SUMMER 2014 THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE + BILLET & GENERAL COUNCIL PAPERS SUSTAINABILITY SPECIAL MEET ALUMNI, STAFF AND STUDENTS DEVOTED TO THE SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CAUSE ALSO INSIDE MEMORIES OF PLEASANCE | HISTORY MAKERS: SPORT | INSPIRING WOMEN SUMMER 2014 CONTENTS FOREWORD CONTENTS elcome to the Summer 2014 issue of Edit. As 08 16 W we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Edinburgh becoming Scotland’s first Fairtrade University, this edition of Edit has a sustainability theme. Our news, reviews, Inspiration can be your legacy features and interviews focus on alumni, staff and students involved in all manner of activities related to “A university and a gallery have much in common. sustainability and social responsibility. In our main features we reflect on the student-led Fairtrade campaign a 12 26 Challenging. Beautiful. Visionary. decade ago and meet entrepreneurs, artists and scientists Designed to inspire the hearts and minds looking to the environmental and socio-economic challenges of our future. You can also catch up with many of the leaders and creators of tomorrow.” of your peers who are blazing trails in the sustainability Pat Fisher, Principal Curator, and social responsibility fields, in our update pages and 31 Talbot Rice Gallery www.ed.ac.uk/talbot-rice alumni profiles. Edit itself is always seeking to enrich its offering to our growing readership, while limiting our environmental impact, and this month we launch a digital edition of the magazine at www.edit.ed.ac.uk, which you can enjoy on your laptop, PC, tablet or phone. Wherever and however you read this sustainability special, as always 04 Update 18 What You Did Next we would love to receive your views of the magazine and your own stories to share with Edinburgh alumni 08 Forging the 20 Edinburgh Experience Fairtrade way throughout the world. Looking back and forwards 22 Snapshot Kirsty MacDonald, Executive Director 10 years after Edinburgh became Scotland’s first 24 Arts Review of Development and Alumni Engagement Fairtrade university 25 Science Digest 12 The Interview Stephen Fitzpatrick, 26 The History Makers Published by Communications and Marketing Ovo Energy founder The University of Edinburgh, Floor C, Forrest Hill Building, 5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh EH1 2QL, UK 14 Pilot study 28 Ideas Exchange Geoscientists’ high-flying Contact: [email protected] approach to studying our Design: www.hookson.com 29 The Two of Us Printing: Sterling changing atmosphere No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written 16 Hope seated 30 Landmark consent of the University of Edinburgh. The views expressed in Edit are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the University. This magazine is in design printed on environmentally friendly, carbon-balanced paper that has been accredited The student making 31 The Last Word by the Forestry Stewardship Council. furniture from thistles ON THE MOVE? If you have changed address please let us know. Contact 32 Billet Development & Alumni on +44 (0)131 650 2240 or at [email protected] A gift to the University of Edinburgh in your will helps us maintain an outstanding This publication is available in alternative formats on request. public gallery for art and ideas. CONTACT US To find out more about making a gift to the University of Edinburgh in your will, [email protected] please contact Mairi Rosko on +44 (0)131 651 1411 or [email protected] facebook.com/edalumni We are happy to arrange a chat or simply send you an information pack. twitter.com/edinburghalumni Alternatively, visit www.ed.ac.uk/legacy-giving tinyurl.com/edalumni The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. WWW.ED.AC.UK SUSTAINABILITY SPECIAL 3 UPDATE SUMMER 2014 UNIVERSITY NEWS UNIVERSITY UPDATE FOR ALL THE LATEST UNIVERSITY NEWS, VISIT UPDATE WWW.ED.AC.UK/NEWS Angus Blackburn 01 03 04 05 01 JANE GOODALL GIVES GROUNDS FOR OPTIMISM The celebrated conservationist Dame Jane Goodall gave a public lecture entitled “Reasons for Hope” at New College in May. Dame Jane, who is best known for her hands-on research into Gombe chimpanzees, recounted her unique experiences in the field. She discussed the future of chimps in the wild Douglas Robertson Robertson Douglas and the illegal trade in ivory and 06 rhino horn. Graham Clark Graham Proceeds from the event went to the 02 Jane Goodall Institute, which aims to continue Dame Jane’s research and conservation projects. The Institute also supports Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots, a programme that helps young people take responsibility for meeting local challenges. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.JANEGOODALL.ORG.UK ROOTSANDSHOOTS.ORG 02 SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL UN CENTRE 03 TALKS FEATURE 04 AMAZON STUDY COULD 05 POWERHOUSE 06 AWARDS FOR RESPONSIBILITY LAUNCH OF EXPERTISE IPCC AUTHOR AID CARBON OFFSETTING WITH GREEN CARBON CENTRE A new centre of expertise The annual Our Changing World CREDENTIALS The home of Edinburgh Centre THE UNIVERSITY HAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED ITS DEPARTMENT specialising in sustainable series of public lectures beginning EDINBURGH RESEARCHERS STUDYING THE AMAZON BASIN for Carbon Innovation (ECCI) at The University has switched on a development education is to in September will feature Mark Edinburgh's High School Yards has FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY. HAVE REVEALED UNPRECEDENTED DETAIL OF THE SIZE, AGE new £43 million supercomputer, be opened at the University. Rounsevell, Professor of Rural won the Building Conservation Award Professor Mary Bownes, Senior Vice-Principal External Engagement, opened the AND SPECIES OF TREES ACROSS THE REGION BY COMPARING ARCHER (Academic Research Economy and Environmental at the Royal Institute of Chartered department at the University’s annual Sustainability Awards ceremony at Teviot Learning for Sustainability Scotland SATELLITE MAPS WITH HUNDREDS OF FIELD PLOTS. Computing High End Resource), Sustainability at the School Surveyors Scotland Awards 2014. House, where 35 awards were announced. (LfS Scotland) will be headquartered which, among other applications, of GeoSciences. The findings could help improve carbon-offsetting initiatives, which place a in Edinburgh as Scotland’s only will contribute to global cash value on the preservation of trees according to their carbon content. It was also named Building of the Year The department formalises activities that have been taking place across the United Nations Regional Centre Professor Rounsevell is a lead understanding of climate change. in the Edinburgh Architectural Awards. University for many years. Announcing the launch, Professor Bownes said: of Expertise on Education for author on the Intergovernmental Existing satellite maps of the area have estimated trees’ carbon content based ARCHER is the most powerful The building, formerly Edinburgh’s “While the University can be proud of its achievements, we need structures for Sustainable Development. It will Panel on Climate Change’s Working largely on their height, but have not accounted for large regional variations in computer in the UK, capable of more historic Old High School, was the the management and governance of social responsibility and sustainability.” be opened at a reception on Group on Impacts, Adaptation their shape and density. than a million billion calculations first refurbished building in the UK 19 November in the Playfair Library. and Vulnerability, which in April Edinburgh is the first university in the UK to have a social responsibility and a second. It will enable scientists to achieve the industry sustainability reported that climate change is Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Leeds, who led the sustainability department. It is responsible for promoting and embedding Separately, Edinburgh has joined to tackle a new level of “Big Data” “BREEAM Outstanding” award at the already occurring on all continents, research, say their findings could help quantify the amount of carbon available sustainable practices within the University, including energy efficiency, recycling a global network of leading problems, such as climate modelling. design stage. as part of the IPCC’s Fifth to trade, and improve understanding of how much carbon is stored in the and ethical investment and procurement. It also provides advice and support universities committed to Assessment Report. world’s forests, which informs climate change forecasts. for students and academic and support staff. embedding sustainability in the ARCHER is housed in one of the In April ECCI, a hub of cross-sectoral greenest computer centres in the expertise, launched the first electric curriculum and working practices. He is the University’s Assistant Scientists studied a database of thousands of tree species, taken from more Social responsibility is one of the six strategic themes of the University’s world, with cooling costs of 8p vehicle to join Edinburgh’s Edinburgh is the first Scottish Principal Global Environment than 400 hectare-sized plots across the nine countries of the Amazon Basin – Strategic Plan 2012–16. for every £1 spent on electricity. successful City Car Club. The car university to join the International and Society, and Director of the Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname It is funded and owned by the will be based at the Centre, which Sustainable Campus Network, which University’s Global Environment and Venezuela. In the Sustainability Awards, the Roslin Institute took the Best Energy Saving Engineering & Physical Sciences has installed four electric vehicle Idea Award for its innovation to cut the power used by refrigeration equipment. includes Oxford, Yale, Harvard, & Society Academy. Peking and Melbourne universities. Dr Ed Mitchard of the School of GeoSciences said: “Developing our Research Council, and operated by charge points, and will monitor the A student-run event that attracted 400 people – “ACT! A Festival for Social understanding of this aspect of forests, in the Amazon and elsewhere, the University's Edinburgh Parallel use of electric vehicles and attitudes Change” – won the Innovation Award.