From the Vice-Chancellor's desk
Alumni Achievements
June 22, 2012
Each year we call for nominations for Alumni Achievement Awards to recognise outstanding accomplishments of our graduates. A specially appointed Panel evaluates the cases submitted and typically selects around ten to receive this recognition. The 2012 Awards celebration was held last week. Our MC for the evening was Edgar Wallner, a Pharmacy graduate of 1958, who …
Opening of The Institute for Mental Health
June 7, 2012
Last week we opened the new Institute for Mental Health on the Jubilee Campus, with Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer, as our Guest of Honour. The incidence of mental ill health is growing. According to NHS data, the proportion of the English population meeting the criteria for one common mental disorder has increased …
May Fest 2012
May 23, 2012
Our first May Fest was four years ago. It began as an experiment, to see whether we could bring the broader community on to our Campuses and find ways of interesting and stimulating them. Our first experience was a good one. Staff and students gave up time over a weekend to present a range of …
GSK and Business Partnerships
May 11, 2012
Partnerships are an essential element of successful organisations, a tried and trusted mechanism for sharing ideas, leveraging resources and breaking new ground. At Nottingham, we have partnerships with many other Universities in the UK and globally, including our path breaking Collaborative Agreement with the University of Birmingham; with Research Councils, most notably BBSRC and EPSRC; …
Life Cycle 2
May 3, 2012
‘So, what’s next then?’ That was my most frequently asked question after riding 1,030 miles from John O’Groats to Lands End (JoGLE). In truth, I had already begun thinking about another challenge the day we completed Life Cycle 1. That was last September. I did not approach the other riders until November! So, here we …
Academic Promotions
March 30, 2012
We have two Committees for academic promotions, one for Level 6 (Associate Professor, Reader, Principal Research Fellow) and one for Level 7 (Professor). I am Chair of both Committees and involved in the process from start to finish. Typically our Promotions Committees begin their work in the autumn, with our Faculty Deans taking advice within …
Nottingham Potential and IntoUniversity
February 28, 2012
Some argue that higher graduate contributions from 2012 will make it harder for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study at University. I do not believe it will. The new arrangements do not have upfront fees (which would damage access) and do have enhanced maintenance support for entrants from low income families. Moreover, increasing amounts are …
Student Fund Raising and Volunteering
February 10, 2012
Having been in the University for almost 25 years, I think I have a good sense of the ‘Nottingham DNA’. One strand which runs through it is our students’ commitment to community service in one form or another. Their fund raising and volunteering initiatives are pretty amazing. Despite the fact that ‘student generations’ are of …
WinSET – Women in Science, Engineering and Technology
February 1, 2012
Last week I gave the opening address at a day-long conference ‘Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine’ on Jubilee Campus. This was the second such event organised by our ‘Women in Science, Engineering and Technology Group’ (WinSET). It had more than 100 participants, ranging from PhD students through to senior Professors. There …
The Global Financial Crisis and the Internationalisation of Higher Education
January 20, 2012
I am often asked about the impact of the global financial crisis on the internationalisation of higher education. Given Nottingham’s unique global footprint, that is not a surprise. As the sub-title of Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff’s outstanding book This Time is Different : Eight Centuries of Financial Folly suggests, financial crises are far from …
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