News and events
Events Management students raise over £9000 for Barnardo’s
Second year students from the Sport and Event Management (SEM) department have been working in collaboration with Barnardo’s to put on a series of events, with the support and guidance from their module leaders Jennie Toal and Richard Oddy.
As part of their assessment for the module ‘Live Event Management’ students were required to plan, pitch, and execute their chosen event over the course of the first semester of the 2011/2012 academic year.
The 77 students involved this year hosted a total of 13 events. Events included amongst other the ‘Wild Wild West’ event, ‘The Hangover Cure’, and ‘Barnardos Winter Skate’
The events hosted were aimed at the student body of the University and were designed to raise awareness of the Barnardo’s charity and the work they do, as well as raising as much money for the charity as possible.
The students’ hard work and efforts have been rewarded by raising in excess of £9000 for the charity.
Amy McNaughton-Brown student programme officer for Barnardo’s said: ‘Barnardo's has been fortunate to share an excellent relationship with Coventry Business School’s Events Management Course over recent years and this year the group have surpassed all expectations to raise over £9000. This money will help to fund some of our vital services, both locally in the Midlands and nationally. Well done to all of the students for their hard work, imagination, professionalism and perseverance; the money they have raised will help to change the lives of some of the most disadvantaged children and young people in the UK today.’
MSc Global Development and International Law Student selected for ‘Double-dip’ Internship at the United Nations
Leah Jara, is currently awaiting her final dissertation results for the flagship MSc Degree in Global Development & International Law (GDIL), but not in Coventry. She is back home in Kenya finalising travel and accommodation arrangements to leave for New York, to begin an unusual ‘Double-dip’ Internship arrangement at the United Nations Headquarters.
Mentored by her Programme Manager/APT, Terry Brathwaite, towards competing assertively for Internships at selected multi-lateral organisations, including the United Nations Headquarters, New York, Leah is the second GDIL student at Coventry University during the last academic year, to be selected from thousands of international applicants for a prestigious assignment in the ‘Big Apple’.
However, whilst her peers (past and present) are normally sign-posted to only one Department and then evolve from there, Leah’s dissertation research hypothesis impressed the U.N. selectors so much that she has been offered substantial projects in two high-profile arenas:
- The powerful United Nations Security Council, which has the primary responsibility under the U.N. Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security
- The United Nations Office of Legal Affairs (Treaty Section) which discharges the Secretary-General’s depositary functions under multilateral treaties, and collaborates in the drafting of final clauses of treaties and agreements concluded under the auspices of the United Nations
As a former LLB graduate of the University of Nairobi’s School of Law, Leah’s GDIL dissertation research at Coventry University explored the theme “Africa United? A Lego-Political Analysis of the United States of Africa: Lessons From the West and the rest of US.” As her Supervisor, Terry reflects:
“While pursuing their degree, I actively encourage all my students to use their time in my tutorials constructively, by presenting their ideas to the class on various concepts relevant to the United Nations and other multilateral organisations, in preparation for the real new world order. This unique, dual Internship therefore provides Leah with both a positive destination for future employability, as well as a type of binocular disparity when refocusing on international and comparative legal traditions underpinning globalised markets. I am duly proud of her achievements.”
BSc Disaster Management Student Secures Prestigious Placement Opportunity
Rory Walshe, BSc Disaster Management student, has just completed the placement year of his 4-year degree course. Rory completed a 6-month placement with the University of New England in Australia, who supervised Rory while he carried out his research project into traditional and indigenous knowledge of tsunamis in Vanuatu that included spending a month living in a remote village in Vanuatu in the South Pacific investigating the local tsunami knowledge.
Coventry Rugby Summer School
Coventry Business School will be hosting the Rugby Summer School from 8 July to 4 August 2012. The Summer School has been designed to give a balance between the 4 pillars that form the foundations that underpin the programme:
- Academic content focused on contemporary aspects of both the International Business of Sport and Sports Law
- Premium quality rugby coaching from coaches of international repute
- A programme of cultural and sporting excursions that will enhance the academic delivery and capture the steeped history of England
- A system of pastoral care
The Summer School is targeted at the North American market, 18 years and over, for both men and women. The target market has been identified as University rugby playing students of which there are many hundreds of thousands registered in the US and Canada. During a preliminary visit to the US earlier this year, the Summer School was warmly received by Universities at Penn State, Michigan, Duluth, and Minnesota to name but a few. It is expected that 100 students will sign up to the course next summer and with Canada Rugby recently agreeing to promote the programme, the signs are looking good for the inaugural school to be a success.
During the four weeks of the course, students will mix 16 hours of academic delivery each week with high quality rugby coaching and sporting and cultural excursions. These visits will include tours of Stratford, Twickenham and Wembley stadiums, and a trip to London which will have the Olympic Games in full flow.
Playing for Peace
On Tuesday 3rd October The Centre for Peace & Reconciliation Studies launched an exhibition at Coventry Cathedral titled ‘Playing for Peace’. The exhibition was launched by former Olympian David Moorcroft.
Playing for Peace is a collaboration between Coventry University’s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies (CPRS) and Bradford’s Peace Museum.
The university was one of only a few exhibitions that has been awarded with the Inspire Truce Mark, which is recognised for exceptional projects that are inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The themes that run through the exhibition include ‘Sport Breaking Down Barriers’, ‘Sport & Struggle for Human Rights’ and ‘Sport & Reconciliation’.
The exhibition was organised by Professor Andrew Rigby, Dr Carol Rank and Dr Ian Brittain from CPRS and has taken months to prepare.
Languages Centre becomes Registered Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Testing Centre
The Languages Centre within The Department of English and Languages has become a registered Cambridge English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) testing centre.
Cambridge English certificates are officially accepted by more than 11,000 employers, universities and government bodies around the world as high-quality proof of language ability.
The Languages Centre are now a registered ESOL testing centre which means they can offer the many examinations offered by Cambridge ESOL including the Key, Preliminary, First, Advanced and Proficiency. Specialist examinations in business, finance and law are also available.
The Languages Centre is also planning to run short preparatory courses for these prestigious tests and certificates for the University’s international students.
In many areas of international commerce, English is used as the common language. If students can show they have an internationally recognised qualification in English, they will have a greater advantage in the jobs market, and increased flexibility if they want to work abroad.
CPD courses for corporate clients combining business with a Cambridge English qualification are also being designed.
Sport and Event Management Students land internships with LOCOG
Sport and Event Management (SEM) students Mike Wilton, Chelsey Houps, Poppy Murphy, Olivia Lawson and Menino Pereira were amongst the selected few to successfully gain internships working for LOCOG (London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games) during the 2010/2011 academic year.
Following a rigorous recruitment and selection process the students landed jobs in various areas of the company ranging from venue operations to Olympic Park Tours and Project Assistants.
During their time working for the organisation they were lucky enough to experience such pleasures as holding the Olympic torch and gaining exclusive rights to view and hold the Olympic medals prior to their public unveil.
All students have learnt valuable real life experiences and skills needed to be successful in the sport and events industry on possibly the largest scale imaginable.
Excellent NSS results for English and Languages
The National Student Survey (NSS) 2011 results show 96% of students who responded from the Department of English and Languages were very satisfied with their course. (The national average is 85%).
Students reported that:
- Staff are enthusiastic and very good at explaining things
- Expectations of assessments are clear and feedback is fair and prompt
- Student communication skills improved
- The course helped students present themselves with confidence and feel able to tackle unfamiliar problems.
Lecturers are delighted that their hard work has been appreciated and aim to maintain the high standards achieved.
Chinese lecturers visit Department of English and Languages
Eighteen English lecturers from Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanjang (JUFE) and Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou (ZUFE) visited the Department of English and Languages for a programme of staff development, July 11 - August 5 2011. The visitors met many of the English and Languages Department staff to discuss approaches to English language teaching and the use of the latest ELT resources.
Terry Receives Kudos From Harvard and Invitation to Iran
Terry Brathwaite Programme Manager for MSc Degree in Global Development and International Law has received praise from Harvard University for “an excellent presentation” during his role as Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in March, 2011.
Terry was specially invited to speak on the theme of ‘International & Comparative Chthonic Law’ to the class, ENVRE-145 - Introduction to Environmental Justice at the Harvard University Extension School, one of the thirteen degree-granting schools of Harvard University. Founded in 1910, one year after the founding of the Harvard University Business School, the Extension School is virtually global in its outreach, with Harvard Faculty, and industry professionals addressing Ivy-league graduates on-site in the heart of the Harvard University campus, as well as candidates worldwide participating simultaneously on-line. Graduates of Harvard Extension School programmes have gone on to become global leaders in fields such as business, medicine, education, law, and politics.
The class in Environmental Justice is offered for both undergraduate and graduate credit. It is therefore included as part of the sequence of courses in the Extension School’s Environmental Management curriculum leading to the Master’s Degree in Environmental Management.
Course Co-Directors Professors James Hoyte, Rhona Julien and Timothy C. Weiskel all signed a letter to Terry which stated:
“We are delighted to note that our students were clearly quite stimulated by your engaging lecture. Our on-line students as well as our on-site enrollees obviously were thoroughly attentive throughout the lecture. The several questions that your material provoked resulted in just the kind of interactive process that we seek between instructor and student. We are always especially pleased when we can have real time discussions with our on-line students from various parts of the globe. Thank you again for your lecture and discussion. Meanwhile, we hope that you enjoyed your visit to the Harvard campus as much as we enjoyed and benefitted from your presence.”
Upon his return home from Boston, Terry was further honoured to receive, and accepted a special invitation by the President of the Iranian Central Bar Association (a member of the International Bar Association) to be a keynote speaker at their April 2011 conference on the theme ‘E-Commerce & Employment Law’. The International conference was held at the Faculty of Science and Research, Azad University in Tehran, Iran.
Student Scores ‘Hatrick’ At The United Nations
Philomena Modu is currently reading for her MSc Degree in Global Development and International Law (GDIL). But she is also breaking records on the global stage, and boldly going where many have not gone before. Philo is the first student in the history of Coventry University to be selected by the United Nations in three distinguished capacities:
- She was elected the sole African Representative on the United Nations HABITAT Youth Advisory Board representing the international youth constituency to the UN-HABITAT Governing Council in Nairobi, Kenya
- She has recently commenced a prestigious three month internship at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, an award which has been offered for the second consecutive year to an MSc GDIL candidate
- She has also secured a place at the exclusive United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan to further her studies in the GDIL field upon graduation from Coventry University later this year.
A former honours student at the University of Dar es Salaam Law School in Tanzania, Philomena took part in various organisations dealing with many youth-related activities ranging from projects on HIV prevention, to organising events and capacity training for students at the University. It was during one of these initiatives - ‘The International Student week in Tanzania ISWiT 08’ - that Philomena was identified and head-hunted by the UN agencies in her country. That year the UN-Habitat organised an event entitled ‘The Youth World Urban Forum’ in Nanjing, China, and they needed a youth representative. She was selected to represent Tanzania at the forum.
During the conference there was a general election by all the young people from the different regions across the globe to form a Youth Advisory Board for the first time. Philomena participated among other young representatives from Africa and was chosen along with five other international nominees to the inaugural UN-HABITAT Youth Advisory Board, which was then launched at the Second Session of the UN-HABITAT Governing Council in April 2009. Philomena’s pivitol role on the Board entails setting UN-HABITAT strategies to engage young people in sustainable urbanisation and urban development, and represent the global youth constituency in local, national and international fora when required.
Having commenced her studies at CBS, Philomena has been mentored by Terry Brathwaite, Programme Manager for the MSc Degree in GDIL, towards competing for internships at selected multi-lateral organisations, including the UN Headquarters, New York. Recently, she was amongst the handful selected from over 5,000 annual applicants and has since began her internship across the Atlantic. Not content to rest on her laurels Philomena approached Terry for further support with her application to the UN University – the exclusive academic arm of the UN system. Her goal was that upon graduating from Coventry she would immediately pursue specific research and educational programmes in the area of sustainable development, which would be of meaningful assistance to developing countries. Philomena has just received word that her application was successful, and she would begin her programme in September, 2011.
Having studied on the MSc. Degree in GDIL, Philomena firmly believes that she has acquired the in-depth knowledge and skills which would enable her to analyse and tackle developmental issues on a wholistic view. She is now further humbled with the special offer given to her by the UN Head Quarters for an internship this summer, and the acceptance to the UN University in Japan is the real ‘icing on the cake’.
New Director for the Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo)
Professor Mike Hardy joins the Faculty as our new Executive Director of iCoCo from a leadership role in British Council.
Mike is an established leader in intercultural dialogue with a wealth of international experience including a specific interest in diversity and cultural exchange. He began his career as an applied economist and was Head of Economics and Public Policy at Leeds Metropolitan before moving to a Chair in International Business at the University of Central Lancashire. In 1995, following work with FCO, British Council and European Commission in the transition states of East Europe, Mike moved full-time to British Council to continue international work in private sector development.
His interests in cultural relations developed and following postings in the Arab world and Asia, he was appointed to frame and lead British Council’s global programme in intercultural dialogue. Through his programme British Council grew its work in interculturalism, working with difference and with inter-community relations. His portfolio included British Council’s international work with schools and skills, networks of young global citizens and capacity development within civil societies worldwide and supporting partnerships which help conflict and post-conflict contexts and people and communities in fragile states.
Mike’s experience and intellectual underpinnings in international cultural relations is supported by practical international and in-country experience of issues of diversity, cohesion and multiculturalism in the broader Middle East and as BC Country Director in Indonesia at a time of major national turmoil. As a senior leader at British Council he managed the corporate relationship with the World Bank Institute, the UK Department for International Development, and United Nations Alliance of Civilisations. He is a member of the UK National Cohesion Forum.
Mike has been recently appointed as lead expert for ‘Identity’ for the Vodafone-sponsored new Future-Agenda Initiative. He was invited, and attended as a constituent, the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011, Davos-Klosters; he continues to contribute to conferences, global discussions and applied research in Intercultural Dialogue, multiculturalism and diversity.
Mike was awarded the OBE in 2001 for his work in the Middle East, and was appointed a Companion of Honour of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours June 2010 for his work internationally in Intercultural Dialogue.
SEM students take part in International Management Game
November saw seventeen SEM students travel to Holland to take part in a high profile International Management Game. Hanze University Groningen was the scene for the West Ham Management Game which aimed to give students from Coventry, Cologne, Brussels and Groningen the opportunity to gain international experience, create and implement measures which have been undertaken by West Ham United as a result of this process.
The students spent four days in the beautiful town of Groningen also taking in many of the cultural experience organised by the University. The last two days of the trip were spent in Amsterdam where the students visited major sports tourism venues such as the Amsterdam Arena and the Heineken Experience.
Valuable network opportunities were realised and most importantly the student experience was boosted by the trip. SEM plans to take a new cohort to the next management game in the near future.
SEM students secure Champions League work experience
A number of students from the Sport and Event Management Department applied and were successful in gaining work experience at this year’s Champions League Final at Wembley.
The students were involved in a number of events taking place within the UEFA Champions League Festival in London in the lead up to the game, as well as working on the evening of the match itself.
Legal Practice Course to be offered at Coventry Law School
From September 2011 the Legal Practice Course (LPC) is intended to be run at Coventry University.
The University will be a host site, having teamed up with The National College of Legal Training (NCLT) who will initially deliver the course part-time at the weekends on campus.
The primary objective of the LPC is to prepare law students, after they have finished their undergraduate or GDL courses, for their legal careers before they enter into a training contract; it is the final stage of academic training required to become a solicitor. There are still places available on the course starting in September.
For further information please see www.nclt.org.uk or email Jane Wood on J.Wood@coventry.ac.uk.
A Master Class from MasterCard
Postgraduate students from the Business School were treated to a spectacular lecture from Mr Paul Meulendijk, Vice President and Head of Sponsorship at MasterCard worldwide. Mr Meulendijk flew in to the UK for the day, from Belgium, especially to present to the postgraduate students. Paul was the first speaker of this Spring’s Leadership Lecture Series and he was introduced by the Dean of Faculty, Professor Denise Skinner, to a packed room full of 144 students.
Paul’s interesting and enlightening talk informed the students about sports sponsorship, the power of marketing and brand and event management. He shared the success of MasterCard with the students and talked about their future vision. Paul stressed the importance of sponsorship in today’s business world and how MasterCard has focussed its strategies on harnessing consumer passion. The students heard about the changing landscape of corporate sponsorship and how organisations can leverage upon this for adequate brand building and positioning.
Feedback has been fantastic with students commenting that the talk was ‘excellent’, ‘informative and interesting’.‘It was a fantastic lecture’ and a ‘value added lecture in terms of marketing and advertising a brand’.
Jody Holland, who runs the Leadership Lecture Series, said “we have felt really honoured that Paul took time out of his exceptionally busy schedule to fly in to the UK for the day especially to speak to the postgraduate business students. He is a great speaker who delivered a talk very relevant to today’s business world. There were some key lessons for the students to take away with great examples of how the theory they learn in class is really applied in industry”.
Paul Meulendijk is originally from Holland but his career has provided him with opportunities to live all over the world in roles in the Netherlands, France, USA and Switerland. Positions in his career have helped companies to create Business Development Strategies and build Global Marketing. Paul currently resides in Belgium where he oversees all MasterCard sponsorship investments including UEFA Champions League.
BES Staff Donate Generously to the Trussell Trust
Staff within BES donated generously to the Trussell Trust on Friday 6 May.
The Trussell Trust is a registered charity who work towards combating poverty and exclusion in the UK and Bulgaria. One of the services that the Trust provides is food banks which provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis in the UK. The food banks are set up in churches and community centres and during last year it fed over 60,000 people.
The food banks stock is currently running low and Coventry University staff were asked to provide donations. The donations that were kindly provided by staff included tinned food, tea bags, snack bars and pasta to help maintain the food banks.
For further information about the Trussell Trusts invaluable service please visit
www.trusselltrust.org and if staff wish to make any further donations to the trust please contact Hazel Swift on
H.Swift@coventry.ac.uk or call 02476 888929.
Careers Fair For Law Students
In late March around 60 students and members of staff within the Law School joined other law students from around the region in attending a careers fair at the McDonald Burlington Hotel organised by the National College of Legal Training (NCLT)
The evening began with a brief introduction from NCLT before junior lawyers employed by Irwin Mitchell gave some informative talks providing insights into routes into the profession as well as tips for applying for a training contract. The students then had the opportunity of a one-to –one discussion about their own individual CVs with representatives from various firms from the Midlands. The evening was an undoubted success both from the firms’ and the students’ perspective and it hoped that similar evenings will follow.
In addition as Coventry University is now confident it will be hosting the Solicitor’s Legal Practice Course from September 2011 in conjunction with NCLT and the University of West of England the evening provided an ideal opportunity for those students who have enrolled to go onto the course, or who were considering going on the course, to meet and discuss the Course in more detail with the tutors present.
The feedback from the event proved very positive from the practitioners perspective and our own students were similarly pleased with the event:
“Very organised and structured. A great opportunity for law students to attend to learn more about becoming a solicitor and applications. I think this event was a great success. It was a good opportunity to network and promote the firm to potential future employees” Laura Sidaway, Weightmans LLP
“The event provided students with a real insight into the process involved in becoming a solicitor and being a trainee, including useful tips. The presence of various firms enabled the students to ask questions in an informal environment” Chris Knight, Mills & Reeve
Coventry Law Journal
A special issue of the Coventry Law Journal has been published on the dedicated topic of Human Rights.
The Coventry Law Journal is published twice a year and contains articles, recent developments and case notes as well as book reviews and a section for student matters. The journal is an in-house journal that is edited by Coventry Law School staff and written by staff and students, with some outside contributions. All pieces are intended to appeal to academic staff and students.
The special edition consists of short stories written by third year Law students who submitted the stories as part of their coursework assessment. In addition contributions were also made from Alyson Morris, Senior Lecturer in English, and Steve Foster, Principal Lecturer in Law. These contributions were written to provide examples to the students wishing to undertake the assessment task. Finally, Harry Love, a former law lecturer, also contributed a short story of his own.
The Coventry Law Journal can be found in the Law Section of the Library, and is available on
www.westlaw.com. Further information can be obtained from the Law School which is based in the George Eliot building on the second floor.
SEM Raise £4,500 For Barnardo’s
Second year students from the prolific sport and event management (SEM) programmes have been working in collaboration with Barnardo’s to put on a series of events in aid of the charity, with the support and guidance from their module leaders Jennie Toal and Richard Oddy.
As part of their assessment for the module ‘Live Event Project Management’ students were required to plan, pitch, and execute their chosen event over the course of the academic year.
The 62 students involved this year hosted a total of 15 events. Ranging from the ‘go green for kids day’ run in conjunction with the universities go green week, ‘Barnardo’s On Ice’, ‘First past the post race night’ to the ‘Barnardo’s Balloon Bonanza’ which ran in University Square at one of the Undergraduate Open Days.
The events hosted were aimed at the student body of the University and were designed to predominantly raise awareness of the Barnardo’s charity and the work they do, as well as raising as much money for the charity as possible.
Following completion of the events this year, each student’s hard work and efforts have been truly rewarded when they raised a staggering £4500 for the charity.
Amy McNaughton-Brown student programme officer for Barnardo’s said:
"Barnardo's has been fortunate to share an excellent relationship with Coventry University's Events Management Course over recent years and this year the groups have surpassed all expectations to raise over £4500. This money will help to fund some of our vital services, both locally in the Midlands and nationally. Well done to all of the students for their hard work, imagination, professionalism and perseverance; the money they have raised will help to change the lives of some of the most disadvantaged children and young people in the UK today"
On behalf of the module leaders and the Barnardo’s Charity a huge well done to all students involved!
SEM International experiences: Cologne
German Sport University Cologne played host to students from Coventry University and 80 other undergraduate students from across Europe to an International Sport Management Conference. The conference consisted of a number of valuable seminars and keynote presentations from amongst others Professor Aaron Smith and Bernd Wahler (Brand manager, Adidas).
Each student’s learning experience was positively impacted by attending and participating in this international conference. Whilst in attendance they realised high quality links with industry experts as well as fellow students.
SEM International experiences: Barcelona
During reading week in February 2011 90 first year SEM students from the Sport Marketing, Sport Management and Event Management courses studying the module ‘The Event Industry’ were offered the exciting opportunity to spend five days in the beautiful Spanish city of Barcelona as part of SEM’s international field trip programme.
The students combined visiting iconic sport and events venues such as the Olympic Stadium, La Sagrada Familia, Museu Picasso, and the Camp Nou, with conducting active research culminating with assessment at the end of the trip.
This trip proved a massive hit with the first year students involved as not only did they get to visit the sights and learn about the operations of event venues on an international scale, they also had the chance to bond and form friendships that will last a life time.
CELTA Courses Now Offered at Coventry University
The English and Languages Department last year obtained approval from Cambridge ESOL to run CELTA courses (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults), and is offering a 4-week intensive CELTA between Monday 20th June – Friday 15th July this summer.
CELTA is the most widely recognised qualification for anyone interested in beginning a career as a TEFL teacher, and the courses are offered full-time and part-time at the University.
To obtain the CELTA certificate candidates attend for 120 hours, 60 of which will be input sessions covering language teaching methodology and language awareness (mornings), and the remaining 60 hours are centred on observed and assessed Teaching Practice (afternoons). In addition to assessed TP, candidates submit 4 written assignments of approximately 1000 words each.
All enquiries regarding CELTA should be passed to Elwyn Lloyd, Lecturer in English at
e.lloyd@coventry.ac.uk or by telephone, 02476 888198
Poster Placement Exhibition
The Employability and Placements Unit (EPU) held a poster placement exhibition on Monday 28th February.
The exhibition aimed to highlight the experiences of previous placement students to encourage current students to consider a placement.
At the event there were posters made by previous placement students highlighting their experiences and success stories. There was also current sandwich and work experience opportunities advertised and literature from the unit such as CV advice booklets.
The event was run by all staff within EPU and was well attended.
For further information about the exhibition or placements offered by EPU please contact Alyce Bailey on
A.Bailey@coventry.ac.uk
Coventry University Students and Coventry Blaze raise money for 'Help for Heroes'
Second year students from the thriving Sports and Event Management (SEM) programme at Coventry University have been working with Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey Team to put on a charity event in aid of Help for Heroes.
As part of their coursework students have been asked to pitch, plan and deliver a variety of live events over the course of this academic year. The first of these events was the Help for Heroes event which took place on the 14 November 2010.
Students Kerrie Pritchard, Melanie Deakin and Amy Corden delivered a successful pitch to the Coventry Blaze and managed to plan and deliver a hugely successful event over the course of just three weeks.
The event, which took place during a Blaze home game, was scheduled to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Coventry Blitz and the students went into great detail to ensure the event not only helped to raise money and awareness for H4H but also paid respect to the people of Coventry and anyone who had been affected by the Blitz.
The event was designed to be a family affair to fit in with the audience of the Blaze and included a raffle (for which over 30 local companies supported and donated prizes), colouring competition, face painting, a special shirt auction straight off the player’s back, a live bagpiper to play the Last Post, a DVD highlighting the Coventry Blitz, a special memorial slideshow and a huge tribute banner signed by the Blaze team and everyone who attended the event. The girls have arranged to ship the banner with good luck and thank you messages along with a Blaze shirt to those serving at Camp Bastion.
Their hard work was rewarded when they got the final total, smashing their £1000 target and bringing in a huge £2268.79 for Help for Heroes and £115 for British Legion poppies.
Sally Mahers, Commercial Manager for the Blaze said:
“Everyone at the Blaze was hugely impressed with the girls. What they achieved with no budget and a very small time scale showed how much time, effort and initiative they put into the project. They were a credit to the Sports and Event Management programme and Coventry University”.
Other students from the course will be taking on additional Blaze events as well as University events including a Christmas extravaganza, a valentines love fest and a charity game to raise money for Coventry University hospitals children's ward.
Students learn how to be ‘Lean’
Postgraduate Business students were treated to an interesting and topical lecture about ‘Lean’ by a visiting guest speaker as part of the Leadership Lecture Series. Alex Holland, Logistics and Engineering Manager from Jaguar Land Rover delivered a fascinating talk about Lean Manufacturing and the principles of Lean and, its application in the business world today. The lecture allowed the students to understand the practical application of Lean through real life examples. They learned how it can be applied to all industries and businesses, both public and private sector and how it is applicable to all levels within business. They even heard examples of how you can be ‘Lean’ in your everyday personal life at home!
The students were particularly interested in how the car manufacturing industries have implemented Lean throughout their business and the huge cost savings and positive environmental impact this has created.
Alex, who has been in the car industry for nearly 20 years, has worked for both Peugeot and Jaguar Land Rover. He has spent many years working within their manufacturing and supply chain functions where Lean is part of the culture.
London Banker Returns to Coventry
Postgraduate Business students were treated to an exciting insight into the banking world when Verender Badial, Managing Director, Equity Capital Markets at Société Générale, visited Coventry University Business School to deliver a Leadership Lecture Series. 115 postgraduate students packed into the room to hear about the global money markets from the banker.
Paul Cashian, Associate Dean (Student Experience) introduced Verender to the postgraduate students informing them about Verender’s impressive banking record, extensive international deal experience and, high flying career. Verender delivered an interesting and very topical lecture about the highly volatile financial markets of the recent couple of years. He described the huge changes in equity banking and the price bubble burst.
Jody Holland, who runs the Leadership Lecture Series, said:
“Verender was a clear and informative speaker. His knowledge of the markets was exceptionally impressive and it was fantastic to host a guest speaker from the financial markets in London who was born and brought up in Coventry. He went to school here and was delighted to be able to return and talk to postgraduate students from Coventry University. He offered the students some top tips about securing jobs in the City.”
David Crystal visits Department of English and Languages
The Goldstein Lecture theatre was packed on 4 February 2011 when the eminent Professor of Linguistics, David Crystal, came to the University to deliver a lecture entitled ‘Why do we speak and write the way we do? Pragmatics: the final frontier’.
Undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Department of English and Languages were joined by guests from the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester.
Professor Crystal spoke of the choices we make when we use language and the factors governing those choices. He illustrated his talk with examples ranging from the language of Shakespeare to how to address a gendarme when visiting France.
After the lecture, Professor Crystal signed copies of his books and then joined students from the Department in the Alan Berry foyer to judge an exhibition, where both undergraduate (English and Languages) and postgraduate (MA in English Language Teaching) students displayed posters illustrating their plans for their dissertations.
He said that choosing the winners was a very hard task, but after hearing the students talk through their projects, three prizes were eventually awarded. The winners were those presentations that were breaking new ground.
Two prizes went to undergraduate students (Beth Golds, English Single Honours and Justyna Gralinska, Spanish and TEFL), but first prize went to Laura Pibworth (MA in ELT).
After the prize-giving, Marina Orsini-Jones from the Department of English and Languages, who had organised the event, thanked Professor Crystal for coming and taking time out to talk to the students afterwards.
His latest book, Internet Linguistics, was published in the first week of February.
Business students receive employability workshop from recruitment consultant
Business Undergraduate students from Strategy and Applied Management had their industrial placement preparations enhanced by a master class from Rachael Urwin.
Rachael, a Senior Consultant with Reed Global Recruitment, ran a workshop offering the 2nd year students some top tips on CV development, successful interviewing, and self presentation from a recruiter’s perspective.
The students, who are looking to secure industrial placements for their 3rd year, gained from hearing from a professional consultant advising them on how to prepare and market their CV. When asked about her visit to Coventry University, Rachael said:
“It was good to see so many of them lively and alert and asking intelligent questions.”
Muzaffar Khan delivers talk for Leadership Lecture Series
Muzaffar Khan, Principal and Board Member of Space Energy AG, visited Coventry to deliver a talk in the Leadership Lecture series. Muzaffar was introduced to the 90 students who came to hear him speak by Paul Cashian, Associate Dean (Student Experience).
Muzaffar delivered a lecture on leadership, change and the world of business. He talked to the students about triggers of change, and how to use their own personal triggers to build themselves into strong leaders. Muzaffar spoke about his own business and his extensive financial background to contextualise his lessons.
Jody Holland, who is in charge of the series, commented:
"Muzaffar was enlightening to listen to. He clearly has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the business world and has a tremendous record of successfully mentoring young, upcoming talent. His recent book ‘Racing Towards Excellence’ is a very informative read about ‘demystifing the inside track to academic, career and financial performance. The students were genuinely impressed by him and his entertaining delivery."
Muzaffar is Principal and Board Member of Space Energy AG, a company that seeks to develop Space-Based Solar Power satellites that generate and transmit electricity to receivers on the Earth’s surface. He is also Managing Director and majority shareholder of Alchemy Ventures Ltd, a social enterprise whose mission is to increase social mobility and reduce aspirational poverty in the world’s youth.
Muzaffar has an extensive background working in hedge funds and leading investment banks and was a strategist for Moore Capital, one of the largest and most successful hedge funds in the world.
GIS doing its' bit for a sustainable Europe
Climate change commissioner Connie Hedegaard believes satellite technologies will become an important tool in helping the EU’s efforts in climate change.
Speaking at a hearing of the European Parliament on 4 February, she described the efforts her department is making to develop a joint strategy on space and climate.
She said:
"The transport sector accounts for 27 per cent of all European emissions. Satellite navigation can help develop intelligent traffic systems to limit those emissions"
Hedegaard also argued that observations from space are absolutely essential on the road to monitoring, reporting and verification as well as combating and adapting to climate change.
These comments are reflected by the importance given to GIS, remote sensing and GPS in the Climate Change and Sustainability BSc Honours degree.
Third year students visit the home of the mafia
A group of fifteen third year students from Coventry University are on a study trip to Sicily to look at the mafia and anti-mafia movements in the area.
Southern Italy has a long history of organised crime and even with anti-mafia organisations and the implementation of successful anti-mafia legislation; the Italian mafias (Cosa Nostra, Camorra, Ndrangheta and Sacra Corona Unita) still make an estimated annual turnover of 100 billion Euros, which accounts for about 8% of Italy’s gross domestic income.
For the students, who are studying History, International Relations, Politics and Sociology courses, being in Italy and meeting some of the leading experts on the Mafia, will give them an insight into the world of organised crime and how it is dealt with.
The students are in Sicily until February 21 and as well as learning about the history of the Sicilian mafia, they will also be looking at the role of women in the mafia, the anti-mafia movement, the mafia and politics and the mafia and the media.
Accompanying the students is Salvartore (Rino) Coluccello, a senior lecturer from the Department of International Studies and Social Science who is an expert in this area.
He said:
“By talking to the people involved and being in the heart of mafia country, the students will get a lot more out of listening to the experts and meeting them face to face rather than just hearing about them and having lectures in a classroom.”
The study trip has been organised in collaboration with Libera and Sviluppo e Legalita’ (development and legality) two organisations that coordinate anti-mafia organisations in Italy.
Evening language classes at Coventry University
The Languages Centre will be offering evening classes in the following languages from 3 May until 7 July 2011:
Classes will have a maximum of 20 students and if there is sufficient demands for other levels, additional classes will be run. Students who study French, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese will benefit from access to Tell Me More language learning software for a 12 month period.
A ten week programme will cost £165 per person. To register please visit our online shop or contact Billy Brick for more information
University law school awarded grant for community film project
Coventry University law students are breaking into the film industry thanks to a funding boost from the Alistair MacQueen Memorial Grant.
The students will be making a series of short, public information films on legal topics that can be accessed by the community.
The Alistair MacQueen Memorial Grant, which is linked to law schools, is an annual award of £1,000 given to an institution to support a charitable project. All UK universities, higher and further education institutions are able to apply for the grant which was set up as a tribute to Alistair MacQueen who sadly passed away in 2008.
Coventry University law students have a long history of working with the community and the films they produce will be used to assist the ageing population by providing clear information on such matters as arranging a power of attorney and understanding consumer rights.
The students will write the scripts and present the information with help from a young professional film-maker.
Once completed, the films will be offered to national charitable bodies and local councils to add to the work that they already do with these communities.
Sue Vickery, principal lecturer from the Coventry University Law School will be working closely with the students to produce the films along with her colleague, Janice Montague, a senior lecturer.
Sue said:
“I am thrilled that Coventry University’s application was singled out for The Alexander MacQueen Memorial Grant.
“The money will help our students to develop both personal and professional skills and enable them to reach out to some of the more vulnerable members of our community in the West Midlands.”
It is envisaged that as the project develops, different communities will be targeted and a wider range of topics covered in the public information films.
Chinese keen to learn about environmental research
Over the last three weeks, the Environment, Hazards and Risk Applied Research Group hosted various events for Chinese delegations.
Twenty senior managers and technical directors from the Ministry of Land and Resources spent a week with Dr Nigel Trodd and members of the ARG, to find out more about land information management in the UK.
As well as gaining a better understanding of the traditional roles of Ordnance Survey, Land Registry and British Geological Survey, the group were introduced to the state of the art in environmental information modelling and explored the modern commercial aspects of land management during visits to The Geoinformation Group – creators of the Cities Revealed products – and the new Severn Trent headquarters in Coventry.
The delegates returned to Coventry to spend a day looking at educational and professional issues in GIS and discussing how to build capacity to develop and exploit land information services in China.
The third visit was by a 20-strong delegation from the Chinese Meteorological Administration – who attended a seminar on 16 December as part of a study visit to leading environmental institutions in the UK. They were keen to find out about how Coventry University researchers are applying their skills to manage risk and mitigate against environmental hazards in urban environments.
Dr Matthew Blackett opened the seminar by demonstrating the need for environmental models to assess the threat to our health posed by extreme heat and the likely impacts of climate change.
The delegation were then impressed by how the Environment, Hazards and Risk ARG is working with:
- The Sustainable Drainage Systems ARG to better understand surface flooding in Coventry
- The Serious Games Institute to develop disaster management training exercises in a virtual environment
National recognition for University sporting expert
A sports finance expert at Coventry University has won a prestigious sports writers award.
The Football Supporters’ Federation is giving the FSF Writer of the Year award for the season 2009/10 to Dr. John Beech.
Dr. Beech, from Coventry University’s Business School, writes a blog called ‘Football Management’ which follows the finances and other management issues of football clubs and over the past few months, his insights into the fortunes of some of the nation’s biggest clubs has been keeping the industry in the know.
Malcolm Clarke, Chairman of the Football Supporters’ Federation will be coming to Coventry personally to give the award to Dr. Beech in front of his colleagues from the Business School after a meeting hosted by the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Madeleine Atkins.
Dr John Beech said:
“To use a comic sporting, cliché, I’m over the moon. It is a tremendous honour for me to be given such a prestigious award and I’m flattered that Malcolm is coming to Coventry especially to give it to me. I am passionate about sport and follow the finances of football clubs with interest as my own club, Portsmouth, has had its own particular problems for some time.
It is a very testing time for clubs at the moment, especially those that do not have rich backers. I am humbled that the FSF find my blogs informative and entertaining and consider my musings worthy of recognition!”
Dr. Beech will be following in some famous footsteps. Previous winners of the award include David Conn of The Guardian and Nick Hornby, author of the cult novel ‘Fever Pitch’.
International rescue comes to Coventry University
A new way of training those working in disaster management is being forged by the partnership with Coventry University’s Serious Games Institute and Centre for Disaster Management and Texas A & M University (TEEX), the oldest public university in Texas.
The Vice Chancellor of Coventry University and the Director of TEEX will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) next week (7 December) to use their existing UK/US links to work on joint projects in relation to emergency rescue and disaster management. The work will include:
- Developing and using serious games technology for teaching and learning purposes
- Developing personal/professional degree programmes between both institutions
- Establishing a centre to bring these together
The work will be supported by accredited University courses and international partnerships with other institutions.
Both Coventry University and Texas A&M University have an impressive track record in their respective fields and will build on the expertise already existing at both institutions.
Texas A&M ranks among the top 20 research universities in the US and is recognised worldwide for developing problem-solving research breakthroughs.
Coventry University’s Centre for Disaster Management is recognised internationally as a centre of excellence and with the University’s expertise in serious games technology at the Serious Games Institute, the combined resources will make training more flexible between the two universities and help to develop new research and teaching collaboration opportunities as well as student and staff exchange programmes.
Professor Sara de Freitas, Director of Research from Coventry University’s Serious Games Institute said:
This partnership will help us to develop a consortium of higher education establishments that support rescue response and disaster management processes across the world. The main objective is to save lives, which is an important part of the ‘Save the World’ programme from the Serious Games Institute.
The joint working will help us to cement a sustainable relationship with US Higher Education Institutions and enhance our research into best practices of emergency training and serious games development.
Law alumna success
Sarah Bingham, LLB Law Graduate, graduated in 2009 and since then has completed the Bar Vocational Course (now known as the Bar Practice Training Course) at the College of Law in London.
During this time she entered into the negotiation competition and sat as a judge in the Graduate Diploma in Law Mooting competitions. She achieved a grade of Very Competent and was awarded the joint highest mark of the year for Employment Law in Practice.
Currently she is working as a Costs Negotiator/Law Cost Draftsman at Cost Advocates Solicitors London.
Sarah will be sitting the Association of Law Cost Draftsman qualifications to become a Costs Lawyer in the future and one day hopes to obtain pupillage to become a barrister.
TV chef cooks Up a recipe for success in business affairs
TV Chef, Music Producer, Restaurant Owner, Head Brewer and Entrepreneur Richard Fox dropped into the Sport and Event Management Unit to give an informative lecture to final year Creative Industries students.
Talking about law and financial regulations in the Entertainment Industry, Richard told of his experiences working for Mis-Management Records, a subsidiary of EMI Records, and boasting a client list that included British Progressive Rock Band Supertramp and Irish solo artist Chris De Burgh.
Richard has also held regular slots on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 and spoke in-depth about contractual differences concerning performing artist rights between the various media channels.
Richard signed off by talking frankly about his partnership with comic actor, and voice of Bob the Builder, Neil Morrissey - creating the official beer of Comic Relief in 2009 and then starring in the ITV series Men Brewing Badly where Richard and Neil endeavoured to deliver English Real Ale to football fans in South Africa during the 2010 Football World Cup.
Coventry sport students ‘Aspire’ for top graduate positions
Earlier this year, a handpicked selection of final year undergraduate Sport Management and Sport Marketing students, as well as postgraduate Sport Business Management students, were invited to attend a special recruitment opportunity from American Sport Management organisation, The Aspire Group.
CEO Bernie Mullin and General Manager Bill Fagan were looking to recruit potential graduates to work in their new Fan Relationship Management Centres to be located at Leicester City’s Walkers Stadium and Coventry City’s Ricoh Arena. These centres look to increase match day attendance at the clubs by enhancing customer service excellence and building a stronger relationship between club and fan. The roles require candidates to possess advanced knowledge of sports marketing as well as being pro-active and self-driven.
Dr Mullin is a former Business Studies graduate of Coventry University before emigrating to the US where he became Professor of Sport Management and Marketing, University of Massachusetts. He was the first non-American to hold the position of President of a US Major League Professional team, and he ran two of them at the same time, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers plus world-class Philips Arena, the 4th most profitable arena in North America.
After meeting with the students Dr Mullin was quoted as being ‘amazingly impressed’ with the students’ knowledge, professionalism and attitude and was certain that the Sport students at Coventry would make prime candidates for these graduate positions.
Both Fan Relationship Centres are now operational and so far 5 of the 10 students who attended the meeting have been recruited as graduate employees of the Aspire Group.
With the success of this initiative the Aspire Group are looking to collaborate further and with the Sport and Event Management staff and students with opportunities in the UK, North America and Australasia.
From China to New Zealand via Coventry
Hong Zheng, an MSc International Business student, truly sampled International Business first hand recently, when she completed her postgraduate internship placement, over the summer, at BMW in New Zealand.
Hong, a Chinese student, was delighted to be able to experience western culture as part of her studies and of her experience in New Zealand she said:
I wanted to learn something about the western way of thinking and working. As a foreigner, it's probably not possible to understand the western mentality fully, but I started to understand a tiny little bit of it.
Working for three months at a multinational company gives me a deep impression how working life might be in the future. I gained a lot of working experience, new impressions and met many new and interesting people. For me, the internship was a great benefit and so far the best, I have experienced during my study life.
Joanne Fairley, Hong’s mentor at BMW, found the research Hong carried out for them valuable in understanding their customer base.
Hong was the fourth Masters student to fly the flag for Coventry University by successfully completing an internship in New Zealand. Over 40 companies have benefitted from masters’ students completing a range of projects for them this summer.
The Employability and Placement Unit wins Add+vantage employability award
Congratulations to The Employability and Placements Unit (EPU) who won 2nd prize with their suite of Add+vantage modules in the university wide Add+vantage Employability Award.
The Add+vantage Employability Award was the idea of Karen Quinn, Senior Employability Advisor and Project Manager for Add+vantage, who works in the University Careers Office. Karen wanted to raise awareness of the importance of employability for Coventry University students. Karen said:
Employability is still relatively new to the institutional agenda and we may have some way to go in fully defining teaching excellence for employability
The awards called all module leaders, tutors and groups within the university whose teaching, or support of teaching for Add+vantage modules were contributing to the development of students employability. Entries came from a variety of departments and The EPU put forward their 5 Add+vantage modules which were:
- Student Ambassadors (A200EEI)
- Student Mentors in the Faculty of BES (A204EEI)
- Work Placement/Internship (A205EE1)
- Student Mentors in the Faculty of BES (A300EE1)
- Summer Placement (A305EE1)
20 nominations were made for the Add+vantage Employability awards, by either students taking Add+vantage modules, Heads of Departments, or Associate Deans. Eight nominations were shortlisted and Module Leaders were then asked to produce a supporting statement and provide evidence to demonstrate how their modules were contributing to the development of students’ employability.
The EPU demonstrated this excellently showcasing how they provide a service to 4,683 undergraduate students in BES as well as students from other schools and faculties who enrol in EPU based Add+ vantage modules. They spoke about their excellent contacts with external companies, their classroom based activities which provide students with employability skills and much more.
After stiff competition from other departments the EPU team were awarded joint 2nd place and received a cash award to use to develop their modules further.
And the Green Gown Award goes to...
Our very own
Geography and Disaster Management Department (GEDM) who have received an accolade for its Add+vantage modules.
On the 16th June the UK’s most sustainable universities and colleges were in attendance at the Swan, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London for a prestigious annual event ‘The Green Gown Awards’.
The Green Gown Awards which is now in its 6th year recognise exceptional initiatives that are being taken by HE and FE Institutions in order to become more sustainable. There were a variety of categories including Carbon reduction, Skills, Social Responsibility and Student Initiatives and Campaigns, these are to name but a few.
Congratulations to GEDM whose Add+vantage module “The Environmentally Aware Graduate” was judged “highly commended” by the Green Gown Awards.
Public survey of the mandatory life sentence for murder
New research suggests that public support for the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for murder is much more limited than has traditionally been assumed.
Furthermore, public opinion on the sentencing of murderers seems to be based on a limited understanding of the current system, according to the survey by Professor Barry Mitchell, of Coventry University Law School, and Professor Julian Roberts, from the Law Faculty at the University of Oxford.
The researchers, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found no evidence of widespread public support for automatically sentencing all convicted murderers to life imprisonment, although the level of public support increased for more serious cases of murder.
These findings confirm previous research by Professor Mitchell that the public believe different scenarios warrant different sentences; given the choice in a range of cases, they would support applying different sentences. Although at present it is unclear how far there is a consensus about what constitutes a particularly serious murder.
The vast majority of people incorrectly assume the murder rate in England and Wales has increased over the past decade, or at the very least has stayed the same, when it has actually begun to decline somewhat. A large proportion of those surveyed underestimated the length of time that most murderers spend in prison before being released on life licence.
If the law is to broadly correspond to public opinion, serious consideration should be given to restructuring the law of murder so that the mandatory life sentence is retained only for particularly serious cases. A recommendation along these lines was made by the Law Commission in 2006, but no action was taken by the Labour government.
The coalition government has committed to publishing a Green Paper on sentencing and rehabilitation in the coming months.
Professors Mitchell and Roberts also called for greater awareness and better understanding of the state’s response to murder, in an effort to produce greater confidence in the criminal justice system.
Geography, Environment and Disaster Management Department to exhibit at The Emergency Services Show 2010
The Geography, Environment and Disaster Management Department (GEDM) will be exhibiting at stand no 290 at The Emergency Services Show 2010. The UK’s only event for anyone involved in emergency planning, response or recovery will take place on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 November at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry. Attracting over 4,000 attendees last year, 2010 will build on the success of the previous four years, promising to be the best yet.
The Emergency Services Show 2010 is a unique annual event promoting multi agency collaboration by bringing together everyone in the UK involved in an emergency. It will provide access to the latest technology, ideas and initiatives focused on improving public safety and protecting the environment and the Critical National Infrastructure. The show will be especially relevant in light of the current uncertain economic climate, with opportunities to speak to contemporaries and exhibitors to help with framework agreements, income generation, outsourcing and equipment requirements.
The two day supporting conference will provide delegates with the opportunity to join like minded professionals to discuss the latest news, developments and strategic advances as well as hearing about lessons learnt and new initiatives from a range of high profile speakers.
David Brown, Event Director, Emergency Services (MMC) Ltd, comments:
“In these uncertain times it is more important than ever for all Category 1 and 2 responders and associated agencies to talk together to enable them to share resources and make the most of their budgets. The Emergency Services Show offers the unique opportunity to meet with specialist suppliers to facilitate mutually beneficial buying arrangements and discuss new important innovations and products.”
BES appoints top sports lawyer as visiting professor
The prolific sports lawyer and sports agent, Mel Stein, has just been appointed by Coventry University’s Centre for the International Business of Sport (CIBS) as a visiting Professor in Sports Law.
Mel Stein was one of the very first solicitors in the country to work in this area and is most famous for his long term representation of Paul Gascoigne and Chris Waddle.
Mel continues to advise top players, managers and clubs and is Chairman of the Association of Football Agents. Author of some 18 books starting with ‘A Solicitor’s Introduction to Accounts’ in 1975 and most recently ‘Football Babylon’ in 2008, his best-selling book ‘How to be a Sports Agent’ is generally regarded as the established guide book for football agents.
Earlier this year, he helped the University to launch its new Postgraduate Certificate in Sports Law, a course that will be delivered in London by Coventry University.
Mel is currently a consultant at leading law firm Clintons in London and First Artist Corporation (one of the world’s most pre-eminent sports agencies) and has been the Legal Advisor to The Football Conference (comprising 68 clubs) since 2005.
As well as helping to deliver the new Postgraduate Certificate in Sports Law, Mel will visit Coventry on a regular basis to share his expertise with students at the University.
With sport continuing to face an increasing number of challenges, including growing commercialisation, a series of constitutional issues, and the representation of athletes and players, the legal environment in which sport operates has never been more exciting or as demanding.
In acknowledgement of the important contribution of academia to the sports industry, Mel Stein said:
“We believe that the continuing professional development of sports lawyers is essential if they are to stay on top of the challenges they face. I already have a good working relationship with Coventry University having helped develop the sports law programme. Being made a visiting professor takes my involvement to the next level and I look forward to the new challenges ahead.”
Director of CIBS, Professor Simon Chadwick, believes that Mel Stein is a significant appointment for the University. He said:
“Mel’s knowledge of sports law is second to none. Given the growing number of legal pressures that sport faces, his contribution to our courses will prove to be invaluable. We are very honoured to have him working with us.”
Dr Anna Semens, Deputy Director of CIBS, who was instrumental in bringing Mel Stein to the University, said:
“We are delighted to formalise Mel’s continuing contribution to CIBS. With his significant experience and industry knowledge, Mel is able to offer an unparalleled insight into the workings of the sports industry. This appointment will benefit our students as well as furthering the track record of CIBS in engaging with industry to commercialise research”.
Terry Brathwaite accepts “distinguished guest lectureship” at Harvard University
Terry Brathwaite, Programme Manager of the MSc Degree in Global Development and International Law (GDIL) has accepted a special invitation to work as a “Distinguished Guest Lecturer” with the Programme Directors of the Working Group on Environmental Justice at Harvard University, during the 2010-2011 academic year.
Terry was specially invited by former Associate Vice-President of Harvard University, the renowned Attorney-at-Law Professor James S. Hoyte, and his Co-Programme Director Dr. Timothy Weiskel, to personally collaborate with them and support their initiative in refining and developing their research, community engagements and teaching agenda, as they continue to focus on ways in which the Internet and technologies such as video-streaming can help to further expand the capacity for outreach and communication within the international ‘environmental justice’ community.
According to the invitation letter addressed to Terry, “the Working Group on Environmental Justice was purposely established in 1998 with the support of the Harvard University Provost and Harvard’s Committee on the Environment to: develop resources for research and teaching in the field of environmental justice; provide a forum to facilitate collaborations between social and environmental justice advocates and members of the academic community; and identify innovative strategies to address the problem of environmental racism in the United States and globally.”
For the past four years the Working Group has been a high-profile research and outreach programme within the W.E.B Dubois Institute at Harvard University. And during that period a course entitled Introduction to Environmental Justice (ENVR E-145) has been successfully delivered through the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. As a Senior Lecturer in Comparative Law in a Global Development Context, and keen researcher on European, International & Comparative Employment Law, Terry has agreed to teach on the Harvard course, and contribute directly to what will be a productive research and teaching programme during 2010 – 2011, given that each year since this popular course has been offered, the enrolment has increased substantially with students from across the United States and around the world.
Coventry University students have a way with words
Students at Coventry University are launching a new magazine to showcase the creative writing talents of its undergraduates.
The first issue of
Coventry Words will be officially launched at the Waterstone’s book store, University branch, on 22 October. Priced at just one pound, it features short stories and plays, poetry, travel articles and tips on creative writing techniques from English degree course students.
Also featured in the launch edition is award-winning author and Coventry University lecturer Mez Packer, who talks revealingly about what it takes to become a successful writer. Her critically-acclaimed debut novel ‘Among Thieves’ was shortlisted for this year’s The People’s Book Prize and the Commonwealth Writers’ Best First Book award.
Writer profiles and book reviews will appear regularly in the magazine as the editorial team – comprising three second year English undergrads – takes a look at the latest bestsellers and some old favourites.
Students submitting their work to the magazine will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of one of Coventry’s most famous sons, the great English poet Philip Larkin. Larkin was born in the city in 1922 and had his first poem published in a creative writing magazine while at university.
Third year English student Emilie Lauren Jones, who won the prestigious Guardian Short Story competition in 2006, said:
“Coventry Words makes it possible for students to see their work in print and for others to read it. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get your work out there and to build confidence in your own writing, plus it looks great on the CV. Just looking through the first issue, it’s great to see that there are so many talented writers at the University – it’s good for the city as well. It all inspires me to put pen to paper more often, and to pursue my dream of a writing career.”
Alyson Morris, senior creative writing lecturer at Coventry University and executive editor of Coventry Words magazine, said:
“I’m delighted to introduce Coventry Words magazine to the public. It all started as a series of fliers posted around the University, and we had some success when one of the poems featured was spotted and published. So with the help of my English students we got the magazine off the ground and produced a couple of trial issues which were hits around the University. Now we’ve launched officially and the idea is that we’ll provide a platform for young, aspiring writers studying at Coventry to get their work published and read by as many people as possible.”
The magazine is also available to view online.
African Studies Centre to host prestigious conference
The African Studies Centre at BES, in association with Chatham House, are to host one of the most important academic conferences on Nigeria this year.
The conference titled, “Nigeria: the biggest and the best? 50 years of independence”, takes place on Wednesday 10th November 2010 at St Mary’s Guild Hall from 10.00am until 5.30pm.
The aim of this one-day international conference is to bring together leading social and political commentators to review the past 50 years of independence and to examine some of the challenges for the future for Africa’s most populous nation.
It will provide a platform for academics, policy makers, activists and students to debate the most important contemporary issues facing the nation
Confirmed speakers:
- Prof. Jean Herskovits, State University of New York
- Dr. Abdul Raufu Mustapha, University of Oxford
- Dr. Eric Silla, US Department of State
- Dr Moses Oketch, University of London
- Dr. Lola Banjoko, Exec Director, AfricaRecruit
Refreshments and lunch will be provided and registration is £10 (payable at the conference) and free for students.
For further information about the conference and to register, please contact Prof. Bruce Baker at Bruce.Baker@coventry.ac.uk.