University of Kent/ Annual Review 2012

The UK’s European university UNIVERSITY OF KENT / ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 CONTENTS 1 Introduction by the Vice-Chancellor 2 World-leading research 8 Inspiring education 14 Regional and international impact 20 Institutional strategic plan 22 Faculty updates 28 Outstanding people 32 Books 34 Building for our future 36 Financial performance 38 Awards, appointments, promotions, deaths 40 Principal officers www.kent.ac.uk 1 INTRODUCTION Amongst the well-documented challenges for the higher education sector, the University of Kent has not only survived the year, it has thrived. We have proved our continuing success, coming third amongst comparable institutions in the National Student Survey. This is testament to the dedication of academic and professional service colleagues, and demonstrates the high quality of the student experience across our campuses. Our commitment to student support also led to Recruiting students from overseas is an Once again, we have demonstrated that the shortlisting for a prestigious Times Higher ever more difficult challenge for us with a University is in good financial health and the Education Award for the Employability Points competitive marketplace and visa restrictions, Summary of Financial Performance shows Scheme, a programme which sees hundreds but we continue to be a popular UK university another significant surplus. This ought not, of students benefit from development for both undergraduates and postgraduates however, leave us complacent as this activities that enhance their desirability in the from around the world. country’s, and the world’s economies are not jobs market. yet on a stable footing. We have invested in our campuses with state- As the UK’s European university, we have of-the-art teaching and research facilities. For The University is a community, and the continued to develop partnerships with other example, we have refurbished a number of success we have achieved this year would institutions across the continent, and have buildings at the Chatham Historic Dockyard, not have been possible without staff, students, further enhanced our permanent centres in part of our Medway campus, for Fine Art and alumni and our many supporters including Brussels and Paris. Our programme in Athens Music. The Colyer-Fergusson Music Building is members of the University Council. We are is growing and has attracted significant an exceptional performance space and one not just surviving, we are thriving. Long may external funding, and other projects are in which will enable us to offer the highest quality that continue. development which will extend our European musical experience for our students and staff, reach. Our students and staff benefit and for the local community. Across the enormously from exchange programmes, and campuses the University engages with, and is from our diverse multinational outlook; a key part of, the community. Not only is it a major strength of the University and something employer and economic force in the region, which marks us out in the increasingly it is a place of intellectual stimulation with a Professor Dame Julia M Goodfellow competitive, and increasingly globalised, popular Open Lecture programme. DBE, CBE, FMed Sci world of higher education. Vice-Chancellor This year has seen continued investment for The University is a place where Europe the Research Excellence Framework; in and the world meet, and our international autumn 2013, we will submit our research for activities stretch around the globe. Our a quality assessment which will determine alumni networks, as well as our academic a significant proportion of our income for partnerships, span the globe and this year I, the next few years. We have recruited new and colleagues, have visited members of academic staff and promoted existing the Kent community in Hong Kong, China, colleagues to support this work, and you will Singapore and Malaysia, and the USA. see profiles of newly-promoted professors in this review. We are rightly proud of the quality of our researchers and the work they produce. 2 UNIVERSITY OF KENT / ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 WORLD-LEADING RESEARCH www.kent.ac.uk 3 WORLD-LEADING RESEARCH / INTRODUCTION and Kent had initiated anxiety about pressures Building on our research successes to date, The University of Kent on local services, and there had been much the University is now preparing for its was ranked 24th out of publicity about the plight of veterans submission to the Research Excellence struggling to settle in the UK. Framework (REF) in 2013 – the Government’s 159 institutions for its new assessment of the quality of research in Nina’s research found that, in fact, Gurkhas UK higher education institutions. world-leading research are outward-looking, self-reliant, and the in the most recent majority consider proficiency in English, Throughout 2012, we have been working education, employment and training to be closely with Schools to prepare their Research Assessment most important. Employment rates for Gurkhas submissions for a pilot exercise covering all Exercise, with six are high, with over 90 per cent of males and aspects of the REF; from research outputs to females under 60 in full-time work. Home impact case-studies and staff data. Results subjects in the top ten of ownership is at 56 per cent, many rent of the pilot exercise will be reviewed early in privately, and reliance on housing benefit is 2013 and our submissions – expected to be their disciplines and five mostly confined to older veterans. made in 24 Units of Assessment and involving subject areas at Kent in almost 600 academic staff members – will be The research provided the background for one refined in the light of our findings. the UK’s top 20. of the councils concerned to make a case for establishment of the Government’s Gurkha With such a record, it is not surprising that the Integration Fund, worth £1.5 million. It has also University’s research findings often receive shown the importance of preparation for large media coverage. One of the most recent influxes of immigrants, and how working with studies to make the headlines was Nina newly established communities does much to Gurung’s research into Gurhka settlement counteract hostility and distrust. and integration in the UK. The recent large increases in Gurkha populations in Hampshire 4 UNIVERSITY OF KENT / ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 WORLD-LEADING RESEARCH / NEWS More cutbacks mean more riots Dental discovery will aid forensic 1.2 million euro research award Research by Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby practitioners and anthropologists for Kent law professor at the University’s School of Social Policy, Forensic practitioners and anthropologists will Professor Anneli Albi, of Kent Law School, Sociology and Social Research has shown be among those to benefit from Kent research has been awarded 1.2 million euros by the that across 26 developed welfare states on the dental development of humans. The European Research Council for a five-year between 1980 and 2005 greater poverty, research, conducted by Dr Patrick Mahoney in research project titled ‘The Role and Future privatisation of public services and job the University’s School of Anthropology and of National Constitutions in European and insecurity has led to increased social disorder. Conservation and published in the American Global Governance’. The funding is from His research provides the strongest possible Journal of Physical Anthropology , has the Council’s Independent Starting Grant social science evidence across a range of established links between tooth eruption and programme, a highly competitive scheme countries, and for a considerable time period, enamel growth in human infants, concluding designed to support frontier research by that the kinds of changes the UK government that milk teeth do not develop in the same way leading young international scholars. The is pursuing generate social disorder. as adult permanent teeth. Such a discovery project aims to revisit the role of national not only opens up a new way of assessing the constitutions at a time when decision-making For the study, Professor Taylor-Gooby, who dental development of humans through fossils has increasingly shifted to the transnational has previously advised the UK government on but will also assist in age-at-death level. Key examples that the study hopes to public policy reform, analysed the relationship determinations in forensic situations. explore include defence rights in the between social disorder and increased European Arrest Warrant system and access poverty, greater job insecurity and privatisation Dr Mahoney is Lecturer in Biological to justice in the global fight against terrorism. in developed western countries such as Anthropology at the University and Director The project also seeks to analyse the role of France, Germany and the USA. When of Kent Osteological Research and Analysis constitutional courts in drawing attention to societies are compared, those with rapid (KORA), an established unit in the School of these issues in transnational judicial increases in the numbers in poverty are on Anthropology and Conservation offering dialogues. average in the top third by the number of osteological analyses of human skeletal major incidents of civil unrest. Similar relations remains. University high-speed rail expert are found for job insecurity and reliance on private rather than welfare state services. advises parliamentary seminar The University’s Professor Roger Vickerman added his expertise on high-speed rail to a panel of academics taking part in a seminar on the subject at the House of Commons. The panel, including Professor Vickerman, took part in a parliamentary seminar in February to examine evidence from the social sciences that can contribute to the debate on the future of high-speed rail in the UK. Chaired by Louise Ellman MP, Chair of the Transport Select Committee of the House of Commons, the seminar was attended by over 70 academics, policy-makers and politicians. Professor Vickerman is Professor of European Economics and Dean of the Brussels School of International Studies.

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