What the Papers Say February 2005
General university news
(Individual campus news follows below)
An Education Guardian online article titled ‘From female eunuch to colander girl’ on Germaine Greer’s time in the Big Brother house speculated about how her career could have been. The author could ‘visualise a career like Tessa Blackstone’s: a fast ascent, rung by rung, of the academic ladder crowned by a lateral move into the highest corridors of power.’
The MBA in Maritime Management, which is jointly run by the Greenwich Maritime Institute and the Business School, received excellent coverage in a special MBA supplement in the Independent. The front cover had a large photo of student Rahul Kulkrani next to the Cutty Sark together with a full page article and smaller photo inside.
The Guardian said that a record number of students started at the university in January.
The article promoted our January starts by including a comment by Dai Hall, Head of Admissions.
US based news service, EmediaWire mentioned that Johnny Crescendo, the disability civil rights singer-songwriter, who had recently moved to Philadelphia from the UK, has an honorary degree from the university.
Baroness Blackstone’s honorary degree from the University of Roma Tre was mentioned in The Guide.
The Guardian discusses the fact that universities are creating slogans or mottos for themselves. The University of Greenwich’s being at one time, “The University of the New Millennium.”
The university has a strong record at recruiting people from under-represented groups according to the Greenwich Mercury in a report on how some parts of Greenwich borough are more than three times less likely to go into education than those from Kensington & Chelsea.
The Kansas City Infozine reported that the University of Kansas graduate and newly knighted Bob Worcester had also been awarded an honorary degree by Greenwich.
Avery Hill
Health & Social Care
The Weston & Somerset Mercury said that Lynn Jones had been awarded a first class honours degree. She studied for the degree while working as a community staff nurse and continence adviser.
Positive Health reported that a three day course in Integrated Maternity Care for complementary practitioners at Milton Keynes was accredited by the university.
The award of an honorary degree to David Behan appeared in the Nursing Home News and The Caring Business.
A visit by 37 health professionals from France as part of the ongoing cross-channel project was reported on by the Medway Messenger.
Education & Training
Professor Patrick Ainley had an article published in The Guardian, discussing the implications of raising fees in 2006 on both universities and students.
Trainee teacher Charmaine Kemp made the news in the Dartford Messenger, KM Extra Dartford & Swanley and the Aberdeen Press & Journal after her legally parked and taxed car was crushed by Dartford Council.
According to the Gravesend News Shopper, Medway Messenger and Medway News the university had been awarded £150,000 to develop its e-learning facilities. Jill Jameson said that the project ‘will offer ongoing support for independent lifelong learning from school years right through their careers.’
Architecture & Construction
The Times Higher Education Supplement featured an article written by Alan Powers, Reader in Architecture & Cultural History, discussing typography and the necessity of the survival of printed words in the digital age.
Ipswich Evening Star featured a two page article on former student James London, who is reportedly the next big thing in garden design. The East Anglian Daily Times had article about James appealing for funds to complete a garden at Hampton Court Palace.
The university, according to Garden Design Journal, has introduced a new distance learning MA course in Garden History.
Alan Powers criticised the demolition of the 1930s Greenside which overlooked Wentworth golf course in Property Week.
The theft of a digital camera from Councillor Christina Coles who is studying landscape management at Hadlow College appeared in the East Kent Gazette.
The Archinect website reported on an open lecture at the Maritime Greenwich campus by Marko Jobst who is a part-time lecturer in architectural theory.
Alan Powers reviewed a new book called, ‘Le Corbusier: Architect and feminist in the
Times Higher Education Supplement.
General campus news
Kent on Sunday corrected a report on the conversion of some squash courts at Sparrows Farm to a sports physiology and dance studio. The previous report said that the university was closing New Eltham Squash Club.
Maritime Greenwich
Humanities
Thomas Acton contributed to the ‘Questions Answered’ section in the Times when a correspondent asked if the there is a language in which the written form does not yet have yet have formalised spelling. He explained that a writing system such as Chinese dispenses with spelling and that American English and English English have different spellings of the same words.
The Bexley Extra included comment by Criminology lecturer Dr Richard Wild about the “Night Stalker”, a serial rapist and burglar who has been terrorising elderly women in South London for almost 13 years.
According to the New Law Journal, Law lecturer Mike Ottley is one of the finalists for the Association of Law Teachers’ Law Teacher of the Year competition.
The Luton News reported that Natalie Ngyutin who is studying English at the University of Greenwich has starred in West End productions including Fame, Smokey Joe’s Café and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams.
Business
Mehmet Ugur gave three interviews about the EU’s decision to start accession negotiations with Turkey on the BBC World Service, Radio 4’s World at One and BBC4 & BBC World TV News. He also took part in an hour panel discussion on the BBC World Service.
The Times and the Evening Standard publicised the Female Inventors and Innovators’ Exhibition which was held in the Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College. The Business School was one of the main sponsors and the welcoming address was given by Tessa Blackstone.
The Press Association, Channel 4 online, Norwich Evening News, the Belfast Telegraph and South East Business featured Dr Sue Corby’s study on the gender pay gap in the South East.
The Guardian said that “all round HR guru …Professor Geoff White is senior adviser on rewards to the Universities and Colleges Employers Association which represents 170 UK academic institutions.”
Steve Thomas from the Public Services International Research Unit was quoted on News 24 (a South African website), saying that the pebble bed design for nuclear reactors still had no buyers.
The appointment of Management graduate Martin Hettema as area sales manager for the Bioriginal Food & Science Corporation appeared on the Canadian based Natural and Nutritional Products Center website.
Geoff White also commented in People Management on developments which give individual organisations more responsibility for determining staff pay and grading than they have in the past.
The Times Higher Education Supplement included details about Masters in International Banking student Richard Bankole from Nigeria in an article on the proposal to end visa appeals.
The appointment of former member of staff Professor Janet Drucker to assistant principal in charge of knowledge transfer at Canterbury Christ Church University College appeared in the Medway Messenger.
Computing & Mathematical Sciences
Ed Galea,founding Director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group is to join other experts from the Universities of Liverpool and Ulster, in a £1.6m study of the evacuation of survivors from the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York on September 11,
as mentioned in Fire Prevention magazine and Fire Safety Engineering.
Fire Safety Engineering, also reports Professor Galea’s development of fire simulation software, SMARTFIRE.
Ed Galea also commented in Flight International that, contrary to a recent article Airbus and Boeing had provided essential aircraft evacuation data to his team.
An article featured in the Chichester Observer notes that the former student Jimmi Lawrence has been awarded a posthumous PhD.
The computerised modelling project of the Cutty Sark led by Chris Bailey from Computing & Mathematical Sciences appeared in a feature focussing the successful lottery bid in the Guide.
Education & Training
The Times Higher Education Supplement published Ian McNay’s letter on the process behind Professorial titles within a University.
General campus news
TheTimes Higher Education Supplement marked the fifth anniversary of the
Keynote speech that David Blunkett made at the campus unveiling the UK e-university and foundation degrees.
The Greenwich Mercury reported that an eye catching vessel capable of installing offshore wind turbines sailed past the campus during the latest graduation ceremonies.
The BBC London website mentioned that the university now occupies the Old Royal Naval College site in a feature on Greenwich. www.bbc.co.uk/london/yourlondon/greenwich/naval_college.shtml
Security Installer magazine publicised the award of a contract to supply new locks at the Cutty Sark halls of residence.
There was a photo and article in the Greenwich Mercury highlighting a photo exhibition by students from North K College in the Stephen Lawrence building.
Medway
Medway School of Engineering
Visiting Professor Derrick Beckett and his team at the School of Engineering at Medway are planning to create a ground slab-testing unit. Concrete Magazine says that the concrete construction testing specialists have made a huge difference to the understanding of load bearing capabilities.
Dr Alec Coutroubis is reported in the Gravesend Messenger as being disappointed that a Ukrainian student planning to study nursing was not allowed into the country despite his sponsorship.
The ExCel Centre, London, hosted a display by the university’s engineering experts, according to Medway Messenger, News Shopper, Kent Profile and Kent on Sunday.
There was a report on the new BSc Information Technology Management degree in Kent on Sunday and the News Shopper.
Medway School of Pharmacy
Medway Matters (local council newspaper) said that the school is running the only UK course to enable community pharmacist to provide advanced services.
School of Science
Sally Parsonage from the Centre for Sport & Exercise Sciences in the School of Science defended the Sports Science & Professional Tennis Coaching degree against criticism on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme. She said that not only did graduates have an honours degree but also a highly regarded tennis coaching qualification.
A former student of Sports Science, Simon James Morgan, is starring in the multi-million pound horror film ‘Seed of Chucky’, which is to be released in the UK in February, according to the Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer.
Rob Woods, lecturer in ResponsibleTourism, has become the new Town Centre Manager of Ashford, Kent according to the Kentish Express.
Geographical Magazine features a spread on ‘The Responsible Tourism Awards’, in which Harold Goodwin, Head of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, was one of the judges.
Paula Carey comments on some of the geotechnical academia courses possibly being cancelled at the University of Greenwich due to lack of enrolments, according to Ground Engineering.
Mark Simmonds, Director of the Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society, has lectured at the university on the subject according to the Isle of Wight County Press.
The front cover and contents page of Tennis Pro magazine had photos of Dennis Van der Meer at the Maritime Greenwich campus on the day that he received an honorary degree from the university.
General campus news
The former Canteen building in Lower Pembroke has been sold to the universities of Kent and Greenwich at Medway. According to Medway Messenger, the building will be converted into a lecture theatre, teaching rooms and student’s union.
Facilities Management Excellence covered the sale of the Canteen building on Lower Pembroke to the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent.
The agreement between the students’ unions of Greenwich and Kent to collaborate in Medway was reported on by the Medway Messenger.
Professor Alan Reed’s monthly article in Kent Profile focussed on the BSc Information Technology Management degree and other business links.
According to the Medway Messenger the Medway Plus scheme allows local students to gain UCAS pints towards acceptance at the University of Greenwich and other education institutions.
Kings Hill Institute
A Health & Safety Executive conference on work-related stress is taking place at Kings Hill according to the Kent Messenger, www.yourcounty.co.uk and the a2mediagroup website.
Further information
More details on many of these stories and others can be seen on the PR website at:
www.gre.ac.uk/pr