intouch alumni magazine issue 9
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INTOUCH Alumni Magazine Issue 9 - 2008TRANSCRIPT
SWANSEAMETROPOLITAN UNIVERSITYALUMNI NEWSLETTERINTOUCHISSUE 9 / DECEMBER 2008
SWANSEAMETROPOLITANUNIVERSITYGRANTEDCOAT OFARMS
The University successfully
petitioned the College of Arms,
which is part of the Royal
Household, for the grant of a Coat
of Arms. Such Arms are derived
from a combination of historical,
geographical and occupational
factors mediated through the long
traditions and conventions of
heraldry. Our Arms comprise a
shield, helm and mantling.
There is much deep symbolism
contained within our Coat of Arms, of
which the following points are just a
selection:
? The hazel nuts on the blazon of
the Shield denote both good luck for
ships on the sea (our maritime
location) and a strong (Celtic)
connection with wisdom. Their
number relates to our founding
colleges.
? Green and white are the colours
of the House of Tudor which,
together with the red of the mantling,
make up the colours of the Welsh
flag.
? The Owl is the creature of the
Goddess of Wisdom, Minerva,
and is holding a Civic Crown
composed of oak leaves
thereby denoting the
origins of SMU and its
Celtic roots.
? Numerically, the 18
breathing holes in the
helm represent the first
full-time student intake
into our Art School and
the 38 terminal points of
the mantling represent
our original students in
teacher education.
COAT OFARMS
THEAMORIALENSIGNS OFSWANSEA
METROPOLITANUNIVERSITY
COAT OFARMS
FIRST MINISTER OVERSEES UNIVERSITY CELEBRATIONAn educational landmark was celebrated as Swansea Metropolitan University marked its recent historic change of title withdistinguished guests which included First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM.
Back in January, Swansea Institute won its bid to be renamed Swansea Metropolitan University. Confirmation came from the PrivyCouncil following two years of rigorous inspections which were passed with flying colours.
As part of the celebrations, First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM and former Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan Commodore Sir RobertHastie both received Honorary Fellowships.
During the event Swansea Met unveiled its new Coat of Arms which had been produced and authorized by the College of Arms.The Lancaster Herald, Robert John Baptist Noel Esq, was in attendance at the Brangwyn Hall to witness the presentation of thenew Coat of Arms.
In addition, the UK’s most popular contemporary composer, Karl Jenkins, made his own contribution to the event by selecting anumber of his own compositions for the procession.
Swansea Met Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Warner said: “This is a new chapter for our institution and education in Wales. Wereceived huge support during our application process which reflects the affection in which the University is held. We would like tothank everybody for their continued support and look forward to a prosperous future for Swansea Metropolitan University.”
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SWANSEA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
The first recipient was First Minister Rhodri Morgan who is the Assembly
Member for Cardiff West. Born in 1939 and a graduate of both Oxford and
Harvard Universities, he is married to Julie Morgan, MP for Cardiff North,
and they have one son and two daughters.
Rhodri Morgan was elected to Parliament in 1987 but decided not to stand
again in the General Election in June 2001. During his time as an MP, he was
Chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Public
Administration (1997-1999) and served as the Opposition Front Bench
Spokesman on Energy (1988-1992) and Welsh Affairs (1992-1997).
He was elected as the Assembly Member for Cardiff West in 1999 and, until
2000, was the Assembly Secretary for Economic Development and European
Affairs. He was appointed First Secretary of the National Assembly in February
2000, with the title of his office changed to First Minister in October 2000, an
office he retained following the 2003 and 2007 elections.
SPECIAL FELLOWSHIPS FOR LEADINGWELSH FIGURESTwo of the Principality’s leading figures received Honorary Fellowships at the special celebration event held in theBrangwyn Hall.
The second recipient was former Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan,
Commodore Sir Robert Hastie KCVO, CBE, KStJ, RD, JP, RNR. Sir Robert
was born in Swansea and educated at Bromsgrove School. He completed
his National Service in the Royal Navy in 1953 and then progressed through
the ranks of the Royal Naval Reserve, being promoted to Captain in 1974
and becoming Commodore in 1979. He was Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty
the Queen in her Jubilee Year of 1977.
His service to others was recognised by the award of the Reserve Decoration
in 1968 with the Bar added in 1978. In 1983 he became a Commander of the
British Empire (CBE) and in 1996 The Order of St John Priory for Wales made
him a Commander (Brother) and in 2006 a Knight of Grace of that Order.
In the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours, he was made a Knight Commander of
the Royal Victorian Order - a personal gift of the Queen - for his outstanding
service to the monarchy as Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan.
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Recent figures published in the GrantThornton Higher Education FinancialYearbook for 2008/9 show thatSwansea Metropolitan University hasthe best financial record in Wales andthe fourth best in the whole of the UK.The key table looks at the net surplusprovided over a five year period by 159UK institutions of higher education.During this period, Swansea Met hasproduced an average surplus of 9.85%on turnover.
Professor David Warner, Vice-Chancellorof Swansea Metropolitan Universitycomments, “We strive to be an efficient
and effective university and our financialprudence will enable us to givesubstantial pay rises to staff, have thebest conditions of employment andacquire suitable assets as and when theyarise.
Latest figures from the Higher EducationStatistics Agency (HESA) show thatSwansea Metropolitan University hassignificantly exceeded the target set bythe Government for the employment of itsgraduates.
Every year an audited survey isundertaken of all UK graduates, six
months after the completion of theirstudies to see if they are in a job or not.Each UK University is given anemployment target based upon the mix ofsubjects they offer, and then employmentachievement is measured against thistarget.
Swansea Met have exceeded their targetby 1.2% and have come equal second inWales for this performance. That’s 94.1%of its student in employment or trainingwithin six months of graduating against atarget of 92.9%.
METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY NEWS
The University’s new corporate identity has been
designed and developed by Latvian-born Graphic
Design student Kristina Hacikjana. Kristina was the
outstanding winner in a competition to design the
University’s new look from over forty entries submitted
by students.
The new logo is based around a triskelion (three-legged
symbol) which is very common in Celtic artwork and
reflects the fact that Swansea Metropolitan University is
based on three original colleges.
The actual shapes used have connotations of bud form
and growth and come from a paradigm of culturally
accepted shapes representing elements of life. As Kristina
puts it, “After studying the various symbols I could use, I
liked the idea of using non-aggressive designs, which were
elegant and smooth transitions. This appealed to me
because it would reflect the friendly aspects of Swansea
Metropolitan University.”
Design student Kristina Hacikjana and lecturer Dr Andy
Penaluna are pictured with the new University logo.
CORPORATE IDENTITY
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SWANSEA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Rugby legend Mervyn Davies OBE hassported a different type ofrepresentative colours from the worldrenowned red jersey of Wales, ‘Merv theSwerve’ donned the historical SwanseaMet ceremonial robes to collect hisHonorary Fellowship during theUniversity’s Graduation Ceremony atthe Brangwyn Hall.
Swansea-bornMervyn Davies waseducated at PenlanComprehensiveSchool and then, atthe Swansea Collegeof Education, now apart of SwanseaMetropolitanUniversity.
As one of thelegends of worldrugby, he won thefirst of his 38 capsfor Wales against
Scotland in 1969. Playing as a No 8, hewent on to help Wales secure three TripleCrowns and two Grand Slams, and wenton two successful Lions tours to NewZealand in 1971 and South Africa in1974.
Instantly recognisable with his trademarkwhite headband, Mervyn was an athleticjumper at the tail of the lineout and hisdistributive skills were second to none.He was an intelligent reader of the game,providing control at the back of thelineout and scrum, and was a consistentlyexcellent performer.
He lost only eight times in 38 consecutivegames in a Wales shirt during the 1970s.The headlines were made by Barry John,Phil Bennett and Gareth Edwards or,further out in the backs, Gerald Daviesand JPR Williams, but the groundworkwas done by a street-wise pack in whichMervyn Davies was a lynchpin.
Originally, a key part of the great London
Welsh side he moved to Swansea in1972 to captain the club during itshalcyon days, playing 88 games andscoring 15 tries for the ‘All Whites’. As aresult, he was voted Welsh rugby playerof the year on two occasions, in 1975and 1976.
In November 1976 Mervyn was awardedan OBE for his services to sport.In a poll of Welsh rugby fans in 2002,Mervyn Davies was voted the greatestever Welsh Captain. In 2001, he wasinducted into the International RugbyUnion’s Hall of Fame.
Receiving his award, Mervyn said: “I amgreatly honoured to accept this HonoraryFellowship, especially as one of the firstrecipients since the University was re-named Swansea Metropolitan University.As a former student of the then College ofEducation forty years ago and somebodywho has lived in Swansea most of theirlife, this is a very special and I am lookingforward to the day.”
RUGBY LEGEND MERV RECEIVESHONORARY FELLOWSHIP
One of Wales’ most successful‘captains of industry’ was honoured atthe Swansea Metropolitan UniversitySummer Graduation Ceremony in theBrangwyn Hall, Swansea.
Trudy Norris-Grey, originally fromSwansea, is the Managing Director ofStrategy and Transformation at BritishTelecom. Previously, she has held thepositions of President and ManagingDirector of Sun Microsystems (UK andIreland), Vice President of Channels andAlliances at Oracle UK and Ireland, andMarketing Director for Kodak Professional(Europe, Middle East and Africa).
She is one of the UK’s foremost womenwithin the business community and isChair of the CBI’s Committee onInnovation, Science and Technology.Trudy is a founder member of the CBI’sClimate Change Task Force, workingalongside the business leaders fromthirteen of Britain’s largest companies andis also a member of the CorporateLeaders Group on Climate Change.In addition, she is the Chair of the UKResource Centre for Women in Science,
Engineering andTechnology, whose aimis to enhance the UKGDP by engaging withwomen in science,technology andengineering.
About her honour, Trudysaid: “I am hugelyhonoured to receive thisaward. I can rememberwhen I was young sittingon my mother’s lap anddreaming of the future. Inever thought that Iwould get somethinglike this. If only mymother could see menow.
I am also delighted forthe graduating studentswho should be proud oftheir achievements andshould now follow their dreams.”
She added: “Swansea is a great city and Iam a local girl. The last time I was here in
the Brangwyn Hall I was in a weddingdress. That was twenty-three years agoso this is very poignant in many ways.”
HONORARY FELLOWSHIP FOR LEADINGWELSH BUSINESS FIGURE
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ALUMNI
Swansea Metropolitan University’s EnterpriseManager has become one of the first peoplein Europe to complete a high profileprogramme promoting InternationalEntrepreneurship within education.
Kathryn Penaluna has completed theInternational Entrepreneurship EducatorsProgramme (IEEP), led by the National Councilfor Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) andEnterprise Educators UK, which is the firstcourse of its kind in Europe.
During a Gala Dinner at Liverpool Cathedralrecently, Kathryn and small number ofcolleagues from across the UK and Irelandwere inaugurated as NCGE EntrepreneurshipEducation Fellows, recognising theirachievements as future leaders in enterpriseeducation.
The awards were presented to the Fellows byJohn Courtin, Vice-President of the EwingMarion Kauffman Foundation, which haspioneered the development ofentrepreneurship in American Universities formany years.
NCGE Entrepreneurship Education Fellows willcreate a network of expertise that will helpshape the success of entrepreneurship atuniversities, HEIs and FEIs in the UK, Irelandand overseas.
The Programme seeks to create future leadersin the field, ‘masters of their craft’, who willshape their teaching and learning environmentsas better places for developing entrepreneurialmindsets, behaviours and skills in our studentsand graduates.
Swansea Metropolitan University, and inparticular Kathryn, has demonstrated itscommitment to promoting entrepreneurship toits students and this Fellowship recognises thework carried out at Swansea Met in advancingthe field of entrepreneurship education.
During the last twelve months, IEEP moduleswere hosted across the UK and participantswere given access to a wealth of globalexperience in the field. Module leadersincluded Tony Mendes and Paul Magelli of theUniversity of Illinois, one of the KauffmanFoundation’s leading Campus Projects in theUSA; Ben Way, one of the youngest and mostsuccessful internet entrepreneurs; andEmeritus Professor Allan Gibb, a worldrenowned leader in the field ofentrepreneurship education.
On receiving the Fellowship, Kathryn said:“This award demonstrates that SwanseaMetropolitan University is at the forefront ofentrepreneurship education and reflects ourinnovative approaches for enhancing ourstudent’s entrepreneurial capabilities”.
For more information please contact KathrynPenaluna, Enterprise Manager, CommercialServices, Swansea Metropolitan University,on 01792 481199, [email protected] or visitwww.smu.ac.uk
Pictured in the photo are (l-r): John Courtin,Vice-President, the Ewing Marion KauffmanFoundation; Kathryn Penaluna; Chris Hall,Chair Designate of EntrepreneurshipEducators UK; and Professor Paul Hannon,NCGE Director of Research and Education.
SWANSEAMET EURO LEADERS FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
COMMERCIAL SERVICES TRAININGSwansea Metropolitan University’s Commercial Services Department delivers training at the University or at yourplace of work:
? CILT (UK) Logistics and Transport qualifications
? ILM Management Programmes
? IOSH Managing Safely/Health and Safety
? CPC National Road Haulage
? Introduction to Sageline 50 Training
? Management of Organisational Change
? Completing Self Assessment Tax
? Range of Personal Development Programmes for Team Leaders and Managers
? Business Process Re-engineering
Please contact: Brian Miles, Training Co-ordinator / Cydlynydd HyfforddiCommercial Services / Gwasanaethau Masnachol
Telephone No / Rhif Ffôn: 01792 481199 Fax Number / Rhif Ffacs: 01792 481122e-mail / e-bost: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
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SWANSEA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
A Swansea Metropolitan University graduatewas among the high profile speakers at aconvention run by the CharteredManagement Institution (CMI), in Cardiffearlier this year.
The CMI Wales Nation Convention is anopportunity for professionals to hear howcompanies are recruiting, developing andkeeping talent in Wales. CMI delegates andguest organisations from across Walesattended a series of workshops and seminarsduring the day.
Kate Thomas studied towards her Masters ofBusiness Administration (MBA) at SwanseaMet and is currently working with the WalesCouncil for Voluntary Action. Her workshopfocused on leadership in the third sector andwas well received by the leading Welshbusiness representatives in attendance.
Representing Swansea Met at the event wereMBA Programme Director, Mr Steve Griffithsand the Business School’s Head of ExternalCommunication, Mr Vic Saunders. Thisprovided an excellent opportunity to promotethe Business School, which is a recognisedCMI Centre.
A Swansea Metspokeswoman said: “Asa leading CMI Centre inWales it is important forSwansea Met to attend.With a number of highprofile businessrepresentatives, thenetworking opportunitiesare excellent and have adirect benefit for ourstudents, as we are ableto invite some of theprominent speakers intothe Business School toparticipate in lectures.
“Many new ideas cameout of this conventionand Swansea Met’s Business School will bepromoting them throughout the year.”
Attendees at the convention in the MiskinManor included Jane Hutt AM, Minister forChildren, Education, Lifelong Learning andSkills and Dr Neil Wooding, Director of PublicService Management Wales.
For more information about SwanseaMetropolitan University’s Business School,please call 01792 481010, [email protected] or visit www.smu.ac.uk
Pictured are Vic Saunders (left) and SteveGriffiths (right) from Swansea Met’s BusinessSchool, and Swansea Met graduate and CMIConvention speaker, Kate Thomas.
A Swansea Metropolitan University businessgraduate has taken the helm at one of
Wales’ most successful companiesafter gaining promotion within
Admiral Insurance.
Sarah Phillipart, fromPontardawe, graduated with a First ClassHonours Degree in Human ResourceManagement. During her studies, shehas worked with Gladiator Van Insuranceand after six and a half years with thecompany, has now been promoted fromSales Executive to Sales Coach.
Her new role includes new employeeinduction training, call and qualitymonitoring, running training programs andworkshops, and also identifying trainingneeds and providing feedback.
Sarah has received her promotion withthe full backing of all her supervisors atAdmiral Group. It was decided thatshe was the most suitablecandidate for the position withboth her experience at Gladiatorand her impressive degreeresult.
For one of Sarah’s modules, Leadership andDecision Making, an assignment had to becompleted in which she interviewed the CEOof Admiral Group, Henry Englehardt. MrEnglehardt is a leadership guru and histheories about the subject have been widelypublished.
Sarah said: “My experience at Swansea Met’sBusiness School was fantastic! The coursecontent in all modules of my degree was bothvaried and stimulating, combining theory withreal life case studies.”
Sarah will be returning to the Business Schoolto complete her professional qualification inHuman Resources, which she hopes willbroaden her horizons even further withinAdmiral Group Plc.
Photo: Sarah Phillipart enjoys the doublecelebration of promotion and a First ClassHonours Degree
GRADUATE SPEAKERAT TOP BUSINESS EVENT
ADMIRAL SALUTES BUSINESS SCHOOL GRADUATE
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ALUMNI
The prestigious Chartered Instituteof Professional Development (CIPD)Student of the Year award has beenpresented to a SwanseaMetropolitan University studentduring a special lunch ceremony atthe Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea.Joanne Mulhearn, from Bonymaen,was presented with her award fromthe Lord Mayor of Swansea and theLord Mayor of Neath Port Talbot, inthe presence of representativesfrom the CIPD South Wales branch.
A graduate of Bucks New University,Joanne relocated to Swansea to takeup her current role as the HumanResources Manager at BemisSwansea Limited. On receiving theaward, Joanne said: “I’m extremelypleased and shocked to be given thisaward. When I moved to Swansea Icame across the CIPD course run atSwansea Metropolitan University andover the past two years of study Ihave gained a lot of theoreticalknowledge which will compliment mypractical experience.”
Swansea Met’s CIPD ProgrammeDirector, Dr Maggie Inman said: “Thepresentation of the award is based onseveral criteria, including attendance,class room participation andsuccessfully passing theexaminations and assignments.Joanne has achieved all of these andproduced excellent results.”
For more information on CIPDcourses at Swansea MetropolitanUniversity, please contact Dr MaggieInman on 01792 481103, [email protected] or visitwww.smu.ac.uk
Photo: CIPD Student of the YearJoanne Mulhearn (centre) iscongratulated by representativesfrom the CIPD, SwanseaMetropolitan University, the City andCounty of Swansea and Neath PortTalbot Borough Council.
Swansea Met Student ClinchesTop Business Award
Recent Alumni from SwanseaMetropolitan University’s surfacepattern design programmes havereached new heights of successfollowing this year’s New Designersexhibition, held in the BusinessCentre in Islington, London.
Over four thousand graduatesexhibited their work to more thanseventeen thousand visitors andSwansea Met students RhiannonRobbins, Harriet Chapman, HannahDyke and Nerys Cox all came awaywith offers of professional work.
Rhiannon Robbins, from Carmarthen,
was chosen for an interview withIdaho Designs, a menswear companybased in London. She was alsoselected to exhibit with TheEmbroiders Guild in the 2008 Knitand Stitch shows across the UK andIreland. In addition, Rhiannon showedher work at the Indigo Trade Fair, aleading international exhibitionspecialising in textile design andcreation, in Paris.
Harriet Chapman, from Swansea,was one of only ten UK studentsawarded a place in the GraduateShowcase at Europe’s leading quiltshow, the Festival of Quilts, which
took place earlier this year. Harrietwas planning to set up her ownbusiness following her graduationsuccess in July.Interior fabric designer Nerys Cox,from Cardiff, was approached by ayoung design company to undertakesome freelance work.
Hannah Dyke, from Llantwit Major,was offered a two week placement atTigerprint, a trend-setting companywho design greetings cards and giftwraps for Marks and Spencers. Theyare to profile Hannah’s work on theircompany website for the use ofprofessional companies, whileHannah joined fellow graduateRhiannon Robbins at the Indigo TradeFair.
Surface Pattern Alumni Prove their Quality
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SWANSEA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Swansea Metropolitan University played host to some of the world’s most seniormembers of the Armed Forces at its Mount Pleasant campus recently.
The high profile visit to Swansea Met’s Faculty of Applied Design and Engineering wasorganised by the Royal College of Defence Studies, who brought the delegation toWales.
During the visit, the tour party spent time with leading figures in the political, industrialand economic fields, as well as exploring the academic expertise locally at SwanseaMet.
The University is one of the few institutions in the UK to train the Armed Forces,particularly in the subject of logistics. At the specific request of the MoD, the Facultyhas taken the training to the students with a programme of weekend tutorials andseminars taking place at the home of the Royal Logistics Corps, and a number ofdistance learning packages. These are supplemented by summer schools at SwanseaMet’s Mount Pleasant campus.
The Royal College of Defence Studies is the senior institution of its kind in the UnitedKingdom. With a membership of 92 people, there are 48 different nationalities in totaland the members are generally of Colonel to Brigadier rank, senior Governmentofficials or rising executives in the Private Sector. All members are prominent in theirrelevant organisations and are expected to eventually occupy the most seniorappointments in their profession.
The nine delegates who visited Swansea Met were led by Air Marshall A.G. Walton,and included delegates from Argentina, Egypt, Austria, Croatia, Serbia as well as theRoyal Air Force, British Army and Ministry of Defence.
Dean of the Faculty of Applied Design and Engineering, Dr Kelvin Donne said: “Thiswas a very high profile delegation and we were delighted that they chose to visit us.Aside from our existing links with the Armed Forces, we introduced them to the otherdifferent areas of our Faculty and the strong industrial and commercial links that wehave developed.”
SENIORARMED FORCESMEMBERS VISITSWANSEAMET
Picture: Visiting members of the Armed Forces and Swansea Met representativesgather in the Grand Reading Room at the University’s Alexandra Road campus. GRADUATING COUPLE
PARTNER UP TO TRAINPOLICE FORCEA Swansea woman, renowned for being thefirst female Inspector in the Dyfed PowysPolice force, and her Police Sergeanthusband celebrated their graduation togetherafter studying on a teacher training course atSwansea Metropolitan University.
Husband and wife Sergeant Peter Evans andInspector Carole Evans, from Pontardulais,both work within the police force and areinvolved with police training. This training isvery important, especially for Dyfed PowysPolice who cover a land mass of over half ofWales, including the counties ofCarmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshireand Powys.
Peter, who is now retired, and Carole came toSwansea Met looking to gain a qualificationwhich would help them to train and instruct inadult and work-based education. As a result,they enrolled on Swansea Met’s PGCE/CertEd(PCET) programmes.
At Swansea Met’s Graduation Ceremony in theBrangwyn Hall both Carole and Petergraduated with distinctions. Carole gained aProfessional Graduate Certificate in Educationand Peter, a Certificate in Education.
The University offers numerous part-time andfull-time teacher training programmes aimed athelping existing or intending teachers,lecturers, instructors and trainers in higher,further, Adult and Community or Work-basededucation.
PGCE/CertEd (PCET) Programme Director, PatDavies said: “Carole and Peter were exemplarystudents and demonstrated the highestprofessional standards. They will certainly beenhancing the quality of training in the DyfedPowys Police force in the future.”
Photo: Sergeant Peter Evans andInspector Carole Evans celebrate theirsuccess at Swansea MetropolitanUniversity’s Graduation Ceremony.
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Swansea Metropolitan University’s FormulaStudent team has been in big demand sincethis year’s competition success, with apersonal invite to the House of Lordsamongst the high profile visits. The teamconfirmed themselves as sixth best in theworld, second best in the UK and best inWales after the 2008 Formula Studentcompetition at Silverstone.
Since then the successful students have beeninvited to a number of events, including theprestigious Motorsport Industry Association(MIA) Reception at the House of Lords, wherethe good and the great of the industry offeredtheir own personal praise for Swansea Met’sachievements.
The Swansea Met Formula Student car proudlylined up outside the UK’s corridors of powerwith some of motorsport’s top vehicles fromthe Formula One and Touring CarChampionships. The Driving StandardsAgency also called on the team to join them attheir recent event in the Millennium Stadium inCardiff, aimed at promoting road safety.
Swansea Met’s Head of AutomotiveEngineering, Roger Dowden said: “Thestudents are now getting all the credit theydeserve for their efforts. To be invited to theHouse of Lords with all of the leadingmotorsport figures in attendance, as well asLord Astor of Hever and members of the AllParliamentary Motor Group, is somethingspecial.”
Formula Student promotes careers andexcellence in engineering, by challengingstudents to design, build, develop, market andcompete as a team with a small single seaterracing car. It blends academic work andlearning with the development of practicalengineering skills.
This year’s internationalcompetition saw over seventyuniversity teams from acrossthe world converge onto thefamous Silverstone circuitand each competition carwas rigorously tested inareas such as endurance,speed and business viability.
The event is the biggest of its kind in the worldand is sponsored by big names in theautomotive field such as Honda F1, Shell,National Instruments and the IET.
Swansea Met launched the world's firstmotorsport engineering and design degree in1998 and it is widely recognised as a leader inthis field. Earlier this year, it became one of thefirst Universities in the UK to gain the highlyprestigious title of Motorsport AcademyRecognised Educator.
For more information about theSchool of Automotive Engineering
at Swansea Metropolitan University, pleasecontact Roger Dowden on 01792 481168,email [email protected] or visit
www.smu.ac.uk
As the motorsport engineering degree atSwansea Metropolitan University celebratesits tenth anniversary this year, one of the firstgraduates of the course has created a newsupercar which has taken the world bystorm. Ignacio Fernandez Rodriquez,originally from Spain, was a part of the firstcohort of students to undertake the world’sfirst motorsport engineering and design
degree at Swansea Met (then SwanseaInstitute) back in 1998. In 2001, he graduatedwith a 2:1 and went on to forge a high profilecareer within the motorsport industry,working with the likes of Prodrive, Seat andthe Mitsubishi World Rally team.
In 2003, Ignacio set up his own consultancy,IFR Automotive, offering an uncompromised
approach to automotiveresearch directed towardsdeveloping sustainabletransportation systems andprotecting society’s desirefor mobility. In its shortexistence, IFR Automotivehas been pronounced theBest Start Up Company of2004 by the SpanishChamber of Commerce,University and EnterpriseAssociation, and in 2006 itwas nominated as one ofSpain’s top five industryresearch and developmentbusinesses.
Ignacio’s most recentdevelopment is taking themotor industry by stormand received manyaccolades at the British
International Motor Show in London. TheAspid, Spanish for asp, is a supercar-quicktwo-seater vehicle with no creature comfortsomitted, promising to be usable around townas well competitive on a track. It meets bothFIA safety requirements for racing andEuropean criteria for road use.
Its power comes from a 2.0-litre engine and ata light-weight 700kg it can reach speeds of 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and 100mph in 5.9seconds. In addition, it offers good fueleconomy and low carbon dioxide emissions.The first production models will be ready laterthis year and IFR has already taken advanceorders, with a six month waiting time for eachcar. The standard model will cost £75,000 butmore advance versions will be available atextra cost.Head of the School of Automotive Engineeringat Swansea Met, Roger Dowden said: “We arevery proud of Ignacio’s achievements. He, likemany of our motorsport graduates, has madea huge impact in the industry, both with theworld’s leading companies and now with hishugely successful consultancy.
Photo: Swansea Met’s Head of AutomotiveEngineering, Roger Dowden (right) withgraduate and IFR Automotive founder,Ignacio Fernandez Rodriquez at the BritishInternational Motor Show.
WORLD CLASS MOTORSPORT TEAMGET HOUSE OF LORDS PRAISE
MOTORSPORT GRADUATE RACES TO GLOBAL PRAISE
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SWANSEA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Work from five of the world’s leading femaleglass artists, and Swansea MetropolitanUniversity Alumni, was shown at a highprofile exhibition in Liverpool, as a part of thecity’s 2008 European Capital of Culturecelebrations.
Gathering Light an exhibition of internationalcontemporary stained glass was shown at theLiverpool Metropolitan Cathedral betweenJune and August this year. It was opened bythe world-renowned artist Patrick ReyntiensOBE, who created the majority of the originalglass, including the lantern, in the city’sprominent landmark Cathedral.
Twenty years ago, a group of female artistsworking with glass from around the worldcame together for an exhibition in Germany,entitled ’36 Women from 12 Countries’. Thisgathering heralded the start of the Women’sInternational Glass Workshop, which nowexhibits across the world.
Of the nineteen global exhibitors on show inLiverpool, five were former students of thefamous Welsh School of Architectural Glass atSwansea Metropolitan University. These areChris Bird-Jones, Catrin Jones and Amber
Hiscott from Wales, Chinks Vere Grylls fromEngland and Sachiko Yamamoto from Japan.Chris Bird-Jones, the exhibition organiser, isoriginally from Wrexham and a long-established glass artist whose work hasfeatured in exhibitions throughout the world.She came to Swansea to learn about glass inthe mid-seventies and has since been invitedto lecture in many colleges and universitiesacross the globe.
She has now returned to her roots in Swanseawhere she lectures in the Welsh School ofArchitectural Glass at Swansea Met.Catrin Jones, originally from Cardigan, studiedarchitectural stained glass in Swansea from1979-1982. She has an extensive portfolio ofcommissions at a number of locations acrossthe UK, including two windows in memory ofthe wedding of Lady Diana and Prince Charlesin the west wall of St. Mary’s Church inSwansea, and a window for the LyceumTheatre in Sheffield.
Swansea resident Amber Hiscott is aprofessional glass artist whose work includesthe Glass Towers in Cardiff Bay, as well aspieces at The Royal Exchange Theatre,Manchester, Sheffield Cathedral and the Wales
Millennium Centre. She studied in Swansea inthe early seventies and has since lectured andexhibited all over the world.
Japanese artist Sachiko Yamamoto, whostudied in Swansea during the early nineties,makes intricate, light-filtering glass panels,which contain innumerable, tiny, light-reflecting,glass pieces. Her work can be seen across theworld, particularly in Japan where it isdisplayed in public buildings, such as the DaitoBunka University in Tokyo and SeigakuinUniversity in Saitama.Chinks Vere Grylls, originally from Chelmsford,studied architectural stained glass in Swanseafrom 1979-81. Today she works as an artist,designer and consultant, and the list of herexecuted works include memorial windows inSt.Stanislaus RC Church in Devon, interiorglass walls in St.Nicholas Hospital inNewcastle, and glazed outer and inner walls inRiverside Mental Health Hospital in Torquay.
In 2010, Swansea Met’s Welsh School ofArchitectural Glass will celebrate its 75thanniversary following a long and illustriouspast.
Two Swansea Metropolitan University glass artists have helped a retiring Swansea Head Teacherand his pupils to make a lasting impression in their School for future generations to enjoy.
Pupils from St Joseph’s Infant and Junior Schools, in Greenhill, have worked with architectural glassstudents Ruth Walker and Beth Downing to create a series of artistic windows,which have now been installed throughout the School.
Earlier this year, Ruth, from Newport, and Beth, fromSomerset, spent time with the pupils working on designideas for the windows. They were encouraged to thinkabout symbols that represented the School and thetheme of friendship. The children’s ideas were thenincorporated into a series of window designs whichwere made by Swansea Met’s world renowned WelshSchool of Architectural Glass.
Ruth a graduate from Swansea Met, said: “Theycontacted the Welsh School of Architectural Glass tosee if we could create some panels for a class roomin the Infant School and a Prayer Room in the JuniorSchool. It was important for us to involve thechildren and to see how we could integrate ourwork into the National Curriculum.”
Beth added: “We asked the children to usesymbolism to depict both the local area and thetheme of friendship, which is important within aSchool environment. The designs were very abstractand included the local industry, the River Tawe andeven a Celtic Cross which can be found near theSchool.”
FAMOUS SWANSEAGLASS IN EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE
PUPILS MAKE THEIR MARKWITHATOUCH OF GLASSGLASSALUMNINETWORK
Following the verysuccessful Stained GlassAlumni event held in Marchthis year when SwanseaMetropolitan University’s
Welsh School ofArchitectural Glass
celebrated its long andillustrious past with
graduates past and present,it is hoped it will now give usthe opportunity to establishan active specialist glass
alumni network.
If you would like to become involvedplease contact Chris Bird-Jones on
Tel: 01792 481179 or email
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ALUMNI
CISCO LOOKS TOSWANSEA FORGLOBALNETWORKINGSHORTAGESouth Wales’ only Cisco NetworkingAcademy, Swansea MetropolitanUniversity, will endeavour to solve theshortage of networking professionals asit starts the sought after CCNA (CiscoCertified Network Associate) course.
Cisco Systems is the world’s biggestnetworking company and supplies a vastmajority of the hardware that enables theinternet to function. Today, networks arean essential part of business, education,government and home communications,and Cisco’s Internet Protocol based (IP)networking solutions are the foundationof these networks.The course, which was re-launched lastyear, will take place at Swansea Met’sMount Pleasant campus and will last forthirty weeks.
Head of the school of AppliedComputing, Dr Ian Wells said: “TheCCNA is highly sort after by employersand is an internationally recognisedqualification in Computer Networking.”
For more details on this course,please call 01792 481192 oremail [email protected]
Swansea Metropolitan Universityhas offered top quality computingdegrees for over 30 years, and inan effort to ensure the currencyand relevance of its courses toemployers, they have enlisted thehelp of some of Swansea’s biggestcompanies. These include theDVLA, John Collins Solicitors andBusiness Systems Services.
Open days will take placeWednesday 25th February 2009,Wednesday 6th May 2009 andWednesday 1st July 2009. Allevents will take place at SwanseaMet’s Mount Pleasant campus,starting at 1pm.
The School offers a comprehensivecatalogue of computing coursescovering software, hardware andnetworking training. Softwarerelated titles include Business andInformation Technology, Computingand Information Systems, ComputerNetworks, Software Engineering andComputer Games Development.
Head of Applied Computing, Dr IanWells, said: “We have a number ofcourses on offer in the School andthe open days allow us to meetpeople with an interest in computingand advise them on which courseswould be suitable for what they wishto achieve.”
Anyone interested in attending anopen day is asked to contact theSchool by calling 01792 481192 orby emailing [email protected]
LOG ON TOCAREERS INCOMPUTING
The final year project of a 3D computeranimation graduate from SwanseaMetropolitan University has been short-listedat one of the UK’s top film events, theEncounters Short Film Festival.
‘Encounters’, which takes place in Bristol,offers an important platform for both new andestablished filmmakers to showcase theirwork. The six day event includes screenings,special events, workshops and masterclasseswith key figures throughout the film industry.Referred to as ‘The big thinking short filmfestival’ by the Guardian, ‘Encounters’ is nowin its fourteenth year and will screen the verybest short films from around the world.
Dan Nicholson, originally from York, graduatedfrom the world renowned 3D computeranimation degree programme at Swansea Metin July. His final year project, Subject #164, hasbeen short-listed in the InternationalNewcomer Animation category at the event.Subject #164 takes the form of a laboratorydocumentary filmed in the early 60’s. It followsa newly discovered and apparently unintelligentNeanderthal Humanlike specimen which isfound, through testing, to have amazing logic-
solving intelligence. The progress of ‘Subject#164’ is observed over a period ofapproximately three years as scientistsdocument its behavior and progress, until it isexhaustively tested to death.
Dan said: “The idea for this short filmdeveloped over a period of weeks where Iwould mostly wake up in the middle of thenight and jot down strange ideas that came tome. From the offset I wanted to createsomething a little different and also somethingwith a little depth. The idea of a human-likespecies being put through various tests gaveme great freedom to invent some interestingscenarios which hopefully resulted in anoriginal and provocative short film.
BA 3D computer animation ProgrammeDirector, Scott Smith said: “This is a greatachievement for Dan who has produced afantastic piece of work. We are very proud ofhis success and wish him the best of luck inthe competition. Being selected to compete atthis event is no small achievement!”
Swansea Met’s School of Digital Media isknown throughout the industry for the quality
of its animation programmes. Last year, leading3D artist’s publication ‘3D World’ voted theSchool as one of the UK’s top animationeducators.
In recent years, the School has become afeeder for some of the industry’s biggestnames.
Student employment destinations includeAardman Animation (Wallace and Grommit),Moving Picture Company (Sweeny Todd, HarryPotter), Double Negative (The Dark Knight,Atonement), EA Games (FIFA 09, Battlefield)and The Mill (Dr Who, Torchwood).
The School also organises the internationalcomputer graphic imagery event SAND(Swansea Animation Days), which attractscompanies, journalists and students fromaround the world.
For more information on Swansea Met’sSchool of Digital Media, please contactMartin Capey on 01792 481117, [email protected] or visitwww.smu.ac.uk
STUDENTANIMATIONSHORT-LISTEDAT TOP FILMFESTIVAL
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SWANSEA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Were you an international studentwho previously studied at SwanseaMetropolitan University (formerlySwansea Institute of HigherEducation)?
Or
Are you a Britishstudent now livingand workingoverseas?
Would you beinterested in helpingto represent theUniversity in yourcountry of residence?
If so, Swansea MetropolitanUniversity Alumni Office would love tohear from you as they are currentlydeveloping an International AlumniAmbassador Scheme.
The role of an International AlumniAmbassador covers a range ofdifferent activities, which will enableyou to stay in touch with your
University wherever you are in theworld and enhance your personaland professional development. Theposition is extremely flexible, allowingyou the opportunity to get involved in
as many different ways as youwould like. Throughout
your time as anAmbassador, theAlumni Office will beon hand to offersupport andguidance.
If you would like findout more about
becoming an InternationalAlumni Ambassador for
Swansea Metropolitan Universityplease contact Julie Reed, AlumniOfficer on 01792 481217 or [email protected]
Activities that you may like to get involvedin as an International Alumni Ambassadorinclude:
? Sharing experiences of university lifein person or online with prospective andnew students to help prepare them forstudent life in Wales.
? Offering practical advice andinformation about your home city, regionor country to visiting members of stafffrom the university and fellow alumniwho are relocating.
? Liaising regularly with the alumnioffice and supporting their activitiesoverseas, assist with hosting formal andinformal alumni events, establishingalumni groups in your home city orcountry.
? Assisting with activities to help raiseawareness of the university in yourhome country. Participate in schoolvisits and recruitment fairs to provideinformation to prospective students
? Providing a profile for inclusion inuniversity promotional material to assistthe university in promoting itself in amanner that reflects the realexperiences of its students
? Contributing to alumnicommunications to keep the alumnioffice informed of any alumni eventsthat have taken place and interestingnews surrounding personalachievements which can be included inalumni publications and web pages.
SWANSEAMETROPOLITAN UNIVERSITYINTERNATIONALALUMNIAMBASSADOR SCHEME
ACALL TOALLALUMNI PLEASE UPDATE YOUR EMAILADDRESSBY EMAILING THEALUMNI OFFICEAT:[email protected]
LETTER BOX SERVICEIf you have lost touch with an old friend from the University we may be able to help reunite you. We will tryour best to put you in touch with other graduates with whom you have lost contact. Just forward yourrequest to the Alumni Office with as many details as possible (eg name, (maiden name if appropriate)subject studied, graduation year)Alternatively you can email us with your message asking for it to be forwarded. If we do not have acurrent contact address we will let you know.
All information held is in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and therefore personal informationcannot be released without consent.
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ALUMNI
A product design student from Swansea Met’s School ofIndustrial Design has beaten off stiff competition from across thecountry to win a top prize at the high profile Corus Design Awards2008. The annual Design Wales Awards is aimed atundergraduate product design students from across Wales. It issponsored by Corus and is run in conjunction with Design Wales,which is funded by the National Assembly for Wales.
Second year student Nick Haimes, originally from West Sussex,received an award in the Most Marketable Design category in aceremony at Sofia Gardens, Cardiff. He created a hand warmingdevice called the Handy Heater. Students across Wales were briefedto create a consumer heating or cooling appliance that uses pre-finished steel and incorporated environmentally sound principles intoits development. Students had to consider the product’s life cycleand its resulting impact on the environment, as well as energyconsumption, alternative energy sources and raw materials.
Nick said: “The idea for designing a productto warm up people’s hands came to mewhile surfing in Wales over the winter. Idecided to use a kinetic shake chargerafter studying a torch that had alreadyutilised the technology. “Shaking thecarrot-shaped metal Handy Heatwhile pressing a button on the topwill release heat immediately, or theunit can be charged before use byshaking without holding the button.This would then release heat whenthe button is pressed.”
NICK’S DESIGN COMES INHANDY FOR CORUS
Nick’s Handy Heater design.
Pictured are:Mark Owens, CORUS, Nick Haimes (Centre),Philip Harfield, Design Wales
REUNIONSThe Alumni Office is happy to help witharrangements for Reunions. We canassist with the mailings of any lostcontacts, help with the venue, cateringetc. Out of term overnightaccommodation can also be arrangedat discount prices.
If you are planning a Reunion get intouch and we will give you all the supportwe can.
We hope that all Swansea MetropolitanUniversity graduates will remaininterested and involved in the long termdevelopment of the University. Wewelcome members’ suggestions for newservices and activities. We would alsolike to hear from you with your news,achievements and reminiscences. If youhave a ‘good story’ to tell please let usknow.
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SWANSEA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Helen Lamport(PGCE - Graduated2006)
“I am still teaching atDenefield School inReading where Isuccessfully completed myNQT year and took on extraresponsibilities within thedepartment last year. InFebruary I took a group of 30students to Belgium for aweek and I helped the head ofdepartment to introduce BTECto year 12 and build up thedepartment from one that did nothave good results to one that has endedup with much better results. As a resultof this when the head of departmentdecided to leave I was able tosuccessfully get the position of Head ofDepartment. This year we have thelargest numbers we have ever had takingBusiness Studies with 75 year 10'sstarting GCSE's, 5 year 10's startingBTEC (which is a new course at year 10),50 year 11's taking GCSE's, 22 year 12BTEC students, 45 year 12 studentstaking either business studies, economicsor applied business and 11 year 13'staking business or applied business.Overall I am really enjoying the newresponsibilities that come with becominghead of department and hope that thingsI am changing will benefit the department.I am also looking after an NQT in thebusiness department which is allowingme to pass on knowledge gained frommy experiences as an NQT at the school.I am still commuting between Swanseaand Reading but hopefully my newresponsibilities will give me a chance toexpand my knowledge and experienceand eventually make it back down toSwansea.
I just wanted to say thank you to you andall of the team for giving me a fantasticstart to my career as without the greatPGCE training I received I would not havemanaged to become a head ofdepartment two years after graduatingwith my PGCE”.
Photo Helen, Lead Teacher BusinessStudies with her sixth form students ona visit to the Port of Antwerp in BelgiumFebruary 2008. Helen is in the middle atthe front of the picture.
Simon Evans, Senior Lecturer in BusinessEducation said “It is particularly satisfyingwhen we hear from past SwanseaMetropolitan student-teachers who aremaking such a big impact in the teachingprofession. This term I have alreadyheard positive reports from newlyqualified teachers in many parts of thiscountry along with others teaching furtherafield in the Middle East and China.
Helen was an outstanding student-teacher whilst she studied with us andshe has clearly made a very strong entryto the profession. I am pleased that shewill be acting as a mentor to her ownstudent teachers this year. She is such agood role model.”
Matthew Smith(PGCE Business Studies - Graduated2003)
Matthew Smith is currently teachingBusiness subjects at Bridgend College,and has just been appointed to GwentCollege on their management scale astheir E-learning manager, covering all theircampuses. After graduating from CardiffBusiness School he worked in industry
and as a charity administrator for a fewyears before doing the PGCE BusinessStudies at Swansea Institute. He is alsocurrently a part time SwanseaMetropolitan University student on the MAPDET.
Adam Morris(General Illustration - Graduated2007)
Adam Morris, an Ordinary Degreegraduate from this year's GeneralIllustration course was 1 of just 3illustration graduates nationwide,selected for the Creative ReviewStudent Showcase, and featuredin the magazine.
Congratulations are in order from theSchool of Digital Media to all recentgraduates just a few are mentionedbelow.
William BarrBA 3DCA 2008 graduate
Will has been employed by Inferno ofBelfast, Northern Ireland.http://www.inferno.tv/
Stefano OttavianoBA 3DCA 2008 graduate
Stefano has been employed by Mutadoof Milan, Italy in the position of motiongraphics designer (3d, 2d and stopmotion animation) Stefano's clients atMutado include MTV Italy among others.http://www.mutado.com/
Chris de LloydBA 3DCA 2008 graduate
Chris has been employed by Full FatProductions of Coventry in the position ofanimator. <http://www.fullfat.com/>
Daniel NicholsonBA 3DCA 2008 graduate
Dan has been employed by DoubleNegative, London. http://www.dneg.com/
WHEREARE YOU NOWALUMNI NEWS
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ALUMNI
INTERESTED INATEACHING CAREER?Swansea Metropolitan University’s School of Education is one of the largest providers of teacher training education in Wales andworks in partnership with schools throughout South Wales. It has again topped the student satisfaction polls in the NationalStudent Survey.
Teaching - applying for a PGCE 2009Application is online for PGCE applications through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) www.gttr.ac.uk
Middle Years and Secondary applications:The GTTR processes all applications that are received from September 2008 to 30 June 2009. There is no early closing date forapplications to middle years and secondary courses. However, bear in mind that some training providers may not be able toconsider you for the most popular courses unless you apply early.
See also the Education Community on the Graduate Prospects website www.prospects.ac.uk for information about careers in
teaching and a guide to Applying for a PGCE 2009. This guide is also available in the Careers Resources
DID YOU GRADUATEIN 2008?
ANNUALGRADUATE DESTINATIONSURVEY (DLHE)
The destination survey is undertaken by the Swansea Metropolitan UniversityCareer Service on behalf of the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA).Every year Graduates in UK higher education institution are contacted to findout what they are doing six months after graduation, whether they are in
employment, continuing their education etc.Please complete your questionnaire and return it as soon as possible.
Whether you are returning fromtravelling, considering further studyor relevant work experience planningor a career change, all alumni arewelcomed back by the UniversityCareers Service to use its facilitiesand expertise. We have a range ofservices and information sources to
help.
Visit www.smu.ac.ukServices for Students/Careers Service
for contact details and furtherinformation
Careers Centre staff will be pleased toanswer any of your queries
Enquiries to [email protected]
DON’T FORGET THEALUMNI GOODIESAs a member of the alumni organisation you will be able to use the following facilities and services free of charge:
? Use the University Libraries for reference purposes.
? Use the Townhill Fitness Centre – so long as we have space!
? Have continuing Careers counselling, find out about job opportunities throughout Wales and the rest of the UK,
and use the Careers ICT Service.
? Get the latest information about University Bursaries and Scholarships
? Use our student accommodation, when available at low, low rates.
? Use the University’s conference, catering and other facilities for your events at reduced rates.
? Gain the latest information about business incentives in South West Wales
? Intellectual Property Rights Advisory Service
INTOUCHISSUE 9 / DECEMBER 2008
CONTACT:Julie Reed, Alumni Co-ordinator,Tel/Fax: 01792 481217E-mail: [email protected]
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