Newsletter Issue 10 - December 2012
Welcome to the Winter Edition of the College Newsletter
Welcome to the December edition of the College newsletter for 2012/13. In this particular issue we remember a wonderful colleague, Myra Pearson, who passed away in November and is sorely missed. We also have several articles on the achievements of some of our staff and students, an overview of certain College-related events that have taken place in the past few months as well as an article on the first ever Scottish Book Week.
I do hope that you enjoy the read, and wish you all the best for a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Myra Pearson OBE A tribute to a dear friend and former colleague...
Celebrations for the first Book Week Scotland The Sir Duncan Rice Library provided the perfect setting for literary inspiration...
Matthew Green shares experience of hunt for notorious African warlord as part of The Big Read The author behind the book which inspired the University’s first common reading programme visited the University last month...
Education student managed motherhood and Masters Gaynor Steel had to juggle her own expanding family with the demands of studying for her degree...
First Minister addresses Scotland-China event The First Minister addressed a conference at the University exploring links between Scotland and China...
CASS graduate invited to Scottish Parliament event showcasing employability A graduate of the College of Arts and Social Sciences was invited to an event at the Scottish Parliament...
Reintroduced protected species report sparks national interest A report led by a colleague in the School of Law attracted nationwide media attention...
Music colleague invites public to make special sound map of Aberdeen The general public was invited to take part in an exciting new public artwork...
Achievements for former Business School students An MSc alumnus and an MBA alumna have achieved great things recently...
'Milestone' Hitler biography set for TV miniseries The research of DHP colleague Tom Weber will be brought to the screen by a team of award-winning German film-makers...
CASS colleague achievements
Recent CASS-related events
Myra Pearson OBE
As many of you will be aware, the University lost a dear friend and former colleague last month. Myra Pearson was appointed to the role of Head of the School of Education in 2006, a post that she held until 2010 when she took early retirement following the onset of leukaemia. Her determination to conquer her illness remained strong but she suffered severe complications which led to her passing on 17 November 2012.
Under Myra’s leadership, the School’s teacher education provision became a model for other universities. She supported colleagues in the School to grow their skills and was a tremendous advocate for the School in the College, the wider University and the education sector as a whole. Having been involved in international exchanges in education and teacher education, she widened the School’s international activities and took a ‘can do’ approach to many new ideas. As a result, it came as no surprise to her contemporaries when Myra was awarded the OBE for services to higher education in the 2011 New Year's Honours list.
A witty, intelligent and innovative woman with a dry and wry sense of humour, she fought her illness courageously and with a characteristically positive attitude. Her many colleagues over the years will recognise these qualities and share the feeling of untimely loss of a committed colleague and friend. She will be greatly missed.
Margaret Ross, Vice-Principal and Head of College
Celebrations for the first Book Week Scotland
The Sir Duncan Rice Library provided the perfect setting for literary inspiration as school children from across the city visited the University for the very first Scottish Book Week.
Book Week Scotland was Scotland's first national celebration of books and reading, and ran from 26 November to 2 December. Pupils from Kittybrewster, Skene Square, Cornhill, Sunnybank and Westpark primary schools attended workshops where they learned about the University’s Special Collections, how ancient books and documents are cared for, and created their own bookplate inspired by those in the collections. Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart also visited the Library to announce the winners of the University’s first Flash Fiction competition, where budding writers of all ages were invited to submit a short story of no more than 500 words inspired by one of four images from the University’s Special Collections Centre.
A host of other events took place throughout the week including a book exchange where visitors could swap books and share their views of the book they brought along, and a book binding workshop. Saturday provided a series of events for younger visitors to the Library including a celebration of the Paper Zoo, a new ‘version’ of the famous Aberdeen Bestiary created by young people during a summer school, and a session where families created their own book covers and book plates.
Matthew Green shares experience of hunt for notorious African warlord as part of The Big Read
The author behind the book which inspired the University’s first common reading programme, The Big Read, visited the University last month to meet with students, staff and the general public.
Matthew Green, a former East Africa correspondent for the news agency Reuters and author of The Wizard of the Nile, spent two days in Aberdeen talking to audiences about his hunt for one of the world’s most wanted fugitives. He explained how he grew so frustrated by how little was known about Joseph Kony, a man whom the United Nations accused of causing "the biggest forgotten and neglected humanitarian emergency in the world", that in 2006 he took six months off and set about tracking Kony down, hoping to fill in the blanks about this most mysterious of African militiamen.
The book in which he documents this journey, The Wizard of the Nile, was chosen for The Big Read which was launched by the College in September. A free copy of his work was sent to every arts, humanities and social sciences ‘fresher’ and the book was used as way for new students to get to know one another during their first weeks at the University. Freshers’ Week activities centred on The Wizard of the Nile with a matriculation lecture and activities organised by various clubs and societies. Such programmes are popular in the US and are used as a way to initiate students into University-level thinking, but Aberdeen was one of the first institutions in the UK to introduce the concept.
Green’s visit gave students who have studied his work across a range of subjects the unique chance to engage with a celebrated author. In addition to student-focused events, Green also hosted a question and answer session at the King’s College Conference Centre which was open to parents, alumni of the University and the public.
For further details about The Big Read project, visit www.abdn.ac.uk/thebigread.
Education student managed motherhood and Masters
Schools with just a handful of pupils provided the inspiration for Gaynor Steel’s Masters degree in Education, but she had to juggle her own expanding family with the demands of studying for her degree.
Gaynor, from St Fergus near Peterhead, is the Head Teacher of Ardallie School which was closed temporarily in August after the school roll fell to just two pupils. Her interest in small schools and their unique challenges and benefits inspired her thesis for which she examined 10 primary schools in rural Aberdeenshire.
Gaynor’s family expanded with the arrival of son Euan in November 2011 in the midst of studying for her Masters, and with another son Ethan, six, and two-year-old daughter Emma, she had to fit her university work in around the children. She said: “I did the bulk of the work on my project from the beginning of last year while I was on maternity leave. It did mean I was working all hours and I think I’m fortunate the children are all good sleepers so I was able to get some studying done! It was a lot to juggle at the same time but after completing a Scottish Qualification for Headship a few years ago I knew I wanted to do a Master’s before I turned 40. I celebrated my birthday last December so that kept me motivated along with the encouragement of my family, my colleagues and my tutor. Without their support I think I’d have given up a long time ago.”
Gaynor is now temporarily redeployed as depute head at Ellon Primary School. Her husband and her eldest son were there to see her collect her Master’s in Education at Elphinstone Hall on Thursday 29 November.
First Minister addresses Scotland-China event
The First Minister addressed a conference at the University exploring links between Scotland and China as the University announced it will open its own Confucius Institute.
Alex Salmond was on campus to attend a lecture presented by Professor Lai Desheng, Dean of the School of Economics and Business Administration at Beijing Normal University. The lecture formed part of the ‘Scotland in Conversation with China initiative’, organised by the Scotland China Education Network and the University of Strathclyde, and involving higher and further education institutes across Scotland. The Aberdeen event attended by the First Minister was focused on Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurship Practice in China and formed a ‘taster’ event for the new Confucius Institute to be established following the signing of a formal agreement with Hanban, the Chinese National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, in Beijing in October. Barbara Fennell, Language & Literature, has been the academic lead on the establishment of the Confucius Institute and continues to work as the University’s senior representative in ongoing discussions.
There are around 350 Confucius Institutes around the world focused on the delivery of Chinese language, culture and events. The Aberdeen Confucius Institute will take the total number in Scotland to four, with others based in the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Strathclyde.
The Institute will be run in cooperation with Wuhan University, one of the foremost universities in China. It will be community based, acting as a first port of call for individuals, groups and businesses seeking information about China, and as with all Confucius Institutes, its main activity will be to provide classes in Chinese language. The Institute will also work closely with local cultural agencies and communities to stage events and activities and will provide support to the Confucius Classrooms Initiative, a scheme which promotes learning about Chinese language and culture in schools and forms part of the government’s memorandum of understanding, aiming to strengthen educational co-operation between China and Scotland.
CASS graduate invited to Scottish Parliament event showcasing employability
A graduate of the College of Arts and Social Sciences was invited to an event at the Scottish Parliament showcasing graduate employability in September.
As a result of her pre- and post-graduation work experiences, Amanda Wood was invited to the ‘Graduate employability in Scotland in 2012 and beyond’ event organised by Universities Scotland at the Scottish Parliament, with Ms Angela Constance MSP, Minister for Youth Employment. The purpose of this event is to bring together Scotland’s employers, employer bodies, universities, students, politicians and other key higher education stakeholders to network as part of the development of a graduate employment strategy.
Amanda graduated with an MA (Hons) in English Literature with Language & Linguistics in July this year. During her summer vacation in 2011 she undertook a three month ‘Aberdeen Internship’ at the University in Human Resources, which allowed her to complete a project entitled ‘Aligning Training and Development provision within the University with the Researcher Development Framework (RDF)’. Since completing her internship in 2011, Amanda has been appointed to a Graduate Trainee role in the Staff Development Unit in Human Resources.
Peter Fantom, Head of the Careers Service said: “The University of Aberdeen is committed to supporting our students in gaining vital work experience throughout their time at the institution, which will be advantageous to them when they enter the working world. The Aberdeen Internship programme is a strong example of one of the ways in which we achieve this. The scheme allows us to invest in the talents of our students and provide them with opportunities to develop and enhance their employability skills.”
Reintroduced protected species report sparks national interest
A report led by a colleague in the School of Law attracted nationwide media attention after it was published earlier this year.
‘Derogations for Reintroduced Protected Species’ was a report commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to provide recommendations on the legal opportunities to resolve conflicts and secure benefits in the relationships between land managers and reintroduced species protected under European law. In Scotland, these species include beavers, white-tailed sea eagles and red kites. One of the findings, which prompted extensive media coverage, was that the killing of beavers may become necessary to control their numbers if the animals were formally reintroduced to Scotland.
Lead author Aylwin Pillai, Director of the Rural Law Research Group, along with fellow researchers Daniel Heptinstall, Michael Hammond, Steve Redpath and Gail Saluja, investigated how other European countries dealt with beavers and also grey wolves and lynx. The researchers have made a number of recommendations as to how public concerns over Scottish reintroductions could be resolved and balanced with the benefits they bring to biodiversity and tourism.
The report said: "Evidence from the case studies outlined in this report indicates that reintroduced species and humans can co-exist without conflict. This success is only possible, however, if potential problems which might arise from the reintroduction are identified in advance, thereby allowing for appropriate management strategies to be put in place."
Aylwin Pillai said: "This was a fascinating and important research project given the potential for human-species conflicts or challenges in European protected species reintroductions. It's a matter of particular interest in Scotland owing to the relatively recent reintroduction of the sea eagle and the ongoing trial reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver."
Coverage of the report included articles by the BBC, The Scotsman, The Scottish Daily Mail and The Telegraph.
Music colleague invites public to make special sound map of Aberdeen
The general public was invited to take part in an exciting new public artwork that will see the creation of a sound map of Aberdeen.
Sound Sites, which was launched on 27 October as part of the annual sound Festival of New Music, was commissioned by the City of Aberdeen and was led by professor and sound specialist, Pete Stollery. An online map of the city is being created and by clicking on a pin people will be able to hear a recording of that place.
“In our busy lives we have a tendency to block out or ignore many of the sounds around us,” says Pete. “Through Sound Sites we hope to reintroduce people to the rich sensorial experience that Aberdeen offers.”
Prior to the event, Pete had already made a number of sample recordings that range from a football crowd at Pittodrie to a bird singing in the Botanic Gardens, work in the docks to a bus travelling over Aberdeen’s cobbled streets. These were available to listen to at the launch event where people also learned more about how to make their own recordings and upload them onto the map.
“Everyone can get involved with Sound Sites, whether as individuals or through school and community groups. I hope that people from across Aberdeen will join us in creating a sound picture that not only reflects the experience of living in Aberdeen, but also documents the places the mean most to its citizens.”
For further information, see www.aberdeensoundsites.net.
Achievements for former Business School students
An MSc alumnus and an MBA alumna have achieved great things recently, with the former scooping a prestigious dissertation prize and the latter establishing and launching a global charity.
Andrew Marshall, MSc Finance and Investment Management, was awarded the Investment Property Forum Educational Trust (IPFET) dissertation prize along with £1,000 for the best MSc dissertation on a topic in real estate investment and finance. Andrew entered the MSc programme after completing an undergraduate degree in Property and Spatial Planning at the University. He has since started working for a real estate consultancy in Dubai, which provides advisory to real estate developers and investment funds.
Andrew’s dissertation was chosen from seven entries by a panel of academics from the Business School in liaison with a representative from IPFET. Entitled "Does the level of inflation affect returns in Real Estate Investment Trusts within the UK market?", it examines the relationship between the inflation rate and the return rates of companies active in the real estate sector.
Around the same time, Martina Chukwuma-Ezike, who graduated with an MBA from the University in 2009, was preparing for the formal launch of her charity, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation (AAF), at the Hilton Doubletree Aberdeen in November. The AAF is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life and health for people living with asthma and allergies. It aims to increase public awareness of the severity of asthma and other allergies by providing practical health information, community based services and support in both the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
'Milestone' Hilter biography set for TV miniseries
The research of DHP colleague Tom Weber will be brought to the screen by a team of award-winning German film-makers in an international TV series based on his book Hitler's First War.
The English-language TV serial will be made by Nico Hofmann and Jan Mojto, and follows their worldwide hits including Dresden, Storm Tide!, Operation Valkyrie, Hindenburg and The Tower. Author and director is Niki Stein, whose latest film Rommel (also produced by teamWorx) attracted great public interest even before its first airing. The screenplay is being co-authored by Hark Bohm.
The announcement was made by managing directors of teamWorx Fernsehen & Film and EOS/Beta Film at the international TV trade fair MIPCOM in Cannes. The eight-episode series will be based on Tom’s biography of Adolf Hitler, in which he vividly describes Hitler’s time as a soldier in World War I and evaluates previously unexamined documents about the List Regiment in which Hitler served.
Published in 2010, the documents triggered a new discussion about the interpretation of Hitler’s persona. The series will begin with World War I in 1914 and end with Hitler’s death in 1945. By exposing key formative moments, turning points and antagonists, the project also pinpoints certain revealing ‘leaps in radicalisation’ made by Hitler during the decisive phase of the preparations for the Holocaust.
“Even with all the previous attempts to shed light on the Third Reich, the war and the genocide, Hitler himself remains mysteriously vapid,” says Tom, an acknowledged Hitler expert and scholar who will be historical adviser for the TV project. “Our self-imposed benchmark for a new series on Hitler must be to change this. Only by taking Hitler’s skills of self-invention seriously, his talents and weaknesses, his undoubted personal charm as well as the social bonds he forged in the course of his very special path of life – if we do all this, and do it without stripping him of the tremendous impact he had on so many Germans, only then can we hope to get to the bottom of the eerie interplay between Hitler and the Germans.”
CASS colleague achievements
- Paul Beaumont, Professor in European Union and Private International Law, founds Scottish Constitutional Futures Forum with colleagues from the Universities of Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Strathclyde.
- Paul Mealor, Professor in Composition, wins the Classic BRIT Awards’ Single of the Yearcategory with the former number 1 song “Wherever You Are”.
- Cristina Flesher-Fominaya, Lecturer in Sociology, is invited to deliver keynote speech by the Youth Partnership of the European Union and the Council of Europe at international symposium.
- John Swinton, Chair in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care, is appointed as the new Master of Christ’s College.
- Bernd Wannenwetsch, Chair in Theological Ethics, is elected president of the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics.
- Moray Watson, Senior Lecturer in Gaelic, wins the Donald Meek Award for Best Gaelic Book of 2012.
Recent CASS-related events
- Café Controversial - A Brief History of the End of the World: Bill Naphy, Professor in History, spoke to a packed audience about visions of the apocalypse, and explored why past and present cultures find them so fascinating.
- James Naughtie - An Age for Dickens?: Broadcaster and journalist James Naughtie returned to Aberdeen to give the Centre for the Novel Annual Lecture to a full audience, as part of the Dickens in 2012 series to mark the bicentenary of the author's birth.
- 'Life's a Pitch! And Then You'd Buy’ - A Photographic Exhibition: Colin Clark, Senior Lecturer in Management Studies, organised an ESRC-supported exhibition featuring photographs taken between 1984 and 1994 as part of a research project on market pitching.
- Stacks Alive: Jackson Armstrong, Lecturer in History, and Michael Brown, Senior Lecturer in Irish and Scottish Studies, hosted an event with the Aberdeen Humanities Fund and the Special Collections Centre to celebrate the Friends of Aberdeen University Library's 50th Anniversary.
- The Big Read with Matthew Green: Jane Stevenson, Regius Chair in Humanity, hosted a discussion and question-and-answer session with Wizard of the Nileauthor Matthew Green, attended by an enthusiastic and engaged audience comprised of students, staff and the public.
- What’s The Score: A weekend workshop for 12 - 18 year olds on music composition for TV and film where participants learned how to compose their own original pieces of music for a short animation of their choice.
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