The events were geared around giving potential students a real experience of what it would be like to live and study in Kingston – plus an opportunity to talk, face to face, with existing students and our lecturers. It also gave parents an insight into what their children would be learning – and what Kingston would be like as a place of study.

“I liked being able to see what the students do practically, meeting the staff and seeing how they teach” a parent commented.

There was plenty to do, see and talk about at the open days and visitors got a real feel for their chosen course at ‘taster’ sessions and interactive workshops arranged by the schools.

Taster sessions included: ‘dispensing drugs with accuracy’ with Pharmacy and Chemistry; ‘diagnosing diseases in hospital laboratories’ with Life Sciences and ‘a Jurassic Aquarium experience’ with Geography and Geology.

Civil Engineering and Construction ran a fun bridge building activity with Lego, whilst prospective Aerospace and Mechanical engineering students toured the amazing facilities at Roehampton Vale which include full size wind tunnels, bikes and a Learjet airplane.

Here’s what some visitors had to say

Potential Life Science student:  Life Sciences offered the most informative of all the taster sessions I’d been to. Had a really good day.

Potential Pharmacy and Chemistry student: It was brilliant, I learnt more about my course, and I couldn’t ask for more, the chemistry practical were amazing and the teachers were excellent!

Potential Civil Engineering student:  ‘Very impressive open day, the taster sessions were fantastic and gave me an insight into what I would be doing, which was extremely helpful. Of all the open days I went to, this was the only one to do taster sessions.’

Get ready for Kingston 2012

If you have received an offer, we look forward to seeing you soon. Our Getting Ready site can provide lots of information to help you get prepared plus you can visit our Ask Us site to talk to current students and find out more about life at Kingston.

Don’t forget, you can also remind yourself about the interesting subjects you’ll cover, the experience of our lecturers and our great facilities by re-visiting your course pages on our website.

Study at Kingston in 2013

If you’re thinking of joining us in 2013, why not come along to our Open Day on the 16 June? You’ll find out more about your chosen course, take a tour, meet our academics and chat with current students. Go to 2013 open-days to find out more and book your place.

Dr Kew talked to the group about the Faculty – and the excellent courses available in the School of Civil Engineering and Construction. The visitors were then taken on a laboratory tour to see our state of the art facilities for themselves.

During the day, the Dutch students enjoyed a fun bridge building exercise and met Kingston’s own Dutch speaking final year BSc Civil Engineering students, Mr Daniel Scavo and Mr Mohamed Dirie.

“Looking back at the study trip, and speaking on behalf of the students, I can say that we feel privileged that you, together with your colleague and students, spent so much effort to receive us at Kingston University. We really felt welcome and enjoyed the presentation, the tour in the labs, the bridge building activity and the personal contact,” Niek Brandsma, academic in-charge of the study trip.

Old London Road

The groups presented recommendations for Old London Road; encompassing the location as well as the cultural dynamics of the area, to include the diverse range of shops and residents. It was considered by the groups that whilst the iconic telephone boxes had become a famous landmark for Kingston-upon-Thames it equally sets design challenges.

The winning group (Martin Hill, Chloe Hunt, Zain Iqbal, Charles Jones, Elena Keen, Julian Muller, Juliana Nunes) made recommendations in maximising on the ‘quirkiness’ of the area; taking into consideration the pedestrian and car user, as well as encouraging people to visit the area in the evening. Proposals to make the area more vibrant included signage, planting, improving low-level lighting, improving pedestrian access, attractive artwork to shield fences, a night market (once a month) to include food vendors and increased green spaces.

Market Place and Market House

The groups were asked to make recommendations to improve the area’s potential by increasing footfall and the visitor experience. Consideration had to be given to appealing to a wider demographic and encourage dwell time during quieter periods of late afternoon and early evening hours.

The winning group (Theodore Aung, Peter Collins, Melanie Cross, Jaime Curry, Laura Heaney, Jack Luffman) addressed the repositioning of the market stalls (opening up lines of sight across the area), maximising the use of space, introduction of further food stalls, a designated cycle lane (and how this could be implemented within a pedestrian area) as well as the aesthetic appeal of the area.  There were further recommendations to have a designated plinth to feature artwork on a rotational basis from students at the University, colleges and schools (similar the project in Trafalgar Square).

The panel of judges Ros Morgan (Town Centre Manager), Paul Riordan (Business Crime Reduction & Interim Operations Manager), Shanta Bhagwandin (Events & Interim Operations Executive) Ian Horgan (Reduce Crime by Design MET Officer), Mark Field (Chair Old London Road Traders Association) commented on the ‘excellent standard of the presentations of the groups with the research that had taken place and ideas proposed’.

Dr Peter Garside commented

“The challenge for the students is to bring together a wide range of theoretical and practical knowledge into a coherent package, together with innovative and original ideas to meet current challenges in our local urban environment. This involves intensive fieldwork within their sites, meeting with stakeholders and users, and critically assessing why their sites might not work for everyone. It is a particularly challenging project as these are age old problems that the professions (planning, police, business, design and management) constantly struggle with and perhaps the key lesson that most of them learn is that it is as much challenge for politics as it is of design.

Kingstonfirst, the MET and Kingston Racial Equality (John Azar) have supported this process for several years, delivering lectures to the students, offering advice on the design process and offering additional contacts. However the students who produce the best solutions (as judged by the panel) seem to appreciate the several hundred pounds worth of John Lewis vouchers that Kingstonfirst offer as a prize!”

Dr Peter Garside

Principal Lecturer GGE

The pair were put through their paces by Kingston sports science expert Dr Chris Easton as part of the gruelling training for a football match which will pit Richie’s old school team against some of Christian’s most ardent fans. Before the players could lace up their boots to take on the challenge, they needed to make sure they were all physically up to the job, so they called on Dr Easton’s expertise to make sure they were match fit.

“At Kingston University’s Human Performance Laboratory we are able to monitor factors in individuals both at rest and during exercise which together can give a good indication of an individual’s overall fitness,” Dr Easton explained. For starters, Dr Easton’s team of technicians and student volunteers began by taking some basic measurements from each player, recording their heights, weight and blood pressure. Next the players moved on to more physical tests, cycling on static bikes in the laboratory at a moderate intensity for six minutes. During this short exercise, a belt fitted around their waists monitored their heart rates, with the readings being recorded at five and six minutes.

“We can get an idea of how the players might perform on the pitch without needing to test them over a long period of time,” Dr Easton explained. “Performing a sub-maximal fitness test such as this on the football players provides an estimation of maximum oxygen uptake without the risks associated with high intensity exercise.”

The idea for Absolute Radio’s football pitch showdown, entitled One Last Game, came about after Richie was tagged in a photograph on Facebook. The picture showed him as an 11 year old with his cup-winning school football team from 1988 and became a talking point on the show, inspiring the presenters to try to reunite the team. “I’ve managed to track down most of the players from the original photograph,” Richie said. “It’s taken a very long time though and people are all over the place now, so I have even had to enlist the help of a private investigator to round them all up.”

Christian, meanwhile, put the call out to his breakfast show listeners asking for some willing opponents to step up to the challenge and take on Richie’s team. In a case of survival of the fittest, all will be revealed when millions of listeners tune in as the teams finally go head-to-head on the pitch. The match will be hosted at The Valley Stadium in south east London, home to Charlton Athletic.

Gearing up for their showdown on the pitch, there was already an air of competitiveness in the Kingston University laboratory as the results came in. “I think I’ve done all right in the fitness test,” Richie said. “Medically, probably not great but, comparatively, I’ve stacked up quite well. I’ve definitely surprised myself.”

Despite Dr Easton and his Kingston colleagues actually rating Richie’s results as poor, the soon-to-be goalkeeper was quick to point out that his performance was by no means the worst. “Only four people in the room were fitter than I am,” he said. “And I’m the one playing in goal.”

In light of Richie’s performance, Christian was keen to stress his confidence in his own team, who have been affectionately dubbed ‘OCFC’ or O’Connell Football Club. “These men may not be the youngest, they may not be the fittest but they are great people and I know they are going to do themselves proud.

“Dr Easton and his team have certainly put the players through their paces,” he added. “It’s great to have had access to such excellent facilities at Kingston University to check our condition out. Hopefully by putting the team through the fitness tests in the lab environment, they’ll realise just how seriously Richie and I are taking this.”

Choosing my course…

“I got into forensics watching documentaries on the discovery channel. Initially, I’d wanted to be a doctor, but changed my mind. Mum suggested I look at studying forensics because TV shows like Forensic Detectives enthralled me – so here I am.

One reason I chose Kingston University was for the location. It’s easy enough to get back home to Stratford (East London) if I want to – but far enough out so that I had to try living away from home. I didn’t want to be out in the countryside, as I like an urban environment.

Kingston also offered the chance to study abroad – an opportunity other universities didn’t provide to everyone – so I’ve taken advantage of that. I spent a year at the University of Windsor, Canada. It was a great experience, although the difference in the education system took some getting use to. Luckily we were close to the border of the US, so we could nip over to Detroit and catch some basketball and hockey games too.”

Forensics at Kingston…

“The lecturers at Kingston are really friendly and helpful. They always find time to speak to you face to face – and email straight back with answers to your questions. What’s more, they’ve actually worked in the field, so they’ve plenty of ‘real world’ stories to share and apply to our studies.

Kingston is a really good place to study forensic courses – and you get to use your skills in real world situations. Recently we had to work on a case and present our findings as expert witnesses in a mock trial at Kingston Crown court. Some law students and one of the lecturers, Sarah Gardner, really put us through our paces. It was tough – but it’s part of the job!

After Graduation I’d like to work in California to experience a different way of life – and of course better weather. There seems to be plenty of opportunities in forensic science out there. I might consider moving on to a masters or PhD in the future, but I think I’d like to work for a while and take a break from study. I’d probably come back to the UK to do any postgraduate study though, as our degrees are highly valued in the US.”

About the competition…

“The brief was to submit a photo that captured the essence and excitement of my course to motivate others to study it. And I had just the shot.

Whilst I was in Canada, we worked on fingerprinting techniques at the Ontario Police College. We put our fingerprints on water bottles, then took them to a fuming cabinet to see our prints materialise. After dipping the bottle in yellow dye, and rinsing in water, I used a UV lens and UV light to take my shot. Of all the photos I’ve taken, I thought this looked both artistic and interesting – and stood a chance in the competition. Imagine my delight when I won.

In July, I get an all expenses paid trip to the HEA Annual Conference (with my Mum) to see a poster-size version of my photo displayed with the other winning entries – and to pick up my prize!”

http://www.engsc.ac.uk/news/stem-student-photography-competition

Professor Naughton said the findings could have significant implications for major sporting events such as the 2012 Olympics. “We’ve spent the past four years researching this and as far as we’re aware it’s the first study that has found food and diet can alter the metabolism of testosterone,” Professor Naughton said. “We looked at how a particular enzyme reacts to various foodstuffs to see if it affects the amount of time certain substances such as cancer drugs stay in the body.” The enzyme in question excretes testosterone through urine and the potential to mask doping occurs when compounds called catechins – present in green and white tea but not in black – inhibit this. This means athletes attempting to enhance their performance illegally with testosterone could potentially mask a boost in the hormone by drinking a certain amount of the tea.

Read more …

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication is considered to be a key enabler of applications and services across a broad range of vertical markets including health-care, logistics, transport and utilities.  A common M2M service layer agreed at the global level would provide a cost-efficient, easy to deploy, platform which could be used across different sectors.

Professor Istepanian, Director of Kingston University’s Centre for Medical Information and Network Technologies, joins members from France, China, Korea and the US to study activities currently undertaken in the field of M2M service layer specifications to identify key requirements for a common M2M service layer.  The group will focus initially on the needs of the health-care market.

Our congratulations to Robert on his appointment to this significant, high profile role, on the international scene.

Following initial fundraising by the Sir Sydney Camm Commemorative Society of Windsor, Sir Sydney’s home town, the new scholarship will be funded and managed by the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers. Each summer the University will select a shortlist of candidates from students studying toward Foundation degrees in the field of Aerospace. The students will be interviewed by a panel from the Coachmakers Company and one scholarship, currently worth £4,000, will be awarded as a contribution towards fees in the ensuing top up year.

SEC Dean Professor Edith Sim said the scholarship was a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved: “It is a great achievement for our School of Aerospace and Aircraft Engineering and the excellent students who participate in the programmes. It builds on Kingston’s historic reputation in aeronautical engineering and is a real opportunity for our students not only to receive an award but to have a forum for meeting the leaders in this important industry for the UK economy.”

Edith said Kingston was chosen to receive the award because of its links with the memory of Sir Sydney Camm and, in particular, because it embraces support for students who may face financial constraints in pursuing their education.

The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers dates from the 17th century, when its role was to license the trade of coach and coach harness making in the City of London. Today, it has strong links with the modern transport equivalents – the automotive and aerospace industries – as well as supporting, where the skills still exist, the more ancient crafts of carriage building and harness making.

Group Captain Marcus Wills, a past Master Coachmaker and a Trustee of the Charity, said: “The Company’s charitable ethos is to provide scholarships and bursaries where individuals have shown the determination, ability and potential to succeed but, without financial assistance, might be unable to do so. In 2011, we chose Kingston to be the recipient of one such award, to contribute to the future of aerospace engineering in the UK and in memory of Sir Sydney Camm, possibly the world’s greatest-ever aircraft designer and who had such close links with Kingston.”

The Sir Sydney Camm Scholarship may be awarded to any UK student that meets the entry requirements for the BSc (Hons) Aircraft Engineering Top Up. Details of this course are available at: http://www.kingston.ac.uk/undergraduate-course/aircraft-engineering-2013/

To apply for the Sir Sydney Camm Scholarship please send a brief C.V. along with a Personal Statement of no more than 500 words explaining how achieving an honours degree would enable you to enhance your contribution to the UK Aerospace/Aviation Industry. Your Personal Statement should also explain how your previous education and experience have prepared you for further study at honours degree level.

Submit your application by email to Nikki Phillips. Please put Sir Sydney Camm Scholarship in the Subject Field. The CV and Personal Statement should be attached to the email as separate word documents. If you are a current or past Kingston University student, please include your student number along with your application.
The deadline for applications is June 8, 2012.

Selected candidates will be interviewed during the first week of July at Kingston University.

CIS hosted its Annual Industrial Lecture on ‘The Challenges in ICT: Debunking the Hype’. The lecture was given by Professor Keith G Jeffery, Director of International Relations, Science & Technology Facilities Council. The event was opened up with an address from Edith Sim, SEC Dean who introduced Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), and highlighted that our research is application based and with a significant enterprise potential.

Professor Vesna Brujic-Okretic, Head of School, CIS introduced Keith Jeffery who followed with his lecture on CLOUD computing and its impact on modern business which generated much lively debate and discussion.

There were 75 attendees from companies such as IBM and CISCO.

The event also hosted a poster competition by CIS PhD students and 24 posters were displayed from their impressive research portfolio. First prize of a one year student membership to BCS (British Computer Society) plus £50 book vouchers was awarded to Maryam Hajiesmaeli, whose supervisor is Professor Tim Ellis, for her Poster on Computer-Aided Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease. Second Prize was awarded to Emilio Almazan with supervisor Prof Graeme Jones, and third prize to Eric Oppong with supervisor Dr Souheil Khaddaj.

SEC is proud to support the Universities Week again this year. Last year we received great press coverage so once again we will showcase to the public our automotive and mechanical technology and equipment. We will be displaying 2 robots, our Lotus car and our champion electric racing motorbike, for which we have received national and global interest.

Kingston’s School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering recently received global media coverage with the development of an eco racing bike, which was entered in the prestigious Isle of Man TT bike race (TT Zero 2011 race). Kingston won the fastest University category and finished third overall in a field of big racing names.

Come and see our demonstrations at the marketplace on Thursday 3 May, from 12noon until 3pm.