0 1 AN INTERNATIONAL 0 2 - 9 UNIVERSITY FOR 0 0 2 THE REGION W E I V E R L A U N N A 0 1 0 CONTENTS 2 - 1 A WORD FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR 9 2-5 HIGHLIGHTS OF 2009/2010 0 0 6-9 TEACHING AND LEARNING 2 E-learning to Address Our Wounds ‘Enterprise by Design’: A Pitch for Innovation W Dancing Their Way to Fluency E Supercharging Wales' Knowledge Economy I Instant Feedback V E 10-13 RESEARCH Why Flowering Plants in the Antarctic Have Warmed to R Climate Change L North Wales Organisation for Randomised Trials in Health and Social Care (Bangor Trials Unit) A 400 th Anniversary of Radical Revolutionary Marked U Banking Defined N Clinically Obsolete Antibiotics Could be Used to Treat N Head and Body Lice Reverse Engineering the Human Brain: Building Machine A Vision Systems That See Like Humans 14-17 COMMUNITY Improving Standards of Elite Coaching in Welsh Sport Love Bangor Ceri the Clam Pontio Races Ahead Chemistry Reaches Out to the Community EDITOR Elinor Elis-Williams, Corporate Communications and Marketing Department, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DG. Tel: 01248 383298. Email: [email protected] Website: www.bangor.ac.uk A WORD FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR s the new Vice-Chancellor of Bangor reputation for looking after its students, and AUniversity it is my pleasure to present it is vitally important that this continues. our Annual Report for the 2009-10 academic year. With the likely introduction of higher fees, universities must be more attentive to the During the period covered by this report, quality of the student experience at all the University was led by Professor Merfyn levels. Working closely with industry, Jones as Vice-Chancellor and following his improving research performance and retirement by Professor Fergus Lowe as internationalisation are crucial for our Acting Vice-Chancellor, and I would like to students’ future as well as the University’s thank them both, as well as the Acting continued success. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr David Roberts, for their valuable contribution during the I look forward to working with all of you to year which has ensured that Bangor is well ensure that Bangor University continues to placed to face a challenging future with make a major contribution to the region, to confidence. Wales and to society at large. As a result of the economic situation, Professor John G. Hughes universities throughout the UK have faced Vice-Chancellor a great deal of uncertainty. However there have been significant achievements at Bangor which have contributed to a sound foundation for next year. Student recruitment, both in the UK and overseas has been strong, there are promising developments in research, and tremendous progress has been made with the Pontio project which will transform the University and the wider region. Many others are outlined in this report. Since I took up my post, I have been pleased to see great enthusiasm and loyalty to the University, and I am proud to have been appointed only the seventh Vice-Chancellor in our 126-year history. There are major strengths and opportunities here of which we can all be proud. Financial stability of course is a crucial component of achieving academic success, and in turn meeting the demands of our students. Bangor has an excellent BANGOR UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REVIEW 09/10 01 23 4 5 67 1 1 Mike Peters, front man of rock band, The Alarm, was among the individuals awarded Honorary Fellowships for their distinguished contributions in various roles. Also honoured were 2 Welsh author Jane Edwards, 3 the scientist and businessman, Sir Christopher Evans, 4 Denbighshire local historian, Robert Morris Owen, 5 the journalist and author, Sir Simon Jenkins, 6 former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales, Lampeter, Professor Keith Robbins, and 7 High Court Judge, Mr Justice Roderick Evans. 02 BANGOR UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REVIEW 09/10 HIGHLIGHTS 09/10 Bangor University became the first UK Bangor University achieved a First Class university to lead a twinning partnership degree in the People & Planet's Green under UNESCO's UNITWIN Network. Under League 2010, which ranks all 133 UK the Network, academics at the School of universities according to their Ocean Sciences are sharing their expertise environmental performance. This is due to in sustainability and marine sciences with team work to understand and marine scientists and academics at the address environmental issues Institute of Marine Sciences, Zanzibar, part throughout the University, ranging from the of the University of Dar es Salaam, in energy and water used, the wastes Tanzania, east Africa. produced and the way staff travel, to the protection of our environmental assets and Bangor student Catrin Haf Jones won the the goods and services we procure. Crown in the Urdd National Eisteddfod. This The University has improved its is the second year in succession for a environmental performance by developing student following the MA in Creative an Environmental Management System Writing in the School of Welsh to win the (EMS), describing all the University's Crown, the main prize for writing creative environmental impacts, and how it plans to prose - the prize was won last year by achieve continual environmental Lleucu Hughes who is currently working improvement. for the weekly newspaper Y Cymro. Reef biodiversity off the Student Manon Wyn Williams won the The PILSen: Practice Interventions for east African coast. Drama Medal - for the second time. She is Language Sensitivity: a Pilot Study to also studying an MA in Creative Writing at Inform the Delivery of Pharmaceutical the School of Welsh . She won the award in Services in Wales won a Welsh Language 2007, and also won the prestigious Bryn in Healthcare Award for 'Innovative Terfel Scholarship as an actress the practice in primary care which responds to same year . patients' needs for service'. PILSen is a partnership between the NHS and LLAIS, A new book tracing the fascinating history the language awareness research group of of Bangor University marked the the Centre for Health-Related Research, University’s 125th Anniversary. Written by the ESRC Centre for Research on Dr David Roberts , University Registrar, the Bilingualism in Theory and Practice, the book traces the University’s rise from North Wales Organisation for Randomised modest beginnings in October 1884 as the Trials in Health and CEPhI, the University's ‘University College of North Wales’, with health economics group. just 58 students in the Penrhyn Arms, to an independent university with Andrew Smith, Fine Art Academic degree-awarding powers and 12,000 Co-ordinator at the College of Education & students and staff. Lifelong Learning won a public art commission to produce artwork for Cardiff’s Splott Road Railway Bridge, following a public consultation which received 150 responses. The community chose ‘Constellation’ from two artworks produced after working with local groups and schools. It covers the two sides of the bridge creating a dynamic and colourful public art statement. Work began in October to make a hidden and precious treasure of medieval Bangor universally accessible on-line. Owned by Bangor Cathedral, the Bangor Pontifical is a unique, decorated, hand-written book dating from the 14th century. Catrin Haf Jones, Manon Wyn Williams, Dr David Roberts winner of the Urdd winner of the Drama and his book. Eisteddfod Crown. Medal at the Urdd Eisteddfod. BANGOR UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REVIEW 09/10 03 1 2 3 1 Wolverhampton Food Dudes project manager, Charlotte Cameron, with local children (and Gold HIGHLIGHTS 09/10 Medal) at St. Paul’s Primary School Wolverhampton. Three School of Creative Studies and Media A bust of the late Professor Bedwyr Lewis students experienced the buzz of election Jones, one of Bangor University's foremost 2 The first Santander Scholars arrived in night at close range while working for the past Professors, was unveiled in May. Bangor in 20010/11. Here, BBC on the night, gaining invaluable first Bedwyr Lewis Jones was Professor of postgraduate students hand experience of news gathering. Second Welsh at Bangor from 1974 until his death Maialen Herrero, Fernando Pinillos, year student Kelvin Jones was updating the in 1992 and a lecturer at the University Alejandro González and BBC from the count at Dolgellau, while Illtud since 1959. He was renowned as a scholar Eduardo De Valle are Deiniol reported from Pontypridd and Dewi and literary critic, as an unparalleled being welcomed by branch Jones from Llandrindod. broadcaster and as an individual who manager, Veselina Vasileva. inspired an interest in Welsh language and The Food Dudes healthy eating programme literature. The commission by the 3 Sculptor John Meirion was awarded the top gold medal award at University followed a successful appeal Morris and Mrs Eleri Jones widow of the late the Chief Medical Officer’s Public Health among his friends and acquaintances, and Professor Bedwyr Lewis Awards. The award ceremony held at the represents the first new bust to be Jones with the recently Royal College of Physicians, acknowledges commissioned by the University in half a unveiled bust. the efforts of all those working to improve century. the health of the nation and celebrates innovative and successful public health The University’s partnership with initiatives. Santander has included the opening of a The Award was for a particular Food brand new branch of Santander bank on Dudes project promoted by Wolverhampton the University campus and the Primary Care Trust, as part of their announcement of five Santander strategy to tackle the higher than average Scholarships for post-graduate students level of childhood obesity in the region. from Latin America, Spain and Portugal applying to study at Bangor. 04 BANGOR UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REVIEW 09/10 1 2 3 4 1 Professor John G.