Loughborough UniversitySP

RING

/SUM

MER

201

3

LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY DPS 53701 April 2013 ©

To subscribe free to The View or request extra copies call +44 (0)1509 222224 or email publicrelations@lboro.ac.uk

For more information about Loughborough University visit www.lboro.ac.uk

An electronic version of The View can be downloaded from www.lboro.ac.uk/theview

The View is published by the Public Relations Office, Hazlerigg, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU

T: +44 (0)1509 222224 E: publicrelations@lboro.ac.uk www.lboro.ac.uk/publicrelations

Editor: Judy Wing T: +44 (0)1509 228697 E: J.L.Wing@lboro.ac.uk

Design: Design and Print Services, Loughborough University T: +44 (0)1509 222190 E: designandprint@lboro.ac.uk www.lboro.ac.uk/designandprint

Photography: Andrew Weekes T: +44 (0)7836 566295 and Design and Print Services

cover storyTECHNOLOGY FiT FOR A KiNGIn a unique project working with colleagues at the University of Leicester, Loughborough’s 3D printing experts are breathing new life into the remains of King Richard III, creating a replica of his skeleton.

Loughborough University

A migRATing PRObLEm

THE LOgicAL REASOn FOR STUDying mATHS?

COACHiNG THE cOAcH

THE bEAUTiFUL gAmE?

TECHNOLOGY FiT FOR A King

EvERY DROP iS SAcRED

AN EnTERPRiSing FUTURE

LOuGHbOROuGH UniVERSiTy in LOnDOn

CALL TO EnD cOURT DELAyS WHEn DEALing WiTH AbUSED cHiLDREn

FuNdiNG TO bOOST mAnUFAcTURing cOmPETiTiVEnESS

biG SOciETy AWARD FOR STUDEnTS’ AcTiOn gROUP

CREATiNG PETROL FROm AiR

THE LiVing WAgE

A REVOLUTiOn in FiTnESS

LONdON 2012 HEALTH AnD SAFETy ExPERT JOinS UniVERSiTy

the research & enterprise viewP4-7

P8-9

P10-13

P14-17

P18-21

P22-23

the campus viewP24-27

P28

P29

P29

P30

P30

P31

P31

P31

Printed by newnorth Printers

This product is produced using vegetable based inks, using low VOc (Volatile Organic compounds) printing processes on FSc certified paper and board, assuring that materials are sourced from properly managed forests and that materials have a full chain of custody from source to end user. The company operates iSO 14001 Environmental management System certification, ensuring that all processes have documented procedures in place with regard to all environmental aspects.

no part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission from Loughborough University’s Public Relations Office. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Loughborough University.

P18

NEw DiREcTOR OF SPORT JOinS LOUgHbOROUgH TEAm

MANCHEsTER UniTED cOmE TO cAmPUS

sTudENT SUccESS AT yOUTH OLymPicS

uNivERsiTY HOSTS LAnDmARK FORUm On AnTi-DOPing

the sports viewP32-33

P34

P35

P35

4 the research & enterprise view 5the research & enterprise view

A m i g r At i n g p r o b l e m

Middle-income countries such as Mexico are experiencing a rise in obesity levels among their poorest segments of the population. However, research led by Loughborough University has revealed that this increase in obesity is not due

to a lack of physical activity. Instead the problem lies in a complex combination of intergenerational poverty, oppression and early-life exposure to infection and

undernutrition. Add to this the increased availability of junk food with low

nutritional value but high caloric content, and it is clear to see why obesity is a

growing problem.

A M

aya

cultu

ral m

osai

c pa

inte

d by

Mar

celo

Jim

énez

San

tos

and

phot

ogra

phed

by

Mig

uel C

etin

a

6 the research & enterprise view 7the research & enterprise view

uring the past 10 years, researchers from the University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences have been travelling to the Yucatan, Mexico, where Maya populations live. Most of these Maya are of a low socio-economic status and live in the poorest urban areas of Merida, the capital of the state of Yucatan.

Loughborough’s Dr Ines Varela-Silva, who is leading the research in this area, believes that conclusions made in relation to the Maya people could be applied to migrant populations throughout the world.

“While our research does focus on a very specific indigenous group in Mexico, the conclusion that we draw can be applied to many populations in developing nations,” Dr Varela-Silva explains. “The Maya are the largest living group of Native Americans, with 6-7 million members dispersed across what is now Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize. Their long history of glory and decline is widely documented and one can easily see the associations between living conditions and health outcomes and how these shape the destiny of a group.

“The effects of migration among the Maya are also well documented. This massive amount of evidence can be used as a blueprint of what happens to any human group when poverty, warfare, globalization, displacement and loss of cultural and ethnical identity happen on a massive scale.”

The Maya are not only overweight, they are also very short. This combination of short-and-fat, according to Dr Varela-Silva, is the worst possible biological outcome – and a phenomenon called ‘nutritional dual-burden’.

This coexistence of undernutrition, often resulting in stunting, and overnutrition, which usually results in obesity, happens at the population level – where there is a high percentage of obesity and a high percentage of stunting. It also happens at the family level – where there is an obese mother with a stunted child – and at the individual level – where there are very short people who are obese. Nutritional dual-burden is mostly seen in developing countries but it also appears in developed countries among communities of migrants. This makes it a health issue on a global scale.

Dr Varela-Silva along with colleagues from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences: Professor Barry Bogin, Dr Paula Griffiths, Dr Hannah Wilson, and PhD student Hugo Azcorra, in partnership with Mexican colleagues from the Department of Human Ecology at the Centre for Advanced Studies in Merida, Mexico, have been studying this phenomenon. Part of their research, funded by the Wenner–Gren Foundation, the Graduate School at Loughborough and the Santander Universities, tested the physical activity patterns of 58 Maya children. They found they were highly active and spent an average of 120 minutes per day in moderate to vigorous physical activity.

“It is a common assessment when people see Maya children to think that because many of them are overweight they are therefore sedentary. However, riding bikes and being active is very much part of the daily life of the community,” Dr Varela-Silvas said.

The study – which also involved measuring children for stature, weight, and waist circumference – concluded that complex interactions between body size, body composition, metabolic activity and intergenerational effects appear to elevate the risk for current and later life obesity. While activity levels noted in this study were above average, Dr Varela-Silva and colleagues fear that as the population continues to undergo modernisation and more sedentary activities become attractive – i.e. internet, video games and passive transport – the levels of physical activity decrease, further exacerbating the already rampant increase in non-communicable diseases. The extensive migration of indigenous groups in developing countries to areas where they are being exposed to high calorie diets is also a major concern.

Dr Varela-Silva said more research must be done in these areas.

“While there are some positive trends, such as increases in vaccinations and better access to clean drinking water, we need to work with these vulnerable groups of people and set community-based interventions focusing on healthy eating habits and the maintenance of traditional food staples,” she added.

“On a larger scale, these impoverished populations need better and wider access to health care, job opportunities and education – especially among women and young girls. They also need to be included in community decision-making to make sure their cultural values and ethnic identity can be not only preserved but incorporated in policy and developmental strategies.”

Dr Varela-Silva and her colleagues have launched The Maya Project (www.mayaproject.org.uk). This aims to produce high quality research focused on the living Maya and disseminate the results through art and multimedia outputs. With the collaboration of The Reverend Simon Richardson from Loughborough University’s Centre for Faith and Spirituality, The Maya Project has produced an itinerant science-based multimedia exhibition entitled ‘Sharing Destiny: Science, the Maya and the end of the world’.

The exhibition was originally hosted by Loughborough University and during 2013 will be heading to Merida, Mexico, and Indiantown, Florida.

Feeding the turkeys Children regularly take part in adult domestic activities,

this girl is feeding the turkeys before going to school.

Location: San José Oriente, Yucatan, Mexico Date: 2011 Photographer: Miguel Cetina

Making tortillas

Women and girls make tortillas on the ko ben.

Location: San José Oriente, Yucatan, Mexico Date: 2011 Photographer: Miguel Cetina

Nutrition transition

The switch from traditional diets (high-fibre, low-fat, and low-calorie foods) to globalized diets (low-fibre,

high-fat, high-calorie foods) is happening in the Yucatan. Fast food chains are changing the dietary

patterns of the populations and partially contributing to the increase in the obesity epidemic.

Photographer: Ines Varela-Silva

Height as a measure of social inequalities

Quoting Professor James Tanner: “Reflected in the patterns of growth of human populations are the

material and moral conditions of a society.” The photo compares the stature of a Maya grandmother, her

granddaughter and the researcher Ines Varela-Silva, who is 159 cm tall. The photo contextualises the very

short stature of the Maya.

Location: Colónia San José Tecoh, Merida, Yucatan Date: 2010 Photographer: Barry Bogin

The “coca-colonization” of Yucatan Nutritionally poor beverages are replacing

traditional ones. Even in the most rural areas of the peninsula advertisements invite people to try high-sugar,

high-calorie drinks. These drinks are cheaper than bottled water.

Location: Celestun, Yucatan, Mexico Date: 2007 Photographer: Ines Varela-Silva

“Vendedora” Maya women sit for hours at the Merida market

selling fruits and vegetables so they contribute to the household income.

Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico Date: 2009 Photographer: Maria Luisa Ávila-Escalante

“The effects of migration among the Maya are also well documented. This massive amount of evidence can be used as a blueprint of what happens to any human group when poverty, warfare, globalization, displacement and loss of cultural and ethnical identity happen on a massive scale.”

1

1

2

3

4

5

6

2

3

4

5

6

lato was an early advocate of the theory that studying mathematics helps to develop your general thinking skills. It is a belief supported by many education experts who argue that studying mathematics should be compulsory until the age of 18. But critics claim that it is difficult to transfer reasoning skills from the context in which they were developed – that studying mathematics makes you better at reasoning in mathematics but not reasoning generally.

To add fact to the debate academics from Loughborough University’s Mathematics Education Centre have conducted the first ever direct test of the idea that studying mathematics develops reasoning skills useful both in and outside the classroom.

P

“An instrument called the ‘Evans's Conditional Inference Task’ was used to investigate the participants’ reasoning skills,” says Dr Inglis. “This is basically a series of questions that allows you to infer how people interpret sentences of the form ‘if p then q’. For example from the premises ‘if p then q’ and ‘not-q’, some people believe it is legitimate to draw the conclusion ‘not-p’ and others do not. This test can also be used to investigate a person’s ability to reason logically, independently of prior beliefs, for example, given the premise ‘if oil prices continue to rise, then UK petrol prices will rise’, then most people accept that if petrol prices haven’t risen it means that oil prices didn’t rise.”

The test also features sections on pattern completion, mathematical reasoning and arithmetic.

“This is a complex test,” Dr Inglis adds. “The general population would find this type of reasoning difficult, but it is an excellent way to see if those with a more extensive mathematical education perform differently to those without.”

To investigate whether different mathematics curricula impact upon reasoning skills in different ways, the project team is also conducting a similar study in Cyprus. Here, in contrast to England, all students continue with some form of maths study until they are 18 – either at a ‘low intensity’ level or a ‘high intensity’ level.

In total 400 pupils from the two countries were recruited for the study.

at relatively the same level,” Dr Inglis says. “But half way through their studies there is already a clear difference, with those in the maths group performing differently in the test compared to their non-maths counterparts. These findings are underlined further by the results from the end of A Level study tests.”

The initial findings from Cyprus also reinforce the English results, showing improved performance in the test dependent on the level of maths studied.

So does this mean that Carol Vorderman was right in her recommendation to make Maths compulsory until 18?

“Overall the results do support this position, but there is one key problem with this,” Dr Attridge adds. “Clearly those students who have chosen to study Maths at A Level have an interest in the subject. It is unclear whether you would find a similar improvement in students that have no interest and are forced to study Mathematics until 18 – however that isn’t to say there wouldn’t be some improvement, we just don’t know.”

The team believe more research is needed in this area to draw any concrete conclusions, but hope their findings will help inform the debate around maths education in the UK.

“Being able to incorporate a cross-cultural element to the project was a big advantage to the study,” Dr Nina Attridge, a member of the project research team, explains. “Mathematics students in England and Cyprus have quite different levels of exposure to mathematics post 16, so we were keen to determine whether this, in turn, leads to differences in students’ reasoning skills.”

The data for the English students has now been fully analysed, along with the midterm results for the Cypriot students. The full data from Cyprus will be collated later this year.

“At the start in our English participants the two groups – those studying maths at A Level and those not – do perform in the test

In 2009 the Government commissioned an independent report into maths education. The task force, which was assembled and led by maths TV personality Carol Vorderman, released its findings in 2011. One of the key recommendations of the report was that studying mathematics should be compulsory until the age of 18, partly on the grounds that it fosters logical and rigorous thinking applicable in many areas of day-to-day life.

Many education policymakers back this proposal, but there is little or no scientific evidence to support such claims. In a pioneering study – funded by the Worshipful Company of Actuaries and the Royal Society – the University’s maths education experts have for the first time put the theory championed by Vorderman to the test.

“The idea that studying mathematics develops thinking skills has been around a long time but surprisingly, there has never been a direct empirical test of these ideas,” explains Dr Matthew Inglis, the project leader. “Our study is hoping to contribute to existing policy debates concerning the place of mathematics in the school curriculum.”

For the study groups of mathematics and non-mathematics students from across England were recruited. They were tracked across their sixth form studies on a series of reasoning measures to determine whether the two groups' development in this area diverged.

thelogicalreason forstudyingmaths?

9the research & enterprise view8 the research & enterprise view

10 the research & enterprise view 11the research & enterprise view

c o a c h i n g

t h e c o a c h

DID YOU KNOW THAT 80 PER CENT OF

SPORTS COACHES CANNOT ACCURATELY

DESCRIBE THEIR OWN COACHING

BEHAVIOUR? THEY LITERALLY HAVE NO IDEA

HOW THEY BEHAVE TOWARDS

THEIR ATHLETES.

c o a c h i n g

t h e

c o a c h

DID YO

U KN

OW TH

AT 8

0 PE

R CE

NT OF

SPORT

S CO

ACHE

S CA

NNOT ACC

URAT

ELY

DESCR

IBE T

HEIR

OW

N CO

ACHI

NG

BEHAV

IOUR

? THE

Y LIT

ERAL

LY H

AVE N

O ID

EA

HOW TH

EY B

EHAV

E TOW

ARDS

THEIR

ATHL

ETES

.11the research & enterprise view

13the research & enterprise view12 the research & enterprise view

Dr Cushion, a senior lecturer in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, has designed a coach observation tool. This has been developed into a piece of software for the iPad to support coaching and coach education, with the ultimate aim to help coaches be more aware of how their athletes see them.

“If you get 10 coaches and get them to describe their behaviour, eight of them will get it wrong. They think they are doing something but they are not.”

Like all great ideas, however, it has taken time to get from drawing board to production. Dr Cushion started doing coaching behavioural research in the mid-1990s and came up with the idea of an ‘observation instrument’ in 2003.

Dr Cushion, who came to Loughborough six years ago, said: “It’s only since I’ve been at Loughborough and the advances in technology, i.e. the invention of the iPad, that we have been able to put the two things together. The software has taken two years to develop.”

It was launched at Loughborough, in front of 90 organisations and sports bodies, last November and has attracted a lot of interest. It is already being used by several high-profile organisations, and some Higher Education establishments also have the software on trial, as do Chelsea FC and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.

Dr Cushion said: “The ECB are using it to evaluate coaching behaviour and redesign their Level 2 coaching award. Leicester City are going to use it as part of the coaching education for their Academy. Sports Coach UK are doing a coach mentoring programme with UK Sport (Inspire/Aspire Programme) and they are going to use it with five mentors as a pilot before rolling it out to the whole programme.

“We have also had more than 400 leads from social media from people interested in the software. I am hopeful we will get 50 licences in the first year and after that I hope it will grow.”

Gary Denstone, Coach Development Manager in the ECB’s Community Coach Education Department at Edgbaston, says CAIS is the best coaching analysis software he has come across.

He added: “It’s a really good piece of software and we will look to extend our use of it. The major benefit is that it allows us to observe coaching behaviour and to review any live footage in a systematic way. Then we can sit down

and discuss the coaching behaviour, and what a coach has done in a session, in an objective way. It’s a powerful tool.”

Dr Cushion has been involved in sport all his life. He describes himself as a ‘failed footballer’ having played for Southampton as a teenager before injury forced him to retire. He then went into coaching and has coached at QPR, Fulham and Derby and now helps out with the Loughborough men’s team.

He says there were many ups and downs in developing CAIS but is delighted with the result.

“I’m really pleased. It looks really good, it works and it does everything I wanted it to. I had a vision of what it would look like and it’s pretty much what I wanted.”

If it does take off, the University and Dr Cushion will benefit financially but he said: “I am an academic and my interest is in making a difference in coaching. If it makes some money that’s great. But that’s not the driving force.”

CAis is available from the App Store.

To find out more and for a free trial, visit:

www.axiscoachingtechnology.com

It’s called CAIS (Coach Analysis Intervention System), and was funded by a Loughborough University enterprise grant. The software was developed in partnership with a Belfast firm called Performa Sports.

The tool has already been taken up by the England and Wales Cricket Board, Leicester City’s Academy, UK Sport, and Sports Coach UK, and Dr Cushion hopes to sell 50 licenses this year. Once it becomes well known he expects it to really take off.

Dr Cushion admits he was surprised that eight out of 10 coaches saw themselves differently to their athletes when he first started doing his research in the mid-1990s.

He added: “Now I’m not, because we find it over and over again.

“If you get 10 coaches and get them to describe their behaviour, eight of them will get it wrong. They think they are doing something but they are not. That’s why feedback with the video is so important. We film and analyse it and say, this is what you actually do.

“The athletes are better describers of their coaches’ behaviour than the coaches themselves, and the statistic reverses with 80 per cent of athletes accurately identifying their coach’s behaviour.

“It’s all about self-awareness. Coaches have an impression of what they do and it’s not accurate. Whether that’s good or bad is another question.”

Dr Cushion admits that coaches are often ‘surprised and shocked’ when confronted with the evidence about their behaviour.

He said: “A typical response is, ‘I thought I did less of that, or more of that’.

“In a research paper we published recently, we looked at a range of behaviours but focused on questioning, and all the coaches in the sample said prior to data collection, ‘we are good at questioning, it’s an important part of our coaching philosophy’.

“Yet the percentage of questions they used was low, only about three per cent of their overall behaviour, and they were surprised. But once they were aware of this they then said, ‘we need help, we recognise this is a problem’.

“But if I’d gone in with the analysis and said I wanted to do a development session on questioning, they would have said, ‘but we already do that, we don’t need it’. So using CAIS is really helpful in making them reflect on what they do and raising their self-awareness.”

And with CAIS there is, says Dr Cushion, nowhere to hide.

“Before we had the software and technology, when it was more about data-based feedback, I have had coaches – not many – who have said ‘you can stick your survey, I’m not interested’.

“But now, not only have I got the data I can sync it to the footage of their practice and say, ‘now tell me it’s not true’. There is nowhere to hide. The video gives it reality. If you show a coach a pie chart and a graph he will say ‘yes, so what’. Now you can link the analysis to the video showing examples of them doing different things. It’s incredibly powerful.”

Dr Cushion describes CAIS as a modern version of the old pencil and paper version of coach observation. But whereas you would need to take the tally sheet away and use a calculator to work out the percentages in the old days, CAIS does it automatically.

“All I’ve done is take that pencil and paper idea and put it into 21st century technology, designing a piece of software that does that work in-situ and then connects it all to video footage.”

CAIS allows coaching mentors to set up individualised templates for coaching behaviour, code coaching behaviours live or after an event, edit videos, filter behaviours and put together highlight clips.

It is, says Dr Cushion, a sophisticated tool that ‘provides meaningful and useful feedback in a coach friendly manner, giving you detailed data about specific coaching behaviour during training and competitions’.

15

BEAUBEAUBEAUTIFULTIFULTIFUL

14 the research & enterprise view the research & enterprise view

The

GAME?

L oughborough University’s dr Jamie Cleland remembers clearly the day he decided to delve

into the murky waters of racism in football.

It was October 15, 2011 when Liverpool striker Luis Suarez racially abused Manchester United defender Patrice Evra at Anfield, an incident which led to Suarez being banned for eight games and a feud that rumbled on for nearly a year until the pair finally shook hands.

It also led to Dr Cleland’s hard hitting study called Fans, Racism and British Football in the 21st Century: The existence of a colour blind ideology, which has been published online in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.

In the study he reveals that racism is still rife in football, despite the efforts of campaigners to stamp it out over the last 20 years. Of the 2,500 fans from across the country who took part in his anonymous online poll via the Topfan research platform between November 2011 and February 2012, 83 per cent said that racism had never left football and 50 per cent said they had experienced racism since 2010.

1716 the research & enterprise view the research & enterprise view

BEAUTIFULThe

Dr Cleland, a lecturer in Criminology in the Department of Social Sciences, says players like Evra, and others, have done the game a favour by putting their heads above the parapet.

In an interview for The View he said: “Evra was a whistleblower, he said he wasn’t going to stand for this anymore. In the 18 months since that incident we have seen a plethora of incidents in football, whether it be professional or amateur.

“At the time the presentation was that racism had been eradicated from football, and everyone was thinking, ‘what is going on here?’ So I decided to test the water with these 2,500 fans and find out what level of racism is still present. The results were quite surprising in the way that so many were still witnessing racism.

“I was talking to a group of undergraduates recently and I asked how many had witnessed racism in football in the last five years and half of them put their hands up. All it takes is one or two people to shout a few things out and the pleasantries of going to watch football have been lost, certainly if you are taking young children.

“That was the reason I conducted the study, to see whether (anti-racism organisation) Kick It Out were doing a useful job, and whether these incidents that were being reported on the field were isolated.

He admits he is ‘scathing’ of the authorities and clubs, saying: “No-one has presented this data yet to challenge the authorities. It’s not as if I have just looked at a few particular clubs. I have got data from fans all over the country.

“The article is saying that the governing bodies are not doing anything meaningful to tackle racism.”

He is also critical of individuals, like Blatter and Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor.

He said: “Sepp Blatter said that all racism should end with a handshake at the end of play, which is disgraceful from a black players’ point of view, and he got widely criticised by people like Rio Ferdinand.

“And then there was the case of striker Mark McCammon, who approached the PFA to support him in his case of racial discrimination against Gillingham and he was advised to take the money being offered.

“He ignored this advice and eventually won the case. The PFA apologised and has since come up with a six-point action plan.”

Dr Cleland says that despite the emergence of more and more black players football is still dominated by white men.

“All the people who make the key decisions, through FIFA, UEFA and the clubs are white. The supporters are mainly white, it’s only on the playing side that you see a blurring of race.”

He feels the Football Association now has a big decision to make over Kick It Out, which has a small budget and is funded by the FA, the Premier League, and the Football League.

“The FA is left with a key decision,” he said. “Do they take Kick It Out in-house or make it a fully independent body? Kick It Out is unlikely to criticise the people who fund them.”

Born in Coventry, Dr Cleland is a keen Sky Blues fan. In fact he played for the Coventry City School of Excellence between the age of 11 and 18 before realising he was not going to make it and returned to education.

“As I started to do the research, there were more and more reported incidents of racism. Stan Collymore reported that he was being abused on Twitter, and Micah Richards came off Twitter as a result of the abuse he was receiving. We also had incidents of fans being sent to prison for the abuse they were putting on Twitter and people getting lengthy bans for their behaviour in stadiums.

“That puts the pressure back on the authorities to do something about it. A report came out recently saying that the Government has given football a year to clean up its act. It’s definitely coming to the boil, but how far they will go I don’t know.

“FIFA president Sepp Blatter is now talking about having teams relegated, and deducting points from teams. That’s probably the way it’s going to have to be, but again, how far he will get with that I don’t know.

“Are we going to see Spain or Italy eliminated from a tournament because of the racist abuse of their supporters? It’s doubtful, especially with the amount of money involved in football.”

In the study, Dr Cleland reveals that 76 per cent of the fans polled felt that organisations like FIFA and UEFA were reluctant to challenge racism, while 79 per cent said that Kick It Out had only been partially effective in tackling racial equality. One said it had become nothing more than a PR t-shirt wearing exercise.

The survey also revealed that racism was now more covert than in the past and the use of social media by fans was making it harder to tackle racism.

Fans demanded greater leadership, a zero tolerance approach and properly paid and trained stewards.

Dr Cleland himself pulls no punches and blames the current situation on the existence of a ‘colour blind ideology’ in football due to the authorities’ insistence that racism has been eradicated when clearly it has not.

He says he never experienced racism while a footballer but remembers the dark days of the 1980s well.

“I have got some great memories of my time at Coventry City, but at no time did I ever see racism on the field,” he added. “I did see it when I watched football in the ‘80s, I saw how black players were treated. It was bad enough for me to remember it, I was only 12 years old.

“You have to remember what football was like at the time, it was very violent, tribal and had a white, National Front culture going through it. Football wasn’t pleasant. I had many a scary walk home from Highfield Road. For a young lad it’s quite frightening to be involved in that experience.

“In terms of safety, football has improved massively but we still see incidents of violence and racism.”

Dr Cleland has written several papers on his own as well as with Ellis Cashmore, Professor of Culture, Media and Sport at Staffordshire University, and has a book due out in 2014 on football in a global context.

Racism in football will take up a chapter and Dr Cleland is in no doubt that football needs to tackle the issue head on.

He said: “We are coming to a crossroads in football now to see exactly what is going to be done about racism because it is happening on a regular basis.”

GAME?

“All the people who make the key decisions, through FIFA, UEFA and the clubs are white. The supporters are mainly white, it’s only on the playing side that you see a blurring of race.”

Dr Jamie Cleland

Technology fit for a

King

18 the research & enterprise view 19the research & enterprise view

t is a discovery that has captivated the nation and been dubbed by some as the UK’s most important archaeological find ever. Had the remains of the last King of England to be slain in battle really been found buried under a council car park in the centre of Leicester?

Earlier this year the University of Leicester announced to the world’s media that the skeleton unearthed by its team of archaeologists was that of Richard III, whose final resting place had remained hidden for hundreds of years. In a unique project working with colleagues at Leicester, Loughborough University’s 3D printing experts are creating a replica of the King’s skeleton.

Although he only ruled for two years – from 1483 to 1485 – Richard III stands out among his peers as one of the most famous, or infamous, Kings of England.

On 22 August 1485 he was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, bringing to an end both the Plantagenet dynasty and the Wars of the Roses. His body, stripped and despoiled, was brought to Leicester where he was buried in the church of the Franciscan Friary, known as the Grey Friars. Over time the exact whereabouts of the Grey Friars became lost.

I

21the research & enterprise view

"To see the skull of Richard III emerge from the powder of the laser sintering machine in physical form was a jaw

dropping moment. It was quite clear to see a number of the significant injuries that he had sustained in battle. Recording

these various aspects of the remains, in both electronic and physical form, will be invaluable for future studies."

ollowing extensive research by the University of Leicester, in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society, archaeologists were able to locate the former Grey Friars site and so began the search for the fallen King. Incredibly, the excavation uncovered not only the friary – preserved underneath a council car park – but also a battle-scarred skeleton with spinal curvature.

To ensure as much information about this historic discovery can be preserved for future generations, experts from Loughborough’s School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering were invited to make an electronic reconstruction of the King’s skeleton, and then a physical replica using the latest 3D printing techniques.

Professor Russell Harris, head of the University’s Additive Manufacturing Research Group, is leading Loughborough’s involvement in the project. “Working with the University of Leicester on this unique endeavour has been incredible,” he said. “As soon as we were approached about being involved we knew it was an opportunity not to be missed – this find has literally rewritten the history books.”

Professor Harris is a world leader in the use of Additive Manufacturing – also known as 3D printing – for medical applications. The process allows physical objects to be built directly from 3D computer-aided-design (CAD) data without the need for tooling and with minimal human intervention. Professor Harris has investigated many medical uses of the technologies, including creating complex skeletal models for use as training aids by the country’s leading NHS surgeons.

20 the research & enterprise view

“Clearly this assignment was a little different to what we normally do,” Professor Harris explains. “It was the first time we had worked with a skeleton of such an age, but we were confident we could replicate it using our latest cutting-edge machinery.”

To begin the process the team were sent CT scans of the actual remains taken by the Leicester Royal Infirmary, where they were transformed into a 3D computer model. Laser sintering was then used to create a physical replica of the King’s skull. This technique uses a high power laser to fuse small particles of materials, in this case plastic, into a mass that has a three-dimensional shape.

“Generating the first 3D computer models was a very exciting process,” Professor Russell Harris added. “To see the skull of Richard III emerge from the powder of the laser sintering machine in physical form was a jaw dropping moment. It was quite clear to see a number of the significant injuries that he had sustained in battle. Recording these various aspects of the remains, in both electronic and physical form, will be invaluable for future studies.”

Richard Buckley, from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, led the search for the King’s remains. He has praised the work of Professor Harris and his team, naming Loughborough as an ‘exemplary partner in this project’. He added: “We were indeed fortunate that our neighbours at Loughborough University had an established Additive Manufacturing Research Group with an international reputation for expertise in 3D printing.

“This process has not only assisted us in our scientific investigation, but has also provided a resource for future generations of researchers to examine long after the King’s remains have been reinterred. Most importantly, this remarkable process has captured the imagination of the general public who continue to be fascinated by this representation of a past King and levels of engagement and interest in the whole project have soared.

“I believe that this is a great example of the benefits which accrue when different disciplines pull together and apply their specialist skills to a shared project. Loughborough University’s long history of collaboration with other academic institutions and industry made them an exemplary partner in this project. Their technical contribution was invaluable and their willingness to support the wider team in promoting public awareness of the find was hugely beneficial. This project has been unique in the impact it has had on the public’s engagement with history, archaeology and science.”

The replica skull is now on display as part of Leicester City Council’s exhibition – ‘Richard III: Leicester's Search for a King’ – at the Guildhall. Record numbers of visitors have already been to the exhibition, and queues continue to form daily.

Laura Hadland, Senior Curator for the Leicester Arts and Museums Service, said: “The model has really enhanced our visitor’s experience in the exhibition. Having a 3D physical model to examine at close quarters has helped people to understand the size, shape and scale of the weapons trauma Richard III suffered. It is a real aid to understanding how the King’s remains were identified and complements our giant interactive touchscreen which details Richard’s key pathologies.”

Professor Harris and his team are now working on replicating the rest of the King’s remains. The full skeleton will form another focal point of the permanent visitor centre that the Council is planning to open in Leicester, incorporating the site where Richard III was found. This is due to be completed in 2014.

“Working with all those involved in this incredible discovery has been a privilege,” Professor Harris said. “I am delighted that our expertise has been able to help create a lasting legacy to Richard III.”

22 the research & enterprise view 23the research & enterprise view

Professor of Hydroclimatic Modelling, Robert Wilby, has been researching water and climate for 25 years. Despite huge challenges, such as predictions that by 2025 1,800 million people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity and that water usage has been increasing at twice the rate of population growth in the past century, he remains positive that the world can adapt.

“The future of the world’s water supply depends on many factors, but the most important in my opinion is a factor that we have total control over – our attitudes and behaviours,” he explains.

Not only should consumers think about how much water is embedded in their everyday products, but also, according to Professor Wilby, where this water originates from. A report by the Royal Academy of Engineering, published in 2010, showed that despite abundant rain in the UK, two-thirds of all the water that the population uses is embedded in imported goods. To put this into perspective, the UK lies above Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in terms of water import dependency.

Not only is the level of reliance on water imports an issue, the regions from which the imports are coming from, many of which are developing nations, is also concerning according to Professor Wilby. Some of these countries have been depleting their freshwater stocks to grow agricultural produce for export. Others like Thailand (a major rice exporter to the UK) are vulnerable to extreme weather events.

During the past five years, Professor Wilby has been researching climate and water issues in Yemen. Some believe that this nation could be the first to run out of water. In a research paper about the uncertainties of future climates in semi-arid regions, Professor Wilby noted that not only do recent estimates suggest Yemen’s annual water overdraft is 40% greater than the sustainable resource, but that rising demand and reduced water supply under climate change, combined with increased frequency of hydrological extremes, are expected to multiply present risks to livelihoods and biodiversity across the region.

Over coming months, Professor Wilby and a colleague, Lecturer in Physical Geography, Dr Dapeng Yu, will be undertaking a climate hazard analysis for Yemen on behalf of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Nationally, Professor Wilby is part of the ARCC-Water project which brings together a multi-disciplinary team of environmental scientists, social scientists and engineers working to develop new methods and tools to build more adaptive and resilient water supply systems, and a more comprehensive understanding of household water use. The project aims to design robust water supply systems at both a regional and local scale.

Working with Professor Wilby is PhD student Jo Parker. Her research, using Anglian Water data from households in East England, is exploring how weather affects the long-term water demands from every day household items such as showers, toilets and kitchen sinks.

Ms Parker said this research will help test the robustness of Anglian Water Services’ strategic water planning and inform wider debates about how to balance water supply and demand.

In a report published by the Adaptation Sub-Committee earlier this year, it was concluded that ‘managing demand for water is about both reducing unnecessary consumption and making consumption more responsive to changes in supply’. Further, Professor Wilby suggests that UK water security cannot be achieved by increasing the supply because we are already close to using 100 per cent of renewable resources.

“Technology can only do so much; people need to start thinking twice about our water use – especially when it comes to how much ‘embedded water’ is in our everyday products and where this embedded water is coming from,” he said.

H20

It takes 10 litres of water to make every sheet of A4 paper and 75 litres for every pint of beer. In light of such facts, it’s easy to see how the average daily water consumption per person in England is nearly 5,000 litres. Only 150 litres of this total is used for household activities in the bathroom, kitchen and garden; the rest is hidden from view in the things we consume: food, clothing, electrical appliances, and fuel. Maintaining this daily supply for a growing UK population, especially in the face of climate change, is a challenging task – but one that researchers at Loughborough University’s Department of Geography are trying to understand.

EvERY drop is sAcrEd “Technology can only do so much; people need to start thinking twice about our water use – especially when it comes to how much ‘embedded water’ is in our everyday products and where this embedded water is coming from.”

24 the research & enterprise view 25the research & enterprise view

A S ocieties all around the world

understand the social, cultural and economic impact that

effective Higher Education can create. The visionary civic leaders of 19th century Britain realised this and founded universities to feed the growing economies of the industrial revolution. Now in cash-strapped 21st century Britain (and elsewhere), the role of universities in delivering national prosperity is back in focus.

Loughborough University has always been committed to ‘making a difference’. A recent independent report calculated the University’s specific economic impact as £823 million and 12,000 jobs. But the business benefit the University brings to research and professional development partners, to graduate recruiters and to start-up enterprises is not even included in the calculation. Exciting plans announced recently to expand the Science and Enterprise Park on campus will see the University’s influence in all these respects advance yet further. The View caught up with Professor Steve Rothberg, Pro Vice Chancellor for Enterprise, to find out more.

n EnTErprIsIng FUTUrE

26 the research & enterprise view 27the research & enterprise view

“We had plans to take forward the next phase of SEP a few years ago but put these on hold due to the economic climate,” Professor Rothberg explains. “We have now had chance to re-evaluate and decide on the best way forward. What we are looking at is an incremental development of the site. Rather than building speculatively, we are minimising our risk with buildings we know we can let.”

One of the first projects is a new Innovation Centre to house advanced technology start-ups. The building proposed is twice the size of the existing Innovation Centre and will be designed to facilitate the formation of the all-important supportive community.

“A building like an Innovation Centre is a vital component for any Science Park. To a property developer, these start-up businesses are too vulnerable to be a good commercial bet but our motivations are different. Some of these businesses will fail but others will thrive. I hope they will want to stay on SEP and that we will be able to meet their development needs with space elsewhere on the Park,” Professor Rothberg adds.

That the second building planned for the site will provide expansion space for existing partners on SEP appears to be firm evidence of this very point.

Finance is naturally critical to the success of these first projects and to the scheme overall. The University’s strategy includes pursuit of appropriate financial support from sources such as the European Regional Development Fund. Significantly, the projects already have the support of Charnwood Borough Council, Leicestershire County Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership who see SEP as potentially transformative for the town and the region. SEP features as one of four key projects in the regional Councils’ recently confirmed City Deal, part of the Government’s flagship programme to put local governments in control of their own economic development projects, and the Borough and

Situated at the west end of campus, Loughborough’s Science and Enterprise Park (SEP) is already home to 1,500 staff in over 40 campus partner organisations. Planning permission is now in place for expansion onto 8 hectares of adjacent land to provide up to 36,000m² of new floor space and discussions are at an advanced stage for the first two buildings on this plot.

a vast pool of graduate talent, complemented by high quality sports and conferencing facilities and endless professional development opportunities, all on SEP’s doorstep.”

Successful businesses already based on SEP include Intelligent Energy, a former University ‘spin-out’ company, now valued at $0.5 billion and with a workforce of 300 worldwide, including 225 on the SEP.

“Intelligent Energy is a perfect example of the economic impact universities can have, not only locally and regionally but also internationally,” Professor Rothberg continues. “The company was nurtured on campus in the safe environment of the University’s Innovation Centre before relocating to its present home on the Science and Enterprise Park. Now it has a global reputation of its own and is a clear indication of what can be achieved.”

The most recent addition to the SEP is SportPark which was opened in 2010. It is home to a range of sporting governing bodies, employing around 600 people.

Developing the SEP to a stage where it is ready to expand has taken a great deal of hard work.

“Acquiring the former British Gas site in 2003 was a fortuitous event for the University’s ambitions to develop a science park on campus but it has taken a great deal of hard work and dedication to get to the position we are in today,” Professor Rothberg explains. “When we acquired the site we had an anchor tenant, but we were also left with considerable spare space to fill. We have done this through establishing a major conference activity, creating several substantial and specialist laboratory facilities and attracting new commercial tenants.”

The development of the SEP is a natural step for a University whose reputation for links with business and industry can be traced back to the vision of Herbert Schofield, Principal of the Loughborough Colleges from 1915-1950. Leap forward to the present day and Schofield’s influence is not hard to find.

“Our long-standing sandwich degree programmes have meant our students have spent significant time in business or industry during their studies,” he continues. “We have established strong relationships with some of these companies and research collaborations have blossomed over the last 20 years.”

Now the University’s research is creating new businesses and supporting existing businesses small and large, near and far. All of which brings the story full circle.

so where will it end?

“It’s all about the businesses. I hope to see thriving new enterprises alongside established global companies,” Professor Rothberg concludes. “It is a 21st century knowledge economy interpretation of Schofield’s revered ‘instructional factory’ - a unique innovation community, integrating academic and business worlds on a grand scale.”

Now that is a prospect to relish with some enthusiasm.

“Our site offers an outstanding environment with excellent transport links and proximity to major businesses across the Midlands.”

Potential for further development

Outline planningpermissiongranted for

development

M1Junction 23

Existing site

University campus

Holywell Park Conference Centre

Illustrations are approximate

County Councils have now committed £2 million in support.

“Securing the City Deal is excellent news for the region. SEP has featured in regional strategies for some time but the financial commitment now in place from our local partners is a huge boost and we are exceptionally grateful for it,” Professor Rothberg continues. “As well as developing the two specific projects, we are also working with Charnwood Borough Council to have a further 22 hectares, on the same site and also in our ownership, allocated as employment land in the forthcoming Local Plan.”

It is anticipated that the whole project will be developed over the next 15 to 25 years so it is difficult to predict precisely the final shape of SEP. Estimates suggest, however, that there is the potential to reach close to 200,000m² of floor space, levering over £200 million of private investment into the Leicestershire economy and creating 4,000 new jobs. Whatever the figures, there is no doubt that SEP will secure Loughborough’s future as a centre for high tech industry.

“The Funding Council wants universities to act as anchors in their regional economies and our SEP proposition is a powerful response to that challenge,” Professor Rothberg says. “Our site offers an outstanding environment with excellent transport links and proximity to major businesses across the Midlands. The campus location facilitates engagement with the staff of a world-class research-intensive university and

Professor Steve Rothberg, Pro Vice Chancellor for Enterprise

29the research & enterprise view

Loughborough is one of six universities in the UK to receive research funding for projects that will help improve manufacturing competitiveness in the UK by using the latest ICT developments.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has awarded £12 million to the projects. The funding is part of a £45 million package of investments in manufacturing research.

The Loughborough project – Adaptive Informatics for Intelligent Manufacturing – is being led by Professor Andrew West from the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and has been awarded £1.9 million.

A multi-disciplinary team from the University and practitioners from industry will form a research cluster with the aim to improve global competitiveness in the supply chains of the defence, automotive and aerospace industries.

The research will support manufacturing practices and infrastructures by developing a range of intelligent software services that can be used

throughout the lifecycle of the product or process on demand. It will bridge the information gaps associated with inefficient supply chain integration and a lack of knowledge on operational usage throughout product and process lifecycles.

The project aims to deliver an ICT solution for companies which captures and analyses a larger range of data, faster, at lower cost and manage it better than ever before. This will improve a company’s efficiencies, increase market share and develop new products, processes and services. It will enable supply chains to remove defects generated throughout manufacturing, share lifecycle knowledge of product and processes, optimise strategy and understand the impact of legislation, technologies and the impact of adopting new designs and business models.

Academics from Loughborough’s Department of Chemical Engineering are also part of the research team for the ‘Intelligent Decision Support and Control Technologies for Continuous Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals’ project. This has been awarded £2.5 million and is being led by Professor Andonovic from the University of Strathclyde.

The team of chemical, electrical engineers and IT specialists will create IT tools based on advanced software using sensors, lasers and ultrasound. The IT system (Intelligent Decision Support) will collate real time data during the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. It will be able to measure changes in a chemicals particle shape, form and size at a 100 micron level, as well as monitor and finely control the production processes. This will result in the production line being operated continuously, instead of in batches, as at present.

The project will cut current manufacturing times in the industry, reduce energy and operating costs, produce better quality products and increase flexibility.

L oughborough University is to establish an academic campus, offering postgraduate

and executive education, at iCITY on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

The development will open in 2015 and complement and expand Loughborough’s existing academic provision, enabling the University to further its world-leading research and innovation activities.

Teaching and research disciplines confirmed to date include business and management, media and communications, digital technologies and sport. A number of other subject areas are also under consideration.

Loughborough University in London will attract students from both the UK and overseas who want a London-based education, coupled with Loughborough’s strengths in delivering research and enterprise informed teaching and an excellent wider student experience.

Professor Robert Allison, Vice Chancellor of Loughborough University, said: “This is an outstanding opportunity for Loughborough to diversify and expand the high quality education it offers to both postgraduate students and those looking to advance their professional development.

“It will also provide the University with opportunities to further enhance its pioneering research and innovation that help to drive social change and boost prosperity. Loughborough prides itself in doing research that matters and makes a difference. Our new site in London will underpin this important aspect of the University’s endeavour, in parallel with new taught programmes.”

Ellie Read, President of Loughborough Students’ Union, said: “This is a fantastic development for the University. Loughborough already offers the best student experience in the country, which helps to prepare the University’s graduates for their future lives and careers. It is very exciting that Loughborough students on both campuses will be able to benefit from the increased opportunities that a site in London will provide.”

Loughborough University in London will be housed in 7,000m2 of what was formally the Broadcast Centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It is part of the wider iCITY development, which will transform the former Press and Broadcast Centres on the Park into a world-class centre of innovation, education and enterprise, supporting the UK’s flourishing creative and digital industries.

Gavin Poole, Chief Executive of iCITY, said: “We are thrilled that Loughborough University has today confirmed they will establish an academic campus at iCITY. The University has an incredibly impressive track record of pioneering research and innovation. Loughborough’s decision to come to iCITY is an exciting development in delivering our vision of creating a world-leading digital hub where higher education, start-ups and established companies will be working side by side. We very much look forward to welcoming Loughborough University to iCITY.”

Loughborough has a long history of working in partnership with business to drive forward research and innovation for the benefit of society and the economy. A site in London will enable the University to connect with a wider range of organisations and to further the impact of its research and enterprise activity, helping to make a real difference to people’s lives, both within East London and beyond.

Loughborough University in London will align closely with the Government’s Tech City initiative, which is set to become a focus for high-tech growth and innovation in East London and is currently home to thousands of businesses in the creative, new media and digital industries. Being close to businesses such as these will open up opportunities for the University to collaborate with some of the country’s leaders in these fields.

Work to redevelop the space to be occupied by Loughborough University in London is anticipated to begin later this year. Multi-million pound funding to boost

manufacturing competitiveness

Loughborough university to open campus at iCiTY on London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

28 the research & enterprise view

F amily justice system professionals should aim to reduce the delays in court proceedings when dealing with

abused and neglected children, according to a study by Loughborough academics.

Professor Harriet Ward CBE and Rebecca Brown say it can take nearly two years for children’s services and the courts to decide whether a child should be taken into care or placed for adoption.

And that, according to Dr Ward, is too long when the first two years of life are crucial to a child’s development.

Dr Ward, Professor of Child and Family Research and Director of the Centre for Child and Family Research at Loughborough, said: “It takes on average 14 months for a definitive decision to be made.

“If you identify a six month old child who is being abused, they may be 20 months old before anyone decides that this child is going to be permanently separated, or is going to stay with their birth parents.

“It takes another six months for that decision to be implemented. That means the child will be more than two years old before they reach their permanent home, and indeed older if it’s an adopted home, another five months.”

The evidence for more timely action is set out in a paper called ‘Decision-making within a child’s timeframe – An overview of current research evidence for family justice professionals concerning child development and the impact of maltreatment’, which was published in November 2012.

Funded by the Department for Education, the study will be used to help train family justice professionals – judges, magistrates and local authority solicitors – to make informed decisions about a child’s future.

Dr Ward said the first two years of a child’s life are so important in its development that leaving it with abusive parents for all that time can be damaging in the long term.

“The key issue is the timeframe,” she added. “Abuse and neglect has a major negative impact on childhood development from the time a child is conceived almost.

“And the timeframe for the courts are just completely out of kilter with all of that. This is a very strong argument for the courts to not skimp on judgements but to be aware that they need to act within a child’s timeframe, which has not been the case up until now.”

study urges courts to speed up cases involving abused children

“This is an outstanding opportunity for Loughborough

to diversify and expand the high quality education it offers to

both postgraduate students and those looking to advance their

professional development.

imag

e: L

OC

OG

31the research & enterprise view

Research spearheaded by Loughborough will revolutionise the way people exercise

to get fit and result in a fitter, healthier nation, according to the academic leading it.

Professor Jamie Timmons says three 20 second bursts of High Intensity Training (HIT) a week will not only get people as fit as hours of road running or sweating buckets in a gym, it will also help them lose pounds of unwanted fat.

And all employers have to do to help their workers get fitter and healthier is install special bikes for them to do their one minute work-out during the working day.

Short duration high intensity cycling, says Professor Timmons, is the best form of exercise because it allows the activation of more muscle groups than most others.

Professor Timmons, Chair of Systems Biology from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, said: “We need a new way to think about exercise. You can do 3x20 seconds on

University researchers were behind the increase to the Living Wage, announced in November by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and London’s Mayor Boris Johnson.

The Living Wage has been increased by 25 pence to £7.45 per hour following research conducted by Loughborough’s Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP).

Unlike the Minimum Wage (£6.19), which is enforced by law, the Living Wage is voluntary but it has the backing of Boris Johnson and has been adopted by the Scottish Government and most large English cities, not least Birmingham. Nearly 100 companies are now accredited payers of the Living Wage.

CRSP say people need to earn £7.45 an hour to be able to pay for food, heating and clothes, as well as to participate in a minimum level of social activity.

They arrived at the figure after research with many focus groups, each consisting of about eight people, who reached a consensus about what they needed for an acceptable living standard.

Donald Hirsch, director of CRSP, whose work on the minimum income standard is funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “The important thing is that there is a general sense that the minimum wage is not enough and people cannot get an acceptable living standard on it.

“The work we have done in our centre provides solid evidence for that. Our research is based not on what experts think people need but on what members of the public tell us in great detail what a family needs to make ends meet. And that doesn’t mean just survival but what you need to participate in society.

“The problem is that even though wages are not going up generally, costs are going up, often faster than inflation. Things like food prices have gone up quite a lot in recent years, child care has gone up, social rents have gone up a lot. And at the same time some of the tax credits have been cut back which means you need to earn more than before to get to the same net income.

“The important thing about the Living Wage is that it gives you a benchmark which is showing how living costs are changing and what you need to do to keep up with those changes, rather than wages just being based on negotiations between employer and employee.”

A Visiting Professor at Loughborough has hit the media spotlight after his company produced the first ‘petrol from air’.

Using innovative new processes and largely well-known principles, Air Fuel Synthesis has produced several litres of petrol since August at a demonstration refinery which manufactures the fuel from carbon dioxide and water.

The technology, that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to create petrol which is cleaner than that produced from fossil oil, could help reduce global warming.

Within two years the firm is hoping to build a larger plant able to produce a tonne of petrol a day. Using concentrated point-sources of CO2, rather than the more expensive air-capture process, will enable this plant to be commercially viable.

Tony Marmont, a Visiting Professor at the University’s Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST), invested more than half a million pounds to set up the company, which is based in Stockton-On-Tees. Dr John Barton from CREST is also involved in the business, along with several other investors.

Speaking about the breakthrough Professor Marmont said: “Since Air Fuel Synthesis demonstrated its achievements at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers conference in London earlier this month, we have received a huge amount of national and international interest. This gives us considerable confidence in our very practical and commercially focused approach.”

CREST was established in 1993 with funding from Professor Marmont. Part of the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, the primary activity of the centre is to undertake research and education in renewable energy technology to provide energy options for present and future generations. Today, CREST is firmly established as one of the leading international groups working in the field of renewable energy.

a special bike in your suit at work. So the key is getting your employer to put in the bikes. No showers or gyms are needed, but training guidance is.

“Losing fat – not weight as you can gain muscle and lose fat and stay the same weight – with this regime is possible, and our new trial will prove this in a large group. At Loughborough, Dr James King and Professor Myra Nimmo will study what HIT does to the adipose tissue and also what it does to the appetite.”

HIT involves three 20 second bursts of high intensity exercise, with a short rest between each one, three times a week. The researchers are not sure why it works so well, yet they know it does. And it sounds perfect for couch-potato Britain where 60 per cent of men and 70 per cent of women admit they do not follow the NHS guidelines, which recommend 150 minutes of brisk exercise a week, due to a lack of time.

Academic hails revolutionary fitness regime

Loughborough academics set new Living wage rate

Professor creates ‘petrol from air’

30 the research & enterprise view

The head of occupational health and safety for the construction of the London 2012 Olympic Park has been appointed a visiting professor at Loughborough.

Lawrence Waterman OBE has joined the University’s School of Civil and Building Engineering, a world-leading centre for research.

Mr Waterman has been praised for his role in the London 2012 programme, which focused on the Olympic Park. There were no fatalities during the construction project and an accident frequency rate much lower than the industry average, the equivalent to working in an office environment.

Whilst at the University he will deliver specialised lectures, research seminars, provide advice to the school’s student community and help steer research initiatives with a health and safety focus.

Professor Tony Thorpe, Dean of the School of Civil and Building Engineering, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lawrence to Loughborough. His contribution will be invaluable and we are all enjoying working with him and learning from his extensive experience delivering world-leading occupational health and safety on major construction projects.”

Mr Waterman added: “Our work in constructing for London 2012 was all predicated on leaving a lasting legacy. I cannot think of a better way to embed the health and safety lessons we learned than by joining the world-class team at the School of Civil and Building Engineering.

“I'm very excited by the opportunities this gives me to contribute to teaching, research and the development of the next generation of industry leaders.”

London 2012 health and safety expert joins university

Loughborough Students’ Action Group was founded in 1997

“I'm very excited by the opportunities this gives me to contribute to teaching, research and the development of the next generation of industry leaders.”

Lawrence Waterman OBE

L oughborough Students’ Union has won a Prime Minister’s Big Society Award in recognition of its volunteering work.

The Big Society Awards were set up by the Prime Minister in November 2010. The aim is to acknowledge individuals and organisations across the UK that demonstrates the Big Society in their work or activities. The Union’s Action Group has been honoured for harnessing the volunteering power of students to help community groups across Loughborough.

Commenting on the award Prime Minister David Cameron said: “We have seen through the National Citizen Service that once someone has tried volunteering they are likely to carry on giving their time. That’s why the work Loughborough Students’ Action Group does in helping a whole generation of local students make their first steps in volunteering is so important. Their commitment to involving the whole student community, including international students, with the local community is fantastic.

“By making volunteering the norm in their community, Action has given thousands of hours of time to making a difference to local people and this

Big Society Award recognises that. I hope they continue to inspire even more people to get involved.”

The Action Group has been operating since 1997 and offers students volunteering opportunities ranging from one-off mass events like litter picking or making over a community centre, to regular sessions like a weekly soup kitchen or delivering reading support in schools. During 2011-12 the group

n had 2,300 volunteers n contributed 19,000 hours of time volunteering worth £120,000 n Raised over £70,000 to fund projects n Ran 36 regular projects and 150 one-off projects

Billy Marsh, Chair of Action said: “Winning this Big Society Award is indescribable – it’s something I’ve always believed in and I believe that Action embodies. There are a hundred and one reasons why people volunteer but at the end of the day, we like to think that our volunteers do it because they genuinely care.”

Prime Minister’s big society Award for students' Action Group

32 the research & enterprise view 33

Peter Keen CBE, who played a pivotal role in the country’s medal success at the London 2012 Games, has joined the University as its new Director of Sport.

During his time at UK Sport Peter is credited as being responsible for developing and implementing ‘Mission 2012’ a strategic performance management system and reporting process for all Olympic and Paralympic elite sports.

This process not only underpinned the success achieved by Team GB and Paralympics GB at the 2012 Games, it is also considered to be the benchmark for evaluating public funding for elite sport.

As well as having a background in performance sport, Peter initially worked in the university sector as a senior lecturer in exercise physiology at University College Chichester and the University of Brighton.

While at Chichester, Peter also took on the role of the National Coach for British Cycling. Not only did he support cyclists to win Olympic and world titles but was also personally recognised, receiving awards for excellence and a lifetime contribution to coaching.

This success led to Peter being appointed the Performance Director for British Cycling from 1997 to 2003, where he laid the foundations for the sport’s recent achievements by establishing the most successful elite sport programme in the UK.

In 2004 following a year at Glaxo SmithKline to head up the Lucozade Sport Science Academy, Peter spent eight years at UK Sport, initially as Head of Performance, and then in the build-up to the London 2012 Games, as Performance Director.

Speaking of his appointment Peter Keen said: “To me, like so many people in British sport, Loughborough University represents something of a spiritual home. Time and again over the last 30 years my career path has taken me there to learn and grow – as a scientist, coach, manager and leader.

“The extraordinary range of sport-related activity that takes place on its single campus, covering every perspective from the playground to the podium, via industry and medicine makes it a truly unique environment in which to explore every facet of sporting culture.

“I know Loughborough University has the potential to become even more widely recognised internationally as the benchmark University for the study, practice and development of sport, and I am thrilled to be offered the opportunity of helping that vision become a reality.”

Vice Chancellor Professor Robert Allison, said: “We are delighted by this outstanding appointment, which is an indicator of the international reputation that we have for sport at Loughborough. Peter has an enviable reputation and I am confident that he will take sport at the University to the next level across all aspects of our activity.”

32 the sports view 33the sports view

NeW Director of sport JoiNs Loughborough team

“To me, like so many people in British sport,

Loughborough University represents something of

a spiritual home. Time and again over the last

30 years my career path has taken me there to learn

and grow – as a scientist, coach, manager and leader.

34 the research & enterprise view 35the research & enterprise view

oughborough Students Football played host to the Manchester United Academy XI at the Loughborough University Stadium.

This is the second time the students have hosted a Premier League club. The Manchester United squad were impressed by what Loughborough Sport had to offer after being treated to a tour of sports facilities around campus.

The evening was a great success and a fitting occasion to unveil the new Mike ‘The Doc’ Holliday Boardroom in the stadium.

Sadly Mike passed away in 2008 but he spent many wet and windy evenings coaching University and College teams to great success over a period of 27 years, as well as being a well-respected lecturer at the University.

The United Academy is managed by former University student Paul McGuinness, who was mentored by Mike throughout his time in the sport at Loughborough. As such the visit was an ideal time to name the boardroom.

Speaking after the match Paul McGuinness said: “I feel very lucky to have attended and be part of two of the world’s greatest sporting institutions, Loughborough University and Manchester United.”

The match itself resulted in a 6-2 victory for the Manchester United Academy.

O ver 80 delegates from the sporting landscape recently attended the annual Clean Sport Forum, hosted by UK Anti-Doping and

held on campus at the new Loughborough University Stadium.

The forum brought together representatives from a range of sporting bodies and organisations to share learning about their anti-doping programmes, and to promote the essential role of creating a clean sport culture following on from the London 2012 Games.

Olympic heptathlete Kelly Sotherton and Paralympic swimmer Graham Edmunds attended the forum, and joined Miriam Wilkens from the British Olympic Association and UK Anti-Doping Chief Executive Andy Parkinson in a panel to discuss perspectives on clean sport.

Loughborough has developed strong links with UK Anti-Doping after being chosen as a pilot site for the University Accreditation Programme. This is designed to raise awareness of anti-doping issues as well as educating students and sports people based at the campus.

Vice Chancellor Professor Robert Allison welcomed the delegates to Loughborough at the start of the event, and made reference to the joint work the University is carrying out with UK Anti-Doping in the accreditation programme.

UK Anti-Doping Chief Executive, Andy Parkinson said: “Loughborough University’s commitment to the work of UK Anti-Doping, and our partnership, is exactly what is needed to ensure together we inspire a new generation of clean sports people.

“Loughborough University is renowned worldwide and should be recognised globally for the leadership it is taking in relation to campus-based preventative anti-doping education and testing programmes.”

MANCHEsTER uNiTEd FixTuRE HONOuRs LOuGHbOROuGH GREAT

L

photography: Neil Plumb

sTudENTs iN THE MEdALs AT YOuTH OLYMPiC FEsTivALLoughborough students won medals for Team GB in the hockey and badminton events at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney.

Loughborough Students Men’s Hockey Club players Andy Bull, Robert Farrington, Daniel Faulkner and Harry Gibson were part of the Great Britain team which won the silver medal after a 5-4 golden goal defeat at the hands of hosts Australia.

3-0 down in the first half, Team GB turned the match around to lead 4-3, with third year Sports Scholar Andy Bull on the score sheet after converting a penalty stroke in the 57th minute.

However with two minutes remaining the Australians equalised, and went on to claim victory with a golden goal in extra time.

Loughborough Students Men’s Hockey Club and Team GB goalkeeper Harry Gibson said: “I’m so proud of all the lads. We didn’t play our best in the first half but we came out and gave it everything in the second half. We fought for everything and dominated the Australians.

“This performance gives us a lot of confidence and promise for this team for the future. This has been a massive learning curve and we have been soaking everything up.”

Loughborough Students women’s hockey players Giselle Ansley, Robyn Collins and Suzannah Petty, along with fellow Loughborough student Josie Inverdale, picked up the bronze medal after a 2-1 victory over the United States.

The GB women had previously beaten the American team 5-0 in the group games. But the bronze medal match was a much closer affair with a hard fought victory secured through a golden goal by Hannah Martin in extra time.

Since winning the bronze medal there has been further

celebration for Sport Scholar Giselle Ansley, who was selected for the senior England squad for the first time to take part in the Investec Challenge taking place in Cape Town, South Africa.

In badminton first year Loughborough University student Aaron Cheng won a bronze medal in the men’s doubles event with playing partner Tom Wolfenden.

Aaron and Tom were defeated by China in the semi-finals, but bounced back in the bronze medal match to defeat the Chinese Taipei pair, producing a stunning performance to win 21-19 17-21 21-17.

Speaking of his success Aaron Cheng said: “This was not a game we had expected to win as the Asian countries tend to dominate the badminton scene. Therefore, it was a great confidence boost that we proved that we could compete with them.”

The Australian Youth Olympic Festival saw approximately 1,700 athletes aged from 12 to 20 from 30 nations competing across 17 Olympic sports. Team GB competed in 11 sports winning 66 medals, comprising 19 gold, 23 silver, 24 bronze medals.

Student hockey players celebrate medal success

CAMPus HOsTs LANdMARK FORuM ON ANTi-dOPiNG

Vice Chancellor Professor Robert Allison (right) is pictured with UK Anti-Doping Chief Executive, Andy Parkinson

www.lboro.ac.uk