Inaugural Lecture Series 2007/08 - University of Liverpool
Inaugural Lecture Series 2007/08 - University of Liverpool
Inaugural Lecture Series 2007/08 - University of Liverpool
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL MAGAZINE FOR STAFF<br />
P<br />
Making<br />
New milestone for<br />
particle experiment<br />
JANUARY DECEMBER 20<strong>08</strong> 2006<br />
Physics<br />
matter
CONTENTS<br />
<strong>08</strong><br />
14<br />
24<br />
Quick glance<br />
03 John joins the team<br />
03 New Year Honours<br />
04 Research group rescue 14th<br />
Century Cairo public bath<br />
04 Penny Readings step back in time<br />
05 Nail-biting climax to construction<br />
phase <strong>of</strong> experiment<br />
06 Iraq Minister meets water team<br />
06 Henry Cohen TB lecture<br />
06 First tours <strong>of</strong> new Victoria<br />
07 Scientists link cattle illness to<br />
Crohn’s disease<br />
07 Schh... African rituals and the<br />
King <strong>of</strong> Drinks<br />
<strong>08</strong> £5m boost for cell research<br />
<strong>08</strong> Proteins – something to sniff at<br />
09 Top industry chiefs visit<br />
Management School<br />
09 Zoonosis Centre <strong>of</strong>ficially opens<br />
10 Hoist booster for swimming pool<br />
10 Full house for Goodall lecture<br />
10 News in brief<br />
11 First Person – Olympia pilgrimage<br />
11 Kiddies collage <strong>of</strong> infirmary unveiled<br />
12 Radio 1’s Gag Idol tour hits university<br />
12 Movers and Shakers<br />
12 Green charter in place<br />
12 Liverpinion<br />
13 New look campus takes shape<br />
13 Computing Services ensure speedy service<br />
14 Culturextravanganza<br />
16 School builds weather station<br />
16 Barry’s keynote spot<br />
Coverstory 05<br />
Making Physics matter<br />
New milestone for particle experiment<br />
£5m boost for cell research<br />
Pete’s Lear challenge<br />
GET INVOLVED! Please send your news, views, compliments and complaints to:<br />
Janis Morgan<br />
Corporate Communications<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong><br />
Foundation Building<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> L69 7ZX<br />
Honorary degrees for two<br />
world-leading names<br />
16 Joining forces to fight obesity<br />
17 Celebrating 60 year Turkish link<br />
17 Stress busting success<br />
17 Big name conference<br />
18 Dragon-slayer Laban tells his story<br />
18 In the spotlight – Alumni Scholarships<br />
19 Knowledge quarter generates £1 billion<br />
19 Access to Business Gateway<br />
19 Unique enterprise for entrepreneurs<br />
20 Enterprise Week<br />
20 Computers agreeing to disagree . . .<br />
21 Work experience<br />
21 Children’s rights in Europe<br />
21 Law grant<br />
22 Guild prepares for quality assessment<br />
22 Celebrating 20 years at <strong>University</strong><br />
22 Therapist Judith prepares for round the<br />
world trip<br />
22 National recognition for Jade and Rebecca<br />
23 Patient care website wins innovation award<br />
23 Customer service award for Foresight team<br />
23 Biotechnology showcase<br />
24 Honorary degrees for two<br />
world-leading names<br />
24 Children’s Centre Santa visit<br />
25 Alumni deck the halls<br />
25 Staff celebrate at Carnatic<br />
25 Ho, ho, ho for FM children<br />
25 Christmas get together for<br />
international families<br />
26 Take notes<br />
27 Classifieds<br />
t: 0151 794 2251<br />
e: precinct@liv.ac.uk<br />
w: www.liv.ac.uk/precinct<br />
Production: UNIVERSITY CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS<br />
NB. Please don’t send letters anonymously, just let us know if you don’t want your details to be published.<br />
Copy dates for future issues: March issue: 4 February (Dates subject to change).<br />
If you require this publication in an alternative format, please telephone 0151 794 2251.<br />
Vice-Chancellor’s<br />
Message<br />
Happy New Year - and welcome to <strong>Liverpool</strong>'s<br />
special year as European Capital <strong>of</strong> Culture.<br />
I am sure this will be a notable 12 months<br />
for the <strong>University</strong> and, with the eyes <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world on our city, I am looking forward to<br />
seeing the development <strong>of</strong> more international<br />
academic collaborations.<br />
We are rising up the world rankings, as<br />
we saw at the end <strong>of</strong> the year, and as one <strong>of</strong><br />
the world's top international universities, we<br />
must ensure our strategy is focused on<br />
continuing to develop globally-competitive<br />
research linkages with emphasis on<br />
excellence rather than location.<br />
The <strong>University</strong>'s research partnerships are<br />
already strong in Western Europe and the US,<br />
and developing nations - notably China and<br />
India - now form an important part <strong>of</strong> the world<br />
research base as well as a significant<br />
component <strong>of</strong> its pool <strong>of</strong> talent.<br />
The <strong>University</strong> is working with academic<br />
and industrial partners to build world-class<br />
collaborations in these new markets, in areas<br />
such as biological sciences, electrical<br />
engineering and electronics, and sustainable<br />
water management. Our links with the very<br />
best groups and institutions overseas will have<br />
a positive effect on our credibility and<br />
reputation as a research partner, as a potential<br />
employer <strong>of</strong> talented people, and as a valued<br />
destination for overseas students.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Drummond Bone<br />
Vice-Chancellor’s<br />
Open Meetings<br />
The Vice-Chancellor is holding his next Open<br />
Meeting on Wednesday 20 February at 4pm<br />
in <strong>Lecture</strong> Theatre 2, Sherrington Building.<br />
All staff are welcome to attend for an update<br />
on issues that affect the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Future date for your diary: Wednesday<br />
18 June 20<strong>08</strong> at 9am.
John joins the team<br />
The <strong>University</strong> has appointed its<br />
first Director <strong>of</strong> Strategic<br />
Partnerships and Development.<br />
John Flamson (above) will join the<br />
institution in March 20<strong>08</strong> from his<br />
position as Deputy Regional Director<br />
(Strategic Business) at the Government<br />
Office for the North West (GONW).<br />
John has a wealth <strong>of</strong> experience in<br />
the city and the region, but also has an<br />
active involvement in the <strong>University</strong> and<br />
its work. He has been a member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>University</strong> Council, latterly as Deputy<br />
Treasurer, and is also chair <strong>of</strong> the Alumni<br />
Board. An alumnus himself (BA Hons<br />
Geography 1973, MCD 1975), he is also<br />
the enthusiastic Chairman – and regular<br />
player - <strong>of</strong> Convocation Football Club,<br />
the <strong>University</strong>’s alumni team which plays<br />
in the region’s veterans circuit.<br />
The Vice-Chancellor announced<br />
John’s appointment shortly before<br />
Christmas. He said: “At GONW John<br />
oversaw numerous significant<br />
investments which continue to have an<br />
impact on the region's regeneration. In<br />
his new role at the <strong>University</strong> he will still<br />
be involved, albeit in a different capacity,<br />
in the city's regeneration.<br />
“He will be responsible for<br />
spearheading the <strong>University</strong>'s<br />
international, Government, regional<br />
and business relationships and<br />
developments, as part <strong>of</strong> our overarching<br />
strategy to 'invest, collaborate<br />
and grow'.”<br />
John says he is very much looking<br />
forward to working at his alma mater. He<br />
added: “I have very much enjoyed my<br />
time at GONW but this is an exciting new<br />
challenge for me.<br />
“I am already very involved in, and<br />
passionate about, the work <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>University</strong> and am keen to play a part in<br />
its future. In many ways, it will be like an<br />
enthusiastic supporter being invited to<br />
step down from the terraces and play in<br />
the team. I have huge admiration for<br />
many at the <strong>University</strong> and have already<br />
been warmly welcomed. It’s a great<br />
place with a great mission that is firmly<br />
on an upward curve.”<br />
New Year Honours<br />
The 20<strong>08</strong> New Year Honours List has bestowed<br />
prestigious accolades upon two prominent<br />
<strong>University</strong> figures.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Ole Petersen (above), who is the George<br />
Holt Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Physiology, has been appointed<br />
Commander <strong>of</strong> the Order <strong>of</strong> the British<br />
Empire (CBE).<br />
Ole, who is also Medical Research Council<br />
Research Pr<strong>of</strong>essor, said: “I am delighted to have<br />
been awarded a CBE and am particularly pleased<br />
that the citation is for services to science. I am both<br />
grateful and happy that my scientific work and<br />
involvement with many scientific societies, including<br />
the Royal Society and the Physiological Society,<br />
have been recognised in this way.<br />
“The award is a major encouragement to my<br />
research group and myself in our continuing efforts<br />
to understand the mechanisms underlying acute<br />
pancreatitis.”<br />
Pancreatitis is a common and serious illness<br />
caused by gallstones or by drinking excess<br />
alcohol. It is <strong>of</strong>ten fatal as the pancreas digests itself<br />
and its surroundings.<br />
Currently, there are no drugs to successfully treat<br />
the disease so the work that is being carried out by<br />
the research group is vital. They are looking at the<br />
involvement <strong>of</strong> changes in calcium ion<br />
concentrations as a trigger <strong>of</strong> pancreatitis and have<br />
recently been awarded a Medical Research Council<br />
grant to test substances that could be used to<br />
prevent or treat the disease.<br />
Also included in the honours list is Paula Ridley<br />
(below), who was a member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong><br />
Council until December <strong>2007</strong>. She received a CBE<br />
for her services to the arts, which have included<br />
chairing the board <strong>of</strong> the Victoria and Albert<br />
Museum for nine years and working as Trustee for<br />
the Tate Gallery and Liaison Trustee for the National<br />
Gallery. She was also the first Chairman <strong>of</strong> Tate<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> and Director <strong>of</strong> the UK branch <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, one <strong>of</strong> the largest<br />
grant-giving organisations in the arts in the UK.<br />
A graduate <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> and former Lady<br />
President <strong>of</strong> the Guild <strong>of</strong> Undergraduates, Paula<br />
was also awarded an Honorary Degree in 2003.<br />
She is one <strong>of</strong> the patrons <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>’s appeal<br />
for the Victoria Gallery and Museum, which is due<br />
to open in July 20<strong>08</strong>.<br />
Also celebrating achievement and service, the<br />
<strong>University</strong> conferred honorary degrees upon a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> distinguished figures in December.<br />
See page 24 for the full story.<br />
03
04<br />
Research group rescue 14th<br />
Century Cairo public bath<br />
Penny Readings step back in time<br />
A14th century public bath in<br />
Cairo has been saved from<br />
demolition by <strong>Liverpool</strong><br />
academics.<br />
The <strong>Liverpool</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Hammam Research group<br />
comprises Dr Fodil Fadli who<br />
works alongside Dr Iain Jackson,<br />
another post-doctoral research<br />
associate under the direction <strong>of</strong> Dr<br />
Magda Sibley. The Hammam<br />
research projects develop ways <strong>of</strong><br />
adapting old Hammam buildings<br />
to fit contemporary life and<br />
consider the best way to use them<br />
in the future.<br />
The Hammam (commonly<br />
known as Turkish Bath) serves as an integral part <strong>of</strong> Islamic society,<br />
providing not only a place to wash, but also somewhere for people to<br />
meet. It is a space for artistic and ceremonial activities and the Hammam<br />
used to be the only public place for women where to meet socially.<br />
Hammam Bashtak was built in AD 1341 and is one <strong>of</strong> the last<br />
remaining Mamluk bath houses in Cairo. However, only its gate was<br />
registered, which meant that the rest <strong>of</strong> the building was not protected from<br />
demolition. Dr Sibley, project director and Dr Fadli, a post-doctoral research<br />
associate at the School <strong>of</strong> Architecture, petitioned the Supreme Council <strong>of</strong><br />
Antiquities in Cairo to register the entire bath house as a monument in<br />
order to preserve it.<br />
Above: Bashtak entrance<br />
Above left: inside the Hammam Bashtak<br />
Left: Dr Sibley and Dr Fadli inside the Hammam Bashtak<br />
Visitors to St George’s Hall stepped back to the<br />
days <strong>of</strong> Dickens when The Reader, an outreach unit<br />
<strong>of</strong> the School <strong>of</strong> English, recreated his first public<br />
reading in the city.<br />
The event featured renowned poet Jenny Joseph,<br />
The Archers star Annabelle Dowler, BBC Radio 4<br />
and CBeebies presenter David McFetridge, and<br />
much-loved <strong>Liverpool</strong> teacher Brian Nellist.<br />
The Penny Readings is named after Dickens’<br />
insistence that people were charged just one penny<br />
entrance fee to enable the poorest to attend.<br />
Organiser, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Phil Davis, said: “In a time when<br />
we're bombarded with the visual, this event is a<br />
celebration <strong>of</strong> the spoken word and pro<strong>of</strong> that<br />
reading is something we can all share together.”<br />
The audience heard readings from such classics as<br />
Bleak House, A Christmas Carol and A Winter’s Tale.<br />
Other highlights included performances by the<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> African Youth Dance group, three<br />
community choirs, a Dickensian trumpet player and<br />
a string quartet.<br />
The Penny Readings are supported by logistics<br />
company Publiship.
Assembly <strong>of</strong> LHCb VELO modules<br />
Nail-biting climax to construction<br />
phase <strong>of</strong> experiment<br />
Fragile detectors for a major physics<br />
experiment buried deep under the<br />
French-Swiss border have been<br />
successfully installed, ensuring huge<br />
pieces <strong>of</strong> machinery are on track for their<br />
start-up in 20<strong>08</strong>.<br />
The delicate detectors for the Large<br />
Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment,<br />
one <strong>of</strong> four experiments at CERN, near<br />
Geneva, were built and assembled by<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> scientists.<br />
The LHCb collaboration includes UK<br />
scientists from the Universities <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong><br />
and Glasgow, who have been installing the<br />
Vertex Locator (VELO) detector into its final<br />
location in the underground experimental<br />
cavern at CERN.<br />
CERN is the European Organisation<br />
for Nuclear Research, the world's largest<br />
particle physics centre. It is a laboratory<br />
where scientists unite to study the building<br />
blocks <strong>of</strong> matter and the forces that<br />
hold them together using accelerators,<br />
which accelerate particles to almost the<br />
speed <strong>of</strong> light, and detectors to make the<br />
particles visible.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Themis Bowcock, lead LHCb<br />
scientist from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong>,<br />
said, “This is a big milestone for VELO and<br />
marks an end to the construction side <strong>of</strong><br />
the project. With each one <strong>of</strong> the 42<br />
modules that make up the instrument<br />
taking months to construct, the final<br />
installation was a nail-biting experience.<br />
“The installation was very tricky,<br />
because we were sliding the VELO blindly<br />
in the detector. As these modules are so<br />
fragile, we could have damaged them all<br />
and not realised it straight away.”<br />
The VELO is a precise particletracking<br />
detector inside the LHCb<br />
experiment. At its heart are 84 half-moon<br />
shaped silicon sensors, each one<br />
connected to its electronics via a delicate<br />
system <strong>of</strong> more than 5,000 wires. These<br />
sensors will be located very close to the<br />
collision point, where they will play a<br />
crucial role in detecting b quarks, to help<br />
in understanding tiny but crucial<br />
differences in the behaviour <strong>of</strong> matter<br />
and antimatter.<br />
05
06<br />
Iraq Minister<br />
meets water team<br />
Aleading Iraqi minister, who is also<br />
an alumnus <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>, came<br />
back to the campus for the first<br />
time in nearly 40 years.<br />
Dr Abdul Latif Rashid is Minister <strong>of</strong><br />
Water Resources in the Iraqi government.<br />
He visited the <strong>University</strong> at the invitation <strong>of</strong><br />
SWIMMER, the Institute for Sustainable<br />
Water, Integrated Management and<br />
Ecosystem Research.<br />
Dr Rashid is leading the redevelopment<br />
<strong>of</strong> his country’s infrastructure to ensure its<br />
people have access to fresh water<br />
supplies. He first met the SWIMMER team<br />
at a conference on marshlands; Iraq has a<br />
vast environmentally and economically<br />
important marsh area which was drained in<br />
the 1990s under Saddam Hussein, but is<br />
now being restored and revived by the<br />
government.<br />
During his visit to the <strong>University</strong>, Dr<br />
Rashid discussed future collaborations,<br />
including the training <strong>of</strong> students and<br />
knowledge transfer, as well as talking about<br />
the challenges facing the Iraqi people and<br />
the management <strong>of</strong> water resources. The<br />
Engineering graduate also learned more<br />
about the<br />
£36 million<br />
transformation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Faculty <strong>of</strong><br />
Engineering and<br />
other developments<br />
on campus, as well<br />
as across <strong>Liverpool</strong>.<br />
He also visited the<br />
city centre and the<br />
historic waterfront to see the major civil<br />
engineering projects taking place there.<br />
Dr Rashid graduated with a BEng in<br />
Civil Engineering in 1969 and says he<br />
loved his time in <strong>Liverpool</strong>.<br />
He said: “I came to <strong>Liverpool</strong> in the<br />
time <strong>of</strong> the Beatles! I had done my<br />
A-levels in North Wales and knew and<br />
loved the city so I was very happy when<br />
my application to the <strong>University</strong> was<br />
accepted. I received a scholarship from<br />
the Iraqi Government which, at that time,<br />
was allocating scholarship students to<br />
various colleges in the UK.<br />
“There is a large Iraqi community<br />
in Britain and all British universities<br />
welcome Iraqi students. I would<br />
Henry Cohen TB lecture<br />
The 35th Henry Cohen History <strong>of</strong><br />
Medicine <strong>Lecture</strong> was this year<br />
delivered by Dr Chris C Evans,<br />
Emeritus Consultant Physician at<br />
Cardiothoracic Centre and Royal<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> <strong>University</strong> Hospital.<br />
The title <strong>of</strong> his lecture was ‘The<br />
Management <strong>of</strong> Tuberculosis prior to<br />
Antibiotic Therapy’.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jim Neilson, Deputy Dean,<br />
Faculty <strong>of</strong> Medicine, introduced the<br />
lecture, giving a brief resume <strong>of</strong> Lord<br />
Cohen <strong>of</strong> Birkenhead, who was the preeminent<br />
British physician <strong>of</strong> the 1950s<br />
and 1960s. One <strong>of</strong> his greatest legacies<br />
was undoubtedly the significant advisory<br />
role he played to the Minister <strong>of</strong> Health<br />
about the establishment <strong>of</strong> the NHS,<br />
which was introduced in 1948.<br />
Dr Evans was attached to Lord<br />
Cohen’s team in 1961. His lecture was<br />
on the history <strong>of</strong> the management <strong>of</strong><br />
TB prior to the introduction <strong>of</strong><br />
antibiotic therapy - a subject <strong>of</strong><br />
contemporary relevance given the<br />
emergence <strong>of</strong> multi-drug resistance in<br />
Africa in the co-epidemic with AIDS. Dr<br />
Evans traced the timeline from Asklepius<br />
to the middle ages and highlighted<br />
Koch’s discovery <strong>of</strong> the infecting<br />
organism in 1882, and outlined the birth,<br />
rise and fall <strong>of</strong> the sanatorium movement<br />
in Europe, Britain and, more specifically,<br />
in Merseyside. He said the 10-fold<br />
reduction in TB death rates after 1850<br />
was testimony to a successful<br />
policy, notwithstanding the lack <strong>of</strong><br />
statistical pro<strong>of</strong>.<br />
Dr Rashid with Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Ed Maltby, Director <strong>of</strong> SWIMMER<br />
definitely recommend coming here to<br />
study, especially in technical subjects,<br />
but I would hope that those scholarship<br />
students who come to Great Britain come<br />
back to Iraq and make a contribution to<br />
its future.”<br />
First tours <strong>of</strong><br />
new Victoria Gallery<br />
The team from the Art and Heritage<br />
Collections is conducting tours <strong>of</strong> the Victoria<br />
Gallery & Museum for <strong>University</strong> Art Officers.<br />
Art Officers are members <strong>of</strong> staff in<br />
administrative and academic departments<br />
who take responsibility for the <strong>University</strong>owned<br />
pictures, sculpture and furniture on<br />
display within its buildings.<br />
The first <strong>of</strong> these tours was conducted by<br />
Moira Lindsay, Assistant Curator (Art). The Art<br />
Officers had a chance to see the progress<br />
being made inside the Victoria Building and<br />
were given the opportunity to ask questions<br />
about the new Victoria Gallery & Museum.<br />
Above: Moira Lindsay (pictured front, third from left)<br />
with the Art Officers
Scientists link cattle illness to Crohn’s disease<br />
Scientists at the <strong>University</strong><br />
have found how a bacterium,<br />
known to cause illness in<br />
cattle may cause Crohn’s<br />
disease in humans.<br />
Crohn’s is a condition that<br />
affects one in 800 people in<br />
the UK and causes chronic<br />
intestinal inflammation, leading<br />
to pain, bleeding and<br />
diarrhoea.<br />
The team found that a<br />
bacterium called<br />
Mycobacterium<br />
paratuberculosis releases a<br />
molecule that prevents a type <strong>of</strong><br />
white blood cell from killing<br />
E.coli bacteria found in the body.<br />
E.coli is known to be present within<br />
Crohn’s disease tissue in increased numbers.<br />
Schh... African rituals and the King <strong>of</strong> Drinks<br />
Photo credit: Peter Coenen<br />
It was the archetypal British Colonial<br />
cocktail. Now a <strong>University</strong> historian<br />
has completed a research project which<br />
crowns a gin and tonic as the ‘King <strong>of</strong><br />
Drinks’<br />
Dr Dmitri Van Den Bersselaar’s main<br />
interest is West African history. Schnapps<br />
gin is a massively important product in<br />
West African societies, however, they do<br />
not drink it - they pour it on the ground<br />
whilst praying to the gods and ancestors<br />
and use it as an indication <strong>of</strong> the status <strong>of</strong><br />
chiefs and elders.<br />
It is thought that the Mycobacteria make their way<br />
into the body’s system via cows’ milk and other<br />
dairy products. In cattle it can cause an illness<br />
called Johne's disease - a wasting, diarrhoeal<br />
condition. Until now, however, it has been unclear<br />
how this bacterium could trigger intestinal<br />
inflammation in humans.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jon Rhodes, from the School <strong>of</strong> Clinical<br />
Sciences, said: “Mycobacterium paratuberculosis<br />
has been found within Crohn’s disease tissue but<br />
there has been much controversy concerning its<br />
role in the disease. We have now shown that<br />
these Mycobacteria release a complex<br />
molecule containing a sugar, called mannose.<br />
This molecule prevents a type <strong>of</strong> white blood<br />
cells, called macrophages, from killing<br />
internalised E.coli.”<br />
Scientists have previously shown that people with<br />
Crohn’s disease have increased numbers <strong>of</strong> a<br />
Dmitri said: “The history <strong>of</strong> the product<br />
and its use is an interesting one. In the<br />
1900s it was a very fashionable and<br />
modern drink and indicated that you were<br />
connected to the modern and international<br />
world. But, surprisingly, by the 1950s it was<br />
considered ‘traditional’ – an essential<br />
ingredient <strong>of</strong> African ritual.<br />
“We see a similar thing happen in<br />
Britain with tea; it was modern and<br />
fashionable to begin with and then became<br />
a mass consumer good. Gin in Africa,<br />
however, went in the opposite direction: it<br />
has become less widely consumed<br />
since 1900.”<br />
The marketing efforts <strong>of</strong> European gin<br />
producers and trading companies largely<br />
failed in Africa. It is though that this is an<br />
example <strong>of</strong> the power <strong>of</strong> the African people<br />
to define a product in the face <strong>of</strong><br />
commercial campaigns, colonialism and<br />
Christian missionaries. Through the history<br />
<strong>of</strong> the product it is possible to see how<br />
identities and definitions <strong>of</strong> community in<br />
colonial and post-colonial West Africa<br />
were formed.<br />
Dmitri’s research has been turned into<br />
a book which has been well received in<br />
‘sticky’ type <strong>of</strong> E.coli and weakened ability to fight<br />
<strong>of</strong>f intestinal bacteria. The suppressive effect <strong>of</strong><br />
the Mycobacterial molecule on this type <strong>of</strong><br />
white blood cell suggests it is a likely mechanism<br />
for weakening the body’s defence against<br />
the bacteria.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Rhodes added: "We also found that this<br />
bacterium is a likely trigger for a circulating<br />
antibody protein (ASCA) that is found in about<br />
two thirds <strong>of</strong> patients with Crohn's disease,<br />
suggesting that these people may have been<br />
infected by the Mycobacterium."<br />
The team is beginning clinical trials to assess<br />
whether an antibiotic combination can be used to<br />
target the bacteria contained in white blood cells<br />
as a possible treatment for Crohn’s disease.<br />
The research was funded by core and the<br />
Medical Research Council and is published in<br />
Gastroenterology.<br />
Ghana and the Netherlands where it<br />
became the focus <strong>of</strong> an exhibition, staged<br />
at the Jenever Museum, which looks at<br />
Dutch Aromatic Schnapps in Ghana. This<br />
included a miniature bottles exhibit, where<br />
the history <strong>of</strong> trade between Holland and<br />
Ghana is traced, and examples <strong>of</strong> how gin<br />
was used in rituals.<br />
Photo credit: Collection Lucas Bols BV<br />
07
<strong>08</strong><br />
£5m boost for<br />
cell research<br />
Scientists at the <strong>University</strong> have been awarded £5 million to investigate<br />
how cells respond to stimuli.<br />
Biologists will investigate the role <strong>of</strong> the NF-kappaB signalling system<br />
to determine how cells decide when to die. NFkB governs responses<br />
within cells to stimuli such as stress and the immune system, but when<br />
this system goes wrong it is thought that it can lead to cancer,<br />
inflammatory problems and septic shock.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Mike White, from the School <strong>of</strong> Biological Sciences, said:<br />
“Systems Biology involves the analysis <strong>of</strong> how biological processes<br />
work at all levels. This goes from the interactions between individual<br />
biological molecules, to the physiology and behaviour <strong>of</strong> animals and<br />
plants. With this grant we can develop models to understand more<br />
clearly how cells communicate with each other.”<br />
The project - in collaboration with the Universities <strong>of</strong> Manchester and<br />
Warwick - is a multidisciplinary collaboration involving scientists in<br />
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, veterinary scientists and<br />
mathematicians.<br />
A second team from the School <strong>of</strong> Biological Sciences, headed by Dr<br />
Anthony Hall, has been awarded a further £1 million as part <strong>of</strong> a £5<br />
million project led by scientists at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Edinburgh to<br />
develop a model <strong>of</strong> how plants cope with temperature changes. The<br />
research could help to develop higher-yield crops that are better able<br />
to survive in harsh conditions, thus allowing scientists to develop plants<br />
capable <strong>of</strong> withstanding the possible effects <strong>of</strong> global warming.<br />
Proteins – something to sniff at<br />
Photo Mike Thom<br />
Scientists have discovered that mice rely on a special<br />
set <strong>of</strong> proteins to recognise each other.<br />
The team found that mice use a highly specialised<br />
set <strong>of</strong> proteins in their urine to recognise different<br />
individuals, suggesting that this may also be true <strong>of</strong><br />
other animals.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jane Hurst, Director <strong>of</strong> the Mammalian<br />
Behaviour and Evolution research group, said: “For<br />
many years scientists assumed that a particular set<br />
<strong>of</strong> genes, called the major histocompatibility complex<br />
(MHC), helped animals to identify individuals within<br />
their own species through their scent. Each individual<br />
has a different MHC code, just like every human has<br />
a different fingerprint. It influences the body’s odour<br />
and it was assumed that animals that are sensitive to<br />
scents would use these different odours to recognise<br />
each other.<br />
“We found, however, that while female wild mice do<br />
indeed use scent to identify individual males, MHC<br />
does not play a part. For example, it is clear that we<br />
all have different fingerprints, but it certainly isn’t how<br />
we recognise individuals in everyday life. Equally,<br />
while MHC odours differ between individual mice,<br />
this isn’t the way they recognise one another.”<br />
To test this theory, scientists observed how female<br />
mice identify potential mates. Female mice<br />
distinguish between dominant and weaker males by<br />
how fresh a male scent-mark is. A dominant male is<br />
able to scent-mark a territory after excluding its other<br />
male competitors, allowing it to leave a more recent<br />
scent-mark than any <strong>of</strong> its competitors.<br />
The group demonstrated that when faced with two<br />
males with different MHC types, females cannot<br />
identify which male left the fresh territory scents and<br />
which left the older scents, indicating that MHC<br />
differences are not sufficient for individual recognition<br />
as previously thought. Instead, they found that a<br />
special set <strong>of</strong> proteins in the urine <strong>of</strong> mice allows<br />
females to recognise which individual male is<br />
dominant.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hurst added: “These major urinary proteins<br />
(MUPs) act like a ‘chemical barcode’ <strong>of</strong> individual<br />
identity – each individual has a slightly different set <strong>of</strong><br />
proteins, allowing each animal to be easily<br />
recognised. Our results demonstrate that this protein<br />
‘barcode’ allows females to identify individual males<br />
accurately, and thus recognise dominant males that<br />
are likely to be good sires for their <strong>of</strong>fspring.”<br />
The research is published in Current Biology
Top industry<br />
chiefs visit<br />
Management<br />
School<br />
The Management School MBA guest<br />
speaker programme has played host to a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> high pr<strong>of</strong>ile business leaders.<br />
Sir Joe Dwyer spoke at the first event, run<br />
in association with the Chartered<br />
Management Institute. He talked about his<br />
experiences in the construction industry<br />
with particular reference to work on the<br />
Channel Tunnel and Wimpey Construction<br />
to illustrate good and bad synergies<br />
within organisations.<br />
The second lecture was the ninth<br />
International Business Management<br />
evening event where guests spoke about<br />
the promises and pitfalls <strong>of</strong> trading with<br />
the Gulf region in the Middle East. The<br />
key note speaker for this event was<br />
Michael Thomas from the Middle<br />
Eastern Association.<br />
Finally, the Management School<br />
welcomed Lewis Booth (above), Deputy<br />
Vice-President <strong>of</strong> Ford, who gave MBA<br />
students a fascinating insight into global<br />
developments <strong>of</strong> management in the<br />
car industry.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Murray Dalziel, Director <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Management School, said: “This has been<br />
a great season <strong>of</strong> speaking events and we<br />
are looking forward to many more.”<br />
Dates for your diary<br />
Peter Erskine, Chairman and Chief Executive<br />
Officer <strong>of</strong> Telefónica O2 Europe, will be guest<br />
speaker at the Management School on<br />
Thursday 21 February.<br />
The Psychology graduate left the <strong>University</strong> in<br />
1973 and this will be his first visit to the<br />
campus for many years.<br />
Another prominent graduate, Maurice<br />
Flanagan CBE, Executive Vice-Chairman <strong>of</strong><br />
Emirates Airlines, is also coming back to his<br />
alma mater. He will be delivering the<br />
prestigious McKechnie <strong>Lecture</strong> in the Faculty<br />
<strong>of</strong> Engineering on Wednesday 9 April.<br />
Maurice graduated with a BA in General<br />
Studies in 1950.<br />
Staff, alumni and students are welcome at<br />
both these lectures. For more information<br />
please email: development@liv.ac.uk<br />
Zoonosis Centre<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficially opens<br />
Lord David Owen with technician<br />
Gill Hutchinson at the Zoonosis<br />
Centre laboratories.<br />
The UK’s National Centre for<br />
Zoonosis Research, dedicated to<br />
the study <strong>of</strong> animal-borne human<br />
diseases, has been formally opened by<br />
Lord David Owen, the <strong>University</strong>’s<br />
Chancellor, and Lord Lawson Soulsby,<br />
the former President <strong>of</strong> the Royal College<br />
for Veterinary Surgeons and Honorary<br />
DVSc.<br />
Zoonoses are diseases that originate<br />
in animals but can jump species and<br />
infect humans.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Malcolm Bennett, Veterinary<br />
Pathologist and Co-Director <strong>of</strong> the Centre,<br />
said: “Diseases such as SARS and avian<br />
flu are examples <strong>of</strong> new and emerging<br />
zoonotic diseases that hit the headlines,<br />
but around two thirds <strong>of</strong> all human<br />
infections are transmitted from animals,<br />
and some <strong>of</strong> these can be very serious.<br />
Rabies, for example, still kills more than<br />
50,000 people every year, mainly in<br />
developing countries, while closer to<br />
home, most cases <strong>of</strong> food poisoning are<br />
also caused by zoonoses.”<br />
The Centre is funded by the<br />
Northwest Regional Development Agency<br />
(NWDA) and is a collaboration involving<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Lancaster, the Health<br />
Protection Agency and the Veterinary<br />
Laboratories Agency. It is located at the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s veterinary<br />
Below: (back) Lord David Owen,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Malcolm Bennett and Dr Chris<br />
Parry with (front) Lord Lawson Soulsby<br />
campus at Leahurst because <strong>of</strong> the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> understanding these<br />
diseases in animals as well as people.<br />
Dr George Baxter, NWDA Director <strong>of</strong><br />
Science and Innovation, said:” The NWDA<br />
is committed to developing and nurturing<br />
an internationally competitive knowledge<br />
base in the North West, which is why we<br />
invested £1.68 million into the Centre for<br />
Zoonosis Research through the Northwest<br />
Science Fund.<br />
“Through the expertise <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong>, this new Centre will<br />
help ensure that the region remains a<br />
leader in scientific innovation and<br />
significantly advance the North West’s<br />
research base.”<br />
09
10<br />
Hoist booster for swimming pool<br />
Anew pool hoist has been installed at the Sports and<br />
Fitness Centre to encourage people with limited mobility to<br />
use the facility.<br />
The project formed part <strong>of</strong> a £2.2 million commitment by the<br />
<strong>University</strong> to meet the legal requirements <strong>of</strong> the Disability<br />
Discrimination Act.<br />
The Dolphin Pool Hoist is simple to operate and provides<br />
a safe, quick and effective way to get in and out <strong>of</strong> the water.<br />
All lifeguards are fully trained to support those using the<br />
equipment.<br />
The team in Sport <strong>Liverpool</strong>, the <strong>University</strong>’s Sport Directorate,<br />
has already developed strong partnerships with Action for the<br />
Blind and disability groups associated with the Daisy UK<br />
awareness organisation.<br />
Pete Sampara, Sports Operations Manager, said: “We hope<br />
that the pool hoist will not only serve existing customers, but will<br />
make swimming a more enjoyable proposition for many more<br />
people within the <strong>University</strong> and local community.”<br />
Full house for<br />
Goodall lecture<br />
Leading<br />
conservationist Dr<br />
Jane Goodall was<br />
the star <strong>of</strong> the final<br />
Public <strong>Lecture</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
the year.<br />
The very successful series, organised<br />
by Corporate Communications, has also<br />
featured TV’s Time Team presenter, Tony<br />
Robinson, BAFTA award winner Michael<br />
Wood; Dr Robert Beckford, film-maker<br />
and theologian; and a unique<br />
presentation about the famous<br />
Wedgwood china.<br />
Dr Goodall told the packed audience<br />
about her life as primatologist,<br />
ethologist, anthropologist and<br />
environmentalist. Her pioneering work<br />
with Gombe Chimps in East Africa<br />
contributed to scientific knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />
the links between humans and<br />
primates. Her lecture, called Reasons<br />
for Hope, also addressed the issues <strong>of</strong><br />
environmental destruction and animal<br />
abuse. To view the lecture via webcast<br />
visit: www.liv.ac.uk/events/heritage<br />
The 20<strong>08</strong> Public <strong>Lecture</strong> series has just<br />
been announced. See centre pages<br />
for details.<br />
Doctoral students from the Institute <strong>of</strong> Irish<br />
Studies joined colleagues from <strong>University</strong><br />
College Dublin, St Patrick’s College,<br />
Dramcondra, l’Universite de Lille and l’Universite<br />
de Paris III for the first international conference<br />
for postgraduate students in Irish studies. The<br />
conference was held in the Sorbonne, Paris.<br />
Lord Owen is backing a campaign to bring HMS<br />
Plymouth back to Plymouth to form part <strong>of</strong> a<br />
national Falklands War Museum. The Former<br />
Foreign Secretary and MP for Plymouth is<br />
supporting plans by the HMS Plymouth<br />
campaign group, Warship Management Limited,<br />
who aim to have the Type 12 frigate towed from<br />
Birkenhead to South Yard in Plymouth. The<br />
group has already raised £20,000 towards<br />
moving the vessel, but it is believed that the<br />
overall cost will be in the region <strong>of</strong> £100,000.<br />
A book sale organised by the School <strong>of</strong><br />
Population, Community and Behavioural<br />
Sciences, raised more than £300 for<br />
Macmillan Support.<br />
Robert Moore, an Honorary Senior Fellow from<br />
the School <strong>of</strong> Sociology and Social Policy, has<br />
contributed to the Community Health and Well<br />
Being: Action Research on Health Inequalities<br />
book, which was the recent topic <strong>of</strong> debate at a<br />
Welsh Assembly Government seminar. The book<br />
looks at the process <strong>of</strong> improving health in<br />
populations in which health is generally poor<br />
and argues that traditional government<br />
approaches to encourage individuals to live<br />
healthier lifestyles is not enough.<br />
The BSC North West Regional Group<br />
Symposium, organised by the School <strong>of</strong><br />
Newsinbrief<br />
Sociology and Social Policy is taking place<br />
on 1 February. Focusing on ‘Crime and<br />
Community’, confirmed speakers are Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Gordon Hughes (Cardiff <strong>University</strong>), Dr Roy<br />
Coleman (<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong>) and a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> other speakers from the<br />
Probation Service and community groups<br />
based in Merseyside.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jonathan Harris from the School <strong>of</strong><br />
Architecture will be giving a keynote lecture at<br />
a major international conference to be held at<br />
the Frick Art Reference Library <strong>of</strong> the Frick<br />
Collection in New York. The conference, in<br />
February 20<strong>08</strong>, is on ‘Modern Art Collecting<br />
from 1913 to the Present’ and addresses the<br />
impacts <strong>of</strong> critics and critical writing on the<br />
art market.<br />
A new hard-hitting campaign about sex<br />
trafficking is being launched in pubs and clubs<br />
across <strong>Liverpool</strong>. Students from the <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> are distributing beer mats that<br />
highlight the plight <strong>of</strong> sex workers with the aim<br />
<strong>of</strong> targeting men who visit prostitutes.<br />
The Guild has launched a new promotional<br />
campaign to re-engage students with the<br />
purpose <strong>of</strong> the Guild. The campaign will<br />
consist <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> posters and postcards<br />
that highlight the opportunity that students<br />
have into setting the priorities <strong>of</strong> the Guild.<br />
The School <strong>of</strong> Law hosted a lecture given by<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Nicola Lacey, from the London<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Economics, on Explaining Penal<br />
Tolerance and Severity as part <strong>of</strong> the <strong>2007</strong><br />
Hamlyn <strong>Lecture</strong> series.
IMPACTS <strong>08</strong><br />
FIRST PERSON<br />
Beatriz Garcia, lecturer in Sociology,<br />
meets old friends on Olympia pilgrimage<br />
Beatrice planting the tree<br />
As Co-Editor <strong>of</strong> Culture @ the Olympics: Issues,<br />
Trends and Perspectives, I joined another 40<br />
scholars from 11 countries in a ‘pilgrimage to<br />
Olympia’ in Greece. We were travelling to this<br />
ancient site, cradle <strong>of</strong> the Olympic Games and<br />
site for the lighting <strong>of</strong> the Olympic Flame prior to<br />
each Games, to pledge our support to the<br />
International Olympic Academy (IOA). The visit<br />
was a symbolic gesture to express gratitude to<br />
the people <strong>of</strong> Olympia and staff <strong>of</strong> the IOA who<br />
Pupils with their artwork<br />
fought to save the sites from the fires <strong>of</strong> August<br />
<strong>2007</strong>. The occasion involved the donation <strong>of</strong><br />
12,000 Euros, the presentation <strong>of</strong> gifts and the<br />
planting the first tree in the process towards<br />
recovering the Academy’s grounds. The event<br />
culminated in the signing <strong>of</strong> a Declaration <strong>of</strong><br />
Solidarity, which has been sent to the President<br />
<strong>of</strong> the IOC, Mr Jacques Rogge.<br />
Myself and Dr Andy Miah, from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
the West <strong>of</strong> Scotland, were the two<br />
representatives <strong>of</strong> UK universities, joining<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essors and researchers from Austria,<br />
Bulgaria, China, Denmark, France, Germany,<br />
Greece, Italy, Spain, and the United States. All<br />
the scholars on the trip were involved in<br />
research <strong>of</strong> the ancient or modern Olympic<br />
Games and have been invited in the past to<br />
participate at the IOA as lecturers or<br />
postgraduate students. Attending an IOA<br />
session is a unique scholarly experience as it<br />
involves a period <strong>of</strong> two to six weeks <strong>of</strong><br />
discussions and fieldtrips around Greece’s<br />
ancient sites in the company <strong>of</strong> representatives<br />
from 40 to 100 different countries at a time. This<br />
provides an opportunity to explore, not only the<br />
historical, economic and social dimensions <strong>of</strong><br />
the Olympic Movement, but also to experience<br />
its international dimension first hand.<br />
This trip saw me reunited with scholars I had<br />
not seen for more than eight years and<br />
rekindled relevant discussions on the purpose<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Olympic Movement and the likely legacy<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Beijing 20<strong>08</strong> Games in China. The main<br />
intention behind this trip was to highlight the<br />
significance <strong>of</strong> the IOA as the main platform for<br />
academic debate on the Olympics. It created an<br />
opportunity to argue for the continuing support<br />
<strong>of</strong> an institution that provides a much needed<br />
space for an informed critique <strong>of</strong> the Games,<br />
testifying to its educational aspirations, beyond<br />
the narrow commercial and medal tally focus <strong>of</strong><br />
mainstream media coverage.<br />
Stele <strong>of</strong> the founder <strong>of</strong> the Games with the<br />
background showing the effects <strong>of</strong> the fire<br />
More on this trip is available at:<br />
www.scholars-for-olympia.com/<br />
also visit: www.culturalolympics.org.uk<br />
Kiddies collage <strong>of</strong> infirmary unveiled<br />
Pupils from Sacred Heart Primary School visited the<br />
Foresight Centre chapel to unveil a colourful collage <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> Royal Infirmary.<br />
They produced the artwork with the help <strong>of</strong> Educational Officer<br />
and local artist, Peter Rix, based at <strong>Liverpool</strong> Vision.<br />
The visit was part <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> health and heritage events<br />
organised by the <strong>Liverpool</strong> Culture Company called ‘The<br />
Extraordinary Journey’. The series <strong>of</strong> exhibitions held throughout<br />
the region, celebrated the innovation and accomplishments <strong>of</strong><br />
former pioneers in medicine and health that worked in or<br />
originated from the <strong>Liverpool</strong> area.<br />
Lynn Westbury, Head <strong>of</strong> the Foresight Centre, was responsible<br />
for organising the visit. She said: “The collage is the result <strong>of</strong><br />
several months <strong>of</strong> hard work from these pupils. It really does look<br />
fantastic and they were delighted to see their efforts displayed in<br />
the actual building depicted in their artwork.”<br />
11
12<br />
Below: Chris Moyles at the Guild<br />
Movers and Shakers<br />
Jean Graham from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong><br />
Children’s Centre (right) has been awarded the<br />
NMT (Nursery Management Today) Nursery<br />
Lifetime Achievement <strong>2007</strong> award. The<br />
judges chose Jean as the winner because<br />
‘she is an extremely warm and pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
person’ and ‘is child focused and dedicated<br />
to the care and development <strong>of</strong> the children,<br />
but also values her team and their<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional development.’<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor George Wolff, from the Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Earth and Ocean Sciences, has had a new<br />
species <strong>of</strong> deep-sea snailfish named after him.<br />
The Paraliparis wolffi is one <strong>of</strong> five specimens<br />
<strong>of</strong> deep-sea snailfish collected during the<br />
deep-sea trawls on the multidisciplinary NERC<br />
funded research cruise led by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Wolff.<br />
Liverpinion<br />
Dear Editor,<br />
Given the constraints on its physical estate, the<br />
terms and conditions <strong>of</strong> employment <strong>of</strong> staff,<br />
and the desirability <strong>of</strong> maintaining a sense <strong>of</strong><br />
common values within the <strong>University</strong>, does the<br />
<strong>University</strong> believe there is or should be an<br />
optimum level <strong>of</strong> student numbers to which the<br />
<strong>University</strong> should continue to grow its student<br />
population on its current <strong>Liverpool</strong> site?<br />
Name and address supplied<br />
Radio 1’s Gag Idol tour hits university<br />
Radio One’s Chris Moyles brought his<br />
breakfast team to the <strong>University</strong> as part <strong>of</strong><br />
their ‘Gag Idol’ tour.<br />
The events involve live shows where members<br />
<strong>of</strong> the audience are asked to get up on stage<br />
and tell jokes. The aspiring comedians are<br />
rated on their performance by a panel <strong>of</strong><br />
celebrity judges and anyone failing to impress<br />
is unceremoniously heckled <strong>of</strong>f stage.<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong>’s judging panel comprised Breakfast<br />
Team members Comedy Dave and Dominic<br />
Byrne, and special guest star Yvette Fielding,<br />
Walking home with friends after a night out,<br />
Criminology student, Robert Mather, caught a<br />
suspected burglar, who is reported to have<br />
stolen a laptop from a city centre <strong>of</strong>fice. The<br />
group managed to carry out a citizens arrest<br />
following a pursuit, which they recorded on<br />
their mobile phones.<br />
The Vice-Chancellor responds: We are<br />
projecting our home undergraduate<br />
population to remain broadly flat. We hope<br />
the number <strong>of</strong> overseas undergraduates will<br />
grow somewhat to align us with our sister<br />
Russell Group institutions, but not hugely in<br />
percentage terms. We would like our<br />
postgraduate numbers to grow significantly,<br />
but again they represent a small proportion<br />
<strong>of</strong> total student numbers. The constraint on<br />
our site is not its overall size (it is large for<br />
our student numbers relative to HEFCE<br />
norms) but its fitness for purpose.<br />
Your views. Your opinions.<br />
Have your say at:<br />
The Liverpinion, Precinct, Foundation Building, <strong>Liverpool</strong> L69 7ZX<br />
t: 0151 794 2251 e: precinct@liv.ac.uk<br />
ex-Blue Peter presenter and host <strong>of</strong> Living TV’s<br />
Most Haunted.<br />
Several audience members volunteered to<br />
take part and the winner was awarded with a<br />
trophy and given the dubious honour <strong>of</strong><br />
appearing on the show to share her best joke<br />
with the nation.<br />
The following morning, the Breakfast Show<br />
was broadcast from the BBC Radio<br />
Merseyside studios and team member Aled<br />
visited Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to turn on<br />
its Christmas lights.<br />
Green<br />
charter<br />
in place<br />
The <strong>University</strong> has put a governance<br />
structure in place to drive forward the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s commitment to creating a<br />
sustainable environment and manage its<br />
environmental impact.<br />
This comprises a Sustainability Advisory Board,<br />
chaired by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Graham Dockray, which has the broad remit <strong>of</strong><br />
advising the Estates Committee on the resources<br />
and methods required to improve both the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s environmental and sustainability<br />
performance. In addition, the Environmental<br />
Implementation Group, chaired by Patrick<br />
Hackett, Director <strong>of</strong> Facilities Management, has<br />
the role <strong>of</strong> developing appropriate policies<br />
and strategies.<br />
Four new working groups will focus on<br />
sustainable construction and maintenance, utility<br />
management, waste management and<br />
procurement. A fifth group, chaired by Carol<br />
Matthewson, Estate Strategy Manager, will<br />
implement an environmental management<br />
system, which will be used as the framework for<br />
ensuring continual improvement.<br />
The groups are working hard towards developing<br />
a sustainability policy, environmental policy and<br />
other related policies, and while Facilities<br />
Management is leading on their development,<br />
every member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> has a role to play<br />
in contributing to the agenda.<br />
For further information contact Sustainability<br />
Officer, Clare Scott, via<br />
clare.scott@liverpool.ac.uk
New look campus takes shape<br />
The first phase <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>’s<br />
Campus Enhancement project will<br />
be completed by the Spring.<br />
Since work started in September <strong>2007</strong>,<br />
the initial phase has involved changes to<br />
Peach Street, Guild Walk, Ashton Street<br />
and Abercromby Square, including the<br />
introduction <strong>of</strong> new paving and surfacing,<br />
landscaping, planting, street furniture and<br />
lighting along the main arterial route.<br />
A new green area has also been<br />
created between the School <strong>of</strong> Architecture<br />
and the Sports Hall, which will be known<br />
as Bedford Gardens. The <strong>University</strong> has<br />
been working closely with <strong>Liverpool</strong> City<br />
Council’s Conservation Officer to<br />
ensure that all <strong>of</strong> the building materials<br />
are approved.<br />
Running in conjunction with the<br />
landscaping work, a Wayfinding initiative<br />
will start this month that will see the<br />
instalment <strong>of</strong> new signage across the<br />
campus, including gateway totems,<br />
orientation posts, building signs, logos<br />
and notices.<br />
Patrick Hackett, Director <strong>of</strong> Facilities<br />
Management, said: “We would like to thank<br />
staff for being so patient throughout the first<br />
phase <strong>of</strong> the redevelopment and hope that<br />
the work hasn’t caused too much<br />
inconvenience. These changes are part <strong>of</strong><br />
the wider estate strategy which will continue<br />
to be implemented over the next five years.”<br />
Computing Services ensure speedy service<br />
The backbone <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong><br />
computer network now operates at<br />
10Gbps (gigabits per second) –<br />
more than 1000 times faster than the<br />
fastest home broadband connections,<br />
following a major upgrade by<br />
Computing Services.<br />
The system, which links the main<br />
<strong>University</strong> buildings to the central network,<br />
has been upgraded from 2Gbps to 10Gbps<br />
and will support the increasing demand for<br />
greater bandwidth for both research and<br />
teaching. Departments who make use <strong>of</strong><br />
The estate strategy ensures the<br />
<strong>University</strong> can continue to develop its<br />
physical assets in a way that enriches the<br />
student experience and provides the<br />
environment required to achieve teaching,<br />
learning and research excellence. It<br />
involves a major capital investment<br />
programme <strong>of</strong> restructuring, renovation<br />
and redevelopment projects, which are<br />
taking place across the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
high performance computing will benefit,<br />
including Physics, where researchers’<br />
experiments use the new CERN accelerator<br />
in Geneva (see page 5 for more about<br />
CERN.)<br />
Resilience <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> network has<br />
also been improved by the upgrade. An<br />
additional router has been put in place<br />
which will further improve core services<br />
including email and the Managed<br />
Windows Service.<br />
The upgrade is part <strong>of</strong> an ongoing<br />
strategy to provide greater resilience for<br />
The next stage <strong>of</strong> the enhancement<br />
programme will see the refurbishment <strong>of</strong> the<br />
newly-named <strong>University</strong> Square (across<br />
from the Victoria Building and next to the<br />
Guild) and the remodelling <strong>of</strong> the junction<br />
where Mount Pleasant meets Brownlow Hill<br />
(see architect drawing above). This work,<br />
which includes funding from the City Council<br />
and the Northwest Regional Development<br />
Agency will start in April 20<strong>08</strong>. Highway<br />
improvements will begin in January 2009.<br />
the <strong>University</strong> network, a further<br />
aspect <strong>of</strong> which is to provide dual<br />
network connections to all key<br />
<strong>University</strong> buildings, so that should<br />
one line fail, there will be no loss <strong>of</strong><br />
service.<br />
Iain Stinson, Director, Computing<br />
Services, said: “This was a massively<br />
complex project which required<br />
extensive planning and preparation.<br />
The Computing Services team worked<br />
very hard to ensure there was minimal<br />
disruption for staff and students.”<br />
13
14<br />
OUR CAPITAL OF CULTURE 20<strong>08</strong><br />
Photo by Tim Brunsden<br />
CULTUREXTRAVANGANZA<br />
PETE’S LEAR CHALLENGE<br />
Honorary Graduate Pete Postlethwaite<br />
is returning to his roots to star in one<br />
<strong>of</strong> Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies.<br />
He will appear in King Lear in<br />
November, in performances sponsored by<br />
the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
The role will mark his return to the<br />
Everyman theatre, where, the actor says, he<br />
‘learned his trade’. Oscar-nominated Pete<br />
joined the Everyman Theatre Group in 1974,<br />
alongside the likes <strong>of</strong> Alison Steadman, Julie<br />
Walters and Bill Nighy.<br />
The Warrington-born thespian, famed for<br />
his craggy facial features, shy personality<br />
and mild manners, has been described by<br />
Hollywood director Steve Spielberg as the<br />
greatest actor in the world. His film credits<br />
include In The Name <strong>of</strong> the Father, The Lost<br />
World: Jurassic Park, The Usual Suspects<br />
and Brassed Off.<br />
But he still says the thought <strong>of</strong><br />
performing Lear is a frightening prospect.<br />
He added: “It’s terrifying and exciting at the<br />
same time and I hope it will fulfil all our<br />
dreams and hopes."<br />
Pete received his Honorary Degree from<br />
the <strong>University</strong> in 2006. He was one <strong>of</strong> host<br />
<strong>of</strong> stars from the 'golden eras' <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong>'s<br />
Everyman Theatre who were given the<br />
accolades. Pete was joined by actress<br />
Alison Steadman and Everyman founders<br />
Terry Hands and Martin Jenkins at the<br />
ceremony during the city’s ‘Year <strong>of</strong><br />
Performance’. Two <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Liverpool</strong> Poets,<br />
Roger McGough and Brian Patten also<br />
received doctorates for their contributions to<br />
arts and culture. They, along with the late<br />
Adrian Henri, all considered the Everyman a<br />
formative home in their early years.<br />
Pete’s appearance back in <strong>Liverpool</strong> is<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the highlights <strong>of</strong> the city’s year as<br />
European Capital <strong>of</strong> Culture. Staff, alumni<br />
and students will be eligible for discounts on<br />
tickets closer to the time – register for the<br />
mailing list at www.liv.ac.uk/<strong>08</strong> to receive<br />
regular updates.
PUBLIC LECTURES ANNOUNCED<br />
The <strong>University</strong>’s free Public <strong>Lecture</strong> series<br />
features a quartet <strong>of</strong> fascinating characters<br />
in 20<strong>08</strong> – and the first event takes place<br />
this month.<br />
Sir Jonathan Miller, physician,<br />
broadcaster, theatre, opera and film director,<br />
will take centre stage at the Sherrington<br />
Building on Tuesday<br />
29 January.<br />
He is one <strong>of</strong> Britain’s most influential<br />
theatre directors. After graduating as a<br />
Doctor <strong>of</strong> Medicine from Cambridge<br />
<strong>University</strong> in the early 1960s he joined forces<br />
with Alan Bennett, Peter Cook and Dudley<br />
Moore to co-write and appear in<br />
the internationally acclaimed ‘Beyond<br />
the Fringe’.<br />
Since then, as well as working with<br />
many <strong>of</strong> the world’s leading opera houses,<br />
he has directed numerous theatre<br />
productions including The Merchant <strong>of</strong><br />
Venice, with Sir Laurence Olivier and Joan<br />
Plowright, and The Taming <strong>of</strong> the Shrew.<br />
In 1966, Sir Jonathan directed the<br />
critically acclaimed Alice in Wonderland and<br />
has since presented major television series<br />
including A Brief History <strong>of</strong> Disbelief in 2004.<br />
He also produced and directed 11 plays for<br />
the BBC's prestigious Shakespeare series.<br />
Later in the year, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Richard<br />
Dawkins, the evolutionary theorist and<br />
science writer, will speak on Monday 25<br />
February, followed by scientist and fertility<br />
expert Lord Robert Winston on 9 September,<br />
and playwright, lyricist and composer Willy<br />
Russell on 27 November.<br />
Precinct readers should have received a<br />
flyer detailing all the Public <strong>Lecture</strong> speakers<br />
in this copy <strong>of</strong> their magazine. If you did not<br />
and would like one, please email<br />
precinct@liv.ac.uk or call ext 42251.<br />
Alternatively, visit www.liv.ac.uk/<strong>08</strong> for<br />
information about tickets. These lectures<br />
have proved incredibly popular, invariably<br />
attracting a full house, so book your<br />
place early.<br />
SCIENCE<br />
Science and Engineering are colliding in a new initiative which is bringing a Sculptor in<br />
Residence to the campus.<br />
Rod Harris will explore fundamental aspects <strong>of</strong> Engineering and Science subjects and<br />
produce pieces <strong>of</strong> sculpture to illustrate these aspects.<br />
The initiative, called EXCESS – Exploring Creativity in Engineering and Science with<br />
Sculpture – will include workshops and interactive sessions. Students will have the<br />
chance to explore their creative side when they are asked to design and make pieces<br />
<strong>of</strong> sculpture to enter a competition. Winning pieces will be reproduced on a larger<br />
scale and set up as a legacy from the project.<br />
For more information, or to get involved, email dominic.dickson@liv.ac.uk<br />
ARCHITECTURE<br />
The School <strong>of</strong> Architecture is holding its first International Winter School from<br />
13 to 18 January.<br />
The event, entitled Multipli-Cities, will see around 150 participants from different<br />
countries to collaborate on a series <strong>of</strong> interconnected architectural design projects that<br />
will explore various aspects related to the urban landscape <strong>of</strong> the future.<br />
Multipli-Cities will examine topics such architecture, public art, design, urban planning,<br />
regeneration and sustainability in an era when more than half <strong>of</strong> the world’s population<br />
lives in cities. In order to maintain their socio-political and economic status, cities are<br />
developing disguised commercial strategies: biennials, athletic events, international<br />
fairs, among many others. Architecture always plays a central role in the realisation <strong>of</strong><br />
such projects.<br />
For more details see www.liv.ac.uk/architecture/winter<br />
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY<br />
Sunday 13 January to Friday 18 January – School <strong>of</strong> Architecture International<br />
Winter School<br />
Sunday 20 January – Sunday 9 March - Cityscape artist Ben Johnson is in<br />
residence at the city’s Walker Art Gallery. The <strong>University</strong> is the main sponsor <strong>of</strong> the<br />
exhibition and the School <strong>of</strong> Architecture is also creating an interactive exhibit which will<br />
sit alongside the main project.<br />
Tuesday 29 January – Public <strong>Lecture</strong> - Sir Jonathan Miller,<br />
INAUGURAL LECTURES – www.liv.ac.uk/think<br />
Wednesday 23 January – Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Neil Hall, Chair <strong>of</strong> Comparative Genomics and<br />
Bi<strong>of</strong>ormatics – Decoding infectious disease; a genomics view <strong>of</strong> the microbial world<br />
Monday 28 January – Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Swapan Chattopadhyay, Sir John Cockcr<strong>of</strong>t Chair <strong>of</strong><br />
Physics - Cockcr<strong>of</strong>t’s legacy in sub-atomic physics; accelerators <strong>of</strong> the 21st century<br />
Wednesday 6 February – Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Brigitte Resl, Chair <strong>of</strong> Medieval History – But ask<br />
the animals, and they will teach you: animals and culture in the Middle Ages<br />
Monday 11 February – Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Francis Barr, Chair <strong>of</strong> Molecular Oncology –<br />
Understanding how cells divide<br />
WWW.LIV.AC.UK/<strong>08</strong><br />
<strong>08</strong><br />
15
16<br />
Scientists at the<br />
weather station<br />
School builds<br />
weather station<br />
A team from the School <strong>of</strong> Biological<br />
Sciences has built an automated weather<br />
station on the remote moors <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Peak District.<br />
The team <strong>of</strong> volunteer students, led by Dr<br />
Mike Le Duc and Mike Harris, spent several<br />
days erecting the mast on quivering peat,<br />
making sure the site was well fenced to stop<br />
the sheep from trampling the sensors and<br />
knocking the mast over, and protecting all<br />
the exposed cables from vole attack.<br />
Vehicle access is only possible in Summer<br />
by Land Rover, and Winter by Argocat<br />
(the vehicle made famous by the TV’s<br />
Banana Bunch!)<br />
Mike said: “Surprisingly, it all went very well.<br />
The data logger works, weather information<br />
is now being logged at approximately 20<br />
minute intervals, and the site will be revisited<br />
to add a telecommunications system so that<br />
the team can access the data live from<br />
our lab.”<br />
“Upland moors are very important from both<br />
an economic and a conservation viewpoint.<br />
Economically, they support sheep and<br />
grouse, and both <strong>of</strong> these provide income to<br />
upland communities. From, a conservation<br />
viewpoint, we are obliged to look after it and<br />
keep it in good condition. The conservation<br />
issue is, however, very complicated, because<br />
the moors need to be managed to maintain<br />
themselves in good conditions, and currently<br />
this is most <strong>of</strong>ten achieved by burning. As<br />
these moors also contain a very large<br />
carbon store they can act as a very large<br />
source <strong>of</strong> carbon to the atmosphere, and<br />
they can also act as a sink. Either way they<br />
contribute to the UK’s carbon accounting.”<br />
He added: “In the Applied Vegetation<br />
Dynamics Laboratory, we are studying the<br />
effects <strong>of</strong> current burning practice on these<br />
moors, measuring burning temperatures<br />
during fire, the response <strong>of</strong> the plants to fire,<br />
and making an assessment <strong>of</strong> how much<br />
carbon is lost. Knowing the actual weather<br />
during burning is important background<br />
information, and hopefully our new weather<br />
station will provide sufficient information to<br />
help use develop burning models and assist<br />
in designing good burning practice.”<br />
Barry’s keynote spot<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Barry Goldson, from the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s School <strong>of</strong> Sociology<br />
and Social Policy, has presided<br />
over the Scientific Committee <strong>of</strong> the<br />
International Congress Phenomena in<br />
Juvenile Delinquency: New Penal Forms.<br />
The Congress took place in Seville,<br />
Spain, and was organised by the Council<br />
<strong>of</strong> Justice and Public Administration <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Assembly <strong>of</strong> Andalucía, together with the<br />
International Juvenile Justice Observatory<br />
which is based in Brussels, Belgium.<br />
Barry presented the President’s<br />
keynote address at the Congress, entitled<br />
Explorations in Comparative Analysis,<br />
Trends and “New Penal Forms”,<br />
Commonalities, differences and the<br />
universal currency <strong>of</strong> international human<br />
rights. More than 350 delegates from<br />
Europe, North America and Central<br />
America attended.<br />
Speaking after the Congress, Barry<br />
said: “Many academic commentators<br />
contend that we are witnessing new<br />
globalising penal forms characterised by<br />
intolerance and the emergence <strong>of</strong><br />
increasingly punitive juvenile/youth justice<br />
systems. Other experts question this,<br />
arguing that the picture is significantly more<br />
complex. What is more clear is that trends<br />
in juvenile crime do not necessarily reflect<br />
either increasingly widespread or more<br />
serious patterns <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fending. Furthermore,<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Goldson gives keynote address<br />
the tensions between calls for ‘tougher’<br />
regimes, sit uncomfortably alongside the<br />
provisions <strong>of</strong> international human rights<br />
standards, treaties, rules and conventions.<br />
The context within which modern juvenile<br />
and youth justice debates are located,<br />
therefore, is dynamic and contested and, in<br />
this sense, the International Congress was<br />
particularly timely.”<br />
Barry has also recently completed a<br />
‘Youth Justice Dictionary’. The Dictionary,<br />
the first to be published in the field <strong>of</strong> youth<br />
justice studies, is scheduled for publication<br />
in February this year. It contains more than<br />
300 entries contributed by almost 100<br />
academic researchers, policy makers and<br />
practitioners. Furthermore, in collaboration<br />
with Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Muncie from the Open<br />
<strong>University</strong>, he is working on a three-volume<br />
set <strong>of</strong> international ‘major works’ on youth<br />
crime and juvenile justice for the Sage<br />
Library <strong>of</strong> Criminology. The volumes will be<br />
published towards the end <strong>of</strong> 20<strong>08</strong>.<br />
Joining forces<br />
to fight obesity<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Liverpool</strong> Obesity Research<br />
Network (LORN) have joined forces with<br />
colleagues from Manchester to create a new<br />
regional group <strong>of</strong> experts.<br />
The North West region Association for the<br />
Study <strong>of</strong> Obesity (ASO) group links researchers<br />
from the North West’s and North Wales’s 11<br />
Universities to colleagues within the NHS, as<br />
well as other specialists tackling the grave<br />
obesity problem facing the region.<br />
The opening event took place at Knowsley Hall<br />
and was attended by researchers and<br />
practitioners from across the UK. Future events<br />
include an international meeting entitled Early<br />
Development and Obesity: Food Preferences,
Celebrating<br />
60 year<br />
Turkish link<br />
Sixty years <strong>of</strong> British research in<br />
Turkey have been celebrated<br />
by the School <strong>of</strong> Archaeology,<br />
Classics and Egyptology (SACE).<br />
The event marked the foundation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the British Institute <strong>of</strong> Archaeology in<br />
Ankara (BIAA) by the <strong>University</strong>'s<br />
founding Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> Archaeology,<br />
John Garstang. The Institute continues<br />
to act as a meeting point between<br />
British and Turkish culture and has<br />
broadened its remit to serve the needs<br />
<strong>of</strong> British academics conducting<br />
research in all areas <strong>of</strong> the arts and<br />
humanities in Turkey.<br />
The celebratory event included<br />
presentations on John Garstang's life<br />
and work in Turkey, by Dr Alan<br />
Greaves and Patricia Winker from<br />
SACE, as well as a guest lecture by<br />
the BIAA's director, Dr Lut Vandeput.<br />
Diet and Appetite Regulation at the <strong>University</strong> in<br />
March. A regional meeting on Obesity and Public<br />
Health, organised by Dr Lynne Kennedy, is planned<br />
for June.<br />
LORN is an obesity research network based across<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong>, Aintree <strong>University</strong><br />
Hospital and Royal <strong>Liverpool</strong> and Broadgreen<br />
Hospital Trusts. In addition to research activity, the<br />
Network has a seminar programme and helps to<br />
organise regional and national meetings on obesity.<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> has a long history <strong>of</strong><br />
research into the biology <strong>of</strong> energy regulation,<br />
obesity and obesity related illness. Created in<br />
March 2005, LORN promotes existing interdisciplinary<br />
research within the <strong>University</strong> and<br />
stimulates new research activity in <strong>Liverpool</strong> and<br />
the North West.<br />
For more information about LORN<br />
contact Dr Jason Halford, LORN convenor, at<br />
j.c.g.halford@liverpool.ac.uk<br />
For ASO details visit:<br />
www.aso.org.uk/portal.aspx<br />
Stress<br />
busting<br />
success<br />
Relaxation sessions run by the Staff<br />
Counselling Service have proved a<br />
stress-busting success.<br />
Jules Howdin and Gabrielle Pearson<br />
Heavisides initially piloted the sessions in<br />
the early Summer and these proved so<br />
popular they were repeated thoughout<br />
the Autumn.<br />
Jules said: “The sessions were part <strong>of</strong><br />
a proactive initiative to support employees<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> to manage stress and to<br />
gain some tools to support positive<br />
well-being.”<br />
The sessions covered a range <strong>of</strong><br />
different breathing techniques, relaxation<br />
exercises and visualisations as well as<br />
promoting popular aides such as<br />
aromatherapy oils to ease stress. For some<br />
<strong>of</strong> those attending the sessions, the focus<br />
was to gain support to manage current<br />
stress whilst others were interested in<br />
learning techniques which they could<br />
incorporate into their lives to promote a<br />
general sense <strong>of</strong> well-being.<br />
Gabrielle added: “We all experience<br />
stress from time to time whether this is at<br />
home or at work, each affects the other. By<br />
focusing on our breathing and learning<br />
how to relax we greatly<br />
increase our chances <strong>of</strong><br />
managing those stressful<br />
times more successfully.”<br />
The sessions will<br />
continue in the next<br />
semester and will be<br />
promoted via the staff<br />
intranet, or call Jules or<br />
Gabrielle at the Counselling<br />
Service on 0151 794 3304<br />
or email counserv@liv.ac.uk<br />
Big name conference<br />
The Management School, in association with the faculty <strong>of</strong> Social and Environmental Studies will<br />
be hosting an International Conference titled The Changing Role <strong>of</strong> Agency in the Development<br />
Process on 9 and 10 June 20<strong>08</strong>.<br />
It promises to be an extraordinary event, bringing together activists, practitioners and<br />
researchers in a unique effort to explore the ubiquitous relevance <strong>of</strong> agency in the complex<br />
processes <strong>of</strong> economic and social development.<br />
Prominent speakers will include Shami Chakrabarty (civil liberty activist), Clare Short (politician<br />
and ex-MP), Barbara Harriss-White (Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford <strong>University</strong>) and two debate<br />
sessions on War and Development and Aid Effectiveness will take place. There will also be a<br />
special session on the second day <strong>of</strong> the conference to inaugurate the much awaited India in<br />
the World Research Centre.<br />
Registration details can be found at www.liv.ac.uk/agencyconference. Prospective participants<br />
can submit an abstract <strong>of</strong> up to two pages to agency@liv.ac.uk. For more information contact<br />
S.Garikipati@liv.ac.uk<br />
17
18<br />
Dragon-slayer Laban tells his story<br />
Few people these days can write ‘dragonslayer’<br />
on their CV. But then again, few people<br />
have emerged from the hit BBC TV show<br />
Dragons’ Den with a £60,000 cheque and the<br />
personal backing <strong>of</strong> James Caan, one <strong>of</strong><br />
Britain’s richest men.<br />
Laban Roomes did and retold his tale when<br />
he was invited to be the keynote speaker at<br />
the launch <strong>of</strong> the Careers and Employability<br />
Service’s newest programme – The Next<br />
Big Thing.<br />
The aim <strong>of</strong> The Next Big Thing is to help<br />
students at the <strong>University</strong> develop enterprise<br />
and entrepreneurial skills – skills epitomised in<br />
abundance by both by Laban and the TV<br />
Dragons. And, as Laban himself argued,<br />
these are skills that everyone can develop.<br />
And he should know.<br />
Laban’s career as an entrepreneur got <strong>of</strong>f to<br />
an inauspicious start. His family were poor<br />
and to make ends meet he toured the<br />
neighbourhood being paid to cut hedges. By<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> Alumni<br />
Scholarships have been in<br />
operation since 2000 and many<br />
students have benefited from the<br />
financial rewards.<br />
Scholarships were also one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
areas alumni could choose to support<br />
during the recent Benefactors’ Fund mail<br />
and phone campaign which, by the end <strong>of</strong><br />
December <strong>2007</strong> had raised overall more<br />
than £107,000 from 660 donors. A new<br />
telephone campaign gets underway early<br />
in 20<strong>08</strong>.<br />
Ten Alumni Scholarships are awarded<br />
each year, and during the course <strong>of</strong> their<br />
studies, students and donors have the<br />
opportunity to meet each other at a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> events – something which<br />
donors find tremendously rewarding.<br />
Three current Alumni Scholars told<br />
Precinct what difference the award has<br />
made to them:<br />
Indrani<br />
Karpha<br />
I am now<br />
entering the fourth<br />
year <strong>of</strong> my<br />
medical degree. I<br />
chose the<br />
the time he was 11 he was earning more<br />
money than his mum.<br />
But it wasn’t green fingers that Laban was<br />
interested in acquiring but gold fingers. After<br />
leaving school, Laban trained to become a<br />
gold-plater. After several years in the job he<br />
developed his own gold plating machine<br />
which applies genuine 24 carat gold, silver,<br />
platinum, nickel and even chrome to hundreds<br />
<strong>of</strong> metallic items.<br />
What took him to the next level, however, was<br />
the decision to enter the TV show Dragons’<br />
Den. After surviving the traditional verbal<br />
mauling Laban emerged with funding and the<br />
personal support from multimillionaire<br />
business tycoon, James Caan.<br />
The message <strong>of</strong> the evening – and The Next<br />
Big Thing programme – is that through the<br />
resources and expertise <strong>of</strong> the Careers and<br />
Employability Service, <strong>Liverpool</strong> students have<br />
access to a fantastic range <strong>of</strong> actual and<br />
potential business opportunities.<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> because it is one <strong>of</strong><br />
the top five universities for Medicine and<br />
has a modern style <strong>of</strong> teaching which<br />
involves PBL, or problem based learning. I<br />
am a member <strong>of</strong> the committee for<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> Medical Students’ Society<br />
(LMSS) and last year was the publications<br />
secretary for the Society which meant I<br />
was the editor <strong>of</strong> the LMSS magazine<br />
called the ‘Sphincter’. I have just been<br />
elected to the committee again and will be<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the charity representatives.<br />
Receiving the scholarship has taken away<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the financial pressure. It has<br />
mean that I was also able to spend some<br />
time last Summer as a volunteer in one <strong>of</strong><br />
the nursing homes in Calcutta set up by<br />
Mother Theresa where I was able to take<br />
over medical supplies. I have also just<br />
returned from five weeks in Belize, as part<br />
<strong>of</strong> my course, where I was helping out in<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the local hospitals and villages.<br />
My ambition is to qualify as a doctor and<br />
continue in a medical career.<br />
Andrew Billington<br />
I am currently studying Mathematics<br />
and hope to pursue a career in finance,<br />
perhaps involving actuary work. This<br />
Alumni Scholarship has enabled me to<br />
concentrate on my studies and purchase<br />
essential books for my course. When I am<br />
Alumni<br />
Scholarships<br />
not studying I play the drums and guitar in<br />
a band and like going to concerts. I think<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> is a fantastic place to study and<br />
I have made lots <strong>of</strong> new friends here in the<br />
city. The scholarship has made me feel<br />
more secure and enabled me to enjoy<br />
university life to the full.<br />
Toby Haslinger<br />
I am a fifth year medical student and<br />
am due to start my first job as a junior<br />
doctor in August. This Alumni Scholarship<br />
has enabled me to concentrate on my<br />
degree and purchase books for my<br />
course. Studying at <strong>Liverpool</strong> has helped<br />
me to develop skills and learning<br />
strategies that will assist me throughout<br />
my career and encourage continued<br />
learning. The scholarship has been <strong>of</strong><br />
enormous benefit to me and has meant I<br />
have not had to worry so much about<br />
money so I could focus on my studies. My<br />
long term ambition is to be a consultant,<br />
and when I am not working I enjoy playing<br />
chess, reading, walking, football, tennis<br />
and snooker.<br />
For more information about the<br />
Benefactors’ Fund, or events planned for<br />
donors to the <strong>University</strong>, please contact<br />
Elizabeth Adams, Stewardship Officer, on<br />
0151 795 4639 or email<br />
elizabeth.adams@liv.ac.uk
Knowledge quarter<br />
generates £1billion Universities<br />
Work commissioned by urban<br />
regeneration company,<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> Vision and its<br />
partners - the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong>,<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> John Moores <strong>University</strong>,<br />
Northwest Regional Development<br />
Agency, <strong>Liverpool</strong> City Council and<br />
Business<strong>Liverpool</strong> - reveals that the key<br />
organisations within the city’s Knowledge<br />
Quarter generate £1 billion in income per<br />
annum, leading the development <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong>’s knowledge economy.<br />
The study, by Regeneris Consulting,<br />
identifies the future development <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Knowledge Quarter as a crucial driver <strong>of</strong><br />
the city region economy, and shows<br />
that the area currently supports over<br />
14,000 full-time jobs, around 7% <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> total - in approximately just 1%<br />
<strong>of</strong> the city’s geographical area. Many are<br />
highly-skilled knowledge based jobs,<br />
the key driver for the development <strong>of</strong><br />
modern cities.<br />
A summary <strong>of</strong> the report has been<br />
published as a ‘Prospectus for<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong>’s Knowledge Quarter’ to<br />
highlight the scale and potential <strong>of</strong> the<br />
city’s key knowledge assets. It calls for a<br />
clear planning and development<br />
framework for the area to help create the<br />
conditions, which will encourage further<br />
growth and maximise value for the city.<br />
Highlighted in the summary as main<br />
priorities for action are the promotion <strong>of</strong><br />
the Knowledge Quarter nationally and<br />
internationally, investment in under<br />
performing areas and the creation <strong>of</strong><br />
opportunities for business incubation<br />
between the universities.<br />
Vice-Chancellor, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Drummond Bone, said: “The global<br />
reach <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>’s research and<br />
teaching is vast and the continuing<br />
development <strong>of</strong> the Knowledge Quarter<br />
will increase our economic impact<br />
overseas as well as in the UK. This is a<br />
period <strong>of</strong> unprecedented investment for<br />
the <strong>University</strong> in its 100-year history and<br />
for a modern European city such as<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong>, the strategic importance <strong>of</strong> this<br />
growth cannot be overstated.”<br />
The city’s Knowledge Quarter is<br />
centred around the core university<br />
facilities <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> and<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> John Moores <strong>University</strong> in the<br />
east <strong>of</strong> the city centre, together with<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> John Moores <strong>University</strong>’s city<br />
campus to the north.<br />
In addition to the universities, it<br />
includes institutions <strong>of</strong> international<br />
significance such as the <strong>Liverpool</strong> School<br />
<strong>of</strong> Tropical Medicine and the Royal<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> <strong>University</strong> Hospital and is<br />
further enhanced by <strong>Liverpool</strong> Hope<br />
<strong>University</strong>, <strong>Liverpool</strong> Community College<br />
and <strong>Liverpool</strong> Institute <strong>of</strong> Performing<br />
Arts (LIPA).<br />
Access to Business Gateway<br />
Prize draw winner Wendy England with Mark Ratcliffe, Head <strong>of</strong><br />
Marketing Business Gateway<br />
Staff from across the <strong>University</strong> took time out<br />
<strong>of</strong> their busy schedules to enjoy some valuable<br />
interaction at the latest Business Action<br />
Network meeting.<br />
More than 50 colleagues from various<br />
departments including Engineering, SACE, the<br />
Management School and Medicine attended<br />
the lunchtime meeting where they all had one<br />
thing in common; an interest in knowledge<br />
transfer activities.<br />
The Business Action Network meetings are<br />
organised by the marketing team in Research and<br />
Business Services and provide staff with access to<br />
the expertise available in the Business Gateway<br />
Unique enterprise<br />
for entrepreneurs<br />
in England must do more<br />
to nurture the next generation <strong>of</strong><br />
entrepreneurs states a report published by<br />
the National Council for Graduate<br />
Entrepreneurship (NCGE).<br />
The report, produced on the back <strong>of</strong> the<br />
largest survey ever conducted into enterprise<br />
and entrepreneurship activity and provision,<br />
included 122 universities, serving a total<br />
student population <strong>of</strong> 1.75 million. It maps the<br />
scale and scope <strong>of</strong> provision, engagement<br />
and climate for enterprise and<br />
entrepreneurship in the sector.<br />
According to the NCGE report, engagement is<br />
concentrated in too few subject areas –<br />
business and management in particular – and<br />
universities need to adopt a wider view <strong>of</strong><br />
entrepreneurship, embedding enterprise<br />
across all disciplines. The NCGE report urges<br />
action to scale up engagement across nonbusiness<br />
disciplines so that all students are<br />
exposed to meaningful learning experiences.<br />
Dr Paul Redmond, Head <strong>of</strong> the Career and<br />
Employability Service, said: “Encouraging<br />
students to be enterprising in their careers is<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the objectives <strong>of</strong> the Careers and<br />
Employability Service. Whether our students<br />
aim to become self-employed or work for<br />
organisations, learning how to be enterprising<br />
is an essential 21st century skill.<br />
“This is why we have recently launched ‘The<br />
Next Big Thing’ – a unique enterprise<br />
programme which enables students to learn<br />
how to develop business plans, identify niches<br />
in the market and compete for enterprise<br />
funding. We are also able to link students with<br />
their own personal business mentors – local<br />
business men and women who are committed<br />
to helping our students succeed in business.”<br />
team. Business Managers representing all sectors<br />
across the <strong>University</strong>, including the new BioMedical<br />
team, were at the meeting to answer questions<br />
and provide advice.<br />
The networking lunch was sponsored by the<br />
Northern Leadership Academy and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Fred<br />
Mahoney from the Management School delivered<br />
a short presentation about the Academy and the<br />
benefits it can provide to staff.<br />
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 19<br />
February and will be sponsored by<br />
VentureNavigator. Please contact Business<br />
Gateway if you would like more information. Tel<br />
48350 email business@liv.ac.uk<br />
19
20<br />
Enterprise<br />
Week<br />
Hundreds <strong>of</strong> people took part in<br />
Enterprise Week, organised by the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s Management School.<br />
Its aim was to promote, inspire,<br />
improve and expand the range <strong>of</strong> support<br />
to individuals who want to develop<br />
business ideas, and challenge those who<br />
influence people, the media and<br />
policymakers to recognise the significance<br />
<strong>of</strong> enterprise.<br />
A number <strong>of</strong> events, workshops and<br />
seminars took place throughout the week.<br />
All were well attended, especially by those<br />
students who were considering developing<br />
their own businesses after graduation.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the events which took place<br />
was the <strong>of</strong>ficial launch <strong>of</strong> VentureNavigator.<br />
More than 200 people attended the<br />
celebrations, with 80 <strong>of</strong> these registering as<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
www.venturenavigator.co.uk website.<br />
The initiative has been created to<br />
make valuable resources in higher<br />
education institutions available to the UK’s<br />
business community in order to<br />
encourage innovation and successful<br />
business creation.<br />
An Entrepreneurship Club was also<br />
launched. Around 40 undergraduate and<br />
postgraduate students attended the launch<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the many ways in which computers<br />
are changing our lives is that more and more<br />
decisions are being made by machines,<br />
without direct human involvement.<br />
Already, computers can fly aircraft<br />
automatically, operate power plants, and make<br />
stock-market trades on their own. However,<br />
many human decisions involve multiple<br />
participants or stakeholders, with diverse<br />
objectives and interests, and decisions<br />
between them require trade-<strong>of</strong>fs to be made.<br />
These applications have proven very<br />
challenging to automate.<br />
The Department <strong>of</strong> Computer Science has just<br />
completed two major European Commission<br />
(EC)-funded research projects in collaboration<br />
with partners in Europe and the USA, which<br />
extend the ability <strong>of</strong> computers to make<br />
decisions to some <strong>of</strong> these domains. The first<br />
<strong>of</strong> these projects, Ontogrid, involved the<br />
which was addressed by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Jimmy<br />
Hill, Chair <strong>of</strong> Entrepreneurship, Kaysi-Ann<br />
Spence, MBA Entrepreneurship, and Ian<br />
Duckett from the <strong>University</strong> Careers<br />
Service. The Club is a student-run body<br />
and is a forum for the discussion and<br />
presentation <strong>of</strong> business ideas in an<br />
informal and relaxed atmosphere via<br />
business breakfasts, guest-speaker events<br />
and business plan competitions.<br />
Arabella McIntyre-Brown was principal<br />
speaker at another event. Around 50<br />
students heard her recount the stories <strong>of</strong><br />
20 successful local entrepreneurs,<br />
Computers agreeing to disagree . . .<br />
development <strong>of</strong> frameworks and tools to<br />
support ad-hoc negotiations between<br />
organisations sharing computing resources,<br />
such as those on GRID systems, which involve<br />
different organisations to pool their computer<br />
processing resources.<br />
The other EC project completed by the<br />
Department was ASPIC (Argumentation<br />
Service Platform with Integrated Components).<br />
This project aimed to develop frameworks and<br />
s<strong>of</strong>tware to support arguments between<br />
intelligent machines. Different computers may<br />
have access to different data, or have different<br />
objectives, or have access to different<br />
processing capabilities or scientific equipment.<br />
Accordingly, just as humans do, intelligent<br />
machines can disagree with one another. The<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> team focused on the development <strong>of</strong><br />
mechanisms for arguments over action,<br />
including the representation <strong>of</strong> values, in<br />
VentureNavigator was launched during Enterprise Week<br />
captured in her new book Score – The<br />
Secrets Of 20 Successful Entrepreneurs.<br />
Other guest speakers included<br />
representatives from the Royal Bank <strong>of</strong><br />
Scotland and the Steve Stuart Partnership.<br />
Finally, a breakfast ‘round table’ event<br />
<strong>of</strong>fered participants the opportunity to<br />
network with like minded entrepreneurs<br />
and pick the brains <strong>of</strong> three local<br />
entrepreneurs including Nick Jenkinson,<br />
founder <strong>of</strong> Merseyside Environmental<br />
Services, Dave Wright <strong>of</strong><br />
www.interestingimports.co.uk and Chris<br />
Bradshaw <strong>of</strong> Urban Revolution.<br />
medical and legal domains.<br />
One application developed as part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
project was a system for organ transplant<br />
decisions, undertaken in collaboration with<br />
medical authorities in Spain. This system<br />
enables the automated creation and exchange<br />
<strong>of</strong> arguments between computers representing<br />
various hospitals.<br />
By automating the dialogues and the decisionprocess,<br />
the system is intended to expedite<br />
the matching <strong>of</strong> donors and recipients, and<br />
also to increase the number <strong>of</strong> organs actually<br />
finding their way to recipients.<br />
For further information on Ontogrid visit<br />
http://www.ontogrid.net/ or for more<br />
information on ASPIC visit<br />
http://www.argumentation.org/
Work experience<br />
Anew Work Experience Policy is being circulated to staff,<br />
<strong>of</strong>fering guidance for departments providing placement<br />
opportunities for local students.<br />
The <strong>University</strong> has a long-established work experience<br />
programme which helps to build vital links with schools in the<br />
region. The aim <strong>of</strong> the programme is to encourage students to<br />
consider the <strong>University</strong> either to study or as a potential employer.<br />
It also contributes to the <strong>University</strong>’s Widening Participation<br />
agenda by raising the aspirations <strong>of</strong> young people in the local<br />
community.<br />
Arshad Kamal (pictured), a student from Shorefields School<br />
in <strong>Liverpool</strong>, was among the first group <strong>of</strong> students to take part<br />
in the programme this academic year. Arshad spent two weeks<br />
working in the Aerospace department under the supervision <strong>of</strong><br />
Dr Mark White, Flight Simulation Laboratory Manager. He chose<br />
the department specifically because he wants to study<br />
Aerospace at university and during his placement he had the<br />
opportunity to get involved in research with a test pilot.<br />
Sally Middleton, the <strong>University</strong>’s Work Experience Coordinator,<br />
is keen for more departments to <strong>of</strong>fer student<br />
placements. She said: “We really appreciate all the hard work<br />
that departments put in to organising and running the<br />
placements. We get a lot <strong>of</strong> good feedback from both students<br />
and departments - it’s great to know what a positive effect work<br />
experience can have.”<br />
If your department is interested in <strong>of</strong>fering a work experience<br />
placement, or you would like more information, please contact<br />
Sally on 0151 795 4146 or email Sally.Middleton@liv.ac.uk.<br />
Children’s rights<br />
in Europe<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the Centre for the Study <strong>of</strong> the Child, the<br />
Family and the Law in the <strong>Liverpool</strong> Law School have<br />
been awarded £250,000 by the European Union<br />
Fundamental Rights Agency to fund a research project<br />
into children’s rights across the European Union (EU).<br />
Their research will focus on a number <strong>of</strong> key areas,<br />
including immigration, family welfare, poverty and<br />
participation. The principal aim is to develop a series <strong>of</strong><br />
indicators that all institutions can be monitored against,<br />
to ensure that children are being treated fairly across<br />
the EU. The development <strong>of</strong> a ‘global strategy’ is<br />
crucial, as the rights <strong>of</strong> children are not even<br />
mentioned in the EU treaties and there is consequently<br />
some inconsistency among the member states.<br />
This year long project, which will begin in spring 20<strong>08</strong>,<br />
will explore the subject in depth, drawing on the<br />
expertise <strong>of</strong> charities, academics and practitioners<br />
across Europe and collaborating with researchers in the<br />
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute <strong>of</strong> Human Rights in Vienna.<br />
Law grant<br />
The newly-established European Law and<br />
Policy Research Group, based in the<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> Law School, has secured its first<br />
ESRC grant – Building Capacity in Empirical<br />
Socio-Legal Research.<br />
The 26-month project, starting <strong>of</strong>ficially this<br />
month, is the first ever grant from the<br />
ESRC’s Researcher Development Initiative<br />
to be awarded in Law.<br />
The project, headed by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Louise<br />
Ackers and Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Fiona Beveridge,<br />
draws together socio-legal researchers and<br />
academics from six universities, including<br />
Manchester, Sheffield, and Loughborough,<br />
to deliver a series <strong>of</strong> workshops aimed at<br />
encouraging and sustaining capacity in<br />
empirical socio-legal research.<br />
A recent Nuffield Foundation inquiry into the<br />
state <strong>of</strong> empirical research in law<br />
concluded: “The lack <strong>of</strong> skills, together with<br />
the time and cost involved in empirical legal<br />
research, as compared with doctrinal or<br />
purely theoretical and philosophical work,<br />
deters those with an interest in empirical<br />
questions from engaging in empirical<br />
legal research.”<br />
The project responds to these barriers<br />
through developing and delivering a<br />
training scheme to a cohort <strong>of</strong> researchers –<br />
including PhD students, early-career<br />
researchers and mid-career academics<br />
from across the social sciences, and<br />
provides follow-up mentoring as these<br />
participants apply the training in their<br />
own research.<br />
For more details visit:<br />
www.liv.ac.uk/law/elprg/index.htm<br />
21
22<br />
Guild prepares<br />
for quality<br />
assessment<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> Guild <strong>of</strong> Students (LGoS) will be<br />
hosting a student representation<br />
benchmarking event in February as part <strong>of</strong><br />
preparations for a visit by the Quality<br />
Assurance Agency for Higher Education.<br />
The QAA visit is due to take place in Spring<br />
2009. Work is already underway and Alan<br />
Roberts, the Academic Advice &<br />
Representation Coordinator for LGoS, has<br />
made substantial changes to the support<br />
<strong>of</strong>fered to Student Representatives across<br />
the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
By searching the new Student<br />
Representatives database at<br />
lgos.org/coursereps it is possible to<br />
access the details <strong>of</strong> no less than 640<br />
student reps from every department and<br />
school <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>. As well as<br />
enabling students to find their<br />
representatives and contact them at the<br />
click <strong>of</strong> a button, it helps Alan to converse<br />
with them about training, support and<br />
common issues.<br />
The result has been the training <strong>of</strong> 100 new<br />
representatives in two months - with more<br />
sessions planned - and the attendance <strong>of</strong><br />
more than 60 students at monthly<br />
representative forums hosted by LGoS.<br />
The training equips representatives with the<br />
necessary tools in areas such as<br />
communication, negotiation and meeting<br />
tips to enable them to fulfil their role<br />
effectively, and the forums <strong>of</strong>fer them a<br />
chance to discuss headline issues and<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> concern.<br />
Alan said: “Supporting Student<br />
Representatives is just one way in<br />
which LGoS works in partnership with t<br />
he <strong>University</strong> to effect positive change<br />
by improving the quality <strong>of</strong> learning<br />
and teaching.<br />
“But being a representative itself enhances<br />
the overall experience <strong>of</strong> being a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> our <strong>University</strong> community. Effective<br />
representatives reap benefits not only for<br />
their peers and their department as ‘expert<br />
learners’, but also for themselves in terms<br />
<strong>of</strong> personal development and experience.”<br />
Contact Alan via lgos.org/coursereps or<br />
email alan.roberts@liv.ac.uk<br />
Celebrating<br />
20 years at<br />
<strong>University</strong><br />
The <strong>University</strong> has said farewell to<br />
Pauline Hobson, a long-serving<br />
member <strong>of</strong> staff with more than 20<br />
years’ service.<br />
Pauline joined the Department <strong>of</strong> Industrial<br />
Studies in 1985 under Pr<strong>of</strong>essor John Halliday,<br />
helping to launch the first postgraduate<br />
programme in Advanced Manufacturing<br />
Systems and Technology. Following a spell in<br />
Industrial Studies and the Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Engineering, Pauline moved to the newlyformed<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> Management<br />
School (ULMS) in 2002 where she helped to<br />
create the new undergraduate and<br />
postgraduate programmes in e-business. Since<br />
2004 she has worked as the administrator for<br />
the AIMES Centre within ULMS.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Dennis Kehoe, who has worked with<br />
Pauline since those early days in Industrial<br />
Studies, said: “Pauline has helped so many<br />
people during her time here at <strong>Liverpool</strong> –<br />
students, colleagues and visitors alike. Her<br />
positive attitude and pr<strong>of</strong>essional approach<br />
epitomises the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong>. She will<br />
be sorely missed.”<br />
Rebecca and Jade at Wembley<br />
Two student<br />
volunteers have<br />
received national<br />
recognition at the<br />
Higher Education Volunteering Awards held at the<br />
new Wembley Stadium in London.<br />
Jade Weston, a recent Psychology graduate was a<br />
national winner in the student volunteer category.<br />
Jade’s volunteering role with the Youth Offending<br />
Service involves sitting on a panel <strong>of</strong> three<br />
community volunteers to set in place a contract for<br />
young <strong>of</strong>fenders that are subject to referral orders<br />
made by the courts.<br />
Jade also volunteers with the Lifeline project - a<br />
weekly group programme dedicated to reducing<br />
domestic violence in male perpetrators<br />
Sociology student volunteer Rebecca Lynch<br />
Therapist Judith<br />
prepares for round<br />
the world trip<br />
Dr Judith Martin (above), Head <strong>of</strong> the Division <strong>of</strong><br />
Occupational Therapy in the School <strong>of</strong> Health<br />
Sciences, has retired. Judith qualified as an<br />
occupational therapist in 1970 and developed her<br />
clinical speciality in hand therapy before moving<br />
into education in 1980.The pre-registration<br />
programme moved to the <strong>University</strong> in 1992 and in<br />
1996, Judith was appointed as a senior lecturer<br />
and Head <strong>of</strong> Division.<br />
Joy Burrell, who takes over from Judith as Head <strong>of</strong><br />
the Division, said: “She has influenced the careers<br />
<strong>of</strong> many occupational therapists through<br />
undergraduate and postgraduate education. She<br />
has also contributed to the <strong>University</strong> in a wide<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> roles. We wish her well in her retirement<br />
and on her travels around the world in February.”<br />
National recognition for<br />
Jade and Rebecca<br />
reached the national final in the student volunteer<br />
category for her work as the inaugural project leader<br />
at Mildmay homeless shelter for men. Along with<br />
other volunteers, Rebecca visits Mildmay every<br />
Monday evening where she serves refreshments as<br />
well as organising various entertainment such as a<br />
quiz or a painting session.<br />
Volunteering is an important part <strong>of</strong> extra curricular<br />
activities and provides valuable resources for the<br />
local community. These Volunteering Awards<br />
achievements acknowledge the support provided<br />
by the <strong>University</strong> and Guild staff in creating<br />
innovative opportunities which enhance the student<br />
experience here in <strong>Liverpool</strong>.<br />
For further Information visit:<br />
www.liv.ac.uk/volunteering<br />
or www.lgos.org/volunteering<br />
W
INNERS WINNERS WINNERS WINNERS WINNERS<br />
Patient care website<br />
wins innovation award<br />
ANorth West<br />
Innovation award<br />
has been presented<br />
to Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Martin Leuwer<br />
(pictured, centre), who is<br />
Head <strong>of</strong> the Division <strong>of</strong><br />
Clinical Science, for the<br />
development <strong>of</strong> the webbased<br />
Critical Care<br />
Outreach Edutainment<br />
Scenario.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Leuwer was<br />
awarded the first prize in the<br />
Training or Educational<br />
Materials category and the<br />
<strong>2007</strong> North West Innovation Award for the best innovation in all four competition<br />
categories.<br />
The North West Innovation Awards recognise the new ideas, developments<br />
and products developed by local NHS staff to improve care for patients. A record<br />
breaking 200 entries were received for this year’s awards, which were held at the<br />
Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays.<br />
The interactive website with true-to-life simulations is designed to train and<br />
develop staff. The aim is to increase the confidence and skills <strong>of</strong> junior healthcare<br />
staff thereby reducing the risk <strong>of</strong> mistakes being made and continuing to improve<br />
the quality <strong>of</strong> care received by the patient.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Leuwer said: “Junior and inexperienced staff are <strong>of</strong>ten asked<br />
to undertake patient observations at regular intervals. The training provided by the<br />
website will reduce the risk <strong>of</strong> mistakes being made in patient assessments and<br />
will improve the quality <strong>of</strong> care provided.”<br />
Customer service award for Foresight team<br />
Two members <strong>of</strong> the Foresight Centre team have<br />
been nominated for a special award for<br />
excellence in customer service.<br />
The Academy <strong>of</strong> Excellence Awards recognises<br />
outstanding examples <strong>of</strong> customer care<br />
delivered by individuals working throughout the<br />
city <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong>. Janet Wilson and Michael<br />
Weston (right), from the conference centre were<br />
nominated for these prestigious awards due to<br />
their contribution in providing a pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
business service and ensuring that all clients<br />
receive outstanding levels <strong>of</strong> customer care.<br />
Out <strong>of</strong> a large number <strong>of</strong> nominees, Michael has<br />
been shortlisted and will be competing against<br />
two other finalists to achieve the award.<br />
Lynn Westbury, Head <strong>of</strong> the Foresight Centre,<br />
said: “We have always differentiated ourselves<br />
through our core focus on customer service and<br />
ensuring a pr<strong>of</strong>essional and innovative<br />
approach. The Foresight Centre has continued<br />
to develop introducing new concepts in business<br />
support; however it is our commitment to<br />
providing good customer service that underpins<br />
our whole approach.<br />
“It’s wonderful that Mike and Jan’s contribution<br />
to the Foresight Centre team has been<br />
recognised and we are delighted that Mike has<br />
been shortlisted.”<br />
The winners will be announced at an award<br />
ceremony to be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel<br />
on 14 February.<br />
Biotechnology<br />
showcase<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> has triumphed at the annual<br />
Northwest Biotechnology Awards hosted by Bionow, the<br />
Northwest Regional Development Agency’s (NWDA)<br />
biotechnology cluster support group. The event attended<br />
by some 250 guests was a resounding success,<br />
showcasing the very best <strong>of</strong> biotechnology in the region.<br />
Patricia Murray, <strong>Lecture</strong>r from the School <strong>of</strong> Biological<br />
Sciences (below), working on the ESC Substrates<br />
project, won the Translational Technology <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
Award (sponsored by Avecia) for her translational work<br />
on stem cells. A major obstacle in development <strong>of</strong> stem<br />
cell clinical therapies is the inability to maintain the cells<br />
in a stable and controlled state. Dr Murray’s group has<br />
identified synthetic polymer substrates which provide a<br />
simple, low cost method <strong>of</strong> maintaining stem cells to<br />
enable development <strong>of</strong> therapeutic treatments.<br />
The award for Biomedical Start Up <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
(sponsored by Addleshaw Goddard) was presented<br />
to IOTA NanoSolutions, based on the quality <strong>of</strong> the<br />
company’s R&D initiative as well as the<br />
potential for growth.<br />
IOTA NanoSolutions, formed from a collaboration<br />
between the Department <strong>of</strong> Chemistry and Unilever, has<br />
developed a range <strong>of</strong> novel approaches and<br />
technologies to generate nano-dispersions <strong>of</strong> poorly<br />
soluble and insoluble API’s. The technologies enable<br />
NCE development, life cycle extension and/or novel<br />
delivery formats<br />
23
6 MARCH AT 7.30PM<br />
Guild <strong>of</strong> Students,<br />
Mount Pleasant, <strong>Liverpool</strong><br />
We’ll put your brain power to the test. Pit your wits against staff and<br />
alumni and bring your friends for a good old fashioned pub quiz<br />
organised by the Alumni Relations team. NB Maximum <strong>of</strong> six people<br />
in each team. Staff who are also alumni will receive a free drink.<br />
Come and try to defeat the reigning champs, Careers for Fears!<br />
Places are limited. To register,<br />
please contact Emma Smith tel: 0151 794 6940<br />
or visit: www.liv.ac.uk/alumni<br />
Honorary degrees for two<br />
world-leading names<br />
Acclaimed biologist Sir Michael Berridge and the<br />
conservationist Dr Jane Goodall were awarded<br />
Honorary Degrees on Graduation Day<br />
in December.<br />
LIVERPOOL PUB QUIZ<br />
Dr Goodall is recognised as one <strong>of</strong> the world’s leading<br />
activists in safeguarding the environment and its<br />
diversity. At the age <strong>of</strong> 23, on Lake Tanganyika (now in<br />
Tanzania), she became the first person to observe wild<br />
chimpanzees making and using tools. The discovery<br />
changed conventional thinking about the place <strong>of</strong><br />
humans in evolution. After completing a doctorate in<br />
Ethology at Cambridge, she established the Gombe<br />
Stream Research Centre to co-ordinate research on<br />
chimpanzee populations in the wild and later founded<br />
the Jane Goodall Institute for Research, Education and<br />
Conservation.<br />
Sir Michael Berridge has achieved significant<br />
advances in the diagnosis and treatment <strong>of</strong> serious<br />
illnesses. He first identified the chemical that plays a<br />
universal role in regulating many cellular processes<br />
including cell growth and information processing in the<br />
nervous system. His discoveries have made major<br />
advances in understanding how cells proliferate,<br />
improved the management <strong>of</strong> cardiac disease and<br />
heart arrhythmia and also been central to our<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> the immune system.<br />
SO YOU THINK<br />
YOU KNOW A<br />
THING OR TWO?<br />
PROVE IT!<br />
Children’s Centre<br />
Santa visit<br />
Children attending the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> Children's Centre enjoyed a visit<br />
from Father Christmas at their annual<br />
Christmas party.<br />
Each child received a present from Santa<br />
and then enjoyed party games and food.<br />
The event, held at the Crown Street centre<br />
which is run by Local Solutions, was also<br />
attended by many parents and carers.
Alumni deck the halls<br />
Ho, ho, ho<br />
for FM children<br />
Avisit from Father Christmas was the highlight <strong>of</strong><br />
the Facilities Management (FM) Department<br />
annual Christmas party for children <strong>of</strong> FM staff.<br />
Held in the Guild <strong>of</strong> Students, the party was financed<br />
by funds collected throughout the year by selling<br />
monthly lottery tickets and holding raffles.<br />
The 90 children who attended were entertained with<br />
a disco and face painters and there was the usual party<br />
fare. The highlight <strong>of</strong> the afternoon was a visit from Santa<br />
who presented all the children with gifts.<br />
The beautiful surroundings <strong>of</strong> the Foresight Centre chapel were the ideal venue for<br />
a festive alumni event.<br />
As guests enjoyed mulled wine and mince pies, they were treated to readings,<br />
carols and music from staff and students.<br />
The event was hosted by the <strong>University</strong>’s Public Orator Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Kelvin Everest<br />
and speakers included English student Ella Jolly, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Phil Davis <strong>of</strong> the<br />
School <strong>of</strong> English, literature expert and former <strong>University</strong> academic Brian Nellist<br />
and BBC Radio Merseyside Cultural Editor Angela Heslop.<br />
Children from Halewood College sang festive songs, before guests joined a<br />
singalong <strong>of</strong> Deck the Halls, accompanied on the piano by Dr Phil Cox, a<br />
postdoctorate researcher in the Department <strong>of</strong> Human Anatomy and Cell Biology.<br />
Staff celebrate<br />
at Carnatic<br />
Held at Carnatic House, guests enjoyed a<br />
Christmas lunch followed by a casino and<br />
disco. A raffle raised the princely sum <strong>of</strong><br />
£301 for Claire House Children's Hospice.<br />
Opposite: dressed as Disney Princesses,<br />
Conference Office staff welcomed 230 guests to<br />
the <strong>University</strong> Staff Christmas Party.<br />
No party is complete<br />
without Santa<br />
Christmas<br />
get together for<br />
international<br />
families<br />
The International Support Team hosted a<br />
Christmas party for international students in<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> with their families.<br />
The event, held in the International Lounge<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Guild <strong>of</strong> Students, provided the<br />
opportunity for families to get to know one<br />
another. It was also a chance to learn about<br />
British culture at Christmas time.<br />
There was seasonal food to sample,<br />
traditional party games, a Christmas tree<br />
and decorations, and a visit from<br />
Santa Claus.<br />
The International Support Team would like<br />
to thank FACT for donating tickets for the<br />
prize draw and Chris Wells, from the<br />
Division <strong>of</strong> Medical Education for assisting<br />
Father Christmas.<br />
25
Noticeboard ✽<br />
ANGLICAN CHAPLAINCY<br />
✽ Wednesday worship. Each Wednesday in the<br />
Anglican Chaplaincy, Mulberry Court at 1.05pm. For<br />
further information on the Chaplaincy visit:<br />
www.angchap-liverpooluni.org.uk<br />
ART GROUP<br />
✽ The <strong>University</strong> Art Group would like to attract<br />
new members. Membership is open to present and<br />
past members <strong>of</strong> staff, students and the Women’s<br />
Club. Associate membership is open to those with<br />
no affiliation to the <strong>University</strong>. For further information<br />
please contact the Hon Secretary, tel 01704 531709.<br />
CATHOLIC CHAPLAINCY<br />
✽ Celebration <strong>of</strong> Mass. Each Sunday, Tuesday,<br />
Wednesday and Thursday during term-time at<br />
12.30pm followed by refreshments. St Philip Neri<br />
Church, 30 Catherine Street. For more information<br />
on all Chaplaincy services and activities visit:<br />
www.cathchap.org.uk<br />
CONTINUING EDUCATION<br />
✽ Continuing Education courses – New Year 20<strong>08</strong><br />
The <strong>University</strong>’s Continuing Education programme<br />
supported by<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers more than 300 part-time courses each year for<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the public. <strong>University</strong> staff and students<br />
are welcome to join CE courses and can pay a<br />
reduced fee for most courses. Courses take place<br />
weekly evening and daytimes, and linked days, on<br />
the <strong>University</strong> precinct, and at other local centres in<br />
and around Merseyside.<br />
New courses start from January and highlights<br />
include:<br />
• Ancient Egyptian Technology<br />
• Learning to Look at the History <strong>of</strong> Photography<br />
• Marketing: Planning and Strategy<br />
• More Writing for Women by Women<br />
• Shakespeare’s Style<br />
• French, Italian and Spanish at Stage 1,<br />
• Reappraising Transatlantic Slavery<br />
• Visual Basic for Micros<strong>of</strong>t Applications<br />
• The Irish in <strong>Liverpool</strong>: Women’s Experience from<br />
1840 to the Present<br />
• Great Classical Composers<br />
• An Introduction to Sanskrit<br />
• Nutrition and Health<br />
CE courses <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>University</strong> credits which can be<br />
accumulated towards a <strong>University</strong> award or as<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> achievement for personal or vocational<br />
purposes. At 120 credits a Cert HE [120 credits] can<br />
be awarded – in named subjects <strong>of</strong> Archaeological<br />
Studies, Creative Writing, Historical Studies and<br />
Music. For full programme and further information<br />
visit: www.liv.ac.uk/conted/, email<br />
conted@liverpool.ac.uk or ring 0151-794 6900/6952.<br />
LIVERPOOL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY<br />
✽ Friday 18 January, 7pm. ‘Building an<br />
Observatory’ by Steve Reid (Llandrillo AS). Friday 15<br />
February, 7pm. ‘Images <strong>of</strong> the Universe Volume 1’<br />
by Paul Money (BBC Sky at Night magazine). In the<br />
Gibberd Room, Catholic Cathedral. For further<br />
information email ggastro@liv.ac.uk<br />
LIVERPOOL MEDICAL HISTORY SOCIETY<br />
✽ Thursday 31 January, 5.30pm. ‘Protecting the<br />
health and welfare <strong>of</strong> a now forgotten workforce: The<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong><br />
<strong>Inaugural</strong> <strong>Lecture</strong><br />
<strong>Series</strong> <strong>2007</strong>/<strong>08</strong><br />
Next lecture<br />
Wednesday 23 January 20<strong>08</strong>, 5.30pm<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Neil Hall, Chair <strong>of</strong> Comparative<br />
Genomics and Bioinformatics<br />
Decoding infectious disease:<br />
A genomics view <strong>of</strong> the microbial world<br />
Monday 28 January, 5.30pm<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Swapan Chattapadhyay,<br />
Sir John Cockr<strong>of</strong>t Chair <strong>of</strong> Physics<br />
Cockcr<strong>of</strong>t’s Legacy in Sub-Atomic Physics:<br />
Accelerators <strong>of</strong> the 21st Century<br />
In <strong>Lecture</strong> Theatre One, Sherrington Buildings<br />
For future lectures<br />
visit: www.liv.ac.uk/think<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> Clerks Association <strong>of</strong> the 19th and 20th<br />
Century’ by Dr Gregory Anderson (formerly <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Salford). In the Wolfson Room,<br />
<strong>Liverpool</strong> Medical Institution, 114 Mount Pleasant.<br />
For further information contact the Acting Hon<br />
Secretary, email gasflo@btinternet.com<br />
LIVERPOOL WELSH CHORAL<br />
✽ Saturday 1 March, 7.30pm. Aled Jones, the<br />
popular Welsh baritone, star <strong>of</strong> TV and radio, joins<br />
the LWC and the RLPO to celebrate St David’s Day.<br />
Traditional songs and new tunes from Aled’s latest<br />
CD are highlights <strong>of</strong> this culturally rich concert.<br />
Tickets £18. In the Philharmonic Hall. To book tel<br />
0151 652 6374.<br />
LIVERPOOL STRING ORCHESTRA<br />
✽ The <strong>Liverpool</strong> String Orchestra makes serious<br />
music for fun on Monday evenings under Neill<br />
Jackson’s encouraging, enthusiastic baton. Unitarian<br />
Church Hall, corner <strong>of</strong> York Avenue and Ullet Road,<br />
L17. £3 per session, £1.50 FT students. Tel 0151 427<br />
3791 or visit http://uk.geocities.com/mosslea2001<br />
NESS GARDENS<br />
✽ Sunday 13 January, 2pm - 3pm. Music recital<br />
with Matthew Sallis – classical guitarist. Wednesday<br />
16 January, TBA. Snowdrop Walk (tickets booked in<br />
advance) combined with a book sale in the<br />
Education Room, with c<strong>of</strong>fee in the Bulley tearoom.<br />
Saturday 19 January, 10am - 4pm. National Garden<br />
Scheme Day with Snowdrop Walk. Sunday 20<br />
January, 2pm. Friends <strong>of</strong> Ness Gardens lecture<br />
series ‘Slugs – a naturalist’s love/gardener’s hate<br />
relationship’ with Stuart Bailey. Saturday 26 and<br />
Sunday 27 January. Big Garden Bird Watch with<br />
RSPB. For further information tel 0151 353 0123.<br />
PENSIONERS’ CLUB<br />
✽ 1 February, 1pm. Pension Review by Jill Owen.<br />
Meetings held on the first Friday <strong>of</strong> each month in<br />
the large lecture theatre, Continuing Education, 126<br />
Mount Pleasant at 1pm. Bookings and further<br />
information from Rosemary Morris tel 0151 632<br />
5581.<br />
STAFF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP<br />
✽ The Staff Christian Fellowship meets for Bible<br />
study, discussion, fellowship and prayer every<br />
Tuesday during term-time in the Anglican<br />
Chaplaincy, Mulberry Court. The meetings begin<br />
shortly after 1pm and end by 1.50pm but it is<br />
understood that some may have to arrive late or<br />
leave early. All are welcome, whether you can come<br />
regularly or only occasionally. Tea and c<strong>of</strong>fee are<br />
provided. For more information visit:<br />
www.liv.ac.uk/www/qq73/ulscf.htm<br />
WOMEN’S CLUB<br />
✽ Saturday 19 January. Concert ‘Compagnia<br />
d’Istrumenti’ in the Anglican Cathedral. Wednesday<br />
6 February. <strong>Lecture</strong> and guided tour <strong>of</strong> ‘Magical<br />
History Tour’ at the Maritime Museum. Membership<br />
is open to female staff, partners <strong>of</strong> male academics,<br />
female postgraduates, alumni and students. Male<br />
partners are also welcome to join in our varied<br />
programme <strong>of</strong> activities. For a £10 annual<br />
subscription you can make new friends, meet likeminded<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> community and<br />
take part in a wide range <strong>of</strong> enjoyable activities. For<br />
more information, tel 0151 670 1413. For details <strong>of</strong><br />
all events coming up and for general information<br />
visit: www.liv.ac.uk/womensclub/<br />
MERSEYSIDE IVC<br />
IVC is a mixed social activities club for<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals and graduates and like-minded<br />
people to meet, interact and enjoy a wide variety<br />
<strong>of</strong> cultural, sporting and social activities and events<br />
together. For membership enquiries or more<br />
information about the club write to Merseyside IVC,
PO Box 157, Wirral, CH44 3WD or tel 07928 257684<br />
or 07950 258128.<br />
LIVERPOOL RENAISSANCE MUSIC GROUP<br />
Rehearsals take place on Wednesday evenings<br />
7.30-10pm in the Department <strong>of</strong> Music over the<br />
period <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> year. The group’s voices<br />
include the usual soprano, alto, tenor and bass<br />
ranges but counter-tenors and the recently emerging<br />
voice - the female tenor – are welcome. The most<br />
important qualification is a love and commitment to<br />
this splendid body <strong>of</strong> music. Contact Alan Wilson tel<br />
0151 427 3791.<br />
CHILDREN’S LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT?<br />
✽ Are you interested in your child’s language<br />
development? Researchers at the Child Language<br />
Study Centre within the School <strong>of</strong> Psychology are<br />
looking for children aged between one and three<br />
years to take part in a study on very young<br />
children’s understanding <strong>of</strong> language. The study<br />
uses the preferential looking paradigm, which<br />
requires the child to watch a series <strong>of</strong> short cartoons<br />
whilst seated on their parent’s or carer’s lap, and<br />
takes about 30 minutes.The study takes place in the<br />
Child Language Study Centre, located in the Eleanor<br />
Rathbone Building, on Bedford St South. For more<br />
details about the centre visit:<br />
www.liv.ac.uk/psychology/clrc/clrg.html If you are<br />
interested in finding out more, contact Claire Noble<br />
to request a parent pack by calling ext 41109 or<br />
email childlanguage@liverpool.ac.uk<br />
THE UNIVERSITY LODGE OF LIVERPOOL<br />
✽ The <strong>University</strong> Lodge <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> (English<br />
Freemasonry) is open to staff, alumni and students<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>. It meets on the second Monday <strong>of</strong><br />
the month during term time at the <strong>Liverpool</strong> Medical<br />
Institute, Mount Pleasant, <strong>Liverpool</strong>. For further<br />
information contact Mike Jones tel 0151 6<strong>08</strong> 3193 or<br />
email mikejones42@tiscali.co.uk<br />
FOR SALE<br />
✽ Flat screen monitor 17” Ilyama VisionMaster Pro,<br />
plug&play, good condition, £10. CD writer Freecom<br />
SCSI CD-RW, brand new, complete with instructions<br />
and s<strong>of</strong>tware £10. Tel 0151 722 3329 or 07914<br />
803350.<br />
✽ Sym jet 50CC Scooter 05 plate. Taxed Feb <strong>08</strong>,<br />
mileage 8,900, one owner. £675 ono. Contact Gerry,<br />
Tel 07887 506665.<br />
✽ Martial art Kuk Sool Won suits (top and<br />
trousers), black, sizes 2/3/4 (140-170cm). £12. Tel<br />
07914 803350 or 0151 722 3329 (evenings).<br />
✽ Delightful two bedroom penthouse apartment in<br />
quiet area <strong>of</strong> Grassendale, close to Cressington<br />
station. Stunning, uninterrupted views over <strong>Liverpool</strong><br />
Cricket Club grounds towards city skyline from<br />
lounge, picture window and private balcony. Partial<br />
river view from south-facing kitchen window. Luxury<br />
bathroom, fully-fitted kitchen, double glazed, laminate<br />
floor, gsh. Carpeted communal areas with lift.<br />
Communal gardens/parking. £159,950 Email<br />
michellebonner@btinternet.com or tel 0151 427 1310.<br />
✽ Twin pushchair. Urban Detour Alpine threewheeler,<br />
includes raincover, two cosytoes, hardly<br />
used, suitable from birth, vgc. £100 ono. Contact<br />
Stuart email i.s.wood@liv.ac.uk or tel 07775 617454.<br />
✽ Three-wheeler buggy. Cosatto lightweight buggy,<br />
fixed front wheel, blue/grey, vgc, complete with<br />
raincover, cosytoes and parasol, suitable for 6<br />
months+. £30. Contact Stuart email<br />
i.s.wood@liv.ac.uk or tel 07775 617454.<br />
✽ Four bedroom detached house in Childwall,<br />
South <strong>Liverpool</strong>. Quiet, safe cul-de-sac located near<br />
to all amenities. Two bathrooms, large conservatory,<br />
lounge, dining room, kitchen and utility, downstairs<br />
wc and electric garage doors. Low maintenance<br />
gardens to the front and rear. Fitted wardrobes in<br />
three <strong>of</strong> the bedrooms. GCH, boarded and insulated<br />
l<strong>of</strong>t area with pull down ladder. Reduced to £294,950<br />
fqs. Pictures can be forwarded on request. Email<br />
h.gee@liv.ac.uk or tel 07947 169092.<br />
TO RENT<br />
✽ Room with own sink available in large flat in a<br />
redbrick Edwardian semi in Sefton Park, Lancaster<br />
Ave. GCH, dg, two bathrooms, large lounge,<br />
modern fitted kitchen. Communal areas cleaned<br />
weekly. Quiet residential area close to all amenities<br />
and public transport, 1–2 miles to <strong>University</strong> and<br />
hospitals. Rent £250 pcm includes all bills and<br />
council tax. Tel 07803 721 387 or email<br />
livere2@hotmail.com<br />
✽ Fully furnished large room with own en-suite in<br />
Sefton Park, Lancaster Ave in flat for three. Double<br />
bed, settee, desk. Laminate flooring, gch, dg, fully<br />
equipped kitchen, well maintained, secure house,<br />
maintained gardens, communal areas cleaned<br />
weekly. Quiet residential area close to all amenities<br />
and public transport approx 1-2 miles from hospitals<br />
and <strong>University</strong>. Rent £320 pcm includes all bills and<br />
council tax. Tel 07803 721 387 or email<br />
livere2@hotmail.com<br />
✽ Tastefully furnished, modern spacious apartment<br />
in Minster Court, a popular gated estate in Crown<br />
Street, L7. Two minutes walk to the <strong>University</strong>, 15<br />
minutes to Lime Street. GCH, dg, washing machine<br />
and other amenities included. Female owner<br />
occupies the single bedroom in the flat occasionally.<br />
Rent £450 pcm plus bills. Rent includes water and<br />
council tax contribution. Ideal for new female staff<br />
member and for couples. Email<br />
sue_gari@hotmail.co.uk or tel 07709 004393.<br />
YOUR PUBLICATIONS<br />
✽Noticeboard<br />
A range <strong>of</strong> <strong>University</strong> publications are available to all staff for use at conferences, meetings, overseas trips, recruitment and<br />
any other events at which you might want to promote the <strong>University</strong> and its activities.<br />
<strong>University</strong><br />
in Context Precinct<br />
Red Brick<br />
Contact the Publications team, tel 42251 or email precinct@liv.ac.uk<br />
✽ Single room in a spacious furnished two bedroom<br />
flat. Five minutes walk from <strong>University</strong>. £325 pm, bills<br />
not included. Contact Jasna tel 0781 785 1119 or<br />
email jasnam@liv.ac.uk<br />
✽ New luxury two bedroom top floor apartment in<br />
Childwall, <strong>of</strong>f Childwall Road nr Picton Clock. In<br />
unique block <strong>of</strong> eight, fully fitted integral kitchen, ensuite<br />
and separate bathroom, dg, gch. 10 mins from<br />
<strong>University</strong>. Parking. £575 pcm. Contact Julie tel<br />
07958118216 or email ju1@liv.ac.uk<br />
WANTED<br />
✽ Heroes and heroines with cars and a little time to<br />
spare! Rochdale Dog Rescue helps save the lives <strong>of</strong><br />
more than 600 dogs a year in the North West. Run<br />
entirely by volunteers, RDR finds rescue places for<br />
‘poundies’ – strays and unwanted dogs who are<br />
otherwise put to sleep. We desperately need<br />
volunteers to transport these dogs to safety. All you<br />
need is a car and a few spare hours. Visit<br />
www.rochdale-dog-rescue.com for more information.<br />
AVAILABLE<br />
✽ Superb 2 bedroom apartment in La Cala de Mijas<br />
on the Costa Del Sol. Ideal location for the lovely<br />
village as well as all the Costa Del Sol has to <strong>of</strong>fer.<br />
Prices start at £225 per week with a 10% discount for<br />
<strong>University</strong> staff. Contact Chris tel 07725 312311 or visit<br />
www.lacaladirect.co.uk<br />
✽ Leave your worries behind and stay in a typical<br />
Pueblo Blanco in Andalucia in southern Spain. Small<br />
town atmosphere, all comforts and the best weather in<br />
Europe. Well served from UK into Gibraltar, Malaga,<br />
Jerez, Seville and Granada airports. Two bedrooms,<br />
two bathrooms, gourmet kitchen, lounge, two patios<br />
with views <strong>of</strong> the mountains. Available by the week or<br />
month from 250 Euros a week. Email<br />
Carhartjm@aol.com or tel 07970 026184 for more<br />
details.<br />
✽ Restored village house in quiet, peaceful Italian<br />
village located between the Adriatic and the Gran<br />
Sasso Mountain, the highest point <strong>of</strong> the Appenines.<br />
Well served by two local airports, Ancona and<br />
Pescara, and also Rome and Bologna. Two<br />
bedrooms, two bathrooms, gourmet kitchen, lounge,<br />
music room. Friendly neighbours, clean, unspoilt<br />
atmosphere. Available by the week or month at 350<br />
Euros a week. Email Carhartjm@aol.com or tel 07970<br />
026184 for more details.<br />
✽ Dukebox. A quality, inexpensive mobile disco/DJ<br />
available for hire in the North West area. We are<br />
available for all manner <strong>of</strong> functions including<br />
birthdays and weddings. Tailored playlists to meet<br />
customers’ individual musical needs. Call now for a<br />
reasonable quote. Contact Martin tel 07964 182 809.<br />
insight
enlightened<br />
That’s what you are as a non-executive director.<br />
And so are we after getting a strong message from small,<br />
medium and large businesses in the North West. They tell us<br />
they need non-executive directors with the sort <strong>of</strong> experience<br />
that will help them find their way through challenging times in<br />
fast-moving industries which are hindered by issues <strong>of</strong><br />
governance and compliance.<br />
But how do these companies find the right non-executive<br />
director? And how does the right non-executive director find<br />
the right company?<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liverpool</strong> Management School presents<br />
a compelling proposition for both parties.<br />
Funded by the Northern Leadership Academy, the Management<br />
School has formed a non-executive directors’ community. It’s a<br />
dynamic mix <strong>of</strong> academia, industry and commerce which will<br />
share knowledge, best practice and deliver placement<br />
opportunities for existing and would-be non-executive directors<br />
in the North <strong>of</strong> England.<br />
They will enjoy:<br />
• A unique e-community providing a gateway to online<br />
communication and support<br />
• A non-executive directors’ programme <strong>of</strong> study to<br />
distribute good practice<br />
• A series <strong>of</strong> networking events to engage regional and<br />
national stakeholders<br />
• Access to placement opportunities as non-executive<br />
directors within our partner organisations.<br />
We are currently developing the community at:<br />
www.northernleadershipacademy.co.uk/neds<br />
For more information, email neds@liverpool.ac.uk