One of the joys ofliving inBuckingham hasbeen thedevelopment ofthe town overrecent years. Thetown has alwayshad much to offer,ranging from thegardens at Stowe

(the finest landscape gardens in England,better than those at Stourhead), thecharming 12th century Chantry Chapel(which is owned by the National Trust),the Indian and Chinese restaurants, andthe University bookshop (which equalsAmazon for speed of delivery).

The townscape, moreover, has escapedthe depradations of the ʼ60s, and otherthan the Woolworth range of shops andsome of the banksʼ buildings, the streetsof Buckingham remain Georgian andbeautiful. And in those streets are to befound the Villiers Hotel (created by HenryScrase, one of our alumni, whoserestaurantʼs international food isexcellent), The Dollʼs House Shop inNelson Street, Stratfordʼs (which areunusually-good dry cleaners), Timpson (atraditional shoe repairer) and Canvas thedelightful art shop.

But in recent years, a series ofinnovations have further improved thetown. The first excitement was thefounding of Prego, which meant we finallyhad an Italian restaurant that producedexcellent pizzas. A few months ago acompetitor turned up 50 yards awaycalled Prezzo. Now we learn that thedisused garage in Well Street is tobecome an American Diner, while Fruice,a fruit juice bar, has opened in town too.Eating out in Buckingham has taken aturn for the better.

Eating in has improved as well. The firstsign that we had reached the apogee offood came when CA Holics, the Belgianchocolate shop, opened in Meadow Walk– only very grand towns can boast of ashop dedicated solely to the sale ofBelgian chocolates. Opposite, theBuckingham Delicatessen, which ismagnificent (it has just won the The

Speciality Food Magazineʼs Best Deli ofthe Year Award) now provides healthycompetition for that other first classdelicatessen, Bon Viveur. Also in MeadowWalk a new fishmongerʼs, Turbot, is aboutto open. On the first floor it will boast afish restaurant too. Yum yum.

Going out is more exciting too, and theopening of the Film Place asBuckinghamʼs own cinema (on Universitypremises too) has enriched the townconsiderably. And we even have our ownBig Issue vendor who hovers outsideBudgens: no self-respecting universitytown can survive without Big Issuehelping an unemployed person lift

themselves into wage-earning. I have,moreover, seen the staff at the Crust Caféprovide free meals for the down-and-out.And I have witnessed the tolerance of thestaff at The Meadow Walk Tea Shoptowards children and hassled mothers.We have some good people inBuckingham.

Our branch of Budgens is now closing,yet in its place, apparently, weʼre going toget a branch of Waitrose, Britainʼs bestgrocer. Hurrah.

Going a little further afield, to theneighbouring towns, some of the retailessentials have also recently arrived.Bicester now has a Majestic Wine and aMarks and Spencers, Towcester has aWaitrose, and Milton Keynes has not only

all three of those (and a Sainsburyʼs andOddbins as well) but also boasts aBorderʼs bookshop. Brackley andDeanshanger have delicious Thairestaurants, and Brackley also possessesa good second hand book shop.

The best restaurant for many milesaround by the way is Mulino, an Italianrestaurant that has opened in WolvertonMill, by Stony Stratford. Mulino provides ametropolitan experience.

Buckingham has long possessed theessentials of urban life – two Tescos, aSubway, a WH Smith, a Boots, a BurgerKing (on the ring road), two fish and chipshops, two hardware stores, an(excellent) local newspaper, endlessnumbers of hairdressers, fifteen pubs,churches of all the major denominations,the usual sports and leisure facilities and,of course, a Local Great Writer (FloraThompson, the author of Lark Rise toCandleford, was raised in Juniper Hill, ahamlet a few miles away, and ʻCandlefordʼis based partly on Buckingham).

But Buckingham is now moving intocosmopolitan territory, and though itremains small (an asset to seriousstudents) its quality is rising daily. Thecredit for that can be claimed by theUniversity, which has injected aninternational brio into the little markettown. But the benefits can be enjoyed bythe University too, to the advantage oftown and gown alike.

Dr Terence KealeyVice-Chancellor

April 2008

Joys of Buckingham Town

Contents

2 Editorʼs News

3 Graduation 2008

4-7 Alumni at Work

8 Marriages and Births

9-10 Alumni at Work

11-14 University News

15 Obituaries

16 Buckingham in the News

It gives me greatpleasure towelcome you theSpring 2008edition of theIndependent.

I must of courseformally introducemyself as PeterEngland. I

graduated in Law in December 2007. Mystudent time at Buckingham was veryspecial making life long friends along theway whom I will always remember. I amtruly humbled to have been given theopportunity to become an employee ofthis great University.

I have been the student sabbatical officersince January 2008. My thanks must goto Iva Yu (MSc IHM 05) for her dedicatedwork over the past few months and forshowing me the ropes. Starting any newjob is always an anxious time, however Iam pleased to report I have been madevery welcome in the publicity department.I owe a big thank you to the entire team!

There are many alumni eventshappening. As Anne Matsuoka has

already mentioned, this will now takeplace in April 2009. This will provide ahuge logistical challenge for thedepartment but we are ready for it.

Further details will be published nearerthe time so keep a look out. Our summerparty is being held for the second year ina row at ʻPitcher and Pianoʼ in Trafalgarsquare on Friday 20th June 2008. Thiswill start at 7pm and finish at 11pm. I mustalso draw your attention to the fact thatthe University has taken out corporatemembership of the Royal OverseasLeague located in central London. I highlyrecommend this opportunity to join as itprovides a base in London with superbfacilities.

I believe we all have a duty to activelycontribute to the University as alumni.Attending these functions is the perfectway of doing just this as well as meetingfellow alumni as we share this commonbond. It is, also may I suggest, anexcellent way of making contacts.

If you would like to contribute to the nextedition of the Independent then pleasefeel free to contact me with suggestions.Your ideas are always welcome and

remember that it is you, the alumni, whomake it. I wish you all the best for 2008and hope to see you at one of our manyevents.

Peter England (LLB 08)Alumni Student Sabbatical OfficerTel: +44 (0)1280 820230peter.england1@buckingham.ac.uk

For this issue wehave chosen asour main theme"Alumni at Work".We have receivedso many wonderfulstories from ouralumni on whatthey have beendoing since leavingBuckingham thatwe wanted to

share as many as possible. Your careerchoices are very varied, extremelyinteresting and, in some cases seemquite unconnected to the degree taken!We welcome more of these updates and,although we may not be able to dedicateso much space each time, we will makesure that they are published.

Please don't forget that we are also happyto dedicate space to advertising thecompanies of our alumni. For a smallcharge of we offer one whole page, a halfor a quarter (£200, £100 and £50respectively). These funds go towardsthe Alumni Annual Fund which so many ofyou generously support. An update on

this will be given in the next issue.

Our first event for this year is a tea partyat the House of Lords, hosted by LordLuce (former Vice-Chancellor) and hiswife, Lady Rose Luce. This is a way ofthanking all of our alumni and studentswho have given help to the Universityover the past year and who wish to beinvolved in the future.

The annual Buckingham Dinner, arrangedby the Development Office and to be heldon 1st May at the Leathersellerʼs Hall isdetailed in Dr Mary Welsteadʼs article onpage 12

On Friday, 20 June we have the annualAlumni Summer Party in London, andplease do look for all the details on theback page of this issue. As always we willhave a list of attendees on the websiteand we very much hope you can pop infor a drink on your way home from work,or for those coming from further a field, achance to meet up with friends and makean evening of it. This is an informal event,but a great chance to do somenetworking.

From comments we have received, itseems the weekend in Geneva would bea far more attractive if it could be held inthe spring. We are there thereforepostponing it until April, 2009. I doapologise to all of you who already havethis in your diary, but very much hope thatyou will be free for Saturday 25th andSunday 26th April. We are arranging anevent that will appeal to our alumni onvarious different levels and to enable youto engage with high profile people fromthe areas of business and education.Further details will be sent out in the nextmonth or so.

Our Spring Term concerts and lectureshave now been finalised and if you areinterested and near Buckingham for anyone of them you are more than welcometo come along. All the details can befound on the website atwww.buckingham.ac.uk/news/events/ oron page 11.

Anne MatsuokaPR/Alumni Relations OfficerTel: +44 (0)1280 820338anne.matsuoka@buckingham.ac.uk

Editorʼs News

2

Peterʼs News

Quotes of the Season:

“Thank you for the nice thoughts. Is ittime to retire? No not yet, but its mywish. I pray that it may happen soon.”

Antalai Sawing (LLB 85)

“Thank you for remembering mybirthday. Itʼs always great to receivenews from Buckingham, the placewhere I met my husband Thomas.We try to attend all the alumnimeetings here in Mauritius and weare looking forward to the next one.”

Sharmila Gabriel (BA EnglishLiterature 92)

Graduation time was with us once again.This annual flagship event of theBuckingham social calendar gripped theattention of all students and staff alike.The University spared no expenseespecially on the magnificent marquee onBeloff Lawn. This was transformed into an

Aladdinʼs cave for the Swan ball. Threesuperb bands entertained all thepartygoers throughout the night with awide range of music that satisfied alltastes.

For the more extravagant of students thesound of champagne corks popping wasa regular occurrence throughout the night.

The party carried on throughout the smallhours of the morning for those braveenough to keep on going. However, theywere handsomely rewarded with asurvivor photo at 5.30am; some lookedslightly worse for wear!

Sadly, the ball slowly came to a close.The marquee has been taken down andalong with it goes the special and uniquememories of that night.

It was a fitting end for all those studentswho had the privilege of callingthemselves graduates on their specialday along with their families. Old friendswere once again reunited for the briefestof times before disappearing into the“sunset, or was it sunrise?” Hopefully theywill all meet again in the not too distantfuture.

Peter England

ʻIt was a greathonour to beasked back toBuckingham andto receive anhonorary Doctorof Laws andparticularlypleasing to seehow well theUniversityappears to be

doing. I have been thoroughly enjoyingmy time in Salford setting up a new LawSchool and applications have beengratifyingly high. Still of course, onemisses old colleagues and the freedomfrom micro-management that seems tohave become such a part of the publicsector. I am sure the average managerof a state-owned factory in the old SovietUnion would feel quite at home receivingthe latest HEFCE missive! Buckingham,treasure your freedom – once lost, it willbe hard to regain.ʼ

Professor Alistair AlcockDegree of Doctor of Laws of theUniversity Honoris Causa

Graduation 2008

3

Swan Ball

Dr Kealey & Professor Alcock

Wilhelm Bourne (Law ʼ87)

I completed mystudies atUniversity ofBuckingham June2006. Spoilt bythe simple life ofBuckinghamshire,the dauntingexperience of BarSchool was fastapproaching.Watching the

ships that sail in aquamarine waters ofthe Bahamas, I realised that with my loveof the sea, I should specialise inMaritime Law.

Upon completion of Bar School, I washired as a temporary member of staffwith The Bahamas Maritime Authority,the third largest Flag Registry in theworld “aka” The Flag of Choice for thirtyyears and steadily growing. However,fantastic news came in September,2007, when the Director of BahamasMaritime Authority Mr Kenneth DMcLean offered me the post, as hisPersonal Assistant, I was astonished andspeechless. I accepted and my life hasbeen absolutely amazing ever since.Working with Mr McLean has been quitea learning experience. He has taught mea great deal, about the shipping worldand a lot about his birth place, thebeautiful country of Scotland.

A typical day in my life is a call fromGreece, an email from Japan,preparation for board meetings inLondon, a scan from the Bahamas,excitedly shaking hands with the GreekConsul, or having a delightful dinner atan authentic French restaurant inLondon with a visiting delegation. I liaisewith key individuals from the BahamasGovernment on matters of urgency thatrelate to the flag, mainly The HonourableMinster of Maritime Affairs, Minister DionFoulkes. The legal aspect is theMerchant Shipping Act of the Bahamaswhich we rely on heavily in decisionmaking as it relate to all mattersconcerning the Maritime Services.

I work in the busy city of London, butreturn home to quiet Buckinghamshireeach evening. I have the best of bothworlds but I am still that island girl fromthe Bahamas, and live for the warmsummers that England has to offer.

Isabella Jones (LLB 07)

I studied Law inBuckingham in1997 and I feelfortunate to havechosen thisinternationalprivate university.The studentswere culturallydiverse and itmade theadjustment for memuch easier. The

2 years went by very fast and so did thefollowing years of Masters of Law also inBuckingham, with the Bar vocationalCourse in Nottingham University.

I went back to my home country,Mauritius, and found that a lot ofMauritians chose to be either doctorsor lawyers so the demand for younglawyers was practically nil. I soonrealised that unless you were takenunder the wing of some reputablelawyers, your life as a young advocatewould be an uphill struggle. Thus, Idecided to join my sister in the UnitedKingdom where she had found agraduate job.

As for me, I struggled to find traineeshipsas competition for places was reallyfierce. I tried several jobs and finallyfound that the ones involvingcommunications and interpersonal skillssuited me better because I relished thechallenge of establishing relationshipswith people. I spent 3 years in trust/corporate fundraising trying to get thenecessary financing in order for ourcharitable projects to get off the ground. But my real passion lies in travel. Thatʼsthe reason why 2 years ago, I made thejump into the world of travel and tourism.

I work now for lastminute.com, a dotcomcompany connecting suppliers and theirhotel accommodation products withconsumers through the medium of theinternet. I like interacting with ourhoteliers and establishing a goodbusiness relationship with them,supporting and working with them inorder to provide outstanding customerexperience. I also enjoy problem solvingand sure enough, there is plenty on myplate with our technological systemconstantly changing and developing.

My story hopefully sends the rightmessage that no matter what degree youhave studied, you are not constrained byits subject matter. In England, the jobmarket is flexible enough to allow peopleto shift from one sector to the other

provided of course that you have thenecessary skills and these build upthrough experience. I thoroughly enjoyedmy student life in Buckingham. It has leftme with fond memories and lastingfriendships especially in South East Asia.It instilled in me cultural awareness andhas given me a confident approach tolife, as I had to manage independentlyfor the first so far away from home. Onething is for sure, I wouldnʼt trade it for theworld!

Paola Astrid Leung Shing (LLB 99,LLM 00)

I graduated fromBuckingham in1997 aftercompleting a BAin Modern Historyand a MA inBiography.I had alwayswanted to be ajournalist andstarted work

experience on newspapers from the ageof 14. When I left Buckingham, I workedshifts on several newspaper gossipcolumns for nine months until I gained aplace on the Daily Mirrorʼs graduatetraining scheme. I learnt shorthand, lawfor journalism and reporting skills beforebeing let loose on the Mirror titles.

I worked on the Mirrorʼs featuresdepartment, the Scottish Daily Mirror inGlasgow, the Sunday Mirror, The Peopleand the now-defunct Live TV! cablechannel.

A year later, in 1998 I was offered the jobas showbusiness reporter on The DailyTelegraph where I stayed for a yearbefore becoming deputy editor of thepaperʼs gossip column.

In 2000 I was hired to join the DailyMirrorʼs new gossip column, the 3amcolumn. I interviewed Hollywood actors,reported from the Cannes Film Festival,the Oscars and premieres, launchparties and awards ceremonies aroundthe world.

In 2005 I left to go backpacking aroundthe world for a long overdue gap year!I returned to London in 2006 and landeda book deal with Penguin to write amemoir of my time running the 3amgossip column and reveal the secrets of

Alumni at Work

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Paola (pictured centre)

continued over...

the stars. Wicked Whispers: ConfessionsOf A Gossip Queen was published inJuly 2007.

I live in London and am now a freelancemagazine journalist and celebrityinterviewer as well as showbizcommentator on TV and radio.I am currently ghost writing a Britishpopstarʼs autobiography.

Jessica Callan (BA History & English96 and MA in Biography 97)

In October 2007my husband Tonyand I left Londonon our first visit toAustralia,deciding tosandwich our tripbetween two briefstopovers inHong Kong. Thefirst acclimatised

us to the large time difference, and thereturn trip allowed us to meet a couple ofBuckingham alumni who have madetheir home in Hong Kong.

Australia was a delightful surprise. Wedid not expect to be as captivated as wewere by the beautiful and diversescenery and the charming andhospitable people we met. Sydney(where we stayed with family) enchantedus. We travelled almost everywhere byferry, and were as open-mouthed as anyfirst time tourist would be by our firstsight of Sydneyʼs iconic Opera House.

From New South Wales, we flew north tostay in the Daintree rainforest which wasfull of exotic tropical flora and fauna, withmany species never before seen in thewild by my lepidopterist husband.

It was only a short journey to the scenictropical beaches of QueenslandʼsSunshine coast, where we spent a fewlazy days before unforgettable visits tothe Great Barrier Reef and Ayers Rock.

More family reunions awaited us inMelbourne. Somewhere in this modernvibrant city lie many hints of its colonialpast – the trams rattling by, muchVictorian architecture, the cathedralcontaining monuments to those whocame as pioneers from Europe, andbeautiful public gardens with statues ofmostly forgotten empire builders. After a week and some emotional familyreunions, we returned to Hong Kong.

Anne Matsuoka had kindly put us intouch with Nigel Collett (MA Biography03) and Austin Tay (LLM 04 BSc 03).The four of us had a delightful lunchwhere we talked about our happyexperiences at Buckingham.

Nigel and Austin suggested somesightseeing we might do while in HongKong, and the following day we visitedmany temples and old Chinese housesin the New Territories which told a little ofthe fascinating history that hasdisappeared among the skyscrapers ofmodern Hong Kong.

Our journey ended back in a grey andcold London after a wonderful month ofunforgettable experiences.

Wendy Crawforth (BA Art History &Heritage Management 99 & MAstudent on the Wallace Collection)

My transition intothe Canadianlegal communityhas not been aneasy one.Obtaining anarticling position(training period)in Canada is avery demandingprocess, and I

had so much to learn following my returnto Toronto from Buckingham.

However, I was not willing to settle foranything but the best job that I couldobtain within my abilities. I kept positiveand learned everything that I could aboutthe legal community in Canada duringmy LLM year at the University of Toronto.I worked on strengthening my CV,networking relentlessly, and working onmy interview skills.

As a result, I was able to obtaininterviews with some of the best nationallaw firms in Canada during InterviewWeek in August of this year. My

knowledge about the Canadianrecruitment process allowed me tointerview exceptionally well, but it wasthe most intense process I have everencountered. The skills that I gained inpreparation for these interviews providedme with a lot of choice by the end of theweek.

I accepted a position to article at Blakes,Cassels & Graydon LLP, a leadingBusiness Law firm in Canada. ProfessorJohn Halladay was an associate atBlakes, and my great friend and nowcolleague, Michael Smith (LLB 06), isalso currently an associate at Blakes.

In addition to my hard work in obtainingsuch a position, I attribute theseopportunities to my education atBuckingham and the continued supportand encouragement that I have receivedfrom the faculty and staff. I will doeverything in my power in the future inorder to return the kindness thatBuckingham has provided me with. Icouldn't have asked for a better place toget my legal education. I thank thefaculty and staff for all of their effort inthe last few years.

Solmaz Separy (LLB 06)

Life is full ofopportunities; theonly obstacle iswhich one do youchoose first!

Since parting fromstudent life inDecember 2006, Imoved back toBerkshire where I

landed a position within Marketing for ICI.What started as temporary work soonbecame permanent when an internalposition within International Marketingarose. I went for it; I got it. At the point ofdecision making, particularly where mycareer is concerned I always rememberedmy fatherʼs words: ʻIf you donʼt ask, youdonʼt getʼ. These are words I will continueto share with everyone I meet, in everywalk of life.

Working with a variety of people from allover the world made me missBuckingham and I soon developed ayearning to go back and study…so I did.This time I decided to enrol on a part-timeevening course that I could juggle with

Alumni at Work

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L-R: Tony, Nigel, Wendy and Austin

continued over...

Alumni at Work

6

work. I chose the CIM to help my career inMarketing flourish. In September 2007 Ienrolled with The Oxford College ofMarketing to achieve my goal of becominga Chartered Marketer. I even managed tosqueeze in a part-time Spanish course inanticipation of seeking work in the LatinAmericas one day; one can alwaysdream!

I also continue to help out at the ArmyWelfare Tiddlers and Seniors club on aweekly basis. This group helps Armyfamilies by offering after school activitiesfor children of a variety of ages. Theenergy of these children is unbelievableand they certainly do their best to keep meon my toes!

Weekend visits to Delrow (Camphillcommunity) are also a regularcommitment. I am learning about theteachings of Rudolf Steiner whosehypothesis has something to offereveryone. The quality of life that Delrowhas to offer for people with special needsis phenomenal. Eurythmy is just one ofmany therapeutic activities that are taughthere. Eurythmy ʻis an artistic expression ofa personʼs experience of the world, theirinterpretation of the Beautiful and theTrue, in the form of danceʼ.

When life just wasnʼt exciting enough Idecided to sign my life away and attempta 10,000 ft skydive, but for a good reason,to raise money for a charity that I sostrongly believe in: National AdoptionWeek and ʻAfter Adoption.ʼ The jump wasterrifying but definitely a must for all youadrenaline junkies out there. Thank you toall who supported me in this. A grand totalof £1100 was raised.

2007 was definitely an eventful year and Istill find it hard to believe that a whole yearhas passed since I graduated fromBuckingham. I now have a new job,marketing something I am awfullypassionate about…food! So here I am,marketing the Walls brand for Unilever.Not only do I get to market the productsbut also sample them!

I just want to say a big thank to all of thosespecial people who helped me throughBuckingham. It is a truly special place andparting is always a hard process but life isjust as exciting on the other side. As I said:Life is full of opportunities, the onlyproblem you will have is trying to decidewhich one you take first.

Justine Clifford(English Studies with Communication07)

After graduatingfromBuckingham, Imoved toBrussels where Iworked for theEuropeanCommissionmonitoring mediapolicy in JacquesDelorsʼ cabinetand then

producing European news and videos.

In 1992, I moved to Paris where I was PAto film maker Terence Young, eventproducer for a PR firm then volunteer forthe countryʼs leading HIV and Aidscharity. This led to a series of radioshows that I produced on the subject ofthe virus that was syndicated nationwide.One of the radio shows was a strongsupporter of electronic music andintroduced me to the rave scene.

Shortly after, I set up and ran the Frenchoffice of Belgian rave magazine OutSoon that was to play a significant role inlegitimising repetitive beats. This wasfollowed by lots of editorial and manymemorable occasions such as creatingthe countryʼs first DJ Booking agencyand promoting the first legal rave at theZénith in Paris back in 1994. Three yearslater, I returned to London where Iworked as a freelance translator andcorrespondent for French magazinesand Canal + TV. In 1999 I joined adotcom startup but the bubble burst justbefore first round finance was obtained.In 2001 I set up a French marketing andpromotions network for London recordlabel React.

The following year and after a threemonth break in Guadeloupe, I decided toreturn to photography professionally (inwhich I had trained and worked as asemi-professional before going toBuckingham in the 80ʼs). I invested in thelatest equipment and avidly embraced anew fully digital workflow. Six years on,the core of my work is portraiture bothpromotional and editorial and somespecial events shooting both sides of thestage. I particularly enjoy collaboratingwith performers who range fromemerging MySpace talent to GraceJones who is releasing a new album thisyear. I have also been shooting a morepersonal body of work with severalseries, abstracts and experimentationwith light and time which will be includedin a special book that promises to bejam-packed with love and energy! I havea studio in Notting Hill but I often shoot in

Paris and Ibiza where I have strong ties.Iʼm looking to relocate to the islandwhere I plan to set up a studio-houseand maybe start a family.

Jean-Paul Berthoin (BSc Business Studies 89)

A lot has happened to me since I gotmarried to my best friend, Patience inApril, 2006. We are now blessed with aseven month-old son, Oche John-Goodluck Oche (born on 29 June 2007).(See photo above).

As for my career, I was still in the UK inlate 2005 when I heard about the servicedelivery initiative of the FederalGovernment of Nigeria which issupported by the Department forInternational Development (DFID) of theBritish Government. It is termedSERVICOM, an acronym for ServiceCompact With All Nigerians. Its office isestablished in the Presidency andreports directly to the President. I went toits website www.servenigeria.com, andsent in my application for a job. I wasinvited for an aptitude test andsubsequently, an interview, both of whichwere held when I was in Nigeria duringthe period of my wedding.

Well, I got the job and it was at theSERVICOM Office that I met ZainabMarwa (LLB 01, MSc ServiceManagement 03). Incidentally, we werethe only two staff with a ServiceManagement background and we werehighly valued. Zainab has moved on, so Iam the only one now. In November 2007I joined the SERVICOM Institute, whichis the training arm of SERVICOM. It is apilot project of DFID and I am acurriculum and training officer in theinstitute. Debbie Stanbury wasinstrumental in helping me get this job,by providing me with the details of ourASM Curriculum last year, which gave

continued over...

Alumni at Work

7

my application and CV a very robustpackaging. Many thanks to her!!

It has been challenging, but intellectuallystimulating and rewarding, to be a coremember of this programme. It seeks toimprove public services in Nigeria byproviding leadership on customer-focused service delivery throughresearch, training and promoting goodpractice. Its principles are fashionedalong the lines of the MSc ServiceManagement at Buckingham. It bringsthe concepts alive as well as bringingback fond memories of our lectures.

It has taken me all these years toappreciate the long term benefits of theprogramme that Mr Mahesh mentionedduring our lectures. I thank him verymuch for sharing his passion andexpertise on service management withus. I am really having a fulfilling careerand with a positive outlook, too.

It would be nice to chat with interestedNigerian students on the ServiceManagement programme. Please passon my email so I can help discuss realservice issues with them especially onthe subject of the Nigerian public service.

Joseph Oche(MSc Service Management 94)

Less than a year ago, I had it all: Aloving husband, an amazing little girl,close friends, an executive job, and allthe trappings of “success.” I pridedmyself on being able to do it all. Then,this past February, my entire outlook onlife changed in a moment. I woke up oneday with pressure on one side of mychest, which turned out to be a collapsedlung. At that time, the doctors advisedthat I have what turned out to be the firstin a series of painful surgeries. Now thebad news: A biopsy taken during thatfirst surgery allowed my doctor todiagnose the cause of the lung collapseas a very rare disease, called

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (aka “LAM”).

LAM is a silent genetic disease thatstrikes women without warning, usuallyduring their 20s or 30s. LAM causes air-filled cysts to form in the lungs. Thedisease progresses slowly, until thelungs just donʼt work any more. Finally,lung transplantation is the only option,and even that drastic measure isnʼt along term solution. Currently, there is nocure. LAM is fatal.

You, someone in your family, or one ofyour friends could have LAM and noteven know it. LAM often goesundiagnosed for years, or ismisdiagnosed as asthma or emphysema.LAM can now be diagnosed byphysicians familiar with the disease,using a high resolution CT scan or abiopsy. It is important to know if you haveLAM. Research has shown that thediseaseʼs process is significantlyaccelerated by pregnancy, so havingchildren is strongly discouraged. I amglad not to have been aware of mydisease earlier, because I might not haveknown the joy my daughter has broughtinto my life.

This may sound bleak, but today there is“a breath of hope” for women with LAMand our families. Dr Elizabeth Henske ofFox Chase Cancer Center recentlydiscovered the genetic cause of LAM.Dr Henske is one of a small group ofdedicated scientists studying thedisease. In just the past few years,these modern-day Salks and Curieshave identified how LAM works – andwith that knowledge, are exploring waysthat it might be stopped. Theyʼve eventested some drugs that have shownpromise in small-scale clinical trials andthey are about to begin a large-scaleclinical trial of the most promisingtreatment regimen in the US and UK.This study gives hope to me and all theother women with LAM. So I ask thatyou please do what you can to help allwomen, by contributing to help fund thisvital research. It truly is a matter of lifeor death.

If you wish to donate to The LAMFoundation (reference: Alanna Nelson),please contact:4015 Executive Park Dr., Suite 320Cincinnati, Ohio USA 45241 Or online atwww.thelamfoundation.org/donate

Alanna Nelson(Occasional Student 90)

Its been nearlyfour years nowsince I leftBuckinghamUniversity. Irecently visitedagain and wasglad to see thatnothing hadchanged. Thesmall personalexperience was

still there, along with a desire to moveforward and make positive changes.

I left Buckingham with a First ClassHonours degree in Business Studies, Ispecialised in Finance which enabled meto gain a job in the Finance Sector. Iwas offered two positions on graduateschemes but decided to take the onewith DaimlerChrysler based in MiltonKeynes. I started off undertaking fourplacements around the FinanceDepartment to help gain anunderstanding of the company. I wasalso privileged to visit Stuttgart inGermany to see the factories where thecars were produced and learn about thehistory of the Mercedes Benz brand. Inaddition I started studying for my ACCAexams with BPP. I was able to continuemy studying with the help of thecompany who paid for the courses andgave me study days off.

After 14 months I applied for apermanent position with the companyand became an Accounting Analystwhere I gained experience in thereporting aspect of the numbers. Onething I enjoy about working atDaimlerChrysler is the variety ofopportunities available and the constantchange. At the moment the companyhas just sold off its Chrysler businessand has reverted back to using theMercedes Benz name.

An opportunity arose in the Retail arm ofthe business,and although it was initiallycovering a maternity role, it is nowpermanent. So I am currently RetailFinancial Accountant. This involvesdealing directly with the sites that sellnew and used cars. I am responsible forconsolidating all the sites accounts withinthe group. I have also finished my ACCAexams and qualified as an accountant.Without the grounding that Buckinghamgave me I doubt I would be doing this jobtoday. One day Iʼd even like to comeback to Buckingham to teach.

Katie Balaam(BSc Business Studies 04)

Marriages

Andrea Hodges and Bruce Steel-Tyson. Life over the past couple of yearshas been a little hectic. I got married toBruce Steele-Tyson on 5 August 2005 atSt Maryʼs, Twyford. We had a fabulousweekend celebrating our marriage withfamily and friends.

Ding Ting (MBA 04) and Chen Ke (LLB02, LLM 03). Ke Chen and I fell in love inwinter 2002 at the University ofBuckingham. We got married inSeptember 2004 in Beijing. Now, Ke is alawyer at Lovells (an internationalbusiness legal practice) and I amworking in PERA GLOBAL and amresponsible for marketing issues. We livein Beijing and hope Buckingham friendscan come to see us to experience the2008 Olympic Games.

Monika Marta Mikula (BA EnglishLanguage Studies for Translation 05)and Darik Clinton Miles finally tied theknot, after 8 years of living together. Theceremony took place at 11am, 1stDecember 2007 in Reading Registry Office.

Michael Hubener (MBA 03) and LenaSophie Luchterhand. I met Lena when Iwas about 16 as she was a good friendʼslittle sister. We had stayed in touch overthe years and met after I returned toHamburg after my 2003 graduation. Wegot married on 16th June 2007 inPortocolom on Mallorca. The ceremonywas held outdoors and the eighty guestsdanced to Johnny Logan playing untilearly morning!

Alev (PGCert International andCommercial Law) and ChristianWoeckener-Erten (LLM 01). We met inBuckingham in 1999 as LLM students.We fell in love in 2000, and it was quiteclear from the beginning that we wouldmarry one day (although our friendswere telling us before we even knew wewere in love ...).

Elisa Samuel (BSc International HotelManagement & Business '05) andShanker Gopal are happy to announcetheir marriage, which took place inMalaysia on the 16th & 17th June 2007.They now live in Port Moresby, PapuaNew Guinea.

Amit Goel (LLB 04). The wedding tookplace on 11th February 2008 in NewDelhi, India of Amit and his bride, ArtiThe marriage was held with thetraditional Indian ceremony.

Births

We had been married just over 12months when we discovered we wereexpecting an addition to our family. Ourbeautiful little girl, Mair Jennifer, put inan appearance on 17th June andprovided Bruce with the perfect FatherʼsDay present! I have been enjoying mymaternity leave but will be returning towork at Stoke Mandeville Hospital at theend of March. However that does notmean I have been doing nothing for thelast few months – I have been helpingmy husband to set up his own surveyingpractice, and maintaining an active rolefor a number of different organisationsand as a school governor, as well aslearning to be a mum.” Andrea Hodges.

Marriages… and Births

8

On behalf of the Alumni Office, maywe send many congratulations tothe following:

University News

9

In order tograduate in June2008 I had toundertake twoworkplacements, onein my owncountry, Belgium,and one in aforeign country.The University ofBuckingham

gave me the opportunity to do my workplacement in the Economics andInternational Studies Department fromJanuary until March 2008.

On my first day of work I was introducedto the members of staff of thedepartment and I was very muchimpressed by their friendliness andopenness. The person with whom Iworked most closely, Patricia Prada,was great.

During my work placement I have hadthe privilege of helping to organiseseveral events including theSymposium in Career Development inInternational Affairs and the School ofHumanities Open Day. I learnt a lot andit was very interesting to see all thedifferent steps it takes to make an eventsucceed.

My time in Buckingham was actually somuch more than just my workplacement. I arrived at the beginning ofa new term with a lot of other students.This meant I had the opportunity toparticipate in the freshers activities,which helped me meet students. I metsome great people during theseactivities and we hung out everyweekend, having lots of fun.

One of the highlights of my time inBuckingham was the Swan Ball on 23rdFebruary. When people graduate in mycountry. there is neither a graduationceremony nor a graduation promafterwards. Therefore, I was reallylooking forward to this event. I attendedthe ceremony during the day and I wasamazed how traditional it still is. In theevening I went to the Ball with somefriends and it was lovely.

I will leave Buckingham with nothing butgood memories. I developed a lot of myskills while doing my work placementand I have made some really goodfriends so what else can you wish for?!

Elke Torfs

I joinedBuckingham inJanuary 2007,and havethoroughlyenjoyed my firstyear on theBusinessEnterprisecourse. In the firstfew weeks I wasintroduced to the

other students and tutors on my courseand to the management team. Everyonewas very friendly and helpful which madethe transition from school to universitylife so much easier.

My parents and grandparents have runbusinesses for most of their lives, so it isno surprise that I found myself drawn tothe idea of a business degree. Whatattracted me to Buckinghamʼs BusinessEnterprise course was the fact that Iwould get the chance to run a realbusiness, not just a ʻvirtualʼ business, asoffered on many other courses.

My choice of business was very clear.While at school, I volunteered to work inthe nursery and gained a great insightinto what makes children tick. I alsorealised that parents nowadays are sobusy, they have limited time but still wantthe best for their children. This inspiredme to set up ʻPrestige Party Bags Ltd.ʼ,creating themed, luxury party bags foryoungsters aged from three upwards.

They are ideal for birthday parties, giftsand special events. Each bag ispersonally designed to suit each agerange. I found that parents were fed upwith the traditional throw away party bag,filled with sweets and disposable itemsMy bags contain quality items that havelasting value. From January to May Ilearned many aspects of business that

were totally new to me. The developmentof a comprehensive business planculminated in my presentation to theVenture Capital Panel in May 2007. Itwas a nerve-racking experience but veryrewarding, as I successfully gained thefunding I needed to develop mybusiness.

From May I began setting up thebusiness. I did market research,(previous contacts, and advice from mytutors helped me) and reached manymilestones. Seeing my website up andreceiving my first delivery of goods was ahuge achievement. Suppliers were veryobliging and my age was never aproblem, which surprised me. With everything in place, I decided totake advantage of the Christmas marketand ran a successful campaign. Idisplayed my products in many localschools and clubs with favourableresponse. More milestones followed:taking my first big order, being namedCostcoʼs business of the month forFebruary, and invited to their trade fair aswell as taking an exhibition stand inCentral Milton Keynes.

I plan to stimulate more customerawareness of my product, thusincreasing turnover plus broadening myrange of products by exploring newmarkets. When I graduate I would like tocontinue running and expanding thebusiness.

Without a doubt, embarking on acondensed degree course, doing examsand assignments whilst running yourown business, is extremely hard work.However I would recommend it toanyone with the desire to succeed. It isdefinitely worth it!

Joanne MajorCurrent BBE Student

MA in Global AffairsA Professional Training Programme

The only one of its kind in the United Kingdom

Next entry, September 2008For information please visit:

www.buckingham.ac.uk/internationalor contact the Department of Economics and InternationalStudies at: international.studies@buckingham.ac.uk

or call +44 (0)1280 820120

Careers Corner

In 2007, three Buckingham Alumni,Matt Harper (BSc Business Studies1994), Stephen Ellen (LLB 97) andChris Smith (MA European Studies84), returned to Buckingham to givepresentations to students about theircareers and also to do some recruiting.The students are always enthusiasticto hear from Alumni, especially aboutthe realities of the graduate recruitmentprocesses and the stresses and strainsof running your own company. We'dlike to hear from more of you who arewilling to visit Buckingham to give apresentation – free lunch included!

The annual Legal Practice Workshopin October 2007 welcomed back somefamiliar faces: Stephen Akinsanya,Robert Benzynie, Pauline Purcell,Damian Stuart and Paul Millan. Duringthe afternoon they worked withstudents on case studies, including theareas of Crime, Divorce, Tort andSexual Offences. In the final sessionstudents presented Bail Applications toa mock courtroom with prizes for thewinners.

If you took part in the Legal Workshopwhen you were at Buckingham thenyou'll know what an enjoyable andrewarding event it is. We are lookingfor solicitors and barristers who havecompleted their training to take part inthis annual event as advisers. Even ifyou didn't take part in the LegalWorkshop we'd still love to hear fromyou. If you would like to offer yourservices or to find out more pleasecontact the Careers Service. Wewould also like to organise workshopsin the areas of Business andHumanities.

To contact Tracy Dunkley (Head ofCareers) or Janice Circuit (CareersAssistant) telephone (01280)828217/828218. You can also emailus on careers@buckingham.ac.uk

First Buckinghamstudent entrepreneursgraduate

The first graduates to have completedthe Universityʼs unique, entrepreneurialdegree in “Business Enterprise” havereceived their honours degrees at thegraduation ceremony. These studentsnot only earned an honours degree, butalso had the experience of starting-upand developing their own businessesduring the two years of their degreeprogramme.

The first cohort of students arrived inJanuary 2006. Much to their surprise,three days later they were breaking theice across the river in the Island Car-Park, before a gruelling raft-buildingexercise, devoted to team building.

For this innovative degree programme, afresh approach to teaching was needed.Academic subjects had to be studied indepth, but in addition to readingeconomics, marketing, accounting andother business subjects, the studentswere supported with the practicalguidance required for their businessstart-up.

As well as the universityʼs academicstaff, the Aylesbury Vale Enterprise Hubdirectors, Martin Brassell and StephenMilne, whose offices are located withinthe university, provided assistance at thevery important business planning stage.

The group spent time, outside theuniversity, learning practical skills, such

as early morning market trading, howmicro-breweries compete against largecompetitors and international operationsmanagement. During the programmemany guest lecturers, including alumniand local entrepreneurs, generouslygave their time and shared theirexperiences on a range of topicsincluding internet business, intellectualproperty rights and the running ofentrepreneurial family businesses.

All this guidance meant that studentswere in a strong position to face theventure capital panel “BuckinghamAngels”, who would provide theirbusiness start-up capital. Students faceda tough grilling on their business ideas.

Most of them felt that they suffered in thesame way as the potential entrepreneursin the UK TV programme “DragonʼsDen”. During their presentations, thestudents found just how important it wasto pay attention to detail and as a result,5 new businesses did get the “seed-corn” capital they needed to start trading.

Over the next 18 months, “EggenbergUK Ltd (Austrian Lager Importers), “Outof Kenya Ltd” (African Handicrafts),“F.A.D. Entertainment Ltd” (Events),“Visit Buckingham Ltd” (Website) and“Breathe Ltd” (Specialist Events)experienced the ups and downs commonto all new businesses. There weremoments of great success and an equalnumber of disappointments, but all thebusinesses did survive.

In addition to his degree, StefanStockinger has been awarded the GilbertMonckton Memorial Prize for the “MostEntrepreneurial Student”.

The next group of students, now in theirsecond year, are operating five newbusinesses.

Our third cohort of students started atBuckingham in January 2008 and withthem a new Programme Director, NigelAdams, whose role is not only to supportand mentor the students, but also todevelop and promote this uniqueprogramme in the UK and around theworld. In this external work, Nigel will beliaising with Anne Matsuoka and herteam and so if you would like to hearmore about the BSc in BusinessEnterprise, please contact Anne or Nigel.

anne.matsuoka@buckingham.ac.uknigel.adams@buckingham.ac.uk

University News

10

Chris Smith (second from right)

Tom Foddy, current BBE Student

The Crescent and Delta

The University of Buckingham Press isabout to publish a book which, for the firsttime, tells the history of Bangladesh.Written by David Urch and edited by ourown Professor John Clarke it charts thelong history of foreign dominationculminating in the creation of theindependent state of Bangladesh in 1971.

The brainchild of Dean Junayed Miah(PEL, ʼ98), the proceeds from this bookwill contribute to the recently establishedBuckingham Bangladeshi Scholarship.

Dean says:

“Helping the scholarship by ordering thisbook is a way for us to make a personalcontribution to society by establishing afund to provide an education for moredisadvantaged people. I enjoyed myrewarding time at Buckingham and Iwanted in some way to help othersperhaps not as fortunate as myself togain the benefit of the first classeducation it provides - and so theBuckingham Bangladeshi Scholarshipwas born”.

Opening of UniversityBuckinghamʼs MemorialGarden

On February 22nd, the University heldthe official opening of its MemorialGarden, located near the Tanlaw Mill.The garden was created with fundskindly donated by the Alumni AnnualFund and serves as a special place toremember the alumni, students, staff andfriends of the university who havepassed away over the years.

In spite of the blustery and overcastweather, the ceremony was very wellattended. The official ribbon cutting wasperformed by special guest speaker, MrWilhelm Bourne (Law ʼ87), who iscurrently the Attorney General inAnguilla. The Vice Chancellor, TerenceKealey, and the Rev. Kevin Ashby,rector of St. Peter and St. PaulʼsChurch in Buckingham also spoke atthe ceremony.

Special mention was made of TaraHepburn (LLB 06), a former student,who died in 2006; and Nurit Elmakais(Law ʼ98) who died in January 2008 andwho also worked in the library. The daywould have marked Nuritʼs 42nd birthdayand in light of her very recent passing, aflower was planted in special memory ofher by her partner, Steve Geary, andtheir four year old son, Eden.

The Vice-Chancellor also expressedthanks to L & G Services for doing a

wonderful job in building the beautifulgarden. It is hoped that it will be acomforting place to remember and reflectand an enduring tribute to thosemembers of the University ofBuckingham family who are no longerwith us.

Carol Ann-SimmonsCurrent Psychology with BusinessStudies student

UBSOS anda magic 2008After the devastating tsunami of 2004,university students and staff membersdecided to set up a fund to help those inneed in the countries affected. This ishow UBSOS (University of BuckinghamSupporting Overseas Schooling) wascreated. Since we have a number ofcurrent students and alumni whooriginate and/or live in these countrieswe believed we had to help in any waywe could.

Once we realised how important oursupport was we decided we could doeven more by helping in other countriestoo. Now our main focus is to helpthose who under adverse circumstancescannot start, continue, and/or finalisetheir education. UBSOS main objectivesare: to help educate children in deprivedcountries;, to facilitate access toeducation for those who under adversecircumstances cannot benefit from it, andto encourage education as a means for abetter life.

UBSOS organises fund raising eventssuch as pamper days, book and tabletopsales, and raffles. We have also raisedmoney through car washes, concertsand lectures held at the University, andthrough the creation of the 'UBSOSCookbook' - a collection of recipesdonated by staff, students and friends.

University News

11

Steve Geary and Wilhelm Bourne

L-R: Revd Kevin Ashby, Wilhelm Bourne, SteveGeary and Son and Terence Kealey

Concerts & LecturesSpring Term 2008

Tuesday, 22 April, 6.30pm Robin Hollington, QC, VisitingProfessor at the University ofBuckinghamʻCodification of Directorsʼ Duties andDerivative Claims - Have the lunaticstaken over the asylum?ʼ

Thursday, 22 May, 6.30pmGisela Stuart, Labour MPWorking title - The Reform of the EUand the Reform Process

Tuesday, 17 June, 6.30pmProfessor Geoffrey Alderman,Professor of Politics and ContemporaryHistory at the UniversityʻTeaching Quality Assessment,League Tables and the Decline ofAcademic Standards in BritishHigher Educationʼ

For further details emailpublicity@buckingham.ac.uk

continued over...

We have been able to provide writingmaterials and book supplies in Sri Lanka,and school furniture in Kenya. We havealso participated in other local projects inboth countries with the help of some ofour members who travelled to thosedestinations.

UBSOS is now working on this year'sprojects. We began a magic 2008travelling to a different continent! InMexico we are working together withother committed individuals giving helpto the establishment of a vocationalcentre for disadvantaged youth. Thiscentre will provide psychological,vocational, and skills training to thosewho cannot afford to go to education Itplaces a special focus on street children.In Argentina we are taking part in aproject to help small indigenouscommunities in rural areas of the Chacoprovince. Financial help and support hasbeen agreed for young children who aremembers of the Toba community andwho have educational needs.

We are extremely grateful to those whohave helped us so far. There is still a lotmore to be done though. We would liketo share our efforts with YOU so thatmore will benefit from our work. Havingaccess to education is a way ofachieving a better life. May we count onYOU too? Do contact us atubsos@buckingham.ac.uk and join ourteam.

Patricia Prada (BA in InternationalStudies with French 06)Coordinator, Study Abroad &Internships Office

News from theDevelopment Office

The FoundationOffice haschanged its nameto theDevelopmentOffice to reflectthe wider role ofthe office in thecoordination ofthe Universityʼsfundraising and

development work. Sarah and I arelooking forward to our new roles.

Graduation 2008It is traditional on the eve of Graduationfor the University to host a dinner for the

Honorary Graduands and their families.This yearʼs dinner at the Villiers Hotelwas attended by Professor Ejup Ganic,President of Sarajevo School of Scienceand Technology (SSST), AnatoleKaletsky the journalist and economist,Wilhelm Bourne, Hon Attorney-General ofAnguilla, and Alistair Alcock former Deanof Law and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at theUniversity of Buckingham, and nowHead of the Law School at the Universityof Salford. The dinner allows theHonorary Graduands to meet each otherprior to Graduation; as always it was avery happy occasion.

Lady Thatcher, who introduced ProfessorGanic to Buckingham and enabled thefounding of SSST, sent a specialmessage of congratulations, which wasread out at the ceremony.

It was a pleasure to see so many of ourdonors and honorary graduates atGraduation; we appreciate the effortwhich they make to be with us.

Donations I am delighted that the alumni arecontinuing to demonstrate theirgenerosity towards the University. Somegive regular donations through the AlumniAnnual Fund; others prefer to send one-off donations to fund specific projects. Anumber of alumni and former colleagueshave decided to fund prizes for schools ofstudy. This is a wonderful way ofrewarding excellence.

Donations need not always be financial. Ihave had offers from alumni to introduceme to prospective donors who may beinterested in the Universityʼs work. Iappreciate these introductions.

American DonationsThose of you who live and work in the USmay be unaware of our relationship withCAF which enables you to make taxefficient gifts to the University. You willfind details on the University websitehttp://www.buckingham.ac.uk/ubfoundation/howtodonate/index.html#us-gift

CAFAmerica King Street Station 1800 Diagonal Road Suite 150 Alexandria, VA 22314 USATel: +1 (703) 549-8931 Fax: +1 (703) 549-8934 Email: info@cafamerica.org www.cafamerica.org

Do contact me if you require furtherinformation.

Clore Lecture in Jersey Professor Mike Cawthorne will give alecture in Jersey in October on obesityand diabetes. Further details will beavailable soon. Donations are alwayswelcome for the valuable research whichis being undertaken at the Clorelaboratory.

The Athenaeum LunchThis was a very happy occasion. Thelunch, hosted by the Vice-Chancellor, isto thank all those enthusiastic supportersof the University and to allow them tomeet each other. Michael Beloff QC, sonof Max and father of Rupert (Law 1998-2000) gave the speech. Members of theUniversity were joined by the followingguests: Lady Boyson, Mr BarnabasBrunner, Sir Frederick Crawford, Mr JohnDesborough, Mr Peter Lewis, Lord andLady Luce, Mr Richard Morris-Adams, MrRufus Palamountain, Mr MartinShenfield, Mr Robert Tomkinson, MsJane Warren, Mr Stuart Wheeler.

The Annual Buckingham in LondonDinnerPlans are well advanced for this glitteringoccasion, which will take place on 1stMay at the Leathersellersʼ Hall in London.The Leathersellers have very kindlyallowed us to use their beautiful hall forthe second year running. The pre-dinnerreception will commence at 6.45 anddinner will be at 7.30pm. Guests will havethe opportunity to meet members of theUniversity, alumni, donors, Ambassadorsand High Commissioners. Tickets are£60 per head. If you wish to attend, docontact the Development Office.

Mary WelsteadDirector of Development Tel: +44 (0) 1280 820263mary.welstead@buckingham.ac.uk

Getting Downwith the ʻYOOF!

With the aim of improving relations withthe local community, and schools inparticular, alumna Setara Pracha andtwo students helped host a CulturalSoireé for the Buckingham Youth Club.

The event was the brainchild of JimWhatmore, veteran club leader, and wasinspired by Black History Month and TheIslamic festival of Eid Mubarak. NadiaHossen-Mamode (current student inBusiness Studies) and Peter England(LLB 08) were keen to be involved in the

University News

12

project and in building ʻTown and Gownʼrelations, but probably didn't realise quitewhat they were letting themselves in foras they spent an evening of curryconcocting and general mayhem. Theyhelped supervise the 12-14 year oldchildren regaling them with the culturaloddities of life as a Buckinghamundergraduate, and the possible originsof spices and recipes. The entertainmentincluded a Henna tattoo artist, variousIndian artefacts and a cultural knowledgequiz. It will surprise no one that thechildren were keen to earn their highlydesirable University of Buckinghamyoyos.

Though we were all tired at the end ofthe night, it was fun and Jim has askedthe university for further supportregarding future cultural evenings for thechildren. I think that this kind of eventpromotes the university as a localresource and is exactly what a centre forscholarship and cultural diversity shouldbe doing.

Setará A.L PrachaBA (English Literature 04), MA School of Humanities

Preparing forDickens 2012On 25 May 2006, an ambitious digitalproject in the Humanities was launchedon a six-year mission. It is alreadyproving an extremely exciting journey –one that combines the phenomenalpotential of the Internet and computingtechnology with literary scholarship, theenduring power of great journalism, andthe lives and stories of our Victorianancestors.

Dickens Journals Online has as itsprimary aim the creation, by the time ofthe Dickens Bicentenary in February2012, a complete online edition ofDickens's weekly magazines, Household

Words and All the Year Round. Thefamous novelist, whose roots were injournalism, edited these extremelysuccessful two-penny journals for the lasttwenty years of his life (1850 – 1870). Aswell as publishing hundreds of his ownarticles there, and three major novels, hecommissioned work from over threehundred contributors. Not only are themagazines a terrifically important part ofour cultural heritage, they can be broughtto life in a myriad of new and excitingways through the power of appliedcomputing, and this DJO seeks to do.

Readers will have access to high-qualityfacsimile downloads of each weeklynumber, which will also be fully indexedand searchable, not only on the text buton keywords. Authors' names will besupplied where known, linked tobiographical profiles and bibliographies.Contextual introductions to each of thejournalʼs bi-annual volumes are beingwritten by a team of distinguishedscholars, overseen by an EditorialAdvisory Board. The site will alsodocument and make available all goodscholarship relating to the journals.Resources and 'learning journeys' basedon National Curriculum requirements arebeing developed for school readers ofHard Times and Great Expectations atGCSE and A-level.

DJO is based at the University ofBuckingham, where it has enjoyedgenerous support from the UniversityFoundation, and the Dennison ResearchGrants scheme. It is also funded by theInternational Dickens Fellowship, theDickens Society, and by donations fromfans and well-wishers. We are currentlydelighted to be working with theUniversityʼs Department of AppliedComputing on both technicaldevelopment and a major fundingapplication.

Full information about DJO can be foundat www.buckingham.ac.uk/djo . We wouldparticularly welcome support – whether

practical, moral, or financial! – from you,our own alumni. Please seehttp://www.buckingham.ac.uk/djo/djodonate1.html for an online donation facility.

John DrewSenior Lecturer in English Literature

Marketing trip to China

There were seven alumni at thegathering, including myself. We had afantastic evening on Saturday 10thNovember. The picture was taken beforewe had to say goodbye to each other.Jin Ling (MSc Service Management01) and Xue Ying (Caroline, BScBusiness Economics 04, MSc Socialand Economic Transformation 05) arebased in Shanghai. So are Zhan Dan(Coco, BSc Business Studies 04, MScService Management 05) and Li Peizhe(BSc ASM 03), who became an ʻitemʼwhile studying at Buckingham. I amexpecting wedding bells. Xiong Bei(Catherine, BSc AFM 99) was on abusiness trip to Shanghai and iscurrently working in Hong Kong. Li Ke(Nelson, PG DIP IHM 04) was myclassmate at Buckingham in 2003 – theonly two taking the International HotelManagement course at that time. I wasso touched that Nelson travelled by trainfrom Hangzhou to Shanghai to meet us.

Peng Li (Penny, MBA 04) wasnʼt able tojoin us because of her pregnancy. Ivisited her and her husband before thealumni event.

While Eddie Shoesmith returned to theUK I travelled to Beijing for a meetingwith the British Council.

The first alumna friend I met in Beijingwas Li Gaolei (BSc Business Studieswith IS 07), who kindly offered helpduring the school visit. The alumni

University News

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continued over...

gathering in Beijing was held on thesame day. Eight alumni, includingGaolei, were there in the evening.

By an astute choice of venue, Ding Ting(Gill, MBA 04), Guo Minghui (Louise,AFM 04, MSc Accounting Finance 07)and Liu Yunyun (AFM 04) made lifeeasier for everyone who had to brave therush hour traffic. Chen Ke (LLB 02, LLM03) of course attended, showing supportto his wife Gill, as well as to theUniversity. Wang Yan (MBA 02) andPaul Keatley (BSc IS with Business04) were another happy couple at theevent. Their baby boy Oscar is over 2years old now. The last arrival was HeXuan (Helena, BA English Literaturewith ELS 05). She had to work late,almost everyday, as she and some topChinese TV producers were involved inre-producing the series drama ʻA Dreamof Red Mansionsʼ of which the oldversion triumphed 20 years ago.

Yu Xiaojing (Iva)(MSc IHM 05)Marketing Assistant

University News

14

As outgoing President, I wanted to letyou know what the Students Union getsup to these days and how we have beenworking together with the staff to improvelife on campus for the students. The SUpresident sits as a student representativeat Senate and Council, on the newlyestablished Student Experience meetingand the Bi-Annual General Meeting.

Soon after I became President, I realisedthat there was no mechanism wherebythe SU Exec could meet directly withmembers of staff. The Vice-Chancellorand I decided to propose such a meetingwhereby we could ensure that the issuesdiscussed in the Student Forum wereproperly addressed. The agenda

comprises the issues discussed in theStudent Forum and/or the previousStudent Experience meeting.

After responding to problems of foodprices, we have worked with JulianLovelock (Chief Operating Officer) andScholarest to implement a meal planwhereby students pay for a cateredservice for one term. We have had quitea lot of interest in the meal plan this termand we will be continuing it.

We also built an SU Website with thehelp of two students (Timothy Nakamuraand Joshua Cvitan) who took on the roleof website designers. The website iscompletely independent and can only beaccessed by students. There is a forum,a gallery and lots of information abouthow to set up a society, what we do asSU Executive plus a social calendar.

The University has agreed to spend£26,000 on security, which includeshiring more staff and improving thequality of CCTV cameras and £800,000on the development and refurbishment ofimproving the quality studentaccommodation.

We now have come to the end of ourterm in office. The SU Executive teamalong with several other studentvolunteers will be painting the cellarsduring the Easter Holiday. After the paintdries, we will be putting in a pool table(donated by the alumni) and also a tabletennis table (donated by Friends ofBuckingham). We are hoping to raise£10,000 for the development of anindustrial kitchen in Verney Park wherestudents could have a place for dinnerparties. At the beginning of next term, wehope to plan a University trip toEdinburgh for the beginning of thesummer term.

Our goals and objectives will be passedon to the next SU Committee. I haveconfidence that they will strive forexcellence and continuity. We are verygrateful to the Alumni Annual Fund forproviding us with a LCD TV in theRefectory, flooring in the bar and moneytowards refurbishment in the café atVerney park, as well as the memorialgarden outside the Tanlaw Mill.

Joanne ChungCurrent Law Student

Student Union Update

Student Union committe with Dr Terence Kealey

Lost Alumni

Samsulbahri bin Abdul Rahmanstudied Law 1992

Miss Adejoke Babington-Ashayestudied law 2002

Ms Vanessa Louise Cahillstudied Biography 1997

Mr Pier D'Angelostudied Economics 1983

Miss Megan Earthstudied Business Studies 2003

Mr Francesco Facco de Lagardastudied Accounting & FinancialManagement 1983

Mr Tim GalbraithOccassional student from Ciaremont1985

Miss Vivian Hastudied Business Studies 2003

If you know where these Alumni are,please contact Pam Lindsay on: Tel:+44 (0) 1280 820133E-mail: alumni@buckingham.ac.uk

Salvete

A warm welcome to the followingnewcomers:

Peter England (LLB 08) StudentSabbatical OfficerHarin Sellahewa (DPhil InformationServices 07) Postdoctoral ResearchAssistant Iva Yu (MSc IHM 05) MarketingAssistant

Valete

We say farewell and ʻbon voyageʼ tothe following:

Ricky Phakey (SU Events Co-coordinator)Helen Miller Dave Wesley (Post room AssistantPat Wesley (AccommodationAssistant)Angela Brown (Senior TutorʼsSecretary)Viv Forester (Law Secretary)

Nurit Elmakais (1966-2008)

It is with great sadness that the Universityreports the death of Nurit Elmakais (LLB1998, LLM 2002, Library Staff 2001-2007) on 16th January 2008.

Whilst studying at the University Nurit mether partner Steve. On completion of herstudies Nurit lived and worked locally.Nurit worked within the University Libraryboth as daytime staff and as a LibraryAuxiliary between August 2001 andDecember 2007. In February 2004 theirson Eden was born. During the last twoyears Nurit had fought breast cancer andon Wednesday 16th January she finallylost her battle to this dreadful disease,aged 41 years.

Our thoughts are with her partner Steveand their young son Eden. In memory ofNurit, Steve and his son planted a flowergiven by the library staff in the University'sMemorial Garden during the openingceremony in February

Library Staff

Colin Kang (1973-2007)

It is with regret that the University learnt ofthe death of Colin Kang who passedaway on the 5th December 2007. Thefollowing is an extract from a messagesent by Colinʼs father Stephen: ʻIt is withdeep sorrow that I have to inform you thatmy only child, Colin Kang passed away. I

am proud of him for his extremelycharitable, compassionate and socialservices work with the public. He hasgiven the legal profession a boost by hisPro Bono services in Singapore. He wasunrelenting in his pursuit to assist thosewhom he considered worthy ofassistance, be it legal or financial. Manyof the young people he helped still visit usregularly.ʼ

Edward Legg (1937-2008)

It is with great sorrow that the Universityhas heard of the death of Edward Legg.He had been suffering from MotorNeurone Disease which left him severelydisabled in the final few months, but hestill insisted on attending lecturessupported by one of his friends.

Edward has long been a supporter of theUniversity, as a member of the Friends ofthe University, a regular attendee of thepublic lectures and as a donor. He mostrecently awarded a prize (The EdwardLegg Criminal Law Prize) to Law studentSehmbi Mandeep, who graduated thisyear. Edward became well known oncampus over the years and he will besadly missed.

University News

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Obituaries

Book of Rememberance

A Book of Remembrance is held in theAlumni Office and contains the names ofthose alumni who have sadly passedaway. If you think we have missed anyoneout then please let us know. In addition, ifyou would like a message written in thebook for any of the deceased pleasecontact Pam Lindsay on:

alumni@buckingham.ac.uk

Alumni notified as deceased as at 7 April2008:

Chuku Abai; Faridah Abu Bakar; ItanyiAduku; Nuhu Ahmed; FolushadeAkenzua; Frank Amobi; Gail Askew;Morayo Atoki-Peniston; Angus Barlow;Jonathan Bayang; Azeezat Bello; IzaakBos; Anderson Bowa; Philip Cardi; NeilCawley; Ben Chanda; Norman Cliff;Christian Codrai; Kenneth Coker; KevinCostello; Edgar Dahlstrom; AlexiusDanggai; Lisa DiNicola; EbrimaDrameh; Susan Dunnett; NuritElmakais; Michael Esenwah; OniovbosaEyewumi; Elias Fagbayi; Robert Foster;Harold Gillam; George Gladstone;Winston Gonzago; Doreen Gregory;Rebecca Grimes; Donald Halstead;Stephen Hands; James Hathorn; TaraHepburn; Janet Hilton-Johnson;Gayathri Holman; Ifeanyi Ibeneme;Francesca Idehen; Maunday Ikpeme;Felix Inneh; Maria Jorge Calderon;Fiona Jurkschat; Colin Kang Seng Kok;

Michael Kapeleta; Richard Keatley;Omar Khayat; Mathias Kleyboldt; JustinKoma; Anne Lawton; Francis Leung;Ruth Lo; Datubo Lolomari; AlbertMakgowa; David Maudsley; ClydeNewton; Niki Nicolson; Christof Nuesch;Charles Nwosisi; Michael Ogon; ChrisOkolie; Ah Ong; Joy Oyelowo; JamesPrince-Smith; Chao Quan; Ian Randles;Wenlan Ren; James Roberts; AlanRogers; Nigel Rose; AlexanderRuxton; Yasu s/o Maikal; CharlesSowemimo-Coker; Hans-Peter Stein;Cootoo Stevens; Anselm Thompson;Chan Thong; Richard Turley; H P A VanAmeyde; M Wade; Alistair Warde-Norbury; Kien Wee.

A gap in the ring fence? Does automatic disclosure mean no more refuge inself-incrimination privilege? Professor Susan Edwards investigates in theNew Law Journal 1, January 2008

Dr Terence Kealeyʼs new book, Sex, Science & Profits: How peopleevolved to make money (London: William Heinemann, 2008), was publishedon 17 January and received favourable reviews in, amongst others, TheSunday Telegraph, The Sunday Times and The Guardian.

Alumnus Guy Opperman (LLB 86), who claimed the Bar Councilʼs Pro BonoAward 2007 for his work helping volunteers in the West Country, was namedas ʻLawyer of the Weekʼ in the Times (13 November 2007).

Giving a child in India a ride to school: Students Romel Pacson, 22, andHowe Fang, 21, currently studying Business Enterprise at the University ofBuckingham, have set up an on-line retail business. Romel and Howe Ltd,which was started by the pair as part of their degree, celebrated its firstanniversary by donating a bicycle to a child in India. Read more about this onthe Buckingham Today website:http://www.buckinghamtoday.co.uk/buckingham-news/Giving-a-child-in-India

Comments and Buckingham in the News

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BUCKINGHAM IN THE NEWS • BUCKINGHAM IN THE NEWS • BUCKINGHAM IN THE NEWS

To All Alumni

This publication is for you and if youwould like input into the next issue,

please send comments and ideas toAnne Matsuoka

The next publication we produce willcontain more information, updating

you on where alumni are these daysand what they are up to.

Please Note:Copy for the next issue required by

6th June 2008

www.buckingham.ac.uk

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