University of Essex in the press...

October 2008

Friday 31

Russell's Dalek pumpkin designed at Uni
Bright sparks at Essex University served up a Halloween surprise to the main credited with reviving Dr Who during a television interview. Members of the department of computing and electronic systems made a robotic Dalek pumpkin to impress Russell T Davies on the Richard and Judy show which screens tonight.
Evening Gazette

'Good' report for institute
Teacher training at a Colchester college has been given a glowing report following an Ofsted inspection. Inspectors officially gave the College's Initial Teachers Training (ITT) provision a 'good' rating following a visit to Colchester Institute, South East Essex College and Essex University as well as a number of other teaching settings involved in the partnership.
Evening Gazette

Wish-list drawn up by residents
A vision for the future of a town has been unveiled by residents. The town plan for Wivenhoe has been launched after 10,000 residents expressed their views. One of the items on the wish-list include a guarantee of the green buffer between Wivenhoe, Essex University and Colchester being protected for at least 15 years.
Essex County Standard

Powerful story of foiled ambition that stays real
Fans of Caryl Churchill have one more night to catch her thought-provoking tale, Fen at Essex University tonight. The latest production is being performed by students from the Centre for Theatre Studies.
Essex County Standard

Pupils get taste for filming
Eight Year 9 pupils from Notley High School, Braintree took part in an exciting film-making project as part of the Chinese film festival in Essex. Together with the media arts charity Signals, the children were given the unique chance to understand how a film is made. The film will be screened at the Lakeside Theatre at The University of Essex, Colchester, on Sunday November 16 at 11am.
Essex Chronicle

Financial crisis has had little impact on Gordon Brown's popularity
The central political fact about the financial chaos of recent weeks is that it has changed the balance between the major parties less than might have been expected. Read Professor Anthony King's article here.
The Telegraph

University Campus Suffolk joins forces with I10
University Campus Suffolk (UCS) has joined forces with the business to university support service, i10, to increase the wealth of academic expertise available to businesses in Suffolk and across the East of England. i10 operates as a single point of contact for businesses who want to find out how they can benefit from the thousands of talented people, wealth of knowledge, cutting-edge technologies and world-class research services available at the region’s universities and colleges. University Campus Suffolk was launched in August 2007 following a 12-year community campaign to deliver the benefits of a university presence to the county. The campus, a subsidiary company of the University of East Anglia and the University of Essex, has a central hub at a stunning new building on Ipswich Waterfront as well as key learning centres across Suffolk including colleges in Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich, Lowestoft and Otley and also in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Read the whole article here.
Cambridge Network

Plates stolen from car
Thieves stole the front and rear plates from a car at Essex University. The plates were stolen on Wednesday and when checked by the Police, they discovered that the number plates has been used since the theft on a vehicle wanted for driving off without payment at a petrol station elsewhere.
Evening Gazette

Thursday 30

New university honours first graduates
The first graduates of Suffolk's new university have celebrated their success.
Students from the University Campus Suffolk (UCS) network hurled their mortar boards into the air after receiving their degrees at award ceremonies held at Trinity Park in Ipswich yesterday. The presentations, honouring students at UCS Ipswich, UCS Otley and UCS Suffolk New College, will continue today. The degrees were conferred by Dr Tony Rich, registrar and secretary at the University of Essex and Professor Andy Downton, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching), of the University of Essex. The new university was created through a partnership between the Universities of Essex and East Anglia.
East Anglian Daily Times

Accountancy professor lambasts Big Four firms
Accountancy professor questions the fitness of big four firms to profit from the recession they helped create.  Prem Sikka, Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex, says the fitness of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Ernst & Young (E&Y) to receive public monies should be questioned after the firms came under the spotlight for their audits of distressed banks, tax avoidance and other practices. Read the whole article here.
Financial Director
Accountancy Age
Best Practice

Study of 40,000 households
The ESRC has launched a £15.5 million project to study 40,000 households. The "Understanding Society" household longitudinal study is claimed to be the UK's largest-ever single investment in academic social research resources and the biggest survey of its kind anywhere.  It will be based at the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex.
THE

Experts face up to rural challenges
A group of experts given the task of overcoming the challenges facing rural communities in Essex is set to hold its opening meeting next week at Colchester United's Weston Homes Community Stadium on Tuesday.  The commission is being chaired by Professor Jules Pretty, an expert on the environment and biological sciences from Essex University.
East Anglian Daily Times

Students sign up for 'porn' pub run
Hundreds of students are set to descend on Colchester for a night of drunken "debauchery". A Facebook page for the event has been set up and students are able to buy tickets for event planned for Monday 17 November. A spokesman for the University said "We are not allowing promotion of this event on the Colchester campus. While we encourage a good social life as an important part of the student experience, the welfare of our students is our priority"
Evening Gazette
Halstead Gazette

Wednesday 29

New grant for blood substitutes
Researchers in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Essex have been awarded almost £115,000 to develop a life-saving blood substitute.
Professor Chris Cooper explains about the limitation of blood: 'Blood has a short shelf-life, needs to be matched for blood group and there is the ever-present possibility of a new blood-borne virus, such as HIV-AIDS, contaminating the supply.' It is these concerns that have for some time fuelled the drive, amongst academic and industrial communities, to develop an artificial replacement that would be guaranteed virus free and storable, for long periods of time, in ambulances and locations far from hospitals. Read the whole article here.
News-Medical.net
Innovations Report

Profiting from the recession
Accountancy firms should not receive any public contracts until there is tangible evidence that they have cleaned up their act. Read the whole article here.
The Guardian

British actor performs Thursday at CSCC
Noted British actor Cedric Liqueur portrays Sgt. George Gordon in a one-man show, “Buffalo Soldier". He has been a professional theater stage actor, playwright and director since 1997, having presented one-man solo performances of world literature at schools, colleges, universities and many other venues in the United States, Canada and Europe. In recent years, he has been a guest artist at St. Leo University in Florida and Paul Quinn College in Texas. Professor Liqueur earned his undergraduate degree at California State University and his master’s of arts at Kings College in London. He studied with the East 15 Acting School and The Rehearsal Room Actors Workshop in England. Read the whole article here.
Columbia Daily Herald

Become a Phrase Detective: A new, massive Internet-based language project
A group at the University of Essex put together an entertaining new Web game called Phrase Detectives to help develop new materials for cutting-edge research into this basic problem of language. Their project is similar to my ongoing Dax Study, except that theirs is not so much an experiment as a method for developing the stimuli. Phrase Detectives is set up as a competition between users, and the results is an entertaining game that you can participate in more or less as you choose. Other than its origins, it looks a great deal like many other Web games. The game speaks for itself and I recommend that you check it out. Read the whole article here.
Science Blog

Leading Buddhist to give lecture
One of the world's most eminent Zen Buddhists is due to give a talk at Essex University next month.
East Anglian Daily Time

UCS joins business link group
University Campus Suffolk (UCS) has joined forces with a support service to increase the wealth of academic expertise available in the county.
East Anglian Daily Times

Tuesday 28

Psytechnics' CTO and Founder to Speak at VoiceCon San Francisco
Psytechnics, a leader in voice and video performance management solutions for IT operations, today announced its presence at VoiceCon San Francisco.
Dr. Mike Hollier, CTO and Founder, will take part in a panel discussion titled 'QOS and QOE' and during the session Dr. Hollier will discuss the difference between QOS and QOE, why QoE is even needed and the difference it makes in being able to manage and accurately diagnose voice and video quality from a user perspective. Dr Mike Hollier is a graduate of the University of Essex and Alumnus of the Year in 2006. Read the whole article here.
PR-Inside.com

Open day invite to uni
Prospective students are being invited to visit Essex University. An open day for students and their parents will take place the Colchester campus tomorrow.
Evening Gazette

Restoring Some Experience Of Colour In Patient With No Colour Awareness
Juha Silvanto from the Department of Psychology has found that by manipulating the brain non-invasively in a new way with magnetic stimulation, some experience of colour where before there was no visual awareness whatsoever can be restored. The findings are published in the October issue of Current Biology. Read the whole article here.
Science Daily
PhysOrg.com
New Scientist
Medicexchange.com

Monday 27

Spooky gigs
BOO!! There are ghoulish gigs aplenty this weekend as Halloween haunts so many venues. Dirty Pretty Things are the star attractions in Colchester this weekend. Don't miss their headline set at Essex University on Saturday with support from Angry Vs The Bear.
Go!

Thai Article Discusses British Experts' Opinion on Thaksin's Extradition
Diplomatic, political and legal factors will wrangle hard and long before a final decision is reached on whether former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will ever be extradited from England to Thailand, according to views from the West.
The BBC's Michael Dobie quoted experts as saying the extradition flight will be most likely lengthy and complicated. The UK courts will also look at whether Thaksin has received a fair trial and if there is the possibility of a retrial or a challenge to the conviction if he is returned, the BBC said. The fact that he was tried in absentia may be a factor the UK will consider, although it may not be decisive. His limited right of appeal may also enter into the extradition court's decision, Professor Geoff Gilbert, an expert in extradition law and human rights at the University of Essex in the UK told the BBC.
BBC News
The Nation
World News Connection

New coral reef discovered in Seychelles
A previously unknown coral reef on the uninhabited Seychellois island of Curieuse has been discovered. The reef is already protected as it falls within the Curieuse Marine National Park. Researchers from the British university of Essex this week report that they have discovered a previously unknown coral reef in the Seychelles. Dave Smith and Dave Suggett visited Curieuse Island as part of an ongoing study, with active participation from local Seychellois collaborators. Read the whole article here.
Afrol News

Tracking the Trends
The Understanding Society study will provide an unprecedented overview of living in the UK. Building on an existing panel survey, the study will track 40,000 households and around 100,000 individuals. This large data pool promises new insights into our lives.
Society Now

Sunday 26

Advancing Medical Research
Researchers from the University of Essex and medical counterparts from Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust are working together to develop successful partnerships in advancing medical research.
Research projects in areas such as early identification of cancer, new therapies for diabetes, and hearing aid development have all been undertaken through collaboration between University academics and local clinicians. Since the development of the University-based Essex Biomedical Research Institute six years ago, more than £1 million of research funding has been attracted from the NHS, charities and research councils to support this pioneering work. Read the whole article here.
News-Medical.net
Innovations Report
 

Saturday 25

Ground control
Modern life is taking its toll. One in 10 GP visits in 2005-2006 concerned mental health issues, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. More than 12.3 million prescriptions for antidepressants were written out in the same year. And the rest of us just feel stressed after a long day at the office. While depression and a stressful working week are poles apart, they have one thing in common. It’s been found that nature, or being in a natural environment, can reduce fear and anxiety, help us relax and improve our sense of wellbeing. In the UK, this type of “ecotherapy” is being championed by mental health organisation Mind, which commissioned the University of Essex to investigate the health benefits of nature on a group of 20 people suffering from depression. The study found that a walk in the country or a park made 94 per cent of respondents experience a decrease in their depression, while only 45 per cent felt better after walking in a shopping mall. Read the whole article here.
The Daily Telegraph, Australia
The CourierMail

Off the legal hook
The law does not protect individuals from the recklessness and failings of company directors. It should. Read Professor Prem Sikka's article here.
The Guardian

Friday 24

Recipe for British scandal Old ties, foreign money and a big yacht
The meetings took place this summer in various picturesque spots on the Greek island of Corfu: a Russian billionaire's yacht, a Rothschild family villa, a charming local taverna. But questions about what actually happened - who said what, and to whom - have coalesced into a divertingly complicated scandal that has knocked Britain's economic woes off newspapers' front pages for the first time in weeks. Whether Osborne has done anything wrong seems almost beside the point. At the very least, he has shown himself to be an enthusiastic hobnobber with the rich and powerful at a time when the Conservatives are doing their best to appeal to ordinary Britons. ''This raises questions about the honesty and reliability and integrity of the political class as a whole,'' said Anthony King, a professor of British government at the University of Essex. ''People think that this kind of affair is inconsistent with liberal democracy, that this is not the way these things ought to work.''
International Herald Tribune

University: A History
With courses available that focus on The Theology of Eating, and online degrees where you don’t need to meet your course-mates face to face, today’s universities are strange and diverse places compared to what they were. But how have they changed over the years? And what traditions have remained? Today of course, it is possible to obtain an online degree without even setting foot into a lecture hall. Online and distance learning courses are available in conjunction with such highly reputable establishments as The University of Essex. Read the whole article here.
ArticleDashboard.com

Thame Gazette/Bucks Advertiser editor retires after 40 years
Editor of the Bucks Advertiser and Thame Gazette for over 25 years, Chris East has been a local stalwart but now, after a career that has spanned 40 years, he is retiring. During his university years, Mr East joined the Advertiser as an office hand. After his studies at Essex University, he decided to go back to the Advertiser and apply for a trainee job, way back in 1969. His career took him all over the South East before he eventually returned to the Vale.
The Bucks Herald

Thursday 23

Researchers: New Coral Reef Discovered In The Seychelles; Not 'visible To The Occasional Snorkeller'
Researchers from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Essex have discovered a previously unknown coral reef in the Seychelles.
Dr Dave Smith and Dr Dave Suggett visited Curieuse Island and were joined by PhD student Seb Hennige as well as local Seychelles collaborators. The island, which is managed by the Seychelles Centre of Marine Research and Technology-Marine Protected Areas (SCMRT-MPA), is home to over 200 giant tortoises but it was thought no coral reefs were present. Dr Smith said: ‘Diving revealed an extensive coral reef to the south of the island, at a depth which would not be visible to the occasional snorkeller.’ As well as discovering the reef, Dr Smith and Dr Suggett found signs of destruction, and subsequent recovery, caused by the 2004 tsunami. Read the whole article here.
Underwater Times.com

New framework could consign slavery to the past
A panel of international experts led by the University of Essex is expected to join forces to create a new framework that would help major organisations around the world make meaningful reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. At a high profile conference in London this November, Fernne Brennan, of the University's School of Law and Human Rights Centre, will be joined by an impressive line-up of NGOs, human rights lawyers, trade experts, politicians and fellow academics to discuss the best means of remedying what they believe to be the ongoing "slavery" of poorer nations through ongoing and unfair trade practices. Read the whole article here.
YubaNet.com

Residents unite against proposed phone mast
Kemsing residents have come out in force to oppose plans to install a phone mast in the village. Telefnica UK, on behalf of mobile phone giant O2, is on the verge of submitting a planning application for a 3G mast on a grass area on the corner of West End and Childsbridge Lane. A study by scientists at the University of Essex last year concluded that the average person does not suffer adverse consequences from being exposed to mobile phone radiation bases.
Sevenoaks Chronicle

Car park makes way for college
Plans to turn a town centre multistorey car park into a £30million education centre have been agreed. South East Essex College will turn the Farringdon car park, in the centre of Southend, into 11,000sqm of teaching space, along with a modern library and gallery. The scheme is part of Southend Council’s aim to achieve an educational and cultural focal point, linked with the college and the University of Essex, on the car park site. In a closed session, cabinet members agreed to lease land at Farringdon to the college.
Southend Echo
Billericay Weekly News

Loose lips lead to trouble for British Tories
Did George Osborne, the Conservative's brash spokesman for economic affairs, solicit an $80,000 donation from the fabulously rich Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska? Read Professor Anthony King's comments.
International Herald Tribune
New York Times
Sarastoa Herald Tribune
The Tuscaloosa News
Lakeland Ledger
New York Times
The Gainsville Sun

At Online College of University of Essex, Everything is Done Through the Internet - Even the Exam Boards
University of Essex reduces carbon footprint by meeting online.
Kaplan Open Learning, the fully online degree college validated by the University of Essex, has held one of the first entirely online Exam Boards. Kaplan Open Learning designed to provide an impartial review of student progress and held every quarter, the Exam Board met last week for the first time entirely online. Dr Aulay Mackenzie, dean of Academic Partnerships at the University of Essex said: "The online learning platform that Kaplan Open Learning employs for student seminars and group work is flexible and robust enough for us to use for conducting our academic and administrative business. This first online exam board was as rigorous as any held in traditional face-to-face meetings. With participants from six different locations around the country, being able to hold our exam board entirely online saved a total of at least 34 hours of travel time with a carbon footprint of 580 kilograms of CO2, not to mention the paper saved." Read the whole article here.
PR Web

Colchester: Sites sought for more homes around Hythe and Stanway
Sites for more than 1,000 new homes around the Hythe area of Colchester need to be found, a new report has revealed. The core strategy, found to be “sound” following a review by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate, reveals at least 19,000 houses needed to be built before 2023 across the borough, although about two-thirds of these have either already been built or have been given planning permission. According to the strategy, areas likely to be most affected include the east of the borough, which covers the Hythe, New Town and Essex University, where a further 1,100 new homes are needed. The strategy is used to help determine planning applications put forward by developers, and is set to be approved at the next full council meeting on December 11. Read the whole article here.
Evening Gazette
Harwich and Manningtree Standard
Halstead Gazette
Essex County Standard

Wednesday 22

The 30th anniversary of the MMO
Today marks the thirtieth anniversary of the creation of MUD (Multi-User Dungeon), a game that gave rise to a thousand different MUD iterations and eventually the vast, hyper-lucrative MMO genre.

On October 20, 1978, Roy Trubshaw, a programmer at the University of Essex, and Richard Bartle launched MUD -- a game that proved revolutionary in its ability to create an overarching, text-based world that (relatively) large numbers of players could share simultaneously.
Wired News

MUDs turn 30 years old
Massively points out that today marks the 30th anniversary of the first Multi-User Dungeon (MUD) going live at Essex University in the UK. The game, referred to as MUD1, was created by Roy Trubshaw.
www.playthings.com

Tuesday 21

New framework could consign slavery to past
A panel of international experts led by the University of Essex is expected to join forces to create a new framework that would help major organisations around the world make meaningful reparations for the transatlantic slave trade.At a high profile conference in London this November, Fernne Brennan, of the University’s School of Law and Human Rights Centre, will be joined by an impressive line-up of NGOs, human rights lawyers, trade experts, politicians and fellow academics to discuss the best means of remedying what they believe to be the ongoing “slavery” of poorer nations through ongoing and unfair trade practices. Read the article here.
Astigan.com

Essex University drama centre work starts
Work has begun on the first phase of the £5million transformation of a derelict church in the centre of Southend, into a new acting school base for the University of Essex. East 15 Acting School, currently based in Loughton, will be using the former Cliff Town United Reformed Church, in Nelson Street. This has been bought by the university for £1.1million. The church will be renamed the Cliff Town Studios. Work has begun on the memorial halls at the rear of the main building which will be used for a variety of theatrical and teaching purposes. Work on the project is due to finish when the next intake of students arrives in September 2009. Read the whole article here.
Billericay Weekly News

Being a puppet on a string
Go out of your mind at the Lakeside Theatre at Essex University. That's the subject of a new play by Station House Opera, entitled Mind Out. Separating mind from body and character from performer, the troupe's latest offering explores what it is like to be mindless.
Evening Gazette

College rise to cycling challenge
More than 400 people got on their bikes and pedalled the equivalent of a return trip between Colchester and Beijing during a challenge. The Colchester Workplace Cycle Challenge saw 405 people cycle 18,023 miles over three weeks in September and October saving 1,170 litres of fuel and about £1,230 in fuel costs. In all 34 businesses competed over six categories and one of the winners was Essex University Sports Centre.
Evening Gazette
Essex County Standard

Monday 20

Residents trying to improve town
A blueprint for the future of a riverside town in Essex is set to be unveiled to residents later this week. Key recommendations from the plan include limiting further residential developing and ensuring the highest possible proportion of affordable and sheltered housing in any development that takes place. Other suggestions include  efforts to maintain the Coastal Protection Belt status and maintaining the Green Break between Wivenhoe, The University of Essex and Colchester town.
East Anglian Daily Times

Town projects on awards shortlist
Projects shortlisted for Colchester's architectural awards have been unveiled at a mayoral reception at the town hall. The biennial awards, run by Colchester2020 and Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA) aim to promote quality new buildings in the Colchester borough, sustainable developments, heritage projects, public art and the design of public open space. The Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall at Essex University is a contender in the new and contemporary section and the Centre for Brain Sciences at Essex University is an entrant for the Sustainable Development award.
East Anglian Daily Times

llness representations and coping following an abnormal colorectal cancer screening result
Professor Sheina Orbell from the Department of Psychology has had a report published based on new data which looks how people cope when receiving abnormal faecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening results during the UK colorectal cancer screening pilot and how it affects their participation in later screening schemes.
Clinical Oncology Week
NewsRX.net
Gastroenterology Week
Life Science Weekly
Science Letter
Cancer Weekly
Women's Health Weekly
Obesity, Fitness and Wellness Week

Stitch by stitch, knitting revolution is taking hold
Knitting fans are out there in their droves - swapping patterns and tips on internet craft forums and meeting in cafes for group sessions. Paige Sylvester, an American exchange student at the University of Essex went online as soon as she arrived in Colchester to find out where the nearest knitting group was. Her hobby has already caused a few raised eyebrows at the university 'I have seen people stop and look and think, she's not an old last but she is knitting'.
Evening Gazette

Saturday 18

Colchester: Sponsored walk in Hollie's name
Friends of a young woman who died of a brain tumour are planning a charity walk in her memory. More than £11,500 has already been raised for Brain Tumour UK by people who knew Hollie Bell, who died in June aged just 23.
“There was never a dull day with Hollie,” said the Essex University biomedical science student, who lives in Langham Drive, Clacton.
Essex County Standard

New town art on show at Market
Market Square is set to be taken over by art for two months as Harlow celebrates its New Town past. Roman Vasseur, Harlow's lead artist and the man behind the events, said: "Harlow occupies a very special place in the British imagination, and continues to inspire and fascinate artists now. We hope the projects will engage audiences and demonstrate how art is at the heart of Harlow as it matures into an old New Town." Panel discussions on artistic issues will also be held in St Paul's Church in collaboration with the University of Essex on November 8 and 22.
East Herts Herald
Herald Newspapers

Friday 17

Earls Colne: Investigation into ancient tombs
An intrigued priory owner hopes to discover ancient tombs beneath his historic home. Paul Whight wanted to plot the outlines of the foundations of the earliest buildings at the Colne Priory site in Earls Colne, but English Heritage was unable to provide him with a complete record of these, so he started investigating with the help of the University of Essex. “I brought in the electronics department of Essex university and they have been identifying where the foundations are. You can see the shape of black outlines which are room size, but we just don’t know what’s there. It would make sense for it to be tombs and we’re hoping to find the actual Earls of Oxford who donated the land to the monastery.”
Halstead Gazette

Starting on a high note
Essex University's new academic year is starting on a high note as it hosts a major jazz concert as part of the Roman River Music Festival tonight at the Lakeside Theatre. This will see the Colchester debut of Mellow Baku.
East Anglian Daily Times

Thursday 16

Under the lens
David Pollock talks to Simon Baker, curator of an exhibition exploring the defamiliarising effect of the close-up. Pieced together by Baker, a lecturer in art history at the University of Nottingham, and Professor Dawn Ades from the University of Essex, Close-Up features examples dating back to the mid-19th century. Read the whole article here.
The List

Technology and the next US President
Computer illiterate vs 718,000 MySpace friends. But does it matter?
This November, the people of the United States will go to the polls and elect the most powerful man on Earth. Should we expect this man to be PC-literate? Read Dr Todd Landman,  Director of the Centre for Democratic Governance at the University of Essex's comments here.
TechRadar.com

GM crops deserve more reasoned debate
Debates around the potential benefits of GM crops for developing countries must be reasoned and evidence-based, says Professor Albert Weale from the Department of Government. Read the whole article here.
SciDev.net

Figure it out
The British government is happy to bail out the banks, but when is it going to bail out the poor? Read Professor Prem Sikka's article here.
The Guardian

Financial sector revealed as the Emperor with no clothes
It came as a shocking realisation to the people crammed into the lecture theatre that we really have been led by the nose. We don't sort out what we want from life; the financial services industry does it for us.  It sells us baby bonds, student overdrafts, credit cards, mortgages, equity release; pensions. This, in effect, is all our lives, repackaged as financial products, and we buy it. Read the whole article here.
Evening Gazette
Halstead Gazette

New Attacks on Finance Sector must not be Ignored
The financial services industry in the Cayman Islands may soon have to cope with yet another twist in the ongoing fallout from the global credit crisis, namely, that the governments in a number of major industrialised countries – Britain, France, Germany and the US, to name just four – are or soon will be substantial shareholders in several large international banks. The UK Treasury is accordingly being called upon to tell banks receiving government funding to close their operations in offshore tax havens.
And there is no shortage of pundits that will readily endorse this point of view. One accounting professor at the University of Essex claims that tax havens in general weaken the UK government’s regulatory and tax grip on banks and their customers - “Banking units in tax havens don’t publish accounts, so you’ve got a real problem with transparency. Parts of the banks escape regulation, thereby allowing tax havens to destroy regulatory systems,” he said. Read the whole article here.
Cayman New News
Bloomberg.com


UCU backs down to avoid libel case
The UCU has retracted a briefing paper that heavily criticised INTO university Partnerships after the private education company threatened to sue the trade union for libel. When the University of Essex announced last week that it would not be entering into a joint venture with INTO after months of discussion, the UCU claimed it as a victory in its campaign against university partnerships with private providers. A spokesperson said that Essex had opted to bring all its pre-degree, undergraduate and postgraduate English and fast-track programmes, currently run by Insearch, in-house. They will now be run from a single academic department.
THE

Literature lecturer dies
A lecturer and literary expert has died aged 65. Elaine Jordan lectured in feminism and gender in literature at Essex University for more than 22 years.
Evening Gazette
Essex County Standard

Wednesday 15

Surgeons beginning to question wholesale use of blood transfusions
In Britain, transfusions figure in 60 per cent of all surgeries but it seems that in many non-life-threatening cases, this blood could be doing unnecessary harm to patients, and some surgeons are increasingly reluctant to give transfusions except in emergencies. It appears that blood transfusions are linked to higher death rates and post-operative illness in patients than those who do not receive donated blood.
In fact, the latest evidence suggests that chemical changes in donated blood harm the recipient's body, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and organ damage. Many surgeons are now opting to carry out routine surgery without blood transfusions.
Researchers at Essex University, however, have discovered one of the underlying reasons why free haemoglobin is so harmful -- without the protection of a red blood cell it effectively 'rusts' and produces harmful free radicals. They believe that by subtly changing the structure of the haemoglobin, they may be able to prevent this process.
The Vancover Sun
The Daily Telegraph

Eminent professor joins Plymouth University
One of the country’s most eminent professors of sociology has joined the University of Plymouth. John Scott, who was formerly Professor of Sociology at Essex University in Colchester and has also worked at the universities of Leicester and Strathclyde, took up his position at the start of October.
Mid Devon Star

New rural commission is no talking shop
A Witham farmer who is part of a new commission looking at rural issues reassured people it would not be a talking shop, but a way to tackle problems. Simon Brice, of Little Braxted Lane, will contribute a wealth of experience in the changing nature of modern agriculture to the Essex Rural Commission, which is an independent group set up by Essex County Council. Mr Brice, who is a former chairman of the Essex branch of the National Farmers’ Union, will work alongside some well-known names, such as commission chairman professor Jules Pretty and feminist thinker Germaine Greer.
Braintree and Witham Times

Worlds largest household longitudinal study launches
One thing that all western nations have in common is our ever evolving societies. In order to understand the impact of such changes on our communities, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) launched Understanding Society, the world’s largest ever household longitudinal study on Monday. Understanding Society will provide valuable new evidence to inform research on the vital issues facing our communities. Understanding Society Director, Professor Nick Buck of University of Essex, said: “We are very pleased to lead this exciting project which will provide high quality longitudinal data about the people of the UK, their lives, experiences, behaviours and beliefs, and will enable an unprecedented understanding of diversity within the population. It represents the latest stage in the UK’s uniquely successful tradition of longitudinal data and we aim to ensure it becomes a flagship resource for the research and user community in the UK – and beyond.” Read the whole article here.
Innovations Report
EurekAlert!
Medical News Today
NewsTin
Andhra News
UPI.com
Calibre MacroWorld
WebIndia 123

Tuesday 14

Staff pay tribute to a 'passionate teacher'
Tributes have been paid to an 'intensely intelligent' lecturer who taught feminism and literature at Essex University for 22 years. Colleagues said Dr Elaine Jordan, who died last week, would be remembered for her "passionate" approach to teaching.
East Anglian Daily Times

World's largest ever longitudinal study of households launched
The world's largest ever longitudinal study of households launches today.
The £15.5m government-funded study will allow social scientists to research vital issues facing communities in Britain. The programme's director, Prof Nick Buck of the University of Essex, said: "We are very pleased to lead this exciting project which will provide high quality longitudinal data about the people of the UK, their lives, experiences, behaviours and beliefs, and will enable an unprecedented understanding of diversity within the population. "It represents the latest stage in the UK's uniquely successful tradition of longitudinal data and we aim to ensure it becomes a flagship resource for the research and user community in the UK – and beyond."  Read the whole article here.
The Guardian
eGov Monitor

Free legal advice on campus
Free legal advice will be on offer from law students at Essex University's Colchester campus. The Essex Law Clinic, launched by Shami Chakrabarti who is Patron of the clinic, will offer free legal advice to the public under the supervision of professionally qualified legal practitioners.
Evening Gazette
East Anglian Daily Times

Taste of the Wild
Students abandoned their creature comforts to spend a day in the wild. University of Essex postgraduates went down to Wivenhoe woods for a Ray-Mears-style crash course on survival skills. The students who are studying for masters degrees in either marine biology or environment, science and society were led by survival expert Annette Stickler of bushcraft school Campfire Skills.
Evening Gazette

Focus on cash crunch
Hard-up residents can learn more about the credit crunch from experts. A panel of Professors from Essex University will discuss the financial crisis from a local, national and global perspective. The lecture entitled 'The Financial Crisis, Accountability and Human Rights' takes place on Wednesday. Speakers will examine the nature of the crisis, its origins, individual and public responsibilities as well as answering audience questions.
Evening Gazette

Scheme to get next census figures right
Southend Council is determined not to miss out on an extra £6million of Government cash in the 2011 census. The authority has been fighting to try to get the 2001 census revised as figures from council tax and health authorities have shown the town has many more people living in it than the official number. Economic scrutiny committee chairman Jon Garston said: “We don’t want to lose out again at the next census. “We want to know how the census is carried out and the best way to ensure the results are right for South- end. Mr Garston said the problem was mainly in town centre wards where there are many houses in multiple occupation. He added; “This may increase with the expansion of the University of Essex in the town. Students may want to share.”
Southend Echo

New life sciences study findings reported from University of Essex
According to a study from the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex 'respondent incentives are increasingly used as a measure of combating falling response rates and resulting risks of nonresponse bias. Nonresponse in panel surveys is particularly problematic, since even low wave-on-wave nonresponse rates can lead to substantial cumulative losses; if nonresponse is differential, this may lead to increasing bias across waves.'
Life Science Weekly

Monday 13

Pupils' mural artwork goes on school wall
A new work of art has been created at a village school with the help of a pair of artists. Pupils at Alresford Primary School were visited by the University of Essex arts education co-ordinator at Essex University gallery and a colleague, who worked with them to design and paint a silhouette mural on one of the school's outside walls.
Evening Gazette

More fingerpointing at accountants over crisis
Accountants, seen as responsible for signing off the accounts of many of the world's most heavily exposed financial institutions, have become the latest scapegoat in the blame game over the worsening financial crisis. ‘Many of the distressed companies have been on a diet of toxic debts, off-balance-sheet accounting, dubious asset values and questionable business models. Yet auditors did not notice any of the red flags,’ Prem Sikka, professor of accounting at Essex Business School, Essex University, said.
VNUNet.com
Accountancy Age
Best Practice
Accountancy
Finance Director Europe

Feeling down? Take a dose of Nature's Prozac
From St John's Wort to a stroll in the park, there are plenty of ways to beat the blues and remain buoyant and healthy.
A report called Eco-therapy, which was conducted last year by Mind and experts from the department of biological sciences at the University of Essex, indicated that physical activity outdoors offers more of a mental boost than gym workouts. “We found there were significant benefits to being outside as opposed to an enclosed environment. Ninety-four per cent of people with depression said that Nature and exercise is most important in improving how they feel.” Kite flying, for instance, sent moods soaring with 71 per cent of subjects in the Eco-therapy study experiencing significant improvements in their depression. Read the whole article here.
The Times

Sunday 12

New Online Resource for Journalists Covering the October 2008 Canadian General Election
The American Political Science Association (APSA), the world's leading professional association for the study of politics, has published a new online media resource page with analysis by prominent scholars, a roster of other experts, and listings of recent research for use by journalists covering the upcoming Canadian general election. "Polling numbers suggest another minority government led by the Conservatives is in the offing," state analysts Harold Clarke (University of Texas at Dallas), Allan Kornberg (Duke University), and Thomas Scotto (University of Essex) about the October 14 election.
PR-GB.com
PR NewsWire
TickerTech.com
KVOA-TV
KRON-TV
KCAU-TV
Beritbart
Forbes Online
MacroWorld Investor
Business Courier
Nashville Business Journal
EarthTimes
Columbus Business First
Portland Business Journal
San Antonio Business Journal
Atlanta Business Journal
San Francisco Business Times

Big players fall amid the profits of doom
Some lost out, others dodged bullets, Norway did well - and junkets went on.
Opaque off-balance sheet structures hidden in secretive tax havens have helped to bring capitalism to its knees, but no one can say they weren't warned. Three characters - Professor Prem Sikka, accountant Richard Murphy and former Jersey economic adviser, John Christensen, created from nothing an international network of academics, investigators and campaigners dedicated to promoting transparency in the financial system. Their organisation, Tax Justice Network has been adopted by charities, some sympathetic governments (Norway) and extends to heavyweight officials in the Obama camp who have promised to squash tax havens if elected. Unlike Gordon Brown. Read the whole article here.
The Guardian

Finger of blame points at auditing firms
The finger of blame for the crisis that has crippled global financial markets in recent days has been pointed in many directions. Over the past few months, regulators, central banks, banks, ratings agencies and even consumers themselves have all taken the rap for inflating the credit bubble whose bursting last year is now causing unprecedented fall-out for financial institutions, governments and economies worldwide. However, last week a new scapegoat emerged: the accountants, who have been responsible for signing off the accounts of many of the world's most dangerously exposed financial institutions, are coming under scrutiny. Read Professor Prem Sikka's comments here.
The Sunday Herald
 

Saturday 11

Everyone's down but who's right?
The recent turmoil in financial markets across the globe has exposed the vulnerability of countries with even moderate exposures to financial globalisation. Accordingly, various governments are busy designing "rescue packages." But only the US and UK have so far come up with structured plans spelling out broad mechanisms, whereas Ireland, Germany, Spain and others have floated piecemeal plans and Iceland is still on the verge of bankruptcy. Read an article written by a reader in finance at the University of Essex. Read the whole article here.
Yahoo! India

So you want to study ...
You may already know your ordinary differential from your partial differential equation, but taking a postgraduate course in mathematics will take you away from the textbook to a world where you get to explore your own theories and try to figure out your own solutions. Universities are offering a range of courses in the subject, from pure maths to those mixed with finance and the sciences. While a master's might whet your appetite for further study, graduates are likely to be snapped up in a range of jobs, from banking and IT to meteorology and engineering.  Read about Essex MSc statistics and operational research Graduate, Ozgun Toreyen.
The Guardian
 

Friday 10

UBC Researchers to Study Impact of Vancouver 2010 Winter Games
University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers have been appointed by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to provide third-party data and analysis for the Olympic Games Impact (OGI) research project. The London Organizing Committee for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games (LOCOG) has appointed the national archiving service for the UK, the Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) as its OGI Researcher. ESDS is a joint venture between the University of Essex and the University of Manchester. Read the whole article here.
UBC

French feeling at river festival
France is the theme of this year's Roman River Festival, in honour of the 100th anniversary of the French composer Olivier Messiaen.  The festival includes a chamber concert in Essex University's Lakeside Theatre.
Essex County Standard

Black Pride
A whole host of events have been lined up for this year's Black History month.  One of the country's most exciting new jazz singers, Mellow Baku, who in a short space of time has collaborated with Courtney Pine, Jimmy Cliff and Revel MC, will be promoting her first release at the Lakeside Theatre at the University of Essex.
Evening Gazette
Essex County Standard

Get a degree via cyberspace
What does the "e" stand for in e-learning? For many students it stands for "easy" - not in the academic sense but because you can work from home, or anywhere else with internet access. Actually the "e" stands for electronic - students use digital study materials, usually on the internet, and communicate with one another and tutors online, through discussion groups and email.  In the UK, Kaplan Open Learning runs online courses in business and management, marketing and sales, and criminal justice. Last year Kaplan launched a business studies foundation degree with Essex University, the first online course run by the university. Essex now has another online foundation degree, in criminal justice.
The Independent

Thursday 9

Tournament held in memory of tragic footballer
A special football tournament was held at the weekend for a man who died from a brain tumour aged 29 in August. Jake Hetherington, a former member of Epsom Dodgers football team, died in Trinity Hospice, Clapham, south London, and more than 200 people from various teams he was involved with attended the tribute day at Tattenham Way recreation ground on Saturday. More than £1,000 was raised for the hospice. The tournament included players from Mr Hetherington’s University of Essex side and his Sunday team, Real Madras.
Surrey Advertiser

More regulation expected in the wake of economic crisis
The global economic crisis will result in more regulation of accountants and slow moves towards global accounting standards, experts have predicted. Read Professor Prem Sikka's comments here.
bestpractice
Finance Director Europe
Accountancy Age

Oil tank design winner named
Lauding the artist’s use of “slashes, splinters, gestures and sense of energy,” organizers at the Maine Center for Creativity named Venezuelan Jaime Gili the winner of its global design competition to create a massive public art project on oil tanks in South Portland. Gili  has art work in public collections at Saatchi Gallery and Christie’s Contemporary in London, as well as Banco Mercantil in Caracas, L’Oreal in Madrid and the University of Essex.
Keep Me Current

'Dustbin' building wins design award
Three projects in Suffolk and north Essex are among a total of eight around the east of England to be honoured in the Royal Institute of British Architects' regional awards for 2008. Among the winners in the RIBA East Awards is the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall on the University of Essex campus outside Colchester, which made national headlines earlier this year after being described by the Prince of Wales as looking 'like a dustbin.'
East Anglian Daily Times

Freshers enjoy artistic welcome
Artist Henrik Schrat has welcomed new students to the University of Essex's Colchester site by painting a series of murals around the campus. The silhouette images form part of Schrat's exhibition, Death by Text, the first art show of the academic year to be held in the university gallery.
Times Higher Education

P45s on offer to all in drive to slash staff costs
The University of Essex has invited all of its 2,000 or so employees to request early retirement or voluntary redundancy in an effort to save on staff costs. The cuts will contribute to the university's plan to accumulate a surplus of £5.5 million - 5 per cent of turnover - by 2010-11.
Times Higher Education
 

Wednesday 8

High school high
Following rave reviews in London, former headmaster of Truro High School James Graham-Brown's new play That Moment… comes to Cornwall. The British Theatre Guide review of the play described it as "a gem of a new play. It is everything you want in a show: witty, slick and superbly acted by the talented Jenny Harrold".
Jenny Harrold takes on the role of Alicia Harding as well as the 12 other characters that populate this bizarre but oh-too-recognisable theatrical world. Jenny trained at East 15 acting school. Her recent theatre credits include Zoo at The Union, Calling at The Old Red Lion, Be My Baby at Upstairs At The Gatehouse, Macbeth at The Bridewell and Floods at The Arcola. TV and film credits include The Slammer for BBC1, and short film Stalker.
Cornish Guardian

Courses plans axed
Plans to part-privatise university feeder courses for overseas students have been axed. Essex University announced it would not be working with private firm INTO University Partnerships, on its degree preparation programmes for international students.
Gazette

New enzyme research study findings recently were reported by researchers at University of Essex
According to recent research from Colchester, the United Kingdom, Nitric oxide can inhibit mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase in both oxygen competitive and uncompetitive modes.
Biotech Week
Medical Devices and Surgical Technology Week

Tuesday 7

Action needed to halt rural decline
Action must be taken now if the decline of rural life in Essex is to be halted, a leading group of countryside experts has warned. The new Essex Rural Commission met for the first time yesterday and announced its plans to deal with the short and long-term challenges the county faces.  Professor Jules Pretty from the University of Essex is chairing the commission and other members include Professor Germaine Greer, former political journalist Elinor Goodman and vice-chairman of the Essex branch of the Country Landowners' Association, Simon Brice.
East Anglian Daily Times
Evening Gazette

Our radiation fears are being exploited, charity warns
Scientists have hit out at companies selling unproven products that they say exploit unfounded health fears among consumers about radiation from mobile phones, Wi-Fi and other devices. The products claim to block or dissipate electromagnetic fields from everyday electronic goods, but the researchers say there is no solid evidence that such fields are dangerous.
"By not paying attention to the scientific evidence a lot of unnecessary panic and anxiety is being generated," said Prof Elaine Fox, a psychologist at the University of Essex, who has carried out studies into the effects of mobile phone radiation. "As with many of these issues, the level of fear and anxiety is easy to generate and then is easily maintained by the widespread mistrust of authority and political bodies." Read the whole article here.
The Guardian

BusinessEast
Housing association Colne Housing is expanding its team with the appointment of Essex graduate Sarah Byham as specialist co-ordinator to support the firm's work with private sector landlords in north Essex and Suffolk.
East Anglian Daily Times

Life and times of a DJ legend
Tonight a DJ talks about his life. But he's no ordinary DJ - he's Charlie Dark, legendary London-based poet, writer and musician. He is regarded as one of the leading lights on the literature and spoken word circuit and will be at Essex University tonight.
Evening Gazette

Monday 6

Text lives improve on campus
Some shady characters have been springing up at Essex University. Artist Henrik Schrat, a current PhD student within the Essex Business School, has been painting the silhouetted murals around campus all week as part of his exhibition Death by Text at the University Gallery.
Evening Gazette

Anniversary conference
Professor Jules Pretty from Essex University will be one of the speakers at Suffolk Farming and Wildlife Group's 35th anniversary conference later this year. The event being held in December, is entitled Scrying for Beginners - scrying being a term for seeing into the future.
East Anglian Daily Times

Lend an ear to youths at risk
A project to reduce the risk of youngsters offending is looking for more volunteers. National charity, Community Service Volunteers is recruiting volunteers to lend a hand, or more importantly an ear to the Essex Mentors and Peers project. Lucy Young, who was a Psychology student at the University of Essex, now helps run the project and two years ago, she was a volunteer herself.
Evening Gazette

Lack of regulation undermining translation services for immigrants
Uneven standards and a lack of regulation are undermining the capacity of State bodies to provide a coherent interpreting and translation service to migrants, according to a Government-funded report published today. The study, carried out by FGS Consulting and Dr Jacqueline Turton of the University of Essex for the Minister for Integration, showed that a majority of service providers in critical areas such as justice, health, education and housing did not provide professional interpreting on a systematic basis.
The Irish Times

UN criticises Britain’s ‘demonising’ of children
Too many children are being imprisoned in Britain and demonised as criminals, said a report published by an influential UN body.
In a document presenting more than 150 recommendations, and described by some campaign groups as “devastating”, the body set out a detailed critique of Britain’s legal and social shortcomings. Carolyn Hamilton, director of the Children’s Legal Centre, a national charity, said: “Too many vulnerable children are being left unable to exercise their right to education.” Read the whole article here.
Gulf Times

Big wave coming
University of Essex graduate, Computer scientist and old-leftist Greg Michaelson’s first novel takes place after the end of civilisation … but he reckons there could be a silver lining. Read the whole article here.
Sunday Herald

 

Sunday 5

Being with nature may help beat the blues
Feeling blue? Well, then all you need to do is step in a natural environment, for it do wonders for the mental health. It's been found that nature, or being in a natural environment, can reduce fear and anxiety, help us relax and improve our sense of well-being. Gardens, bushland and parks are increasingly being used to help those suffering from depression, substance abuse and anxiety. This type of 'ecotherapy' is being championed by mental health organisation Mind in the UK, which commissioned the University of Essex to investigate the health benefits of nature on a group of 20 people suffering from depression.
Net India 123
Hindustan Times
WedIndia123

Saturday 4

Tories are alluring, but they've yet to be convincing to voters
The results of YouGov's latest survey reinforce Conservative leaders' suspicion that, while millions of voters have certainly turned their backs on Gordon Brown and Labour, they are not yet persuaded by the Tories. Read Professor Anthony King's article here.
The Telegraph

Lessons of Derry civil rights march relevant still, conference hears
The marking of the 40th anniversary of the Derry civil rights march of October 5th, 1968, should help provide lessons for the modern era, a Belfast conference has heard. Michael Farrell, a lawyer, author, rights campaigner and student activist in 1968 told a special seminar at Queen's University the anniversary should not be marked by triumphalism or a reopening of old wounds. Kevin Boyle, of the University of Essex, said the Civil Rights Movement preceded "the human rights era" and argued that ideas were now transferred globally and rapidly thanks to the extraordinary development in information and communications technology.
The Irish Times
 

Friday 3

Recording studio dedicated to Tim Dunn
The memory of a music loving teenager has been honoured by a friend and fellow musician. The newly refurbished and re-fitted music recording studio at Plume School in Fambridge Road, Maldon, was officially opened on Wednesday October 1 and has been dedicated to the memory of former pupil, Tim Dunn. Ben Markham, who is now in his first year at Essex University, received a Jack Petchey award before he left the left the school and said he wanted the £300 prize money to be put towards the recording studio and suggested it be dedicated to his friend Tim.
Maldon Standard

Uni offers all staff chance to leave
Essex University has offered all staff the chance to request early retirement or voluntary severance. Applicants for retirement or severance who bosses believe do not need replacing will be allowed to leave with pay-offs.
Evening Gazette
Essex County Standard

Campus entertainment
The new seasons at the Lakeside Theatre at Essex University just get better and better. With the start of the autumn term, there comes a brochure full of shows, concerts and exhibitions.
Evening Gazette
Essex County Standard

Start with a legend at the Lakeside
The new season at Essex University's Lakeside Theatre kicks off with a literary legend. Celebrated Caribbean poet, playwright, essayist and visual artist, Derek Walcott was awarded the Noble Prize for Literature in 1992 and is to receive an honorary doctorate from the university this weekend.
Essex County Standard

Artist Henrik delivers text message to university
Students arriving at Essex University this week have been enjoying a series of Banksy-style murals which have popped-up around campus. Artist Henrik Schrat, a PhD student with the Essex Business School, has been painting around Colchester campus all week. His 'silhouettes' are part of an exhibition Death by Text - the first art show of the new academic year in the University Gallery.
East Anglian Daily Times

Hard work pays off for pupils
Pupils were rewarded for their hard work at a school ceremony. More than 130 youngsters picked up prizes at the Colne Community School's annual awards evening. The guest speaker for the evening was Professor Colin Riordan, vice-chancellor of Essex University, who spoke to the youngsters about further education.
Evening Gazette.

Thursday 2

Robots, the bizarre and the beautiful
The future is a foreign country, and nowhere is it more foreign that the designs thrown up by a surge in robotics research. The feverish imagination and creativity of European robot scientists has led to dozens of robot designs, some bizarre, some beautiful, but all are inspired. Biomimetics, or mimicking biological systems, is a very popular approach in European robotics and has led to a host of unusual designs. Take, for example, the Robot Fish developed by researchers in the UKs University of Essex. It looks like a real carp and is often mistaken for one. Read the full article here.
Science Daily
Innovations Daily
Mumbai Mirror

Wivenhoe: Town survey results
Housing developments and traffic problems are the biggest concerns for people in Wivenhoe, according to a new report. It carried out public consultations over 21/2 years and has published the results, along with an action plan for improvements. In its report, the group says people appreciate Wivenhoe’s riverside setting, green areas and its connections with Essex University, Colchester and London. Read the whole article here.
Evening Gazette
Essex County Standard
Harwich and Manningtree Standard

Energy boost at Colchester
A new wind turbine has been installed at the University of Essex as part of its drive towards sustainability. The turbine has been placed next to the new School of Health and Human Sciences building and is expected to generate enough energy to power half the building.
THE

Police called to uni fight
Police were called to a fight that broke out at Essex University. Security guards said they witnessed a man knocked to the floor, but he got up and walked off, seemingly uninjured.
Evening Gazette

Wednesday 1 

Find out how your business can go greener
Local businesses can boost their green credentials thanks to the launch of a groundbreaking £1,000 'Low Carbon Voucher' scheme. Small enterprises with no more than 250 employees can apply for the funding which entitles them to two days of low carbon consultancy with experts at the University of Essex. The £192,000 project - launched by i10, a service that helps link businesses in the region to the expert help available at local universities - is funded by the East of England Development Agency's European Regional Development Fund.
Brentwood Gazette

A drone of your own
In August, the UK Ministry of Defence's Grand Challenge technology competition saw 11 teams, drawn from industry and academia, put innovative robot warfare systems to the test at the British Army's Copehill Down urban warfare training complex on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. Essex University's Prof Owen Holland, a consultant for one of the 11 competitors, Team Swarm, explained the benefits of using a swarm approach: 'Swarming has many proven advantages. Most importantly, it can survive unexpected events. If one vehicle is suddenly lost, the swarm reconfigures itself to complete the task.' Read the whole article here.
The Engineer

U's uni centre deal
Essex University has been unveiled as the new sponsor of Colchester United's centre of excellence.
Evening Gazette
Essex County Standard

Mystery Jets set to rock Sub Zero
The first of a number of top bands coming to Essex University this autumn term arrives at Sub Zero this week.
Evening Gazette