Welcome to the Autumn edition of the Alumni Network e-newsletter. I hope you have all had a fantastic summer! We have been really busy at UEL playing our part in the London 2012 games, which you can read all about in our news section. As always this edition is packed full of news stories, details of recent and forthcoming events, and information on the range of employability and enterprise support services available to former students. Highlights of this issue include:
Your feedback is always welcome - please send comments or suggestions to alumni@uel.ac.uk Happy reading!
UEL Alumni Development Office
Paralympics comes early to SportsDock
With the London 2012 Paralympic Games now in full swing, UEL was honoured to have a sneak peak along with the bumper crowd which turned up at SportsDock on Saturday 25th August to watch 2008 Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Gold Medallists, United States, take on Great Britain in a thrilling warm up game.
In what was a nail biting encounter with end to end action, USA emerged victorious with a narrow 52-48 final result. Without question, this evening’s fantastic atmosphere and reception from the crowd is clear evidence there is a huge appetite for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, which has been widely touted to be the most popular and high profile hitherto.
Speaking after this evening’s game, GB Women’s Head Coach, Garry Peel, said: “It is great to be based at UEL, and really helpful for the team to have the use of such fantastic facilities in the run up to the Paralympics.
“Furthermore, to play the warm up match against the best in the world on the doorstep of the Olympic Park has been very beneficial.”
Jeff Downes, United States manager said: “Both teams should be proud of the game tonight. A special thanks goes out to the faculty, student and local community for supporting tonight's game, and coming out to experience first- hand one of the greatest sports at the Paralympic Games.”
SportsDock, which served as the main training base for Team USA athletes during the Olympics, will also be used as a training venue by both U.S. Paralympics and Team GB.
Wheelchair Basketball is the number one wheelchair sport in the world, and will be played at the North Greenwich Arena during the Paralympics.
Silver lining for UEL student at London Olympic Games
Gemma Gibbons, a postgraduate student at the University of East London (UEL), has won a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Gemma, an Exercise Science and Health student and one of UEL’s elite athletes, reached the final of today’s -78kg category in women’s judo.
In what was a tense and thrilling encounter, Gemma took on Kayla Harrison from the United States. While Gemma more than held her own for most of the contest, Harrison emerged victorious to win the gold medal by two Yukos – a technical term in judo.
In her first match, Gemma beat Portugal’s Yahima Ramirez. Her second opponent, Mongolia’s Lkhamdegd Purevjargal, proved much stiffer opposition for Gemma, who had to dig deep to secure a dramatic last gasp victory.
Gemma then took on Holland’s Marhinde Verkerk to progress to the semi-final, which was undoubtedly the high point of the contest and Gemma’s judo career.
Cheered on by a deafening crowd in London’s ExCel, Gemma went head to head with France’s Audrey Tcheumeo. Despite a cagey start, the Team GB athlete finally managed to see off her French opponent by Ippon, sparking tears of joy by Gemma, and jubilant celebrations among the packed home crowd.
Speaking to BBC News immediately after this afternoon’s final, Gemma said: “It has been a brilliant day; I’m really happy. On my best day, I was hoping I could get near the medals – maybe in the top seven. I would have been happy with that. I’ve exceeded that, so I am over the moon.”
First Lady Michelle Obama visits UEL en route to Olympic Opening Ceremony
First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, paid a special visit to the University of East London on Sunday 29th July 2012.
As part of the visit, she greeted members of Team USA and UEL Vice-Chancellor, Professor Patrick McGhee, at a breakfast briefing in SportsDock in honour of the athletes.
Speaking to the Vice-Chancellor before the event, Mrs Obama described UEL SportsDock as a great example of an Olympic games legacy. They also discussed UEL’s work in supporting local children to become more active in Sport.
Professor Patrick McGhee said: “We were honoured and excited to welcome the First Lady to our campus during the Olympic Games. She is an inspirational figure with a track record of promoting better health through sporting engagement and raising aspiration generally. We are delighted to be hosting Team USA during the games and thrilled that the First Lady has joined us for this once in a lifetime experience.”
The bigger the better – UEL alumna creates world’s longest composite photographic exhibition
A former UEL student has broken the world record for the longest composite photographic exhibitionon the planet!
Clare Newton, a Hackney-based artist, designer and inventor, has been awarded with the world record for the longest composite photographic exhibition by the Guiness World Book of Records.
Over the past 21 months, Clare has taken 81,663 photographs of 1,200 people at 87 shoots across London, as part of her project entitled ‘Jump 4 London’. The composite photo, which was opened at the nearby ExCeL exhibition centre on 1 June, spans 979m and features UEL’s Docklands and Stratford Campuses, as well as its many students and staff, in 10% of its total length.
Six students along with Doctor Brian Whiting from the Civil Engineering Surveying and Mapping Sciences degree also put their studies to good use by surveying, measuring and putting into place each section in only four hours.
What’s more, Clare was able to raise £500,000 sponsorship in kind to fund the project.
University of East London helps mums to become their own boss in business
The University of East London (UEL) has partnered with Mumsnet, the busiest online community for parents, to create an innovative business start-up programme, designed to support mums to develop the skills they need to start their own business.
Developed by women business experts at UEL’s Centre of Excellence for Women’s Entrepreneurship (CEWE), the Be Your Own Boss course will give women the knowledge and confidence they need to turn their entrepreneurial ambitions into reality, whilst also making an important contribution to the UK’s economic recovery. If the UK had the same level of female entrepreneurship as the US, there would be an additional 600,000 female owned businesses, contributing an extra £42 billion to the economy.
Through an online learning platform, Be Your Own Boss students will be able to access inspirational enterprise case studies, specialist business advice and get to grips with what they need to know to succeed in their first year in business. To encourage them on their business journey, entrepreneurs will have access to events, seminars and workshops, hosted by CEWE, giving them the advice, knowledge and networks they need to start and grow their business.
Selena Bolingbroke, UEL Pro Vice-Chancellor said: “We know how hard it can be for women and mums in particular, to get started in business – they need inspiration to turn their ideas into a reality. We are delighted to be working with Mumsnet to give women access to expert advice and the inspiration they need to start up their own business. This course will help to untap the potential in the mumpreneur community and support women across the UK to be their own boss.”
Justine Roberts, Mumsnet co-founder and CEO, said: “This course is about giving parents the skills and confidence to fulfill their entrepreneurial potential. It is hard setting out on your own, so it is important to have the right tools and techniques to help your business thrive. Be You Own Boss skills-based sessions, expert advice and a peer-to-peer network will help participants take the plunge and avoid some of the pitfalls that can beset start-ups.”
Learners can register for the Be Your Own Boss course by visiting the Mumsnet Academy website, here
More news stories may be found at www.uel.ac.uk/news
Spotlight on Sustainability at UEL: Upskilling our students
Listen carefully, can you hear you that? It's the sound of environmental behaviour change rippling through the UEL community. 2012 has been a fantastic year for UEL’s green credentials. Not only have we shot up the People and Planet Green League, achieving a First Class Award, we have also been helping students to add to their CVs through free Green Skills workshops.
38 students attended workshops provided by the National Union of Students (NUS), and then had the opportunity to put what they had learnt into practice by taking on roles as Green Impact Project Assistants and Green Impact Auditors. Green Impact is a national initiative that encourages university departments to improve their environmental performance in a range of areas from energy saving and recycling, to travel and procurement. Students supported UEL schools and services through a range of activities from undertaking energy audits to writing environmental policy. Staff were impressed by their enthusiasm and students honed their skills in project management, communication and effective team-working. All of the students’ contributions were recognised at our Green Impact Award Ceremony with Mansa Samlafo, (MSc Project Management) winning our first ever Student Environmental Hero award:
“It was a brilliant experience, I’m so happy I took part. Winning student Environmental Hero was so unexpected. Green Impact is such a great way to engage staff and students to help make UEL greener,” said Mansa.
The scheme was hailed a success by both UEL and NUS and will be rolled out across all UK universities involved in Green Impact.
Later in the year 9 (number of students) took part in the Green Move Out, an end of term reuse scheme in UEL halls of residence that was coordinated by student Henry Bell-gam (MSc Project Management). Volunteers attended free waste management training (accredited by Chartered Institute of Waste Management) and they gained experience of working on reuse and recycling projects, as well as being provided with an in-depth understanding of UK Waste policy and legislation. In total, 3,466Kg of unwanted items including books, bedding, clothes and clothes were collected for redistribution, resulting in a saving of 37,562kg CO2 (e).
We’re looking forward to expanding the Green Skills workshop programme in the new academic year, building on UEL’s commitment to actively encouraging students to develop vital employability skills that will enhance their graduate prospects.
Did you volunteer on a green project whilst you were at UEL? If so we’d love to hear what you are up to now, contact greenthing@uel.ac.uk or visit www.uel.ac.uk/greenthing.
Did you know we are now on twitter? Follow us at twitter.com/UELAlumni
We will be using twitter as a way of keeping you updated with the latest happenings at UEL!
If Linkedin is your prefered way of keeping in contact with the UEL Alumni Network make sure you join our page buy clicking HERE
In order to save on our printing costs and reduce our carbon footprint, we are going electronic for the next issue of alumni magazine Now and Then. If you’re email is currently on our system then we will automatically switch you over to the electronic version of the magazine. But don’t panic! We will still be printing some magazines, just let us know that you would prefer to receive a copy and we’ll be sure to stick one in the post to you when the time comes around.
We will soon be completing this years Alumni Survey. Please help us out by taking a couple of minutes of your time to fill in the survey, which can be found here.
Handy Moves 10% discount
We are proud to now offer a discount of 10% to all alumni members on any services offered by removal firm Handy Moves is a London based international company, which offers a wide range of services including: packing, unpacking, loading, hauling, selling packing supplies and also offers storage services. The company operates within the UK and throughout all European Union countries. It was founded more than 15 years ago by a group of professional movers.
Handy Moves handles small scale domestic removals and large scale office removals for corporate clients. All trucks are equipped with GPS systems to ensure the fastest and most efficient route for delivery.
Handy Moves offers a 10% discount when quoting: AFUEL 10. Offer is valid Sunday through Thursday, and is applicable for UK removals only.
What have you done since winning the E Factor?
Since winning the E Factor competition Alex Oviawe and his business,
Precision Sports Technologies, has gone from strength to strength, we took five minutes out of his busy schedule to get an update on his journey so far.
Winning the E Factor competition was amazing and such a boost for me and my business. Since then, with the support of the Employability and Enterprise team I have registered my business to UEL's Petchey Centre business incubation space, received a business mentor, sought advice on Intellectual Property and entered various start up competitions.
Which competitions have you entered?
I entered a European business ideas competition and was successful at getting to the final in Finland! There was something cerebral about the whole event; to be at the core of discussions in regards to business and technology in the EU and Russia. To be given the platform to share the vision of Precision Sports Technologies to a seminar hall of like-minded individuals was much more exhilarating than intimidating.
How did you do?
Although I did not win, to be in the final 3 was more of a European confirmation that my business idea was viable, which added to the confirmation I got from winning the E-Factor. Much like the summer dusk in the horizon of Lapeenranta, I now know more than ever, that I can look towards the future of Precision Sports Technologies with a sense of hope.
Where do you go from here?
In regards to the business in itself, that's where the fun begins. I am currently putting through the patent application and developing the product with a lot of help from CEME (Centre for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence). We're recruiting more staff (additional software programmers) and have gained a lot of interest from more football clubs; from Cardiff FC to MLS clubs such as FC Dallas. I have made the decision to hold out for any investment until the final prototype has been completed, but will be keeping everyone updated on how things are via twitter and the website. I am very positive about the future.
*The Petchey Centre is free for one year for students and graduates,
up to two years after graduation. Please contact enterprise@uel.ac.uk for more information on this and our full range of activities available to help business start ups.
How was your experience at UEL? My experience was awesome. I lived on campus, had 24 hours access to the University’s state of the art library. The lecturers were very supportive with academic related advices. Top of it all, I joined the Entrepreneurs Society UEL (ESOC UEL) and was subsequently elected President of the society within a short while into my studies.
Why did you choose to study at UEL? Because UEL is a very inclusive University. My research at the time also indicated that the school facility was modern and that the environment was very conducive for learning.
Tell us about what you do now... In 2012 January, I was appointed an assistant to the Office of the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) on Policy and strategy planning to the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources. I am currently carrying out my duties in that capacity on outsourced basis from my company (Beefit). I support the SSA with research and strategy development.
What are your plans for the future? In my country, there is a huge moral decay and people are beginning to lose sight of what is right or wrong. Perhaps most of our past leaders in various capacities and industries failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians at one point or the other. I plan to be part of the new crop of leaders in my field that can become a source of mentorship for generation next.
What was your most memorable experience at UEL? Writing my dissertation was memorable. The level of research carried out, the reviews, the enormous library with fantastic research materials; the sleep overs at the library and working with people from different cultural backgrounds whose hearts were genuinely warm and friendly were memorable.
Find a Classmate
To get in contact in with your old classmates, email us at alumni@uel.ac.uk with your details.
Do you have a story to share? We are looking for Alumni to feature in our next Alumni Magazine, if you have something you would like to feature in ‘Now and Then’ get in contact. We are also offering advertising space in this edition of ‘Now and Then’ with a 10% discount on the rates to our Alumni Network Members. An advert in ‘Now and Then’ magazine will reach over 40,000 named graduates from The University of East London and provide an opportunity to talk directly to this high calibre audience, of which over 65% live in London and the South East. In addition University staff, business colleagues, friends and supporters also receive ‘Now and Then’. If you would like more information on our advertising rates get in contact.
CASS Summer BBQ
Friday 6th July 2012 , Stratford Campus
Alumni, staff and students of the CASS School of Education and Communities gathered together on Friday 6th July 2012 at the Stratford campus to celebrate the end of the academic year and the start of the summer.
The evening was held on the grassy area outside the “Green” café, where a wide selection of drinks and bbq food was on offer. All the guests seemed to be enjoying themselves and we had a wide selection of attendees from lecturers to former pupils.
Just after the guests started arriving we were entertained by Dr Lionel McCalman and his Nostalgia Steelband. As the sun went down we seemed a million miles away from the torrential rain that seems to have marred our summer, and when it was time to go everyone was already looking forward to the next CASS Alumni event.
UEL, the 2012 Games and the Future
Tuesday 26th June 2012, Docklands Campus
A small group of Alumni, Students and Staff came together on Tuesday 26th June 2012 to attend, UEL, the 2012 Games and the Future! This event gave the guests the chance to see how UEL is playing its part in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Professor Neville Punchard welcomed guests on behalf of the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience and then passed on to John Lock, Director of UEL’s 2012 Office.
John, provided guests with a History of East London, and explained how the Olympics has changed the area for the better!
Next to take to the podium was Elizabeth Egan, High Performance Sport Manager at UEL then took guests through shadow side of working with high performance athletes.
The night ended with a delicious buffet and a tour our new state-of-the-art sports facility at SportsDock!
How Psychology can help you become an Entrepreneur
Thursday 21st June 2012, Stratford Campus
Another successful event for the School of Psychology! The events the Alumni Team co-host with the School of Psychology always prove to be popular and this year was no different. On Thursday 21st June we welcomed just under 100 Alumni to this years event titled, How Psychology can help you become an Entrepreneur.
Pippa Dell, Field Leader: Psychology kicked of the night with an update on the School including a reminder that 2012 celebrated fifty years of psychology at UEL and its predecessor institutions.
Pippa was followed by Wendy Jackson, Wendy graduated from UEL in 2005, where she studied Marketing & Psychology. She now enjoys running her own no nonsense consultancy called Bite sized Marketing and attributes the fact that it is still going in these turbulent times to what she learnt at UEL.
Wendy really inspired the audience, especially with her game of fishing to demonstrate how hard it is for businesses to get customers in the current market place.
Next up was Patapia Tzotzoli, also a UEL Graduate, Patapia is the founder of a start-up company, called iConcipio Ltd. The company was set up last year after she won the Best Pitch Prize in the King’s College London’s Graduate Business Plan Competition. iConcipio Ltd is an e-learning support provider based on web technology solutions. Patapia demonstrated its up and coming service an online support system which addresses the well being and educational needs of Higher Education students.
After the main speakers where finished the attendees split into two workshops to discuss their business ideas.
And finally the night draw to conclusion over a buffet and networking session! The night was a great success and the Alumni Team are already looking forward to next years Psychology event
If you missed out on any of these events, be sure to like us on facebook.com/uelalumni for updates on all upcoming events and UEL related news.
Date |
Time |
Venue |
Event |
Wednesday 24th October |
6:00-9:00pm |
Docklands Campus |
Annual Fund Awards Ceremony - More Information Coming Soon! |
Saturday 8th December |
6:30 - Late! |
TBC |
Alumni Network Christmas Party |
If you would like to attend any of the above events please contact us on alumni@uel.ac.uk to book your space!
Have a Story to Tell?
The Information, Advice and Guidance Service deliver projects focusing on inspiring learners to continue their journey. Due to our extensive links with partner colleges we have a number of Access students (groups) visiting the UEL for a series of workshops that help them to manage their transition from FE to HE. We are looking for inspiring ex students who would be willing to talk to the Access students about their experience of university.
We are seeking inspiring ex students to talk about their experience at events designed for external staff from community organisations and colleges.
If you are interested in becoming an inspiring speaker at such events or would like to find out more, please contact Julie Walker Manager of the Pre-entry IAG Service, UEL Stratford Campus (based in the UEL Library) on 0208 223 4354
In July 2012, the Employability and Enterprise team took 23 students and graduates on a ‘Theory to Practise’ Enterprise Residential. This allowed participants to examine their motivations for starting their business, as well as overcome their personal and professional fears in doing so.
The residential consisted of long days and nights focussed on individual reflection, practical business tools and techniques, group discussions, networking and the opportunity to run a focus groups.
Speaking of her experience Janette Da Silva, owner of Megami Fashion PR agency, reflected “This was an amazing experience, the residential made me re-think my business and gave me the opportunity to practise my pitch to help others understand what my business is about”.
Sam Smith, owner of Innavision media, expanded on this, stating “On the residential we were taught some really interesting information by an inspirational teacher that taught us not only about business but also about self awareness. I found this very useful and a great help with my business idea”.
If you are a current student, or you have graduated in the last 2 years and you would like support with a business idea, or, you own your own business and would like to share your experiences with students, please contact the Employability and Enterprise team on enterprise@uel.ac.uk or 0208 223 2424 today.
Have you graduated in the last 2 years and are currently looking for employment? If so, then why not get on to UELs Employability & Enterprise Office!
We are a team who are dedicated to making sure our students get the very best support to enter into the world of work or encouraged to start up their own sustainable business. We offer you –
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us on 0208 223 2424 or employ@uel.ac.uk
Asset and Property Development Graduate Placement £19000.00 / year
Shoreditch Trust are looking for a motivated, proactive team member to deliver assistance and support to the enterprise team. The post offers the successful candidate the opportunity to acquire a general understanding of Community Asset Development and Management, and Enterprise support. The post holder will support the team in the management and development of Shoreditch Trust's asset portfolio, leading on administration, with the opportunity for project management. The work plan will be focused on these five main areas: 1. Administrative support; 2. Property Management coordination and support, Health and Safety coordination and customer service delivery; 3. Business development support, partnership co-ordination, fundraising; 4. Sales and marketing support; 5. Research support. For more info Click HERE
Coordinator for ‘Shake! Young Voices in Arts, Media, Race & Power’ £28000.00 / year
This is an exciting opportunity to take on the coordination of Shake! and make the dynamic 3-year programme which the team has devised into a reality. Creativity, political commitment, responsiveness, communication skills, and organisational efficiency are the key tools in this ever-changing context. For more info Click HERE
Graduate Software Engineer £25000.00 / year
We have a unique opportunity for a Graduate Developer / Junior Developer / Graduate Software Developer (Java, JavaScript, HTML, PHP) to join a global technology business in Shoreditch, London. Read on... With offices in Christchurch, London, California and Melbourne, SLI Systems delivers powerful ecommerce solutions to global businesses that include Qantas, JellyBelly, Boden and Interflora to name just a few. Considered as leaders in our field our SaaS technology boasts full-service site search, navigation, merchandising and user-generated SEO amongst its many features. Joining as a Graduate Developer / Junior Developer / Graduate Web Developer you will build your career alongside a talented development team. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to put your development skills to the test whilst working on high profile retail technology. It isn’t every day a Graduate opportunity arises where your code will impact so many users. For more info Click HERE
Graduate Trainee Account Managers £21000.00 / year
Tangible Benefit, a successful IT Reseller, are currently expanding their highly paid sales team and are seeking dynamic, ambitious Graduate Trainee Account Managers. With a generous starting salary of £21,000 you will receive groundbreaking training from some of the industries key players. Once your training is completed you will join our sales team, managing high profile accounts and generating new business. You will earn £30-40,000 in your first year, rising to £50-60,000 in your second year. We also offer excellent career development, with the opportunity to join our fast track management-training scheme, meaning you could rise to a Team Leader role within 12-18 months. For more info Click HERE
Graduate Sales and Marketing Trainee £18000.00 / year
This is a fantastic opportunity for a graduate with a passion for success to begin their career within the Direct Marketing industry for one of the top marketing corporations in the UK working in a busy sales enviroment as part of a team, you will recieve an exceptional 12 month training and development programme (with over 20 days professional off site training)to help perfectly equip you for a career in sales and marketing. For more info Click HERE
For a full list of current opportunities please Click HERE
© 2008
For a general description of these pages and an explanation of how they should work with screenreading equipment please follow this link:Link to general description
For further information on this web site's accessibility features please follow this link:Link to accessibility information
The following message does not apply to screenreader users:
You will still be able to access all the essential content of this web site, but it will not look, or function, exactly as intended.
E-Newsletters
