Winter 2007 Buckingham has the most satisfied students For the second increase the number of students of spend two years rotating between year we have different backgrounds who can afford to Buckingham and a small family of district come top of the attend the University. Three, we have to general hospitals, after which they will National Student develop a stronger research profile. return home with Buckingham MDs and Survey. This is a significant expertise. Buckingham will, in survey of all final What sort of research should we be short, be playing a useful role in year doing? This is easy to answer – research postgraduate medical education globally, undergraduates in that the government would not fund. and one day our Medical School will all universities in Governments use research to distract challenge our Law School for size and Britain, run by an universities from their proper role of international significance. independent speaking truth under power, so I hope polling agency, asking about student that we will, over the next decade, move Dr Terence Kealey satisfaction in 21 different areas ranging into the areas of research that have been Vice-Chancellor from quality of teaching to quality of pioneered by free market think tanks such feedback. I am humbled that our students as the Institute of Economic Affairs, expressed such confidence in us, and I Civitas, the International Policy Network, thank them. I hope that you, as alumni, Global Vision and the Centre for Policy Contents will feel proud. Studies. We should be developing a 2 Editorʼs News critique of social and economic policy We are not sure who came second. that, freed of obligation to government, 3-4 Alumni at Work According to the Times Higher Education will allow us to say what is unsayable and How to cope with a media crisis Supplement of 14 September 2007 we think what is unthinkable within state Buckingham in the News beat Oxford into second place, but universities. Concerts and Lectures according to the Sunday Times of 23 Internship at Hewitt Associaties September 2007 it was Cambridge we Summer Placement beat into second place. Either way, those Study Abroad two universities did really very well considering, and if they feel thereʼs 5-7 Alumni News anything we can do to help them improve, Article by Deirdre La Touche they have only to ask. Article by Vivian Constanta Lost Alumni Our success as a university is attracting My work, life & memories of interest. In September 2007 Ernst & Buckingham Young, one of the big four accountancy Article by Larry Sullivan firms, published a report entitled The New VC with current students Article by Marco Previero World Order for Higher Education. There Nigerian Alumni Update they wrote that “the development of a And finally, four, we should seek to attract strong brand” is key to the development of new academics and create new courses. 8-9 Engagements, Marriages a first class university. They also wrote: It is lovely that Professor Peter Cooke has and Births “as Buckingham University has shown, it joined us to create a Centre for is not only the traditional elite universities Automotive Management; it is lovely that 10-14 University News that can establish a strong, distinctive Professors Rajat Mathur and Jay Arnold Postgraduate medical report presence in the market place” which they are creating, with Professor Karol Sikora, Message from Sum-Wah Lam illustrated with a comprehensive case our Postgraduate Medical School; and it MA in Global Affairs study of Buckingham. is lovely that Professors Anthony OʼHear, News from the Foundation Chris Woodhead, Alan Smithers, Dennis Sir Rhodes Boyson honoured Where does the Survey leave us? We OʼKeeffe, Dr Pamela Robinson and Visit by Mr Michael Beloff have four mid-term goals. One, we must others have created our new Department Lecture on entrepreneurship maintain our position towards the top of of Education. We want more such stars! Conference in Beijing the National Student Survey (inevitably Alumni Office we will eventually be displaced from the In the last issue I promised to write about Memorial Garden No 1 position). Two, we have to build on the Postgraduate Medical School but, our success to raise more money in because of the National Student Survey, 15 Obituaries donations from friends, supporters and space is now limited. Let me just say here alumni, to help the University grow its that we will be recruiting qualified doctors 16 Comments from Alumni scholarship, teaching and facilities, and to from India and other parts of the world to Events 2008 Editorʼs News Welcome to the We will be sending out more detailed Lord and Lady Luce (former Vice- final issue of the information about the weekend via Chancellor) will be hosting a tea party Independent for email and on the website early next for anyone who has given a donation to this year. Each year. our Alumni Annual Fund at the House of year I say it, and Lords. Invitations will be sent out To enable you to check the hotels we each year I mean shortly and we very much hope that you will be using please click on the links it, where has the will be able to be there. below: time gone to? We have had quite a few changes in the However, Recommended hotels are the Suitehotel department and you will be reading although it is Genève (http://www.accorhotels.com about these in different articles in the barely believable /accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/sui/5654/fiche magazine, but I would like to welcome that we have almost reached Christmas _hotel.shtml) or the Hotel du Rhone Beth into the role of PR/Media once again, we have begun to plan for (http://www.hoteldurhone.com/), which Communications Co-ordinator, Iva next year. As well as the annual alumni is rather more expensive. (Xiaojing) Yu who is standing in as summer party in London, our big event You may also be interested to learn that Student Sabbatical Officer and to thank for next year will be a ……… a new train service from St Pancras Helen Miller for her tremendous support Weekend in Geneva Station, London direct to Geneva was in filling in wherever she has been 12-14 September, 2008 launched recently and takes just 6 needed during the past six months. We hours. shall miss her when she goes, but we Make a note in your diary now to join us wish her the very best of luck on her Please contact us on for a weekend of events in Geneva, gap year travels and hope that she will [email protected] to make a Switzerland from 12-14 September next stay in touch. We will be taking on a booking, or if you have any other year. new Student Sabbatical Officer at the queries. More details will follow in the end of this year and they will be We want to create a weekend where Spring issue of the Independent introducing themselves in the next issue Buckingham alumni will meet to discuss If you are not already registered onto of the Independent. I very much hope to how to help grow the University, to the AlumNet website see you next year in either London or enjoy each others' company, and to (www.buckingham.ac.uk/alumnet) Geneva .... if not before! enjoy a stimulating series of events. We please do consider doing so, as it will will therefore be discussing the Anne Matsuoka enable you to keep up to date with the formation of an International Alumni PR/Alumni Relations Officer details of all events, but this one in Group and welcome interest in that from Tel: +44 (0)1280 820338 particular. It also gives us the ability to alumni who cover all disciplines, years [email protected] contact you via email with “hot off the and cultures. Everyone is welcome. press” news, and for friends from the This will not replace the usual London past to seek you out and make contact. event, which will take place on Friday Also to let you know that on 29 April 20 June. Xiaojingʼs News I am glad to be time reading the comments from some of Shanghai or Beijing to attend the events. writing to you as the alumni (reproduced on the back I will provide you with details in the next the ʻnewestʼ page) who responded to this news. One issue of the Independent. member of the of them might be yours. Of course, my work is not all exciting trips alumni team. As part of my job, I have been on a trip to abroad (I wish). The yearly Students, Actually, I have China with Eddie Shoesmith (Senior Staff and Alumni Art Exhibition was held worked in the Lecturer, Business School) to market the from 22 to 25 October. I would especially Alumni Office University. We attended the Education thank Uzoamaka Nsien (LLB ʼ99) for before. Some of UK Exhibition arranged by the British donating her poem, and Henry you may Council China in Xiamen, and visited Adebonojo (LLB ʼ82), who posted 6 remember I was British Council offices in Guangzhou and photos (one of which I successfully bid the Student Sabbatical Officer three Shanghai. An alumni gathering was for) from the States and donated them all years ago. From the middle of arranged in Shanghai on Saturday 10 for the Auction night of the exhibition. The September, I started covering for Ayo, November. event raised £202.60 (both raffle and whom I wish all the best in her Masters at auction) for the UBSOS (University of Birmingham University.