News and v iews for the people of Glasgow Caledonian Univers i tyNews and v iews for the people of Glasgow Caledonian Univers i ty

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Millar timeComic-book writer Mark Millar returns to GCU Page 10

Innovative thinkingCaledonian Creates gets inventive Page 12

Tin Man by GCU student Heather Main

95% of GCU graduates go on to employment or further study1

GCU boosts Scotland’s economy by £444million2

10,000 jobs are supported by GCU2

£30million Glasgow campus transformation under way

1st Scottish university to open in London

1st UK university to launch in New York

17,000 students in Glasgow from more than 100 countries

More than 120,000 graduates in 123 countries

Source 1. DLHE Survey 2013 2. BiGGAR Economics 2012

04 Bringing research to life Research Day showcases GCU’s expertise

07 Ready for action Meet new Students’ Association President Michael Stephenson

08 South Africa trip is visionary GCU students will make history when they take healthcare to those most in need via the Phelophepa trains

10 Stand-up comic Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar talks about his career in graphic novels and film

12 Bright ideas Caledonian Creates demonstrates the innovation of GCU’s students and staff

14 News Briefing GCU plays a hand in helping STV launch a new channel and Climate Justice tops the agenda

17 Give the kids a hand GCU student nurses and schoolchildren take part in the world’s largest hand-hygiene class

20 Anything is possible Honorary Professor Caroline Rush talks about the limitless opportunities in the fashion industry

22 Globalwatch GCU is helping to transform lives around the world

24 Checking in at New York Inspiring masterclasses and a visit from Scotland’s First Minister

26 Making a world of difference GCU’s Magnusson Awards embody the University’s mission of taking the Common Good around the globe

28 Sport taught me vital business skills Olympic gold rowing champion Dr Katherine Grainger talks about her epic journey

30 Hold the front page GCU’s Print Design Services are on the move. We look at the vital role it plays

31 Your opinion counts Why the staff survey is a vital tool

32 Global mindset The impact of Collaborative Online International Learning

34 Back story James Bowness is running on success

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The impact of innovation is a strong theme in this issue. From the ground-breaking research carried out at GCU to the creative minds of the University’s students and staff, it’s all here.

Our main feature focuses on GCU’s research, which was showcased at the University’s annual Research Day in June. More than 200 guests visited the exhibits, stalls and interactive sessions that were spread across the campus and were introduced to, among many others, fitness MOTs for older people, electricity-generating windows and the impact of police training in Scotland.

The creative thinking doesn’t end there, however. The week-long Caledonian Creates event celebrated the work of students and academics from the University’s creative programmes. A concrete sound system, sunglasses made from hemp and a Tin Man ‘Singing in the Rain’ are just some of the innovations you can read about in these pages.

Elsewhere in this issue, Kick-Ass comic-book writer and GCU Honorary Graduate Mark Millar talks to The Caledonian about the importance of following through your ambitions no matter how big or unachievable they may seem. In fact, this is a common theme among the GCU Honorary Graduates interviewed this issue, with both fashion leader Professor Caroline Rush and Olympic gold medal-winner Katherine Grainger offering similar advice.

We also look at the difference our Magnusson Award winners will be making around the world this summer and we check in with our New York campus, which has enjoyed a busy spell since its official opening back in April.

We hope you enjoy these and the other features we have compiled for this issue and, of course, we always welcome your feedback and suggestions for future editorial content.

THE CALEDONIANEDITORIAL TEAMthecaledonian@gcu.ac.uk

Welcome to the summer issue of The Caledonian Contents

Published by: Communications and Public Affairs, Glasgow Caledonian University. Designed and printed by: Print Design Services, Glasgow Caledonian University. Photography by: Peter Devlin, Guy Hinks, Getty, Derek Prescott. © Glasgow

Caledonian University 2014. Glasgow Caledonian University Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow G4 0BA Scotland, United Kingdom +44 (0)141 331 3000 www.gcu.ac.uk

COVER PICTURE: Heather Main.

News and v iews for the people of Glasgow Caledonian Univers i tyNews and v iews for the people of Glasgow Caledonian Univers i ty

SUM

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Millar timeComic-book writer Mark Millar returns to GCU Page 10

Innovative thinkingCaledonian Creates gets inventive Page 12

Tin Man by Heather Mains

18 Fashionable accessories

Household items make up some of the garments at this year’s Fashion Show

MAIN FEATURE

Peter John Meiklem checks in on Research Day

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Bringing research to life GCU’s second annual research

celebration saw more than 200 guests visiting exhibits, stalls and interactive sessions spread across campus.

Featuring in the Glasgow Science Festival programme, and held only a few days before the launch of Universities UK week, the event encompassed the full sweep of GCU’s research, profiling the research and promoting public engagement in three main areas: inclusive societies, healthy lives and sustainable environments.

In his opening remarks, Professor Mike Mannion, Vice Principal and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), challenged visitors, staff and students to go out and learn something new. That wasn’t difficult, given the huge array of work on show.

The Caledonian caught up with a few colleagues, to give a brief insight into the huge array of applied research currently ongoing at GCU…

Fitness MOTs for older peopleIf you thought that fitness classes had to be about Lycra, rippling muscles and toned waistlines then think again. GCU has long specialised in research which seeks to create the right conditions for healthy ageing, and Research Day 2014 incorporated a keep-fit session with a difference.

A group of smiling older people joined staff and guests for a functional fitness masterclass led, not by a Jane Fonda or a Davina McColl, but by Professor Dawn Skelton, the expert in ageing and health who has spent much of her career working with partners inside and outside the University to help older people regain the health and fitness they might once have feared had gone for good.

Dawn and her team have developed the Functional Fitness MOT — a fun, community-focused way to test the key constituents of fitness for older people:

aerobic fitness, co-ordination, strength, balance, flexibility and endurance — and a set of exercises to improve them. No fancy gym kit required — only a chair and the right attitude.

Dawn said the MOTs — which were this summer named one of Universities UK’s top 20 ideas to change the world — were first created for Glasgow Science Festival: “I was looking for something which would highlight the physical activity guidelines, something that older people who’d brought

Professor Dawn Skelton.

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Bob Laventure, Physical Activity and Older People Consultant at the NCPAH, says almost 400 professionals have now been trained with sessions held all over the UK — from Dingwall in the Highlands to the heart of Gloucestershire.

“Older people love doing this and they find it really interesting because it engages them in their own health and fitness.”

Albert McBain, who undertook an MOT in Renfrewshire, agrees: “It was absolutely excellent and I wanted to follow it up to see if I improved.”

Electricity-generating windowsDr Roberto Ramirez-Iniguez is excited about the white, PVC-framed object in his hands. Fresh from the manufacturer for Research Day, the small doubled-glazed window is the first prototype which uses his patented solar concentrators and shows, not only that the devices can be used in buildings

their grandchildren along to the festival could do.

“The whole point is you do the test, you put older people on a graph showing how they compare with other people of their age and then you can discuss with them how well they’re doing. It’s a great starting point to get people talking and thinking about behaviour change.

“We ran the first session in Govan shopping centre — it was great fun; we were literally standing there in the concourse of the shopping centre, grabbing people as they came past.”

A year ago Dawn’s team, working with partners at the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health (NCPAH) at Loughborough University, started to roll out the MOT idea, training those who work with older people, such as exercise teachers and physiotherapists, how to best use the MOT.

to generate electricity as well as heat and light, but that they can be manufactured at a cost which makes his device commercially viable.

“What we wanted to do is what we have here,” he says, holding the prototype to up to the sky. “We wanted to create an array of concentrators and photovoltaic cells (which turn light into electricity) that can be used for a window. It is semi-transparent so the people inside the building can see what’s outside. It’s light, the cost has been reduced so, yes, we have achieved what we set out to do.”

Roberto and his team, Dr Firdaus Muhammad-Sukki, Professor Scott McMeekin and Professor Brian Stewart, first patented his version of the solar concentrator in 2009. The project was inspired by a challenge to design a device for turning light into electricity which would follow the movement of the sun. >>>

Dr Roberto Ramirez-Iniguez with his patented solar concentrator

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Roberto’s square-ended prisms catch the light at a range of different angles, channelling its power to postage-sized photovoltaic or solar cells, which in turn generate more than four times more electricity than the cells alone could produce. A grid of nine concentrators and nine cells fitted inside the double-glazed window clearly illustrates how the device could quickly and easily be put into practical use.

Years of experimental work, including computer modelling, led to the creation of an efficient prototype last year. There was only one problem — it cost more than £600 to make.

“One of the biggest breakthroughs has been discovering a method where we can manufacture each concentrator for around £1 each. That has made a huge difference to the commercial viability of the project.”

The number of concentrated PV cells that would be needed to, say, generate enough electricity to power the average home depends on the PV technology used. More tests will be carried out on the

prototype to verify its performance with different PV cell types — but the grand plan is for the devices to be used extensively in buildings to reduce energy consumption with the obvious environmental benefits. As those tests are carried out, Roberto and his team will begin to court business partners who may be interested in investing in the technology.

A Mexican by birth, he is not unaware of the irony of developing such a device in Glasgow, a city not particularly noted for its sunshine.

“People are sceptical when we tell them we’re working in Scotland where there isn’t that much sunlight, but the way I see it is we are providing solutions on the world stage.”

Testing the impact of police training in ScotlandMost people you meet will have a police story. That time they were asked to step into the back of the car for driving down a bus lane; or handed in a missing wallet at the local station; or had the misfortune to have some piece of property stolen.

Some of these experiences are good; some less so. And research has long suggested that many factors, including the group you come from, be it middle-class office workers or unemployed teenagers, may have an effect on people’s experiences of engaging with the police.

It is a fact acknowledged by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Institute for Policing Research who commissioned a research team from GCU to see if additional evidence-based training sessions could have a positive effect on the way the police interact with the public.

A multi-disciplinary team, led by criminologist Dr Annette Robertson, and including sociologist Professor Lesley

McMillan and statistician Professor Jon Godwin, investigated whether additional training sessions based on concepts of procedural justice which originated in the US would have an effect.

Annette explains: “Procedural justice developed in the 80s and it’s the idea that if agents of the criminal justice system, including the police, behave in ways which are deemed to be procedurally-just by members of the public — so if they treat people with respect, if they’re fair, non-discriminatory etc — then people are more

likely to comply with the justice system. It’s a powerful idea in providing a police service that’s fair and equitable and so encouraging public cooperation.”

The team worked with police recruits at the Police Scotland training college at Tulliallan in Stirlingshire between December last year and March of this year. One group received the intervention and one did not.

“The trainees had been told they had to manage their emotions,” Lesley says. “They had to control themselves; they had not to be aggressive; they had to listen but they needed some support in how they might accomplish this.

“We did work around young people; around people who may have been involved in more sensitive crimes such as rape and sexual assault; we worked on active-listening, communication skills, developing empathy — so the recruits learned how to better accomplish these things.”

The final data from the study, identifying what difference the intervention made, is still being analysed, but early indicators suggest that the intervention may have improved the recruits’ training in at least one crucial area — capacity for communication.

“On the whole, many police officers are quite good, but you can always improve on something,” says Lesley.

“Different groups have different experiences with the police. And it looks from the earliest indications that the trial has improved the officers’ ability to communicate which is a key thing in achieving all our aims.”

GCUs health MOTs for older people have been named one of Universities UK’s top 20 ideas to change the world.

“We can manufacture each concentrator for around £1 each

Dr Annette Robertson. Professor Lesley McMillan.

STUDENT PRESIDENT

Michael Stephenson’s journey to become GCU’s new Students’

Association President hasn’t been the most orthodox. The 31-year-old — who took office in mid-June — left school midway through sixth form and took on a number of jobs including a ski instructor, a retailer and a stuntman.

“I used to be a gymnast and I ended up in a show as the red Power Ranger,” he smiles. “I couldn’t really call myself a stuntman — I just fell over a lot with a bit of style!”

After rediscovering his passion for education, Michael began studying podiatry at GCU in 2010. He quickly became involved with the Students’ Association and served on the Societies’ Council and as a Student Trustee, as well as setting up the Podiatry Society. His immersion in the University and student politics drove him to run for Student President in March.

“Part of the experience at university is about getting involved in things you

wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise,” he explains. “I’ve done things and had opportunities that I just couldn’t have imagined before. Through my involvement in the Students’ Association, I began to see how things worked and I wanted to give something back.”

After winning more than 50 per cent of the votes cast, Michael is keen to consolidate the hard work of his predecessor Matthew Lamb and is excited about meeting the challenges facing the Students’ Association over the next 12 months.

“I want us to work on representation,” he says. “We have to look at the whole student body and make sure all the voices are heard. For instance, we’ve never had a postgraduate full-time officer and I want to get all students involved. I think we also need to make sure that people know what’s going on at the University.

“We’re rebranding the Students’ Association, we’ve got big plans for Freshers’ Week and we’re launching a new website in

August. All this will make sure we’re more visible around campus and let our students know the good work we do.

“We’re going to have a bigger presence on campus,” he adds. “Last year, we had full-time officers going into lectures providing information about the Students’ Association — it was a huge success, and I want us to expand on that. We want to make sure there’s a buzz about the place with bits and pieces going on everywhere and make it as exciting as possible with students at the heart of everything.”

Even at this early stage, it sounds as though Michael will require more than 12 months to achieve his goals.

“I think two terms could be a possibility,” he asserts. “It gives you consistency and it also allows you to develop a deeper understanding between students and the University. It’ll be a long 12 months and it’ll be hard work. But I love hard work and it will be a privilege to represent students at GCU.”

Stuntman to frontmanThe new GCU Students’ Association President Michael Stephenson talks to Craig G Telfer about his action-packed plans for the academic year ahead

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TRAIN OF HOPE

This summer marks the opening of a new chapter in the University’s long

association with South Africa, when 32 ophthalmic students board the Phelophepa ‘trains of hope’ as they cut across the vast countryside delivering healthcare to isolated communities.

As South Africa celebrates its 20th year of democracy, GCU students are making history as the first UK student volunteers to be invited on board the trains. The students’ incredible journey, geographically and academically, will herald the beginning of a five-year agreement between the Transnet Foundation and GCU that will develop further over the coming years to embrace additional disciplines across the School of

Health and Life Sciences, such as psychology and nursing.

The students will travel to South Africa in groups of four to six between July and September to join a team of full-time professionals in the train’s eye clinic. During each two-week placement, they will carry out eye examinations and give advice to adults and children from the country’s neediest communities.

Gemma Hill, a third-year BSc Optometry student, will be one of the first GCU students to board the train. Her dedication has already been recognised by the Association of Optometrists, which selected Gemma as its Student of the Year for her commitment to Optometry Giving

Sight, a global fundraising initiative.“I’m looking forward to increasing my

optometry skills and putting everything I’ve learned over the past three years into practice on board the Phelophepa Train,” says Gemma. “Every week, the train moves location and, as it pulls into a station, hundreds of people are waiting to be seen.

“They are queuing for healthcare we take for granted in Scotland. For example, a simple solution like a pair of glasses can change their lives; it can allow them to read the blackboard clearly at school for the first time or allow them to find work to support their family.

“The Phelophepa train is an amazing initiative and I’m proud to be a part of it.

Heading out on a visionary journey

GCU students will make history when they board the Phelophepa trains, taking healthcare to those most in need across South Africa. Roisin Eadie reports

I have received fantastic support from the tutors and lecturers at GCU, who encouraged me to develop a passion for optometry.”

GCU’s relationship with South Africa dates back to 1990, when the University awarded an Honorary Degree to the late Nelson Mandela. In typical Mandela style, the story goes, he immediately demanded of the University: “But what are you going to do for South Africa?”

Since that day, GCU has continued to make good on its pledge to support Mandela’s vision for South Africa, and a number of initiatives and collaborations were put in place that remain to this day.

One of the most successful has been the long-standing relationship with South Africa’s largest freight rail company, Transnet. Through its successful Business Academy initiative, the University will deliver a BSc Railway Operations Management programme for 1000 Transnet staff over the next five years. The programme was designed by GCU’s Scottish Centre for Work Based Learning in partnership with the Institution of Railway Operators and was rolled out in South Africa in partnership with the University of Johannesburg.

That relationship has now flourished through the development of GCU’s unique partnership with the rail company’s corporate social investment arm,

The Transnet Foundation, which operates the Phelophepa Trains along existing rail networks to reach South Africa’s most remote communities.

Director of Business Academies at GCU Fiona Stewart-Knight says: “I have long held the ambition to link GCU’s excellence in healthcare and social mission with the

inspirational Transnet-Phelophepa project. This five-year strategic partnership is an unparalleled opportunity for GCU students and staff to bear witness to the challenges of primary healthcare delivery in South Africa and to be part of an alternative and inspirational solution.”

The first custom-built health train, fondly referred to as ‘the miracle train’ by many South Africans, began riding the rails in 1994, the year that Mandela took office. It travels for 35 weeks a year, visiting a different rural community every week. From its humble beginnings as a three-carriage eye clinic, each train now has 18 fully refurbished and equipped coaches that

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Fiona Stewart-Knight (second left, back row),

Professor Niall Strang (below) and the GCU

students heading to South Africa.

provide facilities for health, oral and vision screening programmes, health education awareness and community counselling workshops.

The success of Phelophepa, together with increased demand for its healthcare services by thousands of people who live in the most poverty-stricken parts of South Africa, set in motion plans for another train. That dream became a reality when Phelophepa II began operation in March 2012. With both operating simultaneously, nearly 100,000 people for whom there was little or no healthcare provision can now access its healthcare services.

“The School of Health and Life Sciences is delighted to be involved in the Phelophepa initiative,” says Helen Brown, Associate Dean International of the School of Health and Life Sciences. “This volunteering project will give our students a unique international opportunity and invaluable experience of working with communities as they work with up to 100 patients every day, supported by local translators and clinical staff.

“Our support for Phelophepa further embeds GCU’s social mission ‘For the Common Good’ and demonstrates our commitment to develop students to be global citizens.”

“The Phelophepa train is an amazing initiative and I’m proud to be a part of it

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Kick-Ass creator and GCU Honorary Graduate Mark Millar talks to Chris Fitzgerald about his career in graphic novels and film, inspiration and radioactive laboratories

Stand-up comics

Mark Millar gets himself comfortable and says, somewhat reflectively:

“It was one of my proudest moments.”Given he’s responsible for some of the

most successful characters and storylines in recent comic-book and movie history, and received an MBE last year, the fact he is describing the award of an Honorary Doctorate from GCU carries some serious weight.

He isn’t paying lip service, either. Awarded his doctorate for services to film and literature in 2012, Mark goes on to explain that he already felt an affinity with the University thanks to a brace of links prior to his graduation.

For one, he says with a wry smile, his first ‘legal’ alcoholic drink was consumed on campus. Before then, however, he enjoyed another experience at GCU that really played on his imagination.

“My brother undertook his PhD at GCU back when I was about 10,” he says. “I used to come in to the labs with him while he was doing microbiology, and I sat reading comics. The labs were awesome. I wanted to be bitten by something radioactive and get superpowers.

“So, it was a proud day when I was presented with my doctorate. A couple of my brothers are doctors, and I used to have zero letters after my name.” He then adds with a chuckle: “You could say my Honorary Doctorate legitimised me.”

Returning to GCU two years after receiving his scroll, Mark says he is delighted to be giving something back to both the University and its students via his masterclass, An Evening With Mark Millar.

Those in attendance were in for a treat, too. Mark has worked for both the industry’s US heavyweights DC Comics and Marvel during his career, and is lauded for reinvigorating many of the latter’s titles. However, it’s for his own comic-book creations that he is best known.

Frustrated at enhancing the profile of others, he began creating characters and titles for his Millarworld company in 2004. Two of those, Kick-Ass and Wanted, have since translated into very successful films. The Secret Service is to follow next year.

Yet his global popularity and success is even more amazing given his comparatively humble beginnings. Born in

Coatbridge in 1969, he is immensely proud of his roots. In fact, he says he owes much of his inspiration and success to his formative years.

But it almost didn’t come to pass. Introduced to comic books by one of his brothers (a British reprint of The Amazing Spider-Man Issue 122, he recalls), Mark was determined he wanted to draw his own when he was a “grown-up”. With ambitions of attending art school, his parents branded such aspirations a “waste of time” and, instead, a

teenage Mark found himself studying politics and economics at Glasgow University.

It didn’t last. He dropped out after the death of his father meant he could no longer afford the costs. “My heart wasn’t in it anyway,” he concedes. “I sat in lectures drawing the Green Lantern.”

Besides, a previous chance meeting with another legendary Scottish comic-book writer had already set Mark on his true path.

“I met Grant Morrison through a fanzine I was writing for when I was in sixth year at school,” Mark says. “I told him I wanted to write and draw comics. Grant told me I had no chance of doing both and to focus on just one. It’s the best advice I’ve ever been given. I had a really bad art portfolio. I couldn’t afford to buy paper, so all my drawings of Spider-Man were on maths paper. That is what I was submitting to publishers. It was so unprofessional. I chose writing because I couldn’t afford the art materials but did have free access to a typewriter. True story.”

Mark’s road to success began at British comic 2000AD aged 20, like fellow writing greats Alan Moore, John Wagner and

Morrison before him. It wasn’t long until his writing had caught the attention of DC Comics and he was heading across the Atlantic to work at the home of Batman. However, what Mark describes as a “corporate way of working” left him feeling stifled.

This led him to DC rivals Marvel, where he was an immediate success. He revamped The Avengers and penned one of the most successful comic series of all time, Marvel Civil War.

“I trod the established path of British comic writers,” he says. “You start at 2000AD and go to the Americans. I knew what I was getting into with the corporations. I knew it was finite. You get paid to write the comic and that’s it. No ownership and no movie rights. What you can do, though, is raise your own profile with your stories and that’s what I did. Then you know you have a good chance of taking readers with you when you start your own company, which, thankfully, happened for me.

“The guys at Marvel and DC do pay well for what you write, but ownership is something you will never have. That gives you, as a writer or artist, a shelf-life, just like an actor in EastEnders. That’s why I wanted to start up on my own.”

Beyond Wanted, Kick-Ass and The Secret Service, Millarworld has also produced a number of other projects, all of which are in various stages of film production. However, unlike other major comic-book publishers, Mark ensures that whenever he sells the film adaptation rights to anything he has penned, the artist who illustrated the work receives half of the money on offer.

“You are 100 per cent dependent on the artist,” Mark says. “It’s like an actor delivering a script. If the actor is bad, the script is lost. I’m always lucky enough to work with the best artists in the world, so it probably makes my script look better than it is.

“I contact the artists ahead of time now that I have my own company, and schedule my work with them. We do something together and there tends to be a film from it, too. With the profit-share agreement, the artists can make more money in six to 12 months with Millarworld than they can in 20 years at Marvel or DC.”

Despite this success, Mark’s career hasn’t been without controversy, with Kick-Ass itself, in both comic and

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IN FOCUS: MARK MILLAR

movie form, being criticised by some quarters for being overly violent.

“I’ve never really felt comics needed to be any safer or more dumbed-down than a book or a film,” he says. “It’s just a means of telling a story and is actually the means I enjoy most, as it tends to be more autonomous than film, being made by just two people instead of 300.

“When I was a kid, comics were aimed at eight to 12-year-old boys, but now the range is anything from toddlers to pensioners — across a wide array of books.”

Fittingly then, Mark has come up with the perfect counterpoint to his more violent creations with the publication of his first children’s picture book, Kindergarten Heroes.

“I like Paddington Bear as much as I like Quentin Tarantino,” he says. “I’m as happy writing for tots as I am writing for 15-year-old boys. As a father of three girls, I guess I just wanted to write something they could read and, as a writer, it’s nice to stretch different muscles.”

Now Mark is hopeful that many other young Scots will follow in his footsteps in pursuing what they really want to do, regardless of how far-fetched it seems.

“Growing up, it must have sounded crazy when I told my career advisor in school that I wanted to write Batman,” he says. “Living 5000 miles away from where the action was happening, on paper, made it all seem almost impossible, but if you want something badly enough you can make it happen.”

“I like Paddington Bear as much as I like Quentin Tarantino

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CALEDONIAN CREATES

Take a 1950s Hollywood musical, throw in a dash of kitsch robot design and

add a dollop of Wizard of Oz. Then mix it all up with the most advanced 3D technology and let it dance.

Imaginative thinking like that has helped to make Caledonian Creates one of the most widely-anticipated events on the GCU calendar. The week-long showcase, which takes place each May, celebrates the work of students and academics from the

University’s creative programmes across the disciplines of construction, product design, technology, gaming, 3D animation, multimedia, interior design and fashion.

Bruce Wood, Professor of Design Innovation and Director for the Centre of Creative Industries, said: “Caledonian Creates is our opportunity to demonstrate the ways in which we are inspirational in addressing design, multimedia, technology,

marketing, communication, fashion and interior architecture needs.

“GCU has the biggest concentration of creative sector programmes in Scotland and as we celebrate 10 years of Caledonian Creates in the Saltire Centre, it has earned a reputation as a must-attend exhibiton for educationalists as well as key figures from business, industry and the third sector.”

For June 2014 3D Computer Animation

Innovative thinking leads to bright ideasCaledonian Creates brings together the imaginative conjurings of GCU’s students and academics. Rosin Eadie reports

International Product Design graduate Cameron James mixed retro style with modern design. He chose plywood and vacuum-formed it to an unusual shape, finishing it off with vintage style bulb and bright orange cable.

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graduate Heather Main, Caledonian Creates provided a platform to share her dancing tin man animation with industry experts, academics and her peers.

She said: “The brief was to design a character and animate it to a piece of music using three of the 12 animation principles. The whole process involved designing, modelling, texturing, rigging and animating your own character. This was the first time I had ever created more than a head model and learned about rigging and weighting.

“I chose the Singing in the Rain dance sequence by Gene Kelly and the character design was inspired by classic 1950s robot toys, the Iron Giant, iRobot and the Tin Man. The full animation was a little adventurous but proved to be a fun challenge.”

Other concepts unveiled at Caledonian Creates 2014 included a duck-shaped toy that encourages sensory development in children, fashions of the future and an app

designed to inspire feelings of wellbeing.Cutting edge domestic furniture,

lighting and decor solutions by International Product Design students were also on display, including work by June 2014 graduate Greg McFarlane, the creator of Concrete Sound speaker dock.

He said: “I focused on using unique materials. Concrete was used as a substitute for plastic, wood and metal commonly used in speaker products. The concrete utilised its natural attributes to create great sound. The main aim of the design was to manufacture an interesting object which would function like any other speaker dock.”

Fellow International Product Design student and aspiring entrepreneur Sam Whitten, also a June 2014 graduate, showcased his hemp sunglasses. He has ambitions to launch them to the UK market in the near future as his first business venture.

Sam said: “Hemp is an incredible eco-friendly material. At the moment, each pair is made by hand but I hope to get them mass produced. I am in touch with various companies to test compression moulding machines.

“I believe they are the first hemp sunglasses to be offered to the UK market. They have polarised lenses and I am now working on different styles. The next step is to find funding for the machines and approach outlets to sell them.”

Sam’s determination to take his product to the market comes as no surprise to Professor Wood. As well as showcasing innovation, he believes that Caledonian Creates provides an entrepreneurial springboard for students.

“At GCU we are passionate about helping our students not only develop their products and concepts, but inspiring them with the entrepreneurial skills, networks and confidence necessary to take their ideas to the next level,” he said.

Heather Main and her Singing in the Rain Tin Man, as featured on the front cover of this issue.

GCU graduate Greg McFarlane with his Concrete Sound speaker dock.

Sam Whitten’s hemp sunglasses.

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DUBAI OPPORTUNITIES EBE Construction and environment students explored career opportunities in the Middle East during a study trip in May, sponsored by the KAR Construction Scholarship Fund. They visited construction sites including Yas Mall and the expansion of Emirates’ catering facilities at Dubai airport, as well as Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Burj Al Arab and the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and joined GCU alumna Amanda Forte for a guided tour of Abu Dhabi. The KAR Scholarship is supported by GCU Honorary Graduate Khalid Abdul Rahim, CEO of multi-million dollar construction company Cebarco Bahrain, and provides funding for international study tours, scholarships and prizes for construction students in the School of Engineering and Built Environment.

SOCIAL WORK SUMMIT GSBS GCU hosted the fourth and final conference in the Moral Panics seminar series on Friday, May 16. Sponsored by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the prestigious seminar brought together academics, policy makers and practitioners to further debate and discuss the role of social work in moral panics. Moral panic occurs when the media sensationalises a condition, event, person or group of people and portrays it as a threat to society, inducing a state of outrage or panic. The Chair of Social Work at GCU, Professor Stephen Webb, one of the world’s foremost academics in social work, introduced the seminar, which was attended by international experts.

TREND SETTING GSBS Fashion Branding students teamed up with Buchanan Galleries as part of an exciting project to inject unique style into Glasgow’s shopping district. Students were tasked with transforming the main Buchanan Street windows and display pods within the centre with eye-catching spring/summer visual designs. The revamped window displays showcased the creative talents of the winning students to high- street shoppers and tourists visiting the city’s famous Style Mile.

TOP US WRITER VISITSGSBS American writer and producer Toni Graphia, whose TV hits include Battlestar Galactica; Grey’s Anatomy; Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman; and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, visited students on the flagship MA TV

NEWS BRIEFING

CLIMATE JUSTICE TOPS AGENDA

Research GCU’s Centre for Climate Justice held the first in a series of stakeholder events to focus on gathering the best evidence to inform the Climate Justice agenda. Scottish Government Minister for External Affairs and International Development Humza Yousaf MSP is pictured above with Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies CBE and Professor Tahseen Jafry, head of the Centre for Climate Justice, prior to the event.

They were joined by delegates including Dr Tara Shine, Head of Research and Development at the Mary Robinson Foundation; and Katharine Knox, Policy and Research Programme Manager at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, among other International Development specialists.

Just days later, it was announced that the

Focusing on climate justiceFrom helping STV launch a new channel to getting a BigTick, GCU has continued to have impact near and far, no more so than with the Centre for Climate Justice

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Centre for Climate Justice is to play a key role in a campaign encouraging communities in Malawi to replace dangerous and costly kerosene lamps, batteries and candles with environmentally friendly solar lighting that helps families to tackle poverty.

Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group, which includes GCU, Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) and charity SolarAid, which runs a social enterprise in Malawi, has received £200,000 of Scottish Government funding to act as project partners and help deliver the “Scotland Lights up Malawi” awareness and fundraising campaign. It will last for 20 months and 20 days and will seek to raise a further £2020k from Scotland’s public sector, private businesses and individuals, as well as increasing awareness of the issue of climate justice.

Fiction Writing programme. Graphia took time out from her busy filming schedule to pass on her expertise. She is in Scotland to film Outlanders, a major US science fiction series for cable network Starz and Sony Pictures Television, which is being shot in Cumbernauld.

LEAGUE TABLE SUCCESSResearch GCU rose eight places in the Complete University Guide, which was published in May. The University is ranked 72 out of 123 UK universities, and is in the top 20 modern universities. GCU also performed well at subject level. It is first in the UK in the category Complementary Medicine, which refers to Podiatry at GCU, and in the UK Top Ten in Building, Medical Technology (Radiography) and Ophthalmics.

CENTRE STAGE FOR YUNUS CENTREResearch Leading figures from the third sector met at GCU as part of the Yunus Centre’s £2million study into the impact of social enterprise on the health and wellbeing of people and communities. The Medical Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) awarded GCU’s Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health, and five other Universities in Scotland, almost £2m in December for a five-year study into the links between social business and health and wellbeing. Around 30 social business operators, academics and representatives of membership organisations, such as Social Enterprise Scotland, met at the University to share best practice and to chart a common way forward.

MAKING THE NEWSGSBS GCU journalism graduates are playing key roles in front of the camera and behind the scenes as the city’s first local television station, STV Glasgow, goes from strength to strength following its launch on June 2. Their roles include assistant producer, video journalist and production

journalist. Riverside Show roving reporter Colin Stone (pictured below) is also a GCU graduate. He gained a BA Multimedia Journalism in 2012. STV Glasgow’s partnership with GCU also offers unique work experience opportunities for current multimedia students to work on prime-time content for the channel.

BIG TICK FOR GCUGCU Glasgow Caledonian University achieved ‘Big Tick’ recognition in the prestigious 2014 Responsible Business Awards, run by the Prince of Wales charity, Business in the Community. As well as this recognition, GCU is one of just six organisations shortlisted to become overall winner of the Unilever International Award, supported by Business Fights Poverty.

GCU was shortlisted thanks to its work with the Grameen Healthcare Trust in co-founding the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing (GCCN).

WRAP STARS GSBS Thirty secondary school pupils from Glasgow completed the first Glasgow School for Business and Society (GSBS) Work Ready Action Programme (WRAP). The initiative marked the start of a three-year strategic partnership with Castlemilk High School and St Margaret Mary’s Secondary School. WRAP has been designed to boost the S4 pupils’ confidence by helping them to develop skills in fact finding, creative thinking, working with others, and using multimedia. It was delivered as part of GSBS’s partnership with Scottish Business in the Community (SBiC) and its Business Class programme. >>>

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NEWS BRIEFING

SOUND AND VISION

EBE Students experienced cutting-edge technology when they got a taste of working behind the scenes at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. As part of the Host Broadcaster Training Initiative (HBTI), NEP Visions Ltd — one of the facilities suppliers for Glasgow 2014 host broadcasters SVGTV — brought its Atlantic Outside Broadcast truck on to campus to give students and staff training in the latest HD recording and output equipment. They were given tours and hands-on training in the use of vision, sound, cameras and operations facilities. HBTI, a key Legacy 2014 programme of Glasgow 2014, has been training 37 students from

GCU’s Audio Technology with Electronics and Multimedia programmes, within the School of Engineering and Built Environment, since November last year.

APP-Y DAYS FOR JAMIEEBE BA (Hons) Graphic Design for Digital Media student Jamie Shirra took home £2500 after winning Scottish Institute for Enterprise Young Innovators Challenge for his inventive approach to improving mental wellbeing. Jamie invented Reflect-a-Pic, a concept for a mobile application that turns the idea of social media on its head. He said: “Whereas Facebook, Twitter and Instagram make you focus on what other people are doing, Reflect-a-Pic focuses only on what you are doing in a bid to make you feel better about yourself and rid you of stress, anxiety and depression.” The app does this by giving the user a theme each day — such as something that makes them happy or proud — then asks them to take a picture of it, accompanied by a short sentence. At the end of the week, the app displays the pictures and sentences from the previous seven days in a gallery.

WINTOUR EXCLUSIVEGCU London Fashion and Luxury students met fashion industry legends Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of American Vogue and Artistic Director of Conde Nast, and Suzy Menkes, International Vogue Editor, at an exclusive event in Piccadilly organised by GCU Honorary Professor and Chair of the British Fashion Council, Professor Caroline Rush. Ms Wintour shared her experiences of the industry and her top tips for success. Professor Christopher Moore, Director of the British School of Fashion, said: “Anna is an important and influential figure in the fashion industry, so it was a remarkable opportunity for our students to meet her. We will remember it for a very long time.”

GAMING FOR GLASGOW AT GCU

EBE A total of 160 schoolchildren unveiled their digital games, apps and animations at GCU earlier this month, which they co-designed with GCU students and staff in preparation for the XX Commonwealth Games. The showcase formed part of the Gaming for Glasgow project, a Commonwealth Games-linked initiative to improve digital skills, and marks a collaboration between GCU’s School of Engineering and Built Environment, GCU’s Caledonian Club and Celtic FC Foundation. The event brought together more than 200 GCU students and staff and pupils from nine primary and secondary schools from the East End of Glasgow. Thirty digital games have been created for the project, all based on the Glasgow 2014 Legacy Priorities ‘active’, ‘connected’, ‘flourishing’ and ‘sustainable’. Gaming for Glasgow won a Game Changer award as part of the Commonwealth Games legacy.

Anna Wintour met GCU London Students.

ENGAGEMENT

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I work for the Glasgow City of Science campaign. We wanted to promote science and the understanding of science to young people. Hand washing is an important area, and some of the best researchers in it work at GCU, and we wanted to make something memorable for the kids, so it all came together in the world-record attempt.”

Tracey contacted GCU’s nursing department, researchers and, with additional support from the NHS, Glasgow Science Centre, Glasgow Schools, the Scottish Government and agencies such as Health Protection Scotland, and others too numerous to mention here, the project soon started to gather momentum.

A public appeal for knitting enthusiasts to create wool versions of common bugs, such as e-coli, salmonella, or the common

What do the Guinness Book of World Records, 5000 screaming kids,

scientists and a team of student nurses from GCU all have in common?

They all scrub up nicely, thank you very much. Or at least they do now, after the unlikely partnership united to seek to win a place in the record books for organising the world’s largest ever hand-hygiene class. ‘Sneeze guns’ filled with green coloured water, ultraviolet lights and giant bugs knitted from wool all took their place in the unlikely world-record attempt as more than 70 GCU student nurses and 5400 pupils in 62 Glasgow primary schools hoped to wrestle the title from the Health Protection Agency in England.

But what was it all for?GCU’s Professor Tracey Howe,

who organised the event, explains: “As well as working at the University,

GCU student nurses participate in the world’s ‘largest ever’ hand-hygiene class in a bid to take their place in history. Peter John Meiklem reports

cold, met with a warm response, both from amateur knitters who were happy to help and the Scottish media. The story was soon being covered everywhere from Glasgow to John O’Groats.

But it was only a precursor to the main event.

Kicking off with a flashmob dance at the Glasgow Science Centre, it wasn’t your everyday school lesson.

Zoe Lawless, a third-year BA Nursing student who took part in the class held at the science centre, said: “The sneeze gun was a lot of fun, though I wasn’t expecting quite so many children to be there, so I was quite nervous. We wanted to show the kids just how important washing your hands is.”

And although the day was nothing but enjoyable, for kids large and small, the

serious message remained centre stage.

Professor Jacqui Reilly, expert in Healthcare Associated Infection, explained: “Hand washing is the first line of defence

against the spread of many infections. It really does cut

down the risk of colds and other common infections.”

And it wasn’t just the kids who sat up and took note.

After receiving a masterclass in hand-washing technique from

Tracey and Jacqui, Alex Neil, MSP, the Scottish Government minister for

Health and Wellbeing, was firmly on message.

“The importance of hand hygiene is absolutely critical. This is the right age

to teach kids to wash their hands and how to do it properly. And doing it through the 62 primary schools in Glasgow, involving trainee nurses from Glasgow Caledonian University, and involving the teachers too, really gets the message across — and that’s good for us all.”

Splashing into the record books

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FASHION SHOW 2014

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GCU’s Fashion Show is an annual celebration of students’ hard work and dedication, reports Roisin-Alana Di Giacomo

The 2014 Fashion Show provided a platform for students to showcase the

innovative designs created as part of their business-focused fashion degrees.

“It borders on fashion-art,” says lecturer Diane Cook. “You can’t design unless you are able to be creative and tap into this. Creativity is a skill you can use in aspects of every career.”

She is speaking about the third-year collection of upcycled clothing, which challenged students to design outwith the boundaries of fashion. It featured the work of students such as Kate Anderson, who created a bespoke dress from six handbags she had in her cupboard, and Vanessa Lang, whose inspiration was drawn from Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the battery, and Andrew Mackinnon, who whisked up a storm using kitchen utensils as part of his design.

Designer Gillian McDonald’s (pictured inset, right) exquisite gown in leather and tulle was selected to feature in Eleganza’s Collezioni range and following her graduation this summer, Gillian will take up an internship with the brand: “My style isn’t conventional,” she says. “I’m hoping to bring my ideas to the design studio and to learn from Anna and those experienced around me.”

Anna Cirignaco (pictured inset, left), Managing Director and owner of Eleganza, has developed a strong working relationship with the Glasgow School for Business and Society. This has led to nine

GCU students from different disciplines across the School benefiting by undertaking work placements in the city’s flagship store.

“Working in the industry for more than 20 years, it is wonderful to see the energy students bring and to look at aspects of the business from different perspectives,” said Anna. “The designs are often raw as they don’t need to follow the marketplace or trends, and such freedom allows design to flourish.”

GCU Subject Group Lead in Fashion, Marketing and Retail Dr Julie McColl said: “Fashion is woven into the history of GCU, with the founding colleges dating back to 1875. The programmes, like fashion, have evolved and they address industrial experience, brand development, marketing strategies, internationalisation, and merchandising, key to the success of any business.”

FashionShow 20

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Her formative fashion memory may be of her mum being “heckled for wearing

hotpants in Glasgow”, but Caroline Rush doesn’t bear a grudge against the city.

Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council (IBFC), Caroline is “Glaswegian and proud of it” and delighted to be rekindling her connection with the city as a GCU Honorary Professor.

Says Bishopbriggs-born Caroline: “I came to look at the incredible campus at GCU London and happened to mention to Professor Christopher Moore that I was born in Bishopbriggs. He said, ‘I can’t believe it — it was meant to be’. There are great opportunities in what GCU is doing internationally and sharing that global knowledge is very important for the University, its students and alumni.”

Listed in the Evening Standard Power 1000 List 2012 and 2013, and in the 2013 Business of Fashion’s 500, Caroline has led the BFC since 2009.

Her appointment heralded the return of brands including Burberry, Jonathan Saunders, Matthew Williamson, Preen and Pringle of Scotland to London Fashion Week and she has overseen the expansion of the BFC’s LONDON show ROOMS to cover new markets including Hong Kong, LA, New York, Paris and Sao Paolo, as well as established London Collections: Men, Britain’s only biannual menswear trade showcase.

Caroline has already given her inaugural professorial lecture, focusing on developments in the past decade of fashion and exploring how the £26bn British industry will look by 2020. She outlined how the BFC is securing a pipeline of talent through education and training and is enthusiastic about the GCU British School of Fashion’s parallel commitment to mentoring the next generation of fashion business leaders.

“I went to art college and modelled on the side to help cover the costs of studies,” Caroline says. “I was offered an opportunity to go to Tokyo, all expenses paid, so I was like ‘yeah I’m off!’ I took a year out to think about what to do next and got a job on a City graduate traineeship in financial PR, I thought as I haven’t got a degree I should do this. I loved it. I thought I would go back to university but never did.

“When I was looking to go to university you could be a buyer or designer but there was not a clear view of what you could do if you were better at the business side than the creative. Had these incredibly important courses been available, I might have gone back to university and down that route.

The young designers I work with need individuals who know production, the management side, brand strategy, sourcing, merchandising... if you could surround yourself with like-minded graduates who know the business side you would be in a strong position to evolve and grow in a more strategic fashion, and potentially quicker.”

High-quality programmes clearly linked to career paths are also essential if perceptions of the industry (worth more to the UK economy than car manufacturing and as much as telecoms, and estimated to support 797,000 jobs) as a little fluffy and frivolous are to be overturned.

“We have worked closely with government in terms of perception and understanding the industry’s complexity and opportunities,” Caroline says.

“We hope to highlight the incredible career paths in the industry so that parents don’t turn their noses up when children say they want to be the next Michael Kors or Christopher Kane. To do that we need to make it clearer how they can study the kind of courses universities like GCU offer; raise money for scholarships like you do to ensure your courses are accessible — which is wonderful. We need to see there are apprenticeships too.” She is also enthusiastic about the “limitless” opportunities and the challenges of a career in fashion.

“It’s a really dynamic industry,” she says. “You could be a small brand barely making

Anything is possible in an open worldHonorary Professor Caroline Rush talks to Lynn McGarry about her Glasgow roots, the importance of fashion business and the “limitless” opportunities in the industry

INTERVIEW: PROFESSOR CAROLINE RUSH

Professor Rush is featured in the ES Power 1000 List.

a profit but selling in Tokyo, South Korea, LA. It opens up your world in an industry that has global reach. Anything is possible and there’s always a huge amount to learn.

It’s changing all the time. I’d advise young graduates to first go and get experience in a larger organisation. We have a brilliant entrepreneurial culture where you can start a business and develop — but there’s no substitute for experience and understanding how to apply your studies

to the real world. It is invaluable when you go and start afresh.”

GCU’s commitment to ethical, sustainable business also resonates with the BFC, where manufacturing and sourcing can create challenges.

“Finding sustainable brands that can compete in the mainstream is challenging but more businesses want to follow that route, which is rewarding.

“Retailers and brands often won’t shout about it though, as they haven’t done it across the spectrum of their business. We want to champion them so that the public and industry feel there is a commitment to addressing challenges in sourcing and manufacturing, and to looking on your doorstep to invest in skills so we can manufacture in the UK and keep the industry buoyant.

“The BFC has launched schemes such as Estethica and works with companies on best practice.”

Some personal challenges she is most proud of include creating Men’s Fashion Week and bolstering support for businesses, which has already helped stem the failure rate of fledgling labels — “Our incredible creative talents are finding ways to run commercial businesses”.

Though she is “rarely out of work”, in her spare time Caroline enjoys being with her “incredible family and friends” at galleries, theatre and the cinema — and fashion, of course.

“Although it’s my work, too, I am still super excited about fashion,” she says. “When I travel, I find time to go to the stores and see the different edits and international brands. It’s an incredible industry.”

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“Although it’s my work, fashion still excites me

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FINLAND

BSc Occupational Therapy students Collette Kelly and Lynsey Speirs

received a warm welcome at Helsinki Metropolia University — despite temperatures dropping to -17.

Collette and Lynsey travelled with Erasmus to undertake third-year placement projects; Lynsey working in a neurological rehabilitation centre and Collette assessing the needs of elderly hospital patients to ensure they could safely return to their homes.

“We want to work overseas now and the exchange gave us a fantastic taste of what it might be like to begin a career abroad,” said Lynsey.

Added Collette: “Helsinki made Scotland feel like Hawaii and I soon fell for a key aspect of Finnish culture — the sauna.

GLOBALWATCH

A taste of working overseasLynsey Spiers took in the sights at Helsinki.

I hoped studying in a different environment would be a great learning tool and it turned out to be a life-changing experience that every student should have. Learning the language was challenging but struggling to get by helped sharpen our non-verbal skills with patients, which is invaluable when we work with people who have different communication barriers.”

Lynsey is the first GCU student who uses

a wheelchair to embark on an international exchange and urged all students to embrace whatever challenges studying abroad might bring.

She said: “I often experience environmental and attitudinal barriers that can make participating in some activities more difficult. I try not to think ‘I can’t do that’, but instead think ‘I haven’t done that yet’. My disability was something I had to consider and I had to solve issues such as travelling alone with luggage, the snow and not having adaptations in my accommodation that I am used to at home. It’s only one element of me though and doesn’t define who I am or what I am capable of. So I would recommend anyone to try studying abroad. It’s a great way to challenge yourself and appreciate your true capabilities.”Collette Kelly.

UMass and GCU students work together during an exchange trip organised with the American university.

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BANGLADESHNursing students joined their peers from GCCN to mark World Health Day in a joint lecture via Skype.

Small Bite, Big Threat focused on vector-borne illnesses (diseases carried by insects) such as malaria and 300 second-year students discussed disease, health care and nursing training here and in Bangladesh with their counterparts in Dhaka.

GCCN Founding Principal Professor Barbara Parfitt joined the students. “It was a wonderful opportunity for students to learn from each other and to continue to build their relationship,” she said. “I would love to see all our students feel part of one family.”

Professor Parfitt was recently honoured at the Bangladesh Independence celebration in Glasgow for her work in helping establish GCCN.

COMMONWEALTHGCU students joined some of the world’s leading journalists to pass on their skills to a new generation of global reporters from

across the Commonwealth.Twenty students mentored teenagers

during the Aye Write! Future News International Young Journalists’ Conference.

GCU sponsored two students — from India and Bangladesh — to take part in the conference, during which they heard masterclasses from GSBS lecturers and journalists including Paul Ingrassia of Reuters and Jim Naughtie and Reevel Alderson of the BBC.

Lecturer Nick Bevens said: “The conference gave GCU students a great opportunity to interact with peers from around the world, which is invaluable in a global market. Our students were a fantastic advert for what we do.”

USStudents from UMass Boston visited GCU. Eight first-year Pre-Med students shadowed Biomedical/Biological Sciences students during a short exchange which took six first-year GCU Biosciences students to Boston. The School of Engineering and Built Environment also hosted students from UMass.

“We were delighted to welcome the UMass students to GCU and to offer our students a unique chance to study abroad,” said Dr Julie Rattray, of Life Sciences. “Such an early short exchange opportunity encourages our students to take up further chances to build study at our partner institutions.”

CCE’s Acting Dean Dr Ahmed Hassan Mohammed Al Bulushi, and Raphael Parambi, CEO of SME Development Fund – NCPM, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to seal the partnership.

OMANCaledonian College of Engineering, GCU’s partner institution in Oman for the past 18 years, has joined the SME Development Fund (SMEDF) of National Company for Projects and Management LLC to launch the Entrepreneurial Campus initiative.

CCE is one of five Muscat institutions launching the project, which is designed to nurture Omani entrepreneurs. It will offer programmes in entrepreneurship and promote student-led companies.

The College is also celebrating an international award for its sustainability initiatives. The Global Green Award was presented to the College in recognition of its outstanding environmental achievements and sustainable practices including introducing a paper-free environment, research focused activities on renewable energies, and the use of solar energy to meet the needs of the campus’ electricity demands.

Marigay McKee– Town Hall series

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NEW YORK ROUND-UP

Harris Tweed event– Town Hall series

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From its autumn launch to its spring opening and beyond, GCU New York has hosted events including inspiring masterclasses and a visit from Scotland’s First Minister. Chris Fitzgerald reflects on a busy and exciting period for the University

New York opens with Caledonian Lecture

In September last year, Chancellor Professor Muhammad Yunus launched

GCU New York to a select audience of 300 people in midtown Manhattan and, in doing so, marked GCU as the first UK university to take root in the city.

But that was just the beginning.Cara Smyth, GCU New York Vice

President, next had the considerable task of preparing the Wooster Street campus to open its doors officially in April of this year — which it did to a flurry of activity.

While Scotland’s First Minister and two iconic fashion brands ensured the campus opened in some style, other heavyweight events swiftly followed.

In May, Professor Marigay McKee, President of Saks Fifth Avenue, visited Wooster Street, delivering her inaugural Professorial Masterclass after her appointment as an Honorary Professor. The masterclass, The Business of Luxury, was part of GCU New York’s ongoing Fashion Sharing Progress Town Hall series — an approach designed to allow academics and professionals to collaborate with students and industry experts to encourage learning.

Professor McKee took over at Saks Fifth Avenue in January this year, following her success as Chief Merchant of Harrods in London. About 130 people attended the masterclass, including the British Fashion Council’s Chief Executive Professor Caroline Rush and designers Professor Henry Holland and Maria Cornejo.

Professor McKee used the class to explain what brands should be doing to make a difference today. She explained how Saks is seeking additional ways to demonstrate this and gave examples of a number of luxury brand initiatives, including Saks’ own Key to the Cure campaign, which has raised $35million over the past five years for women’s cancer charities.

Of course, being the first British university to open a campus in New York

meant nothing less than a series of high-profile events to mark the April opening would do — and this included the presentation of the inaugural Caledonian Lecture by the Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MP.

The First Minister presented to a distinguished audience of more than 150 guests and also unveiled a plaque to commemorate the opening of the satellite campus. Paying tribute to the University’s established initiatives and programmes, he said: “In all of this, you are living up to your motto — for the common weal.”

Mr Salmond’s visit was followed by that of representatives from two iconic brands, Harris Tweed and Brooks Brothers, who discussed the issue of sustainability in fashion as part of the first Town Hall event.

The panel was made up of Harris Tweed Hebrides Creative Director Mark Hogarth and Chairman Brian Wilson. They were

joined by Brooks Brothers Senior Fabric Specialist Doug Shriver and Director of Fashion Glen Hoffs. The discussion itself was moderated by Nick Sullivan, the Fashion Director of Esquire.

About 150 people were at the event, which was framed by an exhibition of 30 striking images from the award-winning book From the Land Comes the Cloth, by photographer Ian Lawson.

A cross-party delegation from the Scottish Parliament, led by Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick, also visited the New York campus during the April opening, which coincided with the city’s Scotland Week celebrations.

The delegation, which included Linda Fabiani, the Scottish National Party MSP for East Kilbride, met with Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies; Cara Smyth; and GCU Student President Matt Lamb, to learn about the development of the New York campus, including its planned programmes and transatlantic exchange opportunities for students and staff. Other masterclasses planned for GCU New York in the near future include Andrew Rosen, co-founder of contemporary fashion brand Theory.

Andrew will discuss the Garment Centre Initiative, which is looking to bring apparel production back to the US and, in particular, New York. Patagonia and the ILO (International Labor Organization) will also present on the subject of supply chain management, with Mercado Global, Maiyet and Warby Parker all scheduled for masterclasses later in the year.

With all this considered, Cara has been impressed with the response the campus has received since opening.

“GCU NY, and our For the Common Good mission, has been warmly welcomed to the city by thought leaders from the business and apparel industries, NGOs, United Nations and the academic world,” she said.

Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson also checked in on GCU New York while in the city.

First Minister Alex Salmond delivers the Caledonian Lecture.

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Linda Robertson looks at how GCU’s Magnusson Awards embody the University’s mission for the Common Good around the globe

Making a world of differenceFrom a project for premature and

vulnerable babies in Tanzania to a ‘train of hope’ providing medical care to people in South Africa, this year GCU students will travel the globe to help enrich communities and improve the health and wellbeing of others... and it’s all in the name of one man.

The 2014 recipients of the Magnus Magnusson Awards will embark on adventures that will take them from Ghana and Zambia to Myanmar and Nepal as they strive to make the world around them a brighter and better place.

These once-in-a-lifetime opportunities are made possible by the awards established in memory of the University’s late chancellor and renowned broadcaster and journalist, Magnus Magnusson KBE.

It’s a legacy that allows students to follow their dreams and make a positive and lasting impact, whether at home or abroad. In doing so, they embrace and embody the University’s mission for the Common Good.

Funding of up to £5000 enables students in their second year upwards or researchers in the early stages of their academic careers to cultivate their ambitions by supporting a period of exploration, study, learning and personal growth. Since the awards were launched in

2008, 44 awards totalling £160,000 have been presented.

“As Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University from 2002 to 2007, Magnus carried out his University duties with great enthusiasm and tireless dedication,” says Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pamela Gillies CBE.

“Magnus had a real passion for learning and knowledge. Through the creation of the Magnus Magnusson Awards,

we ensure that our late Chancellor’s contribution to Scottish education in general, and to Glasgow Caledonian University in particular, will be forever remembered.”

Magnus’ daughter, Dr Sally Magnusson, says her father ‘adored’ his time as chancellor of the University from 2002 to 2007.

“My father always loved meeting the students and other young people who are such a vibrant part of the Glasgow Caledonian community.

“Each year I look forward to hearing what new and exciting projects the next generation of GCU students are planning with the support of the Magnusson Awards, and I am always excited and proud that this fund can make such a variety of goals possible.”

This year’s winners include Craig Hausman, a BSc Graphic Design for Digital Media student, who will share his passion for art with the Let Us Create project which provides outreach, education and art therapy to an underprivileged community of families, especially children, living in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

Pei Ling Choo, who is studying for a PhD in neurological rehabilitation, hopes to help set up a rural satellite neurorehabilitation clinic in Myanmar, an extension of the only rehabilitation hospital in the entire country.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work within a developing country and will enable me to develop both professionally and personally as a clinician-scientist.

“This project will make a significant and positive impact to the lives of those with disabilities in Myanmar through the sharing of clinical and professional knowledge.”

BSc Optometry students, Gemma Hill, Jayne Imrie and Emily McGarva, will use their Santander Magnusson Award to volunteer in South Africa on the Phelophepa train, or ‘Train of Hope’, which travels through rural communities providing medical care to those who otherwise have no access to treatment.

The girls will enhance their optometry skills and provide a much-needed service to more than 100 people every day.

Roisin Donnelly, BSC Human Biology, Sociology and Psychology, will work in Zambia to improve public health issues in the city of Livingstone while Tom Faure, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Pamela Gillies with Dr Sally Magnusson and the Magnusson Award recipients.

“I’ll be in a privileged position to make a lasting change

MAGNUSSON AWARDS 2014

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LLB Law, will spend time in Ghana to undertake a legal work experience placement.

“Thanks to the Mike Smith Magnusson Award, I’ll be able to fulfil a lifetime ambition to travel to Africa to help those in most need,” says Tom.

“I’ll be in a privileged position to help make a lasting change, educating vulnerable groups and promoting legal assistance to individuals who otherwise have limited awareness of their most fundamental human rights.”

Gillian Murray, who is studying for her MSc Public Health, is the recipient of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Magnusson Award which will allow her to take part in

the Kangaroo Mother Care project for premature and vulnerable babies in Tanzania.

Most hospitals in Tanzania cannot afford expensive life-saving equipment such as incubators but Kangaroo Mother Care promotes a method where the mother, or caregiver, uses skin-to-skin contact as a natural incubator for their baby.

Gillian, who will take her donations of baby clothes, blankets and hats, will teach mothers and staff this method. “I’m hugely grateful that the Magnusson Award is supporting me to deliver this project to mothers and babies from disadvantaged backgrounds, in order to give them the

best start in life and at a time where they are most vulnerable.”

BSc Adult and Child Nursing students, Jennifer Collins, Leanne Fraser, Karen Fletcher and Rachel Griffin, who received the Glasgow Caledonian University Magnusson Award, will run clinics in the city of Pokhara in Nepal for women and adolescent girls, educating them about HIV and sexual heath.

GCU alumnus, Gordon Masterton, has supported five awards since 2008.

“I have supported the Magnusson Fund because it’s for students who see beyond the goals of their course of study and have an ambition to do something extraordinary,” he says.

NAME: Leanne Fraser DESTINATION: Nepal

NAME: Jennifer Collins DESTINATION: Nepal

NAME: Karen Fletcher DESTINATION: Nepal

NAME: Pei Ling Choo DESTINATION: Myanmar

NAME: Rachel Griffin DESTINATION: Nepal

NAME: Emily Pathe DESTINATION: Austria

NAME: Roisin Donnelly DESTINATION: Zambia

NAME: Emily McGarva DESTINATION: South Africa

NAME: Jayne Imrie DESTINATION: South Africa

NAME: Gillian Murray DESTINATION: Tanzania

NAME: Craig Hausman DESTINATION: Cambodia

NAME: Gemma Hill DESTINATION: South Africa

NAME: Tom Faure DESTINATION: Ghana

28

The story of a champion chasing an elusive gold medal is one which

captivated a nation.Two years on, Dr Katherine Grainger,

the Olympic gold and three-time silver medallist; six-time World Champion; graduate; karate blackbelt and author, arrives at GCU to share her journey. It’s an epic tale.

Relaxed and good-humoured, Katherine begins by quizzing the team about the latest visitors to the University and their stories: “It’s interesting hearing about other people’s lives,” she says.

For John Harris, Reader in International Sport and Event Management, the Olympian’s return to GCU to share her academic and sporting experiences is the perfect endorsement of the University’s inaugural Caledonian Sporting Conversation event, which also marked the official launch of the Sport and Identities Research Cluster: an interdisciplinary group of academics committed to the study of sport.

“Katherine’s journey epitomises how sport can be a force for good and unites people collectively,” says John. “Our work into the study of sport is focused on its transcending nature, what it means and the role sport plays in shaping our identities.”

August 3 at 12:10, Katherine knows the very hour and minute she and Anna Watkins started the race that would lead to their first Olympic gold medal. Katherine was 36, competing at her fourth consecutive Olympic Games. Her story was one of the greatest sporting triumphs of 2012, and propelled her on to the global stage. It is no surprise that she has attracted a packed audience ready to hear her story.

“I think the biggest thing you don’t expect is how it grows beyond your own results. It’s a very personal achievement, but I’ve seen that it does inspire other people; it has an effect on them; the story,

the journey, the highs and lows of sport — as in most lives.

“At the start of my career, a lot of people would have laughed if I’d said I wanted to win the Olympic Games. It wasn’t something that came easy or that I got right first time. I spent years and years trying to get better and improve, coming back from disappointments and knockbacks.”

Born in the Queen Mum’s in Glasgow, she attended Bearsden Academy before going on to study law at Edinburgh University.

She joined the university’s rowing team and, after some reluctance and a few false starts, whereby she failed to make the top four teams and instead was placed in a fifth team, she realised that rowing was meant for her.

“The sport didn’t hook me completely at first, but the people did. After not being selected, I was so angry that I walked out of the lecture theatre and up Arthur’s Seat in a blind frustrated rage. It was my Scarlett O’Hara moment.”

She woos the home-crowd with her tale, describing this as a pivotal moment early

on in her career and admitting that she had overestimated her ability and underestimated the opposition — a mistake she would not repeat.

Katherine was not only chasing her Olympic dream, which had evaded her in previous Olympics, she was also juggling the demands of academia, studying for a PhD in Homicide alongside her gruelling training regime.

“It is a massive undertaking, you can’t underestimate how much work it takes,” she says. “Equally so, my rowing and training is a full-time job. It’s physically and mentally exhausting as well as emotionally draining. Trying to bring the two together in the same timespan was an ambitious target, but I wanted to keep in that academic world. I was a better athlete because I studied, and a better academic because I rowed.”

Determined to compete at the highest level in both arenas, and to finish what she started, Katherine went on to fulfil her academic ambition, which was 10 years in the making. She goes on to tell the audience that she was spurred on by her

Sport taught me vital business skillsFrom Olympic gold to Honorary Graduate, rowing champion Katherine Grainger CBE talks to Roisin-Alana Di Giacomo about her epic journey to sporting glory and academic success

Katherine and her rowing partner Anna Watkins.

KATHERINE GRAINGER

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PhD supervisor, when she was provoked by the suggestion to give up on her studies; a phrase not synonymous with the Olympian.

Katherine hasn’t rowed competitively since London and describes her break as a long sabbatical.

But she isn’t ready to retire yet, leaving the door open and the Rio question unanswered. “The publicity and awareness we received after the 2012 Olympics has been different from anything else I have ever experienced. For myself and other athletes I know, we are busier than ever.”

Her work now is focused on using sport as a force for good, which chimes with the University’s own social mission. In her capacity as an Olympian, she works with charities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds and is an inspirational speaker at corporate events. She is most passionate when speaking about her work internationally in challenging areas of the world, where there are no human rights, or where women have no social standing, using sport to challenge conventions and attitudes.

“Through sport people learn valuable business skills and entrepreneurship, which open up potential new paths. I’ve been involved in international projects

where we have set up football clubs with women running them. Projects which save lives by teaching swimming before the flood season, or prevent young girls being forced into marriage because they see there are other options. By having that experience and giving women leadership roles, they get respected in ways they haven’t been before. These projects go far beyond sport; they are about using sport for social change; that is the power of sport and what it can do.”

In recognition of Katherine’s achievements in sport, and to honour her public service and work with charity, last year the University conferred an Honorary Degree on the athlete. She described the award as a privilege and not something, from an athlete’s point of view, you can train for. “Glasgow is still my hometown, though I don’t live here, it’s an honour to be part of this University.”

“Through sport people learn valuable business skills and entrepreneurship, which open up potential new paths

Andrew Scott looks at the dismantled presses that cater for the entirety of

the University’s print needs and says, sincerely: “It’s not just a case of unscrewing a few nuts and bolts. It’s a detailed, technical and delicate operation that takes time and a lot of planning.”

As head of Print Design Services (PDS), Andrew was responsible for overseeing the department’s move to its new, permanent home in the Charles Oakley building from June.

The relocation from the George Moore building to C025 is part of the Heart of the Campus project, the £30million redevelopment of the University estate.

Andrew was determined the move would cause minimum disruption because, while moving the presses isn’t just a case of tweaking a few nuts and bolts, it’s fair to say that PDS is the nuts and bolts when it comes to all things design and print at the University.

“We had to ensure downtime was as minimal as possible, because the University’s needs are constant,” he says. “We had been working away behind the

scenes for months and have to tip our hats to the colleagues who have not only helped us move, but prepared our new facility too.”

The Design Studio, headed by Richard Barrett, caters for all of GCU’s design requirements, whether for print or multimedia. With high demand for the University’s flagship publications, promotional brochures, printed support materials, exhibition materials and, of course, The Caledonian magazine, the studio is never quiet.

“Contrary to what people think, we don’t just press a ‘design button’ to achieve the finished product,” Richard jokes.

“Our dedicated and experienced team receives commissions from across the University — including London and New York — and works closely with clients to achieve an end result that meets their needs while ensuring it falls within the University’s brand.

“It has been interesting to watch the University grow and PDS has risen to the challenge.”

If the finished design needs to be printed, it falls to Steven McCart. Steven manages

Hold the front pageThe University’s Print Design Services has moved home to the Charles Oakley building. Chris Fitzgerald looks at the role this vital department plays at GCU

KEY FACTS• The Design Studio handles

approximately 700 projects per academic year.

• PDS prints approximately 16 million sheets per year.

• PDS manufactures 1500 wide-format posters and pull-up banners per year.

• PDS as a whole deals with 15,000 transactions per year.

• PDS uses recycled paper, vegetable inks and recycles 95% of its waste.

The PDS team is now up and running in its new home in the Charles Oakley Building after months of careful planning ensured minimal disruption to services.

30

PRINT DESIGN SERVICES

print production, the materials and the production staff. He also oversees the Saltire Print Centre, offering a binding and poster printing service to students.

“Moving location has presented the PDS management and staff with the opportunity to design a facility that will meet the University’s print requirements for many years to come,” he says.

STAFF SURVEY

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As GCU’s 2015 Strategy draws to a close, the University is considering

its priorities for 2020. Staff welcomed the opportunity to influence the strategic direction of the University during a six-month consultation period and now have another opportunity to share their views by taking part in the Staff Survey 2014.

The Staff Survey was last run in 2011, followed by a Pulse Survey in 2012. Six out of 10 staff responded, providing vital feedback on staff development, internal communications, health and wellbeing and much more.

“The Staff Survey 2011 followed a period of significant change, internally and externally, and staff were open and honest about the challenges this change had brought about,” says Alex Killick, GCU’s Director of People.

“The results showed that staff were generally positive about the University, with 92% of respondents saying it was more than just a job, however, it also highlighted some areas for improvement.”

Staff focus groups were held to explore the feedback in more detail and further discussion took place in Schools and Directorates.

“Our staff are at the centre of everything we do so it was important we knew what

was important to them,” says Alex. “The results of the survey and feedback from the focus groups gave us a firm foundation to make changes and develop new initiatives.”

One of the key initiatives to be put in place was the University’s People Strategy.

“The People Strategy sets out the main priorities for the University as an employer; it aims to inspire current and future generations of staff to realise their full potential and achieve excellence,” says Alex.

Alex explained how the People Strategy has evolved since its introduction in 2012: “Our People Passport programme is one element of the University’s commitment to the People Strategy.

“One of the issues from the previous surveys was the need to enhance GCU’s leadership style and build management capability. We developed the People Passport to equip our people managers with the knowledge, tools and confidence to carry out their role effectively, and have so far delivered it to over 150 managers.

“The programme is based around a set of accountabilities which define what is expected of people with leadership and management responsibilities at GCU. This helps people managers understand their responsibilities as a leader and helps other members of staff understand what they should expect from their manager.”

Staff feedback also led to many other initiatives, including a suite of online resources for staff career development, a staff intranet and a health and wellbeing taskforce.

Confident that staff have helped to drive real change across the University, Alex is looking forward to reviewing the results from this latest survey: “There have been further changes since the Pulse Survey in 2012 and I am expecting these to be reflected in the Staff Survey 2014.

“Staff have been given another opportunity to tell us what progress they feel has been made and to identify further areas for improvement. Their views will influence the direction of the University, help us to make GCU a better place to work and, most importantly, create a better student experience.”

Your opinion countsGCU staff have been invited to have their say on working for the University by taking part in the Staff Survey 2014. Here Nicole Cooke looks at how feedback from the last staff survey, in 2011, and the Pulse Survey, in 2012, has helped to drive change across the University

‘global mindset’ to describe what they are looking for — an individual who considers issues from a variety of international perspectives and demonstrates an awareness of their own culture.

COIL activities can lay the foundations. Learning with and from peers in another country can open students’ eyes to different views of the world. Long-lasting relationships between the students on COIL modules often lead to increased physical mobility through exchanges and study visits at the respective institutions.

Can you give an example of how GCU is encouraging ‘global learning’?GCU has used Santander funding to give more students and staff the opportunity to learn a foreign language, quadrupled the number of students on ERASMUS exchanges and opened a campus in New York.

All GCU programmes are

What is Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)?COIL is a learning and teaching approach that uses internet-based tools and online pedagogies to connect students and staff in different countries to enhance international awareness and improve intercultural skills. It has been tested by the State University New York (SUNY) and 25 international partners over the past 10 years. GCU has recently joined the COIL CENTRE’s network as a global partner.

COIL is integrated into the taught curriculum at module level. Academics collaborate on developing shared elements of the syllabus which emphasise experiential, student-centred learning. COIL can be part of an existing module or the basis of a new one. Students are enrolled and assessed at their own institution and the collaboration can take place over a short period of four to six weeks or throughout the entire module. In some cases, the teaching is online only but most often it is delivered alongside conventional sessions.

What role does it play in the Strategy for Learning?Internationalisation pervades all aspects of learning and teaching in higher education, here and overseas. We want GCU graduates to be aware of world issues and empowered to bring about change towards

a more just, sustainable society. ’Global learning’ is one of the 10 design principles in the Strategy for Learning. There are many ways of internationalising the curriculum, such as study abroad and discussing the findings of international research with students. While we recognise the value of mobility schemes such as ERASMUS, we understand that financial constraints, family commitments or a lack of confidence can limit uptake. ‘Virtual mobility’ enables students to communicate with international peers online and engage in the global learning activities the Strategy for Learning asks for without having to leave the classroom.

How do students benefit from COIL?Graduates need to meet the expectations of employers who, due to economic and technology change, are increasingly conducting their operations internationally. They are looking for global leaders with global competencies, such as the ability to work in international teams, to understand different national cultures and working practices, and support international clients. Some recruiters use the term

As part of the ongoing series looking at the 10 principles of GCU’s Strategy for Learning, Sabine McKinnon, Senior Lecturer in Academic Development in GCU LEAD, discusses the impact of Collaborative Online International Learning and how it can be utilised to embed Global Learning deeper into the curriculum, citing the work of colleagues Dr Liz Frondigoun and Dr David Moore

LEARNING AND TEACHING

Global mindset

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required to show how they address internationalisation in the curriculum, and some academics already have experience of working collaboratively online with overseas universities. For example, Dr Liz Frondigoun, lecturer in Criminology in GSBS, has been involved in projects similar to COIL since 2008 which link students with those in universities elsewhere in the UK and the US. Currently, these projects are delivered using pbwiki. Students from collaborating universities are assigned to virtual groups of eight to 10. In these groups, they undertake an online project on a topic that is of interest to criminology and/or criminal and social justice. It runs for five to six weeks and there is a requirement for all students to engage in all of the project during that time. Linking students across cultural and distinct jurisdictions encourages discussions on issues for criminology and criminal justice. It also contributes towards internationalising the curriculum for our students.

A further example can be found in the School of Engineering and Built Environment. In the next academic year, GCU’s Audio Technology with Electronics students will take part in a COIL project led by GCU Creative Technologies lecturer Dr David Moore in collaboration with Audio Design and Production students at the State University of New York (Oswego). Although the emphasis of their study is different, there is commonality through music production modules which both institutions deliver. The students will

collaborate on studio-recording coursework and will team up to perform, record and produce music tracks.

Through the different emphases of the degree programmes, Oswego students will benefit from contact with GCU students who are involved with the more scientific aspects of audio, whereas the GCU students will learn more about the creative/performance aspects of studio work covered in Oswego.

GCU’s efforts to widen horizons do not stop with the taught curriculum. Extra-curricular activities organised by the Students’ Association and its international societies add to the colourful spectrum of cultural events and global learning opportunities.

How do you measure whether COIL has been a success?In the short term, the success of COIL can be measured in the number of modules with a COIL element. Given that COIL is not subject specific, all programmes in all schools should have a COIL element in their curriculum by 2020.

The long-term success will manifest itself in the number of graduates who leave Glasgow and the UK to pursue challenging career opportunities with international employers and British employers who operate abroad. A substantial increase in the physical mobility figures would be another indicator of success.

Please contact GCU Lead for further information about the Strategy for Learning.

33

WHO? I am Frances MacInnes, Module Leader, Skills for Professional Practice for Biosciences and Vision Science. I am highlighting how I implement the design principles of Personalised Learning and Broader, Deeper Learning.

WHAT?Traditional approaches to Personal Development Planning (PDP) and reflective writing can be uninspiring and quite often a difficult concept for many students. My approach sees students participate in two interactive group PDP sessions, helping inform the creation of an online personal profile and their participation in a reflective blog over a 10-week period. Students attend reflective writing sessions and guidance is given on the type of postings and content that must be covered. After a slow start, the postings become more regular, interesting and compelling, providing a platform for them to talk openly and reflect on their academic and social lives. It targets the SfL principles on Personalised and Broader and Deeper Learning through interaction, reflection and formative feedback not just to the module team, but to each other. SO WHAT?Student feedback is instantaneous, highlighting the usefulness and enjoyment of blogging, and many continue to blog even after the assessment period.

It helps them identify strengths and weaknesses, analysing and evaluating their development and self-prescribing new courses of action, problem solving, or seeking support. NOW WHAT?There is benefit to starting the process early in the academic year to support students to chart and measure their progress. A blog can be accessed from any device that has an internet

connection. It’s instantaneous, timely, up-to-date and captures a moment in time… and the students love it.

View from here

From left, Dr David Moore, Sabine McKinnon and Dr Liz Frondigoun.

34 WWW.THECALEDONIAN.AC.UK

BACK STORY

Who are you and what’s your day job?My name is James Bowness. I’m a first year

PhD student in Sociology and Social Policy having just completed my Sport Science undergraduate degree at St Mary’s University in London. As a full-time PhD student, I receive a stipend from the University to fulfil my research — this is my day job. My PhD is looking at ageing, identity and gender in “Masters (older athletes) sports” — with a specific look at Highland Games athletes.

What is your Back Story and how did it come about? I am a national standard runner. I was the fastest at school over sprints etc in the playground and, with family members involved in athletics, it was an easy trajectory to follow. Winning races built an athletic identity which has continued for just over 10 years now.

Can you explain how you began studying for your PhD?In many aspects, my PhD topic ties in with my personal life. I am looking at ageing athletes, how their gender affects participation and how their sporting identities are crafted. There is a lot of crossover with my own sporting life. Primarily, I turned to education as a response to repeated injuries and a fracturing of the athletics identity. Academics provided a platform where more effort resulted in better results — which is not necessarily the case in athletics. As a result of this change of perspective, and a continued critical mindset — sociology seemed to work well with me and I got good scores in my undergraduate work. One of the lecturers at St Mary’s directed me to the studentship advertisement. I applied and, fortunately, got selected.

James balances his work with scheduled runs.

James is running on success

How do you combine your training with your studies?I aim to do a certain amount of work each day alongside my scheduled runs, sessions and gym workouts. Time management is a big thing with this — and I don’t always do it well. Sometimes I have to work unsocial hours to facilitate both of them.

What’s been your biggest achievement in sport?Representing Great Britain at the Loughborough International when I was 18 was a very special achievement for me. Since I have had a lot of injury and illness problems in the past three years, it has been really rewarding making my second British Indoor final this year and also representing England in competitions in Vienna and Bratislava. Furthermore, I achieved an

800m time of 1.49.97 in early May to break 1.50.00 for the first time in almost four years.

What are your long-term ambitions?The academic goals are the most important — and I want to complete my PhD within the three-year period, in which I will hopefully display some good scholarship that will enable me to continue in the field of research and stimulate my inquisitive nature. With regards to athletics, I hope to continue to perform at my best — learn more about what works for me and enjoy the bodily experience that running brings. If my continued efforts bring me closer to opportunities to represent England, Scotland or Great Britain, then great. But if not, being involved in sport allows me to enjoy the body and its capacities.

2nd in UKfor internationalstudentsatisfaction(ISB, summer 2013)

At GCU, our staff are committed to offering an excellent student experience. That is why we have been ranked 2nd in the UK for international student satisfaction in the latest International Student Barometer survey.

Our dedication has also placed GCU:• 1st in Scotland for international student support• 1st in Scotland for accommodation costs and visa advice• 4th in the UK and 2nd in Scotland for learning experience and student recommendation.

To find out more, visit www.gcu.ac.uk

At GCU, our hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence is reflected in the satisfaction of our students, the high calibre of our graduates and the services we provide to all of our stakeholders. This has seen GCU rise eight places in this year’s Complete University Guide. Performing well in a range of areas including topping the ranks with our Podiatry provision and achieving UK top 10 status with Building, Medical Technology (Radiography) and Ophthalmics, GCU is now one of the top 20 modern universities in the UK.

To find out more, visit www.gcu.ac.uk

A top 20modern university*(*Complete University Guide 2014)