News
Plans for Knowledge Gateway get underway
Work on the University of Essex's 40-acre Knowledge Gateway is due to
get underway in the next few months.
With a flagship Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution,
building on Essex's internationally-recognised strengths in government
and human rights, at its heart, the Knowledge Gateway will be the new
home for research and development and business space in Colchester. An
office village, providing space for start-up businesses, is also
planned.
The aim is to further establish the University as a world-leading
research and development facility in the Eastern region and nationally.
Funding is now in place for the initial infrastructure work for the
development - formerly known as the Research Park - to get underway at
the beginning of May. This is a major capital investment project for the
University, and will eventually be home to 1,300 student residences and
200 private houses.
A contractor will be soon appointed to get the first phase of the parks
infrastructure underway - such as roadways and utilities and the
landscaping of the area to encourage biodiversity.
Further building plans for the site will be developed in due course.
As with any major new development of this kind, it will require access
to existing roads. A new entrance to the University will be created from
the A133 St Andrew's Avenue/Clingoe Hill via a signalised junction. The
current entrance to the University from Elmstead Road (via the Tesco
roundabout) will be closed off to all traffic, except pedestrians,
cyclists and buses. This new signalised junction is being built in
direct response to two student fatalities in recent years, and will
offer a much safer crossing.
No changes will be made to the main University entrance off the B1028
Wivenhoe road (via Boundary Road). Throughout, it is hoped that work
will be timed to keep disruption to a minimum.
You can find out more at
www.essexknowledgegateway.co.uk
Lawyer challenges Parliament's role
High-profile lawyer Michael Mansfield QC will be giving the 22nd Annual
Law Lecture at the University next month.
Mr Mansfield has represented defendants in criminal trials, appeals and
inquiries in some of the most controversial legal cases the country has
seen, particularly where issues of civil liberty have arisen.
The lecture - titled ‘It should be a hung Parliament - in all sense of the
word’ - will take place on 10 March at 7pm at the Ivor Crewe Lecture
Hall.
Mr Mansfield’s most famous trials include representing the family of
Stephen Lawrence, both in the private prosecution for murder and the
public inquiry, and the families of victims at the on-going Bloody
Sunday Inquiry in Derry and London.
More recently he has successfully represented, Fatmir Limaj, the Deputy
Prime Minister of Kosovo at the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, successfully represented clients in the
notable ‘Ricin’ trial, ‘shaken baby’ appeals and Nabeel Hussain in the
so-called ‘fertiliser plot’ trial.
The lecture is free and open to the public, but tickets must be booked
by emailing: ghowell@essex.ac.uk
Open days to showcase research excellence
The Faculty of Science and Engineering will be showcasing some of its
fascinating research during a series of open day sessions for students
and staff.
Organised to run in conjunction with National Science and Engineering Week
(12-21 March), the faculty’s five departments will be opening their
doors for a number lunchtime sessions to give an insight to some of the
work they do.
The week of events will start on 12 March, when the Departments of
Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
will showcase some of their work, including the new media laboratory and
cutting-edge robotic research.
On 15 March the Departments of Biological Sciences, Health and Human
Sciences and Psychology will be open to staff and students, followed by
the Human Performance Unit on 18 March.
The events will run from 12 noon-2pm each day, and more details will be
announced nearer the time.
Nautical flavour to Town and Gown 2009
The fifth Town and Gown Fundraising Dinner had a real nautical
flavour this year as it was held at the Nottage Maritime Institute in
Wivenhoe.
The event, which brings together people from Wivenhoe and the
University, raised £2,000 for the Wivenhoe Bursary to help support a
local student.
During the evening Richard Barnard, who is both University Proctor and
Chairman of the Nottage, gave a talk on the history of the 113-year-old
Nottage and the much younger University.
Also in the printed February
edition of Wyvern:
- Festival of Social Science
- Human rights links with Japan
- High ranking for student experience
- New 'step-free' map available
