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the gateway
Alumni Association
Issue Five Winter 2008/2009
The magazine for alumni and friends of De Montfort University
Andy
Gotts’
famous
faces
Also in this issue
Win a luxury weekend
Alumni Roll of Honour
Leicester –
a city transformed
Alumni volunteers
2009 Distinguished
Lecture Series
Welcome… to the latest issue of The Gateway
From the Vice-Chancellor
Inside this issue
From the Editor
Let me start by wishing you all a very happy
New Year and welcoming you to the fifth issue
of The Gateway.
Dear Friends,
08
Welcome to the fifth issue of The
Gateway and may I wish you all a very
happy New Year.
35
This is an exciting time for De Montfort
University and especially for the Faculty
of Business and Law. As you will know,
a new £35 million Faculty building is
scheduled to open in September 2009.
It will be modern, sustainable and
iconic, reflecting the modern ethos and
innovative work of the Faculty. With the building’s construction will come
the redevelopment of the area, with landscaping and the creation of
public squares and the reinstatement of the Magazine monument as a
gateway to the city. The building will reflect the outstanding quality of
our work and it will embody our pride and confidence as well as our
ambitions for the future.
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This issue carries a fresh new look and is
bigger than ever before. Your kind comments
about the summer launch of the
Faculty-specific magazine, The Gateway Extra,
have helped us to develop this issue. Inside you
will find more inspiring stories about the
University and your fellow alumni as well as news on the
transformation of Leicester itself.
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This is also a big year for our events programme, with us planning more
reunions than ever before, hoping to reunite old friends and rekindle old
memories by returning many of you to campus (see page 7). We have
been overwhelmed with the kindness of alumni that have returned to
DMU to volunteer their help at a number of events. This has been so
successful that we now have new opportunities for more alumni to get
involved (see page 7) and look forward to hearing from you!
As a University we are very proud of our reputation and standing. Over
the next year, one of our aims is to raise the profile of the University
nationally and internationally. We realise that to be successful in
achieving this goal we will need to rely heavily on the support of our
partners, friends and alumni.
The support of our alumni is crucial to the success of the University and
we are proud to feature four leading De Montfort alumni in this year’s
magazine: Andy Gotts, celebrity photographer who specialises in all
aspects of portraits and photography; Kevin Hand, Chairman of
Hachette Filipacchi UK, the British arm of Legardere, one the world’s
largest magazine publishers; Graham Cartledge CBE, Chairman of
Benoy, an international architecture firm with offices in Newarke,
London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Abu Dhabi; and Roger Le Tissier,
Senior Partner at Ogier, the largest commercial law firm in Guernsey.
Their lives and careers since leaving the University have been
fascinating and an inspiration to us all and we thank them for their time.
I am immensely proud of our graduates. I am impressed by the
remarkable contributions you make to your chosen professions and to
the communities in which you live and I would like to express our
warmest thanks to you for your continued support as part of our Alumni
Association. I do hope that you enjoy this magazine.
With best wishes,
Professor Philip Tasker
Vice-Chancellor
Editor Louise Henderson
Sub Editors Julia Breens, Terry Gibson
Staff Writers Julia Breens, Louise Henderson, Terry Gibson, Stephen Jones
Design Marketing Department, De Montfort University
Print Printank
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Issue 5
2009 looks like being the busiest year for the Alumni Association so
far! In the next couple of months we will be launching a new alumni
website, boasting lots of exciting new features and providing an
interactive way to keep in touch! We would love you to be a part of this,
so please look out for all the ways you can get involved throughout
this magazine.
I really hope you enjoy reading and please do continue to contact us
with your news and views on what we are doing and how we can
improve things for you.
Features
Win a luxury weekend!
Website launch
Andy Gotts – Here’s looking at you
Julie Vallance –
From Office Junior to Solicitor
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Events
Leicester – A city transformed
Graham Cartledge – The world’s in his hands
CEO – getting you into business
Roger le Tissier – A decade of success
Global alumni network
Making it in the media
Weddings
Kevin Hand - One Elle of a career!
12-13
14-15
27
28-29
30
31
32-33
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35
Upcoming alumni reunions
Alumni Pub Night
06
06
08-09
Photography Nigel Essex, Stuart Hollis, Page One Photography, Will Pryce,
Stuart Hollis, Derek Tamea, Iain Philpott, Mark Rankin, Tempest Photography and
alumni contributors
Produced by De Montfort University Alumni Association
Published by De Montfort University Development Office,
The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
Paul Catherall – The Lino-Man
Katy Bullen –
forgotten children of Cambodia
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Focus on fundraising
38
Faculty news
16-27
Have a great 2009 and keep in touch.
With best wishes
07
07
Louise Henderson (CIM PGDip Marketing, 2004) Editor
Distinguished Lecture
Series 2009
10
Stay in touch
Cultural eXchanges
10
Hong Kong and Taiwan reunions
31
Life after DMU supplement
Centre pages
Alumni Association benefits
and services
06
The views expressed in the gateway are those of the individual authors and contributors
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University, the alumni community or the
Editor. The Editor reserves the right to edit contributions received and every care shall be
taken to ensure accuracy of information. the gateway is distributed free of charge to all
members of the worldwide alumni community, staff and friends of De Montfort University
and all antecedent institutions.
We’d love to hear from you and would
like to stay in touch. Please contact us
with any news, updates or enquiries
you may have at:
The Alumni Association
De Montfort University
The Gateway
Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
T: +44 (0)116 257 7027
F: +44 (0)116 250 6230
E: alumni@dmu.ac.uk
www.dmu.ac.uk/alumni
Inset cover images by Andy
Gotts and used with kind
permission – see pages 8-9
for feature.
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DMU News
Graduates and
honorands celebrate
Thousands of DMU
graduates celebrated
successfully
completing their
courses at
ceremonies held in
July and November
last year.
Have you started your
career but feel that further
study may help boost you
up the ranks? Or are you
considering a career
change which a
postgraduate qualification
could help you with?
De Montfort Hall was once again the venue
for the graduation ceremonies, which also
included the presentation of honorary
degrees to a number of celebrated and
distinguished names.
Perhaps you have always felt graduation
wasn’t the end of your educational journey
and that one day you would come back to
DMU to continue your studies.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Philip Tasker said:
“Our graduation ceremonies are the highlight
of the academic year when we mark and
celebrate the achievements of our students.
Their success is a source of pride not just to
the University, but also to the city of Leicester.”
Receiving honorary degrees this year were:
•
Kate Bostock,
Executive Director of Clothing at Marks
and Spencer.
Honorary Doctor of Arts
•
Louis de Bernieres,
best-selling author of Captain Corelli’s
Mandolin and a former Leicester
Polytechnic student.
•
Professor Lord Robert Winston,
known for TV series such as Child of Our
Time and one of the country’s foremost
fertility experts.
Honorary Doctor of Science
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Investing in
your future –
alumni
scholarships
De Montfort University is pleased to
announce alumni scholarships worth £500
Kate Bostock.
•
Louis de Bernieres.
Robert Winston.
Michael Wilson OBE,
producer of every James Bond film since
1985’s A View to a Kill with his half-sister
Barbara Broccoli.
•
•
The Right Honourable Terry Davis,
Secretary General of the Council
of Europe.
Honorary Doctor of Letters
•
Professor Jean-Louis Juvet,
President of the International Centre for
Sport Studies, Neuchatel University.
•
Media mogul Patrick McKenna.
•
Sandy Nairne,
Director of the National Portrait Gallery.
•
Internet guru Professor Howard
Rheingold,
who is Visiting Professor at the DMU
Institute of Creative Technologies.
Honorary Doctor of Technology
Dame Catherine Elcoat,
Director of Nursing and Patient Care of
the NHS East Midlands Strategic
Health Authority,
Honorary Doctor of Science
•
Dr Paul Vaight,
Pro-Chancellor and Deputy Chairman of
the Board of Governors.
•
Jonathan Agnew,
cricket correspondent and former
professional cricketer.
towards the full tuition fees of a number of
postgraduate courses.
The courses that you can apply for include
many full-time postgraduate diplomas and
Master’s courses, distance learning/online
Master’s courses and full time MPhil/PhD
research degrees.
To qualify for one of the scholarships, you
must have previously studied and completed
a course of nine months or more in duration
at any DMU UK campus.
Further details on the scheme are available
at www.dmu.ac.uk/alumnischolarships
DMU appoints
two Pro Vice-Chancellors
Professor Vivien Lowndes, a
leading international expert in
local Government, and Dr Vicky
Vass have been appointed Pro
Vice-Chancellors at
De Montfort University.
Professor Lowndes previously had a key
role in the University’s Local Governance
Research Unit in the Faculty of Business
and Law, and Dr Vass joins DMU from
the University of Sunderland where she
was Dean of the Business, Law and
Psychology Faculty.
Professor Jeff Knight and Professor Steven
Baskerville, former Pro Vice-Chancellors at
DMU, retired last year.
Professor Vivien Lowndes.
Dr. Vicky Vass.
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Alumni benefits and services
Coming to a screen near you
Many of you will have enjoyed using
the current DMU alumni website for
the past couple of years – but a new
and improved one is on its way!
Are you connected?
Our new alumni website will allow you to
search for your friends, take part in
discussions, add photos, become involved in
professional networking groups and maintain
your personal profile, privacy and
communication preferences. We provide all of
this in a secure password-protected
environment exclusive to DMU alumni.
We will be launching the new website with an
exciting competition in the spring, but for now
you can log on to www.dmu.ac.uk/alumni
for a sneak preview!
Benefits for you
Get involved!
In the last 12 months we’ve hosted a number
of events for alumni and asked for your help
at a few more. Here’s a round up of the past
events, plus some information about what
we’re doing throughout 2009.
De Montfort University and Leicester
Polytechnic Alumni Association
http://demontfort.facebook.com/
group.php?gid=2616840595
Featuring:
•
•
•
•
More than 1,900 contactable alumni
Private or public messaging
Discussion boards
News and events in brief
• Discounts with many international and
alumni-owned businesses including The
Gourmet Society, Cottages4You and
Open Fairways to name a few
• Discounted fees on postgraduate courses
• Help with finding and contacting old friends
• Invitations to alumni reunions and other
exclusive University events
• Specialist help and advice for holding your
own reunion
• Discounted membership for the DMU
Library and John Sandford Sports Centre
• Feature in your own online profile or
update your friends in Life after DMU
• Free access to DMUworks, the online job
site for DMU alumni
• Unlimited careers advice for graduates with
Careers DMU.
For a complete list, visit
www.dmu.ac.uk/alumni and download
your Benefits and Services brochure.
Myspace Group
groups.myspace.com/dmualumni
Featuring:
• Discussion boards
• News and events in brief
• Share your favourite music, pictures
or videos
LinkedIn Group
linkedin.com/e/gis/39222/
0B5AF349CCBE
Featuring:
• More than 500 contactable alumni
• Valuable business networking with
coursemates and other DMU alumni
• A panel of industry experts willing to
help answer your business questions.
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Issue 5
Luxury
prize
weekend
We’re offering one
lucky reader the
chance to win a
luxury weekend for
two! The weekend will
include a two-night
stay in Leicester’s
hippest new boutique
hotel, Hotel Maiyango,
dinner and a bottle of
champagne. Also, to
celebrate the recent
opening of Leicester’s
newest attraction,
See our website for details of the following
events. Get in touch with us if you’re
interested in attending, or if you know
someone who would be.
Past reunions
On 10 April 2008, 120 distinguished
architects gathered at the Royal Institute of
British Architects in London to celebrate 111
years of the Leicester School of Architecture.
Facebook Group
Faculty of Technology open day
For more information about any of these events
see our website www.dmu.ac.uk/alumni
Leicester School of Architecture
Reunion
Don’t forget – being a member of DMU’s
Alumni Association is your passport to some
great discounts, offers and special deals:
Future reunions
Are you a 2008 graduate? Return to campus for the
One-year-on reunion.
Reunion of Performing Arts and Arts
Management degrees – February 2009
Leicester and London pub nights – April 2009
Class of 2008 One-year-on reunion – July 2009
Reunion of Nursing and Midwifery –
September 2009
Centenary Anniversary of the Leicester School
of Pharmacy – September 2009
Leicester and London pub nights –
October 2009
A series of reunions for the Faculty of
Business and Law to celebrate the new
building – October and November 2009
The four volunteers who attended had a
delightful day and not only assisted
prospective students and their families but
enjoyed a nostalgic trip back to their old
place of study.
We’d like to say thank you to all our
alumni volunteers.
Graduation ceremonies
Future
volunteering
opportunities
Leicester Pub Night
On 9 October 2008, alumni from all over the
county joined staff from the alumni office for
our first Leicester Pub Night.
Following this year’s success, we are proud
to preview the 2009 programme. Get in
touch with us if you’re interested in
volunteering to help new and future
graduates find their path with DMU.
Alumni volunteer Robin Taylor talking to alumni.
Leicester’s hippest new boutique hotel, Hotel
Maiyango, was the host of the Leicester Pub Night.
Each year the University opens its doors to
prospective new students to give them a
flavour of DMU life. In October we invited
graduates of the Faculty of Technology to
help describe the quality of teaching and
support services DMU offers to its students.
Alumni
volunteering
Architecture alumni enjoying the reunion.
The Highcross
shopping centre, we’re
throwing in a £250
shopping spree! To
enter, simply complete
and return the update
form sent with this
magazine before
Friday 24 April 2009.
The lucky winner will
be announced on
Monday 27 April 2009.
Open day volunteers, from left to right: Lloyd Grose,
Paul Gribbin, Nathan Tierney and Keith Cresswell.
In July and November we welcomed more
than 4,000 new graduates to the Alumni
Association. Over the two weeks we had
a great time talking to new graduates and
participating in the celebrations. This
wouldn’t have been possible without our
alumni volunteers.
Summer University Open Days – June and
July 2009
Summer Graduation Celebrations – July 2009
Autumn University Open Days – October and
November 2009
Autumn Graduation Celebrations –
November 2009
We also run careers and Faculty events
throughout the year, so there are many ways
for you to get involved!
Issue 5
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07
Feature
Feature
We first featured Andy Gotts (MA Photography, 2007) in issue three of The Gateway
when he was studying for his Master’s in Photography. At that time his coffee table
book Degrees based on the game ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon’ had just been released
featuring his portraits of the most recognisable faces on the silver screen including
George Clooney, Halle Berry, Brad Pitt and Sharon Stone…
Julia Roberts.
Robert de Niro.
Andy Gotts.
Fast-forward two years and we caught
up with Andy to talk about DMU and his
latest projects.
Andy also discussed his other major project
‘Epitaph’. It focuses on a spectrum of people
at the top of their field in areas including the
arts, business and science. Andy aims to get
his subjects to write their own epitaph which
will accompany their portraits. The idea came
from a meeting Andy had with an American
legend earlier this year just before he
passed away.
Derby. I had shot Alan, Alan had given Paul his
portrait and Paul put it on his pin board. Things
happen all the time, things happen for a reason
I think. So I came here and I’m glad I did.”
“I
Here’s looking
at you
Al Pacino.
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Issue 5
’m working on a few projects at the
moment; I met with Elton John and David
Furnish. They saw Degrees and wanted to do
something similar for musicians to raise
money for the Elton John Aids Foundation.”
When asked if we can expect a similar calibre
of A-listers on the music project, Andy
discussed his rather unique ideas for the
musicians involved including; Elton John
karate kicking over a piano, Amy Winehouse
in a coffin and Ozzy Osbourne and Alice
Cooper as elder statesman in sharp suits
without any of their trademark makeup.
“I like to capture people not as glossy,
Hollywood, Vanity Fair pictures. Yousuf
Karsh’s picture of Winston Churchill inspires
me. I’m more interested in seeing someone
who isn’t glossy. Apparently Churchill was in a
bad mood that day and you can see that in
the picture. When I photograph someone it’s
just them and me and they are just themselves,
no entourage and that works really well, you
get to know the person and after 20 to 30
minutes they treat you like a best friend.”
“I saw Paul Newman a few months ago and
he had been ill for about 18 months with
lung cancer; people were saying if he
passes away people will be writing lots of
nice things about him. I thought it would be
nice for people to put their own point of view
down before they die, how they want to be
recalled in years to come rather than
another person’s perspective.”
Andy recalled fond memories of his time at
DMU and mentioned how Paul Hill MBE, the
MA Photography Course Leader, was the
catalyst for him choosing DMU over a place at
the Royal College of Art.
“When I came for the interview here, I went to
Paul’s office and sat down. Behind Paul’s
head there was a portrait I had done of Sir
Alan Bates on his pin board. There’s an omen
for you… Alan Bates was Paul’s neighbour in
Andy commented that the most important
thing the MA has given him is confidence when
giving lectures to other university students.
“When I give lectures in universities, the history
that I was taught on the course has given me
a lot of confidence when talking to students
about photography, rather than someone who
does not have a background in photography”.
Andy is keen to continue supporting the
photography department at DMU: “I would like
to help in anyway I can to support the efforts
that are continuing to make DMU a leader in
the arts.”
Andy has donated his personal collection of
signed prints from his Degrees collection to
be auctioned at Sotheby’s to raise money for
the Faculty of Art and Design and has
permanently loaned his Degrees exhibition
collection to DMU.
Issue 5
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09
Events
Feature
Distinguished Lecture Series
photo courtesy of Will Pryce.
Julie’s
journey:
from
Office
Junior to
Solicitor
Jasvinder Sanghera.
Ken Shuttleworth.
Lord Lester.
A compelling mix of speakers with a diverse
range of expertise will appear at this year’s
De Montfort University Distinguished
Lecture Series.
They include an architect who has worked on
some of Britain’s most iconic modern
buildings, an acclaimed designer and a
football legend.
The speakers and dates for their talks are:
• Director General of the Institute of
Directors Miles Templeman on 25 February
• Jasvinder Sanghera, a national campaigner
on issues affecting South Asian women
on 11 March
• Football coach and former player Lawrie
McMenemy MBE on 25 March
• Ken Shuttleworth DMU Alumnus and the
founder of Make Architects on 29 April
• Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC, President of
the International Centre for the Legal
Protection of Human Rights on 10 June
• Wayne Hemingway, founder of Red or
Dead and Hemingway Design on
9 December
• Baroness Neuberger DBE, author of
several books on Judaism, women,
healthcare ethics and on caring for dying
people, on 24 September
For further information or to book a place on
any of the lectures please contact the DMU
Events Office on +44 (0) 116 257 7452 or
email eventsoffice@dmu.ac.uk
Former resident of the city
and best selling writer Adele
Parks, author of ‘Playing Away’
and ‘Game Over’, talks about
her career.
Eminent scientist Professor
Lewis Wolpert continues our
theme via Leicester-born
novelist C.P. Snow. Professor
Wolpert will talk about Snow’s
famous paper on the ‘Two
Cultures’ of Science and Art
and will question whether the
two can indeed co-exist. The
event is particularly timely as
Photo by Iain Philpott.
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Issue 5
• Dr Maggie Semple OBE, Chief Executive
and a Director of The Experience Corps Ltd
on 21 October
2009 marks the 50th anniversary
of Snow’s original lecture.
This year sees the return to the
festival of Andrew Davies, fresh
from his acclaimed adaptation
of Little Dorrit for the BBC.
cultural eXchanges also
features live performances
including Lemn Sissay, Poet in
Residence at the South Bank,
Rob Williamson, of The
Incredible String Band Fame,
and legendary jazz saxophonist
Ian Ballamy.
Tony Graves, Director of
cultural eXchanges, said: “I’m
looking forward to another
week packed full of ideas,
insight and inspiration. I’m
especially delighted to
announce the support of our
new sponsors Leicestershire
and Rutland Life who will
provide us with extensive
coverage of the festival.
Julie Vallance.
Photo by Mark Rankin.
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Wayne Hemingway.
• Marie-Noëlle Barton MBE, former Director
of the WISE (Women Into Science and
Engineering) Campaign on 13 May
Producer and director David
Gothard, who has produced
work by writers such as Hanif
Kureishi and was a producer at
Leicester’s former Haymarket
Theatre, will discuss his
illustrious career.
Author Adele Parks.
Miles Templeman.
• Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE,
Head of the International School for
Communities, Rights and Inclusion at the
University of Central Lancashire on
11 November
cultural eXchanges returns
this year with another array
of creative talents and a
strong spotlight on Leicester.
Monday 2 March to
Friday 6 March 2009
Dr Maggie Semple.
Poet Lemn Sissay.
I believe it’s a further sign of
the growing reputation that
cultural eXchanges has in the
region.”
A number of big names are in
the pipeline and will be
revealed soon so keep visiting
the website for confirmation of
the final programme.
www.dmu.ac.uk/cultural
exchanges
Julie Vallance (PGDip Law,
2004 and Legal Practice
Course, 2006) has had a
very interesting career,
going from Office Junior to
Solicitor and having an
article written about her for
The Times.
I
n 1979 she left school at 16 with no desire
to go to university. Instead she picked up the
Yellow Pages and wrote to four law firms in
Leicester enquiring about work as an Office
Junior. The first to offer her an interview was
Harvey Ingram who, after meeting her,
offered her a position on the spot.
As a Secretary, and then a Senior Secretary,
Julie worked at Harvey Ingram for over 15
years, but the retirement of a Senior Partner
encouraged her to qualify and become a fee
earner for the firm. Julie explains: “I started
off with what I thought was the easiest
option, doing the Legal Executive course.”
But being a Legal Executive wasn’t all Julie
thought it might be.
“At home I had support from my partner
Terry. In The Times article they refer to him
as ‘Harry’. Among my friends that article will
be remembered because of that error. Terry
was fabulous though, he helped with my
discipline. Every night my books would be
out. He would notice that I would write a
sentence then look up and watch a bit of
telly. He would say ‘Do this properly and turn
the telly off or put the books away.’”
Julie now works in Personal Injury at Harvey
Ingram. “My day involves talking to clients,
arguing with insurers and then dealing with
letters and such like. I think I’m a bit of a
natural born litigator because I love arguing.
I still get a real buzz when I win at trial.”
“I qualified as a Legal Executive, but I knew
that I would never be treated the same as a
Solicitor. It’s a title thing.” It was the desire to
have her work recognised that drove Julie to
study for four years at DMU. But why DMU?
“Harvey Ingram has always had a lot to do
with DMU, so the partners were satisfied
knowing that it was a good university to go to.”
Julie has two career highlights. “Qualifying
as a Solicitor made me incredibly proud and
even now when I meet people and they say
‘what do you do?’ and I say ‘I’m a Solicitor’, I
really have to hold back from giggling
because I almost can’t believe it. Qualifying,
and that article in The Times, are the
two highlights.”
Studying at DMU meant meeting lecturers
and coursemates, but it was her support
network outside DMU that really helped
with a stressful workload. “In the office, I
would bring my study to work with me every
single day and instead of having a dinner
hour I would work right through and at 4pm
my books would be out.
But even after a day at Harvey Ingram, she
still likes to watch courtroom dramas on
television. “I love them because I like to pick
holes in them and because Terry and I
watch these things together. I think I was
just meant to be in the law.”
Issue 5
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11
Feature
An artist’s impression of
Westbridge One. Image courtesy
of Westbridge Living.
1. John Lewis, Leicester’s
newest department store.
Image courtesy of Page One
Photography.
2. Shoppers at the Highcross
Shopping Centre. Image
courtesy of Page One
Photography.
A city
transformed
Big cities are constantly evolving and most graduates returning to the home of their
former universities after a few years’ absence would notice much that is different.
But for DMU alumni, a return to Leicester is likely to be an eye-opening experience.
2
3
4
3. Leicester’s Curve Theatre.
Image courtesy of Will Pryce.
4. Interior views of Curve.
Images courtesy of Will Pryce.
Leicester is a city undergoing major
transformation and the sheer scope of the
developments taking place is breathtaking.
building is based in Rutland Street and is
the jewel in the crown of the city’s new
Cultural Quarter.
The last few months alone have seen the
opening of a vast shopping centre, a
multi-million pound theatre and the completion
of a major project to revamp city centre streets.
Its glass façade allows those looking in from
the outside to see the stage, backstage area
and foyer, along with the cafés and bars in
the building.
Exciting developments are also taking place
around Leicester’s waterfront, where luxury
apartments are set to spring up alongside
shops, bars and restaurants.
Curve opened in December and features two
auditoria, one seating 750 people and the
other 350.
Last year saw the first major developments
being completed and opened to the public.
The much anticipated opening of the
Highcross Shopping Centre took place in
September. Thousands of people poured
through its doors on the first day, all eager to
sample a shopping experience on the scale of
which Leicester has never seen before.
The Highcross, which incorporates the former
Shires Shopping Centre, contains 120 shops,
restaurants including Wagamama and Yo!
Sushi, three department stores, including a
four-floor John Lewis, and a 12-screen cinema.
Other new developments in the city are the
£61 million Curve theatre, designed by
renowned architect Rafael Vinoly. The iconic
City centre streets have undergone a massive
face lift in a two-and-a-half-year project that
was completed last autumn. As a result, the
centre has more pedestrian areas and benefits
from new paving and street lighting, better
signage and new seating.
The city’s new digital media centre, which will
replace Phoenix Arts and is supported by
DMU, is set to open this year.
The £21.5 million project will feature three
cinema screens, a digital exhibition space and
digital production facilities as well as housing
businesses, high-quality homes and a café bar.
Plans are also underway to regenerate
Leicester’s waterfront area and reunite the city
with its 11 miles of waterfront. A major
development will be No. 1 Westbridge,
an iconic complex of three towers, the tallest
reaching 39 storeys high.
The two shorter towers will contain 354 luxury
apartments while the tallest building will feature
apartments and hotel rooms. The complex will
also boast shops, bars and restaurants.
Changes are also afoot around the DMU
campus. Work on the new Faculty of Business
and Law building is underway and the project
to reroute Leicester’s inner ring road to free up
the Magazine Gateway was completed
last year.
Vice-Chancellor of De Montfort University
Professor Phillip Tasker said: “There are some
major changes taking place in Leicester at the
moment, including some exciting
developments in and around our city campus.
“Leicester has always been a thriving city but
now there is even more to interest and
entertain present and future students of
De Montfort University, local residents and
visitors to the city.
“I hope that De Montfort alumni who are keen
to see how Leicester has been transformed
will take the opportunity to visit both the city
and the University to see these changes
for themselves.”
ˆ
Win a luxury weekend!
Fancy the chance to return to Leicester, experience the transformation and enjoy a weekend of luxury? Then enter our exciting competition!
See page 6 for more details.
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Feature
Graham Cartledge
CBE (DipArch, 1972).
The Bullring in Birmingham,
designed by Benoy.
The award winning Elements in Hong Kong.
Bluewater in Kent, designed by Benoy.
The world’s in
his hands
Graham chose architecture after taking
inspiration from his brother who worked as a
builder. In 1965 Graham chose the Leicester
School of Architecture and he has fond
memories of his time here. “Leicester was
good fun, the pubs and social life were great.
The course was not prescriptive and diversity
was encouraged. The great amount of variety
truly allowed students to blossom,” he recalls.
DMU graduate Graham Cartledge CBE (DipArch, 1972)
is Chairman of Benoy, an award-winning architecture firm
with offices in the UK, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Hong Kong
and Shanghai. Heading a global team of 550 people,
Benoy has experienced turnover growth of £28 million in
the last five years. Times are good, but the triumphs have
not come without their tribulations.
In his second year Graham’s drawing skills
were advancing and a placement year at
Louis De Soissons in year four began to
define things for him. “My confidence grew
during my time at Louis De Soissons and
things really took off from there.”
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Graham graduated with a Diploma in
Architecture in 1972 and became a member
of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
He joined Gordon Benoy and Partners in
1973 and by 1975 he was Senior Partner.
The practice grew with notable projects in St
Marks Place in Newark and Foregate Street
in Chester. However there was a concern
that as the firm’s success grew it also
became over-stretched and vulnerable.
To protect the practice, Benoy and Partners
merged with Fitch and Co.
“The decision to move into London and join
up with Fitch and Co was the right decision
in 1987. This transformed the practice from
being a ‘third division outfit’ to the ‘first
division’ overnight. However, towards the
end of our time with Fitch the businesses
were moving in different directions. Fitch
concentrated on their core interior design
brand, whilst Benoy continued to seek
architectural commissions. There were also
financial strains arising from the property
recession in 1992 and it seemed an
appropriate opportunity for me to take
Benoy back under my own control.”
So in 1992 Graham orchestrated a
management buy-out and regained control
as Chairman of Benoy, returning the practice
to its founding office in Newark. In the
economic climate tough decisions had
to be made to ensure the practice’s
long-term survival.
“The biggest challenge was to realign the
size of business, which unfortunately
included making redundancies, to cut costs
and make Benoy competitive. I worked for
nothing that year and the retained staff
supported me by taking salary cuts. Twelve
months later we were back at the size we
were when we left Fitch and had re-opened
an office in London. Bonuses for the entire
team more than compensated for their
loyalty during this difficult time.”
In the UK, Benoy was commissioned to
design Bluewater in Kent and the Bullring in
Birmingham, schemes which received
international recognition for creating new
benchmarks in retail design. Such praise
enabled Graham to expand Benoy overseas,
designing the award-winning Elements in
Hong Kong and the iconic Ion Orchard in
Singapore. Benoy is currently working on
the masterplan for an entire island in Abu
Dhabi, ‘Yas Island’ will convert an impressive
25km² of desert into a veritable leisure
oasis. In 2008 non-UK business
represented 85 per cent of their turnover
(up from 34 per cent in 2006).
“Our international work has become a key
part of my business over the last 10 years
enabling us to expand the Benoy brand into
43 countries. In this difficult economic
climate, particularly in Europe, overseas
commissions in the Far and Middle East have
helped to sustain parts of our UK business.”
In 2007 the Cartledge family established the
Benoy Foundation, a grant-making charitable
trust that supports tangible, lasting projects
in building, sustainability, community and
education throughout the UK and across the
world. “The Benoy Foundation is a way by
which Jo, my wife, and I can give a little
back. We have been privileged to support
those less well off through projects in India
and China and here in the East Midlands
through our work with the Wildlife Trusts.”
In 2008 Benoy’s international successes
continued and were recognised with a
Queens Award for Enterprise in International
Trade. Graham was also awarded a CBE for
his contribution to architecture and charity.
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The Faculty of art&design
Virtual
graffiti
washroom
wins top
award
Jade Horwood with her winning design.
Design students from De Montfort University have won three of the
top four prizes in a prestigious UK competition, The Formica®
Design Award 2007/08, including first prize for a digital graffiti
toilet door design.
Student designs on
sale at River Island
Designs by final year Fashion
Design and Retail Buying students
won the Fashion Targets Breast
Cancer (FTBC) and River Island
design competition and are now
on sale nationally.
The competition was open to all
final year degree students from
UK universities and colleges who
exhibit at Graduate Fashion Week.
The entrants had to create a new
FTBC logo and incorporate it into
the design of a top or accessory.
Kirsty McNee, Fashion Design,
and Tiffany Ting, Retail Buying
(Fashion), impressed the judges
Caryn Franklin, Henry Holland
and Richard Bradbury so much
they decided that they should be
joint winners.
Overall winner in the Formica Design Award went to Jade Horwood,
who graduated with a BA (Hons) Interior Design degree in July 2008.
Jade won first prize with her digital graffiti lavatory door design.
Students Mia Wildgust and Alexander Hulse also won first prize in
their design categories.
Jade received £1,000 prize money, a laptop computer and four
tickets to the 100% Design Exhibition at Earl’s Court, where her
work was showcased.
Jade said: “My design is called Virtual Graffiti. In the wash area
there would be a screen where the public can write comments or
messages, which would then be projected onto the doors.”
‘Pictures
from
Life’
Animation Design
graduate lands job
with Double
Negative
Footwear
Design
students top
Lineapelle
shoe
awards
shows
photography
helps grieving
children
Gareth Harbuz, first-class 2008
BA (Hons) Animation Design
graduate, has landed a job with
the top London visual effects
company Double Negative. The
London-based company creates
shots for films including The
Dark Knight, Quantum of Solace
and Atonement.
Winning footwear designs.
Lecturer Dr Mike Simmons has shown an
international conference his groundbreaking
work using photography to help bereaved
children express their grief over the loss of a
parent, sibling or other close relative.
bereavement support to children aged from
eight to 14 and their families in Lincolnshire.
Also presenting was his collaborator Tracy
Wilson, the child bereavement co-ordinator
for The Children’s Fund Lincolnshire.
The presentation was one of two Dr
Simmons, Senior Lecturer in Photography at
DMU, gave to the International Conference
on Phototherapy and Therapeutic
Photography in Turku, Finland.
He said: “By working with Tracy, a specialist
social worker, we brought together clinical
practice and the creative process, capitalising
on the unique expertise of both disciplines.
This has ultimately provided improved
benefits for the children. Together with them
we opened a dialogue within each family,
showing how people grieve differently.”
Dr Simmons jointly presented the ‘Pictures
from Life’ project designed to offer
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A student design on sale at
River Island.
Kirsty designed a T-shirt and bag
and Tiffany’s design was for flip
flops. They are sold exclusively in
River Island stores and online. A
percentage of the profit will go
directly to the Breakthrough
Breast Cancer charity.
Gareth said: “Double Negative is
renowned for its work for major
films including Cloverfield. I’m
working in a team on a major
Footwear Design students won the top three prizes at the world
famous Lineapelle shoe awards – a key event for the footwear
industry. The trio defeated competition from thousands of talented
designers at the annual event in Italy, where 27,000 shoe industry
representatives attend from around the world.
blockbuster due for release soon.
It's very exciting to get straight
into a great career as soon as
I graduated.”
Gareth was also awarded a
graduating student award from
leading design innovation firm
Autodesk for his professional brief
project set by Double Negative
and his animation short entitled
The Not So Big Sleep.
Final year student Philippa Stanton won first prize for Shoevolution,
her shoes that ‘evolve’ into boots. Emily Townsend was awarded
second prize for her Eco Shoe design and third place went to Daniel
Bisson with his metal shoe.
Lineapelle event organisers praised the high level of De Montfort
University students' work.
Gareth Harbuz.
Gareth Harbuz Animation Design.
Double Negative staff work as
guest lecturers on DMU's BA
(Hons) Animation Design course,
while Autodesk is one of DMU’s
educational partners.
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The Faculty of business&law
CREME
launches
new
projects
Professor Monder Ram.
Experts at DMU are to lead three new research projects to help
drive business activity in ethnic minority communities.
DMU’s Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship
(CREME) will look at supplier diversity, new migrant communities
and procurement readiness in ethnic enterprises.
The studies will be led by Professor Monder Ram, a leading
authority on small businesses and ethnic minority enterprise, and
will build on CREME’s reputation as an international centre of
excellence for research and practice in this area.
PCSOs –
the future of
community
policing?
Law academic Jonathan Merritt is investigating the
future of police community support officers (PCSO) by
looking into how their job will develop in a three year
research project.
Jonathan is interested to find out if they are
likely to stay as a support to police
constables or if the role will evolve in the
future; perhaps to have more in common
with local municipal forces such as on the
continent or in North America.
He said: “Community support officers have
been known to get a very hard time from all
sides and it sometimes stems from a lack of
understanding of the role.
and to respond to urgent 999 calls. It may
be that PCSOs can allow police to
concentrate on the highly skilled, highly
specialised jobs they have the training and
experience to do well, but only if the PCSO
role is clearly defined and legislated for.”
He added: “The criticism of PCSOs is
nothing new. Back in the 1830s and 1840s
the new police constables were described
as ‘inefficient’, ‘useless’ and ‘unnecessary’.
Nevertheless the PC role has evolved to be
the cornerstone of policing in this country.”
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“Policymakers and support agencies need to better understand why
this is and what they can do to help develop and support supplier
diversity in order to maximise the potential for economic growth.
Our research aims to provide the knowledge and practical tools to
facilitate this.”
The new Faculty building is now
taking shape. The scheme has not
only seen the construction of a
state-of-the-art new Faculty of
Business and Law building but
also the creation of a tree-lined
pedestrian plaza, to be known as
Magazine Square, that will be a
pleasant space for both University
students and staff.
The new building incorporates
many energy efficient features. Its
design maximises natural daylight
and ventilation and the possibility
of utilising a heat recovery system
based on ground source heating
and cooling powered by bedrock
temperatures below ground is
being investigated. Energy
efficient construction materials will
also be used that can absorb heat,
saving energy in the process.
To view a time lapse video, see a
fly-through of the new building
and for more updates visit:
www.dmu.ac.uk/newbuild
Success
in the Housebuilding
Innovation Awards
DMU’s Leicester Business School has recently
been voted one of the top 10 business schools
in the UK according to the Sunday Times Good
University Guide 2008.
This innovative course has been developed as a joint venture and is
delivered at Places for People’s training centre in London. The focus is
on building up the skills and expertise of staff in implementing business
plans for their organisation. These include business management and
finance as well as housing, social policy and planning and regeneration.
Nearly 100 business schools throughout the
UK were included in the survey, which is based
on the latest results of the 2008 National
Student Survey. In terms of student satisfaction,
Leicester Business School was ranked seventh.
For more information about
the work of CCHR
please visit
www.dmu.ac.uk/cchr
This achievement placed Leicester Business
School above such institutions as Aston,
Warwick, Birmingham, LSE, and Manchester.
Business and Law new building update
For more about the Centre see www.creme-dmu.org.uk
The Centre for Comparative Housing Research (CCHR) at the Leicester
Business School in partnership with Places for People (one of the largest
housing associations in Britain) won the award for the 'best training/
staff initiative' for the Postgraduate Certificate in Housing Studies.
“But, for a long time, the police have found it
very hard to be both community bobbies
Leicester
Business
School
in top 10
for student
satisfaction
Professor Ram, CREME Director at DMU, said: “Entrepreneurs
from ethnic minorities are renowned contributors to many UK and
European cities, yet they don’t engage with large corporate and
public sector organisations to the same extent as other businesses.”
The site of the new build before construction began.
What the finished build will look like, seen from Newarke Street.
What the finished build will look like once complete.
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The Faculty of health&life sciences
Centenary celebrations for
the Leicester School of
Pharmacy
Professor Brian Williams.
Conference
held in
memory of
respected
professor
A conference has been held at DMU in tribute to the late Professor
Brian Williams.
The Brian Williams Memorial Conference was held on community
and criminal justice, his area of expertise, and included talks by
noted experts in the field.
Caroline receives her prize from Professor Jannet Wright.
In 2009 the Leicester
School of Pharmacy will
be celebrating its
centenary year in
De Montfort University’s
Hawthorn Building.
Professor Williams died in a road accident in 2007. He was
Professor of Victimology at DMU and was a distinguished
researcher and teacher.
His best known early work was with serving prisoners and on the
work of the Probation Service. His research on working with young
offenders and on inter-agency practice was also influential. During
his career, he became increasingly concerned with the needs and
rights of victims and did much to promote the study of victimology
in this country and internationally.
Student recognised
for her work on
aphasia
The prize is awarded annually to
a student on the programme
who produces an excellent piece
of work in the area of aphasia.
Caroline De Lamo White, a third
year student on the BSc (Hons)
Human Communication –
Speech and Language Therapy
programme received the
Tavistock Trust for Aphasia prize
for 2007-2008 from Professor
Jannet Wright, Head of the
Speech and Language Therapy
Division.
The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia
is the only grant-making trust in
the UK that focuses solely on
Aphasia, a loss of the ability to
comprehend language due to
injury to the specialized areas of
the brain.
Charles Frears Campus.
Toronto Skyline.
To celebrate this milestone in the history of
pharmaceutical education, DMU is pleased
to be hosting a number of special centenary
events throughout 2009 and 2010.
In September 2009 we’re inviting all alumni
from the School onto the DMU campus for
an afternoon of guest lectures, campus
tours and plenty of time to see old friends
and tutors.
In the evening we’ll host a celebration dinner
on campus with special guests and live music.
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Throughout the academic year of 2009/10
we hope to run bi-monthly lectures on
current pharmaceutical issues. These
lectures will feature eminent pharmacists
and scientists talking about diverse topics
such as the future of Pharmacy, as well as
areas of current expertise within the School
such as travel medicine, new developments
in pharmaceutical sciences and cosmetics.
show a list of the graduates we’ve invited,
ordered by year of graduation, on the
website www.dmu.ac.uk/alumni so you
can see who’s coming.
If you want to help us celebrate, contact the
Alumni Association to be added to an
exclusive mailing list with updates about all
facets of the centenary celebrations as we
move towards September 2009. We’ll also
Please show this article to as many of your
friends as possible and let us know if they’ve
not heard about the plans. We’ll add them to
the mailing list straight away.
We’re inviting more than 2,000 alumni from
all years of the school, however we’d like you
to help us spread the word of the reunion to
the graduates we might not be in touch with.
Professor speaks at
international seminar on
Sickle Cell disease
Professor Simon Dyson of the Unit for the Social Study of
Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell was the keynote speaker at the
international seminar held by the Sickle Cell Disease.
Association of Ontario held in Toronto on 4 October 2008.
Professor Dyson gave two presentations entitled ‘The Social
Environment: Sickle cell and thalassaemia as social issues’ and
‘Education and Young People with Sickle Cell Disease: The results
of two surveys’, the latter presentation being a report on a study
funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
A reunion of nurses
and midwives with a
timely theme
In September 2009 the Leicester
School of Nursing and Midwifery
is hosting a reunion to celebrate
healthcare through the decades.
The School is working with the
Alumni Association to bring as
many graduates from as many
decades as possible back to the
Charles Frears Campus to enjoy
cocktails and canapés with us in
the grounds.
Midwifery through the decades
inside the campus buildings. It will
be an afternoon of entertainment,
sunshine and plenty of time to
see old friends and tutors.
We are proud of our graduates
and qualifiers, and in recognition
of your contribution to the School
we’d like you to join us in our
celebrations of teaching and
research in the fields of Midwifery
and Adult, Children’s and Mental
Health Nursing.
Contact the Alumni Association
to be added to an exclusive
mailing list that will keep you
informed on plans as they happen.
There will also be a fun
retrospective of Nursing and
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The Faculty of humanities
Digital novel helps create
multimedia stories
Rare
photos
from the
Punjab
on show
Bagni di Lucca.
Browning scholar
joins tribute to poets
A sceenshot from Inanimate Alice.
An award-winning digital novel written by DMU’s Kate Pullinger,
Reader in Creative Writing and New Media, is to help school
children around the UK create their own multimedia stories.
Kate writes the pioneering Inanimate Alice interactive story which is
available free of charge online at www.inanimatealice.com
Government body, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust,
licensed a software tool, iStories, which Kate and her colleagues
developed to help primary school children write their own
multimedia stories.
Two of the images
featured in the
exhibition. Photos
courtesy of the
Royal Geographical
Society.
Kate said: “iStories is innovative and very simple to use. It’s a digital
literacy tool which allows students to combine music, pictures and
texts to create their own stories. Many sound and picture resources
are supplied and others can easily be imported. It can be used in
any story telling context.”
Football
versus
apartheid
‘The most important football
story ever told’ is how DMU
Professor Chuck Korr’s new
book More Than Just A Game
is described.
A De Montfort University
expert has helped rare
photos from the Punjab
from the nineteenth and
early twentieth century
go on display at the
Royal Geographical
Society in London.
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Dr Pippa Virdee, Fellow in South Asian
History, was a consultant for the exhibition,
‘The Punjab: Moving Journeys’.
“The exhibition provides a glimpse of the
Punjab province through the ages, capturing
the change brought on by different empires
and the impact of internal and external
migration. It is an opportunity to see
photographs and travelogues collected by
RGS members who were travelling in the
region during the colonial period,” said Dr
Virdee.
The images provide a glimpse of the region
which was the last province to be annexed
by the British and one which played a
pivotal role in WW1 and WW2.
Over 50 per cent of the Indian Army was
recruited from this region and the exhibition
will showcase some images relating to this;
in addition a workshop was also conducted
with the veterans and their testimonies have
also been included in the exhibition.
The collection can be viewed online at the
RGS website www.rgs.org in the ‘What’s
On Exhibitions’ section.
A DMU lecturer has participated
in the dedication of a memorial
walk in Italy to two of the most
influential and widely studied of
Victorian poets.
Dr Joe Phelan delivered a lecture
in Italian as part of the
celebrations in Bagni di Lucca in
Tuscany to mark the town’s links
with Robert Browning and
Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
The two giants of Victorian poetry
married in 1846 and lived for 15
years in Florence and spent
several summers at Bagni di
Lucca, which became a magnet
for British and American artists in
the 19th Century. There was even
an Anglican church in the town.
Dr Phelan, Reader in Nineteenth
Century Literature at DMU, gave
a talk on Robert Browning’s poem
By The Fire-Side, which is
believed to have been written in
and about Bagni di Lucca. His talk
was part of the day-long
ceremony at the former church,
the Chiesa Anglicana, which
culminated in the inauguration of
a new riverside walk and a
memorial to the Brownings.
The former church, Chiesa Anglicana.
The book
outlines how
football thrived
on Robben
Island.
complete with details of the
fixtures, trophies, managers and
trainers of the league.
The book recounts the true
story of how the political
prisoners of South Africa’s
infamous Robben Island turned
sport into an active force in their
struggle for freedom.
Robben Island prisoner Tony
Suze says: “It is amazing to think
that a game that people take for
granted all around the world,
was the very same game that
gave a group of prisoners sanity
– and in a way, gave us the
resolve to carry on the struggle.”
Professor Korr, who is a
Research Professor in DMU’s
International Centre for Sport
History and Culture, made a
chance discovery of a dusty
collection of old cardboard
boxes containing thousands of
handwritten documents
Publishers Collins said: “Despite
regular torture, beatings and
backbreaking labour, these
extraordinary men defied all
odds and played organised
league football in one of the
ugliest and most brutal hellholes
on earth.”
A screenshot from the DMU TV advert, featuring a DMU student.
Dance and Drama
students star in
DMU TV advert
You may have seen the latest
DMU TV advert televised
nationally over the autumn but
not have realised that the advert
features real DMU students from
our Dance and Drama degrees.
The creation of the advert
provided our students with a
fantastic opportunity to attend a
casting, and for the chosen few,
to take part in a professional
shoot when filming took place
over two nights.
“It felt incredible to be given the
chance to be involved in the DMU
advert, as who is better to
promote the University then the
students themselves.”
Clive Keene, BA (Hons) Drama.
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The Faculty of technology
Event
explores
clean
water
schemes
for Ghana
New
name
for the
Faculty
Parneet pictured on an earlier trip to Africa.
Vital plans to provide cleaner water and better sanitation in Ghana
could be put into action thanks to a DMU engineering expert.
Parneet Paul, a researcher in the University’s Water Software
Systems Group, ran an event introducing local scientists,
researchers and engineers to the latest low cost, sustainable
sanitation methods.
The Faculty
introduced a
new name on
1 October 2008.
The workshop, held in Accra in May 2008, looked at methods to
treat, reduce and reuse wastewater generated by hospitals, public
slaughterhouses, city markets and businesses.
Wastewater is water which has been contaminated while being
used for a specific purpose. Contaminants typically include sewage,
biological materials or industrial by-products.
Now known as the Faculty of Technology,
the name reflects the Faculty’s focus on
new technologies and its leading-edge
approach to industry-related developments.
Researchers at DMU and the University of Ghana now hope to
develop specialist training courses to be delivered in the country
focussing on providing and maintaining sanitation systems.
The new name won’t affect the news the
Alumni Association continues to bring you
and the Faculty will still be hoping to receive
your support through volunteering
opportunities and your ambassadorship as
successful graduates.
Computer ethics debated at
major conference
which is a new phenomenon in
the virtual world where players
of online computer games gain
items of value within the game
and sell these for real-world
currency, and a look at ‘hacker
taggers’, who use hacking as a
competition.
Eye-tracking interface means
gamers' looks can kill
Technology is being developed to allow
people with severe motor disabilities to play
3D computer games like World of Warcraft
using only their eyes.
A demonstration of eye-tracking technology held at
De Montfort University.
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Since the 1990s, gaze technology has
helped people with conditions such as motor
neurone disease (MND), cerebral palsy and
other ‘locked-in syndromes’ to control 2D
desktop environments and communicate
using visual keyboards. Users typically guide
a cursor with their eyes, staring at objects for
a time to emulate a mouse click. But that is
too laborious to let users match the speed
and accuracy of real-time 3D games, says
lead researcher on the project, Stephen
Vickers, of DMU.
“Online virtual worlds and games have much
to offer users with severe motor disabilities.
Many of the avatars in Second Life appear
as stylized versions of the users that control
them and that stylization is the choice of the
user. This choice is equally appropriate for
disabled users. While the appearance of the
user's avatar may not reveal the disability of
the person that controls it, the behaviour and
speed of interaction in the world may do.”
Gilesh Pattni.
ETHICOMP 2008, a major
conference in Italy organised by
DMU, was the 10th in the
groundbreaking ETHICOMP
Conference Series which
explores issues of ethics and
society in ICT.
More than 90 papers were
presented on a variety of
subjects including DNA
databases, ‘Gold Farming’
Among the papers presented
was DMU graduate Gilesh
Pattni (Business Information
Systems, 2008). The 22-year
old's paper focused on the use
of Privacy Enhancing
Technologies and is based on
the dissertation he wrote in the
final year of his degree.
“I presented to a room full of
academics and scholars from
all around the world with my
supervisor Richard Howley. It’s
about future-proofing
technologies, the precautions
companies take against privacy
invasion.”
Celebrating Demon FM’s successful Community Radio Licence bid are (from the
left): Shahinaz Nabeeh, De Montfort Student Unions’ Vice President Media and
Communications; Rob Watson, Course Leader for BSc Radio Production; and
Andy Schooledge, Station Manager.
Demon FM wins
Community Radio
Licence
Demon FM will be transmitting all
year round from this spring after
being chosen by Ofcom to receive
a Community Radio Licence.
The station will broadcast to the
local community and will be aimed
at listeners aged between 16 and
30. It will feature music shows
and talk-based programmes,
including documentaries and
news. Both students and
members of the local community
will help to run the station and
provide content.
The station will be run from the
Demon FM studio in the Campus
Centre and will also use the
University’s Creative Technology
Studios, based in the Queens
Building after a bid made jointly
by DMU and the Students’ Union.
Computing Year Zero course,
found herself in debt and
responsible for three children and
a mortgage.
Dawn pictured with her award.
Dawn wins
learning award
A tutor in De Montfort University’s
Faculty of Technology has been
awarded an Adult Learners
Award for her achievements.
Following a divorce, Dawn
Johnston, who teaches on the
“I knew that with the
qualifications I had I wouldn’t
have been able to get a job that
would allow me to support my
family and keep my house,” she
said. So she enrolled in a
Women’s Access to IT course at
DMU and after finishing the
course was hired as a course
promoter and tutor.
Dawn’s remarkable achievement
was rewarded with a Regional
Individual Learner Award from the
National Institute of Adult
Continuing Education (NIACE) as
part of Adult Learners’ Week.
Issue 5
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25
Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development
IESD model
included in
new guidelines
Visualisation of total annual daylight exposure (units:
Kilolux hours) for one of the gallery rooms of the
Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia.
A method of modelling daylight, pioneered by
one of the IESD’s academics, has been
included in the latest set of guidelines on
lighting buildings naturally.
Stephen Porritt who has joined the IESD to study for a PhD.
PhD student joins extreme
weather project
The IESD recently started work on the CREW project (Community Resilience to Extreme
Weather). It runs for three years, in collaboration with 15 UK universities, and is funded by the
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Stephen Porritt, an MSc in Energy and Sustainable Building Design student, was offered the
opportunity to transfer to the PhD studentship and will work alongside Professor Li Shao,
Assistant Director of the IESD, who is leading the research.
The effect of climate change is increasingly manifested through more frequent and more
intense extreme weather events, including heatwaves and flooding. Stephen’s work involves
investigating technical and people-based measures for coping with extreme weather events
and assessing their effectiveness for risk reduction.
Research looks at
reducing carbon
footprint of homes
Dr Mark Rylatt and Professor Li Shao have
won funding from the Engineering and
Physical Sciences Research Council for
research into the energy efficiency of the
heating of homes.
Feature
Activate
your
idea!
Ever thought
about starting
your own
business or
developing an
idea further?
CEO success stories
Dr John Mardaljevic’s method of
climate-based daylight modelling has been
published in the latest revision of ‘Daylight in
Buildings’, a code of practice published by BSI
British Standards, the national standards body
of the UK.
Graduates of DMU lead the region in starting
businesses and are in the top 20 in the UK
according to the National Destinations of
Leavers from Higher Education survey 2007.
Kuma Studios, Whiteroom and Media
Renegades are three enterprises that have
been set up by DMU graduates.
‘Daylight in Buildings’ describes good practice
in daylighting design.
Criticism of the standard method for daylight
evaluation led Dr Mardaljevic to formulate his
model which delivers predictions based on the
location of the building and its orientation.
Dr Mardaljevic has applied climate-based
daylight modelling to a number of projects
including The New York Times Headquarters
Building and the Hermitage Museum,
in Russia.
They are members of an eight-university
consortium ‘Carbon, Control and Comfort:
user-centred control systems for comfort,
carbon saving and energy management,’ led
by the University of Reading.
Stuart Hartley
(left) and Amy
Liddington of
Campus
Enterprise
Opportunities.
Campus Enterprise Opportunities (CEO)
organises a variety of free events and activities
to help students, staff and graduates of the
University kick start their ideas.
The events that CEO runs include the
Start-up Sessions which will provide you
with the basic skills for setting up by taking
you through the main hot topics that may
be crucial in making a difference to your
idea, such as the business plan, funding
and marketing.
The overall aim of the £2 million project is to
engage users in the design of control systems
they like, that allow them to create the
comfort conditions they want while reducing
their energy use by 20 per cent.
Kuma studio character design.
Every year CEO runs the Business Venture
Competition which is open to students, staff
and graduates and could see your idea win
up to £1,000 of start-up related prizes.
They share studio space at the University’s
Innovation Centre and often collaborate
on projects.
Whiteroom was set up by Jack Everard (MA
Design Innovation, 2007) and began its
business life last summer. It specialises in
website, interactive and mobile development.
Jack won two awards at CEO’s Business
Venture Competition in 2007 for his
interactive game Ezal Enteractive and since
then has seen the business go from strength
to strength.
Peter said: “When we started we had limited
business skills. Having the support of CEO
has helped to develop the company and has
made an incredible difference.”
Media Renegades was launched in January
by Jamie Standbridge (Photography and
Video, 2007) and John Hammond (Media
Production, 2007). The company specialises
in video production and photography.
Jamie said: “The Innovation Centre helped us
a great deal in our first year of trading and
placed us in a much stronger position for our
relaunch in January.”
CEO would love to see you at future
events, let us help turn your idea into a
reality. For more information about
CEO visit www.dmu.ac.uk/ceo, email
ceo@dmu.ac.uk or call
+44 (0) 116 2078914.
Kuma Studios started at the beginning of
2008 by Martin Lewis (Graphic Design and
Illustration, 2007) and Peter Popham
(Graphic Design and Illustration, 2007),
The company provides graphic design and
illustration services with a strong emphasis
on character design.
Pattern of heat loss from a domestic home.
26
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Issue 5
Issue 5
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27
Established
Jennifer co-founded the KGJC Partnership in 2008
with business partner and series three Apprentice
runner up Kristina Grimes. The KGJC Partnership
aims to provide businesses with tools to improve their
performance across three areas. Business Performance
excellence events entitled Raising the Bar, intensive
business training seminars, The Real Business Boot Camp
and tailored in-house training programmes, The Midas Touch. Prior
to setting up KGJCP Jennifer starred in series four of The
Apprentice and in 2005 won the BESMA award, the highest
level of recognition for outstanding sales achievement.
James joined Nelson’s Law as a Partner in 2000
following a merger with James’s former firm Ironsides
(where James was also a Partner). It is recognised
by the Legal 500 as a ‘true East Midlands heavyweight’.
James leads the Commercial Property team in the
Leicester office where he has gained a reputation as a
specialist in the retail and voluntary property sectors and
for his secured lending work.
"These are challenging times, but there are huge
opportunities for those with imagination, perseverance and,
perhaps above all, nerve."
www.nelsonslaw.co.uk
98
B, 1
(LL
If you would like to be considered for next issue’s Roll of Honour,
under either the established or emerging category, please email us at
alumni@dmu.ac.uk We will also be promoting the Roll of Honour as a
brand new feature of our new alumni website, launching in the spring.
5) –
“Without my education I would have not achieved the success that I have.
What often distinguishes me from my colleagues is my ability to strategise.
I learnt to do this and do it well at De Montfort University.”
by
ngs Law
oni
s C elson’s
e
Jam ner, N
www.kgjcp.com
Su
Gro khi G
Oc up C hum
tav
h
ian ief E an (L
Gro xec
P
up utiv C, 20
e
of
Co Offi 00) –
mp cer
,
an
ies
.
Sukhi founded the Octavian Group in 2003, a
global security company with operations in
Europe, North America and the Middle East.
The
The firm offers creative security solutions including
Ghurkas and sniffer dogs. It has a strong client
base including the BBC, BP, DHL and Ikea and
was named 'Business of the Year' at the First
Enterprise Ethnic Minority Business Awards for the
second year running (2007 and 2008).
“Always believe in your own enterprising vision and crucially
remember that finance is not always a total barrier to the
realisation of that vision.”
www.octaviangr.com
www.yell.com
28
the gateway
Issue 5
Yusuf set up YP Finance in 2005 as a financial
consultancy provider. It has since built up its
consultancy services to include GlaxoSmithKline,
United Utilities and Aggregate Industries. As
Managing Director Yusuf is the driving force behind
the YP Finance philosophy of being more than
accountants insisting on a high touch and personal
approach. Yusuf personally specialises in tax planning
and internal controls.
Yu
s
Ma uf P
a
na
gin tas
g D (Ac
ire
c
cto oun
t
r, Y
P F ing a
n
ina
nce d Fi
na
"I am delighted to have had the opportunity of undergoing and
completing my degree at DMU, studying in an exceptional
learning environment with dedicated tutors. This has provided
me with a strong foundation in becoming a Chartered Accountant
and going on to set up YP Finance. I hope others can share in
this experience."
www.ypfinance.co.uk
nce
, 20
00)
–
Simon has been head of property at Yell since 2005. Yell
is a leading international directories business operating in
classified advertising through printed, online and phone-based
media in the UK, US, Spain and Latin America. Simon
manages Yell’s property estate for its business activities
(500,000sq ft in the UK alone) as well as Yell’s support
services including health and safety, security and facilities.
“So many people go through their lives not doing what they
want to do. If you don’t think you have got your career right,
change. It’s not a failure to decide to do something else.”
–
02)
, 20
ting
e
k
r
(Ma hip
rier
rs
ele artne
C
P
r
nife GJC
Jen ctor, K
e
Dir
t
Par
Image:
Sukhi
Ghuman.jpeg
Logo:
Octavian Company Logo.jpeg
Emerging
DMU has produced many generations of successful alumni. From
high-flying established lawyers to emerging young entrepreneurs.
To celebrate their success we are launching the Alumni Roll of Honour
with a select number of established and emerging alumni.
)–
1989
ying, Yell
Surve
s,
ding rt Service
il
u
(B
po
lor
up
and S
n Tay
Simo f Property
o
Head
Simon established Jargon Public Relations in 2008 with the
aim to put technology companies in the media. Their clients
include UK Oracle User Group, Pentura and FINCAD. Jargon
PR designs and implements media campaigns that aim to get
clients in the media to raise their profile and position them ahead
of their competitors. As Managing Director Simon is involved in
every aspect of the company from managing existing client
programs, new business development, staff development and
training. His role varies on a day-to-day basis and is always very
exciting and interesting.
“Success is an inspiration, failure is an experience. Make sure you know
your market and customers and believe in your business. If you can do
that you will succeed.”
www.jargonpr.com
–
001)
ies, 2
Stud elations
s
s
e
usin
blic R
ett (B Jargon Pu
Corb
r,
n
to
Simo ing Direc
ag
Man
Issue 5
the gateway
29
Feature
Global
network
A decade of success
2008 was a special year for
Roger Le Tissier (LLB,
1985). He celebrated 10
years of setting up the
Guernsey offices of
offshore law firm Ogier,
which he established with
his PA Caroline Raines in
March 1998.
DMU’s network of global alumni now spans 140 countries and during the past year
we’ve seen a flurry of worldwide activity. The Alumni Association now has 65 Alumni
Ambassadors in 27 different countries around the world, so if you’re an overseas graduate
that would like to meet up with another in your country, or are travelling abroad and would
like some friendly local knowledge – get in touch, they would love to hear from you.
It is now the largest commercial law firm in
Guernsey with more than 100 staff including
45 lawyers. The company’s trophy cabinet is
also filling up nicely with awards including
Offshore Law Firm of the Year for the last
three years running.
Your latest Alumni Ambassadors:
Argentina
Raul Ajmat
Lavalle 823 Dto1
San Miguel de Tucuman
T4000AXQ
Argentina
E: rfajmat@hotmail.com
It was not all plain sailing however. When
Roger looks back to 1998 he remembers it
being the biggest challenge he has faced in
his career.
Canada
Vikash Agarwal
12 Pemberton Court
Brampton
Ontario
L6W 4K5
Canada
E: vikashagarwal@hotmail.com
“It was a new concept in law firms globally; it
met a lot of resistance from the market in
Guernsey at times, which was quite
aggressive.”
His time heading the legal team at Barings
Bank prepared him well for such challenges.
“I went back to Barings after a secondment at
the Guernsey Financial Services Commission
in 1995. When the bank went bust I gained
some extraordinary experience in Guernsey
working through the night reorganising asset
holding structures and investment funds.”
Roger is now Senior Partner at Ogier
Guernsey, as well as being a partner in the
Ogier group which has 800 staff worldwide,
and Chairman of the Partnership Panel. He
can find himself in Guernsey one day and
London, Jersey or even New York the next. He
rarely has a dull day and says: “If it’s dull I go
and do something else.”
He has fond memories of his time at DMU
including living in halls at Scraptoft and the
Law Society Dinners at the Grand Hotel. It was
the commercial outlook of the Law degree that
Roger believes helped shape his career.
30
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Issue 5
Roger Le Tissier.
“We were taught in a very practical and
commercial manner, so when I went to Bar
school in London I was immediately on top
of what was needed. Students who had come
from the ‘academic’ places and studied strictly
academic degrees struggled, and
struggled badly.”
Away from the office Roger likes to pursue his
passion for music. He played bass in a band
called ‘Rock Lobster’ in the early 80’s and
even supported Adam Ant, but he now
prefers the classics and is a member of
numerous choirs performing all over Europe
including St Paul’s Cathedral. He still has
musical ambitions he would like to fulfil, however.
“I would like to sing some kind of solo
successfully in an acclaimed public
performance. The first time I tried singing solo
I nearly passed out from the nerves, but it
gets better.”
International alumni reunions
On 15 August 2008 Country Officer for
Hong Kong, Jo Poon, hosted an alumni
dinner at Fu Lam Fisherman's Wharf
Restaurant, Hong Kong.
Ghana
Charles Tsakpo
P O Box Nm 86
Nima
Accra
NM 86
Ghana
E: tsakpo@yahoo.com
India
Shreyans-Jain
7-a Panchwati Raj
Udaipur
313001
India
E: shreyans999@gmail.com
Malaysia
Li Huey Choy
43, Jalan SP 10/13,
SEK 10, Saujana Puchong
47100 Puchong
Selangor
Malaysia
E: hueychoy@hotmail.com
For the full list of all your Ambassadors, or
details on how to become one, please visit
us online at www.dmu.ac.uk/alumni
Thirty-five Taiwanese alumni gathered
at the Shanghai Court Restaurant at
Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taipei on 8
November last year.
Roger offered the following advice to anyone
thinking about following a similar career path.
“Grab every opportunity and maintain a proper
work/life balance. Remember communication
is very important and always consider
everybody else in your business, your
competitors and your transactions.”
In the future Roger plans to continue the
expansion of the firm as well as spending time
reducing his golf handicap.
Jo Poon (centre) with alumni.
Alumni gathered at the Shanghai Court Restaurant
Alumni from across the years came together
to enjoy the great food and reminisce on
their time at DMU. It was really nice to be
able to welcome familiar faces from previous
dinners and also alumni that attended the
reunion for the first time. A great time was
had by all!
The event was hosted by Country Officer for
Taiwan, Jo Poon, Dr Robert Chien, from the
Faculty of Art and Design, and Julia Pointon
from the Faculty of Business and Law.
W
e are planning to run a series of
international alumni reunions in 2009
for graduates of the Faculty of
Business and Law, to celebrate the
exciting opening of the new building
that will be their new home.
To see if we’re coming to your country
visit www.dmu.ac.uk/alumni. If you
would like to be involved in the
planning or organisation of any of
these events, please email
alumnievents@dmu.ac.uk
Alumni had a great time sharing memories
and catching up on university news. Old
friendships were rekindled and new ones
made, and everyone looks forward to the
next event!
Issue 5
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31
Feature
Feature
The
Wright
Stuff
Making it in the media
From television to magazine to radio, DMU graduates work in some of the most exciting
media jobs there are. The Gateway has interviewed alumni working in creative roles about
what they do for a living…
Assistant Editor at
new! magazine
As Assistant Editor at new!, Jonathan Bown
(Media 1996) is responsible for overseeing
the news pages of one of the best-selling
celebrity magazines in the country.
“I went to New York to interview Britney
Spears, did a memorable interview with Nelly in
Trump Tower and went on tour with Blink 182,”
he explains.
“It’s been going just over five years now and it
sells somewhere in the region of 434,000
copies a week, so we’re on a par with Heat and
Now,” he explains.
Now, the challenge is often in how to interest the
public in celebrities they read about every week.
Jonathan has been with the magazine for three
of those five years and in that time has seen it
go from strength to strength. “My role is to
oversee the first 40 pages which is all the news
stuff along with more in depth stories and
picture stories too.
“It’s really good fun. We have to reflect what’s in
the news but put our own spin on it, which is
harder and harder with websites being updated
hourly. It makes it more challenging really.”
After starting his career as a Sub-Editor,
Jonathan quickly moved into writing and soon
found himself in his dream job at Smash
Hits magazine where he undertook some
impressive assignments.
Jonathan Bown.
Co-presenter on XFM’s
Breakfast Show with
Alex Zane
Those who knew Pete Donaldson during
his time at DMU are usually surprised by
his current job.
Not because the radio presenter actually
trained in multimedia design, but because he
wasn’t exactly known for being talkative.
“I remember I was the least likely person to
talk. People are mainly surprised by what I do
because I just didn’t speak at university really,”
he laughs.
Since he graduated his Multimedia Design
degree in 2002, Pete has obviously found his
voice, using it to great effect on indie music
station XFM, where he is a co-presenter on the
Breakfast Show with Alex Zane.
He started at the station almost two years ago,
undertaking work experience on the breakfast
show, hosted at that time by television and
radio personality Lauren Laverne.
Pete has worked at XFM for nearly two years.
32
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One of Britain’s brightest daytime shows
features not one but two DMU graduates.
Viewers of Five’s The Wright Stuff – a topical
debate show hosted by journalist and television
personality Matthew Wright – will be familiar
with the faces of Eric Johnson and Amie
Morris, the Man with the Mic and the Babe in
the Booth respectively.
“With the big celebrity stories, you’re just thinking
laterally and trying to get an angle people
haven’t heard about before.”
Jonathan was heavily involved in student media
during his time at DMU and worked on former
student newspaper The Voice and Demon FM
as well as being in charge of both of them
during his year as a
sabbatical officer.
Amie is The Wright Stuff’s ‘Babe in the Booth’.
“The amount of people
I know who worked on
student media and
went onto do a job
in the media is a testament
to the fact it does work,”
he explains.
Amie, who studied Performing Arts and Media,
trained in special effects make up before
switching careers and has had various
presenting and acting jobs.
Although they are onscreen every day, Amie and
Eric work hard behind the scenes too, carrying
out interviews with celebrities and members of
the public amongst other duties. Eric is also
responsible for booking the audience.
“After I moved to London, I got a temp job
working for a local government housing
organisation doing web design and graphic
design for them. I stayed there for two and a
half years. It was a decent wage but I didn’t
feel like I wanted to make a career out of
graphic design.”
A chance encounter with XFM DJ Marsha
Shandur led to Pete being taken on for work
experience at the station, where he made a big
impression and was offered a role as a
broadcast assistant.
Eric and Amie took very different routes to the
small screen. Computing and Media graduate
Eric studied a Masters in Multimedia
Journalism after leaving DMU in 2004 before
working in radio and as a freelance news and
entertainment producer.
“The best part is definitely getting to do the
interviews,” said Amie. “Because I’m such a
massive Sex and the City fan, interviewing the
girls and being at the premiere was amazing.”
And Eric has discovered his TV exposure is
fast making him a celebrity in his own right.
Eric and show host Matthew Wright.
“It’s quite a small radio station so it can be a lot
of hard work but there’s also lots of opportunity.”
“We had John Challis on recently, who played
Boycie in Only Fools and Horses. I went up to
him and said ‘Hi, I’m Eric, I look after the
audience,’ and he said ‘I know who you are. I
watch the show every day.’ That’s happened a
few times now.”
Eric has his own website –
www.eric-johnson.co.uk – and is keen for
any old friends to get in touch by email at
me@eric-johnson.co.uk
As well as his co-presenting duties, Pete is often
involved in producing other shows and also
steps in on air when other presenters are away.
He adds: “It’s just a ridiculously social job. It’s a
life more than a job really.”
Eric and Amie pictured with Matthew Wright.
Visit bangingdrum.com to see more of
Amie’s presenting and writing work.
Issue 5
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33
Feature
Feature
One Elle
of a
career
DMU alumnus Kevin Hand
(Typography, 1976) is the
Chairman of Hachette Filipacchi
UK, the British arm of
Lagardère, one of the world’s
biggest publishers. Kevin has
been at the helm since 2002
following Hachette’s purchase
of Australian publisher Attic
Futura and now publishes
magazines such as Elle, Red,
Sugar and Elle Decoration.
The perfect day
by Andrew Baker-Kean
(Applied Chemistry, 2000)
It all started on enrolment day 1996 when I
saw Yvette across a crowded room; it was
love at first sight, however true love did not
blossom until the summer of 97.
After leaving university I proposed to Yvette
and luckily she said ‘yes’. After searching
everywhere for the perfect engagement ring
we went to a designer jewellers in the heart
of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, where we
chose a diamond and had it set in our own
design. Every time my wife wears her
engagement ring the brilliance of the solitaire
is only matched by her wonderful smile.
We decided to have a long engagement so
that we could arrange the perfect fairytale
wedding. Yvette knew exactly how she
wanted the day to go and arranged
everything, with the only exception being our
wedding rings. Using the same jewellers, we
had our intertwined hearts design handmade
from pieces of gold and platinum,
representing our eternal love.
34
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Issue 5
Kevin, a local Leicester boy, boarded at
Ratcliffe College in Leicester before coming to
DMU. His tutors encouraged him to become
more involved in art, leading to a foundation
course here before embarking on a
Typography diploma.
It was the perfect day of the year with the
rhododendrons outside the church in full
bloom and the sunshine beaming out of the
cloudless sky, illuminating the stained glass
windows of the church. The day only got
better when I saw Yvette walking down the
aisle towards me. My heart skipped a beat
and all I could do was smile.
was replicated on top of our spectacular
four-tier wedding cake with a pair of
Swarovski crystal swans.
After a traditional ceremony, the wedding
breakfast was held at Ragley Hall where the
Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford gave
us exclusive use of their magnificent home
and extensive gardens.
Celebrations continued with nightcaps into the
small hours, before everyone retired to their
beds to be followed the next day with a garden
party from which we left for our honeymoon.
On arrival at Ragley Hall, we had photos
down by the lake followed by a champagne
reception on the south terrace overlooking
the rose garden and woodlands beyond.
After catching our breath, our guests were
shown through the house to the magnificent
great hall where the wedding breakfast,
prepared by an award-winning chef, was held.
This tastefully decorated room was full of
white roses and as the guests entered they
were overwhelmed by the centrepiece, a pair
of full size swan ice sculptures. This theme
As the day went into night a live band played
and the day was brought to a finale with a
fireworks display held on the front lawn, while
our song played in the background.
This truly was the best day of my life and
although the day has passed, my love for her
never will.
If, like Andrew and Yvette, you met your
spouse at DMU and have a wedding
story and images you would like to
share, please email them to
alumni@dmu.ac.uk as we are
launching a Wedding Gallery as part of
our new website!
“I couldn’t be an artist, it took me about three
hours to realise that. I enjoyed the creative
side so I thought that typography was the
most commercial way I could stay in the
creative field.”
Whilst studying for his diploma Kevin felt
privileged to be learning from tutors who he
considered to be at the top of their craft and
had particular memories of his mentor who
he believes gave him advice that shaped
his career.
“He said ‘you’re not very creative but you have
a mouth and you should use it. People who
are involved in the creative aspect, but in the
management of it will probably go a long way.’
It’s the best advice I ever had, although it felt
slightly harsh at the time.”
Since leaving DMU Kevin has held roles as
Commercial Artist, Creative Producer and PR
Director at various companies including a
spell at the National Association of Boys’
Clubs where he fondly recalls spending a few
days in Newcastle in the company of
Muhammad Ali.
Kevin Hand.
In 1983 Kevin joined Emap as a Circulation
and Marketing Director. During his tenure he
was also Head of French operations helping
to set up the company’s French operation. He
became the Chief Executive in 1998 before
leaving in 2001. In 2002 Kevin set up UK
operations for Hachette Filipacchi following
the acquisitions of a series of companies. He
is now the Chairman of the £60 million
turnover publishers and is responsible for the
strategy, culture and acquisitions. Most
recently Kevin bought DigitalSpy, the third
largest entertainment news website in the
UK to add to the company’s expanding
digital division.
“I like the idea of both online and offline. One
medium does not necessarily kill another, it
will change it, develop it and they can be
entirely complementary.”
Looking towards the future, Kevin would like
to make Hachette a successful multimedia
company and he believes it is well on its way.
He is also keen to see DMU continue going
from strength to strength and wants to see
the Leicester Tigers winning the Heineken
Cup again.
Kevin is also Chairman of Huveaux Plc a B2B
company involved in education and politics.
Issue 5
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35
Feature
Feature
The Lino-Man
Forgotten children of Cambodia
A panoramic view of Paul’s studio.
Paul Catherall (Graphic Design, 1989) is known for his linocut illustrations of
architectural landmarks, such as his commissions by Transport for London, for
book-cover illustrations and for product ranges by brands such as Marks and Spencer.
Illustration hasn’t always been a prosperous career, however, and for a long time Paul
worked several jobs to pay the rent while practicing his art at home.
Paul’s
dramatic
Linocut of
the Empire
State
Building.
It all started at Leicester Polytechnic when
Coventry-raised Paul came over with a few
friends. “I really enjoyed my time there. You
could take what you want from it, being an
Art and Design course and having a lot of
studio based time. It was before computers
and software packages, so everything was
still hands-on, everything was still scalpel and
pencil and rubber and paint. I did a lot of
drawing and I was encouraged to do that, so
it was great as far as I was concerned.”
After graduation Paul moved straight down to
London. “I had a list of phone numbers,
publishers and graphic designers obtained
from lecturers in our third year. I moved down,
lugged the portfolio round and, really, I’ve
been doing the same ever since. I got myself
a warehouse job and I taught part-time as
well for a good few years to supplement the
freelance thing. From about 1989 through to
about 1998, I eked out a living doing
illustration and had some decent jobs, but
toward the end of the 90’s it got harder and
the phone stopped ringing.”
“I had a bit of a reinvention. I thought to
myself, ‘what did you enjoy doing at
Leicester?’ and, as part of the illustration
course, we did print making and I enjoyed
doing that. I put all of my efforts into doing
linocuts and I gave myself something I hadn’t
had before, which was a theme to work to. I
was interested in architecture, so I set off on
a mission of doing landmarks in linocuts. I put
all my efforts and spare time into doing the
printing and getting that off the ground, and I
36
the gateway
Issue 5
put some money into having a few solo
exhibitions. It’s just built steadily since then. I
gave up my part-time job in 2004 and went
back to being a full time illustrator/
print-maker.”
Paul’s images convey a strong sense of
excitement and vibrancy, whether he’s
depicting people, architecture or crisps. It’s
hard to pin him down on his favourite image
though. “My favourite changes, literally, every
day.” When pressed, however, he comes up
with an answer. ‘It’s an image called Four
Seasons and it was actually a set of four. The
first one is called Spring and it’s an image of
Saint Paul’s. That’s one of my favourites.”
Paul’s plans for the future are pretty exciting.
“I’m veering towards the abstract because I’ve
always been very representational. Through
the print process and through confidence I’m
trying to be a little more adventurous with the
design. I want to do something where you can
see what I’m trying to convey, but you have to
look a little bit harder. I’d like to do that.”
“
I want to do something
where you can see what
I’m trying to convey, but
you have to look a little
bit harder.
“
Paul’s piece
British
Architect –
an example
of his later
abstract
work.
Garbage pickers rushing to grab the first new waste.
by Katy Bullen (Media with
Performing Arts, 2002)
wasteland that holds a large family or two and
not much else. In the distance you can see
one of Phnom Penh’s finest five star hotels.
Rotting waste swelters under the hot
Cambodian sun. Millions of flies and an
endless cloud of carcinogenic fumes and
dust produced by the burning rubbish fill the
sky. The heat of gas beneath the landfill
literally boils any fallen rainwater, which in the
rainy season fills the empty pits that drop
metres beneath the waste. Children scream
as they jump out of the way of the trucks and
bulldozers that charge across the dump.
The vehicles tip 700 tonnes of rubbish daily
onto Phnom Penh’s 100-acre municipal
waste dump.
I initially went to Cambodia for one month
and reluctantly left over three years later. I
had heard about this tragic situation and
decided it was the time to put my media
degree to the test. At 22 I bought my first
professional video camera and began to
document these people’s lives. During that
time my mum began to establish a charity in
the UK, Cambodia’s Children, to raise funds
to extend the work of a children’s
organisation in Phnom Penh and open a
second centre to house, educate, feed and
clothe children rescued from the dump and
give them the hope of a future.
It’s hard to imagine that this is the home and
workplace for thousands of impoverished
men, women and children who are in a bitter
fight for survival. They are in search of
anything that can be sold or recycled and
scramble over the mounds with iron hooks,
stabbing at tin cans, glass bottles, plastic
bags and paper, filling the huge sacks slung
across their backs. They work laboriously for
hours throughout the day and night, cutting
themselves on broken glass and syringes,
then selling on their finds for a just few
pence to waste buyers, who in turn sell the
rubbish on for recycling.
There are now more than one hundred happy
children living in the centre and I have been
lucky enough to be able to film their
transition from living on the dump to being in
a safe and loving home and have gained a
very large extended family! Filming in
Cambodia has been an emotionally draining
experience but the smiles from these children
make it all worthwhile. And besides, this was
the only way I felt I could truly help these
people, by getting their voices heard and
raising awareness in the rest of the world.
Some sleep on the dump, which at night sees
the frightening actions of gangs, drugs,
violence, trafficking and rape. Others will go
home to a small wooden shack built on nearby
A young girl works on the dump.
Mother and child walking across the dump.
Please contact katybullen@gmail.com for
more information or visit at
www.cambodiaschildren.org
Katy at the Cambodia's Children Charity centre with
children rescued from the dump.
Issue 5
the gateway
37
Ê
Annual Fund Donation Form
Fundraising
Make a Donation, Make a Difference.
Participate…
You can make a donation to De Montfort University in a number of easy ways and choose from a variety of areas that
need your support. Your generous contributions to our Annual Fund are used to directly impact upon our students.
Transform the lives of students… Together we can make a difference
I want to make a difference
Please send this form to: The Development Office, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH.
Anthony Buet, MA
Photography
Scholarship
Recipient.
Anthony’s work
can be viewed at
www.anthonybuet
photography.co.uk
My Details
Gift Purpose
Name:
I would like to make a gift toward: (please tick appropriate boxes)
Wherever the need is greatest
DMU Fund
Global Warming Research
InSmart Insulin Delivery
International Student Support
please tick as appropriate
I would like to donate anonymously
I am interested in remembering DMU in my will*
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone:
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* (we will be in touch to discuss with you further)
Single Gift
Here is my gift to help students and De Montfort University
be the best they can be.
Here is my gift of
other £
Scholarship recipients Holly Burgess (left) and
Stephanie Gibbs (Child Nursing, 2008) whose work on
nutrition and health in rural villages in India was
supported by the Annual Fund.
The Annual Fund makes a difference to
the student experience at De Montfort
University. Money you donate helps to
increase resources and improve facilities
across the University.
Thanks to the generosity of DMU alumni, we
have been able to provide over £150,000 of
support to more than 200 current students in
the past year.
‘Burslem Derelict Buildings or Home for the forgotten’, by Anthony Buet.
Ways to give
Making a donation
Many of our supporters feel they can make a
more substantial impact if they give on a
regular basis either monthly, quarterly or
yearly. You can do this easily by setting up a
Direct Debit. For single gifts, we accept all
major debit and credit cards and payment
by cheque.
Participate! Join other Alumni and complete
and return the form opposite. Remember,
you can make even more of a difference if
you Gift Aid it! If you are a UK taxpayer and
you agree to Gift Aid your donation, it will be
worth almost 30 per cent extra to the
University!
Focus for 2009
them are responsible for approximately 50 per
cent of the UK’s CO2 emissions. By building
more energy efficient buildings, changing
human behaviour and using renewable energy
in the built environment, fossil fuel usage can
be reduced. The Institute of Energy and
Sustainable Development (IESD) works in all
three of these areas.
38
the gateway
Issue 5
£50
£100
to help students and the University
Please charge my: Visa/MasterCard/Switch/Maestro
Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit.
I would like to make a monthly/quarterly/annual gift
(please delete as appropriate)
of £
commencing on
/
/20
for
years
(this amount will be debited from your account on or around the 15th of the month)
To: The Manager, Bank/Building Society Name:
Delta/Electron/CAF Card (please delete as appropriate)
Every gift we receive, whatever the size
will make an enormous impact to the
lives of our students.
Global Warming Research – Global
warming caused by the release of carbon
dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases is
perhaps the greatest threat to the survival of
mankind. Buildings and the activities within
£30
I enclose a cheque made payable to De Montfort University
I enclose a CAF Voucher
You can make a difference to the lives of our
students and our impact on essential research.
Please consider making a gift to our
Annual Fund.
The DMU Fund – the mainstay and most
flexible fund – benefits a wide range of
students and projects by providing
scholarships and bursaries as well as funds
for the refurbishment of the campuses and
the acquisition of new library books.
£10
Regular Gift
Insulin Drug Delivery Programme – The
InSMART insulin drug delivery programme, led
by Professor Joan Taylor, is pioneering the
development of an artificial pancreas for the
management of diabetes. The invention is an
implantable medical device which can deliver
insulin to the patient in response to an increase
in the patient’s blood glucose level, thus
mimicking the action of a healthy pancreas.
International Student Support Programme –
DMU has increased its investment in ongoing
support services for international students
throughout their years at DMU by providing:
scholarships; international mentoring;
enhanced careers and job search advice; new
approaches toward integration; and ongoing
workshops and information sessions on
topical issues.
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(last three digits on signature strip)
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The University can reclaim basic rate tax on all gifts, provided that you have paid an
amount of UK tax equal to the amount we reclaim. This means that every £20
donated is worth £25.60 to the University, and the difference is paid by the Inland
Revenue, at no cost to you. If you pay tax at the higher rate, then you can claim
further Tax Relief on your self-assessment Tax Return.
Originator’s Identification Number: 7 6 4 3 7 9
I wish the University to treat this donation, all donations I have made since 6 April
2001, and all donations I may make from the date of this declaration until I notify you
otherwise, as Gift Aid Donations.
Signed:
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This guarantee should be detached and retained by the Payer
The Direct Debit Guarantee
This Guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that take part in the
Direct Debit Scheme
The efficiency and security of the Scheme is monitored and protected by your own
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Signed:
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Please pay De Montfort University direct debits from the account detailed in this
Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee.
I understand that this Instruction may remain with De Montfort University and, if so,
details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.
If the amounts to be paid or the payment date changes De Montfort University
will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as
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If an error is made by De Montfort University or your Bank or Building Society,
you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund from your branch for the amount paid
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