CASS Newsletter Issue 8 - April 2012
Welcome to the Spring Edition of the College Newsletter.
Welcome once again to the College’s online newsletter. In this spring edition for 2011/12, we have news on the recently established Aberdeen-Henley Partnership as well as an update on the progress of an externally-funded research project in Sociology. You will also find news on some of the latest achievements and successes of our students and academic colleagues, including a particularly inspirational article about Paul Murray, a gifted student who has overcome numerous obstacles to pursue his love of music composition and performance.
As always, I do hope that you enjoy the read.
Divinity colleague in receipt of prestigious award |
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Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta delivers Hay of Seaton lecture |
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Malcolm Hay of Seaton was a distinguished soldier and historian and the last Laird of Seaton in Aberdeen. After his death his widow, Alice Ivy Hay of Seaton, left a bequest in her own will in 1981 to the University of Aberdeen to establish a memorial lecture series to promote a greater knowledge and understanding of the history and culture of Judaism in its various settings. Fra’ Festing, an arts expert who has served in the Grenadier Guards and holds the rank of colonel in the Territorial Army, became a member of the Sovereign Order of Malta in 1977 and took solemn religious vows in 1991, becoming a Professed Knight of the Order. Between 1993 and 2008 he was the Grand Prior of England. In this capacity, he led missions of humanitarian aid to Kosovo, Serbia and Croatia. He was elected as the 79th Grand Master in 2008 and is only the second Englishman to hold the position, which ranks as the highest official after the cardinals, and is the only modern leader of an entity within the Catholic Church, in addition to the Pope, to be considered a sovereign monarch. Professor Joachim Schaper, Chair of the Hay of Seaton Committee, said that he was delighted to have been able to welcome such a distinguished guest to the University and that the lecture was “of great interest for anyone who wishes to learn more about inter-faith relations and politics in today’s Middle East and beyond.” |
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New series of Café Philosophique begins this month |
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Organised by the University of Aberdeen, it is another extension to the popular programme of community cafes which has grown to include topics such as science and medicine and which has expanded into Aberdeenshire with events in Banchory, Inverurie and Fraserburgh. Café Philosophique will return to the roots of the roots of the original movement by opening up philosophy to the general public. Organiser Federico Luzzi, Outreach and Knowledge Transfer Officer for the Northern Institute of Philosophy (NIP), said engaging with philosophy offers many benefits in everyday life. “Philosophy involves mental gymnastics – it is a way of training your brain to think rationally and logically. This develops a set of skills useful in all walks of life. For example, those who do philosophy tend to be attentive to detail, spot fallacies in other people’s claims and are less likely to be misled by advertising. Studies have also indicated that those who do philosophy once a week improved their IQ scores.” Events will take place in April, May and June and Dr Luzzi says that no prior knowledge of philosophy is required to join the debate. “All that is needed to be a philosopher is the ability to reason and the idea is to do philosophy together, collaboratively,” he added. “Those who come along will be able to engage with the ‘puzzles’ of philosophy and provide new insight, even if they know nothing of the subject.” Café Philosophique is supported by the Royal Institute of Philosophy. Events begin at 7pm and entry is free. For further details visit www.engagingaberdeen.co.uk. |
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Duchess of Rothesay visits trainee teachers and music scholars |
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After meeting with trainee teachers and academic colleagues key to the development of research into teaching practices, the Duchess moved on to the Department of Music where she met staff and students. She was introduced to fourth-year music student Paul Murray who has overcome four major brain surgeries and multiple sclerosis to continue playing the piano. After his illness left him partially paralysed, the talented musician had to learn the more difficult technique of left-hand only repertoire to continue performing. The visit concluded with a performance by members of King’s College Chapel Choir who gave a special recital of Professor Mealor’s Wherever You Are. The piece, which saw the Military Wives Choir secure top spot in the charts, has been adapted to include male voices, and this was the first time it had been performed in public in Scotland in this new arrangement. The Principal said of the visit: “We were delighted to welcome the Duchess of Rothesay to the University of Aberdeen and our School of Education. Teacher education in Aberdeen has an impressive pedigree which can be traced back to 1873, and our School of Education continues to provide the highest level of training for those entering the profession. Aberdeen-led research plays a major role in policy making in Scotland and beyond, and it was an honour to introduce Her Royal Highness to some of those at the forefront of this important field.” “The School of Education is also home to a thriving Department of Music which has enjoyed huge success in recent years including collaborations with Scottish Opera, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and our own Paul Mealor, who last week was voted the country’s favourite living composer.” Liz Clark, Acting Head of School, said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for the School of Education to showcase the work that has been undertaken within the Inclusive Practice Project. Beginner teachers leaving the University of Aberdeen have had a unique experience which prepares them to provide an inclusive curriculum which all children can access. In this it achieves the vision of the Scottish Government: ‘to see an education system that is inclusive, welcomes diversity and provides an equal opportunity for all children to develop their personality, skills and abilities to their fullest potential.” |
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Gifted music student overcomes brain tumour and paralysis to perform |
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The 21-year-old, who has undergone four major brain surgeries, is also using his compositional talent to rework one of the world’s greatest piano pieces so he can continue to perform, using just his left hand to play music originally conceived for two hands. His story will feature in a new Channel 4 documentary about the Ballade Number One by Chopin, exploring the life of the virtuoso pianist Frédéric Chopin, to be screened later this year. Paul took up the piano at Bellshill Academy in North Lanarkshire aged 15 and, despite having no previous formal musical training, reached Grade Five standard within just a few months. His gift for music saw him quickly progress, learning pieces such as Chopin’s Ballade in G minor in a matter of weeks, and secured him a place to study music here at Aberdeen, where he began his studies in 2007. But during his first year, Paul was diagnosed with a massive brain tumour which required immediate surgery. He spent four months in Southern General Hospital learning how to walk and talk again, but he said his passion for music and the support of his family helped to keep up his spirits. “I had four brain surgeries in total, the first lasting for 14 and a half hours, and had to go through a long period of rehabilitation which meant I spent my 18th birthday in hospital. I was told it would take two and half years’ recovery time but I’m always very positive with these things and I was determined to get back to university and continue my studies.” “Classical music was not something I grew up with – it was almost as if I woke up one day and decided this was what I wanted to do – and I wasn’t prepared to let my illness take that away from me. I felt I was very lucky to be here and wanted to make the most of my life.” Paul made remarkable progress following his surgery and was able to return to the University the next academic year to begin his first year again. The brain tumour, however, caused damage to the right hand side of his body, leaving him partially paralysed and unable to play the piano as he had before. “My hand doesn’t work like it used to and when I returned to the University I met with one of my tutors – the composer Paul Mealor – who suggested I try left-hand repertoire. This is some of the most difficult music ever written and is not diminished in any way by using only one hand, as movement and speed are always constant. I worked on as much left-hand repertoire as I could and I performed at a concert where I was given a standing ovation, and I thought at that point: ‘I’m back’.” But recovering from the brain tumour was only part of the journey for Paul, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009. He says this has made him even more determined to succeed. “I’m now building up my confidence again when it comes to performance and I’m working with other musicians who also use left hand repertoire. My passion for classical music has helped me overcome so much and I hope to be able to bring this music to those who, like me, did not grow up with it.” Dr David Smith, Head of Music, describes Paul as ‘a truly inspirational student, totally dedicated to his studies’. He added: “His resilience is astounding. What amazes me is how his sheer musicality emerges. When examining second-year performance, we were moved to tears by Paul’s playing – not something that happens often in an exam situation! He was playing left-handed repertoire that most students – and, dare I say, staff – would have found difficult enough to play with two hands.” |
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World raises a toast to whisky thanks to language student |
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Unlike other drinks such as vodka, beer and even tequila, whisky did not have its own dedicated day, and when the enterprising Hispanic Studies student discovered this he quickly set about creating one. He also established the associated website www.worldwhiskyday.com so that people can log their own celebrations and come together to enjoy whisky. Blair, who grew up in Edinburgh, says he is one of a growing number of young people with a passion for the drink, with the University’s own malt whisky society now boasting 250 members. He said that he hoped World Whisky Day would be a way to introduce whisky to those who have never tried it before and to allow them to learn about and appreciate the wonderful variety of the spirit. Blair’s efforts have seen him scoop the Scottish Institute for Enterprise New Ventures Competition - Arts/Culture category, which comes with a £1,000 prize to develop his concept further. He said he was delighted by the response he has received to World Whisky Day. “People seem to love the idea of raising a glass of whisky across the world. I’m hoping that it allows more people to become interested in whisky and could also boost tourism for Scotland. Whisky is booming right now, all over the world. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this famous Scottish export.” |
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College colleagues among those recognised at City Ambassadors awards reception |
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Through its Ambassador Programme, the Bureau works closely with the University of Aberdeen, the Robert Gordon University and businesses to bring conferences, seminars and events to Aberdeen. More than half the business secured in 2011 - including the British Science Festival, which comes to the University of Aberdeen in September - came through the team of dedicated ambassadors. Around 50 guests attended a drinks reception at the Gordon Highlanders Museum on 21 March, where Lord Provost Peter Stephen presented awards to the 25 ambassadors who secured conferences for 2011 or for the next few years. The following ambassadors from the College were honoured at the event: • Professor Jane Geddes - British Archaeological Association Conference 2014 Many of those appointed as ambassadors have a high profile within specialist fields, and securing a conference for Aberdeen gives them a wider platform on which to showcase their work among their peers. Business tourism is crucial to the Scottish economy, with an economic benefit of £1billion a year, and association conferences are vital to sustain this level of growth. Ambassadors work to promote Aberdeen City and Shire as an attractive conference destination by attracting key meetings and seminars to the area, focusing attention on the region and encouraging local economic growth. In return, the scheme allows ambassadors to showcase their research and raise their own profile within their area of specialism, giving their subject matter a wider audience through Aberdeen Convention Bureau’s support and promotion. Aberdeen Convention Bureau provides support for the conference bids, including bid proposals, venue location and reservation, site visits and marketing. Once a bid has been successful, the Convention Bureau can arrange accommodation for delegates and assist with arranging social events programmes. For more information on Aberdeen Convention Bureau and the Ambassador Programme, visit www.aberdeenconferences.com. |
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Students' work showcased at global education conference in London |
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Claire Arnott (1st year, Education), Sharri Holroyd (3rd year, Education and International Relations), and Valeria Pini (4th year, Politics and International Relations) took part in the London conference. Both Claire and Valeria are volunteers for the University of Aberdeen Centre for Sustainable International Development, and Claire’s group presentation was one of those being shown at the conference. Helping the students present their work was the Centre’s Director, Dr Hilary Homans. Last September over 100 students from across the University enrolled on the innovative twelve-week interdisciplinary course on Sustainable International Development run as part of curriculum reform at the University and coordinated by the Centre for Sustainable International Development. The course aimed to provide students with an overview of the complexity of sustainable international development and the linkages between social development, economic growth and environmental protection. This was approached through an examination of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with a specific focus on the least developed countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The course was available to students from all disciplines and was taught by lecturers from a wide range of different disciplines (Biological Sciences, Development Studies, Economics, Education, Environmental Studies, Geography, History, Law, Linguistics and Modern Languages, Population Health, Social Sciences). As well as inputs from a range of disciplines, students also learned from films and novels from the region and from the experiences of Aberdeen-based non-governmental organisations working in Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Uganda. Staff from these NGOs made inputs into the course and enabled students to see the relationship between development theory and practice. By the end of the first course, students could show that they had developed skills in participatory and social networking approaches and were able to engage with issues of sustainable international development as well-informed global citizens. They actively participated in debates and discussions and completed the course working in small groups to prepare graded presentations. |
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Lifetime achievement award for Alex Kemp |
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An audience of more than 370 guests attended the 26th OAA awards ceremony at Ardoe House Hotel. They saw the best talent in the industry recognised in categories including Great Large and Great Small Company Performance, Export Achievement and Safety Innovation. Professor Kemp is one of the foremost experts on the economics of the North Sea oil and gas industry. He is currently Professor of Petroleum Economics and Director of Aberdeen Centre for Research in Energy Economics and Finance (ACREEF). He previously worked for Shell, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Nairobi. For many years he has specialised in research in the field of petroleum economics with special reference to licensing and petroleum taxation issues. He has published over 200 books and papers in this field and was awarded the OBE for services to the oil and gas industry in 2006. The OAA awards were re-launched in October by the Society of Petroleum Engineers Aberdeen Section, along with the support of main sponsor TAQA Bratani. The Principal said: “I know I can speak for colleagues here at the University in saying how delighted we are that Alex has been honoured in this way, and how warmly we congratulate him. He is a tremendous asset both to the University and also – as this testifies – to the energy industry.” |
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Platinum 'prize' for Paul |
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Composer Paul Mealor has been presented with the framed disc for his piece written for the Military Wives Choir. He was drafted in by choirmaster Gareth Malone, who managed to convince over 100 women to join a choir after visiting military bases in Chivenor and Plymouth for BBC2 series The Choir. Wherever You Are, which Paul wrote after reading the moving letters and poems written by the partners of servicemen, became the fastest selling UK single since Elton John's Candle In The Wind in 1997. To mark its success and the sale of the 600,000th single, record company Decca presented Professor Mealor, who teaches composition, with the disc. He said that as a classical composer it was an accolade he never expected to achieve. “It has been an absolute honour to be involved with the Military Wives choir and this tops off what has been a wonderful experience. I was thrilled to be asked to write a piece for the group but I couldn’t have envisaged how it would capture the public imagination. For my work to reach out to so many people in this way is absolutely fantastic on a personal level but more importantly it has also helped forces’ charities. As a classical composer I never thought I’d reach a wide enough audience to gain a platinum disc. It will definitely be taking pride of place on my wall!” Sales of Wherever You Are have netted more than £500,000 for the Royal British Legion and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAF). The piece was also nominated for a Brit Award having been in the running for Best British Single. |
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Lifelong passion for Dickens rewarded with visit to the Palace |
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The former lecturer in English, who retired from the University in 2010, was invited to attend a reception held by Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in February. Dr Schlicke, who lives in Inverurie, said he was delighted to receive his invitation to the prestigious event. Cultural events to mark the bicentenary of Dickens’s birth are planned across the globe for 2012 and Dr Schlicke said that this demonstrates the Victorian novelist’s relevance to modern day society. “Dickens has become recognised increasingly as the most important writer in English since Shakespeare. Interestingly, like Shakespeare, he had a large popular appeal as well as one to academic and literary specialists. He is probably the single most referred to source for what life was like in the mid 19th century England, particularly London. Dickens was one of the great comic writers in our language and his insight into psychology and into social issues was very great indeed.” Dr Schlicke said Dickens’ enduring appeal is a reflection of his status and the ability of his writing to reach out to those beyond the literary elite. “What seems clear to me is that Dickens was really the first ‘celebrity’. He was still in his 20s when he was given the freedom of the city of Edinburgh and he travelled to America when he was just 30 years old. When he arrived people lined the docks to see him and were waiting for him outside his hotel – rather like the Beatles all those years later. He is still bringing pleasure to people all over the world and I’m pleased to see so much is being done to commemorate this important anniversary. I’ll be closely involved with planning events to take place here in Aberdeen.” |
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World class executive education via Henley-Aberdeen Partnership |
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The Henley Partnership model is a unique and exclusive learning development network of organisations keen to be inspired and to develop their leadership. It offers a range of master classes, offered throughout the year, with the topics chosen by the partnership. The partnership concept began in Henley in 1995 and now includes a network of organisations ranging from FTSE 100 companies to SMEs to those in the voluntary sector. The creation of the Henley-Aberdeen Partnership will see the same successful model implemented north of the border. Professor Norman Hutchison, who is leading the partnership for Aberdeen, says leadership development has never been more important in the corporate world but that many organisations are forced to look south for delivery. “We believe that we are the only programme in Scotland offering executive education of this kind. It combines the delivery of high quality executive education from a recognised global leader with world leading academics and researchers in areas such as economics, accountancy, finance, real estate and human resources. “This will all take place in Aberdeen and we’ve had a very enthusiastic response from companies keen to take advantage of this opportunity in Scotland, particularly as organisations are becoming more aware of the need to cut their carbon footprint.” The first season of events got underway in March and will run until late June, including sessions with leading behavioural economist Roger Martin-Fagg, speechwriting expert Simon Lancaster, Nick Holley, an authority on human resources, and business strategist Jeff Callander. Paul Bennett, Director of the Henley Partnership said, “We are delighted to be part of the Henley-Aberdeen Partnership. We are very much looking forward to working with new partnership members to create a vibrant learning community in Scotland centred around strategic leadership challenges”. Full details of the Henley-Aberdeen Partnership can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/henley-aberdeen. |
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Education hosts important sector conference |
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STEC is the representative body of the seven campus-based Scottish Universities engaged with teacher education. The title of this year’s conference was Teachers as Lifelong Learners and focused on the findings of two recently published reports: Teaching for Scotland’s Future: A Review of Teacher Education in Scotland by Graham Donaldson; and Advancing Professionalism in Teaching: A Review of Teacher Employment in Scotland by Gerry McCormac. The conference provided an opportunity for debate on the issues emanating from these reports, focussing on three key areas:
A series of workshops were provided, which were followed by round table discussions to explore how these issues will impact on both universities and others who work in partnership to support the education of children and young people in Scotland. The titles of the workshops were as follows:
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Research Project Update: Compromise after Conflict |
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Our website - www.abdn.ac.uk/compromise-conflict - is proving very popular and our Twitter account - @Compromisestudy - is very successful in drawing attention to our research. We have focused on two forms of public dissemination: Twitter and the World Wide Web. With respect to Twitter, within just six months our study had 1,500 followers and we are following 2043 users. In order to measure traffic through our account, in one 24-hour period on 7 October 2011 17,732 tweets went through our account, all of whom thus are made aware of the ‘Compromise after Conflict’ study. Our followers include Downing Street and the White House. With respect to our Internet presence, in the 12-month period up to 1 October 2011, our website had 7920 hits with 6149 unique visitors, meaning that nearly two thousand people made more than one visit. To date, our achievements can be summarised as follows:
A meeting was held during the year with the Chair of the International Advisory Board, and the team organised a workshop on its research at the European Consortium of Political Research Conference in Iceland. The first of the internal programme workshops to bring together Aberdeen-based and Northern Ireland-based staff took place in Aberdeen in October. One planned in Belfast is taking place in May. Publications arising from the project have appeared or are about to appear in Contemporary Social Science and Political Studies. Conference presentations have been made in the USA (Charlottesville and Houston), Iceland, South Africa, the Netherlands, Denmark and, locally, in London, Edinburgh and Belfast, amongst others. Article contributed by Professors John Brewer and Bernie Hayes, School of Social Science |
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Thomson Reuters Eikon Certification |
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Thomson Reuters Eikon is fully integrated into finance-related degrees but those taking a degree in any area other than finance can still undertake the certification independently at no additional cost, so long as they are registered for a degree here at the University. Certification can also be undertaken by members of staff. The Thomson Reuters trading floor gives participants the chance to be in the front row analysing financial markets across the world as changes take place. The opportunities are immense. Participants can analyse ultra-high frequency data, create trading strategies and increase their understanding of bond prices, exchange rates, credit risk, volatility graphs and much more. This experience develops skills that will ensure graduates become highly skilled financial professionals at the leading edge. You can find out more about Thomson Reuters certification and Thomson Reuters Eikon at https://training.thomsonreuters.com/cert and http://thomsonreuterseikon.com. |
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Environmental responsibility: Leaving the room for a while? Should you turn off the light? |
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Although different answers are available, an authoritative report in the New Scientist in 2008 seems the most plausible (www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=turn-fluorescent-lights-off-when-you-leave-room). It seems that the power surge needed to start fluorescent lamp is equivalent to only a few seconds of use, so if you want to lower immediate energy use it is essentially worth turning the light off if you are out for more than a few seconds. It’s not quite that simple, though, if you want to consider the longevity of the equipment. Turning lights on and off does reduce the life of the components, but the equation needed to decide what is best on economic or long-term environmental grounds is complex. Important considerations include the facts that turning the light off reduces its wear (since it is not in use) and that the energy cost in making a lamp is trivial compared to that consumed during the lamp’s life, and the balance between turning on or off will tip in favour of turning off as energy prices increase and as the cost of making the lamps decreases (as they are tending to do). The article suggests it is almost always worth turning the lights off, a conclusion that surprises almost everyone. Article contributed by Dr Adam Price, Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences |
The College offers its warmest congratulations to its colleague Steve Mason, Kirby Laing Chair in New Testament Exegesis, for his recent success in receiving a Humboldt Research Award. The Humboldt Research Awards are extremely prestigious and are made to only 100 renowned academics from across the world each year. Nominations may be submitted by established academics in Germany and award winners are invited to spend a period of up to one year cooperating on a long-term research project with specialist colleagues at a research institution in Germany. According to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, “the award is granted in recognition of a researcher's entire achievements to date, to academics whose fundamental discoveries, new theories, or insights have had a significant impact on their own discipline and who are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements in the future.” Professor Mason's research focuses largely on Roman Judaea, the immediate environment in which Christianity was born, and on the thirty Greek volumes of Flavius Josephus, which provide our main source for the history of that period. The Humboldt prize will enable him to spend 2013 in Berlin working on a commentary to Josephus (published by Brill of Leiden), which he edits.
His Most Eminent Highness the Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Fra’ Matthew Festing, delivered the 2012 Hay of Seaton Memorial Lecture at the University on Monday 16 April. Entitled “Opportunities for Cooperation between the Faiths of the Middle East: an humanitarian view from the Order of Malta”, the lecture was open to the public and attracted a large audience in the King’s College Auditorium. 
Twenty years ago in a café in Paris, philosopher Marc Sautet came up with an idea to bring people together in a public friendly forum where they could discuss ideas. From this, Café Philosophique was born and since then thousands of participants worldwide have adopted Sautet's idea as a way to enhance their thinking and debate important issues in a relaxed and friendly setting. Now Aberdeen will join this international movement with its own Café Philosophique series which begins on Monday 23 April.
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Rothesay visited the School of Education earlier this month to see how the institution prepares new teachers to enter the profession.
Within months of taking up the piano as a teenager, gifted music student Paul Murray was sailing through exams that it usually takes years of formal training to conquer. But the undergraduate has had to learn how to play all over again - using only his left hand - after a brain tumour and multiple sclerosis left him partially paralysed.
People across the world raised a dram to Scotland’s national drink in March thanks to the efforts of one of our students. Blair Bowman, 21, established the first ever World Whisky Day on 27 March and it is hoped that it will become an annual celebration. 
Academics and business leaders who have helped to bring conference business worth £8million to the North-east have been recognised by the Aberdeen Convention Bureau for their contribution to the local economy.
CASS students taking one of the new Sixth Century Courses as part of the University’s curriculum reform presented their work last week to an international audience in London as part of the British Council’s Going Global conference.
Top individuals and companies in the offshore industry were celebrated at the 2012 Offshore Achievement Awards in March, where Professor Alex Kemp was awarded the Lifetime Achievement accolade.
It is an accolade presented to the world’s top pop and rock stars, but now one of our own colleagues has joined an exclusive club of platinum disc holders.
Dr Paul Schlicke dedicated almost four decades to teaching the work of Charles Dickens to students at the University of Aberdeen, and his efforts were recognised and rewarded with a visit to Buckingham Palace as part of the celebrations to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great author.
The University has joined forces with one of the world's leading business schools to create a unique network which will deliver leadership development to those at the top of their organisations in Scotland.
The School of Education was host to the annual Scottish Teacher Education Committee (STEC) Conference earlier this month, which coincided with the visit of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Rothesay. 
Led by Professors John Brewer and Bernie Hayes, the Programme began in September 2009 and runs for five years. It is funded by a grant from the Leverhulme Trust totalling £1.26million. It addresses the development of compromise amongst victims of communal conflict, and covers Northern Ireland, South Africa and Sri Lanka, as well as Sierra Leone, Spain and Colombia. Data is based on qualitative interviews and nationally representative surveys. The first year was one of fruitful birth, the second of sustained growth. All projects are now underway and proceeding on time, with data collection still the primary goal; all PhD studentships have been awarded and the students are progressing successfully; and several public presentations and conference papers have been completed.
The University of Aberdeen is the first academic institution in the UK and Ireland to subscribe to Thomson Reuters Eikon, a state-of-the-art trading platform. Students have the potential to springboard their careers by achieving both professional certification and a degree qualification which gives them the intellectual and professional skills needed to stay ahead of the competition. Located in our flagship library, Thomson Reuters Eikon is the same professional tool used by fund management companies across the world.
Here is a quiz question: How long do you need to be out of the room before it becomes better to turn off the light rather than leave it on? As concern about environment grows, I am sure many have thought about it. In the Cruickshank tea room a small group of us took 50p bets on the answer. We ranged from 2 minutes to one and a half hours with a mean of about 25 minutes. In everyone’s mind was the idea that fluorescent lights take a lot more power to turn on than to run. Another consideration is the possibility that the lifetime of lamp components is not just about how long they will last when on, but also how many times they are turned on. To see who was going to win the £2.50 prize, I did some research on the web and the answer surprised me even though I was the closest.If you have any comments or suggestions for features in future issues please contact us.
