Winter 2011 - Heriot-Watt University

HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY NEWS: WINTER 2011
International
Expansion
Heriot-Watt chosen to establish
£20m campus in Malaysia
New Dubai Campus
First Minister tours
purpose-built campus
Chevron Invests
Third year of University
Partnership Program

welcome
Welcome
Welcome to the Winter 2011
edition of Network.
The last six months have seen major achievements for
the University including the announcement that we were
named the Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year.
We have had encouraging results in the National Student
Survey (as well as a fantastic response rate) and significant
oversees developments with our move into Malaysia and
the opening of our new purpose-built Dubai Campus.
04
Within the University we had the results of the staff
survey, which revealed high levels of satisfaction amongst
employees and the ongoing roll out of the professional
services review which has resulted in some senior
appointments being made recently.
In addition to all these milestones for the University our
staff and students continue to excel both in and outside
of the University. In this edition of Network, we report on
these many achievements which include awards, prizes
and sports successes.
Please keep sending us your news and photos and look
out for regular updates in the electronic newsletter and
on the internal and external websites.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Network and welcome
your suggestions for future editions.
The Corporate Communications Team
07
Share your news
Network
If you have any news you would like to see added
to the next edition of Network, please get in touch
with us at:
news@hw.ac.uk
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news@hw.ac.uk
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information via the electronic newsletter and/or post
your event, scholarship, grants, funding or news stories
to the relevant pages on the Heriot-Watt website.
Contact us:
news@hw.ac.uk
0131 451 3618
©Heriot-Watt University. All rights reserved. Network is published by
Corporate Communications, Heriot-Watt University. All information
is correct at time of going to print. Heriot-Watt University is a Charity
registered in Scotland SC000278.
Contents
News
03 – 12
Read about the recent international
developments including news that
Heriot-Watt is to open a campus in
Malaysia and details of the opening
ceremony for our new Dubai Campus.
Plus details of a new exhibition at the
University museum.
Research
13
Find out about the work being
carried out to study the future of our
oceans by the new laboratory at the
Edinburgh Campus, as well as details
of a €3m funded project to investigate
interactive search working.
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05 13
Sunday Times Award
In September Heriot-Watt was named Scottish
University of the Year 2011/12 in the Sunday Times
University Guide.
The Award was made on the basis of our innovation,
teaching excellence and research as well as first-rate
facilities, the employability of our graduates and of
recent successes in the National Student Survey (NSS).
Alastair McCall, Editor of The Sunday Times University
Guide, said: “Students and employers alike have
good reason to be thankful for Heriot-Watt, the
hugely deserving winner of our Scottish University
of the Year award. Although, the University’s ranking
of 31st in the UK and fourth in Scotland this year
is an outstanding result, Heriot-Watt’s contribution
to Scotland and the wider world is far more longstanding
and far-reaching.
23
“Excellent teaching, intelligent students and first-rate
facilities are a potent mix. The University has a fine
record for innovation and relevant research and its
graduates are highly regarded throughout the world.
Their appreciation of the institution where they study
speaks volumes and is one we thoroughly endorse.“
21
The Principal, Professor Steve Chapman, said:
“This is a wonderful result for the University. It reflects
the hard work and dedication of colleagues in all areas
of university life, and, through their feedback to the
NSS, the close working partnership with our students
and their representatives.
Everyone should feel a huge sense
of pride in this achievement, but we will
not rest on our laurels. I see this award as
recognition that we are moving in the right
direction and we will continue to work to
improve our teaching, research and the
student experience.
People
14 – 23
News of our staff’s achievements
and awards as well as interviews with
Nick Thow, Director of the Careers
Service, Professor Patrick Corbett,
who is heading to Brazil next year on
secondment and Professor Paul Jowitt,
who talks about his year as President
of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Dates for the Diary
24
Music events, lectures and exhibitions
from December 2011 to June 2012.
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Chevron invests
£182,000 into University
Professor Graeme White with Eric Sirgo
Scholarships, course books and funding to refurbish
teaching areas to the value £182,500 were presented
to Heriot-Watt by global energy company Chevron at
an event in September.
The investment is part of the company’s ongoing
University Partnership Program (UPP) which creates
long-term, strategic relationships between Chevron
and chosen universities. Heriot-Watt is one of eleven
non-US universities to be involved in UPP and one
of only two in Europe.
Now in its third year, Chevron’s partnership with
Heriot-Watt reached a milestone this year with the
graduation of the first cohort of Chevron scholars,
as was reported in the Summer edition of Network.
Two of these graduates have gained employment
with the company as drilling engineers.
At the event the scholarship awards and a cheque
were presented by Eric Sirgo, General Manager of
Operations of Chevron Upstream Europe.
Restoration gets the go ahead
The proposed £3m restoration of Panmure House, the historic
home of philosopher Adam Smith, in Edinburgh’s Canongate,
was given the go ahead in July.
The building is owned by Heriot-Watt’s
Edinburgh Business School (EBS), which bought
it from Edinburgh City Council in 2008, with
ambitious plans to invest in its restoration and
development as a centre for economics teaching
and research, and as a venue for meetings
and events in the heart of the Old Town.
Panmure House
The architect’s designs for the project
were subject to a long negotiation with the
City Council and Historic Scotland, which
culminated in a public inquiry in March.
EBS is co-ordinating a global fund-raising
scheme to support the development.
Professor Keith Lumsden, the Director
of EBS, said: Panmure House
is the home of
modern economics,
and when it came
up for sale by the
Council I saw it as
a once in a lifetime
opportunity to
preserve and
restore a key part of
Scotland’s heritage.
I am delighted that
we can now realise
our vision for this
historic building.
NSS
Results
Heriot-Watt
considerably improved
its position to 29th out
of 120 UK universities
in the 2011 National
Student Survey (NSS),
up from 47th last year.
Chemical Engineering came top
in the UK, with Chemistry second
and Civil Engineering fourth. Each
of these, along with Psychology
and Biology were top in Scotland,
and in all, nine subject areas were
ranked in the top ten UK-wide.
For the third year running 100%
of Chemical Engineering students
participating in the NSS reported
‘overall satisfaction‘ with their
degree programme.
With a response rate of 78%,
no other university in the UK had
a higher rate of participation in
the survey.
Professor Steve Chapman, Principal,
welcomed the results, which placed
seven subject areas in the top
quartile. “I am delighted with the
outcome of this year’s survey. Not
only have we seen considerable
improvement in Heriot-Watt’s
rating, but to have these based
on such a high student participation
rate means we can be sure that
these positive results represent a
real strength of feeling among
our students.
This excellent
outcome reflects the hard
work and dedication of our
staff in all areas of University
life, and also reflects the
positive partnerships we
have with students and their
representatives. Everyone
should feel a sense of pride
in our achievement.
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Alex Salmond opens Heriot-Watt’s
new purpose-built Dubai Campus
Heriot-Watt’s new £35m (ED200m) purpose-built campus has
been opened by First Minister Alex Salmond at Dubai International
Academic City (DIAC).
Mr Salmond was accompanied on a tour of the new 28,000 sq.m
(300,000 sq.ft) state-of-the-art campus by Principal, Professor Steve
Chapman, meeting with students and academic staff. The September
2011 intake saw an increase of 55 percent on the previous year,
with a total student population of 2,500.
The Campus has been designed to be modern and eco-friendly,
and doubles the level of provision to 4,500 students. Investment in
the Campus has been supported through the University’s partnership
with Eikon International Holding.
Bespoke fashion labs, design studios, well-equipped engineering
laboratories, and ICT labs with video-conferencing facilities have
all been incorporated into the new facility. Phase two of the Campus
is currently underway, which will encompass modern student
accommodation (with associated food court and banking facilities)
and a multi-purpose auditorium with capacity for 800 people.
Smart card and fingerprint technologies are also incorporated.
Development of the new Campus will allow expansion of recently
introduced programmes in Civil Engineering and Construction
Management; Logistics and Supply Chain Management; Architectural
Engineering; Water Resources; Interior Design; Management and
Psychology; and Computer Systems.
“As Scotland’s international university, the official opening of our
new state-of-the-art, eco-friendly Campus, built in partnership with
Eikon International and offering world class facilities, demonstrates
our ambition and continued vision for providing high quality and
relevant Scottish higher education in the region.”
Dr Lena Wilson, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s
main economic development agency, said, “Opening up new
opportunities and possibilities with other nations is vital to secure
Scotland‘s long-term economic growth. This new Campus will
place further international focus on both Heriot-Watt University
and Scotland and will pave the way for a new generation of
business leaders.
“Scotland has a strong reputation in education and this new
venture further highlights the high value that other nations place
on Scotland‘s knowledge, skills and expertise as world leaders
in education and academia. In fact, The Sunday Times recently
recognised Heriot-Watt as the Scottish University of the Year 2011/12,
stating that its graduates are ‘highly regarded‘ throughout the world.
“By collaborating with Dubai we can proactively make it easier
for Scottish companies to trade within the UAE, ultimately boosting
the Scottish economy.”
Alex Salmond said, “This 21st century campus will quite rightly
help establish the high quality reputation of Heriot-Watt University
in the United Arab Emirates and will pave the way for the University’s
expansion in the region and further afield. However, even more than
that, it will showcase the advantages of gaining an education in a
Scottish university.
“For centuries, a Scottish education has been much treasured and
today it is no different. Heriot-Watt University was the first overseas
university to set up in Dubai International Academic City, offering
top quality British education to students and executives from the
Gulf and further afield.
“The high-quality Scottish education available at Heriot-Watt’s
Dubai Campus will provide thousands of students with the skills
to become future leaders, managers and innovators to create a
stronger business world.”
Professor Steve Chapman said, “The opening of our new,
purpose-built Campus heralds an exciting new chapter in
Heriot-Watt University’s history in Dubai and builds upon our
considerable and pioneering success here.
First Minister Alex Salmond with Professor Steve Chapman, Principal
and Professor Ammar Kaka, Vice-Principal (Dubai) unveiling the
commemoratve plaque
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Converge Challenge: Developing
Entrepreneurs in Scotland
Heriot-Watt‘s Converge Challenge, which seeks out the very
best research entrepreneurs in Scotland, announced its 2011
winner at an event in September.
James Watt
Banknote
presented to
University
During the seven month process applicants were
required to develop a business plan for their
proposal, attend a commercialisation workshop
and undertake an ‘elevator pitch’.
This year Adam Brown, an engineering
researcher from Strathclyde University, won the
top prize of £25,000 in cash and £20,000 of
in-kind business support for his company,
Bellrock Technology. Adam intends to use the
prize to further develop his ‘Lumen Technology’
system, an intelligent condition monitoring
decision support software.
Taking second place was SOFANT Technologies,
from Edinburgh University, with its business
which will increase signal strength and reduce
the transmitted power of mobile phones by
up to 90%, leading to increased battery life.
Accufluidics won third place, a Heriot-Watt entry,
which develops microfluidic devices and chips
for the life sciences industry, enabling significant
reduction in costs and time and an increase in
accuracy of the medium and high throughput
screening technologies.
in 2010, and has rapidly established itself as
one of the leading entrepreneurial competitions
in the country.
Dr Olga Kozlova, Enterprise Creation Manager
for Heriot-Watt, and the driving force behind
the Converge Challenge, said, “Opening up the
competition to the whole of Scotland‘s research
community means that we can give more people
than ever the chance to take their first steps into
creating a start-up company.”
Chris Salmon with Steve Chapman
A commemorative £50 banknote
featuring James Watt was presented
to the Heriot-Watt Principal by Chris
Salmon, the Bank of England’s Executive
Director for Banking Services.
Launched in November, the note
features the 18th century business
partnership of engineer James Watt
and entrepreneur Matthew Boulton,
and also marks the first time two
portraits have appeared together on the
back of a Bank of England banknote.
2012 will see the expansion of the Converge
Challenge to accept applications from every
Scottish university or research institute. This is a
result of the success of the project, which began
Prizewinner Adam Brown with
Professor Steve Chapman and Dr. Olga Kozlova
Textiles student exhibits in Paris
Ruth's designs
A graduate of the School of Textiles and
Design was chosen to show her designs at an
exhibition in Paris in September.
Ruth Duff was selected by TEXPRINT from 200
other graduates to exhibit in the city as part of
Premiere Vision. Ruth recently graduated from
the Design for Textiles programme.
Ruth is no stranger to success, having been
given the opportunity to show her work at
the Milan Furniture Fair earlier this year.
Professor Steve Chapman said:
We are delighted to
accept this bank note which is
a tribute to Watt and Boulton’s
partnership of engineering and
economic endeavour. James
Watt’s name is incorporated
in our own, but we also work
to replicate his scientific and
entrepreneurial qualities in our
university and in our graduates,
with a keen eye, as Watt had,
for the demands of industry
and the economy.
The note will be displayed in the
University museum, next to a model
of James Watt’s revolutionary
improvements to the Newcomen steam
engine which, by introducing a separate
condenser, radically improved the
efficiency of energy production.
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New campus in Malaysia
Artists impression of the campus entrance
Front: Professor Steve Chapman and Datuk Azlan Abdul Karim,
Back: Datuk Ishak Bin Imam Abbas, Chairman, Putrajaya Holdings
and Michael Russell MSP
Heriot-Watt has been chosen to establish a new campus in
Malaysia, one of the fastest growing economies in the world,
at an investment of £20million.
The University was chosen as winner of the major international
tender by the Malaysian Government and Putrajaya Holdings
Sdn Bhd, the company behind the delivery of the campus, in
recognition of its strong reputation for creating diverse research
and development opportunities and solid strong track record of
success in linking with industry, commerce and the wider society.
The announcement was made at a high profile event in Putrajaya
on 15 November, attended by the Principal, Professor Steve
Chapman, Michael Russell, the Scottish Government Cabinet
Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and Y Bhg Datuk
Azlan Abdul Karim, CEO of Putrajaya Holdings.
The new, purpose-built campus will create opportunities
for up to 4,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students
to study a range of programmes in science, engineering,
business, mathematics and design, with a view to gaining
a UK-recognised degree.
The Principal said:
Opening a campus in Malaysia is an incredibly
exciting development for us. The move will see
Heriot-Watt provide the opportunity for thousands
of students from Malaysia and international markets
to take advantage of the same top-level degree
programmes available in the UK.
“This builds on the success of our Dubai Campus and
cements both the commitment to providing accessible,
high quality learning opportunities around the world
and our drive to secure valuable, mutually beneficial
relationships with students, industry and government
on an international scale.
Work on the new campus will commence in early 2012 and
is due for completion in 2014. The programmes will be rolled
out over three years, starting in 2012 with the MBA. Temporary
accommodation will be provided for staff and students until the
permanent campus is completed. A submission to the Ministry of
Higher Education, initiating the licensing process, has been made.
An artist's impression of the campus
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Software upgrade
Is it a new system?
No, it is a more up to date version of the one we currently use,
ORACLE e-Business Suite Version 11, which was introduced in 2004.
We are now upgrading this to Version 12 to improve the accuracy, timeliness,
completeness and transparency of our financial and management data.
Do we need the upgrade?
Yes. We have carried out a feasibility study and identified deficiencies with the
current system and looked at what users need. Following the feasibility study
a prototype was developed and demonstrated to Financial Controllers across
the University, who have responded very positively to the new system.
How is the implementation being managed?
A Project Board led by Ann Marie Dalton, Secretary of the University, has been
formed. The core team consists of Derek Jack, Gordon Duncan, John Scroggie
and Rohan King from the Finance team, as well as representatives from our
consultants and ORACLE’s support partner.
How can staff get involved?
The University is currently in the
process of upgrading its finance
software. Network spoke to one of
the project team, Gordon Duncan,
to find out more.
The support and contribution of all staff will be vital to ensure the success of
the project, and we wish to express our thanks to those who have contributed
to date and to those who will contribute as the project progresses. If you have
any questions about the project please email:
Oracle_R12_Project@hw.ac.uk
Millennium
Timeline
A series of carvings commemorating the history of
Heriot-Watt, from its inception in 1821 to the present
day, is nearing completion.
The Millennium Garden was initiated by the Site
Conservation Committee in 1999. The Timeline was
part of the original design for the Garden prepared by the
Landscape Consultant, Mike Browell of Weddle Landscape
Design. In 2010 John Spencely, former Director of Reiach
and Hall, Architects, the firm responsible for drawing
up the early development plans for the Campus and the
design of most of the buildings in the 1970’s, offered his
services to carve the stones.
Inscriptions describe several events including the opening
of the Mechanics Institute and Heriot-Watt being named
Scottish University of the Year in 2011.
With the sixteen stones now completed, plans are in hand
for their installation on the floor of one of the brochs in
the Millennium Garden in the new year.
John Spencely, sculptor
Annual fees agreed for students from England,
Northern Ireland or Wales
In September several Scottish Universities, including Heriot-Watt, announced the level of fees they would
be charging students from England, Northern Ireland or Wales.
Heriot-Watt announced that it’s annual fee would be £9,000
but that no student would face total tuition fees of more than
£27,000 for a three or four year Honours degree (except for
enhanced degrees).
Students with suitable A-Levels will be encouraged to enter at
Level 2. For those opting to enter at Level 1, the University will
entirely discount the tuition fee for that year. In addition,we will
be encouraging students to apply for a generous system of new
bursaries which will mean that for many students the overall cost
will be less than £27,000, and for some substantially less.
The new fee will apply to students from England, Northern Ireland
or Wales starting a full-time undergraduate programme in 2012.
It also applies to the additional final year (Level 5) of enhanced first
degrees such as MEng, MPhys, MChem and MMath.
On making the announcement the Principal said:
A Heriot-Watt degree is a positive investment
in future employment. Over 92% of our graduates
are in work or further study within six months of
graduation, with approximately three quarters of those
going straight into graduate level jobs. We have a strong
track record of securing internships, work placements
and industry experience and our world class research
and international links to industry, both in the public
and private sectors, provide our students with a head
start to making their degree work for them.
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Honorary Graduates
November 2011
01 Dr Vladimir P Mangazeev, in recognition of his outstanding contribution
to the development of opportunities in international higher education and
his leadership, through a distinguished career, in the advancement of the oil
and gas industry (Moscow Graduation).
02 Mr Nils-Odd Tonnevold, Connectum Family Wealth Management,
in recognition of his outstanding entrepreneurial achievement and leadership
in the field of investment management and his philanthropic work as an
inspirational role model for individuals overcoming disability.
01 02
03 04
03 Lord O’Neill of Clackmannan, in recognition of his distinguished political
career and outstanding service to national public life.
04 Sir Thomas Dalyell Loch, in recognition of his distinguished political career
and outstanding contribution to the promotion of public engagement with
science and technology.
05 Mr Ron Hewitt, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce,
in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of
Scotland’s economic wealth including, through his leadership of the
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, advancement of the reputation of
the City of Edinburgh as a leading centre for enterprise and investment.
06 Professor Cliff Beevers OBE, Professor Emeritus Heriot-Watt University,
in recognition of his significant contribution to mathematics education and
the development of innovative computer-based learning and assessment,
and excellence as an ambassador for Heriot-Watt.
07 Mr Ross Brawn, Team Principal Mercedes GP PETRONAS Formula One Team,
in recognition of his world class leadership and excellence in technological
innovation within the field of motor sport engineering.
08 Professor Martyn Poliakoff CBE, University of Nottingham, in recognition
of his pioneering contribution to the advancement of chemistry and chemical
engineering in the UK and his work to promote public engagement with
science and technology.
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07
06
08
Another HWL Gold Award
L-R: Sarah McMahon, Exercise Development Officer, Professor James Barbour,
NHS Lothian Chief Executive and Sharan Virdee, Equality and Diversity Advisor
The University has been re-awarded the Healthy
Working Lives (HWL) gold award.
The HWL Programme supports employers and
employees to develop health promotion and
safety themes in the workplace. The University
had to demonstrate the ways in which it
promotes health and well being in the workplace
such as through health and safety and mental
health awareness activities.
The award was presented at an event in Edinburgh
in November.
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Results of the Staff Survey 2011
1,172 (70%) of you took the time to complete the staff survey we ran in March and April.
This was a tremendous achievement and exceeded all expectations. This response rate
compares very favourably to the 44% achieved in the last staff survey in 2009.
The results were in the main very positive and we
have made great improvements in the last 18 months.
You can read the final report from the independent
organisation Ipsos MORI at http://www.hw.ac.uk/
focusonthefuture/people.htm
A key driver for carrying out any staff engagement survey
is that improvements happen at the team level. This is
where most people will feel the effect. Every one of you
should be invited to participate in a team discussion to
identify results in your team worthy of celebration as
well as review or improvement.
2013 Staff Engagement Survey aims
Question 2009 Result 2011 Result 2013 Aims
Response rate 44% 70% 70%
Confidence the University is
prepared for the challenges
facing higher education
– 55% 60%
Results in summary
Doing well
• Identification with University values
• Clear understanding of what is expected
• Pride in the University
• Safe and healthy working environment
• Adequate facilities to do role
• High levels of ‘happiness’
• Professional and personal support at work
Confidence that the results of
this survey will be acted upon
Management arrangements
work effectively in my School/
Section
28% 39% 50%
– 47% 55%
Room for development
• PDR benefits and understanding
• Transparency in the process for career advancement
• Opportunities to learn or refresh skills particularly with
longer serving colleagues
• Effective management arrangements
• Cautious optimism that the survey will be acted upon
For further information on the 2011 Staff Engagement Survey
contact Julie Dickson on:
Email: people.theme@hw.ac.uk or;
Ext: 8430
Another HWU win for the James Cooper Memorial Cup
Graduate, Dr Maja Piecyk, has won the James Cooper Memorial Cup for the best PhD on
a logistics topic in the UK, awarded by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
This is the second successive year and the third time in the last four years that
a Heriot-Watt PhD student has won this prestigious award. Maja is now a
lecturer in logistics in the School of Management and Languages.
The prize, in memory of Professor James Cooper, was inaugurated in 2000.
It is awarded annually to students at UK or Republic of Ireland universities
for research that makes an original contribution to the field and is directly
relevant to the management of the end-to-end supply chain.
Dr Maja Piecyk (R) receiving the James Cooper Memorial Cup
Maja, who undertook both her MSc in Logistics and a PhD in Logistics at
Heriot-Watt, was awarded the prize for her thesis titled ‘Analysis of Long-term
Freight Transport, Logistics and Related CO 2
Trends on a Business-as-Usual
Basis’. She was presented with a cash prize of £500 and the Memorial Cup
at the annual Logistics Research Network conference held in Southampton
during September.
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National
Design
Award
for SBE
student
Michael Bryan, a Sustainable
Community Design student from
the School of the Built Environment,
won the Integrated Habitat Design
Competition Award 2011, for
a plan called ShrubhillWorks, a
proposal for the redevelopment of
a brown-field site in Edinburgh. His
proposals involved 122 affordable
homes, shared communal facilities,
a community education centre and
sustainable transport connections.
It also linked urban and natural
environments, turning the site into
a new hub of biodiversity.
Gary Grant, independent ecologist
and Chair of the Competition
Judges, said:
The winning entry
integrates community, energy,
materials, water, food and
biodiversity. It would transform
a run-down inner city site into
a water-sensitive urban village
with permaculture at its heart.
Integration comes in the form
of waste and wastewater
treatment and rooftop gardens.
The site includes plenty of
wildlife habitat which links to
the wider ecological network
and species.
Principal receives new
International Mace
Jon Hunt, Hamilton & Inches
A new International Mace, produced by
Hamilton & Inches in Edinburgh, has been
accepted by Principal Steve Chapman.
The new mace is designed to reflect and
complement the original mace, which was
also produced by Hamilton & Inches.
The original mace was presented to the
University by The City of Edinburgh in 1966.
It was designed by Ian Davidson of the Edinburgh
College of Art and is worked in gold and silver
with a head incorporating twelve straps each
representing a department of the University at
that time, beneath which the boss bears the
Coats of Arms of the city and the University
chased in gold. The mace made its first public
appearance at the installation of the new
Chancellor, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, in April 1966.
The new, International Mace is based on
the original design but made specially to be
portable for use at international events and
the University’s international graduation
ceremonies. 18 inches tall, it is formed of two
sections, to fit into a specially designed travel
case. It was designed by Nicola Williams, the
Hamilton & Inches Chief Designer, and was
hand made in their George Street workshop
by Panos Kirkos.
The top of the mace is set with eight half
pearls to represent the University’s Schools
and Institutes, and the University crest features
on the main section and the base finial of
the piece.
Accepting the International Mace from
Hamilton & Inches Managing Director Stephen
Patterson and Silversmith Manager Jon Hunt,
accompanied by Academic Registrar and Deputy
Secretary Kathy Patterson, Professor Steve
Chapman said, “As Heriot-Watt’s international
standing and representation overseas has grown,
we recognised a need to ensure an appropriate
level of ceremonial presence for our international
graduands.
“The University Mace represents the authority
and independence of the University, its history
and the standing of the degrees being conferred.
We believe that the International Mace will help
to underline the significance of our international
profile and the global presence of our graduands
and their families.”
The International Mace, which was funded
by the Principal’s Fund, made its own first
public appearance at the Dubai Graduations
in November 2011, where it is now officially
homed.
Michael’s award winning design
Stephen Patterson, Steve Chapman, Kathy Patterson and Jon Hunt
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All change at
University Museum
News in brief
SeeByte wins
Heriot-Watt spin out company,
SeeByte won the Business Impact
Achieved Award at The Impact Awards
in Glasgow in June. The company
was also awarded the Marcus Kolb
Innovation Award by VideoRay at its
VIPS Conference in Key Largo, Florida
in October.
Heriot-Watt University Museum and Archive has reopened,
following refurbishment, with a new temporary display,
Trailblazers: Two Centuries of Innovation at Heriot-Watt.
This covers the University’s development from its origins in 1821 to its present worldwide
community of learning, from the engineering genius of James Nasmyth and James Watt and
our place in the struggle for women’s rights, to the development of the first optical computer
and the challenges of deep sea conservation.
In addition to this exhibition, other Heriot-Watt treasures are currently on loan to two of
Scotland’s national museums. Sir Francis Chantrey’s marble statue of James Watt, donated to
the University by St Paul’s Cathedral, takes pride of place in the Grand Hall of the New National
Museum of Scotland, just across the road from the University’s former home in Chambers Street.
One of the highlights of the University Art Collection, ‘Tulips and Indian Painting’, by Dame
Elizabeth Blackadder, is on loan to the National Galleries of Scotland for a major exhibition
to celebrate the 80th birthday of this world renowned artist, who is an honorary graduate
of Heriot-Watt University. The exhibition runs until 2 January 2012.
Meanwhile the University’s Archive, Records Management and Museum Service has changed
its name to Heritage and Information Governance, reflecting its responsibility for policy
and best practice on all aspects of information and records governance and heritage
management for the University, including information security, Data Protection
and Freedom of Information compliance.
Crucible recognised
Scottish Crucible, the award-winning
research development programme
for Scotland’s research leaders of the
future, was honoured by the City of
Glasgow in June with a special civic
reception at Glasgow City Chambers
attended by more than 100 guests
from academia, media, policy,
business and industry. In September,
Heriot-Watt Crucible was selected
as one of the three finalists for the
Leadership Foundation for Higher
Education’s ‘Good Practice Impact
Award 2011’.
Win for smart label
UWI Technology, a collaboration
between Pete Higgins and
Dr Will Shu, from Heriot-Watt,
won the Barclays 2011 ‘Take One
Small Step’ business competition.
Pete scooped £50,000 to support
the ongoing development and
expansion of the UWI Label which
shows when food is past its use
by date.
LASSIE is a Big Idea
Conservation of the James Watt statue
Photograph: Simon Hollington
'Tulips and Indian' painting
by Elizabeth Blackadder
LASSIE, the European wide
astro-chemistry consortium led by
Heriot-Watt, featured in the Big Ideas
for the Future document produced
by Research Councils UK. Projects
included in the document were
predicted to have ‘a profound
effect on our future.’
Photograph: Taylor Pearce
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A time machine
to study the future
of our oceans
A new laboratory which will simulate the
changing conditions of the seas around
Scotland over the next hundred years opened
at the Edinburgh Campus in September.
The quarter million pound project will simulate rising water
temperature and ocean acidification to see what effects they have
on native cold-water corals, an important ecosystem which helps
to support marine biodiversity.
The project is part of the UK Ocean Acidification Research
Programme, and has been funded and supported by the
Natural Environmental Research Council, the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Energy
and Climate Change and Heriot-Watt.
Dr J Murray Roberts, Director of the Centre for Marine
Biodiversity and Biotechnology, is leading the project.
Sound baking skills
Dr Carmen Torres-Sánchez, from the School
of Engineering and Physical Sciences, is part
of a joint research project which has secured
£500,000 funding to investigate the use of
sound waves in the food industry.
The Technology Strategy Board has provided £7m to more than
50 research projects and studies aimed at developing healthier,
safer and more nutritious food. The Heriot-Watt project ‘Baking
with Sound’ will be led by food ingredient manufacturer, Macphie
of Glenbervie, and, in addition to Heriot-Watt, includes Piezo
Composite Transducers, Mono Bakery Equipment and
Fosters Bakery.
The project will develop and commercialise a patented novel
technology that uses ultrasound to improve the quality and
nutritional value of bakery products, as well as making their
production more energy efficient. The technology has been covered
in a joint patent application between Macphie and Heriot-Watt.
The consortium’s overall vision is to introduce a new technology
that aids the bakery products supply chain so they can improve the
end-quality of foodstuffs. This project exploits the use of ultrasound
in an innovative way to control the physical and processing aspects
of ‘free-from‘ products such as gluten and salt-free products.
Heriot-Watt research
recognised by RSE
Heriot-Watt staff and projects were recognised by The Royal Society of
Edinburgh (RSE) at a special reception in August, which acknowledged
the wide range of activities engaged in by successful recipients of its
2011 Research Awards programme.
Heriot-Watt‘s Professor Alan Miller, the Research Awards
Convener, said:
This is my third and final year as the RSE’s Research
Awards Convener and I have enjoyed this role immensely.
It has allowed me to meet a vast range of researchers,
scholars, students and entrepreneurs, not only from
Scotland but from overseas as well.
Award winners at Heriot-Watt were:
Dr Chris Copus, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences,
Dr Bernadette O’Rourke, School of Management and Languages,
Scottish Crucible, (Dr Ruth Neiland and Professor Alan Miller) and
Dr Farid Amalou, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences.
(L-R) Dr Carmen Torres-Sánchez from Heriot-Watt with Ashley Baker,
Head of Research and Development at Macphie
MACS project wins
€3m funding
A project led and co-ordinated by Helen Hastie, a lecturer in
Computer Science in the School of Mathematical and Computer
Sciences, has received an EC FP7 research award worth over €3m.
The project, ‘PARLANCE’, aims to investigate interactive search
working in partnership with the Universities of Cambridge and
Geneva, and companies Yahoo!, Iberia, Centrale Research S.A.
and Isoco S.A.
The €3,625,000 award is shared among the six partners,
with Heriot-Watt benefiting to the tune of €841,000.
Helen said, “This is an exciting new collaboration with the goal of
providing interactive search through speech using local information
in English, Spanish and Mandarin.”
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The Network Interview
The employability of Heriot-Watt’s graduates was one of the factors which
contributed to the University achieving the title of Scottish University of the
Year. This is no accident. Since 2004, the University has made employability a
strategic objective. As part of this the Careers Service, in collaboration with the
Schools, has been engaged in an enhanced programme of activities aimed at
Nick Thow
enhancing the employability of our students. This has contributed to a significant
improvement in the University‘s graduate destination figures, with the latest Guardian league
tables placing the University in joint 9th positioning in the UK. Network spoke to Nick Thow,
Director of the Careers Service, to find out more about these activities.
Finding work after graduating is a key concern for today’s student.
However, increased competitiveness and the current economic
climate means it is more challenging than ever for graduates to
find employment, particularly if they lack experience. The Careers
Service within Heriot-Watt works with students and graduates to
help them into employment, through the provision of guidance,
advice and information.
Nick describes how they help students: “Firstly, we encourage
them to think about their career early on, so the choices they
make as students, such as course choice, are the right ones.
We also encourage them to proactively develop the skills and
experience they will need to enter their chosen career area.
Ideally this is through relevant work experience, but we also
recommend other activities, such as voluntary work or membership
of clubs or societies. We then offer guidance on how to market
these skills effectively to employers. The job market is so
competitive, sometimes 50 applicants apply for one graduate job,
so job application and interview skills are crucial.
Previously, the Service relied on students coming to centrally
delivered careers workshops on a voluntary basis. But this system
was becoming less effective, as Nick explains: “We were only
seeing the proactive students and were missing the others, usually
the students who needed the most guidance.
In 2004 we changed the way
we worked. Instead of waiting for
students to come to us, we went to them.
We collaborated with the Schools to
introduce blanket careers education
across all years of all programmes.
By including careers information as
part of the programme, often as assessed
courses, we were able to connect with
nearly every student.
This approach was a successful one which, combined with a
similar focus by Schools on enhancing student employability, helped
lead to an increase in the number of students entering graduate
employment or further study. The team were also recognised with
a Matrix award in 2007 for their innovative approach.
The project is now in its second stage. Nick continues, “We are
now working to increase the level of work related learning available
to students through employer engagement. Unfortunately finding
placements for all students is too costly and there just aren’t enough
to go round so we have identified other ways of bringing the
employers to the students.
“We have increased the number of careers fairs we hold from two
to six, which is the highest number in Scotland. We hold regular
employer presentations and even organise for employers to deliver
lectures on programme courses. For example a course we contribute
to in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences has six lessons
delivered by employers. We have also created a work experience
opportunities database, to help students find placements or
industrial projects. A couple of years ago we secured funding to
produce a series of employer sourced case studies which we now
run successfully with students to increase their business awareness
and employability skills.
“Another successful project is our career mentoring scheme,
where we pair students with graduates many of whom are alumni.
We are currently collaborating with Schools on specific subject
based programmes mentoring, such as the new programme in
Construction Management and Surveying in the School of the Built
Environment.”
The University rose from 78th in 2003/4 for graduate employment/
further study to 15th in the Guardian 2011 university employment
league table and is evidence that the collaborative approach
between the Careers Service and the Schools has been a
successful one.
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Heriot-Watt students
build car for Silverstone
Students from the School of Engineering and Physical
Sciences built a car which competed at the Formula
Student Competition at Silverstone in July.
The Formula Student Competition challenges university
students from around the world to design and build a
single-seat racing car, which is then put to the test at the
famous Silverstone Circuit. The event, launched in 1998,
is organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
The students are challenged to produce a prototype
car for evaluation. The car must be low in cost, easy to
manufacture, easy to maintain, and reliable, with high
performance in terms of its acceleration, braking, and
handling qualities. Each car then goes through a rigorous
testing process and is rated on several categories including
design, safety and fuel economy.
Scottish Borders Campus
A series of employer talks is organised by the Service
to complement those run by the School of Textiles and
Design and both collaborate on a self employment
training event called Get Started. The School’s graduates
have performed particularly well in comparison to their
counterparts at other universities over the past few years.
Dubai Campus
The appointment in 2010 of Kathryn Taylor, Student
Experience Officer, at the Dubai Campus has led to
enhanced careers service provision for Dubai students.
Kathryn is working to ensure students receive the same
level of service as those on the Scottish Campuses, whilst
taking into account the specific cultural business and
recruitment practices within the UAE. Kathryn is focusing
on building up contacts with employers, helping students
increase their skills and extending the Career Day where
students get the opportunity to network with and hear
from key employers.
The Heriot-Watt team, consisting of 11 Mechanical
Engineering students and one Physics student, worked
on the car since September 2010. They were led by
Mr Ian Black, Liaison Officer for the project and Dr Bruce
Davies, Technical Consultant, as well as technical staff
from the School. This is the second year that the team has
entered. They reached 53rd place out of 79 cars in the
Class One competition.
Mr Black said, “Our students gain so much from being
part of the Formula Student event. They obviously develop
their technical skills through building the car, but they
also acquire management, marketing and people skills.
The students also get to network with students from all
over the world at the event at Silverstone. It is a fantastic
experience for them.”
The University Principal, Steve Chapman, unveiled the car
at a special event held at the Edinburgh Campus. The event
was attended by University staff and external organisations
which have supported the project including Chevron,
Russell Paterson Morgan, Grant Racing, Titan Motorsport,
Westgarage Engineering, R&D Palmer LLP, Two Wheels,
Knockhill Racing Circuit, AP Racing, Beowulf, Goodridge
Fluid Transfer Systems, Compomotive Motorsport Wheels,
DTA Race Electronics and the Heriot-Watt Alumni Fund.
The Heriot-Watt team with their car
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New shores
Professor Patrick Corbett is heading to Brazil in January 2012 on secondment from
Heriot-Watt as the BG Group Technology’s Professor of Petroleum Geoengineering.
Network spoke to Patrick to find out more.
What is the secondment?
In 2000 BG Group, in partnership with the Brazilian company
Petrobras, acquired a number of license blocks offshore Brazil.
An initial discovery was announced in 2006 and to date has been
followed by a string of further discoveries and successful wells.
The discoveries have been enormous, with hydrocarbon reservoirs
in water depths of 2.2km under various formations including a thick
layer of salt. These discoveries opened up a vast resource more than
200km from shore (equivalent in potential to the whole North Sea).
Petrobras is spending $200 billion to develop these resources and
BG Group, the company that was created after British Gas demerged
the UK gas distribution business Centrica (the familiar ‘British Gas’
name is retained by Centrica in the UK).
As part of BG Group‘s Brazilian licenses, it is obliged to spend
1% of its gross revenues on technology in Brazil and is creating a
Global Technology Centre (GTC) in Rio, which will be staffed by
technology co-ordinators who will programme manage research
projects to be delivered by universities and service companies.
The centre will be built close to the Federal University of Rio de
Janeiro (UFRJ) and will be operational by the end of 2013. My role
is to help them establish research and teaching programmes in UFRJ,
in other universities and in the BG Group Carbonate Centre.
How long will you be in Brazil for?
We are going to spend two years there, although BG Group
suggested I might stretch it to two and a half years in order to be
there for the 2014 World Cup! After establishing good links I will
probably be making regular trips to Rio for many years to come.
Photography: KeiJan Wu
A specimen in the Rio’s Botanical Gardens
Patrick below the ‘Two Brothers mountains’ on Ipanema Beach
Where will you be living and working?
We will be living in downtown Rio in a cosmopolitan community
with all the amenities that Rio has to offer. For my daily commute,
Schlumberger has offered me the opportunity to travel in its coach
out to Fundao Island each day, thus saving my carbon footprint.
Fundao Island is the location of UFRJ, Petrobras‘ Cenpes Research
Centre, and the home of Schlumberger and Baker Hughes research
centres on a technology park. I will split my time between UFRJ and
BG Group‘s offices downtown, with visits to Petrobras, other sponsors
and other universities around Brazil. There are many Heriot-Watt
alumni working on Fundao and in Rio so I will be amongst friends.
What appealed to you about the move?
Before coming to Heriot-Watt in 1989, I lived as an expat with a
young family in Indonesia, where I was working as an Exploration
Manager for Unocal (now owned by Chevron). Moving to Scotland
for a great education for my three children (and a PhD for myself
and Master‘s for my wife) was the prime motivation for me to leave
the industry. My youngest son is now a 4th year university student,
with the elder two working, so Kate and I feel it's time to go back to
gain more international experience. Being an expat again will have its
ups and downs but the Corbetts have experienced these before and
know what they are taking on!
After 22 years at Heriot-Watt, I felt that I needed a fresh challenge
and further opportunity to pursue my life‘s work in oil and gas
geoengineering research. Carbonates are the most challenging rocks
to get oil out of and after 32 years in the business, I feel ready to
really work on these porosity systems. The BG Group opportunity
is one that very few individuals would be so lucky to get in their
career, and comes very much at the right time. The Institute of
Petroleum Engineering has the largest MSc programme in Petroleum
Engineering in the world, so this opportunity has the potential to
establish the University as a global research leader and assist Brazilian
universities in the same mission, an opportunity no alumnus would
want to turn down!
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The Spirit of
Heriot-Watt Winners
The winners of the annual Spirit of Heriot-Watt
Awards were announced at a ceremony in June.
But what makes a Spirit of Heriot-Watt Winner?
Network found out what was said about these
colleagues at the presentation of the awards.
PRIDE AND BELONGING
Kathryn Muir, Institute of Petroleum Engineering
“Kathryn’s nominations highlighted the range of
activities she’s been involved with during her time
at Heriot-Watt. Her professionalism, her active role
with the trade unions and her impact on the working
environment have all featured in her numerous
nominations.”
PURSUING EXCELLENCE
OUTWARD LOOKING
Peter Heron, Technician,
School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
“Peter’s nominations highlighted his length of service
with Heriot-Watt, his innovative approach to his role
and his ability to support others through sharing his
extensive knowledge.”
Jim Herd, Lecturer,
School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
“Jim’s nominations referred particularly to his extensive
outreach work with schools across the country, with
his efforts showing real dividends in terms of student
numbers but also giving school age students a taste
of robotics early on.”
Success for
Estate Services
apprentices
Trades apprentices in Estate Services were
presented with a certificate for completing
their training.
The certificates of Completion of Indenture of
Apprenticeship were presented to David Wood,
Callum McLean, Daniel Hawkes and Michael Doonan
by the Principal, Professor Steve Chapman.
During 2005 Estate Services developed and provided
a business case which supported a Trades Apprentice
Training Programme.
Over the four year training period the apprentices
undertook formal training programmes which consisted of:
• On-the-job training under instruction from Journeyman
Tradesmen within Estate Services
• Trades Skills Training Centre training
• Formal courses of study at the local colleges
All four apprentices achieved a satisfactory training level
qualifying as skilled craftsman in their respective trades, a
very creditable 100% success rate for them, Estate Services
and the University.
Three of the apprentices were subsequently offered
employment at the end of their apprenticeships as
Tradesmen within Estate Services.
Estate Services will be undertaking an internal review of
the Apprentice Training Programme with a view to bringing
forward a case for recruiting again during April 2012 for
apprentices to commence their formal apprenticeship in
August 2012 as this aligns with the commencement of
associated college training courses.
VALUING AND RESPECTING EVERYONE
Sheila Meikle, Undergraduate Admissions Officer,
Recruitment and Admission Service
“Sheila’s nomination paid particular attention to
producing high quality work and going that extra
mile to provide much needed support to her work
colleagues.”
SHAPING THE FUTURE
Maggie King, Assistant Registrar,
Academic Registry
“Maggie’s nomination has shown the huge
contribution she has made to processes that directly
link to the longevity of our approach to learning and
teaching. Shaping the Future in a tangible way.”
David Wood, Daniel Hawkes and Callum McLean
receive their certificates from the Principal
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Retirements
Ruth Walker, Senior Lecturer in Weave in the School
of Textiles and Design at the Scottish Borders Campus,
took early retirement after 20 years service. In addition
to her teaching, Ruth also had the unenviable task of
co-ordinating the timetables for the School for the last
five years. Ruth designed the Children in Need tartan
in 2008, which generated considerable publicity for
the University.
Mike Fitchett, the University‘s Director of Sport and
Exercise, retired on 9 August after a long and distinguished
career. Mike was integral in the creation and success of
several top class sporting facilities including the Centre
for Sport and Exercise, the East of Scotland Institute of
Sport, the Sports Academy, the Squash National Training
and Competition Centre and the Elite Sports Strength and
Conditioning Facility.
Appointments
Director of Campus Services
Malcolm Deans has been appointed
the new Director of Campus Services.
He will take up his post in January
2012.
Malcolm comes to Heriot-Watt
University from his current position
as Managing Director of Stewart
Milne Developments, the commercial
development division of Stewart Milne
Group. He has worked in the property
sector for more than thirty years.
Ann Marie Dalton, Secretary of the
University, said, “I am delighted
that we have recruited someone of
Malcolm Deans’s experience and
expertise. Malcolm has extensive
experience of guiding strategic
developments and generating value
from an estate. I am very much
looking forward to working with
him on our ambitious plans for the
future.”
Director of Human Resources
Mark Adderley took up his post as
the new Director of Human Resources
on 24 October 2011.
Mark joins Heriot-Watt from NHS
Ayrshire and Arran where he was
Executive Director for People and
Organisational Development.
Mark is a former Chief Executive of
the National Trust for Scotland, where
he modernised and improved services;
and, as Human Resources and
Business Services Director for Scottish
Water, he was part of the Executive
team tasked with merging three water
authorities into one.
Mike Fitchett (centre) with his family and the Principal
Brian Robertson and Tom Finlay
An event was held in August to mark the retirement
of two members of staff from the Edinburgh Campus -
Brian Robertson, from the Mail Room and Tom Finlay,
Lord Balerno Building Janitor. Brian had been with the
University since August 1993, initially as a Patrol Janitor
before moving to the Mail Room in October 1997.
Tom started out as a Residence Porter in July 2000,
moving to his janitor post in 2003.
Malcolm Deans
Mark Adderley
Roger Gray Memorial Prize
The first recipient of the Roger Gray Memorial Prize in Statistics was announced
in June as Han Chun Chua, a student in the School of Mathematical and
Computer Sciences.
The prize was inaugurated following the tragic death in 2011 of Roger Gray,
Senior Lecturer in the Department
of Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics.
It will be awarded annually to an
undergraduate for excellence in
statistics with a cash prize.
Brian and Tom
Professor Angus Macdonald,
Head of the Department of Actuarial
Mathematics and Statistics, said,
“Roger was known to staff and
students alike as an outstanding
teacher. His death just as he was
about to retire was a great shock.
It is characteristic that he should have
left a bequest to establish a prize in
the discipline he had served so well.”
Han Chun Chua
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Obituaries
Donald MacDonald MBE
Donald MacDonald MBE,
the former Heriot-Watt Public
Relations Officer, died on 31
October. Donald served Heriot-
Watt for more than 27 years,
from 1968 to 1995. In addition
to his role as Public Relations
Officer, he acted as Secretary
of The Watt Club and worked
Donald MacDonald MBE
tirelessly to sustain the national
and international network of
Heriot-Watt people. He was awarded the St Olav’s medal for his
services in furthering Scottish-Norwegian understanding, an MBE
for his services to education, and an honorary Master of Letters
from the University.
Donald’s love of music, particularly opera, was reflected in the
establishment of the University’s Music Society, of which he was
a founder.
Dr Elaine Bullard MBE
A Heriot-Watt honorary graduate,
Dr Bullard died on 19 August
aged 96. Elaine was an Orkney
botanist whose work recording
the botanical heritage of the
archipelago raised new awareness
of the importance of conserving
one of Scotland’s richer wild
collections. Her official role was
Dr Elaine Bullard MBE
botanical recorder for Orkney for
the Botanical Society of the British
Isles (BSBI), a post she held for 46 years until retiring at 93.
Most remarkable is the means by which such field work was
undertaken – she had little money from her pension, but travelled
around in an old Robin Reliant three-wheeler onto which she had
constructed a make-shift tent.
Her extraordinary efforts were recognised with the award of an
MBE in 1981 and a Heriot-Watt honorary doctorate in 2007.
Professor Charles Brown
Professor Charles Brown, the former Vice-Principal of the University,
died at his home on 11 October. Universally known as ‘Charlie‘
Brown, Professor Brown came to Heriot-Watt in 1979 as Professor
of Microbiology and served as Head of the Department of Biological
Sciences from 1988-1993. He was the founder Director of the
International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD), which was
established in 1988, and served as Dean of the Faculty of Science
from 1993-1995.
He was Vice-Principal at Heriot-Watt University from 1995-1999,
and then Deputy Principal/Assistant Principal (Resources).
He retired from this post in September 2001 to take up a position
as an executive director at the Edinburgh Business School,
a position he held until retiring in 2006.
Dr Rowena Forbes
Dr Rowena Forbes, Research Administrator in
the School of Management and Languages
(SML), died on 6 September. Rowena took up
an administrative position in Languages and
Dr Rowena Forbes Intercultural Studies in 1999, where colleagues
relied on her encyclopaedic knowledge of
programme structures, student mitigating circumstances and
university regulations. When in doubt, the answer was always
‘ask Rowena‘. She continued in that vein, doing a sterling job on
her move to SML’s Research and Knowledge Exchange office.
Rowena also had a career as a broadcaster. Characteristically,
she used her experience of deteriorating eyesight, caused by
Retinitis Pigmentosa, to embrace new challenges and she
appeared regularly on BBC Radio 4‘s In Touch with Peter White.
Having overcome cancer some months ago, she faced its
unexpected return with great courage and spirit.
Dr Roderick Ferguson
Dr Ferguson, Computer Officer
in the School of Engineering and
Physical Sciences, died suddenly
but peacefully, after a long illness,
on 13 September 2011, aged 54.
Roderick, known by his Heriot-
Watt friends and colleagues as
‘Rod’, joined Heriot-Watt in 1988,
Dr Roderick Ferguson
as part of Professor Iain Cowie's
Chemistry Research Group.
He took positions of responsibility within the Chemistry Department
Analytical Services and more recently in IT as Computer Officer.
To those who interacted with him, Rod was a very kind and
gentle man, always willing to offer advice or help, and to resolve
any problem of a mathematical or computer nature to the full.
He had a great love of singing, was an able guitarist and a man
of great Christian faith.
Dr Tony Button
Dr Anthony Button died in August 2011. Dr Button was a member
of an early cohort of PhD graduates produced by Heriot-Watt when
it became a University in 1966. He was a Chairman of Watney Mann
and Truman Brewing Group (WMBG) whilst still supporting research
and education development at this University and at the Brewing
Research Foundation in Surrey.
Dr Button played a major part in the development of Heriot-Watt’s
International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) in 1989, serving
on the various committees that established the ICBD and making
regular trips from London. With his support, a £1m grant was
secured from the Scotch Whisky Association to develop the ICBD.
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A Year in the Life
Paul Jowitt, Heriot Watt’s Professor of Civil Engineering Systems and Executive Director
Scottish Institute of Sustainable Technology, was the Institution of Civil Engineers’ 145th
President in 2009-2010. Here he writes about the highlights of his Presidential year.
Professor Paul Jowitt
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is the world’s
oldest professional engineering institution, founded in
1818. Its first President was the Scot, Thomas Telford,
whose period of office lasted from 1820 until his death in 1834.
Thankfully, Presidents nowadays serve for just one year!
The role of the ICE President is several-fold: chairing the ICE Council
which is the Trustee body of the Institution; Ambassadorial, internally
to its 80,000 members worldwide and externally to key stakeholders
ranging from Governments to society at large; and in providing
Strategic Leadership for the profession.
It all makes for a hectic year which takes the President to places
from the ICE’s magnificent headquarters building – One Great
George Street in Westminster, to all regions of the UK and to
places across the world to meet some of its 30,000 overseas
members. All in all, it makes for a rollercoaster year, but a
memorable one. And it leads to unexpected reunions in unexpected
places, in my case with some fellow students from my UG days
at Imperial, many students I’d taught (some of whom kindly said
they seemed to have benefitted from the experience!) and some
former colleagues I’d worked with on various projects whilst at
Imperial College, Heriot-Watt and SISTech.
The year as President has a traditional rhythm set by particular
events, starting with the Presidential Address (‘Now is the Time’).
There is a syncopation provided by many other events – presiding
over specialist conferences on such as Innovate to Survive, the
Role of Infrastructure in International Development, Infrastructure
Investment in Zimbabwe and so on, but perhaps mainly by
the visits overseas. There is a programmed cycle to these (they
aren’t undertaken on the whim of the President)! But they can
accommodate some of the President’s particular themes for the
year, in my case Critical Infrastructure, International Development
and supporting Young Engineers. All these have been recurrent
themes of my professional life.
This was of strategic importance and reflected by my three key
themes.
I was also involved in the President’s Apprentice scheme, which
allows a small group of young engineers to work-shadow the
President during his/her year of office. My Presidential themes for
the year prompted a radical change in the format of the Apprentice
Scheme; they would work with me and lead tutors Charles Ainger
(MWH) and Ron Watermeyer (SS Inc, South Africa) to produce an
engineers toolkit for international development. It also meant that
the net for the recruitment of the Apprentices would have to be
cast wider than the UK to include graduate engineers who were
actually working overseas. The twelve 2009-2010 Apprentices
came from the UK, China, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka,
Ghana, Hong Kong and Zimbabwe. Twelve different first degrees
(including graduates from both Imperial and Heriot-Watt!).
The result was ‘An Engineers Toolkit for a Developing World‘
(www.ice.org.uk/patoolkit), an open source set of materials
and ideas to help engineers plan and deliver infrastructure for
international development, poverty alleviation and the
UN Millennium Development Goals.
The Toolkit had its International Launch in Ghana in April 2011
at the Ghana Institution of Engineers in Accra to over 60 engineers
and then to over 350 students at the Kwame Nkruma University of
Science and Technology in Kumasi. Funding has been received from
the Royal Academy of Engineering’s ‘Ingenious‘ public engagement
scheme to roll-out the Toolkit in the UK to companies, universities,
school students and civil society. Twelve events are planned, and the
search has begun to find suitable venues in each of the UK’s 12 ICE
regions. Plans are in hand to extend the Toolkit contents and turn it
into an i-App, and UNESCO are funding the printing of 4,000 hard
copy samples of the Toolkit for worldwide distribution.
There is no doubt that the successful delivery of the Toolkit was
the highlight of my year as President, a year full of so many.
There were many who doubted it was possible and in the lead-in
to my Presidency I was often asked ‘what was Plan B?‘ There was
no Plan B. The Apprentices delivered. And that is what we expect
our graduates to do. To deliver. To be confident.
And to know your subject and its context.
Now is the Time!
I visited Christchurch, New Zealand to deliver the Hopkins Lecture
two days before the first earthquake in 2010. Other visits took me
to the Middle East (including Heriot-Watt’s Campus in Dubai), Paris,
Vancouver, Hong Kong and Sweden, the first ICE President to visit
there since Telford! But undoubtedly the most important overseas
visit was to Africa where I visited Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania.
Paul and his 12 President's Apprentices at
the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban
20 network magazine

people
Awards, Achievements
and Accolades…
Dr Joanne Porter, Lecturer in Marine Biology
in the School of Life Sciences was elected
as Zoological Representative to the Council
of the Linnean Society. This role will involve
advising on issues pertinent to the Society
such as biodiversity conservation and
climate change.
Dr Joanne Porter
Dr Fiona Grant, Director of Studies for
Construction Management and Surveying
in the School of the Built Environment,
has become the Vice-Chair of the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors Scotland
2011/2012.
Professor Geoff Palmer, Professor Emeritus
in the School of Life Sciences, is to be made
a freeman of Midlothian. He will join Nelson
Mandela as one of a select band of people
who have received this honour.
Professor Geoff Palmer
Professor Angus Macdonald, Head of
Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics in the
School of Mathematical and Computer
Sciences, was awarded the prestigious
Finlaison Medal by the Institute and Faculty
of Actuaries. The award reflects Angus‘s
substantial international reputation in
research and his service to the UK actuarial
profession over the last 25 years.
Neil Cowan, of Hospitality Services,
gained his Nebosh General Certificate in
Occupational Health and Safety Management
over the summer.
Doak Ross, a fifth-year MEng Robotics
and Cybertronics student, was shortlisted
in the 2011 SET Awards in the category of
Mechanical Engineering.
Professor Desmond Smith, who set up
the University Department of Physics at the
Edinburgh Campus in 1970 and founded
University spin-out Edinburgh Instruments
Ltd, was presented with a prestigious Royal
Society of Edinburgh Royal Medal by the
Duke of Edinburgh.
HRH Duke of Edinburgh with Desmond Smith
Dr Fiona Grant
Ross Donaldson, a fourth year Heriot-
Watt Physics student was awarded the Best
Presentation prize at the International Physics
Conference held in Budapest.
Ross Donaldson
Professor Angus Macdonald
Professor Andrew Cairns, from the School
of Mathematical and Computer Sciences,
won the annual prize for the best paper in
the North American Actuarial Journal for
the year 2009. Professor Cairns was also
appointed to the Index Oversight Committee
of the Life and Longevity Markets Association
in June.
Marine renewables PhD student Robert
Beharie was awarded a prize at the
SuperGen Marine Energy Annual Assembly
2011 for the Terobuoy, a device he developed
which could measure the onshore effects of
offshore wave energy.
Samantha Fenn-Johnston, a graduate from
the School of Textiles and Design, scooped
The New Designers Harlequin Award in July.
Harlequin is considered one of the premier
brands in the decorative interiors market.
Mr Fourat Haider (PhD student) and
Dr Cheng-Xiang Wang (Reader in Electrical,
Electronic and Computer Engineering)
received two prestigious ‘Best Paper Awards‘
at the IEEE 2011 International Conference
on Communication Technology.
Two Heriot-Watt researchers, Chandra Mouli
Natarajan and Tobi Lamour, have begun
prestigious one year entrepreneurial
fellowships at Stanford University in
California, USA. The SU2P Science Bridges
scheme is aimed at strengthening links
between Scottish Universities and Stanford
in photonics research.
Professor Mark Schaffer, from the School
of Management and Languages, gave a
seminar at the World Bank in June.
Professor Mark Schaffer
network magazine 21

people
Royal Guests
Staff from Heriot-Watt attended Royal
Garden Parties at both Buckingham
and Holyrood Palace over the summer.
Judy Robertson, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science,
attended the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham
Palace in June. She was nominated to attend the event
by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC) for research funded by the Partnership
for Public Engagement programme. She helped to train
32 computing teachers in how to run game-making projects with their classes,
using software developed on a previous EPSRC grant.
Lifetime
Achievement Award
Gerry Tonner, one of the founders of SCHOLAR, was
presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at
the SCHOLAR Conference which took place in June.
More than 177 delegates attended the conference from
all over Scotland including teachers, representatives from
Scottish Government, Learning and Teaching Scotland
and the British Council.
The purpose of this initiative is to encourage children to become interested
in computer science by giving them sustained opportunities to work on
motivating computer science projects. The project had over 1,000 children
working with game-making in schools with over 16,000 hours of computer
science learning.
Two members of the Heriot-Watt domestic staff also attended the Royal
Garden Party at the Palace of Holyrood in July. Lorraine Melrose and Evelyn
Smith (pictured above) took part in the event and thoroughly enjoyed their
afternoon, saying it was a memorable occasion for them both.
Watt Jog group wins prize
Watt Jog was awarded the Healthy Working Lives jogscotland Workplace
Group of the Year Award.
Members of the Heriot-Watt team were presented with the award at the
scottishathletics and jogscotland Awards Ceremony in October. The team
was recognised for its commitment to promoting the physical, mental
and social benefits of outdoor, group exercise.
Watt Jog was established in 2006 and has gone from strength to strength.
The group meets every Monday and Wednesday evening from 5.30pm at
the Centre for Sport and Exercise, Edinburgh Campus. All the leaders are
volunteers and are seen in all weathers around campus in their fetching
Watt Jog tops!
If you fancy joining in with this award winning group either head along to
reception in the Centre for Sport and Exercise just before the session starts
or contact Sarah McMahon on 0131 451 8419 or s.mcmahon@hw.ac.uk
for further information.
Gerry Tonner receives award
Charity Update
Book Sale
The book sale at the Edinburgh Campus, held in
October, raised more than £1,500 for St.Columba’s
Hospice and CHAS. Well done to the organisers,
Another fair is planned for February/March in 2012.
Moonwalk
Carol Macrae, Domestic Assistant, raised nearly £300
for charity by taking part in the Edinburgh Moonwalk.
Carol successfully completed the course in under nine
hours, with the sponsorship from her colleagues in
Estate Services.
Wear It Pink
Many staff and students in the Dubai, Scottish Borders
and Edinburgh Campuses raised money for Wear it Pink
Day on 28 October.
Youling Sun, Olwyn Alexander, Paul Thomas and Mandy McInnes
Charity Trash Music Workshop at the
Edinburgh Campus for Wear it Pink
22 network magazine

people
Sport Update
Olympic hopefuls
Congratulations to the following Heriot-Watt
students who are among Scottish Olympic and
Paralympic hopefuls selected for national sports
scholarships:
Hockey:
Fraser Sands
Judo:
Stephanie Inglis
Squash:
Ewen Urquhart
Swimming: Kathryn Johnstone
and Craig McNally
Women’s football: Hayley Lauder
Karate:
Calum Robb
Hockey
Heriot-Watt Men’s Hockey Club was heavily
involved in Inverleith Hockey Club’s pre-season
tournament in Northern Ireland. Among the
substantial squad of 23 were nine past and
present members of Heriot-Watt who had a
major part to play in the tournament victory.
Swimming
Several Heriot-Watt students had success at
the British Universities and Colleges Sport Short
Course Swimming Championships in Sheffield
in November. Heriot-Watt finished eighth place
overall out of 60 universities.
Football
Hayley Lauder, a third year Sports Science
student, was selected to play for Scotland‘s
women‘s football team at three international
matches and also scored in one, against Finland.
Karate
Students Calum Robb and Mark Wylie
had success at the British International
Open Karate Championships held in October
in Glasgow. Calum won the gold medal in
the Heavyweight and Open Weight categories,
while Mark won a bronze medal in the
Male-68kgs category. Both Mark and Calum
won gold medals as part of the winning team
in the ‘Male Team’ category. Calum also won
a gold medal when he competed at the
European Universities Karate Championships
in Bosnia in August.
Athletics
Student Jamie Bowie was part of the Great
Britain team that won Gold in the 4x400m relay
at the European Under 23 Championships.
Judo
Patrick Dawson, a first year Combined Studies
student, won a gold medal at the 2011 Welsh
Senior Open Judo competition at the Welsh
Institute of Sport in October.
Rowing
Two Heriot-Watt students, James Scott and
Gregor Hall, won gold medals at the British
Universities and Colleges Sport Small Boats
Championships in October. James and
Gregor also competed at the British Rowing
Championships at the National Water Sport
Centre, Nottingham in August, where they
reached fourth place in their two events.
James Scott and Gregor Hall
Jamie Bowie
Calum Robb
Marking their
HWU anniversaries
Student’s design in London store
The Scottish Academy of Fashion held an exclusive preview in July, showcasing
the achievements of its first full year.
Evelyn Smith
Patricia Waring
Four designs from the Academy selected by Mackintosh for their London
flagship store were unveiled, one of which was designed by Heriot-Watt fashion
student Pamela Aitken. The audience included industry, academia, Showcase
partners Creative Scotland,
Textiles Scotland and the Scottish
Funding Council which provided
initial funding for the Academy.
Two members of staff were recognised for their length
of service at the Edinburgh Campus in November.
Colleagues held celebratory events for Evelyn Smith,
Domestic Assistant, who has been here for 30 years
and Patricia Waring, Human Resources Administrator,
who has been here for 20 years.
Pamela’s design, a pale grey coat with
accentuated tail, on the far left
Current academic partners of
the Academy are Heriot-Watt,
Edinburgh College of Art,
Glasgow Caledonian University
and Robert Gordon University.
network magazine 23

Recreating
the past
Having a hobby gives you something
fascinating to talk about with others.
This is particularly true for Nicole
Kipar, Academic Enhancement
Coordinator at the Edinburgh Campus,
whose hobby, late 17th century clothing
and customs, is so fascinating it has led her
to become a sought after speaker on the subject.
Nicole, who is a costume historian in her spare time, gives
public talks and lectures all over the country, at an assortment
of venues including the Costume Society of Scotland and
Scottish Embroidery Guild charters.
Nicole explains how her interest began. “I was always fascinated
with the late Stuart era, from 1660 to 1714. I love its customs, its
clothes, the playwrights and artists of the time. Back in 1998, I could
not find any re-enactment groups focusing on this era, so I set up my
own living history group called L’Âge d’Or (the Golden Age). We took
part in re-enactment events across all of England and I also made a
lot of the costumes. My involvement in these stopped in 2006 when
I moved from Kent to Scotland, where these events are less popular.”
Nicole’s interest then focused more on giving talks and lectures
at which she demonstrates the costumes typical of the time with
handmade outfits.
Nicole explains the process, “I make sure every detail is as true to
the time as possible. As an educator I never compromise on this.
I am portraying history, so it has to be right.”
This attention to detail has meant spending hundreds of hours and
thousands of pounds producing the garments. “For the mantua dress
(pictured), which was worn by nobility in the 1700’s, I sourced 19th
century handmade lace that had copied 17th century needle lace.
Luckily, my mother taught me to sew and embroider so I can make
many garments myself, but where I cannot replicate a particular
detail I employ other experts such as historical tailors, shoemakers,
wigmakers, lacemakers and even blacksmiths.”
So how does Nicole manage to find the time for such creative
pursuits? “I am never idle. Any spare time I have is spent on this
and other creative pursuits. The idea of coming home from
work and sitting in front of the television is just not me, in fact
I don’t even own one!”
Images from left to right:
1660's lady, 1700's lady in mantua dress and 1660's housewife
For more information visit: www.kipar.org
Dates for your diary 2011/12
Friday 16 Dec 2011
University Carol Service
All are welcome to attend
this free event in the Student
Union, Edinburgh Campus,
at 12.30pm – 2.30pm.
Until Friday 16 Dec 2011
Arts and Crafts, Art Deco
and the Atomic Age
An exhibition of items from the
Textile Collection to mark the
60th anniversary of the Festival
of Britain, the 150th anniversary
of the founding of Morris & Co
and 160th anniversary of the
Great Exhibition.
Reception and Library,
Main Building,
Scottish Borders Campus.
Friday 27 Jan 2012
Lunchtime Music Hour
Rotary Club Young Musician
Competition. The music hour
takes place in the Student
Union, Edinburgh Campus.
All concerts start at 12.30pm
and last for approximately 50
minutes. Food and beverages
are available before, after and
during the concerts. Lunch
may be taken into the venue.
12.30pm – 13.30pm.
Friday 3 Feb 2012
Lunchtime Music Hour
Allan Neave – Classical Guitar.
See details for 27 January.
Sunday 5 Feb 2012
Heriot-Watt University
Anniversary Service
All are welcome to attend this
event at the Currie Kirk, Currie,
Edinburgh.
10.00am – 12.00pm.
Monday 6 Feb 2012
Heriot-Watt University
Chaplaincy Annual
Lecture
James Watt Centre, Edinburgh
Campus. 6.00pm – 9.00pm.
Friday 10 Feb 2012
Lunchtime Music Hour
Ian Melrose – Celtic Guitar.
See details for 27 January.
Sunday 12 Feb 2012
The Choirs of
Heriot-Watt University
All are welcome to this event at
St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.
6.00pm – 9.00pm.
Sunday 19 Feb 2012
The Orchestra of
Heriot-Watt University
All are welcome to this event at
St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.
6.00pm – 9.00pm.
Thursday 23 Feb 2012
Inaugural Lecture –
Professor Sebastian
Geiger
Edinburgh Campus.
Exact venue and time tbc, visit
www.hw.ac.uk/res/lectures.html
for more information.
Friday 24 Feb 2012
Lunchtime Music Hour
Jamie Akers – Lute.
See details for 27 January.
Wednesday 29 Feb 2012
Rotary Club
International Young
Musician Competition –
Zone Final
Lecture Theatre 4,
Edinburgh Campus. 7.00pm.
Thursday 22 Mar 2012
Inaugural Lecture –
Professor Steve
McLaughlin
Edinburgh Campus.
Exact venue and time tbc, visit
www.hw.ac.uk/res/lectures.html
for more information.
Tuesday 15 May 2012
University Choir
and Orchestra
Dvorak: Te Deum and Czech
Suite. James Watt Centre,
Edinburgh Campus.
7.30pm – 10.00pm.
Saturday 30 June 2012
Inchcolm New Music
Ensemble
New music inspired by the
plainchant from Inchcolm.
Venue TBC. 7.30pm.