CITY NEWS

This month City News interviewsProfessor Andrew Jones, City’snew Dean of the School of Arts& Social Sciences and we lookat how the Technology Transferteam works with academics tocommercialise their research.We also have the latestUniversity news and highlightsome of the important researchconducted here at City.

October 2012 | issue 12

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The 2012 Onassis Laureates (City News, June 2012) were formallyhonoured at a prestigious awards banquet at London’s historicGuildhall last month.Renowned US economists Professors Stephen Ross and Elhanan Helpman,and maritime academics Emeritus Professors Ernst Frankel, Richard Gossand Arnljot Stromme Svendesn, received their Onassis Prizes from guestof honour Sir Winfried Bischoff, Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group.

The Onassis Prizes, each worth $200,000, are sponsored by the AlexanderS Onassis Public Benefit Foundation and are awarded every three yearsby Cass Business School. Judged by a panel of distinguished academicsincluding two Nobel Laureates, the prizes recognise the contribution ofworld-leading academics to the fields of finance, international trade andshipping.

Professor Costas Grammenos, founder of Cass’ International Centre forShipping, Trade and Finance, was instrumental in launching the prizes.He said: “I warmly congratulate the winners whose distinguishedachievements have profoundly influenced their disciplines and continueto have an impact on academic thinking and business conduct worldwide.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

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10th for graduate salariesCity has been ranked in the top 10 in the UKfor graduate starting salaries.

Which? ranked institutions by the averageyearly salary of former students, six monthsafter their graduation and will publish thefull rankings on the Which? Universitywebsite.

City rises in QS rankingsCity University London has been rankedequal 327th in the 2012/13 QS World UniversityRankings, a rise of 29 places on last year.

New members neededCity University Symphony Orchestra, opento all University students and staff, isholding short auditions for new members.

Rehearsals take place on Wednesdayevenings and this term’s concert is onTuesday 4th December at St Giles in theBarbican. The Orchestra is particularlyhoping to recruit string players. For moreinformation email: music@city.ac.uk

About City NewsCity News is produced each month byMarketing & Communications anddistributed to all staff.

If you have any comments or feedbackabout the magazine or its distribution, orsuggestions for content, please email:Christopher.leonard.1@city.ac.uk

Onassis Prizes awarded

The School of HealthSciences has been awarded12 fully-funded Masters inClinical Research (MRes)bursaries per year for thenext three years.The MRes bursaries providefunding for the first phase ofresearch preparation forgraduate nurses, midwives andallied health professionals.

The studentships are awardedby the National Institute forHealth Research and the ChiefNursing Officer for England.

Professor Stanton Newman,Dean of the School of HealthSciences, acknowledged theefforts of staff in securing thebursaries, extending special thanks to Dr Victoria Joffe, Dr EamonnMcKeown and Professor Sue Proctor.

He said: "This is a significant achievement for the School of HealthSciences and positions us as one of the country's leading institutionsfor clinical research.”

Health Sciences wins 12Funded Masters

Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Curran(pictured, left) and Unitemps BranchManager Damian Mullins (right) openedCity University London’s franchise ofUnitemps last month. Unitemps enablesstudents to register for part-time andtemporary work at the University (and inthe local area). Over 1,200 haveregistered and there were 992 workplacements between May and September.

Also present at the opening was a studentbeneficiary of Unitemps, Mahjbeen Taki(centre), one of three students who havegained work experience in City’s Financedepartment.If you want to find out more or providetemporary employment opportunities tostudents, please visitwww.unitemps.co.uk or emailDamian.Mullins.1@city.ac.uk

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NEWS IN BRIEFTeenage Spirit RoseA pink rosedeveloped inmemory of thedaughter of KayJones, COO of theSchool of HealthSciences, has goneon sale to raise money for the TeenageCancer trust. It is available from Homebaseand direct from the charity at:http://tinyurl.com/spiritrose

The rose was developed by Kay and herhusband to raise funds for the charity,which provided support to Kay’s daughterJennifer during her illness.

Schools mergerThe previously conjoined schools of Artsand Social Sciences have merged into oneSchool. Its new name is the School of Arts& Social Sciences.

£5M funding for HeliexUniversity spin-out Heliex Power has raised£5M for investment in the development ofits electrical power generation technologyusing waste steam from industrial processes.Heliex uses patented technology developedwith our Centre for Positive DisplacementCompressor Technology.

Academic GP inductionDr Yannis Pappas, Programme Director ofthe MSc in Health Services Research, hasbeen invited to contribute to the LondonDeanery's induction programme foracademic GPs. City will join a select list ofleading universities that contribute to thesecourses.

City Research Online, the University’s open-access institutionalrepository of research papers, recently passed a major milestone.The online repository was launched in October 2011 (City News, Nov 2011)with the intention to have 500 papers from City academics live in its firstyear of operation. In early September the service made available its1,000th full-text, openly accessible paper.

Maíre Lanigan, University Librarian said: “We are pleased to reach thissignificant milestone within our first year of operation and aim to buildon this success to improve access to and the impact of, the University’sresearch output.”

For details of how to make your research papers openly accessible, pleaseemail the team at publications@city.ac.uk or see our web page:www.city.ac.uk/research/research-publications

British Aphasia ConferenceMore than 200 academics and speech and language therapistsgathered at City for the British Aphasia Society's (BAS) biennialTherapy Symposium. The conference was organised by theSchool of Health Sciences and chaired by Professor Jane Marshall.Delegates were drawn from across the UK and Europe.Symposium talks focused on the practical work undertaken by speechand language therapists to remediate the problems of aphasia, alanguage disorder following stroke. During the event leading aphasiologyacademics and therapists presented papers and engaged in lively debateon innovative therapeutic approaches.

The event also featured an update on City's Gesture Recognition inAphasia (GReAT) initiative.

With funding from the Research Councils UK Digital Economyprogramme, this project has developed an affordable, computer-basedtherapy tool that can be used at home to help people with severe aphasiato gesture.

www.city.ac.uk/staff

CRO ahead of schedule

Greek government advisorProfessor Dinos Arcoumanis,Deputy Vice-Chancellor(International & Development), hasbeen appointed Ambassador-at-Large of the Hellenic Republic withresponsibility for Energy Policy andNew Technologies.Professor Arcoumanis will continue inhis role at City while advising the Greek

Government on its emerging energy policy on a pro bono basis. Thispolicy aims to capitalise on Greece’s untapped natural resourcesthrough investment in energy exploration.

He said: "I am very pleased to have been appointed Ambassador-at-Large of the Hellenic Republic for Energy Policy and New Technologies,an area so important for Greece's recovery from the present financialcrisis and very much within my personal and professional sphere ofinterest.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Curran said: "This is a significanthonour for Dinos and for City University London. It is recognition of hisinternational academic standing and the contribution he has made tothe development of knowledge in energy and related technologies."

giCentre’s cutting-edgedata visualisationTransport for London (TfL) is collaborating with the giCentre,part of the City Collaborative Transport Hub, to analyse datafrom the London Cycle Hire scheme. Professor of Visual Analytics, Jo Wood and PhD candidate, RogerBeecham, will help TfL to answer important questions about thebehaviour of cyclists in London.

The giCentre research, featured in New Scientist, focuses on themillions of journeys made byhundreds of thousands ofLondon cyclists.

Deeper understanding of thisbehaviour could offer valuableguidance to other cities aroundthe world as they develop andexpand similar schemes.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Cass Professor Vince Mitchell has been awarded aFellowship of the UK’s most prestigious marketingorganisation, The Marketing Society.At a gala dinner, Professor Mitchell became one of thefew academics to be awarded the Fellowship, joiningpast recipients including Lord Saatchi, Lord Heseltine,Sir Martin Sorrell and Sir Terry Leahy.

Vince, Professor of Consumer Marketing in the Faculty ofManagement, said: “I am deeply honoured to be in suchdistinguished company. It reflects a lifetime ofcommitment to marketing, education and research and further cementsthe standing of Cass as the business school of the City of London.”

New spaces for LibraryFinancial Resources

Cass is shortlisted forbusiness awardCass has been shortlisted for The TimesHigher Education Business School of theYear Award, along with business schools atBrunel, Lancaster, Manchester, Plymouthand Exeter universities.

Professor’s journalachieves index statusA journal co-edited by Professor Chris Rowleyfrom Cass has been awarded prestigiousSocial Sciences Citation Index status. Theinclusion of Asia Pacific Business Review inthe index recognises the journal as a leadingacademic publication in the field of SocialSciences.

New Defra Minister is aCity alumnusDavid Heath, Liberal Democrat MP forSomerton and Frome and City alumnus(Optometry, 1979) was promoted to juniorMinister for Food and Farming in theDepartment for Environment, Food andRural Affairs (Defra), during the recentCabinet reshuffle.

Emeritus Professor winsVanadium Research AwardCity’s Emeritus Professor of EngineeringMaterials, Barrie Mintz, has received theprestigious Institute of Materials, Mineralsand Mining (IOM3) Vanadium Award for aresearch paper he co-authored entitledInfluence of V and Ti on Hot Ductility of NbContaining Steels of Peritectic C Contents.

Cass Professor receivesprestigious Fellowship

Apollo 15 Moon landingOne of City’s most interesting archival acquisitions was featuredin the Times Higher Education’s ‘Odds and quads’ page. The piece showcased a signed photograph of the Apollo 15 moon missionpresented by astronauts Alfred Worden, David Scott and James Irwin toCity’s then Chancellor Sir Peter Studd, in November 1971.

The Apollo 15 mission was the first to allow a manned spacecraft to spendan extended period of time – close to three days – on the surface of the

moon. Alfred Worden keptthe command module inorbit, while CommanderDavid Scott and LunarModule Pilot James Irwinused a lunar roving vehicle,spending 18 and a halfhours outside the vehiclecollecting 77kg ofscientifically valuablematerial.

Cass Business School and the Library Service have togethertransformed the Financial Resource Zone in the Cass LearningResource Centre into a dynamic new facility for students. It wasopened last month by Richard Gillingwater, Dean of CassBusiness School (below).The new-look Zone provides a professional and stimulating environmentfor students with world-class financial resources including ThomsonFinancial and Bloomberg. The Zone features the same state-of-the-artnews ticker as seen on the Reuters buildings in New York and London'sCanary Wharf.

Working with Cass and the Department of Economics, Library Serviceshas also opened a new Financial Resources Suite in the main UniversityLibrary, again equipped with Bloomberg terminals as well as DatastreamPCs. This facility is being provided in direct response to feedback fromstudents and is already proving popular with undergraduates.

These two redevelopments form part of a wider Library Services strategyto provide sector-leading spaces for students, supporting the University’sstrategy to deliver an excellent student experience.

Jacqui Gaul, Head of Library Services at Cass, said: “These new facilitiesare already a big hit with our current students and we hope they willinspire and motivate future and prospective students of City.”

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An important part of the University’s Vision for 2016 is to developand strengthen the quality of its education, research and enterprise.Under the Strategic Plan launched in March, the University is committedto developing profitable enterprise activities through consultancy,continuing professional development and protecting and commercialisingCity’s intellectual property (IP).

Leading the University’s efforts in IP commercialisation is the TechnologyTransfer team, a crucial component of City’s Enterprise activities.Technology Transfer (TT) supports academics by facilitating the commercialdevelopment and protection of the IP of their research.

Commercialising ideas and research can be a complicated process,particularly for an inexperienced academic unused to dealing withbusiness, or perhaps considering the commercial potential of theirresearch.

Dr Carol David Daniel, Head of Technology Transfer & Commercialisation(pictured below), said: “Our aim is to raise awareness of IP issues andcapitalise on commercial opportunities while enabling academics toconcentrate on their research.”

The TT team will discuss the commercial viability of an academic’sresearch in the first instance. As projects progress the team can help to

identify routes to market,find potentialcommercial partners orlicensees, help create aspin-out company andassist with fundraising.Academics also receiveadministrative supportduring negotiations withpotential partners whenagreeing terms anddrawing up agreements.

The team also supports academics through the complicated patentapplication process for their ideas and research. Filing an early patentapplication can cost thousands of pounds and the cost could deter anacademic unsure of their research’s commercial potential.

Dr Daniel said: “The successful commercialisation of the University’sresearch is one of the key themes of the Strategic Plan and the Enterpriseoffice is here to help City’s academics achieve this.

“Anyone thinking of patenting or commercialising their research shouldapproach the Enterprise Office at an early stage so that we can advise andsupport you every step of the way through the process, from initial ideathrough to commercial rollout.”

How revenue is sharedIf research is successfully commercialised, the University IP policydescribes how revenue is shared between the academic(s), the School/Department and the University. The majority of the first £100,000 ofcumulative revenues goes to the academic inventors, after which therevenue is divided three ways.

Companies already created as a result of City’s research includerenewable energy company Heliex Power, Virtual Tutor (e-learningsoftware for nurses) and Thomson Screening Solutions, a vision screenerfor school children.

For more information about how the Technology Transfer team can helpyou commercialise your ideas, email: techtransfer@city.ac.uk

Enterprise at CityTurning research intocommercial success

Enterprise Event: Monday 5th NovemberTo mark the handover to Professor John Fothergill, the new ProVice-Chancellor (Research & Enterprise), a special staff event opento all, is being held to promote the work of the Enterprise Officeand the Technology Transfer team.

The event, in the Drysdale Lecture Theatre, will be attended byProfessor Paul Curran, Vice-Chancellor; Professor DinosArcoumanis, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International &Development); Professor John Fothergill; Dr Sue O'Hare, Directorof the Enterprise Office; commercial partners and other colleaguesinvolved in City’s Research and Enterprise activities.

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Leading from the Front – Professor Andrew JonesCity News interviews our new Dean of theSchool of Arts & Social Sciences on his plansfor the School.What made you decide to join City University London?City is an extremely appealing prospect for an academic. I cannotremember a time when the higher education sector has been undersuch scrutiny and in this challenging environment City has set out anambitious and exciting Vision. In any sector facing considerablechallenges there are numerous opportunities and I feel City is wellplaced in that sense.

Personally, I would describe myself as an Interdisciplinary Social Scientistand I share interests with colleagues across the School from Sociologyto International Politics and Economics. Coming from a humangeography background, my interests in globalisation also overlap withcolleagues at Cass Business School.

What challenges do you expect from managing your School’sdiversity of disciplines?I believe the benefits of a merged School of Arts and Social Sciences faroutweigh any issues that arise. There will be challenges associated withmanaging such a large School but also opportunities from inter-departmental collaboration.

It is essential that universities harness their combined strengths ratherthan work in academic silos and as Dean I aim to foster a sense of Schoolidentity and a collegiate atmosphere. Departments can learn a greatdeal from each other and individual experiences can benefit the collective,helping in everything from improving the student experience todeveloping a research excellent culture.

What is your vision for Research and Enterprise?The definition of ‘research excellence’ has changed under the ResearchExcellence Framework (REF), leading to a very different experience fromthat of the 2008 Research Excellence Assessment.

Universities face a significant challenge to build new platforms underthe rules of research as signalled by the Government, by the HigherEducation Funding Council for England and by the wider competitivenational and international climate in which we work.

We need to build on City’s strengths, particularly in developing a morepublic-facing research culture that communicates better its researchimpacts.

Academics can be excellent at research but not necessarily good atsharing what they are doing internally, let alone with the wider world.This is increasingly important now that ‘impact’ is a significant part ofthe REF.

We have a very good Enterprise team at City and its input into the successof the University is vital. City is well placed to demonstrate research withmeaningful impact outside academia and I aim to encourage an outward,commercially-facing culture.

What is top of your 'to do' list?Having only been here for a short time, my first priority is to meet asmany people as I can. There is a lot to learn at a very exciting time forthe School, with a drive and purpose radiating from the Vice-Chancellorthroughout the University.

What are your research interests? Will you have time for researchas Dean?As previously mentioned, I am interdisciplinary with a human geographybackground but I have also been chair of the Economic GeographyResearch Group, which marries sociological concerns with the economyand organisation and management studies. I have also written books onglobalisation that overlap with politics.

Since my PhD I have worked on professional industries includinginvestment banking, management consultancy and legal services so amajor strand of my economy-oriented research is concerned withbusiness service firms’ internationalisation.

A particular focus at present is the internationalisation of these industriesinto emerging economies, especially Asia. With an urban dimension tomy research, I have contributed to debates around the nature of globalcity networks.

My research has other strands related to the sociology of work andglobalisation, including overseas youth volunteering projects followinga study I authored for the Department for Education and Skills in 2004.I found that contrary to the media’s cynical perception of overseas gapyears, they have considerable benefits for volunteers and communities

By Ben Sawtell

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alike when responsibly executed. This led me to examine the ways inwhich volunteering represents an aspect of global mobility and thedevelopment of a global society.

I feel it is vital for me to lead from the front as Dean and to continue myresearch. It will be difficult for me to encourage a research excellentculture if I am not engaged in a meaningful way myself. I currently havea research grant from the British Academy of Social Sciences, onestrand of which examines the contexts of strategies for UK investmentmanagement firms investing in the Chinese economy. I am also in theearly stages of a new book on voluntary work.

What are your interests outside academia?I am very lucky that I love what I do and outside work I am interested incurrent affairs and politics. The geographer in me loves to travel and Ihave been lucky enough to spend time in many different countriesaround the world (sometimes for research but also leisure travel). Sport-wise, I am a keen skier and have coached rowing, which I did to a fairlevel in the distant past.

I am also a very keen foodie. I enjoy the culinary benefits of internationaltravel and being a wine enthusiast, I am happy to sample the wineswherever I am in the world.

Professor Jones: A brief backgroundProfessor Jones joined City last month from Birkbeck College. Hewas Head of Geography, Environment and Development Studiesand Assistant Dean for Special Projects in Birkbeck’s School ofSocial Science, History and Philosophy.

He is author of five books and has been widely published in leadinghuman geography and social science journals. He speaks nationallyand internationally on issues of human geography.

Andrew has just finished a term as Chair of the Royal GeographicalSociety (with the Institute of British Geographers), is Book ReviewEditor for The Journal of Economic Geography and is a member ofthe Higher Education Funding Council for England REF 2014 Panelfor Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology. In 2011 hewas elected to the Academy of Social Sciences as an Academician.

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Highlights of recentresearch at CityUniversity London

Research at CityPower to the People?

A cornerstone aim of the coalitionGovernment is creating a ‘Big Society’that transfers power from centralGovernment back to the people. However, with decentralised power comesthe need for strong local mediaarrangements to hold newly-empoweredtown halls and citizens to account.

In an article published in the InternationalJournal of Media and Cultural Politics, DrNeil Thurman and co-authors ProfessorPaul Bradshaw and former City MScElectronic Publishing student Jean-

Cristophe Pascal, argue that the Government will not create successfullocal media networks with their TV-centric ‘Local Media Action Plan’,which shows little or no understanding of the qualities that makesuccessful hyperlocal media.

The authors examined Northcliffe Media’s ‘Local People’ hyperlocal projectwhich went live in June 2009. It aimed to create ‘bottom-up’ content fromthe people about their local community. The researchers looked at thereasons why Northcliffe did not see the expected volume of content.

It became clear that independent publishers, whose hyperlocal efforts areoften issue-focussed, dynamic, personal, informal and ‘low-tech’, hadmore success than many of the commercially driven efforts of the UK’smajor regional publishers.

However, rather than a ‘publishers versus independents’ approach thepaper suggests that the key to success is a mix of the skills that both partiesbring: “Traditional publishers have experience in newsgathering andproduction while independent publishers have helped establish effectivepractices of web writing, mobile journalism and distribution.”

The authors conclude by urging policy makers to make decisions on localnews initiatives ‘on the basis of research rather than assumption’. Withboth journalism and policy being constantly reinvented, there has to beconstant reassessment of what makes local news work.

Using ultrasound to treatheart arrhythmias Research led by City University London and Frederick University(Cyprus) has developed and evaluated a High Intensity FrequencyUltrasound (HIFU) transducer for the non-invasive treatment ofheart arrhythmias.The main purpose of the transducer is to create focused lesions, at aprecise depth, on the heart muscle which will result in the cessation ofcardiac arrhythmias. The planar rectangular high intensity ultrasoundtransducer used in the research produced lesions up to 15mm in depth,larger than those produced by current techniques such as radiofrequency. A theoretical model was initially used before the transducerwas evaluated in vitro and in vivo.

The research, led by Andreas Couppis under the supervision of ProfessorPanicos Kyriacou, Director of the Biomedical Engineering ResearchGroup and Professor Christis Damianou (Frederick University), has beenpublished in the journal Ultrasonics.

Professor Kyriacou said: “The transducer was designed to be compatiblewith MRI enabling the accurate guidance of the transducer at the correctplace prior to sonification.

“Also, the continuous MRI imaging of the lesion during the procedurewill optimise the treatment as the MRI image provides good contrast(better than diagnostic ultrasound or X-Rays) between thermal necrosisand cardiac tissue.”

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Research at City

www.city.ac.uk/staff

Sketchy rendering toimprove data engagement Research by Professors Jo Wood and Jason Dykes from thegiCentre in Informatics (with colleagues from Europeanuniversities) has presented a framework for constructing‘sketchy’ information visualisations - such as maps, diagramsand charts – in a way that mimics data graphics drawn by hand.The framework is designed to be easily integrated into existing computer-based visualisation platforms with minimal programming modificationor effort. The research demonstrates and evaluates examples of statisticalmaps and graphics conveyed in a sketchy style, to demonstrate spatialimprecision and to enhance the aesthetic and narrative qualities ofvisualisation.

The historical use of computing technologies for rapid and precisegraphical rendering of data means that viewers are accustomed to anobjective and authoritative style of visualisation. The researchers proposean alternative style that mimics hand-drawn graphics to imply humaninput into the design, which is intended to improve engagement whilemaintaining the advantages of using computers to process complex data.

Evaluations of the framework, published in IEEE Transactions onVisualization and Computer Graphics and to be presented at the world’smajor visualisation conference in October, show that ability to estimateareas or ratios in sketchy visualisations of data is impaired as sketchinessincreases. However, users show improved engagement and more positiveparticipation with the visualisations if annotation is present.

In their paper, Professors Wood and Dykes explain: “The results of ourwork have implications for effective information visualisation design that

go beyond thetraditional role ofsketching as a toolfor prototyping orits use for anindication ofgeneraluncertainty.”

Biotech patents andmorality after Brüstle Dr Enrico Bonadio, Lecturer at TheCity Law School, has published anarticle on the impact of the recentdecision of the Court of Justice ofthe European Union (CJEU) in Brüstlev Greenpeace, an important caseon the exclusion from patentabilityof inventions related to humanembryonic stem cells (HESCs).The ruling, explains Enrico, first offersthe opportunity to delve into an olddebate surrounding patent law, i.e.whether moral aspects should beeffectively dealt with by patent officersand judges. Enrico argues that patent offices and courts should act asmoral arbiters (as confirmed implicitly in Brüstle) and their task couldbe facilitated by coupling them with technical experts.

Enrico, in European Intellectual Property Review, stresses that a commonconcept of morality in the field of biotechnology and in particularHESCs does not exist, which makes it harder for the European PatentOffice to decide on ethical issues.

He notes that the Brüstle ruling may trigger a World Trade Organisationchallenge against the EU and some of its member states for failing tocomply with Article 27(2) of the TRIPS Agreement and that it might alsobe invoked in fields other than HESCs, e.g. for opposing the issuanceand challenging the validity of any patents obtained through immoralor unlawful activities such as the misappropriation of genetic resources.

Enrico explains that an intended consequence of this ruling could be a‘brain drain’ towards more biotech friendly countries such as theUnited States. Indeed, Enrico reminds that in a letter published beforethe ruling in scientific journal Nature, several scientists expressed‘profound concerns’ about the possibility of a lack of patent protectionin a highly research and development-intensive industry such as theHESCs field.

City Research OnlineHave you uploaded your researchoutputs to City’s researchrepository? City Research Online(City News, November 2011) willhelp you raise the visibility of yourresearch and help the University tocollate and monitor its research.

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

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England displayed many admirable qualities during Euro 2012;organisation, British grit and a 'Hart to beat' factor. The onlygame England lost was on penalties (as usual) but missing wasthe technical ability to match that of other nations. A failure to develop skillful young players was cited as one reason whyEngland have failed to win a tournament since 1966 but NextGen, anunder-19 European football tournament entering its second year, couldbe the answer.

NextGen is a ‘youth Champions League’. Teams from top Europeanleagues play group games then knock-out stages, offering youth playerstournament experience and a stronger football education than fromreserve matches or English youth leagues.

NextGen’s organisers created the tournament to ‘assist with the oftendaunting transition from promising youth player to first team performer’.In England, one good performance can raise unfair expectations ofyoung players but NextGen could help their development. Thetournament features some of the most exciting young talent from acrossEurope, testing their skills and developing a technical playing style at araw age. Development is not restricted to the pitch though; matches aresometimes played at a club's first-team ground and reduced ticketprices encourage large crowds and vibrant atmospheres.

Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling is a prime example of NextGen’sbenefits. The 17-year-old starred in last season’s tournament and is nowestablished in Liverpool’s first team. Frank McParland, LiverpoolDirector of Player Development, told the Liverpool Echo he believes thatNextGen helped Raheem’s progress: "NextGen has been brilliant inhelping to bridge that gap between youth and senior football."

Other high-profile members of the football community back NextGen.Arsene Wenger, renowned for trusting in young players at Arsenal, willwatch all of Arsenal’s NextGen games and Graham Hunter, Europeanbroadcaster and journalist, says: “NextGen is simply outstanding.Fresh, technically advanced, open, attacking football performed byemerging players who in my experience, put a high premium oncontrol, touch, vision, passing and skill.”

The tournament has grown from 16 teams last year to 24 this season.Eurosport will broadcast at least 18 games live to over 50 countries.

Julien Bergeaud, Eurosport Group Director of Broadcasting andProgrammes, says: "We have already seen the potential. For the firstgame [Tottenham v Barcelona] we had almost 700,000 viewers onaverage, peaking at over one million. That's above the average of thechannel for the period. We've seen lots of reaction on social media ….and it was very positive."

Of course, England's problems will not disappear overnight andNextGen could even harm English players' development if clubs simplysnap up more young talent from abroad sooner. However, if marketedcorrectly, NextGen could be a revelation for English youth development.

A City journalismstudent explains how ayouth ChampionsLeague could improvethe development ofEnglish footballers

Why England's future maydepend on the NextGen

By John Stammers

Meet yourcolleagues

Name and job title?Lucy Gabe, Senior Campaign Manager – Annual Fund

What do you do at City day to day?I look after the City Future Fund, an area of City’s fundraising which asksfor low-level donations from alumni and City staff, students and friends.

Money raised through donations to the City Future Fund goes directly tocurrent City students in need of financial support. Every £1 donated goesdirectly to students, which is better than most other charities.

There are three areas of City Future Fund with projects in each: StudentSupport (scholarships, hardship support, professional mentoring scheme);World Class Research (travel bursaries for postgraduate students); andCommunity Outreach (volunteering opportunities for City students).

Since June 2011 we have raised the highest level of fundraising income(for one year) since the City Future Fund’s launch in 2004. We have alsohad more alumni donating than ever before, showing a growing trendof choosing to give back to your University.

I raise money for the City Future Fund by managing campaigns throughmultiple channels. The biggest is the Telephone Campaign, where trainedcurrent City students call alumni to ask for donations and update themon the latest news at City. Last year, this raised just under £25,000 andthis year we are targeting £42,000 from two campaigns. We also contactalumni through mail, email, Facebook and Twitter (@cityfuturefund).

For alumni who donate generously, we send regular updates on howtheir support is making a difference to City students. We recently createdThank You cards using Instagram images taken around the Universityand will soon start sending them to donors.

We held our first Thank You Event last month and invited donors to Cityfor a tour and drinks reception, thanking them for their help. We hopeto make this an annual event which will become a highlight of theDevelopment and Alumni Relations Office calendar.

It is not just alumni we engage with. Current students help by purchasingGraduation gifts at our ceremonies. This year, through relationships withCampus Clothing, Eva London and the Certificate Framing Company, weprovided personalised goods (the City Future Fund receives commissionfor each sale). We had positive feedback from students who appreciatedthe range of quality City merchandise on offer.

City staff can also help through their pay (last year we launched Payroll

Giving, available to all staff). If you would like to donate please contactme at lucy.gabe.1@city.ac.uk We have also collaborated with Give AsYou Live on a scheme which raises money for City through your normalonline shopping at no cost to you (register at www.giveasyoulive.com,choose City as your cause and download it onto your computer).

What is your biggest challenge in your job?Encouraging staff to feel as passionately as I do about the City Future Fund.

How do you overcome it?I am slowly getting there! The City Future Fund will offer more fundingfor projects within the University this year, so you will see our logo onwebsites, posters, application forms and City’s social media. You willsoon hear from me with more details about Give as You Live and PayrollGiving; two fantastic schemes to help City students through your onlineshopping and pay.

If you didn’t do your job what would you be doing?Backpacking around the world – Cuba, Columbia and Canada are top ofmy list.

What do you do in your spare time and to relax?I try to fit exercise into my spare time; Zumba classes and Regents Parkbootcamps. Over the past few years I joined my brother in his SwanseaCity obsession and try to go to their games whenever I can.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?Barack Obama, Usain Bolt, Sheryl Sandberg, Prince Harry and Shakira.A civilised dinner party and then some serious partying afterwards –perfect.

Favourite place in London?Primrose Hill – I am a sucker for a view.

Favourite film?Twelve Monkeys if in the company of film buffs... Love Actually if I ambeing honest!

Favourite book?I loved The Help by Kathryn Stockett but was unimpressed by the film,so for anyone who has not read the book, please do that first!

Favourite song/music?I have just got back from Bestival and my highlights were Bellowhead,Stevie Wonder and Sigur Rós.

www.city.ac.uk/staff 11

Dates for your diaryAn Evening with Professor Paul Curran6.30pm to 8.30pm Wednesday 10th October, OliverThompson Lecture TheatreCity’s Vice-Chancellor is interviewed by Professor GeorgeBrock, in front of an audience of City University London staff.

Concert: Acousmatic (Alchemy and the transmutationof sonic)7pm Tuesday 16th October, Performance SpaceLunchtime concert: Ben Schoeman (piano)1.10pm Wednesday 17th October, Performance SpaceTroubles with tonal terminology and notations of formin popular music5.30pm to 7.30pm Wednesday 17th October, Room AG09College BuildingAs part of the School of Arts & Social Science research seminarseries, Professor Philip Tagg from the University of Hudders-field presents a seminar on terms used in music theory.

Sir John Cass’ Foundation Annual Lecture: Rt Hon DrVince Cable MPWednesday 17th October, Cass Business School

The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills andPresident of the Board of Trade presents this year’s prestigiousannual lecture. Please note: This event is fully booked.

The Dean's Lecture Series – School of Health Sciences5.30pm to 7pm Wednesday 17th October, Room ELG19Drysdale BuildingA public lecture by speaker Professor Chris Ham CBE, ChiefExecutive of The King's Fund and Professor of Health Policyand Management at the University of Birmingham.

Writing and Publishing a Nonfiction Book: two Citygraduates tell their story6.30pm Thursday 18th October, Oliver ThompsonLecture TheatreMivera Piano Trio7pm Tuesday 23rd October, Performance SpaceChamber music of Schubert and young Brahms’ Op. 8

Olive Tree Middle East Forum: Syria and the Role of AlQaeda6pm to 7.30pm Wednesday 24th October, Room A130College BuildingThe first of this year’s forums discusses Syria and the role offoreign fighters and Al Qaeda elements in the country’s conflict.

Plus-Minus Ensemble7pm Tuesday 30th October, Performance Space

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

Appraisal Workshop for those who appraise others(Professional Staff)Tuesday 9th OctoberAppraisee Workshop for those who do not appraiseothers (Professional staff)Tuesday 16th OctoberFinance and Purchasing trainingWednesday 24th October

Staff training and development

www.city.ac.uk/events

EU funding: Putting together successful proposalsThursday 25th OctoberFirst Aid qualification courseTuesday 27th – Thursday 29th November Writing for publicationsWednesday 28th NovemberRecruitment and selection: Introduction forProfessional StaffWednesday 28th NovemberSafeguarding children and vulnerable adultsThursday 29th November

An Anglo-Belgium group committed to presenting new workalongside landmark modern repertoire.

The Henry Thornton Lecture: Professor Marco Pagano,University of Naples Federico II6pm to 8.30pm Wednesday 31st October, Cass BusinessSchoolInaugurated in 1979, this lecture series focuses on monetarytheory and policy and the wider financial arena.

Undergraduate Open Day10am to 3pm Saturday 3rd NovemberProviding prospective students with the opportunity to visitand find out more about City and its courses.

Autumn Researchers’ Development DayWednesday 7th November Starting the 2012-13 LDC Research Development Programme,all staff and PhD students are invited to attend this one-dayconference exploring a range of issues related to Planning forSuccessful Research.

Annual £50,000 Research CompetitionCity hosts its sixth Annual Research Competition in January,with a £50,000 Research Excellence Award as a first prize,awarded by a panel of judges.

Academic staff – either as individuals or in teams – canenter their proposal for new research, or a proposal fortaking existing research in a new direction. Each proposalmust outline a research question and its intellectualjustification and how the money will be spent.

The deadline for applications is Monday 12th November;the Award will be presented on Wednesday 16th January.

Guidelines and judging criteria are on our website(http:// tinyurl.com/researchproposals) and you canwatch a video of previous Award winners explaining whyyou should take part (http://tinyurl.com/researchvideo).

Practical manual handlingTuesday 4th DecemberRetirement planning WorkshopFriday 7th December