Network Magazine 2014

NETWORKUNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2014

WESTMINSTER AND THE GREAT WARMemories from the Archives

LEADING THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATTRACTION

ALUMNI LETTERS AND NEWS

EDITORIAL

I’m delighted to welcome all alumni, and particularly our newest cohort of graduates, the class of 2014, to the latest edition of Network, the magazine for alumni of the University of Westminster.

The past year has been a memorable milestone in the history of the University, as we celebrated the 175th anniversary of scientist Sir George Cayley opening the Polytechnic Institution, the forerunner of the Westminster of today. Many of you have been able to join us in those celebrations, with events taking place here in the UK and around the world.

The anniversary provided an ideal opportunity for us to take stock of where we are and what we have already achieved, as well as looking to our aims and aspirations for the future. Sir George Cayley’s vision was to create an educational institution which would stimulate innovation and change people’s lives. Today the University of Westminster continues to inspire innovation and creative thinking, and several examples are featured in this edition of Network. These include the hugely successful cross-disciplinary art and science

initiative Broad Vision, and the continuing work of the breast cancer research team. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of our MBA programme, and we have highlighted the achievements of just some of our MBA alumni making their mark around the world.

2014 also, of course, marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One, a dark period of history which inevitably had a major impact on the lives of those who worked and studied at the Regent Street Polytechnic. We take this opportunity to remember the bravery and sacrifices made by those who served, and to recognise the important role the Polytechnic played both during and after the War.

While the horrors of the First World War may be confined to the past, it’s clear that there are regions of the world today where turmoil, suffering and inequality are still part of everyday existence. Education has a key role to play in tackling inequality and alleviating suffering and, alongside Westminster’s aims of innovation and shaping the future of professional life, we are

committed to inspiring the next generation of global citizens and leaders. Our alumni make a positive difference around the world, in every imaginable field. Our alumni network continues to expand, and there are now more than 150,000 University of Westminster alumni in 180 countries.

Whatever you studied, wherever in the world you may be, you will always be part of the Westminster family. We are particularly grateful to those of you who are able to support our efforts to instil the Westminster values in future generations of students; whether through giving your time as mentors or returning as guest speakers, or providing financial backing through scholarships and fundraising, your help is invaluable – thank you.

I hope many of you will have the opportunity to renew or strengthen your relationship with the University of Westminster through events such as the Alumni Lecture Series, the annual Alumni Reception, and the various alumni reunions. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible throughout the coming year.

EDITORIAL TEAM Alumni Office: Laura Garman, Heather Ridal, Ceri Jones Consultant Editor: Keith Potter Alumni OfficeUniversity of WestminsterCavendish House101 New Cavendish StreetLondon W1W 6XHT: +44 (0) 20 3506 6245E: [email protected] Thanks to all alumni, staff, students and supporters who have contributed to this issue. Design: Kate RoncoroniPrint: Belmont Press westminster.ac.uk/alumni

A charity and a company limited by guarantee. Registration number: 977818. Registered office: 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW 6809/09.14/KR/BP

Cover picture: Regent Street Polytechnic Volunteer Training Corps at Chiswick, c. 1915

Professor Geoff Petts, Vice-Chancellor

CONTENTS

2EDITORIAL

4 LETTERSNews, views and comments from our alumni and supporters around the world

6 NETWORK NEWS All the latest news from across the University, including graduations, reunions, and the activities and achievements of our alumni

18 THE COUNTDOWN BEGINSOur historic Cinema at 309 Regent Street will once again open its doors to the public next year as a landmark venue for the British film industry 22 WESTMINSTER AND THE GREAT WAROne hundred years after the start of World War One, Network looks at the role played by the students and staff of the Polytechnic, on both the home front and the battlefield

29WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDEArt and science have often made for strange bedfellows, but the success of the University of Westminster’s pioneering Broad Vision project is taking collaboration between the two disciplines to new levels

18

6

29

32 CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF OUR MBASome 30 years after the launch of our first MBA course, Network catches up with six alumni to find out how the course continues to shape their careers

36 LEADING THE FIGHTThe University’s breast cancer research team continues to be at the forefront of the fight against the disease, thanks in no small part to the support of our funders

38THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATTRACTIONAppearance and attraction play an important role in our everyday lives; Dr Viren Swami from the Department of Psychology gives us his insight into why that may be 40 STAY CONNECTEDThere are plenty of ways to make sure you stay in touch with the University and each other: are you making the most of these opportunities?

42 CLASS NOTESA selection of just some of the updates we have received from our alumni around the globe 46 ALUMNI EVENTS AND NOTICES

22

GET CONNECTED

University of Westminster Alumni Association @uw_alumni

[email protected]

Alumni Relations Office First Floor Cavendish House101 New Cavendish Street London W1W 6XH

LETTERS

4 NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2014

SANDI TOKSVIG WRITES

I am delighted to hear that work has begun to restore the Cinema at the University of Westminster’s Regent Street headquarters. As the birthplace of British cinema, the building is an incredibly significant part of our heritage.

When 54 people turned up in 1896 to witness the Lumière brothers’ Cinematographe screen the first moving images to a paying British audience, they had never seen anything like it. As a train appeared to hurtle towards them they were terrified, some are even said to have jumped back in alarm. Both film making and cinema have gone through astonishing change in the years since, and the Regent Street Cinema has played an important role in that history.

I look forward to the future Cinema as a place where we will celebrate not just the past but the future, as new generations of young film makers will have the opportunity to show their work alongside great professionals. It is wonderful that so many who are passionate about cinema, the history of film or who have a connection with the heritage and future of the University want to be a part of that. If you have not yet, come and support us, join me in naming your very own seat and share the magic.

Sandi Toksvig Supporter of the Regent Street Cinema

View Sandi’s video in support of the cinema restoration campaign at www.birthplaceofcinema.com/2014/ 01/sandi-toksvig-obe-at-the-regent-street-cinema/

Read more about the Regent Street Cinema: p18

HELLO! FROM THE ALUMNI TEAMIt is our pleasure to welcome you to the 2014 edition of Network; particularly because we are a new alumni team to the University of Westminster. Here’s a snapshot of us taken at the summer graduation ceremonies, which you can read more about on p6. In this issue, we’re delighted to bring you a range of stories, news and interviews that showcase the achievements of you; our alumni and supporters. This Letters page marks a new regular feature for the magazine, so please do get in touch with your feedback, memories and musings, and we’ll print the best selection here.

The Alumni Relations Team, from l-r: Chandkiran Nath, Ceri Jones, Heather Ridal and Laura Garman (not pictured: Agnes D’Souza)

LETTERS

From top: Sandi Toksvig; the new Cinema @Tim Ronalds Architects

@

LETTERS

NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2014 5

CELEBRATING 175 YEARS

In January, we held a special service at Westminster Abbey to commemorate 175 years of the University of Westminster. This occasion prompted a flurry of tweets and Facebook posts. Here’s a small selection. Arrived at Westminster Abbey for @UniWestminster celebration service. Will be my first time seeing the inside of the Abbey – excited.James Marsh (Human Resource Management, 2013) via Twitter

What a wonderful occasion the service at Westminster Abbey was: I was so proud to be a graduate of the University (as indeed was my late father). Here’s to the next 175 years! Marc Maitland (LLB, 1987) via Facebook

A great University indeed: great learning environment and great support staff. Wonderful experiences of studying there will always be remembered: for the next 175 years! Isireli Kacimaiwai (Globalisation, Development and Transition, 2010) via Facebook

Great University, wonderful staff! May the success continue. Etenesh Wheeler (Business Management, 2008) via Facebook

Read more about our special service at Westminster Abbey: p10

I enjoyed the Westminster Abbey service and alumni reception enormously, thank you. The multi-faith Abbey service was varied and light but also profound. The Qur’an was sung so beautifully it brought tears to my eyes, and the heartfelt, varied life stories and speeches shared really did demonstrate the legacy and variety of staff, students and learning experience. I was proud to be a part of this, and am proud to be a graduate from the University of Westminster. I enclose for you a snap of Andy Golding and myself, at the exit – a friend and former lecturer for over a decade now. Cinnamon Heathcote-Drury (Photographic Studies, 2004) via email

ALUMNI LECTURE SERIES

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the most recent Alumni Lecture Series, which was an excellent demonstration of the wealth of renowned professional expertise linked to the University. I came away from each lecture with a deeper appreciation of all that the University offers its past, present and future students. I look forward to attending future lectures, so please keep me posted! Beatrice Jamnezhad (MBA, 2013) via email

Explore our forthcoming events: p46

GRADUATION

In July, we welcomed over 2,650 students to the alumni community, as they graduated from Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank.

Memorable day 1.07.2014 #graduation #achievements #proud @UniWestminster@uw_alumni Dorothea Facchini (French with English Literature, 2014) via Twitter

Three years of hard work, stress & sleepless nights comes down to this. Amazing memories & even better people! #uw_grad14 Sajidah Patel (Politics and International Relations, 2014) via Twitter

What a whirlwind, I’ve grown so much. Finally over as I move from a @uniwestminster student to a @uw_alumniJamie Wareham (Radio Production, 2014) via Twitter Read more about graduation: p6

ACCESS ALL AREAS

Did you know that alumni of Westminster are entitled to a free Alumni Card, which allows you to access the University campuses, wi-fi and libraries?

Alumni Card approved! Thank you @uw_alumni now you’ll never get rid! Christina Alagaratnam (English Literature and Creative Writing, 2014) via Twitter

Discover more alumni benefits and how to stay connected: p40

NEWS: GRADUATIONS


The class of 2014 celebrated their time at the University and all of their achievements at the iconic Royal Festival Hall, with beautiful weather throughout.

Seven ceremonies took place over three days, with 2,650 students graduating, joined by 8,760 guests and 220 academics.

The Right Honourable the Viscount Hailsham Douglas Hogg, PC QC,

was presented with the degree of Honorary Doctor of Law by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. Viscount Hailsham, great-grandson of Quintin Hogg, the founder of the University, was awarded the honorary doctorate for his devotion to public life and his support of the University. Other individuals to be recognised were British diplomat Sir Sharard Cowper-Coles, and pioneering business couple Victoria and

Stephen Batten, who were awarded Honorary Doctors of Letters.

The Alumni Relations Team was on-hand with a large team of student volunteers in purple t-shirts to engage with new graduates and raise awareness of how the

alumni office can help their careers and keep them connected with the University. Over 650 of the summer graduates registered with the Online Alumni Community.

At the ceremonies, Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoffrey Petts raised awareness of the importance of the alumni community to graduates, saying: “As global citizens, and through the Alumni Association, we encourage you to support your University. You are our best advocates.”

WELCOME TO OUR NEW ALUMNI

“As global citizens, and through the Alumni Association, we encourage you to support your University”

2,650 students graduated, joined by 8,760 guests and 220 academics

We would like to offer a huge welcome to this year’s cohort of new alumni who graduated in July.

NEWS: REUNIONS


ALUMNI CELEBRATE WITH SUMMER REUNIONS

The class of 1994 from Westminster’s Film, Video and Photographic Arts BA were reunited on 21 June to celebrate 20 years since their graduation. It was a year group full of ambition and talent, and many have gone on to succeed in their chosen field.

Asif Kapadia went on to direct several award-winning films including The Sheep Thief (1997), The Warrior (2001), Far North (2007) and Senna (2010); and Jake Nava is famous for his influential music videos, including Adele’s Someone Like You, Kanye West’s Monster, and Beyoncé’s Crazy in Love and Single Ladies.

The group met over drinks at their old haunt, The Yorkshire Grey, and then moved on to BAFTA, where they were joined

by their old course tutors Joost Hunningher and Ian Green.

Molly Povey, who organised the reunion, said: “The approach of 20 years seemed like a great time to make contact after watching the careers blossom of several of our alumni. We had a wonderful turn out on the day. Some, like Matt Johnson, who is currently filming Into the Woods in the US, were able to Skype to be a part of the occasion.

“Jake Nava arrived straight from a flight from LA, and although he spends much of his time with the likes of Beyoncé, it just felt like catching up with an old friend. Natural conversation and laughter filled the reunion as tales of our late teens and twenties abounded.”

Would you like to hold your own reunion? Contact the alumni team at [email protected], and we can support you with contacting alumni and finding a venue.

Film alumni celebrate their 20-year reunion. Those who attended the reunion: Charlotte Arnholtz, Elizabeth Doherty, Hazel Dunlop, Rebecca Hackemann, Stephen Hull, Matthew Johnson, Asif Kapadia, Fiona Kissane, Ian Larkin, Khaled Monib, Jake Nava, Pupak Navabpour, Ralph Perou, Howard Phillis, Molly Povey, Jennifer Ross, Karen Searle, Malay Tiwary, Raymond Turner, Louise Wheatley, Ian Green and Joost Hunningher.

Delyse, at the far left, in sunny Regent’s Park in 1982

The group reunite in the same spot, 32 years on

AWARD-WINNING FILM ALUMNI RETURN TO WESTMINSTER

BEFORE AND AFTER AT REGENT’S PARK

From Delyse Silverstone’s old photo, Regent’s Park does not seem to have changed that much in 30 years; it is still the favourite spot for students to take advantage of the sun. That is why Delyse, who graduated from Westminster with a degree in Psychology, chose Regent’s Park to hold her reunion in July. She arranged a picnic for former psychology and science graduates of the class of 1982 in their old favourite spot near the rose garden to share memories and catch up on the intervening years.

Delyse said: “I made many friends during my time at the University, and the psychology and science students in particular used to socialise a lot together. Regent’s Park was a favourite spot in the summer. It was fantastic to see some old friends again. It brought back many memories of being there as a student years ago!”

FILM, VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS BA, 1994 PSYCHOLOGY BA, 1982

NEWS: THE TWITTER INTERVIEW


SHARE YOUR STORY

After leaving Westminster, the duo formed Chalk, a design studio which creates jewellery inspired by architecture. In less than 140 characters, Malaika and Hazel share their story in our quick fire Twitter interview.

Q

@uw_alumni Hello @TheChalkHouse First q – what did Studying Architecture (RIBA Part 2) at Westminster teach you?

A

@TheChalkHouse We established a new appreciation for architecture/design & developed our personal styles and tastes at Westminster

Q

@uw_alumni Glad to hear it! Did you both meet while studying at @UniWestminster ?

A

@TheChalkHouse Yes we were in the same design studio in our 1st year – our relationship has flourished ever since!

Q

@uw_alumni Ahh! Sounds like a match made in heaven! How did the idea for @TheChalkHouse come about?

A

@TheChalkHouse We used the laser cutting machine to make models for our projects & started to make jewellery for ourselves which became popular

Q

@uw_alumni Great to hear your studies influenced @TheChalkHouse Next q: What makes your jewellery unique?

A

@TheChalkHouse A combination of inspiration from architectural forms, patterns and the use of techniques/materials

Q

@uw_alumni Can you share a photo of your favourite piece and sum up what it represents?

A

@TheChalkHouse We love them all – but if we had to choose it would be our Kasumi necklace!

Q

@uw_alumni Ooh, beautiful! Before we say goodbye, can you sum up your time at University in three words?

A

@TheChalkHouse Thank you! Inspirational, Fulfilling, Rewarding

@uw_alumni Excellent. Thank you for taking part in our Twitter interview. We wish you every success.

Read the full interview here: @uw_alumni #uw_alumniinterview

Studying at Westminster can lead to interesting careers and life-long friendships. For Malaika Carr and Hazel Thomson, graduates of the Architecture (RIBA Part 2), it brought both.

Architecture-inspired jewellery; who’d have thought it? Malaika and Hazel, that’s who.

“Our jewellery takes inspiration from architectural forms and patterns”

NEWS: RESEARCH


The University of Westminster is committed to ensuring our pioneering research and innovative projects have a global impact. Here is how we have contributed to changing the world in the last year.

HOW WESTMINSTER IS CHANGING THE WORLD

BREAKTHROUGH IN FIGHT AGAINST HEPATITIS CA groundbreaking new method to test a cure for hepatitis C has been developed by University of Westminster researchers.

According to the World Health Organisation, around 150 million people are infected with hepatitis C worldwide and it is one of the leading causes of liver cirrhosis and cancer, with more than 350,000 people dying each year.

Currently the treatments available have low success rates and come with significant side effects. The new drug, based on gene therapy, is being developed by Australian company Benitec Biopharma and has the potential to revolutionise treatment of hepatitis C, by destroying the virus through a single injection.

Westminster’s innovative new method for testing the cure was developed by

Dr Sterghios A Moschos, Director of Westminster Genomic Services. Dr Moschos said: “Our approach has helped Benitec Biopharma to obtain permission to start clinical trials in the US much earlier than we expected. This is unprecedented for gene therapy, particularly for a disease for which treatments already exist.”

UNDERSTANDING PARKINSON’S DISEASEA team of research scientists led by the University of Westminster has conducted important research into the function of a protein responsible for the early onset of Parkinson’s disease.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, examined how the protein, DJ-1, is able to bind copper within human cells. High levels of copper are thought to contribute to neurodegeneration, and DJ-1 has recently been shown to

protect cells from copper toxicity. The Westminster team, led by Dr Mark Odell and Rhyan Puno, has illuminated how mutations in DJ-1, associated with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, cause a loss of the ability to protect cells from the adverse effects of copper.

The work, led by Westminster scientists, has been highlighted by the Royal Society of Chemistry for its understanding of the role of DJ-1 in Parkinson’s.

TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGEYoung designers in the built and natural environments are working together for climate change with an innovative new network called Latitudes. Universities from across the world are involved in the project, including teams from São Paulo, Delhi, Rovaniemi (Finland) and Tromsø (Norway).

Latitudes network allows members to post problems that have arisen from climate

and environmental change and call for innovative design solutions. Members can then join teams to design solutions or simply comment on ideas as they develop. The network consists of a web application, a mobile app and a network of smart rooms across the world, which facilitate the communication of design ideas. Ideas being developed include flood defence, desertification, climatic design and buildings engineered to save energy.

Lord Smith, Chair of the Environment Agency and former Secretary of State for Culture said: “Climate change is presenting us with the greatest challenges that we are going to face over the next 50–100 years. Getting bright ideas from students around the world, and how we can cope with that in designing buildings and cities, has to be part of the answer.” For more information visit: latitudesnetwork.com

NEWS: WESTMINSTER


175 YEARSWestminster Abbey is regarded as one of the world’s most magnificent and symbolic buildings. It was also the perfect place to conclude the University’s 175th anniversary celebrations in January.

At midday on 30 January 2014, the Abbey opened its doors to hundreds of University of Westminster alumni, students and staff, who came together for a special commemorative service to mark the 175 years which have passed since the University was founded as Britain’s first Polytechnic in 1838.

The service was conducted by The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, and attended by the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Sarah Richardson.

Baroness Caroline Cox, University of

Westminster alumna (Sociology BA, 1967), addressed attendees including members of the Court of Governors, academics, staff and students, highlighting her personal experience of teaching and learning, her appreciation for the time she spent at the University and the rich history of the institution.

Professor Geoffrey Petts, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Westminster, said: “The ceremony was the perfect way to celebrate our rich history at the heart of London. Over the last 175 years, the University of Westminster has evolved and adapted to changing needs and our students come from all over the world to study with us in the centre of this vibrant city.”

COUPLE’S CONTRIBUTION RECOGNISED

As a business marketing student, Vicky’s strong work ethic saw her contracting with organisations including Burberry.

This valuable work experience and a successful exchange year in Germany helped her to land a job with asset management company Henderson soon after graduating.

Steve was the first in his family to go to university and brought resolute ambition with him. He was frequently to be seen at the University’s sports ground in Chiswick and at the weekly celebrations in the Bolsover bar. This was where he met keen rower Vicky, already aware of him “because everyone had a crush on the dashing President of the Union,” she said.

Steve is now a Director at BlackRock and Vicky is in marketing with Insight Investment Management. Both feel they owe their marriage as well as their careers to the University of Westminster, something they have paid us back for in spades.

They helped to set up the Alumni Association and both have acted as student mentors. Speaking to graduates in July

Steve said: “The University needs its alumni to stay in touch. Tell people about the University of Westminster and the life-long friends you have made here. Become ambassadors for higher education and encourage people to study.”

Steve and Vicky are also generous supporters of the University’s student scholarships fund. Steve explained: “The University of Westminster has really helped us to get on in life. We were lucky enough to choose to go to university but others are not, so making a contribution is a great way to help others.

“I would encourage everyone to stay in one night and send the money saved to the Scholarships Fund. This small act can help change someone’s life.”

For more information about supporting current students visit westminster.ac.uk/about-us/support-us

Did you meet your partner while you were studying at the University of Westminster? If so, we would love to hear your story. Please email [email protected] to tell us what Westminster has meant to your family

Stephen and Victoria Batten were made Honorary Doctors of Letters at the 2014 graduations

The University congregation at Westminster Abbey

In July 2014 alumni Stephen and Victoria Batten were awarded honorary doctorates in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the University of Westminster.

NEWS: INTERNATIONAL


AROUND THE WORLD

In April, MBA students from Westminster Business School undertook a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Uganda to aid the charity Busoga Trust in researching self-sustained water supplement systems and waste disposal.

Busoga Trust, a charity providing water, sanitation and hygiene to rural communities, has constructed more than 2,000 water sources in Uganda since 1983. However, the villagers aren’t able to sustain these sources as they do not receive enough funding from the government.

The trip took the form of a consultancy project, which began with Busoga Trust describing their business problems and the students exploring strategic solutions. The MBA students then launched a business model to turn waste into a profitable source of income, covering the expenses needed to repair the watering and sanitation systems.

MBA student Jessica Boland said of the experience: “I didn’t expect to have the opportunity to be so hands on in my project. The experience was so genuine and the people I met were incredibly helpful and wanted to help us with the change.”

Our international alumni community spreads the word about Westminster.

STUDENTS VISIT UGANDA TO AID WATER CHARITY

The MBA students had a memorable trip to Vic View Primary School who helped them with the educational programme © Jessica Boland

Westminster is proud to be one of the largest and most diverse international institutions in the world.

Our current student body includes more than 5,500 students and a significant number of staff from outside of the UK, giving us a reputation for being a welcoming and inclusive University for all. We are presently recognised as one of the top UK universities in the international field.

This diversity is reflected in the alumni community, with over 150,000 alumni in over 180 countries who have graduated from Westminster and its predecessor institutions.

Our international graduates are hugely important to the alumni community and to the University in acting as global ambassadors and maintaining the international reputation of Westminster. We have a strong and enduring relationship with those who have studied here and returned home and the International Team hold frequent gatherings for our overseas alumni. This year, events were held in Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey and Vietnam.

GREAT NETWORKING RECEPTION IN TURKEYThe reception in March was part of the British Council’s commitment to the GREAT Campaign in Turkey, a

partnership to promote the UK as a place to visit, study and do business. The reception brought together UK representatives, agents, and college counsellors, representatives from Turkish universities and UK alumni.

WESTMINSTER INDIA ALUMNI NETWORK LAUNCHEDThe Westminster India Alumni Network was

launched by Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoff Petts in Mumbai and New Delhi in January.

The network is designed to assist Indian graduates with mentoring, internships and placement opportunities in India after their studies in London. Many of our 800-strong Indian alumni have pledged support for the project and are keen to help others.

ANNUAL SAUDI ALUMNI RECEPTIONWestminster was one of 18 UK universities that took part in the annual meeting for Saudi Alumni of British universities at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Riyadh on 14 April. The event was hosted by Ambassador Sir John Jenkins; 200 alumni attended this fantastic networking opportunity, including 12 from the University of Westminster.

VIETNAMESE ALUMNI MEET OVER DINNERSpecial dinners were held in Hanoi in January and March this year for Vietnamese alumni. This is part of an effort to continue the expansion of the already strong alumni network in Vietnam.

The dinners provided an opportunity for alumni to meet with old and new friends, network and share memories.

The alumni community has over 150,000 alumni in over 180 countries

NEWS: IN BRIEF


IN BRIEF

NEW PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENTThe University of Westminster has appointed Professor Alexandra Hughes as Pro-Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement.

Speaking of her new role, she said: “Internationalisation and employability are at the forefront of my strategic priorities. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the University of Westminster to drive and expand our culture of global engagement and reach further, fostering our current relationships with international contacts as well as building even stronger links.”

CHINESE SPECIALIST IS NEW HEAD OF MODERN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES Dr Gerda Wielander joined the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities in January 2014, as Head of Department for Modern Languages and Culture. Dr Wielander, Austrian by nationality, speaks English, French and Chinese in addition to her native German.

By appointing Dr Wielander, the University of Westminster

is acknowledging the importance of Mandarin Chinese to the future of modern languages. However, Dr Wielander believes that European languages are still crucial, and should remain important alongside languages such as Mandarin.

She said: “The aim of modern languages departments and policy makers must be to make European and non-European languages and cultures equally familiar.

“People should not learn Chinese at the expense of learning French and German, as the Prime Minister has recently claimed, but in addition.” ‘SUGAR V FAT’ ON BBC’S HORIZONDr Richard Mackenzie, Senior Lecturer in cell metabolism and diabetes at the University of Westminster, appeared on BBC’s Horizon to conduct an experiment to show the effect that diet has on increasing the risk of diabetes.

The episode involved twin doctors, Chris and Alexander Van Tulleken, undertaking month-long high-fat and high-sugar diets. The effects on their bodies were shocking and unexpected.

DR GILLIAN FORRESTER ON BBC’S DISSECTEDDr Gillian S Forrester featured as an expert in the BBC’s two-part series Dissected in February. Dr Forrester is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Science and Technology. The ground-breaking programme revealed the inner workings of the hand through dissection.

In Dissected, Dr Forrester is interviewed about her research into the types of behaviours biased to one side of the body and which cognitive tasks and processes are guided by each hemisphere of the brain.

AREA 51 MUSIC STUDIO OPENEDA new state-of-the-art music studio has been created at Harrow Campus, with full audio, lighting and audio visual installation. It is being used as a live music venue, a teaching facility and can also be used as a commercial venue.

Head of Commercial Music, Alan Fisher, said: “Having a state-of-the-art music space on campus is proving to be a real asset in terms of recruiting future students. This has made a real impact on our capacity to deliver cutting-edge teaching and learning in performance.”

SUCCESSFUL 2014 FOR FABE STUDENTSStudents from the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment have celebrated a hugely successful 2014, with a string of high-profile awards.

In January recent MArch graduate Harriet Partridge was commended in the Architects’ Journal AJ Writing Prize, for her 1,000-word essay on Burgh Island Hotel. The same month saw Architectural Technology BSc graduate Simon Ceccato win the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists’ Student Excellence Award.

In February, Construction Management BSc graduate Hazel Swan was presented with the Constructor’s Prize by the Worshipful Company of Constructors, while in March, Interior Architecture BA students Alice Simmons, Emily Coyle and Ada Asllani won first prize in The Collective Design Award.

Other awards during 2014 included a commendation for Architecture BA student Christos Kakouros in the RIBA Journal’s Eye Line 2 drawing competition.

All the latest snapshots of Westminster life.

NEWS: FILM


The Act of Killing, a documentary directed by Westminster’s Dr Joshua Oppenheimer and produced by Professor Joram ten Brink, put the University on the world stage, by winning a string of international awards over the past year.

The film triumphed at the BAFTAs, winning Best Documentary, and was also awarded Best Film at the inaugural Guardian Film Awards, on top of more than 40 prizes from film festivals around the world. It was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards.

The film brings attention to the forgotten Indonesian genocide of 1965–66, by following the perpetrators – former members of the Indonesian death squads – as they re-enact the murders they committed in the syle of American film genres, such as gangster, western and musicals. It focuses on Anwar Congo, one of the

leaders who is said to be responsible for up to 1,000 murders, as he becomes increasingly remorseful.

Dr Oppenheimer is a Reader in Westminster’s Faculty of Media, Arts and Design, while Joram ten Brink is Professor of Film at Westminster. Both are directors of the International Centre for Documentary and Experimental Film, part of Westminster’s Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media, which is one of the UK’s leading centres for research in visual and media arts.

Professor ten Brink said: “This award comes at at the end of a five-year research project at the University of Westminster, supported by the Arts and Humanities Council, in which we tried to develop an innovative form of film making, but more importantly, to shed light on an unknown genocide in Indonesia 50 years ago.”

WESTMINSTER GRADUATE HELPS WIN CAMERA D’OR AWARD AT CANNES Zhe Wu, a graduate of the MA in Audio Production in the Faculty of Media, Arts and Design, worked as lead sound designer on Ilo Ilo, the film that won the Camera D’Or Award for directorial debut at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

After graduating in 2004, Zhe Wu formed her own sound design company and went on to work on many successful films. She has also received a Best Sound nomination from the British Animation Awards (BAA) and two Golden Reel Award nominations from the Motion Picture Sound Editors in Los Angeles.

OSCAR NOMINATION AND BAFTA WIN FOR THE ACT OF KILLING

JOY IT’S NINA SCREENED AT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS

The acclaimed film, Joy, It’s Nina, directed by leading Westminster academic, Jane Thorburn, was shown at numerous film festivals in the UK and abroad this year.

The film was shot in both Nigeria and the UK and is the result of a collaboration between Jane –Principal Lecturer and Course Leader for the Television Production BA – and actress Joy Elias-Rilwan. Jane has many years of experience as a producer and director for TV, including Channel 4 and BBC2.

The film weaves together touching short stories about the lives of African women living in the UK. Events from Joy Elias-Rilwan’s own life are absorbed in the film, including voicemails to Joy from the legendary singer Nina Simone, her friend and self-proclaimed ‘Spiritual Mother’.

The film was screened around the world, including San Francisco, North Carolina, Harlem, the University of California, New Jersey and Ethiopia. The film was also shown at the Images of Black Women Film Festival, London, where it was awarded as a runner-up in Best African Film.

A scene from The Act of Killing

Joy, It’s Nina won Best African Film at the Black Women Film Festival

The University of Westminster had high- profile success at London and New York Fashion Weeks this year with both alumni and current students making an impact.

At London Fashion Week, two of our rising stars showed as part of Fashion East, the pioneering non-profit initiative based at the Truman Brewery which nurtures emerging young designers. Ashley Williams (Fashion Design BA, 2012), who garnered global media attention when Rihanna and Rita Ora wore her designs, showcased her collection and was described in Dazed & Confused as “one of London fashion’s fastest rising upstarts”. Louise Alsop (Fashion Design BA, 2013), who opted for a grungy and rebellious look, said in Love magazine of her student days: “I did feel insanely lucky to be at Westminster.”

Over at New York Fashion Week, Nokia partnered with third-year Fashion Design BA student, Mary Benson,

for an opening showcase. Mary has had her designs worn by performer Kilo Kish, and has received rave reviews from magazine i-D, who said her “mirrored and holographic designs were reflected, refracted and re-imagined at the whim and fancy of the camera wielding collective.”

Fashion Design BA graduate Philli Wood won the Warehouse British Fashion Council design competition, which led to the launch of her award-winning collection in the high street store to coincide with Fashion Week. “The collection was initially inspired by American Indian Inuit,” said Philli. “I experimented with large over-sized silhouettes and chunky knitwear. The bright, clashing colour palette was inspired by installation artist Dan Flavin who uses fluorescent strip lights.”

NEWS: ARTS


WESTMINSTER SHINES AT LONDON AND NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

Designs by Mary Benson, Louise Alsop, Ashley Williams and Philli Wood

© Hannah Diamond and Chris Moore

Ashley Williams is one of London fashion’s fastest rising upstarts

A graduate from the Commercial Music BA (2013) is taking the UK by storm with Rudimental.

Amir Amor, along with the band, won Best British Single at the Brit Awards in February, for their number one single Feel the Love. They also topped the charts with their first album Home in 2013.

Rudimental features Piers Aggett, Kesi Dryden, Leon Rolle and Amir Amor, and the collective have toured the UK, Europe, Australia and the US. They were invited to perform at the Made in America Festival in Philadelphia, by Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation, and have performed at Outsidelands in San Francisco and Future Music Festival in Australia.

Amir is a musician, record producer and DJ, and is also the founder of record label and recording studio Major Toms. The Guardian has noted him as the “Number one new producer to watch” and NME has called him one of the “20 hottest producers in music right now”.

MUSIC GRADUATE WINS BRIT AWARD WITH RUDIMENTAL

Amir Amor on the left. Photo courtesy of Dan Massie

Amir Amor is the Guardian’s number one new producer to watch

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE WESTMINSTER?The film course at Westminster is the longest running in the UK with an outstanding reputation. I didn’t secure a scholarship the first year I applied so was unable to take up my place, but I was persistent and luckily the following year I was awarded one. I am so grateful for the support; without it I would never have studied at Westminster. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT?Westminster’s international student body is fantastic for provoking debate. The heavy focus on independent and critical learning has given me a strong foundation from which to progress my film making. A highlight was co-producing the Westminster Film Forum – our first student-led short film festival. We were honoured to have alumni on the judging panel and the audience were amazed by the quality and diversity of the films.

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO ORGANISE THE FORUM?Westminster’s heritage as the birthplace of British cinema is so inspiring. As a scholarship recipient I wanted to give back by uniting students and alumni and fostering new ideas. The planned Cinema at the University’s Regent Street Campus is an ideal venue for the Forum to attract a broader audience and maybe even submissions from other film schools!

WHO ARE YOUR ROLE MODELS?I look up to those who have succeeded through hard work and dedication. Westminster’s film alumni are very impressive; you feel a special connection to those who have studied at the same institution as you, so to see their work screened across the world is really inspiring. It was very special when The Act of Killing, produced by academics at Westminster, achieved outstanding critical acclaim.

HOW HAS WESTMINSTER HELPED TO DEVELOP YOUR CAREER?Through the Film Forum I met alumnus and film maker Tariq Nasir, who recently offered me an executive producer role on a short experimental film; it’s an exciting opportunity and he is someone I can learn a lot from. I am also involved in a documentary about Ukraine; I met the film makers at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival where a film I produced had been selected for the Short Film Corner.

CAMPUS Q&A WITH ALLA DRYZHAK

Alla Dryzhak co-produced the Westminster Film Forum

“The film course at Westminster is the longest running in the UK with an outstanding reputation”

If you would like to know more about supporting students visit: westminster.ac.uk/about-us/support-us

We met MA student and scholarship recipient Alla Dryzhak (Film and Television MA, 2014) to find out more about her ambition to follow in the footsteps of someof Westminster’s successful film and television alumni.

NEWS: ALUMNI



University of Westminster’s Documentary Photography and Photojournalism MA has an international reputation as a launchpad for talented photographers hoping to kick-start their careers.

The graduates have found inspiration from sources as diverse as airports, squatting, hoarders, self-building projects and the deforestation of the Amazon. The results are striking and individual, and have won awards, been exhibited and highlighted by the BBC, and led to promising careers. Phil Clarke-Hill found the international reputation of the course indispensible: “I’ve been shooting professionally since 2008. However, the course was invaluable to my development and critical understanding of my work. Completing and showing in our MAPJ exhibition directly led to features in Dazed, The Telegraph and a major commercial sale to ASOS.”

We invited some students to talk us through their favourite photographs…

Four graduates tell the stories behind their photographs.

THE ANGLE OF DESCENTDANIEL J NORWOOD I was motivated by seeing maps of an area of West London overlaid with a geometric shadow marking out the proposed expansion plans of a third runway at Heathrow. It was a kind of cartographic haemorrhage over an otherwise unremarkable community, but it got me thinking about the psychological effects of living in the shadow of this malignant threat.

I decided to walk around the airport and through areas earmarked for demolition, working in a considered manner which was counter to the speed of activity revolving around the airport hub, to take a broader look at the local socio-geography, and draw inspiration from an area dominated by roads, runways and concrete islands.

So far, the project has featured on the front page of the BBC news website and was exhibited at London Gallery West in September 2013. djnorwood.com

THE STORY OF THE YARD CARRIE HITCHCOCK The Yard tells the story of a community-led, self-build housing development in inner-city St Werburghs in Bristol. I am one of a group of people who built their houses here, and in my book I document the transformation from a concrete desert of industrial land to a green oasis and thriving community.

More than simply a record of the project, the book aims to inspire and inform others who want to study or create similar developments themselves. It incorporates practical tips and resources, and provides case studies giving an insight into the person or family who created each house. The book explores ideas of community, self-determination and the creative potential of resistance. ecomotive.org.uk

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

NEWS: PHOTOGRAPHY


GEORGE’S BATH / A PLACE CALLED HOME CORINNA KERN What drives my photographic ambitions is my desire to explore something new, especially alternative lifestyles or people living on the fringes of society. This led me to become interested in the London squatting scene. A Place Called Home focuses on the concept of home within this communal lifestyle while challenging stereotyped notions by depicting the joyful side of squatting.

I also believe that the more I immerse myself in my projects, and the more time I spend with the people I photograph, the more intimate and intriguing the outcome is. At a squatter’s eviction resistance I met George, a very interesting character of 72 years. We became friends and I lived at his place for two months, where I began to document his life as a hoarder. George’s Bath was recently chosen as one of the Top 50 Emerging Photographers by Lensculture. foto-kern.com

BRAZIL PHIL CLARKE-HILL

I moved to Brazil in January, having previously worked there on several occasions. I’ve been fascinated by this country for several years, and the World Cup gave me the perfect opportunity to document it in an important stage of transition.

Since arriving in Rio, I have had assignments from the BBC about the Samba schools preparing for Carnival, been sent to Buenos Aires on assignment for National Geographic Traveller UK, and – closest to my own interests – worked on a joint feature for Lufthansa magazine showing how Greenpeace monitor deforestation in the Amazon from the air, using a light plane.

I am also working on two personal projects – one about urban music in Brazil, and the other about the Carajas mine, which is the largest iron ore mine in the world. It is due to be greatly expanded, which would destroy a series of caves that may hold the secret to the earliest civilisations in the Amazon.

philclarkehill.co.uk

FEATURE


REGENT STREET CINEMA


The restored auditorium will seat 200 and will be equipped for 16mm, 35mm and state-of-the-art digital projection.

The Cinema’s historic Compton Organ, installed in 1936, will again accompany the stars of the silent screen as part of a distinctive and highly-informed programme, offering a mix of the best independent British and world cinema, documentary, retrospectives and classic repertory titles.

The Cinema will also provide a much-needed platform for our outstanding film and television students and others to showcase their work, and there will be opportunities for students to volunteer or gain work experience in programming, curating and operating the restored Cinema. A dedicated learning room will host a wide range of activities for a diverse audience, including local community and schools groups.

Outside, a new canopy will create an attractive independent entrance at 307 Regent Street, echoing the heyday of the Cinema’s

operation in the mid-20th century. The foyer and box office will offer an inviting welcome and new lifts and facilities will ensure full accessibility. A café and bar area will provide a permanent display celebrating the Cinema’s rich heritage.

The construction phase of the project is now well underway and Overbury, whose previous

refurbishments include the iconic London Palladium and the Queen’s Theatre London, began work on site in July 2014. Intriguing pieces of old cinematic equipment have been uncovered in the early stages of the work, including a pair of rare mercury arc rectifiers. Invented at the beginning of the 20th century they were primarily used as a power source for electric railways and street cars as well as cinemas.

Tim Ronalds Architects, a practice specialising in arts, education and public projects, has led plans for the restored Cinema.

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINSOur historic Cinema, nestled within the University’s headquarters at 309 Regent Street, will reopen to the public as a landmark venue for the British film industry in spring 2015 after a three-year campaign to raise funds for its revival.

The Cinema will offer a mix of the best independent British and world film

A café and bar area will provide a permanent display celebrating the cinema’s rich heritage

To see more photos from the work in progress visit our photo gallery: flickr.com/regentstcinema Follow project updates on Twitter @RegentstCinema

Tim Ronalds Architects impression of how the restored Cinema will look

Nearly half the seats in the Cinema have now been named but there is still time to get involved.

You can name a seat individually, as many of our alumni and friends have already done, or you can join together with fellow alumni and friends to collectively name a seat in the soon-to-be-reopened Cinema. It could be an ideal way to honour a successful film industry figure you admire, or someone with a passion for education, cinema or the University.

Led by alumnus Ian Potts, classmates from the Film and Television course of 1976 recently supported the revival of the Cinema by naming a seat after Joost Hunningher, their former Course Leader.

Ian told us: “It was fantastic to make contact with old classmates who share my passion and enthusiasm for the future of the Cinema; we are proud to have

played a part in helping this much-needed resource for future film makers come to life. We look forward to having the Cinema as a place to once again come together at Westminster and be inspired by film.”

There are many ways to support the restoration of the Cinema and help celebrate our heritage while creating an exciting new facility to benefit current and future students alongside our wider audience.

You can become one of the Cinema’s Founding Patrons or make a gift towards the project at any level of your choice; you can also name a seat individually or become one of our Alumni Ambassadors, like Ian, inspiring others to join you in support – if you’re crowdfunding, smaller gifts will quickly add up to reach the £750 target to name a seat.

The Development Office will support you through our crowdfunding platform, put you in touch with fellow classmates, provide donor rewards and help with promoting your seat through social media and on our website.

Join us as a new chapter for film begins in 2015 when the University of Westminster reopens the historic Cinema on Regent Street.

Find out more about naming your own seat or joining with others: birthplaceofcinema.com/support

FEATURE


TAKE A STARRING ROLEMany of our alumni and friends have already played their part in helping this much needed resource for future film makers come to life.

Join us as a new chapter for film begins in 2015 when the University of Westminster reopens the historic Cinema on Regent Street

Right: restoration of the Cinema in progress Far right: Joost Hunningher, Regent Street Cinema donor © Joanne O’Brien

REGENT STREET CINEMA


MY MOVIE, MY SEAT We asked some of the alumni who have named a Cinema seat which film they would like to see screened in the future venue.

Great Expectations David Lean 1946“I first watched David Lean’s 1946 adaptation of the Dicken’s classic as a young boy. Like Pip ripping down the dusty curtains it shone a light into my imagination and revealed cinema beyond the comfortable family fare I’d grown used to.” Matt Johnson Film, Video and Photographic Arts 1994

Convenience Keri Collins, 2013“This film represents everything that new British cinema should; ethnic minorities in the lead roles, a pop culture style with a simple premise and laugh out loud moments throughout. It’s made by a team of young British film makers that without doubt will represent our film-making future.” Raj Sharma Graphic Information Design 1990

All That Jazz Bob Fosse, 1979“The very first time I saw this film was at the Scala Cinema in King’s Cross and I was blown away by the combination of the performance of Roy Scheider (‘It’s showtime folks!’) and the musical numbers, especially those by Ben Vereen, singing his version of ‘Bye bye love, bye bye happiness’. I think I have seen the film at least seven or eight times and never can get enough.” Paul Trijbits Film and Photographic Arts 1984

ALUMNUS TIMOTHY WEST NARRATES OUR NEW SHORT FILMWe are thrilled to release a new short film about the restoration narrated by actor and alumnus Timothy West. The film features interviews with alumni who share their enthusiasm for the restored Cinema.

http://www.westminster.ac.uk/timothy-west-birthplace-of-cinema

WIN TICKETS TO ONE OF OUR EXCITING OPENING EVENTS!Sign up to receive the Cinema newsletter before Friday 28 November 2014 and you will be entered into a draw to win two tickets to a prestigious screening reception as part of the Cinema’s opening season in spring next year.

Sign up online: birthplaceofcinema.com

Further research into the history of this unique space is being undertaken for an upcoming publication, which will be the fourth book in the history of the University of Westminster series.

Ro Spankie, Senior Lecturer in Architecture at Westminster, has been exploring the architectural developments of the Cinema from its origins in 1848. Professor Guy Osborn, Westminster Law School, is tracing the evolution of cinema licensing and Joost Hunningher, former Course Leader in film

and television, is detailing the development of film education at the Polytechnic. The publication will coincide with the opening of the restored Cinema and will be richly illustrated with images from the University’s archive.

If you visited the Cinema and would like to share your memories as part of our oral history programme, we would love to hear from you. Please see our website for details: westminster.ac.uk/about-us/our-heritage/oral-history

RETRACING THE CINEMA’S HISTORY


The deaths of so many men represent a huge loss, and such a long list of young lives still has an impact on those who find the time to read through it today. But that loss of life is only part of the story of the Polytechnic’s role in the The Great War.

Now, as countries around the world commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of World War One, the University’s Archive Team has put together an online exhibition exploring both the experiences of those serving overseas, and the impact of the war on Poly staff and students at home. While members of the Poly fought ‘for King and Country’ on the Western Front, back in England the institution played a vital role in recruiting, training, accommodating and rehabilitating soldiers, and fundraising to help the war effort and its aftermath.

The Polytechnic had established its own company within the 12th Battalion London Regiment of the Territorial Forces, known as the

Rangers, in 1909. The key figures behind the company were Major Vincent Hoare, the son-in-law of the Poly’s founder, Quintin Hogg, and Captain Lionel Studd, son of the then President of the Poly, JEK Studd. Membership of the Rangers involved training drills, shooting practice and summer camps, and in many ways it was the same as the Poly’s other sports and social clubs.

That all changed with the outbreak of war in 1914; the Rangers were on their way to summer camp when Britain declared war on Germany in August of that year, and were recalled and immediately mobilised. There was no conscription at the start of the war, the government instead relying on volunteers and the promise of friends being able to serve together in ‘pals battalions’. The same month, the President appealed in The Polytechnic Magazine “with confidence to every member of the Polytechnic

to take his or her share in the heavy burden which has fallen on the nation.”

JEK Studd’s confidence was well placed; after a few more weeks training, members of the Rangers were asked to volunteer for overseas service, and by October the magazine was reporting that 900 Poly boys had enlisted, 600 in the Rangers. By the following month the Poly had filled two regiments – 12th London and the Kensington – and had also established the Polytechnic Volunteer Training Corps with 400 new recruits who could only fight on the home front. Despite – or perhaps because of – the increasing reports in The Polytechnic Magazine of those who had been killed or injured on the frontline, the willingness of the Poly Boys to sign up never seemed to waiver. In April 1915 the Poly had over 1,600 men on active service; by the end of the war at least 4,800 Poly members had joined His Majesty’s Forces and

FEATURE

WESTMINSTER AND THE GREAT WARFrom the rear wall of the foyer at the University of Westminster’s Regent Street headquarters, the names of 394 men gaze down upon students, staff and visitors. The Roll of Honour lists those from the Regent Street Polytechnic who died during World War One, many of whom served in the Poly’s own army company.

continued on p 27

WESTMINSTER AND THE GREAT WAR


DECEMBER 1914

War notes: “C Simpson who has joined the Queen Victoria Rifles, writes that they have very comfortable sleeping quarters at Crowborough with good food. The only trouble is mud, but in spite of that they stick to the work cheerfully. He says: ‘I cannot go outside without someone saying, ‘Hullo, Simpson, surely you know me from the Poly.’— Really I cannot remember ever having seen them before. At once we give each other the Poly grip and we are firm friends, so that after all the world is not so large.’”

JANUARY 1915

“A postcard has come from John McLaren, our O.Q., who was caught in Germany at the outbreak of war and is now interned as a British civil prisoner of war at Spandau. His address is Barrack No. 2, Stall 22 Englanderlager, Kuhleben-Spandau, Germany. Nothing is said upon the card except the formal printed intimation: ‘Wishing you a happy Xmas and a brighter New Year.’ Our sympathies go out to McLaren for we know how greatly so keen a London Scottish man as he is must be regretting being excluded from service at such a time.”

FEBRUARY 1915

“Periscopes. One of our members, G. J. Evans, who is also a member of our Training Corps, has been hard at work making trench periscopes for the troops. The invention is a very simple one by Mr Hanson and has been approved by Captain de Crespigny. Evans has most kindly and generously sent two of these periscopes out to Captain Lionel Studd for the use of the 12th and we hope that they may be found of very real service.”

MARCH 1915

Letter from Major Vincent Hoare to Poly President, Mr JEK Studd, written four days before his death: “You will, I know, be glad to hear that the boys have had their first experience under fire and have come out splendidly. There is no other word for it, and the work which we have had to do is probably more unpleasant than most other jobs, namely, fatigue work, carrying food supplies to the trenches. “Of course, it is all done in the dark and the road is generally shelled to begin with and as soon as we have picked up the stuff and started from the dump we come under a spasmodic fire, mostly unaimed, though there are some snipers. So far there has only been one casualty in the battalion, and that not in No. 1. “The boys are just as steady as you could want. It was to be expected on the first night—the valour of ignorance; but the second and third nights they were just as good.”

The burial of Major Hoare and Captain Studd: “One of our boys, in a recent letter to hand, describes how our two heroes were laid to rest: ‘We buried them in the same grave in a field near the Cemetery the next afternoon, and a strange sight it was... the Germans were shelling a chateau, not a quarter of a mile away and we could see the shells bursting and then, a German aeroplane flew over us and dropped a bomb, which fortunately fell into some water and failed to explode.’”

Included here and over the next few pages are excerpts from just a few of the stories carried in The Polytechnic Magazine


OFFICERS

Lieutenant ColonelI. G. Hogg DSO

MajorH. P. AlexanderJ. C. Bromhall MC & BARA. J. Gregory DSOV. R. Hoare

CaptainA. H. ArbuthnotT. Comber MC & BAR R. C. FippardG. L. Goodes MC & BARR. L. HoareR. JacobsHon. D. KinnairdR. V. RookS. E. Silver MC & BARL. F. StuddD. H. D. Wooderson

Lieutenant E. J. BartlettJ. BlairR. E. K. BradshawH. Dixon DSMA. C. E. FowlerP. G. GenarionN. W. GoodwinR. HayesW. A. JeffordW. F. Leech DSOD. A. D. I. MacgregorG. B. MeoF. A. NaglerL. S. NicholsonV. R. OldreyW. G. Round MCC. W. Taylor MCD. B. Thompson

Second LieutenantJ. H. AitkenH. T. AlexanderA. E. AllnuttW. G. BakerR.F. BathR.A. Beer J.E. BlackebyA. BoagH. A. P. BockettG. P. BradleyH. Bright R. H. C. BushellC. A. CharlesF. CharlestonD. H. A. CheersA. V. ClareB. M. CohenH. V. CookA. J. DartnallW. R. DaveyH. E. DixeyB. G. EgertonC. N. EtheridgeC. W. H. FoordT. O. Gabbet-FairfaxJ. E. C. GuestA. C. G. HermgesE. A. HooperG. H. IzardH. A. JosephP. KnightF. MinterM. OldreyH. S. ParkR. H. RichardsonE. R. SansomL. ScottA. G. SecrettJ. W. StancerM. V. G. TannerF. V. ThickeH. W. ThompsonW. A. ThompsonG. H. TuftA. H. S. Tulse

P. A. WardJ. T. WebbW. H. Webster DSOE. A. WhiteS. W. WoodleyF. G. Yeo

PaymasterC. G. Maile

Assistant PaymasterJ. W. Wagstaff

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS

Chief Petty OfficerJ. F. Apps DSM

Sergeant MajorW. J. Hornal MMR. A. J. Ouzman

Colour SergeantV. Cave

SergeantG. L. BarnesC. R. BowtellM. K. BranniganA. C. BridgerH. GardnerW. A. HannaF. L. HawesH. C. HoodW. D. KempJ. Y. OgleyG. A. PoppleW. C. RoveryT. E. RyanC. ShuteG. G. Watt

CorporalG. G. BennettD. C. BonnellaS. BradfordW. G. CarrW. L. CharlesW. DunnH. J. FippardP. FleggR. D. FowlesS. B. GabrielH. GrimwoodW. S. HalesB. HartS. A. HennellA. G. HoggW. M. MillarA. ReadT. J. ReedG. E. RobinsonS. SaddletonN. H. SmithD. J. SterrittA. F. TuttonW. UnderwoodE. VincentA. M. WalkerF. G. West

Lance CorporalF. W. BrayW. R. BrysonW. C. BullingE. G. BuntonF. W. CarverA. E. CecilJ. A. CooperH. E. DaweP. A. DevauxH. S. DilkeP. L. JackmanP. A. JamesJ. C. LaphamG. H. LucasH. E. OsborneH. W. Puttock

C. G. S. RawlingsJ. H. SempleR. StimpsonA. StrangeE. E. TauntW. TrentD. WalkerG. F. WalshC. C. WhiteA. E. Whittick

Other RanksL. B. AdamsF. J. AllenG. AshpoleE. J. BakerJ. W. BanksL. H. BarnesW. BarnesF. E. BatterC. S. BentmanH. P. BertoglioL. E. W. BlakeJ. T. BlissG. A. BoltonR. BonnettH. BowdenF. H. BowmanT. G. BrackenA. G. BredeC. R. BredeM. J. BrometE. F. BrookerF. S. BrownJ. B. BrownD. E. G. BuckleyR. V. ButcherH. V. CareyC. G. CarpenterA. W. CarrollC. CartwrightF. S. ChadwickE. L. ChambersL. W. ChappellR. ChickenW. W. Clark

THE GREAT WAR 1914—1919 ROLL OF HONOUR TRUE LOVE BY LIFE — TRUE LOVE BY DEATH — IS TRIED LIVE THOU FOR ENGLAND. WE FOR ENGLAND DIED.


M. CloseC. A. ColeW. F. CollinsB. H. CookW. A. CouperA. V. CoxH. R. CraythorneN. W. CrookeF. J. CuthbertsonC. E. D’ArcyW. W. DavidsonW. S. DennyF. T. DewA. DicksonE. DiffeyF. J. DilleyR. G. DixG. S. DixonE. S. DobieC. F. DoubleH. E. G. DoubleW. A. DurandW. T. EdenL. J. EdwardsT. EdwardsW. J. EdwardsH. G. EtheridgeJ. A. FalknerW. F. FenestreF. G. FinchamW. A. FiskW. J. ForsterH. J. W. FuhrbergE. FulfordW. D. GadsdenS. H. GarstonH. H. GaylerE. GeddesC. GibneyW. GillamsA. E. GloyneP. A. T. GodleyH. GoochF. G. GreggL. GroeningsB. Grove

E. B. GroverG. T. HaffendenW. R. HamiltonE. C. HamptonG. HansfordE. S. HarrisW. S. HarrisF. HatcherJ. HatchmanS. HattonG. HawkingsF. HawkinsG. A. HawkinsL. C. G. HayneW. E. HaynesW. A. HeaysmanS. HedgeF. HepburnA. C. HerringR. J. HersantP. J. HilleardR. A. HobbsH. B. HortE. L. HortonG.P. HoulihanJ. G. HoulihanL. HowellJ. HowseE. E. HughesG. Hughes-RobertsH. W. HyattE. W. IsaacT. S. JamesC. B. JenningsR. JerrardE. JohnsonC. G. JonesE. W. C. JonesE. C. JoslingA. M. KingG. W. KingJ. E. LaceyR. M. LangrishJ. LappinN. J. LaurieE. Law

P. C. LawJ. G. LeeW. F. LeeP. E. LeneyH. LewisF. L. LilliottG. M. LoughlandC. MadeleyS. MansfieldF. C. ManuelR. H. MaplethorpeD. H. MarcusT. MarkG. A. MartinJ. G. MartinP. MartiniA. N. MatherA. F. MatthewsR. J. MatthewsG. H. MayerD. F. McNicolC. L. MeyerR. A. MillerE. MoodyJ. R. MorrisA. A. MouldT. B. MullinsA. C. MylamD. H. NapierJ. S. NashG. NicholsonC. E. NilsonA. E. NorfolkS. NormanR. PackhamF. W. PageR. H. PaineJ. W. PainterG. W. PalmerM. R. ParkerT. ParrishF. B. ParslowH. H. ParsonsE. W. PayneF. C. PfeifferP. W. A. Philcox

W. G. PierceN. U. PorterR. V. PotterA. M. PradierF. O. PrewerS. G. PriceF. J. PurvesT. E. D. QuyW. J. C. RhindW. H. RickardF. P. RiversA. E. RomeL. H. RoutledgeF. J. RowsonS. W. RushH. N. RussellD. J. SadgroveP. SaundersH. A. SchulzG. V. SeelsR. SeymourH. F. ShandJ. SmithG. SmitherH. E. SomersettJ. SpittleF. H. StantonG. W. SteerA. D. TaitR. P. ThimannM. E. ThouvenotC. F. TibbittsH. TomblesonH. J. TookeyR. B. TrainL. E. TuckerA. F. TullH. TurnerW. J. T. TurnerW. T. TurnhamF. C. VaughanT. VillisW. J. WallerL. F. WallingtonR. F. WalterA. Ward

R. G. WatsonF. E. WestG. WestH. J. WestH. T. WhiteP. M. WhitingH. C. WittinghamB. A. WigginsH. C. WilliamsW. A. WilliesG. WoodfordA. J. WoodgettA. F. WrightG. WrightF. W. WyllieS. A. WyllieA. F. Young

FEATURE


MAY 1915

War Notes A Zeppelin Experience. A Poly Boy writes: “A Zeppelin visited us the other night. I didn’t get up to see what the row was about, but they dropped about 10 bombs. No damage was done as they missed by about half a mile. They must have been pretty ‘hefty’ bombs as they made a hole 21 feet across by 10 deep. Rotten waste of good stuff I call it. We were delighted to meet our old friends in Will Andrew’s Battalion. They were resting quite near us, and of course sent their compliments and a challenge to football. It was a gorgeous game, very fast and well worth watching. We won 2-0 and you can imagine how pleased we were.”

A Poly letter: “I am awfully sorry I did not see the grave of Major Hoare as it will probably be long before I get another chance. We are still visiting the town, in fact some three miles beyond it, but we always go through as quickly as possible. The stench from the dead horses and unburied bodies is unbearable. “On Friday afternoon we were called out and were soon in the thick of it. I did 51 hours right off the reel and have been at it constantly until yesterday. Of the sights I have seen I must write in a future letter otherwise I should cover as many pages again.

How we went almost into the German lines, of the escapes our fellows had, and the work the motor ambulances in general have done – all this must wait. The thousands of wounded, the mangled bodies, ruined houses, the crowds of refugees leaving towns which have not previously been shelled; the early stages of the war all over again. It is horrible and I have seen enough, but I am glad to be here doing my bit and hope to carry on.”


more than 850 had passed through the Training Corps, many of whom later enlisted.

The realities of the war were brought home fairly quickly to members of the Polytechnic when, in October 1915, the first name to be added to the Roll of Honour was that of Lieutenant-Colonel Ian Hogg, son of Quintin Hogg, who died “while safeguarding his men” at Haramount in France. At the same time, President JEK Studd also announced that his own brother, Major H W Studd, was wounded after being shot through both knees.

Over the coming months and years those serving at the frontline shared their experiences with the Poly family through letters back to 309 Regent Street, many of which appeared in The Polytechnic Magazine. From the horrors of battle to the banality and occasional humour of life in the trenches, many of the Poly Boys sent their stories home, and the digitised magazine archives offer an amazing insight into the war.

The Rangers were sent to fight in France and Belgium where many lost their lives. In an echo of those first mentioned in the Roll of Honour, the Studd and Hogg families again suffered tragedy in February 1915, when Major Vincent Hoare and Captain Lionel Studd both lost their lives in fighting along the Ypres Salient, on a day when more than 50 other members of the Rangers were killed or wounded. The two men, close friends, were buried in graves side by side at the Ypres Town Cemetery, marked by a home-made cross bearing the Poly badge.

The monthly publication of the Polytechnic brought regular updates from life in the trenches; there were plenty of examples of everyday life on the frontline, and of the obviously close ties to the Poly felt by those serving –

including the Founder’s Day service held in France in January 1915, “almost within the sound of the German guns”.

And alongside the tragic losses detailed in the Roll of Honour, there are also tales of outstanding bravery, including seven Military Medals awarded to Poly Boys in the second Battle of Ypres in April and May 1915, a battle sparked by the German’s use of poison gas for the first time.

While the Poly Boys were engaged in action, those back home were also doing their part to support the war effort. Dances and entertainment were organised for those who had not yet enlisted or for soldiers on leave, and a war fund set up by the Poly raised £3,603 (over £155,000 today) through concerts, sporting events and donations. The ladies also knitted socks, hats and jumpers, and sent more than 5,500 ‘Poly Parcels’ during the course of the war.

With so many men on active service the Polytechnic could no longer run many of its classes, but the facilities and staff were immediately put to good use training men and women in a variety of technical subjects which could be used at home or abroad. It trained more than 700 wireless operators during the first 16 months of the war, and by January 1919, 481 coppersmiths, 103 magneto repairers, 224 blacksmiths, and 159 electricians had been trained at the Poly. In March 1915 the government started recruiting women for war work, and women were trained as wireless repairers, aero fitters, grinders and marine compass repairers at the Polytechnic.

Other organisations were also invited to use the facilities, including the Royal Flying Corps and the British Red Cross, which took over the third floor of 309

Regent Street to train people in First Aid and Sick Nursing. The Polytechnic was one ofa number of rehabilitation centres for disabled servicemen providing training in subjects such as tailoring, photography, electrical and magneto repairs, motor repairs, commerce and architecture.

Courses were running as early as 1917 and by January 1919, 1,282 ex-servicemen (many of them amputees) had been trained, 826 of whom were back in employment.

When the Armistice came on 11 November 1918 the British flag was raised at 309 Regent Street and a thanksgiving service was held in the Great Hall where, according to the Polytechnic, “not a seat was vacant”.

The Regent Street memorial listing the 394 members of the Poly who fought and died in the war was unveiled in 1920. The Poly members were also keen to understand what its boys had been through, and in 1920 it organised its first battlefield tour, visiting Ypres, Arras, the Somme and several other key locations along the Western Front. In The Polytechnic Magazine they described the “fields that were torn apart by shells… being made beautiful and green, and the whole battlefield covered with lovely flowers.”

WESTMINSTER AND THE GREAT WAR

FEATURE


You can view The Polytechnic and World War One exhibition online, at westminster.ac.uk/about-us/our-heritage/online-exhibitions/the-polytechnic-and-world-war-one. Included here are excerpts from just a few of the stories carried in The Polytecthnic Magazine; to read them in more detail, visit the Archive Services page of the University website.

JANUARY 1916

Roll of Honour “Once again we have to publish quite a list of our boys who have nobly gone out to fight for King and Country, and have laid down their lives in splendid self-sacrifice for their dear ones at home. There is one specially tragic case, where two brothers were both killed on the same day, Captain R. C. Fippard in the Dardanelles, and Corporal H. J. Fippard at Ypres. To the parents and friends of these heroes we extend our deepest sympathy in their great sorrow and commend them to Him who only can truly comfort and uphold. There are seven in this month’s list.”

JULY 1916

Letter from Pte. R. L. Gamble: “Camel riding makes a welcome break in the infantry work I have been doing the last 12 months. We are mounted on fast camels which are a good breed of camel special for the job. They can move quite as fast as a racehorse but want some sitting and steering. Still, I think it is better than ‘shank’s pony’ with a big pack on one’s back. We are stationed near Cairo at present and are enjoying ourselves in the town, it being a change from the desert where I have been since December.”

FEBRUARY 1917

Letters: “Corpl. Ditchman Writes: ‘It is very cold here. They have had nearly a fortnight’s frost. The first day or two I was too cold to do anything, and had to run round the huts to keep warm, but have now got more acclimatised. The men here were wearing shirts and coats, no vest, so they must be pretty hard. I have been into the camp on one or two occasions, on both of which I got into conversation with men of the regiments there, and found they were acquainted with Poly Cyclists and Runners. Also some of another regiment. You have only to mention Poly, and it is ‘Do you know so-and-so?’.”

FEBRUARY 1918

Sgt William A Baker, BEF: “Very many thanks to the Poly Comforts Section for their magnificent parcel which I found awaiting me on my return from leave. The parcel was undamaged, and the contents were thoroughly enjoyed in our Sergeants’ Mess. They particularly wanted to know how you found it possible to get such a luxurious cake made during these times, but I told them the old Poly could do anything, and I believe they are very anxious to make an acquaintance. Again thanking the Comforts Section for a delicious feed.”


“Imagine if the world went dark – would we evolve into sightless beings?”

It may not be a thought that would occur to everyone, but for Heather Barnett – at the forefront of Westminster’s pioneering exploration of the boundaries between art and science – it comes with the territory. As Project Lead for Broad Vision, Heather is tasked with creating a dialogue between these disparate and distinct subjects, to generate new ways of seeing, thinking and creating, for both artists and scientists.

“Although the intentions of artists and scientists differ, they are both engaged in looking at the world, understanding it and commenting on it. There are many points of synergy, but often it’s the conflicts that make it richer.”

Now in its fourth year, Broad Vision brings together undergraduates from the visual arts, media practice, illustration and photography, with students from the biosciences, pharmacology, biochemistry, human and medical sciences, psychology and imaging sciences, who then collaborate to become

teachers, researchers and producers on an interdisciplinary learning project.

The challenges of the project – working with unfamiliar materials in a new field of knowledge, where the student has to teach as well as learn, coupled with the freedom of having no prescribed curriculum or outcome – produces imaginative, speculative art work.

This year’s theme, ‘Future Human’, prompted a series of possible future scenarios, ranging from a time when instead of consuming energy we harvest it, to

having the ability to create our own transplant organs, or humans evolving to survive a dark earth.

This synergy between art and science is a growing area, and one that Westminster is very much at the heart of. Heather explains: “There is a recognition that different mindsets and skillsets can contribute to advancing understanding. We are moving towards an era of increased fluidity between disciplinary specialisms, encouraging both depth and breadth of understanding. This is something that Westminster

“Although the intentions of artists and scientists differ, they are both engaged in looking at the world, understanding and commenting on it”

Labyrinthine Coral © Robbie Anson Duncan / Broad Vision 2014

WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDEIf we believe popular wisdom, art and science make strange bedfellows. But Westminster’s pioneering exploration of the boundaries between the two counterparts is leading the way, with a series of experiments which unite art, psychology and the biosciences to creatively engage students, staff, community groups and public audiences. Heather Barnett talks us through three key projects.

BROAD VISION

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30 NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 201430 NETWORK UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER ALUMNI MAGAZINE 2014

Art met with psychology in July at the launch of the new Central and North West London (CNWL) NHS Recovery and Training Centre, based at the University of Westminster’s Media, Arts and Design Campus in Harrow.

For the first joint venture, four students from Westminster were tasked with creating artwork to be displayed in the Centre, working with patients from the neighbouring Eastlake and Ferneley inpatient wards of Northwick Park Hospital.

The aim of the project was to engage those with mental health difficulties in art activities that could help to increase well-being and social inclusion through creativity, while providing the students with the opportunity to share their skills and build professional experience of devising and running workshops.

The students were trained in leading creative workshops by the experienced CNWL Arts in Health Team, and then ran four sessions attended by patients, staff and students, held both within the ward and on location at the University’s

photography studios. Material Elements: Earth, Water, Fire and Air, was chosen as a theme to bring all of the sessions together, and create a unified final piece.

Heather, who manages the project for the University of Westminster, explains: “Mental health needs are incredibly complex, so the process had to allow for different modes of engagement. Some people were absorbed in the arts activities, while others chatted and found it a social experience. It was important that everyone was able to make their own piece which went towards the final collaborative artwork, so that each participant could recognise their own contribution.”

Helen Esdaile (Fine Art BA) led a workshop using collage to represent fire; Ella Campbell (Illustration and Visual Communications BA) worked with felt to symbolise water; Lisa Vogel (Contemporary Media Practice BA) used clay sculpture inspired by earth; and James Berrington (Photography BA) used photography to epitomise air.

“The workshops were very affecting for both the students and the participants,” reveals James. “Seeing initially quiet patients laughing, being playful and generating new ideas was great. One person cried during the workshop; she explained that she was enjoying herself so much that she was worried about the comedown.”

MATERIAL ELEMENTS

Top: Water © Ella Campbell / Material Elements 2014Below: Felting workshop © Material Elements 2014

WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE


Photographic Arts BA graduate, Simon Westgate, has won the Science and Technology Student Art Commission to create an inspiring artwork for the reception area of the Faculty of Science and Technology.

The University of Westminster’s breast cancer research unit houses one of the largest breast cancer specimen collections in the UK, allowing scientists to conduct revolutionary studies into how diet, lifestyle and treatment can affect the progression of the disease.

Heather Barnett, who is managing the project and mentoring Simon, explains: “This project touched a lot of students – there are so many people affected in some way by breast cancer, so there were a lot of very strong applications. However, Simon was able to demonstrate that he could fully engage with, and be responsive to, the sensitive issues involved.”

It was important for Simon to spend a period of observation in the unit to enable him to fully understand the processes the team use in their studies, and the key

factors underpinning the research, before generating his ideas. From this observational time, Simon found inspiration from the DietCompLyf study, a ground-breaking investigation into the effects that diet, psychological attitudes, complimentary medicine and other lifestyle factors can have on breast cancer recurrence. In the study, more than 3,000 women donated blood and urine samples to be tested by the team, which were all collected in small plastic vials used in trials for small amounts of biological material, thousands of which are stored in banks of freezers in the unit.

For the final artwork, Simon is encapsulating over 3,000 tubes in three large resin casts, to represent each of the women taking part in the trial. The tubes will be colour coded to signify a response that the individual woman gave in the survey. Each cast will be lit from an individual light source to create a beautiful visualisation of the immensity of the study, and the uniqueness of each woman taking part.

Simon found his involvement both eye-opening and rewarding. “To see the work being carried out by the research team was an amazing experience; to be given the opportunity to create an artwork for them was equally amazing. Once the final piece is installed I hope that it will provide a strong point of interest that will enable further promotion of the breast cancer research team’s work.”

Left: Artist in residency work in progress © Simon Westgate Below: Breast cancer art – close-up © Simon Westgate

BREAST CANCER RESEARCH UNIT ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

The University of Westminster continues to pave the way for the future with its development of interdisciplinary research and learning, to ensure that we provide an environment which cultivates innovation and problem solving, and where students are offered an expanded field of knowledge for an enhanced graduate experience.

FEATURE


Charlie ClaytonCharlie Clayton worked as an independent contractor in project management for more than 12 years, specialising in business transformation and change.

Charlie climbed his way up the corporate ladder in impressive Fortune 500 companies such as Lloyds and Shell, but with his first degree in Social Studies he always felt there was a glass ceiling that held him back from the next step.

With the advice from friends and colleagues, he decided to study the Westminster Business School Executive MBA in 2009. He described doing the MBA and working at the same time in a very demanding role as “probably the hardest thing” he has done so far, but at the same time it was also “very rewarding”.

The MBA showed Charlie how he could utilise the vast array of his work experience and it made him realise that his opinion mattered; it also gave him the ability to think strategically, “probably the most valuable skill of them all”.

When asked what he would advise other prospective MBA students, Charlie replied: “Don’t expect the MBA to give you the keys to the executive boardroom or to get into that special ‘club’. It doesn’t work that way… but it will earn you respect at the workplace and the ability to talk the same language as other senior executives.”

He also revealed that although he did not venture into a totally different industry, after completing the MBA he climbed higher up the ladder and increased his salary by 30 per cent in the first year.

Charlie now works at NBC Universal as Programme Director.

Alex VincentiAlex Vincenti is originally from Italy, and worked for 15 years as a broadcaster before becoming the first Commercial Development Manager at the BBC World Service. Alex met the former Westminster MBA course director, Neil Botten, at the BBC. Commissioned by the BBC, the Business School was running a mini-MBA for selected BBC employees; Alex was one of them and he was absolutely fascinated! In order to improve what Alex could deliver to the BBC World Service, the BBC sponsored him to study the Westminster Business School MBA in 1993.

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF OUR MBA2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of the University of Westminster’s Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programme. Network magazine spoke to six Westminster Business School alumni, to get their views on the MBA and how it has shaped their careers.

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF OUR MBA


After the MBA, Alex’s role and responsibilities changed and he took charge of the BBC World Service Trust ‘Media in the UK’ programme, initially intended for journalists and media specialists from the former Soviet Union and then extended to Croatia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Albania. Alex said that his MBA was absolutely crucial for this role at the BBC: “It was the whole attitude in terms of organising and managing projects and human and financial resources, both locally and remotely, and liaising and dealing with outside organisations.”

Alex left the BBC to run his own business, Software Publishing Limited, providing CRM and accounting solutions to SMEs, and the MBA gave him a blueprint on what to expect and how to deal with the unexpected: “The MBA gave me not only the know-how and the technical skills to run my own business, but also to understand and provide concrete and wider support to my clients’ businesses.”

He is now founding partner of MainLedger LLP, an accountancy firm providing accounting solutions and business development to small businesses.

Alex is pleased with what he has done and looking back he said: “I would not change anything. The MBA has given me the eagle-eye view of what can be done and the tools to do what I have done so far.”

Laura Moreno Originally from Colombia, Laura Moreno came to the UK over 14 years ago to learn English, before deciding to stay in London for her undergraduate degree in Business Administration.

After completing her BA, Laura started working in the media industry in London, initially as an office manager for Comcast International Media Group. She climbed the career ladder very quickly, moving from an operational to a strategic business development role, but it was always at the back of her mind to do an MBA.

In 2010 Comcast supported Laura in her decision to do an MBA. She had a fantastic experience doing the Westminster Business School Executive MBA: “I knew that doing an MBA would give me a different status at work and professionally it would put me on a different level.

“I very much enjoyed being able to discuss and access other industries as well as the different subjects covered in the MBA. The class discussions were probably the most amazing part of it all. Learning from others, who were doing things completely differently, was just great.”

One of her biggest highlights of the MBA was the international study trip: “Being in China and looking at how business is done and how things operate was a fantastic experience. The fact that you are in a completely different setting changes your perspective and widens your horizon.”

As well as making friends for life during the course, Laura is now able to assess a business from various angles and the MBA enabled her to connect practice with theory: “The MBA has given me the professional and educational knowledge to back up business decisions and the reassurance on how business should be conducted.”

Laura graduated with distinction from Westminster Business School in 2012; she is now Associate Director at NBC Universal and said: “There is still so much more to come.”

FEATURE


Adela Papac When Adela Papac wanted to develop her international career and work for a global business, she decided that an AMBA-accredited MBA programme from a UK business school would be a step in the right direction, and applied to study at Westminster. “It was one of the best decisions I have made,” said Adela, a PR and communications professional who is now Director of Communications for the Association of MBAs (AMBA).

Originally from Croatia, Adela had plenty of previous work experience to draw on while studying. “I had more than 12 years of experience working in managerial roles for Croatian and international companies across several sectors.

“The more experience MBA students bring to the table, the more beneficial it is to their peers, as one of the aspects of AMBA-accredited MBA programmes is peer-to-peer learning.”

Alongside gaining a greater understanding of key elements such as the importance of sustainability, the life-changing aspect of social entrepreneurship, and the strong connection between organisational culture and corporate performance, a particular highlight of the course for Adela was the opportunity to visit China. “My international study trip to China and all the lectures and business meetings we had there have been very useful for my current role, as China is one of our key markets,” she explained. “I absolutely loved Beijing, I had a great time there and got some really valuable business insights.

“The MBA is definitely worth the investment, because it changes the way you think and perceive business,” added Adela, who graduated in 2012. “In today’s global economy, it is useful to have a global degree, and MBA programmes are leading in that area. Also, closely co-operating with 23 people from different countries and cultures during my MBA has made me understand the real power of a strong, diverse team.”

Lena Benjamin Lena Benjamin is passionate about using her skills to help women rise to the top in business. Lena graduated in 2010 and is Managing Director of Ones Company Ltd, a specialist consultancy in London.

It was after her MBA studies that Lena met Crystal Wu through LinkedIn, who shared her desire to help businesswomen. Since then, the pair have worked together to launch the London Professional Chapter of MBA Women International, an American not-for-profit organisation focused on professional development, educational opportunities and networking for women in business. With around 5,000 members, the organisation already has more than 70 collegiate chapters in schools and 20 professional chapters in American cities. The London chapter will be the first outside the US.

Lena, who has worked in traditionally male-dominated industries such as engineering, hopes the chapter will encourage and empower women to get to board level.

CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF OUR MBA


“My purpose has always been to advance women in their careers and business because that is my passion,” she said. “Working together collaboratively, women can achieve anything.”

Lena is also using her entrepreneurial skills to help further her aim.

“I have set up my own business running events for the personal and professional development of women. We need women to be developed at the right stage so there’s a steady flow of talent to board level. We can’t sustain successful business without advancing women.”

Of her MBA studies at Westminster Business School, Lena said she enjoyed being challenged and being made to ‘think outside the box’.

“I learnt a lot about human behaviour and managing people,” she added, “and the MBA has helped to develop my strategic capabilities. It has strengthened my character and my resilience.”

Howard Collins As Chief Operating Officer of London Underground, Howard Collins achieved many a man’s boyhood dream – to drive a train!

After a 35-year career with London Underground, Howard has now moved ‘Down Under’ to take over as Chief Executive Officer of Sydney Trains, a position he feels he would never have attained without his Westminster MBA. Howard left school at 18 and joined a two-year training programme at London Underground.

He was put through every operational job, from guard and station staff to working in signaling and even driving the trains, but his lack of a degree hampered his progression: “Because I hadn’t gone to university I was finding it quite a challenge when going for jobs against graduate trainees. When you are in the world of headhunting and they ask about your qualifications, an MBA from a good university makes all the difference,” he said.

Howard received sponsorship from London Underground to study at Westminster. “I was really keen to do a practical, pragmatic course where I could put my learning into practice straightaway. We were closing the East London line for major refurbishment at the time, and I did my thesis on the impact – a piece of work which directly influenced my day job,” he says.

The MBA was also invaluable for his personal development: “Many of my classmates were from different industries, which was conducive to good teamwork and without any doubt my ability to study and work simultaneously helped me when I became a general manager in 1999 and was responsible for a number of lines.”

Having guided London Underground through some major high points – including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the London 2012 Games and London Underground’s 150th year – Howard took up his post at Sydney Trains in July 2013, looking after the rail operations, maintenance and development.

To find out more about the Westminster Business School’s MBA programme, and to hear how other alumni have found their MBA experience, visit:westminster.ac.uk/about-us/faculties/business/courses/mba

FEATURE


Led by Dr Miriam Dwek, the University’s Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, the breast cancer team has been based at Westminster since 2011, with core funding from the Against Breast Cancer charity. Its pioneering research into the detection, treatment and prevention of breast and secondary cancers involves the largest study of its kind in the UK, with diet and lifestyle information and samples from more than 3,000 breast cancer patients who were recruited one year post-diagnosis from 56 different hospitals.

The patients are followed up annually, and this summer saw the last of those patients completing five years of follow-ups. “We’re seeking approval to carry the study on for ten years,” said Dr Dwek, “but it is quite sad, because of those 3,000 women we’ve already seen quite a few who’ve suffered secondary cancer, or who have died from breast cancer.”

The DietCompLyf study is one of three key strands of the team’s work, focusing on the impact of diet and lifestyle on breast cancer survival, and the team published a paper on its work last year. “What’s great is that it shows how rich the data we’re collecting is. As well as the obvious clinical and treatment data, we have information on how patients feel and their quality of life,” said Dr Dwek. “We also have a big snapshot of who they were before they were recruited – family history, reproductive history –

along with information on their diet, and the blood, urine and DNA samples.

“We want to see what it is about the women who do better, who don’t succumb to the disease, and compare that information to those who don’t do so well. There are so many factors, and we’ve already picked out some interesting things.”

The team is currently writing a paper on which women are most likely to gain weight after breast cancer; as well as having a negative impact on self-esteem, weight gain is a negative prognostic factor in survival rates. Co-morbidity is another key issue; identifying which women are more likely to get other potentially fatal diseases.

“If you get cancer, you tend to be labelled as a person who has cancer, and everything else goes out of the window,” said Dr Dwek. “Actually you may survive a long time with cancer, but be at greater risk of getting diabetes or heart disease; women want to know not just about their cancer, but what they can do to keep healthy and do things for themselves.

“In the UK alone, 40,000 women a year are getting breast cancer, with 15,000 deaths each year. We need to recognise that breast cancer patients are massively diverse – to think that we could give one set of advice or one model to follow for all of those women is nonsense.”

The University of Westminster is inviting alumni and friends to support breast cancer research and enable the team to expand their work into three key areas. One aim is to develop a user-friendly interactive tool so that patients can input personal behaviour patterns which can be analysed by doctors. Patients can then be given tailored advice on how to reduce

the risk of developing secondary breast cancer by modifying their diet and lifestyle.

A second key strand of the team’s work is to improve understanding of how external environmental factors affect cancer, focusing on the impact of particular chemicals found in the environment – xenoestrogens – on the progression of the disease. The team is working with colleagues in

disciplines such as public health, environment and water science, to explore the interaction between these chemicals and cancer cell receptors. Naturally occurring dietary oestrogens are also being examined, to see if they promote or protect against the growth of cancer, post-diagnosis; again, the team is looking to publish data on this research.

The third focus of the team’s work is on personalising drug treatment for individual patients, using a new piece of equipment – an Attana Cell Biosensor – to explore methods of determining whether a cancer will respond to a specific drug. Even in cancer cases which are suitable for targeting with the most commonly used drug, only around 50 per cent of women respond to the treatment. “Around half of the women we are treating are unlikely to respond, which is a significant financial cost, as well as a significant personal cost to those women,” said Dr Dwek. “If we can be better predictors of which women will respond to

LEADING THE FIGHT The summer of 2014 marked a poignant milestone for the University of Westminster’s breast cancer research unit.

“We need to recognise that breast cancer patients are massively diverse – to think that we could give one set of advice or one model to follow for all of those women is nonsense”

A key strand of the team’s work is to improve understanding of how external factors affect cancer, focusing on the impact of particular chemicals

LEADING THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER


Patients as AuthorsExperiences of breast cancer are being explored through collaborative film making with nine patients who have been diagnosed with the disease. Patients as Authors, a cross-disciplinary research project undertaken by PhD researcher Christine Douglass, explores patient experiences of illness away from established models.

“The broadening of perspectives and improved sensitivity of looking across rather than just within disciplines is hugely beneficial,” says Christine. “The films have been edited in collaboration with patients, and as well as constructing valuable knowledge about breast cancer, participants are finding the film making itself therapeutic.”

The project is being supervised by Professor Joram ten Brink, the Director of the Centre for Production and Research in Documentary Film (CPRD) at Westminster, and Dr Miriam Dwek. “The way these patients articulate their feelings, their worries and their fears is, we think, going to be really important for training doctors and healthcare professionals,” said Dr Dwek.

specific drugs, those who are unlikely to respond can be offered a different course of treatment.

“We’re the first academic lab in the UK to have the Attana Cell Biosensor machine... what we’re hoping for now is to raise the funding to employ a scientist who can grow cancer cells from patients on a chip, look at the drug interactions, and then see if we can use that to predict whether a patient is going to respond to treatment.”

The team’s latest work builds on the success of their previous research, including the development of a blood test which looks at changes to the protein levels in the blood of breast cancer patients. An initial study

was published last year, and a further, larger study has reinforced those findings. “It’s a fabulous result,” added Dr Dwek, who believes the blood test could be a vital tool: “Patients may have to wait for a symptom before it becomes apparent that a treatment is no longer working, but if there was a blood test available then maybe we could pick up that fact earlier. That’s the way forward.”

The team’s work has also caught the attention of the media, and Dr Dwek and her colleagues were featured on the ITV Daybreak Lorraine show last year, highlighting the ongoing research alongside the ‘Bin the Bra’ fundraising campaign.

For more information visit westminster.ac.uk/about-us/support-us/our-projects/breast-cancer-research or contact the Development Office. T: +44 (0)20 7911 5741 E: [email protected]

“The University of Westminster is inviting alumni and friends to support breast cancer research and enable the team to expand their work”

FEATURE


“Like it or not, appearance matters.” This is the conclusion of extensive research by Dr Viren Swami, expert on attraction and body image. Regularly asked to quote in the media about anything from why hungry men fancy curvier women, to why beautiful women are less likely to get sick, attraction and appearance are topics that seem to obsess and fascinate us.

“We are social animals,” explains Dr Swami. “Attraction underpins all of our relationships – why we become friends with certain people, who we fall in love with, how we interact with one another. Understanding attraction is necessary to understanding our most fundamental connections to other humans. And appearance is deeply entwined with this.”

But aren’t we always taught that beauty is skin deep? We actually seem to behave as if the opposite were true. “No matter what we think we do consciously, we assume that a person’s physical attractiveness reflects their inner qualities. Psychologists call this the ‘halo effect’. Deep down, we believe that ‘what is beautiful is good’.” In a classic study into our attitudes towards beauty, psychologists asked participants to rate a series of photos of both attractive and unattractive people. What the study proved was that

we attribute all kinds of positive characteristics to attractive people; they are considered to be more interesting, more likely to have a successful marriage and career, to be more popular and to be happier.

We accordingly treat attractive people in a preferential way, affording them more personal space, allowing them to win arguments, and trusting them with secrets. When this bias is considered in the public realm, it can have substantial implications. Research has consistently shown that attractive people are more likely to be employed, promoted, have higher salaries, and – even more sinister – have more lenient court sentences and be helped first after a traffic accident. Unlike gender, disability, sexual orientation and race, it seems to be an unspoken form of discrimination, one that we don’t even seem to be aware that we have.

Before we all start contemplating plastic surgery, it seems that the area we might think most susceptible to this ‘halo effect’ – love – is actually much more complex. Appearance does influence our choice of partner in some respect. For example, we tend to marry those with the same general level of attractiveness, correlative physical features and similar height. In fact, married couples can resemble each other so much that they can be correctly matched up by strangers.

However, when it comes to long-term relationships, shared values and beliefs are more important than appearance. Dr Swami states: “When it comes to love, appearance matters, but not

as much as people think. Similarity is much more of an indicator of who we will have a meaningful relationship with.” In the give and take, the compromise and co-operation, needed for a successful relationship, it is similar age, mutual beliefs, and comparable intelligence that keeps the connection going.

But the most significant factor that sparks attraction is repeated exposure. Bizarrely, this can explain why we prefer mirror images of our own faces. In an experiment, psychologist Theodore Mita took photos of students who were then shown the original photograph, along with a flipped version. Most preferred the ‘mirror image’ of their own face. But when a close friend was asked which they preferred, they always chose the true image. This is because we see our own face every day in the mirror, and are therefore most familiar with our mirror image, while our friends are used to seeing our faces as they are.

This is the ‘mere exposure’ effect in action. “This is one of my favourite findings in social psychology because it is counter-intuitive,” says Dr Swami. “We’re often told that familiarity breeds contempt, but in fact the theory of mere exposure predicts just the opposite; familiarity breeds attraction.” This explains why half of all couples meet their partners at work, and most of the rest in local hangouts such as the gym or the pub – people we have repeated exposure to.

As the research into attraction in long-term relationships shows, appearance is only a fraction of

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATTRACTIONAppearance and attraction play an important role in our everyday lives. Dr Viren Swami, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Westminster, gives us his insight into why that may be.

Research has consistently shown that attractive people are more likely to be employed, promoted, have higher salaries, and – even more sinister – have more lenient court sentences

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATTRACTION

Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?Yes and no. There are some objective criteria that determine what we consider beautiful; symmetry, for example, is a good indicator of beauty, across cultures. But cultural and individual preferences and responses also have a strong influence. And when we are in love, we idealise the object of our affections. People perceive their partners as more attractive than they might objectively be, especially in the first few months of a relationship, although this continues into old age. People also tend to think their partners are better looking than them.

Do opposites attract? Never. This myth came from the idea that we are trying to find our opposite – our other half. But generally people go for those with similar personality traits to themselves; for example, extroverts tend to like other extroverts. Only with gender are people statistically more likely to go for their opposite, ie the opposite sex.

Nature vs. nurture?It is a complex mix of both nature and nurture that determines who we fall in love with. There is some evidence that children may ‘imprint’ the faces of their parents at an early age, and use these images when choosing a partner.

Is the hour-glass figure the true ideal of beauty?No. Studies have shown that waist measurements alone are a more accurate indication of a woman’s health, and therefore, attractiveness. For example, obesity is linked with complications in pregnancy and infertility, and being underweight can lead to higher premature birth rates and lower birth weights. Waist-to-hip ratios seem to depend on factors such as culture, environment and genetics, so are a less reliable indicator of health and reproductive potential.

Does absence make the heart grow fonder?No, despite the rise of internet dating and the fact that travel is easier than it was in the past, exactly the opposite has been proven to happen. Most of our social interactions occur with people who are in the same place at the same time. We tend to live among people who are socially and culturally similar to us in geographical clusters; so we are more likely to be attracted to others who live near us. This explains why in 2006, one survey showed that half of the couples studied met at work, while most of the rest met in the local area, for example, the gym or the local pub.

the complex process that makes up our connections and attachments. Dr Swami is keen to point out that our belief that ‘good is beautiful’ isn’t based on any reality. “There is no real evidence to suggest that better-looking people are actually happier or have more successful lives, but this doesn’t stop our perceptions of people feeding into our behavior.”

However, we are also becoming more narcissistic and appearance-focused as a society, with more situations than ever before where we are judged solely on looks; for example, internet dating and social media. Dr Swami hopes his research will challenge people to think about how they make judgements based on people’s appearance. “Few people will really admit to judging a book by its cover. We like to think that we are fair and rational, but time and again research has shown that this is exactly what we do. The question is, what do we do to overcome it?”

If you are fascinated by questions such as what makes certain people lucky, why time seems to slow down when we are afraid, or why we have compulsive thoughts, then turn to p46 for details of Plug in Your Brain, a series of talks about psychology.


We are becoming more narcissistic and appearance-focused as a society, with more situations than ever before where we are judged on our looks

FIVE MYTHS DEBUNKED Dr Viren Swami puts the myths that surroundromance and attraction to the test.


STAY CONNECTEDWhether you graduated this summer, or perhaps a little longer ago, we are here to help you stay in touch with the University and each other. Follow these steps to stay connected.

JOIN THE ONLINE COMMUNITYSign up with the Alumni Online community for a one-stop place to keep in touch with the University. You can update your contact details so that we can send priority invites to events and special benefits, as well as the e-newsletter Network Online.

MAKE THE MOST OF OUR SPACES IN LONDONAlumni can continue to use the University gym and sports centre with a discounted membership rate. You are also entitled to a 25 per cent discount on room hire rates on all lecture theatres and classroom spaces across the campuses, and discounts on the function rooms at the sports complex at Chiswick.

NETWORK AT OUR EVENTSCome along to our free networking events to meet fellow alumni, staff and current students (and the Alumni Team!) over a glass of wine. We regularly hold events with interesting and engaging speakers from a range of disciplines so you can keep up to date with your sector or learn about a new subject.

STAY CONNECTED

VISIT USCome and visit the University using your Alumni Card. Your card gives you access to all of the campuses, libraries and the exclusive alumni room, so it is great for finding a space to work or relax in the middle of the city, or if you want to take a nostalgic tour of your old haunts. You can even use the University’s wi-fi. If you don’t live here, then our summer accommodation is an affordable way to visit London, as alumni are entitled to a 25 per cent discount.

STAY CONNECTED


GET INVOLVEDOne of the most valuable ways you can give back to the University of Westminster is to volunteer your time by mentoring current students, or providing a work experience placement or internship at your place of work. The University provides many different schemes which can fit around the level of involvement you are able to offer. For our international alumni, we always need volunteers for our recruitment fairs. If you think you can help, get in touch.

ACCESS YOUR FREE CAREERS SUPPORTDid you know the Career Development Centre can support you for three years after you graduate? They can provide expert one-to-one advice on drafting job applications, preparing for interviews and finding opportunities to help you kick-start your career.

KEEP LEARNINGIf you plan a career in academia or would like to continue your education, then as an alumnus of the University of Westminster you could be entitled to up to 15 per cent discount on postgraduate studies if you decide to stay with us, as well as discounts on a range of short courses and evening classes.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US!Stay connected with the alumni team, the University and your friends through the Alumni Online community, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We love to hear from our alumni, so email us at [email protected] to let us know your news, thoughts and to find out what we can do for you.

Read more about your exclusive alumni benefits:

westminster.ac.uk/alumni

University of Westminster Alumni Association

@uw_alumni

University of Westminster Alumni

CLASS NOTES


The University of Westminster has a global community of more than 150,000 alumni in over 180 countries around the world. Class Notes is just a selection of some of the updates we have received from alumni. We would love to hear about how your career and life has developed since you left Westminster, so please send your news along with any photos to [email protected]

JOHN FARNDON

ARIC, 1949

I joined the Maths and Physics Department under Dr Topping and left in 1949 having spent the war years from 1939 at Isleworth County School. I enjoyed rowing with the Poly Students Rowing Club at Quintin Boat Club at Chiswick, and later rowed with Quintin in the Thames Cup at Henley. I then became a development chemist and later took on an interesting challenge to become a patent attorney. In 1964 I joined Unilever to work in their growing chemicals business. In 1987, after having lost my sight in my right eye, I took early retirement and have enjoyed my years with our family. I now have two daughters and a son, five grandchildren all in their 20s and we hope to have our first great-grandchild before my 87th birthday!

BRIAN COX

SOCIAL STUDIES DIPLOMA, 1963

After leaving the Polytechnic I went on to complete specialist psychiatric social work training at the London School of Economics (LSE). Several years later I became a Social Services inspector at the Department of Health, and I completed a PhD at LSE in 1995. Enduring memories of the Polytechnic (Great Titchfield Street Campus) were of the camaraderie among a very

disparate body of students. I recall great tutor support from E T Ashton and from the inspirational Criminology lecturer, Alan Little.

ANDREW PITHOUSE

BUSINESS STUDIES OND, 1965

I have a great nostalgic affection for the long gone Harrow College of Art and Technology. We in the Students’ Union booked The Who, Rod Stewart, and Donovan all before they had made their names! They were fantastic nights full of great music, warm beer and a fog of cigarette and other smoke. As for my studies, this was the 1960s and I don’t remember turning up much, but somehow I left with an OND in business studies and two A Levels – not bad given the distractions. Any early dispiriting career in business was rejected in favour of academia – my long and rewarding career in social care and health research continues today in my role as Professor of Social Research at Cardiff University.

RAOUL PINNELL

MARKETING DIPLOMA, 1971

I am currently non-executive Chairman and ‘critical friend’ of the social enterprise Bromley Healthcare. I challenge the Board to think of the future (strategy), ask questions about how we are doing (monitor performance), and observe the real world of

our work (through accompanying frontline staff on visits with patients). The foundation question, which I gained from my studies at Westminster, has remained with me my entire career: “Are we focusing on the customer (patient)?”

BRIAN WATERS

ARCHITECTURE DIPLOMA, 1971

I have been elected chairman of the National Planning Forum for a third year.

STEPHEN JAFFE

URBAN ESTATE MANAGEMENT DIPLOMA, 1973

Some of your old boys are still kicking and keeping in touch. As we are all chartered surveyors we have kept a ‘professional’ relationship too, most of us working in commercial property around London and the south of England. Some of us even still do business together! Since 2006 we have also made time for an annual trip together, which has included sailing the Solent, biking in Mallorca, cycling the Normandy D-Day beaches and recently navigating the Thames in a very dodgy boat. This is a shot from our 2011 bike trip

to Mallorca; as you can see we gave up the bikes and took the train! We are, from left to right: Colin Forbes, Paul Bentley, Rob Atkins, Matt Miller, Rick Waters and Steve Jaffe.

ROBERT RODIN

STUDY ABROAD, ARCHITECTURE, 1973

After leaving the Polytechnic of Central London (PCL), I gained more than 30 years of architectural experience in the design of commercial and residential buildings, and forensic and failure analysis. I have recently begun a new role as a Vice President of Thornton Tomasetti, an international engineering firm. I will work within the firm’s Property Loss Consulting as well as Building Performance-Renewal practices on building investigations, design of remedial and replacement assemblies, and litigation support for related projects.

IACOVOS PAVLIDES

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING HND, 1975

It has been nearly 40 years since I graduated from PCL. Since then I have been living in Nicosia, Cyprus and I have felt the impact of the financial crisis on my everyday life. Until last year, when I retired, I was the Head of the Department of Labour Inspection in Nicosia. I now run my own company as a health and safety consultant. I owe my success to the skills I gained during my studies at PCL. I graduated with a degree that at the time was a necessity for all industries and I was lucky to be recruited immediately to a government post. I would like to say thank you to the

CLASS NOTES


institution, as it changed my life and has taken me through an amazing journey that I could have never imagined back in 1975.

DAVID COLE

LIFE SCIENCE BSc, 1976

After a First Class Degree from PCL, I completed a PhD at the University of Bath and a Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford, providing a sharp appreciation of the UK educational landscape and its social divisions. My career then really took off in the 1980s and 1990s in the international agrochemical business. I now successfully freelance as an R&D facilitator in agri-food, bringing industry, science and government together in research programmes to advance sustainable development. I mix professional life with time in beautiful Norway with my lady friend, having learnt the language courtesy of a former lecturer at the University of Westminster! It would be a pleasure to hear of any ex-colleagues through Facebook or LinkedIn.

JOLYON CULBERTSON

URBAN ESTATE MANAGEMENT DIPLOMA, 1976

Back in the 1970s I would never have imagined having a surveying career outside the UK. After 30 years in Hong Kong and four years in Miami I am looking forward to getting back in touch with the UK. I don’t recall much training in the art of auctioneering but I did manage one successful sale on my 50th birthday. My moustache went under the hammer for HK65,000 (approx £5,000).

TOM WALSH

TOWN PLANNING POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA, 1976

Having finished the Postgraduate Diploma in Town Planning in 1976, I ended up roaming the world – being an Irish geographer – in international education and project management for the British Council and I recently started at the British University Vietnam in Hanoi. I am now working near London as both a mentor and consultant on internationalisation for universities. I would love to hear from the RTPI class of 1973 to 1976 from the Marylebone Campus.

DAVID MORGAN

SOCIAL SCIENCE OVERSEAS SCHOLAR, 1977

In reflecting how to best summarise my overseas scholarship experience at PCL in 1976/77, a host of powerful thoughts and feelings still resound. So, perhaps the most salient is to express my profound and innate gratitude for this most powerful experience via a nautical metaphor, an ‘anchor in the waters of life’. I use this same metaphor with my current retirement and estate planning firm, for it undergirds a powerful mantra for and to others, its words hopefully illuminating vestiges of hope and impact, to current and future students as well as alumni.

BRIAN PAGE

LIFE SCIENCES PhD, 1978

Having graduated with a PhD in Life Sciences, and knowing nothing about business, I became a technical sales representative with a US multinational. I learned a lot very quickly and changed company a few times, eventually becoming the Managing Director of the UK subsidiary of another US multinational in 1988. Having learned enough about corporate life, I established my own life science company, Labtech International, in 1993. In addition to running Labtech, I have formed, bought and sold a number of life science companies. The revolution in life sciences

and development of applications remains fascinating!

JAMILA BERNAT

TRANSLATION DIPLOMA, 1980

When I started work as a freelance translator I met some great people including Elton John in Windsor, Jeremy Paxman at the BBC and saw Ronnie Biggs when I interpreted in Belmarsh. I have two lovely grandsons, am second dan in karate and have a certificate in web design. I visit Tunisia, where I was born, a couple of times each year and in the last five years I’ve visited Bahrain, Kuwait, Casablanca, Rajasthan, Nairobi, the Edinburgh Festival and Paris several times. I am 69, but people tell me that I look 45–50 years old. I believe that is because I have learnt to think in a positive way, in addition to remaining mentally and physically active, healthy and happy.

AMAL MELEIGY

COMPUTER STUDIES HND, 1981

I have a marketing company and work with foreign travel companies to increase their market share and their share value in the UK. I also have a website which offers excellent deals for theatre and London attractions.

TREVOR YANG

SOCIAL SCIENCE BA, 1983

After leaving PCL in 1983 I went to the College of Law in Lancaster Gate followed by a brief spell at BP. I then progressed to the City in 1986 where I worked for various stockbroking houses in London and Hong Kong. I left the financial industry in 2003 and joined my current company, Jebsen, where I am Group Director. Aside from work I have sat on a number of Hong Kong government bodies as well as chairing Worldwide Fund for Nature, Hong Kong. I am also a Catalyst member of UKTI, and of the Development Board of Oxford University China Centre.

LEE YOUNG

SOCIAL SCIENCE BA, 1982

If anyone is interested in art and Egyptology, I will be taking part in a study day at the Institute of Archaeology University College London for the Friends of the Petrie Museum on 13 December 2014. I think I must be quite unusual for a Westminster alumna in that I am an Egyptologist, but if anyone remembers me from my time there it would be great to catch up.

CLASS NOTES


DAVID ELEK

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, 1984

My class intake at PCL was large with over 120 people. Most of the teaching staff had been recruited from industry, and the regime was tough, with lectures every day from 9.30am to 5pm. It was a great time to be studying at PCL which was a hotbed of political activity, with numerous occupations and protests. We had great bands playing at both New Cavendish Street and the Bolsover Street bar. We spent a lot of time in the bar – it was run by Des, who was a bit of a character, and with the Students’ Union upstairs there was always something going on. I´ve since gone on to work in scientific publishing and I look back fondly on my PCL days.

ADAM HART

LAW LLB, 1985

Since leaving PCL I have become a Managing Director and Head of Corporate Finance at Fairfax I.S. and Deputy Head of Corporate Finance and Head of Business Development at KBC Peel Hunt. I am also a qualified chartered accountant.

ALEJANDRA SADLER

MODERN LANGUAGES BA, 1989

After graduating I went on to do a law conversion course and worked for several years as a solicitor. In 2005 I moved to Buenos Aires and then to a little village in the heart of Patagonia. I am now working on a project of restoration of native forest and sometimes teach at the local secondary school. Since leaving PCL I have had lots of fun and appreciate enormously the power of choice I have had since deciding to study at the institution.

ANUSHA EVERSON (NEE RANASINGHE)

LIFE SCIENCES BSc, 1992

The University of Westminster helped to shape my life. My first job was as a scientist for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, I then moved to Ford Motor Company and learned about building cars, finance and Six Sigma. In 2004 I set up a charity that helped people affected by the South Asian tsunami to rebuild their lives through business start-ups and emotional support. Later, I joined the University of Hertfordshire as Director, Graduate Employment.

I helped businesses to recruit and advised the government on retaining graduate skills. I now run ADEsupport.co.uk a business consultancy, and a social enterprise, ADEsupport.org which informs about life and living.

WAEL ELAZAB

BIOTECHNOLOGY BSc, 1995

Three continents, two relocations and a career change later, I’m back in London. After graduating and working in web architecture and graphic design I relocated and changed fields to journalism. These days I’m blessed with a career publishing across all formats, to varied audiences. For the last 15 years, bridging the gap between knowledge and information motivated me as an editor. My latest move was from Canada, where I worked with energy and engineering companies, the biotech sector and the news and lifestyle media. I credit the University of Westminster for helping to develop the life skills of adapting to change, thinking on your feet and of course, communication.

NIGEL READING

ARCHITECTURE DIPLOMA, 1995

After graduating, my career included delivering diverse projects such as NM Rothschild & Sons, BBC White City Broadcast Centre, Eden Project, East London Line with ARUP and the Maitreya Buddha project, the largest statue building in the world at the time. After nearly two decades in London I finally returned to Hong Kong and Shanghai. The last five years in China have been fruitful, designing and delivering all manner of projects, most recently for Disney, Inter IKEA and Galaxy – with my finest works so far being two handsome, precocious sons, Nio and Max.

MICHAEL WADOOD

BUILDING CONTROL SURVEYING BSc, 1995

I am a past student of the University’s Marylebone Campus (1990–1995). I read a degree in Building Control Surveying within the Faculty of the Built Environment. This was a part-time course which I studied whilst working in the field of building control for a local authority. The course provided me with a solid foundation enabling me to

progress my career as a building engineer and in May 2014, I was inaugurated President of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers. The Association provides a home for over 5,000 built environment professionals, in the UK and overseas.

ROLANDO VITALE

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES BA, 1996

After I graduated with a Combined Studies degree in 1996 I found work as a researcher and translator. Alongside this work I began to write and develop my dissertation which combined my study interests of Italian and history. More recently, with the help of former lecturer Lucio Sponza, my first book entitled The Real Rockys: A History of the Golden Age of Italian Americans in Boxing 1900–1955 has been published.

KATE DIMANCESCU

EUROPEAN STUDIES MA, 2004

The big news I have to share is that my first book, The Forgotten Chapters: My Journey into the Past, was published in December 2013. My debut narrative offers readers a window into the lives of some of my well-known and also little- known maternal ancestors who helped shape the New England communities they called home. The narrative shares unexpected discoveries that

CLASS NOTES


arose when researching my colonial American roots. I hope to inspire readers to rediscover and appreciate often overlooked chapters of New England’s rich colonial history and to enjoy researching their own family roots.

YOUICHI IISAKA

COGNITIVE SCIENCE BSc, 2006

After graduating from Westminster I studied the law conversion course and then completed the legal practice course at BPP Law School. I then completed my legal training at a FTSE100 company and qualified as a solicitor in 2011. Since then I moved to Bircham Dyson Bell LLP where I practice corporate and commercial law. Alongside corporate clients, I advise SMEs and start-ups with a particular interest in the technology sector.

DIANA CHIRE

MIXED MEDIA FINE ART BA, 2010

After graduating I started working as a fashion photographer for magazines including Oyster, OpenLab, i-D, Dazed and Confused, Elle and Vogue online. I had been nervous about performing with an

interactive audience but for the past two years I have given several live performances at local galleries. I was approached by Christie’s to donate a piece in aid of a fundraiser for the Old Vic led by Artistic Director, actor Kevin Spacey. The show included myself, Conor Harrington, Jonathan Yeo, David Shillinglaw and Tracey Emin. I’m currently making new work and planning a show for later in the year.

YASHRAJ JAIN

APPLIED MARKET AND SOCIAL RESEARCH MA, 2011

A number of opportunities opened up once I passed my MA at the University. I started full-time work with the Direct Marketing Association UK managing their research projects, met another graduate and joined her team at Indian Compass as a freelance travel writer, worked part-time with the University’s Career Development Centre on the HESA survey, advised Westminster Business Consultants for a few months as an external advisor, volunteered for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and London 2012 Games, and most recently sang as part of the Polyphonics Choir at the 175 celebrations. It seems like I never left the University of Westminster!

NAMRATA KAUSHIK

MARKETING MANAGEMENT MA, 2011

My time at Westminster was an invigorating experience. My closest friends were from Morocco, Mauritius, Switzerland and Germany and I have learnt so much from each one of them, about their cultures, customs and language. As a course representative, I worked closely with the Faculty and learnt to understand their viewpoints. I studied at the Marylebone Campus and my favourite part was the open-air section on the ground floor. That was where I experienced the first snow in my life (I live in Bombay, India by the beach so snow is a rarity). I will always cherish my wonderful year at Westminster.

MONIL PARIKH

INTERNATIONAL FINANCE MSc, 2011

After completing my degree in International Finance I joined JP Morgan Chase in India for a project. After completion I started my own herbal organic products company exporting organic tea, herbs and spices to over 18 countries including the UK. I am looking forward to expanding further into new countries and newer products.

CORINNA KERN

PHOTOJOURNALISM MA, 2013

For the last year I have been working on projects that focus on alternative and non-conformist lifestyles captured from an insider-perspective. With my documentary George’s Bath, giving intimate insights into the life of a hoarder, I was selected as one of the Top 50 Emerging Photographers by Lensculture. My documentary A Place Called Home on London’s squatting scene gained recognition at the British Short Film Festival in Berlin, the Krakow Photo Fringe Festival in Poland and the Backlight Photo Festival in Finland. Having moved to South Africa in May 2014 I shifted my focus to human rights issues. I am currently working with NGOs that advocate for transgenderism in African communities. Turn to p16 to get an insight into Corinna’s photography projects.

ALUMNI EVENTS AND NOTICES


at our free public evening discussions

THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER 2014THE LUCK FACTORWhy do some people lead happy, successful lives, while others face repeated failure and sadness? Why are some people always in the right place at the right time, while others are always unlucky? For many years, Professor Richard Wiseman has worked with some of the world’s luckiest and unluckiest people to answer these fascinating questions. Come along and discover what it takes to be happy. Richard will be signing his best-selling book, The Luck Factor, after this event.

THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2014WHY TIME WARPSJoin the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind, Claudia Hammond, for an exploration of time perception. Why does time slow down when we’re afraid? Why does it speed up as we get older? And why do we never quite get used to the way it warps? Drawing on the latest research from psychology and neuroscience, Claudia asks why time warps when we least expect it to, how the mind keeps track of time, and how it is that humans are able to mentally time-travel at will. Claudia will be signing her book, Time Warped, following this event.

THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2015OUR STRANGE THOUGHTSHave you had the urge to jump in front of a moving train or leap from a high place? If you have, you’re not alone. These strange ideas are common, but rarely talked about. Until now. Join award-winning journalist David Adam for a provocative discussion of our darkest thoughts. Where do they come from? What do they mean? And why do some people find them so hard to shake off? David will describe his own struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder and will challenge you to think again about what is normal. He’ll also be signing his book, The Man Who Couldn’t Stop, after this event.

Plug In Your Brain events are open to all and hosted by the Department of Psychology, University of Westminster. Doors open at 6.30pm (entry on a first-come, first-served basis) and talks start promptly at 6.45pm in the main lecture theatre at 4–12 Little Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7BY.

For further information and to register your interest, please visit westminster.ac.uk/pluginyourbrain or facebook/pluginyourbrain

PLUG IN YOUR BRAIN

For further information and to book your place on any of the lectures please contact Paula Cadenhead,E: [email protected]

westminster.ac.uk/westminster-talks

This series will feature an outstanding and fascinating array of honorary doctors, alumni, professors and associates from a range of backgrounds who are proud to have a shared history with us. The lectures are part of our academic year and underpin our mission of excellence, creativity and innovation for the benefit of a wider society.

WESTMINSTER

TALKS

Wednesday 15 October 2014, 6pm PICTURING ‘REALITY’ – WHAT ARE IMAGES FOR? Professor Kerstin Mey, Faculty of Media, Arts and Design

Wednesday 22 October 2014, 6pm REIMAGINING EDUCATION: A VIEW OF THE FUTURE FOR LEARNERS Jay Bhatt, CEO, Blackboard

Tuesday 4 November 2014, 6pm THE RISE (AND FALL AND RISE AGAIN) OF THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY John Woodward, Managing Director, Arts Alliance

Tuesday 11 November 2014, 6pm COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE: THE NEXT GREAT CHALLENGEGeoff Mulgan, Chief Executive, Nesta

Monday 8 December 2014, 6pm A LIFELONG LOVE AFFAIR WITH TEXTILES Dame Zandra Rhodes

Wednesday 4 February 2015, 6pm MARKS AND SPENCER – AN INSIGHT INTO INTERNATIONAL RETAILING Jeremy Cobbold, Head of Logistics Retail, Marks and Spencer

Wednesday 18 February 2015, 6pm AN UNNATURAL HISTORY OF LONDON Professor Alexandra Warwick, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

Wednesday 11 March 2015, 6pmJOURNALISM AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS – HOW DO WE PROTECT OUR REPORTERS?Sian Williams, journalist and broadcaster, BBC

Wednesday 18 March 2015, 6pmBOMBAY BEFORE BOLLYWOOD: FILM CITY FANTASIESProfessor Rosie Thomas, Faculty of Media, Arts and Design

Tuesday 24 March 2015, 6pmTHE PAIN AND THE PASSION: THE PRIVILEGE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCEBaroness Cox, Founder and CEO, Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust

Wednesday 25 March 2015, 6pmTHE POLITICS OF ARCHITECTURE – CAN WE INFLUENCE CHANGE?Angela Brady, Director, Brady Mallalieu Architects

Tuesday 31 March 2015, 6pmWESTMINSTER ABBEY: FAITH AT THE HEART OF THE NATIONThe Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster

ALUMNI EVENTS AND NOTICES


PROFESSIONAL AND SHORT COURSESThe University of Westminster has an extended portfolio of programmes for continuing professional development (CPD), and offers short courses in a number of subject areas. Alumni receive special discounts for selected courses, and your attendance may count towards CPD with professional bodies.* Find out more and apply: westminster.ac.uk/courses/professional-and-short* Please see individual course descriptions for details

UNDERGRADUATE OPEN DAYIf you know someone who is looking to embark on higher education, invite them to start their journey at the University of Westminster

1– 5.00pm 5 NOVEMBER 2014 Cavendish, Harrow, Little Titchfield Street, Marylebone, Regent

westminster.ac.uk/study/prospective-students/open-days

HAVE YOU JOINED THE ONLINE ALUMNI COMMUNITY YET? The Online Alumni Community is the one-stop location for you to stay connected with the University and one another. Over 16,000 alumni have already joined. If you haven’t already registered, don’t miss out:

JOIN TODAY AND APPLY FOR YOUR FREE ALUMNI CARD westminster.ac.uk/alumni

15% DISCOUNTALUMNI: PAY LESS FOR YOUR MASTERS OR PHD The University of Westminster offers alumni an exclusive discount on its full and part-time Masters courses* and PhD courses. Alumni are entitled to: • 15 per cent discount on tuition fees if you graduated with a Bachelors

degree with Honours, or a Masters degree, from the University of Westminster in the last three years, or you completed your study abroad or exchange experience within the last three years; and

• 10 per cent discount on tuition fees if you graduated with a Bachelors degree with Honours, or a Master’s degree, from the University of Westminster in the last five years, or you completed your study abroad or exchange experience within the last five years

*Terms and conditions apply. For more information please contact our Course Enquiries Team on [email protected]

ALUMNI IN THE SPOTLIGHT

SHARE YOUR MEMORIESWe are inviting alumni to tell us about their student days and help us compile an oral history of life at the University and its predecessor institutions. We want to hear from participants from any period of our history, but particularly individuals who attended during the 1990s and 2000s or who attended Harrow College of Higher Education.

For more information about the project, visit westminster.ac.uk/oral-history

THIS SERIES IS A COLLECTION OF PUBLIC LECTURES GIVEN BY SOME OF THE UNIVERSITY’S MOST DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI. THESE LECTURES ARE FREE, FOLLOWED BY AN INFORMAL DRINKS RECEPTION. BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. westminster.ac.uk/about-us/alumni/events

John Woodward (Media Studies 1983) Managing Director, Arts AllianceTHE RISE (AND FALL AND RISE AGAIN) OF THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRYTuesday 4 November 2014 | 6pm

Geoff Mulgan (Communication 1990)Chief Executive, NestaCOLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE: THE NEXT GREAT CHALLENGETuesday 11 November 2014 | 6pm

Jeremy Cobbold (MBA 2002)Head of Logistics Retail, Marks and SpencerMARKS AND SPENCER – AN INSIGHT INTO INTERNATIONAL RETAILINGWednesday 4th February | 6pm

Sian Williams (Psychology 2014)Journalist and broadcaster, BBC JOURNALISM AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS – HOW DO WE PROTECT OUR REPORTERS?Wednesday 11 March 2015 | 6pm

Angela Brady (RIBA Part 3 1986)Director, Brady Mallalieu Architects. RIBA President 2011–13THE POLITICS OF ARCHITECTURE – CAN WE INFLUENCE CHANGE?Wednesday 25 March 2015 | 6pm

westminster.ac.uk/alumniA charity and a company limited by guarantee. Registration number: 977818. Registered office: 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW 6809/09.14/KR/BP

University of Westminster Alumni Association @uw_alumni

[email protected]

Alumni Relations Office First Floor Cavendish House101 New Cavendish Street London W1W 6XH

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Network Magazine 2014

Documents

Transcript of Network Magazine 2014