Press Office | University of Bedfordshire

2012-04-19T08:06:00.003-07:00

Build Your Own Personalised Bedfordshire Prospectus

At Bedfordshire we put our students first from the very beginning of their higher education journey.

We want to ensure their learning, their experience of student life and their employability allows them to get a great education, achieve their ambitions and gain excellent career opportunities.

To ensure prospective students get the information they need to select the right courses, we have just launched a brand new way for them to personalise their university prospectus.

Creating this personalised prospectus online means that potential students don’t get overwhelmed by lots of information that’s not important to them and can focus upon finding out what they want to know about their courses, student finances and life at university.

Many students don’t know exactly what they want to study at university and want to have a good look at the courses available and the range of facilities and social life each offers. But many do know what they’d like to do and just need the course information they want and some detailed facts about how to get a place to stay, about grants and other day-to-day aspects of being at university.

Being able to select what information you get helps them to make the right choices and get a better understanding of how the University of Bedfordshire can work for them.

It’s also very environmentally friendly because we can print a lot less full prospectuses and if students choose to have their personalised prospectus delivered online there’s not need to cut down any trees to print it at all.
Why not have a go for yourself by visiting:www.beds.ac.uk/personal-prospectus

2012-04-12T07:57:00.002-07:00

Spring has finally sprung at the University of Bedfordshire and it is looking to be an exciting season.

Past and present students are hitting the headlines with their achievements. Graduate Trudy Dean Cosh is celebrating after having her first book published.

The mother-of-four (pictured below) juggled studying a BA (Hons) degree in English Language and Literature as a mature student, with the demands of a busy household and she feels studying at the University enabled her to fulfil a lifelong ambition. Read Trudy’s story here

First year Sport and PE student and local Bedford lad Jack Goodwin will be heading to Lodz in Poland to compete in the championships. He is one of the youngest athletes to have been selected to compete.

The selection process was based on the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Country Championships in February, where Jack took eighth position and his previous race form in European Championships and International tournaments.

The race will take place on Saturday, 14 April – good luck Jack! The full story can be found here

There were also celebrations for those students who graduated at the end of March and all their hard work was recognised and rewarded.

It was a proud day for Luton North MP Kelvin Hopkins as he watched his daughter graduate with a Master of Science in Human Resources Management the University on Wednesday, 28 March.

Rachel collected her award while her father Kelvin, mother Pat and husband Bryan looked on proudly, as pictured below.Read Rachel’s story here (photo courtesy of Ede & Ravenscroft)

The University of Bedfordshire Students’ Union (UBSU) was recognised for its positive contribution to disability rights, after receiving two national awards at the NUS Disability Conference last week.

UBSU scooped both Campaign of the Year and Higher Education Students’ Union of the Year award at the conference in Manchester, which brought together Unions from around the country. Read the full story here

What's on at UoB...

2012-03-02T16:03:00.010-08:00

We’re busy gearing up for some exciting events in the Press Office. Some in the next few days include...

On Saturday, 10 March is Luton’s first ever Science Fair, hosted by the University as part of National Science and Engineering Week. Find out more at www.lutonsciencefair.co.uk and come along to see our experts in action…

And on Monday, 12 March there is an Uprising Leadership event in Bedford, as part of the Young Foundation's series of events. The evening will celebrate the achievements of many of Bedford’s future leaders, with confirmed speakers including: Dave Hodgson, Mayor of Bedford Borough, Simon Tucker, Chief Executive of The Young Foundation, David Russell, Chief Executive of The Bedford Charity (The Harpur Trust) and Eve Burt, Chair of Trustees for charity Home Start.

To find out more about UpRising please email: bedford@uprising.org.uk. University staff and students are participating, so look out for them.

There is also a Scientists in Sport event on 14 March, in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline. Local schoolchildren will get the chance to do spot tests, similar to those which will be used for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. Press can get in touch with me (anna.copperwheat@beds.ac.uk) to come along. See more here.

TV performance open days, Dean makes international visit and University gets involved in Sports Relief

2012-02-17T03:20:00.001-08:00

Josh Bassett in action for Bedford Blues
Photo courtesy of Nigel Rudgard

England rugby call up local student Josh

Josh Bassett, a Bedfordshire sport and exercise student had the opportunity last week to play against Italy in the RBS Six Nations Under 20’s, before it was unfortunately called off at last minute due to the poor weather.

The former Ampthill Rugby Club player joined the U20 squad in Rovigo, Italy for the second game of the tournament.
See the full story on the University's news page

Dean visits schools in Goa

Professor James Crabbe, Dean of the Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies and Science (CATS) visited schools in Goa, India, earlier this month.

James visited a private school and two government schools, and said: “It was very inspiring to visit the schools. The teachers and students are all enthusiastic and they really want to learn.”

Read the full article here

Screen test at the recent PGcert Media Performance open day

Postgraduate media performance course launch at Bedfordshire

The University's Media Performance department opened its doors to budding future TV presenters at a number of open days in their state of the art TV Studio at the Luton campus (pictured, above).

Prospective students took the opportunity to take part in a filmed screen test, followed by advice and top tips from the University’s Media Performance lecturers, who were also on hand to offer enrolment advice.

Read the full story here

Start limbering up with Bedfordshire for Sport Relief 2012

The University, in conjunction with Bedford Borough Council’s Sports Development Unit, is organising the Bedford Sport Relief Mile, taking place on Sunday, 25 March.

Julia Lines, the University’s Sports Development Manager, has been busy seeking both runners and volunteers from the local community to get involved in this very worthy cause and to get active!

Sport Relief Weekend kicks off on Friday, 23 March where everyone has the chance to get active, has fun and raise some money before settling down to watch a night of top Sport Relief TV on the BBC.

See the full University news story here

New Year Celebrations Keep On Coming At Uni

2012-01-06T05:19:00.000-08:00

This year is set to be another exciting year for the University, following a successful 2011 which saw new buildings open and our students scoop top awards.

There was celebrating for animation graduate Chris Butcher, who won the open stop motion category of the Red Bull Canimation Awards shortly before Christmas.

Chris graduated from the Luton campus in 2009 and is no stranger to awards, having won a Barbican – IdeasTap award last year for his stop motion animation.

Read the full story of Chris’ success here

Student PE teacher Martin Wragg also had reason to celebrate after he won the Steven Henly Award for Outstanding Commitment.

Martin spent five years in the RAF before coming to the University to study for his BA (Hons) in Physical Education leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) course.

Read the full story about Martin’s award here

Dr Konstantinos Sergakis

Students were not the only ones to receive awards recently - senior law lecturer Dr Konstantinos Sergakis received the Prix Solennel André Isoré from La Chancellerie des Universités de Paris for his Ph.D on ‘The transparency of listed companies in EU Law.’

The Prix Solennel André Isoré is the highest award given for doctorates in the field of legal studies in France.

Read the full story here

Students prepared for the future at an Employability Day, hosted by the University’s Division of Tourism and Leisure and the Careers and Employment Service.

Around 40 students took part, where they saw presentations from local business leaders (including Bedford Corn Exchange and Bedfordshire and Luton Chamber of Commerce) about life after university. Several workshops also offered expert help including writing a CV to finding the perfect work placement.

Click her to read the full article

Artists Impression of the £20m Postgraduate and CPD Centre

Work on the brand new Postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development Centre at the Luton campus is gathering speed.

Building work has begun on the £20m development and the project is on track for completion in 2013.

A contract for the iconic facility has been awarded to construction company Kier Marriott, which also built the University’s new £34m Campus Centre and £40m Fitzroy Court student accommodation.

Click here to read the full article

University launches new marketing 'drive'

2011-12-02T05:28:00.001-08:00

Student puts Bedfordshire in the fast lane

Postgraduate student Omar Alketbi is showing his passion for the University of Bedfordshire by having his car branded with the University’s logo.

Omar Alketbi

Omar, who hails from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and is studying for a Masters in Applied Computing, said “The car looks amazing with the logo. I have had a great time here and I wanted to return the favour."

If you see Omar in his new Nissan 350z then tweet the university at #SeenTheCar
Read Omar’s story here

Stars of music and cinema join graduates

Duran Duran keyboard player Nick Rhodes joined hundreds of graduates at St Mary's Church in Luton last month. Nick was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts for his contribution to the music industry as a songwriter, producer and performer.

Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes pictured with Vice Chanceller
Professor Les Ebdon CBE DL

Other stars being honoured included Peter Asher who received an Honorary Doctor of Arts and Katy Haber who was recognised for her outstanding career in the film industry.

Click here to read the full article and other stars that attended

Grants worth thousands awarded to students

Megan Lugg was one of 25 students recently presented
with a Steele Charitable Trust bursary worth £1000

The University continues to actively encourage and support students to apply for numerous bursaries and scholarships.

Twenty five students, all in their final year, were recently awarded a bursary of £1,000 each to help them with their studies, on behalf of The Steel Charitable Trust. See the University website for the story

The University has just launched a brand new programme of bursaries and scholarships worth some £3 million for 2012-13.

Both existing students and those aiming to start courses in 2012 are encouraged to apply for this funding. More details are on the University's website

University gets set for London 2012

Organisers from the 2012 Olympic Games came to the University’s Luton and Bedford campuses to recruit students and staff for the 2012 event.

The University's Recruitment Services team welcomes
LOCOG executives and A1 Security Services at the
Luton campus

Representatives from The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and Luton based security firm A1 Security Services interviewed more than 300 students at the University’s campuses over two-days, who had applied for security and support roles at next year’s Games

The successful applicants are now receiving their training. See the full story on the University’s website

Vice Chancellor announces retirement

2011-11-21T05:02:00.001-08:00

The University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Les Ebdon CBE DL has announced he is retiring at the end of this academic year.

Professor Ebdon (pictured, right) has been Vice Chancellor since 2003. Over the past nine years he has led the University through a period of unprecedented success; increasing student numbers from less than 10,000 in 2003 to more than 23,000 today and increasing the University’s annual financial turnover from £30m to some £130m. For the full story including Professor Ebdon’s personal statement see the University’s news webpage

As one senior colleague prepares to leave, a new Dean prepares to join.

Dr Sonal Minocha (pictured, left) has been appointed Dean of the University’s Business School. Dr Minocha is currently Associate Dean in the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Sunderland.

She joins The Business School in January, when the current Dean, Professor Paul Burns, steps down. Professor Burns will remain as Professor of The Business School. See the University’s website for the full story

L to R: Professor Ebdon, Dame Kelly Holmes,
Sean Yeo (Kier Group) & John Perkins (Students' Union)

An enduring legacy of Professor Ebdon’s leadership at the University has been continual investment in new buildings and facilities across the five campuses.

The new Campus Centre and recently completed Fitzroy Court student accommodation at the Luton campus were formally opened by special guest Dame Kelly Holmes DBE MBE earlier this month. See the University’s news page for the story

The on-going University Building Programme, amounting to some £180m continues at the University’s Luton campus as construction recently commenced on a new Postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development Centre (artist's impression, left). When it opens in early 2013 the five-storey building will be one of the most advanced postgraduate teaching facilities in the country. See the University’s website for the project’s latest developments

University of Bedfordshire academics continue to be at the forefront of research initiatives. Following publication last month of Professor Jenny Pearce’s study What’s Going On, which is investigating local safeguarding children boards across the UK, the University’s child exploitation expert Sue Jago recently became part of a group of professionals invited to speak at an important conference held by CROP - the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping. See the story on the University’s website

Finally for now, the University has been celebrating graduations over recent weeks. Ceremonies were held at Milton Keynes and at the British School of Osteopathy (BSO) in London. The University validates degrees offered at partner Institutions University Centre Milton Keynes and the BSO.

Happy graduates meet one lasr time following one of the ceremonies
at St Mary's Church, Luton on 18 November 2011.

Whilst in Luton, hundreds of students were presented with awards at graduation ceremonies at the historic St Mary’s Church. In addition to our student graduands, a number of honorary awards were made to personalities from the worlds of education, business, cinema and music. Most notably, Duran Duran star Nick Rhodes was recognised for his contribution to the music industry, as a songwriter, performer and producer. See the University’s website for the full story .

Ground-breaking research published

2011-10-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

The University has been at the forefront of research recently, hitting headlines around the country.

Sue Jago and Professor Jenny Pearce from the University carried out research for the What’s going on to safeguard children and young people from sexual exploitation report, launched earlier in October. Link to the full report

The National Centre for Cyberstalking Research at the University released its research findings at the House of Lords in October, the result of a year’s study into cyberstalking. Full details about the project are on the University's website

The University is also undergoing an exciting facelift with brand new facilities opening up across the campuses.

The new graphics lab will be opening next week (Tuesday, 1 November) at the Luton campus, where education provider Train2Game has donated 30 top of the range PCs.

At the Butterfield campus, Dame Christine Beasley, Chief Nursing Officer for England, unveiled a brand new nursing Clinical Simulation Skills Centre where students can brush up on their skills with interactive equipment.

The contract for building the new Postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development Centre at the Luton campus (pictured, right) has been awarded to Kier Marriott and building work has now begun on the £20 million project. See the full story on the University's news webpage .

Fitzroy Court, the brand new £40 million halls of residence at the Luton Campus will get its official grand opening later in November. The £34 million new Campus Centre will also be officially opened.

Remember to check out all your University news at http://www.beds.ac.uk/news.

Bedfordshire students & graduates hit the headlines

2011-09-09T04:21:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that some of our students and graduates have been making headlines lately.

Congratulations to graduate Ottilie Morgan (pictured, right) for scooping no less than three gold medals at the British Transplant Games in Ireland.

Ottilie was diagnosed with a dangerous kidney complaint in 2006 and after a kidney transplant from her mum, she made a full recovery and went on to do extremely well at the sports event. For the full story click here. (Photo of Ottilie Morgan courtesy of Johan Gustavsson)

Another graduate to be congratulated is Laura Charnock for graduating this year with a 2:1 degree in Public Relations, despite several challenges that tried to get in her way.

There was no stopping the mother-of-three, who has already bagged a job as Fundraising Officer at the independent charity Advocacy Alliance. Well done Laura! Find out more here.

Laura is pictured at her Graduation Ceremony earlier this year with the University's Vice Chancellor Professor Les Ebdon CBE DL (picture courtesy of Ede & Ravenscroft).

Students and lecturers alike can also give themselves a pat on the back as a survey showed that our graduates are finding jobs despite the recession.

The survey, carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), showed that 80.8 per cent of students who graduated in 2007 were in work.

Vice Chancellor Professor Les Ebdon CBE DL said: "Here at the University of Bedfordshire, 90 per cent of our graduates are either in work and /or further study six months after graduating." Read more here.

We are all rooting for Doctor Barbara Guinn and Doctor Louisa Vincini from the Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies and Science (CATS), who will take part in Shine, a 26-mile night walk through London to raise money for Cancer Research UK next month.
Sponsor them both at http://www.sponsormetoshine.org/

Don’t forget that all the latest University news can be found at http://www.beds.ac.uk/news

Limited Clearing places left at Bedfordshire

2011-08-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

Clearing kicked off last week and on the first day (18 August) we took over 6,000 calls from hopeful applicants.

Our Vice Chancellor, Professor Les Ebdon CBE DL, said: “Clearing this year was another busy year, with our telephone operators working flat out. We were able to help and guide thousands of students through what can be a stressful process.”

To find out which courses are still available, call the University's clearing hotline on 0800 013 0925 or visit www.beds.ac.uk/clearing. Regular campus tours will be run by the Student Recruitment Team at both the Bedford and Luton campuses.

Celebrations everywhere!

2011-07-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

The University has enjoyed a brush with royalty this week when it was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2011. The Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor attended an event at Buckingham Palace and on Tuesday, 19 July Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Sir Samuel Whitbread, presented a glass rose bowl and certificate to the Vice Chancellor at the University’s new £34m Campus Centre. See the presentation on Youtube here...

We've also had more celebrations on campus, as last week and this week our graduation ceremonies are taking place. Hundreds of students will be celebrating across our four faculties and we're very proud of them all. Honorary degrees are also being awarded, and last week World Cup referee Howard Webb was chuffed to don the gowns and accept his scroll. See here.

The University's National Centre for Cyberstalking Research has continued with its good work, and you may have seen comments from our experts being used by the BBC - see BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat here. The Centre has just released its initial findings. For more details on cyberstalking and cyberbullying, visit the website or the Network for Surviving Stalking.

University Unlocks Potential in Bedfordshire!

2011-06-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight, at our Putteridge Bury Campus, we celebrate the winners of the Graduate of the Year Award (GOYA). Two lucky graduates from the Department of Computer Science and Technology will receive cash prizes totalling £22,500. The winners have been judged by a panel of experts who were looking for the applicants to demonstrate a variety of qualities including enterprise and initiative, technical knowledge and skills, and management, marketing and promotional skills. The awards are sponsored by Trade4Trade Skills.

The University is currently preparing for the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust to ascend on the Bedford campus. This Wednesday, 29 June, we will welcome excited groups of young talented sports performers who will take part in Unlocking Potential in Bedfordshire as they attend different sessions including a circuit training session led by Dame Kelly herself. They’ll also have exclusive use of the state-of-the-art human performance laboratory and even spend some time in the heat chamber. Keep an eye on our website for photos and videos of the day!

Also this week, the University will host the first Student International Festival of Dance – SifDans. It provides an international performance platform for student work and it is a unique opportunity to engage the next generation of dance professionals in sharing work and experience in an international context. Participants have access to a great variety of workshops, seminars and practical sessions with performances from the festival taking place between 2.30pm and 6pm on Wednesday (29 June). Go to http://www.beds.ac.uk/theatre for more information.

End of term approaches but events galore at Uni

2011-06-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

Term ends this Friday (10 June) so fewer and fewer students are about but for the rest of us it’s business as usual and there are still plenty of events and activities going on.

The end of year Art and Design Degree show takes place at the Luton campus tomorrow (Wednesday) and next week it’s Universities Week which the University of Bedfordshire is supporting. The national, week-long campaign is looking at how universities interact with and benefit the local economy and community and a whole host of celebrities and local personalities have offered their support including Dame Kelly Holmes and MPs Gavin Shuker and Kelvin Hopkins.

The University of Bedfordshire is the first University in the UK to be an associate sponsor of the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and the double Olympian said: "The University of Bedfordshire does a fantastic job in inspiring young people to reach their full potential and I share that same ethos."

As part of the campaign, TV’s Doctor Hilary Jones will be coming to the Luton campus on Thursday, 16 June to give a free lecture on Medicine and the Media. Tickets are still available – just email events@beds.ac.uk with your name, email address and phone number or call 01582 743380.

Looking further ahead plans are underway for a very special event at our Bedford campus on Wednesday, 29 June when scores of talented youngsters will be put through their paces by Dame Kelly Holmes and her team of Olympians and world-class athletes at an Unlocking Potential day.

Young sports performers from Bedford Academy, All Saints Academy, Barnfield South and Barnfield West Academies will take part in a number of sessions including circuit training, communicating with the media and mental skills training. Watch this space for more information and visit http://www.beds.ac.uk/ for all the latest University news.

image: above left - from Left Dean of Partnerships David Barrett with Dame Kelly Holmes, President of the Students' Union Lyndsay Murphy and Vice Chancellor Professor Les Ebdon CBE.

Book an appointment with TV Doctor!

2011-05-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Our students may be studying and revising hard for exams at the moment, but that hasn’t seemed to slow them down…

Football-crazy student Lauren Impey has the chance of a lifetime in the Champions League Final at Wembley this month. She has beaten off the challenge of 460 applicants to head the volunteering team at the final in London on Saturday, 28 May.

Also Brittany Erasmus was recently the youngest and only female rider in the gruelling Abhu Dhabi Desert Challenge – a 2,100km race through the desert on a motorcycle in soaring temperatures.

And our student volunteers were honoured by the University’s Students’ Union recently after undertaking some fantastic work in the community. One of the winners, SIFE Bedfordshire, are working with Luton homeless charity Noah Enterprise – see their Facebook profile for more.

We’re also delighted to announce that you can now book your appointment now with TV Doctor Hilary Jones! Dr Jones, a qualified GP and regular health adviser on television and radio, is visiting the University’s new Campus Centre in Luton as part of Universities Week.

He will be giving a special lecture on Medicine and the Media on Thursday, 16 June at 7pm. To book your free place at the lecture, email events@beds.ac.uk with your name, email address and phone number, or call 01582 743380. See you there!

Queen’s Award accolade, Dance Company sparkles and University staff runners raise thousands of pounds for charity

2011-05-03T02:43:00.000-07:00

The University recently had its own reasons to royally celebrate. It is to be presented with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2011.

It wins the accolade for “its outstanding achievement in increasing its overseas income by 154 per cent over three years and producing an aggregate of £54m over that period.” See the University press release for full details.

The University’s current crop of students are showcasing their talents. A recent show – Showcase - starred student members of the University Dance Company (UDC).

They performed numerous contemporary dance pieces during a tour of local venues this spring, including the University of Northampton, the Hat Factory in Luton, London Luton Airport, along with the University’s Campus Centre Theatre at the Bedford campus. For more information, see the University’s press release

A group of the University’s staff braved unseasonably warm weather to take part in this year’s London Marathon. Anne-Marie Kinsella, Kai Allen, Professor John Brewer and Sarah Deed all completed the 26.2 miles challenge, raising thousands of pounds of sponsorship in the process.

The foursome raised funds for a variety of good causes including Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, World Cancer Research Fund and the University’s nominated charity this year, the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust. See the University press release for details including the colleagues’ reflections on the big day.

The University has appointed a New Director for Student Experience. James Armit (pictured left) joins the University having acquired several years’ experience as Registrar at a number of higher education institutions in the London area. See the University’s press release for more information

And finally, for now, an enterprising member of the University’s non-academic staff is hoping for commercial success, following the launch of her very own Caribbean style chili sauce. Luton campus based cleaner Prisca Pobee (pictured below) has blended a unique sauce inspired by dishes she had as a youngster in St. Lucia.

With a little help from the University’s Business School, Prisca's Sauce is now being marketed more widely. To find out more about this story and all other recent announcements, visit the University’s News and Events webpage

Staff and students shine

2011-04-05T01:22:00.000-07:00

Today is the launch of our brand new Centre for Leadership Innovation, which will focus on applied research into how leaders adapt to the challenges of the knowledge economy. A special event will take place at the House of Commons tonight – read more here.

We’re really pleased that the University has received £208,120 in National Lottery funding from Sport England for its Get into Sport project. Focusing on traditional sports such as football and netball, as well as the less traditional ones like dodgeball and rounders, the project provides continuity to students and it also offers them the chance to be trained in leading and coaching sports sessions.

Exams and deadlines are looming but, as usual, our students are doing us proud. Two of our nursing students were picked to speak at a national conference run by the NHS Institute of Innovation and Improvement, Sport and PE student Natalie Carter is set to represent the England Universities netball team in Home Nations competition and a quartet of final year Biomedical Science students had their research work displayed at a prestigious international conference in Spain.

It’s not just our students that are shining stars - four staff members at the University are in the final stages of training for the 2011 Virgin London Marathon for some fantastic causes. Anne-Marie Kinsella, Kai Allen, Sarah Deed and Professor John Brewer are all running the 26.2 miles on Sunday, 17 April. To find out more and to sponsor them, see here.

University does its bit for charity

2011-03-23T02:47:00.000-07:00

Spring has definitely sprung this week in Bedfordshire and our

staff and students have been doing all sorts for charity. Glad of the warm weather is Julie Simmons who is the Student Finance Officer in Bedford. She took part in a charity head shave and raised around £1000 for two cancer charities!

Various other activities took place in aid of Red Nose Day too. This weekend the University will also host the latest Game Jam event where students are challenged to create a new video game in just 48 hours - all proceeds will go to The Prince’s Trust Charity, read more here.

One of our Art & Design graduates, who is now a lecturer at the University, is showcasing a thought-provoking exhibition at the UCMK Gallery in Milton Keynes this month. It explores the story of unseen Iraq and the work includes that of Iraqi people themselves. To find out more click here.

Plans for the Uni’s new Postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development centre in Luton have now been drawn up. Looking to cost £16m and opening in 2013, it’s the latest stage in the University’s development programme. Aimed at mainly postgraduate students and delegates from local regional businesses, it will be the hub for a wide range of continuing professional development courses.

Tickets have gone on sale for the Bedfordshire Grand Summer Ball, which takes place at Putteridge Bury on Saturday, 18 June. It’s a fabulous evening in aid of the University of Bedfordshire Scholarships and Bursaries Fund. For tickets and more information email: summerball@beds.ac.uk

Organ donation, child protection and star status!

2011-03-11T04:28:00.000-08:00

The University has a wealth of expertise around its five campuses covering a wide range of subjects from climate change and robotics to sport science and cryopreservation.

This week Professor Gurch Randhawa, a world renowned expert on kidney health, raised awareness of the subject on World Kidney Day at Luton and Dunstable Hospital. Did you know that more than 10,000 people in the UK currently need a transplant and on average three people die every day before an organ becomes available? So the message is register as an organ donor. To find out more read our article on the University's website

Our experts have also contributed to a major national review of child protection. The Munro Review was commissioned by Education Secretary Michael Gove as part of a national drive to improve the quality of child protection services.

Two of our experts were quoted in the review – Dr Donald Forrester and Patrick Ayre. Dr Forrester’s work in the field of evidence-based practice, Is the Care System Failing Children? was used in a section considering the experiences of children and young people who need child protection services. Social work lecturer Patrick Ayre’s work Child Protection and the Media, was used in the second review.

Two of our other experts – media specialists Professor Ivor Gaber and Professor Jon Silverman, were also consulted.

Finally, congratulations to our partner institution, the BSO, which is celebrating after being awarded a star status in the Best Companies 2010 accreditation project for the second year running. The BSO, whose degrees are validated by the University of Bedfordshire, has also been placed 56th on the new Sunday Times 100 Best Places to Work in the Public and Charity Sectors list. For all these stories and other news about the University of Bedfordshire visit www.beds.ac.uk

Staff successes, graduate awards funding and the search for lost alumni continues

2011-03-04T05:21:00.000-08:00

The University’s Division of Tourism and Leisure is celebrating after winning a contract to boost skills in the service industry by developing online learning materials. The contract could be worth up to £50,000.

The successful bid was made to employer-based training accreditator Foundation Degree Forward to enhance and repurpose online learning materials to provide higher skills across key sectors including the leisure, tourism, events, hospitality and hotel industry. See the full story here

The University’s involvement and commitment to the London 2012 Olympics goes from strength to strength.

Professor John Brewer, Director of Sport, has written one of the official training guides for next year’s Games, The London 2012 Training Guide Athletics (Track Events). Published on Wednesday (2 March), it is one of only four books commissioned as official London 2012 training guides. The others are for cycling, swimming and field athletics. Read more here

Are you a graduate of the University of Bedfordshire? Graduates are set to benefit from awards worth thousands of pounds - thanks to the generosity of Luton based online games industry trainer Train2Game. The online blended learning college is donating £22,500 to the University for two awards.

The Graduate Of The Year Award (GOYA), worth £15,000, will be presented to an alumnus of the Department of Computer Science and Technology who can demonstrate the most outstanding career progression within five years of graduating from the University. There will be a runners-up prize of £7,500. The awards will be judged by a panel of experts and presented at a special awards evening at the Putteridge Bury campus on 30 June. Read more here

The University’s Alumni Relations team continues to seek out former students who graduated before 1993.

Dozens of people have been in touch with the University following media coverage in the Bedfordshire area. The campaign was launched last October in a bid to find and recognise thousands of former students to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of the former colleges - including Park Square, Luton, Putteridge Bury or the Polhill Avenue campus at Bedford - in making the University the leading institution it is today.

If you, or someone you know, went to one of the colleges before 1993, register free here. Or write to Alumni Relations, University of Bedfordshire, Park Square, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 3JU with your name, address, email address and telephone number and details of the course you studied and when.

Dream jobs and winning ways

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One of our students has landed a dream job with Manchester United. Michael Sup, in his second year at the University, has been recruited by the Premiership leaders to coach at their summer soccer camps. Click here to read more.

Other people in the University are considering fitness levels in young people too, as research is being conducted on the impact dance on young people’s health and wellbeing. The Go Dance 2012 dance science project is in association with Youth Dance England and The Junction in Cambridge. Click here to read more.

And as if that wasn’t enough, staff and students can improve their health and fitness with a range of services at discounted rates at a new facility in Bedford. The body hub is a new venture and dubbed the ‘Home of Sport and Health Enterprise’ at the University. This business unit within the University will enable staff and students and regional sport and health-related businesses to grow commercially while working in partnership with the University.

In other areas…two of our law students have just got through to the final 16 of a national mooting competition. Congratulations to Kamran Malik and Zahra Fatima who beat off stiff competition from the University of Warwick – we’ll be rooting for you in the next round.

Anyone can come along to the first in a series of special lectures on Monday, 28 February to hear celebrity Mark Horton (from the BBC’s Coast) speak about archaeology. To find out how to apply for your free ticket, click here.

Finally, click here to see the photos of a stunning Chinese New Year display held at the University’s Luton campus. It included spellbinding acrobats, contortionists, balancing acts and musicians, as well as a dragon dance, plate juggling in the Students’ Union and a free Chinese calligraphy workshop for staff and students.

When a normal week is out of the norm

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Charity, sport, art, music, dance, health issues, travel and new cultures – it’s all in an average week at the University of Bedfordshire.
The celebrations for Chinese New Year in the new Campus Centre at Luton, featuring a variety of professional acts, were a real highlight.
Intrepid skiers are off to Switzerland for a marathon fundraising effort when the party of seven compete in the Engadin Ski Marathon. It is expected to take seven hours to complete the 42k (26.2 miles) near the Swiss resort of St Moritz. Click here for the full story.
Graphic Design and Illustration students are about to put on their creative thinking caps. The students, from the second year of the Division of Art and Design’s Design for Communication course, are joining with other art schools and universities from across the country for a major project launched by the Design Museum in London. Click here for more.
Phil Evans, a 28-year-old mature student from Houghton Regis, could be on the verge of winning a transatlantic competition. The second year Music Technology student is currently topping the voting charts in an international music competition. His song Something I Could Do was composed as a tribute to his mum who died of cancer when he was 12. Click here for more.
A trio of Dance and Professional Practice students are in Poland teaching at a series of dance workshops. International student Karolina Kotyrba is back in her hometown of Rybnik near Katowice for the six-day trip. She is there with Orris Gordon and Rhianne O’Rourke, fellow second years at the Bedford campus. Click here.
Two of the University’s experts are calling for greater awareness of the links between diabetes and kidney disease. Professor Gurch Randhawa worked with Emma Wilkinson to look into the experiences, knowledge and attitudes of diabetes patients. Click here.
Students from Spain and France were enjoying their overseas teaching experience locally. Ten came to these shores from Granada in Spain for four weeks and another eight from Grenoble in France for just under three weeks. Click here for the full story.

BBC Politics Show, Chinese New Year and Archaeology

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This week the first live TV broadcast from the Luton campus’ television studios. The BBC Politics Show East transmitted live for the regular Sunday lunchtime slot and went without a hitch. Some lucky students even got the chance to work behind the scenes. Click here for the full story.

Our international students got a taste of home with their Chinese New Year celebrations which took place in the state-of-the-art lecture theatre in the new Campus Centre. That’s not all though, more New Year celebrations are to come – next Thursday (17 Feb) professional performers will take over the Campus Centre so keep your eyes peeled at 1pm for the festivities.

Looking to the end of the month, the first of the University’s public lecture series gets under way with a visit from BBC Coast’s Mark Horton. He’ll be presenting a lecture called ‘Why Archaeology?’ on Monday, 28 February at 7.30pm in the Campus Centre lecture theatre. Mark will be joined by local archaeologist Wesley Keir from Albion Archaeology who will present the findings of the dig performed on the site of the new Campus Centre before it was built. Click here for more details.

Graduates, internships and careers

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There’s been a lot of focus on graduates and careers in the media recently.

According to the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) there’s a brighter outlook for graduates as vacancy numbers have increased for the first time since the recession took hold. The number of graduate vacancies rose by 8.9 per cent in last year’s recruitment season and this upward trend is predicted to continue with a further increase of 3.8 per cent in 2010-11.

The survey confirms the importance of graduate qualifications and the risk if not enough places are funded for everyone wanting to go into higher education. Applications to the University of Bedfordshire were up a staggering 54 per cent in 2010 and all the signs are that the figures for 2011 are also going to be high. The University works hard through its Careers and Employment Service and is encouraging local businesses to apply for the last few places on its graduate internship scheme this year.

It’s designed to place young, keen-minded and enthusiastic individuals into work, providing an extra resource which is subsidised by the University. It’s all part of the national Backing Young Britain initiative to help companies at a time of economic challenge and support graduates looking to boost their CVs with valuable work experience. More than 130 local businesses have benefitted from subsidised internships with many placements developing into permanent roles.

Congratulations to Tony Moliterno who is now a PR Executive at an agency based in Bedford. He was able to put the skills he learnt here to good use and the internship gives him the chance to get on the first rung of the career ladder.

If you are interested in the graduate internship scheme visit www.beds.ac.uk/knowledgehub or call 0800 328 5334.

To keep up to date with all the University’s news visit www.beds.ac.uk

Inward investment is bearing fruit and events aplenty

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Earlier this week the University celebrated an important milestone in its new buildings programme. A ‘Topping Out’ ceremony was held on the roof of the brand new student halls development – Fitzroy Court - at the Luton campus.

The ceremony was attended by Vice Chancellor Professor Les Ebdon CBE and University staff, along with representatives from Kier Marriott (construction), RMJM (architects) and Campus Living Villages. Luckily rain cleared just before the ceremony took place!

During proceedings, a large bolt was tightended at the top of the building and the University’s Luton based Chaplain, Rev Andrew Goodman, conducted a short blessing. This milestone signifies the new halls are on schedule for completion this summer.

The University is continuing to invest in teaching facilities too. The Department of Computer Science and Technology has undergone a £1million expansion, including two new teaching labs, a new study area for students and a new telecommunications lab at the Luton campus.

Finally, the University this week hosted a special event to launch a major new report into community cohesian in Luton. Find out more by visiting the University's website.

Happy 2011!

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Happy New Year from the press team…we’re getting back into the swing of things at the office after the Christmas break.

There’s no rest for our admissions team though as the University has received over 9,500 applications for study in 2011 via UCAS so far – well up on last year’s numbers.

Our current students are doing us proud: Joshua Neuloh is in the final year of a degree in Sport Science and Coaching at the Bedford campus but is also preparing Britain’s athletes for the 2012 Olympic Games. He is an assisting coach at Loughborough to British Swimming’s senior coach Kevin Renshaw, responsible for six swimmers within the Great Britain squad.

Six students in their final year of Events Management degrees are gaining some vital hands-on experience at the four-day BETT11 show at Olympia in London. The students – Birgul Yuksel, Alison Pengelley, Amira Mohamoud, Nadia Khan, Tim Cakebread and Victoria Vettese – are setting up and running the MirandaNet Fellowship exhibition stand (read more here).

The Where are you now? campaign is progressing well, but if you know of anyone who completed their studies at the University’s constituent colleges before 1993 and received a higher education award, point them our way. Those who get in touch will be honoured in special degree ceremonies.

And, while we are looking forward to a busy and successful 2011, you can still check out our round-up of photos that celebrate a fantastic 2010 at the University.