Your University. The magazine for alumni and friends of the University of Sheffield • 2007/2008 Rising to the challenge In the spotlight Renaissance Sheffield A meeting of minds A dramatic return Eddie Izzard finally collects his degree We have now received our 3,400th gift from a supporter. Claire Rundström, Development Manager, Alumni Relations, and Miles Stevenson, Director of Development. Miles is in charge of the Development and Alumni Relations Office and the activities it undertakes; Claire manages the full alumni relations programme of communications and events. ‘ Contents Welcome University news 2 to the 2007 issue of Your University magazine. Reflections of the Vice-Chancellor 8 This fifth issue of Your University also marks the fifth anniversary of the Rising to the challenge’ 10 establishment of the Development and Alumni Relations Office. In 2002 only six alumni were making regular donations in support of the University. We have now Sheffield takes Venice received our 3,400th gift from a supporter, bringing the total to more than by storm 12 £500,000. This generosity has funded 100 scholarships, supported the Information Scientist on a mission 13 Commons building and funded the work of the Alumni Foundation. In addition, more than £500,000 has been received through generous legacies. I am constantly Five years on 14 delighted by the interest and enthusiasm our alumni have for the University and A dramatic return 16 its future. Renaissance Sheffield 18 I wish to take this opportunity to thank our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Boucher, for the constant support he has given alumni relations at the University. He has been Once students, now staff 20 proactive in maintaining contact with our graduates, both in the UK and overseas, Fruits of success 21 and taken great personal interest in the work of the Development and Alumni Relations Office. We have invited him to contribute to this issue of Your University A meeting of minds 22 with a reflection on his term of office, which ends with his retirement in December. Convocation 24 We now offer our alumni a range of benefits; see page 30 for details. Each alumnus At the cutting edge of industry 25 or alumna who receives this magazine in the post also receives a membership card, with a unique membership number. Keep this safe and use it when you want to take In the spotlight 26 advantage of the special discounts and services on offer. We are also organising and promoting more alumni events; details and dates are listed on page 31. Global perspective 28 Alumni services and benefits 30 A new feature of this issue of Your University is the Your Notes and News section. Here we have listed a selection of ‘where are they now?’ snippets. I hope that we Calendar of events 31 can develop this section in the future with your support, in conjunction with alumni news that appears on our web pages. Your notes and news 32 Honours and awards 36 Finally, please remember to update your details if anything has changed. Use the enclosed questionnaire, complete one online or log on to Sheffield Reunited and make your changes there (www.sheffield.ac.uk/sheffield-reunited). The Development and Alumni Relations Office is your contact point for the University. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact us: Development and Alumni Relations Office Miles Stevenson The University of Sheffield Director of Development 277 Glossop Road Sheffield S10 2HB Editor: Kate Horton Public Relations Advertisements are carefully vetted, but the University UK can take no responsibility for them. Design: Epigram Communications and Design Ltd Copyright © 2007 The University of Sheffield TUOS202 Tel +44 (0) 114 222 1071 Cover: Comedian and actor Eddie Izzard (see page 16). Thank you to Ian Spooner, of Student Recruitment, This publication is available in different formats. Fax +44 (0) 114 222 1044 Admissions and Marketing, for this and many other To request an alternative format telephone Email: [email protected] photographs used in this magazine. +44 (0) 114 222 1303. Website: www.sheffield.ac.uk/alumni www.sheffield.ac.uk/alumni | 1 News University News Our Shared Vision The University has published a new corporate plan, following the largest ever consultation process across campus. Staff, students and business partners all contributed to Our Shared Vision, which clearly states the University’s mission, its vision, its goals and the measures by which progress towards them will be assessed. “The University will be firmly positioned amongst the world’s leading universities, recognised for the impact, excellence and distinctiveness of its graduates and research activities.” www.sheffield.ac.uk/oursharedvision 100 years of the Union Over 120 former Student Officers, spanning six decades, attended a reunion dinner to mark the Union’s centenary. After a lunch reception, sponsored by Convocation, current Officers organised tours of the building for their predecessors, providing an opportunity to see how their old haunts had changed over the years. A dinner held in University House concluded with speeches by current Union President Dave White and John Watkinson, President 1952-53. Dave comments, “Over the past 100 years, Former Presidents join current post-holder Dave White (seated, right) at the centenary celebration. generations of students have worked hard to ensure that the Union adds that will enable us to continue to meet Samantha Hay on 0114 222 8601 or value to the lives of its members and students’ needs and to stay on top for email [email protected]. contributes to the success of the the next 100 years and beyond.” University. Last year we were again recognised by the Virgin Alternative Standing up for Guide to Universities as the best Call for Trustees Students students’ union in the UK. The Union has established a Board of Published to mark its centenary, “However, it is important that we do not Trustees in line with its new status as Standing up for Students, written by become complacent or nostalgic. That a registered charity. Alumni with an Dr Helen Mathers, gives a decade is why 2006 saw not only a celebration interest in playing a part in the future by decade account of the Union’s of our past success, but also our latest of the UK’s most exciting and successful contribution to student life. See strategic review, which set out the plans students’ union are invited to contact inside front cover for further details. 2 | Your University 2007/2008 News Sheffield The University hosts among prestigious Confucius education’s Institute global elite The Chinese government has awarded the School of East Asian Studies a Confucius Institute for the promotion of Chinese language and culture. Deputy Two prestigious global rankings published Prime Minister John Prescott officially opened the institute on 18 January 2007. for 2006-07 put Sheffield among the top 10 universities in Britain and the top 70 This is a joint initiative in collaboration with the Office of Chinese Language globally. And the Virgin 2007 Alternative Council International, Beijing Language and Culture University and Nanjing Guide to British Universities states that University. Together with its partners in China and the UK, the institute will “Sheffield is a top university across work with community organisations, the public and private sector and the the board”. general public across the Yorkshire and Northern England region. International publication Newsweek ranks The institute has already embarked on a range of China-related activities the University of Sheffield 9th in the UK, including supporting research into learning Chinese as a foreign language, 18th in Europe and 70th worldwide. The promoting the teaching of the Chinese language in primary and secondary global top 100 listings are based on the schools, providing Chinese language training for students, teachers, community University’s performance in the leading and business, and organising seminars on Chinese culture and society. world league tables published by the Times Higher Education Supplement Professor Tim Wright, Chairman of the School of East Asian Studies, said, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. “We are eager to hear from organisations in the public and private sectors about what their needs are and how we can work together to help the whole Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong region to build its links with the world’s most dynamic economy and society. University assessed over 2,000 universities Please contact us via [email protected].” using several research performance indicators, including the number of highly cited researchers, academic performance, articles in the periodicals Science and Nature, and the number of Nobel prize- winners. They ranked Sheffield 69th in the world, 20th in Europe and 8th in the UK. Major funding success The Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) is a key source of support for university knowledge transfer. Sheffield was awarded more HEIF3 funding (for the period August 2006 to July 2008) than any other university and was one of the very few institutions to receive the maximum £3m funding under the formula allocations. This formula is driven by levels of current activity and capacity and (left-right) Councillor Mrs Jackie Drayton, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Vice-Chancellor Professor Bob Boucher, Professor Tim Wright, Mr Gong Jianzhong, Consul General, Consulate recognises the established strengths of of the People’s Republic of China in Manchester, and Professor Cui Xiliang, President of the Beijing Language the University in knowledge transfer. and Culture University. www.sheffield.ac.uk/alumni | 3 News Sheffield £4.3m Legends boost for Helen Sharman OBE (BSc 1984), Britain’s first astronaut, has joined other famous people from or human Helen Sharman’s plaque connected to Sheffield, including Gordon Banks and on the Walk of Fame.