|
|
Welcome to our weekly in Focus update...... |
Past Issues << | Issue 82: Tuesday 11 December 2007 |
Our students took their views to the very top on Monday (10 Dec) when Lord Triesman (pictured left), Minister for Students at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), visited our Docklands campus.
Lord Triesman met a group of over thirty students to discuss a wide range of issues as part of the new National Student Listening Programme.
During the hour-long Question and Answer session, students discussed topics including their experience of balancing study with work and family commitments, access to higher education for mature students and people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the student loan system.
Lord Triesman said: “As the first Minister for Students, I have been meeting with students up and down the country to hear, first hand, their concerns, aspirations and experiences. Students are better able than anyone to tell us what’s going right in the higher education system and what needs to be done better.”
For the full release see: http://www.uel.ac.uk/news/index.htm
Senior Lecturer in Psychosocial Studies, Dr Candida Yates launched her new book last Friday (7 Dec) 6.30-8.30 at the Freud Museum. Entitled Masculine Jealousy and Contemporary Cinema (publ: Palgrave Macmillan), Candida's book provides new insights into the relationship between masculinity and jealousy through the study of representations of male jealousy in contemporary Hollywood cinema.
The book argues that male jealousy has played a key role in the psycho-cultural shaping of Western masculinities and male fantasy, and can be used to explore the losses and insecurities of contemporary masculinities.
Candida develops that discussion through the study of representations of male jealousy in contemporary Hollywood films, where the emotional and moral outcomes of jealous triangles are now often ambiguous. Such ambiguities resonate with cultural images of 'masculinity in crisis' and the alleged feminization of masculinity within popular culture more generally.
These themes are explored in depth through five film case studies (Taxi Driver, The Piano, A Perfect Murder, Unfaithful and The End of An Affair ) where the male stars and their cultural reception in the press are discussed alongside the potential of such images for more complex and less destructive formations of masculinity and jealousy.
Candida, whose research interests include masculinity, affect, cinema and cultural change, is co-editor of Culture and the Unconscious.
For more information see http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?PID=274998
A first not only for us but for all universities in the UK; four practice assessment centres simulating the real-life ones our graduates can expect to undergo when seeking employment, took place in November.
Assessment Centres are an increasingly popular process that employers use to filter out candidates as they test them against core competencies over the course of one, and sometimes, two days.
The assessment centres closely resemble actual ones with a wide range of employers putting our applicants through their paces from a range of industries, and providing excellent practice and preparation for our students.
All final-year students were invited to apply and nineteen were selected for the Assessment Centres where they were able to complete online applications, verbal and numerical reasoning tests, a group task, individual and group presentations and a series of back-to-back interviews.
Twenty-two employers came along over the series of events and assessed our students giving them valuable feedback. Employers included; Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland, The Financial Services Authority, Look Ahead Housing and Care, Newham Council, EDF Energy, Herbert Smith, Trowers and Hamlins, HM Treasury, London City Airport, Angela Mortimer and Odgers.
Second year Law student, Sumaiyyah Abhi, said: "I was overwhelmed at being given this amazing opportunity which challenged almost every aspect of my personality and ability. The experience has given me invaluable knowledge and understanding of what it takes to become a graduate employee and the sorts of skills required by top employers.
The feedback I received has been extremely helpful as it indicated my strengths and weaknesses allowing me to improve my skills the next time I visit an assessment centre. The practice assessment centre has enabled me to appreciate the lengths employers would go to find the perfect employee and taught me how important it is to practice and prepare."
Pictured: Geoff Bell, Newham Council and Hannah Ford, Odgers with Omar Rizeq, a second year International business student. Geoff Bell provides Omar Rizeq with feedback on how he performed throughout the assessment centre.
School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies and the Graduate School
Wednesday 12 December - 2pm
Honoraries on Wednesday
The award of Honorary Master of Arts of the University of East London will be conferred upon Ms Tamzin Outhwaite. Tamzin Outhwaite is a highly popular and talented English actress, best known for playing Melanie Owen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
The award of Honorary Doctor of Letters of the University of East London will be conferred upon Ms Valerie Mason-John. Valerie Mason-John is a celebrated playwright, author, and performance poet, who goes by the stage name of “Queenie”.
Pictured: Dr Marie Stewart receiving her Honorary award at last Friday's ceremony.
For more details about our graduation ceremonies, visit: http://www.uel.ac.uk/graduation
The Action on Access Conference on 11 December at Hotel Russell, London will be opened by Continuum Director, Professor John Storan (pictured front), who is also a Co-Director of Action on Access.
Continuum's Research Manager, Tony Hudson (pictured back) will be facilitating a workshop on Embedding Widening Participation: the Staff Development Agenda for Practitioners and Dr John Preston, Senior Lecturer in Citizenship and Education will lead a workshop on: The ‘W’ Word: Considering ‘Whiteness’ in White, Working-class Participation in Higher Education.
Keynote speakers include: Rt. Hon. John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, Professor Drummond Bone, Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool and Dr Arnold Mitchem, President, Council for Opportunity in Education, USA.
Action on Access is the national co-ordination team for widening participation in higher education, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and Northern Ireland's Department for Employment and Learning. The team work with institutions and partnerships, including Aimhigher, providing advice, information and support to their widening participation activities, strategies and plans.
Continuum will be hosting a one day study visit for colleagues from Malmö University on Wednesday 12 December. Malmö University strives to be a university that is open to all and attracts students from non-traditional backgrounds. In addition to meeting with the Continuum team, Swedish colleagues will also have the opportunity to discuss employability issues with Femi Bola, Associate Director Student Services.
For more information contact Tony Hudson, Research Manager, Tel: 020 8223 7772, E-mail: a.hudson@uel.ac.uk
or visit: www.uel.ac.uk/continuum
Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 January, 10am - 3pm, Docklands Campus
Skillzone is running a two-day course to help students improve their study skills this semester.
The course covers: presentation, research techniques, academic writing and referencing, selecting and gathering information.
If you think your students could benefit please recommend them to contact the Skillzone Administration Team Lucene Barned or Yael Ilan on 020 8 223 3003.
For full listings check:
Events webpages: http://www.uel.ac.uk/news/events/index.htm
Public Lectures webpages: http://www.uel.ac.uk/lectureseries/
Academic Board: http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/committees/acaboard.htm
Board of Governors: http://www.uel.ac.uk/governors/board.htm
Good news from the CMT: http://www.uel.ac.uk/vcg/news/index.htm
To conduct a search of current funding opportunities , including all the major competitions , or to set up email alerts specific to your interests, visit www.researchresearch.com.
If you intend to submit an application for funding please contact Tim Brooks (Acting Research Funding Officer) in the Graduate School. Tim is retaining his other responsibilities within the Graduate School so the more notice you can give, the better!
Take me to the river is our recently launched website, bringing together a professional artist and archaeologist working with primary school children to create public artwork. The project also involved some intensive work here at UEL and by the end of the programme the children's impression of university life was extremely positive.
The related exhibition will be at London City Airport from 6 January, and will run for month.
For more information contact Toby Butler Project Director Ports of Call London East Research Institute Email: and visit: www.takemetotheriver.co.uk
Although not aimed specifically at staff development Brian Makepeace has let us know about a new module from our School of Social Sciences, Media and Cultural Studies.
Narrative research is growing in popularity within academic social science, cultural studies and applied social policy areas and is increasingly significant in fields such as health studies, computer studies (particularly in the development and theorization of narrative-based games), and biographically-based art work.
Narrative Force focuses on elements of narrative research relating to Foucauldian and Deleuzian analysis and covers topics such as: Foucault: narrative modalities of power, Deleuze and Guattari: narratives as force, narrative desire, time and narrative, spatial narratives, narratives and the political and narrative research as embodied knowledge
The module gives the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in relation to research interests and will feature online seminars and tutorials enabling close working with colleagues and tutors.
This is the second module of the Postgraduate Certificate in Narrative Research. Students are strongly recommended to complete module 1 — Narrative Research — before registering for this module, however applicants with considerable experience in the narrative field will be considered.
All course activities happen online and are facilitated within UEL Plus, our Virtual Learning Environment.
http://www.uel.ac.uk/dl/programmes/module_info/cert_narr_res.htm
Alternatively, contact the Distance Learning Advice Team on: distance.learning@uel.ac.uk / tel: +44 (0)20 8223 2564
E-learning, blended learning and distance learning are increasingly important in Higher Education and in teaching and learning generally; however, to take full advantage and make the best use of them you may need to acquire new skills.
The MA in Online and Blended Learning is a flexible, online professional development programme that will help you take full advantage of 21st century pedagogic practice and online technologies.
The programme is pending accreditation with the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and confers Associate or Fellow status upon successful completion of 1 or 2 modules. Applications of Learning Technologies (the first module) is also a SEDA (Staff and Educational Development Association) accredited programme.
Programme modules applications of Learning Technologies, supporting learners online, designing and evaluating online and blended learning, educational research and dissertation (practice-based research). We aim to offer maximum flexibility: you can study each full module or if you prefer, you can take a series of short courses, or you can mix and match courses to meet your own professional development needs.
All course activities happen online and are facilitated within UEL Plus, our Virtual Learning Environment.
Deadline for applications: 14 January.
For further information and an application form please go to: http://www.uel.ac.uk/dl/programmes/module_info/ma_obl.htm
Alternatively, contact the Distance Learning Advice Team on: distance.learning@uel.ac.uk / tel: +44 (0)20 8223 2564
To find out more about the wide range of E-Learning applications available to us in our everyday work, visit:
E-Learning Resources: http://www.uel.ac.uk/sdel/e_learning/resources.htm
SDEL staff development: http://www.uel.ac.uk/sdel/staff_development/index.htm
UEL Plus info: http://www.uel.ac.uk/uelplus/index.htm
To register for a range of FREE business support workshops from Business Planning to Protecting Your Ideas and E-Business Planning this Autumn get in touch with Sujata Vaishnav Tel: 020 8 223 7286/3301, Email: s.vaishnav@uel.ac.uk
Brush up your IT skills and get an internationally recognised qualification online. Contact Greg Price, Organisational Development Manager on ext 4361 or email g.price@uel.ac.uk
Last Wednesday (5 December), international and postgraduate alumnus, Nikita Thakker (pictured left), was one of the talented designers taking part in a fusion fashion show at Fashion Enter, a boutique in Vicarage Fields Shopping Centre, Barking. Not only fusing fashion styles the purpose of the exciting show was to reach out and make stronger links with Barking's Asian community.
Nikita, who began her own label Gulmohar in 2004, was showcasing her range of bridal wear. Nikita graduated from our Business School this November with her MBA, and her personal tutor Maarten Pontier also attended the catwalk show.
From Mumbai, Nikita said of her designs: “My collection is a fusion of creative designs and vibrant colours inspired by the rich and diverse culture that is India.”
As well as a business background Nikita also has a degree in Fashion and works as a Fashion Consultant.
Fashion Enter is a not for profit organisation which was established in March 2006.
For more information see: www.fashion-enter.com Fusion East meets West
www.fashioncapital.co.uk New talents at Fashion Enter
If you would like items included in In Focus Update please send them to me by Wednesday of the preceding week at infocus@uel.ac.uk
Please print off a copy of In Focus Update for those of your colleagues who may not have easy access to email.
© 2007
