bbkThe Birkbeck magazine Issue 20, Summer 2006 Not a big fan? How the west wasn’t won over by the changing face of Japan bbk Issue 20 Part of the University of London, Birkbeck is a world-class research institution, a vibrant centre of academic engagement and excellence, and London’s leading provider of flexible evening education for mature students. Welcome to the new look BBK. Contents We were delighted so many of you filled in the readers' survey. The design struck you as an TEACHING & RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS ALUMNI NEWS important factor in BBK's Full of eastern promise 1 Fry filming 13 success, with comments such as Innovative project to extend Stephen Fry visits Birkbeck to “very readable and user-friendly” teaching provision film for his new TV series and “professional and well- presented”, with one reader Passport to teaching 2 Gold standard 15 saying, “thanks to all concerned Teacher training for the refugee Julia Goldsworthy MP on how for taking such care over it”. community Birkbeck changed her life For many, BBK provides a strong Class act 6 Open return 18 sense of community, with answers The only part-time theatre studies Graduates volunteer to give including “it's great to maintain degree in central London advice at Open Evening connections” and “it enables a feeling of camaraderie”. One summed it up with the line: “I like COLLEGE NEWS FEATURES feeling part of an academic family Green square 10 Those 'crazy' Japanese 22 I really admire.” Another said “it Torrington Square landscaping Voyeuristic obsession reduces confirms and continues my good completed Japanese culture to a freak show opinion of Birkbeck”. Fundraising financial boost 11 Culture clash or Asian cool? 26 In this issue we showcase the Birkbeck awarded grant to Avtar Brah explores our views innovative Birkbeck East project expand development work of the Asian community (page 1) and talk to Julia Goldsmith (page 15) about how Thumbs up for part-timers 11 Networked society 28 Birkbeck helped her into the London employers positive about New technologies change Liberal Democrat cabinet team. part-time study, says survey how we communicate As always, we look forward to All hail the taxi 12 The limits of American Empire 30 hearing your comments. Please Birkbeck cab helps raise The imperial episode in US write to us at the address on awareness foreign policy has failed the inside back page. Cover photograph: Geisha holding a folding fan (Jupiter Images) Full of eastern promise Innovative projects win £8.7m HEFCE funding to extend teaching provision in London Birkbeck has been awarded £5m by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to take its flexible, evening teaching provision to east London, which has the lowest higher education participation levels in the London region. This ground-breaking project, known as Birkbeck East, aims to extend higher education into the heart of the 'hard to reach' communities by using Birkbeck's expertise to develop part-time, evening, undergraduate degrees offered locally in east London. Birkbeck will work closely with the University of East London (UEL), which enjoys excellent local partnerships and is recognised as a leader in widening participation. Birkbeck East will extend participation in east London by attracting new students who would not otherwise engage with higher develop pathways and credit academic programmes with paid education. Birkbeck and UEL will transfer agreements for students work and family responsibilities, it co-ordinate course development, across a number of further and is vital to offer effective part-time ensuring complementary provision higher education institutions. provision that meets the needs of by subject and time of day, The Master of Birkbeck, our communities. We are delighted increasing students' choice, and Professor David Latchman, says: to be working with our partners at enhancing opportunities for “We are delighted that HEFCE is Birkbeck on this exciting initiative.” retention and progression. A high demonstrating such support for Market research by Birkbeck priority will be the creation of new Birkbeck through the Birkbeck shows there is sufficient market structures to help students East and the Linking London potential of part-time students to progress between courses and initiatives. These new projects give achieve the Birkbeck East goal of levels of study. For example, routes contemporary meaning to George recruiting 200 FTE (full-time will be available from the new Birkbeck's original vision of higher equivalent) students in the 2007- Birkbeck Foundation Public Sector education for non-traditional 08 academic year. By 2011-2012 it Studies to the UEL BSc Social students. With our partners, is hoped there will be around 520 Policy Research. Programmes are particularly the University of East FTEs. The project will also aim to most likely to be in the subject London, we hope to make a recruit up to 1,000 continuing areas of management, IT and significant contribution to local education and professional community development. economic development by building development students, giving a Birkbeck is also the lead relationships with local employers, total of 1,700 by 2011-12. institution for the Linking including the public sector.” Initially Birkbeck East will rent London: Lifelong Learning Professor Michael Thorne, Vice- Above: Busy space, with a long-term aim to be Network (LLLLN), which has been Chancellor of the University of East commuters head based in a purpose-built facility to Stratford, as will awarded a further £3.7m by London, comments: “With more and Birkbeck in 2007 in Stratford, signalling Birkbeck's HEFCE. Linking London aims to more students balancing their (JD Moore) commitment to the area. Teaching & research 1 Passport to teaching New graduate level programme set up for the refugee community with Home Office funding A part-time teacher training the military dictatorship when I programme for refugees has been was a university student. Many launched by Birkbeck. The Passport people were killed. It’s not a very to Teaching Plus programme – a nice experience, to be forced to nationally recognised postgraduate leave one’s home, but once you are level certificate in teaching in faced with that situation you have lifelong learning – enables refugees to make your own way.” in Greater London to access One of the students on Passport teaching opportunities in post- to Teaching Plus, and a class rep, compulsory education, both in the is Alem Mengesha, 34. She is also UK and overseas. from Ethiopia and hopes to In partnership with Reconnect, eventually teach IT. “This course a not-for-profit organisation changes people’s lives and it working for graduate refugees, means a lot to me,” she says. “It Birkbeck was awarded £50,000 has influenced me very much and from the Home Office Refugee built my confidence.” Integration Fund to launch the The second class rep, Albert one-year programme this year. Tadiesse Pokam, 31, says the Students spend one day a week course “gives you an atmosphere at Birkbeck, plus one day a week where you can easily discuss or equivalent on teacher practice things and we learn a lot from placement. each other”. Albert, originally from Course co-ordinator Jane Hoy Cameroon, adds: “I left my country the art department. “I lost my job submitted the proposal to the because I was involved in the and everything and I had to start Home Office in collaboration with political set-up after the election from the beginning, but I’m now Theodros Abraham, Birkbeck in 1997. I talked to journalists, getting some support, for example, lecturer and Director of Reconnect. which I wasn’t supposed to do in a this course is very helpful for me “We felt teaching should be given dictatorship. I was endangered but and we understand each other.” priority for this project because it’s I’m now settled in the UK.” Albert Theodros stresses that his work not an area where there has been is the first student on the course to with Birkbeck and Reconnect much investment within the be offered a teaching post. “tries to give refugees a voice. refugee community,” says Theodros. Similarly, John Morales, 38, is There is an international “There are 18 students on the happy in the UK, having lived here obligation to provide refuge to programme this year from nine for 12 years. “This course is very those who need to be protected, countries,” he says. “We’ve done a important for me because I’m but on the one hand, those who lot of work to spread the word in thinking more specifically about advocate on behalf of refugees the refugee community, and we’re how to prepare a class,” he says. often ask people to feel sorry for hoping that people can help “The opportunity to get a proper refugees, or emphasise the support it in the future because qualification is a big issue.” contribution refugees are making we need resources for the second- Georgette Ahia Fausino Roro, 38, to the country. On the other hand, and third-year programmes.” from Sudan, says that empathising the tabloids write sensational Theodros left Ethiopia, his home with fellow classmates is a key news ignoring the underlying country, in the late 1970s and lived factor. “That’s one of the best issues, so they are not doing as a refugee in Kenya until 1979. things about it. We are working justice to their readers. The issues He came to the UK on a scholarship our way through together because have to be looked at within the Above: Theodros and completed a BA in Economics we’ve had similar experiences.” Abraham (Jerry Mason). wider context of the problem we and MA in Development Economics Her classmate, Mojgan For details, email have between developed and [email protected] at Liverpool and East Anglia.