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THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL MAGAZINE FOR STAFF

DECEMBER 2006

THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL MAGAZINE FOR STAFF MARCH 2009

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11 17 19 21

The Vice-Chancellor will be holding an Open

Meeting for staff on Monday 6 April at 10am. All are

welcome at the event in the Sherrington Building.

Open Meeting

Vice-Chancellor’s Message

GET INVOLVED! Please send your news, views, compliments and complaints to:

Janis MorganCorporate CommunicationsUniversity of LiverpoolFoundation BuildingLiverpool L69 7ZX

t: 0151 794 2251e: [email protected]: www.liv.ac.uk/precinct

NB. Please don’t send letters anonymously, just let us knowif you don’t want your details to be published.If you require this publication in an alternative format,please telephone 0151 794 2251.

I recently made my first presentation to the University’s Courtas Vice-Chancellor.

In it, I had the chance to outline the institution’scurrent position, particularly with regard to the currentfinancial environment.

As you will see from the new Annual Report, which is nowavailable to all staff, we have a strong balance sheet which meanswe are relatively well-placed to weather any financial storm.However, as a result of our investment in recent times, and thevery tough fiscal environment, budgets will remain tight over thenext couple of years. It is clear that higher education will beaffected; to what extent is impossible to say at this stage.

We were awaiting the 2009/10 financial settlement details fromHEFCE as Precinct went to press – there will be a full breakdownin the April issue of the magazine – but, though the past decade ofpublic funding has been favourable for higher education, it alreadyseems clear that funding settlements from 2010 onwards could bevery challenging.

2009 will be an interesting year all round for the sector. TheGovernment has committed to a review of tuition fees this yearand we know that tuition fees for undergraduates cannot increasebeyond the current rate without a positive vote in both Houses ofParliament. I suspect it is unlikely that any government would find

the public or Parliament receptive to such an increase, but there isalso the question of whether the public finances could sustain anyincrease in fees which would require up-front funding fromGovernment. Expansion of the sector through additional studentnumbers has already been halted and, though the Government isstill committed to a 50% participation target, there will be a slowerrate of progress.

So is it possible to predict what the future may hold for highereducation and the University of Liverpool?

The Government does recognise that to build a skills-basedknowledge economy we need a diverse and well-funded highereducation sector. It is obvious that the global economic crisis willimpact on higher education so we will all need to work harder andsmarter to sustain and improve our financial situation as the pursestrings of our funders are pulled increasingly tighter.

However, I have no doubt that higher education will bea major catalyst to helping the UK economy out of the economicrecession. We will be forced to fight for our share of the publicpurse – both as a sector and as individual institutions.

Our aim now is to focus on delivering an ambitious StrategicPlan that will position the University for even greater success.

Professor Sir Howard Newbywww.liv.ac.uk/annual-report

As we went to press, the HEFCEgrant settlement was due tobe announced on 5 March.For full details, see April’s Precinct.

HEFCE grantannouncement due

Vice-Chancellor’scommunications

The Vice-Chancellor discussed the impact of the

RAE results on University structures and strategy

in his 'Talking Point' webcast.

Visit: www.liv.ac.uk/intranet/talking-point/

Webcast

Pictured: Salmonella Bacteria

Following the launch of the University’sStrategic Plan in December, stafffrom across the University have signed

up to become members of the cross-disciplinary teams formed to support theimplementation process.

Under the five key priorities outlined inthe Strategic Plan, including researchperformance, global university, knowledgeexchange and innovation, student experienceand widening participation, 12 projectstreams have been formed with overallresponsibility of planning how to meet theobjectives and key ambitions of the plan.

The Strategic Management Team (SMT)will oversee and guide ongoing projectstream work and academic leads willdetermine the academic direction of thework within each stream, under the remitset by SMT.

Representatives from ProfessionalServices, who have expertise that relates tothe key priorities and the enabler areas ofpeople and organisational development,planning and budgeting, information systems,estate management and sustainability, andcommunications and marketing, are alsoinvolved, while full time project managerswill coordinate allof the work withinthat stream.

Vikki Goddard,Director of Planningand Development,said: “As theimplementation ofthe Strategic Plan issomething that willhave an impact on every member of staff, itwas important that the project streamsincluded appropriate coverage from acrossthe Faculties and Professional Services. Wewanted to ensure that the full breadth ofexpertise and perspective was embraced inthe process.”

The project streams are strategicresearch positioning, research excellence,developing an internationalisation strategy,global citizenship, expanding our presenceonline, developing a market responsivebusiness offer, intellectual environment, social

and physical environment, excellence inservice delivery, international researchand knowledge exchange in wideningparticipation and increasing theproportion of under represented groups.

David Winstanley (above), EducationLiason Officer in the Student Recruitment andAdmissions Office, who is project managerfor the two project streams that relate towidening participation, said: “As projectmanager, it’s my responsibilityto ensure that the project delivers on time.The pressure is on, therefore, to ensurethat what we come up with providesa workable and timely framework forthe implementation of the plan acrossthe institution.

“We are currently investigating the rangeof impacts widening participation has acrossthe organisation, before identifying ways ofembedding it into everything that we do. It’s

fantastic to be workingwith such a variety ofpeople from across thecampus whodemonstrate such acommitment to wideningparticipation.”

The academic leadswere selected based ontheir expertise and

enthusiasm for a certain project stream.Malcolm Bennett (above left), Dean of the

Faculty of Veterinary Science and academiclead for knowledge exchange and innovation,said: “I don't see how being involved indeveloping the way that the Universityinteracts with the outside world could beanything other than exciting. It's clear thatthere is some fantastic stuff going on acrossthe University, but it's also clear that there aresome barriers - real and perceived - to peoplegetting more involved, and getting more outof their knowledge exchange activities.

“What I hope our projects can come upwith is ways of helping people and getting ridof those barriers. On a more personal level,I'm getting to meet lots of interesting peoplewith great ideas, and I can see significantinterdisciplinary research collaborations formy area coming out of these new links.”

Each of the project streams is currentlycarrying out research which will contributetowards a business plan that will bepresented to SMT in April and will bedeveloped into an operating plan for theUniversity. During the research process, it islikely that departments will be contacted toprovide information about current activitiesand views about potential improvements, andmany staff will be involved in events designedto address particular issues.

03

Chris Millward, HEFCE (Higher Education Funding

Council for England) Associate Director for the

North of England, visited the University to meet

with the Vice-Chancellor and the Strategic

Management Team. It was an opportunity for

Chris to find out more about the ambitions of the

University as set out in the new Strategic Plan and

provided a relaxed forum for an exchange of views

about higher education policy and funding

development, and gave him the opportunity to

witness some of the developments that have

been made on campus.

HEFCE chief’s visit

Strategyplayerssignup

Chris (right) with Chief Operating Officer Patrick Hackettand Professor Stephen Holloway, Pro-Vice-Chancellor forthe Faculties of Science and Engineering

Imperial College London has signed a CollaborativeResearch Agreement with the Cockcroft Institute, ofwhich this University is a partner.The Institute, based at the Daresbury Science and

Innovation Campus, is a collaboration between theUniversities of Liverpool, Manchester and Lancaster,Science and Technology Facilities Council and theNorthwest Development Agency. Development of thetraditional strengths of Imperial College in Particle Physics,Plasma and Laser Physics will be enhanced by expertisein traditional and futuristic accelerator, particle collider, freeelectron laser and photon science techniques which canbe provided by the Cockcroft Institute and vice versa.

The partnership will build upon the foundation ofexisting collaboration between the Cockcroft Instituteand Imperial College on work in particle physics.

04

Science lessonfor Sir Howard

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir

Howard Newby, and Lady Newby

have been given a guided tour of

one of the University’s key science

research projects.

They visited the terahertz beamline

and tissue culture facility on the ALICE

accelerator at the Daresbury Laboratory.

This £1 million project, which is

supported by funding from the

Northwest Science Fund and a number

of grants from the EPSRC and the

BBSRC to the Physics department,

combines the most intense source

of broad-band terahertz radiation

in Europe with a facility for

performing experiments on tissue.

It is unique and, when complete,

it will support both fundamental

research into mechanisms of biological

organisation and practical applications

in biology and medicine.

Dr Amy Scofield is commissioning the

facility for work on human cell lines in

association with Dr Rachel Williams from

Clinical Engineering. The beamline has

been constructed over the last four

years by Paul Harrison and John Kervin

from the Department of Physics in

association with collaborators from

Daresbury Laboratory.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir HowardNewby, and Lady Newby, with Dr Amy Scofieldand Professor Peter Weightman (left) from theDepartment of Physics

The University was joint runner up at the North

West Greater China Business Award 2009.

The awards are organised by UK Trade &

Investment North West and the Northwest

Development Agency (NWDA), and reward

organisations or companies that have made the

most significant contribution to developing

business or network links with Greater China,

including bi-lateral trade or investment.

The University’s award is in recognition of the fact

that it is one of only two universities in the UK to

have invested in a campus in China, successfully

implementing robust academic and commercial

links and developing an active programme of

student and staff exchange.

Reward for forginglink with China

Imperial College signsup to Cockcroft Institute

The awards were presented at the North West of

England Chinese New Year Dinner, held at

Haydock Park Racecourse.

Pictured: Professor David Sadler receiving the runner upNorth West Greater China Business Award 2009

05

Discovery in the Department ofChemistry. He joined the Centre asBusiness Manager in January 2006where he helped to set up and deliver thisflagship regional project. Prior to this heworked as part of the industrial liaisonteam within the University’s MerseyBiobusiness incubator.

Simon has a strong background insciences with a Bachelor’s and a Master’sdegree in Biotechnology from De Montfort

Dr Simon Longden has beenappointed as the new Headof Business Gateway.

He takes over from Dr Rob Head whohas moved to a new post at the Universityof Bath.

Simon, who has been with theUniversity for more than six years, waspreviously responsible for leading thecommercial and knowledge exchangeactivities of the Centre for Materials

Simon isnew Headof BusinessGateway

and UMIST respectively, includingan extended period at Unilever R&D,Colworth House. His EngineeringDoctorate in Microencapsulation, fromthe Department of Chemical Engineeringat UMIST, was a commercial collaborationwith local speciality chemical companySPL International Ltd. He also gained apostgraduate Diploma in Managementfrom the Manchester Business Schooland obtained Chartered status within theInstitute of Biology during this time.

Simon said: "With knowledgeexchange and innovation one of the keypriorities within the University’s newStrategic Plan I am delighted by thisopportunity to lead the team. We have asuccessful track record of generatingsignificant income for the University,supporting projects with a wider socialimpact, and for supporting staff in allaspects of their interactions with theoutside world - I relish the chance tobuild on this success.”

The Vice-Chancellor’s latest webcast has outlined the impact of the Research

Assessment Exercise on the University.

He was quizzed by Professor Rob Kronenburg, Head of the School of

Architecture, whose department performed well in the RAE, and Senior Press

Officer Samantha Martin.

Professor Newby said: “The University basically

trod water [in the RAE], certainly in comparison

with the rest of the Russell Group, but that

overall assessment disguises a lot of variability.

There were departments which did spectacularly

well, just as there was underperformance

elsewhere. We’ve done some analysis and if you

take the 13 units of assessment which were in

the lowest quartile nationally and look at what

might happen if they weren’t present in the

University, that would still not get us up to

anything like the average of the Russell Group.

“What that’s really saying is that the variation within departments is actually

greater than the variation between them. There’s no simple solution; it is

going to involve a hard slog all the way through the University to increase

research performance.”

Sir Howard also talked about plans to restructure the University.

He said: “At the same time that we have been analysing the outcomes of

the RAE, we’ve also had the process of restructuring. It is very important that

the two do converge. A paper will go to Senate on 11 March and to Council

on 18 March. It’s important that we consult as widely as possible.

We mustn’t rush into a knee-jerk reaction; we need to do some proper

measured analysis.

“It’s also important that we look at the Professional Services in terms of

whether we can re-engineer them to be more efficient and more effective,

in order to release resources to invest back in to research and, indeed, the

teaching excellence of the University.”

Rob asked more about the voluntary

disengagement scheme. “The scheme originated

because we were finding an unexpected

deterioration in the University’s finances during the

last year, mainly due to rising energy costs and the

decline in yields from the University’s endowment”

the Vice-Chancellor said. “We’re seeing a decline in

some income and a rise in costs.

“This is one way in which we can begin to improve

the efficiency and effectiveness of the University right

across the board, whether it’s in the Professional

Services, where most of the interest has occurred, or on the academic side.

Those colleagues who feel they want to move on can do so on extremely

good terms.”

Finally, Sam asked: “Staff are engaged in developing the five strategic plan

priorities. Given the economic environment at the moment, do you see any

impact this might have on new initiatives?”

Sir Howard replied: “I believe not. One of the reasons for focusing on just five

priorities is precisely so that we can focus in a climate when resources are

going to be even scarcer than they have been in the recent past. We have to

be very prudent as we go forward in terms of

our budgeting and have to be really focused on what our priorities are.”

View the full webcast at: www.liv.ac.uk/intranet/talking-point/

VC calls for prudence and focus

“This is one wayin which we canbegin to improvethe efficiency andeffectiveness ofthe University rightacross the board”

06

Library’s boost frombenefactors fund

The Library has received almost £60,000 of funding thanks togenerous supporters of the University’s Benefactors’ Fund.The money will be spent on academic journals – vital for

students and researchers. It was given by those who opted tosupport the ‘areas of greatest need’ and ‘improvements to learningfacilities and services’ when they made their donation to theBenefactors’ Fund.

University Librarian Phil Sykes said: "We have a budgetaryshortfall of several hundred thousand pounds this year, arisingfrom the fact that we buy many journals from overseas, andsterling has declined dramatically against the Euro and the Dollar.This is an enormously helpful contribution to mitigating thatproblem and enabling us to continue to maintain one of the best e-journal collections in the country.”

The latest round of the Benefactors’ Fund telephone campaignis now in full swing, with a team of student callers busily contactingalumni to encourage them to give to the University.

Despite a turbulent economy, support to the University hasremained consistently strong in recent years, and since itsrelaunch in June 2007, the Benefactors’ Fund has raised a totalof £299,047. This figure has also been further boosted by theGovernment’s £200 million match-funding initiative introducedlast Summer, meaning that for every £3 donated to theBenefactors Fund, the University now receives an additional£1 from the Government.

Alumni joininternationalevents

Grants totalling £34,000 will support sports and

educational projects across campus, thanks to

the Friends of the University.

The projects which will benefit from the generosity

of the organisation include the erection of a

Sporting Hall of Fame at the University’s Sports

Centre, a permanent tribute to graduates who have

contributed to sport on a national and international

level. Sport Liverpool received £4,000 to help fund

the display as well as £5,000 of funding to

purchase kayaks and canoes for the University

of Liverpool Canoe Club and £5,000 for

equipment for the Sport and Fitness Centre.

The Centre for Lifelong Learning has also

been awarded £20,000 to be shared between

three areas – the development of the ‘Professor

Fluffy’ website, to help fund a residential course for

secondary school children and to pay for camera

equipment for the Black and Minority Ethnic

photography project.

£34,000injection ofsports funds

Graduates far and wide have been meeting to hearabout their alma mater at a host of alumni events.Alumni, friends and guests joined Maurice

Flanagan CBE (BA 1950) Executive Vice Chairman ofEmirates Airline and Group at his home in Dubai.

Guests were addressed by both Maurice and the Vice-Chancellor who updated local graduates aboutdevelopments on and off campus in Liverpool, and theVice-Chancellor was then presented with a painting ofDubai by local artist Patricia Al-Fakhri, wife of alumnusLabid Al-Fakhri (BArch 1967).

Professor Murray Dalziel, Director of the University ofLiverpool Management School (ULMS) also hosted analumni reception at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

Facilitating networking between alumni and colleagues,and updating them with University and Schooldevelopments, Professor Dalziel was accompanied by TeriCurrie, Executive Vice President (Human Resources) forToronto Dominion Bank Financial Group.

They met with alumni, who had all gained an MBAfrom ULMS.

The Vice-Chancellor also hosted a dinner for 80graduates in Shanghai where they were excited to hearabout plans for Shanghai Expo 2010.

www.liv.ac.uk/alumniwww.expo2010china.com

(l to r) Patricia Al-Fakhri, the Vice-Chancellor, Lady Newby, MauriceFlanagan and Labid Al-Fakhri

07

Legalservices

The University’s Legal Services and Contract Servicesteams have combined to become one single LegalServices Department.

The aim of the merger is that a single department willoperate more effectively to meet the challenges of theincreasingly complex UK and international legal environment.The new team is headed up by Kevan Ryan, who joined theUniversity a year ago having previously worked in nationalcommercial law firms Eversheds and Addleshaw Goddard.

The department now comprises the Legal Services teamof Kevan, assistant solicitor Victoria Wilkinson, and Freedomof Information Co-ordinator Lesley Jackson, and the ContractServices team of Contract Services Manager James Fox,David McVey, Contract Services Officer, and Sarah Fletcher,Research Governance Officer. Before the merger, theContract Services team was part of Research & BusinessServices (RBS).

Kevan said “I am absolutely delighted with the way the twoteams have merged smoothly into one and I am confident themove will enhance the provision and delivery of legal servicesto the University.”

As well as advising on the numerous contracts whichthe University enters into, together with a wide range of propertyand other commercial transactions, the Department also providessupport on charitable and corporate governance matters,litigation, employment law matters and legal issues relating tostudents. The Department has also assumed responsibility forensuring compliance by the University with the Data Protectionand Freedom of Information Acts. In addition, Contract Serviceshas particular responsibility for managing University policies andprocedures relating to research ethics, research governance andclinical sponsorship.

Contract Services Manager, James Fox, added: “I am surethat the formation of one Legal Services Department and thepooling of the University’s commercial legal expertise will enableus to provide a more focused and rigorous level of contractualand legal support to colleagues across the University, includingUniversity subsidiary companies. In particular, we will continue towork very closely with our colleagues in RBS in negotiating andauthorising appropriate contractual terms and conditions forresearch-related contracts.”

Although the two teams have merged, Contract Services willremain physically located in the Foresight Centre in order to workclosely with colleagues in RBS, while Legal Services will remain inthe Foundation Building.www.liv.ac.uk/legal

New Japanesepartner

The University has signed an agreement with one

of Japan’s foremost natural science research

institutes to enable staff and students to access

its world-class facilities.

The RIKEN Spring-8 Centre in Harima conducts

experimental and theoretical research in a

wide range of fields, including physics,

chemistry, medical science, biology, brain

science and engineering.

RIKEN is currently working with Japanese

Synchrotron Radiation Institute to build a new

Free Electron Laser facility for the creation of

X-ray laser beams, which will make it a global

centre of excellence for photon science.

As well as collaborating on joint research projects

in areas such as protein crystallography and

X-ray scattering, thanks to this new agreement,

staff and students from the University will be

able to spend significant periods at the Spring-8

Centre and make use of its world-class facilities;

there may also be opportunities to place final

year graduates.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Holloway,

who signed the agreement on behalf of the

University, said: "The globalisation of activity in

the University is not only with partner universities

but also with the very best research centres in

the world.

“I am delighted to establish this important

agreement with one of the premier research

institutes in Japan, which will provide unique

access opportunities for Liverpool's researchers."

Professor Stephen Holloway, Pro-Vice-Chancellorfor the Faculties of Science and Engineering, withDr Ishikawa, Director of the RIKEN Spring-8 Centre

(back row) David and James (front row) Lesley, Victoria, Kevan and Sarah

08

The University’s collaboration with supermarket giant Tescohas been officially launched.The National Dairy Centre of Excellence knowledge

transfer activities will help boost the competitiveness of theBritish dairy industry. The initiative brings together experts fromacross the food chain to look at issues from herd health toconsumer trends.

Tesco director Lucy Neville-Rolfe (seen right at the unveiling)says the centre, based at Wood Park Farm, demonstrates thesupermarket’s commitment to the industry.

She said: “Our ambition for the centre is to work closelywith our producers, processors and members of the industry infocusing on today’s and tomorrow’s challenges, testing newtechnologies and developing a range of best practices.”

The centre, entirely funded by Tesco, will also have a visitorcentre and will provide a forum for the industry and consumersto meet.

Ateam member from theForesight Centre has beenHighly Commended at the

Liverpool Academy AmbassadorAwards.

Ian Roberts received his award atthe Crowne Plaza hotel. The AcademyAmbassador Awards, run byLiverpool's Academy of Excellence inCustomer Care in association with 08Welcome, recognise staff from sectorsacross the city that provide excellencein customer care and create a positiveimpression of Liverpool.

Lynn Westbury, Head of theForesight Centre, said: “We havealways differentiated ourselves throughour core focus on customer serviceand ensuring a professional andinnovative service. The ForesightCentre has continued to developintroducing new concepts in business

support, however it is our commitmentto providing good customer servicethat underpins our whole approach. Iam delighted that Ian’s contributionand hard work has been recognised”.

Other Foresight Centre teammembers, including Lesley Dann, PaulMcAleavey and Mike Weston, have allgained recognition at these awards inprevious years.

Ian’s achievement follows anational award commendation for LynnWestbury in the Shine Awards PublicSector Woman of the Year category.

Ian’s caringapproachrewarded

Tesco partnershiplaunched

Dr Rob Smith, Head of the University’s Livestock Health andWelfare Division, said the alliance with Tesco would be mutuallyadvantageous.

He added: “We are delighted to be involved in this exciting newventure. Our relationship with Tesco and its suppliers will allow us toproduce the knowledge and the vets the industry needs to ensurethe highest standards of animal welfare, food safety and quality inthe future.”

The Minister for Farming and the Environment, Jane

Kennedy MP, has visited the University’s Leahurst

campus to discuss joined-up approaches to

biodiversity, sustainable farming and animal health.

Jane Kennedy, MP for Wavertree who studied at the

University of Liverpool, visited the recently-opened

Tesco Dairy Centre of Excellence, to discuss the

research being undertaken into farm animal welfare

and sustainability. She also heard how Wood Park

Farm is helping young people to understand where

food comes from and encouraging them to go in to

higher education.

She also visited the National Centre for Zoonosis

Research to hear about research the University is

conducting into the control of animal and human

infectious diseases, and how this might be

translated into policy.

Above: Jane Kennedy with Andrew Miller MP for Nestonand Ellesmere Port

University tourfor Minister

09

Course explores leadershipThe University’s Centre for Materials Discovery

is involved in a £2 million research centre

which will help develop cutting edge

technology from personal care products to

the next generation of medical supplies.

The Molecular Engineering Translational

Research Centre (METRC), funded by the N8

Partnership, will combine the expertise of the

‘N8’ universities, Durham, Lancaster, Leeds,

Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield

and York.

The scientific focus of METRC is soft

nanotechnology, concentrating on functional

molecules designed with physical/chemical

effects with a targeted end use.

Research is goal orientated, focused on

translation to industry, targeting identified

markets where there is economic impact and

social benefit. The centre is focused on four

central application themes, including home

and personal care products, medicine and

healthcare, energy and information

technology. Developments could include

sensors and implants providing healthcare

through human-device interfaces,

easier interactions

between humans

and IT, and smart

homes, smart

fabrics, adaptive

surroundings

and informatics.

Professor Andy Cooper Director at the Centre

for Materials Chemistry, said: “We live in an

increasingly technologically-enabled and

technologically-dependent society whose

populace has ever-increasing needs and

expectations of science, engineering,

technology and medicine.

“In many of these areas, the critical enabling

features, together with much of the cost of

manufacture, stem from functional materials

assemblies and devices currently fabricated

at the micro-scale. However, the next

generation of products required to enhance

the health, wealth and quality of life of our

society will be even more demanding. Much

of this future will depend critically on devices

and materials assemblages of ever-

decreasing scale reducing to the point where

the unusual properties of near-atomic

assemblages can be exploited.”

METRC will collaborate with businesses in the

North of the country and internationally to

share knowledge to develop new products,

processes and services to help them innovate

faster and take a larger share of rapidly-

changing global markets.

At the cutting edge

Dear Editor,

I am an elderly University pensioner, having

retired in 1986, and have always enjoyed

reading the University magazine. However, I

am very disappointed and amazed that the

back page ‘Noticeboard’ section is being

discontinued. I do not have a computer like

most people; it seems that the minority in life

lose out to up-to-date technology.

Yours sincerely,

Joan Hitchmough

Editor’s note: We thought long and hard

about moving the Classifieds section out

of the magazine. It was eventually decided

it would give us space to fit even more

news into the magazine – Precinct is very

much a victim of its own success and we

never have as much space as we would

like! We will still be carrying the events

and appeals in the magazine – it is only

the ‘For Sale’ and ‘Wanted’ ads which

have moved online - and we hope the new

website will prove even more popular.

www.liv.ac.uk/classifieds/

Dear Editor,

Precinct is a most attractive publication

but please will you reconsider some of the

colour layout? Black print on blue

background is not easy to read and nor is

black print on a background which

darkens in places. I liken this problem to

listening to someone being interviewed

in the street against a background of

roaring traffic.

I shall continue to enjoy reading Precinct.

Yours constructively,

Clive Hunt

(Alumnus and member of Court)

Editor’s note: This email was perfectly

timed. We have been reviewing the

design of Precinct and had decided

a few tweaks were necessary,

particularly in relation to colour and

imagery. Thanks for the feedback –

it’s always appreciated!

Liverpinion

Your views. Your opinions. Have your say at: The Liverpinion, Precinct, Foundation Building, Liverpool L69 7ZXt: 0151 794 2251 e: [email protected]

reflects both the needs of the individuals in their

management roles and the requirements of

management staff by the institution. These

requirements have been cross referenced with the

ILM programmes and the national occupational

standard for managers.”

To ensure that staff get as much out of the

programme as possible, the programme is

focused on achieving measurable benefits that are

reviewed throughout the 10 months. Participants

are given the opportunity to take part in group

workshops and ongoing support is available from

programme facilitators via telephone, email or

face-to-face discussions.

To register your interest and for more information

about the Leadership and Management

Programme contact Steve Plant on

Tel: 46948 or email [email protected]

The Human Resources department has launched

a Leadership and Management Programme

(LAMP), developed to further improve managerial

and leadership knowledge.

Endorsed by the Institute of Leadership

Management (ILM), the programme, aimed at

Professional Services managers on grades seven

to nine, will take approximately 10 months to

complete. It is designed to enable participants to

explore the nature and requirements of the middle

management role within the University.

Steve Plant, Human Resources Manager,

Organisational Development and Diversity, said:

“The programme has been introduced to support

the University’s commitment to offer organisational

development training that reflects the needs of our

staff in line with organisational objectives.

“It has been developed with the support of two

working groups, Technical and Administrative, and

10

Staff and students are benefittingfrom increased storage space and astreamlined login process following

Computing Services’ major investment inthe development of the ManagedWindows Service.

Final stages of the move to the newManaged Windows Service have nowbeen completed, bringing this year-longproject to completion.

Dr Chris Wooff, Acting Director ofComputing Services, said: “There havebeen major changes to the underlyinginfrastructure of the service. It is a majorcredit to the Computing Services team thatstaff and students bore very little disruptionduring such a substantial project.”

Benefits to staff and students includesignificant increase in the amount ofnetwork file storage space on individualM:drives as well as on departmental drives.University staff now have 4GB of space bydefault, students 1GB and departmentaldrives have 100GB.

“The increase in M:drive anddepartmental drive space alongside thenew VOCAL collaborative working serviceshould enable departments to hold theirshared resources centrally and avoidproblems associated with files beingunavailable when a member of staff isabsent or leaves,” Chris added.

Smooth delivery ofmajor IT project

“There are also benefits when it comesto your username and password. Oncelogged on to a PC, staff no longer have toenter their login details again when openingOutlook. In addition, when you havechanged your password you no longer geta second login box on a computer that youhave used before.

“The hardware that the ManagedWindows Service runs on has beenupdated as part of the project, building inscope for future support and enhancementof the service.”

All members of staff are invited to submit

nominations for Honorary Degrees to be

awarded by the University in 2010.

The honours are conferred in recognition of

achievements in the academic world, in public life in

general, or in the local community. The decision to

award the honorary degree is made by a Joint

Committee of Council and Senate and is chaired by

the Vice-Chancellor.

For a nomination form please contact Dr Gerard

J Taggart, Vice-Chancellor’s Office, by emailing

[email protected]. The deadline for nominations is

Friday 20 March 2009.

Nominations forHonorary Degrees

The University has been cited as an example of a good practice in a recent Green

Technology report which looks at the sustainability of technology in educational institutions.

The report, which was published by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), is

critical of some institutions who are not currently doing enough to improve their ICT-related

energy and carbon consumption, in line with government targets.

However, it praises the University’s self-developed ‘PC PowerDown’ software, which can

check whether anyone is logged into a computer, and if not, can automatically shut it

down. This prevents machines being left on when not in use creating huge savings not

only on power used by idle PCs but also from the reduced air conditioning required.

The software, which was developed by Lisa Nelson from the Computing Services

Department, is currently saving more than 500 tonnes in CO2 emissions and £156,000

per year.

Pat on the back for ‘green’ software

Along with a new mechanism forinstalling software onto PCs, the newManaged Windows Service makes iteasier to install network printers. Duplexprinting has also been introduced forstudent printing, reducing costs forstudents, as well as boosting theUniversity’s Green IT initiative.

For more information about thenew Managed Windows Service, visithttp://www.liv.ac.uk/csd/mws/

11

Scientists at the University have launched a new nationalresearch centre to further understanding into infectionssuch as HIV and tuberculosis.

The Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), which was openedby Sir William Stewart, Chairman of the Health Protection Agency,is one of 12 in the country to be funded by the National Institutefor Health Research (NIHR) as part of the Government’s healthresearch strategy. The joint venture has received £13.5 millionfunding from NIHR and a further £6.4million from the North WestDevelopment Agency.

It will be run jointly by the University, the Royal Liverpool andBroadgreen University Hospitals Trust and the Liverpool Schoolof Tropical Medicine.

The Centre will focus on four areas – hospital and communityacquired infections, chest infections, sexual health, and safety ofantimicrobial drugs. Researchers will also have access to state-of-the-art facilities such as a new clinical research unit to trial newdrug treatments and a medical microbiology facility for theidentification and safe handling of bacteria.

Sir William said: “This is important work that will take place infirst-rate facilities. I believe this Centre will be a magnet for ourvery best scientists, retaining and attracting the best brains toLiverpool and the North West, not just from elsewhere in the UK,but internationally. It is a privilege and pleasure to open such animportant and worthwhile development.”

Professor Peter Winstanley, Executive Director of the BRC,said: “This prestigious new Centre puts Liverpool at the cuttingedge of research and means we can pioneer new drugs anddiagnostic tools for a range of conditions. We will beinvestigating ways of alleviating suffering and treating infectionswhich affect millions of people around the world.”

£20m centre toresearch infections

Scientists at the University have been awarded

£1.7 million to decode the genome of wheat, in

order to help farmers increase the yield of British

wheat varieties.

Bread wheat, with an estimated world harvest of

more than 550 million tonnes, is one of the most

important food crops in the world and is worth

more than £2 billion to the UK’s agricultural

industry. Wheat production world-wide, however,

is now under threat from climate change and

an increase in demand from a growing

human population.

DNA decodingto boostharvest

The Centre will deliver 13 projects over the next five years,which include areas such as genetic testing to identifywho is most likely to be allergic to penicillin, and vaccinedevelopment for pneumonia – a major cause of death inchildren and adults worldwide. Research will also includeidentification of the factors that cause HIV patients todevelop resistance to drug therapies.

Wheat breeders have few genetic tools to help them in

selecting key agricultural traits for breeding and do not

always know the genes responsible for the trait they

need. Scientists, in collaboration with the University of

Bristol and the John Innes Centre in Norwich, will

analyse the genome of five varieties of wheat using

new DNA sequencing technology to generate tools to

help breeders select traits, such as high productivity,

for their crop. The research will highlight natural

genetic variation between wheat types to significantly

speed up current breeding programmes.

Professor Neil Hall and Dr Anthony Hall, from the

School of Biological Sciences, will lead the genome

sequencing, which will take approximately a year

to complete.

Professor Hall said: “New DNA sequencing technology

can read 500 million separate letters of DNA in a single

day – hundreds of times faster than the systems

that were used to sequence the human genome.

The wheat genome is more than five times larger

than the human genome and so this is one of the

most ambitious DNA sequencing projects

undertaken to date.”

Dr Hall added: “Sequencing wheat varieties,

along with new developments in our understanding

of how genes work together, will allow us to

identify variation in gene networks involved in

important agricultural traits such as disease

resistance, drought tolerance and yield. The tools

generated will allow us to apply our knowledge of

natural variations in the genome to traditional

crop breeding.”

The research is funded by the Biotechnology and

Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Sir William Stewart meets the team at the Biomedical Research Centre

Maths and art are two words thatare not usually used in the samesentence, but one of the latest

exhibitions in the Victoria Gallery &Museum (VG&M) aims to prove that thetwo can be inter-related.

Running from 24 February – 25 April,Chaos and Fractals: the Beauty ofMathematics is one of two new exhibitionslining the walls of the VG&M. It showcasesfascinating images created bymathematicians from around the world,including some created by members ofstaff from the Department of Mathematics.The images are created during the courseof their research to illustrate theories,problems, processes and systems.

Matthew Clough, Director, Art andHeritage Collections, said: “These graphicscan be enjoyed purely for their visualappeal and, throughout the course of theexhibition, we are inviting visitors toconsider whether they think it is art or not.

They will be asked to join in the debateby casting their votes.”

Also opening in March is the RecentAcquisitions exhibition, which profiles richand varied works added to the collectionover the past five years. It includes a keywork by Liverpool artist Maurice Cockrilland a mural panel by Mary Adshed, oncebelieved to have been destroyed.

Matthew added: “Many of the worksfeatured in this permanent exhibitionhave been made possible by gifts orsupported by grants and the Universitywishes to acknowledge this continuinggenerous support.”

Recent Acquisitions runs from 3March until 25 April in Gallery Six and 3April until 13 June in Gallery Five.

A number of events that relatethese exhibitions will be runningthroughout March, April and June.To find out more about them visitwww.liv.ac.uk/vgm/events

.

The beautiful art of maths

12

The Decorative Arts Gallery is also nowopen. This is the first time the collection ofceramics, presented to the University by SirCharles Sydney Jones in 1948, has goneon display

Malcolm Harris, Building Manager

in the Whelan Building, is retiring

in April. Not wanting to relax, Mal

has agreed to take part in a

boating trip for charity. At the end of

April he will paddle across Southern

France in a kayak and has set up a

blog for friends and family to follow

him every splash of the way. If you

would like to sponsor Mal or

follow him on his journey visit:

http://meanderingmal.blogspot.com

On Wednesday 1 April, the

Department of Mathematical

Sciences is holding an Engaging

Mathematics workshop.

The event will begin with a showcase

of outreach activity including a

session of the FunMaths Roadshow

and workshops by the University of

Liverpool Maths Club.

In the afternoon there will be an

opportunity to meet representatives

of several organisations, the Further

Mathematics Network (FMN), the

National Centre for Excellence in the

Teaching of Mathematics (NCTEM)

and Maestro (formerly Greater

Merseyside SETPOINT), followed by

a presentation by Sue Pope from the

Qualifications and Curriculum

Authority (QCA).

The event is free of charge and

participants are asked to bring their

own lunch. For more information

contact Dr Ian Porteous on 44050

or email [email protected]

Newsinbrief...

13

OPEN

10am – 5pm

Tuesday –

Saturday Phone 0151 795 0333to place your order.

Want a convenient but deliciouslunch made with locally-sourcedingredients?

Take advantage of the newWaterhouse Café take-out menu.

VG&M’s vvvvroomwith a view

The Department of Engineering lent itssupport to the VG&M by helping withthe transport of a number of enginesthat have been added to the HeritageCollection.

The large engines, which include aRolls Royce jet engine, developed forvertical-take-off aircraft, a pre First WorldWar radial engine and a rocket enginemade for a guided missile, were movedfrom the Heritage store to the VG&M’sTate Hall, where they will displayed forthe next year.

Breakfast bloomer with crispy baconor sizzling organic sausages andsauce with coffee or tea of yourchoice £3.95

Danish or muffin with coffeeor tea: £3.25

Soup of day with freshlymade roll £2.95

and much more!

Engaging withMathematics

Wednesday 4 March 5.30pm

Professor Greg Hurst, Chair

in Behavioural Ecology/

Evolutionary Biology,

‘Tales of the Red Queen –

Why Parasites can be Particularly

Important Drivers of Evolution’.

Wednesday 18 March 5.30pm

Professor Neil Corcoran,

King Alfred Chair of

English Literature,

‘Yeats’s Shakespeare’.

Monday 23 March 5.30pm

Professor David Graham,

Chair of Medical Education

‘What Makes a Good Doctor?’

The lectures take place in the Jack

Leggate Theatre in the Victoria

Gallery & Museumto showcase the

building’s new role as the Victoria

Gallery & Museum.

To register visit:

www.liv.ac.uk/think

14

Audiences flock to Inaugural Lectures

The Inaugural Lecture Series for new professorialappointments is underway.Five lectures in the series have already taken place and

have attracted large audiences from staff, students, membersof the public and also the lecturers’ industry peers. ProfessorSimon Harding, Chair of Clinical Ophthalmology was joined bya number of his patients from the supporters of the Foundationfor the Prevention of Blindness, St Pauls Eye Hospital.

Forthcominglectures include:

A team of young research scientists has scooped the runner-up prize in

a national competition.

The group was one of 14 to qualify for the finals of the BiotechnologyYes

contest, run by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research

Council (BBSRC) and the University of Nottingham Institute for Enterprise

and Innovation (UNIEI).

The team from Liverpool was beaten in the final by a team from the

University of Reading with their proposal for a hypothetical company

called Ovega and a revolutionary new product which aimed to produce

vegetarian Omega-3 oil from food industry waste.

Lucy Hopcraft, the Liverpool team’s Managing Director, said: "This

experience has given us an awareness that a PhD is about more than

just research and being in the lab. In this increasingly competitive

global job market, a wide variety of transferable skills is what future

employers are looking for. There’s no denying it was a lot of hard

work, but in terms of what we have got out of it the rewards were

well worth the time and effort. Having the BiotechYES course on

your CV speaks volumes and the contacts we have made will

hopefully help us in whatever future career direction we choose

to take.”

EnterpriseYes competitions are open to all research students and

research staff. Details of the 2009 competition, together with an

application form can be found at: www.biotechnologyyes.co.uk

Interested parties should contact the Graduate School or

Business Gateway for support in making their application.

The third lecture in the series was delivered by theVice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Howard Newby, entitled ‘HigherEducation in a Globalised World’. Guests included the LordLieutenant of Merseyside, Dame Lorna Muirhead, and theUniversity Chancellor, Lord David Owen. A transcript of thelecture is available on the staff intranet.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Jon Saunders, ProfessorSir Howard Newby, Lady Newby and Lord Owen

Biotechnology teammakes it to the finals of national competition

Professor SimonHarding with oneof his patients

15

Red glow signals plaque

University scientists have developedthe technology to identify dentalplaque before it is visible to the

human eye.The toothbrush-sized product has a

blue light at its tip, which, when shonearound the mouth and viewed throughyellow glasses with a red filter, allowsplaque to be seen easily as a red glow.The device, produced in collaborationwith Norwegian dental and healthcaredevelopers, Inspektor Research SystemsBV, has been designed for everyday usein the home.

Dentists currently use disclosingagents in tablet form to uncover toothdecay and plaque but these often stain themouth and taste unpleasant. The new

product, known as Inspektor TC, will beparticularly useful for those who arevulnerable to dental diseases such aschildren and the elderly.

Children in the UK have had anaverage of 2.5 teeth filled or removed bythe age of 15 because of tooth decay. Inyoung people alone £45 million is currentlybeing spent every year on the problem.

Professor Sue Higham, from theSchool of Dental Sciences, said: “It isextremely difficult to get rid of all plaque inthe mouth. Left undisturbed it becomeswhat we call ‘mature’ plaque and getsthicker. This is what leads to gingivitis, orbleeding gums, and decay.

“Early-stage plaque is invisible, but thisdevice will show people the parts of the

Big smiles from thirddental diploma group

The third group of students has qualified from the

UK’s first dental hygiene and dental therapy

diploma delivered on an outreach basis.

The diploma has been specially developed to

provide training opportunities for those living in

areas with limited dental provision. The 19

students began studying towards the Dental

Hygiene and Dental Therapy Diploma in 2006

based at three Dental Education Centres –

Blackburn, Crewe and Lancaster.

David Young, Programme Director, said: “Dental

hygienists and dental therapists are vitally

important in local dental care provision. The

combined diploma in dental hygiene and dental

therapy was specifically designed to address the

low numbers of people going into the dental

profession in parts of the North West. We want to

provide opportunities in dentistry for people locally

and increase the likelihood of retaining those skills

in the local area.

“Three cohorts of students - 74 in total - have

now qualified and gone into the workplace,

achieving 100% employment. The programme is

recognised nationally as a great success and is

achieving its goals.”

Students on the programme spend one day a

week at the Dental School and the rest of the

Successful graduands with the Programme Director, David Young

mouth that they are neglecting when theybrush their teeth, enabling them to removeplaque before it becomes a problem.

“We now hope to work with industrypartners to develop this prototype sothat people can use it in the home toidentify plaque before any serious dentalwork is needed.”

The team has now received a MedicalFutures Innovation Award for the product –a commendation which acknowledgesgroundbreaking ideas and products withinthe healthcare and business world thathave the potential to transform people’slives. Past winners of the award havesecured more than £80 million of fundingfrom industry specialists for themanufacture of their product.

week at dental education centres and on

placements at local dental practices. The course

runs for 27 months and trains students in a range

of skills including oral assessment, disease

monitoring, dental health education and

treatments such as emergency replacement

of crowns and fillings.

www.liv.ac.uk/dental/prospective_students/

dental_hygienist

16

Conferences and events

Calday Grange Grammar School in West Kirby has become the first

Trust School in Wirral. Its new status will allow the school to establish

long-term, sustainable relationships with its partner organisations,

which include the University, Unilever and Maestro Services Ltd.

As two of the largest local employers, the University and Unilever will

support the School’s role within its local, national and global

communities through a range of means, a key objective being to better

prepare young people for work within these communities. The new

partner organisations will work within the Trust to enhance the School’s

specialist areas of Technology and Languages, bringing greater

opportunities to the students and those other communities already

benefiting from this work.

Researchers at the University have found that people given

chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer have higher chances of survival.

The cancer, which is the same disease suffered by actor PatrickSwayze, has a poor prognosis with only 2% to 3% of patients

Newsinbrief...

Plans are being made for a historicexhibition to travel worldwide.

The World in One School exhibition wascreated by the School of Architecture aspart of the University’s contribution toLiverpool’s European Capital of Cultureyear. Jack Dunne (above), who is theDirector of Studies for the MArchProgramme and curator of the showcase,arranged for the exhibition to travel toDublin and Glasgow in 2008 after its initialsuccessful opening at the RIBA North Westin Liverpool.

Now plans are underway for theexhibition to travel to New York andWarsaw, where the School has historiclinks. The showcase features work byprominent alumni, focusing mainly on theirinternational architectural significance.The school has produced architects ofoutstanding quality including six RoyalGold Medal winners. Their influential work,and that of many more graduate architectsfrom 1895 to date have helped shape thebuilt environment across the world.

A symposium entitled ‘Transformationsin Materials’ was held in the Departmentof Engineering to celebrate the work ofthree long-serving academics.Professors David Bacon, Peter Goodhewand Bob Pond have made majorcontributions to the discipline of MaterialsScience over the past 40 years. The threeacademics have accumulated more than90 years service to the University. Theyare now stepping down from full-timeresearch and teaching following theoutstanding performance in the recentResearch Assessment Exercise, when theMaterials Unit of Assessment was rankedsecond in the UK and the highest scoringin the University.

measure the biological clock, inspired bywork reported from the University ofLancaster at an earlier North West PlantScience meeting. All animals, plants andfungi have a biological clock to time thecircadian rhythms that are essential to healthand fitness. Remarkably, plants emit light forthe first few seconds after they are plungedinto darkness that turns out to be directlyrelated to the time according to the internalbiological clock. This new technique meansthat it is now straightforward to measure theclock in any plant, giving a new way tocheck that crops are performing as wellas possible.

Some of the work on this importanttechnical breakthrough was carried out bytwo students from a Liverpool school duringtheir Summer holiday, supported by NuffieldScience Bursaries. They are now in theunusual situation of being authors of a paperin a leading scientific journal before they starttheir university degrees. The paper’s authorsare Peter D Gould, Patrick Diaz, ClaireHogben, Jelena Kusakina, Radia Salem,James Hartwell and Anthony Hall.Monitoring delayed fluorescence as auniversal tool for the measurement ofcircadian rhythms in higher plants will bepublished in Plant Journal.

Professors Pond, Goodhew and Bacon with ProfessorDerek Hull FRS FREng, a former Head of Department,Dean and Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Liverpool, at the dinnerin their honour in the Victoria Gallery & Museum

Claire Hogben, Patrick Diaz and Dr Anthony Hall (l to r inwhite coats) and a member of the public with thedisplay including this work at the BA Festival of Sciencein September 2008

The annual North West Plant Sciencemeeting has been hosted by the University.More than 65 researchers from theUniversity’s of Liverpool, Manchester andLancaster heard about the latest findingson many aspects of plant biology.

This included a talk from Dr PeterGould in the School of Biological Sciences,about the discovery of a universal tool to

17

surviving for five years or more. New research found that patients

given chemotherapy after surgery for operable pancreatic cancer

had a 30% higher chance of living than those who just had surgery.

Lead researcher, Professor John Neoptolemos, said: “Pancreatic

cancer continues to be one of the hardest cancers to treat and has

very low survival rates, these results show that chemotherapy after

surgery is the best way to treat patients, giving people precious

extra months or even years of life.”

The original Mersey Sound is beingbrought to life in a book set to becomea classic.

The Original Mersey Sound –the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Story,written by Darren Henley, MD of ClassicFM, and Vincent McKernan, and beautifullyillustrated throughout, is the amazing storyof one of Liverpool’s cultural ‘crown jewels’which is brought to light for the first time inits entirety.

In 1840, a group of music-loving Liverpoolbusinessmen came together to form asociety which gave four concerts in itsfirst year. They surely could not haveknown that, 168 years later, theirendeavour would grow to become thesecond-oldest concert promoting societywith the oldest continuing professionalorchestra in the UK.

Simon Bell, Marketing Manager atLiverpool University Press which ispublishing the book, said: “Whilst thescope and reach of the LiverpoolPhilharmonic today is very different, theoriginal vision of that first committee ‘topromote the science and practice of music’has remained a constant and drivingambition. It lives and breathes todaythrough from their talismanic conductorVasily Petrenko to its artists, choristersand staff.”

Normally priced at £25, staff, students andalumni can order a copy at a special priceof £19.95 by telephoning 0151 794 2233 oremailing [email protected] and quoting‘Precinct Offer’.

The Original Mersey Sound:The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Storyis out on 31 March.

To see what is on offer fromLiverpool University Press visit:www.liverpool-unipress.co.uk/

Leaves showing the light emitted in darkness used tomeasure the biological clock in this new technique

A book of the Sound

Katharina Müller, from the School of Cultures, Languages and

Area Studies, and her Lancaster colleague Judith Menzel, have

successfully applied to the German Academic Exchange Service

(DAAD) for funding for a Writer in Residence programme.

As part of the programme, German author Maike Wetzel will

be in Liverpool from 22 – 28 March. Maike will be doing a

reading, introducing a film evening and participating in a

translation workshop. www.liv.ac.uk/soclas

The Centre for the Study of the Child, theFamily and the Law at the Liverpool LawSchool will host a major three-dayinternational conference on Children andthe European Union: Legal Political andResearch Perspectives from Monday 20 –Wednesday 22 April, in collaboration withthe European Children’s Network.The principal themes to be covered will bedebating the value of, and legal basis for,an EU’s children’s rights strategy, a criticallook, through research, at theachievements of the EU in advancingchildren’s rights, and the futuredevelopment of a children’s rights strategy.

This will be the first event of its kind tobring together international, EU anddomestic policy-makers, practitioners,academics and young people in a jointendeavour to critically discuss the EU’semerging children’s rights agenda, with anumber of prominent speakers from the EUinstitutions, the Council of Europe and UNorganisations to stimulate what will belively, and productive, discussion.www.liv.ac.uk/law/cscfl/children

The 19th Century Pamphlets Online projectis holding a one-day conference at theUniversity on Friday 20 March entitled 'Newaccess to past debates: 19th centurypamphlets'.This event marks the launch of a major newdigital resource, providing desktop access tomore than 23,000 19th century pamphletscovering the political, social and economicissues of their day – the result ofsponsorship and investment from ResearchLibraries UK (RLUK), Joint InformationSystems Committee and JSTOR.

The conference will seek to place19th century pamphlets within their historical,literary and cultural contexts, and to considerthe potential of their digitisation for researchand teaching.

Participation in this event, which includeslunch and refreshments, is free, thanks tosponsorship by RLUK. However, places arelimited and will be allocated on a 'first come,first served' basis. For more informationemail [email protected]

The Rotary Club of Neston is hostingan event in aid of Leukeamia Research andRotary International Charities on Tuesday24 March in the Torrentine Suite, ThorntonHall Hotel.Tickets for ‘Another Evening with theCalendar Girls’ cost £20 and includes a two-course meal. Available from Colin Sullivan tel0151 336 5115 or David Brigden tel 01352715999.

The Institute of Irish Studies St Patrick’sDay Ball will be held on Saturday 14 Marchat the Britannia Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool,with entertainment by John McNicholl andHis Band.There is also a disco and traditionalIrish step dancing. Master of Ceremonies isUniversity Honorary Graduate and BBC radiopresenter Roger Phillips. Tickets £50 perperson or £500 for a table of 10 guests. Fortickets email [email protected]

18

Gascon Rolls go online

Previously unpublished medieval records relating to the English government

of Aquitaine are to be made available online thanks to University historians.

The Gascon Rolls are the single most important source of information about

the ancient administration located in south-west France. The documents

relate to the period between the mid-13th and the mid-15th centuries,

when Aquitaine existed as an English duchy and tensions over its control

culminated in the outbreak of the Hundred Years War with the kingdom

of France.

The unedited records comprise more than 113 parchment rolls dating from

1317 to 1468 and contain letters, writs, grants and other documents which

reveal the relationship between the English king and his administration.

Paul Booth, from the School of History, said: “Without the Gascon Rolls we

would not know the comprehensive history of the duchy, and of the Hundred

Years War itself – they are the most important unpublished records of France.

“The increased accessibility to a first-class edition of these invaluable primary

sources is extremely important to all scholars of later medieval history and in

particular of Anglo-French relations.”

Lord Capulet goesthrough some lineswith the young actors

Pupils from Childwall ComprehensiveSchool have visited Liverpool Guildof Students (LGoS) to take part in a

‘Bringing Shakespeare Alive’ workshopand watch a performance of Romeoand Juliet by the Liverpool UniversityDrama Society.

The evening was organised by theEducational Opportunities Team inpartnership with the LGoS as part of the

University’s Widening Participation agenda,which enables young people who mightnot otherwise consider higher education toget a taste of university life.

Professor Stephen Holloway, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculties of Science andEngineering, who recently took part in theTeach First Week, said: “It is vitallyimportant that young people can share inactivities that will enrich the quality of their

lives and understand that neither culturalnor academic pursuits are outside oftheir realm.

“I think that the efforts made in bringingin students from local schools to attend ahands-on evening of Shakespeare isexactly the sort of thing in which we mustengage if we are to be a university withserious ambitions to lead the UK inwidening participation.”

Werefore art thou Shakespeare?

Anti-terrorismblast-proof concrete

A team of University Engineers has tested a new form of concrete that

can reduce the impact of bomb blasts in public areas.

The new fibre-reinforced material is much stronger than ordinary

concrete, and could potentially be used in the production of protection

barriers to shield people from impact, and in the production of bomb-

proof litter bins.

The research, which was undertaken in collaboration with the University

of Sheffield, involved a range of tests to explore the capabilities of the

new Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC).

The aim was to establish the bending strength of the new concrete and

its capacity to absorb energy, culminating in a series of high explosion

blast tests at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria.

Professor Steve Millard, from the Department of Engineering, said:

“Our results showed that the new UHPFRCmaterial had an enhanced

tension and compression strength of 500% greater than conventional

concrete. This makes UHPFRC a suitable material for use in

anti-terrorism applications.”

19

Aresearcher from the Centre for ManxStudies has produced the firstmodern, comprehensive guidebook

on Manx Gaelic, a language thought tohave died out in the mid-19th century.

Expert Jennifer Kewley Draskauproduced her guide, Practical Manx, afterstudying a range of texts dating back asfar as the 15th century, as well asunstructured, informal conversationsbetween fluent native speakers on theIsle on Man.

Manx Gaelic virtually died out in the19th century when English became thelanguage of trade in the 19th century.However, it has recently experienced arevival and more than 600 people currentlyclaim to speak the language.

Jennifer said: “This new handbookwill provide a measure of stability andconsolidation for the language,harmonising elements from different timeperiods and modes of usage, as well asincreasing confidence in the Manxspeaking community.”

Practical Manx is published byLiverpool University Press.

Jennifer’sguide toManx

“600 peoplecurrently claim tospeak the language”

Above left: Laxey WheelAbove: Practical ManxLeft: Gascon Rolls

Famous alumni illustrateLiverpool’s degree of success

Adegree from the University ofLiverpool is just as likely to leadto career success as a degree

from Oxbridge, according to a recentarticle in The Times Online.

While Cambridge and Oxforduniversities have undoubtedlyproduced some of the finest graduatesin British history, the article argues that‘nurtured in the right conditions,success is in us all, no matter if wewent to Cambridge University orThames Valley’.

And the University of Liverpool hasdefinitely produced its fair share ofimpressive alumni, with a list thatincludes Dame Stella Rimington, theformer Director General of MI5, Sir NeilCossons, the former Chairman ofEnglish Heritage, ITN’s award-winningscience editor Lawrence McGinty,Maurice Flanagan, foundingCEO of Emirates airline (see page 6),and poet Carol Ann Duffy.

Patricia Routledge, an actressprobably best known for comedycreation Hyacinth Bucket in KeepingUp Appearances, studied EnglishLanguage and Literature at theUniversity between 1947 and 1951. Shewas heavily involved in the University’s

drama scene, which inspired her topursue her prolific acting career laterin life.

TV journalist Jon Snow studiedLaw between 1968 and 1970, butwas sent down for staging a six-weekstudent protest. Despite nevergraduating, he credits the Universityas the reason he got his first jobat ITN.

He told The Times Online, “Duringthe interview I was terrified that theywould discover I hadn’t graduated.But the editor was an Oxbridge man,used to interviewing Oxbridge people.When I told him I had gone toLiverpool instead he was too shockedto ask about my degree.

“I don’t regret being sent downbecause I took so much away frommy experience at Liverpool. I grew upin greenest Surrey, but in Liverpool Isaw great poverty, terribleunemployment and real socialtensions. It was a very intenseexperience.”

20

First blooms pokethrough the snow

The first of the year’s blooms have braved the

wintry weather at Ness Botanic Gardens.

Visitors have been able to join the gardens’

experts on guided snowdrop walks, where they

learned more about the 60 different species

which grow there.

www.liv.ac.uk/nessgardens

MOVERS

A ‘Festschrifft’ has been published in honour

of Professor Ole Petersen from the School of

Biomedical Sciences in an international

journal. The January 2009 issue of Acta

Physiologica – the official journal of the

Federation of European Physiological

Societies, as well as the Scandinavian

Physiological Society – is a special issue

containing the full versions of the 17 papers

delivered by leading international authorities at

the International Symposium held at the Royal

Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in

Copenhagen, Denmark on the occasion of

Professor Petersen’s 65th birthday.

Patrick Hackett, Chief Operating Officer,

has been appointed non-Executive Director

at Aintree Hospital.

&SHAKERS

Juggling Jamesdoubles up asTorres

21

Ane-business student from theManagement School is to star as abody double for Liverpool Football

Club striker Fernando Torres in a multi-million pound commercial for soft drinksgiant Pepsi.

James Hacking is one of the UK’sleading football freestylers, which involvesjuggling a football using various parts of his

body. The aim is to keep the ball in the airfor as long as possible using a range oftricks and trying to be as creative andflamboyant as possible.

James has been freestyling for fiveyears and is hired by modelling and castingagencies to work all over the worldshowcasing his skills. He had been workingin Italy for an entertainment agency called

Nexus Europe when he heard about thePepsi advert and was sent straight toBarcelona for four days of filming.

“It was a cool experience,” said James.“I didn’t get to do many tricks during theactual filming, but I was introduced to theplayers and even did a bit of freestyling forthem off set. It was pretty amazing to meetthem all.”

Revealing the secrets of the Freemasons

Dr David Harrison, a former PhD student

and history tutor from the Centre for Lifelong

Learning, has written a book that reveals

some of the secrets behind one of the

most mysterious organisations in the

world, the Freemasons.

The Genesis of Freemasonry charts the

history of the brotherhood from its origins in

the 17th century through to its development in

the 18th century as a networking society,

following the foundation of the Grand Lodge

in 1717.

The ethos of freemasonry has varied

throughout the centuries, but even now it is

treated with some suspicion. It has embraced

numerous philosophies, from the sacred

symbolism and magical imagery to the study of

ancient architecture and natural philosophy. But

it also became notorious as an elitist institution

where gentlemen of a certain social level could

interact and network with each other.

Today, the Freemasons are a worldwide

organisation with more than five million

members, but the origins and development

of Freemasonry have always been subject

to debate.

The Genesis of Freemasonry is due to

be published in March and available from

Amazon. David is currently working on a

follow-up.

Arange of University publicationsis available to all staff for use atconferences, meetings, overseas

trips, recruitment and any other events atwhich you might want to promote theUniversity and its activities. Campusmaps are also available for a small charge.Contact the Publicationsteam email [email protected] tel 42251.

22

Date

Training courses

The following Staff Development coursesare available in March and April.

For further information on all courses visit: www.liv.ac.uk/staffdev

PromotionalpublicationsavailableCourse title

Organising staff development

Mid-life financial planning (am and pm session)

Thinking clearly and analytically

A professional approach for clerical, secretarial

and administrative staff

Managing and supporting staff contribution

Refresher training for safety co-ordinators

Carrying out accident investigations

Recruitment and selection

Induction for Support staff

Introduction to Computing Services

Introduction to risk assessment

Becoming an induction mentor

Business letter writing

Institutional health and safety induction

Introduction to library

Building and motivating your team

Diversity in higher education – religion and belief

Setting goals and standards

Report writing

Managing biosafety in the laboratory - cultural awareness

Safe working with genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Introduction to manual handling

Customer service

Induction for Support staff

Introduction to Finance

Developing your team – minutes, meetings and agendas

Institutional health and safety induction

Diversity in employment – disability

Induction for Academic, Teaching and Research staff

Introduction to Corporate Communications

Thursday 5 March

Friday 6 March

Tuesday 10 March

Wednesday 11 March

Thursday 12 March

Friday 13 March

Monday 16 March

Tuesday 17 March

Wednesday 18 March

Thursday 19 March

Friday 20 March

Monday 23 March

Tuesday 24 March

Wednesday 25 March

Friday 27 March

Wednesday 1 April

Thursday 2 April

Wednesday 8 April

Wednesday 15 April

Tuesday 21 April

Wednesday 22 April

Friday 24 April

Tuesday 28 April

Wednesday 29 April

Thursday 30 April

In memoriam

The University regrets to report the death of Mary Baxter, part time cleaner in

the Facilities Management Department since 1994.

Sir Kenneth Maxwell Stoddart (Hon LLD 1986).

Dr Rick Leah, Lecturer of

Aquatic Ecology in the

School of Biological

Sciences since 1979, died

suddenly in February.

Rick originated from

Warrington and acquired a

BSc, PhD and Postdoctoral

Research Associate position

with Brian Moss at the

University of East Anglia. He was influential in

developing thinking about the balance of nutrient

loading and zooplankton grazing in determining the

phytoplankton communities in the Norfolk Broads, and

in establishing perhaps the best documented example

of guanotrophy with his postdoctoral work on Hickling

Broad and its burgeoning flock of black-headed gulls.

Rick was interested in many freshwater problems, such

as those associated with mining and mine waters, and

latterly was the Head of Ecological Systems within the

University’s Institute of Sustainable Water, Integrated

Management and Ecosystem Research (SWIMMER).

Colleagues of Rick’s at the School of Biological

Sciences said: “Rick gave a great deal of care to his

teaching, his project students and tutees, and to his

teaching administration. Everything was done with great

attention to detail. He was intensely loyal to his close

colleagues and a committed member of staff, trying to

bring about reforms when he thought they would

benefit students. Rick was interested in the future of the

planet, sharing the joys of small forward steps like the

return of a few salmon to the Mersey estuary, whilst

being all too realistically aware of the much bigger

reverses that our increasing ecological footprints bring.

All those who knew him professionally have had their

work enriched in some way. We extend our

condolences to his wife, Rachel, and their children.”

23

Where did you grow up?

JB: Not far from here in Toxteth.

PH: Birkenhead.

KH: Old Swan, Liverpool. I love Liverpool.

My other half is from Manchester and I

made him move here!

What does ‘success’ mean to you?

JB and PH: Enjoying our home and family

and friends and having happy balance with

work and family life.

KH: And a fab job that we love!

What two attributes are most important

in your job?

JB: I think we would all be in agreement that

we need to be friendly, helpful and polite.

What do you get passionate about?

JB: My family and my line dancing.

PH: Anything to do with children.

KH: I am passionate about my family and

friends who are forever inspiring.

What do you find most rewarding about

your job?

All: Meeting new and interesting

people every day, and working in such

a lovely environment.

What work issues keep you up at night?

JB and PH: None, we all love our job.

KH: And I work, run a house and run around

after my one-year-old daughter, Abigail - I

always sleep peacefully!

What are you reading at the moment?

JB: Still Summer by Jaquelyn Mitchard.

PH: Passage Meditation by Eknath

Easwaran.

KH: Gavin & Stacey.

My favourite quote is...

JB: “The only way to have a friend is to

be one.”

PH: “The result of all ambition is to be happy

at home.”

KH: “I’ve never known anyone speak so

much, yet say so little.”

Always trust...

JB: My mum, but never trust a banker!

PH: That everything will work out for you.

KH: Your hairdresser.

If I had a million pounds I would...

JB: Pay off my mortgage and take the family

on a cruise.

PH: I might be tempted into a bit of nip and

tuck!

KH: Pay off my mortgage, send my mum

and stepdad on a world trip, buy my brother

and his family an adapted house to help

with their day-to-day living with my nephew,

Jack, who has cerebral palsy and buy my

other brother the car of his dreams. Then go

shoe shopping and pay for driving lessons

for my other half.

Who is your ideal dinner guest?

JB: Pierce Brosnan.

PH: Stevie Wonder.

KH: Imelda Marcos (but only if she brought

her shoe collection!)

If you would like to be featured, or know

an interesting character who we should

contact, email us at [email protected]

Welcome to ‘Don’t quote me’, a new Precinct column which aimsto introduce you to the University’s wide and varied mix of staff.’

Don’tquote

me

‘Don’t Quote Me’ this month brings you

Jayne Barnes, Pat Howe and Kate Hall

(below), Receptionists in the Victoria

Gallery & Museum.

insig

ht

UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL

AUTUMN 2008

Tycoon’s visionTycoon’s visionTung brothers make father’s dream a realityTung brothers make father’s dream a reality

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