Issue 16 Autumn 2012 - Brunel University
Issue 16 Autumn 2012 - Brunel University
Issue 16 Autumn 2012 - Brunel University
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
AUTUMN <strong>2012</strong> :: <strong>Issue</strong> <strong>16</strong><br />
Made in<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> <strong>2012</strong><br />
Former record-breaking<br />
sailor Dame Ellen<br />
MacArthur tells Express<br />
about her interest<br />
in design and her<br />
bold ambitions for a<br />
sustainable future<br />
National Student<br />
Survey<br />
Union of <strong>Brunel</strong> Students<br />
ranked top in London<br />
London <strong>2012</strong><br />
Round Up<br />
Kate Walsh brings<br />
home bronze<br />
<strong>University</strong> of<br />
the Year?<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> nominated for<br />
major THE award<br />
Graduation<br />
Week<br />
Class of <strong>2012</strong> goes<br />
out in style
CoNTeNTs ANd CrediTs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
2<br />
3 Round up: National<br />
Student Survey and<br />
<strong>2012</strong> league tables<br />
4-5 Feature: London<br />
<strong>2012</strong> round up<br />
6-7 Latest news from<br />
across campus<br />
8-11 Feature: Graduation <strong>2012</strong><br />
ExpRESS TEAM<br />
Editor Rachel Turvey<br />
Features Emma Filtness, Joe Norman<br />
Design Andrew Hill<br />
photography Sally Trussler,<br />
Neil Graveney, Mark Shearman<br />
print <strong>Brunel</strong> <strong>University</strong> Press<br />
12-13 Feature: Strategic<br />
plan <strong>2012</strong>-2017<br />
14-15 photo feature:<br />
Introduction to the Eastern<br />
Gateway Building<br />
<strong>16</strong>-17 Student and graduate<br />
news round up<br />
18-19 Feature: Made in<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> <strong>2012</strong><br />
CoNTACT US<br />
Communications Team<br />
communications@brunel.ac.uk<br />
01895 265588<br />
Express is available to read and<br />
download on our website:<br />
brunel.ac.uk/news/express.<br />
Extra printed copies are available from<br />
the Communications Team.<br />
20-21 Interview: Dame<br />
Ellen MacArthur<br />
22-23 Staff news round up<br />
24-26 Research news round up<br />
27 Feature: International<br />
pathways and<br />
Language Centre<br />
28 The Gallery<br />
8 10 14<br />
18<br />
26<br />
27<br />
75<br />
75%
NSS <strong>2012</strong>:<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> Students’ Union<br />
voted best in London<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> has maintained a good performance in this year’s National Student<br />
Survey, with outstanding success for the Union of <strong>Brunel</strong> Students (UBS)<br />
whose members are the most satisfied in London and the fifth most<br />
satisfied in the UK with their Union’s work.<br />
As an institution the <strong>University</strong> has sustained the remarkable performance<br />
achieved last year. The percentage of students satisfied with their<br />
experience at <strong>Brunel</strong> has improved in five out of the seven categories<br />
surveyed, and we achieved an overall student satisfaction rate of 86%. In<br />
this category and in five others <strong>Brunel</strong> is ahead of the sector average, and<br />
overall we remain in the same band of institutions as last year.<br />
Students’ satisfaction with their Union was a new theme for <strong>2012</strong>, and<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> students’ responses mean that UBS is ranked 5 th in the country, and<br />
top in London.<br />
The outstanding result rewards an exciting year at UBS. The Union was<br />
one of only 14 in the country to achieve a Gold award for the quality of its<br />
Olympic-related student activities, and one of only <strong>16</strong> to receive funding to<br />
run Student-Led Teaching Awards.<br />
UBS President Promise Phillips said: “We are delighted with the NSS results<br />
for <strong>2012</strong> both for the <strong>University</strong> and for UBS, which demonstrate the value<br />
our members place on the quality of services we provide. We work very<br />
hard every year with the <strong>University</strong> to ensure that our members receive<br />
the best environment for studying, the highest levels of academic and<br />
pastoral support, and a student experience that rivals any in the country.<br />
We are delighted to be in the company of other prestigious Unions and<br />
are proud to have achieved this result on a significantly lower budget.”<br />
Further survey highlights for the <strong>University</strong> include a second successive<br />
year ranked 13 th in the country for students’ satisfaction with learning<br />
resources, and a 10-place climb to 30 th for satisfaction with the <strong>University</strong>’s<br />
organisation and management.<br />
At the time of going to press, subject specific rankings were not available:<br />
check the web at www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events for full details<br />
of the NSS <strong>2012</strong> results.<br />
The NSS is a national survey including all institutions and all subject areas,<br />
in which students report on their experiences at university. All final year<br />
undergraduate students (Home/EU and international) are eligible to<br />
participate.<br />
LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> earns<br />
significant<br />
improvements<br />
across the university<br />
league tables<br />
The <strong>University</strong> has been delighted<br />
to record dramatic improvements<br />
across all the major UK university<br />
rankings published in the last year,<br />
with significant jumps in a number<br />
of individual subject areas.<br />
The Good <strong>University</strong> Guide<br />
(published in The Times)<br />
An improvement of 77 places for<br />
student satisfaction elevates <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
to 17th in the UK, and the <strong>University</strong><br />
rises 8 places overall to 43rd . Art and<br />
Design is 6th out of 79 institutions<br />
and Sports Science is 17th out of 78.<br />
The Guardian<br />
<strong>University</strong> Guide<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> is the biggest climber of any<br />
<strong>University</strong>, jumping from 82nd to 44th place and with 19 of the 22 subject<br />
areas ranked higher than in 2011.<br />
Social Work programmes are ranked<br />
1st out of 77, Art and Design is 2nd out of 81, and <strong>Brunel</strong> is in the upper<br />
quartile for History and History<br />
of Art, Anatomy and Physiology,<br />
Sports Science, Music and English.<br />
The Complete<br />
<strong>University</strong> Guide<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> is 41st overall, up nine places<br />
since 2011 in the biggest positive<br />
rank move of all last year’s top 50<br />
universities. Art and Design is ranked<br />
5th out of 78 and Sports Science is 10th out of 76. There are also significant<br />
rank improvements in Nursing, Social<br />
Work, Business Studies and Drama.<br />
The Sunday Times<br />
<strong>University</strong> Guide<br />
Published in September 2011, the<br />
latest Sunday Times ranking sees<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> climb 10 places to 39th . Art<br />
and Design is ranked 2nd out of 73,<br />
while History and Archaeology,<br />
Biology and Business are also in<br />
the upper quartile. There are<br />
significant improvements for<br />
Management (up 50), Media Studies<br />
(up 45), Sociology, Social Policy<br />
and Anthropology (up 25), Biology<br />
(up 20) and Business (up 20).<br />
Time Higher Education<br />
Top 100 Under 50<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> is ranked top in London, 6th in the UK and 35th in the world in<br />
the first world ranking of the top<br />
100 universities founded in the last<br />
50 years. The <strong>University</strong> is 6th in<br />
the world, 3rd in Europe and 2nd in<br />
the UK for international outlook.<br />
3
FeATUre :: LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
4<br />
Golden success credited to <strong>Brunel</strong> training<br />
Athletes and staff from Korea,<br />
Canada and the Caribbean who<br />
trained at <strong>Brunel</strong> in the lead up<br />
to the Games have been united<br />
in their praise for the campus<br />
facilities and the welcome<br />
received from staff and students.<br />
Triple Olympic Champion Usain<br />
Bolt and his training partners<br />
Yohan Blake and Warren Weir<br />
(pictured right) won gold, silver<br />
and bronze in the men’s 200m,<br />
capping a glittering Games for<br />
London <strong>2012</strong><br />
round up<br />
The nation was gripped by olympic fever over the summer of <strong>2012</strong>,<br />
and on campus at <strong>Brunel</strong> we were right at the heart of the action.<br />
Crowds on the concourse cheered the olympic Torch Relay<br />
in July, and as the olympic and paralympic Games unfolded<br />
we kept on cheering for our eleven student and graduate<br />
competitors, our staff and student volunteers, and for those<br />
athletes from around the world who had trained at <strong>Brunel</strong>.<br />
on these pages we celebrate their achievements, and look back<br />
on a summer that many have seen as one of <strong>Brunel</strong>’s best.<br />
photo credit: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images<br />
Racers Track Club which is based<br />
at <strong>Brunel</strong> each summer. Speaking<br />
to the BBC, Bolt said: “<strong>Brunel</strong><br />
is awesome! The <strong>University</strong> has<br />
done great for us. We come<br />
here every summer and we get<br />
a lot of support from everybody<br />
there, so thank you guys.”<br />
The Chief Delegate of the Korean<br />
team echoed the Jamaican<br />
star’s praise, highlighting their<br />
pre-Games training at <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
and in the London Borough of<br />
Hillingdon as the most important<br />
factor in achieving an outstanding<br />
fifth place in the medal table.<br />
Quoted in The Korea Times, Lee<br />
Kee-Heung said: “This is the best<br />
thing we have done at these<br />
Olympics. The training base<br />
allowed athletes to train with<br />
proper partners, served them<br />
delicious and nutritious Korean<br />
food, and offered medical care.<br />
We will open a similar camp<br />
for the 20<strong>16</strong> Olympics in Rio.”<br />
Kate Walsh captains<br />
GB hockey team to<br />
olympic bronze<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> graduate and honorary<br />
fellow Kate Walsh withstood<br />
a horrific injury to captain<br />
Great Britain to bronze<br />
in women’s hockey.<br />
Kate (pictured left, front row, far<br />
right) fractured her jaw in the<br />
opening game of the competition,<br />
undergoing surgery to fit three<br />
titanium plates before returning<br />
just six days later to lead the<br />
team. After losing their semifinal<br />
to Argentina, Team GB<br />
went on to beat New Zealand<br />
3-1 in the bronze medal match.<br />
The British hockey team have<br />
overhauled their training, lifestyle<br />
and culture in recent years in<br />
a bid to reach the top of the<br />
international game, and their<br />
success marks the end of a 20 year<br />
medal drought in the Olympics.<br />
The fourth most capped<br />
Englishwoman in history, Kate<br />
has been captain of England<br />
and Great Britain for nine years.<br />
She graduated with a BSc in<br />
Sport Sciences in 2003.
Torch Relay brings crowds to campus<br />
The olympic Torch made its way through <strong>Brunel</strong> on Tuesday 24<br />
July, carried by DJ and producer Mark Ronson and singer Katy B.<br />
Students and staff and their family members enjoyed the sunshine and<br />
live music on the Quad, alongside visitors from the local community<br />
and local schools who lined the concourse and the surrounding<br />
streets. The Torch’s arrival also coincided with day two of this year’s<br />
Graduation week, creating a truly celebratory atmosphere on campus.<br />
The relay finished at the Olympic Stadium at the Opening<br />
Ceremony on Friday 27 July, where it lit the spectacular<br />
cauldron that burnt throughout the Games.<br />
FeATUre :: LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
5<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> volunteers<br />
and performers<br />
take centre stage<br />
Staff and students from across the<br />
<strong>University</strong> were selected as volunteers<br />
to help make the Games happen.<br />
More than sixty <strong>Brunel</strong> students were<br />
selected as specialist Games Makers, and<br />
a number of talented staff and students<br />
auditioned for the Opening and Closing<br />
Ceremonies as performers or marshals.<br />
Express talked to Emma Winchester,<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong>’s Active <strong>University</strong> Co-Ordinator,<br />
who took part in both ceremonies.<br />
How did you get involved?<br />
I applied after seeing an open advert.<br />
After the first audition I got a call back<br />
for a role on drums, and it was then a<br />
long wait until January <strong>2012</strong> to find out<br />
if I had been selected. Luckily I was!<br />
What were the rehearsals like?<br />
Rehearsals started in May, and it was<br />
a massive commitment. At the first<br />
rehearsal I found out that I’d be part of<br />
the ‘pandemonium’ drumming during<br />
the Industrial Revolution segment<br />
of the Opening Ceremony, and then<br />
acting as a marshal during the athletes’<br />
parade. Danny Boyle presented his<br />
vision for the Ceremony to the group,<br />
and explained how we would fit in.<br />
We practiced on up-turned buckets,<br />
sometimes in the pouring rain.<br />
How did you feel on the<br />
night of the Ceremony?<br />
It was really hard to take everything in.<br />
We’d been practicing for so long, and<br />
to think that billions of people were<br />
watching us was hard to comprehend.<br />
What was your highlight?<br />
I had a great view of the cauldron<br />
being lit as I was marshalling the<br />
parade, and it was great to meet so<br />
many of the athletes. It is something<br />
I will never forget and I feel very<br />
lucky that I was a part of history.
LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
6<br />
LEE FRoM<br />
STEpS<br />
TEACHES<br />
SUMMER<br />
SCHooL<br />
STUDENTS<br />
SELF-DEFENCE<br />
Hillingdon school students<br />
attending this year’s<br />
Widening participation<br />
Summer School had a<br />
surprise assistant instructor<br />
for their self-defence<br />
session – Lee Evans from<br />
the pop group Steps.<br />
A keen martial artist and<br />
kickboxer, Lee assisted<br />
regular instructor Dave<br />
Gentry from Streetwise<br />
Fitwise in running a taster<br />
session, before signing<br />
autographs and posing<br />
for photos with his fans.<br />
The session was part of<br />
a three-day programme,<br />
designed to give Year 9<br />
students who have no<br />
family tradition of higher<br />
education a taste of the<br />
range of academic and<br />
recreational activities<br />
available at university.<br />
The students also attended<br />
workshops in areas such<br />
as critical thinking and<br />
problem solving, and<br />
an academic lecture by<br />
Professor Heinz Wolff.<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> makes the shortlist for<br />
<strong>University</strong> of the Year <strong>2012</strong><br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> <strong>University</strong> has been shortlisted for the prestigious Times<br />
Higher Education <strong>University</strong> of the Year award for <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
The nomination comes on the back of strong improvement in the<br />
annual university league tables throughout <strong>2012</strong>, alongside teaching<br />
and research highlights such as the launch of 40 new academic posts,<br />
the arrival of household names including Will Self and Benjamin<br />
Zephaniah, and the award of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize.<br />
Outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Jenks commented: “This<br />
is a great testament to the hard work done across the institution in<br />
recent years. We have a clear vision to become a research-intensive<br />
university and to have the benefits of this cascade down to influence<br />
teaching, employability and student experience. It is great to see this all<br />
coming together with the <strong>University</strong> performing better than ever.”<br />
Shortlisted in three categories overall, <strong>Brunel</strong> was also nominated<br />
for Best Business School and Outstanding Student Support.<br />
Advances in <strong>Brunel</strong>’s Business School have included the development<br />
of the ‘Business Life’ employability programme, the growth of<br />
the MBA and the School’s doctoral programmes, and significant<br />
improvements across the subject-based league tables. The Student<br />
Support nomination recognises the support provided to students by<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> <strong>University</strong> Library, particularly the creation of the Academic<br />
Skills Service (ASK) which offers flexible and varied study support.<br />
The winners will be announced at an awards<br />
dinner in London on 29 November.<br />
rent a car on campus from<br />
only £5.50 an hour<br />
Students and staff can now hire<br />
one of a range of cars from the<br />
<strong>University</strong> Car Club’s expanded fleet.<br />
Membership of the scheme is free, and<br />
it takes just a few minutes to sign up.<br />
You can then can book online, over<br />
the phone or using a smartphone,<br />
and hire a pay-as-you-go vehicle<br />
from only £5.50 (Fiat 500), £6 (Ford<br />
Fiesta), £6.50 (Ford Focus), or £7.50<br />
(Alfa Romeo MiTo) per hour. Rates<br />
include insurance, tax, 20 miles of<br />
fuel, congestion charge and VAT.<br />
Cars are accessible 24/7 via a key fob.<br />
By hiring a car only when you need<br />
it, you can save money, avoid parking<br />
difficulties and help reduce the number<br />
of cars used in and around <strong>Brunel</strong>.<br />
To join, you must have a driving licence<br />
valid for the UK and be over the age of<br />
19. Under 21s must be a named driver<br />
on an insurance policy and have driven<br />
accident free for at least one year, and<br />
will also pay a £2 per hour surcharge.<br />
To join, call 08708 454545 or<br />
visit www.hertzondemand.com.<br />
Quote promotion code 1085 to<br />
ensure free membership.
What’s on<br />
Highlights for the <strong>Autumn</strong> Term on campus<br />
inaugural Lecture series<br />
When? Tuesday 2 October,<br />
23 October and 13 November,<br />
and Thursday 6 December<br />
Where? Hamilton Centre<br />
What is it? Inaugural Lectures let our<br />
community experience the range of<br />
research carried out at <strong>Brunel</strong>. Book<br />
your place at www.brunel.ac.uk/<br />
news-and-events/events/lecture<br />
Stay up-to-date with all the latest events on Intra<strong>Brunel</strong><br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> Fireworks<br />
When? Monday 5 November<br />
Where? Kingston Lane Pitches<br />
What is it? <strong>Brunel</strong>’s annual fireworks<br />
display returns following 2011’s<br />
Olympic-themed event. Details to<br />
follow at: www.brunel.ac.uk/<br />
news-and-events<br />
LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
BRUNEL<br />
WELCoMES NEW<br />
VICE-CHANCELLoR<br />
professor Julia Buckingham<br />
took up her post as <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong>’s new Vice-Chancellor<br />
and principal on 1 october <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
Professor Buckingham joins <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
from Imperial College London,<br />
where she was Pro-Rector for<br />
Education and Academic Affairs. A<br />
specialist in Pharmacology, Professor<br />
Buckingham is currently President of<br />
the Society for Endocrinology and<br />
a Trustee of the Royal Institution<br />
and the Society of Biology.<br />
Express wishes Professor<br />
Buckingham a warm welcome<br />
and we look forward to working<br />
with her in the coming months.<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> has also bid farewell to<br />
its outgoing Vice-Chancellor<br />
Professor Chris Jenks over a<br />
series of events in September.<br />
Professor Jenks left the <strong>University</strong><br />
at the end of September after<br />
eight years, including six as Vice-<br />
Chancellor. He oversaw a hugely<br />
successful period for <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
including Royal visits, international<br />
research acclaim and a continued<br />
rise up the university league tables,<br />
and his final lecture was a fitting<br />
opening for the new, state of the<br />
art Auditorium at the heart of<br />
the Eastern Gateway Building.<br />
Production: The Best Little<br />
Whorehouse in Texas<br />
When? 6 December<br />
Where? Howell Theatre<br />
What is it? <strong>Brunel</strong> Music Theatre<br />
Workshop presents a new musical about<br />
small-town vice and politics in Texas.<br />
Tickets available online:<br />
www.brunel.ac.uk/artscentre<br />
7
MAiN FeATUre :: LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
8
Graduation <strong>2012</strong><br />
The <strong>2012</strong> Graduation Ceremonies coincided with a week of hot, sunny<br />
weather and the arrival of the olympic Torch Relay on campus.<br />
As well as the traditional bands, birds of prey and the moving <strong>Brunel</strong> statue<br />
which returned this year to entertain graduating students and their guests,<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> was buzzing with anticipation during Graduation Week in the build up<br />
to the Olympic Games. Members of the Korean Olympic team could regularly<br />
be spotted enjoying the campus atmosphere, and the arrival of the Olympic<br />
Torch Relay on Tuesday was one of the highlights of this year at <strong>Brunel</strong>.<br />
As ever, the Events team and all the staff and students that supported<br />
them made sure everything ran smoothly and ensured that one<br />
of the busiest weeks in <strong>Brunel</strong>’s history went without a hitch.<br />
These pages give you a flavour of Graduation <strong>2012</strong>, as well as<br />
introducing this year’s Honorary Graduates and Fellows.<br />
MAiN FeATUre :: LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
9
MAiN FeATUre :: LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
10<br />
As well as celebrating the achievements of our students, Graduation<br />
Week gives us the opportunity to recognise others who have made<br />
outstanding contributions to the community or to the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Honorary<br />
Graduates<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> awards Honorary Doctorates in recognition of outstanding<br />
scholarly achievement, outstanding service to the local, national or<br />
international community, or outstanding service to the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
professor John Brewer<br />
Awarded the honorary degree<br />
of Doctor of Social Sciences<br />
Sociologist and academic who has<br />
taught reconciliation workshops<br />
in Sri Lanka, advised on policing<br />
reform in South Africa, and worked<br />
on the Northern Irish peace process.<br />
professor Conor Gearty<br />
Awarded the honorary<br />
degree of Doctor of Laws<br />
Practising barrister and<br />
academic who lectures and acts<br />
as an advisor to judges, public<br />
authorities and practitioners<br />
in the field of human rights.<br />
professor Rajiv Hanspal<br />
Awarded the honorary degree<br />
of Doctor of Science<br />
Specialist in rehabilitation medicine<br />
who led the development of the<br />
Alderbourne Unit at Hillingdon<br />
Hospital and founded the Amputee<br />
Medial Rehabilitation Society.<br />
The Rt Hon Baroness<br />
Hayman GBE<br />
Awarded the honorary<br />
degree of Doctor of Laws<br />
Founded the charity Maternity<br />
Alliance and held senior roles<br />
in healthcare, before becoming<br />
the first elected Lord Speaker<br />
of the House of Lords in 2006.<br />
Dr Robert John oBE<br />
Awarded the honorary degree<br />
of Doctor of Engineering<br />
Metallurgist and Director General<br />
Emeritus at TWI, the renowned<br />
research and engineering<br />
institute which now has a fruitful<br />
relationship with <strong>Brunel</strong> via the<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> Innovation Centre.<br />
Judith Knight MBE<br />
Awarded the honorary degree<br />
of Doctor of Humanities<br />
Founded of Artsadmin, an<br />
internationally recognised<br />
company initiating and<br />
supporting some of the UK’s<br />
most innovative arts projects.<br />
Rory Sutherland<br />
Awarded the honorary degree<br />
of Doctor of Letters<br />
Vice-Chairman of the advertising,<br />
marketing and PR group Ogilvy<br />
UK, proponent of behavioural<br />
economics and author of The<br />
Spectator’s ‘Wiki-Man’ column.<br />
Thomas Webb<br />
Awarded the honorary degree<br />
of Doctor of the <strong>University</strong><br />
Highly successful former MD<br />
of the London Tourist Board<br />
and Convention Bureau, who<br />
served as Chair of <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> Council until 2011.<br />
Lee Mack<br />
Awarded the honorary<br />
degree of Doctor of<br />
Humanities in recognition<br />
of his outstanding<br />
services to the arts<br />
Receiving his honorary<br />
doctorate marked a happy<br />
return to <strong>Brunel</strong> for alumnus<br />
Lee Mack, who graduated<br />
in Drama with Film and<br />
TV studies in 1996. He<br />
commented that his time at<br />
<strong>University</strong> literally changed<br />
his life; not only did it inspire<br />
him to take the plunge into<br />
comedy, but <strong>Brunel</strong> was also<br />
where he met his wife Tara.<br />
Talking about his time at<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong>, he said: “It was<br />
during my time as a student<br />
at <strong>Brunel</strong> that I started<br />
performing stand-up<br />
comedy. I was worried that<br />
my ambitions wouldn’t fit<br />
in with the ethos of such<br />
an academic institution,<br />
but they couldn’t have<br />
been any more supportive,<br />
regularly letting me turn<br />
part of their building into<br />
a stand-up comedy club<br />
where I performed many of<br />
my early gigs. I am proud<br />
to have been honoured<br />
by and associated with<br />
such an institution.”<br />
Lee first came to prominence<br />
in 1995 when he won ‘So<br />
You Think You’re Funny’<br />
at the Edinburgh Festival<br />
Fringe. He has since<br />
appeared on TV and radio<br />
shows both in the UK and<br />
the USA, including the BBC<br />
One sitcom Not Going Out<br />
and popular panel shows<br />
such as Have I Got News For<br />
You and Would I Lie to You.<br />
He has also performed at the<br />
Royal Variety Performance,<br />
and a recent highlight was<br />
his appearance as a compere<br />
at the star-studded Queen’s<br />
Diamond Jubilee Concert<br />
outside Buckingham Palace.<br />
Lee still lives in west<br />
London with his wife and<br />
their three children.
MAiN FeATUre :: LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
11<br />
Honorary<br />
Fellows<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> awards Honorary<br />
Fellowships to local<br />
people or others who<br />
have established a close<br />
working relationship<br />
with the <strong>University</strong>, and<br />
have thereby made a<br />
significant contribution<br />
to its development.<br />
This year’s Honorary<br />
Fellows included longserving<br />
former members<br />
of staff Marianne<br />
Bevis, Denise Bufton,<br />
Sue Curley and Bob<br />
Westaway, former<br />
member of <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
Council Robert Lougee,<br />
and <strong>Brunel</strong>’s Visiting<br />
Professor of Corporate<br />
Communications from<br />
Harvard Business<br />
School, professor<br />
Stephen A Greyser.<br />
In addition, a<br />
number of this year’s<br />
Fellowships celebrated<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong>’s partnerships<br />
with businesses and<br />
external organisations.<br />
These were awarded<br />
to: Carol Bagnald,<br />
HSBC’s Regional<br />
Commercial Director<br />
who spearheaded<br />
the bank’s corporate<br />
relationship with<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong>; John Thirkettle,<br />
Vice-Chairman of the<br />
Hillingdon Federation of<br />
Community Associations<br />
and founder of <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
Sports Centre’s over 50s’<br />
programme; education<br />
law specialist John Hall,<br />
who was Eversheds’<br />
client partner for <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
for many years; and<br />
former student peter<br />
Hall, Trustee of the<br />
Water Conservation<br />
Trust which offers two<br />
bursaries to <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
MSc students.
LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
12<br />
New strategic Plan guides<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> through to 2017<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong>’s new Strategic plan will launch this <strong>Autumn</strong><br />
after 18 months of planning and preparation, forming a<br />
framework to take the <strong>University</strong> forward to 2017.<br />
The Plan is founded on a<br />
commitment to evolution, not<br />
revolution, and aims to help us to<br />
build on the successes achieved<br />
so far. Its key tenet is that <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
should remain a self-determining<br />
<strong>University</strong> which aims for quality in<br />
all aspects of its academic provision.<br />
It also focuses on making the<br />
<strong>University</strong> more outward-looking<br />
by opening up internal and interinstitutional<br />
boundaries, building<br />
new partnerships, and encouraging<br />
both staff and students to reach<br />
out into our community.<br />
“The plan is<br />
characterised by our<br />
desire to consolidate<br />
our strengths”<br />
The Plan’s introduction outlines<br />
its underlying ethos:<br />
“Driven by our dedication to<br />
excellence and quality in everything<br />
we do, this Strategy for <strong>2012</strong>-2017…<br />
has been designed to confirm<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong>’s place in the top third of UK<br />
Higher Education Institutions, as<br />
a <strong>University</strong> with a robust plan of<br />
development, a strong aspiration<br />
to greatly improve its educational<br />
and research activities, and a clear<br />
sense of self-determination. The<br />
pathway that runs through the<br />
Plan is characterised by our desire<br />
to consolidate our strengths, to<br />
integrate further our research<br />
and educational activities, to<br />
optimise our infrastructure<br />
and accelerate our success.”<br />
Agreed by Council in July, the<br />
Plan has been through a<br />
development process involving<br />
extensive consultation, drawing<br />
in the views and opinions of<br />
students and staff from across<br />
the <strong>University</strong>. It will now be used<br />
to inform new three year plans<br />
for all Schools and administrative<br />
departments, as well as a series<br />
of supporting plans concerning<br />
key topics such as learning and<br />
teaching, research, academic<br />
profile, and the <strong>University</strong>’s estate.<br />
Supporting plans for staff and<br />
students are also being developed.<br />
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Strategy,<br />
Development and External<br />
Relations Professor Dany Nobus<br />
commented: “Over the past five<br />
years, <strong>Brunel</strong> has gone from<br />
strength to strength as a broadbased,<br />
research-intensive higher<br />
education institution, and this is<br />
evidenced by our greatly improved<br />
position in the university rankings.<br />
“Although the higher education<br />
landscape is constantly changing<br />
and the uncertainties in the current<br />
marketplace of education will need<br />
to be carefully managed, <strong>Brunel</strong>’s<br />
<strong>2012</strong>-2017 Plan is indicative of<br />
our confidence and it shows our<br />
determination to build on our<br />
recent successes. It will inspire all<br />
staff and students to work together<br />
on enhancing our academic profile<br />
and our international reputation,<br />
taking <strong>Brunel</strong> through its fiftieth<br />
anniversary in 20<strong>16</strong> and onwards.”<br />
Find out more about<br />
the Strategic plan<br />
Professor Nobus will be visiting<br />
Schools and departments<br />
during the <strong>Autumn</strong> Term to<br />
bring the <strong>University</strong>’s Strategic<br />
Plan to its staff and students.<br />
The <strong>University</strong> is also building<br />
a Strategic Plan website to<br />
launch in the <strong>Autumn</strong>. The site<br />
will be interactive, with videos,<br />
podcasts, images and information<br />
available for download. Staff<br />
will be encouraged to build<br />
this content into their own<br />
external facing materials.
LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
Strategic priorities for<br />
the coming years<br />
13<br />
The Strategic Plan is founded on three major<br />
Priorities, each of which comprises a number<br />
of Objectives.<br />
n Advancing Excellence in our<br />
Academic provision<br />
• Building on our research<br />
successes to meet global<br />
challenges of the 21st century<br />
• Securing the benefits of a researchled<br />
education for our students<br />
• Improving the quality of learning<br />
opportunities for all our students<br />
• Competing more effectively<br />
n Crossing Institutional Boundaries<br />
on the Basis of open Innovation<br />
• Expanding our reach<br />
n organising for Success<br />
• Providing an enabling culture<br />
in which all students and staff<br />
feel that they can excel<br />
• Ensuring the <strong>University</strong> is an attractive,<br />
safe and inspirational place<br />
• Communicating our successes<br />
• Ensuring the <strong>University</strong> is financially<br />
and environmentally sustainable<br />
and beneficial to society<br />
Mission, Vision and Values<br />
The <strong>University</strong>’s Mission and Values have<br />
changed to reflect the momentum created<br />
over the last five years, while the overarching<br />
Vision remains unchanged.<br />
our Mission<br />
To create knowledge and advance<br />
understanding, and equip versatile graduates<br />
with the confidence to apply what they have<br />
learnt for the benefit of society.<br />
our Vision<br />
To be a world-class creative community that is<br />
inspired to work, think and learn together to<br />
meet the challenges of the future.<br />
our Values<br />
Quality | Ideas | Integrity | Clarity |<br />
Empowerment | Community | Sustainability |<br />
Partnership | Self-determination
PHoTo FeATUre :: LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
14
Photo Feature:<br />
eastern Gateway Building<br />
The Eastern Gateway Building creates a stunning entrance to the campus<br />
on Kingston Lane. It houses Main Reception (top left), a cafe (middle<br />
left) and a a circular zinc-clad auditorium (bottom left) around which<br />
are wrapped the academic offices of the <strong>Brunel</strong> Business School.<br />
PHoTo FeATUre :: LATesT NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
15
sTUdeNT ANd GrAdUATe NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
<strong>16</strong><br />
“I was on the tube<br />
when the characters<br />
in the book suddenly<br />
appeared inside my<br />
head. They were<br />
having an almighty<br />
row and I just had<br />
to write it down.”<br />
“I relish the challenge<br />
to develop the<br />
outreach of BUCS to<br />
its membership and<br />
to the community.”<br />
Creative Writing student secures<br />
international book deal<br />
School of Arts research student Liesel Schwarz has been offered<br />
a spectacular three-book international publishing contract by<br />
Random House.<br />
The contract, for Liesel’s belle époque steampunk trilogy The Chronicles<br />
of Light and Shadow, is one of the most impressive in British publishing<br />
this year. The deal is the first international signing for a <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
student and includes publication in the UK, USA and Germany.<br />
“I am absolutely delighted,” said Liesel. “As an author one hopes against<br />
all hope to be published one day and I am humbled by the amazing<br />
feedback I’ve had so far. It has exceeded my wildest expectations.”<br />
Opening with A Conspiracy of Alchemists, The Chronicles of Light<br />
and Shadow is a series of fantasy novels set in an alternative<br />
Europe in 1903 and focusing on the adventures of airship pilot<br />
Eleanor Chance. The series has been described as a fast-paced<br />
romantic adventure within a richly textured and complex world,<br />
where the forces of Shadow and Light battle for power.<br />
Liesel began writing the first book during her MA in Creative Writing<br />
at <strong>Brunel</strong>, and is currently working on the second book for her PhD.<br />
“I am a lifelong fan of 19 th century Gothic fiction and steampunk,”<br />
she said. “One day I was travelling home on the tube past Baker<br />
Street when the characters in the book suddenly appeared inside<br />
my head. They were having an almighty row and I just had to write<br />
it down. The scene I wrote was part of my MA Elements of Fiction<br />
coursework and following the feedback I had from that, I developed<br />
the novel. The first draft of the book was also my MA dissertation.”<br />
Random House will publish A Conspiracy of Alchemists in November <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
Vp Student Activities elected<br />
as national student officer<br />
Gary o’Brien, the Union of <strong>Brunel</strong> Students’ Vice-president for Student<br />
Activities, has been elected one of the four national student officers for<br />
British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS).<br />
The role involves representing over <strong>16</strong>0 BUCS-affiliated universities by<br />
ensuring that communications are transparent and in depth and meet the<br />
needs of the UK’s students.<br />
“After giving the National Union of Students a lot of attention in my first<br />
year of office, I wanted to turn my priorities to BUCS for my second year,”<br />
said Gary. “I relish the challenge to enhance and develop the outreach of<br />
BUCS to its membership and to the community.”<br />
BUCS is the national governing body for higher education sport in the UK,<br />
and aims to enhance student performance, competition and participation.<br />
Over 100,000 students regularly compete in BUCS competitions, leagues<br />
and events in 50 different sports.<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> is currently second out of 29 institutions in London in the overall<br />
BUCS rankings.
Hard rock band Terminal Gods, led by<br />
MA student RoBERT CoWLIN, topped<br />
the European Alternative Charts over<br />
the summer with their single Electric<br />
Eyes, overtaking acts such as the Foo<br />
Fighters and Noel Gallagher’s High<br />
Flying Birds. “It’s nice to know that<br />
people care enough about our music to<br />
place it highly in their weekly rankings,”<br />
said Robert. The Chart is based on votes<br />
submitted by DJs and music industry<br />
representatives across the continent.<br />
The Language Café returns this October,<br />
giving international students a chance<br />
to showcase their language and culture,<br />
including authentic snacks and drinks.<br />
Organised jointly by the Graduate<br />
School and <strong>Brunel</strong> International, the<br />
Language Café takes place every last<br />
Tuesday of the month – the next event<br />
is on 30 October (open to all <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
students and staff). A different group<br />
of student hosts leads each evening,<br />
Emily Danvers, Manager of the Academic Skills<br />
Service, ASK, won the inaugural Ken Darby-<br />
Dowman Memorial prize this summer in recognition<br />
of her exceptional work to help <strong>Brunel</strong> students<br />
improve their academic and study skills.<br />
The ASK team are at the frontline of enabling<br />
student learning, and provide vital support to<br />
students throughout their <strong>Brunel</strong> careers. Emily<br />
(pictured centre, with the ASK team) was selected<br />
for her work in leading and developing this service<br />
and for her absolute commitment to improving the<br />
experience and skills of <strong>Brunel</strong>’s students. She received<br />
nominations from across the <strong>University</strong> praising<br />
her commitment, energy, drive and enthusiasm.<br />
The annual Prize recognises <strong>Brunel</strong> staff who are<br />
committed to improving the student experience at<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> – a value that was personified by the work of<br />
our much missed Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken<br />
Darby-Dowman who sadly passed away in 2011.<br />
sTUdeNT ANd GrAdUATe NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
and there are plenty of opportunities<br />
to chat with like-minded language<br />
enthusiasts. Email katharina.stirland@<br />
brunel.ac.uk or charlotte.zittel@<br />
brunel.ac.uk for more information.<br />
Multimedia Technology and Design<br />
graduate MINA NISHIMURA won a<br />
New Designers Associate Prize for<br />
her final-year project ‘Shopstar’, a<br />
time and money saving personal<br />
shopping assistant in the form of a<br />
web application. The judges praised<br />
the project’s excellent user experience,<br />
and Mina’s prize included a Raspberry<br />
Pi credit card-sized computer and<br />
three months’ work experience with<br />
the digital agency Cyber-Duck. Prizes<br />
are awarded each year to the most<br />
talented new graduates that take part<br />
in the New Designers exhibition.<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> celebrated the success<br />
of students who combine work<br />
with study at the annual Student<br />
Employee of the Year Awards, part<br />
of a UK-wide competition run by<br />
the National Association of Student<br />
Employment Services. Twenty-two<br />
exceptional students were nominated<br />
from across <strong>Brunel</strong> and by external<br />
employers. Congratulations to our<br />
Student Employees of the Year:<br />
THIAN HoNG (International Student<br />
Category); SUSAN MCGoWAN<br />
(Job Shop Category); and pETER<br />
BRooKS (On Campus Category).<br />
Pictured: Peter Brooks with Director<br />
of Academic Services Chris Chang.<br />
outstanding support for students rewarded with inaugural prize<br />
17
FeATUre :: sTUdeNT ANd GrAdUATe NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
18<br />
‘Journeys<br />
fuelled by<br />
ideas’<br />
dame ellen MacArthur launches<br />
Made in <strong>Brunel</strong>’s seventh<br />
successful show<br />
Dame Ellen MacArthur addressed an audience of students, staff and<br />
industry specialists at this year’s Made in <strong>Brunel</strong> design and engineering<br />
showcase in June.<br />
Formerly a record-breaking sailor and circumnavigator, Dame Ellen<br />
launched the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in <strong>2012</strong> to inspire a<br />
generation to re-think, re-design and build a positive future, after five<br />
years of research into the global economy and its reliance on finite<br />
resources. She presented some of the Foundation’s ideas at Made in<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong>’s Pecha Kucha event on Thursday 14 June, before which she<br />
spoke to Express about her work and her lifelong interest in design<br />
(see page 20).<br />
Around 300 innovations were presented and demonstrated to<br />
consumers, producers and service providers over the course of the<br />
annual showcase, which is run by <strong>Brunel</strong>’s graduating design and<br />
engineering students. Returning to the dramatic Bargehouse on<br />
London’s Southbank, the exhibition also included: workshops such as<br />
the Masters Creative Workshop, in which participants visualised and<br />
solved design challenges using Lego; alumni networking events bringing<br />
together students past and present; and numerous opportunities for<br />
students to discuss their work through presentations and seminars.<br />
Among the designs vying for attention this year were a chocolate<br />
pen and 3D chocolate printer, a device which recycles water wasted<br />
when running the hot tap, and an intelligent toy for cats which moves<br />
away on approach. Other concepts included the development of new<br />
sustainable roofing technology, a process which enables HIV positive<br />
mothers in sub-Saharan Africa to see that their breast milk is safe before<br />
feeding their babies, and a study looking at the potential construction<br />
of a Thames Estuary airport.<br />
Creator of Made in <strong>Brunel</strong> Paul Turnock revealed the thinking behind<br />
this year’s theme, ‘journeys fuelled by ideas’. “The journeys our students<br />
make through their degrees are what shape their outlook as graduate<br />
designers and engineers,” he said. “For <strong>2012</strong>, ‘journeys fuelled by ideas’<br />
represented our aim of sharing the process and development that<br />
goes into all of the projects, the progression of the students and Made<br />
in <strong>Brunel</strong> itself. The students worked exceptionally hard to get their<br />
products and concepts ready for public exhibition.”<br />
Traditionally, Made in <strong>Brunel</strong> provides an excellent opportunity for<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> students to find employment. Last year’s cohort landed design<br />
and engineering jobs at companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche<br />
Design, Dyson, Chanel, Hasbro, Burberry, Reiss and lastminute.com, with<br />
some also setting up their own businesses upon graduation.
…the most detailed designs ever made<br />
for a Thames Estuary airport hub<br />
With the UK’s air traffic capacity<br />
currently a hot topic, a group<br />
of final year Design students<br />
were inspired to create a<br />
detailed engineering and design<br />
masterplan for a new airport to<br />
improve London’s global transport<br />
connectivity.<br />
Bedir Bekar, Marshel Weerakone,<br />
Adam Greenland, Baltej Sidhu and<br />
Volkan Yildirim exhibited a physical<br />
architectural model of the Thames<br />
Estuary international airport hub<br />
at Made in <strong>Brunel</strong>. Their extensive<br />
masterplan – the most detailed<br />
ever produced around this topic<br />
– takes construction methods,<br />
FeATUre :: sTUdeNT ANd GrAdUATe NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
environmental impact mitigation<br />
and economic growth into account<br />
on an equal footing.<br />
Explaining the idea, Weerakone<br />
said: “London is the economic<br />
heart of the United Kingdom<br />
and a fulcrum of the global<br />
economy. However, with London<br />
airports operating at 99% capacity,<br />
the economy will suffer if the<br />
increasing demand for air travel is<br />
not met.<br />
“We have produced a construction<br />
scheme for a working artificial<br />
island platform upon which airport<br />
infrastructure can be built.<br />
19<br />
This has been done effectively in<br />
other parts of the world such as<br />
Hong Kong.<br />
“The benefits of this plan, as<br />
opposed to the expansion of<br />
Heathrow Airport, are huge.<br />
Not only would it provide<br />
much needed employment and<br />
economic growth around the<br />
Kent and Essex area, but it would<br />
also make the most of the UK’s<br />
specialist engineering knowledge<br />
and intelligence. We believe this<br />
scheme would have a similar<br />
impact to the Olympics in terms of<br />
benefits for the architectural and<br />
engineering industries.”<br />
…a low-cost household device<br />
to stop water wastage<br />
on show...<br />
Design student Mitch Gebbie’s water saving device could help<br />
households reduce waste and save money.<br />
Gebbie’s small, low-cost and easy-to-retrofit design recycles wasted cold<br />
water that cools in the pipes after the hot tap is used, and then flows<br />
from the tap when it is next turned on while the user waits for the water<br />
to heat up. Sitting below the sink, it diverts the cold water back into the<br />
storage tank until sensors detect that the temperature has risen.<br />
The working and proven device guarantees a saving of almost 10 litres of<br />
water per day for the average household, halfway towards the 20 litre<br />
daily reduction which Defra has pledged to achieve by 2030.<br />
Gebbie’s inspiration for the device, called ‘Waste Not’, stems from<br />
growing up in a large rural Victorian home where he worried constantly<br />
about the amount of water he and his family wasted while waiting<br />
for the hot tap to warm up. He is keen to see the project through to<br />
manufacture and adoption across the UK.<br />
“This is a timely solution to the UK’s water shortage and responds to the<br />
need for households to take control,” says Gebbie. “As the impacts of<br />
climate change are felt across the ever-more connected and shrinking<br />
global village, the Western world is effectively pouring desperately<br />
needed water down the drain.”
iNTervieW :: sTUdeNT ANd GrAdUATe NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
20<br />
Made in <strong>Brunel</strong> <strong>2012</strong>: ellen MacArthur<br />
praises <strong>Brunel</strong> as a national “design hub”<br />
Before taking part in the Made in <strong>Brunel</strong> pecha Kucha event, in which she explained some of the<br />
principles behind the work of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Dame Ellen spoke to Express about<br />
the development of her interest in design and her bold ambitions for a sustainable future.<br />
How and when did your<br />
passion for sailing evolve<br />
into a passion for design?<br />
Design has been a theme in<br />
my life ever since I was a kid. I<br />
got really passionate about<br />
sailing after I first sailed when<br />
I was four years old – I used to<br />
save my school dinner money<br />
for boats. From the ages of<br />
eight to seventeen I went<br />
through three different boats,<br />
but I never had much money<br />
so everything I needed to<br />
improve them I made myself.<br />
I spent all my time designing<br />
bits for boats – on the bus going<br />
to and from school I’d be there<br />
with a notepad designing things.<br />
I spent all my time in my dad’s<br />
garage working with wood and<br />
glass fibre, and putting things<br />
together with screws and joints.<br />
When I left school at 17 I sailed<br />
round Britain with a little boat<br />
that I’d done a lot of work<br />
on. It worked! It didn’t look<br />
that beautiful, but it worked<br />
– and it’s still working now.<br />
As the sailing project progressed<br />
I got involved in the design of<br />
the boats themselves. I worked<br />
with the boat designer to plan<br />
the layout and how things<br />
would work, and I’d be messing<br />
around with CAD drawings<br />
for 12 hours at a time!<br />
I still love making things. I even<br />
built a house three years ago<br />
which I designed with my partner,<br />
and it was really interesting.<br />
I’m fascinated by design.<br />
Were you concerned<br />
with sustainability when<br />
you started sailing?<br />
No, not at all. I was involved<br />
in the design of boats in their<br />
entirety, from the electrical<br />
system, computer system and<br />
autopilot system right through<br />
to the form, layout and sail plan<br />
of the boat, but all these aspects<br />
had only one object, which was<br />
to break a record or win a race.<br />
When you sail round the world,<br />
you take with you everything<br />
you need to survive. You have<br />
all the food you need and all the<br />
diesel you need for the generator,<br />
and if you run out of something<br />
you’re 2,500 miles away from<br />
the nearest town. There’s no<br />
more, and you learn what ‘finite’<br />
means. I had never translated<br />
that to life on land, but at the<br />
end of the second trip round the<br />
world I started to think about<br />
the nature of the resources<br />
that we have available to us.<br />
About six years ago I started to<br />
do some research and collect<br />
evidence from educators,<br />
scientists, CEOs, farmers and<br />
designers, to understand how<br />
we use resources. I have always<br />
been passionate about design<br />
but now I absolutely believe that<br />
design is the key to the future.<br />
We have finite materials and we<br />
need to design business models,<br />
systems and manufacturing<br />
processes to establish a whole<br />
system for the biological and<br />
technical cycle of nutrients.<br />
[See the information box on<br />
the Circular Economy, right.]<br />
What do you think is the<br />
role of students and young<br />
designers, like the students<br />
exhibiting at Made in <strong>Brunel</strong>, in<br />
creating a sustainable future?<br />
It’s absolutely key. Walking<br />
round the exhibition you see all<br />
the stages of the product – it’s<br />
a journey of evolution, but<br />
right from the beginning when<br />
that first prototype was made,<br />
when that first line was put on<br />
a piece of paper, the designers<br />
knew exactly what they were<br />
trying to achieve. When you<br />
see a student or young person<br />
have an idea and then follow<br />
it through, it’s so inspirational.<br />
Your long voyages were very<br />
individual endeavours but<br />
now you focus on joined-up<br />
thinking and collaboration.<br />
How do you balance individual<br />
aspirations with team thinking?<br />
I wouldn’t say that the sailing<br />
projects were individual at all!<br />
Physically on the boat I was<br />
on my own, but I spent a year<br />
and a half working closely with
the designers and builders. It<br />
is very much team-driven, and<br />
when I think back to my last<br />
round the world race, the<br />
strongest memory I have is the<br />
amazing team that worked<br />
together to make it happen.<br />
Sailing is all about systems<br />
thinking. You have to think<br />
about keeping the boat running,<br />
keeping the batteries charged,<br />
rationing food, keeping the<br />
boat the right way up in the<br />
water, keeping the boat going<br />
as fast as possible. Every single<br />
decision you make is vital – if<br />
your batteries ran flat you would<br />
be upside down in five minutes.<br />
Then as well as managing<br />
the boat system you’re also<br />
connected to a system that is<br />
much bigger all around you:<br />
the weather, the elements, the<br />
water temperature, the icebergs.<br />
This whole bigger system affects<br />
the smaller system that you are<br />
managing. And that’s exactly<br />
how the economy works. The<br />
economy is about our system<br />
within a much bigger system.<br />
iNTervieW :: sTUdeNT ANd GrAdUATe NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
This year’s Made in <strong>Brunel</strong> is<br />
inspired by journeys and you’ve<br />
had a long and interesting<br />
one to get to where you are<br />
now. do you have any advice<br />
for our graduating students<br />
on reaching their goals?<br />
Just believe that anything is<br />
possible. When I first sailed when<br />
I was four years old, I knew<br />
there and then that I wanted<br />
to sail around the world, but<br />
I never thought I would be<br />
doing what I am doing today.<br />
You don’t always end up at<br />
the destination you intended<br />
but you’re still on a journey.<br />
What’s your greatest<br />
achievement – your sailing<br />
records, or this project?<br />
I believe that your greatest<br />
achievement is always<br />
in front of you.<br />
The Foundation brought out an<br />
economic report in January this<br />
year that we worked on with<br />
our founding partners and with<br />
21<br />
the management consultants<br />
McKinsey and Company, which<br />
highlighted a huge economic<br />
opportunity of $630bn for<br />
Europe through transition to the<br />
circular economy. By September<br />
next year we’re aiming to get to<br />
2,200 secondary schools in the UK<br />
with the materials we’ve been<br />
writing, piloting and testing for<br />
the last 18 months. In universities<br />
have developed a postgraduate<br />
certificate which is now running<br />
at Bradford <strong>University</strong>, and<br />
we’ll have a MBA next year.<br />
The idea is to train up as many<br />
people as possible with the idea<br />
of the circular economy and<br />
spread it as quickly as possible.<br />
That’s why I’m here at Made<br />
in <strong>Brunel</strong>. <strong>Brunel</strong> is such an<br />
amazing design hub university<br />
in the UK – ‘university’ is almost<br />
not a broad enough word these<br />
days, because it’s just a mass<br />
of energy and ideas, a creative<br />
centre. To bring the circular<br />
economy in here and challenge<br />
a few people’s thought process<br />
– that’s what I want to do.<br />
The Circular<br />
Economy<br />
The circular economy is a generic<br />
term for an industrial economy<br />
that is, by design or intention,<br />
restorative. In this model, there<br />
are two types of material flows:<br />
biological nutrients, which<br />
are designed to re-enter the<br />
biosphere safely; and technical<br />
nutrients, which are designed to<br />
circulate at high quality without<br />
entering the biosphere.<br />
The circular economy is<br />
characterised by a shift from<br />
selling goods to selling<br />
performance, and towards<br />
renewables and recognising the<br />
value of diversity and whole<br />
system design. Find out more at<br />
www.thecirculareconomy.org<br />
Ellen MacArthur was speaking to Express editor Rachel Turvey
sTAFF NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
22<br />
WILL SELF’S<br />
UmbrElla MAKES<br />
BooKER SHoRTLIST<br />
A new novel by <strong>Brunel</strong>’s professor<br />
of Contemporary Thought<br />
Will Self has been shortlisted<br />
for the Man Booker prize.<br />
The Booker aims to promote fiction<br />
from the UK, the Commonwealth<br />
and the Republic of Ireland,<br />
and is considered the most<br />
prestigious award for literary<br />
fiction after the Nobel Prize for<br />
Literature. This year’s winner will<br />
be announced on <strong>16</strong> October.<br />
Self’s novel, entitled Umbrella,<br />
begins when the psychiatrist Zack<br />
Busner finds a successful treatment<br />
for encephalitis lethargica, or<br />
sleeping sickness. It weaves<br />
together incidents from the life of<br />
one of Busner’s patients, Audrey<br />
Death, and of her brothers Albert<br />
and Stanley, and was inspired by<br />
psychiatrist Oliver Sacks’ 1973 text<br />
Awakenings, in which he describes<br />
his attempts to rouse encephalics.<br />
Using an analogy from nuclear<br />
physics, Self describes the process<br />
of drawing together ideas when<br />
planning a novel: “They become<br />
like a kind of fissionable lump –<br />
like the critical mass of plutonium.<br />
When you’ve got enough of a<br />
chunk it goes boom, and then<br />
it’s really happening. All the<br />
time as a writer you’re pushing<br />
things together, and seeing if<br />
they reach a critical mass.”<br />
pCC staff dedicate 200 hours to Harlington Hospice<br />
As part of <strong>Brunel</strong>’s staff volunteering<br />
initiative, staff from the placement and<br />
Careers Centre (pCC) have dedicated<br />
a combined total of over 200 hours<br />
since March <strong>2012</strong> to support Harlington<br />
Hospice.<br />
Kate Croucher, Acting Director of the<br />
PCC, said: “Many PCC staff are already<br />
active volunteers in their communities,<br />
but we wanted to come together<br />
as a department to support a local<br />
project. <strong>Brunel</strong>’s staff volunteering<br />
policy has enabled us to do this.”<br />
Work completed by the 15 staff members<br />
has included redecorating the hospice’s<br />
treatment and counselling rooms and<br />
staff offices, as well as gardening and<br />
preparing for their summer garden party.<br />
“As a group we were able to make much<br />
more of an impact for an extremely<br />
valuable and under-resourced project,”<br />
said Kate. “It has also been a great<br />
team building exercise, and great fun!<br />
The work we have done is just the<br />
start and we are keen to build on our<br />
relationship with the staff and service<br />
users at Harlington Hospice.”
starters and Leavers<br />
Express says goodbye to some of the<br />
staff who have departed from <strong>Brunel</strong> this<br />
summer, and greets some new faces.<br />
Welcome to…<br />
Richenda Brewer Admissions Manager | professor Graeme Evans Chair in Design<br />
| Emma Filtness Publications Officer | Sue Henshaw Staff Development Trainer<br />
| Caroline Kenealy PA to Pro-Vice-Chancellors Professor Dany Nobus and Dr<br />
Mariann Rand-Weaver | Aash Khadia Deputy Director (Academic Profile), Planning<br />
| Ross Lennon Senior Examinations Officer | Dr David Machin Reader in Journalism<br />
| Lynn Martin Senior Timetabler | Leanne Moseley Development Officer (Trusts<br />
and Funds) | professor Shyama Ramani Chair in Entrepreneurship | professor<br />
Frank Skinner Chair in Corporate Finance | Joanna Steele PA to the Director of<br />
Academic Services | phil Thompson Interim Human Resources Manager (Systems)<br />
Farewell to…<br />
Andrew Aanonson BURA/Research Manager, Library | Linda Attram Equality<br />
and Diversity Manager | professor Rachel Brooks Professor of Education | Vikki<br />
Cannon Admissions Manager | Mary Cunning Learning Environment Manager,<br />
Library | Barry Edwards Reader in Drama | Niki Khoroushi Marketing Manager<br />
(Publications) | professor Andrew Lyddiatt Professor Associate, <strong>Brunel</strong> Institute<br />
of Bioengineering | Rachana patni Course Leader, Social Care | Rachel Russell PA<br />
to Pro-Vice-Chancellors Professor Dany Nobus and Dr Mariann Rand-Weaver |<br />
Karthikeyan Shanmugam Senior Web Systems Officer | Charlotte Taylor Marketing<br />
and Recruitment Manager, Law School | Lindsay Topham Volunteer Services<br />
Manager | Santanu Vasant eLearning Technologist | professor Adrian Woods<br />
Foundation Chair in Management Studies | Dr Mark Young Reader in Design<br />
Covers a selection of starters and leavers between April and August <strong>2012</strong><br />
ACADEMIC pRoMoTIoNS<br />
The Committee for Academic Staff promotions is pleased to announce that Council<br />
has approved the following list of promotions for the academic year 2011-12.<br />
Promotion to senior Lecturer<br />
School of Arts Dr Elizabeth Evenden | <strong>Brunel</strong> Business<br />
School Dr Afshin Mansouri | School of Engineering and<br />
Design Yunting Ge, Dr Atanas Ivanov, Dr David Smith<br />
| HERG Dr Subhash Pokhrel | School of Information<br />
Systems, Computing and Mathematics Dr Laurence Brooks,<br />
Dr Dmitry Savin, Dr Allan Tucker, Dr Veronica Vinciotti<br />
| <strong>Brunel</strong> Law School Dr Maurizo Borghi<br />
Promotion to reader<br />
sTAFF NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> Institute for Bioengineering Dr Svetlana Ignatova |<br />
School of Health Sciences and Social Care Dr Mark Pook<br />
Promotion to Chair<br />
IN BRIEF<br />
School of Social Sciences Dr Matthew Hughes |<br />
School of Information Systems, Computing and<br />
Mathematics Dr Julie Barnett | Wolfson Centre<br />
Dr Karnik Tarverdi (Promotion to Chair (Enterprise))<br />
23<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> London <strong>2012</strong> Gold Medal<br />
awards have been presented to<br />
staff who made an outstanding<br />
contribution to the success of<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong>’s Olympic and Paralympic<br />
activities. Michael Bak, Simon<br />
Carroll, Steven Exley, Helen Fisher,<br />
Gwyn Jones, Sheila Killen, Jeung<br />
Lee, Iain Liddell, Karen Moseley,<br />
Sally preece, Matthew Ralph,<br />
Chris Stock, Liz Woodward and<br />
Neil Young all received individual<br />
awards, alongside a number<br />
of teams and departments<br />
across the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong> has achieved an Athena<br />
SWAN Bronze Award for its<br />
efforts to promote the equal<br />
representation of female<br />
academic and research staff in<br />
science, technology, engineering,<br />
mathematics and medicine. <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
is one of only 42 universities to<br />
have received a bronze award.<br />
professor Saeed Vaseghi cycled from<br />
London to Belfast in May <strong>2012</strong> in<br />
aid of the ovarian cancer charity<br />
Angels of Hope. Professor Vaseghi,<br />
who lost his partner to cancer<br />
earlier this year, aims to complete<br />
another charity bike ride in 2013.<br />
Find out more or donate at www.<br />
justgiving.com/saeed-vaseghi<br />
A new book on academic essay<br />
writing by Blackboard Learn Project<br />
Manager Alex osmond will be<br />
published by SAGE in spring 2013.<br />
Academic Writing and Grammar for<br />
Students focuses on clear, accessible,<br />
and practical advice around good<br />
writing techniques and practice.
FeATUre :: reseArCH NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
24<br />
BEAM <strong>2012</strong>:<br />
high-tech music brings the<br />
festival spirit to <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
The second annual <strong>Brunel</strong> Electronic and Analogue<br />
Music (BEAM) festival gave music-lovers another<br />
fascinating weekend on campus in June, exploring the<br />
physicality and live creation of electronic music.<br />
International aficionados of electronic music, including cuttingedge<br />
musicians, academic researchers, amateur hackers and coders<br />
and emerging artists, turned the Antonin Artaud building into<br />
a playground for strange and exciting sonic experimentation.<br />
This year’s guest curator was professor Atau Tanaka,<br />
professor of Media Computing at Goldsmiths, <strong>University</strong><br />
of London. “What I like about BEAM is the community<br />
that comes together here,” he said. “We’ve got all the<br />
facilities to turn an academic discipline into a festival.”
“The computer itself becomes the instrument”<br />
Describing his vision for this year’s event, professor Tanaka explained that<br />
he wanted it to “cover the whole spectrum from popular electronic music to<br />
academic study,” and “connect the beginnings of electronic music with the<br />
latest developments, where the computer itself becomes the instrument.”<br />
This new level of electronic music was exemplified by Benoît and<br />
The Mandlebrots, a German band specialising in ‘live coding’. This<br />
innovative performance practice combines algorithmic composition –<br />
using algorithms to create music without human intervention – with<br />
improvised, interactive computer programming by a live ‘laptop band’.<br />
Many artists also use electronic interfacing to manipulate the sound of acoustic<br />
instruments using a laptop. This can create new instruments that go on to<br />
be successful in the public sphere as commercial musical instruments, such<br />
as the Reactable, which has been used by Bjork ( www.reactable.com).<br />
BEAM attendees were privileged to experience the premiere performance<br />
of the Hackspace Big Band, who used digitally-altered acoustic instruments<br />
to perform a long, varied instrumental piece with accompanying<br />
visuals, generated live using a turntable-mounted projector.<br />
Kaleidoscopic, impressionistic and fluid, the visuals perfectly complimented<br />
the diversity and spontaneity of the band’s music, which developed from<br />
grandiose cinematic montages of uneasy-sounding strings, punctuated<br />
by electronic bleeps and glitches, and swelled to a crescendo of<br />
howling feedback and surging noise. The finale, dropping from a<br />
maelstrom of computer destruction to a fragile percussive ambience,<br />
showcased the potential of such an unusual musical collective.<br />
https://london.hackspace.org.uk<br />
SYNTH-A-SKETCH: creating sonic drawings<br />
Raphael Arar’s SYNTH-A-SKETCH is based on the Etch A Sketch<br />
drawing toy, but with its mechanical functions rendered digitally.<br />
The similarities between Raphael’s device and the Etch A Sketch mean that<br />
operation is intuitive for anyone who has enjoyed the original toy. The user<br />
creates images by turning knobs and shaking to clear, and the SYNTH-A-SKETCH<br />
produces changing sounds alongside the images drawn, creating ‘sonic drawings.’<br />
Arar describes his work as centring on ‘the synthesis of nostalgia and novelty,<br />
resulting in sonic alloys indebted to the past’, and this idea is exemplified<br />
by the SYNTH-A-SKETCH. The installation is intended as a comment on the<br />
transience of modern society, as none of the user’s sonic drawings can be saved.<br />
http://raphaelarar.com<br />
Visualising sound<br />
Lewis Sykes showcased his Augmented Tonoscope project, an attempt<br />
to build “an instrument to visualise sound in such a way that what<br />
you see and what you hear are analogues of each other.”<br />
The Tonoscope is based on cymatics, a term derived from the Greek word<br />
for ‘wave-like’ and which describes the effect that sound and vibration have<br />
on materials. Sykes uses sound to vibrate a drum skin covered with sand: the<br />
sand shifts into specific geometric shapes and patterns at certain frequencies.<br />
Explaining the purpose of the project, Sykes stated that by connecting<br />
visual and audio aspects, the Tonoscope may shift our perception of sound<br />
and image so that we can “see/hear an object/sound simultaneously”.<br />
Drawing upon the results of his experiments with the Tonoscope,<br />
he aims to produce an interactive installation in which a<br />
certain tone corresponds to a specific pattern or shape.<br />
http://blog.lewissykes.info<br />
http://vimeo.com/lewissykes<br />
FeATUre :: reseArCH NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
25<br />
Natural soundscapes:<br />
a BEAM sleepover<br />
From midnight on Saturday for 12 hours,<br />
the main room of the Antonin Artaud<br />
building turned into what Tanaka<br />
described as a ‘black box space’, where<br />
delegates spent the night immersed in<br />
the natural soundscapes of Norwegian<br />
sound artist Jana Winderen.<br />
Winderen’s work takes her to some<br />
of the most beautiful and remote<br />
corners of the globe to capture ‘unseen<br />
sources of sound’, such as the ‘audio<br />
topography’ of the ocean under the<br />
Norwegian glacier Brenndalsbreen, and<br />
‘the depths of ice crevasses’ from the<br />
icefjord Kangia, Greenland.<br />
Tanaka praised as the unique sleepover<br />
format of the concert as increasing our<br />
awareness of the ubiquity of sound:<br />
“We can close our eyes when we sleep<br />
but we can’t close our ears – we sense<br />
sound and hear in a different way.”<br />
www.janawinderen.com<br />
‘playing’ the<br />
piano: open call<br />
performances<br />
The festival culminated with a slot<br />
reserved for those artists selected<br />
from the Open Call for proposals,<br />
where home musicians and<br />
professionals alike vied for a chance<br />
to perform. Highlights included a<br />
performance by Tychonas Michailidis,<br />
who played a grand piano without<br />
striking the keys: instead, he used<br />
haptic (touch) technology, placing<br />
computer-linked motors onto the<br />
strings and affecting their vibrations<br />
by moving a special glove over the<br />
piano. The resulting composition<br />
was as elaborate and graceful as the<br />
performer’s gestures that created it.
eseArCH NeWs :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
26<br />
“The project focuses<br />
on how postcolonial,<br />
diasporic audiences<br />
consider film to<br />
have shaped their<br />
ideas and values<br />
about community.”<br />
“I came into the world with a beautiful<br />
wound”, by Jayne Wilton<br />
“The literary essay is<br />
a strange mode. It’s<br />
not like an academic,<br />
critical essay, nor is it<br />
purely entertainment<br />
– it’s somewhere<br />
in between.”<br />
Collaboration with the British Film<br />
Institute explores how film shapes<br />
culture and community<br />
Dr Sarita Malik, from <strong>Brunel</strong>’s School of Social Sciences, is collaborating<br />
with the British Film Institute (BFI) to explore the ways in which film<br />
shapes audiences’ ideas and values about ‘community’.<br />
Dr Malik’s project, entitled ‘Diasporic Film in Communities’ and<br />
funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, examines the<br />
relationship between screen culture, stakeholders and communities,<br />
and seeks to better understand the concept of community in<br />
the modern, multicultural world. It focuses on how postcolonial,<br />
diasporic audiences – consisting of people belonging to one culture<br />
which has been dispersed from an original location – consider<br />
film to have shaped their ideas and values about community.<br />
Events so far have involved African-Caribbean, South Asian and Chinese<br />
audiences and have included film screenings, Q&A sessions with directors<br />
and screenwriters, and cultural celebrations such as a martial arts<br />
workshop and calypso singing. Audiences and community partners have<br />
discussed screen culture and how it shapes their values: for example, the<br />
Chinese group described the way in which particular films build up their<br />
sense of pride in ‘being Chinese’. Groups also expressed interest in the<br />
significance of how their culture or community is represented in film,<br />
and in the draw of film itself as a medium that mobilises communities.<br />
Dr Malik completed her PhD at the BFI, examining the history of<br />
black and Asian representation on British television. She said: “I’m<br />
really thrilled to be working with the BFI again. The Institute is<br />
central to how we develop cultural knowledge about our visual<br />
history – not just as researchers, but also as a society.”<br />
Will Self re-imagines the literary<br />
essay for the digital age<br />
<strong>Brunel</strong>’s professor of Contemporary Thought Will Self has developed<br />
a new form of literary essay re-imagined for the digital age.<br />
“Kafka’s Wound”: A Digital Literary Essay is an examination of Franz Kafka’s<br />
work through the lens of one of his stories, A Country Doctor (1919), and<br />
in particular through the aperture of the wound described in the story.<br />
The project, commissioned by the London Review of Books,<br />
brought together a team of web developers, editors, researchers,<br />
academics and artists, led by Self. They explored the possibilities<br />
offered by digital media to fashion a new kind of literary<br />
essay, interspersed with music, animation, film and text inspired<br />
by Kafka’s story and to document the creative process.<br />
“The literary essay is a strange mode,” explained Self. “It’s not like<br />
an academic, critical essay, nor is it purely entertainment – it’s<br />
somewhere in between. We had just twelve weeks for the project,<br />
so we invited people along and they pitched to be involved.”<br />
A host of <strong>Brunel</strong> staff and students were among over 70 contributors to<br />
the essay, which includes readings by Professor Johannes Birringer, a game<br />
designed by Professor Tanya Krzywinska, and art created by the School of<br />
Engineering and Design’s Professor Akram Khan and artist-in-residence<br />
Jayne Wilton. Self described the result as “a collectivisation, rather than a<br />
collaboration. The standard of work produced at <strong>Brunel</strong> was very high.”<br />
The essay is available online and through smartphone, tablet and<br />
connected TV, and will be exhibited at The Space, a new digital arts<br />
platform developed by the Arts Council in partnership with the BBC.
international Pathways and<br />
Language Centre:<br />
what’s on this term?<br />
The International pathways and Language Centre (IpLC) provides Academic<br />
English support for <strong>Brunel</strong> students whose first language is not English,<br />
as well as Modern Foreign Language tuition for students and staff.<br />
The International Admissions team recommends applicants to the IPLC if<br />
they have yet to meet the English language requirement for their course.<br />
Students are introduced to British academic culture as well as improving<br />
their knowledge of English for Academic Purposes, through the<br />
Pre-sessional English or English@<strong>Brunel</strong> programmes, or the International<br />
Foundation/Pre-Master’s in Engineering. Courses last from six to 50 weeks,<br />
and students can then continue to develop their language skills via the<br />
In-sessional English programme which runs throughout term-time.<br />
During the last academic year, 962 students attended In-sessional<br />
English courses and more than 1,000 students benefited<br />
from one-to-one academic consultation sessions.<br />
In-sessional English<br />
In-sessional Programme Leader<br />
David Jones and his team<br />
provide academic English<br />
support for all students whose<br />
first language is not English.<br />
“The most important classes are<br />
academic writing in term one<br />
and dissertation writing in term<br />
two,” said David. “We are here<br />
to help students bridge the gap<br />
between being able to write<br />
a 300 word IELTS essay and a<br />
3,000 word academic essay.”<br />
David also organises specific<br />
classes tailored to the needs of<br />
particular courses and Schools, as<br />
well as one-to-one sessions where<br />
students meet with a teacher for<br />
individual advice on the English in<br />
their written assignments and job<br />
applications. Both these services<br />
are provided free of charge.<br />
The following In-sessional classes<br />
and courses are on offer in the<br />
<strong>Autumn</strong> term: Academic Writing;<br />
Academic Speaking and Listening<br />
Skills; Academic Grammar with<br />
Vocabulary; Professional English;<br />
Academic English for Research<br />
Students; and Pronunciation<br />
and Social Conversation.<br />
Booking for In-sessional English<br />
courses opens during the week<br />
of 1 october and students can<br />
enrol online at www.brunel.<br />
ac.uk/international/currentstudents/insessional-english<br />
Modern Foreign<br />
Languages<br />
The IPLC also offers Foreign<br />
Language programmes for <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
staff and students, which provide<br />
useful transferrable skills and<br />
open doors to new cultures.<br />
Karin Hayes, Head of Modern<br />
Foreign Languages, and her team<br />
offer an extensive Modern Foreign<br />
Languages programme, with classes<br />
taught by qualified, native speakers.<br />
Upon successful completion of<br />
the course, students receive a<br />
Certificate of Achievement.<br />
Registered <strong>Brunel</strong> students can<br />
attend these classes free of charge,<br />
and there are two free staff<br />
places on each course. Once free<br />
places have been allocated, other<br />
staff applicants will be offered<br />
a discount on the course fees.<br />
The following courses are available<br />
in Terms 1 and 2: Modern Standard<br />
Arabic; French; German; Italian;<br />
Japanese; Mandarin; Portuguese;<br />
Russian; and Spanish. A taster<br />
course in Polish will run in Term 2.<br />
Booking for foreign language<br />
courses is now open at<br />
www.brunel.ac.uk/<br />
international/foreignlanguages<br />
Classes start on 8 october <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
FeATUre :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
27<br />
A British Council inspection<br />
of the IpLC in February<br />
<strong>2012</strong> recognised eight areas<br />
of strength at the Centre,<br />
including teaching, course<br />
design and quality assurance.
iN PiCTUres :: eXPRess MAGAZINe<br />
THe GALLerY<br />
The Korean olympic team and Canadian paralympic<br />
athletics team held their pre-Games training camps<br />
at <strong>Brunel</strong> over the summer of <strong>2012</strong>. Both teams<br />
held open sessions to give the media both in the<br />
UK and back at home a taste of life on campus.<br />
1 Korean media representatives surround members of<br />
the Olympic Boxing team. The training camp at <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
attracted huge media interest in the Republic of Korea,<br />
with a number of top TV channels and newspapers<br />
covering the team’s arrival and preparations on campus.<br />
1<br />
2<br />
See your photos here!<br />
Want to see your images published in Express? Submit your best pictures of anything <strong>Brunel</strong><br />
and you could see them in the Express gallery. Email your high resolution photos (ideally 1MB+)<br />
to communications@brunel.ac.uk or submit them on <strong>Brunel</strong>’s Flickr or Facebook pages.<br />
2<br />
The Korean Olympic Handball team practice in <strong>Brunel</strong>’s<br />
sports hall.<br />
3 Taekwondo players train in the Sports Centre. Taekwondo<br />
is the national sport in the Republic of Korea, and the<br />
team went on to win a gold and a silver medal at the<br />
London Games.<br />
4 Canadian Paralympic wheelchair racers practice on the<br />
outdoor athetics track. Racer Michelle Stilwell won gold in<br />
the T52 200m and silver in the T52 100m in London.<br />
3<br />
4<br />
136920B 240912