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Bbk Issue 32 ISSUE 32 www.bbk.ac.uk bbkBIRKBECK’S MAGAZINE REVIEW 2013 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED IN STRATFORD Unique new campus hailed a success BIRKBECK’S NEW PRESIDENT Joan Bakewell champions part-time study A year of new beginnings her passion for part-time study from Professor Eric Hobsbawm – one of the Stay CONNECtED greatest historians of his day, and her BBK readers are alumni and donors, Fellows predecessor as President of Birkbeck. and staff, students and friends, or any As well as new beginnings, this issue combination of these. Relationships with of BBK celebrates the remarkable Birkbeck often evolve over many years. achievements of women associated Whatever your current connection to the with higher education at Birkbeck. College, we want to ensure you can stay Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan CBE DSc connected with our news, campaigns and – Birkbeck’s first female professor, who community throughout the year. became head of the botany department in 1909 – is one of the subjects in a Let us know your thoughts on the feature about Birkbeck’s historic latest BBK via email, post or twitter paintings (pp18–19). Baroness Bakewell (use #BBKMag). writes about her support for part-time Follow us on social media 2013 was a year of new beginnings at study (p8), and alumna Luciana Berger www.facebook.com/ Birkbeck. University Square Stratford MP, one of Labour’s rising stars, also BirkbeckUniversityofLondon (pictured on the front cover) opened praises the opportunities offered by its doors to students and widespread Birkbeck (p48). @BirkbeckNews acclaim in the autumn. The distinctive, Many of Birkbeck’s female academics Read our blogs state-of-the-art, £33m campus is now share their research in these pages, http://blogs.bbk.ac.uk offering courses at all levels to meet the including Dr Kate McLoughlin on the growing aspirations of the people of work of women writers in the First Listen to our podcasts east London (pp6–7). World War (pp30–31), and Professor www.bbk.ac.uk/birkbeckvoices Its completion marks a watershed Sasha Roseneil on the impact of women Visit us online for Birkbeck, as it is the first time in protestors at Greenham Common (p29). www.bbk.ac.uk the College’s 190-year history that Students are at the heart of Birkbeck, Birkbeck has had its own dedicated and that is why it was pleasing to hear building outside central London. from so many alumni following the The campus is also an example of launch of the national ‘Part-Time an innovative collaboration, as it is Matters’ campaign (pp10–11). Alison a partnership between Birkbeck and Stamps (BA Film and Media, 2007) the University of East London. responded and summed up the Also in 2013, Baroness Joan Bakewell experiences of many, when she wrote: DBE became the President of Birkbeck. “My degree gave me confidence and She has championed part-time study opened doors professionally, and I could in her new role – from speaking in wax lyrical about Birkbeck and what it debates in the House of Lords to her did for me. It changed my outlook on life appearances in the media. and gave me goals and ambition.” These new beginnings, however, do If you would like to share your story, not constitute a breach with the past, please do get in touch. but demonstrate the continuation of the College’s ideals and traditions. Guy Collender, Editor Birkbeck’s initiatives to widen access to higher education – epitomised by the General correspondence creation of University Square Stratford External Relations – chime with the founding mission of Birkbeck, University of London George Birkbeck: “Now is the time for Malet Street the universal benefits of the blessings of London WC1E 7HX knowledge”. Baroness Bakewell inherits [email protected] Keep in touch to have the chance to win a £100 amazon voucher, complete the enclosed form or visit www.bbk.ac.uk/alumni and update your details 2 CONTENTS Review 2013 Our year Research and teaching Our community 4 Master’s report 22 Assessing research 32 The poverty and 44 Our students Professor David Latchman Birkbeck and the Research working lives of older 46 New fellows Excellence Framework people in India 6 Our fantastic new Exhibition influences policy 48 Labour’s rising star 25 Three-year degrees campus in east London Alumna Luciana Berger MP Birkbeck’s second home in Expanding evening degrees Stratford opens its doors to meet demand 34 Understanding happiness The keys to well-being 49 Eminent Brazilian scientist 8 President Professor Glaucius Oliva Baroness Joan Bakewell DBE 26 New professors 9 Unprecedented support for disadvantaged students 28 Intensive Law Master’s Widening participation in HE courses a success A novel way of teaching 10 Part-time matters postgraduate Law Birkbeck’s campaign 12 Awards and recognitions 14 New £3.7m laboratory 36 London’s changing 50 Obituaries Wohl Wolfson Toddlerlab population John Cloudsley-Thompson, will boost research British identity is John Attridge and David increasingly multifaceted Hamlyn remembered 15 Kazuo Ishiguro Acclaimed author 38 Battling tuberculosis 52 Why I give visits Birkbeck Existing drugs may be key to Susie Orbach explains developing new treatments her support for the Eric 29 Legacy of Greenham Hobsbawm Scholarships Influence of the campaign 40 Inside the Crown Court against nuclear weapons The experiences of victims, 53 Student statistics witnesses and defendants 52 Last word Professor Philip Dewe reflects on University Square Stratford 16 Events on campus 18 Birkbeck’s paintings Historic works go online 20 Peltz Gallery opens Our new exhibition space 21 Chairman of Governors 30 Beyond the trenches 42 Birkbeck books Harvey McGrath The works of lesser-known Titles by staff and students women writers 3 MaStER’S REPORt PROFESSOR DaVID LatCHMaN CBE he academic year 2012–2013 was programmes continued to fall. made recommendations that further a year of major change for higher However, we have paid considerably attention should be devoted to this Teducation in the UK, with increased attention to the student specific issue. It is now vital that we government funding being withdrawn journey from first application to final maintain the momentum and convert for the great majority of courses and a enrolment, assisting students along the these positive reports into real policy consequent need to greatly increase way and following up, for example, changes that benefit part-time students. student fees. For institutions teaching when they do not respond to an offer In this regard, our new President, part-time students, such as Birkbeck, of a place. This has resulted in actual Baroness Joan Bakewell DBE, has the change was even greater with the enrolments stabilising at a level initiated several debates in the House availability, for the first time, of loans similar to that of last year. of Lords in which significant numbers for part-time students. Moreover, both applications and of peers have spoken strongly in favour As I said last year, there were enrolments on our three-year of improved support. Joan has already significant problems with the programmes have continued to proved herself a worthy successor to introduction of these loans, leading to increase, and students on these our previous President, Professor Eric misunderstandings about their terms programmes now constitute the Hobsbawm, whose memory is being and availability. majority of our new intake for 2013– Moreover, there was considerable 2014. This is an amazing outcome, given reluctance among mature part-time that such courses were only introduced students to take on additional debt. in the 2010–2011 academic year. These factors led to a 40% downturn Once again, our initiative in in enrolments for part-time courses Stratford, east London, has made a across the sector, and Birkbeck was significant contribution to our student not immune from this, suffering a numbers. This is likely to increase similar downturn in enrolments in further as we fully utilise our our four-year part-time courses. magnificent new building, which Fortunately, this was mitigated by operates jointly with the University an increase in enrolments in 2012–2013 of East London and was opened by on our intensive courses, in which Her Royal Highness The Princess undergraduate degrees can be Royal, Chancellor of the University completed in three years in the of London, in November 2013. evening, allowing students to work Although we have successfully during the day and finish in the same stabilised the numbers of our four-year time as full-time students. This part-time students, it is vital that we increase, together with increased continue our campaign to improve numbers of international students and financial support for part-time students careful budget management, allowed and the institutions that teach them. the College to emerge from a difficult This year, there has been considerable year with a surplus in excess of £6.5m, attention devoted to this issue. while successfully continuing its Universities UK, the Confederation mission of providing flexible of British Industry, and the Higher higher education. Education Policy Institute have For the 2013–2014 academic year, all issued reports indicating the applications for our four-year importance of part-time study and have Images (from left to right): Professor David Latchman, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, alison White (East London Business alliance), John James (Newham Chamber of Commerce), trevor Williams (Chief Economist for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking), John Middleton (Birkbeck Fellow) at the opening of the Stratford campus; Eric Hobsbawm’s daughter, Julia Hobsbawm (left) and widow Marlene Hobsbawm at his memorial in april 2013 (top); Baroness Joan Bakewell DBE (bottom) 4 As we move towards our 200th“” anniversary in 2023, I believe the College is well-equipped to meet future challenges, by continuing the pattern of innovation combined with loyalty to our mission.
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