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www.aber.ac.uk/prom Tomorrow’s World Changing Tradition Aber in Westminster Greenland’s Sleeping Giants A Constable’s Landscape 19 | The Magazine of Aberystwyth University www.aber.ac.uk • Nº2 in the UK for student experience • University by the sea • Guaranteed first year accommodation • Safe and friendly place to study • Valuable awards, bursaries and scholarships We offer the following courses - many combinations are available: Accounting & Finance Equine & Human Sport Science Modern & Contemporary History Agriculture* Equine Studies / Science* Modern German Studies American Studies European History Museum & Gallery Studies Animal Science European Languages: Open Source Computing Art French, German, Spanish Performance Studies Art History European Studies Physics Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Film & Television Studies Politics Behavioural Biology Geography Psychology Biochemistry Genetics Scenographic Studies Biological Sciences Genetics & Human Health Software Engineering Biology & Sport Science History Space Science & Robotics Business and Management Information & Library Studies Sport & Exercise Science Business Information Technology Information Management Sustainable Rural Development Celtic Studies International Politics Tourism Management Computer Graphics, Vision & Internet Computing Welsh Games Internet Engineering Welsh History Computer Science Irish Zoology Countryside Management* Law Creative Writing & English Marketing * Available at HND, Foundation Criminology Mathematics Degree and BSc Drama Media & Communication Studies Economics Medieval & Early Modern History Education Microbiology English Mobile & Wearable Computing Environmental Earth Science Environmental Science ‘’Probably the best place in the world to be a student’’* * www.i-graduate.org For a copy of our prospectus please contact: Student Welcome Centre Penglais Campus Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3FB Tel: 01970 622065 Fax: 01970 621554 Email: [email protected] 14497-070910 Contents Features Tomorrow’s World 11 John Warren on plants and the planet Changing Tradition 15 Developments on the Penglais Campus Aber in Westminster 19 A university punching above its political weight Greenland’s Sleeping Giants 21 Alun Hubbard’s investigation inside the Arctic Circle A Constable’s Landscape 25 Former Chief Constable Tim Brain gives an insider’s view on modern policing Columns News 4 .........................................................Vice-Chancellor 10 & 14 ................................................ News roundup 8 ...................................................... Graduation 2010 28 ........................................................ Waitrose Chair 20 ........................................Talking about a Revolution 30 ...........................................Aber/Bangor Partnership 40 ....................................................... Kicking the Bar 33 ............................................................Aber Abroad 42 ............................................................... Bookshelf 34 ........................................... The National Eisteddfod 44 .........................................Old Students’ Association 36 ..................................................... The Annual Fund 46 ...............................................................Obituaries 38 ...........................................................The Persians 50 ................................................ A Powys Perspective [email protected] PROM is the magazine of Aberystwyth University. Mae PROM ar gael yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg. Os nad yw’r copi hwn yn eich dewis iaith, cysylltwch ag neu 01970 621568 ac fe anfonwn gopi arall atoch. The views expressed in PROM are those of individual authors and 19 do not represent the University other than where stated. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material Published by: Prifysgol Aberystwyth University published, the publishers accept no liability for claims made by Designed by: The Design Studio, Aberystwyth University contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. Printed by: McLays, Cardiff 3 Challenges and Opportunities I am pleased to introduce the latest edition of PROM. I am sure that you will find it interesting, and I hope that you will find its new approach attractive. want to thank all who have been involved in producing it, Aberystwyth University has developed well over the last few and especially the staff of the Development and Alumni years. We are especially pleased with our continuing success Relations office. The office is now firmly established, in the National Student Survey and other assessments of and will be an important link between the University and student satisfaction. its former students. We were also delighted with our progress in the nationally When I was appointed Vice-Chancellor I remember saying published league tables. Imperfect measures as they are, that Higher Education was experiencing a period of it is still gratifying to see a rapid ascent in all of them. The accelerating change. Over the last few years that acceleration competitiveness of our academic provision – for prospective Ihas itself been increasing. It is the characteristic of living students and employers – is one of the factors that has led organisations that they continually evolve – standing still to our outstanding success in attracting record numbers of is not an option. Thus Aberystwyth University is adapting applications and the conversion of that interest into firm and changing, building on its proud tradition. There will be acceptances; this summer we did not enter the ‘clearing’ challenges, but there will also be opportunities, and we will system at all. take advantage of those. The University has continued to emphasise the importance Aberystwyth, like all universities, operates on several of research, and acknowledges the continuum from pure platforms. We clearly have an important role in our research through applied research to innovation. Research and immediate neighbourhood, and one of the particular enterprise should not be disconnected, and it is a pleasure to features of Aberystwyth is the excellent relationship between note such success in so many of our departments. In research, university and the local community. The University has a as indeed in everything that we do, quality is paramount. particularly important role to fulfil the requirements of Wales and to contribute to its economic, social and cultural The research work which we do is increasingly multidisciplinary development - all equally important aspects. – so many important developments occur at the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines. Our work should be But Higher Education is also a truly international activity, and problem driven, and a thematic approach is increasingly Aberystwyth is part of a world wide community. In order to appropriate: in future I envisage such a focused approach contribute fully to the life of their regions, universities have to postgraduate training and research, and we are likely to to be internationally competitive. It is not a choice – we must see the advantages of a multidisciplinary, problem driven operate effectively and creatively in each of these environments. and collaborative response. In particular, it is important that Aberystwyth University As some of you will know, I have confirmed that I shall retire contributes to the Higher Education system in Wales and at the end of my term of office as Vice-Chancellor at the end across the UK. In this context, the last two years have been of this academic year. The next few years will be a period of interesting ones for me personally, having been chair of intense challenge for universities. But those challenges will Higher Education Wales and through working closely with bring opportunities, and Aberystwyth is in a good position colleagues in Universities UK as one of its Vice Presidents. to maintain its contribution and enhance its reputation - in A university education is valuable and it is also a privilege. Wales, in the UK and internationally. It creates opportunities and extends horizons. One of the core roles of Higher Education is to develop a creative and self-aware society – to produce an environment to support individuals to achieve the highest attainable Professor Noel Lloyd CBE levels of personal intellectual fulfilment and achieve their potential. 4 Last year saw our largest intake ever, and this year we saw a further increase of 14% in applications... 5 “Probably the best place in the world to be a student” Aberystwyth University has, Guide for the sixth consecutive Good University Guide year, excelled in terms of , six places in the Times Higher of 2% on 2009 and 10% higher than Education and both the Welsh and the UK average. student satisfaction. seven places in the Independent’s league table for student satisfaction. Commenting on the University’s Aberystwyth has also been voted success, Professor Martin Jones, Pro ‘probably the best place in the world Vice-Chancellor, said, “This is a brilliant The 2010 results of the National to be a student’ in the International result. We are able to demonstrate Student Survey (NSS) awarded the Student Barometer for the second year improvements year on year which University a score of 4.4 (on a scale running. are reflected by these surveys and the of 1-5), the third highest score for any Overall satisfaction at satisfaction of our students. In short, public residential university in the