Happy New Year to all our graduates! We hope you had a good holiday/Christmas break.
Welcome to the first alumni enewsletter of 2009. This edition comprises of four sections:
UEL Latest News, UEL Alumni Network including forthcoming alumni events in the UK and overseas, Engaging with UEL and Career Development and Entrepreneurship.
2008 was a very busy year for the Alumni Office, as you will see from our 'recent events' section we held a wide range of events both overseas and in the UK. If you attended, I hope you had an enjoyable time. The video link to the right, is from our event in October - please take a moment to view it to see the type of events we run.
We posted the fourth edition of the alumni magazine out at the end of the year. If you didn't receive a copy, that means we don't have a current address for you! Please do take a moment to update me of your contact details if this is the case. We would like you to be the first to receive the latest from the Alumni Network.
I hope you will enjoy reading it. As always we look forward to receiving your stories, comments and suggestions.
Happy reading!
Emma Cale
Alumni Development Officer
e.cale@uel.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 8223 2222
UEL has confirmed our reputation for internationally-rated research across a wide range of disciplines, with the publication of the results of the government’s 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).
UEL performed strongly overall, with 78% of our research submission rated as at least of ‘internationally recognised’ quality. A significant percentage was ranked as ‘world-leading’ in terms of originality, significance and rigour. According to the Times Higher Education Table of Excellence, we have jumped 28 places and are now rated among the top three modern (post-1992) universities in London for research, and in the top 10 modern universities in the UK'.
We confirmed our status as one of the UK’s leading universities for research in Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, with 20% of research in this area judged to be ‘world-leading’ and a further 60% internationally excellent. Other areas of established research excellence such as Art and Design and Sociology also performed strongly.
There were significant improvements in fields including health, law, education and psychology. UEL’s Drama, Dance and Performing Arts performed well on its debut, and the fastest climber is Allied Health Professions and Studies, which includes health, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, and areas of health psychology.
We are already highly regarded for innovative research across a wide range of fields, and have in recent years won international acclaim.
Professor Susan Price, our Acting Vice-Chancellor, said: “This is a really outstanding result and reflects sustained success over several years. Our strong performance in the RAE puts us in an excellent position to further build our research base, however for us this is just part of a bigger picture
"Research and knowledge exchange are central to our mission as a university, not simply for the sake of developing new knowledge, but because they enable us to make significant contributions to social, cultural and economic development locally and globally.
“At UEL, we seek to foster enterprise and innovation, ensure that all our students and staff are engaged in research and scholarship. I'd like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to contribute to our RAE submission, and to creating a strong research culture in which this valuable work can be supported and sustained.”
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will announce the funding allocation for research in March 2009.
Links:
Thousands of UEL graduates and new members of the Alumni Network celebrated their success and plenty of hard work and study by attending their graduation ceremonies at the end of last year. The ceremonies took place throughout November and December at the Barbican Centre in central London.
Our Chancellor Lord Rix personally congratulated each graduate crossing the stage at the Barbican Hall in front of a packed audience of proud families and friends. He also presented seventeen honorary awards to distinguished and influential members of the community.
Many of our graduates received prizes for the achievements. Nancy Jones won the Academic Excellence prize and graduated with a BA Honours in English Literature with Creative and Professional Writing. She said: “I am delighted that all the hard work has paid off as I am now studying full time for an MA, something that seemed impossible for me when I started at UEL. I was lucky to have loads of support from my friends, family and tutors at UEL – it has definitely been a life changing experience.”
June-Anne Murray , won the Ron Shepherd Prize for most improved Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management. She is a Senior HR professional at St Joseph’s Hospice. She said: “This degree has given me a huge sense of achievement. Sitting exams after 19 years was quite daunting, however passing them has made it all worthwhile!”
Nimasha Pinghe won the Molex prize for Best MBA student in General Management. Nimasha is a brand manager for Aircare (SC Johnson Ltd), she said: “This was a great learning experience and with wonderful opportunities to work with students from all over the world. It broadened my experience of working with multi-cultural groups and enhanced my practical knowledge through advanced academic learning, including the latest developments in the business world.”
At the first ceremony, for CITE (School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering - formerly SCOT), we awarded an honorary doctor of music to Sir Bob Geldof.
Sir Bob is a world renowned campaigner and musician. He has connections with UEL's SMARTlab Digital Media Institute through involvement in the Commission for Africa, and YOUBLOOM, a new local-global online social network for ethical arts. Bob Geldof gave an inspirational speech to the graduates, saying: "For us it's a great day, for you it's an amazing one. What will determine the economies of our world are energy and ideas, and this room is full of energy and ideas."
Recipients of honorary degrees went to a range of inspirational figures. In addition to Sir Bob Geldof, these include:
Award winning Film Maker and UEL graduate Marc Isaacs. Mark has achieved international success at film festivals world-wide and is currently working on documentary films for Channel 4 and the BBC.
Jeanette Arnold is the Chair of the Greater London Assembly and one of Britain’s most influential black women.
Lord Andrew Mawson, one of the UK’s leading social entrepreneurs.
Denise Jones, artist, publisher and former Leader of Tower Hamlets.
Coaching guru Sir John Whitmore.
Brian Baldock CBE, the former Managing Director of Guinness and Chairman of Mencap.
Don Lewin, a successful entrepreneur, founder and Chairman of Clinton Cards.
Heather McGregor, Principal Shareholder of Taylor Bennett, a headhunting firm specialising in PR and communications.
Sir Alasdair Macdonald, head teacher of Morpeth School in Tower Hamlets.
Sid Hughes, recently retired Principal of Newham Sixth Form College.
Delia Smith OBE, Head Teacher at St Angela’s Ursuline in Forest Gate
Sir Robin Wales, elected Mayor of Newham
Sudarshan Bhuhi, Chief Executive of domestic violence charity Aanchal
Ted Parker, recently retired Principal of Barking College.
Laurie Marsh, an entrepreneur who has saved and restored the fortunes of many theatres and created a successful film company and chain of cinemas
Jagdev Purewal, an educator and community leader in east London.
UEL celebrated Black History Month in October in style with an exciting programme of events featuring film, fashion, music, performance, comedy, discussions and debates.
Urban music star Kano, comedian Felix Dexter and poet Michelle Marie were among the performers who mixed with our students on campus and at venues across east London throughout the month. Focusing on the theme of ‘Making Black History Now’, our Black History Month events explored cutting-edge creativity and entrepreneurship. The month kicked off with a spectacular fashion show to celebrate Nigerian Independence Day on 1 October.
East Ham resident ‘Grime’ hero Kano was the star of the UEL Students' Union Ball held at the Troxy nightclub in Limehouse on 8th October. Other highlights of the month included a panel discussion on supporting black entrepreneurship on 14 October, presented by Professor Sonny Nwankwo of UEL Black Business Observatory, and on 15 October a Cultural Studies Research symposium on James Brown, as well as a performance from internationally acclaimed musician King Masco with dancers in University Square, Docklands campus.
On 23 October a debate took place on black professionals and the law at Stratford, and the climax to the programme on 30 October featured performances on the many colours of British fashion, and a performance revue starring Felix Dexter of Fast Show and Real McCoy fame alongside spoken word poets shortMAN and Michelle Marie.
Exciting and original film screenings included ‘Hopes on the Horizon’, a documentary directed by Onyekachi Wambu, which chronicles the rise of pro-democracy movements in Benin, Nigeria, Rwanda, Morocco, Mozambique, and South Africa, during the final decade of the twentieth century, and ‘Bare Knuckle Boxer’, ‘the colourful and remarkable story of ex-slave Bill Richmond, the world’s first black boxing star.
Sky La Foucade, Vice-President and Race and Diversity Officer for UEL Students' Union, said: “Black History Month is a chance for our diverse students to come together and experience a wide-range of events aimed at attracting and inspiring them.
“It is also a celebration of what has already happened in Black History as well as an appreciation of what is present now. We are aiming to raise awareness and celebrate our achievements as well as bring together our mix of different cultures.”
The Alumni Office also exhibited a poster display across the Docklands and Stratford campuses featuring our successful and inspirational BME alumni.
18th February 2009, 4-7pm, Docklands and Stratford campus
22nd April 2009, 4-7pm, Docklands and Stratford campus
For all those interested in studying at UEL or finding out more information about us.
We welcome our alumni who can volunteer at this event to give advice and guidance on careers and life after UEL to prospective students.
If you would like to help out on the alumni stand at either campus, please email alumni@uel.ac.uk
UK Alumni United 09 - Re-ignite UK Experience
7th February 2009, 7pm Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Thailand
The biggest get together of the year for UK alumni in Thailand to meet representatives from UK universities and bring back memories with friends who shared similar experiences in the UK
Fancy dress - simply wear something in the colour assigned to your particular region.
Scotland: Blue
Wales: Red
England: White
Northern Ireland: Green
(Badges/flags will be provided at the registration desk identifying your particular sub region - northern, central or southern England)
For further information please click here. To book your place, please contact alumni@uel.ac.uk
13th March 2009 (venue TBC), Athens Greece
The Alumni Office and the Marketing Office will be hosting an alumni gathering for our Greek graduates in the Athens region. The event will aim to start the formation of an alumni group in the region.
To book your place, please contact alumni@uel.ac.uk
April 2009 (date and venue TBC), central London
An informative and enjoyable networking evening for all of our Business School students and graduates, and also those who work, or are interested in the relevant employment sectors.
The event will feature key note presentations from industry professionals and the latest news and developments from the Business School. Networking, socialising opportunities and refreshments will also be available.
To book your place, please contact alumni@uel.ac.uk
2nd May 2009, Delhi, India
The Executive Committee of the UEL Alumni Network - Delhi Chapter group are organising their third reunion and would like to invite as many alumni from the Delhi region and those surrounding as possible. Currently the group is in the planning stages with the Alumni Office and with Bill Lall (UEL honorary graduate).
Do you know any UEL alumni in the Delhi region who would be interested in coming? If so, please put them in touch with us.
To register your interest please contact alumni@uel.ac.uk
6th May 2009, 12-8pm Docklands campus
A celebration of culture, creativity and performing arts…
Celebrate the joys of spring at Mayfest 09, featuring free performances and fresh artistic productions on the waterfront. An exciting programme of events includes an art fair, exhibitions, music, dance, poetry and theatrical performances, bringing together the work of professionals, students, school and community groups in a celebration of culture and creativity.
For further information, please go to www.uel.ac.uk/mayfest
15th December 2008, Stratford campus
The Alumni Network and the School of Psychology held its first Occupational and Work Psychology Alumni event in December. The networking event was beneficial for our alumni and students and gave them an opportunity to network, meet others in their field, share contacts and experiences and also to celebrate the success of the Masters and Doctorate programmes within the School of Psychology.
Over fifty occupational psychology alumni members gathered at the event. The special guest of the evening was Sir John Whitmore who gave a speech to the attendees. John recently collected an honorary doctorate from UEL for his contribution to coaching and business. John is the author of several books including Coaching for Performance.
UEL started offering occupational psychology in 1979 and has since built a wide range of associated programmes including a parallel award, MSc Business Psychology, for students with a recognised under-graduate degree in psychology, a professional doctorate programme and MSc's in coaching and coaching psychology . The programmes are recognised for their strong practical focus, and members of the team are active in real world consulting, current consulting projects include Islington Council 360 survey and coaching training projects with staff from the Metropolitan Police, DSA, plus consulting work with Department for Local Government & Communities.
Kae, one of the students who attended the event, said; "this was a really enjoyable event, it was great to meet friends and catch up with their news. It was also good to meet students from previous years and see how their careers have developed".
12th December 2008, Jamies Bar, Canary Wharf London
The UEL Alumni Network hosted its third Christmas Party for alumni from all years and subjects and our current and former staff.
The evening was well attended with around 150 guests. Graduates were from a wide range of years and subjects, from 1980 up to 2008.
A festive ambience was created by the bar with music, decorations and a plentiful Christmas buffet. Our Alumni Father Christmas was in residence on the evening and surprised a lucky 10 guests with a Christmas gift.
The evening was in full swing and guests stayed chatting to staff, fellow graduates and friends until 11pm.
Chris Johnson who graduated in 1992 with a BSc in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, hadn’t been in touch with UEL for many years, attended the party to see if he could catch up with old classmates and lecturers. He said “Thank you for organising the Alumni event on Friday – it was a good night out".
29th November 2008, Hong Kong Football Club
A group of our alumni in Hong Kong met up for a prestigious gala dinner on 29th November. The evening was organised by and in aid of the Friends of the British Council Hong Kong. The British Council event was a celebration of the culmination of their 60th anniversary celebrations and also the inaugural dinner of Friends of British Council Hong Kong, a new locally registered charity to support education and cultural exchange between Hong Kong and UK.
The evening provided an excellent networking opportunity for our alumni, both with each other and with other UK alumni in Hong Kong.
The black-tie event hosted over 400 of Hong Kong’s influential people of the past and present and potential leaders at the Hong Kong Football Club as well as staff and alumni from over 30 UK universities.
UEL hosted a table for 10 of our alumni in the region. Attendees came from a range of graduation years – from the 1970’s to the mid 1990’s and are members of an active and successful regional group which has been in existence for many years. The Hong Kong Alumni Association was formed by Professor DC (Chitral Wijeyesekera) in the early 1990’s when he visited Hong Kong. It is still running today and has expanded its membership base significantly. The group meet a few times a year to network both socially and professionally. This event was a welcome addition to their group calendar of activities.
Members who attended included Connie Tang (1998 Chemical Engineering) – the HK Alumni Association Treasurer and Ludwig C.S. Hui (1994 BSc Land Administration), the Association Chairman.
The UEL Alumni Network worked closely with Wong Yung Shing (1991 BSc Land Administration) who promoted the event to the members of the group.
Mr TN Wong – former Vice President of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors said of the evening “How wonderful to have met you all in the dinner. Thank you for the invitation. Thank you all so much for arranging such a social function to meet. Thanks for the hard works. Maintaining good connections among alumni is important"
22nd November 2008, Taj Krishna Hotel, Hyderabad, India
A UEL delegation headed by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Susan Price, addressed over 230 guests at its first Indian Alumni Gala Dinner in Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad - India. UEL is now one of the most popular UK universities for students from India and is developing strong partnerships with education advisors and education institutions across the country.
Professor Price outlined the recent achievements of UEL. At the Docklands Campus these included the opening of the new Business School and Knowledge Dock of UEL; the Student Village with residential accommodation for over 1200 students, and a 24/7 Library with over 2000 working stations. At the Stratford Campus, added Professor Price, the new Centre for Clinical Education in Podiatry, Physiotherapy, Complementary Medicine and Sports Science was officially opened by the Duchess of Cornwall in January 2008, and the university is looking forward to open its new elegant Cass School of Education and Communities in 2009.
"The University has doubled its student intake from 10,000 to 20,000 in the course of just five years, and with an ambitious development programme for the next five years, including the development of a Sports and Performing Arts Centre in Docklands and a new library in Stratford, we are looking to strengthen our links with our students and our global communities",said Professor Susan Price.
There were other presentations from the UEL delegation, which ranged from looking at the changing global education landscape, the importance of sustainable development, the possible impact of global economic downturn and how our alumni can turn it into opportunities, and finally the importance of alumni in the future development of the University.
Our alumni volunteers – Nikita Thakkar and Syed Farhan Dawer who both have an MBA from UEL (2007) also talked about their positive experiences at UEL, how much they enjoyed being part of our UEL community and their subsequent successful careers.
The event was attended by over 100 alumni as well as local education advisors who work closely with the University’s International Office, prospective students and representatives from local education institutions.
25th October 2008, African Regency Hotel, Accra, Ghana
A large number of our Ghanaian alumni gathered in October to take part in the second annual reunion dinner in Accra. The event was a wonderful opportunity for our alumni to see old friends, make new ones, network, socialise with each other and reminisce about their time at UEL.
The event was hosted by Anthony Dangerfield from our International Office and co-ordinated with the Alumni Office and Rockson Atakole (2006 MSc Public Health) - our Ghanaian group alumni representative.
Our alumni had an enjoyable evening with lots of laughter and a plentiful buffet. We now have an active alumni network in Ghana who meet regularly throughout the year, as well as catching up at the annual alumni reunion, hosted by UEL. Frances Anthony (2004 PGCE Science) said "It was wonderful seeing so many alumni of UEL... it was a good venture" and Kofi Sagoe-Payne (2006 MBA) said about the evening: "The annual dinner was perfect. Thanks for everything"
25th October 2008, Stratford Theatre Royal bar, London
Graduates, former lecturers and library staff, from the 1968 BSc Sociology intake, gathered together after 40 years for a reunion recently. The reunion was organised by David Sissons who graduated in 1971 with a BA General Course.
Many of those at the reunion had started at Barking Regional College of Technology in 1968 to study Sociology. Barking was soon to combine with colleges at Wes Ham and Waltham Forest to become the North East London Polytechnic (now UEL). Those at the reunion included Martin Guha who was one of NELP’s first appointments as Head of Sociology and Business Library at Livingstone House.
Everyone had fond memories of that tumultuous and exciting time. David said “1968 was a year of global student unrest, and in the UK there had been massive demonstrations against US policy in Vietnam (March and October) and the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia (August). The unrest was centred on students of the Social Sciences and to a lesser degree the Arts, and it was largely driven by feelings of alienation from the materialistic values of the long post-war consumer boom.
Many of the year groups have remained friends over the years and try to meet up once a year. This reunion was an informal marking of 40 years since they started their university and life experiences.
“Most of us dispersed and got jobs in teaching, social work or the public services. On and off though we kept in touch over the decades – I've been going on annual walking holidays with Ian since 2002, and the rest of us have had reunions in the last few years. The BA (General) course still influences me – I called on Ken Parker at his home in Highgate a couple of years ago, and my bedtime reading this year has consisted of two books I bought in October 1968 for the syllabus – Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' and Shakespeare's plays.”
Arts Pavilion Mile End Park - 23rd October 2008
The UEL Alumni Network is pleased to announce the successful first event for our students, alumni and industry professionals involved or working in the creative arts industries.
Over 100 students, staff and graduates from a variety of disciplines and fields gathered at the Arts Pavilion in Mile End Park to network, socialise and hear from experts working in the industry.
The stunning backdrop to the event was the art exhibition ‘The Great Purpose’ – curated by UEL graduate Sian Harris (2008 MA Fine Art). The exhibition, explores the idea, through the art works, of landscape art playing a pivotal role in our sense of identity and belonging.
The purpose of the evening was to give UEL students and graduates an opportunity to hear about career development in the creative industries, socialise and network with industry professionals, alumni and fellow students.
The evening began with a lively and unusual performance/speech by Richard Wilson RA and Faisal Abdu’Allah (both lecturers within the School of Arts and Digital Industries). Faisal sat Richard down for a barbering session where he proceeded to cut Richard’s hair while Richard spoke about his recent artistic endeavours and answered questions from the audience. Following on from this performance, the audience heard from Mark Hunter, Senior Lecturer for Community Arts Practice in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences , and Andrew Blake – Associate Dean of the School. Andrew addressed the achievements within the School and stressed the importance of the Alumni Network for our students and graduates. The speeches ended with Karen Raney (UEL lecturer and alumnus) who edits the successful arts journal Engage.
Participants then had the rest of the evening to enjoy refreshments and the exhibition, while meeting new faces, staff members and fellow practioners and professionals.
The Alumni Network also launched the Creative Arts Industries website (www.uel.ac.uk/alumni/groups/creativearts). The website is there for all our graduates and students to use to promote their work, exhibition, projects etc. It is portal for a variety of arts related projects.
UEL Indian Alumni Group, Delhi Chapter
The Alumni Network is pleased to inform members that a successful and enjoyable 2nd reunion of the Delhi Chapter was held in November last year. This reunion follows on from the launch meeting of the Delhi Chapter which took place in May of last year. Again, the event was hosted by Lord Bill Lall (a UEL honorary graduate) who has worked hard to encourage alumni in India to meet, gather together and network in their region.
The reunion took place at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi and started with drinks at the Orient Express Bar, then moved on to the Business Centre where members were introduced to each other, and discussed various issues surrounding the future plans of the group. A pleasant dinner was had by all where they discussed the progress made so far for the group and how to move forward towards the next reunion.
An Executive Committee was formed which includes:
Atul Goyal (2005 MBA)
Udit Bhandari (2004 MBA)
Rajan Bhatia (2004 MBA)
Pawandeep Kohli (2006 MBA).
Delhi Chapter Reunion 2nd May 2009, Delhi, India
The group decided to hold the annual reunion each year in May, so are now looking forward to expanding the group to encompass more members for the 2009 reunion.For the third reunion, the group would like to invite as many alumni from the Delhi region and those surrounding as possible. Currently the group is in the planning stages with the Alumni Office and with Bill Lall (UEL honorary graduate).
Bill Lall has been instrumental in launching the group. He regularly visits Delhi and kindly hosts a get together with our alumni the region. Bill is a close friend and supporter of UEL, respected and successful businessman and honorary award holder from UEL. Bill will also be at the reunion in May.
The group has its own dedicated web page as part of the alumni website which you can find here and has a Facebook Group, Orkut and Linked In groups that go by the name of UEL Alumni Group Delhi Chapter. Follow this image link below to be taken to the Facebook group page.
We have created a Facebook group for all alumni. Follow the image link below, or search in Facebook for 'University of East London Alumni Network' group.
Please join to meet other alumni, network online and be kept informed about the latest events.
As a graduate we would like to invite you back to join in and help out at our events, reunions, and other activities. We would greatly appreciate the support and help you could offer. If you would like to become actively involved in the Alumni Network, we are currently looking for alumni who can offer help or assistance to students in the form of careers advice/work placements/careers talks etc.
The ways you can get involved are:
We are looking for volunteers to help out with all of the above. If you are interested in volunteering for the Alumni Network in any of the ways above, then please register your interest by emailing alumni@uel.ac.uk and
We will keep your details on file for assistance in future initiatives to help our students.
In the first instance we are recruiting for alumni to help out at the following:
UEL Open Days (give careers advice to new and prospective students at the relevant School stand)
Assessment Centres for Business School students
The University of East London in order to support it’s undergraduates in terms of future employability has successfully set up and run mock assessment centres. The assessment centres are an opportunity for our students to be exposed to this very common recruitment and selection process, which previously they had little or no exposure to. We have found that this process gives our students greater confidence and their ability to achieve better results at any future and real assessment centre is greatly enhanced. We are inviting a range of employers with a wide range of skills and expertise in different areas, from all levels and backgrounds.
It would be fantastic if you could come along to any of the days as outlined above. As an assessor you will be watching individual presentations, observing a group exercise or interviewing students. This will give you the opportunity to meet with and interact with a range of our undergraduates. Employers who have already attended have used the day as a staff development opportunity equipping staff with knowledge on how they might participate in their own recruitment processes. On the day you will receive an assessor pack explaining fully the plan and actions for the assessment centre, the pack will be fully explained at a briefing at the start of the day. A buffet lunch will be provided.
To volunteer for any of the above dates, please email alumni@uel.ac.uk
Thanks to our student volunteer Sobia Alley (2009 BA (Hons) Business Studies) who is a regular volunteer in the Alumni Office, helping out with administration duties to keep the network running smoothly.
Jane Stokes, one of our Senior Lecturers in Media Studies is looking for ex students of the above disciplines to help the current students in preparing their portfolios.
Are you a graduate from these areas who has succeeded in finding employment and could you offer assistance to our current students to ensure they do the same? Creative individuals require more than a standard CV to gain employment, so if you have experience of putting together a portfolio, we would love to hear from you.
Please contact the alumni office at alumni@uel.ac.uk
The Alumni Office, in association with the UEL Psychosocial Studies department and David Jones - the Field Leader, is planning a Psychosocial Newsletter in the coming months. This will give graduates an update on the latest news and activity in the area, highlight the work of our students, profile our graduates and what they are doing now and give listings/links and other relevant information.
We would like to highlight the work of our Psychosocial graduates and hear about what they are doing now. We also welcome any graduates who would like to come back to UEL - talk to the students, offer advice or guidance or even employment opportunities.
So, if you have any updates on your career development or would like to help the students in any way, please get in touch with us at alumni@uel.ac.uk. Also, if you are in touch with any of your former classmates, then do let them know our plans.
Thank you!
Are you considering further study to enhance your career or academic prospects? UEL is adding to its existing extensive portfolio of postgraduate degrees this year. New programmes for September 2009 include:
You can find further details of these degrees by viewing our online prospectus - please follow this link http://www.uel.ac.uk/courses/get_prospectus/downloads_pg.htm The above programmes are subject to validation
New from our Business School is the Graduate Certificate in Business. This is a one-semester programme aimed specifically at international students, and is for those without business degrees who wish to go on and study master's programmes in business. Follow this link for further details http://www.uel.ac.uk/programmes/business/postgraduate/summary/business-gc.htm
Most of our 130+ postgraduate degrees, from master's degrees to PhDs and professional doctorates, can be taken part-time as well as full-time. This includes several which are delivered exclusively by evening study, such as our LLM Human Rights, MSc Terrorism Studies and all our LLM Law degrees.
Please check our website for full listings of our degree programmes.
Memorial Service for Arthur Edwards
Alderman Arthur Edwards (1920 - 2008) was one of the founders of North East London Polytechnic, established in 1970, which won its Charter as the University of East London in 1992. Alderman Edwards served as a Borough Councillor for over 40 yearsand Chair of the Joint Education Committee from 1972 until 1987.
A memorial for Arthur Edwards will take place on 30 January at the Old Town Hall Stratford at 1pm. We will send a representative to pay a formal tribute to the many years of service Arthur Edwards gave to UEL. Arthur's family would also be delighted to see UEL staff and graduates who know him and would like to remember him at the Service.
For more information about Arthur Edwards, visit: www.newham.gov.uk/News/2008/TributetoFormerMayorandAldermanArthurEdwards
Pictured: Centre, Arthur Edwards with Newham councillors
Janice Tye, one of our first Psychology graduates (from West Ham in the 1960's), sadly passed away in October of last year. Janice had kept in touch with her former lecturers, including Liz Valentine - a former lecturer in the Psychology Department and one of the first psychologists at UEL. Liz informed the School of Psychology of Janice's death, and noted that Janice had asked friends to plant a peony in her memory.
Lord Adebowale is Chief Executive of Turning Point, the UK’s largest social care charity, providing services for people with a wide range of complex needs, including those affected by substance misuse, mental health problems and learning disabilities.
Lord Adebowale began his career in local authority estate management and spent time at Patchwork Community Housing Association before becoming Regional Director of the Ujima Housing Association, Britain’s largest black-led housing association.
Throughout his career, Victor Adebowale has worked hard to tackle social exclusion in a variety of roles, including Director of the Alcohol Recovery Project and Chief Executive of youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.
In addition to his work at Turning Point, Victor is co chair of the National Steering Group for Black and Minority Ethnic Mental Health; a patron of the National College for School Leadership, a patron of the Rich Mix Centre; a trustee of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf; and a member of the National Employment Panel, the Demos think tank advisory council, the new Economic Foundation board and the Institute for Fiscal Studies Council. He also advises ministers on the New Deal programme for the young unemployed and has worked with the Prime Minister’s social exclusion unit on proposals for tackling poverty.
In the year 2000, Victor was awarded a CBE in the New Years honours list for services to the unemployed and homeless young people. A year later, he was named as the youngest member of the first group of People’s Peers – publicly nominated non-party-political members of the House of Lords. Victor, who grew up on a housing estate in West Yorkshire, is not your typical member of the House of Lords. When someone told him it was outrageous that he’d joined the British establishment, Victor replied “Black people have been slaves for hundreds of years – the best thing that I can do is command a bit of the British Empire”.
In 2005, Victor was awarded Third Sector’s coveted title of Most Admired Charity CEO, gaining more votes from the judging panel than the leaders of internationally renowned charities and NGO’s, including Oxfam and Amnesty International.
Adele Morse, who graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Fine Art last summer, was one of just 16 young artists in the UK selected to show her work at the prestigious 4 New Sensations exhibition.
4 New Sensations was launched in 2007 by Channel 4 and The Saatchi Gallery to find the most imaginative and talented artists graduating in the UK and to support students leaving art college.
Adele creates installation art and has taught herself taxidermy to create bizarre animal-human hybrid heads and body parts. Her exhibition piece ‘Home Sweet Home’ consisted of a phantasmogoric Gothic-horror garden shed full of taxidermy books, knives, tools, pickled bits and mutant trophy heads nailed to the walls.
Adele Morse said: “I'm really pleased to have be given such an amazing opportunity so early on in my career and I hope to make all my tutors at UEL proud. I’ve been busy working on my exhibition lately and UEL have been very supportive of my work, it's made it a fantastic experience being here."
Alison Winckle, Programme leader in Fine Art at UEL’s School of Arts and Digital Industries, said: “We are all really pleased for Adele – she has worked hard and thoroughly deserves her success. Her work is original, disturbing and very well produced!”
We are pleased to inform our alumni that UEL's Annual Fund has now been established. The Annual Fund is part of our ambitious development plans for 2009-2013 that will help us invest in the future and build on everything we have achieved to date. To fulfil our plans, we need to invest in our campuses, resources and the range of academic research and supporting programmes for our growing number of students (currently over 20,000).
UEL is our university; it belongs to our staff, students, Governors, alumni, friends, supporters and wider communities.
The time to support our UEL is NOW.
What does our Annual Fund support?
The Annual Fund offers an opportunity to our alumni, staff, students, Governors and other friends of the University to play an important role in fulfilling our development plans in the run up to London 2012.
UEL's Annual Fund consists of all the Donations and Gift Aid, Legacies, Payroll Giving and Shares that are generated via our fundraising campaigns and sponsored events. Your support will have a great impact on the future development of our university, its resources and facilities, and our wider communities.
The Annual Fund will provide money for:
Funds received to the Annual Fund will go into the UEL Development Trust. The Fund will be distributed annually amongst our priorities. Chaired by Professor Susan Price, our Acting Vice-Chancellor, the Annual Fund Committee oversees the distribution of the Annual fund, and the provision of a report to the funders.
The Government's £200m matched funding scheme for higher education institutions in England
Your donations to UEL topped up by 50%!
There has never been a more significant moment to make donations go a longer way; never a better time to invest in the advancement of higher education; never more added value from the Government as it plans to top up philanthropic donations to higher education institutions by £200m during 2008-2011.
There are three tiers and UEL has registered in tier two, which means for every £2 we receive from donations and Gift Aid we will get an extra £1 from the Government.
This is a fantastic initiative that supports investment in the advancement of higher education. Considering the tight funding climate in which modern universities operate, this is a very positive plan which will bring substantial returns for our students and communities.
Example |
£50 (your donation) = £96 for UEL |
or, for higher-rate tax payers:
£50 (your donation)
= £105 for UEL
|
Our first scheduled Telethon will be run during the month of February 2009 to support the Annual Fund. We have recruited 45 current students who'll will be making calls to a selection of our alumni over the course of the month.
The callers will provide alumni with an opportunity to hear about developments at our University and hear about the career progress of our alumni since graduating. Callers will also inform alumni of how they can contribute to the Fund.
For further information, please visit www.uel.ac.uk/development
To all our donors who contributed to the Annual Fund in 2008. We have now raised over £36,000 and hope to significantly build on this in 2009.
Government figures estimate that workplace bullying costs the UK economy £13.75 billion, with 100 million days productivity lost per year*.
A new study, published by the Chartered Management Institute, suggests that poor management skills lie at the heart of the problem and warns UK organisations to educate their staff or risk long-term damage to business performance. The new report also argues that employers are failing in their legal duty to protect staff.
Building on research published in 2005, this report further explores the impact of bullying upon managers. ‘Bullying at work: the experience of managers’ is based on the views of 867 managers and leaders across the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Key findings include:
- 70 per cent of managers claim to have witnessed instances of bullying in the past 3 years. Overall, managers reported higher levels of bullying across their organisations than in 2005.
- Over the same period, 11 per cent of managers admit that they have behaved in ways that may have been viewed as bullying. The figure in 2005 was similar, at 12 per cent.
- of those experiencing bullying, more than 1 in 3 (38 per cent) report that no action was taken by their organisation
- There is evidence of only a small increase in training activity to tackle bullying. Forty-four per cent of managers had received training covering bullying in the workplace, up from 39 per cent in 2005.
- Replicating the findings of the 2005 survey, a lack of management skills is the factor most commonly cited as contributing to bullying in the workplace, identified by 70 per cent of respondents.
Given the high levels of bullying still being experienced, it is clear that anti-bullying policies need to be better implemented through clearer communication and a greater commitment to training. Make sure your organisation is performing at its best with our free best practice guide on bullying in the workplace. To read the latest report on bullying at work in full, please click here.
Maintain your commitment to learning with membership of the Chartered Management Institute
The Chartered Management Institute and ABE have joined forces to keep you ahead of the game. When you pass your ABE qualification you are guaranteed fast-tracked membership of the Chartered Management Institute – the UK’s leading body for professional managers - saving you £45! To join email membership@managers.org.uk or call the Institute on 01536 207307 quoting C3486. For more information and to find out which grade you can join at, visit www.managers.org.uk/ABE
* Unite / BERR (2008) Dignity at Work: the cost of workplace bullying
A recent study reveals a surge in the use of new media over the past 12 months as directors and senior managers adopt the technology taken for granted by Generation Y.
"Learning at Work" finds that senior executives across the UK are following in the footsteps of their junior colleagues in the use of new media for management and leadership development, reporting that a 'blended approach' works best.
The report shows that many employers (43 per cent) now have a specific budget dedicated to management and leadership development (MLD). It suggests that employers recognise that high-quality development programmes are a critical success factor, with nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) agreeing that their organisation sees MLD as a high priority.
Published by the Centre for Applied HR Research at Oxford Brookes University and the Chartered Management Institute, the report draws on the findings of a survey of 1,087managers throughout the UK as well as in-depth interviews with learning and development professionals at 15 leading employers from both the public and private sectors.
The findings demonstrate how new media learning is growing in popularity. For example, 51 per cent of directors now say they use online videos to develop new skills, up from 21 per cent in the Institute's 2007 report on online learning. One-third (34 per cent) also use social networking sites to boost their knowledge, compared to just 12 per cent last year.
Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, says: “The fact that individuals are becoming familiar with, and are using, technologies such as mobile video, TV on-demand, multi-player gaming or information services such as Google and Wikipedia suggests that the techno-phobia long associated with resistance to online learning is being eroded. There are still technical and cultural issues to overcome, but the biggest challenge is whether organisations will seriously examine the powerful tools at their disposal or let their competitors build an advantage through a better trained workforce as comfortable in front of a PC as they are in front of a tutor.”
The benefits of a 'blended approach' to MLD were recognised by both individuals and employers. Asked why, many of the employers interviewed focused on cost-effectiveness, suggesting that the blended approach enables them to 'deliver more for less' and provides greater Return on Investment. An equally significant proportion also believe that it provides a 'better way of delivering' learning and development opportunities.
The report, called ’Learning at Work: an e-learning evolution or revolution?’ can be downloaded from www.managers.org.uk/evolution.
Maintain your commitment to learning with membership of the Chartered Management Institute
The Chartered Management Institute is recognised by Royal Charter as the professional body for managers in the UK.
University of East London graduates are guaranteed a saving of at least 20% for the first three years after graduation. In addition, we waive our normal application fee if you become an Associate (ACMI)– saving you another £45 when you join.
Belonging to the Chartered Management Institute puts you on a fast track to professional excellence, with rapid access to high quality up-to-date management tools and resources, helping you to prepare for the future.
With our online services just a few clicks away you can:
In addition, our branches run events throughout the UK to support your learning and provide networking opportunities.
In order to benefit from this offer please quote code C3522. You can apply online at www.managers.org.uk/apply or contact our membership team by email charteredmanagementinstitute@managers.org.uk or on +44 (0) 1536 207330 for more information.
What is Bite sized Marketing:
Bite sized Marketing is run by Wendy Jackson (UEL alumnus, 2005 BSc Hons Psychology with Marketing). Wendy received a business start up award from the Haberdashers Foundation with the help of UEL.
The company offers support services to small companies that do not employ any marketing staff. They are encouraging referrals from organisations that provide business advice and start up funding because they have seen that they can make a difference to the progress of new companies on a low budget.
The company has enabled many of their clients to access new business and find opportunities for partnership working. Clients benefit from the freedom to continue developing their products and services without having to be directly involved in tasks that they are unable to manage. Customers also benefit from being able to spread the cost of their marketing plans.
What the Clients told said about their needs:
Clients have told us that they realised the need for proactive marketing was critical to the survival of their business when their businesses either failed to thrive or they began to lose customers. Clients also said that they use the services because they are comprehensive, convenient and affordable. Rates are kept affordable to enable clients to manage.
Start up Clients:
Most of the clients are Start Up companies referred by community business resources such as East London Small Business Centre, Knowledge Dock and Streetcred. These clients say that despite accessing free business advice and marketing workshops they have been unable to activate the advice they were given. Some of these clients have also said that they are also working full time and are unable to action any of the items on their marketing plans.
Bite sized Marketing provides a solution by managing those challenges on the behalf of the customer for an affordable monthly fee.
The Service includes the following:
Fees:
There is a special offer for Start Up companies referred from business support centres until April 5th 2009. £50 initial set up fee and £50 per month payable by standing order.
Participation in this offer is subject to an initial needs assessment.
For further information please contact Wendy Jackson on: 07931 576483 or email info@bitesizedmarketing.co.uk. Website: www.bitesizedmarketing.co.uk
Fraser McKenzie represents a number of agencies across London and the midlands area, including the worlds largest IT Recruitment Agency with a turnover of £1.1 Billion in 2008.
* No Experience Necessary
* Full Training Provided
* Course Fee paid in full subject to candidates successfully completing their training & committing to employment with ourselves
* Opportunity to work for host of International Recruitment Firms
The Recruitment Academy, provides an intensive 10-12 days classroom based course followed by on-line learning, subject to successful completion candidates can expect to join an established International Recruitment Firm with realistic 1st year earnings in excess of £50,000.
Candidates must be :
- 2:2 Graduate Caliber or higher, alternatively have 3-6 months sales experience
- Strong communication skills & burning desire to work in a dynamic sales orientated environment
*** PLEASE DO NOT APPLY IF YOU ARE ON A STUDENT-VISA AS YOU WILL BE INELIGIBLE FOR OUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT SCHEMES ***
Requirements
- Must have valid National Insurance Number
- Must be UK citizen or have relevant visa to work full-time in UK
- Have strong interest in IT
- Looking to develop Career & IT Skills further
Please Contact:
Salina Ali at Fraser Mckenzie
Salina.ali@fraser-mckenzie.com
0207-264-5140
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