ealuxmcni hange Magazine for alumni Issue 1 October 2008 First words 01 Will they be there in 2012? 05 Every picture tells a story 08 Randall’s big buzz 11 Events diary 26 Contents 02 || University news First Words 05 || Will they be there in 2012? When David Greenaway first set eyes on The University of Nottingham Feature: Nottingham’s he had little idea that he would attend any university let alone become Olympic round-up Vice-Chancellor of one of the world’s leading universities. 08 || Every picture tells a story Feature: Alex Hyde professional photographer The teenage boy from the tough east end Director of The Leverhulme Centre for 11 || Randall’s big buzz of Glasgow was in a boat on Highfields Lake Research on Globalisation and Economic Feature: Alumnus, journalist and when he noticed ‘the big place on the hill’. Policy, which he established. The international broadcaster Jeff Randall talks to His father, a steel erector, had uprooted his agenda will be a key university focus under our writer Simon Harvey family and moved to Nottingham, having Vice-Chancellor Greenaway. secured two years continuous work on the “We live in a world that’s becoming ever 13 || Blake Morrison Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station. Feature: Novelist Blake Morrison more globalised. We’ve got to embrace the shares his thoughts about Nottingham “I’m from a family where no-one had gone internationalisation agenda to succeed in to university, so the idea of higher education that world if we want to continue to attract 14 || Fundraising Alumni generosity supporting was foreign to me. Moreover, in the part of the best staff, academic and non-academic, the next generation – find out more Glasgow where I grew up people didn’t go and the best students. Part of my agenda to university.” will be to embed that internationalisation focus in the Nottingham psychology. 17 || Alumni news But the Henry Mellish schoolboy was 21 || In memoriam encouraged to stay on at school to complete “But of course we mustn’t forget that there his ‘A’ levels and went on to study at is also a local agenda. We are key to the 22 || Where are they now? Liverpool Polytechnic and The University city’s future prosperity. We can help this of Liverpool before coming back to work for city and the region in concrete ways, such 26 || Events diary this University as its Head of Economics as making a success of the University- in 1987. Samworth Academy, and by supporting 28 || Affinity group news its key agencies. “I’ve been here ever since. But it hardly seems like 21 years, because the job and “Our alumni community is fundamentally Contact Details Alumni Relations Team the University have changed every few important to the future prosperity of our The University of Nottingham years and that’s been very stimulating. It’s University. One of the markers of a great King’s Meadow Campus a wonderful environment in which to work. University is the quality of its alumni. We Nottingham I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved in have a very large community of successful NG7 2NR the School of Economics, particularly in alumni, playing leading roles in education, terms of teaching and research and the business and the public sector, and of course T: +44 (0)115 951 3087 establishment of the Globalisation Centre, it is a genuinely multinational community. F: +44 (0)115 951 3937 and I have had the opportunity to serve “Our alumni contribute a lot to this W: www.alumni.nottingham.ac.uk as a Pro-Vice-Chancellor twice. E: [email protected] University. Many do so philanthropically Issue 1 copyright “I’ve seen enormous change over the years and that has helped us offer more The University of Nottingham not only in terms of our new international scholarships, enrich our infrastructure and campuses but also here in Nottingham, with environment and support world-changing Alumni Exchange is the publication for the growth in the award-winning Jubilee research. They are also an invaluable source graduates, former students, staff and friends Campus and the contribution it has made of advice and enthusiastic advocates for of The University of Nottingham. The views expressed in Alumni Exchange are not to regenerating a part of the city which was what we stand for. struggling. I chaired the project group that necessarily those of the editor, alumni or “We are in a fiercely competitive environment delivered the campus from a blank sheet of The University of Nottingham and will have to work hard to generate paper to the Queen opening it three years later the resources needed to invest in the future. Photography : Trevor Bartlett, Getty Images, – what a tremendous opportunity that was.” Lisa Gilligan, Patrick Harrison, Alex Hyde, We are planning a major Campaign for Gareth Phillips, John Sumpter David Greenaway is a distinguished Professor Nottingham as one element of our future Writing: Simon Harvey of Economics and since 1998 has been strategy and I hope our alumni and friends Alumni Exchange 08 01 will support what we are striving to achieve. I would also encourage all of our alumni to make a return visit, to see first hand how University Park has developed and matured, the award-winning architecture at Jubilee Campus and the expansion of the Sutton Bonington Campus. And of course you are invited to visit our ‘greenfield’ campuses in China and Malaysia.” Outside his academic career David has undertaken a wide range of public service duties as well as advisory and consultancy work. Presently these include being Chairman of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body, which advises the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Defence on the pay and conditions of the British military. “I find it very stimulating and it helps keep me fresh. In quite surprising and subtle ways it can make you think differently about your own job. Besides which, I do think it’s important to contribute through public service.” David still plays weekly football at the University and, as a spectator, has twin passions, his childhood heroes, Glasgow Rangers and Nottingham Forest, where he’s been a season ticket holder for many years. So what does it really feel like for the Glasgow boy who’s now taking over the helm of a major, international, research- led University? “I’ve got a great legacy to build on. Being appointed to lead this innovative and enterprising institution is a great honour. The prospect of working with so many talented colleagues from across the University to advance the quality of teaching, research and internationalisation that makes Nottingham such a distinctive community is genuinely invigorating.” Alumni Exchange 08 02 University news Nottingham ranked in 2008 global elite The University is again confirmed in the intercontinental higher education elite, in global tables published this year. Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s 2008 table of the world’s leading universities ranks Nottingham research in Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy 29th best in the world. Nottingham is one of only five British institutions in the World Top 30 for Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy, with Oxford, Cambridge, University College London and Imperial College London. The Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) table – giving overall worldwide University rankings – places Nottingham in the Top 10 of all institutions in the United Kingdom. Former Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Colin Full details can be found at Campbell catches up with Nottingham’s Olympic medallists www.arwu.org The other established world universities league table – issued by The Times Higher Education in the Former VC made an Honorary United Kingdom – currently ranks Nottingham 70th in the world overall. Freeman of the City of Nottingham The University has risen more than 70 places since the table was first Professor Sir Colin Campbell, the former benefited immensely from close proximity published in 2004. Vice-Chancellor of The University of to such a dynamic, cosmopolitan and Nottingham, has been made an Honorary vibrant regional centre. I firmly believe Freeman of the City of Nottingham at that the relationship between the University a special ceremony on 26 September. and the city will only grow stronger in He became Nottingham’s 36th Honorary the years to come.” Freeman since William Booth, the founder City Council Leader, Jon Collins said: “In of the Salvation Army, became the first the twenty years since his appointment person to be honoured in this way in 1905. as Vice-Chancellor Sir Colin has played a Sir Colin said: “I am delighted to receive hugely significant part in the life of our city. this great honour. This is as much an It’s entirely appropriate that we will be accolade for the talented staff, students recognising his achievements in this way.” and graduates of The University of Meanwhile the University held a Nottingham as it is for me – all have played Festschrift in September in recognition their part in establishing the University of Sir Colin’s contribution towards the within the global higher education elite over internationalisation of higher education. the past 20 years. I am also delighted that Speakers included Digby, Lord Jones this is happening in the year of the of Birmingham, Professor Allan Jones, University’s 60th anniversary. Managing Director of E.ON and alumnus “The University has always endeavoured Jeff Randall, editor-at-large of The to work closely with the city and has Daily Telegraph. Alumni Exchange 08 03 Landmark graduations in China An historic ceremony has seen the first cohort of Chinese graduates receive British degrees at The University of Nottingham’s pioneering campus in China. Successful undergraduates who started at the Ningbo campus when it opened in 2005 are now the proud holders of bachelor degrees from a British university — even though their studies took place 6,000 Nottingham’s skyline has been transformed miles away.