gray’s students weave their way into global brand

golf wear and resort merchandise, and will become part of the identity and branding of Trump International – Scotland.

Having been invited to develop initial designs, the students have been dealt the task of weaving together the Trump

Some of the previous tartan designs by the fashion students.

A small step for researchers could mean a giant leap for mankindResearchers at the School of Engineering are currently devising plans for a radically different type of spacecraft engine, which could one day allow conventional aeroplanes to fly into space, and replace the rocket motor as a means of escaping the Earth’s atmosphere.

Unlike traditional aerospace engines, which burn fuel, this new system, which is still at the theoretical design stage, uses microwaves to generate heat - rather like a microwave oven heats food.

The main advantage of the method is that it should eventually reduce the cost of space vehicles and make them reusable and potentially cleaner. The resulting craft would be much more likely to look and indeed be used like conventional aircraft.

Continued on page 11

2

SPECIAL FEATURES

6-7Student achievements

4-5High profile speakers come to the University

8-11Academic developments

THIS ISSUE

Welcome to the Spring issue of the University’s magazine, Nexus. This month features two pages detailing the high profile speakers who have recently come to the University, as well as a four-page spread about the University’s academic achievements. As always we also have a feature celebrating our students’ successes.

Thank you to members of staff who have contacted us to opt-out of the paper copy of Nexus. Due to the volume of responses these will not be updated by the time you recieve this issue so please bear with us while we amend the distribution details for future issues.

Please get in touch if you have any suggestions for stories or features for the magazine. Email your ideas to g.caie@rgu.ac.uk. You can also use this address to contact me if you would like copies of any photos included in Nexus.

The deadline for articles to be included in the July issue is Friday 11 June.

Gail CaieSenior Communications Officer

New expertise to steer University’s future successThe University has made the following four new appointments to its Board of Governors:-

Peter Nicholson has been Group Head of Human Resources for John Wood Group PLC since 2002. Born and educated in Aberdeen, Peter pursued an early career in accountancy, banking and general management in the oil and gas industry, before moving to Texas following his appointment as Vice-President of Human Resources for Smith International Inc. Peter is a Director of Scottish Business in the Community and Cornerstone Community Care, where he has chaired the local Board since its inception in 2003.

Susan Lawrie is the academic staff elected member on the Board and is Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Management degree at Aberdeen Business School (ABS). Susan is also a Learning Enhancement Co-ordinator in ABS and has been involved in utilising new technology to strengthen opportunities to study at the University by offering blended learning options. Susan is a graduate of the School and spent a number of years working in the oil and gas industry prior to taking up a lecturing post.

James Dunphy is the elected member of ‘all other staff’ and is the University’s Quality Enhancement Development Officer, a joint post in the Academic Affairs Department and the Department for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Assessment (DELTA). Prior to working for the University, James was a member of the Main Committee of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Scotland and has taken part in the QAA Enhancement-led Institutional Reviews of Dundee and Edinburgh Universities.

Victor Meme also joins the Board as the elected postgraduate student Governor.

(From left) James Dunphy, Peter Nicholson, Susan Lawrie, Victor Meme, Professor John Harper, Acting Principal and Mike Salter, Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors.

14Union matters

3

Health professionals of tomorrow take pioneering steps at Craiginches As part of a revalidation of the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy (OT) at the School of Health Sciences, emphasis is moving towards situated learning experiences, meaning that students are spending more time working and learning within the local community. As part of this, two third year students are currently delivering life skills workshops for a group of offenders at Craiginches Prison in Aberdeen. Stephanie Morrison, a lecturer in OT who is leading the project, explains, “We are trying to imbue a sense of social responsibility and values in the students, to enable a greater understanding of the complex health and social needs of individuals. What students learn first-hand from these experiences cannot be taught in a classroom.” Currently there is no OT service at Craiginches Prison but the knowledge and contribution of the field is becoming more widely recognised by many sectors, and the students’ efforts are helping to highlight this. The role of the occupational therapist involves an integrated assessment of a person’s daily life and its context which then provides a comprehensive assessment of how and why the person may be experiencing specific problems. Eileen Collins and Karen Lennon make up the student duo who have been working with offenders at Craiginches. They are running a life skills workshop in order to assess the complex health and social needs of these individuals whilst also enabling the participants to prepare for life back in the community. Eileen says, “It has been a very powerful learning experience and we are learning how we can play a key role in bringing together the many services required for this population. I have benefited from a number of different situated learning experiences and it has enhanced my understanding and motivation to learn more.” Colin Elms, Head of Offender Outcomes at Craiginches said, “This is a welcome addition to the work that is already being done to make a positive impact on offenders’ lifestyle options. Prisoners are responding well to the structure and delivery of this programme and its alternative approach. Projects like these feed into the aims of the criminal justice system with regards to the deduction of persistent offending.”

Researcher passes £ 1/2 million grant income mark

In addition to the project at Craiginches, students are also supporting elderly people by working alongside Alzhimers Scotland and Inchgarth Community Centre in the local community, as well as working with people who have learning disabilities, drugs and alcohol issues, and with individuals who are in the criminal justice system. It is hoped that the students currently engaging in these learning experiences will go back to the same settings for six weeks on a full-time basis next year as Honours year students.

Dr John G Love, Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Social Studies, passed a milestone in research funding recently with the award of a grant of £15,000 from Aberdeenshire Council Choose Life Planning Partnership to examine coping strategies amongst young people. The grant takes Dr Love’s research income to more than £500,000 and is the 27th research grant he has received since first carrying out research at the University in 1996.

Researching in the broad area of ‘social exclusion’ Dr Love has examined issues of homelessness, mental health, substance misuse, young people and migration and ethnicity. His funders have included local authorities (Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire), NHS Grampian, Grampian Police, the Scottish Health Council and the voluntary sector.

Asked how he has managed to secure this level of funding and carry out such a range of work, Dr Love explained that three things have been involved: ‘long hours, good time management and working in an institution that values what I do in applied research.”

Dr Love is currently working on five research projects exploring: • The emotional wellbeing of young people in Aberdeenshire; • Muslims and Hindus Access to NHS services in Scotland; • Art and mental health in Aberdeenshire; • Homelessness and social exclusion in Fife and • Coping Strategies amongst young people in Aberdeenshire.

Dr Love’s research skills and achievement were recently acknowledged by the Scottish Human Rights Commission, which has invited him to become a member of its independent research advisory group in Scotland.

4

HIGH PROFILE SPEAKERS COME TO THE UNIVERSITY

Youth learning, employment and enterprise angel leads business lectureKen Milroy, chief executive of renowned social enterprise organisation Aberdeen Foyer, delivered the 2010 Absoft entrepreneurship lecture at the University on 4 March.

Ken is the founding leader of one of Scotland’s most successful youth learning and enterprise charities. He has been at the helm of the Foyer since 1996, overseeing its rise to become one of the most important charitable organisations of its kind in the country.

Ken spoke to a group of around 300 students during the annual lecture, which has been sponsored by Scottish software consultancy Absoft since 2002.

Some students from Aberdeen Business School have already experienced first-hand the successes of both Absoft and Aberdeen Foyer, among other companies across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, as part of year-long internships.

Glenn Buchan, who is working with Foyer’s part-owned driving training business Roadwise, and Ruth Chapman, who is with the organisation’s communications and marketing team, were among the audience.

Ken Milroy said, “It was a great honour to present the Foyer’s business story to students. There seems to be a real growing interest in social enterprise and we have some fantastic examples of successful businesses here in Aberdeen and across Scotland combining enterprise and social purpose.

“Aberdeen Foyer has had a long-standing relationship with the Business School and Absoft so it was particularly pleasing for me to have their support for today’s event.

“Learning is at the heart of the Foyer’s approach and I hope we were able to impart a bit of that in the students on the day.”

A short career and enterprise fair, led by representatives of Aberdeen Foyer, Aberdeen Business School, Absoft and the Scottish Institute for Enterprise took place following the event.

Guest lecture by BP’s Group Head of EngineeringStaff and students attended a guest lecture by John Baxter, Group Head of Engineering at BP and honorary graduate of the University, on 18 March.

John’s lecture, entitled ‘In at the Deep End’, reviewed the engineering challenges facing the industry as oil exploration and production moves from fixed platforms on the continental shelf to floating structures in deep water. The latter presents a wide range of unique challenges requiring intense professional expertise and innovation.

This event was a rare opportunity for students to hear someone of John’s calibre and experience speak.

Students Glenn Buchan and Ruth Chapman with Ken Milroy (centre), Chief Executive of Aberdeen Foyer ‘Conversations’ at Scott

Sutherland SchoolArchitecture students recently benefited from the insight of up-and-coming international practitioners Pascal Flammer, who runs his own practice in Switzerland, and London-based James Payne in March.

During the annual event, entitled ‘Conversations’, the students delivered presentations on their work and had the opportunity to gain feedback on the projects they are working on whilst they are still in the formative stages.

Samuel Penn, a lecturer and organiser of the event, explained, “This was a fringe event to the end of session. We have been very lucky to be able to welcome Pascal and James to the School and look forward to seeing them make a significant impact within the profession.”

Pascal (centre) engages with the students.

5

HIGH PROFILE SPEAKERS COME TO THE UNIVERSITY

Clothes show host strikes a pose at the UniversityOne of the UK’s most well-known fashion experts visited the University in March to give a talk as part of the Guests @ Gray’s lecture series at Gray’s School of Art. Caryn Franklin, who presented ‘The Clothes Show’ on BBC 1 for more than a decade, has produced many documentaries and books on the subject of fashion. She is also co-founder of the award winning campaign All Walks Beyond the Catwalk. As a hugely successful practitioner, Caryn focused the lecture on fashion and the body, questioning her industry’s attraction to the emaciated woman. Charlie Hackett, a lecturer in Textiles and Surface Design at Gray’s School of Art, explained, “In the fashion world, thin is big but it is important for us as a society to question what’s going on in relation to body image. Caryn discussed this phenomenon in terms of how it relates to our culture.” The event was one of a series of regular talks organised by Gray’s School of Art, which were open to all. The Guests @ Gray’s programme aims to create an important connection to the professional world by drawing on practitioners from all areas of art and design.

The series began in January. Other speakers included: photographer Tracey Sherwood; ceramicist Paul Scott; writer Ken Cockburn; film maker Colin Andrews; artist Kirsty Stansfield; designers Barbara Hahn and Christine Zimmermann and artist David Sherry.

‘Meet the Professionals’ Networking LunchOver 30 female students attended a ‘Meet the Professionals’ Networking Lunch, sponsored by Exxon Mobil, at the Faculty of Health and Social Care, in February.

Interconnect, a network for women studying science, engineering, technology and the built environment in Scotland, hosts networking events to support the career development of female students by building professional and social networks amongst women in the industry.

The networking lunch gave the students the opportunity to meet lecturers, professionals and other women studying and working in the energy sector to provide advice and support.

Interconnect is run by the Scottish Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology, based at Edinburgh Napier University. Research by the Centre has shown that female science, engineering and technology students want to meet with women who work and teach in the field.

Catherine Gauld, Event Organiser said, “Initial feedback has shown that the students found the event encouraging, and that it provided a good start to creating their own career network within the industry, giving them more confidence overall in the often male-dominated oil and gas industry.”

World Wide Waste – Talk on green IT highlights energy issuesMary Vincent, one of the world’s leading experts on green IT innovation, visited the University on 12 April to deliver two lectures. The first was tailored towards students and another took place as part of the North-east’s IT Leaders’ Forum.

Serial entrepreneur Mary, founder and CEO of Green Star Solution, a global business and technology firm, examined why innovation methodologies for IT are so important. Brought to Scotland through the Girl Geeks global network for women in IT, which is sponsored by the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering & Technology (UKRC), Mary selected the University to host the event as one of the leading universities in Scotland.

Based in San Francisco, speaker Mary Vincent has an impressive track record of software product innovation, and is now an ambassador for green software solutions. Previously, she worked at Sun Microsystems and DHL, creating and managing global Java programmes. She has since founded a number of green businesses and is keen to establish links with businesses and educational communities across the world.

Ian Allison, Head of the School of Computing, commented, “We were delighted to welcome Mary to our shores. When you consider that Google handles something like 200 million searches daily, and some say just a couple of these generate as much energy as it takes to boil a kettle, the issue of green IT suddenly becomes a pressing matter. Research suggests that the IT industry generates as much greenhouse gas as the world’s airlines!”

The public talk was co-sponsored as part of the IT Leaders’ Forum by HEAD, the IT resourcing group, ScotlandIS, the trade body for IT in Scotland, and law firm McGrigors. The aim of the Forum is to grow and support a network of IT managers and this event allowed members to share ideas on the global green IT issue.

A group of students who attended the event.

6

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Architecture graduates wins top awardTwo architecture graduates have exhibited their work in a prestigious national exhibition which celebrates the finest emerging artists and architects in Scotland.

Sara Russell and Greig Penny beat off stiff competition to exhibit projects from their final year of study in the Royal Scottish Academy’s RSA New Contemporaries 2010 exhibition at The Mound, Edinburgh in April.

Sara, who graduated last year with a Masters of Architecture with Distinction, exhibited her designs for a granite museum in Aberdeen’s Adelphi. Sara’s inspiration came from finding a site which had history in abundance, but is now rather dilapidated. Her idea is to reinvigorate the site by building a new granite museum which would showcase the use of the material throughout the city from medieval to modern times.

Greig’s project, entitled ‘Shifting Pedagogies’, focused on a proposal for a community and learning resource centre located on the coastal edge of the Moray town of Buckie.

Student Rep Awards The annual Student Representative Awards took place in March. The Scheme was introduced last year to formally recognise the outstanding achievement of individual Student Representatives to improving the learning experience at course, School and/or Faculty and wider University levels.

The Student Representative Awards Scheme Panel, consisting of internal and external staff, recently recognised nine recipients for Session 2009/10. The Panel was particularly impressed by the quality of submissions and was pleased to recognise the contributions students have made in helping to improve the student learning experience and engaging with the University’s enhancement processes.

The award recipients were Rowan Goldthorp, BA (Hons) International Management, Thomas Ogilvie, BA (Hons) Business Management, Janefrances Osere and Bernardo Rodriguez, both MSc Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Malgorzata Nowobilska, MArch Architecture, Robyn Reid, BSc (Hons) 3D Design, Ukomada Emeka Patrick, MSc Oil and Gas Engineering, Mairi-Clare MacLeod, B Nursing (Adult Nursing), and Robert Paton, BSc (Hons) Computer Network Management and Design.

The winning students with Acting Principal Professor John Harper who gave out the Awards.

Sarah with a model of her project.

Gray’s student is runner-up in prestigious eventKevin Cameron, a student from Gray’s School of Art, has been announced as runner up in Art of Nurture, a prestigious art competition organised by Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance. His work will now be used in an advertising campaign for the bank.

Kevin came second in the competition for his artwork which represents growth and development in the business world with pictures of buildings and trees. The announcement was made at an event held at the Saatchi Gallery in London.

Over 500 entries were whittled down to 19 finalists after six regional heats were held at prominent art galleries across England and Scotland during March and April.

Kevin said, “I’m delighted to have come second, especially since the quality of the other entries was so high. Having this accolade will really boost my CV and it has been a fantastic experience to have my work shown in a high profile gallery like the Saatchi.”

Simon Featherstone, managing director of Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance, said, “Art of Nurture is a huge opportunity for anyone wanting to pursue a career in art and design as it shows they are able to accurately follow a brief and produce professional work. Through Lloyds TSB Commercial Finances’ advertising campaign, Kevin will now be able to showcase his work in a real-world commercial environment.”

Kevin with his winning artwork and award.

7

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Self and selflessness from Gray’s Karen Law and Nicholas Lowit, third year students studying the BA (Hons) Sculpture course at Gray’s School of Art, exhibited their work at Project Slone Gallery at the end of March. The exhibition ‘Self and Selflessness: The Art of Looking’ was set up to include a “hide” - a two metre cubed space where the students could observe the behaviour of passers by without discrimination. The intention being that they could start to generate and process based on their experience in the space. It became more important and influential to their experience to measure themselves by what they found interesting in people watching.

Karen said, “When we began to generate our work we decided against simply exhibiting our findings. We concluded that it would be best to find a way of processing our information into a concentrate.

“We made long tapering strips that incorporate both images and text. Whilst we continued with this we were aware of our own personal interests and started work on separate pieces.”

Nick has developed his scientific interests whilst Karen developed her work in a theological, non-religious sense.

Nick created a video that involved him typing text on a screen and having it recorded, the text being part of his gathered and development of information.

Karen made a wooden plinth with an incorporated video screen that shows manipulated images of the information she gathered.

Gray’s student wins prestigious printmaking award Lucie Hrnickova, an up and coming printmaker studying at Gray’s School of Art, has taken her career aspirations to a new level after winning an award from one of the UK’s leading arts organisations, and having her work displayed in the Main Gallery of the Mall Galleries London.

The Federation of British Artists (FBA) runs the Galleries, providing a national focal point for contemporary art, and organises the annual Originals exhibition. Lucie submitted her work for inclusion and was delighted not only to be selected but then to be honoured in the form of the Intaglio Printmakers’ Award.

As a result, Lucie has also now entered the 14th International Biennial Print Exhibition, in Taiwan. The third year student found out about Originals whilst using the printing facilities at Peacock Visual Arts.

Lucie explained, “I wanted to see if my work was good enough to be selected for such a prestigious show in London and was really excited to see it on display in the main space at the Mall Galleries. I think it is brilliant that Gray’s School of Art continues to support printmakers as the only university in Scotland to offer a degree in this specialism.”

Lucie took inspiration from the film Amores Perros, which centres around poverty and dog fighting, for the piece she submitted to the competition. This involved an extensive process of printing five different pieces of linoleum printed over and over again to achieve a unique textured look.

£12,000 international scholarship award for Gray’s alumnus and lecturer

Heather Ross, a lecturer at Gray’s School of Art, has been awarded the Royal Scottish Academy’s (RSA) Alastair Salvesen Scholarship.

Heather, who is also a graduate of the School, was honoured with first prize at the Aberdeen Artists’ Society Exhibition last year and this Scholarship marks the eleventh time she has received prestigious recognition for her work in her relatively short career.

Open to painters across Scotland, the travel scholarship will give Heather a painting and travel award of £12,000, including a solo exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. Sponsored by the Alastair Salvesen Trust in association with the RSA, the Alastair Salvesen Scholarship is a major initiative intended to encourage young painters who have made the transition from college to a working environment to prosper.

Heather plans to venture to Japan for three months this summer and is delighted to have won the opportunity to do so from one of the most prestigious bodies in fine art.

Heather is pictured in front of ‘Augustine’, one of the paintings she submitted in order to win the award.

8

ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENTS

Book published with advice from busy SME managersProfessor Bill Donaldson from the Marketing Department at Aberdeen Business School has recently published a book entitled ‘The Busy Manager’s Guide to Marketing.’ From his experiences with SMEs in sessions on the ‘Business Gateway’ and ‘Business Skills for Growth’ programmes delivered by the School, Professor Donaldson learned that most managers do not have time to formally study academic texts. As a result, his guide has just over 100 pages, making it easier for practising managers with limited time to digest.

Food for Thought: Event highlights new opportunities in Home Economics teachingHome Economics teachers from across the North of Scotland attended an event at the University of Aberdeen, in conjunction with the University, to address the growing challenge of recruiting Home Economics teachers. This twilight event was designed to inform teachers of new links between the universities with the intention of increasing the number of students who eventually train as Home Economics teachers. Concerns about the difficulties in finding teachers of Home Economics for schools in Scotland have surfaced regularly, with those teachers leaving the profession continuing to outnumber the teachers who enter. Nearly 50% of the Home Economics teachers in Scotland are aged over 50, recruitment has been difficult for several years, and vacancy levels are high. Alongside this, the multidisciplinary undergraduate degrees appropriate to Home Economics in the past are no longer available. Recently, The Memorandum of Entry into Initial Teacher Education was modified for Home Economics in order to make entry into teacher training for Home Economics more flexible. Consequently the University’s School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences BSc (Hons) in Nutrition and Dietetics has been identified as meeting the criteria for students to enter into professional teacher training. Yvonne Dewhurst, Lecturer in Education at the University of Aberdeen’s School of Education, explained the background to the partnership, saying, “The School of Education has traditionally been the place in the North-east of Scotland where student teachers of Home Economics would come to undertake their professional training. However with no appropriate ‘local’ degree available in recent years, the number of newly qualified Home Economics teachers has dropped, thus making it increasingly difficult to sustain the subject within schools in the North East.” “With the introduction of the Curriculum for Excellence and the increased emphasis on diet and health, a partnership between the University and the University of Aberdeen was set up to discuss ways of maintaining and indeed strengthening the current position of Home Economics in the curriculum across the north of Scotland.”

Myra MacKenzie-Fraser, who is a lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics at Robert Gordon University delivered a talk about the University’s Nutrition and Nutrition and Dietetics degrees, and how these can link with the University of Aberdeen’s Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme. Yvonne Dewhurst outlined the PGDE programme at the University of Aberdeen, and provided a tour of the School of Education. Participants also had the opportunity to taking part in a workshop aimed at supporting students’ professional development.

University hosts Erasmus Week The International Office held an Erasmus Week for Administrative Staff in April and welcomed 17 delegates from Erasmus partner institutions from eight different countries.

The delegates attended events including a group session to discuss examples of best practice in promoting the Erasmus Programme. They attended a session exploring how to encourage students to undertake an Erasmus period abroad after initial enthusiasm, and how to make best use of returning students to encourage future students to participate, including the use of student societies.

The groups also had an opportunity to discuss internationalisation strategies and non-EU exchanges and Professor John Harper, Acting Principal and Vice-Chancellor, and Julia Kennedy, Erasmus Institutional Co-ordinator, delivered a session exploring quality systems.

Sessions also provided the opportunity to exchange best practice in health and safety for Erasmus students, discussion of introduction of English language entry requirements at the University and expectations of host institutions regarding language requirements. Delegates came from: Bergen University College, Norway; Aalesund University College, Norway; Saxion University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands; Hogeschool INHOLLAND, The Netherlands; FH Campus Wien, Austria Universidad de Cantabria, Spain; Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain; Università Carlo Cattaneo, Italy; Politecnico di Milano, Italy; Université Paul Sabatier, France; FH Koblenz, Germany; FH Duesseldorf, Germany; Aarhus University, Denmark and Ecole Supérieure d’Art et Design de Saint-Etienne, France.

9

ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENTS

Exchange promotes shared understandingAs part of an ongoing collaboration between the School of Health Sciences and the University of Wisconsin (UWL) La Crosse, US, staff and students from the occupational therapy (OT) department in Aberdeen hosted a very special visit during March. In addition to the annual student exchange, which saw nine Robert Gordon students visit Wisconsin last year, and nine from the US visited Aberdeen this time round, senior members of staff from across the pond came to visit the Garthdee campus.

UWL Chancellor Joe Gow was joined by a number of senior colleagues including

Jay Lokken, Director of their Office of International Education. They spent some time with Professor Val Maehle, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Care, and Liz Hancock who heads the School of Health Sciences. Mr Lokken explained, “It has been an amazing experience coming over here. We currently have 90 students from our institution studying at universities across the UK and we would love to see more students from over here at La Crosse. You learn so much about your own culture by experiencing others.”

The exchange, which has been running for six years, gives students from both institutions the opportunity to compare

notes on best practice and learn from each others’ cultural experiences. Laura Mapleson, a student who went to visit Wisconsin as a third year student last year, said, “It was brilliant to compare health care services in the US with ours. They have the same OT philosophies but their system works differently. It was great to learn about this first hand.”

Grace Fleming and Ailsa Crowe, two of the students responsible for hosting this year’s visit by the Wisconsin students, organised a number of events including a visit to Aberdeen’s Town House to meet the Lord Provost.

Grace said, “We formed a committee so we could gather thoughts and decided to incorporate some traditionally Scottish activities like a ceilidh and carried out a lot of fundraising to get this off the ground. It has been really good fun and it was helpful to get their view of OT and share understanding.”

Chancellor Joe Gow added, “We are so grateful to have a relationship with Robert Gordon University and look forward to more exchanges in the future. It is very important for students to have international experiences so this kind of visit is exactly what we are hoping to promote.”

Students and staff from both institutions gather in the atrium at Robert Gordon University’s Faculty of Health and Social Care Building.

Health investigation contract awarded A centre of excellence comprising representatives from Aberdeen’s two higher education establishments and an economics consultancy firm has been awarded a contract to assess healthcare treatments for those who plan, provide or receive care within the NHS.

The National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) has announced the award of a five-year contract for health technology assessment work to NESHTAG – the North-East Scotland Health Technology Assessment Group. NESHTAG is an independent group formed between representatives from the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and McMaster Development Consultants - an economics consultancy firm. The group will review the evidence on clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health interventions and support the work of national policy-makers such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

NIHR has awarded contracts to 10 such groups around the UK, each of which will be tasked with helping to support decisions on how best to use NHS funds. The contract period for all 10 groups, including NESHTAG, will run from April 2011 to March 2016. “We are thrilled to have won this prestigious contract”, comments NESHTAG member and Senior Lecturer at the University’s School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, David Pfleger. “It is a further example of the University’s rich heritage in working with professional and corporate organisations to apply our research to real-life situations. “There is immense pressure on the NHS to make the most informed choices as to which health procedures and technologies maintain the best balance between benefit and cost. With the NIHR contract now awarded, NESHTAG will carry out a series of rigorous technology assessments to provide health providers and policy makers with robust information that will help inform crucial future decisions.”

University campus development receives approvalThe University’s masterplan for the development of its Garthdee campus has received detailed planning approval from Aberdeen City Council Planning Department.

The University’s plans for 34,000m2 of new build development were submitted to Aberdeen City Council last year following approval of its Garthdee Framework Development Report and a number of positive public consultation events with local residents.

Mike Berry, Director of Estates said, “We’re delighted that the next phase of construction has been approved. Detailed planning

approval of the new teaching and learning building is a further positive step in the University’s ongoing plans for the development of its Garthdee campus.”

More information on campus development is avaliable at www.rgu.ac.uk/ depts/estates.

10

ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENTS

Short course exhibition to demonstrate real potentialA collection of work by part-time students of Gray’s School of Art launched with an exhibition in the School’s foyer gallery at the end of March.

Featuring as part of Gray’s Short Course Student Exhibition, ceramicist Johanna Ogg showcased a life-size sculpture of a horse’s head. She has spent her life dealing with the limitations of cerebal palsy and felt that the opportunity to study ceramics through evening classes has given her the confidence to progress her talent. Johanna said, “I didn’t feel that I could achieve to my full potential at school and studying at Gray’s has given me a real boost. To think that I could gain a degree has really blown me away! I have discovered a talent and I now see real possibilities to take this to the next level.”

Overseas Pharmacy course first in UK to be offered at Masters levelThe School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences has been announced as the first UK institution to offer a Masters degree course designed to allow international qualified pharmacists to apply to the UK pharmacy pre-registration training scheme.

The Overseas Pharmacists’ Assessment Programme (OSPAP) was validated in February this year. It is a 12 month full-time MSc conversion course that, once completed, allows pharmacists from outwith the European economic area to apply to undertake the UK pharmacy pre-registration training year.

The MSc programme builds upon and incorporates the OSPAP Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) which is accredited by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and has been delivered at the University since 2006.

The MSc OSPAP degree focuses on new developments in key pharmaceutical sciences, research methods, clinical pharmacy, pharmacy practice and the study of health service delivery and pharmacy law and ethics within the UK. It comprises six modules of study delivered through a combination of lectures, group tutorials, practicals, experiential placements, web-based learning and clinical teaching sessions. Completion of the MSc OSPAP will enable students to acquire Masters level attributes including the skills and knowledge base required to complete a research dissertation in an area of pharmacy.

The application periods for both PgDip and MSc OSPAP programmes are now open, with term beginning mid-September 2010. A select number of merit-based Scholarships are available for MSc OSPAP students.

School of Applied Social Studies lecturer co-authors booksSteve Hothersall, Senior Lecturer at the School of Applied Social Studies, has recently co-authored two new books.

The first, co-authored by SJ. & M.Maas-Lowit, and titled Need, Risk and Protection in Social Work Practice, is published this spring. The book focuses on the core concepts of need, risk and protection, and situates these within specific client groupings and practice contexts. This allows the reader to appreciate not only the conceptual issues but the practical realities of dealing with these matters in 21st century social work practice.

The second, co-authored by SJ. & JL.Bolger, and entitled Social Policy for Social Work and the Caring Professions: Scottish Perspectives, is published in the autumn. This ground-breaking text, possibly the first of its kind to focus specifically on Scotland, covers the conceptual base of policy, looking at issues such as need, before giving an account of a range of policy areas that social workers, social care workers and other related professions are likely to face. Each chapter looks at the current situation in Scotland in relation to these differing areas and provides the reader with cross-referencing and a plethora of references and further reading.

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ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENTS

Thinking spaceThe multi-disciplinary team at the University’s Centre for Design and Innovation (C4DI) recently launched a three month workshop programme to help Scottish Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) strengthen their ability to find innovative solutions to all too common business problems. The series, titled ‘Innovation by Design’, runs until June 2010 in central Aberdeen locations.

The series is comprised of four separate workshops and aims to help business professionals of all levels develop creative solutions to problems with products and services by applying a designer’s way of thinking.

“Whenever we work with businesses,” comments Professor Julian Malins, Project Director at C4DI and Professor of Design at the University, “the first thing we say is that, while we talk about applying a designer’s way of thinking, this doesn’t actually mean you have to be a designer.

“Instead, what we do is help release our clients’ imaginations and creativity to move past barriers such as the fear of failure or being wrong, therefore enabling them to come up with ideas and solutions that might never have been arrived at through conventional processes. This kind of ‘serious play’ has long been established in the design world, and we have found it immediately beneficial and applicable to the wider business sector.”

(From left): Professor Julian Malins and Designer Graham Grant.

Dr Chris MacLeod, who is leading the project, explained how the idea came about, saying, “I am from an aerospace engineering background, and a few of us in the School of Engineering have been thinking about the problems with the current technology for some time. The idea slowly came into focus by considering the problems with current rockets, and also proposed advanced engines called ‘scramjets’ which NASA has been researching.”

The system is still at the stage of mathematical modelling and simulation - a process which involves working out all the equations governing the problem and programming them into a computer to simulate what will happen in reality. As such it still requires further work to solve its practical problems and make it a reality. Chief among these is providing a suitable power supply for the system, but Dr MacLeod confirmed that they are currently working on a number of possible solutions to this.

Dr MacLeod has recently completed a second scientific paper in collaboration with Niccolo Capanni, from the University’s School of Computing, and Ken Gow, who has just retired from the School of Engineering. This paper, which is titled ‘Some Practical Aspects of

Electromagnetic Activation’, has been published in the March 2010 edition of The Journal of the British Interplanetary Society.

The team plan to publish a further two papers on the same matter. They are also in discussion with other universities with a view to collaborating with them in the future.

In terms of how long it will take before the new engines are a reality, Dr MacLeod said, “The time-scale is difficult to estimate - it could be decades or it be much sooner, depending on how easily we can resolve some of the technical problems.”

Indeed, the University has a long history of space research with the former Head of the School of Physics (which merged with engineering) Dr Norman Langton. Dr Langton was one of the leading experts and researchers on rocketry and space research in the country and published several books, including the well known Rocket Propulsion (Space Research and Technology).

In 1996 the space-shuttle Endeavour launched a Microgravity experiment designed at the University which was in space for 10 days.

Continued from page 1

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Aloha! Aberdeen pupils set for Hawaii competition final

Geologist Jo engineers rock fameEnergy Centre Online Distance Learning (ODL) Lead Lecturer and e-Learning Enhancement Co-ordinator for Postgraduate Studies Jo McCafferty is on a mission to prove that holding down a challenging and responsible day job is no barrier to pursuing rock stardom.

Geology graduate Jo has been writing, recording and performing her own songs for the last 16 years, having released her debut album, ‘Nothing Whispered to Katy’ aged just 17. Since then she has supported Marillion, toured with Midge Ure and performed to a growing band of loyal followers in Aberdeen

and across Scotland. Meanwhile she has also found the time to write, record and release six original acoustic albums. For the last seven years, Jo has combined her music career with working at the University looking after the ODL students to varying degrees, teaching the Subsurface module and facilitating the Business Essentials module. Jo did try concentrating solely on her music at one point, but found that she missed the interaction with her distance learning students, and is happiest when combining recording and performing with lecturing and supporting her students.

She said “The University has been really good to me, allowing me to work flexibly so that I can offer my students optimum levels of support, whilst simultaneously pursuing my musical career.” Jo has recently released her seventh, and first full band album, ‘Overtaking on a Bend’. The 22 tracks encompass a range of different styles, from haunting and melodic to darker and more hard edged, but all feature Jo’s beautiful vocals. The songs also touch on a variety of genres, from jazz through to pop, rock and blues. Copies of Jo’s album, Overtaking on a Bend are available to buy from her website: www.jomccafferty.com.

A group of Aberdeen school pupils will be flying off to Hawaii this summer to take part in the final of an international engineering competition.

The Bucksburn Academy team beat off stiff competition from 13 schools in Aberdeen City and Shire, Dundee and the Highlands in the Scottish regional final of the annual international ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) design challenge.

The regional competition is the only one of its type in Europe and is co-ordinated each year by the University, in conjunction with the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Centre, USA. The MATE Centre co-ordinates the international competition, which sees a network of 16 regional ROV contests taking place across the US, Canada and Hong Kong. Student teams from primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities participate in the events, which consist of two different classes according to the sophistication of the ROVs.

The triumphant Bucksburn Academy pupils will travel with the University student team on the trip of a lifetime to The University of Hawaii-Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii in June to pit their skills and ingenuity against the world’s best.

The University also co-ordinated a consortium of industry participants who acted as mentors to the local schools involved. University alumni and some members of staff from the sponsoring companies worked closely with the school teams.

Principal sponsorship was provided by BP North Sea and leading seabed-to-surface engineering and construction contractor, Acergy. In addition, OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy, the industry’s focal point for skills, learning and workforce development, contributed prizes and hardware to the competition, and promoted it through its Young Engineers and Science Clubs.

(From left): The winning Bucksburn Academy team - Blair Paton (teacher), Struan Henderson, Chris Hardie, Ross McDonald and Stuart Green.

Jo, a driving force at the School of Enginnering

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As part of Sports Relief, the Staff-Student Liaison Committee in the School of Computing organised a sponsored ‘virtual’ cycle on an exercise bike in the foyer of St Andrew Street.

The group set off at 8am with the intention of cycling the equivalent distance of Aberdeen to Edinburgh. They did so well however, that they managed to get as far as Berwick on Tweed, across the border.

Eleven members of staff and 18 students took part in the relay doing anything upwards from a mile or half an hour. At 4.50 pm the group reached Berwick, which meant they had covered 188 miles in under nine hours and managed to raise £666.04 with a collection bucket at the St Andrews Street entrance.

The group wish to thank the Faculty Site Officers at St Andrew Street and Tom Davidson from the School of Health Sciences who helped arrange the loan of the bike.

Keeping more than one oar in the water: Computing placements offer untapped recruitment potentialMany companies will be familiar with the benefits of taking on university placement students but many may not realise just how beneficial those studying in the field of IT could be to their business. As student numbers increase to fill a growing demand for IT specialists, the School of Computing looks to reach out to those organisations that could partake in what is a mutually beneficial exercise.

she wanted to specialise in and also to equipping her with a well-rounded skill set.

Judith explained, “At Chevron, I took on the role of Applications Analyst which involved being in charge of a group of applications and providing support for these in terms of upgrades, patches and server maintenance. This enabled me to determine exactly what I wanted from my future career, and helped differentiate me from the many people applying for the position with Ernst & Young.”

Speaking from the point of view of employing someone who already has experience of working in industry, Judith’s Director at Ernst & Young, Kevin Duthie, added, “Summer placements give you the chance to not only assess a candidate’s skills and experience but also see how they fit in with your team. We have had great success in recruiting excellent graduate entries on the back of our placement programme.”

There are currently three types of placements that the School of Computing is looking for support with. Many undergraduates will be looking to complete a 16-week summer placement starting at the end of May, whilst others will be looking to complete a year long placement starting either in May or September. Postgraduate students, many of whom are already professionally trained and can bring a more advanced perspective with them on placement, will be looking to complete a 45-week placement from the beginning of June.

Companies interested in hosting a paid placement within the field of computing should contact Valerie Cheetham on 01224 262344 or via v.c.cheetham@rgu.ac.uk. Valerie also co-ordinates placement opportunities in the areas of engineering, construction design and management, surveying and architectural technology.

Having graduated with a degree in Computer Science last July, Judith Herbert is currently working as an IT Auditor for global accountancy firm Ernst & Young. Judith is better known for her sporting triumphs, leading the University to victory in last year’s universities boat race, but she is well aware of the importance of having more than one oar in the water.

Judith received recognition from the British Computing Society in the form of an Award for Computing Excellence at the University’s School of Computing Prize Giving last June. She believes that the opportunity to spend a year working in industry prior to completing her degree, in her case with Chevron, went a long way towards helping her focus on the areas

School of Computing in virtual cycle

Clerical Assistant Malgorzata Lewandowska with student Emma Clarke at the sponsored cycle.

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Motion voted in to NUS Scotland policyAt the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland Conference in Dunfermline on 6 March, a motion put forward by representatives from RGU: Union including President Ross Murchison and Marketing and Communications Officer, Jennifer Cadiz, was voted in to NUS Scotland policy.

The motion highlighted that to make elections fair, there should be a cap on the funding budget students are allowed when campaigning for NUS Scotland posts such as President and Depute President. Ross argued to members that to put a cap on funding would make elections accessible to all students irrespective of financial background.

After the motion was put forward by RGU: Union’s team, the NUS Executive Committee added an amendment, stating that the problem was not just with election funding caps, but that flaws exist throughout the entire election system.

All parties agreed amicably that the election processes need overhauled and as a result RGU: Union’s motion was voted in by a clear majority. As a result, NUS Scotland will now review the entire process over the coming year.

Nora shines at International Student Awards

Irish student Nóra Ní Fhlannagáin’s inspirational story of student life in the UK has resulted in her being named a runner-up in the regional finals of the UK’s biggest international student competition. Nóra, who is studying Nutrition and Dietetics at the

School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, was one of more than 1,300 students, from 118 countries to enter the eighth annual International Student Awards – a major initiative from the British Council that shines the spotlight on international students and their contributions to life in the UK. Third year student, Nóra, who comes from Templemartin, Craughwell, Co. Galway, was invited to celebrate her extraordinary achievements at a national awards ceremony in London in April. To enter the competition, international students were encouraged to write a personal ‘letter home’ in English, detailing the out-of-class achievements that help make their time in the UK so rewarding. From shaving her hair off, to jumping in the North Sea, there is very little Nóra won’t do to raise money for well-deserving charitable causes. Since joining RGU:RAG (Raising and Giving), in her first year, Nóra has helped to raise thousands for local charities, including the Children’s Hospice Association of Scotland (CHAS) and a number of cancer charities. Nóra is now the president of RGU:RAG, which now boasts over 60 enthusiastic members. In her second year Nóra also founded the University’s Cumann Craic – Gaidhlig and Gaeilge society to promote a forum for Irish/Scots Gaelic in the University.

National environmental awards recognitionRGU: Union has been recognised nationally for its ‘green’ credentials by winning a Bronze Award in the Sound Environmental Impact Awards.

Sound Impact is an environmental accreditation scheme delivered by the National Union of Students, designed specifically for student unions across the UK, which seeks to encourage, nurture and reward good environmental practice.

The Union created an environmental policy aimed at reducing its impact on both the local and global environment to help maintain a greener society. In working towards the accreditation, the Union embarked on new initiatives including energy conservation and recycling campaigns. The Union also produced ‘green’ suggestion forms so staff and students can suggest their own environmentally-friendly ideas and the café now sells a range of Fairtrade goods.

Michelle Collie, General Manager of RGU: Union said, “We are really pleased to receive the award, especially in our first year of entering, as it highlights our commitment to creating a greener, more eco-friendly union.

As a result of the award, the University will receive extra points in the ‘People and Planet Green League’, which rewards UK universities for excellent environmental performance.

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y.Depute President of NUS Scotland electedFourth-year Corporate Communication student, Jennifer Cadiz, has been elected Depute President of the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland. Jennifer, who is also Marketing and Communications Officer at RGU: Union and a member of Aberdeen Students’ Forum, is the first mature student based in the Aberdeen area to be elected as Depute President.

Jennifer will work on improving communications between the constituent members of NUS Scotland and the national union itself, increasing representation for international, postgraduate and online distance learning students.

NUS Scotland didn’t waste any time putting Jennifer to work, shipping her off to the European Student Summit only two days after being elected! Representing NUS UK, Jennifer helped draft the European Students’ Union Statement, travelling as a Scottish delegate to conferences in Budapest and Vienna.

Jennifer said, “It was fascinating to meet so many ministers for education from all over Europe, North America, Africa and Canada, and to work together on higher education issues at a global level.”

UNION MATTERS

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Marketing your careerA career in marketing is one of the most challenging and exciting of all careers in the business world today.

At the heart of all marketing activities is the customer. To be a success and an asset to the company or organisation for which the marketer works, he or she therefore must understand those things which are of importance to the consumer in the purchasing of goods and services. This means carrying out sound market research into the buying tastes and preferences, likes and dislikes of the actual and potential customer.

Once that information has been gathered, the marketer will analyse it in detail to see what is required. Working with others in the company such as the production and advertising departments, the sales force etc, the marketer will set things in motion, which at the end of the day matches what the customer wants in terms of colour, design, size, packaging, “green” considerations etc. Marketing is the voice of the consumer in the organisation.

Guidelines on Effective Learning and Teaching

Stage four International Tourism Management students learned about sustainable tourism and the role of public and private sectors when they visited the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society at Spey Bay earlier this year.

It does not really matter what type of company or organisation the marketer works for – the basic principle of putting the customer first always applies.

Several courses feature a very strong marketing element at the University’s Department of Communication, Marketing and Media, including the recently validated the Graduate Certificate Marketing.

At postgraduate level the MSc International Marketing Management is a well established, successful course, which comprises a range of management subjects and is designed for professional practice at middle management and the preparation for higher levels of management in an international context. Understanding other countries’ cultures and systems is clearly vitally important for companies in today’s fiercely competitive, rapidly changing international environment.

A new course, the MSc International Marketing Management with Retailing, will launch in September 2010. This course will enable the graduate to study these complementary disciplines in depth and be fully qualified to work in the retail sector either at home or abroad.

Who can benefit from these postgraduate courses? As an employer you will have employees who have acquired a range of professional skills, practices and techniques in marketing and international marketing and retailing. These staff members will be excellent communicators; will have a comprehensive and up to date knowledge of the functional areas of marketing and they will be able to work as part of a team, making sound balanced decisions.

As an employee or student, career prospects will be enhanced by obtaining a recognised formal qualification in an exciting, contemporary, highly relevant discipline. You can expect to work in a variety of different business sectors, at home and abroad. Typical career opportunities include international marketing management, marketing management, brand and product management, advertising, retail buying, market research public relations, distribution management and sales management. In addition marketers are increasingly in demand in local and national government and in non-profit organisations.

For more information contact Isobel Grant ati.grant@rgu.ac.uk

In 2007 the University articulated key messages regarding its future direction within its Strategic Plan – A Clear Future, which commits the University to enhancing the quality and relevance of its provision. In order to articulate more fully what this means for the University and its students and staff, the Department for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Assessment has since prepared Guidelines on Effective Learning and Teaching which draw upon internal and external reference points to highlight the key elements of a high quality and effective learning experience at the University

These Guidelines were informed by engagement with each of the University’s Faculty Quality Enhancement Sub-Committees and now provide a key reference point on teaching and learning within the University. In summary, the Guidelines highlight that effective learning and teaching within the University:

• Promotes the achievement of professionally-focused learning outcomes that offer value to learners;

• Respects learners as individuals and recognises and values diversity;

• Views learners as partners in learning, and creates a climate that motivates and engages learners;

• Focuses on learners’ activities, and values learners’ time; • Promotes learner interactions, with staff, and with fellow

learners; • Makes assessment and feedback an integral part of learning; • Uses learning resources efficiently and effectively; • Is evaluative and reflective, and committed to future

enhancement.

More information can be found at http://www4.rgu.ac.uk/files/RGU-2009-Guidelines-Eff-

Isobel Grant

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EVENTS DIARY 2010For further information on all events, visit: www.rgu.ac.uk/news/eventsdiary

JUNE

8 Professorial Lecture – Julian Malins

18 Gray’s Degree Show

22 Scott Sutherland End of Year Show

JULY

13- 16 Summer Graduation ceremonies

OCTOBER

6 Open Day

NOVEMBER

6 Open Day

9 Professorial Lecture – Peter Strachan

DECEMBER

9-10 Winter Graduation ceremonies

15 Carol Service

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Study exchange at ABSIn Autumn 2009 two Aberdeen Business School ambassadors, management students Caitlin Bissett and Alexander Hood, went to the University of Boston, a new link for Aberdeen Business School.

The University of Boston is just one example of a study exchange offered by Aberdeen Business School. There has been an increase in the range and number of these opportunities over the last four or five years, and now students can

participate in a one or two semester exchange on almost all ABS courses as an integrated part of their degree.

In addition to European Erasmus exchanges, Aberdeen Business School is now expanding partner agreements to institutions outside of the EU. Along with Caitlin and Alexander, those venturing across the Atlantic for the first time last semester included two law students

Degree students in the Dragon’s Den

Double victory of University Rugby squadThe University’s men’s rugby team achieved double success after beating St Andrews 18-12 to win the Scottish Universities Cup in Edinburgh on 24 March.

The team trailed 12-3 at half-time but then took control of the second-half after club captain Patrick Cooney scored two tries. The club beat the St Andrews side twice in one week, adding the Cup to a previous triumph which saw them promoted to the 1A Division, the top university league in the country. President of the University’s rugby club, Euan Lutton said, “All the lads have worked really hard this season and fully deserve the Cup and league title. It’s been tough, but totally worth it!”

who went to the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma and a management student who went to the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

This academic year has also seen the initiation of the H.O.T.E.L. Atlantis Programme, a transatlantic degree programme co-funded by U.S. Department of Education’s Funds for Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) and the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC). Within this programme, International Hospitality Management students from Aberdeen Business School will spend one semester in Turku, Finland and one whole academic year at Oklahoma State University. On completion of the four-year programme, which also includes a summer work placement in the USA, students will be awarded a double undergraduate degree from Robert Gordon University and Oklahoma State University. The first two students on the programme, Sarah Hulse and Boriss Danilevics, departed for Finland, the first overseas part of the programme, at the start of this year.

As well as the benefits of the personal experience itself, feedback from employers has demonstrated that companies highly value graduates who have done something different, something a little bit challenging, something that makes them stand out from the crowd and gain a little more maturity.

A group of students undertaking the University’s BA Management Studies course at Angus College were put to the test recently in a Dragon’s Den scenario. As part of the New Business Project module, the students were required to develop and plan a business idea. The module culminated in the groups presenting their business idea to an expert panel of judges.

The panel featured Dr Heather Fulford, Academic Director of the Centre for

Entrepreneurship, Alan Hunt, Senior Lecturer, both from Aberdeen Business School, Anne Green, Business Manager at Natwest, Dundee, and Mike Ferguson, Managing Director of Ferguson Oliver.

The students spent 16 weeks developing their business concepts. Although the judges were impressed by all of the presentations, it was the group “Pink Pampering Ltd” who won the judges’ approval with their concept for a business specialising in organising children’s parties.

The judges were impressed with their dynamic and engaging presentation as well as their comprehensive business plan

The group of students are the first to undertake the University’s BA Management Studies degree in partnership with Angus College. Successful students will graduate at HMT in July this year.