The University of Kent has backedCanterbury City Council’s recentcommitment to reduce its carbonemissions to net zero by 2030, while alsoupdating on its own work to develop acomprehensive plan that responds to theclimate and ecological crisis.

The University is fully committed to theUnited Nations’ 17 SustainableDevelopment Goals, which includesobjectives to reduce greenhouse gasemissions and regenerate ecology. SinceJune 2018, the University’s FutureProofprogramme has been working to embed

these within its operations and teaching,with the focus now moving to a phase ofintense planning and action to address theclimate and ecological emergency.

Vice-Chancellor and President ProfessorKaren Cox said: ‘We fully acknowledge theclimate and ecological crisis facing ourplanet. As an institution that researchesand teaches about the causes and effectsof global environmental change, we arestrongly aware that our staff and studentshave a combined responsibility to enablethe radical societal changes needed tomitigate the causes of global heating.

OUR COLLECTIVERESPONSE TO THE CLIMATECHANGE EMERGENCY

Community

University of Kent | www.kent.ac.uk/community/canterbury November 2019 | 1

A regular update from the University of Kent for local residents and businesses | Issue 10

Local employers looking to boost skills andmake a difference in the area can takeadvantage of two dedicated schemes atthe University designed to bring studentsand businesses closer together.

More than 8,600 students took part in theUniversity’s popular Employability Pointsscheme throughout 2019, including manywho completed placements across thecounty to boost the local workforce. This

Boost your business with local internships and apprenticeships

‘We are determined to harness the uniquestrengths we offer as a university in tacklingthe crisis, bringing together combinedexpertise across our education, researchand wider functions. We are currentlypreparing an ambitious sustainabilitystrategy that will enable us to set cleartargets to reduce emissions, along withtangible steps to get us there. Alongsidethis, we aim to play a lead role in the widermovement to tackle the crisis, bycontributing to the collective knowledgebase and through our impact acrosssociety.’

included a student who supportedCanterbury BID with marketing for eventsincluding Pride Canterbury and CanterburyWine Festival, and another who helpedCanterbury-based start-up SustainabilityMonitor to launch its website and develop asocial media presence.

The University also offers both Higher andDegree Apprenticeships, giving businessesan affordable way to upskill their workforce

or attract talented people. These offerflexible start dates and a mix of onlineand face-to-face teaching, withparticipants helped by significantgovernment support.

Find out more about how your company can get involved atwww.kent.ac.uk/employabilitypoints and www.kent.ac.uk/apprenticeships

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Community

During the last academic year, almost200 students participated in studentvolunteering projects, giving over 1,300hours to a diverse range of causes.Students worked with localorganisations such as Catching Lives,Canterbury Age UK, Kent Wildlife Trustand The Wildwood Trust.

During LGBTQ+ History Month, volunteerstook part in The Rainbow Cards Project bysending birthday and holiday cards tothose with discriminatory families in thehope of promoting kindness and humanconnection.

To mark International Women’s Day,volunteers participated in initiatives tosupport local Girlguiding, a charity thathelps promote self-confidence in younggirls through guided activities. They alsohelp raise awareness for WISH, anorganisation that works with womensuffering with their mental health.

Meanwhile, Psychology student Emily Loveestablished the Crafting for Dementiaproject. This got students involved inknitting or crocheting twiddlemuffs, whichprovide calming stimulation for people withdementia. Volunteers presented theircreations to the residents at Harrier LodgeCare Home in Whitstable.

Studentvolunteersmake adifference

Kent student launches ‘Stay onRoute’ app for visually impairedSecond-year student James Grice haslaunched a new iPhone app designed tohelp make train travel more accessiblefor blind and visually impaired travellersby alerting them when their trainstation is approaching to ensure theydon’t miss their stop.

The app, called Stay on Route, lets userspre-programme the app with theirdestination station and set an alert for whenthe station is a set distance away. While theapp is aimed at improving accessibility, itcould also be used by all types of travellersworried they may get stuck on the tracks ifreading, resting or otherwise distracted.

Studying a Management BSc at KentBusiness School, James first developed theapp in 2018 and was a runner-up in theSchool’s Business Start-Up Journey,receiving £500 investment towards it.

Since the launch, James is hoping toreceive feedback from users of the firstversion of the app to help develop futureimprovements, along with new ideas tohelp make it as user friendly as possible.

Commenting on the launch of the app hesaid: ‘Stay on Route has huge potential tomake train travel easier and more relaxingfor visually impaired travellers, as well asanyone else who may be worried aboutmissing their stop’.

New research breakthrough in treatingbrain disease

A pioneering treatment developed byProfessor David Wilkinson at theUniversity of Kent has offered hope of anew approach to tackling stroke, braininjury and Parkinson’s disease. Theexperimental therapy stimulates the brainfrom the outside, without implants ordrugs, for as little as 20 minutes a day.Early results have shown dramaticimprovements in intellectual, motor andemotional function, with one individualwho had been in a minimally consciousstate for six months beginning to smileand talk with family after just eight weeksof treatment.

The University is now looking to develop aNeurostimulation Service so they can giveaccess to more people in the communitywho could benefit from treatment whilealso increasing the research base fordeveloping it. The Service will have adedicated research nurse, while alsoproviding training opportunities for

students. This will be developed with thesupport of the local community throughthe University’s World of Discoverycampaign, with the hope that thegroundbreaking research couldpotentially change the lives of millions ofpeople worldwide.

Find out more at kent.ac.uk/giving

University of Kent | www.kent.ac.uk/community/canterbury November 2019 | 3

Community

Five alumni of the University’s School of Engineering and Digital Arts have played abig role in creating the visual effects of the new version of Disney’s The Lion King.

El Suliman, who gained his BSc MultimediaTechnology and Design in 2006 and anMSc Computer Animation in 2007, was oneof the film’s Lead Animators. He was joinedin creating the film’s animated scenes byCelia Prou, who graduated from ComputerAnimation in 2013.

Other contributors to the film's successwere He Sun, Lead Environment TechnicalDirector, and Compositors Dominik Platenand Joseph Tsang, who graduated in 2014with MScs in Digital Visual Effects.

The movie made an estimated $191.8million during July, the highest ever for thatmonth.

School of Engineering and Digital Arts tutorBlaine Epsley said: ‘Everyone at the Schoolis extremely proud to see our alumniachieve such great things. It’s great to seetheir talent being recognised on the bigscreen.’

Kent alumni help make new version ofThe Lion King a box office hit!

Kent Law School continues to providesupport to the community through its Clinic, a partnership run by the Universityproviding free legal advice to those whootherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it.Across a busy summer, successfuloutcomes included the grant of a five-yearresidence permit to a stateless client, alongwith the grant of indefinite leave (plus a fullrefund of additional fees) to a woman whohad incorrectly been granted temporaryleave. The Clinic also worked on a judicialreview to challenge the potential removal ofa client who cares for her disabled Britishhusband.

Other significant activity in recent monthsincluded preparing a Working Tax Creditscase for Tribunal which will serve as animportant test case about what it means to work 16 hours a week, along withpreparing an appeal for a father whoincurred parking fines while treating hischild in a parked car for a medicalemergency. The Clinic also won £25k inbackdated benefit payments for two clientswhose PIP (Personal IndependencePayment) appeals had been turned down,and represented tenants in dispute withtheir landlord over £10k in legal costs.

Students in the UK are going vegan inhuge numbers, and the University’srecent efforts to further expand theplant-based options across all our foodoutlets have been recognised by PETA,who have included it on their list of 20Most Vegan-Friendly Universities.

Students, staff and members of thecommunity can enjoy a variety of vegantreats on campus, and many non-vegandishes can be adapted for vegans too.For example, Origins Bar & Grill inDarwin College (Canterbury) now serveeight vegan main meals, including meat-free ‘beef’ burgers, bean chilli and meat-free ‘chicken’ nachos.

The Street Kitchen on Jarman Plazacontinues to serve a vegan option on itsweekly menu, with dishes ranging frompakora burgers to Malaysian curries. TheGalvanising Shop Café and No1(Medway) have plenty of vegan optionsfor breakfast and lunch, including vegansausage and cheese paninis and dairy-free breakfast pots.

University of Kent amongst most vegan-friendlyuniversities in the UK

Follow UniKentFood on Instagram tofind out more about catering at Kent.

Kent Law Clinic summersuccess

Community

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Dates for your diary • Tuesday 17 December – WinterVacation.

• Tuesday 14 January – Spring Termstarts.

• Durrell Institute for Conservation andEcology (DICE) – Monthly talks oncampus, Thursdays from 18.00 – 19.00on topics from palm oil production toglobal tree conservation. More atresearch.kent.ac.uk/dice.

• Brexit: the state of affairs – OpenForum with Professor MatthewGoodwin, Monday 18 November from12.00 – 13.00 at Rutherford College.

• Christmas at the Gulbenkian –Celebrate Christmas with our abundant selection of treats:

Big Band Christmas Swing-Along! –Wednesday 11 December, 17.15 (£5).

ShooShooBaby Christmas Cabaret –Wednesday 11 December, 20.00 (£5-£8).

Faulty Towers The Christmas DiningExperience – Thursday 12 December,19.00 (£50 includes 3-course meal and2-hour interactive show).

To find out more visitwww.thegulbenkian.co.uk/festivals/christmas-season-2019/

Who to contactIf you are experiencing problems with your neighbours, use the contacts below forinformation and advice.

We’re working together with Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury City Counciland Kent Police to provide our local residents with key dates and useful contacts forinformation and advice.

For more key dates visit: Kent – www.kent.ac.uk/community/datesCCCU – www.canterbury.ac.uk/termdates

HAVE YOU BOOKEDYOUR CHRISTMASPARTY YET?

If you’re trying to find that perfectvenue for your Christmas party orspecial event, then why not visit ThePavilion Café Bar? With spectacularviews and setup tailored to you, it’sthe perfect party setting. Available to hire for everyone, ourlarge café bar space provides AV equipment and free WiFi, a wide rangeof buffet menus and a fully licenced bar plus catering for small to largegroups.

To see the space or to talk to our friendly team about your needs,please email kentsportevents@kent.ac.uk

NoiseT: 01227 862 202 E: envhealth@canterbury.gov.ukwww.canterbury.gov.uk/info/20045/noise_and_air_pollution/65/report_a_noise_smell_or_smoke_problem

RubbishT: 0800 031 9091 E: help.canterbury@serco.comwww.canterbury.gov.uk/info/20025/household_waste/120/report_a_missed_bin

ParkingT: 01227 862 429 E: parking.enforcement@canterbury.gov.ukwww.canterbury.gov.uk/info/20062/parking_fines_and_restrictions/43/report_illegal_parking

Crime or anti-social behaviourT: 101 to report non-urgent crime T: 999 to report an emergencyFind out who your Police Constable or Police Community Support Officer is byentering your postcode at www.kent.police.uk

StudentsBoth universities take the concerns of our neighbours very seriously. If residentsexperience anti-social behaviour, whether they believe it to be by students or not,they should contact the agencies listed above as they have the power to intervene.However, if you need further support both universities have a community liaisonperson who can provide further advice.

University of Kent – E: communityliaison@kent.ac.uk

Canterbury Christ Church University – E: community.liaison@canterbury.ac.uk

Join our world and expand your thinking• Outstanding student support – THE awards winner in 2017 and 2018

• Award winning careers and employability service• Industry placements and study abroad opportunities

www.kent.ac.uk

STUDY INCANTERBURY/KENT RATEDTEF GOLD

University of Kent | www.kent.ac.uk/community/canterbury November 2019 | 5

Community

Hundreds of aspiring newdoctors visit Medical Schoolopen dayOver the last few months the Kent andMedway Medical School (KMMS) hashosted open days for potential new doctors,as the new school prepares to welcome itsfirst intake in September 2020.

The two events, based at both the Universityof Kent and Canterbury Christ ChurchUniversity’s Canterbury campuses,welcomed just over 300 aspiring doctors,with nearly 50% of those attending comingfrom Kent and Medway.

The medical school will open in September2020, offering 100 undergraduate medicalplaces on a yearly basis. The five-yearundergraduate programme will be taught atthe Canterbury campuses of both universitypartners with medical placements withinPrimary, Community and Secondary Careacross Kent and Medway.

Founding Dean of the KMMS Professor Chris Holland said: ‘It was wonderful to meetso many potential doctors of the future. It willbe so exciting to welcome our first group ofstudents in September 2020. It is events likethis that will make our vision to become Kentand Medway’s first medical school become a reality.

Kent historian Dr Ben Marsh has co-authored a vivid and historically accuratevisual account of the Peterloo Massacre for schools to mark the event’s 200thanniversary.

In August 1819, 60,000 people gathered inManchester to demand the reform ofparliamentary representation. Magistratesordered a private militia to storm the crowd,armed with sabres. Around 18 people diedand more than 650 were injured. Peterloo:Imagine a World is written as a comic andlooks at the event through the eyes andexperiences of children.

Dr Marsh said: ‘The book aims to helpstudents understand the event. It willprovoke insights into the nature of politicalprotest in British history and its relevance tothe world today.’

Peterloo: Imagine a World

‘We believe the medical school will play aunique and supportive role for the NHS inKent and Medway and help to addresssome of the issues the region has withattracting and retaining medicalprofessionals by offering training anddevelopment opportunities. It is soencouraging to see that nearly 50% ofpotential students who visited our two opendays came from Kent and Medway as wewant to ensure that our local, talentedstudents have access to medical trainingand education.’

Nostalgia night Join us on Friday 22 November from19.30 for an evening of live music,readings, clips, interviews andinteractions celebrating the pull of‘nostalgia’ in shaping us as humanbeings.

The evening will feature a quiz aroundTV and radio themes, with live musicprovided by Daniel Harding (piano),and students from the University ofKent.

The event is free and will take place atthe Colyer-Freguson Hall. The eveningis part of the Being Human festival,which is led by the University ofLondon, in partnership with the Arts &Humanities Research Council and theBritish Academy.

Please book your place through the Gulbenkian Box Officewww.thegulbenkian.co.uk/nostalgia-night

For further information please seebeinghumanfestival.org.

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Community

Kent psychologists help cleanCanterbury air Research by University of Kentpsychologists at St Dunstan’s and StStephen’s level crossings in Canterburylast summer showed that motivatingmessages for drivers cut emissions by theequivalent of taking 1,044 cars off theroad for a year.

The research, which was funded byCanterbury City Council, assessed 6,528vehicles arriving at the level crossingswhere air quality values tended to exceednational and EU recommended thresholdsat various times most days. They tested theeffects of three different signs thatrequested drivers to switch off theirengines, by asking them to either ‘join otherresponsible drivers’, ‘think about theiractions’, or ‘improve air quality in the area’.

Project leader Professor Dominic Abramssaid: ‘This project successfully used socialpsychology to persuade more drivers to

A new £9m health and social careresearch collaboration in the region isbeing headed by the University’sProfessor Stephen Peckham.

Professor Peckham will be the firstDirector of the new Applied ResearchCollaboration in Kent, Surrey andSussex, which was launched on 11 July.

The initiative aims to improve healthand social care research. The fundingwill be made available over five yearsand be boosted by an additional £5minvestment from local NHS trusts, localauthorities and universities.

Professor Peckham will work withhealth and social care organisationsand universities to develop researchthat will help improve services andtrain the next generation of health andsocial care researchers.

Healthcare expert tohead new regionalresearch collaboration

The University of Kent will be hosting walking netball sessions at the Canterbury CampusSports Centre on Wednesday 20 November and Wednesday 18 December from 10 –11am. All sessions are indoors and are aimed at those who are 55-plus. No experience isnecessary. Please wear suitable clothing and footwear and don’t forget your water bottle!

A minimum of Kent Sport Community ‘Pay to Play’ Membership is required, with £4.50 persession (plus annual £5 membership fee). No need to book, just come along!

The sessions are an ideal opportunity to be active in a fun, enjoyable and socialenvironment. For further information call 01227 816391 or email:sportsdevelopment@kent.ac.uk

Walking Netball is back!

turn off their engines, bringing benefits foreveryone in the area, including the driversthemselves.

‘Translated into concrete consequences for Canterbury, we estimate that a 38%reduction in idling would prevent theemission of 4,920 tons of CO2 per year,equivalent to taking 1,044 cars off the roadfor an entire year or to saving 2.1 millionlitres of fuel.

‘If the same were achieved at the 1,500level crossings across public highwaysnationally, the annual impact on national airquality would be equivalent to removingnearly 470,000 cars from our roads.

‘We believe that this approach could alsoeasily be adapted for areas where engineidling is common, such as schools, andareas where there are long queues anddelays associated with traffic lights.’