stay connected feb 2015
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Your Alumni MagazineTRANSCRIPT
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First quarter, 2015
A business engagementHow Moorgate featured in graduates' dream wedding
London Met connectsLocal community embraces London Met during Connect Week
Stay ConnectedThe latest from your alumni association
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What's inside
3 Nominate an honorary graduate 4 London Met connects 5 Exploring the past at Moorgate 6 Mark Bickerton scholarship
7 Scheme launched for grads
8 Onwards and upwards for graduates
9 Interview with Amanda Rice, BBC Diversity Manager 10 Matilda Ibni in the BBC Writersroom
11 London College of Furniture at 50 12 A business engagement 14 From tragedy to charity for alumna
Connect Week
Internship induction event
Fundraising event at Moorgate
People
News
Features
Contents
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Do you know someone worthy of an honorary degree?
London Met has received lots of nominations for honorary degrees. The awards are conferred upon individuals who have achieved noteworthy success in their fields or have made a valuable contribution to society, in line with the University's mission and values.
Last summer London Met conferred several honorary degrees, including an Honorary Doctor of Letters award to The Kinks' frontman Ray Davies (pictured).
The Kinks, one of the biggest British rock bands of all time, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Davies was also inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 2014. He was awarded a CBE in 2004 for Services to Music.
Previous recipients of London Met honorary degrees include journalist and broadcaster Rageh Omaar, sculptor Antony Gormley (whose works include ‘The Angel of the North’), Gill Hicks (peace campaigner and survivor of the 2005 London bombings), and
Lord Victor Adebowale (CEO of Turning Point and government advisor on mental health, substance misuse, learning disability and the voluntary sector).
It is important to give recognition to people with noticeable achievements because successful stories can provide inspiration and motivation to others. The University believes in awarding those who made a difference as well as in encouraging those who are on their way to doing so. That is why London Met issues honorary awards. Nominees can be from all walks of life, from the business world to the Third Sector, and don't have to be affiliated to London Met. We had a really positive response with lots of nominations being made. Thank you to those of you who took the time to put someone forward for an honorary award.
Nominations for 2016 can be sent to Peter Garrod, University Secretary, at [email protected] from September onwards.
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London Met connects
Over 1,500 visitors attended more than 60 events and activities as part of London Metropolitan University’s Connect Week.
Running from Monday 20 October 2014, the week included 30 talks and presentations and a dozen shows and productions all aimed at engaging with the University’s wider community.
Organised by the University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, each day focused on a particular theme with ties to the Faculty’s courses and research for example on social justice and media and communications. Highlights of the week included a talk by author Adam Hothchild about his new book To End All Wars: The Story of the First World War; workshops on arts, the media and social change; and the book launch of Social Problems in the UK and panel discussion. Engaging the community Alongside the students, staff and alumni, a large number of local businesses and charities were involved throughout the week. Rowan Arts, a
local arts charity based in Islington, led on a number of the activities including the Museum of the Shared Now. The project was part of the Islington Exhibits initiative by London Met graduate Nye Thompson and exhibited life in real time on and around Holloway Road using social media. Local organisations also took part in a volunteering fair as part of the week, including Age UK, YoungMinds and Routes to Success. New venue for Holloway The Boiler House was also launched as part of Connect Week. The new creative venue was home to several exhibitions and live performances including The Man Who Would be King, Dawn State’s tale of greed and adventure, and Centralia, an award winning one-man show by Martin Bonger. The project is at the heart of a new vision that could see the theatre developed into a permanent space accompanied by a new café and gallery aimed at producing a public side to the University.
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Restore the history!
The event turned out to be a real success with an outstanding response. Offering an overview of the University’s history as well as the London Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law, the exhibition was a great opportunity to discover the origins of the building and its historical importance. In 1902 it served as accommodation for the Eastern Telegraph and Allied Companies, later Cable and Wireless, and it was home to the cable network between Great Britain and Japan.
There is an ongoing fundraising campaign to restore the lobby. Thank you to all alumni who attended and for your donations. To make a donation, please visit:www.justgiving.com/GuildhallFoyer
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Fundraising event held at MoorgateIn November the London Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law hosted an exhibition about the history and architecture of its building, in order fundraise for the restoration of its foyer.
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New scholarship awarded in memory of Mark Bickerton
Mark, a popular member of the London Met family, had strong links with Pakistan, a country for which he had much affection. In light of this, the University established the scholarship in his memory to fund a Pakistani student’s education. The scholarship was awarded to Salman Waheed, 26, from Lahore, who started an MA in Product Design last autumn. “When I learned I had been offered the scholarship I just couldn’t believe it. I was really amazed. I was certain they had made a mistake or something,” said Salman. “I think it’s great how London Met picked me as someone they think has potential. It is amazing how they help people fulfil their dreams. To come here and experience all of this is just not possible for everyone in Pakistan.” Salman was on his way to work he found out that he had been elected for the scholarship. “I sort of gave up on the idea of a scholarship, but I applied anyway because I thought that if they really see potential and something they like in my work, they may want to support me.” Salman has settled into International Students House, which provides his one year accommodation. Moving into another culture
is a major transition and can sometimes feel intimidating, but he is determined to make the most out of it. “It was definitely a big step for me and it was also the first time that I had travelled to Europe. And this is also my first personal experience exploring something on my own and it’s obviously the biggest experience of my life.” Homesickness is not something Salman has prepared to spend time pondering about. “I want to put more focus on being here right now. While I am here I want to explore as much as I can and not think about being homesick. I get more out of this experience that way.” London Met is known for the diversity of its students. For many students, that guarantees a group of lifelong friends from all around the world. “What I love about my course is that I am the only person from Pakistan. There is a girl from India who can understand my language, but it is a really multi-cultural group and I love it.” After his MA degree Salman believes he will be more confident and will take many new skills and experiences with him when he returns to Pakistan.
A student from Pakistan has become the first recipient of the Mark Bickerton Scholarship, established in memory of the dedicated International Office director (pictured right) who tragically passed away in 2013.
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New internship scheme launched London Metropolitan University has launched a new internship scheme for recent graduates to help them excel in their chosen careers. Forty carefully chosen graduates have started working in various areas of the University, from the international office to academic faculties. They are all paid the London Living Wage and receive additional training during their nine-month contracts. London Met has invested over £400,000 in the scheme, which aims to give new graduates the best possible start to their careers.
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Boosting employability
“The scheme is very much in line with our belief in supporting student employability,” said the Vice Chancellor, John Raftery, who introduced the idea soon after joining London Met last year. “Our job at London Met is to spot these students with great potential and ability, challenge them and help them grow, both while at the University but also after graduation. This scheme is a perfect way for them to get going in their careers.” Everyone knows that it’s often easier to find a job once you are in another one, so the internship scheme will set the graduates up well when it comes to job hunting at the end of their contract. David Iraola is one of the interns working in the University’s Marketing team. He said: “Having spent three great years at London Met as a student I am now strolling the corridors as a
member of staff, which feels rather exciting. Being selected to be part of the team is absolutely fantastic and will allow me to gain skills and understanding from my mentors and colleagues.” Tereza Knazurova, one of two new PR and Internal Communications interns, thinks that launching the scheme was a brilliant step towards a brighter future for the University and its graduates. “Personally, I am happy to have been given this chance to gain an actual experience in a sector I am interested in. I would encourage all third year students to take this opportunity and apply next year.” Neelam Thapar, Head of Careers and Employability at the University, is delighted that London Met is able to give graduates a hand into the world of work. She said: “This is an excellent way of building and applying the skills you gained at university while also gaining additional training and support to help with future career development. “Graduate interns participate in a stimulating range of development opportunities encompassing communicating effectively, team development, being an employee and career development planning.”
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Over 3,000 guests attended the ceremonies in December to celebrate the achievements of 1,300 new London Met graduates. Graduands from the London Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law officially graduated on Monday 1 December, while those from the Faculty of Life Sciences and Computing, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and The Cass, celebrated the following day. London Met’s Vice Chancellor, Professor John Raftery attended the ceremonies. He said: “The graduates will always be part of the London Met family, and London Met will always be here to support our alumni as well as our students. You should be really proud of your achievements here today.” The ceremony was also attended by the Lord
Mayor of The City of London, Alderman Alan Yarrow. Alderman Yarrow has served as Lord Mayor since 7 November, and the Winter Graduation represents his first ceremonial act with the University. Over 55,000 graduates have passed through London Met into the global jobs market since the University was created by the merger of the University of North London and Guildhall University in 2002.
Onwards and upwardsThousands more London Met students graduate
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London Met graduates, together with their family and friends, gathered once again at the iconic Barbican Centre in December for the 2014 Winter Graduation ceremonies.
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Alumna heads up diversity at the BBC
In this challenging role, Amanda and her team ensure that the BBC is representative of broader society – both on and off screen. But this important job isn’t just a career for Amanda, it’s her passion too. She said: “I think it’s about giving a voice to people who may not have a voice in society. It’s interesting work aimed at reflecting the diversity of society and making sure there’s a plurality of views and voices heard. “It’s also important to make sure people have fair and equal access to employment, as well as from a more service-delivery perspective.” Amanda got involved in equality and diversity through community development work in the '90s, which resulted in her using sport as a vehicle to engage marginalised communities and young people. In fact, that’s what brought Amanda to London Met – although it was the University of North London at the time – to study MA
Leisure and Tourism, with a real focus on equality and diversity. “I focused specifically on modules with an equality and diversity dimension. For example, I remember looking at gender and representation in sport.” The University hosted Connect Week in October to help build closer partnerships between students and staff and local and professional communities. Amanda returned to the University for a panel discussion as part of the pathways for working in the arts and media event. So how did Amanda get her job at the BBC? At first, she was managing a youth and sport community centre, engaging young people with rock climbing, athletics and gymnastics. Later on she became Head of Equality and Diversity at Hackney Council, and “loved the job”. When opportunity came up with the BBC, Amanda felt like it was time to move on from local government and the voluntary sector. “My remit is broad,”
she says. “I’m responsible for working with managers and senior leaders to improve diversity in terms of our work force, but also make sure we are providing representative output amd accurate and authentic portrayals of diversity in all our programmes – TV, radio, news, online.” According to Amanda it’s not all about content, it's also about knowing the individual groups within the audience and the ability to connect with them. She believes that it was her passion and personal conviction for equality that got her where she is today. “If I didn’t have the personal interest, then I probably wouldn’t have the professional interest or the drive to do it. It’s quite an exhausting area of work and it can be quite a lonely area sometimes too.” “There’s been quite a lot of focus recently in the whole broadcast media on minority ethnic portrayal. We’re doing much better than we were but there’s still a long way to go.”
Society is constantly changing and evolving in terms of its diversity and the BBC has a responsibility – as a publicly funded organisation – to reflect this growing diversity.
As the corporation’s Head of Diversity, London Met graduate Amanda Rice is tasked to ensure that it reflects a true picture of contemporary Britain.
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Matilda and her play Muscovado were among ten acts chosen for the scheme. She will receive a commission of £1,000 and a mentor from the BBC, who will help her to develop and practice her playwriting skills during a one year placement. The aim of the scheme is to help the playwrights to become commissionable writers. Matilda has been partnered with Soho theatre as their writer in residence for the year. “The idea behind BBC Writersroom is to develop as a writer for a year, so I have a BBC mentor who I am working with on ideas for scripts,” said Matilda. “I also have the opportunity to attend workshops and master-classes to further my knowledge.” Muscovado – finding beauty in the darkest places Matilda’s play, Muscovado, is set on a sugar plantation in Barbados in the early nineteenth century. It explores the tragedy of knowing freedom but never experiencing it, and draws on the family history of the play’s Director, Clemmie Reynolds. “Clemmie had been shown a box of papers by her great aunt that documented her family’s life in Barbados,” explained Matilda. “I was introduced to Clemmie by my friend and co-producer of the play, Lydia Huhne, and together we began to build on this small bundle of papers. We read books, visited museums,
spoke to historians, gathered a group of actors and a slave trade expert together and developed the first bones of the play.“In spring 2014 we tested the first draft with readings at the Young Vic and at Clapham Omnibus theatre, and performed the first three scenes in the grand Georgian lecture hall at the V&A Museum as part of an event called The Other Georgian Story.” BAFTA scholarship The BBC Writersroom success tops off an exciting year for Matilda, who has also received a Prince William scholarship from BAFTA and Warner Brothers to do an MA in Playwriting and Screenwriting. Matilda said that the tools she got from London Met's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities have helped her “thrive” in the industry. “I really enjoyed my course because it gave me the chance to experiment with different writing mediums and equipped me with creative tools for my career. With the unwavering support from my lecturers and peers I was certain that I wanted to write for theatre, film and TV. “I left London Met with a growing passion for writing and lifelong friends,” Matilda said. Find out more about Creative Writing and English Literature courses at London Met. Visit the www.londonmet.ac.uk/courses.
Alumna Matilda Ibni lands dream place in the BBC WritersroomMatilda Ibini was chosen to take part in the BBC Writersroom programme 2014, which aims to develop new writing talent. The scheme partners promising playwrights with theatres and includes mentoring from industry professionals.
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In focus
The exhibition opened in November with a one-day symposium for alumni and friends of the College to celebrate the milestone. The symposium explored the College’s impact and legacy, as well as broader issues regarding contemporary furniture education. The College is now part of The Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design (The Cass) at London Met, and the University was delighted to hold this fantastic exhibition. Held in the Parker Gallery, Commercial Road, the exhibition was full of interesting pieces of furniture from the last five decades. It also featured ephemera gathered from former students and staff, including photos of students in flares from the 1970s and course material and from the 1950s and 1960s,
showing the full range of the College's rich history. Dr John Cross, Senior Lecturer at The Cass, said: “The objects selected for the exhibition hope to illustrate the courses that used to run at the College. They’re intended to illustrate the range of objects and courses studied as well as the skills of those that made those objects. "The other aspect of the exhibition is to highlight the work of alumni and current design staff.” The exhibition received rave reviews, being featured in national press such as The Telegraph and Design Week. Well done to all involved!
London College of Furniture turns 50
The London College of Furniture hosted a celebratory exhibition as it marks 50 years since it opened its doors.
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Judith and Tunde met when they were both students in what is now the London Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law. During her studies, Judith discovered her passion for finance and writing, and is now a successful financial journalist. But she found much more than just a career choice at London Met. During her course she met Tunde, a computing and banking student, in one of her seminars. “It was love at first sight,” said Judith. “We were given an assignment, and we went to the library after the seminar. We just talked and talked for hours!” The London Met love-birds tied the knot in November, but not before they flew back to Moorgate, where their love story began, to take photos for their wedding. “We thought it would make great memorabilia”, Judith said. “We have so many fond memories of London Met. I mean, this is where it all
started, and we want to be able to show our kids these pictures in the future, and say ‘this is where mum and dad met.” Judith, who works for business titles includ-ing Public Finance and The Actuary, said she has always had a passion for writing, but it was her degree that made financial journalism jump out. “When I was little I used to write poems, but at London Met I learnt research skills and lots about finance. I wanted to put those skills together and I started to think about finance journalism.” During their return to Moorgate, the couple visited the seminar rooms and lecture theatres where their romance started. Thank you to their photographer, Ayokunu Oduniyi (a-o-media.com), with whose permission we share some of the photos with you here. We wish Judith and Tunde the best and all the happiness in their lives together.
Their eyes met across a busy lecture theatre
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Banking and Finance graduate Judith Ugwumadu will always remember her first date with her husband, Tunde Olanisebe – it was in the library at Moorgate!
Pictures: AO Media 12
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“The people just perished,” says Elsa. “A lot of locals and many familiar faces – like fishermen we had met and spent time with – suddenly saw their whole homes and families destroyed. It was horrible.” Many Europeans were desperate to get the first tickets out, but Elsa and her friend decided to stay and help. They supplied emergency kits to families, including clothes, medicine and food for people who had simply lost everything. The experience would have a profound impact on Elsa, and shape her future. After flying home, still shaken about what had happened, Elsa tried to raise money for the stricken region. She soon realised, however, that it was actually more expensive to send something to Sri Lanka than to invest in a project there. “My father, who is an architect, said: ‘You know what, why don’t we just try to do what we know how to do, pro bono,’ and so we did.” Elsa started reporting, researching and organising projects and her father used his architecture know-how to build a new centre in one of the hardest hit areas of Sri Lanka. That’s how her charity, the DATUM foundation was born in 2005, and today it works in nine countries across Asia and Africa. Since the start of the charity, Elsa has been documenting the
development and progress of these projects. She works as a project manager and a trustee, which requires her to travel to the countries regularly. In addition to its starting ground in Sri Lanka, DATUM Foundation has taken over projects in Guinea, Senegal, Cameroon, Malawi, Tanzania, Bangladesh and India. And because that is not enough travelling for Elsa, she also regularly visits her boyfriend’s native Brazil – with her camera and notepad, of course. “As a journalist, I feel it is my duty to show, and maybe educate, people about what is happening in the world. These can be both positive and negative events, but they are immortalised as they are. “While I share only a few seconds with the subject of my photo, I end up partaking in more than that. Often, someone’s life story is expressed in just one photo,” Elsa describes. A keen photographer and a storyteller by nature, Elsa always knew she wanted to be a journalist. She describes how her mum had to go to supermarket weekly to develop her film of photos. Luckily everything is a lot easier these days as Elsa can work on her laptop even from remote, war-torn countries. But it’s not only disaster zones where Elsa gets snap happy.
During the 2011 riots in London, Elsa was reporting in Hackney and spent the evening following the rioters on the streets. “While I knew journalists had been assaulted and photographers had had their cameras smashed on the floor, I decided to take pictures of what I was witnessing: young people smashing cars, setting them ablaze and looting shops.” She was still a student back then, but already in possession of a National Union of Journalists student membership card, so the police let her through their barricades a couple of times, even when they were closing on the rioters to kettle them. "I was already a bit of an adrenaline junkie, so I was quite thrilled about the whole experience. “What motivates me is this adrenaline I always feel when I am shooting. Being in the middle of something is a really powerful emotion, but being one of the rare ones to immortalise that moment is priceless.” Elsa's photographs have featured in various top publications and she has recently joined the International Business Times as a foriegn correspondent. Find out more about Elsa at elsabuchanan.com or on Twitter via @ElsaABuchanan.
A picture paints a thousand wordsElsa Buchanan’s life changed forever on 26 December 2004. While enjoying a Christmas break in Sri Lanka, she was caught up in the devastating tsunami that ripped through south-east Asia on Boxing Day. Over 230,000 people were killed in the catastrophe, but Elsa was among the lucky ones who survived. However, witnessing first-hand the destruction the tsunami brought to the communities around her has left a lasting mark.
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Events
Stick and Stones theatre play This play addresses the issue of emotional abuse and represents a fictional story based on several true abuse cases. The performance will be followed by Q&A session with Liz Kelly, a Professor of sexualised violence at London Met, and Lucia Hall, an experienced psychotherapist, lecturer, trainer, and clinical hypnotherapist.
This free event is recommended for teachers, counsellors, social workers, or anyone who is interested in learning about the impact of emotional abuse, especially from a verbal perspective. The play will be performed on 30 March 2015 at The Rocket from 6pm.
This workshop will help you to gain an understanding of some of the key principles of project management. Competing in teams, you will use project management software to create a project plan for a multi-faceted project. This workshop will test your problem-solving skills and your teamwork and leadership skills. By the end, you will have gained experience of using project management software to construct a project plan. The workshop will help you to understand some of the key principles of project management, e.g. dependencies, critical path analysis and the vital importance of adding contingency into a project plan. You'll learn how to conduct a project review in light of several risks which often materialise during the implementation of a project.
This workshop is being run by Max Alavy, Workshop Co-ordinator, The Global Skills Project: www.lpi-global-skills.org.uk/
Image: VFS Digital Design
Project management workshop
The 4Ps of marketingWe're all marketers, aren't we? We've all marketed ourselves using a CV or applications, we've probably marketed something on eBay or sold a used car. But how do you take marketing and selling to a higher scale? Marketing isn't just creating promotional materials and sending them out. This session takes you through the basics, the building blocks or marketing, and is intended to help you think about how it can be adapted to your business or profession. The seminar will be led by Philip Champan, Director of External Relations at London Met. Wednesday 18 March 2015 from 6.30 - 8.30 at Henry Thomas Room, Tower Building, Holloway Rd
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Visit our alumni events page!
In this workshop you can learn how to start your own business and discover what challenges come along when you stand on your own two feet.
The session will be conducated by our graduate Tobrise Chinosa, a founder of Victor Rose, a successful creative video and photograhpy business.
Tobrise will share his experience as well as handy tips how to thrive in an entrepreneurial environment.
Tobrise Chinosa
London Metropolitan University Alumni Association (Official Group)
/Londonmetalumninetwork
@Londonmetalumni
@Londonmetalumni
@Londonmet
Londonmetalumni
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For information about all our upcoming events, please visit: www.londonmet.ac.uk/alumni/alumni-events
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Be free in business and express yourself
EVENT SOON!18 FEBRUARY
Wednesday 18 February Henry Thomas room, 166-220 Holloway Road at 6.30pm
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Have you considered postgraduate study? A postgraduate degree can give you an edge in the job market, as well as the skills to go further in your career. London Met runs a wide range of postgraduate courses, and operates a discount for London Met graduates. Alumni can receive up to 25% off their postgraduate degree.
Find out more at www.londonmet.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-courses
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