Welcome to the the March edition of the alumni enewsletter. I hope you will enjoy reading it and that you will find something of interest. We had an excellent start to 2007 with our Royal visit to officially open our new buildings. You can read all about it below. We also successfully launched our MBA Alumni Group with the first event on 1st March. Please keep an eye on the website for details of more alumni groups which will be launched soon.
We will shortly be compiling the next edition of 'Now and Then' the Alumni Network magazine, if there is anything you would like to see reported on or covered in the next issue please feel free to email your comments and suggestions.
Happy reading!
Emma Cale
Development and Alumni Officer
Our staff and students welcomed Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh for the official opening of our new Business School and Knowledge Dock Centre on Friday 16 February.
Rolf Harris and some of our art students led a sketching master-class with pupils from local schools, Bollywood dancing, and the ‘Magic of Learning' performance from the Lord Mayor's Show as part of a Pavilion showcasing partnership work with local schools, colleges and community groups.
The ceremony began at midday at our Docklands Campus. Her Majesty was welcomed by hundreds of staff, students, supporters, and partners from local schools, colleges and community groups.
The main presentation party included our Chancellor Lord Rix, Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham, and Professor Martin Everett, the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor. 350 guests including Prince Turki of Saudi Arabia and other dignitaries, as well as our staff and students, attended a presentation, and Her Majesty unveiled a plaque to formally open the Business School and Library.
Our new Business School, located on the waterfront of the Royal Albert Dock, features a vast ‘trading floor' open-plan teaching space and computing hall, a 400-seat lecture theatre and an innovative library open 24 hours a day. The Business School provides undergraduate and MBA programmes in all aspects of business and management to 4,000 students on campus and world-wide.
Damla Mehmet and Shoaib Bakhat, both final-year students in the Business School, were among a group of 24 students working on a water efficiency marketing project with representatives of Thames Water as Her Majesty toured the building.
"It was so exciting", she said. "I can't believe I actually met the Queen. I'm really enjoying my degree here at UEL and this visit was a very special event for all of us!"
The Knowledge Dock Centre is home to our enterprise development and support service, which now works with over 1,000 businesses, mainly small and medium enterprises in Thames Gateway. Facilities include 42 business units, the HotHatch business generator, the Empower project for female entrepreneurs, Fabric Print & Design Bureau, the Product Design Lab, the SMARTlab Digital Media Institute, the Sustainability Research Institute and the engineering and laboratories of our School of Computing & Technology.
Awad Bhenick, President of the UEL's Entrepreneurship Society, was one of 10 entrepreneurs working in HotHatch on Friday. Awad, a Media and Advertising graduate who also directed a film of the occasion, said: "This is a wonderful event and I'm really excited to be so closely involved. Knowledge Dock has done so much to support me and countless other entrepreneurs and businesses in East London – this is fantastic recognition."
Lionel McCalman, veteran carnival performer and a Senior Lecturer at our School of Education, led the Kingsford School steel band as they joined the Sarah Bonnell School Gospel Divas choir to serenade the royal visitors.
Lionel said: "Today was a wonderful occasion; the atmosphere was great and it was fantastic to get so many local pupils involved. The band members were all incredibly excited, and we played a new calypso version of ‘Isn't She Lovely' to welcome her!"
Debra Chidakwa, a student on the BA (Hons) in Criminology and Criminal Justice, was also excited to meet the royal visitors after the recent publication of her second book, ‘This is My Story and This is My Song', detailing her experiences as a child in war-torn Zimbabwe.
Debra said: "When I came to the UK as a refugee 20 years ago, I was forced to sleep on the streets. I never dreamt that one day I'd be meeting the Queen, having just published my second book and about to complete a degree!"
Professor Martin Everett, our new Vice Chancellor, said: "We are greatly honoured that Her Majesty and His Royal Highness are here to open these wonderful new facilities.
"At UEL, we are committed to transforming the horizons not only of our students, but of the wider community we serve. We have come a long way in a short time and today has been a wonderful beginning for these exciting new facilities and a very special celebration for all involved."
View Video clips of the royal visit
One of our Fashion Design students is sparkling with success after winning a prestigious sponsorship deal from Swarovski, the world’s leading brand for precision-cut crystal.
Katie Whiting (21), of Greenwich, was one of only five up-and-coming designers selected from hundreds of applicants for the sponsorship. CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski elements will now be included in Katie's designs for her final collection, which could be selected for catwalk presentation at Graduate Fashion Week in June.
Katie said: "I'm so excited about this opportunity - it was such an amazing surprise to be selected! I fell in love with crystals when I was doing work experience with Julian Macdonald, so it's wonderful to have the chance to work with them for my most important collection.
"Being sponsored by such a prestigious company will definitely inspire me to produce my best ever designs and hopefully help me to gain a place on the Royal College of Art's popular MA in Fashion."
Helen Carter, Programme Leader in Fashion Design at our School of Arts and Digital Industries, said: “Katie's dedication and passion for her subject is inspiring – she really deserved to be selected for this prestigious support from Swarovski.”
We have excellent links in the fashion industry and are renowned as a leading university for Fashion and Textiles. In 2006, UEL students opened Graduate Fashion Week with a stunning display of creativity and design. For further details, visit www.uel.ac.uk/ava
One of our students has detailed the terrible experiences she suffered both as a child in Zimbabwe and a refugee in the UK in her newly published second book, ‘This is My Story and This is My Song.’
Debra Chidakwa (40), of Manor Park, is now enjoying her BA (Hons) degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, but faced very different circumstances when she first arrived in the UK in 1988.
Debra said: “I was born in the forests of central Zimbabwe and experienced first-hand the effects of abuse and slavery as a child under the Mugabe regime. I eventually came to the UK for medical treatment, but was abandoned by my embassy and country, and ended up sleeping in a London cemetery.
“My new book tells of the emotion and pain I went through and aims to inspire others not to be negative. People often ask me how I didn’t kill myself, but when we fall down we should just stand up again. I’m determined to make the most of my life.”
Debra’s first book, Songs from the Heart, a collection of witty, wise, and often painfully raw and emotional poetry, was published in 2005 and sold thousands of copies.
Now a mother of seven, Debra is a Methodist preacher on the Newham Circuit and hopes to use her degree to work for women’s and children’s rights in the UK and internationally.
“Studying at UEL’s Law School has helped me gain a lot of confidence and see things in a wider perspective.On the Criminology and Criminal Justice programme, we study everything from youth justice to international terrorism. We explore the social history of crime and the law and we are inspired to think globally and understand how things happen in society.
“There is also a very supportive environment among staff and fellow students - each of us is assigned a personal tutor who is there to support and advise you on issues relating to your studies and sometimes beyond!”
‘This is My Story and This is My Song’ is available on Amazon and in good bookshops. Debra is currently working on her third book, due for publication around Easter, and will give a talk and signing at UEL in April.
We are delighted to have been awarded the Charter Mark for excellence in customer service, becoming the first university in London and one of only three currently in the UK to hold the award for the whole of its provision.
Charter Mark is the UK Government's national standard for excellence in customer service, and UEL has received a letter of congratulation from the Prime Minister.
On Tuesday 30 January, assessor Paul Harrington officially presented the certificate confirming the award to Alan Ingle, our Secretary and Registrar.
To achieve Charter Mark, we set up a project team to review all university-wide processes and systems, and ensure they are clear, coherent, and customer-focused. One of the keys to success was the development of a unique Student Charter, which clearly sets out our responsibilities to students, and what we expect from our students.
Alan Ingle said: “We are very proud of our warm and welcoming academic environment, and the incredible diversity of our academic community, with 20,000 students from over 120 nationalities. This award is a tribute to the dedication, commitment and hard work of a great number of colleagues.
“To be awarded Charter Mark for the whole of our provision is marvelous recognition for the standards of service we provide our students, and we will strive to maintain these high standards and continue to improve in future.”
Charter Mark assessor Paul Harrington said: “It’s a brave move for such a large organisation to go for the Charter Mark award for the whole of its provision. I congratulate UEL for their total commitment to customer service and for their strong sense of self-belief in having the confidence to submit all schools and services for assessment against the national standard."
Links:
BBC Asian Network came to UEL in January to host a broadcast debate on the realities of race in the light of the Big Brother row.
Former Education and Home Secretary David Blunkett MP was among the high-profile panel of pundits, politicians and media stars, joining students and academics from our School of Social Sciences to debate whether the behaviour of the contestants on Celebrity Big Brother was just TV trivia, or a reflection of racist attitudes in Britain today.
Sonia Deol presented the programme live from our Docklands campus on Monday 29 January. Opinion was divided as to whether it was clash of cultures or overt racism with some speakers opting to describe the comments as ‘bullying tinged with an undercurrent of racism’ and others finding the remarks ‘deeply offensive’.
Channel Four received over 40,000 complaints about the infamous treatment of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, and have been accused of encouraging racism to boost ratings .
Our Black History
With 20,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide, UEL is a global learning community. We are proud of our diversity, and more than 60% of our students and alumni are from black and ethnic minority communities. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the British slave trade, we are marking Black History Month 2007 later on this year with a series of exhibitions and events. These will include an exhibition of our black history, and events featuring black and Asian alumni.
We want to hear from you. If you have a story to tell about your time at UEL, or would like to be involved in the event this year, please email alumni@uel.ac.uk
Our public lecture series has got off to an excellent start with a really diverse and interesting series of lectures. The schedule for the first half of next year is now complete. Here is a list of lectures taking place over the next few months:
Donald Ridley, School of Psychology
From top-level government to lower-league football, mistakes are inevitable in all walks of life. Indeed, thinking that they can ever be entirely avoided is possibly the greatest mistake of them all.
Donald Ridley is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Principal Lecturer at UEL's School of Psychology.
His lecture will explore the underlying reasons why individuals and organisations, despite the very best intentions and the very latest technology, will never be able to completely eradicate error.
For anybody who likes to worry, it will also provide hints and tips about what to look out for the next time you take a train or plane, visit the doctor, vote in an election or simply go out for a drive.
For details and registration , please email Franc Gooding at f.gooding@uel.ac.uk or call him on 020 8223 2664
UEL's School of Law presents a symposium on freedom, religion and law. Key-note speakers will be:
Matthijs DeBlois, Faculty of Law, Utrecht University: “The Equal Freedom of Religion and the Religion of Freedom and Equality.”
Sylvie Langlaude, School of Law, University of East London: “Children and Religion in International Law.”
Julian Rivers, School of Law, Bristol University: “Islam and the Scope of Religious Liberty.”
For further details, contact Sylvie Langlaude on s.langlaude@uel.ac.uk or 020 8223 2112
One-day inter-faith conference on the role of faith and faith communities in building resilience and mental well-being with refugees.
Organised by UEL's Refugee Research Centre and School of Psychology in partnership with the Centre for Psychiatry at Barts and London Queen Mary School of Medicine.
The conference format will consist of a plenary session in the morning, lunch and workshops in the afternoon. There will be no fee for attendance or lunch, as these costs are being met by the Department of Health.
For further details, or to book a place, contact Sue Hearsum on suehearsum@aol.com
For details and registration, call Marika Hooke on 020 8223 4609.
Lecture and book launch by Roberta Garrett, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Over 500 delegates will attend the 2007 Annual Conference of the British Sociological Association (BSA), making it the biggest ever Sociology conference to take place in the UK.
The conference, entitled ‘Social Connections: Identities, Technologies and Relationships’, will feature key-note speeches from some of the world’s most distinguished contemporary sociologists.
Prof Bruno Latour and Prof David Lyon will give key note addresses, and a panel including Lord Anthony Giddens, a key architect of New Labour’s social vision, Sue Duncan, Chief Government Social Researcher, and Prof Michael Rustin of UEL will explore the interfaces between sociology and government policy.
Prof Saskia Sassen of Chicago University, a leading theorist of globalisation and its impact on cities, will lead explorations of how social action and relationships are changing in the 21st Century.
The conference’s packed programme will include a variety of symposia, panels, lectures, exhibitions and papers, focusing on new and developing interdisciplinary work in HIV/AIDS technologies, animal-human connections and architecture’s relationship with sociology.
An exhibition of the work of photographer Chris Clunn, entitled 'Visulising Social Identity and Action', will form one of the conference's many highlights.
To register or find out more, visit www.britsoc.co.uk
Come and meet the Graduate School team and celebrate the opening of the new Docklands office.
We are delighted to begin the event with the UK launch of Dr Tim Brooks' new book, British Propaganda to France, 1940-1944: Machinery, Method and Message.
After the launch, you are invited to a wine reception in EB 1.43
All welcome. Please RSVP to Janet Riddle, 0208 223 7097 or j.riddle@uel.ac.uk
Professor Chandra Sriram, Centre of Human Rights in Conflict, School of Law
Professor Phil Zimbardo, emeritus professor of Psychology at Stanford University.
Professor Zimbardo is an internationally-acclaimed psychologist, famous for his work in the field of experimental social psychology and, in particular, his classic research project, the Stanford Prison Experiment.
In this lecture, Professor Zimbardo will discuss the contents of his forthcoming book on the psychology of evil; what does make good people turn bad?
Launch of the Institute of Performing Arts Development at UEL and public lecture by sculptor Richard Wilson,Visiting Professor in the School of Architecture & Visual Art
Over 100 MBA students and graduates gathered on 1st March for the launch of the Alumni MBA Group.
The group has been formed to give MBA graduates networking, career and professional development opportunities.
It will also give current students a chance to meet our MBA graduates and learn from their experiences.
The evening featured a practical and informative presentation by Jonathan Swan, UEL Governor and Director of Operis TRG Ltd, on ‘How to get into the City’. The attendees were given valuable tips and advice from someone who has worked in the City for over 15 years.
The attendees then had chance to network with each other over refreshments.
The event was well attended by students, graduates and also the MBA lecturers and programme leaders. Ian Bathgate, MBA programme leader said:
“We need these type of events for our students and alumni. Networking is key to a person’s professional development. This will be the first event of many and I strongly recommend that you come back and spread the word to your colleagues.”
Feedback from those who attended the event was that it was extremely useful and the first event of its kind.
The MBA Group also has it's own listings website which will shortly become an online community for its members. This can be viewed at http://www.uel.ac.uk/alumni/MBA.htm The website is currently being expanded.
If you would like to be listed, or are interested in future events, please send an email to alumni@uel.ac.uk with the subject heading 'MBA alumni'.
We are also shortly launching a group for graduates of the arts, architecture, fashion and design. The purpose of the group will be to provide networking, career development opportunities and a chance to interact with other UEL graduates in your professional field.
The group will be holding networking events, inviting speakers and meeting socially a few times a year.
If you are interested in hearing more about this, please email me, quoting 'ava alumni' in the subject heading to alumni@uel.ac.uk
Our Hong Kong alumni group has been running for many years - since 1992. Members meet on a regular basis. The group recently held their AGM followed by their annual dinner. The new President of the Association is Vincent Au (1998 BA Hons Finance with Accounting). The new Vice President is Wong Yung Shing.
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Katie Kinder is a successful business woman who has a great passion for style and fashion. Katie has worked with many magazines namely B magazine and Bliss where she encountered and styled many celebrity icons.
Katie, who completed her BA in Fashion Design and Marketing at UEL, has recently set up on her own as a Style Counsellor where she now deals with ‘real people’. Her role is to provide individuals with fashion tips and to make them feel better about themselves. “It’s all down to the rise of celebrity…Everywhere we look we see impeccably dressed famous faces – on the television, in magazines and on the internet, and we all want to have a slice of that.”
As part of her degree at UEL, Katie learnt about the various marketing techniques which she says has helped her a lot as the marketing strategies were studied in depth. She enjoyed the course thoroughly as unlike various other educational institutions, UEL gave her the opportunity to be experimental, creative and most important to work on her own initiative. Katie believes that all the skills she has acquired at UEL have prepared her at all levels to fit in the industry. Our Fashion Department has many contacts within the fashion industry and provided Katie with the chance to do a nine month placement while studying; Katie decided to do hers at Marchpole – a designer, manufacturer and distributor of fashion merchandise.
Katie says that her final year was very intense as it was extremely competitive and she spent several sleepless nights at the sewing machine. Katie’s motto is ‘I have learnt that if you want something and you are prepared to put in passion and hard work, anything is possible’
As for her future plans, Katie says that she hopes to venture into sales; a field that she enjoyed while doing her placement.
Source: Embrace Magazine, 2007
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