Footnotes

 

CPS lecturer develops new teaching approach

Introducing new ideas to students who work with or counsel troubled children can sometimes have a negative impact in the workplace. That is according to Sue Kegerreis, a senior lecturer in the Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies (CPS) who is working to develop a new way of teaching professionals that benefits them, their colleagues, their organisation and the profession as a whole.

Sue recently presented a paper at a high profile conference at Christ Church University, Canterbury exploring the impact that introducing psychodynamic thinking to students has on their relationships with their employers and colleagues. Her presentation focused on the creation of a new type of course that would closely involve the student’s employer and wider workplace.

She explained: ‘In the past we have seen workers become alienated or isolated as they try to introduce what they have learned on our course into the workplace. Sometimes they become unhappy and even leave. We want to find ways of actively engaging the student’s workplace as a third party in the training to avoid those sorts of difficulties in the future.’
Sue has designed a model of course delivery that helps to integrate the learning a student undertakes at CPS into their role at work, gets successfully fed through into the culture of the organisation and ultimately help more children in need of specialist help.

Graduates of Character presented to the House of Lords

Essex students formed part of a research project that demonstrated that today’s graduates need to be equipped with ‘good character’ as well as a degree if they are to succeed in the job market.

The research, by a team from the University of Birmingham and Canterbury Christ University, discovered that when it came to employing graduates, a good character was just as important as academic excellence and that employers not only look for graduates who are well informed and competent; but also for a person of integrity, who is trustworthy, responsible, loyal and committed to life long learning.

Graduates of Character, the fourth in a series of national Learning for Life projects, has been presented to the House of Lords. Each report has examined character development during the education journey, from early years through to higher education into employment.

Essex students were interviewed as part of the project. James Arthur, Professor of Education and Civic Engagement at the University of Birmingham, said there were hard questions ahead for universities as they attempted to understand and meet the needs of employers.

Being Human

Why are some people inherently optimistic? Why do we use stereotypes to help us understand the world around us? Why do we associate laughter with humour? A week-long series of free public events aim to answer these questions and more.
‘Being Human’ brings together four academic departments to provide insights into human behaviour and the factors that influence it.

The events start on Monday 15 March with ‘Smells in the Workplace.’ Dr Kathleen Riach of Essex Business School will explore how people experience smell at work and how companies use smells as a managerial tool to change workplace atmospheres. On Tuesday 16 March Psychology’s Professor Elaine Fox will talk about her ‘happiness gene’ research; on 17 March, Dr Rebecca Clift of Language and Linguistics will explore the use of laughter in non-humorous situations and how others respond; Thursday 18 March sees Sociology’s Dr Jennifer Bullen discuss stereotypes and why they helps us simplify and understand our world.  The week concludes on Friday 19 March with Dr Chris Land and Dr Marjana Johansson of Essex Business School asking what is value of culture?

Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part as part of their Festival of Social Science Week, ‘Being Human’ also coincides with the Essex Book Festival.  All events will be held at the Minories Bistro @ The Minories Art Gallery, 74 High Street, Colchester. The events are free but seating is limited, so please book your place in advance, e-mail: ledonya@essex.ac.uk.

Transferring human rights knowledge

A professor from the Department of Government has been working with staff from the Macedonian and Ugandan parliaments, as well as with Chinese scholars to enhance the understanding of human rights.

Todd Landman has most recently been in Uganda as part of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy which helps developing parliaments create their own sustainable centres of learning for their staff and members.

Through the scheme, the University’s Department of Government provides training. Earlier in the term Professor Landman worked with staff from the Macedonian Parliament as part of the same project.

Professor Landman has also recently travelled to China where he has been training Chinese academics to write research articles on human rights problems in the country. The Training in Multidisciplinary Human Rights Research project is funded by the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights and the Raoul Wallenburg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. Most recently he has been in Shantou in the south of the country.

Staff awards

Long-standing members of staff were thanked by the Vice-Chancellor for their commitment to the University in the annual 25 and 40 year staff awards recently.

 (left to right) Brian Deighton, Beverley Colley, Professor Colin Riordan, Irene Robinson and Peter Browning

Those honoured were:
Irene Robinson, printing services supervisor in the Estate Management Section, who joined the University in 1969. When she joined the Printing Centre it was housed in Wivenhoe House and all work had to be plated up by hand before going to press. As the Printing Centre grew, so did Irene’s family with the birth of twins.

Peter Browning joined the Estate Management Section in January 1985 having previously worked in a shipyard. He has been a supervisor for 22 years, the duty engineer for 20 years and a retained fireman for 31 years.

Beverley Colley, departmental technician in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, holds a degree in Physics from Essex and joined the University as a member of staff in 1984. She previously worked as a maths teacher and has also studied for a Higher Tec (Technician Education Council) Certificate at South Bank University. She joined Essex as a laboratory technician and is now working in computer support.

City bankers share their tricks of the trade

Students on two MSc finance courses will be getting first hand information about what’s really going on in the City of London at a series of lectures.

Essex Business School lecturer Dr Nick Constantinou, who worked in the City for a number of years, has invited financial experts from a number of leading City firms to talk about state-of-the-art risk management, banking and investment practices and how they are shaping the new global financial environment.
‘London, as one of the world’s leading finance hubs, has had a testing time over the last few months. This series of lectures will provide students with first-hand knowledge from practitioners in many of the strategic areas of risk managment, trading, and hedge funds as well as the pension industry,’ said Dr Constantinou.

The lectures, held Friday mornings at 10am, are free and also open to all staff  and students. For more details contact Dr Constantinou, telephone: extension 3919 or e-mail: nconst@essex.ac.uk
 

Getting help on career ladder

The Careers Centre has a full programme of events for Spring Term, giving students the chance to meet employers, develop employability skills and prepare for job applications.

The Civil Service and the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) will be running business games and the International Student Series continues with workshops on finding part-time jobs and applying for graduate opportunities in the UK and abroad.

For further information visit www.essex.ac.uk/careers

Hong Kong trip for Essex professor

Professor Heather Hopfl, of the Essex Business School, has been in Hong Kong recently where she addressed staff and students at the Vocational Training Council Chan Wai campus.

Professor Hopfl was invited to speak on the strategic behaviour of low cost carriers in Europe. During her visit to Hong Kong she was also guest of the President of the Hong Kong Project Management Institute at the 10th Anniversary Dinner of the Chartered Management Institute.

The trip followed an earlier talk Professor Hopfl made at an international seminar on Research in Practice organised by Hogeschool Utrecht.