CITY NEWSThis month sees the first of our 2012graduation ceremonies recognising theachievements of our students.In this month’s City News you can also readabout exciting research underway at theUniversity and learn about the submissionprocess of our Strategic Plan to Council.

January 2012 | issue 05

2

January saw the completion of several exciting developments aspart of the University’s commitment to improve library services atNorthampton Square and enhance the student experience.

Graduate Library Centre

This new state-of-the-art facility is the result of an extensive refurbishmentof the former Student Hub. The Graduate Library Centre incorporatesstudy and IT workspaces and builds on the work completed last summer toprovide 200 additional silent study spaces. This development has beeninformed by feedback from postgraduate students asking for dedicatedsilent study and additional computing spaces.

Financial Resources Suite

This new suite, located on level five of the Library, enables students toaccess real-time market data and live news coverage, as well as historicalfinancial, market and economic information. This is a facility unrivalled bymost other university libraries.

Further development of the Library is planned for 2012. This work willinclude the relocation of the undergraduate law collection from the Libraryto the Pool area in College Building this Easter. u

NEWS IN BRIEF

2

EU research fundingCity made four successful grant applicationstotaling around €1M for Marie CurieIndividual Fellowships; which come underthe EU’s research funding mechanism, theSeventh Framework Programme (FP7). Thegrants provide full funding for threeEuropean research fellows to conduct jointresearch at City and for a City researchfellow to undertake study in the USA.

Professor Susan NashProfessor Nash, Dean of The City Law School,will step down at the end of the 2011/12academic year after nearly four years in therole. Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Curransaid: “I would like to thank Susan for herconsiderable contribution as Dean, both toher School and the wider University.” Theappointment process for a new Dean of Lawstarted this month.

Shipping influenceProfessor Costas Grammenos has beenranked 65th out of the 100 most influentialpeople in shipping by Lloyd’s List. ProfessorGrammenos was praised for his ‘massivecontribution to teaching and research inglobal shipping trade and finance’.

Library services upgraded

About City NewsCity News is produced for Universitystaff each month by Marketing andCommunications.

If you have any feedback on themagazine or suggestions for content infuture issues, please email:christopher.leonard.1@city.ac.uk

Prizes for City students

David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities and Science (left),presented academic excellence awards to two undergraduatestudents from the School of Engineering and MathematicalSciences on behalf of the Salters’ Company. The awards are made annually to two outstanding City students to providesupport for their further studies. Alberto Bonifacio (centre left) andSabbir Ahmad, studying Aeronautical Engineering and ElectricalEngineering respectively, received the Salters’ Prizes for ExceptionalAchievement in Physical Sciences at a ceremony at the impressiveSalters’ Hall.

Professor Sanowar Khan (centre right), Deputy Dean of the School, said:“The Salters’ Company is one of the livery companies of the City ofLondon with whom the University shares a special bond. We areexceptionally grateful that it continues to support our studentsfinancially and recognises their academic excellence each year.” u

Student surveysMonday 6 February marks the launch of City’s ‘Your Voice’student surveys, the National Student Survey (NSS) and thePostgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES).Students are being encouraged to participate in these importantsurveys to help the University identify what is going well or not sowell and in turn help to improve the student experience.

All surveys will be accessible at: www.city.ac.uk/surveys2012

3

NEWS IN BRIEF

www.city.ac.uk/staff

University celebratesresearch excellence

REF micrositeA new section on City’s website outlines theUniversity’s preparations for the ResearchExcellence Framework (REF) submission in2013. This section will be updated in thecoming months with information andguidance on the REF. Find out more at:www.city.ac.uk/ref

Professor Sir Roger JowellIt is with greatsadness that wereport the death ofProfessor Sir RogerJowell, Director ofthe Centre forComparative SocialSurveys, who passedaway on ChristmasDay 2011.

Sir Roger made a lasting contribution toCity, not least through his leadership of theEuropean Social Survey. He will be greatlymissed by colleagues and students alike. Amemorial service for him will take place inthe spring.

Knighthood for formerCity ChancellorCity’s Chancellor in 2010/11, AldermanMichael Bear, has been knighted in the NewYear Honours list for services to regeneration,charity and the City of London. Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Curran said ofthe award: "Sir Michael is a formerChancellor, Visiting Professor and a greatfriend, supporter and honorary graduate ofCity University London. We are delightedthat he has received such an honour."

City’s fifth Annual Research Competition last month celebratedthe breadth and variety of research undertaken at the Universityas academic staff presented their research proposals to a panelof distinguished judges.Dr Jo Wood (below left), Reader in Geographic Information Science,received the prestigious £50,000 ‘Excellence Award’ for his presentation‘How does a City move?’. His proposal was for research into how peoplemove within a city to inform the development of a model to predictmovement patterns.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Curran (below right) also awardedadditional research prizes to nine academics from four Schools, inrecognition of the quality and potential impact of their research.

You can find out more about the competition and the research featuredon our staff intranet homepage (click Research Support and Events). Youcan also read examples of research in our ‘Research at City’ feature onpages 8-9. u

Dr Simone Stumpf and Dr George Buchanan, from City’s Centre forHuman Computer Interaction Design, are working with Hub TV – avideo production company based in Clerkenwell – to improveonline video interaction.The two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership, funded with a £100k grantfrom the Technology Strategy Board, aims to develop a better onlineexperience for consumers and in turn boost revenues for brand owners.Current online video interaction limits viewers to clicking links to relatedinformation via surrounding menus or embedded prompts.

The Partnership will develop a more intuitive approach, enabling viewersto interact with video content itself. For example, in an online fashionvideo the viewer might click on a garment worn by a model to get moreinformation or to make a purchase. u

Graduation ceremoniesGraduation ceremonies for all Schools are being held fromThursday 26 January to Monday 30 January at The Guildhallin London.Further information and live coverage of the ceremonies will beavailable on the City website.

Improving online video

NEWS IN BRIEF

4

NEWS IN BRIEF

The Learning Spaces Group (LSG), in conjunction with theLearning Development Centre, is reviewing room utilisation inNorthampton Square with a view to creating new bespokespaces for interactive learning. The LSG is keen to talk to staff about the design of the new spaces andsecure their participation in early pilots.

To sign up, email: ldc@city.ac.uk, or to find out more read the LSG’sblog: educationalvignettes.wordpress.com u

Redesign of City’s teachingand learning spaces

Prior to Christmas, City held the most successful telephonefundraising campaign in its history for the City Future Fund. The fund provides a variety of support for students in need. Studentvolunteers (below) made contact with more than 1,700 alumni, many ofwhom donated to the fund. The total amount raised over the last fiveyears is in excess of £118,500.

You can find out more and donate to the City Future Fund online:www.city.ac.uk/alumni/city-future-fund u

City Future Fund successCity is the greenestLondon universityCity has been named the most energy-efficient university in London and ninth inthe UK according to the Environment Agency.This impressive rating is based on City’sperformance under the Carbon ReductionCommitment Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Canadian recognitionEsther, The RemarkableTrue Story of EstherWheelwright – PuritanChild, Native Daughter,Mother Superior, a non-fiction book by JulieWheelwright, MACreative Writing (Non-Fiction) ProgrammeDirector, has been placed in the Top 100books of 2011 by Canadian newspaper TheGlobe and Mail.

George Daniels MBEGeorge Daniels, widely acknowledged asthe world’s greatest living watchmaker,passed away last year. Daniels’ only formaltraining was his attendance at horologicalclasses in the 1950s at Northampton Institute(now City University London), beforeembarking on his distinguished career.

£30,000 ScholarshipMid-career IT professionals have been giventhe opportunity to win a £30,000 Scholarshipfor City’s unique Master of InformationLeadership programme. The essaycompetition was run in collaboration withComputer Weekly and is sponsored by IBM.

Raising awareness of fraudThe Internal Audit team has a responsibility to help theUniversity prevent and detect fraud and corruption. It has produced a newsletter for staff which provides guidance onhow you can help to protect the University against fraud.

You can find out more on our intranet at: http://www.city.ac.uk/blogs/staff-news

Student Engagement Showcase15:00 Wednesday 1 February, Northampton Suite

The Learning Development Centre’s event focuses on studentengagement, including a debate on assessment practice in highereducation. Staff are invited to:

• see this year’s projects to support student engagement;

• find out more about the Learning Development Centre;

• help design a physical learning space for students; and

• network with colleagues and students.

To find out more email: ldc@city.ac.uk or register online:https://webapps.city.ac.uk/forms/14970

5

Enterprise at City

www.city.ac.uk/staff

A tubular concrete pile developed and patented at City couldresult in greener and re-usable building foundations.Concrete piles commonly form the foundations of tall buildings in citycentre developments where the ground is soft. They are constructed bydrilling a hole – often 30m deep and 1-2m in diameter – and filling itwith reinforced concrete. The technique has been used since the 1960s.

The disadvantage of this traditional approach is that it leaves theground in urban areas blighted by concrete piles which cannot bereused when redevelopment takes place, often because their conditionand structural integrity is unknown or they are simply in the wrongplace. The lifespan of many commercial buildings is only 25-30 yearsand the concrete piles typically outlast the buildings they support.

The SuRe Pile design, developed by Senior Lecturer Dr Andrew McNamarawith colleagues in Civil Engineering, addresses this problem by creatinga hollow cavity in the centre of the pile. This reduces the amount ofconcrete used and hence the building's environmental impact. It alsoenables foundations to be future-proofed. When a site is redeveloped,the cavity will enable easier inspection and testing and a smaller pilemay be constructed within it to enable its re-use.

Dr McNamara says: “The legacy of concrete piles in densely packedcities such as London is becoming a real problem; it can take two daysand £30,000 to remove an old pile on a redevelopment site. Our aim isto ensure that future generations don’t have to face this issue byproviding the construction industry with a more adaptable alternative.”

Strong and stableThe SuRe Pile concept has undergone testing by Balfour Beatty GroundEngineering at a Wembley construction site and was found to be asstrong and stable as traditional designs. Dr McNamara now hopes todevelop the product further by working with other industrial partners.

City’s Enterprise Office hosted a launch evening for SuRe Pile last yearwhich attracted more than 60 representatives from piling contractors,consulting engineers, architects and property developers.

Patent promises greenerbuilding foundations

The SuRe Pile,researched anddeveloped at City, hasundergone testing byBalfour Beatty

Dr McNamara comments: “We received very useful feedback from thedelegates. The event has shown that there is significant interest in theconcept but there is a lot more research that needs to be done. I amconfident that with the support of our industrial partners we will makefurther progress with the SuRe Pile concept.” u

City’s green patent portfolioSeveral examples of City’s intellectual property are promising amore sustainable future:

• Heliex Power (www.heliexpower.com) is a start-up companydeveloping machines that turn waste heat into energy, usingtechnology based on the work of City's Positive DisplacementCompressors Group.

• A City aeronautical engineering patent enabling wind turbineblades to generate energy more efficiently is the basis of anotherstart-up. Totempower (www.totempower.com) is developing windturbines for domestic and commercial use.

• Recent research suggests that the Levytator – a curved escalatordeveloped by Emeritus Professor Jack Levy, could use half theenergy of traditional escalators. Discussions with potentialmanufacturers continue.

6

This comparatively streamlined governance structure benefits City whenfacing time-critical developments such as the investment in academicstaff prior to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) deadline in 2013.

Since the launch of City’s Vision for 2016 last spring, Schools andProfessional Services have been developing their plans to support thedelivery of the Vision and Council has regularly considered elements ofthe emerging Strategic Plan at its meetings.

In October 2011, Council agreed to invest in the appointment of up to 50new research-excellent academic staff in advance of the full StrategicPlan being approved. This was to address concerns about the timeavailable for the University to improve the overall quality of its researchin time for the REF deadline.

Draft Strategic PlanCurrently, the University is in the process of finalising its draft StrategicPlan. A new Strategic Planning Committee has been established,reporting to the Executive Committee, to assist with the co-ordinationof planning activity.

A draft version of the Strategic Plan will be considered by the UniversityExecutive Team (UET), the University Executive Committee (ExCo) andSenate before being submitted to Council for discussion and if

appropriate, approval in March.

The key components of the Plan will bepresented to Council this month, includinginvestment options and the main strategicthemes, together with proposed keyperformance indicators. This will give Councilthe opportunity to provide early input andfeedback before it considers the Strategic Planmore fully in March.

“Once Council approval has been received forthe strategy, the Vice-Chancellor will becharged with implementing the Plan whileCouncil will continue to monitor theUniversity’s progress against agreedperformance indicators,” explains Toop.

“Council will regularly review the risks inimplementation and their mitigation usinginformation provided by UET and ExCo.”

How City will obtainCouncil approvalIn March, City University London’s Council will be asked to approvethe University’s Strategic Plan. This will set out how City will achieve its Vision: to be a leading globalUniversity committed to academic excellence, focused on business andthe professions and located in the heart of London. It will build on theinitiatives already underway, including City’s significant investment inthe appointment of research-excellent academic staff.

City News looks at the University’s governance structure in the contextof the Strategic Plan approval process.

Streamlined governance City’s governing body is its 21-member Council which comprises 14external members and seven drawn from staff and students. TheUniversity’s Senate, three Committees and the Vice-Chancellor report toCouncil. City’s governance structure is similar to other UK universitiesbut with some important differences.

In 2006, City became the first University to receive PrivyCouncil approval for a ‘slimmed down’ Charter andStatutes. This allows City to self-determine much of itsgovernance framework.

City has a comparatively smaller number of sub-Committees than many other UK university Councilsand more frequent Council meetings (six times a yearrather than the more common three or four). Thisprovides Council members with a greater opportunity toparticipate in all debates on proposals brought to themfor decision than is generally the case in other UKuniversities.

“Council’s role is to govern and it has defined thosematters on which it must decide, but it has givenconsiderable delegated executive powers to the Vice-Chancellor,” explains Frank Toop (right), UniversitySecretary.

By Chris Leonard

City News looks at therole City’s Council playsin the development andapproval of theUniversity’s StrategicPlan

7www.city.ac.uk/staff

CouncilCouncil is the University’sgoverning body and has ultimateresponsibility for its affairs.Council’s primary responsibilitiesare approving the University’sstrategic direction, monitoring theUniversity’s performance andensuring that the University hasadequate systems of control andaccountability.

One of Council’s most importanttasks is the appointment of theVice-Chancellor. Council delegatesresponsibilities to the Vice-Chancellor, Senate (regardingacademic quality and standards) and three Committees: Audit andRisk, Remuneration and Corporate Governance and Nominations.

Chair of Council is The Hon Apurv Bagri (above).

Vice-ChancellorThe Vice-Chancellor combinesthe roles of Chair of Senate andChief Executive and is theUniversity’s most senioracademic member, reporting toCouncil. The Vice-Chancellorhas executive and governanceresponsibilities and is advisedby UET and ExCo (see below).The Vice-Chancellor canapprove individual expenditureof up to £3M.

SenateSenate has delegated authority for the assurance of academic standardsand for enhancing academic quality. Boards of Studies and other Senatesub-committees report to Senate.

Senate comprises up to 37 members including an equal number of ex-officio posts (senior officers and chairs of committees) and posts electedfrom the academic staff. The membership also includes up to fourstudent members.

University Executive Team (UET) UET comprises the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Chief Financial Officer and HR Director.

Although not part of the formal governance of the University, it is partof the University’s management structure (in a similar way to ExCo).Like ExCo, the purpose of UET is to assist the Vice-Chancellor in theleadership and management of the University.

Executive Committee (ExCo) ExCo comprises the Vice-Chancellor,Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Deans of the Schools,Chief Financial Officer and the HRDirector and very recently has beenextended to include six Directors ofProfessional Services.

The ExCo is not part of the formalgovernance structure of theUniversity, which is not obliged tohave one. It acts on an advisory basisto the Vice-Chancellor who reportsExCo discussions to Council.

You can find out more on our website:www.city.ac.uk/about/city-information/governance u

The Governance of City University London

Vice-Chancellor ProfessorPaul Curran Executive Committee awayday

November 2011

8

City-led research prompts governmentinitiative for tele-health in NHSCity is leading the largest study into tele-care and tele-health,the initial findings of which have prompted Prime MinisterDavid Cameron to announce a major drive to deliver healthtechnology to millions of NHS patients.Initial findings show that tele-health could reduce A&E visits, emergencyand elective admissions, bed days and mortality rates. The researchfindings have prompted the Prime Minister to announce a major push toencourage the use of tele-care and tele-health in the UK.

In a speech the Prime Minister said: "We've done a trial, it's been a hugesuccess and now we're on a drive to roll this out nationwide with an aimto improve three millionlives over the next fiveyears with thistechnology.”

Professor StantonNewman, Dean of theSchool of Health Sciences,says it is promising thatthe initial results arealready influencinghealthcare delivery.

"Once the study iscompleted and published,we hope to havesignificant findings thatwill provide theDepartment of Healthwith clear direction onhow technology can beused to improve patientoutcomes,” he explained.

Informing mothers-to-beCity academics have contributed to research showing importantdifferences between midwifery units, home births and obstetricunits in terms of the benefits and risks for mothers and babies.Professors Alison Macfarlane and Christine McCourt contributed to theBirthplace in England Research Programme of almost 65,000 'low risk'births.

The study – conducted with Oxford University, University CollegeLondon, King’s College, the Royal College of Midwives and the NationalChildbirth Trust – is the first of its kind to provide meaningful data tomothers-to-be.

Professor McCourt says the research identifies areas to be improved tosupport the safety and quality of maternity care and provide equitableaccess to care: "The safety, lower costs and fewer interventions seen inmidwifery units suggest we could see their prevalence increased in thefuture, alongside an increase in the number of midwives."

Professor Macfarlane adds: "While the results of many smaller studiescompleted previously have pointed in the same direction, the Birthplacestudy is different because it has a large enough sample size andsufficient rigour in its design to enable robust conclusions to be drawn."

Read more on the British Medical Journal website:www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d7400

Research at CityHighlights of recentresearch at CityUniversity London

City Research OnlineHave you uploaded your researchoutputs to the University’s researchrepository?

City Research Online (City News,November 2011) will help youraise the visibility of your researchand help the University to collateand monitor its research.

Find out more at:http://openaccess.city.ac.uk

Professor Stanton Newman

9

Cass Business School’s M&A Research Centre has shown thatdomestic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) provide an averageshort-term boost of £178M to the UK economy.The research was commissioned by the Department for Business,Innovation and Skills to inform the debate over whether M&A activitygenerates or destroys value in the UK economy. It used a sample of3,200 deals involving a UK target between 1997 and 2010.

The research found that, in addition to adding short-term value to theeconomy, corporate takeovers stimulate growth in company revenuesand employment in the longer term.

Anna Faelten, Senior Researcher in the M&A Research Centre, led thestudy. She says: “These results show that although M&A transactionscontinue to be challenging for corporates, for those companies that getit right, acquisitions can add significant value to their businesses.”

Research at CityLow risks for new nuclear buildsResearch by ProfessorPhilip Thomas in theSchool of Engineeringand MathematicalSciences at City hasinformed a report tohelp the UKGovernment and thenuclear industry makepolicy and investmentdecisions regardingnuclear power.The SPRing Report,published with theUniversities ofManchester andSouthampton, includescomparative analysis byProfessor Thomas of thecosts and safetyconsiderations associated with different energy options.

His research found that nuclear power could become competitive withgas-powered electricity in 2015 on a cost-basis, while onshore andoffshore wind power are likely to take until 2032 and 2040 respectivelyto achieve equivalent competitiveness.

Professor Thomas’ research assessed the impact of futurepower plants on human mortality, taking into account theentire fuel supply chain plus construction, operation anddecommissioning. He found that coal power has the highestimpact compared with other technologies, mainly due to theeffects of pollution emissions, but that nuclear has thelowest impact.

He says: “This may seem surprising but nuclear plants aregenerally small, require low volumes of fuel and producelarge amounts of energy. This mitigates many of the safetyand environmental risks that are posed by gas extraction orthe large-scale production of steel for wind turbines.” u

Mergers and acquisitions shown to give ashort-term boost to the UK economy

Anna Faelten

ProfessorPhilipThomas

10

Dorian Grey, Edward Scissorhands and Lord of the Flies may notseem to be suitable stories for ballets, but British choreographerMatthew Bourne has enjoyed phenomenal success withadaptations of these stories produced by his New Adventuresdance company.New Adventures’ version of Nutcracker!, which has just ended itsLondon run at Sadler’s Wells theatre in Islington (and is now touringnationally), demonstrates Bourne’s continued ingenuity 15 years afterhis first interpretation was staged.

Bourne’s artistic visions challenge the status quo of the ballet world.Alongside his contrasting stories is a unique spin on the original balletsin his work: his Swan Lake has an all-male cast; Cinderella is set in theBlitz; and Nutcracker! features a doll given to a Dickensian orphanage.

Humour in dance This Christmas, audiences at Sadler’s Wells were treated to a comicalfeast with Nutcracker! From the beginning of the overture, humour isentwined in the dance as Clara and the other orphans individually runand stare in awe at the audience. The contrast from the opulent traditionalNutcracker ballet is striking, as Bourne paints an impoverished first act

rather than the original’sChristmas party set in aritzy Victorian manor.

In his programme notesfor Nutcracker! Bournesays: “The Christmasparty that opens mostproductions of TheNutcracker represents afantasy in itself for mostaudiences. Therefore,when we are transportedinto Clara’s fantasyworld we have really justgone from one idyllicfantasy to another.”

Towards the end of thefirst act, the Nutcracker –who takes the form of aslightly creepyventriloquist doll –transforms into anAbercrombie and Fitch-style male model, complete with tannedabdominals and white dungarees. If this seems exotic, then it isnothing compared to the second act in which Clara’s imaginationreaches SweetieLand. The characters include the likes of vain liquoriceallsorts, mischievous gobstopper boys and fluffy pink marshmallowgirls, somewhat reminiscent of the cast of The Only Way is Essex.

Matthew Bourne is an award-winning choreographer, with five OlivierAwards and two Tony awards to his name. He is an Associate Artist ofSadler’s Wells and his company – New Adventures – is a residentcompany of the theatre.

Nutcracker! launches a year of celebrations for Bourne in 2012,commemorating ten years of New Adventures and 25 years sinceBourne founded its previous incarnation, Adventures in MotionPictures. This year will also see the world premiere of his latest work,Sleeping Beauty. u

‘Crack’-ing British ballet

By Yasmine Permaul

Yasmine Permaul, a firstyear BA Journalismstudent at City, reviewsNutcracker! – the latestproduction from balletchoreographer andIslington residentMatthew Bourne

Meet yourcolleagues

Name and job title?Dr Haogang Zhu, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)Research Fellow in the School of Health Sciences.

What do you do at City day to day?I recently received a NIHR Post Doctoral Fellowship to developclinical decision support systems. In a nutshell I’m working ondeveloping computer programmes that help doctors to make efficientclinical decisions, based on the latest research.

It involves research on integrating medical data, clinical guidelinesand clinicians’ experience to provide software that will optimisedecision making, improve the quality of care, decrease practicevariations and save costs. The key modules of the system include

knowledge mining from largedatasets, computerised deploymentof clinical guidelines and theinterface between the decisionsupport system and clinicians.

I am very pleased to get the grant,which is worth about £290,000 overthree years as they are given onlyafter peer review and interview. I’mworking directly with ProfessorDavid Crabb at City with mentorsfrom UCL (Professor David Garway-Heath) and Oxford University(Professor John Fox) and incollaboration with Yale University’sSchool of Medicine.

What is your biggest challengein your job?It is sometimes difficult to persuadesome clinicians that they will beable to make more efficient andeffective decisions with quantitativesupport using computer software.Some of them claim that they havebeen making clinical decisions daily

for years and have never needed such a system. Some others also don’tlike the idea that the system may take away the some of theirresponsibility for patients.

How do you overcome it?It is important to make clinicians realise that with the development ofnew clinical measurements, such as those provided by imagingtechniques, it is nearly impossible to understand all of the acquireddata without the support of automated quantitative analysis.

It is also almost impossible for busy clinicians to keep up-to-date withthe latest clinical guidelines when they are working. However, these‘dirty jobs’ can be robustly completed by an automated system which isdesigned to extract intrinsic information constantly and objectivelyfrom data and to computationally embed clinical guidelines into alldecision making procedures.

Moreover, a decision support system, like an aircraft’s auto-pilot systemfor pilots, does not take away responsibility away from clinicians; itonly improves the quality of care and prevents those unnecessarymistakes that humans are more likely to make. This is why it is called adecision support rather than a decision making system.

If you didn’t do your job what would you be doing?Quantative analyst in a data-hungry environment or a veryunsuccessful musician.

What do you do in your spare time and to relax?Music, video games and teaching my 10-month-old baby new tricks.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?My family, friends and those who have passed away and I miss dearly.

Favourite place in London?Richmond Park

Favourite film?The Sixth Sense

Favourite book?Analects of Confucius

Favourite song/music?Heal the World by Michael Jackson

www.city.ac.uk/staff 11

Dates for your diary

Scholarships Evening 201218:00–21:00 Wednesday 1 February, Oliver Thompson LectureTheatre

The Development and Alumni Relations Office’s 4th AnnualScholarships and Prizes Awards Evening to recognise studentsof outstanding ability.

Lunchtime Concert: Martin Vischnick (Guitar)13:10–14:00 Friday 3 February, Performance Space

City University London Quiz17:45–21:00 Friday 3 February, Saddlers Bar

City’s quiz night. Contact Graham Miller in Finance (ext: 3270)for information.

Olive Tree Middle East Forum18:00–19:30 Tuesday 8 February, Room A130 College Building

Learn about cross-conflict dialogue and what it means to thoseinvolved with Olive Tree Scholarship students, playwrightDamien Gorman and psychiatrist Dr Anton Obholzer.

F1 in Schools - London and SE England Heat10:30–17:00 Wednesday 8 February, Great Hall, College Building

Teams of local children race the miniature cars they havedesigned and built that can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour.Staff are invited to come and watch the action.

Bridge Lecture: UK energy policy – will it deliver,can it deliver?18:00–20:00 Wednesday 8 February, Oliver Thompson LectureTheatre

Dr David Clarke, CEO of the Energy Technologies Institute,presents this year’s Bridge Lecture, on national strategicplanning for designing ‘lowest cost’ UK energy systems.

For more information about staff training email:evan.bates.1@city.ac.uk or visit: www.city.ac.uk/sd/index

Mentoring Skills for Professional StaffWednesday 1 February

Staff training and developmentEmployment Law – Employment ContractsWednesday 8 February

Writing Grant ProposalsThursday 9 February

Retirement Planning workshopFriday 17 February

Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies Wednesday 22 February

Employment Law Training – Managing Performance& SicknessThursday 23 February

Indentifying Research FundingThursday 1 March

www.city.ac.uk/events

Lunchtime Concert: Robert Keeley (piano)13:10–14:00 Friday 10 February, Performance Space

City Lights: Spectral Lands19:00–21:00 Tuesday 14 February, Performance Space

Concert featuring performances from Andrew Babcock, Suk-Jun Kim, Adrian Moore, Simon Emmerson and Denis Smalley.

Lunchtime Concert: Pocket Caravan 13:10–14:00 Friday 17 February, Performance Space

Challenging History ConferenceThursday 23 February–Saturday 25 February, City UniversityLondon and Tower of London

Conference hosted by the Challenging History group to fostercollaboration and understanding between academia and theheritage sector.

Lunchtime Concert: Annie Yim (piano)13:10–14:00 Friday 24 February, Performance Space

I did that course!Nikki Kolyvani, Alumni Network and Relations Managerat Cass, took the Mentoring Skills course, ‘an enjoyablecourse with good content’.

“I now have a good understanding of the role of a mentorand a structure to apply the process of mentoring.Having a framework has given me confidence in themethods I will use,” she said.

Risk Assessment training for academic staffTo be completed in conjunction with Cardinus onlinetraining, Effective Risk Assessment for Academic Staff, onour Intranet (under Training and Development).

Risk Assessment (Academic staff in Cass Business School)

Tuesday 7 February

Risk Assessment (Academic staff in School of Health Sciences)

Tuesday 14 February

Risk Assessment (Academic staff in Schools of Engineeringand Mathematical Sciences & Informatics)

Thursday 23 February

Risk Assessment (Academic staff in Schools of Arts andSocial Sciences)

Friday 2 March

Risk Assessment (Academic staff in The City Law School)

Monday 5 March