University of Essex in the press...

August 2008

Friday 29

In tandem for 2020
There will be those who do not know the first thing about Colchester 2020 and a few will have heard the name, but as to what it does exactly, that is something else.
Its brief is to be the bridge between us and those with the clout to make Colchester's future rosy by 2020, if possible. Members include Mercury Theatre Chief Executive Dee Evans, Essex University Dr Tony Rich and surveyor Ewan Dodds. Read the full article here.
Evening Gazette

Always look on the bright side of life!
Colchester is amongst the most cheerful places in the country, researchers say. A study based on Essex University data has ranked every district in Britain, from the merriest to the melancholy. It found chirpy chaps in Colchester were looking on the brightside - lifting the town from to 16th place nationwide - while frowning Tendring saw the area placed a lowly 178th out of 273.
Evening Gazette

Cheer up, its not that bad
Morose folk in Clacton or Harwich should look inland if they want to find happiness. That is the finding of a survey based on Essex University data which ranks Colchester as one of the most cheerful places in the county, while Tendring is amongst the gloomiest.
Evening Gazette

Cash boost for new talent
Members of three Badminton Clubs in Colchester - EJBC, Chipmunks and the University of Essex are celebrating gaining privileged status, after forming a three-way consortium working in partnership with Essex County Badminton Association.
Essex County Standard

Cyclists feeling deflated
Bikers using the Wivenhoe Trail have been stopped in their tracks after the path was covered in drawing pins. Peter Lynn of Essex University's Bicycle Users Group said: "It does seem as if somebody is targeting cyclists and I don't know why".
Essex County Standard

Village's early bus has been cancelled
Villagers say they have been left isolated after their morning bus service was axed. Three buses a day run from Great Tey to Colchester but the 7.50am service will stop from Monday leaving Essex University sociology student, Sarah Richards stranded as well as other workers trying to get into Colchester.
Essex County Standard

Gordon Brown looks doomed as poll shows support draining away
Gordon Brown seems doomed to become Labour's first failed Prime Minister.
Ramsay MacDonald never led a majority administration and both Clement Attlee and Tony Blair in their different ways were considerable successes. However, Mr Brown has emerged as neither a strong national leader nor an attractive vote-winner.  Read Professor Anthony King's article here.
The Telegraph

Team Stellar UAV And UGV Win U.K. MoD Grand Challenge
The U.K. Ministry of Defense announced Team Stellar is the winner of the teams competing in the Grand Challenge, the major competition to produce a vehicle capable of identifying threats encountered by U.K. troops on current operations. In addition, Team Swarm was awarded the prize for the "most innovative idea." It designed a multiple autonomous quadrator--a flat helicopter with four rotors--called Owls, able to fly in swarms, allowing them to view the area from all angles using high resolution visual cameras. Team Swarm consists of several U.K. small and medium sized enterprises and world class groups: Swarm Systems, the University of Essex, the University of Surrey, Orrcam, Ardware and Scazon.
C4INews

TV soccerette sets pulses racing
She's a drama student and modelling hopeful with a love of football who was able to combine all three when she appeared on hit TV show Soccer AM.
Ipswich 20-year-old Rhiannon Maile who is an Essex University drama and english literature student, couldn't believe her luck when she was chosen to play the role of the show's famous Soccerette.
Evening Star
East Anglian Daily Times
 

Thursday 28

Why happiness is a postcode lottery
Colchester has come in the top twenty (16th) of Britain's happiest places. The survey is based on answers given to a dozen questions asked by the highly respected British Household Panel Survey Read the whole article here.
The Independent
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Are we a nation of wusses?
To avoid high heating bills this winter, shouldn't we just rediscover the joys of living at 13C in an extra cardie? No need if we learn to use energy efficiently.
Read Dr Peter Gurney's (Department of History) comments.
The Times

Wednesday 27

Army fly the Olympic flag to bring the games to town
The Olympic flag has been raised at Colchester's Garrison to mark the games coming to Great Britain.  The garrison forms part of a bid, alongside Colchester Council and Essex University, to attract competing nations to use the town as a training or holding camp at sites across the borough during London 2012.  If the bid is successful, some of the world's top athletes could train at venues including the garrison's sports centre, opened only last month. 
Gazette

Bike record is unbroken
Murray Griffith, a sports psychologist at Essex University, has failed in his bid to become the fastest rider on two wheels.  Griffin, aged 51, flew to Utah last week to try and set a new land speed record on his nitrous-injected Suzuki Hayabusa.  He had to reach speeds of well over 200 miles per hour on the salt flats at Bonneville Speed Week but despite managing the record once, he could not sustain the pace to set the record.  To find out more about Mr Griffin's team Stray Dogs, visit fourfourzero.co.uk/lsr
Gazette

Tuesday 26

Waterstone's staff offer tourist advice
Waterstone's branches will provide tourists with local information after joining a new scheme in conjunction with national tourism agency VisitBritain. The displays will be in store at Stratford upon Avon, Southampton West Quay, Plymouth Drake Circus, University of Essex and Reading Broad Street, three branches in Coventry, and stores in Amersham, Hereford, Hexham, London Science Museum, Lowestoft, Lincoln, Manchester, Newbury, Newton Abbot, and Norwich.
The Bookseller

New opportunities for growth
The economy of the Waveney district is at a crossroads, with exciting new opportunities for growth, but ongoing problems of unemployment, poor skills and low educational performance, a new report has revealed.  Waveney District Council has launched its economic regeneration strategy for 2008-2017, detailing ambitious proposals to drive the area forward, but recognising it has been seen as an area of need for too long.  The document sets out how regeneration officers have been tasked with securing more investment through the private and public sector, while the new University Campus Suffolk and Lowestoft College have been highlighted as vital in the push to improve skills. To read the article in full click here.
Lowestoft Journal

New commission to tackle rural problems
such is the concern for the future of countryside living in Essex a special rural commission is being established to put forward a series of recommendations and observations to policy-makers in the county.The Essex Rural Commission (ERC), made up of a panel of nationally recognised experts, will look at a broad range of issues affecting non-urban communities, including the provision of local shops, post offices schools and affordable homes.It will also consider transport issues and the problems of hidden deprivation.The commission will be chaired by well-known broadcaster, journalist and opinion-former, Elinor Goodman.Ms Goodman was political editor of Channel 4 News for 23 years before devoting more of her time to countryside issues and she frequently comments on rural issues in the national press and broadcast media.Also joining the commission is Professor Germaine Greer who, in addition to being a leading academic, farms a smallholding in Essex.Mary Maskell, who successfully campaigned for Great Bentley to win the first BBC Essex Best Green Village award last month, will also join the commission along with Essex University's Professor Jules Pretty who is well known for his expertise in rural and environmental affairs.  To read the article in full click here.
East Anglian Daily Times - online

Monday 25

Bikers' first aid courses
A first aid course especially for motorcyclists is being run at South East Essex College.  Trainer Ted Branch teaches bikers life-saving techniques including when and how to remove a crash helmet after an accident.This course is specifically aimed at bikers and covers a lot of important steps. If you dont know how to remove a crash helmet properly, you could injure someone permanently or fatally.  The next courses are on Monday, October 27, and Wednesday, November 19.  To book a place on the course on 01702 220409.
Echo - online

Saturday 23

New Vic gave me grounding for job success
Essex English and European Literature graduate Claire Turner has had a varied career since graduating. As well as being a volunteer with the New Vic Theatre, in 2003, Claire became festival director of Manchester EuroPride, developing the annual weekend of gay celebration into a 10-day festival of film, sport, heritage, debate and parade, winning Best Event at the Manchester Tourism Awards two years running and the runner up prize in the 2004 North West Tourism Awards. In contrast, her next post was as a volunteer project manager for Raleigh International, helping to establish a conservation area in Borneo and since last June, Claire has been with VisitBlackpool on a three-year programme funded by the North West Development Agency. It's part of a plan to regenerate Blackpool, to keep existing visitors and attract new ones, she says.
The Sentinel
 

How to cope with life in overcrowded cities
Overcrowding affects us all. Whether it's the trauma of the daily commute on trains and tubes, getting stuck in a Bank Holiday traffic jam, the long waiting times in overstretched hospitals, or the schools we can't get our children into, overcrowding touches our lives in so many ways. Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that population density in England is already almost double that of Germany and four times the figure for France. By 2056 our population will have grown from 60 million to 68 million - 1,349 people stuffed into every square mile. Last year the mental health charity Mind released a report called Ecotherapy, which showed what we all know instinctually: structured exercise in a green environment, whether walking in a park or gardening, has significant benefits. The evidence came from a study by the University of Essex. It found that after a walk in a green space, 71 per cent of people reported decreased levels of depression and tension, and 90 per cent had increased self-esteem. After window-shopping, however, 50 per cent said that their feelings of tension had increased and 44 per cent reported lower self-esteem. Read the whole article here.
The Times

Friday 22

The F.A. coup Drama at Soho Square
While England laboured on the pitch on Wednesday night, an extraordinary drama was unfolding in the stands. Jason Burt reveals the ruthless infighting which brought down football's most powerful man.  It has been revealed that Barwick is to step down in December after falling out with Lord Triesman. Man Utd chief executive and FA board member David Gill is favourite to replace him. There Barwick sat, glumly, in the steady rain while immediately below him in the north stand the press box was a hive of activity as news spread that he had, in effect, been removed by the FA's executive chairman and former government minister, Lord Triesman.  Lord Triesman certainly isn't averse to conflict. Essex University suspended the then David Triesman in 1968, for disrupting a campus meeting. He joined, quit and rejoined the Labour Party interspersed with a spell in the Communist Party. He was a senior Labour Party member during the blood-letting of the 1980s; was general secretary of the Association of University Teachers for several years; a member of the House of Lords for four years after being made a life peer by Tony Blair. He has held several government posts, working around the world most recently as the minister for Innovation, Universities and Skills.  To read the article in full click here.
The Independent
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Telegraph

Thursday 21

Team to check on rural life
A new independent rural commission for Essex has been announced and members include writer Germaine Greer and former Chelmsford headmaster Tony Tuckwell.  Essex University's Prof Jules Petty will also sit on the commission joining Essex farmer Simon Brice and Canon John Brown, former chairman of Essex Rural Community Council.  The commission will look at the provision of local shops, post offices and schools; affordable homes; transport and hidden deprivation.
Essex Chronicle Media Group

Klimt to go bling at Tate
The final Klimt-inspired Late at Tate evenings takes place next week when the gallery promises a Night of Bling.  The August 28 event includes a tour by Tobias G Natter - renowned Klimt expert and co-curator of the exhibition.  And a Cradle to the Grave discussion will see experts Peter Vergo from the University of Essex (a leading expert in Viennese Art of the period), Pamela Robinson (Senior Curator of the Whistler and Mackintosh collections at the Huntarian Gallery in Glasgow) and Alan Crawford (author of the superb illustrated study of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh) talk about the parallels between the British Arts and Crafts movement and the Wiener Werkstatte.
Liverpool Echo - Online
 

NEWS MoD Grand Challenge showcases robots of war
Surveillance robots that look like insects, robots that crawl like spiders up walls, and autonomous helicopters were all amongst the robots competing in the Ministry of Defence's Grand Challenge competition. The most innovative solution was Team Swarm, which is such a good idea that the Americans are thinking of nicking it. But three 'swarms' were showcased. A company called Mindsheet fielded a fleet of mini-buggies, Locust a squadron of flying robots, and then Swarm Systems Ltd sent up a flock of eight small quad-rotor helicopters, called Owls. 'The principle advantage is robustness', Stephen Crampton of Swarm Systems told The Guardian. 'If eight vehicles go out and two are lost, then the other six can reform to carry out the whole task.' Swarm Systems, with the help of one Professor Owen Holland of the University of Essex, is now working on the idea of an UltraSwarm. To read the article in full click here.
Pocket-lint.co.uk
 

Dale's skydive in memory of mother
A brave teenager is preparing for a charity skydive to honour the memory of his inspirational mother, who lost her battle with cancer earlier this year. Inspired by his mum in a million, Dale, who is due to start a sports science degree at Essex University later this year after taking a year out to care for his mother, said he was keen to carry on her fundraising legacy.  To read the article in full click here.
East Anglian Daily Times

Nineteen really interesting things about horses
Research conducted by Professor Claudia Uller, Department of Psychology, has shown that horses are able to count as well as 10-month old infants. Read the full article here.
Horsetalk

New theatre season at Lakeside
It is 25 years ago that the University of Essex premiered Caryl Churchill's insightful play Fen and, as the playwright marks her 70th birthday, a new production is one the many highlights of the Lakeside Theatre's autumn season.
Essex Life magazine

Wednesday 20

Obituary: Janet Askham
Obituary for Janet Askham who graduated from the University with a Master's degree in 1967. Read the full article here.
Oxford Mail

Blues' boys win the support of university
Southend United's best young footballers have won the backing of the University of Essex.
Echo

Latest Klimt exhibition at Tate Liverpool
Professor Peter Vergo, Department of Art History and Theory, is one of a number of experts taking part in a discussion on the parallels between the British Arts and Crafts movements and the Weiner Werkstatte. Read the full article here.
Liverpool Echo

Swarms of robots join the army
Small robots working in swarms were the subject of a competition organised by the MoD. Professor Owen Holland, Department of Computing and Electronic Systems assisted Team Swarm who won the most innovative solution category. Read the full article here.
The Guardian

Southampton's Stella takes top MoD prize for battlefield innovators
The University was part of a team which competed in the MoD's Grand Challenge, a major competition to produce a vehicle capable of identifying threats encountered by UK troops on current operations. Read the full article here.
Government News Network

Tuesday 19

Indie flick relies on volunteers
East 15 Acting School graduate Nicholas Foster is attempting to turn his script into a full-length feature film.
Canterbury-Bankstown Express

Experts to fight for rural Essex
The Essex Rural Commission will investigate issues affecting the countryside, including the provision of local shops, post offices and schools, affordable homes, transport and deprivation.  Elinor Goodman, a former political editor for Channel 4 News and a member on the Government's Commission for Rural communitites, will lead the investigation.  The panel will start its deliberations in October and after hearing in public from witnesses, it will report to Essex County Council on the best way forward.
Gazette

Monday 18

Church in the spotlight
A former church is set to be transformed into a theatre as part of a £5million plan announced by the University of Essex.
Echo

Debt from cradle to grave?
Today, a new report from Key Retirement Solutions claims more than one in three in the 55-65 age group have outstanding unsecured debts and could be heading for retirement 11,000 in the red. And that just comes from credit cards and personal loans. It excludes paying off the mortgage; bring that on board, and it comes in at an average 48,000.  But the problem of debt is not just taking hold when people hit retirement age. It is happening long before.  Essex University has just come out rather well in a survey by Push, a company which collates information for UK students. This particular survey was carried out to find the university which offered the best deal on debt.  To read the article in full click here.
Evening Gazette

Top Ten Online Psychology Experiments
Hundreds of online psychology experiments are going on at any given time, many cool and amusing to take part in. They’re great for researchers due to the ease and low cost of finding subjects, and because of that, more data. There are drawbacks, though. The University of Essex’s Department of Psychology points out: “… factors may cause the data to become less clear, for example: everyone uses different types of computers and monitors; we can’t be sure they have understood the instructions properly and we have no idea who is actually doing the experiments.”  To read the article in full click here.
World of Psychology

Sunday 17

On the academic - gaming divide
Richard Bartle, Visiting Professor in the Department of Computing and Electronic Systems comments on the academic - real world divide. Read the full article here.
Kotaku

Organic Farming
Research by Professor Jules Pretty, Biological Sciences, has shown that farmers in India, Kenya, Brazil and Gautemala have tripled yields by switching to organic farming. Read the full article here.
Upublish.net

Saturday 16

University is stemming the brain drain
University Campus Suffolk is successfully stemming the brain drain of talent from the county - with nearly 5,000 students set to study there from September. Read the full article here.
East Anglian Daily Times

Tales of the river bank
Former member of staff in the Physics Department, Ken Rickwood, has published a new book about the River Stour.
East Anglian Daily Times

Alice's roar earns tour with rock band
18-year-old Alice Cargill will be competing against hundreds of hopefuls to win a place in a Channel 4 reality show to be a roadie for a band on a European tour, before she starts her studies at the University of Essex. Read the full article here.
East Anglian Daily Times

Lancing A Level success
Almost half of Lancing College's sixth formers achieved at least 3 top grades in their A Levels, including students Sarah Cockrill and Stephanie James who will go on to study at East 15 Acting School. Read the full article here.
Shoreham Herald

Friday 15

Advice is 'don't panic'
The University is expected to admit a record 2,500 students and has seen a five per cent increase in the number of students making the University their first choice.
Gazette

Special showing of Colchester film from 1930s
The University will provide the venue for two new films released by the East Anglian Film Archive showing rare footage of Colchester in the 1930s.
Gazette

Cancer charity gig
A charity gig is being held tonight at the University's Sub Zero venue to raise money for cancer research.
East Anglian Daily Times

Bands join up to help brave Lewis
A fundraising gig for Colchester designer Lewis Beck is taking place at the University's Sub Zero venue this week.
Essex County Standard

Thursday 14

BBC gets it wrong about broccoli's curative abilities
A recent story put out by the BBC claimed that eating broccoli could reverse the damage to heart blood vessels caused by diabetes. However, researchers at the Universities of Essex and Warwick have not been able to prove conclusively that this is the case. Read the full article here.
Diabetes health

Performers unite to help designer Lewis
A fundraising gig for Colchester designer Lewis Beckwith is taking place at Essex University this weekend.  The concert will include bands, DJs, solo acts, dancers and even stilt walkers at the campus' Sub Zero venue.  Lewis, who makes skate-boards and T-shirts, has bowel cancer and is looking to buy a piece of equipment from America which could revolutionise his treatment.  Acts include New Town Kings and Absent Kid, as well as Sally Theobold from Scoobs in Columbia and Fiona from Hobo Chang.
Gazette

Wednesday 13

The Needles Here's MUD In Your Eye
The original computer game MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) was created in the late 70s, inspired by the success of Colossal Cave and its offshoots. Given the limitations of the technology of the era, the game was a considerable success, eventually growing so popular that its operation was restricted to night-time hours because of the impact it had on the Essex University computer system, where it ran. In the mid-80s, renamed to British Legends, it ended up on CompuServe, where despite an apparent lack of interest and support on the part of company management, it had an astounding run that didn't come to an end until December 1999.  To read the article in full click here.
The Escapist

Obituary Janet Askham
Janet Askham, who has died aged 66 of a brain aneurysm, was an exceptional sociologist whose research influenced government policy for elderly people. Her interests included health, welfare and social policy issues, patient-centred care, and services and informal care for people with dementia. She also studied family and marital relationships, particularly caring arrangements among older people; the negotiation of self in the social world; and people's perceptions of the course of their lives, the future and their own lifespan. In 1967 she gained a master's degree at Essex University, and joined the Medical Research Council's social science research unit at Aberdeen University, working under its director, Raymond Illsley. She remained there until its closure in 1983, apart from 1970-72, when she was at the Social Science Research Council's survey unit in London.  To read the article in full click here.
Guardian Unlimited

Man tagged after break-in attempt
A man has been given a curfew after he tried to break into a university building.  Carl Williams of Grange Farm Park, off Whitehall Road, Colchester, was told he would be electronically tagged after he admitted breaking into a university owed barn where garden equipment was stored.  During the break-in Williams was seen by two security guards and arrested on suspicion of burglary, but his accomplice rode off.  The court heard Williams had a history of crime, including burglary.   He has been ordered to stay at home between 7pm and 7am every day, except Tuesday, when the curfew will begin at 9pm.  He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the university, plus £43 legal costs.
Gazette

No Debt about it
A recent survey showed the average student debt at Essex is £2,003 for each year studied - a total of £6,009 on graduation.  This placed the university 130th in a list of 136 - meaning it offers one of the lowest predicted student debts in the country. The figures were obtained in a survey by Push, an independent resource for prospective students. Arnold Marr, vice president in services and communication at Essex University's Students' Union, said: "Compared to London universities, Essex would be a lot cheaper, but I'm not sure about those in the north of England." He went on to say "I think most people choose a university based on the courses, rather than on the living costs".  A spokesman for Push said: "The costs of living for students in the South East surprisingly aren't that high, compare with other areas in the country."
Gazette

Tuesday 12

Should you buy that house? Don't sleep on it
Encouraged by the popularity of Malcolm Gladwell's bestselling book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, and by recent academic studies extolling the virtues of sleeping on decisions to let the unconscious mind sort things out, psychologists at the University of New South Wales and the University of Essex conducted a series of experiments to test how people choose things such as cars and apartments. Their conclusion? When wrestling with a complex decision, careful, rational thought is still the best way to go. To read the article in full click here.
Globe and Mail - online

Too short for glory
Colchester has missed out on the chance to host an Olympic event but may still be involved in the London 2012 Olympics thanks to a joint bid to provide training facilities for athletes which the University is a part of.
Colchester Gazette

Monday 11

Scientists look to increase global food production
Professor Jules Pretty, Biological Sciences, is part of a group of leading scientists appointed by the Royal Society to look at how genetic engineering and improved crop protection methods can be used to increase global food production. Read the full article here.
Farmers Guardian

Still time to join Uni
Students disappointed with their A-level grades can still get on courses at Essex University.
Gazette

Active duty forces need more support
Young soldiers and service personnel who are repeatedly sent to Iraq and Afghanistan need greater mental health support, a study by Colchester researchers has found. Members of Essex University's department of health and human sciences interviewed 23 ex-service personnel from across the country.
Gazette

How to turn any setback into a triumph
Success in fields ranging from soccer to bass playing comes just as much from perseverance as from natural-born talent. A 2006 study from the University of Essex found that while good looks and education are important to women, they aren't as influential in their choices as "market opportunities". Read the full story here.
The Huffington Post

Researchers at University of Essex release new data on physiology
"High-frequency (HF) oscillations in RR interval from 0.15-0.40 Hz are widely accepted as a measure of cardiac vagal outflow but the HF/RR relationships appears complex, particularly with longer RR intervals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the HF/RR interval relationship during free and paced breathing," say scientists in Colchester.
NewsRx.net

Sunday 10

It's mind over matter in future of games
From the Hollywood film Firefox to the television series Heroes, science fiction writers have always dreamed of the day when humans could control machines with just the power of thought. Now British scientists are turning fiction into reality with a device that allows objects to be manipulated with brainwaves. The prototype, developed at Essex University, can already be used to play computer games. By imagining a movement, the wearer of a hat-shaped device can tell the computer to move an object around a screen or a robot around a room.
New Zealand Herald

Saturday 9

Soldiers mental health studied
Young soldiers and service personnel facing multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan need greater mental health support, a study has claimed. Researchers from Essex University interviewed ex-service personnel to look into the problems and emotional distress associated with military life.
East Anglian Daily Times

Friday 8

Narrow escape for a million books
A huge thunderstorm nearly sparked a fire at Essex University. Heavy rain seeped through a roof at the university's library during the storms on Wednesday night and landed on an electricity box in the library which caused sparks and smoke to trigger the building's smoke alarm. Fortunately none of the holdings or books were damaged.
Evening Gazette

New director of business school
Professor Michael Sherer has been appointed as the new director of the Essex Business School at the University of Essex. Professor Sherer said: "Our industry links across the public and private sectors and our international focus means Essex Business School is able to offer distinctive learning and research opportunities".
East Anglian Daily Times

Young Caymanian gives back
University of Essex Modern History graduate, David Connolly will start as a teacher at John Gray High School in September but will work as a summer intern at the Cayman Islands National Museum before he goes 'back to school'. Read the full story here.
CayCompass

Thursday 7

Bright future in store for UCS
In a few weeks time, students will move into the University Campus Suffolk's waterfront building. Read more about the move and the new building here.
Evening Star

The force behind the town's 2012 bid
As the Olympic Games start in China, Essex Police are looking at the impact of the games on the county, and in Colchester where the University is one of the partners of a joint-bid to provide training facilities for Olympic teams.
Colchester Gazette

Physicist died 'out of the blue'
A former research physicist at the University, Michael Daniels, has died after a suspected heart attack last month.
Colchester Gazette

Wednesday 6

Murray hoping for world speed record
Sports psychologist Dr Murray Griffin, Department of Biological Sciences, will be jetting off to the US for a record-breaking speed attempt on a motorbike.
Colchester Gazette

Tuesday 5

Professor to head business school
Professor Michael Sherer has been appointed head of the University's business school.
Southend Echo

World win for poker champ
Essex graduate William Purle has won nearly $40,000 at the World Series of Poker tournament. Read the full article here.
Wokingham and Bracknell Times
Poker News Today

Can we make software that comes to life?
A postgraduate in the Department of Computing and Electronic Systems joins the debate on the latest techniques for creating artificial life. Read the full article here.
Daily Telegraph

Post office closes for a complete refurbishment
The University of Essex Post Office closes from Wednesday until early October while work is carried out.
Colchester Gazette
Essex County Standard

Sunday 3

University marks first birthday
University Campus Suffolk celebrates it's first birthday. Read the full article here.
Evening Star

Saturday 2

Professor appointed
Professor Michael Sherer has been appointed as the new director of the University's Business School.
East Anglian Daily Times

Obituary: Margaret McCreath
Former fellow in the Department of Mathematics, Margaret McCreath, has died at the age of 82. Read the obituary here.
Yorkshire Post

Friday 1

Accounting firms can't help on tax
Professor Prem Sikka, Department of Accounting, Finance and Management, comments on tax avoidance. Read the full article here.
The Guardian

Voters give Brown the big thumbs down but don't rate rivals either
Professor Anthony King, Department of Government, comments on findings from a YouGov poll.
Daily Telegraph

Crimes, Concealment and South Korea's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Essex graduate, Dr Kim Sung-soo, head of the International Cooperation Team at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Korea is interviewed about his work. Read the full article here.
Japan Focus

2,000 join in big race
2,000 women from all ages and from all walks of life were taking part in Cancer Research UK's five-kilometre Race For Life at Essex University, and found themselves running in the worst possible conditions - brilliant sunshine and the temperature 27 deg C.  Gill Burgess, area event manager for the charity said it had been an "amazing" day.
Essex County Standard

Search is on for grand designs
The competition to find our best new buildings has now been launched and entries are invited from the designers of structures of all shapes and sizes. Among the contenders could be Essex University's controversial new lecture theatre, which was famously branded a "dustbin" by Prince Charles, or some of the new eco-friendly buildings at the Hythe.  But there is unlikely to be a place for the firstsite:newsite art gallery, as a row over costs has delayed its completion and only buildings which have been finished within the past two years are eligible.  Past winners include the giant glass and steel B&Q DIY store and the former Charles Brown's hardware shop, which was turned into homes.  Jo Edwards, Colchester 2020's joint lead partner for heritage and culture said: "We want to ensure that Colchester doesn't lose its unique character and instead enjoys a more adventurous attitude towards exciting contemporary architecture, public art, urban design and creating our future heritage."
Essex County Standard