UNIVERSITY OF SUFFOLK NEWS WELCOME Welcome to the first newsletter of 2019. We remain in a This year marks the 25th challenging and changing environment, with the results anniversary of our provision of the Augur Review expected this month, Brexit in Early Childhood looming, recruitment competition ongoing, essay mills, studies—something that unconditional offers and grade inflation all remaining we should all be proud of high on government agendas. and use to demonstrate how we integrate with our It would be easy to be despondent but as a senior team community through using we remain optimistic. We have concluded the Schools our expertise. and Directorates strategic planning round, and are now looking at the shape of our estate and IT along with our In December we ‘installed’ people strategy to enable us to be in the best position our first Chancellor— possible to weather the turbulent times ahead. a fantastic way to round off 2018 as we continue to mature as a young institution. Our students and their education remain our key Dr Helen Pankhurst gave her time freely for staff focus, and the task and finish groups will be reporting through a lecture and with students through a visit back by Easter with changes made ready for the next to the SU. She plans to engage with us through the academic year. Many of you are engaged in these and year, mainly at graduation ceremonies, at University they are already reporting good discussions and ideas Court and with a further lecture; alongside this she will in the key areas under consideration. Our students actively champion the University wherever she finds need us to provide the best education and education herself in the UK and abroad, helping us to put the environment that we can and this includes ensuring University of Suffolk on the world map as we grow our that we prepare them for working in a global market, reputation and brand. Our strategic planning helped whether based in Suffolk or much further beyond. us to identify our key areas of distinctiveness and in Our interest in international partnerships remains high turn this is helping us to drive the vision for our estate and we continue to seek partners who will enable us to over the coming years. Watch this space as we seek to meet our student needs in this area, whether through engage you in our thinking during 2019 and be willing bringing international students on campus, providing to share your ideas to ensure we are challenged to study abroad/Erasmus opportunities and in the future deliver the best that we can for our future. research relationships. Our staff population enables us to bring a rich and diverse culture to our university I wish you all a productive and peaceful 2019 and look and I am grateful to you all for sharing your expertise forward to working with you in the months ahead. and experiences with our students and each other to Professor Helen Langton enable us to learn from our differences. Vice-Chancellor Issue 6 Winter 2019 page 1 IN FOCUS Dr Helen Pankhurst CBE Graduation 2018 officially installed as Chancellor For the first time graduation was held on the Ipswich Waterfront. Over 1,400 students received their degrees in ceremonies that took place over three days. Visit our Flickr page for the Graduation photo gallery. Dr Pankhurst CBE, who is a writer, academic, women’s right activist and senior adviser to CARE International, is the University’s first Chancellor. Dr Pankhurst is a trustee of ActionAid and a Visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is the great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst, leaders of the British suffragette movement. Her appointment as Chancellor came in the centenary year when some women gained the right to vote. Dr Pankhurst said, “The evening of the installation as first Chancellor was wonderful. It was about celebration, fun, people from the community and the University, friends all together. Fundamentally, it was about the beginning of something. What is important is what we do subsequently.” Reflecting on the centenary year, Dr Pankhurst said, “Emmeline and Sylvia Pankhurst and all the other suffragettes and suffragist women would be saying ‘great for the celebration, there has been a lot of progress in so many areas socially, economically and politically’. They would also, I think without exception, be saying you are not there yet, there are so many issues that need to be addressed and don’t wait for others to resolve them. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep moving things forward.” As is customary at installation ceremonies, the first duty of a new Chancellor is the conferment of an honorary award. This was presented to Suffolk based artist Charlotte Newson. Charlotte Newson is a visual artist; her most notable piece of work is a photo-mosaic portrait of Emmeline Pankhurst, entitled Women Like You. page 2 IN FOCUS Developing the University’s Area of Distinctiveness By Professor Mohammad Dastbaz Following Professor Helen 1. Health and Wellbeing 2. Creative and Digital Langton’s appointment as Vice- Given the broad range of Technologies Chancellor, she has been in undergraduate health and The Schools of Science, discussion with colleagues across sports courses that the Technology and Engineering the institution about the University University currently runs and Art, Design and Humanities of Suffolk’s distinct offers and how and the fact that health and both have the opportunity to we can recognise and develop social care requirements will contribute to developments in the area of digital technology. these as part of our strategic plan. remain high on government The School of Science, agendas, it would be right for The development of our four key Technology and Engineering us to ensure that we capitalise strategies in the early autumn of attempt to narrow the field to on our existing growth and 2018 and the newly introduced Artificial Intelligence (machine strategic planning round for reputation in these areas, learning), data analytic science, Schools and Directorates has developing further in particular future of connectivity networks/ begun to give clarity on where we in new undergraduate health internet of things and cyber want to be in five years’ time in professional courses, in security all under the umbrella relation to our academic portfolio, Postgraduate Taught degrees of SMART. Art, Design and our research and our business and in research. Humanities talks about a digital hub, largely in the context of engagement. We have spent The School of Health Sciences portfolio. The external industry, significant time looking at how we has identified two areas of in particular BT and others at not only remain a comprehensive distinctiveness that it wishes Innovation Martlesham/Adastral university, offering a wide range of to develop, namely ‘Living Park are keen to see us grow courses, but also develop further well into old age’ and ‘Cancer and develop in this area. in some areas where we believe we Survivorship’. already are, could be or should be 3. Crime and Social Justice The School of Science, more distinctive. The School of Law and Social Technology and Engineering Sciences has a number of areas While confirming our areas of already has a Sport Hub and a of the academic portfolio (law, distinctiveness (listed below), we regenerative medicine criminology, prison officer need to be clear what will make an community. We are also training, police training, etc.) area distinctive. In our view these championing as a university that coalesce around crime are: mental health and wellness and social justice. A number n A comprehensive portfolio alongside dementia, both of of colleagues are active of courses including which fit with living well into researchers in these areas. undergraduate, postgraduate old age. In addition, the Suffolk Institute for Social and Economic taught and postgraduate Research undertakes a research significant amount of work in n A comprehensive and joined this area. This is the key area for up approach to relevant the University, where we already external stakeholders (industry, have some research substance, business, public sector, etc.) and if it is to increase we need to support its sustainability. n Research to underpin our academic delivery and to have impact continued on next page page 3 IN FOCUS continued from last page 4. History and Heritage 5. Sustainability 6. Pedagogy/Learning and Teaching Our history provision enjoys The New Anglia LEP sectors excellent ratings nationally. include energy referencing the For the next year or two, our Alongside the development of regional expertise in oil and gas, primary focus needs to be The Hold on our campus, with nuclear and renewables, solar on our portfolio, learning significant funding invested by and micro generation alongside and teaching, quality and the University of Suffolk as well a globally competitive enhancement alongside as other founders, this context renewables support chain and developing our curriculum gives us a unique opportunity support industry. The University to meet our new strategy. to make this an area of of Suffolk has an interest in However, beyond achievements expertise. It is a niche area and sustainability with the launch in this area we need to develop is probably never going to grow of the Suffolk Sustainability our research into pedagogy. to be significantly expansive; Institute. In order to do this, we need however various external bodies to progress discussions with However, the vision of are already investing time with the Centre for Integrated this Institute is on wider University of Suffolk to support Research across Educational sustainability beyond just the our growth in this area. We Spaces (CIRES) and confirm energy sector. We are also have one Professor in the area the relationship between CIRES working with East Coast College already and when heritage is and the Centre of Excellence for with their new Energy Centre.