1 /cardiffunialumni #CardiffGrad THE YEAR THAT WAS... Introduction The year that was… In this special edition of Cardiff News, we celebrate the academic achievements of our graduates: the class of 2015. Professor Patricia Price is the University’s Pro exceptional graduates, from an Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience and Academic award winning student journalist Standards. Here, she takes a whistle stop tour of some to our first batch of successful of the key highlights of the University year. Pathway graduates. We highlight our law students who made (and this year we’ve had our fair history, making national and share!) but it’s also important to I consider myself to be residence that accommodates 179 international media headlines for appreciate our students’ wider extremely lucky. In my role, I undergraduate and postgraduate their work after they successfully contribution. From volunteering to “get to engage and witness - on students. I also unveiled a new overturned a murder conviction as maths revision clubs, our students a daily basis - the outstanding £14.5M world class centre for part of the Innocence Project run are helping support the wider achievements of our students. teaching and training tomorrow’s by the School of Law and Politics. communities. global business leaders at Cardiff Their stories are an inspiration to From individual stories of Business School. The state-of- us all. One project of particular note academic excellence to tales the-art learning and teaching hub was a rubbish clean-up, part of Over the course of this Experience and Academic I hope our graduates will take a We also offer a genuine invitation of personal and sporting provides high-tech lecture theatres, In looking back on the year, it the Community Gateway flagship week, some 7,000 students Standards, Professor Patricia Price, minute or two to reflect on their to our graduates to stay in touch. achievements, I am privileged to executive study zones and a high- would be remiss of me not to engagement project. It helped graduate.“ This represents a huge as she reflects on some of our experience. To think about the As Cardiff graduates they act as experience them first-hand. tech ‘trading room’ to attract the mention this year’s Students’ people in Grangetown transform logistical and administrative students’ accomplishments over emotions they felt on their first our champions wherever they very best business students from Union team. Under the Presidency their community. Litter pickers, challenge for our dedicated staff. the academic year. day, the first people they met or the end up. Looking back over the last around the world. of Elliot Howells, they’ve with the help of Keep Wales Tidy, lecturers who have supported them academic year, it’s been quite continued to be the elected voice took to the streets to collect bags Porters, caterers, Students’ You’ll also learn more about along their academic journey. You can keep in touch on-line, a year. Investment in new facilities was a of Cardiff students and a critical of rubbish. A relatively small but Union staff, senior administrative some of the year’s key University attend the variety of events recurrent theme. University friend. Whether it’s significant gesture nevertheless. and academic staff all pull together highlights which have seen us I am pretty sure it will invoke a organised for alumni, or volunteer In fact, even before students calling for more investment in It’s impossible to cover everything to make this unique event happen become a top five UK university whole host of mixed emotions, to be a mentor for current Cardiff arrived, it was already a story I joined Wales football manager the Students’ Union or wider that has happened over the last and I would like to pay tribute to for research excellence and both good and bad. It’s certainly University students. of outstanding success, with Chris Coleman to unveil the University facilities, or holding the year but I hope this has provided a their sterling and cheerful efforts. impact and unveil a new £300M a chapter in their lives that will our students excelling at The University’s 3G (third generation) University to account – they’ve flavour of some of the key stories. I remain struck by what a vibrant plan to become a trailblazer for never be forgotten. Finally, I would like to thank Commonwealth Games in pitch. Based at the University’s constantly been knocking on my It just leaves me on behalf of and exciting community Cardiff is. innovation. all staff and students for their Glasgow in 2014. Eight of Sports Fields in Llanrumney, it can door. No doubt helping secure their everyone at Cardiff University to However, this should not be the enthusiasm, dedication and our high performance athletes be used for student sports fixtures rankings as one of the UK’s very wish you good health, happiness We’re also celebrating the genuine But more importantly, you will end of their Cardiff story. contribution to Cardiff University, competed in the Games, with in any weather. To continue the best. I hope to develop a similarly and success as you depart. I excellence of our teaching and learn about some of our graduates’ Some students will carry on and wish our graduating students Physiotherapy student Sally Peake sporting theme, I was absolutely productive working relationship hope that you will be part of our research and the effect this has, not unique stories. with us through postgraduate or every success in the future. taking a silver medal in the Pole delighted when we retained the with the Students’ Union new growing alumni, demonstrating the least in the huge contribution our professional studies, but for most, Vault and Biosciences student annual Varsity shield but even President, Claire Blakeway as she transformational nature of higher graduates make to society and the From the intrepid adventurer, to attention will turn to securing Professor Colin Riordan Natalie Powell achieving a gold sweeter was the fact we managed settles into her new post. education. wider economy. the first cohort of Pathway students employment, which is where the Vice-Chancellor and President” medal in Judo. to regain the coveted men’s rugby to graduate with honours, to an help and advice of our dedicated Varsity Cup at Swansea City’s Finally, one thing that continues In this dedicated Graduation award winning student journalist Careers and Employability Team At the start of the academic year Premiership’s, Liberty Stadium. to amaze me is what our students Professor ”Patricia Price edition you’ll hear from our Pro who overcame adversity to secure – featured in this edition – can be I was fortunate enough to be actually give back to the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Vice-Chancellor for Student first class honours. of help. asked to open the University’s In this edition, you’ll also community. Too often we read Experience and Academic new six-storey £6.4M halls of learn more about some of our about students’ drunken exploits Standards 2 3 OUR YEAR IN PICTURES /cardiffunialumni #CardiffGrad OUR YEAR IN PICTURES Our year in pictures From securing a top five UK position for research excellence and impact, to discovering asthma’s potential root cause, to law students quashing a murder conviction – the last year was certainly one to remember. University innovation to spark Cardiff Innocence Project economic growth in Wales makes history Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan outlined plans for the Students from Cardiff Law School secured the first appeal success University to become an internationally recognised engine for future for an Innocence Project in the UK, with the quashing of the murder prosperity, health and growth in Wales, the UK and the wider world. conviction of Dwaine George. George served 12 years in prison Research Excellence Framework £300M will be invested in new buildings to bring the vision to life. It for the crime after being found guilty at the age of 18. Innocence includes plans to build the world’s first Social Science Research Park, Projects allow students to work on cases of long-term prisoners who Amongst UK universities, Cardiff is now officially ranked fifth behind which would be able to turn world-leading research into solutions to maintain their innocence of serious crimes for which they have been Imperial College London, then LSE, Oxford and Cambridge for the Driving the Welsh economy pressing problems facing society and the world. convicted. quality of our research. We also rank second in the UK on the impact A report produced by Viewforth Consulting LTD for the University measure which assesses the significance and reach of our research. mapped, for the first time, the economic impact of Cardiff University on the local and wider Welsh economy. The report found our international students and students from the rest of the UK, generate some 13,355 jobs in Wales and £696M in the Welsh economy – or equivalent to nearly one per cent of all 2013 Welsh employment and 1.3 per cent of Welsh GVA (Gross Value Added). Fight-sensing cameras A million-pound project to develop 'smart' cameras that sense Cardiff appoints leading US violence on the streets was developed by Cardiff researchers. compound semiconductor expert Computer science and violence experts teamed up with technology Discovering asthma's specialists from Airbus Group to develop a system that will spot potential root cause One of the world’s leading experts in compound semiconductors trouble brewing and guide police before anyone gets hurt. The study (CS) was appointed to lead a new research laboratory at Cardiff will develop imaging technology which will automatically alert Cardiff scientists identified the potential root cause of asthma and an University with the power to turn the city into a global hub for CS CCTV operators when fights are detected on city centre cameras.