NEWS 1 162 buzz June/July 2016 Impactful Innovation 2 PROVOSTNEWS AND VICE-PRINCIPAL’S VIEW Provost and Vice-Principal’s view At the end of August, after five and a half and debates (from antibiotic resistance years, I will be packing my bags and taking up to the politics of migration); and we have the role of Vice-Chancellor at the University partnerships with some of the world’s leading of Sussex. Although I am thrilled to have been companies so that fundamental research is given such a great opportunity, my departure translated into world changing technologies. is tinged with real sadness at leaving the During this time, too, the University’s University of Birmingham, an institution that physical environment has continued to I have grown to love during my time here. improve, with the new Residences, Library I knew relatively little about the University and Sports Centre being the most visible before I started. Largely because my brother examples and the University has developed and sister had been students here, I didn’t a renewed engagement with the life of the apply to study at Birmingham, and my city – witness, for example, the University sense of the University came from visiting School; new and revived partnerships with Provost and Vice-Principal, Professor Adam Tickell my sister in the early 1980s (a demo in the local cultural institutions and the largest rain at the Bull Ring and a house party), health trusts; the exceptional support presenting seminars to the politics group provided for public service leaders; and and the Geography department, and a the development of an unmatched local YOUR BUZZ period as an External Examiner in GEES. economic intelligence capacity. We have I arrived at a university with an exceptional started to make impressive strides towards Next edition 3 August 2016 pedigree, probably the most impressive equality for all students and staff, irrespective Copy deadline 8 July 2016 campus in the UK, and with many brilliant of gender, sexuality, ethnicity or disability. Contact us and committed academic and professional For all of these reasons, the University [email protected] staff. And yet, whilst Birmingham might have has established meaningful partnerships been brimming with potential, it was also with other leading universities, most notably Buzz online the case that too many of our staff were Nottingham, Illinois at Urbana-Champaign buzz.bham.ac.uk defensive or almost apologetic: in large and Melbourne – though many others are Follow us on Twitter parts of the University, we lacked the self- significant and will develop further. For all twitter.com/buzzunibham confidence that is essential for greatness. of these reasons, we have had the most Find us on Facebook Over the last five years I have felt successful university fundraising campaign facebook.com/buzzunibham genuinely privileged to watch and be part outside of the Golden Triangle. And for of the transformation of the University of all of these reasons, the University has Birmingham. The University is recognised progressively risen in the league tables, most nationally and internationally as one that recently to 13th in the Guardian (not only develops initiatives that others emulate our highest ever position, but the highest Edited by Matthew Collins across all of our activities. In Education, of any large civic university in the UK). [email protected] our investment in careers and employability All of these achievements have rested has meant that our graduates are fourth upon exceptional contributions by academics Your details best in the UK in obtaining graduate-level and Professional Services colleagues Please let us know if you want extra employment; our students are pleased to and I have often been impressed and copies of Buzz or if you think we need study here, valuing their peers and their sometimes humbled by the dedication, to amend your distribution details. educators; we pioneered the unconditional hard work and loyalty I’ve encountered. offers scheme to highly qualified applicants There are too many people who I’ve worked Views expressed in the magazine are for degrees; we are one of the largest with to name individually, but I wanted not necessarily those of the University educators of postgraduate students in to use my final contribution toBuzz to or a statement of University policy. the UK; we should be proud of the social salute and to thank all of you working All submissions may be subject to and ethnic diversity of our student intake; in this exceptional university for your editing. The Editor’s decision is final. and applications to study at the University support for me over the past few years. are at an all-time high. In Research, the The next decade is unlikely to be as kind Birmingham Fellows scheme has attracted to universities in England as the last two – in over 75 outstanding early career scholars exchange for more government intervention Front cover image: Anne Simper and has been copied in some form or other in our research and teaching we are likely is the Business Engagement Partner by most of the leading universities in the to see substantially less money in real terms for the College of Medical and Dental UK; the Institute of Advanced Studies has and an intensification of the marketisation Sciences. provided a welcome intellectual forum for of our sector. However, I am convinced that interdisciplinary activities; our new and the foundations that have been laid at this existing research institutes are producing great institution means that the University of spectacular science (and winning external Birmingham will thrive in the years to come. recognition); our scientists and scholars are at the forefront of major discoveries Adam Tickell (the Higgs boson, gravitational waves) Provost and Vice-Principal NEWS BIRMINGHAM GLOBAL 3 BIRMINGHAM GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT WITH BRAZIL FAPESP FUNDING – 2016 CALL FOR PROPOSALS Brazil Visiting Fellow profile NORTH Dr Rafael Montoito Teixeira arrived After two successful FAPESP (São Paulo in Birmingham in May and currently AMERICA state research funding council) funding teaches at the Instituto Federal Sul-rio- calls in 2012 and 2013, and with a number grandense, Pelotas, Brazil. Since 2006, of successful ongoing collaborative Rafael has been studying Lewis Carroll’s projects with Brazilian partners having works in order to understand and BRIDGE SEED FUND AWARDS been awarded funds through these calls, decipher his literary-mathematical we are happy to announce that the next universe. As some of his books have We are delighted to have recently round of FAPESP funding will be launched never been published in Brazil and others announced the successful awardees in Summer 2016. FAPESP funding has are out of print, Rafael has been from the third joint Birmingham-Illinois been instrumental in aiding a number of dedicating his time to bring Lewis Carroll ‘BRIDGE Seed Fund’. This annual exciting, ongoing collaborative projects back into academic discussions, as in fund of $200,000 has been jointly around the University on areas ranging Rafael’s words, ‘his stories and his established to stimulate wider academic from Gravity and Gravitational Waveforms, mathematical works are a powerful engagement between the University to Fear Memory Processing. Funding source for the study of mathematics, of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and from this strategic award can be sought language and educational systems.’ the University of Birmingham. for a range of activities including original Rafael is collaborating with Professor From the third call of the BRIDGE research and workshop events, but the John Holmes until the end of July, Seed Fund we have been able to support ultimate purpose must be to develop a studying Carroll’s diaries and letters, 13 projects from across all five colleges collaboration that has the potential to with their intention being to identify in areas including biofuels, brain injury, directly lead to further research funding, thoughts that could characterise him as a migration, and cross-cultural history. supporting activity in Brazil and the UK. pedagogue; someone concerned about This now brings the total number of The Brazil team in International Relations teaching and who used some of his own faculty-driven collaborations in progress will provide a further update and exact characters to discuss the issues he between the two Universities to over details of the fund and the call dates describes in his personal notes. 65 across a range of disciplines. in due course. BRAZIL VISITING FELLOWS ARRIVE AT BRAZIL TRAVEL FUND NEW PVC THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL The Brazil Travel Fund is still open for Fellows from a range of Brazilian applications and offers financial support for APPOINTED universities have now begun to arrive at the a range of collaborative projects, and also University of Birmingham to undertake provides match funding costs related to The University of short stays as Visiting Fellows, working on visits to Brazil for the purpose of developing Birmingham has collaborative research projects with collaborations with Brazilian institutions/ appointed its colleagues from across colleges. The Brazil organisations. The fund may also support first Pro-Vice- Visiting Fellows programme, which is now visits by individuals from Brazilian institutions Chancellor in its fifth year, supports the professional to the University of Birmingham where for International to lead the international development of early career researchers these may help develop collaboration. agenda. Professor Robin Mason joined from Brazilian universities, and enables the University at the end of March 2016. visiting fellows to obtain insight into the If you would like any further Watch this space for more information on organisation and conduct of research, information on the above schemes international engagement from Professor training and administration at the University and for general advice on our Mason in the next UoB Global page.